A Bust to the Smith-Morra Gambit

[nocab]

I left a response to the article A Bust to the Smith-Morra Gambit but it evidently was either not published, or published and then taken down. This is an attempt to recall what was written and may not be exactly what was written:

After reading the article I went to the ChessBaseDataBase and 365Chess as I often do for the blog to check out the young man’s analysis:

1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 dxc3 4. Nxc3 Nc6 5. Nf3 e6 (Although this move has been played more often than 5…d6 according to the ChessBaseDataBase, and is the top choice of Komodo 12 64-bit at depth 32, Stockfish 200419 at depth 45 shows 5…d6 as better than 5…e6)

Continuing with the second rate line given in the article, 6.Bc4 Nge7!?, both Stockfish 8 and 9 show 6…a6 as better than 6…Nge7.

It is easy to show a “bust” to any opening when using inferior moves.

Why was it not allowed? Which rule did I violate this time?

“Those who say they understand Chess, understand nothing”
(Robert Hubner)

Armchair Warrior

xpertchesslessons.wordpress.com/

[bruce_leverett]

You’ve got it backwards. A “bust” means that Black is equalizing or even better. You’re claiming that 6…a6 is better than 6…Nge7, but if the author can show that 6…Nge7 leaves Black equal or better, he’s good. Can you show that his analysis is wrong? Or, alternatively, can you show that 6…a6 leaves Black even more equal or better? That’s what you have to do if you think he’s getting it wrong.

[relyea]

One should note that Mr. Bacon’s post is exactly where he put it.

Alex Relyea

[Mulfish]

@relyea

One should note that Mr. Bacon’s post is exactly where he put it.

Alex Relyea

In fairness to Mr. Bacon, a lot of us have been confused by the essentially obsolete Chess Life Articles Forum.

[BobMessenger]

Responses to Chess Life Online articles have to be approved by a moderator before they become public, at least for someone who hasn’t posted before. I was directing a chess tournament over the weekend and approved the post this afternoon.

[SysAdmin]

I don’t think it makes sense to delete the old Chess Life Article forum, but I did rename it and lock it.

[Mulfish]

@BobMessenger

Responses to Chess Life Online articles have to be approved by a moderator before they become public, at least for someone who hasn’t posted before. I was directing a chess tournament over the weekend and approved the post this afternoon.

So Mr. Bacon is not going crazy and Alex and I are both incorrectly assuming he posted it in the defunct location.

[relyea]

As I said, I found his post on CLO.

Alex Relyea

[jjamesge1]

In my experience, not taking the pawn on b2 is usually the best option.

[dennisk]

@jjamesge1

In my experience, not taking the pawn on b2 is usually the best option.

I hope you mean c3 rather than b2. I play the Sicilian regularly, and have seen the Smith-Morra many times. Nobody has ever given me the opportunity to take the b2-pawn. When I take the c3-pawn, White invariably recaptures with the Queen’s Knight.

If you meant not taking the c3-pawn, well, that’s a matter of taste. If you don’t take it, you’re probably transposing into the Alapin. Personally, I would rather play against the Smith-Morra than the Alapin.

[jwiewel]

@dennisk

@jjamesge1

In my experience, not taking the pawn on b2 is usually the best option.

I hope you mean c3 rather than b2. I play the Sicilian regularly, and have seen the Smith-Morra many times. Nobody has ever given me the opportunity to take the b2-pawn. When I take the c3-pawn, White invariably recaptures with the Queen’s Knight.

If you meant not taking the c3-pawn, well, that’s a matter of taste. If you don’t take it, you’re probably transposing into the Alapin. Personally, I would rather play against the Smith-Morra than the Alapin.

One variation that used to have a following was
… cd
c3 dc
Bc4 cb
Bxb2

[wintdoan]

@dennisk

@jjamesge1

In my experience, not taking the pawn on b2 is usually the best option.

I hope you mean c3 rather than b2. I play the Sicilian regularly, and have seen the Smith-Morra many times. Nobody has ever given me the opportunity to take the b2-pawn. When I take the c3-pawn, White invariably recaptures with the Queen’s Knight.

If you meant not taking the c3-pawn, well, that’s a matter of taste. If you don’t take it, you’re probably transposing into the Alapin. Personally, I would rather play against the Smith-Morra than the Alapin.

Back when Ken Smith was heavily pushing his gambit, I seem to recall Larry Evans(??) opining that he just couldn’t see the point—in the Sicilian, White generally gets K-side pressure using standard lines (Black having largely conceded that in return for Q-side play), so why sac a pawn for something that you can have naturally.

[kevin_bachler]

@wintdoan

@dennisk

@jjamesge1

In my experience, not taking the pawn on b2 is usually the best option.

I hope you mean c3 rather than b2. I play the Sicilian regularly, and have seen the Smith-Morra many times. Nobody has ever given me the opportunity to take the b2-pawn. When I take the c3-pawn, White invariably recaptures with the Queen’s Knight.

If you meant not taking the c3-pawn, well, that’s a matter of taste. If you don’t take it, you’re probably transposing into the Alapin. Personally, I would rather play against the Smith-Morra than the Alapin.

Back when Ken Smith was heavily pushing his gambit, I seem to recall Larry Evans(??) opining that he just couldn’t see the point—in the Sicilian, White generally gets K-side pressure using standard lines (Black having largely conceded that in return for Q-side play), so why sac a pawn for something that you can have naturally.

I am reminded of Bent Larsen’s annotation to Kenneth Smith - Mario Campos-Lopez, San Antonio 1972, French Defense:

“1 e4 e6(?) --Stronger is 1…c5 which wins a pawn (Smith always plays the Morra Gambit, in this tournament with disastrous results).”