Smith-Morra gambit discussion
Firstly, this is a guide meant mainly for beginners who like open, attacking games. I’m only an intermediate who has a little specialist knowledge, so apologies in advance for any poor lines or inaccuracies! Feel free to contribute & discuss in the thread & I would especially like to see your own games with the Morra, with notes if possible.
I have numbered the diagrams if anyone wants to discuss any particular position.
The Smith-Morra gambit is a powerful weapon for attacking players to as white against the most common reply to 1.e4, 1…c5 the Sicilian Defence.
Games using this gambit tend to be decisive with a result either way, although at intermediate levels (1400-1700) the white player who knows his stuff should cause black plenty of problems, even if black can avoid the traps that exist in this opening.
It is often considered as an anti-Sicilian system, as black is forced out of his usual routine by the very next move. One of the main things that appeals to me about the Morra is that you can steer the game away from mind-bogglingly complex Sicilians & often get black to play very much according to your dictation. The gambit is not often encountered, so a little knowledge goes a long way in an opening where it can go terribly wrong for black very quickly if they don’t know anything of it.
I’ll consider several lines, the most common ones first & also ways which black can decline the gambit & white can still exploit the position.
Try to work through them with a board if possible & look at some of the notes before & after. It should make sense to all levels of ability, even a novice.
The main line
1.e4…c5
play continues:
2.d4…cxd4
3.c3…dxc3
4.Nxc3
and you have fig 1 in the Smith-Morra gambit:
Looking at fig 1 you can see that white has sacrificed a pawn for fast development of the knight on c3 & opened the c & d files, where white should attempt to put his rooks to pressure the centre & also stifle black’s queen, as we shall see. White needs to also find open diagonals for both bishops, to get maximum value for the gambit pawn. The Nc3 can more easily use the b5 or d5 squares to join in the siege as well with the e4 pawn & the white-square bishop defending as well, since black’s traded-off c-pawn is now absent.
4…Nc6
5.Nf3…d6
6.Bc4…e6
7.0-0…Nf6
8.Qe2…a6
9.Rd1
These moves are the basis for most Morra gambit games & a position similar to the one below will often be seen:
fig 2:
Smith-Morra plausible 7-move win
This theoretical miniature shows the power of the Morra & demonstrates the theme of many early traps, the value of the rooks on the open c & d files & the well-timed e5 pawn-push. Black loses his queen to a simple deflection check:
1.e4…c5
2.d4…cxd4
3.c3…dxc3
4.Nxc3…d6
5.Bc4…Nf6? black is trying to develop like his prefered Sicilian but it proves to be fatal
6.e5!...dxe5?? hook, line & sinker…
7.Bxf7!+...Kxf7 forced
8.Qxd8 black is dead in the water
fig 3:
My own example games
Here’s a recent see-saw effort with the Morra, showing the virtues of those first few moves.
Game 2950352
Squelchbelch v autobanner81
1.e4…c5
2.d4…cxd4
3.c3…dxc3
4.Nxc3…Nc6
5.Nf3…d6 it was clear at this early stage that I was playing someone familiar with the Morra, as this move-order is the main line & my opponent was moving very quickly!
6.Bc4…e6 again not immediately apparent, this is black’s best 6th move, I think.
7.0-0…Nf6
8.Qe2…Qc7 Be7 is the 8th book move for black, preparing to castle, but Qc7 strengthens the defence of the e5 square.
9.Rd1 I have to make this move early as it partly compensates for the pawn gambit 9…Be7 looks ok for black
10.Bg5 mainly I played this with 11.R(a)c1 in mind. If Bg5 was attacked I would simply take the knight on f6 then carry on with the opening.
10…0-0 I expected 10…h6 instead
11.R(a)c1…a6 black doesn’t have anything much stronger from this position & this prevents Nb5 which, in hindsight, I should have played earlier to attack & cramp black’s position.
It’s now a typical Morra position though, with black’s move options very limited & white controlling much of the centre with the e4-e5 pawn thrust still available.
fig 4:
Own game example cont...
12.Bxf6…Bxf6 my plan was to simplify a little although black’s position looks ok now. He has already avoided many of the opening traps.
13.h3 doesn’t really achieve much, apart from preparing for a KS pawn-push & waiting on black to show his hand. A mistake, in other words but black was defending well up to this stage & I was slightly stumped!
13…Bd7 connects the rooks on the back rank.
14.e5? I decide to go for it & exchange-off more material counting on the pressure from my 2 rooks, Bc4 & Qe2 but play a poor, losing exchange going a further pawn down!
14…Nxe5
15.Nxe5…Bxe5
16.g3 I’m trying to expand on the KS & hope the long-range central dominance will over extend black’s defences although at this stage I thought I may be in trouble not least because of the long light-square diagonal exposing my king position…
fig 5:
Own game example cont...
16…Bc6 exploiting the diagonal jeesh, he’s quick!
17.Kh2 more out of fear than anything else. The Morra does not often take prisoners!
[/b]17…R(f)e8[/b]
18.f4?! I have to get some counter-play & try to re-organise, even at the expense of king safety.
18…Bf6
19.Ne4 to try to get rid of the pesky c6 bishop, because if he doesn’t exchange I plan to take the bishop on f6 to give him doubled f-pawns & compromise his KS pawn structure or Nxd6 & get back a pawn.
19…Bxe4
20.Qxe4! I have a plan to bust-open his kingside & attack his queen if he now plays Bxb2. I worked through this sequence on the “analyze board” feature & moved only after several minutes.
fig 6:
Own game example cont...
20…Bxb2 he’s not seen it, I’m sure
21.Qxh7+! now, if he plays …Kxh7 I can play 22.Bd3+! & the discovered attack on his queen by Rc1 wins her.
21…Kf8 he’s not stupid, but I’m looking fine now.
22.Rc2 attacking the bishop & making the rook safe.
22…Bf6
23.Bxe6! the rook on c2 is defended by Qh7 so I may as well still play the discovered attack on the black queen & nab a pawn, giving black an inferior structure with 3 islands. I feel like I am winning at this stage, although black is still up a pawn in material my pieces are well positioned.
23…Qb6
24.Bc4 protecting my precious light-square bishop & putting it on an active square.
24…Qb4 harassing it with a view to attacking with Rc8 as well I guess.
25.Bd5 pinning pawn on b7 against the rook
25…R(a)d8
26.Rc7 I now threaten checkmate with Qh8 next move
26…Re2+
27.Bg2 defending & threatening mate again
27…Rd7 It’s all over now
28.Rxd7[/b] threatens mate yet again.
28…Ke8 – only move
29.R(d1)xd6
1-0
fig 7:
black resigns because the only way to defend the mate loses his queen (29…Qxd6)
Common early black move variations
I’ll go through the reasons for the various moves on both sides up to move 9.Rd1 & possible pitfalls of other black moves before the position in fig 2 is reached.
Black’s 4th move
4…Nc6 is probably black’s strongest response. The move provides a solid foundation for a defence & other moves, such as 4…Nf6 would allow 5.e5! pushing the knight back to g8. Then 6.Nf3 would gain a further tempo, giving white a very solid position.
The threat & timing of the e5 pawn-push is a feature of the Smith-Morra. Critically it prevents Nf6 & provokes black to weaken the kingside with f6 for instance.
An interesting line comes from the inferior 4…Nf6
So:
4…Nf6?
5.e5!...Ng8
6.Nf3…e6
7.Bc4…f6
8.0-0…Nc6
9.Qe2…fxe5
10.Nxe5…Nf6
11.Rd1…Be7
12.Bxe6…Nxe5
13.Qxe5
fig 8:
As you can see, black’s d7 pawn is pinned against his queen by Rd2. This is an important theme in the Smith-Morra.
Black’s KS is disrupted, the d-pawn looks lonely & white now has a huge lead in development.
Black is in for a torrid time, doomed to defend. If 13…d6 to swat the queen away, then white has 14.Qb5+ & black will be embarrassed by for instance 14…Bd7 15.Bxd7…Nxd7 16.Qxb7 & black’s position is quite frankly terrible.
So, going back to the main line, another tempting 4th move for black might be 4…e5, looking to get at least some say in the centre. Below is another line, quite likely against a black player who wishes to relieve the pressure of white’s bishops by the often played h6 & a6 pawn-pushes.
5.Nf3, attacking the central pawn…Nc6 defending, 6.Bb5, attacking the defender,…a6 7.Bxc6…bxc6
8.Nxe5…Nf6
9.0-0…Be7 defensive developing move & allows a kingside castling.
10.Bg5…h6 – that same simple theme
11.Bxf6…Bxf6
12.Nc4…0-0
13.e5…Bg5
14.Ne4 white now has a massive dominance in the centre of the board, even though the rook moves c1 & d1 have not been played.
…Rb8 attacking the b2 pawn.
15.Qe2 this is a very common developing move in the Morra…Re8 attacking the ½ open e-file
16.N(e)d6…Rf8
17.R(f)d1 white attacks the ½ open d-file…f6 black has few good moves. Perhaps black may hope for 18.exc6…Bxc6 getting some play with a double-attack on b2 with the rook & a good diagonal.
18.Nxc8…Qxc8
19.Nd6…Qd8
20.Qc4+…Kh8 all of a sudden it’s looking ominous for the black king.
21.Nf7+…Rxf7 forced because of the threat on the queen
22.Qxf7…fxe5
23.Rxd7! this threatens 24.Qxg7 mate & attacks the queen
fig 9:
23…Qg8
24.Rb1 stopping the threat on b2…Qxf7
25.Rxf7
…and black surely has a lost game with 3 isolated pawns & a bishop, rook & 5 pawns against white’s 2 rooks & 5 pawns.
So, black’s strongest 4th move is Nc6 as it helps control the d4 & e5 squares, & is logically the best defensive square for the knight.
Black’s 5th move
Back to the main line:
4…Nc6
5.Nf3…d6 stopping the e5 pawn-push
if black now tries to play the tempting 5…e5 instead of d6
5.Nf3…e5
then perhaps:
6.Bc4 this allows kingside castling & attacks the weak f7 pawn…Nf6
7.0-0…Be7
8.Qe2…0-0
9.Rd1…d6 defending e5 & opening up the c8-h3 diagonal
10.Be3 allowing the a-rook to go to c1 as mentioned before & also putting the dark-square bishop on it’s most active square…Bg4 pinning the knight against the queen
11.h3…Bxf3
12.Qxf3 black has traded a bishop for a knight. White has more light-square control now & the queen & bishop gunning for f7…Qc7
13.R(a)c1…Qa5
14. a3…Nd4 attacking the queen, so there will be a trade
15. Bxd4…exd4
16.Nb5…R(a)c8
17.b4…Qa6 pins the white knight with a possible double-attack on the bishop
18.Qb3…Kh8
19.Nxd4…Qb6
20.Nf5…Nxe4
21.Nxe7 attacking Rc8. White has won a piece for a pawn & should win from here, even with the apparent threat of 21…Qxf2
(22.Kh1…R(c)e8 23.Nd5…Ng3+ 24.Kh2 and black has to back the knight away.)
fig 10:
To be continued...
Great thread, well done
Below are two very good articles about the morra... they are written as a narrative... a very intersting read. After reading the first one I understood the ideas behind the opening without going over many variations and played it sucessfully ever since. Even if I lose the game I end up ahead in the opening.
If you like the morra or hate the sicilian these articles are a must read.
http://www.chesscafe.com/text/mcgrew20.pdf
http://www.chesscafe.com/text/mcgrew27.pdf
Siberian trap (black wins a queen for 2 knights)
Not all the potential traps in the Morra gambit are of benefit to white!
1.e4…c5
2.d4…cxd4
3.c3…dxc3
4.Nxc3…Nc6
5.Nf3
This dangerous trap against white comes from the variation from the main line when black plays 5…e6 instead of the more usual 5…d6.
so, 5...e6
fig 11
Notice the open diagonal from b8-g3 as it is crucial to black’s trap.
Play continues:
6.Bc4…Qc7 eyeing the h2 square that will soon become a big problem for white.
7.0-0…Nf6
8.Qe2? standard looking Morra play to make room for Rf1-d1.
However, here 8.Bg5 is better, looking to peg black back & trade bishop for knight; e.g. 8…h6 attacking the bishop, 9.Bxf6…gxf6 & black has the doubled f6 & f7 pawns to contend with, along with the same lack of development issues. White still has Nb5, Rc1 etc to play & the pawn on f6 could become a target. Play looks pretty even here.
Back to the trap:
8…Ng4! Could look harmless enough as Nf3 covers the threat on h2.
so, 9.h3?? white tries to boot the knight away from its attack on h2 but overlooks...
...
9…Nd4!
fig 12
attacking the white queen. Now white’s knight on f3 is overloaded, as it cannot defend the h2 square against Qh2 mate & also protect the queen by Nxd4.
White will lose his queen in a trade for 2 knights & a busted game.
10.hxg4…Nxe2+
11.Bxe2 white may still have some play if black is careless but it looks like a struggle from here as black is already up 11 points to 7, with a much more solid looking position.