Smith-Morra Gambit

With 2. d4 White opens the center before developing the king's knight, instead of the usual 2. Nf3 and 3. d4. The move is rarely good as a plain central exchange. Its modern purpose is the gambit 2...cxd4 3. c3, often shortened to the Morra Gambit, in which White gives up a pawn to avoid the theory of the Open Sicilian. After 3...dxc3 4. Nxc3 Black is a pawn up and has a central pawn majority, while White has a developed knight, the e4-pawn in the center and a lead in time.

White's plan is simple to describe. The king's bishop goes to c4 to pressure f7, the knights and the other bishop develop quickly, and the rooks take the open c- and d-files. Black's practical problem is finding a good, safe post for the queen on those files while finishing development.

White has other third moves. 3. Qxd4 is the old way of regaining the pawn at once, but 3...Nc6 gains a tempo on the queen and gives Black an even game. 3. Nf3, the Morphy Gambit, plans to recapture with the knight; 3...Nc6 4. Nxd4 transposes to the Open Sicilian, but 3...e5 keeps the extra pawn, since 4. Nxe5 loses the knight to 4...Qa5+. Black can decline the Morra pawn with 2...cxd4 3. c3 d5 or 3...Nf6, transposing to the Alapin Sicilian.

About three quarters of games continue 2...cxd4, which is also the engine's first choice. 2...e6 leads to the Franco-Sicilian Defense, and 2...Nc6 is about as common but scores noticeably better for White. Some sources consider moves other than the capture dubious at best. Overall results in the Lichess database are nearly even, and the engine rates the position as balanced. The gambit is a club-level favorite that masters play only occasionally.