Lost :(

My first loss with the Smith Morra this year :( And it was a tragic one: just one day after playing six three hour games over the weekend (without losing any), I was playing an interclub game where my opponent declined the Smith Morra with 3. ... d6. Sometime during the middle game I picked up a piece and somehow put it on the square next to the one it was meant to go to ... it was now en prise and got eaten. Game over. I have quite often intentionally put a piece on a square that turned out to be wrong, but to unintentionally put a piece on the wrong square is a new trick (that I will not be repeating soon)...

[Event "Interclub challenge"]
[Date "2005.08.29"]
[Round "-"]
[White "Smith Morra fanatic"]
[Black "NN"]
[Result "0-1"]

1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 d6 4. Nf3 Nf6 5. e5?! {lashing out, not the
best idea} dxe5 6. Nxe5 e6 7. Bc4 Qc7 8. Qe2 Bd6
9. Nf3 O-O 10. Nxd4 a6 11. Be3 b5 12. Bb3 Nc6
13. Nd2 Re8 14. N2f3 Bb7 15. Bc2 h6 16. O-O-O b4
17. c4 Ne5 18. b3 Rad8 19. h3 Ne4 20. Bxe4 Bxe4
21. Rhe1 Nxf3 22. Nxf3 Bh7 23. Ne5?? {was meant to be Nd4} Bxe5
0-1

Score with Smith Morra: +2 =3 -1

Drawn

Out of 6 games in my weekend tourney, only one came out as a Smith Morra - my opponent declined it with 3. ... d3, and the game went on to be drawn.

[Event "Weekend swiss"]
[Date "2005.08.27"]
[Round "3/6"]
[White "Smith Morra fanatic"]
[Black "NN"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]

1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 d3 4. Bxd3 Nc6 5. Nf3 d6 6. O-O g6
7. Bg5 Bg7 8. Nbd2 Nf6 9. Qe2 O-O 10. h3 Nd7 11. Nc4 Nde5
12. Nfxe5 Nxe5 13. Nxe5 Bxe5 14. f4 Bg7 15. Kh1 Qc7
16. Rf2 e6 ?! {Weakens d6} 17. Raf1?! {Much better was Rd1!
targetting d6} Bd7 18. Qc2 f5 19. exf5 exf5 20. Re1 Rfe8
21. Rfe2 Rxe2 22. Rxe2 Re8 23. Qb3+ Kf8 24. Rxe8+ Bxe8
25. Bc4 Bf7 26. Bxf7 Qxf7 27. Qa3 Kg8 28. Qxd6 h6
29. Bh4 Kh7 30. Qe7 Qxe7 31. Bxe7 Kg8 32. g4 Kf7 33. Bh4 Ke6
34. Kg2 b5 35. Kf3 a5 36. Bd8 a4 37. Bb6? {Ba4 was better} a3!
38. bxa3 Bxc3 39. Ke3 Bb2 40. Bc5 Kd5 41. Bf8 h5 42. gxh5 gxh5
43. Bb4 1/2-1/2

No sicilians here?

After 4 rounds of this current tournament, I've only had to face the sicilian once. SO theres not much Smith Morra action going on to talk about. However, I do have a 6 round weekend tourny coming up soon, which should provide some opportunities for playing the Morra

Winning with the Smith Morra

Ok here is my game from last night, first round of a 9 round club swiss tournament (1 game per week). It can hardly be called a sparkling gem however - my opponent was very low rated, and so made plenty of mistakes, however I also made mistakes as a result of having contempt for such a lowly rated opponents abilities!

[Event "Club Tournament B Grade"]
[Date "2005.08.08"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Smith Morra fanatic"]
[Black "NN"]
[Result "1-0"]

1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 dxc3 4. Nxc3 Nc6 5. Nf3 Nf6 6. Bc4 e5?

Black isnt familar with the Smith Morra and goes wrong immediately.

7. Ng5! d5 8. Nxd5 Nxd5 9. Bxd5 Be6 10. Nxe6 fxe6 11. Bxe6?

In a superior position I get lazy and grab some material, and black gets a chance to escape. Correct was 11. Bxc6+! cxb6 12. Qh4+

11. ... Qxd1+ 12. Kxd1 Rd8+ 13. Bd2 Bb4 14. Bd5 Bxd2
15. Kxd2 Nb4 16. Rac1 Nxd5 17. exd5 Rxd5+

Black has equalized, but after this point allows me to get more and more activity for my pieces, and loses without putting up much of a fight.

18. Ke3 O-O 19.Rc7 Rb5 20. b3 a5 21. Rd1 Ra8
22. Rdd7 a4 23. Rxg7+ Kf8 24. Rxh7 Kg8
25.Rxb7 Rxb7 26. Rxb7 axb3 27. axb3 1-0

Rabid fanatics

Well thats what "normal" players call those of us who are dedicated to the Smith Morra Gambit.. but then, who wants to be normal anyway?

The Smith Morra is my sole choice against the Sicilian - so I will remain anonymous, lest my future opponents try to use this blog to find any weaknesses in how I play it ;)

I have not lost any tournament games this year when playing the Smith Morra - mind you, I dont get to play that many OTB games round here. My 2005 record with the Smith Morra stands at +2 =2 -0.

I dont even know that much of the Smith Morra theory yet! Just a few select lines ... So this blog will be about exploring various lines of the Smith Morra and seeing what happens :>