Learn the Smith-Morra Gambit

B21 · a repertoire for white · 7 chapters · 33 annotated lines

"Turn the Sicilian into your attack"

The Smith-Morra (1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.c3!) hands Sicilian players a problem they never wanted: instead of their pet system, they get open c- and d-files pointed at their position and a White army developed by move ten. This course teaches the main attacking tabiya, the three classic punishments every Morra player feasts on (early ...Nf6, the ...Bg4 pin, and the Siberian setup), plus clean answers to all three ways of declining.

What's inside

• Chapter 1: The Gambit Accepted
  Lines: Study 1: The Main Tabiya — 6...e6, Study 2: Early 6...Nf6? — Punished by 7.e5!, Study 3: The ...Bg4 Pin? — Bxf7+! Fork Trick, Study 4: Beating the Siberian Setup — 8.Nb5!
• Chapter 2: The Gambit Declined
  Lines: Study 5: Declined with 3...Nf6 — the Alapin Bonus, Study 6: Declined with 3...d3 — Take and Smile, Study 7: Declined with 3...d5 — the IQP Squeeze
• Chapter 3: The Classical Center — ...d6 and ...Nf6
  Lines: Study 8: The ...a6/...Qc7 Setup — 10.Bf4!, Study 9: The Finegold Defense — ...Bd7 and ...Rc8, Study 10: 9...O-O — the 10.e5! Break, Study 11: 11...Be6 — Don't Take the Bait
• Chapter 4: The Scheveningen Wall and the Siberian
  Lines: Study 12: The Scheveningen Wall — ...a6 and ...b5, Study 13: The ...Nge7 System — 8.Bg5!, Study 14: The Siberian with 7...a6 — 8.Nd5!!, Study 15: The Siberian ...Nge7? — 9.Nd6+!
• Chapter 5: The Fianchetto — ...g6
  Lines: Study 16: 5...g6 — Cross It with 7.e5!, Study 17: 7...Nxe5?? — the Qd5+ Refutation, Study 18: ...d6 and ...g6 — 7.Qb3!
• Chapter 6: Sidesteps and Move-Order Tricks
  Lines: Study 19: Declined with 3...g6 — the 5.e5 Bind, Study 20: The Anti-Morra 2...d6 — 3.dxc5!
• Chapter 7: The ...Bb4 Pin and the Early ...Nf6
  Lines: Study 21: 6...Bb4 — Take the Bishop Pair, Study 22: 6...Bb4 and ...Nge7 — 8.Nb5!, Study 23: 6...Bb4 with ...Nf6 — 8.e5!, Study 24: 6...Nf6 and ...Be7 — 8.e5! and 10.h3!, Study 25: 6...Nf6 and ...Bc5 — the f2 Desperado

Free sample: the main line, move by move

• 1. e4 — 1.e4.
• 1... c5 — 1...c5 — the Sicilian. Now White changes the rules.
• 2. d4 — 2.d4 — strike immediately in the center.
• 2... cxd4 — 2...cxd4.
• 3. c3 — 3.c3! — the Morra: a pawn for open lines. If Black accepts, the c- and d-files become White property.
• 3... dxc3 — 3...dxc3 — accepted.
• 4. Nxc3 — 4.Nxc3 — the knight recaptures, already developed to its dream square. Count the compensation: a tempo, two half-open files, and a Sicilian player out of book.
• 4... Nc6 — 4...Nc6.
• 5. Nf3 — 5.Nf3 — develop toward e5 and d4.
• 5... d6 — 5...d6 — restraining e5 and opening the c8 bishop.
• 6. Bc4 — 6.Bc4 — the bishop takes the a2-g8 diagonal; f7 and later d5/e6 pressure are its life's work in the Morra.
• 6... e6 — 6...e6 — the solid main line, blunting the bishop.
• 7. O-O — 7.O-O — castle early; the rooks belong on d1 and c1.
• 7... Nf6 — 7...Nf6 — safe now that ...e6 covers d5... mostly.
• 8. Qe2 — 8.Qe2 — the signature Morra move: the queen leaves the d-file so the rook can own it, while supporting the coming e5 break.
• 8... Be7 — 8...Be7.
• 9. Rd1 — 9.Rd1 — the rook x-rays Black's queen through the d6 pawn. The threat of e5 (opening everything) hangs over Black permanently.
• 9... e5 — 9...e5 — stopping White's e5 break at a price: the d5 square is now a permanent White outpost.
• 10. h3 — 10.h3 — deny g4 to the bishop before it can trade itself for the f3 knight, the guardian of d4/e5.
• 10... O-O — 10...O-O.
• 11. Be3 — 11.Be3 — completing development while eyeing the queenside dark squares.
• 11... a6 — 11...a6 — stopping Nb5 ideas.
• 12. Rac1 — 12.Rac1 — the full Morra battery: rooks on c1/d1, both bishops raking Black's half of the board, Nd5 hanging in the air. Engines call this near-equal; every practical player knows White is the one having fun.

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