Semi-Open · a defense for Black

Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Fianchetto Defense

10/10
1.e4c52.d4cxd43.c3dxc34.Nxc3Nc65.Nf3g6
Live databaseLichess 1600–2000 · blitz + rapid
Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Fianchetto Defense521k games · White to move
MoveWhite / draw / BlackPlayedGamesScore
90%466k56%
2.3%12k51%
2%11k51%
1.3%7.0k53%
1.1%5.8k49%
1%5.3k47%
0.9%4.8k55%
0.5%2.7k54%
0.4%2.2k49%
0.2%1.1k47%
Famous games in this line32 master games
Carlsen, M. (2839) – Nakamura, Hi (2816)2025½–½Gilevych, Artem (2407) – Vallejo Pons, F. (2705)20180–1Cabrilo, Goran (2476) – Kovacevic, Aleksandar (2539)20030–1Tompa, Janos (2415) – Ribli, Zoltan (2575)19760–1Topalovic, Zlatko (2355) – Cebalo, Miso (2570)19950–1Zelic, Mladen (2330) – Cebalo, Miso (2570)19951–0Daus, Peter (2406) – Simon, Ralf-Axel (2443)20121–0Ivanov, Igor Y (2405) – Gusev, Aleksey (2394)20060–1
Heroes of this opening Vallejo Pons, F. · Kovacevic, Aleksandar · Ribli, Zoltan · Cebalo, Miso
Family
Sicilian Defense
Category
Semi-Open
First move
1.e4
ECO
B21
Line
1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 dxc3 4. Nxc3 Nc6 5. Nf3 g6
GambitFianchetto
★ Read the guide: Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen VariationExplore all 388 Sicilian Defense lines →
Keep exploring
Nearby lines in the family
Sicilian Defense: Pin Variation2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 …Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 …Sicilian Defense: Gaw-Paw Variation2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 …
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
Open in the opening tree →Videos on YouTube ↗Wikipedia: Sicilian Defense ↗