Amateurs dread facing variations laden with traps. But these are second-best openings – if you avoid the traps.
Iivo Nei White
Alexander Koblents Black
Tallinn 1956
Sicilian Defense, Morra Gambit B21
1 e4 c5 2 d4 cxd4 3 c3
This gambit has a dubious reputation at the master level – despite hundreds of master losses as Black.
4...dxc3 4 ♘xc3 ♘c6 5 ♘f3 d6 6 ♗c4 e6
Black tiptoes through the minefield by dodging 6...♘f6? 7 e5!.
For example, 7...♘xe5?? 8 ♘xe5 dxe5 9 ♗xf7+! ♔xf7 10 ♕xd8. Or 7...dxe5 8 ♕xd8+ ♔xd8 9 ♘g5.
7 0-0 ♘ge7 8 ♗g5
This frightens Black away from the weakening 8...f6.
He also sees that 8...a6 9 ♖c1 b5? allows 10 ♗xb5! axb5 11 ♘xb5 and ♘xd6+. But 9...h6! would have been fine.
8...h6?? 9 ♘b5!
Black is lost (10 ♘xd6+ ♔d7 11 ♘xf7+).
9...d5 10 exd5 hxg5
Or 10...exd5 11 ♗xd5 hxg5 (11...♕xd5?? 12 ♘c7+) 12 ♖e1! and ♘xg5.
11 dxe6! ♘g6
And here it’s 11...♗xe6 12 ♗xe6 fxe6 13 ♘d6+.
12 exf7+ ♔e7 13 ♕e1+ ♔f6 14 ♕e3 ♘f4 15 h4! ♗e6 16 hxg5+ ♔f5 17 ♗xe6+ ♘xe6 18 g4+! resigns.
Question 330: What’s the finish?
Ravinda Dongre White
Saha Suvrajit Black
Calcutta 1991
1 e4 c5 2 d4 cxd4 3 c3 dxc3 4 ♘xc3 ♘c6 5 ♘f3 d6 6 ♗c4 e6 7 0-0 ♘ge7 8 ♗g5 a6! 9 ♕e2 h6 10 ♗e3 ♘g6 11 ♖fd1 ♗d7 12 ♖ac1 ♗e7 13 ♗b3 b5 14 ♘d4 ♘a5 15 f4 ♘xb3 16 axb3 0-0 17 e5? ♕b8 18 ♘f3 ♖d8 19 ♕f2 ♗e8 20 ♗b6 ♖c8 21 f5 ♘xe5 22 ♘xe5 dxe5 23 fxe6 fxe6 24 ♘e4 ♗h5 25 ♖e1 ♗b4 26 ♖f1 ♕b7 27 ♕e3 ♗g6 28 ♗c5? ♕xe4! (29 ♕xe4 ♗xc5+!) White resigns.