Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit (2… cxd4 3. c3)
1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3
The Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit is a chess opening classified as ECO B21, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3. It is a line of the Sicilian Defense. Black is to move. 6 named lines continue from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 42,232 times by this move order. White won 50%, 4% were drawn and Black won 46%. The most popular continuation is 3… dxc3 (64% of games).
Engine evaluation: −0.09 (Stockfish, depth 55; best line 3… dxc3 4. Nxc3 d6 5. Nf3 Nc6 6. Bc4)
- ECO
- B21
- Moves
- 5 plies
- FEN
rnbqkbnr/pp1ppppp/8/8/3pP3/2P5/PP3PPP/RNBQKBNR b KQkq - 0 3- PGN
1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 4,669 | |
| 1500-1999 | 26,127 | |
| 2000+ | 11,436 | |
| All | 42,232 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 3… dxc3 Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted | 27,227 (64%) | |
| 3… d3 Smith-Morra Gambit Declined, Push Variation | 3,508 (8%) | |
| 3… Nc6 | 2,976 (7%) | |
| 3… Nf6 Smith-Morra Gambit Declined, Alapin Formation | 2,836 (7%) | |
| 3… d5 Smith-Morra Gambit Declined, Scandinavian Formation | 2,190 (5%) | |
| 3… e5 Smith-Morra Gambit Declined, Center Formation | 1,187 (3%) | |
| 3… d6 | 799 (2%) | |
| 3… g6 | 690 (2%) |
Master games
572 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 45%, draw 13%, Black 42%). The strongest:
- GM Hikaru Nakamura (2802) – IM Kirill Klukin (2413) 1-0 · Titled Tue 6th Aug Late · 2024-08-06
- GM Aleksandr Lenderman (2521) – GM Jeffery Xiong (2659) 0-1 · Titled Tue 26th Dec Late · 2023-12-26
- GM Masoud Mosadeghpour (2486) – GM Gawain C B Maroroa Jones (2677) 1-0 · Titled Arena May 8th 2021 · 2021-05-08
- GM Baadur Jobava (2603) – IM Loic Travadon (2421) 1-0 · 1st Cappelle Online Blitz · 2021-01-10
- GM Baadur Jobava (2603) – FM Oleg Rychkov (2410) 0-1 · Titled Tuesday 10th Nov · 2020-11-10
Search all games of the Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- IM MassterofMayhem (2671) – GM Super_FanZhendong (2894) 0-1 · 2026-09-06 · 180 + 0s
- BishopAndSons (2653) – evg85 (2800) 0-1 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
- BishopAndSons (2648) – evg85 (2805) 0-1 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit (1… c5 2. d4) 1. e4 c5 2. d4
Continuations
- Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted B21 · 1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 dxc3
- Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Declined, Alapin Formation B21 · 1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 Nf6
- Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Declined, Center Formation B21 · 1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 e5
- Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Declined, Push Variation B21 · 1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 d3
- Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Declined, Scandinavian Formation B21 · 1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 d5
- Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Declined, Wing Formation B21 · 1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 Qa5
More Sicilian Defense lines (all)
- Sicilian Defense (1. e4 c5) B20
- Sicilian Defense: Amazon Attack B20
- Sicilian Defense: Big Clamp Formation B20
- Sicilian Defense: Bowdler Attack B20
- Sicilian Defense: Brick Variation B20
- Sicilian Defense: Czerniak Attack B20
- Sicilian Defense: Czerniak Attack, Queen Fianchetto Variation B20
- Sicilian Defense: Euwe Attack, Prins Gambit B20
- Sicilian Defense: Gloria Variation B20
- Sicilian Defense: Grob Variation B20
- Sicilian Defense: Keres Variation B20
- Sicilian Defense: King David's Opening B20
Opening names and moves from the Lichess openings dataset; statistics from the Lichess open database, 2026-09 (CC0), sample of 12.6 million games, bots excluded; evaluations from Lichess cloud analysis (all CC0). Master games from The Week in Chess #920–#1664 by Mark Crowther, used with permission.