In this article we'll discuss some lines of the Smith Morra Gambit Declined. After this article, it will be silent for a while. I'm still working on an extra article about the Finegold Defence, and I want to pay some attention to emails I received from readers. Both articles will take some time to write, so please be patient. For now, the Smith Morra Gambit Declined.

Black has two good reasons to decline the gambit:

• The black player likes the positions that arise after declining the gambit.

• Black is exploring the fact that many white players do not give enough energy to studying these lines.

Upon the moves 1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 Black has several ways to decline the gambit:

Diagram 1: Position after 3. c3

• 3. ... Nf6 : see the game Albert Hoogendoorn - James Patrick Kerry

• 3. ... d3 : see the game J. Brink - M. Kouwenhoven

• 3. ... Qa5 : see the game Evgeny Gik - Dmitry Godes

• 3. ... e5

The line Nf6 is the 'normal' way to decline the gambit, so I have added two additional games with this line : Albert Hoogendoorn - Antonije Popovic and Michael Adams - Viswanathan Anand. Yes, the Smith Morra Gambit is also played at GM level!

Let's start with the first game Albert Hoogendoorn - James Patrick Kerry 2000

1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 Nf6 4. e5 Nd5 5. Nf3 e6

1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 Nf6 4. e5 Nd5 5. Nf3 Nc6 6. Bc4 e6 was seen in the game Tiviakov-Kramnik 1989.

6. cxd4 d6 7. Bc4 Be7 8. O-O O-O 9. Qe2 Nc6 10. a3 Qb6 11. Rd1 Na5 12. Nbd2 Bd7 13. Ba2 Ba4 14. Re1 Nb3 15. Nxb3 Bxb3 16. Bb1 Rac8 17. Qe4 f5 18. exf6 {e.p.} 18... Nxf6 19. Qh4 Bc2

In my opinion 19. ... Rc7 20. Be3 Rfc8 should be investigated

20. Rxe6 Bxb1

20... Rfe8 is worth a try

21. Rxb1 Nd5?

21... Rce8 is correct.

Diagram 2: Position after 21. ... Nd5?

22. Rxe7 Nxe7 23. Qxe7 Qb3 24. Be3 Rfe8 25. Qxd6 Qc2 26. Qd5+ Kh8 27. Rf1 Rcd8 28. Qxb7 Rb8 29. Qxa7 Qxb2 30. Ng5 Rb7 31. Qa4 Rc8 32. d5 h6 33. Ne6 1-0

Compare the game Albert Hoogendoorn - Antonije Popovic 2000

1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 Nf6 4. e5 Nd5 5. Nf3 Nc6 6. Bc4 Nb6 7. Bb3 g6 8. cxd4 Bg7 9. O-O O-O 10. Bf4 d6 11. Nc3 Bg4 12. Re1 dxe5 13. dxe5 Qxd1 14. Bxd1 Rfd8 15. h3 Bxf3 16. Bxf3 Nc4 17. Bxc6 bxc6 18. Rab1 Rd3 19. Re4

Diagram 3: Position after 19. Re4

19. ... Nd2

An alternative is : 19... Nxb2 20. Rxb2 Rxc3

20. Rd1 Rad8 21. Ra4 Rxc3 22. bxc3 Nf3+ 23. Kf1

Better than 23. gxf3 Rxd1+ 24. Kg2

23... Rxd1+ 24. Ke2 Re1+ 25. Kxf3 Bxe5 26. Bxe5 Rxe5 27. Rxa7 Rc5 28. Ra3 Kg7 1/2-1/2

I give the third game in this line without any comment : Michael Adams - Viswanathan Anand 1992  1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 Nf6 4. e5 Nd5 5. cxd4 e6 6. Nf3 Nc6 7. Bd3 d6 8. a3 dxe5 9. dxe5 g6 10. O-O Bg7 11. Qe2 O-O 12. Re1 b6 13. Bd2 Bb7 14. Nc3 Na5 15. Rad1 Nb3 16. Ne4 Nxd2 17. Qxd2 Qe7 18. Nd6 Rad8 19. h4 Bxe5 20. Nxb7 Bf4 21. Qe2 Qxb7 22. Be4 Qb8 23. h5 Nf6 24. hxg6 hxg6 25. Bd3 Kg7 26. g3 Bc7 27. Kg2 Rd5 28. Bc4 Rxd1 29. Rxd1 Rd8 30. Rc1 Qb7 31. Bb5 Bd6 32. Bc6 Qe7 33. b4 e5 34. Nd2 a5 35. bxa5 Bxa3 36. Rb1 bxa5 37. Bf3 Bb4
38. Ne4 Nxe4 39. Qxe4 Rd4 40. Qe3 Bd2 41. Qe2 e4 42. Kg1 Bb4 43. Bg2 Rd2 44. Qe3 Qc5 45. Qf4 Qf5 46. Qe3 Qc5 47. Qf4 Qf5 48. Qe3 Qc5 49. Qe1 Rb2 50. Qf1 Rxb1 51. Qxb1 e3 52. fxe3 Qxe3+ 53. Kh2 Bd6 54. Qb2+ Be5 55. Qb5 Qxg3+ 56. Kg1 Qe1+ 57. Bf1 Qe3+ 58. Kg2 Qg3+ 0-1

The second line 3. ... d3 was seen in the game J. Brink - M. Kouwenhoven 1995.  In this line black returns the pawn, hoping that the slight inconvenience caused by the c3-pawn will compensate for the lost tempi.

1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 d3 4. Bxd3 e6 5. Nf3 a6 6. O- O d6 7. Qe2 Nf6 8. Rd1 Qc7 9. Nbd2 Be7 10. Nf1 O-O 11. Ng3 Nbd7 12. Bf4 b6 13. e5 dxe5 14. Nxe5

Diagram 4: Position after 14. Ne5

Black must now take the queen away from the h2-b7 diagonal, for example 14. ... Qb7.  However black's next move was a mistake :

14. ... Nd5? 15. Bxh7+ Kxh7 16. Rxd5 Nxe5

16... exd5 17. Qh5+

17. Bxe5 Qc6 18. Qh5+ Kg8 19. Bxg7 Kxg7 20. Qg4+ Bg5 21. Qxg5+ 1-0

The final game in this article covers the line with 3. ... Qa5. This line can lead to interesting play.  An example of this line was found in the game Evgeny Gik - Dmitry Godes 1965

1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 Qa5 4. Nf3 Nf6

Diagram 4: Position after 4. Nf3

Black has the following alternatives:

• 4. ... dxc3? 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bc4 e6 7. 0-0 a6 8. Bf4 is a bad way to accept the gambit.

• 4. ... Nc6 followed by 5. b4 or 5. Nc4 with unclear positions

Nf6 5. e5 dxc3 6. Nxc3 Ne4 7. Bf4 Nxc3 8. Qd2 Nc6 9. bxc3 g6 10. Rb1 Bg7 11. Rb5 Qa4 12. Bd3 a6 13. Rd5 e6 14. Rc5 Qa3

14... b5! 15. Bg5 Qa3 is good for black.

15. Rc4 b5 16. Rxc6 dxc6 17. O-O O-O 18. Ng5 f5 19. exf6 Rxf6

19... Bxf6! is stronger.

20. Qe3 Rf8 21. Qe4 Qxc3 22. Be3 Qe5 23. Qh4 h6 24. Bxg6 Rf6 25. Bh7+ Kh8

Diagram 5: Position after 25. Bh7

25... Kf8? 26. Ne4! Kf7 27. Rd1 is good for white.

26. Bb1 Bd7 27. Nf3 Rxf3 28. gxf3 Rg8 29. Kh1 Qf6 30. Qxf6 Bxf6
31. Rd1 Be8 32. Bxh6 c5 33. Be4 Bd4 34. h4 e5 35. Bg5 Rf8 36. Bh6 Rg8 37. Bg5 Rf8 38. Bh6 Rg8 39. Bg5 1/2-1/2

So far the Smith Morra Gambit Declined. When you click here you can view and download all games of this article.  But I have prepared more materials to study on MyChessSite.  Here is a list of all games and articles about the Smith Morra Gambit at MyChessSite.  And here you will find my download files.  One file for free (2150 games) and a big database of over 9600 games for only USD 5.95

I'm still writing an article about the Finegold Defence, but that article will take some more time.

Be happy, play chess!