Forums

How To Counter The Smith Morra Gambit

Sort:
Avatar of Moon_Knight
Moon_Knight
Nov 30, 2010
0
#1

This gambit destroys me everytime. Dodge the pawn and you have a bigger problem. Kill the pawn you lose an essential center pawn. Let it kill your pawn? I don't know. But this opening is terrorizing my games and I need help. Everyone over 1300 seems to play this as a challenge to my d4 and I don't know how to counter it. They don't care if D4 is my first move or not! I'll even use the reti opening to start with to see how they'll respond but they always shut down D4!!!

Please help? I'd love to know how to shutdown this dreaded gambit.

Avatar of happyfanatic
happyfanatic
Nov 30, 2010
0
#2

That's not the Smith Morra gambit.

 

 

The Smith Morra gambit is 1.e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3

Avatar of Dragec
Dragec
Nov 30, 2010
0
#3

take a look at chessgames.com opening explorer. Taking the pawn is not a popular option:

2. d5  1,433

45.2%
26.7%
28.2%
2. e4  1,138

34.7%
19.9%
45.3%
2. e3  176

32.4%
29.5%
38.1%
2. c3  140

31.4%
40%
28.6%
2. dxc5  87

33.3%
27.6%
39.1%
Avatar of dubious_blue
dubious_blue
Dec 22, 2011
0
#4

You are talking about Old Benoni Defence here.  Smith-Morra Gambit is actually a counter to the Sicilian.

Avatar of pfren
IM pfren
Dec 22, 2011
0
#5

Excuse me, but are you white, or black?

The final position in your first post at least clearly better for white.

Avatar of kulsat
kulsat
Apr 30, 2017
0
#6

This is not the Smith-Morra Gambit

Avatar of BronsteinPawn
BronsteinPawn
Apr 30, 2017
0
#7

And this is a 6 year old thread, oops.

Avatar of Dale
NM Dale
Apr 30, 2017
0
#8

But with a little dusting it is as good as new.

Avatar of workhard91
FM workhard91
May 1, 2017
0
#9

Declining Morra by playing 1.e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3.c3 Nf6 and transposing to a c3-sicilian seems reliable as you have to be prepared for a c3-sicilian anyway. hope this was helpful :)

Avatar of LogoCzar
NM LogoCzar
Jul 8, 2019
0
#10

I found an early novelty which gives Black the advantage in all variations, verified by Stockfish and several masters. I published my analysis on Chessable.

https://www.chessable.com/mangle-the-morra/course/19264/

Avatar of LogoCzar
NM LogoCzar
Jul 27, 2019
0
#11

https://new.uschess.org/theory/bust-smith-morra-gambit/

"US Chess is running a contest: can you bust the bust? Send your counter-efforts to US Chess Digital Editor John Hartmann <john.hartmann@uschess.org> on or before August 15th. We will publish the best responses to Logozar’s claims, and give Logozar a chance to respond as well. Two prizes – one from US Chess Sales, and one from Chessable – will be awarded those submitting the best analysis." - John Hartmann