ChessPub Forum - Smith-Morra

(Moderators: Bibs, trw)

‹ Previous Topic | Next Topic ›

Poll

Question: What do you think about the Smith Morra Gambit

Fun to play but unsound

38 (22.1%)

A line that is for a reawakining

8 (4.7%)

Bad for white

21 (12.2%)

ok for white

55 (32.0%)

good for white

10 (5.8%)

Ive never seen a smith-morra

5 (2.9%)

all right if you know what your doing

35 (20.3%)

Total votes: 172

Pages: [1] 2 3 ... 5

Topic Tools

Smith-Morra (Read 84576 times)

NiceNike YaBB Newbies Offline I Love ChessPublishing! Posts: 15 Joined: 11/08/21	Re: Smith-Morra Reply #61 - 11/09/21 at 00:57:54	Post Tools	Print Post
	unsound if u are a gm


	IP Logged

kylemeister God Member Offline Posts: 4908 Location: USA Joined: 10/24/05	Re: Smith-Morra Reply #60 - 05/16/15 at 18:40:48	Post Tools	Print Post
	Well, referring to the "Scheveningen" setup might take in a number of different lines, e.g. 4...Nc6 5. Nf3 d6 6. Bc4 e6 7. 0-0 Nf6 8. Qe2 a6 9. Rd1 Qc7 (which it seems to me hasn't been in favor in recent times), or here 8...Be7 9. Rd1 e5, or 7...a6 8. Qe2 Bd7 9. Rd1 Be7.
	« Last Edit: 05/16/15 at 19:45:17 by kylemeister »

	IP Logged

yolocounty Junior Member Offline Yes, I push wood, why do you ask? Posts: 63 Location: Yolo County Joined: 07/02/14 Gender:	Re: Smith-Morra Reply #59 - 05/16/15 at 17:40:24	Post Tools	Print Post
	Gomez played the "Pure Taimanov" ...Nge7 line. Ew. I know this one was once considered very good but I understand that it has been -crushed- in correspondence play lately. The "Scheveningen" setup is fairly safe, right?


	IP Logged

kylemeister God Member Offline Posts: 4908 Location: USA Joined: 10/24/05	Re: Smith-Morra Reply #58 - 04/16/15 at 16:43:49	Post Tools	Print Post
	Here's an odd fact: within the last couple of weeks, two GMs lost to the Smith-Morra in a combined 29 moves. First, Thomas Ernst (versus Tobias Güntzmann) resigned after 1. e4 c5 2. d4 cd 3. c3 dc 4. Nxc3 d6 5. Nf3 e6 6. Bc4 a6 7. 0-0 b5 8. Bb3 Bb7 9. Ng5 Nf6 10. e5, then there was this: Download game in pgn format


	IP Logged

SanAntonioSlim YaBB Newbies Offline I Love ChessPublishing! Posts: 2 Joined: 04/06/15	Re: Smith-Morra Reply #57 - 04/08/15 at 00:37:56	Post Tools	Print Post
	I have Hiarcs which I am guessing that is similar to the other chess engines in that it has a screen that shows the results for each candidate move and the performance rating. The various gambits go well into the national master level as far as performance rating goes. From ICC's coverage of the U.S. Championship "The first moves were simply stunning: 1. d4 d6; 2. Nf3 h6; 3. 4e g5. A very unusual way to start a game by Timur Gareev, especially in a top event like this." He played a wing gambit in a later round against the Sicilian. Maybe he will play a Smith-Morra at some point. Here's hoping.


	IP Logged

fling God Member Offline I Love ChessPublishing! Posts: 1591 Joined: 01/21/11 Gender:	Re: Smith-Morra Reply #56 - 04/07/15 at 10:07:56	Post Tools	Print Post
	SaintDufus wrote on 04/07/15 at 06:44:06: Those who voted "Okay for White" or lower in this poll may not have read IM Esserman's book Mayhem in the Morra. It seems to me hard (if not impossible) to read this book from cover to cover and then say anything less than "the Morra is totally sound". Esserman has brought this once-dismissed opening back to life with winning ideas in almost every line. It has revolutionized the way I play the Morra. Well, the book is not objective in any way. He very often skips Black's best alternatives just to show what can happen if Black is not cautious etc. Hannes Langrock's book is a better view of what is going on IMO.


	IP Logged

SaintDufus YaBB Newbies Offline I Love ChessPublishing! Posts: 1 Joined: 04/07/15	Re: Smith-Morra Reply #55 - 04/07/15 at 06:44:06	Post Tools	Print Post
	Those who voted "Okay for White" or lower in this poll may not have read IM Esserman's book Mayhem in the Morra. It seems to me hard (if not impossible) to read this book from cover to cover and then say anything less than "the Morra is totally sound". Esserman has brought this once-dismissed opening back to life with winning ideas in almost every line. It has revolutionized the way I play the Morra.


	IP Logged

yolocounty Junior Member Offline Yes, I push wood, why do you ask? Posts: 63 Location: Yolo County Joined: 07/02/14 Gender:	Re: Smith-Morra Reply #54 - 12/11/14 at 23:58:30	Post Tools	Print Post
	The ...e6 / ...Nge7 line has been getting crushed in postal, or so I hear, so there are probably some deep problems. 1 e4 c5 2 d4 cxd4 3 c3 dxc3 4 Nxc3 d6 5 Nf3 Nc6 6 Bc4 a6 7 0-0 Nf6 planning ...Bg4 before ...e6 always made a lot of sense to me. Le Quang Liem played it in the last couple of years, and he's not liable to go for something unsound. I WANT to like the Taylor / ...e5 line, but it seems like Black shouldn't have to do anything that complicated.


	IP Logged

mrxjn YaBB Newbies Offline Posts: 7 Location: Kortrijk, Belgium Joined: 05/10/14 Gender:	Re: Smith-Morra Reply #53 - 05/16/14 at 19:51:27	Post Tools	Print Post
	eggman wrote on 03/16/14 at 20:57:57: Howdy, I'm rated at a modest 1800 (US Chess Federation) and enjoy gambits, especially the Blackmar-Diemer. I've been using the SM Gambit for skittles and occasionally OTB for over 20 years. I consider the SM and even the much-maligned Blackmar-Diemer no less "sound" than the King's Gambit-an opening which seems to enjoy more approval. Many overlook the fact that fighting, center gambits are inherently risky. Admittedly, I regard the Evans as probably the soundest of the "Romantic" gambits, but that's another discussion. MHO and YMMV. I find the SM better than the BMD, because even when the tricks are gone, you can sort of lean on your position. There is always some sort of strange compensation for the pawn. I think that's also what Esserman advocates. A great beautiful gambit, and lots of fun. Live's to short for boring games

	Free chess pairing program I made: google PairFX
	IP Logged

mrxjn YaBB Newbies Offline Posts: 7 Location: Kortrijk, Belgium Joined: 05/10/14 Gender:	Re: Smith-Morra Reply #52 - 05/16/14 at 19:47:58	Post Tools	Print Post
	PANFR wrote on 03/17/14 at 14:09:33: ... But since this is just equal, Black's best line remains the powerful 3...Nf6! which is also equal, but gives Black fair winning chances, and no need for studying another odd opening. that might be true, but there is a lot of aggressive fun in those lines too you know, like the e5 Nd5 Qxd4 Esserman gives is fun to play.

	Free chess pairing program I made: google PairFX
	IP Logged

Djy Full Member Offline Non mais y connait pas Raoul! Posts: 157 Joined: 03/21/10	Re: Smith-Morra Reply #51 - 03/24/14 at 17:34:54	Post Tools	Print Post
	yes black is ok after your line

	La connerie c'est la décrontaction de l'intelligence Gainsbourg La victoire est brillante mais l'échec est mat! Coluche
	IP Logged

PANFR Senior Member Offline I Love ChessPublishing! Posts: 256 Location: Greece Joined: 10/31/11 Gender:	Re: Smith-Morra Reply #50 - 03/19/14 at 00:01:56	Post Tools	Print Post
	Djy wrote on 03/17/14 at 20:28:11: I have not found a clear way for black to = after 12.Rc1 a5 13.a4 yet Note that Esserman as langrock assess the position as = after black accept the Knight I have briefly examined this some time ago, and my patzer companion (Stockfish) said Black is equal after 13...ba4 14.Bxa4 Ba6. Reviewing this, it's quite complex, but Black seems doing allright. I may be missing something.


	IP Logged

Djy Full Member Offline Non mais y connait pas Raoul! Posts: 157 Joined: 03/21/10	Re: Smith-Morra Reply #49 - 03/17/14 at 20:28:11	Post Tools	Print Post
	I have not found a clear way for black to = after 12.Rc1 a5 13.a4 yet Note that Esserman as langrock assess the position as = after black accept the Knight

	La connerie c'est la décrontaction de l'intelligence Gainsbourg La victoire est brillante mais l'échec est mat! Coluche
	IP Logged

PANFR Senior Member Offline I Love ChessPublishing! Posts: 256 Location: Greece Joined: 10/31/11 Gender:	Re: Smith-Morra Reply #48 - 03/17/14 at 14:09:33	Post Tools	Print Post
	The safest variation for Black is probably the one with ...e6 and ...Nge7. Esserman's comments on his game against Van Wely are just flawed- Black has very little to fear, if anything, provided that he does NOT take the d5 knight. Download game in pgn format Esserman does not mention the natural 14...b4 at all. But since this is just equal, Black's best line remains the powerful 3...Nf6! which is also equal, but gives Black fair winning chances, and no need for studying another odd opening.


	IP Logged

kylemeister God Member Offline Posts: 4908 Location: USA Joined: 10/24/05	Re: Smith-Morra Reply #47 - 03/16/14 at 22:11:16	Post Tools	Print Post
	Incidentally I noticed Emanuel Berg playing the SM a few times months ago, with not very good results (though I got the impression that his preparation could have been better -- e.g. in one game he was apparently immediately out of book against the "Taylor Defense").


	IP Logged

Pages: [1] 2 3 ... 5

Topic Tools

‹ Previous Topic | Next Topic ›

Bookmarks: