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Smith Morra Gambit

by Albert Hoogendoorn, Webmaster of MyChessSite

The rest of the series! Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5

Part 6 Part 7

Part 1 - 12-19-02

The biggest opening challenge to 1. e4 players is what to do against the Sicilian Defence 1. ... c5. In modern chess this move has the best record of Black's first move choices. So what white is to do: 2. Nf3, 2. Nc3, 2. c3, 2. f4, or maybe ...? The selection is huge, and I understand the chessplayers who have switched from 1. e4 to 1. d4. openings.

Very early in my chess career I became frustrated to play the white site of the Open Sicilian 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 ... 3. d4. As I always have been a 1. e4 player this was my major problem. I have tried 2. c3 and 2. g3 and the Halasz Gambit (1. e4 c5, 2. d4 cxd4 3. f4 ...) as recommended in Eric Schillers book Gambit Opening Repertoire for White. I must admit: no good results!

I didn't know what to do. Should I study the Sicilian Defence with all the different systems?
It took only five minutes to decline that idea:
1) There is a huge amount of opening theory to learn
2) It is virtually impossible for amateurs to keep up with new developments
3) Isn't the Open Sicilian not exactly what Black is hoping for when he plays 1. ... c5?

Finally I opened Google.com and searched for "system against the Sicilian defence".
This site convinced me that the Smith Morra Gambit was the opening for me!
I bought Graham Burgess' book Winning With the Smith-Morra Gambit and collected and studied all the materials available on the Internet.

Since that moment, now almost three years ago, the Smith Morra Gambit is my favorite Sicilian Beating System!

You want advantages? Here they are...
1) The opening theory is 'limited' to less than ten major lines
2) You (!) and not the black player will decide the opening lines
3) You have good changes to draw the black player to unknown territory
4) You will play the game in your 'own backyard'
5) There are plenty of possibilities for complications and sacrificial attacks.

The Texan Ken Smith writes: "This gambit 1 e4, c5 2 d4, cxd4 3 c3! will smash your opponent.
When Black asks 'where did I go wrong?' you can honestly tell him, you went wrong when you played The Sicilian Defence!"

Do you want to see it in action?
Take your chessboard and play this miniature.
1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 dxc3 4. Nc3 d6 5. Bc4 Nf6 {a very tempting move for Open Sicilian players!} 6. e5! dxe5? and now 7. Bxf7+ Game over 1-0

Don't say this will never happen! Just give it a try, study the Smith Morra Gambit and one day you can show your friends this seven move victory!

I have prepared some interesting material for you to study, for example here!

Do you need a games-collection for your study? I have a 'small' database with over 2000 games for free and a Special collection of 9468 games for only US$ 5,95.
Both files are ready for immediate download here!

In the next few weeks I will publish more articles with examples of games and in depth analysis, which will cover the main lines of the Smith Morra Gambit. You will receive these articles in your mailbox for free.

Happy hunting!
Albert Hoogendoorn
Webmaster MyChessSite
MyChessSite
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On To Part 2