Djy wrote on 01/29/14 at 08:56:13:
gunnar wrote on 10/03/13 at 12:31:51:
Hello everybody!
PLEASE HELP, dear Morra fans!!
I just recently started out the Morra and I simply love it, but I got a variation that it is not included in Esserman's book nor Langrock's book.
And it seems quite a good variation for black.
Here it is:
1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 dxc3 4. Nxc3 e6 5. Nf3 a6 6. Bc4 b5 7. Bb3 Nc6 (!?) 8. 0-0 Na5!?
Black plays Nc6 instead of Bb7 and a fast Na5. And because no Re1 yet, Nd5 simply not works.
Also Bc2 is not an option and if black can take white's Bishop, he is simply better.
What's more annoying that I couldn't find too many games in database. And many players play this variation during internet blitz and I don't know what to do...
THanks for your help!!
i think 9.Bc2 is the best move here and black still have problems to solve
Sadly, I fear things are not this simple. I have recently had this line played against me in a correspondence game - after 9.Bc2 I got less than nothing, it's still going so I cannot post it yet but suffice to say, white gets no compensation at all - on move 21 I am entirely busted.
9.Re1 doesn't fill my heart with joy either, as in these ...Nge7 lines (which is what black is aiming for, his dream position in the early ...Nge7 lines is ...Ng6, ...b5, ...Na5, ...Bb7 and ...Rc8 usually if allowed, and black is simply doing the queenside expansion bit first as otherwise white can normally throw a spanner in the works) white usually wants to play Nd4 and f4, so wants his rooks on d1 and f1 - the Re1 looks misplaced. Also 9.Re1 Nxb3 10.Qxb3 Bb7 11.a4 b4 12.Bg5 looks best, but here black can just play 12...Be7 13.Bxe7 Qxe7 14.Nd4 Qc5!? and I think black seems just better - though it's a huge amount better than the 9.Bc2 that I played - the weakness on c4 is absolutely critical.
So this plan, which seems to be rejected in the textbooks, deserves serious consideration - it looks just about as critical as any other line I know against the Morra, if played in the right way as a souped-up ...Nge7 line.