[Event "Spielvogel Memorial"] [Site "BCC"] [Date "2017.02.09"] [Round "3"] [White "Rodney Jacobs"] [Black "Isaac Stolk"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "1721"] [BlackElo "988"] [ECO "B21"] [Opening "Sicilian: Smith-Morra Accepted"] 1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.c3 {The Morra Gambit. I always had terrible trouble against the Sicilian, until I started playing this a couple of years ago. It seems to me that White gets open attacking lines for his white bishop and queen, a lead in development, control of the c and d files, a spacial advantage and a lasting initiative. All this for a mere pawn! (RJ)} dxc3 4.Nf3 {Nxc3 is the usual move, but this, sacking a second pawn, is perfectly playable. (RJ)} Qa5?! {Isaac and I felt this was a mistake. But it's not so bad. It's on Chessbase, played by a 2499 player. (RJ)} 5.Nxc3 d6 6.Bc4 {Following the Chessbase game. (RJ)} Nf6 7.O-O {Again book. At this stage the engines give White only a modest .3 edge. (RJ)} Bg4? {But this move is an error. The book move is Nc6. (RJ)} 8.Qb3 {Not as good as we thought after the game. Deep Shredder plumps for Bxf7ch, giving a 2.25 advantage, the stronger Stockfish 7 e5! with a 2.8 advantage. Each engine intends to follow up on the next move with Qb3. (RJ)} Qc7 9.Bxf7+ Kd8 10.Be3 {Nb5 is a bit stronger. (RJ)} Bxf3 11.Nb5 {Stockfish 7 picks this zwischenzug. (RJ)} Qa5 {Best (RJ)} 12.gxf3 Nc6 13.Rfd1 {Rfc1 is stronger. Note that Black can't chase the knight away with a6, due to the potential threat of B b6, winning the queen. (RJ)} a6?? {Whoops!} 14.Nxd6 Qe5? 15.Bb6+? {Qb6 leads to mate. (RJ)} Kd7 16.Nc4+ Qd6 17.Nxd6 {A good example of how Black treads a fine line in the Morra (like many gambits). Because it's so sharp, a mistake is often serious, even if White does not subsequently attack with accuracy. (RJ)} {#r} 1-0