blackburne as Blackburne with black

Mention the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) and most people will either give you a blank look, or remember "that game that Blackburne played in London in the 1880s".


In the ongoing Jerome Gambit thematic tournament at ChessWorld, player blackburn brought out J.H. Blackburne's defense, a line of some contention. One hundred and twenty four years ago, Blackburne, as Black, crushed the Jerome Gambit with fine sacrificial play. Improvements show that White can do better, and at least draw, if not win -- but the play remains complicated.


DREWBEAR 63 - blackburne
JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6


J.H. Blackburne's defense, returning a piece and preparing to offer a Rook as well.

7.Qxe5 d6
The start of fireworks.

8.Qxh8 Qh4 9.0-0


From here the Black Death played 9...Nf6 10.c3 (10.Qd8 was an improvement suggested in the Brooklyn Chess Chronicle 8/1885) 10...Ng4 11.h3 Bxf2+ 12.Kh1 Bf5 13.Qxa8 Qxh3+ 14.gxh3 Bxe4 checkmate, Amateur - Blackburne, London 1885







analysis diagram







9...Qxe4



This is blackburne's updating of Blackburne. The move has been seen before, but it omits blocking in the enemy Queen, which brings about dire consequences.
10.Nc3

An alternative was 10.Qxh7+ Kf8 11.d3 Qf5 12.Qxc7 Nf6 13.d4 Be6 14.dxc5 Bc4 15.Bh6+ Ke8 16.Re1+ Ne4 17.Nc3 Qxf2+ 18.Kh1 Qf7 19.Rxe4+ Be6 20.Qxd6 Black resigned, obviously - dmyze, GameKnot, 2004

10...Qxc2 11.Qxh7+ Kf8 12.d3 Qxd3 13.Bh6+

With his Queen unlocked, DREWBEAR 63 can press a mating attack.


13...Ke8

There was no hope in 13...Nxh6, as follows 14.Qxh6+ Kg8 15.Rae1 d5 16.Re8+ Kf7 17.Rfe1 Qd4 18.Nxd5 Qxf2+ 19.Kh1 Qg1+ 20.Rxg1 Kxe8 21.Qxg6+ Kd7 22.Re1 Be3 23.Rxe3 c6 24.Re7+ Kd8 25.Qe8 checkmate

14.Rfe1+ Kd8


Drawing out the pain was 14...Be3 15.Qxg8+ Kd7 16.Rxe3 Kc6 17.Rxd3 Be6 18.Qxe6 a5 19.Qc4+ Kd7 20.Nd5 c6 21.Qg4+ Kd8 22.Bg5+ Ke8 23.Qe6+ Kf8 24.Bh6 checkmate

15.Qxg8+ Kd7 16.Qe8 checkmate