There is theory and there is practice.

There is CC and there is OTB play.

There are professional players and there are amateur players.

So depending on your group of play and your perspective, your assessment of this gambit will change.

I'm an amateur OTB player, and I think the gambit is an excellent weapon at U2000 level (roughly). Over 2000, it's more tricky, because black players usually know some strong book line, which gives at least =

I was the one that deleted the comment, although it was pretty much deserved.

1. It is possible to decline the Morra Gambit by playing 3...d3.

2. Most grandmasters would be inclined to take the pawn on c3 or play 3...Nf6 though some would play 3...d3.

3. Top sicilian players on average would meet the morra in 1 game in every 100.

4. Silman would play something like 1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.c3 dxc3 4.Nxc3 e6 5.Nf3 d6 
    6.Bc4 Nc6 7.0-0 Be7 8.Qe2 a6 9.Rd1 Bd7 10. Bf4 e5

5. The Morra is fun to play as white and development is easy for the first 12 moves or so...wherease black need to play carefully to avoid all the traps

hope this helps

An Almost Outright Refutation Of The Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted

How to defeat the Smith-Morra Gambit:  6...a6, IM Timothy Taylor, Chess Ent., 1993

The material in this book is well researched and analyzed. In addition to providing a well selected, although limited bibliography, Mr. Taylor thoroughly analyzes all 12 games selected to provide the reader with a clear historical perspective and easy to understand theoretical overview. All the games are analyzed from the opening thru to the endgame. A revised edition thru 2010 would only further confirm the author's assessment and conclusions about this opening. This writer, having the advantage of a present day perspective, and having read almost all publications since 1993, concurs with Timothy Taylor's incisive analysis and crystal clear assessment of the Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted Variation.  It is almost an outright refutation of the Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted.

After studying this chess opening book, I now know that White has sacrificed a pawn (a material advantage for Black) for a temporary advantage in rapid development (a time advantage for White) to attack Black's position which is underdeveloped. A situation for Black which is not easily corrected without the correct plan. As IM Timothy Taylor explains, not only is the correct plan necessary, but equally important, move order is critical. The disadvantages of White's sacrifice of a pawn are of a more permanent nature. First and most important is the fact that just as in the Sicilian Defense Black has a 2 vs. 1 center pawn advantage, (i.e. Black has pawns at d7 and e7 vs. White's only pawn at e4). This is an advantage which usually endures into the endgame, not to mention that White has already sacrificed a pawn giving Black a one pawn advantage in any potential endgame if White is unable to recover the pawn with at least equality. Or should his attack fall short and fail to produce compensation for the pawn. Second, due to time constraints to exploit his temporary time advantage in development, White's plan of attack, much as in the Stonewall, is rather limited and rigid. The above, advantage vs. disadvantage summary is Mr. Taylor's general assessment of the opening.

More specifically the move order and initial moves recommended are 1.e4 c5, 2.d4 cd4, 3.c3 dc3, 4.Nc3 Nc6. And, after White's usual response 5.Nf3, Mr. Taylor writes the best response is 5...d6. White's usual continuation is 6.Bc4 to which the author strongly emphasizes throughout his book the critical response 6...a6. Mr. Taylor's analysis is a lucid explantion of why this move is critical. White's thematic moves are, Nf3,Bc4, 0-0, Qe2, (Bg5,Bf4, or Be3), R(f)d1, R(a)c1. As the reader will notice there are no pawn moves. This is due largely to the time constraints in exploiting the temporal advantage of rapid development. Time advantages are fleeting in nature and must be exploited within a few moves or they will dissapate. Pawn moves affect pawn structure and usually involve longer term plans of attack for which White has no time to spare. The last two games in the book illustrate in detail what the disadvantages are for White when he employs the pawn moves a3 and h3. Mr. Taylor recommends the Chicago Defense in both of these cases and analyzes in detail how Black is able to exploit this loss of time by White. An overarching theme in all 12 games is the elimination of White's dark square Bishop which creates a dark square color weakness for White that Black exploits primarily with his own dark square Bishop in combination with his Queen.

I use the book in my games as Black. I rarely face the Smith Morra from opponents today.

ECO B21 should have an FAQ section.  Designed to guide newbies on this opening.  It will go a long way to keeping players from trying to re-invent the wheel or re-discover America.

There are very good reasons why GMs and IMs rarely if ever play this opening.  These reasons can be summarized in one sentence:  Sacrificing a whole pawn and giving Black a 2 vs.1 pawn majority in the center for a 2 to 3 tempi advantage in development is insufficient compensation.  The detailed analysis and variations of the truth of the above statement is well documented in game databases.  

I as a newbie appreciate this opportunity to read the insights of 1200+ players. If one of you top guys would be interested in coaching me, I will pay whatever I can.

 I play online chess at ICC.  I don't play online at chess.com.  My current rating is USCF 2456 OTB.  I don't tutor, but if you canlet me know what state you live in I might be able to recommend some strong players that do teach.

Never mind, just let me know where I can send the money since you are so cute and smart.

I also learned some new English expressions such as "dissapate". Wish you all the best at dissapating !

Cute and smart complement from the right girl is good for me. But, from a guy;  I don't play for that team.

No one noticed he got his "d3 refutation" from Schiller?  Should have been the end of the thread.  

Come on, I fell in love with you now. I can't let it go !

Well now you have two jobs.  Fall out of love.  And then move on to a homosexual relationship.  Good luck.

I am heart broken !

You can't just 'dissapate' now !

Well, yes, that is not a bad line for the Black, but there is a game ahead for both sides. I don't attach any importance to anything of what these self annointed grandmasters say until I see some of their games.

I use it in blitz, and it works pretty well there. I have other things for longer games.

Some here don't seem to understand that one can use different openings for different occasions. I guess that they only play in Linares.

 This being a chess site, I don't think game challenges will qualify as harrassment. At least, you will have a tough job explaining it to Erik.

:-D

Where do I get one of them chairs?

I used to play the Smith-Morra all the time. Then people started playing 1.e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 Nf6 and the game transposes into the Alapin Sicilian (2. c3).

That's the position.

And it's not one I particularly feel like playing. Alapin's is difficult to get a handle on. I tried it OTB and never got anywhere with it against anyone of any decent skill level.