Semi-Open · a defense for Black
Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Kan Formation
10/10
1.e4c52.d4cxd43.c3dxc34.Nxc3e65.Nf3a6
Live databaseLichess 1600–2000 · blitz + rapid
Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Kan Formation556k games · White to move
MoveWhite / draw / BlackPlayedGamesScore
77%425k52%
5.3%30k52%
5.1%28k51%
4.1%23k51%
3.5%19k50%
1.9%11k50%
1.5%8.1k49%
1%5.5k46%
0.7%4.1k51%
0.1%46755%
Famous games in this line147 master games
Ohtake, Sakae (2546) – Winkler, Dr. Thorsten (2619)Moiseenko, Va (2517) – Alekseev, Evgeny (2627)Arenas Vanegas, David (2443) – Bruzon Batista, Lazaro (2668)Berg, Emanuel (2556) – Miezis, Normunds (2546)Berg, E. (2579) – Luch, M. (2448)Mosadeghpour, Masoud (2416) – Korneev, O. (2578)Gomez Baillo, Jorge H (2395) – Granda Zuniga, Julio E (2590)Tinture, Laurent (2455) – Del Vecchio, Alain (2522)Heroes of this opening Ohtake, Sakae · Alekseev, Evgeny · Bruzon Batista, Lazaro · Miezis, Normunds
- Family
- Sicilian Defense
- Category
- Semi-Open
- First move
- 1.e4
- ECO
- B21
- Line
- 1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 dxc3 4. Nxc3 e6 5. Nf3 a6
Gambit
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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