Massacre in the Morra.

My friend, Stormstout, and I decided to review his Smith-Morra gambit game he had.

It seemed impossible to me that black could escape after his reasonable play.

Here is the key crunch of his game. While there are improvements for black, this does not undermine the appreciation we must show for white's play.

The play that is required to punish black. Quite a bit of annotations are posted in the diagrams and puzzle.

Now, after Qb7, it is not so obvious how white should approach the position really. Black is just one move away from castling.

What do you think should be white's best way of handling the position? I dont care about what your engine thinks of the alternatives.

Now in the game, Stormstout played the interesting Nd5, but this unfortunately fails with black sacrificing the queen effectively.

Very nice article, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Great post, it was interesting to go through all these great moves I missed. I couldn't find some obvious moves but some moves were well hidden :)  I love how being one move ahead in development can create so much energy in the SMG. 

this makes me want to start playing the Morra!

too bad black equalizes immediately if he knows a good defence.

I can show many, but I am still playing the gambit. I don't find the theoretically equal positions "equal" when it comes to games in my level since black is more likely to mess things up. There are still masters out there playing smith-morra against 2700+ players, who am I to talk?

Stormstout, I don't believe a GM has ever played the Morra, but you're absolutely right in giving importance to the practical chances of the game.

The only chess I play is OTB rapidplay and the strongest players I meet are 2000 FIDE. If the Morra gave me good practical chances I would play it regardless of what high-level theory says.

To answer Randomemory I have these lines:

Basic formula is bringing the light squared bishop out without falling in the tactical tricks.

My play against the Morra, transpose to the Alapin. 1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.c3 Nf6 where I have experience and good results.

Why would I say that it is played if I wasn't sure? Here is a game from 2013, I am guessing you are familiar with GM Naiditsch. White isn't a GM here but he won the game.

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1714176

Here are some games from GM Aleksandr Lenderman, a chess.com video author! 

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1488799

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1631287

Lastly GM Matulovic, the master who inspired many to this opening.

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1303336

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1285107

I play the Smith-Morra quite a lot.  The problem for me with the white pieces is that black's errors often need home preparation to notice.  The are lines that seem to win immediately for black only to be spoiled by a forced deep sequence that involves more sacrafices only to regain the material with a strong positional edge.  If you don't have this figured out at home, you will not find it over the board.

IM Essesrman describes lines he discovered studying only to uncork them over the board.  His now famous victory over Loek Van Woely was 100% home analysis.  He could have played that game giving 5 minutes to 2 hours odds.

Metaknight, you are correct in that 8.Bf4 is the correct move, but 10.Qb3 is not, 10.g4 gives white very good play, plenty for a measily pawn.

Here is a pretty highquality morra game:

Any 1800+ players want to take the black side of the morra?

www.chess.com/article/view/whos-afraid-of-smith-morra-gambit

I'm not sure if ...Nbd7 and ...b5 mix here. 

I love facing the Smith-Morra on ICC...I win probably 75% of the games and I hope someone plays it against me in a tournament game! I like free pawns, and am not afraid of a little suffering for it. Most players don't defend well, so players are afraid to face it.

I would even risk it against Marc...taking a pawn and hanging on would be my best chance to beat a 2500+ player.