Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Taimanov Formation
18K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds
52.6%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 53.3%.
Measured over 18K games at this level and clock.
A strong choice for Black at this level and clock.
Outcomes for Black
Draw 3.4 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 18K games
- Rank among the families Black can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 18K
- Best context
- 54.7% at 2000-2199 Rapid
- Worst context
- 51.1% at 2200-2499 Blitz
- Average game length
- 34 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 96.6%
- Draws
- 3.4%
Best and worst are the strongest and weakest squares with at least 500 games behind them. The table further down shows every square, including thinner ones.
Where it holds · Black score by rating × clock
Green is clearly ahead for Black, grey is around even, red is behind. Tap a cell to measure there, and again to clear. It falls away as the rating rises: 60.0% at 0-999, 45.9% at 2500+.
| Rating | UB | Bulle | Blitz | Rapid | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0-999 | — | — | — | ||
| 1000-1199 | — | — | |||
| 1200-1399 | — | — | |||
| 1400-1599 | — | — | |||
| 1600-1799 | — | ||||
| 1800-1999 | |||||
| 2000-2199 | — | ||||
| 2200-2499 | — | — | |||
| 2500+ | — | — |
Expected score matrix by rating bracket and time control
- 0-999 rating, Blitz: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
- 0-999 rating, Rapid: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 32.8% expected score (13 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 50.0% expected score (4 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 52.2% expected score (44 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 57.6% expected score (71 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 46.0% expected score (11 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 53.3% expected score (317 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 51.3% expected score (404 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 57.7% expected score (44 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 54.5% expected score (793 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 54.2% expected score (1,484 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 53.4% expected score (251 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 38.0% expected score (11 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 52.0% expected score (919 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 54.4% expected score (3,382 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 52.9% expected score (557 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 44.1% expected score (49 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 52.2% expected score (1,199 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 52.2% expected score (3,655 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 54.7% expected score (647 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 40.5% expected score (9 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 51.2% expected score (1,590 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 51.1% expected score (1,813 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 43.4% expected score (157 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 50.1% expected score (393 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 57.5% expected score (45 games)
- 2500+ rating, Rapid: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Taimanov Formation scores 52.6% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 52.0% and 53.3% — from 18K Lichess games. Win rate, draw rate and loss rate come from games played December 2023 to November 2025.
How the figures are made
- Whose games these are
- 18K+ rated games played on Lichess (2023-12 to 2025-11). The games are Lichess’s and free for anyone to use. What is ours is the reading of them. Last rebuilt January 2026.
- Which games we count
- Rated games only — nothing casual.
- Both players within 200 rating points of each other. A mismatch tells you about the gap, not about the opening.
- At least 2 moves played.
- A game is filed under White’s rating.
- Why every number comes with a range
- A number off a few hundred games is a guess. The same number off millions is a fact. The range is what tells them apart, and it is what the lists rank on — so an opening cannot reach the top on a lucky run of forty games. The more games behind a figure, the narrower its range.
- How much we need before we say anything
- An opening page needs 100 games. A gambit needs 50 games at a rating before we will say whether it pays there. The chaos and trap lists need 500 games overall and 250 games at one rating or clock.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Taimanov Formation win rate?
Playing the Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Taimanov Formation, Black wins 50.9%, draws 3.4% and loses 45.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.6%. It rests on 18K rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Taimanov Formation perform best?
The Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Taimanov Formation performs best for Black at 1600-1799, with an Expected Score of 54.2% (2.5K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Taimanov Formation better in blitz or rapid?
For Black, the Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Taimanov Formation scores about the same in both: an Expected Score of 53.0% in Blitz (11K games) against 52.9% in Rapid (1.7K games).
How sharp is the Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Taimanov Formation?
The Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Taimanov Formation has a sharpness score of 96.6 (very decisive), meaning 96.6% of games end decisively. Average game length is 34 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Taimanov Formation win rate at 1200-1399?
At 1200-1399, Black wins 53.7%, draws 2.0% and loses 44.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.7%. It rests on 126 Lichess games, which average 30 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Taimanov Formation win rate at 1400-1599?
At 1400-1599, Black wins 51.1%, draws 2.8% and loses 46.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.5%. It rests on 765 Lichess games, which average 29 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Taimanov Formation win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, Black wins 52.8%, draws 2.7% and loses 44.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.2%. It rests on 2.5K Lichess games, which average 31 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Taimanov Formation win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, Black wins 52.0%, draws 3.3% and loses 44.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.7%. It rests on 4.9K Lichess games, which average 34 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Taimanov Formation win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, Black wins 50.6%, draws 3.7% and loses 45.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.5%. It rests on 5.5K Lichess games, which average 35 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Taimanov Formation win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, Black wins 48.9%, draws 3.7% and loses 47.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.8%. It rests on 3.6K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Taimanov Formation win rate at 2500+?
At 2500+, Black wins 48.7%, draws 4.2% and loses 47.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.8%. It rests on 439 Lichess games, which average 38 moves.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Taimanov Formation win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, Black wins 51.1%, draws 1.9% and loses 47.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.1%. It rests on 5.3K Lichess games.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Taimanov Formation win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, Black wins 51.0%, draws 4.0% and loses 45.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.0%. It rests on 11K Lichess games.
What is the Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Taimanov Formation win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, Black wins 50.8%, draws 4.0% and loses 45.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.9%. It rests on 1.7K Lichess games.
Is the Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Taimanov Formation a good opening?
The Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Taimanov Formation is good for Black. Across all ratings, Black wins 50.9% of its games and loses 45.7%. It performs best at 1600-1799. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.