Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Classical Formation
1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 dxc3 4. Nxc3 Nc6 5. Nf3 d6 6. Bc4 a6 7. O-O Nf6
The Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Classical Formation is a chess opening classified as ECO B21, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 dxc3 4. Nxc3 Nc6 5. Nf3 d6 6. Bc4 a6 7. O-O Nf6. It is a line of the Sicilian Defense. White is to move.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 225 times by this move order. White won 50%, 6% were drawn and Black won 44%. The most popular continuation is 8. Qe2 (41% of games).
Engine evaluation: −0.13 (Stockfish, depth 54; best line 8. Bf4 e6 9. Qe2 Nh5 10. Be3 Be7)
- ECO
- B21
- Moves
- 14 plies
- FEN
r1bqkb1r/1p2pppp/p1np1n2/8/2B1P3/2N2N2/PP3PPP/R1BQ1RK1 w kq - 2 8- PGN
1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 dxc3 4. Nxc3 Nc6 5. Nf3 d6 6. Bc4 a6 7. O-O Nf6
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 1 | |
| 1500-1999 | 58 | |
| 2000+ | 166 | |
| All | 225 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 8. Qe2 | 93 (41%) | |
| 8. e5 | 38 (17%) | |
| 8. Bf4 | 26 (12%) | |
| 8. h3 | 24 (11%) | |
| 8. b4 | 16 (7%) | |
| 8. Re1 | 7 (3%) | |
| 8. Bg5 | 7 (3%) | |
| 8. Be3 | 4 (2%) |
Master games
389 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 28%, draw 18%, Black 54%). The strongest:
- GM Hikaru Nakamura (2778) – GM Quang Liem Le (2731) 1/2-1/2 · Titled Tue 31st Oct Early · 2023-10-31
- GM Evgeny Postny (2600) – GM Quang Liem Le (2709) 1/2-1/2 · PNWCC Online Blitz JP 15 · 2020-06-27
- FM Moritz Weishaeutel (2389) – GM Quang Liem Le (2731) 1/2-1/2 · Titled Tue 28th May Late · 2024-05-28
- GM Jeffery Xiong (2692) – IM Milosz Szpar (2428) 1-0 · Titled Tue 15th Nov Early · 2022-11-15
- IM Masoud Mosadeghpour (2475) – GM Karen H. Grigoryan (2602) 0-1 · 6th Ferdowsi Open 2016 · 2016-02-04
Highest-rated Lichess games
- IM MassterofMayhem (2663) – Tempstream (2708) 1-0 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
- IM MassterofMayhem (2650) – atsaynm (2645) 1-0 · 2026-09-03 · 180 + 0s
- Blagoslavlenny_Bogom (2603) – civotnezc (2632) 1/2-1/2 · 2026-09-03 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted 1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 dxc3
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.