Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Declined, Push Variation
1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 d3
The Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Declined, Push Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO B21, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 d3. It is a line of the Sicilian Defense. White is to move. 1 named line continues from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 3,508 times by this move order. White won 47%, 6% were drawn and Black won 47%. The most popular continuation is 4. Bxd3 (79% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.54 (Stockfish, depth 51; best line 4. Bxd3 Nc6 5. c4 e6 6. Nf3 Bc5)
- ECO
- B21
- Moves
- 6 plies
- FEN
rnbqkbnr/pp1ppppp/8/8/4P3/2Pp4/PP3PPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 4- PGN
1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 d3
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 103 | |
| 1500-1999 | 1,873 | |
| 2000+ | 1,532 | |
| All | 3,508 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 4. Bxd3 | 2,778 (79%) | |
| 4. Nf3 | 303 (9%) | |
| 4. c4 Smith-Morra Gambit Declined, Dubois Variation | 270 (8%) | |
| 4. Qxd3 | 108 (3%) | |
| 4. f4 | 19 (1%) | |
| 4. e5 | 10 (0%) | |
| 4. Be3 | 8 (0%) | |
| 4. Bf4 | 2 (0%) |
Master games
1,483 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 39%, draw 15%, Black 46%). The strongest:
- LCZero v0.26.2-rc1_J92-100 (3543) – Stoofvlees II a14 (3504) 1-0 · TCEC 19 Premier 2020 · 2020-09-24
- Stoofvlees II a14 (3504) – LCZero v0.26.2-rc1_J92-100 (3543) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 19 Premier 2020 · 2020-09-21
- GM Hikaru Nakamura (2794) – GM Alireza Firouzja (2737) 0-1 · Bullet Chess Winners 2024 · 2024-06-13
- GM Hikaru Nakamura (2802) – GM Aleksandar Indjic (2610) 1-0 · Titled Tue 6th Aug Late · 2024-08-06
- GM Hikaru Nakamura (2788) – GM Jose Eduardo Martinez Alcantara (2611) 1-0 · Titled Tue 5th Dec Late · 2023-12-05
Highest-rated Lichess games
- BishopAndSons (2677) – CM Sultai (2691) 1-0 · 2026-09-02 · 180 + 0s
- IM MassterofMayhem (2672) – Washington91 (2605) 1-0 · 2026-09-06 · 180 + 0s
- BishopAndSons (2692) – Kesha05 (2578) 1-0 · 2026-09-02 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit (2… cxd4 3. c3) 1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3
Continuations
- Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Declined, Dubois Variation B21 · 1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 d3 4. c4
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.