Morra Miniatures

This morning I won a short game employing the Smith-Morra Gambit. The Morra fascinates me because I lost to it in eight moves in a chess tournament twenty years ago. I also have faint recollection of struggling against it in an email game several years later. In junk chess, that is, the online blitz that I play most days, I often employ a variation of the Morra Gambit that mimics the Danish Gambit. However, in the Danish Gambit, Black cannot play e7-e6. Against the Morra, that move is quite normal.

After winning this short game this morning, I spent some time looking at other Morra games, but between masters, using the ChessBase iOS app on my iPad. That program tends to crash, but it does give me access to the ChessBase online database. The game that caught my interest is not available at 365.com, chessgames.com, or other free game collections online. However, via the winning player's name, I was able to download a PGN file of all the games from the event from FIDE's website.

Stripes,J (1968) -- Internet Opponent (1995) [B21]
Live Chess Chess.com, 21.08.2018

1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.Bc4 Nc6 4.c3 dxc3

This move order confuses the database. It shows eight games with 5.Nxc3 and a horrid score for White, but entering 5.Nxc3 brings up nearly one thousand games. The two most popular Black replies--5...e6 and 5...d6–-both increase the number of reference games. White's score remains such that the line might be considered a poor choice in serious competition.

5.Nf3

My intention was to play an obscure Morra variant akin to the Danish Gambit.

White normally plays 5.Nxc3 e6 (5...d6)

5...e6 6.0–0 a6

I think that Black wastes time driving the bishop to a square where it will not need the queen's protection.

7.Qe2

7.Nxc3 transposes to somewhat normal Morra.

7...b5 8.Bb3 d6 9.Rd1 Qc7 10.Nxc3

Now that White has played this move, there are reference games in the database.

10...Bb7 11.Bf4 Nf6

Black is finally beginning to get the kingside developed. White is ready to attack with all of his forces and the Black king remains in the center. Already, Stockfish sees White as having the edge.

White to move

12.Rac1 Qb8 13.e5

13.Nd5! As in the King's Gambit, players of the Morra Gambit should be prepared to sacrifice a piece or find another opening.

13...dxe5?

Does not help Black's defense.

Necessary was 13...Nh5 14.Nd5 Nxf4 15.Nxf4 d5 (15...dxe5 16.Rxc6 Bxc6 17.Nxe5 Bd6 18.Nxc6 Qc7 19.Nxe6 Qxc6 20.Nd4+) 16.Nxd5 exd5 17.e6 White's attack is strong and should prevail, but Black has faint hopes.

14.Nxe5+– Nxe5

14...Bb4 is the engine's top choice

15.Bxe5

Black to move

15...Qa7

15...Be7 Stockfish would give up the queen.

16.Bxf6

16.Nxb5 is stronger, but White's move is good enough 16...Be7 (16...axb5 leads to a forced checkmate 17.Qxb5+ Bc6 18.Qxc6+ Nd7 19.Rxd7 Qa6 20.Rd8+ Kxd8 21.Rd1+ Bd6 22.Rxd6+ Ke7 23.Qd7+ Kf8 24.Rxa6 Rb8 25.Ra7 and checkmate in one) 17.Nxa7

16...gxf6 17.Bxe6

17.Nxb5 remains best

17...Rg8 

Moves into checkmate in five.

17...fxe6 18.Qxe6+ and checkmate in nine 18...Be7 19.Rd7 Qc5 20.Re1 etc.

White to move

18.Bd7+ Kd8 19.Qe8+ Kc7 20.Nd5+ Kd6 21.Nxf6+

21.Nb6+ prevents a delaying move

21...Bd5

21...Qd4 22.Rxd4+ Bd5 23.Rxd5#

22.Rxd5# 1–0

Georgy Pilavov was not known to me before this game, although he is in FIDE's list of the top 200 active players.

Pilavov,Georgy (2611) -- Poliakov,Vladimir (2401) [B21]
Crimean Dridge Golubitskaya (3), 26.05.2018

1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.c3 dxc3 4.Nxc3

The normal moves in the Smith-Morra Gambit.

4...Nc6 5.Nf3 d6 6.Bc4 e6 7.Qe2

Until this move, both players have played the most common move order.

7.0–0 is the normal move order.

Black to move

7...a6

Two moves that occur more often also seem more in keeping with Black's need to get the king out of the center: 7...Nf6 and 7...Be7.

8.0–0 Qc7 9.Rd1 Nf6 10.Bf4 Ne5

Black's second most popular move in the position.

10...Be7 is the most popular.

11.Bxe5 dxe5 12.Rac1 Qb8

White to move

13.Nb5!

This move appears in two prior games in the database, one between juniors in 1997 and a more recent game between class players. White lost both games. According to my chess engine, Black can draw with best play. However, an International Master failed to find the necessary defense. Those who play the Smith-Morra in serious games might find benefits from studying this game.

13...Bd7

13...axb5 14.Bxb5+ Bd7 Both ways to capture the bishop lead to equality, according to Stockfish.  Nanni,S (1709) -- Bozzao,F (1883) Arco ITA 2015 was won by Black in 28 moves.

14.Rxd7!

Although Morphy's Opera game differed in substantial ways with Rxd7 keeping most of Black's pieces pinned, there is a way this game is similar. All White's pieces are participating in the attack, while Black's forces are spectators. In this game and Morphy's Opera game, Black's king is stuck in the middle.

14.Qd3 Eissing,C -- Philipowski,R Hiddenhausen 1997 was won by Black in 30 moves.

14...Nxd7 15.Bxe6!

Black to move

15...fxe6?

15...Nc5 16.Bxf7+ Kxf7 17.Ng5+ Kg6 18.Qf3 Kxg5 19.Qf5+ White can force a draw by repetition.

16.Nc7+ Ke7 17.Qc4 Kd8 18.Ng5

18.Nxe6+ Ke7 19.Neg5

Black to move

18...Nc5

18...Bc5 19.Ncxe6+ Ke7 20.Nxc5 Qg8 21.Qb4+–

19.Ncxe6+ Nxe6 20.Qxe6 1–0

I really enjoyed playing through GM Pilavov's game.