Lukas Müller: Level 33 Chess Rival (1846 ELO)

Bishop tier · Universal · plays the Smith-Morra Gambit

• Level: 33 of 100
• Tier: Bishop
• Rating: 1846 ELO
• Opening: Smith-Morra Gambit
• Style: Universal
• From: Israel
• Age: 30
• Plays: Black (you have White)

How Lukas plays

Lukas is a software developer from Haifa with no favourite type of position, which makes him harder to prepare against than most rivals at this level. Against the Smith-Morra he takes the pawn, develops with ...Nc6, ...d6 and ...e6, and then adjusts to whatever White does. If the gambit play is dangerous, he gives the pawn back to finish development. If it is not, he keeps it and grinds.

He is comfortable in calm and sharp positions alike, and he tends to make the practical choice rather than the greedy one. What makes him uncomfortable is a position with an unclear balance where neither defending the pawn nor returning it is obviously right. That is when he takes time to decide and occasionally picks a plan that is a move too slow. Lukas rewards an opponent who keeps asking questions and punishes one who plays on autopilot.

At 1846 ELO, Lukas rarely gives material away for nothing. He is held to that rating by the engine, so you will see the occasional inaccuracy in quiet positions, but tactics are usually spotted. Games are won by building a better position over many moves and converting it carefully.

Smith-Morra Gambit: the line Lukas plays

Lukas plays the Black side of the Smith-Morra Gambit: after 1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.c3 they take the pawn with ...dxc3 and then develop with ...Nc6, ...d6, ...e6 and ...Nf6. Black keeps the extra pawn and tries to survive White's lead in development.

1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.c3 dxc3 4.Nxc3 Nc6 5.Nf3 d6 6.Bc4 e6 7.O-O Nf6 8.Qe2 Be7

• 3...dxc3: ...dxc3 accepts the gambit. Black is a pawn up.
• 4...Nc6: ...Nc6 develops and covers d4 and e5.
• 6...e6: ...e6 blunts your Bc4 and keeps the d5 square under control.
• 8...Be7: ...Be7 prepares castling. Black is cramped but solid.

Learn it move by move: Smith-Morra Gambit walkthrough

How to beat Lukas

1. With both c-pawns gone, the c-file is fully open for both sides. Put a rook on c1 early to contest the file before his rook lands on c8 and hits your c3 knight.
2. Your bishop on c4 can be attacked by ...Na5 or ...b5. Retreat it to b3 before he gains a tempo, so it keeps eyeing e6 and f7 without being kicked around.
3. If he gives the pawn back, do not keep playing for an attack that no longer exists. Switch to targeting his backward d6 pawn and accept a long positional game.
4. If you gambit the pawn, play for activity, not material: castle, put a rook on d1 and the queen on e2, and look for Nd5 or e5 to rip open the d-file. If you would rather not gambit, 2.Nf3 leads to an Open Sicilian where they reply ...d6 and ...a6.
5. The book answers 1.e4 (including the Alapin 2.c3 and the Open Sicilian 2.Nf3). Open 1.d4 and he is out of book immediately.

What beating Lukas teaches you

Lukas teaches you to adjust your plan when the opponent changes the nature of the game, and not to keep playing for an attack after compensation has been neutralised.

Neighbours on the ladder

• Esra Levi: level 32
• Patricia Singh: level 34