Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Chicago Defense (9. Bb3 Ra7)

1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 dxc3 4. Nxc3 Nc6 5. Bc4 e6 6. Nf3 d6 7. O-O a6 8. Qe2 b5 9. Bb3 Ra7

Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Chicago Defense after 1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 dxc3 4. Nxc3 Nc6 5. Bc4 e6 6. Nf3 d6 7. O-O a6 8. Qe2 b5 9. Bb3 Ra7 87654321abcdefgh

The Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Chicago Defense is a chess opening classified as ECO B21, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 dxc3 4. Nxc3 Nc6 5. Bc4 e6 6. Nf3 d6 7. O-O a6 8. Qe2 b5 9. Bb3 Ra7. It is a line of the Sicilian Defense. White is to move.

This exact move order didn't appear in our sample of 12.6 million Lichess games: it's a rare line.

Engine evaluation: +1.26 (Stockfish, depth 38; best line 10. Be3 Rb7 11. Rfd1 Nge7 12. Rac1 Na5)

ECO
B21
Moves
18 plies
FEN
2bqkbnr/r4ppp/p1npp3/1p6/4P3/1BN2N2/PP2QPPP/R1B2RK1 w k - 2 10
PGN
1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 dxc3 4. Nxc3 Nc6 5. Bc4 e6 6. Nf3 d6 7. O-O a6 8. Qe2 b5 9. Bb3 Ra7

Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess

Master games

1 over-the-board game is classified under this line (White 0%, draw 100%, Black 0%). The strongest:

Search all games of the Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Chicago Defense and its sub-variations

Comes from

Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Sozin Formation 1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 dxc3 4. Nxc3 Nc6 5. Bc4 e6 6. Nf3 d6 7. O-O a6 8. Qe2 b5

More Sicilian Defense lines (all)

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.