Semi-Open · a defense for Black
Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Deferred
7/7
1.e4c52.Nf3e63.d4cxd44.c3
Live databaseLichess 1600–2000 · blitz + rapid
Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Deferred938k games · Black to move
MoveWhite / draw / BlackPlayedGamesScore
52%486k47%
12%111k46%
9.9%93k47%
8.9%84k50%
7.7%73k48%
6.3%59k50%
1.6%15k46%
0.3%2.7k48%
0.3%2.7k43%
0.2%2.2k40%
Famous games in this line165 master games
Minasian, Artashes (2580) – Ehlvest, Jaan (2660)Moiseenko, Va (2517) – Alekseev, Evgeny (2627)Dragnev, Valentin (2458) – Mastrovasilis, D. (2582)Schmidt, Harald (2408) – Zakhartsov, Viacheslav V (2562)Garcia Palermo, Carlos H (2415) – Panno, Oscar (2545)Moiseenko, Va (2548) – Seeman, T. (2395)Renard, Stéphane (2453) – Tedesco, Matthew (2472)Valuet, B. (2274) – Fedorchuk, S. (2641)Heroes of this opening Ehlvest, Jaan · Alekseev, Evgeny · Dragnev, Valentin · Panno, Oscar
- Family
- Sicilian Defense
- Category
- Semi-Open
- First move
- 1.e4
- ECO
- B40
- Line
- 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. c3
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