Smith–Morra Gambit
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chess Chess is a board game for two players. It is an abstract strategy game that involves Perfect information, no hidden information and no elements of game of chance, chance. It is played on a square chessboard, board consisting of 64 squares arran ...
, the Smith–Morra Gambit (or simply Morra Gambit) is an
opening Opening may refer to: Types of openings * Hole * A title sequence or opening credits * Grand opening of a business or other institution * Inauguration * Keynote * Opening sentence * Opening sequence * Opening statement, a beginning statemen ...
gambit A gambit (from Italian , the act of tripping someone with the leg to make them fall) is a chess opening in which a player sacrifices with the aim of achieving a subsequent advantage. The word '' gambit'' is also sometimes used to describe si ...
against the
Sicilian Defence The Sicilian Defence is a chess opening that begins with the following moves: :1. e4 c5 The Sicilian is the most popular and best-scoring response to White's first move 1.e4. The opening 1.d4 is a statistically more successful opening for Whi ...
distinguished by the moves: :1. e4 c5 :2. d4 cxd4 :3. c3 White sacrifices a
pawn Pawn most often refers to: * Pawn (chess), the weakest and most numerous chess piece in the game * Pawnbroker or pawnshop, a business that provides loans by taking personal property as collateral Pawn or The Pawn may also refer to: Places * Pa ...
to quickly and create attacking chances. In exchange for the gambit pawn, White has a piece developed after 4.Nxc3 and a pawn in the , while Black has an extra pawn and a central pawn majority. The plan for White is straightforward and consists of placing his
bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...
on c4 to attack the f7-square, and controlling both the c- and d- with rooks, taking advantage of rapid development, open lines, and Black's difficulty in finding a good square for the
queen Queen most commonly refers to: * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a kingdom * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen (band), a British rock band Queen or QUEEN may also refer to: Monarchy * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Q ...
. The Smith–Morra is popular at the club level and played occasionally by masters.


History

The Smith–Morra is named after (1900–1969) from France, and Ken Smith (1930–1999) of the Dallas Chess Club. In Europe the name ''Morra Gambit'' is preferred; other names for it, including ''Tartakower Gambit'' and ''Matulovic Gambit'', have disappeared. Around 1950, Morra published a booklet and several articles about the Smith–Morra. Smith wrote a total of nine books and forty-nine articles about the gambit. At the San Antonio 1972 chess tournament, Smith played it against
Donald Byrne Donald Byrne (June 12, 1930 – April 8, 1976) was an American university professor and chess player. He held the title International Master, and competed for his country in the Chess Olympiad on several occasions. Biography Born in New York Ci ...
, Larry Evans, and
Henrique Mecking Henrique Costa Mecking (born 23 January 1952), also known as Mequinho, is a Brazilian chess grandmaster who reached his zenith in the 1970s and is still one of the strongest players in Brazil. He was a chess prodigy, drawing comparisons to Bobb ...
, but lost all three games. International Master
Marc Esserman Marc Esserman (born July 28, 1983) is an American chess player who currently holds the FIDE title of International Master (IM). Scholastic career Esserman began playing chess at the age of 7. Scholastic competition resulted in two national te ...
, author of the 2012 book ''Mayhem in the Morra!'', is one of the leading advocates of the opening. In the Chessable Masters tournament in April 2023,
Hikaru Nakamura Christopher Hikaru NakamuraFabiano Caruana Fabiano Luigi Caruana (born July 30, 1992) is an Italian and American chess grandmaster who is the reigning four-time United States Chess Champion. With a peak rating of 2844, Caruana is the third-highest-rated player in history. Born in Mia ...
, winning one and losing the other.


Continuations overview

Black has a wide choice of reasonable defences after 1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.c3. White sometimes plays 2.Nf3 and 3.c3, which depending on Black's response may rule out certain lines. 3.Qxd4 Nc6 4.Qe3 is the Sicilian Center Game, similar to the
Center Game The Center Game is a chess opening that begins with the moves: :1. e4 e5 :2. d4 exd4 The game usually continues 3.Qxd4 Nc6, with a gain of tempo for Black due to the attack on the white queen. (Note that 3.c3 is considered a separate openi ...
, 1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.Qxd4 Nc6 4.Qe3.


Themes for White

In return for the sacrificed pawn, White acquires a number of benefits that can be used to create active plans: * Active development and quick castling. White's development scheme usually (but not always, as the
Siberian trap Siberia ( ; , ) is an extensive geographical region comprising all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has formed a part of the sovereign territory of Russia and its predecessor states sin ...
demonstrates) consists of Nf3, Bc4, 0-0, Qe2, Rfd1, and Rac1 in some order. ** Additionally, the Bc1 will often develop to g5 when Black plays ...Nge7 to make it difficult for Black to continue developing without weakening the kingside slightly by ...h6 or ...f6. * Prevention or delay of Black's castling. This can open the door for powerful sacrificial ideas which, when correctly timed, can devastate the Black king: ** When Black's king is uncastled, the sacrifice Nd5! is especially powerful with a Black pawn on e6, as the recapture ...exd5 would allow White to open the e-file for the White rook or queen. In two notable games, Esserman defeated GM Loek van Wely and GM Dommaraju GukeshEsserman vs. Gukesh, Cannes Chess Festival 2017
Chessgames.com. Retrieved on 2023-06-12. using this sacrifice. ** Another idea is Nxb5! with Black pawns on a6 and b5. Although not as common as Nd5!, it is possible in some lines like the Chicago Defence when Black is slow to castle. Occasionally, it is even possible when Black is castled if White's tactics on the queenside justify it. ** The sacrifice Bxe6! is typical for Sicilian positions and can sometimes occur here as well. * Pressure down the c- and d-files, usually achieved with rooks on c1 and d1. * A long-lasting initiative that can be used to create a kingside attack. To survive against a well-prepared White player, Black must first navigate the minefield of traps in the opening, then contend with White's long-term pressure and initiative. If Black manages to do this while holding on to the extra pawn, he/she will have good chances to win the ensuing endgame. This is not easy, however, and many Sicilian players opt to decline the gambit altogether.


Morra Gambit Accepted: 3...dxc3


4.Nxc3


Scheveningen Formation

* Classical Main line: 4...Nc6 5.Nf3 d6 6.Bc4 e6 7.0-0 Nf6 8.Qe2 Be7 9.Rd1 e5 10.h3 or 10.Be3 * Scheveningen setup: 4...Nc6 5.Nf3 d6 6.Bc4 e6 7.0-0 Nf6 (or Be7) 8.Qe2 a6 9.Rd1 Qc7 (probably inferior Qa5) 10.Bf4 (10.Bg5) Be7 * Siberian Variation: 4...Nc6 5.Nf3 e6 6.Bc4 Nf6 and 7...Qc7, with the idea being after 7.0-0 Qc7 8.Qe2 Ng4!, 9.h3?? loses to the famous "
Siberian Trap Siberia ( ; , ) is an extensive geographical region comprising all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has formed a part of the sovereign territory of Russia and its predecessor states sin ...
" 9...Nd4!, winning the queen. If instead White plays 9.Rd1, preventing 9...Nd4, Black can continue with 9...Bc5 with a clearly better game.


Paulsen Formation

* 4...Nc6 (or 4...e6) 5.Nf3 e6 6.Bc4 a6 (Nge7) 7.0-0 Nge7 (d6 8.Qe2 Nge7 9.Bg5 h6) 8.Bg5 f6 9.Be3


Kan Formation

* 4...e6 5. Nf3 a6


Larsen Defense

* 4...Nc6 5. Nf3 e6 6. Bc4 Qc7 7. Qe2 a6 8. O-O Bd6


Morphy Defense

* 4...Nc6 5. Nf3 e6 6. Bc4 Bc5


Morphy Defense Deferred

* 4...Nc6 5.Nf3 e6 6.Bc4 a6 7.O-O b5 8.Bb3 Bc5


Pin Defense

* 4...Nc6 5.Nf3 e6 6.Bc4 Bb4


Sozin Formation

* 4...Nc6 5.Bc4 e6 6.Nf3 d6 7.O-O a6 8.Qe2 b5


Taimanov Formation

* 4...e6 5.Bc4 a6 6.Nf3 Ne7


Classical Formation

* 4...Nc6 5.Nf3 d6 6.Bc4 a6 eventually 7...Bg4


Fianchetto Formation

* Fianchetto: 4...g6 (4...Nc6 5.Nf3 g6 allows 6.h4!?) 5.Nf3 Bg7 6.Bc4 Nc6


Chicago Defense

* 4...d6 5. Nf3 e6 6. Bc4 Nf6 7. O-O a6 * 4...e6 5.Bc4 a6 6.Nf3 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.0-0 and Black plays ...Ra7 at some stage * Early queenside fianchetto: 4...e6 5.Bc4 a6 6.Nf3 b5 7.Bb3 Bb7 * 4...Nc6 5. Bc4 e6 6. Nf3 d6 7. O-O a6 8. Qe2 b5 9. Bb3 Ra7


Finegold Defense

* 4...d6 5. Nf3 e6 6. Bc4 Nf6 7. 0-0 Be7 8. Qe2 a6


4.Bc4 or 4.Nf3

This line is similar to the
Danish Gambit The Danish Gambit, known as the ' in German and the ' in Dutch (both meaning Nordic Gambit), is a chess opening that begins with the moves: :1. e4 e5 :2. d4 exd4 :3. c3 White will sacrifice one or two pawns for the sake of rapid and the att ...
: 4...cxb2 5.Bxb2


Morra Gambit Declined

* Advance (or Push) Variation: 3...d3 ** Dubois Variation 4.c4 * Alapin Variation: 3...Nf6 4.e5 Nd5 * Scandinavian Formation: 3...d5 4.exd5 Qxd5 (Nf6) 5.cxd4 * Center Formation: 3...e5 * Wing Formation: 3...Qa5


See also

* Another anti-Sicilian gambit is the
Wing Gambit In chess, the Wing Gambit is an opening in which White plays an early b4, deflecting an enemy pawn or bishop from c5 so as to regain control of d4, an important central square. Or an opening in which Black plays an early ...b5. The most common ...
(1.e4 c5 2.b4). *
List of chess openings This is a list of chess openings, organised by the ''Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings'' (''ECO'') code classification system. The chess openings are categorised into five broad areas ("A" through "E"), with each of those broken up into one hundred ...
*
List of chess openings named after people ''The Oxford Companion to Chess'' lists 1,327 named openings and variants. Chess players' names are the most common sources of opening names. The name given to an opening is not always that of the first player to adopt it; often an opening is name ...


Notes


References


Further reading

* * * * *


External links


The Smith–Morra gambit
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sicilian Defence, Smith-Morra Gambit Chess openings 1950 in chess