Chess: Understanding the Smith Morra Gambit Part I

1 e4 c5 2 d4 cxd4 3 c3 dxc3 4 Nxc3 Nc6 5 Nf3 d6
6 Bc4 e6 7 0-0 Nf6 8 Qe2 Be7 9 Rd1 e5 10 h3 0-0
11 Be3 Be6 12 Rac1 Bxc4 13 Qxc4 Rc8 14 Qb5 b6
15 Bg5 Qe8 16 Bxf6 Bxf6 17 Nd5 Ne7 18 Nxf6+ gxf6
19 Qxe8 Rfxe8 Line



What's the game plan for White?



* Mind the vulnerable f7 square through 6 Bc4.
* Place the rooks on the open c-file and half
open d-file in order to pose developmental
problems for the Black Queen.
* Utilize the Nc3-d5/b5 maneuver to attack
Black's position.
* Where possible, aim for a timely e4-e5
breakthrough.

What's the game plan for Black?



Accept the gambit and consolidate the position
as follows:
* Cover e5 via 5 ... d6.
* Limit the c4 bishop's scope through 6 ... e6.
* Advance 9 ... e5 so as to prevent e4-e5.

Also available:
Chess: Understanding the Sicilian Defense
(Najdorf Variation) Part I
http://chesscoach1950.blogspot.com/2006/01/chess-understanding-sicilian-defense.html
Chess: Understanding the Sicilian Najdorf Part II
http://chesscoach1950.blogspot.com/2006/07/chess-understanding-sicili_115316520058364198.html
Chess: Understanding the Sicilian Najdorf Part III
http://chesscoach1950.blogspot.com/2006/07/chess-understanding-sicilian-najdorf.html
Chess: Understanding the Sicilian Najdorf Part IV
http://chesscoach1950.blogspot.com/2006/07/chess-understanding-sicilian-najdorf_17.html
Chess: Understanding the Sicilian Najdorf Part V
http://chesscoach1950.blogspot.com/2006/07/chess-understanding-sicilian-defense_23.html
Chess: Understanding the Sicilian Defense
(Accelerated Fianchetto)
http://chesscoach1950.blogspot.com/2006/07/chess-understanding-sicilian-defense.html
Chess: Understanding the Sicilian Defense
(Keres Attack) Part I
http://chesscoach1950.blogspot.com/2006/06/chess-understanding-sicilian.html
Chess: Understanding the Sicilian Dragon
http://chesscoach1950.blogspot.com/2006/01/chess-understanding-sicilian-dragon.html
Chess: Understanding the Sicilian Defense
(Löwenthal Variation)
http://chesscoach1950.blogspot.com/2006/08/chess-understanding-sicilian-defense_23.html
Chess: Understanding the Sicilian Defense
http://chesscoach1950.blogspot.com/2006/08/chess-understanding-sicilian-defense_22.html
Understanding the Sicilian Defense (Sozin Variation)
http://chesscoach1950.blogspot.com/2006/01/chess-understanding-sicilian-defense_30.html
Understanding the Sicilian Defense
(Sveshnikov Variation)
http://chesscoach1950.blogspot.com/2006/06/chess-understanding-sicilian-defense.html
Understanding the Sicilian Richter-Rauzer
http://chesscoach1950.blogspot.com/2006/06/chess-understanding-sicilian-richter.html

1 e4



1 ... c5



2 d4



Putting pressure on c5 and thus enticing
2 ... cxd4.

2 ... cxd4



Black willingly obliges.

2 ... e6!
2 ... d6?!
2 ... Nf6?!
2 ... g6?!
2 ... d5?!
2 ... Nc6!?
2 ... b6?

[2 d4



2 ... e6! Allows bishop to cover c5, and, fights
for d5/f5. Also makes h4-d8 available to the
Queen; it's usually a good idea to give one's
pieces invasive potential. Since c5 is now
covered, Black doesn't have to worry about
relieving the heat on that square through
2 ... cxd4. Please remember, 2 ... e6!
is a useful move for avoiding the
Smith Morra Gambit.

2 d4



2 ... d6?! Shielding c5, plus, freeing the c8
bishop along c8-h3. Again, those pieces
can always use open lines for development and
attack. The problem with this move is that it
delays Black's mobilization: 2 ... d6 3 dxc5 Qa5+
4 Nc3 dxc5 5 Nf3 Nc6 6 Bc4 e6 7 O-O Bd7 8 e5
8 ... O-O-O 9 Qe2 Nge7 10 Ne4 Nf5 11 Bg5.
3 ... dxc5? is unattractive: 4 Qxd8+ Kxd8
5 Bc4 e6 6 Nf3 f6 7 Nc3 Nc6 8 Be3 Kc7
9 O-O-O a6 10 Bf4+ e5 11 Be3 b5 12 Bd5
12 ... Kb7 13 Ne1 Nge7 14 Bf7 Nd4 15 Nd5
15 ... Bg4 16 f3 Bd7 17 c3 Nxd5 18 Bxd5+
18 ... Nc6 19 Nd3 c4 20 Nc5+ Bxc5 21 Bxc5.

2 d4



2 ... Nf6?! Provocative. Black wants White to
advance his center. The plan is to later sabotage
it: 3 e5 Nd5 4 c4 Nb4 5 d5 d6 6 a3 Qa5 7 Bd2
7 ... Bf5 8 exd6 Qa6 9 Bxb4 cxb4 10 c5 Qa5
11 Qd4 exd6 12 Qe3+ Kd7 13 Nd2 Qxc5.
However, White can minimize the central lunge
and focus on the attack on c5. In that case,
Black's game is set back some and his Queen is
potentially vulnerable: 3 e5 Nd5 4 dxc5 Qa5+
5 c3 Qxc5 6 Nf3 b6 7 Bd3 Bb7 8 O-O h6 9 Re1 g5
10 b4.

2 d4



2 ... g6?! Same old problem of lagging development
and over-exposed Queen: 3 dxc5 Qa5+ 4 Nc3 Bg7
5 Nge2 Nf6 6 e5 Ng4 7 f4 Qxc5 8 Ne4 Qc7 9 N2c3
9 ... h5 10 Nd5.

2 d4



2 ... d5?! Same concern as immediately above:
3 exd5 Qxd5 4 Ne2 e5 5 Nbc3 Qd6 6 dxe5 Qxe5
7 Bf4 Qe6 8 Nd5 Bd6 9 Nf6+ Nxf6 10 Qxd6 Qxd6
11 Bxd6.
2 ... d5?! 3 dxc5 e6 4 Be3 Nf6 5 Nc3 Qa5 6 Qd2 Bxc5
7 Bb5+ Bd7 8 Bxc5 Bxb5 9 exd5 Bc4 10 Bd6.

2 d4



2 ... Nc6!? Another attempt to persuade White's
center forward. The cunning plan is to later
destabilize it: 3 d5 Ne5 4 f4 Ng6 5 Nf3 d6
6 h4 h5 7 Bb5+ Bd7 8 Qe2 Nf6 9 O-O a6
10 Bxd7+ Qxd7 11 Nc3 Ng4 12 e5 dxe5
13 fxe5 e6 14 d6 O-O-O.
Capturing on c5 doesn't seem to give White a
big advantage: 3 dxc5 Qa5+ 4 c3 Qxc5 5 Be3 Qe5
6 Nd2 Qc7 7 Ngf3 d6 8 Bb5 Bg4 9 h3 Bxf3
10 Nxf3 Nf6 11 Qa4 e6 12 Nd4 Rc8 13 O-O a6
14 Bd3 d5.

2 d4



2 ... b6?! Ruins Black's pawn structure. Pawn
islands are usually undesirable because they
make for easy targets: 3 dxc5 bxc5 4 Qd5 Nc6
5 Qxc5 e6 6 Qe3 d5 7 exd5 Nb4 8 Qb3 Nxd5
9 Nf3 Bd7 10 Ne5 Ngf6 11 Nxd7 Qxd7 12 Bd2 Nc7
13 Be2 Bc5 14 O-O O-O 15 Qf3 Qd5 16 c4 Qxf3
17 Bxf3 Rab8 18 Bc3.]

2 ... cxd4



3 c3



More devious generosity!

3 Nf3!?
3 Bc4?!
3 Qxd4?!
3 f4?!

3 Nf3!? Attacks e5 in order to encourage the clingy
response 3 ... e5. The goal is to deflect Black's attention
from the focal d5 post: 3 ... e5 4 c3 dxc3 5 Nxc3 Nc6
6 Bc4 Bb4 7 O-O Nf6 8 Nd5. Please note, a well supported
knight on d5 usually gives White excessive reach into
enemy territory (b6, c7, e7, f6). Black needs those
very same squares for his own development!
3 Nf3!? Qa5+ 4 c3 dxc3 5 Nxc3 Nc6 6 Bc4 e6
7 O-O a6 8 Bf4 Nge7 9 a3 Ng6 10 b4 Qh5.
3 Bc4?! The f7 square is the prime target. That particular
point is the most vulnerable one in Black's camp because
it has no other ready protector except for the King. However,
its downfall is not that catastrophic: 3 ... Nc6 4 Nf3 Nf6 5 Nxd4
5 ... Nxe4 6 Bxf7+ Kxf7 7 Qh5+ Kg8 8 Qd5+ e6 9 Qxe4 Qb6
10 Nf3 d5. 3 Bc4?! Nc6 4 Nf3 Nf6 5 Nxd4 Nxe4 6 Bxf7+ Kxf7
7 Qh5+ g6 8 Qd5+ e6 9 Qxe4 d5. The drawback to 3 Bc4?! is
that it denies White the fast and potentially lethal mobiliza-
tion he often gets from an immediate attack on d4 (3 c3).
3 Qxd4?! The Queen doesn't need to come out this early.
She's simply too valuable for that. Besides, she's just hinder-
ing the easy and smooth development of her own men:
3 ... Nc6 4 Qe3 Nf6 5 Nc3 e6 6 Nf3 d5 7 exd5 Nxd5
8 Nxd5 Qxd5 9 c4 Qh5 10 Be2 Bb4+ 11 Nd2 Qe5.

3 ... dxc3



3 ... g6!?
3 ... Nf6!?
3 ... e6!?
3 ... d5!?
3 ... d6!?
3 ... d3?!
3 ... e5!?
3 ... Nc6!?
3 ... Qa5!?

3 ... g6!? The idea is not new: Let White build up a
center that Black can subsequently demolish.
A bishop on g7 is well posted to further that objective:
3 ... g6!? 4 cxd4 d5 5 exd5 Nf6 6 Nc3 Nxd5 7 Qb3 Nb6
8 Bb5+ Bd7 9 Nf3 Bg7 10 Ne5 O-O 11 Nxd7 N8xd7
12 Be3 Nf6 13 O-O Nfd5 14 a4 a5. 3 ... g6!? 4 cxd4 d5
5 e5 Nc6 6 Nc3 Bg7 7 Bb5 Nh6 8 Qa4 Bd7 9 Nxd5 a6.
3 ... Nf6!? Dominating the center, thanks to the
b1 knight's absence from c3: 3 ... Nf6!? 4 e5 Nd5 5 Nf3
5 ... Nc6 6 Bc4 Nb6 7 Bb3 d5 8 exd6 Qxd6 9 O-O Be6.
3 ... e6!? Flexing his muscle in the center (... d5),
thanks again to the knight's b1 fixation: 3 ... e6
4 Nf3 d5 5 exd5 Qxd5 6 cxd4 Nf6 7 Nc3 Bb4 8 Bd3 O-O
9 O-O Qa5 10 Bg5 Nbd7 11 Rc1 h6 12 Bf4 Rd8 13 Ne5 Nxe5
14 Bxe5 Nd7 15 a3 Be7 16 Qe2 Nxe5 17 dxe5 Bd7 18 Qe4 g6
19 Qe3 Bc6.
3 ... d5!? 4 Qxd4 Be6 5 Bb5+ Nc6 6 Nf3 a6 7 Bxc6+ bxc6 8 O-O.
3 ... d3?! Allows the f1 bishop to purposefully develop to d3.
On the upside, the White Queen is shut off from the half open
d-file, after the bishop lands on d3: 3 ... d3?! 4 Bxd3 Nc6
5 Nf3 d5 6 O-O Nf6 7 exd5 Qxd5 8 c4 Qh5 9 Bg5 e5 10 Bxf6 gxf6
11 Nc3.
3 ... e5!? In order to support d4 and also activate the Queen
and f8 bishop along d8-h4 and f8-a3 respectively: 4 cxd4 exd4
5 Qxd4 Nc6 6 Qd1 Nf6 7 Nc3 Bb4 8 Bg5 h6 9 Bxf6 Qxf6 10 Qf3 Qg6
11 O-O-O d6 12 Qg3. 3 ... e5!? 4 Nf3 Nc6 5 cxd4 exd4 6 Nxd4 Nf6
7 Nc3 Nxe4 8 Nxe4 Qe7 9 Bd3 Nxd4 10 O-O d5 11 Ng5 Qd6.
3 ... Nc6!? 4 cxd4 d5 5 Nc3 dxe4 6 d5 Ne5 7 Bb5+.
3 ... Nc6!? 4 cxd4 d5 5 Nc3 Nf6 6 e5 Ne4 7 Bd3 Nxc3
8 bxc3 e6 9 Nf3 Be7 10 h4 h6 11 h5 Bd7 12 Rh3 Qc7
13 Kf1 Na5 14 Rb1 Qxc3 15 Rg3 Bf8 16 Kg1 Rc8.
3 ... Qa5!? 4 Nf3 dxc3 5 Nxc3 Nc6 6 Bc4 a6 7 O-O b5
8 Bb3 b4 9 Nd5 e6 10 Ne3 Nf6 11 Nc4 Qh5 12 Re1 Bc5
13 Nd6+ Kf8 14 Bf4 Qg4 15 Qc1.

[3 c3



[ 3 ... Nf6]
[ 3 ... d5]
[ 3 ... d3 4 Bxd3 Nc6 5 c4 ( 5 Nf3 g6 6 0-0 Bg7 7 Qe2 d6 8 Rd1 Bg4
9 Nbd2) 5 ... Nf6 6 Nc3 d6 7 h3 g6 8 Nf3 Bg7 9 0-0 Nd7 10 Be3]]

3 ... dxc3



4 Nxc3



4 Bc4?!
4 Nf3?!
4 bxc3?!

4 Bc4?!Drawback number one is that the bishop
is prematurely exposed. Number two is that it allows
the deflection of the other one from c1-h6, particularly
f4 (... cxb2). On the flipside, f7 is always a desirable
target, and, once the c1 bishop gets to b2, g7/h8
become mesmerizing.

Neutralizing Black's advanced pawn (4 Nxc3)
before developing the bishop to c4 seems to
be the way to go. What's more, 4 Nxc3 creates
a less vulnerable contender for b5/d5/e4 than
4 Bc4 does. It therefore comfortably contains
any central ambitions that Black may have (... d5!):

4 Bc4?! Qc7 5 Qd3 cxb2 6 Bxb2 Nf6 7 Nf3 Nc6
8 O-O Qf4 9 Nc3 e6 10 e5 d5 11 Nb5.
4 Bc4?! Qc7 5 Qd3 cxb2 6 Bxb2 Nf6 7 Nf3 Nc6
8 O-O Qf4 9 Nc3 e6 10 e5 Nxe5 11 Nxe5 Qxe5
12 Nd5.
4 Bc4?! Qc7 5 Qd3 cxb2 6 Bxb2 Nf6 7 Nf3 Nc6
8 O-O Qf4 9 Nc3 a6 10 e5 b5 11 Bb3 Nxe5 12 Nxe5
12 ... Qxe5 13 Nd5 Qxb2 14 Nc7+.
4 Bc4?! Qc7 5 Qb3 d5 6 Bxd5 e6 7 Bc4 cxb2
8 Bxb2 Nc6 9 Nf3 Nf6 10 Nbd2 Bd6 11 O-O O-O
12 Rfd1 Rd8 13 Bb5.
4 Bc4?! cxb2 5 Bxb2 e6 6 Nf3 Bb4+ 7 Nc3 Ne7
8 O-O O-O 9 Nb5 Nbc6 10 Nd6 Qc7 11 e5 f6
12 Nb5 Qb8 13 a3 Bc5 14 exf6 gxf6.

4 Nf3?!The bishop's subsequent b2 presence gives Black
yet again active play on the dark squares, especially f4:
4 Nf3?! cxb2 5 Bxb2 e6 6 Bb5 Qa5+ 7 Nc3 Ba3
8 Qa4 Qxa4 9 Nxa4 Bxb2 10 Nxb2.
4 Nf3?! cxb2 5 Bxb2 e6 6 Ne5 Nc6 7 Nxc6 bxc6
8 e5 Rb8 9 Bc3 d5 10 exd6 Nf6 11 Nd2 Qxd6.
4 Nf3?! cxb2 5 Bxb2 e6 6 Bd3 d6 7 O-O Nc6
8 Nbd2 Nf6 9 Qc2 Nd7 10 Bb5 Qb6 11 a4 f6
12 Rfd1 a6 13 Be2 Nc5 14 Ba3 Qc7 15 Nc4 a5
16 Nxd6+ Bxd6 17 Rxd6 Qxd6 18 Bxc5.
4 Nf3?! cxb2 5 Bxb2 e6 6 Nc3 Nc6 7 Bc4 d6
8 O-O Nf6 9 e5 Nh5 10 exd6 Qxd6 11 Qxd6 Bxd6
12 Nb5 Bb8 13 Ba3 Ne5 14 Nxe5 Bxe5 15 Rad1
a6 16 f4 Bd7 17 fxe5 Bxb5 18 Bxb5+ axb5.

4 bxc3?! The c3 post looks better with the knight
on it because then Black is more restrained on the light
squares (b5/d5/e4). As it is, look at him go on those white
ways: 4 bxc3?! Nf6 5 e5 Ng8 6 Nf3 Nc6 7 Bc4 Qc7 8 Bf4 e6
9 O-O Nf6 10 Re1 Nh5 11 Bc1 d5 12 Bb5 g6 13 Ba3 Bd7 14 c4.
4 bxc3?! Nf6 5 e5 Ng8 6 Nf3 Nc6 7 Bc4 Qc7 8 Bf4 e6 9 O-O
9 ... Nge7 10 Re1 Ng6 11 Bg3 Ncxe5 12 Nxe5 Nxe5 13 Bxe6
13 ... fxe6 14 Bxe5 d6 15 Bd4 Qf7 16 Na3 Qf5 17 c4 Kf7 18 Nb5.
4 bxc3?! Nc6 5 Nf3 Nf6 6 Bd3 d5 7 exd5 Qxd5 8 O-O Bg4.

4 ... Nc6



4 ... d6!?
4 ... e6!?
4 ... a6!?
4 ... Nf6!?
4 ... g6!?

4 ... d6!? An early e5 guardian never hurts and
neither do the tactical minefields he enables:
4 ... d6!? 5 Bc4 Qc7 6 Qa4+ Bd7 7 Nd5 Qd8
8 Qb3 Bc6 9 Nc7+ Qxc7 10 Bxf7+ Kd8
11 Bxg8 Bxe4.
4 ... d6!? 5 Bc4 Nc6 6 Nf3 e6 7 O-O a6
8 Qe2 b5 9 Bb3 Be7 10 Rd1 Qc7 11 Bf4 Bb7
12 Rac1 Qb8 13 e5 d5 14 Bxd5 exd5 15 Nxd5.
4 ... d6!? 5 Bc4 e6 6 Nf3 Nc6 7 O-O Be7
8 Qe2 Nf6 9 Rd1 Ng4 10 Bf4 e5 11 Bg3 h5
12 h4 O-O 13 Nd5 Be6 14 Qd3 Bxd5 15 Qxd5 Nf6
16 Qd3 Qc8 17 Nh2 Qd7 18 Rac1 Rac8.
4 ... d6!? 5 Bc4 g6 6 Bg5 Nc6 7 Nf3 Bg7
8 Qb3 Kf8 9 Bxf7 Nf6 10 Bxf6 Bxf6 11 O-O Kg7
12 Bd5 Na5 13 Qb4 e6 14 e5 Bxe5 15 Nxe5 exd5.
4 ... d6!? 5 Bc4 a6 6 Nf3 e6 7 Bf4 Qc7
8 Rc1 Nf6 9 Bxe6 Bxe6 10 Nd5 Nxd5 11 Rxc7 Nxc7.

4 ... e6!? 5 Nf3 a6 6 Bf4 d6 7 Rc1 Nc6 8 e5 d5
9 Bd3 Qb6 10 Qd2 Nge7 11 O-O Ng6 12 Bg3 Be7
13 Rfd1 O-O 14 Na4 Qa7.
4 ... e6!? 5 Nf3 a6 6 Bf4 d6 7 Rc1 Nc6 8 e5 d5
9 Bd3 d4 10 Na4 Nb4 11 Be4 Nxa2 12 Rc4 f5
13 Rxd4 Qc7 14 Bb1 Nb4 15 Nc3 Nc6 16 Ra4 Bd7
17 Bxf5 b5 18 Ra1 b4.
4 ... e6!? 5 Nf3 Bc5 6 a3 Nc6 7 b4 Be7 8 b5 Bf6
9 Bb2 Ne5 10 Be2 Nxf3+ 11 Bxf3 d6 12 O-O Be5
13 Rc1 Nf6 14 Na4 Bf4 15 Rc4 O-O.
4 ... e6!? 5 Nf3 Bc5 6 Bc4 Ne7 7 O-O O-O 8 Bg5 f6
9 Bf4 Ng6 10 Bg3 Nc6 11 Bd6 Bxd6 12 Qxd6 Qb6
13 b3 f5 14 exf5 Rxf5 15 Bd3 Qc5.
4 ... e6!? 5 Nf3 Bb4 6 Qd4 Nc6 7 Qxg7 Qf6 8 Bh6.
4 ... e6!? 5 Nf3 d6 6 Bb5+ Bd7 7 Bg5 f6 8 Bxd7+ Qxd7
9 Be3 Nc6 10 O-O Nge7 11 Nb5 Ng6 12 Qd2 a6
13 Na3 b5 14 Rfc1 Be7 15 Nc2 O-O 16 Ncd4 Rac8
17 Nxc6 Rxc6 18 Nd4 Rxc1+ 19 Rxc1 d5.

4 ... a6!? 5 Nf3 Nc6 6 Bc4 b5 7 Bd5 Qc7 8 O-O Nf6
9 Bb3 Bb7 10 Be3 b4 11 Nd5 Nxd5 12 Qxd5 e6
13 Qh5 Rc8 14 Rac1 Bd6 15 e5 Bxe5 16 Rxc6 Bxh2+
17 Nxh2 Qxc6 18 Qg4 O-O 19 Qg3 f5 20 Nf3.
4 ... a6!? 5 Nf3 e6 6 Be2 Nc6 7 O-O Nf6 8 Bg5 d6
9 e5 dxe5 10 Qxd8+ Nxd8 11 Nxe5 Bd6 12 Nc4 Bc7
13 Rac1 b5 14 Nd2 Be5 15 Rfe1 h6 16 Be3 Bb7
17 Bc5 Rc8 18 Nb3 Bxc3 19 bxc3 Bd5 20 Ba3 Ne4
21 c4 bxc4 22 Na5 Nb7 23 Bxc4 Ned6 24 Bxd5 Rxc1
25 Rxc1 exd5 26 Nxb7 Nxb7 27 Rc7 Nd8 28 Ra7 d4.
4 ... a6!? 5 Nf3 e6 6 Be2 Qc7 7 O-O Nc6 8 Be3 Nf6
9 Rc1 Bb4 10 e5 Ng4 11 a3 Be7 12 Bf4 f6 13 exf6 Qxf4
14 fxe7 Nxe7 15 Na4 b5 16 Nb6 Rb8 17 Rxc8+.

4 ... Nf6!? 5 e5 Ng8 6 Nf3 Nc6 7 Bc4 e6 8 Bf4 f6
9 exf6 Nxf6 10 O-O Be7 11 Nb5 O-O 12 Nc7 Ne4
13 Qc1 Rb8 14 Rd1 d5 15 Nxd5 Bd6 16 Qe3.
4 ... Nf6!? 5 e5 Ng8 6 Nf3 Nc6 7 Bc4 e6 8 Bf4 f6
9 O-O fxe5 10 Nxe5 Qf6 11 Nd3 Kf7 12 Ne4 Qf5
13 Ng5+ Kf6 14 Qh5 g6 15 Nxh7+.
4 ... Nf6!? 5 e5 Ng8 6 Nf3 Nc6 7 Bc4 e6 8 Bf4 f6
9 O-O fxe5 10 Nxe5 Qf6 11 Nd3 Qh4 12 Nb5 Kf7
13 Nd4 Nf6 14 Nxc6 bxc6 15 Ne5+ Kg8 16 Nxd7
16 ... Nd5.

4 ... g6!? 5 Nf3 Nc6 6 Bc4 Na5 7 Qd4 f6 8 O-O Nh6
9 e5 Nf5 10 exf6 exf6 11 Re1+ Be7 12 Nd5 Kf8
13 Rxe7.
4 ... g6!? 5 Nf3 Nc6 6 Bc4 Na5 7 Qd4 f6 8 O-O Nh6
9 e5 Nc6 10 Qf4 f5 11 Nd5 Bg7 12 Re1 Nf7
13 e6 Nd6 14 exd7+ Qxd7 15 Nxe7 Nxe7 16 Rd1
16 ... Qc7 17 Qxd6 Qxd6 18 Rxd6.
4 ... g6!? 5 Nf3 Nc6 6 Bc4 d6 7 O-O Bg7 8 h3 Nf6
9 Qe2 O-O 10 Rd1 Nd7 11 Bg5 a6 12 a4 h6
13 Be3 Nde5 14 Nxe5 Nxe5 15 Bb3 Bd7 16 Nd5
16 ... Be6 17 Qd2 Kh7 18 Rac1 Nc6 19 Bb6 Qb8
20 a5 Rc8 21 Ba4 Bxd5 22 Qxd5 Kg8 23 b3 Bb2
24 Rc4 Be5.
4 ... g6!? 5 Nf3 Nc6 6 Bc4 d6 7 O-O Bg7 8 h3 Nf6
9 e5 dxe5 10 Qxd8+ Nxd8 11 Nxe5 O-O 12 Rd1 Bf5
13 Be3 Ne4 14 Nxe4 Bxe5 15 Ng3 Be6 16 Bxe6 Nxe6
17 Rd5 f6 18 Rd7 b6 19 Rxe7 Rfe8 20 Rxe8+ Rxe8
21 Rd1.
4 ... g6!? 5 Nf3 Nc6 6 Bc4 d6 7 O-O Bg7 8 h3 Nf6
9 Bg5 O-O 10 Rc1 h6 11 Be3 Be6 12 Bxe6 fxe6
13 Qb3 Qd7 14 Rfd1 Rac8 15 e5 Ne8 16 Ne4 Rxf3.
4 ... g6!? 5 Nf3 Nc6 6 Bc4 d6 7 O-O Bg7 8 h3 Nf6
9 Be3 O-O 10 Rc1 Be6 11 Bxe6 fxe6 12 Qb3 Qd7
13 Ng5 Nd8 14 Nb5 Ne8 15 Bxa7 h6 16 Nf3 Nc6
17 Be3 Na5 18 Qa4 Ra6 19 Qb4 Nc6 20 Qb3 Na5
21 Qd3 Bxb2 22 Bxh6 Rxf3 23 Qxf3 Bxc1 24 Qf8+.

[4 Nxc3



[ 4 ... e6 5 Nf3 Bc5 6 Bc4 Ne7 7 0-0 0-0 8 Bg5 f6 9 Bf4 Ng6 10 Bg3]
[4 ... e6 5 Nf3 Nc6 6 Bb5 a6 7 Bc4 Nge7 8 0-0 b5 9 Bd3 b4]
[4 ... Nc6 5 Nf3 Nf6 6 Bc4 g6 7 Qb3 e6 8 Bb5 a6 9 Bd3 Nb4 10 Bc4]]

4 ... Nc6



5 Nf3



5 Bc4!?

5 ... d6



5 ... e6!?
5 ... g6!?
5 ... Nf6!?
5 ... e5!?

[5 Nf3



[ 5 ... g6 6 Bc4 Bg7 7 0-0 Nf6 ( 7 ... d6 8 h3 Nf6 9 Bf4 0-0 10 Qd2)
8 e5 Ng4 9 Bxf7+ Kxf7 10 Ng5+ Kg8 11 Qxd4 Nxe5 12 Qe4 e6]
[ 5 ... e6 6 Bc4 a6 ( 6 ... Bb4?! 7 0-0 Nge7 8 Qe2 0-0 9 Rd1 Bxc3
10 bxc d5 11 Bd3) 7 0-0 Nge7 8 Bg5 f6 9 Be3 b5 10 Bb3 Ng6 11 Re1!?]
[5 ... e6 6 Bb5 a6 7 Bc4 b5 8 Bd3 Bc5 9 0-0 d6 10 a4 b4]
[5 ... e6 6 Bf4 Bb4 7 Bd6 Nge7 8 Bb5 Qa5 9 Qd3 Bxd6 ]]

5 ... d6



6 Bc4



6 Bb5!?

6 ... e6



6 ... a6!?
6 ... Nf6!?

[6 Bc4



[6 ...e6 7 Bf4 Be7 8 0-0 Nf6 9 e5 dxe5 10 Qxd8+ Nxd8
11 Nxe5]
[6 ... Nf6 7 0-0 e6 8 e5 Ng4 9 exd6 Qxd6 10 Qxd6 Bxd6
11 Ne4 Nge5]]

6 ... e6



7 0-0



7 Bf4!?
7 Qe2!?

7 ... Nf6



7 ... Be7!?
7 ... Nge7!?
7 ... a6!?

[7 0-0



[ 7 ... Nge7 8 Bg5 a6 9 Qe2 h6 10 Be3 Ng6 11 Rad1]
[7 ... Nf6 8 Qe2 a6 9 Bf4 Be7 10 Rfd1 0-0 11 e5 Nh5]
[7 ... Be7 8 Qe2 Nf6 9 Rd1 Ng4 10 Bf4 0-0 11 e5 d5]]

7 ... Nf6



8 Qe2



8 e5!?
8 Bf4!?

8 ... Be7



8 ... a6!?

[8 Qe2



[ 8 ... a6!? 9 Rd1 Qc7 10 Bg5 Be7 11 Rac1 0-0 12 Bb3 h6 13 Bf4 e5]
[8 ... a6 9 Rd1 b5 10 Bb3 Qc7 11 Bf4 Bb7 12 Rac1 b4 ]]

8 ... Be7



9 Rd1



9 Bf4!?

9 ... e5!



9 ... Qc7!?
9 ... Bd7!?
9 ... Ng4!?
9 ... Qa5!?
9 ... O-O!?
9 ... a6?!

[9 Rd1



[9 ... Bd7 10 Nb5 Na5 11 Bd3 0-0 12 e5 dxe5 13 Nxe5 Bxb5
14 Bxb5 Nd5]
[9 ... e5 10 Nd5 Nxd5 11 Bxd5 Bg4 12 Be3 0-0 13 Rac1 Rc8
14 Qb5]]

9 ... e5!



10 h3



10 Be3!?

[9 ... e5!



[10 Nd5 Nxd5 11 Bxd5 0-0 12 Be3 Be6 13 Rac1 Rc8
14 Qb5 Qd7]
[10 a3 0-0 11 Nd5 Bg4 12 Nxf6+ Bxf6 13 Be3 Rc8
14 Rac1 Qd7]]

10 h3



10 ... 0-0



10 ... Be6!?

[10 h3



[10 ... Be6 11 Bg5 0-0 12 Rac1 Rc8 13 Bxf6 Bxf6
14 Nb5 Bxc4 15 Qxc4 Ne7]
[10 ... 0-0 11 Bg5 Be6 12 Rac1 Rc8 13 Bxf6 Bxf6
14 Nb5 Bxc4 15 Qxc4 Ne7 ]]

10 ... 0-0



11 Be3



11 Bg5!?
11 b3?!
11 Nd5!?
11 Bd2!?

11 ... Be6



11 ... a6!?
11 ... Bd7!?

12 Rac1



12 b4?!
12 Bxe6!?
12 Bd5?!


12 ... Bxc4



12 ... Rc8!?
12 ... Rb8!?

13 Qxc4



13 ... Rc8



13 ... Qd7!?
13 ... a6!?

14 Qb5



14 Qa4!?
14 Nd5!?
14 Bg5!?

14 ... b6



14 ... Qd7!?
14 ... Rb8!?

15 Bg5



15 a3!?

15 ... Qe8



15 ... Nd4!?
15 ... Nh5!?

16 Bxf6



16 a4!?
16 b4!?
16 Qd3!?
16 Bh4!?
16 Kh1!?


16 ... Bxf6



17 Nd5



17 Qd3!?
17 Rxd6!?

17 ... Ne7



17 ... Bd8?!
17 ... Kh8!?

18 Nxf6+



18 Qxe8!?

18 ... gxf6



19 Qxe8



19 Qd3!?

19 ... Rfxe8



19 ... Rcxe8?

With equality.

By ChessCoach@care2.com

Enter your search terms Submit search form