Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted

With 3...dxc3 Black accepts the Smith-Morra Gambit, often shortened to the Morra Gambit, and takes a second pawn. Before White recaptures, Black is two pawns ahead. White almost always regains one at once with 4. Nxc3, which brings a knight into play. The trade is clear. White has spent two pawn moves but can now develop both bishops freely. Black is a pawn up and keeps the d- and e-pawns at home as a central majority, but has not yet developed a single piece.

White's plan after 4. Nxc3 rarely changes. The king's knight goes to f3 and the bishop to c4, where it eyes f7, followed by castling and Qe2. The rooks then occupy the half-open c- and d-files. Black's queen has trouble finding a safe post, since both files point at it. Black's defensive setups are named after Open Sicilian structures. Two of them begin 4. Nxc3 Nc6 5. Nf3. The Paulsen Formation continues 5...e6 6. Bc4 a6. The Scheveningen Formation continues 5...d6 6. Bc4 e6. The Classical Formation is 4. Nxc3 Nc6 5. Nf3 d6 6. Bc4 a6 7. O-O Nf6. Lines without an early ...Nc6 include the Kan Formation, 4. Nxc3 e6 5. Nf3 a6, and the Taimanov Formation, 4. Nxc3 e6 5. Bc4 a6 6. Nf3 Ne7. The Fianchetto Defense, 4. Nxc3 g6, places the bishop on the long diagonal instead. After 4. Nxc3 Nc6 5. Nf3 e6 6. Bc4, Black can also develop more actively: 6...Bb4 is the Pin Defense, 6...Bc5 the Morphy Defense and 6...Qc7 the Siberian Variation.

White has two alternatives at move 4. The first is 4. Bc4, played in about a tenth of games. It offers a second pawn in the manner of the Danish Gambit, 4...cxb2 5. Bxb2. That is generally thought to concede too much material for the activity gained, but it remains a practical option at faster time controls. The second is 4. Nf3, the Danish Variation, which delays the recapture in favor of development. The recapture 4. bxc3 is poor. It takes the c3-square from the knight and leaves isolated a- and c-pawns without any compensating activity.

The engine rates the position as roughly balanced, which suggests White's initiative offsets the pawn. In Lichess games White scores somewhat better than Black, about 51% wins against 45%. The opening is a familiar club weapon and appears only occasionally at master level.