A Defense to the Smith-Morra Gambit?

Hi, Does anyone know a good way to defend against the Smith-Morra Gambit? Also, are there any stragaties that could be used to defend and attack while playing as black? Thanks!

I find the best line to be the Chicago Defense, specifically the side line on move 11 where Black plays 11...Na5.

I believe this is it:

I recommend this approach as opposed to accepting the gambit.  Smith-Morra players WANT you to accept the gambit so they have active piece play and faster development than you.  Instead, force them into the c3 Sicilian, one of the least testing lines against the Sicilian.  I think this is best for OTB play as well.  Of course accepting the gambit can be fun as well, but it can be tough to get anything more than a draw against a knowledgable Smith-Morra player.  

I play d6, Nc6, a6, Nf6, Bg4. Exactly in this order or you get smashed.

The point is bringing out the bishop, maybe exchanging it for the knight on f3, then you can jump on e5 etc. Trading one pair of pieces relieves much of the tension.

ThrillerFan wrote:

I find the best line to be the Chicago Defense, specifically the side line on move 11 where Black plays 11...Na5.

I believe this is it:

What's up with ra7?

+1 for Fixing_a_hole's suggestion, I play this if I remember to. If you, as black, face 1. e4 c5 2. c3, 2...Nf6 leads to mostly the same type of variation. For me, it means I use one line to cover two different opening Sicilian move orders.

That's why I fear the Wing Gambit (despite knowing 3...d5!) more than the Smith-Morra.  Now, the Bird Wing is something I could fall victim to since I play 1...c5 usually against 1.f4 and won a couple of games with it myself. 

Yes white can avoid the 2...d5 line, but the 2...Nf6 line is more aggressive from a black perspective anyways, so it suits the Sicilian player to use that Nf6 move against c3 Sicilian as well as Smith-Morra for preparation purposes.  

I was just watching a grandmaster video the other day on this opening and he suggests not taking the pawn on c3 and moving NF6 which transposes to the sicilian alapin defense.

Also he mentioned if you want to play the Smith Morra its rarely played at the gm level yet is played a lot at the club level because of the advantage for black and the extra pawn. Taking the pawn and developing properly which according to him is an even game as white has difficulty gaining the edge with that lost pawn.

I think the theory concerning the Morra is taking the pawn followed by 4...Nc6 5.Nf3 d6 6.Bc4 e6 7.0-0 Nf6 8.Qe2 Be7 9.Rd1 e5 10.h3 or 10.Be3.

I usually take the first pawn and play g6. It goes 1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.c3 g6 4.cxd4 d5 5.e5 Bg7 and the idea is to pin Nf3 with Bg4 (and even trade the bishop for the knight, because you'll be blocking all the light square) and playing Ne7 (possibly Ne7-f5), e6, Nc6, Qb6, O-O, although you have to adapt the move order depending on your opponent's moves. Solid enough for black.

If 5.exd5 Nf6, getting the pawn back.

You should also be aware of 5.Nc3 de 6.Bc4.

Giving the other side a queenside majority is downright unthinkable, especially since the d-pawn looks ripe to become passed and therefore a great source of endgame counterplay.  At least with the wing gambit the passed a-pawn can be pressured and targeted with initiative.  The Wing Gambit still isn't the best (3...d5!) but like someone said anything is playable at amateur level. 

It transposes to a completely different opening so there are a lot of lines. This is what made me stop playing this gambit. If you don't mind learning more theory you could play both. Anyway I guess 4.e5 Nd5 5.Nf3 is a main juncture. I don't know too much after that tbh.

I tried 1.Nf3 c5 2.d4 cd 3.c3 as a cool transpo trick but Black has a few ways around that too. 

It's all Alapin stuff.  

I guess one point is white sees ...1 c5 by black and avoids the sicilian with d4 goinginto the smith morra gambit and black can immediately put white back into the sicilian and avoid the smith morra completely with the simple knf6 move.

what 3.nf6 lines would you reccomend? 

For white, I'm assuming?  

For black, I am a scicillian player.