Smith-Morra Gambit Declined, Center Formation

Instead of taking on c3, Black answers the Smith-Morra with 3...e5, also called the Center Variation. The pawn on d4 is defended, so White gets no immediate recapture with Nxc3. Black has not grabbed material and so avoids the lead in development that the accepted lines give White. The drawback is that the d4-pawn is hard to hold. The natural sequence 4. cxd4 exd4 5. Nf3 Nc6 6. Nxd4 wins the pawn back and leaves an open position in which White has developed a knight. Black, with no c- or e-pawn left, has free diagonals for the bishops.

The recapture 4. cxd4 is by far the most common reply. White's main alternative is 4. Nf3, which leaves the tension in place and leads into the Morphy Gambit and Andreaschek Gambit lines. 4. Bc4 is a rare third option. Results in online play are nearly even, with Black slightly ahead, and the engine rates the position as roughly balanced. The line suits players who want to avoid the theory and attacking chances of the accepted gambit without much risk.