Smith-Morra Gambit, Finegold Defense

by Bob Ciaffone and Ben Finegold

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• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0966100735
• ISBN13: 9780966100730
• Release Date: January 2000
• Publisher: PRIVATELY PRINTED
• Length: 140 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 5.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

a MUST HAVE book for the average player!

I used to get beat on the internet and at the local chess club by opponents playing white using the Smith Morra gambit against my Sicilian. I could never beat that opening. They were not really great players, but they knew how to play the Smith Morra and I didn't. I knew that I was a pawn up and should be able to find a way to win, but I never did. I didn't even know what the opening was called until a club player told me it was the Smith Morra. So, I went online determined to find a way to beat it. I found Smith-Morra Gambit Finegold Defense and immediately ordered it. Now I'm a Grandmaster ... not. No, it won't even make you an instant Master. What it WILL do is give you a solid defense against an opening that is becoming more popular for white at the 1400 - 1700 rating levels. Ciaffone provides a carefully explained defense with plenty of illustrations for those of us who read without a chess board set up next to us. Lots of explanations of WHY black must make certain moves to help understand the move sequences, cautions on pitfalls to avoid, and specific guidelines on whether to develop the queen bishop to b7 or castle instead. The only gripe I had was that I wanted to play through the first ten moves of the main line immediately, but couldn't find them for quite a while. For those of you who, like me, are desperate for the moves as quickly as possible, look at the fourth paragraph of page 7. So, how have I really done with the Ciaffone-Finegold defense? (Ciaffone is too modest. His name really should be in the opening's name.) I often beat players rated about the same as me (1400+-), and sometimes beat players rated 1500 to 1600. I beat one player rated 1759 with qxf2! A really cool move that you'll have to read the book to understand! Typically, I am able to repel white's attack, keeping my pawn advantage. Sometimes white is so stumped by the Ciaffone-Finegold defense that he gets into time trouble, makes mistakes, and ends up two pawns down. After that, forcing trades on major pieces often seals the victory for me. If you're being beaten by the Smith-Morra against your Sicilian, BUY this book. Read it. Learn it. Play it. Win with it!

labor of love

This book on the Finegold Defense to the Smith-Morra gambit is a labor of love by a couple of authors who live and breathe the line in question. The book is loaded with valuable discussion of typical strategies, tactical themes, and will fully equip you to meet the irritating and powerful Smith-Morra Gambit. The book is so good and so full of instructional content that it will help you in how to analyze and understand the Sicilian in general and will give you a way to approach other openings as well.