31 Mar 08
1 edit
Originally posted by gambit3Hi. Just out of interest what does it like for 13 after:
ChessMaster 7000 liked 6. Bf1 .... . I gave ChessMaster an hour to consider the position.
6.Bf1...Nd4 7.c3...Nxd5 8.Ne4...Qh4 9.Ng3...Bg4 10.f3...e4
11.cxd4...Bd6 12.Bxb5+...Kd8
And what does it score?
And Mr Warlock - perhaps 13.Qb3! was a "bust" to this line was a bit strong. It does seem an excellent practical weapon for White here - all I can find are White wins & the odd draw.
As for the Morra gambit (to give it it's correct name 😉) on balance & assuming best play from Black it probably is not entirely sound.
If you doubt the power of the gambit, test yourself against a better player than me!
Try User 253540 or maybe User 276371 or perhaps User 236434 or User 177023 who all seem to have no problems playing & winning with the Morra against strong opposition.
31 Mar 08
Originally posted by SquelchbelchWell I did challenge Dragon Fire at the time I challenged you and he didn't want to play. If I catch any of those guys in tournaments I'll answer 1. e4 with c5 and see if I can get a Morra ganbit going. On
And Mr Warlock - perhaps 13.Qb3! was a "bust" to this line was a bit strong. It does seem an excellent practical weapon for White here - all I can find are White wins & the odd draw.
As for the Morra gambit (to give it it's correct name 😉) on balance & assuming best play from Black it probably is not entirely sound.
If you doubt the power o ...[text shortened]... who all seem to have no problems playing & winning with the Morra against strong opposition.
And on this line I think that RandomVisitor's insight are definitely worth reading and studying.
31 Mar 08
Originally posted by adam warlockMost players would kill for +72.5 in any opening. That is why I continue to play the Morra.
Well I did challenge Dragon Fire at the time I challenged you and he didn't want to play. If I catch any of those guys in tournaments I'll answer 1. e4 with c5 and see if I can get a Morra ganbit going. On
And on this line I think that RandomVisitor's insight are definitely worth reading and studying.
In Game 4010788 you took the game out of book on move 13...f5 - there is no theory on this line (unless you can provide it) but it was played in a very famous & sharp defence, called by Langrock the "notorious 6...a6".
This isn't a bust for the Morra. It is just a very solid way to prevent a lot of White's piece play.
In our game 10.Bb3 may be inaccurate here & now prefer the likely continuation 10.Qe2...b5 11.Bb3...Be7 12.R(f)d1
18.Bxd8? was ugly. 18.Bc5! followed by Rac1 is much more sound.
Then later in the game I pretty much handed it to you with a particularly duff KS plan.
People regularly beat the 6...a6 defence in the Morra gambit - most of them far better & more experienced than me.
31 Mar 08
2 edits
Originally posted by adam warlockTry these 3 scoring 2/3 as black against reasonable opposition
I think I've found something I really like. 🙂 I really do. While reading "The Mamoth Book" I came across this game: http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1224863 Now I tried the Traxler and greatly sucked at it but this one seems to be my thing. Black gets a lot of counterplay and it's not the crazy complicated stuff you see in the Traxler. Yep, y to punish that duffers's move that we invited with 3. .. Nf6?
Edit: Two knights... 😞
Game 4203655 Draw;
Game 3485180 Won;
Game 4589192 Draw.
31 Mar 08
Originally posted by SquelchbelchBest not to try me. I don't generally play the Morra Gambit. I did play a few games in a thematic tournament but only because i wanted to find out how to play against it having had a disastrous game against Dragon Fire. I found it reasonably easy to win with the Morra provided the opposition wasn't too strong but I still can't say that i understand it or would play it out of choice.
Hi. Just out of interest what does it like for 13 after:
6.Bf1...Nd4 7.c3...Nxd5 8.Ne4...Qh4 9.Ng3...Bg4 10.f3...e4
11.cxd4...Bd6 12.Bxb5+...Kd8
And what does it score?
And Mr Warlock - perhaps 13.Qb3! was a "bust" to this line was a bit strong. It does seem an excellent practical weapon for White here - all I can find are White wins & t ...[text shortened]... who all seem to have no problems playing & winning with the Morra against strong opposition.
31 Mar 08
Originally posted by Dragon FireThey should read more Palkovi!😛
Try these 3 scoring 2/3 as black against reasonable opposition
Game 4203655 Draw;
Game 3485180 Won;
Game 4589192 Draw.
31 Mar 08
1 edit
Originally posted by Dragon Fire(Bottom of page)
These are 2 Knights with 5. ... b5 not Morra Gambits. I don't think Palkovi wrote a book on the 2 Knights but if he did where can I get it?
http://www.chessdirect.co.uk/acatalog/CATALOGUE___SHOP_Scotch___Italian_Game_139.html
Here is slightly cheaper:
http://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/SearchResults?sortby=3&sts=t&tn=TWO+KNIGHTS+DEFENCE+AND+TRAXLER+COUNTER-GAMBIT&x=64&y=7
I've been quoting from it in this thread. Very thorough work.
31 Mar 08
Originally posted by SquelchbelchJan Pinski not Palkovi.
(Bottom of page)
http://www.chessdirect.co.uk/acatalog/CATALOGUE___SHOP_Scotch___Italian_Game_139.html
Here is slightly cheaper:
http://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/SearchResults?sortby=3&sts=t&tn=TWO+KNIGHTS+DEFENCE+AND+TRAXLER+COUNTER-GAMBIT&x=64&y=7
I've been quoting from it in this thread. Very thorough work.
What does he say about 5. .... b5!? which I've been trying out lately although I don't have much on it.
31 Mar 08
Originally posted by SquelchbelchThe research I made before our game was based on two things: checking out games on my CM8K DB and "How to Defeat the Smith-Morra Gambit". The book is dated it is from 1993 but it is very heavy on explaining why the moves are made and what things black should be looking to: e5 square, e5 pawn push, queen placement and speciall attention to the darksquares,a6 and h6 and why they are done...
In Game 4010788 you took the game out of book on move 13...f5 - there is no theory on this line (unless you can provide it) but it was played in a very famous & sharp defence, called by Langrock the "notorious 6...a6".
This isn't a bust for the Morra. It is just a very solid way to prevent a lot of White's piece play.
In our game 10.Bb3 may be ...[text shortened]... the 6...a6 defence in the Morra gambit - most of them far better & more experienced than me.
In our game my 13th move was made because to be honest with you I didn't see much to do in that position. I mean, I'm smothered at the QS, center play is a no-no, the only thing I got left is the KS. And then I started looking at possible replies by you. And the more I looked the more I liked the move. My laptop isn't on but tomorrow I'll check if I have game in it with that move. But when I made the move it was just a way for me to get some possible counterplay. Any move by a piece of mine wouldn't achieve anything and the only pawn move worth cnsideing was that.
I've look to that game a lot. And I'm more sure that what Yuga suggested really is the way to play that position and not what I did so if I were on white's shoes I'd be searching for improvements on that line.
People regularly beat the 6...a6 defence in the Morra gambit - most of them far better & more experienced than me.
Yep. But I tink that can be explained by the fact that most black players don't know what they are doing against the SM. I still remember my first SM game and I was totally squashed. White had a so dominat position that he could afford to sac a rook... 😞 This game was what made take a real look at the SM... And I posted this game once on the public forum but I won't o it again. It is too painful to see again. 😵
31 Mar 08
Originally posted by KeplerI think that a good book to understand this gambit from the black side is "How to defeat the smith-morra gambit" by IM Timothy Taylor. The book is dated so some lines might not hold but what I liked the most about the book is the real emphasis he gives on the whys of the moves. I started to understand a lot of things because of that.
Best not to try me. I don't generally play the Morra Gambit. I did play a few games in a thematic tournament but only because i wanted to find out how to play against it having had a disastrous game against Dragon Fire. I found it reasonably easy to win with the Morra provided the opposition wasn't too strong but I still can't say that i understand it or would play it out of choice.
31 Mar 08
Originally posted by Dragon FireNice games! Thanks for more study material.
Try these 3 scoring 2/3 as black against reasonable opposition
Game 4203655 Draw;
Game 3485180 Won;
Game 4589192 Draw.
31 Mar 08
1 edit
Originally posted by Dragon FireThe Palkovi one is just below the Pinski one, right at the bottom.
Jan Pinski not Palkovi.
What does he say about 5. .... b5!? which I've been trying out lately although I don't have much on it.
http://www.chessdirect.co.uk/acatalog/CATALOGUE___SHOP_Scotch___Italian_Game_139.html
I'm at work at the moment & will post what Palkovi says about 5...b5!? tomorrow.
01 Apr 08
1 edit
Originally posted by Dragon FireI posted the main quote before:
What does he say about 5. .... b5!?
"Black's move b5 is a witty try to take over the initiative at the cost of a pawn sacrifice, and White has got to be alert if (s)he wants to gain an advantage. At that time (1941) players tried to refute the Ulvestad Variation in various ways, but this task is far from being simple. Some time had to pass before it turned out that for White it is dangerous to accept the pawn at once, and his best choice is the surprising 6.Bf1!."