Chess Opening Theory/1. e4/1...c5/2. d4/2...cxd4/3. c3/3...dxc3/4. Nxc3/4...Nc6/5. Nf3

Smith-Morra gambit accepted B21 Sicilian defence → Smith-Morra gambit → 4...Nc6 5. Nf3 White continues development. They plan to follow up with 6. Bc4 and 7. O-O. Black usually wants to start thinking about a pawn move: 5...e6 is the main move. This opens a line for the king's bishop to develop. Since Black expects 6. Bc4, ...e6 has the added advantage of relieving the bishop's pressure on f7. After 6. Bc4, the game reaches the main tabiya of the Smith-Morra accepted, where Black's main choices are 6...a6, playing in the style of the Paulsen, 6...d6, playing in the style of the Scheveningen, 6...Qc7, the Siberian variation, or 6...Bb4, the pin variation. 5...d6 is also played. After 6. Bc4, Black often wishes to play ...e6 as well, relieving the pressure on f7. (A common trap that fails to appreciate the danger of White's bishop is 5...d6 6. Bc4 Nf6 7. e5 Nxe5? 8. Nxe5 dxe5 9. Bxf7+! Kxf7 10. Qxd8 +++.) The two choices are to transpose into the Scheveningen line with 6...e6, where the plan is to eventually push ...e5 to free the queen's bishop (7. O-O Be7 8. Qe2 Nf6 9. Rd1 e5 ), or the classical line, which plays ...e6 only after Black has traded off the queen's bishop to prevent the bishop from being stuck behind the e-pawn (6...a6 7. O-O Nf6 8. Bf4 Bg4 9. h3 Bxf3 10. Qxf3 e6 ). 5...g6, the fianchetto defence, is a small sideline. This prepares ...Bg7. A drawback is that Black does not want to combine ...g6 and ...e6 because of how it will weaken Black's dark squares around their king. (6. Bc4 Bg7 7. O-O e6? 8. Nb5! +++ and the threats of Qd6 and Bf4 are deadly.) It is also possible to play 5...Nf6 first, as although White's knight now allows them to play 6. e5 to kick the knight, it also allows Black's knight to hop to 6...Ng4. Usually it is just a move order difference and after 6. Bc4, Black commits to a pawn move anyway. Theory table References