Dear viewer, your anti smithmorra gambit analysis is a very interesting one and were still trying to figure it out. In 1960, fischer would take up the mantle, unleashing the gambit to surprise korchnoi. In chess, the smithmorra gambit or simply morra gambit is an opening gambit against the sicilian defence distinguished by the moves 1. Smithmorra gambit double sacrifice patrick vasseur vs nerrant, 1981 b21 sicilian, 2. Yet despite being on the dominant end of a tense draw, fischer would not try again. For explanation of theory tables see theory table and for notation see algebraic notation 1. Chess magazine how to crush smith morra gambit facebook.
The smith morra gambit system against the sicilian defence. Jan 29, 2015 last week, we examined the origins of the smith morra gambit. The strength of smithmorra gambit chess stack exchange. For explanation of theory tables see theory table and for notation see algebraic notation.
Morra published a booklet and several articles on the gambit around 1950 and smith wrote nine books and fortynine articles about it. Trents presentation is systematic and clearly outlined, and he doesnt ignore challenging lines. But thats probably the rating threshold where you should switch to a more mainline opening. Is it wise to use the smithmorra gambit as a standard reply against the. Search the chess games database, download games, view frequent practitioners and browse the opening explorer. Furthermore, traditional sicilian players may be taken by surprise and removed from their main line repertoire. Chess puzzle of the day past daily chess puzzles past daily chess puzzles chess puzzle creator chess puzzle creator chess quote of the day.
As with most gambits, there are solutions for black but they are difficult to find. As noted by german gm karsten mueller, the morra gambit is wellsuited for players striving for tactical and uncompromising play, as whites better development often leads to a dangerous initiative. The smithmorra gambit system against the sicilian defence. Either way i aim to get d6, nf6, be7, be6, and castle short asap, which happens pretty naturally, at which point the deficit is usually nullified. We have analyzed many lines together in our training sessions and he has incorporated our findings in his analysis. The following variation of the smith morra gambit is one of my favorite opening lines with white. White has better chances for an advantage in the main lines after 2.
Web site at fluent, incorporated centerra resource park 10 cavendish court. I used to think that the smith morra gambit was a dangerous attacking weapon. Nxc3 against the sicilian defense is known as the morra gambit after the frenchman who advocated it several decades ago, or usually in the u. If you play e4 as white for any length of time you probably run into the sicilian defense quite often. It is more solid as gambits go than say the latvian gambit for instance. A small wave of nostalgia for the smithmorra gambit has been building in me of late, culminating in my finding an old scorebook from 1981 where it featured in at least half my games as white. In exchange for the gambit pawn, white has a piece developed after 4. This gambit is only for very aggressive players as are most gambits.
Mayhem in the morra by marc esserman, opening chess book by. Morra gambit by janos flesch and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. This is the first game in a series on the delightfully aggresive smithmorra gambit. Since i always go for this gambit, i have a lot of experience with all the possible responses and the games usually go fine if nxd4. Winning with the smithmorra gambit batsford chess library.
The smithmorra gambits siren call goeller boudreaux, nc gp 1981 white to play and force a draw. Alejandro ramirez, esserman finished with a score of 7 points, a half point behind the leaders. When i encounter the sicilian as white, i often will play the smith morra gambit. Encyclopaedia of chess openings classification code index pdf. Drawing upon his own experience and analysis, lawrence trent put together a complete dvd on the smithmorra gambit, 1. Armed with im marc essermans book, i was initially persuaded that this gambit was sound or close to it.
We hope now you have new weapon against the morra gambit and the analysis and games provided above serve you as a. A58, a59 gm misa paps volga benko gambit artillery on the a and b files added on 04. The smithmorra gambit chess opening software on dvd. In the early days, declining the gambit was actually quite popular. Move order matters a lot for black at times, and some natural moves give white the advantage really quickly. In chess, the smith morra gambit or simply morra gambit is an opening gambit against the sicilian defence distinguished by the moves 1. Ken smith smith morra comparing poker and chess gambits. Declined push variation matulovic vs z vospernik, 1955 b21 sicilian, 2. Re1 bc5 black has a good game as whites f2square is sensitive. This is the first game in a series on the delightfully aggresive smith morra gambit. Maybe ive grown old and curmudgeonly in my attitude, sort of like im mark ginsburg author of defending the smith morra who analyzes the esserman game at his blog, under the title the smith morra, again. In fact, in the one game where bobby fischer encountered the gambit, he preferred.
If we find that such moves sequence is a novelty or unpublished, we will add it to our openings section under the anti smithmorra gambit moody variation name. Do the course the morra gambit for black from from fm thomas wolskis mentor course the sicilian defense. Smithmorra gambit successfully twice more in the 2000 us masters. Ive actually seen an 1800 rated player beat a grandmaster online on icc with the smithmorra gambit.
He seemed content for the gambit to remain a surprise, and nothing more. The smith morra gambit is a popular, aggressive response to the sicilian. Im marc esserman smithmorra gambit thematic simul at the. For gambit technical support contact information, visit the fluent, inc. In chess, the smithmorra gambit or simply morra gambit is an opening gambit against the sicilian defence distinguished by the moves. Ken smith smithmorra comparing poker and chess gambits. It is not widely respected among gms but at club level it is extremely potent.
The modern morra gambit foreword hannes langrock has regularly played the morra gambit against the sicilian defense since 1999. White sacrifices a pawn to develop quickly and create attacking chances. Ive actually seen an 1800 rated player beat a grandmaster online on icc with the smith morra gambit. But it is hard to resist the smith morra gambit s siren call. The smith morra gambit, characterized by the moves 1. After an early bishop sacrifice, my knight raided the. The name appears to result from boris schipkov of novosibirsk in southwestern siberia the trap has occurred at least twice in tournament play. Moreover, ken also recommended that players, as part of their development, should adopt, at least. Is the smithmorra gambit a good idea for regular play. If you play e4 as white for any length of time you probably run into. For the op, dont accept the gambit without knowing some theory and some of the traps of the morra accepted. Watch more free videos from gm ivan salgados antisicilian repertoire series at.
In chess, the smithmorra gambit or simply morra gambit is an opening gambit against the. The smith morra gambit against the sicilian defense 1 e4 c5 2 d4 cxd4 3 c3 dxc3 4 nxc3 is perhaps not common in grandmaster chess, but at club level it can be a very potent attacking weapon. Watch gm roman dzindzichashvilis video the anti sicilians part 4. After a series of natural moves in the smithmorra gambit of the sicilian defence, white can lose a queen. The smith morra gambit is a sharp and aggressive line against the sicilian defense from black. Nf3 and decides by the reaction of black whether to enter the gambit. The smith morra gambit is a very interesting answer from white to the sicilian gambit. I have finally annotated the seven available games from im marc essermans 8board smithmorra gambit thematic simultaneous exhibition at the kenilworth chess club, which followed his lecture about the opening on april 15, 2010. He was a noted practitioner of the morra gambit against the sicilian, viz 1. Almost an outright refuation of the smithmorra gambit. To see the chess games in the database for the current position, click on the games for position tab. To search the chess database, either enter your criteria into the quick search box or use the advanced search by clicking on the advanced search label. Add the chess puzzle of the day application to your facebook profile.
When i encounter the sicilian as white, i often will play the smithmorra gambit. Oct 10, 2015 i played a standard chess game as black with time controls set at 15 minutes with a 2 second increment. Andreaschek gambit g welling vs brinkhorst, 1980 b21 sicilian, 2. I played a standard chess game as black with time controls set at 15 minutes with a 2 second increment. Mayhem in the morra by marc esserman, opening chess book. I managed to utilize the morra with success both over the board and online. Oct 07, 20 in the below chess video excerpt from the empire chess dvd. Fm chow, who, in a perfect storybook ending, adopted the finegold defense himself. The smithmorra gambit against the sicilian defense 1 e4 c5 2 d4 cxd4 3 c3 dxc3 4 nxc3 is perhaps not common in grandmaster chess, but at club level it can be a very potent attacking weapon.
Trents presentation is systematic and clearly outlined and the morra is a great opening with which to teach younger players basics like the value of development, while developing their tactical skills. The smithmorra gambit, characterized by the moves 1. As the smith morra began to encounter strong players, a variety of different responses developed. Sicilian defence, smithmorra gambit accepted standard. Marc adopted the morra gambit in his youth and soon weaponized the quaint, tame house pet into a snarling, vicious pitbull of an opening. Nxc3 and a pawn in the center, while black has an extra pawn and a central pawn majority. The theoretical status of the morra is that black is fine. Gambitguidesmithmorragambit1 play chess with friends. However, i discovered an early novelty which puts the soundness of the smithmorra gambit to the test.
The senior american master ken smith, who died last month february 1999, was an advocate of gambits. A bust to the smith morra gambit by elijah logozar. Blacks king is frequently stuck in the middle if he makes any innaccuracy and whites pieces will flood forward. In 2011, when preparing for the us championship, i decided to employ the morra gambit as a surprise weapon if given the chance. Watch im mark ginsburgs video series best play against the smith morra part 1, part 2, part 3. Grandmaster ronen harzvi explains the basic concepts in the smithmorra. I have finally annotated the seven available games from im marc essermans 8board smith morra gambit thematic simultaneous exhibition at the kenilworth chess club, which followed his lecture about the opening on april 15, 2010. The smith morra gambit isnt for everyone, and consequently this book is not for everyone, however if you are failing to comprehend the complexities of the open sicilian, or your failing to make progress with your antisicilian pet line, give the smith morra gambit a try, youll be surprised at how many people blunder when only following common. The gambit is named after pierre morra 19001969 from france and ken smith 19301999 from dallas, texas. Drawing upon his own experience and analysis, lawrence trent put together a complete dvd on the smithmorra gambit, 1 e4 c5 2 d4 cxd4 3 c3. Therefore, the morra gambit is not seen very often at the top level. We have many other materials and lessons that will help you to learn or improve the skills of the game of chess. From my experience castles and c3 are actually more common.
Nf3 and decides by the reaction of black whether to enter the gambit theory table. He has also included many new ideas and analyzed them in depth. By sacrificing a pawn, white aims to rapidly develop his pieces with the objective of delivering a swift knockout blow to the unprepared black camp. This move is playable if white is careful on the next move. The opening played was the sicilian defence, smith morra gambit accepted. Marc esserman is an im from the usa who has played and analysed the morra gambit for most of his life.
His is a good example of how a video dvd can provide a solid starting point even if it isnt as analytically complete as a fulllength book on the subject. Sicilian defence, smithmorra gambit, siberian trap. Kolenbetschipkov, khabarovsk 1987, and tesinskymagerramov, budapest 1990. You move all your poker chips to the middle of the table when you think you have the best hand. The smith morra gambit is a variation of the sicilian defence in which white sacrifices a pawn right in the opening to get a small long term positional advantage. It is questionable if this slight edge justifies to sacrifice an important center pawn, the cpawn. Sep 10, 2011 the game is a smith morra gambit, with esserman playing white and at its finish it set the internet all abuzz. Back when this game was played the smith morra gambit was all the rage thanks to ken smith.
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