Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Larsen Defense

1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 dxc3 4. Nxc3 Nc6 5. Nf3 e6 6. Bc4 Qc7 7. Qe2 a6 8. O-O Bd6

Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Larsen Defense after 1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 dxc3 4. Nxc3 Nc6 5. Nf3 e6 6. Bc4 Qc7 7. Qe2 a6 8. O-O Bd6 87654321abcdefgh

The Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Larsen Defense is a chess opening classified as ECO B21, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 dxc3 4. Nxc3 Nc6 5. Nf3 e6 6. Bc4 Qc7 7. Qe2 a6 8. O-O Bd6. 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: +0.08 (Stockfish, depth 30; best line 9. Rd1 Nge7 10. Qd2 Ne5 11. Qxd6 Qxd6)

ECO
B21
Moves
16 plies
FEN
r1b1k1nr/1pqp1ppp/p1nbp3/8/2B1P3/2N2N2/PP2QPPP/R1B2RK1 w kq - 2 9
PGN
1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 dxc3 4. Nxc3 Nc6 5. Nf3 e6 6. Bc4 Qc7 7. Qe2 a6 8. O-O Bd6

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

Comes from

Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Siberian Variation 1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 dxc3 4. Nxc3 Nc6 5. Nf3 e6 6. Bc4 Qc7

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.