B21 · Semi-Open · a defense for Black

Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Pin Defense

12/12
1.e4c52.d4cxd43.c3dxc34.Nxc3Nc65.Nf3e66.Bc4Bb4
Live databaseLichess 1600–2000 · blitz + rapid
Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Pin Defense522k games · White to move
MoveWhite / draw / BlackPlayedGamesScore
77%399k52%
9.5%50k48%
4.9%26k53%
2.4%13k51%
1.9%10k50%
1.2%6.4k52%
1%5.1k44%
1%5.1k50%
0.5%2.7k46%
0.3%1.5k47%
Famous games in this line86 master games
Ohtake, Sakae (2546)Schüppel, Ralf (2541)20070–1Luque Saiz, Andres (2339)Kryvoruchko, Y. (2656)20230–1Van Wijgerden, Cor (2435)Panno, Oscar (2540)1980½–½Schmidt, Harald (2408)Zakhartsov, Viacheslav V (2562)2009½–½Stopa, Jacek (2482)Kosteniuk, Alexandra (2469)20110–1Eckhardt, Thorsten (2469)Lakatos, Stefan (2471)2023½–½Renard, Stéphane (2453)Tedesco, Matthew (2472)2025½–½Mosadeghpour, Masoud (2480)Grivas, E. (2396)20221–0
Heroes of this opening Schüppel, Ralf · Kryvoruchko, Y. · Kosteniuk, Alexandra · Mosadeghpour, Masoud
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 Bb4
Gambit
Read the guide: Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen VariationExplore all 388 Sicilian Defense lines
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From the archives

No defense has won more games at every level than the Sicilian. Bobby Fischer played almost nothing else against 1.e4, and Kasparov's Najdorf battles with Karpov and Anand are pillars of chess history. When you play 1...c5, you're refusing symmetry — the same refusal that carried two world champions.

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