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Today, I had another game of the Sicilian Defense, and another day with “Mayhem in the Morra!”. In the comments of one of my previous videos @MidnasLament of the “Chess Is Best with Stacia Melinda” YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/@chessisbest) pointed me towards this excellent book on the Smith-Morra Gambit: “Mayhem In The Morra!“, Marc Esserman. In the foreword to the book from GM Larry Christiansen, a three-time US Champion, he wrote:

“He [Esserman] has forced many opponents to spend countless hours preparing for the dreaded thing [Smith-Morra Gambit]. Many formerly proud acceptors have become meek, snivelling decliners when faced with Esserman’s dreaded 3. c3… Answering… with the “beta” replies 3… Nf6 and 3… g6 is a significant psychological victory for White by move 3.”

If that isn’t a positive recommendation to play the Smith-Morra, I don’t know what is!

This game began with a Smith-Morra Gambit Declined, Push Variation [+0.8] (1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 d3). And yes, it does feel like a psychological victory over the Sicilian getting Black to make concessions this early on! We win back the pawn with development. In the opening, Black throws forward their kingside pawns to deflect my bishop, and I get the better position, though, I drop an opportunity with a double attack on their e5 pawn for the sake of developing my light square bishop and attempting to set up a tricky attack on Black’s f7 pawn (Stockfish thinks this doesn’t work).

By around move 10, the position gets rather complicated and neither my opponent and I play accurately. However, my position with the White pieces is probably easier to play as their king is still in the centre of the board while I had castled.

Move 13 was fascinating. I centralised my rook (Rhe1) which though makes sense from the point of view of development and defending my hanging pawn on e4, was not accurate. The aggressive human move to play was Qxb7, capturing Black’s b-pawn and infiltrating Black’s defences with my queen. The engine finds an extraordinary and inhuman rook sacrifice (Rxd6) which seemingly doesn’t make sense, until you see down the line – Black is eventually completely bound up with their king stuck in the centre of the board, facing a massive attack. Have a look at the PGN!

On move 14, Black falls for a trap (14… Nxc4) [+7.8]. Although it isn’t immediately obvious, I can effective force Black to trade their queen for a piece. After (15. Nxc4), and I now have (16. Nxd6+). Black has only two legal moves – either capturing my knight with their queen (Qxd6), and then losing their queen to my rook, or, to side-step their king (Kd7), but they would then face (Nf5+) – a discovered check with a simultaneous knight attack on their queen.

Captures, captures, Black short castles, but after one more capture, the psychological injury has been done and they opt to resign. GG!

Game on chess.com: https://www.chess.com/game/live/75002592903

[Event "Live Chess"]
[Site "Chess.com"]
[Date "2023.04.12"]
[Round "-"]
[White "vitualis"]
[Black "caboose1234"]
[Result "1-0"]
[Timezone "UTC"]
[ECO "B21"]
[ECOUrl "https://www.chess.com/openings/Sicilian-Defense-Smith-Morra-Gambit-Declined-Push-Variation-4.Bxd3"]
[UTCDate "2023.04.12"]
[UTCTime "01:42:17"]
[WhiteElo "1423"]
[BlackElo "1352"]
[TimeControl "1800"]
[Termination "vitualis won by resignation"]
[StartTime "01:42:17"]
[EndDate "2023.04.12"]
[EndTime "01:52:02"]
[Link "https://www.chess.com/game/live/75002592903"]
[WhiteUrl "https://images.chesscomfiles.com/uploads/v1/user/3711094.82046355.50x50o.c8c8e6b7296c.jpg"]
[WhiteCountry "17"]
[WhiteTitle ""]
[BlackUrl "https://images.chesscomfiles.com/uploads/v1/user/21182052.ac976d34.50x50o.84bfbd9197bf.jpeg"]
[BlackCountry "3"]
[BlackTitle ""]

1. e4 {[%clk 0:29:59.8]} 1... c5 {[%clk 0:29:56.6]} 2. d4 {[%clk 0:29:57.3]}
2... cxd4 {[%clk 0:29:44.8]} 3. c3 {[%clk 0:29:55.7]} 3... d3 {[%clk 0:29:43.2]
Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Declined, Push Variation [+0.8]} 4. Bxd3
{[%clk 0:29:53]} 4... Nf6 $2 {[%clk 0:29:41.6][%c_arrow
g7g6;keyPressed;none;from;g7;opacity;0.8;to;g6;persistent;false][%c_highlight
g6;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;g6;persistent;false][%c_effect
f6;square;f6;type;Mistake;persistent;true] One of the consequences of the gambit
is that it can induce errors in the Sicilian player  $1 This was a mistake [+1.7]}
5. Nf3 $6 {[%clk 0:29:42.9][%c_effect
f3;square;f3;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true][%c_arrow
e4e5;keyPressed;none;from;e4;opacity;0.8;to;e5;persistent;false][%c_highlight
e5;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;e5;persistent;false] A relative inaccuracy
[+0.6] as Black's knight could be attacked immediately with e5.} 5... Nc6 {[%clk
0:29:38.5]} 6. Bg5 {[%clk 0:29:35.1]} 6... h6 {[%clk 0:29:30.2]} 7. Bh4 {[%clk
0:29:10.9]} 7... g5 {[%clk 0:29:28.4]} 8. Bg3 {[%clk 0:29:08.5]} 8... e5 $2 {[%clk
0:29:25.7][%c_effect e5;square;e5;type;Mistake;persistent;true][%c_arrow
f8g7;keyPressed;none;from;f8;opacity;0.8;to;g7;persistent;false][%c_highlight
g7;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;g7;persistent;false] This is a mistake as
the pawn on e5 is attacked twice, but defended only once [+2.7]} 9. Bc4 $2 {[%clk
0:28:47.4][%c_arrow
f3e5;keyPressed;none;from;f3;opacity;0.8;to;e5;persistent;false][%c_highlight
e5;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;e5;persistent;false][%c_effect
c4;square;c4;type;Mistake;persistent;true] I was trying something sneaky by
setting up an attack on f7. Stockfish thinks that just taking e5 immediately is
best and calls this a mistake [+0.4].} 9... d6 {[%clk 0:29:22.7]} 10. Qb3 $6
{[%clk 0:28:31.1][%c_arrow
e1g1;keyPressed;none;from;e1;opacity;0.8;to;g1;persistent;false][%c_highlight
g1;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;g1;persistent;false][%c_effect
b3;square;b3;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true] Stockfish doesn't like this [0.00]
as Na5 is very strong} 10... Qe7 {[%clk 0:29:11.2]} 11. Na3 $2 {[%clk
0:26:34.2][%c_effect a3;square;a3;type;Mistake;persistent;true][%c_arrow
b1d2;keyPressed;none;from;b1;opacity;0.8;to;d2;persistent;false][%c_highlight
d2;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;d2;persistent;false] A mistake [-1] as the
pawn on e4 is hanging} 11... a6 $2 {[%clk 0:28:54.9][%c_effect
a6;square;a6;type;Mistake;persistent;true][%c_arrow
f6e4;keyPressed;none;from;f6;opacity;0.8;to;e4;persistent;false][%c_highlight
e4;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;e4;persistent;false] Luckily, they miss it
 $1 [0.00]} 12. O-O-O $6 {[%clk 0:26:22.3][%c_effect
c1;square;c1;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true][%c_arrow
b3b6;keyPressed;none;from;b3;opacity;0.8;to;b6;persistent;false][%c_highlight
b6;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;b6;persistent;false] Stockfish calls this
an inaccuracy [-1.2] and prefers the infiltration of the queen to b6} 12... Bd7 $2
{[%clk 0:28:02.6][%c_effect d7;square;d7;type;Mistake;persistent;true] But in
this complex position, neither of us play accurately and this subtle mistake
gives me a potential advantage [+3.5]. The best move for Black, b5 is difficult
to see as a human given that Black wants to potentially castle queenside.} 13.
Rhe1 $2 {[%clk 0:25:54.3][%c_effect
e1;square;e1;type;Mistake;persistent;true][%c_arrow
d1d6;keyPressed;none;from;d1;opacity;0.8;to;d6;persistent;false,b3b7;keyPressed;none;from;b3;opacity;0.8;to;b7;persistent;false][%c_highlight
d6;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;d6;persistent;false,b7;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;b7;persistent;false]
This was not the most accurate move [-0.7]. The human move is for queen to
capture the hanging pawn on b7. The best engine move is an impossible to see
rook sacrifice capture of d6  $1} ({And this is the ridiculous engine line...} 13.
Rxd6 Qxd6 14. Bxf7+ Kd8 15. Nc4 Qc5 16. Rd1 Qb5 17. Nb6 Qxb3 18. Bxb3 Ra7 19.
Bxe5 Nxe5 20. Nxe5 Rh7 21. Be6 {... and Black is completely in a bind  $1}) 13...
Na5 $2 {[%clk 0:27:52.1][%c_arrow
b7b5;keyPressed;none;from;b7;opacity;0.8;to;b5;persistent;false][%c_highlight
b5;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;b5;persistent;false][%c_effect
a5;square;a5;type;Mistake;persistent;true] This was a mistake [+1.2]} 14. Qb6 $6
{[%clk 0:25:10.1][%c_arrow
b3b4;keyPressed;none;from;b3;opacity;0.8;to;b4;persistent;false][%c_highlight
b4;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;b4;persistent;false][%c_effect
b6;square;b6;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true] An inaccuracy [0.00] - I didn't
see that Black had the backwards queen move to d8} 14... Nxc4 $4 {[%clk
0:27:23.5][%c_arrow
e7d8;keyPressed;none;from;e7;opacity;0.8;to;d8;persistent;false][%c_highlight
d8;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;d8;persistent;false][%c_effect
c4;square;c4;type;Blunder;persistent;true] However, Black played the move I
thought they would and this capture now gives me a massive winning advantage
[+7.8] as I can win Black's queen by force} 15. Nxc4 {[%clk 0:25:08.2]} 15...
Bc6 {[%clk 0:26:44.5]} 16. Nxd6+ {[%clk 0:24:48.8] Black will basically need to
trade their queen for one of my pieces...} 16... Qxd6 {[%clk 0:26:42.9]} ({This
is Black's only other legal move...} 16... Kd7 17. Nf5+ {[%c_arrow
d1d7;keyPressed;none;from;d1;opacity;0.8;to;d7;persistent;false,f5e7;keyPressed;none;from;f5;opacity;0.8;to;e7;persistent;false][%c_highlight
d7;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;d7;persistent;false,e7;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;e7;persistent;false]})
17. Rxd6 {[%clk 0:24:46.5]} 17... Bxd6 {[%clk 0:26:40.5]} 18. Nxe5 {[%clk
0:24:24.6]} 18... O-O {[%clk 0:26:33.4]} 19. Nxc6 {[%clk 0:24:00.8][%c_effect
c1;square;c1;type;Winner,g8;square;g8;type;ResignBlack] And Black opts to resign
facing entering an endgame with catastrophic loss of material. GG  $1} 1-0