[Event "Dorset Congress - Open"]
[Site "Bournemouth"]
[Date "2012.10.14"]
[Round "5.6"]
[White "Clancy, M.."]
[Black "Laker, L.."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B21"]
[Annotator "Alan Dommett"]
[PlyCount "59"]
[EventDate "2012.10.12"]
{Sician: Morra Gambit [B21]} 1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 dxc3 4. Nxc3 Nc6 5. Nf3
e6 6. Bc4 Nf6 7. e5 $5 ({Jozsef Palkovi gives either 7.Qd2 or 7.0-0 as main
line alternatives in his book on the gambit, but this aggressive approach has
to be an improvement. My database is littered with Nineties quick wins, such
as Tesinezky-Magerramov (Budapest, 1990) which went} 7. O-O Qc7 8. Qe2 Ng4 9.
Bb3 Nd4 {0-1 so I am guessing that this little trap soon caught on, leading to
the idea being stifled at birth in this way. A decade later IM Alex Lenderman
built his reputation by downing GMs with the Morra, more often than not
deploying the e-pawn advance as early as possible, leading to the belief
amongst many that, if he can get the pawn stuck down Black's throat, White is
well on his way to a successful gambit.}) 7... Ng4 8. Bf4 Qa5 9. Qe2 Bb4 10.
O-O f6 ({Turning down the tempting} 10... Bxc3 11. bxc3 Qxc3 {but in
Riemer-Landenberger (Germany, 1996) after} 12. Rac1 Qa5 13. h3 Nh6 14. Bd2 Qd8
15. Bg5 Qb6 16. Be3 {it only led to an early draw by repetition.}) 11. exf6
Nxf6 12. Nb5 O-O 13. Bc7 $5 ({Hounding the queen and much better than} 13. Nc7
Nh5 14. Bd6 Bxd6 15. Nxa8 Nf4 16. Qd1 Be7 {when Black will end up with all the
play.}) 13... b6 14. a3 Be7 15. b4 Qa6 16. Nd6 Qa4 17. Rfb1 Nxb4 {The threat
of 18.Bb3 necessitates this sacrifice and sees Black scrambling to survive.}
18. axb4 Qc6 19. Rc1 Nd5 20. Bxd5 Qxd5 21. Rd1 Qc6 22. Rac1 Qa4 23. b5 {
The black queen can breathe at last, but, a piece for two pawns down plus a
cramped position, confirms that White is well on top and so it proves.} Bxd6
24. Rxd6 Rf5 25. Ne5 Qb4 26. Re1 Bb7 27. Rxd7 Bxg2 28. Kxg2 Rg5+ 29. Kh1 Rf8
30. Nd3 1-0