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Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Taimanov Formation

18K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

Tough Sell
White Expected Score47.4%Range (90% confident): 46.7% – 48.0%Based on 18K games
0%47.4%100%
Range (90% confident): 46.7% – 48.0%
Outcome Distribution
45.7%3.4%50.9%
Win
Draw
Loss
6...Ne7
Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Taimanov Formation
Analyzen=18K
Avg Length34 moves
Sharpness97%
Draw Rate3.4%

What is the Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Taimanov Formation expected score for White?

Snapshot

At all ratings, the Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Taimanov Formation has a 47.4% expected score for White (we're 90% confident it's between 46.7% and 48.0%), based on 18K Lichess games.

Extra Analysis

Deep-dive datasets for this opening

Gambit BreakpointWhite

Peak: -4.3% · Breakpoint: 1200-1399

White Win% by Rating

Improves with rating: 33% → 47%

0
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
2000
2200
2500+

  • 0-999: 33.3% win rate (3 games)
  • 1000-1199: 59.0% win rate (18 games)
  • 1200-1399: 44.3% win rate (126 games)
  • 1400-1599: 46.1% win rate (765 games)
  • 1600-1799: 44.5% win rate (2,539 games)
  • 1800-1999: 44.7% win rate (4,908 games)
  • 2000-2199: 45.7% win rate (5,510 games)
  • 2200-2499: 47.4% win rate (3,560 games)
  • 2500+: 47.1% win rate (439 games)

White Win% by Time Control

Best in UltraBullet (60%), worst in Blitz (45%)

UltraBullet
Bullet
Blitz
Rapid
Classical

  • UltraBullet: 60.0% win rate (1 games)
  • Bullet: 47.0% win rate (5,268 games)
  • Blitz: 45.0% win rate (10,860 games)
  • Rapid: 45.1% win rate (1,670 games)
  • Classical: 53.2% win rate (69 games)

White% by Rating × Time Control

Click any cell to filter. Green = above 50%, Red = below 50%.

RatingUBBulleBlitzRapidClass
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: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 67.3% expected score (13 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 50.0% expected score (4 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 47.9% expected score (44 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 42.4% expected score (71 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 54.0% expected score (11 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 46.7% expected score (317 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 48.8% expected score (404 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 42.4% expected score (44 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 45.5% expected score (793 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 45.9% expected score (1,484 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 46.7% expected score (251 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 62.0% expected score (11 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 48.1% expected score (919 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 45.7% expected score (3,382 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 47.1% expected score (557 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 56.0% expected score (49 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 47.8% expected score (1,199 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 47.8% expected score (3,655 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 45.4% expected score (647 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 59.6% expected score (9 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 48.8% expected score (1,590 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 49.0% expected score (1,813 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 56.7% expected score (157 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 49.9% expected score (393 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 42.5% expected score (45 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 70.0% expected score (1 games)

Related Openings

Parent
Sicilian Defense
48.5%
Variations (5)
Sicilian Defense: Accelerated Dragon
45.7%
Sicilian Defense: Accelerated Dragon, Exchange Variation
45.8%
Sicilian Defense: Accelerated Dragon, Maróczy Bind
48.8%
Sicilian Defense: Accelerated Dragon, Maróczy Bind, Breyer Variation
43.7%
Sicilian Defense: Accelerated Dragon, Maróczy Bind, Gurgenidze Variation
44.6%
Analyze Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Taimanov Formation PositionsGet move-by-move win rates with the TrueElo analyzer

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Taimanov Formation win rate?

The Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Taimanov Formation has a 45.7% (90% CI: 45.0%-46.3%) win rate for white, based 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 at 2200-2499 Elo with a 47.4% win rate for white (3.6K games). Win rate tends to decline at higher ratings as opponents know the theory better.

Is the Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Taimanov Formation better in blitz or rapid?

Bullet (47.0%) outperforms Rapid (45.1%) by 1.9%. Choose your time control wisely.

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 Elo?

At 1200-1399 Elo, the Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Taimanov Formation has a 44.3% (90% CI: 37.2%-51.6%) win rate for white, based on 126 Lichess games. Average game length is 30 moves with a 2.0% draw rate.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Taimanov Formation win rate at 1400-1599 Elo?

At 1400-1599 Elo, the Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Taimanov Formation has a 46.1% (90% CI: 43.2%-49.1%) win rate for white, based on 765 Lichess games. Average game length is 29 moves with a 2.8% draw rate.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Taimanov Formation win rate at 1600-1799 Elo?

At 1600-1799 Elo, the Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Taimanov Formation has a 44.5% (90% CI: 42.9%-46.2%) win rate for white, based on 2.5K Lichess games. Average game length is 31 moves with a 2.7% draw rate.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Taimanov Formation win rate at 1800-1999 Elo?

At 1800-1999 Elo, the Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Taimanov Formation has a 44.7% (90% CI: 43.6%-45.9%) win rate for white, based on 4.9K Lichess games. Average game length is 34 moves with a 3.3% draw rate.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Taimanov Formation win rate at 2000-2199 Elo?

At 2000-2199 Elo, the Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Taimanov Formation has a 45.7% (90% CI: 44.6%-46.8%) win rate for white, based on 5.5K Lichess games. Average game length is 35 moves with a 3.7% draw rate.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Taimanov Formation win rate at 2200-2499 Elo?

At 2200-2499 Elo, the Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Taimanov Formation has a 47.4% (90% CI: 46.0%-48.8%) win rate for white, based on 3.6K Lichess games. Average game length is 36 moves with a 3.7% draw rate.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Taimanov Formation win rate at 2500+ Elo?

At 2500+ Elo, the Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Taimanov Formation has a 47.1% (90% CI: 43.2%-51.0%) win rate for white, based on 439 Lichess games. Average game length is 38 moves with a 4.2% draw rate.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Taimanov Formation win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet games, the Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Taimanov Formation has a 47.0% (90% CI: 45.8%-48.1%) win rate for white (5.3K Lichess games). Draw rate is 1.9%.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Taimanov Formation win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz games, the Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Taimanov Formation has a 45.0% (90% CI: 44.3%-45.8%) win rate for white (11K Lichess games). Draw rate is 4.0%.

What is the Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Taimanov Formation win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid games, the Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Taimanov Formation has a 45.1% (90% CI: 43.1%-47.1%) win rate for white (1.7K Lichess games). Draw rate is 4.0%.

Is the Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Taimanov Formation a good opening?

The Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Taimanov Formation is slightly favors black with a 45.7% (90% CI: 45.0%-46.3%) win rate across all ratings. It performs best at 2200-2499 Elo. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.