Friday, November 6, 2009

Gorilla Chess

The general view of gorillas is one of lots of muscle and perhaps less of intellect. The following game, played this week, shows that adding Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 3.Bxf7+) ideas to the Blackburne Shilling Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4) can produce some powerful chess – even if occasionally brawn triumphs over brain.
perrypawnpusher  - PunisherABD
blitz 5 12, FICS, 2009

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4

The Blackburne Shilling Gambit, a frequent visitor to these pages (see "Jerome Gambit: Reeling Sequel", "Keep the shilling...", "Aaarrrgggh!", and "My Turn Again" for recent mentions).

4.Bxf7+

Specialty of the House.

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6

6.c3 Kxe5 7.cxd4+ Kxd4


When I checked my database for this position after the game, I was surprised to see that, of six games, White won three and Black won three. After study, I came to the conclusion that despite the dangerous position of Black's King, the game is still roughly even.

8.Nc3 Qg5


This is really not a good time to start monkeying around with the position. Rybka suggests that Black focus, instead, on safely retreating his King and returning some material. After 8...c6 9.d3 Kc5 10.Qb3 Kd6 11.Bf4+ Ke2 12.Bg5+ Nf6 13.e5 d5 14.0-0 Kf7 15.exf6 gxf6 – the moves are not difficult to find after the strategic plan is clear – and the game is in balance.





Analysis diagram





9.0-0

This move keeps White's advantage, but the computer took me to task for missing the tricky 9.Qa4+ Ke5 10.f4+ when the capture of the pawn by either Black piece is met with 11.d4+. Nice.

9...Ke5

This is disastrous. Time was not an issue, but rather a bad case of "shock and awe".

10.f4+ Qxf4 11.Rxf4 Kxf4

12.Qf3+

Repeat after me, Class: When you see a good move, sit on your hands, there might be a better one...

I hate having missed the picturesque 12.d4 checkmate. 

12...Ke5 13.Qf5+

13...Kd4 14.Qd5 checkmate

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