Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Scheveningen Formation
1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 dxc3 4. Nxc3 Nc6 5. Nf3 d6 6. Bc4 e6
The Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Scheveningen 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 e6. 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 720 times by this move order. White won 51%, 4% were drawn and Black won 45%. The most popular continuation is 7. O-O (83% of games).
Engine evaluation: −0.13 (Stockfish, depth 55; best line 7. O-O Be7 8. Qe2 a6 9. Rd1 Qc7)
- ECO
- B21
- Moves
- 12 plies
- FEN
r1bqkbnr/pp3ppp/2npp3/8/2B1P3/2N2N2/PP3PPP/R1BQK2R w KQkq - 0 7- PGN
1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 dxc3 4. Nxc3 Nc6 5. Nf3 d6 6. Bc4 e6
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 30 | |
| 1500-1999 | 420 | |
| 2000+ | 270 | |
| All | 720 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 7. O-O | 601 (83%) | |
| 7. Qe2 | 62 (9%) | |
| 7. Bf4 | 30 (4%) | |
| 7. Bg5 | 6 (1%) | |
| 7. Be3 | 5 (1%) | |
| 7. e5 | 5 (1%) | |
| 7. a3 | 3 (0%) | |
| 7. Bb3 | 2 (0%) |
Master games
389 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 38%, draw 13%, Black 49%). The strongest:
- GM Hikaru Nakamura (2775) – GM Jan-Krzysztof Duda (2724) 0-1 · Titled Tue 11th Apr Early · 2023-04-11
- GM Hikaru Nakamura (2775) – GM Anton Korobov (2661) 0-1 · Titled Tue 13th Jun Late · 2023-06-13
- GM Hikaru Nakamura (2775) – GM Christopher Woojin Yoo (2607) 1-0 · Titled Tue 9th May Late · 2023-05-09
- GM Baadur Jobava (2603) – GM Anton Korobov (2683) 1/2-1/2 · Bogdanovich Mem Final TB · 2021-02-13
- GM Juan Carlos Obregon Rivero (2520) – GM Vasif Durarbayli (2606) 1-0 · Titled Arena Apr 3rd 2021 · 2021-04-03
Highest-rated Lichess games
- FM The_Fawkes (2651) – IM MassterofMayhem (2659) 1-0 · 2026-09-06 · 180 + 0s
- IM MassterofMayhem (2639) – JAGMM (2617) 1/2-1/2 · 2026-09-03 · 180 + 0s
- KM2200 (2517) – IM nickVet (2699) 1-0 · 2026-09-02 · 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.