Just to say "Thank you" for #88
The Smith-Morra Gambit... Accept or Refute?
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Poompat: May I know what do you mean 'for #88'? Just curious to know.
after d4 can u play d5?
Jun 28, 2015
0
#85
Why not 'go all the way', offer up a second pawn 4. Bc4 instead of 4. Nxc3, and transpose the game into the Danish Gambit?
Jun 28, 2015
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#86
And for all those denigrating the Smith Morra Gambit, have a look at what Mikhail Tal did with it in his match vs Neibult: https://youtu.be/KqAGRa49f7Y
i always lose against the smith morra gambit
Sep 12, 2015
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#88
I accept it because I've studied it well and so feel comfortable taking the pawn and going for it. Accepting a gambit is pretty much always the most critical test.
EladLending wrote:
Why not 'go all the way', offer up a second pawn 4. Bc4 instead of 4. Nxc3, and transpose the game into the Danish Gambit?
That does not transpose to the Danish Gambit, it is just a bad way to play the Smith Morra.
The Danish Gambit starts with 1. e4 e5.
Smith. in many of his books played the Smith Morra directly with 1. e4 c5
2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 dxc3 4. Nxc3.
I played the Smith Morra for decades with very good results. Usually the gambit was declined.
Some lines given here are not best play.
I may be wrong but think in the San Antonio tournament Bobby Fischer [as White] played the Smith Morra in one game? He missed the best line and the game ended in a draw?
Sep 12, 2015
0
#91
You might find this thread helpful:
http://www.chess.com/forum/view/chess-openings/counter-the-smith-morra-gambit
I do not know of any defense which refutes the Smith Morra. Some say the Chicago Defense does but I disagree and tend to think the Chicago Defense is not so good.
is b3 any good after d4? i tried and it seemed to work pretty well
1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 dxc3 4. Nxc3 Nc6 5. Nf3 d6 6. Bc4 e6 7. O-O Nf6 8. Qe2 Be7 9. Rd1 e5
I think the best thing to do is decline the Morra Gambit after 2.d4 cxd4 3.c3 with 3...Nf6, because after 4.e5 Nd5 etc. you've also reached a line you can play against the Alapin: 2.c3 Nf6 3.e5 Nd5 4.d4 cxd4. This way you kill two birds with one stone, and you take the Morra Gambiteer's fun away
perpetualking361 wrote:
is b3 any good after d4? i tried and it seemed to work pretty well
No, because it's an illegal move.
tob1a5 wrote:
aljekhins_knife wrote:
I think the best thing to do is decline the Morra Gambit after 2.d4 cxd4 3.c3 with 3...Nf6, because after 4.e5 Nd5 etc. you've also reached a line you can play against the Alapin: 2.c3 Nf6 3.e5 Nd5 4.d4 cxd4. This way you kill two birds with one stone, and you take the Morra Gambiteer's fun away
I'm a Mora player and I think this is easily the best line for black.
I think Black easily has several "best lines".
3...Nf6 is just the most practical: why prepare something about a rare opening when you can kill two birds with a stone?
Jul 2, 2016
0
#98
The best is to accept the gambit. After 3.Nc3 Nc6 4.Nf3 d6 5.Bc4 a6! And after 6.O-O Nf6.
This line is good for black.
tob1a5 wrote:
Harish_The_KID wrote:
The best is to accept the gambit. After 3.Nc3 Nc6 4.Nf3 d6 5.Bc4 a6! And after 6.O-O Nf6.
This line is good for black.
I don't think it is; at first sight it looks solid for black but in actuality it's too passive and white has lots of counterplay and tactical shots involving e5 ideas and Rc1 ideas misplacing black's Queen and tearing things open. I've won countless games like this.
Nonsense.
Actually it is the most ambitious line at Black's disposal, provided he is willing to gamble a bit. Won't go into details (again), I have done it in the past- search it.
tob1a5 wrote:
YuriSenkevich wrote:
Accepting the gambit is good for Black, but I think declining it with Nf6 or d3 are stronger than accepting it. The d3 way to decline it seems rather annoying for White. While the Nf6 way of declining it will give you great play after 4.e5 Nd5 5.cxd4 d6, black has a great position with a well posted knight and you can work on to put pressure on the advanced pawns.
I disagree, accepting the gambit gives white everything he wants
Except material equality.
I don't know, the way I see it, white does get a lot of play, but it's hard to imagine that when black has no real weaknesses, that white can force a way to break through. Even if he wins the pawn back, it might just trade stuff off and get into an equal position. And if white gradually starts to drift, then eventually he might just be down a pawn. It just seems like there are other ways of white being ambitious without making a commitment as large as a pawn. But, if you're really good with these kinds of positions as white, then the gambit is still worth playing. How both sides play subsequently is still going to be the most important factor.
the difference between the Smith-Morra and the Half-Danish up to move 4 is a pawn is on e7 instead of c7