“Fried Morra” was served at our Southern California Summer Chess Camp!
Sometimes in chess themes from one opening can directly apply to another seemingly unrelated system. Below is a game in which I tried to play a Smith-Morra Gambit but after black plays an early e5 the game takes on a Fried Liver flavor. Caution should be used when blending these two spicy openings together as the resulting dish can be quite overpowering.
[Event “Summer Chess Camp”]
[Site “Glendale, California”]
[Date “2017.7.4”]
[Round “”]
[White “Chris Torres”]
[Black “Student”]
[Result “1-0”]
[Eco “B32”]
[Annotator “Chris Torres”]
{[ SICILIAN def. Fried Morra var.]}
1.e4 c5
2.Nf3 Nc6
3.d4 cxd4
4.c3 {I do not recapture but instead steer the game into Smith-Morra Gambit territory(1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.c3 dxc3 4.Nxc3 Nc6 5.Bc4 e6 6.Nf3.)}
Position after 4. c3.
4… e5 {?!} {My opponent declines capturing on c3 and thus my invitation to the Smith-Morra.}
5.Bc4 {With black’s pawn on e5 instead of e6 I am free to target the belly Button(f7) with my bishop.}
5… Nf6
6.Ng5 {I seize the opportunity to play a Fried Liver style attack.}
Position after 6. Ng5.
6… d5 {As in the Fried Liver Attack, black can not block the knight’s attack on f7 but can block the bishop with d5.}
7.exd5 Nxd5 {Black’s most solid choice is 7… Na5 and that also holds true at this junction in the Fried Liver.}
8.Nxf7! {Exposing black’s king and creating a new target out of the pinned knight on d5. }
Position after 8. Nxf7.
8… Kxf7
9.Qf3+ Ke6
10.O-O Nce7 {?} {Either 10… Na5 or Be7 would have been better for black.}
( 10…Na5 11.Bd3 Nf6 12.cxd4 Qxd4 13.Nc3 Bd7 14.Bf5+ Kf7 15.Rd1 Bc6 16.Rxd4 Bxf3 17.Ra4 Nc6 18.gxf3 Nd4 19.Be4 Nxe4 20.fxe4 Bc5 21.Be3 Nc2 22.Rd1 Nxe3 23.fxe3 Bxe3+ 24.Kg2 Rhd8 25.Rc4 Bb6 26.Rxd8 Rxd8 27.Nd5 Rd7 28.b4 Bd4 29.a4
a6 30.b5 {…0-1, Vysochin Spartak (UKR) 2520 – Munoz Pantoja Miguel (PER) 2480 , Internet 4/ 4/2008 Dos Hermanas Internet Final})
( 10…Be7 11.cxd4 Nxd4 12.Qe4 b5 13.Re1 bxc4 14.Qxd4 Bf6 15.Qxc4
Qc7 16.Qd3 Bb7 17.Na3 Kf7 18.Bd2 Rad8 19.Rac1 Qd7 20.Qb3 Rhe8
21.Nb5 Re6 22.Ba5 Rc8 23.Rxc8 Qxc8 24.Bb4 Nxb4 25.Qxb4 Be7 26.Qb3
Qc5 27.h3 Bd5 28.Qd3 Bc4 29.Qf3+ Rf6 30.Qh5+ {…0-1, Fomina Tatyana (EST) 2214 – Azarova Nadezhda (BLR) 2308 , Beijing 10/15/2008 World Mindsports Games (Active Team w)})
Position after 10… Nce7?
11.Re1 {I would have also been doing well had I played 11. cxd4.}
( 11.cxd4 Kd7 ( 11…exd4 12.Rd1 b5 13.Bb3 Bb7 14.Rxd4 Nf5 15.Rd3 Bb4 16.g4 Nfe7 17.Bg5 ) 12.dxe5 Ke8 13.Bg5 )
11… Kd6
12.cxd4 exd4
13.Bf4+ {?} {Missing the correct square for the bishop by just one square has the potential to throw away all of white’s advantage.}
( 13.Bg5! h6 14.Rxe7 Nxe7 15.Qa3+ Kd7 16.Qa4+ Nc6 17.Bxd8 )
Position after 13. Bf4+?
13… Kc5 {??} {Deep Blue would have played 13…Nxf4 and been fine.}
( 13…Nxf4 14.Qxf4+ Kc6 15.Nc3 a6 16.Rad1 Qd6 17.Qe4+ Kb6 18.Rxd4 Qh6 )
Position after 13… Kc5??
14.Rc1 {I missed playing 14. Qa3+ which is objectively best as it is the first step in a mate in 9.}
( 14.Qa3+ Nb4 15.Re5+ Ned5 16.Rxd5+ Qxd5 17.Qa5+ Kxc4 18.Nd2+
Kd3 19.Qa3+ Kc2 20.Nf3 Nd3 21.Ne1+ Nxe1 22.Rc1# )
14… Nxf4
15.Bf7+ {!} {My choice for the best move of the game is this beautiful discovered check which places black’s king immediately into his death march.}
Position after 15. Bf7+.
15…Kb6
16.Qb3+ Ka5
17.Rc5+ b5
18.Qxb5# 1-0
Position after 18. Qxb5#
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This year marks my 20th anniversary of teaching an annual summer chess camp to many of California’s brightest young chess players. Several of the children who trained with us over the years have gone on to win national titles and some even return as young adults to help teach the next generation of superstars. In fact, a couple of my original students are now showing up with their own children which goes to show the beauty of the lasting friendships formed at summer chess camp.
