Smith Morra Gambit

I am about 1500 player and i cannot find too much compensation vs some variations.

I am just too worried about taking my knight with b2 pawn and blocking c file

I mean I'm assuming the Smith Morra Gambit is out there because it does work to some degree; otherwise it'd be just dismissed as a dumb move. There's probably compensation in there somewhere, although maybe not worth 1 point.

It looks a lot like the Open Sicilian so I think that's why more people choose that line. You end up with more or less the same position but you don't have to gambit a pawn to reach it.

1. e4 c5

2. d4 (but why not just play Nf3 here?) Nc6

3. Now White can play d4 here and pretty much achieve the same development. There must be something more to 2. d4 that leads to a more rapid attack maybe, but it'll be hard to justify a pawn that you can't immediately recapture.

Or why do you have to play 3. c3? You could go 3. Qxd4 and play sort of a reversed Scandinavian with an extra tempo for White.

It is not like open sicilian, development seems to be the same but black needs more pawn moves to develop the pieces, moreover white has open c file.

I prefer c3 to Qxd4 and this is not subject of the topic anyway:) , I don't like developing queen prematurily.

I believe Morra Gambit gives white equal positions, but on my level it often crashes black. Problem is u have to know this gambit very well or u will be just a pawn down, black has many defences and i don't know how to react vs some of them, I am searching the answers in this topic:)

In the last diagram, I can see how 8. e5 leads to some sharp play for both sides.

Rather than 7. Nf6 for Black, I like 7. e6 better. But after exploring the line some, it helps take away White's e5 push. But the open d-file poses a lot of problems for Black during the game. The d-pawn is weak and would really like to find it's way to d5 with e6 backing it up, but White has so much control of the d5-square that it's next to impossible for Black to do this.

Black ends up getting a doubled pawn, awkward development, or is forced to give the pawn back. Smith-Morra Gambit is definitely playable.

I believe that the Smith-Morra Gambit is probably the optimal variation against the Sicilian in games between class players in which the White player enjoys being aggressive.

It can even be successful at Master level!  IM Alex Lendermann plays it against fellow IM's, and even against GM's.  And, yes, he's defeated even GM's with it! In fact, it's his main weapon against the Sicilian!

The Smith-Morra, I have a soft spot for but it's fundamentally flawed. Like chess in general...

It gives you, the player nothing, like the King's gambit (or any other gambit for that matter).

In all fairness it gives you chances to lose, so why do it?

We live in an imperfect world and chess is an imperfect game...

In the first diagram 7.0-0 is fine if black takes on c3 it leaves you with the bishop pair in an open position and a lead indevelopement, you should beable to generate some kind of attack.

In the second position 9.Be3 is good, black weakened the b6 square when he played a6 the bishop is perfectly placed on e3 to attack that square.

I haven't see the third line before, e5 seems like the right move.

The third line is well known. Black's idea is to play 8.Qe2 Bg4, after which he has a fine position.

Pushing the e pawn isn't very impressive, as long as Black remembers to take dxe5 instead of Nxe5 (because of 8.e5 Nxe5?? 9.Nxe5 dxe5 10.Bxf7+ oops). But 8.e5 dxe5 9.Qxd8+ Nxd8 10.Nxe5 and now I've always scored well with Black with 10...Be6 (and ...g6 soon), although other moves are playable too. Without the queens it is hard for White to prove enough compensation.

8.h3 e6 is a normal variation, and NCO recommends 7.Bg5! (instead of castling), where 7...Nf6 is followed by doubling Black's pawns, and 7...h6? is answered strongly by 8.Qb3! (black wants to play ...e6, but that pawn is pinned).

Also I seem to recall there is a line with b4 somewhere but I can't remember it right now. 8.b4!?

The Smith-Morra Gambit is not fundamentally flawed. White picks on Black's weak d-pawn. Because Black traded his c-pawn for two of White's pawns, Black's d-pawn is left without a pawn to guard it.

Black could try to use the e-pawn to defend the weak d-pawn, but it's almost impossible to do so. If Black leaves his e-pawn on e7, he suffers from a cramped position. And it's hard to link of e6-d5 because White controls the d5 square so well (with Knight, Bishop, Pawn, AND Queen)! White can bring his Rook into the attack of d6/d5 and it becomes an awkward pawn for Black to defend.

It's arguable whether the compensation is worth +1 or not, but Smith-Morra is a valid opening choice. White does gain compensation for his lost pawn.

scarblac is right, for the third position you need to play 7.Bg5 instead of castling

Thx for your suggestions, but in 3rd diagram with 7.Bg5 is really doubling pawns so useful?

 Apparently at least some IM's and GM's haven't discovered the "fundamental flaw" of the SMG.

I suspect that the SMG wouldn't be real effective against a strong computer program, but I believe it can be extremely effective in games played by mere mortals.

I've been using this one recently, after it was used against me successfully.  I look at it as a gamble, sometimes I can't capitalise on the gambit, sometimes it leads to a devastating early attack.  Maybe masters don't like it, but at our level the latter happens often enough to make it worthwhile.

The popularity of the Smith-Morra is due primarily to Ken Smith's tireless promotion of a variation he named after himself.  High-level players almost invariably do dismiss it as a dumb move, and have discovered the lines that give Black an advantage.

It's a viable weapon at the club level, and decent for an e4 player just starting out, but as you get towards high levels it's not a particularly good choice.  If your 1500 rating is an OTB rating, you may be starting to get towards the level where you might be better served by something else.

If you don't believe me, check it out in the Game Explorer -- the SMG is the highest-scoring major Sicilian variation for Black.

I not claiming that smith morra is the strongest response to the sicilian, but it is definitely not a dumb move. There's logical plan behind the opening, I played against a 2400+ rated player and reached a winning position( then completely blew the ending).

it's good, but i prefer the french opening

The Smith-Morra Gambit is for those players who like speculative attacks.  If you want comfortable play, go for the main lines.  At the GM level, you would think that GM's would laugh at the idea of playing such a line.  But check out Fischer-Korchnoi, Curacao 1962.  The first few moves were 1.e4, c5; 2.Nf3, a6; 3.d4, cxd4; 4.c3, dxc3.  The game was sharp, with Fischer giving Korchnoi all he could handle; it was drawn around move 35.  It's not a bad line for White, but there are a lot better ways to get an initiative against the Sicilian without the speculative Pawn sac.  Now, to answer some of your questions:

In the first game, if Black takes your c3 Knight with his Bishop you not only have the two B's in an open game, you have control of the dark squares (thanks to e6).  e5 combined with Ba3 looks like good a continuation.

In the second game, 8.Bg5 seems like a waste of time to me.  8.e5 eventually followed by Ne4 (intending Nd6+) looks more dangerous to Black.

In the third game, 8.e5 seems premature here.  If 8.e5, dxe5; 9.Nxe5, Nxe5??; 10.Bxf7+ wins the Queen, but Black can play 9....Qxd1 first and gets out of the trap.  I would prefer 8.Qe2 and if Black plays something like, for example, 8....g6, then 9.Rd1 and White is building big pressure in the center.

I hope this helps.

In 3rd suggestion, i believe that after 8 e5 dxe5 , white should exchange the queens, similarly to the variation:

Yeah I feel your pain.

The SMG can be devastating for those playing black that aren't used to it.  This is a recent game of mine where my opponent admitted afterward he wasn't familiar with this opening at all: