Disconnect

Every once in a while, a chess game that I am playing (often a Jerome Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) online gets interrupted when my opponent disconnects from the playing site (usually FICS).



Sometimes we can continue the game, sometimes it is like the game – or my opponent – has disappeared.


perrypawnpusher - Ykcir
blitz 14 0, FICS, 2009

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7
5.Nxe5+ Kf8
The defense recommended by Lt. Sorensen in his much-reprinted article on the Jerome Gambit in the Nordisk Skaktidende, May 1877.

6.Nxc6

If 6.Qh5 – the Banks Variation – then 6...Qe7!? is the strongest response, suggested last year by both International Master Gary Lane and Mika76.

6...dxc6

Or 6...bxc6 7.d4 Bb6 8.0-0 d6 9.f4 ( 9.Nc3 Qe7 10.f4 Nh6 11.f5 Bd7 12.g4 Bxd4+ 13.Qxd4 Nxg4 14.Bf4 Rb8 15.Rae1 Qf6 16.Qxa7 Qh4 17.Qxb8+ Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - mika76, GameKnot.com 2008) 9...Bb7 10.Nc3 Qf6 11.e5 dxe5 12.fxe5 Bxd4+ 13.Kh1 Qxf1+ 14.Qxf1+ Ke8 15.Bg5 Kd7 16.Qf7+ Kc8 17.Qe8 checkmate, perrypawnpusher - hdig, blitz 7 4, FICS, 2007

7.Nc3
Alonzo Wheeler Jerome gave 7.0-0 in his first analysis in the April 1874 Dubuque Chess Journal – a move he played a year later against Brownson (1/2 - 1/2, 29).

7...Nf6 8.d3 Kf7 9.0-0 Rf8 10.Bg5 Kg8
Black has castled-by-hand and has the familiar piece-for-two-pawns advantage. White's "Jerome pawns" look a bit healthier due to the doubled black c-pawns. Black now stays on top with 11...h6.

11.e5 Bg4

Here my opponent lost his connection with FICS, and the game was automatically adjourned.

After some time passed, I requested from FICS that the game be adjudicated as a draw, as after 12.Qd2 White will recover his sacrificed piece, e.g. 12...Bd4 13.exf6 Bxf6 and after something like 14.Ne4 Bxg5 15.Qxg5 Qxg5 16.Nxg5 White's edge is not great.

For some reason the response was that FICS aborted the game. Nonetheless, I consider it drawn.