1 e4 c5 2 d4 cxd4

1 e4 c5 2 d4 cxd4 3 c3 dxc3 4 Nxc3 Nc6
5 Nf3 d6 6 Bc4 e6 7 0-0 Nf6 8 Qe2 Be7
9 Rd1 e5 10 h3 0-0 11 Be3 Be6
12 Rac1 Bxc4 13 Qxc4 Rc8 14 Qb5 b6
15 Bg5 Qe8 16 Bxf6 Bxf6 17 Nd5 Ne7
18 Nxf6+ gxf6 19 Qxe8 Rfxe8 Line



What's the game plan for White?



* Mind the vulnerable f7 square through
6 Bc4.
* Place the rooks on the open c-file and
half open d-file in order to pose develop-
mental problems for the Black Queen.
* Utilize the Nc3-d5/b5 maneuver to
attack Black's position.
* Where possible, aim for a timely e4-e5
breakthrough.

What's the game plan for Black?



Accept the gambit and consolidate the
position as follows:

* Cover e5 via 5 ... d6.
* Limit the c4 bishop's scope through
6 ... e6.
* Advance 9 ... e5 so as to prevent e4-e5.

1 e4



1 ... c5



2 d4



Putting pressure on c5 and thus enticing
2 ... cxd4.

2 ... cxd4



Black willingly obliges.

2 ... e6!
2 ... d6?!
2 ... Nf6?!
2 ... g6?!
2 ... d5?!
2 ... Nc6!?
2 ... b6?



2 ... e6! Allows bishop to cover c5, and, fights
for d5/f5. Also makes h4-d8 available to the
Queen; it's usually a good idea to give one's
pieces invasive potential. Since c5 is now
covered, Black doesn't have to worry about
relieving the heat on that square through
2 ... cxd4. Please remember, 2 ... e6!
is a useful move for avoiding the
Smith Morra Gambit.



2 ... d6?! Shielding c5, plus, freeing the c8
bishop along c8-h3. Again, those pieces
can always use open lines for development and
attack. The problem with this move is that it
delays Black's mobilization:



2 ... d6 3 dxc5 Qa5+
4 Nc3 dxc5 5 Nf3 Nc6 6 Bc4 e6 7 O-O Bd7 8 e5
8 ... O-O-O 9 Qe2 Nge7 10 Ne4 Nf5 11 Bg5.
3 ... dxc5? is unattractive: 4 Qxd8+ Kxd8
5 Bc4 e6 6 Nf3 f6 7 Nc3 Nc6 8 Be3 Kc7
9 O-O-O a6 10 Bf4+ e5 11 Be3 b5 12 Bd5
12 ... Kb7 13 Ne1 Nge7 14 Bf7 Nd4 15 Nd5
15 ... Bg4 16 f3 Bd7 17 c3 Nxd5 18 Bxd5+
18 ... Nc6 19 Nd3 c4 20 Nc5+ Bxc5 21 Bxc5.



2 ... Nf6?! Provocative. Black wants White to
advance his center. The plan is to later sabotage
it: 3 e5 Nd5 4 c4 Nb4 5 d5 d6 6 a3 Qa5 7 Bd2
7 ... Bf5 8 exd6 Qa6 9 Bxb4 cxb4 10 c5 Qa5
11 Qd4 exd6 12 Qe3+ Kd7 13 Nd2 Qxc5.
However, White can minimize the central lunge
and focus on the attack on c5. In that case,
Black's game is set back some and his Queen is
potentially vulnerable: 3 e5 Nd5 4 dxc5 Qa5+
5 c3 Qxc5 6 Nf3 b6 7 Bd3 Bb7 8 O-O h6 9 Re1 g5
10 b4.



2 ... g6?! Same old problem of lagging development
and over-exposed Queen: 3 dxc5 Qa5+ 4 Nc3 Bg7
5 Nge2 Nf6 6 e5 Ng4 7 f4 Qxc5 8 Ne4 Qc7 9 N2c3
9 ... h5 10 Nd5.



2 ... d5?! Same concern as immediately above:
3 exd5 Qxd5 4 Ne2 e5 5 Nbc3 Qd6 6 dxe5 Qxe5
7 Bf4 Qe6 8 Nd5 Bd6 9 Nf6+ Nxf6 10 Qxd6 Qxd6
11 Bxd6.
2 ... d5?! 3 dxc5 e6 4 Be3 Nf6 5 Nc3 Qa5 6 Qd2 Bxc5
7 Bb5+ Bd7 8 Bxc5 Bxb5 9 exd5 Bc4 10 Bd6.



2 ... Nc6!? Another attempt to persuade White's
center forward. The cunning plan is to later
destabilize it: 3 d5 Ne5 4 f4 Ng6 5 Nf3 d6
6 h4 h5 7 Bb5+ Bd7 8 Qe2 Nf6 9 O-O a6
10 Bxd7+ Qxd7 11 Nc3 Ng4 12 e5 dxe5
13 fxe5 e6 14 d6 O-O-O.
Capturing on c5 doesn't seem to give White a
big advantage: 3 dxc5 Qa5+ 4 c3 Qxc5 5 Be3 Qe5
6 Nd2 Qc7 7 Ngf3 d6 8 Bb5 Bg4 9 h3 Bxf3
10 Nxf3 Nf6 11 Qa4 e6 12 Nd4 Rc8 13 O-O a6
14 Bd3 d5.



2 ... b6?! Ruins Black's pawn structure. Pawn
islands are usually undesirable because they
make for easy targets: 3 dxc5 bxc5 4 Qd5 Nc6
5 Qxc5 e6 6 Qe3 d5 7 exd5 Nb4 8 Qb3 Nxd5
9 Nf3 Bd7 10 Ne5 Ngf6 11 Nxd7 Qxd7 12 Bd2 Nc7
13 Be2 Bc5 14 O-O O-O 15 Qf3 Qd5 16 c4 Qxf3
17 Bxf3 Rab8 18 Bc3.]

2 ... cxd4