Semi-Open · a defense for Black
Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit
3/3
1.e4c52.d4
Live databaseLichess 1600–2000 · blitz + rapid
Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit24.8M games · Black to move
MoveWhite / draw / BlackPlayedGamesScore
85%21.1M49%
5.1%1.3M44%
2.8%688k46%
0.6%145k50%
0.3%73k47%
0.3%71k42%
0.2%49k37%
0.2%44k46%
0.2%40k48%
Famous games in this line3.6k master games
Nepomniachtchi, I. (2751) – Karjakin, Sergey (2783)Nakamura, Hi (2788) – Vachier Lagrave, M. (2731)Van Foreest, Jorden (2618) – Vachier Lagrave, M. (2780)Aravindh, Chithambaram VR. (2703) – Dubov, Daniil (2672)Aravindh, Chithambaram VR. (2703) – Grischuk, A. (2654)Inarkiev, Ernesto (2656) – Malakhov, Vladimir (2692)Fedoseev, Vl3 (2680) – Korobov, A. (2664)Naroditsky, D. (2616) – Van Foreest, Jorden (2714)Heroes of this opening Karjakin, Sergey · Nakamura, Hi · Korobov, A.
- Family
- Sicilian Defense
- Category
- Semi-Open
- First move
- 1.e4
- ECO
- B21
- Line
- 1. e4 c5 2. d4
Gambit
★ Read the guide: Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen VariationExplore all 388 Sicilian Defense lines →Keep exploring
Go deeper — named lines from here
Sicilian Defense: Halasz Gambit2…cxd4 3.f4Sicilian Defense: Morphy Gambit2…cxd4 3.Nf3 · 1 deeper lineSicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted2…cxd4 3.c3 dxc3 · 16 deeper linesSicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Declined, Push Variation2…cxd4 3.c3 d3 · 1 deeper line
Nearby lines in the family
From the archives
No reply to 1.e4 is played more. Fischer made the Najdorf his main weapon, and Kasparov's Sicilians are pillars of chess history — the Scheveningen against Karpov, the Dragon he unveiled against Anand in 1995. When you play 1...c5 you refuse symmetry, the same refusal that carried two world champions.
Study this opening