Smith-Morra miniatures

Originally posted by tomtom232
Post your own or ones that dazzle you every time you play over it or both.

I will start with one fresh off the board to get it kicked off (at least sort of fresh... Less than a day old)

[b]1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.c3 dxc3 4.Nxc3 Nc6 5.Bc4 d6 6.Nf3 e6 7.0-0 Nf6 8.Qc2 I like this move better than the "book" move 8.Qe2 because if 8...Nb4? then 9.Qa4+ Nc6 Bxc6 bxc6 18.Qa5+ Kb8 19.Rd7 Bd8 20.Qa6 Bc7 21.Qxc6 Rc8 22.Nb5 e4 23.Nxc7 exf3 24.Na6[/pgn][/b]

Here's one game;



[Event "OTB Game"]
[Site "Tournament"]
[Date ""]
[Round ""]
[White "Me"]
[Black "Opponent"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B21"]
[WhiteElo "1840"]
[BlackElo "1630"]

1. e4 $5 {I asked some of my friends who
had played my opponent before, and they said he played the Sicilian. So, in
this game I played the Smith-Morra Gambit for the first time in an OTB game,
and I played e4 for the first time in almost two years in a serious game.} c5
2. d4 $5 cxd4 3. c3 dxc3 4. Nxc3 d6 5. Nf3 e6 6. Bf4 Nf6 {Here I thought to
myself whether I should play e5. e5 is actually almost winning for white here.
I was afraid that 7...Nh5 8.Be3d5 would take away any any initiative I had, ot
that 7... dxe5 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8 9.Nxe5 Ke7 wouldn't give me enough compensation
for the pawn. This shows my unfamiliarity with the opening. I knew it well
enough to consider e5, but not well enough to play it} 7. Bc4 (7. e5 Nh5 8. Be3
d5 (8... dxe5 9. Qxd8+ Kxd8 10. Nxe5 Ke7 11. Be2 Nf6 12. O-O $18) 9. g4 $18)
7... Qa5 $6 {A this point I knew my opponent was not too familiar with this
opening. He wastes too much time with cheap threats (Nxe4) and moving the
Queen around.} 8. O-O Qb4 9. Qe2 {I was happy my opponent wasted another tempo
with Qb4, because Qe2 is a move white usually makes in the Smith-Morra anyway}
Be7 $1 10. Nb5 {White now has a 1.5 pawn advantage} Na6 11. Rfd1 d5 $4 {
After this, game over pretty much.} 12. exd5 O-O {At this point I saw that 13.
d6 Bd8 14.d7 Bxd7 15.Bd6 wins the exchange, but I looked for more, and I found
it; Black's queen is almost trapped. Then I saw that after 13.a3 Qa5/c5 (13...
Qa4 14.b3 Qa5 15.b3 transposes) 14.b4 Qb6 15.Be3, the only safe square is d8,
after which d6 wins the bishop. I also noticed that if 13.a3 Qa5 14.b4 Qa4, I
could trappe the Queen with 15.Rb1 followed by Bb3, and if 15...Bd7 16.Nc3
wins the queen} (12... Nxd5 13. Rxd5 exd5 14. Bd6 $18) (12... exd5 13. Bd6 $18)
13. a3 Qc5 (13... Qa5 14. b4 Qa4 15. Rdb1 {Though actually Black can play Nxd5
and is still losing, but by not as much- Fritz pointed out a win, however} (15.
Nfd4 $1 Nc5 (15... Nxd5 16. Bxd5 exd5) 16. d6 Bd8 17. bxc5)) 14. b4 {
Interestingly enough, I failed to note Be3 wins the Queen outright} Qb6 15. Be3
Qd8 16. d6 {Fritz points out dxe6 as even stronger} (16. dxe6 Bd7 17. Ne5 Qc8
18. exd7 Qd8) 16... Ne4 17. dxe7 Qxe7 18. Bxa7 Rxa7 19. Qxe4 Ra8 20. Nd6 Qf6
21. Rac1 {Black fails to see my tactical threat Bxa6} Qb2 22. Bxa6 Rxa6 23.
Rxc8 Rxa3 {White has forced mate in 6 from here} 24. Rxf8+ Kxf8 25. Qxb7 Qf6
26. Qc8+
1-0

Edit: I can't seem to figure out why the pgn isn't working. If someone could help me, I'd appreciate it

Game 4662491

here's one. black was ok until until he got greedy on move 18. I think capturing the e4 knight would have been safe. Not sure how sound the opening was with regard to theory but I think 12 a4 was the first serious error, followed by 14 Ng6, 15 Ne4, 16 Ng5, and of course 18...Nd3 (losing the fruits of every move before that with perpetual check) and 19 ...ke7 losing.

Originally posted by chesskid001
Here's one game;

[pgn]1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.c3 dxc3 4.Nxc3 Nc6 5.Nf3 e6 6.Bf4 Nf6 7.Bc4 Qa5 8.O-O Qb4 9.Qe2 Be7 10.Nb5 Na6 11.Rfd1 d5 12.exd5 O-O 13.a3 Qc5 14.b4 Qb6 15.Be3 Qd8 16.d6 Ne4 17.dxe7 Qxe7 18.Bxa7 Rxa7 19.Qxe4 Ra8 20.Nd6 Qf6 21.Rac1 Qb2 22.Bxa6 Rxa6 23.Rxc8 Rxa3 24.Rxf8+ Kxf8 25.Qxb7 Qf6 26.Qc8+[/pgn]

[Event "OTB Game"]
[Site "Tournament" why the pgn isn't working. If someone could help me, I'd appreciate it

Edit: you probably already found it but 14.Be3 immediately is a hands down winner. He had 15...Bc5 not that it matters much but it may as well be pointed out. 🙂

Thanks for fixing the pgn. How come it didn't work when I posted it? I'm trying to get better at this, but I still seem to keep messing up.

Originally posted by chesskid001
Thanks for fixing the pgn. How come it didn't work when I posted it? I'm trying to get better at this, but I still seem to keep messing up.

You had ...Nc6 and ...e6 instead of ...d6 and ...e6 making 10....Na6 illegal.

Originally posted by Squelchbelch
I'm not entirely convinced about how well you know the Morra.
My point is that in about 75%+ of games the position below is reached & it matters not the slightest which move order is used & when ...Nc6 is played.

[fen]r1bqkbnr/pp3ppp/2npp3/8/2B1P3/2N2N2/PP3PPP/R1BQ1RK1 w - - 0 1[/fen]

Unless White wishes to go against the basic development princi ...[text shortened]... variations - notably when Black has a KS fianchetto, but all these are less frequently played.

I 'm not an expert at Morra and I care not about the frequency of a specific variation; but I 'm convinced that the strategy of the White is to try to establish his initiative thanks to his gambit into a quicker development and then apply pressure to the Black, either supporting e5 with his f3 Knight or attemping a kingside attack with that Knight too. Well, the Black has to deter this specific strategy by means of equalizing the soonest possible, and this can be done solely when he develops cautiously keeping in mind that the position is too sensitive to e5.

Originally posted by black beetle
I 'm not an expert at Morra and I care not about the frequency of a specific variation; but I 'm convinced that the strategy of the White is to try to establish his initiative thanks to his gambit into a quicker development and then apply pressure to the Black, either supporting e5 with his f3 Knight or attemping a kingside attack with that Knight too. ...[text shortened]... e solely when he develops cautiously keeping in mind that the position is too sensitive to e5.

what is this?, here is the solution my friends, if the white tries his favorite Morra, he plays his beloved 1.e4 and we laugh, ah such classicism, has he not read the Reti and the hypermoderns! we shall elucidate for him and play the Sicilian never the less, for to us it is a way of living! and if he dares to step onto our dark squared kingdom, he will get zapped! we play 1...c5! and the foot soldier steps boldly forward!, if he persists in his course and tries to challenge our dark squared kingdom directly, 2.d4, but we are not disturbed, for we have more control over the c5 than is apparent, we therefore introduce our modernism and play 2...g6, preparing the diagonal for our beautiful dark squared bishop, he becomes perplexed? what is this strange concept, is it the modern, is it the dragon, is it a delayed benoni? but as yet it is shapeless and formless, he may play his knight to f3, challenging our dark squared prowess, but it is in vain, for he has trodden on out territory with impunity and our bishop is glaring down, like a huge trebuchet ready to launch fearsome missiles in defense of the dark realm, 3....Bg7, and we need fear nothing further but lack of clarity of thought and of purpose!

Here's a miniature where I play a 2000+ rated who uses the fianchetto defence & allows the thematic e4/e5 pawn thrust & following exchanges which only favour White, in this case leading to a loss of a piece:

For anyone interested in learning the Morra, I can strongly recommend Langrock's book which covers this variation & others in great depth.

http://tinyurl.com/o8jxkh

Originally posted by robbie carrobie
what is this?, here is the solution my friends, if the white tries his favorite Morra, he plays his beloved 1.e4 and we laugh, ah such classicism, has he not read the Reti and the hypermoderns! we shall elucidate for him and play the Sicilian never the less, for to us it is a way of living! and if he dares to step onto our dark squared kingdom, he w ...[text shortened]... realm, 3....Bg7, and we need fear nothing further but lack of clarity of thought and of purpose!

Gee😀😀

[Event G/60 Tournament]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Me (1850)"]
[Black "Opponent 1580"]
[Result "1-0"]




I realized that I made a big mistake with playing exd5, when Nxd5 pretty much ends the game.

Originally posted by robbie carrobie
what is this?, here is the solution my friends, if the white tries his favorite Morra, he plays his beloved 1.e4 and we laugh, ah such classicism, has he not read the Reti and the hypermoderns! we shall elucidate for him and play the Sicilian never the less, for to us it is a way of living! and if he dares to step onto our dark squared kingdom, he w ...[text shortened]... realm, 3....Bg7, and we need fear nothing further but lack of clarity of thought and of purpose!

:'(

That was beautiful man!


😉😏

Originally posted by Eric LeFavour
:'(

That was beautiful man!


😉😏

Lol, it is

but a rgged clown behind,
i wouldnt pay it any mind,
its just a shadow you see
that hes chasing

thanks my friend, encouragement is always appreciated!

🙂

an older one of mine..

Originally posted by robbie carrobie
Lol, it is

but a rgged clown behind,
i wouldnt pay it any mind,
its just a shadow you see
that hes chasing

thanks my friend, encouragement is always appreciated!

🙂

Sixty Four squares Universe
Lucidity Stability
Cunning Improvisation
Balance non analysed

Icarus' heart is always red
His mind holds Image like a mirror
His red heart blows hard blood red clouds
Seductive and alluring vigour

The stars of his blue darkness shine
His shining darkness is a shrine
An Image caused Icarus' fall
Keeping his mind still overall
😵