Refute? I think you mean refuse. After all, the best way to refute a gambit is ... well, I don't need to finish that sentence.
The Smith-Morra Gambit... Accept or Refute?
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Jul 3, 2016
0
#103
Accept the free pawn. Let whites attack blow out and then White has to struggle for a draw. For black to get an advantage in the opening its worth the risk.
Jul 3, 2016
0
#104
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.
Tell me: What will you play after 6..Nf6? Black plans to place his bishop at g4 and exchange it with the knight on f3, this will take away some tactical chances from white!
how can i improve my game?
[COMMENT DELETED]
Jul 3, 2016
0
#110
The options against a gambit are not "accept or refute," they are "accept or decline."
There are two decent declines to the SMG: 3...d5 and 3...Nf6 (transposing into the 2.c3 Sicilian (Alapin).
Jul 3, 2016
0
#111
tob1a5 wrote:
KID_Harish wrote:
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.
Tell me: What will you play after 6..Nf6? Black plans to place his bishop at g4 and exchange it with the knight on f3, this will take away some tactical chances from white!
I see nothing wrong with h3
After 7.h3 then 7..e6! Now we arrive at a normal looking position. But surprising thing is white would normally not waste his time by playing h3.
I've been playing the white side of this every chance I get, for many years. I could play it in my sleep. I know the masters rarely play it but I like it. I usually win 50% with it. I have surprised some players 100 - 200 points higher than me. I never accept it with black, but am thinking about trying it as it may help me when playing it with white...
The main reason in my mind why the SMG is unattractive is because not only is it objectively slightly worse for White, Black can even get easy equality without knowing any theory at all by 3... d5 or 3... Nf6.
DrSpudnik wrote:
The options against a gambit are not "accept or refute," they are "accept or decline."
There are two decent declines to the SMG: 3...d5 and 3...Nf6 (transposing into the 2.c3 Sicilian (Alapin).
3...d5 isn't very good: contrary to the Alapin lines, Black has swapped pawns at d4, and the white knight has access to c3.
RybkaShredder wrote:
8. Bf4 Bg4 9. h3 Bh5 10. Qb3 with a dynamic position
@caruanovich Considering you have no variants to offer either, your contribution was even more worthless than my own opinion, which at least offers some possibilities for white.
I just so happen to think that the gambit is sound enough to be at least equal in all lines.
10.Qb3 fared very badly in ICCF games. 10.g4 and going for a draw after 10...Bg6 11.e5 is much safer, although highly uninspiring.
Since the g4 variation is no fun for any side, Black may spice things up, if he wants:
Unclear? Black has a plus one score in the few correspondence games it has been tried, and Esserman does not mention the "blunder" 8...e5 at all. White does have to play Ng5 and accept the exchange sac, else he is a whole tempo down in well known lines.
I have analysed this quite a bit. Objectively white should not be worse (or much worse), but he does have a few difficult decisions to make. I much prefer playing Black here.
The Morra may also result to some "highly exciting" games like that one:
11...Qc7 is criticized as a bad move, but as you see Black can effectively force a draw if he wishes so.
whoever posted that 1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 d3?! is good for black is very mistaken.
white will play 4. Bxd3 followed by 5. c4 generally and get a maroczy bind type of position where black has almost no counterplay.
Maroczi bind is not the Graal.
White has more space, but black is solid and has options.
d3 is a practical way to play against crazy gambiters.
It brings sound and safe play for black, avoiding the type of positions white wants.
For instance :
If black likes to play Maroczi bind/hedgehog positions, then i don't see the problem.
Maybe it is slighly better for white, as most openings...
Another example whte black doesnt play g6 and just plays Scheveninguen (or let's say pure hedgehog) approach :
White was better for a long part of the game, but when he had to take decision in a position who is unusual (compared to a "pure" Morra gambit), he collapsed.
That's the way most GM play nowadays, they don't care about being slightly worse, they play position they like. Anybody should have the same approach.