Latest Updates:
Page Index Toggle Pages: 1 ... 3 4 [5] 
Topic Tools
Very Hot Topic (More than 25 Replies) Morra line w/ early a6,b5,Bb7 (Read 87958 times)
Dragonslayer
Full Member
***
Offline


I love ChessPublishing
.com!

Posts: 248
Location: Odense
Joined: 06/13/04
Re: Morra line w/ early a6,b5,Bb7
Reply #12 - 10/11/06 at 19:42:57
Post Tools
This line (without an early Bb7) was featured in a book called Smith-Morra gambit: Finegold defence by Finegold and Ciaffone. Including Bb7 only changes the position slightly.
After 1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 dxc3 4. Nxc3 e6 5. Nf3 a6 6. Bc4 b5 7. Bb3 Bb7 8. Qe2 d6 9. 0-0 Nd7 10.Rd1 b4 11. Na4 Ngf6 12. Rd4 12...Qa5 looks strong. 11.Nd5 does not work so good because Black has not played Ngf6 enabling the knight to defend the e7 square after taking on d5 opens the e-file, while Rd1 looks a bit silly.

White can possibly improve with 12.Bc2 or the speculative 12.Bf4.
At move 10 there is 10.Bf4 or 10.Nd4!? in both cases intending an improved version of the sacrifice 10...b4 11.Nd5. In the former case White also has the opstion of meeting Ngf6 with e4-e5.
I wouldn't count White out in all of these lines.
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
MNb
God Member
*****
Offline


Rudolf Spielmann forever

Posts: 10756
Location: Moengo
Joined: 01/05/04
Gender: Male
Re: Morra line w/ early a6,b5,Bb7
Reply #11 - 10/11/06 at 01:56:48
Post Tools
Not only is White's compensation highly dubious after 8.0-0 b4. Moreover I don't see anything better than a transposition with 8.0-0 d6 9.Qe2.
  

The book had the effect good books usually have: it made the stupids more stupid, the intelligent more intelligent and the other thousands of readers remained unchanged.
GC Lichtenberg
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
Dji
Full Member
***
Offline


Just a Spirit in this
material World

Posts: 169
Joined: 07/16/06
Re: Morra line w/ early a6,b5,Bb7
Reply #10 - 10/10/06 at 19:15:15
Post Tools
   Yes I aagree that 12.Rd4 Qa5! is better fot black so it seem that 8.0-0 instead of 8.Qe2 is the last chance
  

Eternity it's very long especially towards the end!
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
J-dog
Senior Member
****
Offline



Posts: 283
Location: Colorado Springs, CO
Joined: 11/15/05
Gender: Male
Re: Morra line w/ early a6,b5,Bb7
Reply #9 - 10/10/06 at 13:48:00
Post Tools
Thanks for the input, guys!  I need a few days to look into this...

  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
BadPritt
YaBB Newbies
*
Offline


I Love ChessPublishing!

Posts: 36
Joined: 07/13/06
Re: Morra line w/ early a6,b5,Bb7
Reply #8 - 10/08/06 at 13:47:00
Post Tools
Ok, I have taken my look and in the position after 1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 dxc3 4. Nxc3 e6 5. Nf3 a6 6. Bc4 b5 7. Bb3 Bb7 8. Qe2 d6 9. 0-0 Nd7 10.Rd1 b4 11. Na4 Ngf6 12. Rd4 I think the right move is 12...Qa5.
Now white can go for the relatively quiet 13. Bd2 Qb5 14. Qe1 a5, but I fail to see a good continuation from here. It seems the most white can get is control of the open c-file after for example 15. Rac1 Be7 16. Rdc4 0-0 17. Nd4 Qe5 18. Nf3 Qh5 19. Rc7 Rab8, but the rook can be driven back by ...Bd8 and the Na4 is still out of play. Black is  better.
More in the true Morraspirit seems 13. Bf4 e5 14. Qc4 which can lead to a fantastic mess after 14...exd4 15. Qxf7 Kd8 16. Nxd4 Kc8 17. Rc1 Kb8 18. Rc6 Ra7 19. Nb6 Qxb6 20. Rxb6 Nxb6 21. Qe6. However, after the more prosaic 14...exf4 15. Qxf7 Kd8 I don't see a convincing way for white to continue the attack.
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
BadPritt
YaBB Newbies
*
Offline


I Love ChessPublishing!

Posts: 36
Joined: 07/13/06
Re: Morra line w/ early a6,b5,Bb7
Reply #7 - 10/08/06 at 08:15:08
Post Tools
Thanks MNB, I will have a look at it. Funny to see how the thought of 12. Rd4 never even entered my head, while Fritz gives it in a splitsecond. By the way I saw that there is a new book out on the Morra written by german FM Hannes Langrock. Might be interesting to see his analysis.
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
MNb
God Member
*****
Offline


Rudolf Spielmann forever

Posts: 10756
Location: Moengo
Joined: 01/05/04
Gender: Male
Re: Morra line w/ early a6,b5,Bb7
Reply #6 - 10/08/06 at 00:38:14
Post Tools
Bangiev has written an article - I am too lazy to look for it now - on this line because of Kocsis-Bangiev, Budapest Open 1989, won by Black. This game saw 10.Rd1 b4 11.Na4 (iirc Bangiev refuted 11.Nd5) Nf6 12.Rd4 a5 and here Bangiev gives the improvement 13.Bf4 e5 (I suppose 13...Qb8 is better, but 14.Rad1 gives White enough for the pawn) 14.Bxe5 dxe5 15.Nxe5 and White is winning. So it seems Black is not that OK.
This is another gap in Palkovi's book on the Morra Gambit.
  

The book had the effect good books usually have: it made the stupids more stupid, the intelligent more intelligent and the other thousands of readers remained unchanged.
GC Lichtenberg
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
BadPritt
YaBB Newbies
*
Offline


I Love ChessPublishing!

Posts: 36
Joined: 07/13/06
Re: Morra line w/ early a6,b5,Bb7
Reply #5 - 10/07/06 at 21:39:28
Post Tools
Hi Stormcrow,

I have been playing this line against the Morra a lot in internetblitz and  think its indeed an interesting attempt at direct refutation. After 1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 dxc3 4. Nxc3 e6 5. Nf3 a6 6. Bc4 b5 7. Bb3 Bb7 8. Qe2 d6 9. 0-0 Nbd7 10. Rd1, as given by MNB, the right move seems to be 10...b4. If white ever wants to play the Nd5-sacrifice he has to do it now, but I find it hard to believe. I have had this position several times and all my opponents played 11. Na4, but after 11...Nf6 black looks more than ok to me.
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
J-dog
Senior Member
****
Offline



Posts: 283
Location: Colorado Springs, CO
Joined: 11/15/05
Gender: Male
Re: Morra line w/ early a6,b5,Bb7
Reply #4 - 10/04/06 at 05:04:34
Post Tools
Hmm...thanks for the advice.  I would very much like to see an example of the Nd5 sac with Rooks piled on the d-line, I just can't get this variation out of my head.  I think a stark visual example of Black getting thrashed would be just the right tonic for my ailment!  Would somebody indulge me?

Many thanks in advance!

p.s. I saw your correspondence game posted MNb, but maybe an example where black pushes the knight sooner.  I think the earlier the better...thanks again!  (if this doesn't work out, I think I'm back to the Alapin transposition, maybe it's less hassle).
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
MNb
God Member
*****
Offline


Rudolf Spielmann forever

Posts: 10756
Location: Moengo
Joined: 01/05/04
Gender: Male
Re: Morra line w/ early a6,b5,Bb7
Reply #3 - 10/03/06 at 05:03:17
Post Tools
After 7.Bg5 Black has to make a concession; play is likely to transpose after f6 8.Be3 Nbc6. This is a difficult, but respectable defence though.
  

The book had the effect good books usually have: it made the stupids more stupid, the intelligent more intelligent and the other thousands of readers remained unchanged.
GC Lichtenberg
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
kingsGambit
YaBB Newbies
*
Offline


I Love ChessPublishing!

Posts: 9
Joined: 07/20/06
Re: Morra line w/ early a6,b5,Bb7
Reply #2 - 10/02/06 at 15:52:54
Post Tools
There's a player at my club who always plays the smith morra against the sicilian... actually he has stopped playing it against me after I continually beat him playing the line i'll suggest to you here. The line goes 1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.c3 dxc3 4.Nxc3 e6 5.Bc4 a6 6.Nf3 Nge7 7.Qe2 Ng3  and then play your dark bishop out and caslte. There are no tricks here and your strategy is simply to exchange pieces and make the pawn up advantage a winning advantage.
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
MNb
God Member
*****
Offline


Rudolf Spielmann forever

Posts: 10756
Location: Moengo
Joined: 01/05/04
Gender: Male
Re: Morra line w/ early a6,b5,Bb7
Reply #1 - 10/02/06 at 01:45:46
Post Tools
This is not a sensible choice for Black. White's strategy is to postpone a2-a3, toying with the thematical sac Nc3-d5 and double the rooks on the d-file.

In two friendly corr games I had two wins after 1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.c3 dxc3 4.Nxc3 e6 5.Bc4 a6 6.Nf3 b5 7.Bb3 Bb7 8.Qe2 d6 9.0-0 Nbd7 10.Rd1 Nf6 (Be7 transposes) 11.Bf4 Qb8 12.Rd2 Be7 (b4 13.Nd5!) 13.a3 (necessary?) 0-0 14.Rad1 Nc5 15.Bc2.

Much better is 4...Nc6 5.Nf3 d6 6.Bc4 a6, see the thread Hague-Überdeker. Also the defence with e6 and Nge7 is reliable.
  

The book had the effect good books usually have: it made the stupids more stupid, the intelligent more intelligent and the other thousands of readers remained unchanged.
GC Lichtenberg
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
J-dog
Senior Member
****
Offline



Posts: 283
Location: Colorado Springs, CO
Joined: 11/15/05
Gender: Male
Morra line w/ early a6,b5,Bb7
10/01/06 at 15:26:47
Post Tools
I've yet to decide how I wish to play when I'm faced with the Morra Gambit.  I usually decline it by going into the Nf6/Nc6 or Nf6/e6 branches of the Alapin (c3) Sicilian.  However, I can't help but feel that I'm letting my opponent off easy and that I should be putting a sterner test to his opening choice.  The only line of the Morra Accepted that has ever interested me goes 4...a6 5.Bc4 e6 6.Nf3 b5 7.Bb3 Bb7 with pressure on e4 and b4 soon to come. 

I think it was Nunn's Chess Openings that made a passing comment that those who are interested in looking for a refutation (of the Morra) should look at this line.  I've played it offhand in some games with success, and I like especially the idea of interrupting white's coordination by pushing the knight (or forcing a3), but I can't help feeling a bit suspicious about the whole idea: developing and loosening the queenside, leaving the kingside pieces at home, all in the name of pursuing another pawn!

I'm asking for anyone's opinion who has had any experience (on either side) with this line, or who has an idea and wants to chime in.  Also, if anyone has the newest book on the Morra (I forget the title) and could share what it says about this line, I would be very grateful. Thanks!
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
Page Index Toggle Pages: 1 ... 3 4 [5] 
Topic Tools
Bookmarks: del.icio.us Digg Facebook Google Google+ Linked in reddit StumbleUpon Twitter Yahoo