Semi-Open · a defense for Black

Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Larsen Defense

16/16
1.e4c52.d4cxd43.c3dxc34.Nxc3Nc65.Nf3e66.Bc4Qc77.Qe2a68.O-OBd6
Live databaseLichess 1600–2000 · blitz + rapid
Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Larsen Defense7.8k games · White to move
MoveWhite / draw / BlackPlayedGamesScore
46%3.6k50%
16%1.2k49%
11%84051%
11%83351%
6%47450%
4.3%33946%
2.2%17545%
1.2%9539%
1%7847%
1%7527%
Famous games in this line11 master games
Ohtake, Sakae (2546) – Solari, Aldo (2493)20071–0Equidistance (2368) – Octapus (2653)20060–1Higgins, John (2381) – Heffalump (2527)20071–0Kireev, Sergey (2339) – Caire, Francois (2427)20070–1Lalic, Dragan (2287) – Ilincic, Zlatko (2437)2012½–½Gansvind, Valeriya I (2240) – Stepovaia, Tatiana (2444)19990–1Sowray, Peter J (2210) – Iskov, Gert (2370)1979½–½Zelic, Mladen (2275) – Keglevic, Pavao (2245)19971–0
Heroes of this opening Ohtake, Sakae · Octapus · Higgins, John · Caire, Francois
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 e6 6. Bc4 Qc7 7. Qe2 a6 8. O-O Bd6
Gambit
★ Read the guide: Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen VariationExplore all 388 Sicilian Defense lines →
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Nearby lines in the family
Sicilian Defense: Taimanov Variation, Gary Gambit2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 …Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, Traditional Line2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 …Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation, Bird Variation2.Nf3 Nc6 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
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