Saturday, January 9, 2010

Boo!

When I play the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), I would prefer that my opponent not laugh too loud.

Ideally, I would like him to to become nervous, if not downright terrified.  Sometimes that can be helpful, as the following game illustrates.

perrypawnpusher - frencheng
blitz 10 5, FICS, 2010

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



4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8



I like this move. So did Alonzo Wheeler Jerome, who played it (against his own gambit) in two correspondence games against Dan Jaeger in 1880.

7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qg3



Jerome's analysis in 1874 considered only 8.Qf4+. perrypawnpusher - Capt. Mandrake, JG3 thematic, Chessworld, 2008, continued 8...Nf6 9.0-0 Black resigned.

8...Qe7

Planning to hit back at the center immediately.

9.d3 d5 10.0-0



Quickly diving out of the way of the action in the center. 

After the game, Rybka suggested, instead: 10.Bg5 Nf6 11.Nc3 dxe4 12.Nxe4 Bd6 13.Qe3 Bf5 14.f3 Kf7 15.0-0-0 Rhe8 when it shows that Black has a smaller advantage than in the game. I'm not so sure that I agree, as Black needs only ...Kg8 to safeguard his King. Both lines look good for the second player.

10...dxe4 11.Re1 Qd6 12.Bf4 Qd4


Keeping an eye on both the a1-h8 and a7-g1 diagonals. Rybka says this gives White a small advantage, and recommends a transition to the endgame, instead, with 12...Qg6 13.Qxg6 hxg6 14.Rxe4 Bb6, keeping the edge.

13.Be5

I like this move, but, wouldn't you know it, the computer second-guessed me here, too, preferring 13.Nc3 Nf6 14.Nxe4 Be7 15.Bxc7, with an edge.

13...Qd7 14.Rxe4



White is slowly crawling out of his cave, but Black is still better. If he keeps his wits about himself, he can play some settling moves like 14...Nf6 15.Rc4 Bd6 16.Bxd6+ Qxd6 17.Rxc7 Qxg3 18.fxg3 Nd5 and he is not worse. 

14...Qf5

I am not sure what Black was intending here, other than keeping pressure on f2, but I couldn't have gotten a more favorable move if I had leaned into my computer and yelled "Boo!!"

15.Qxg7+ Ke8 16.Bg3+




This will do, but 16.Bd6+ squeezes more out of the position.

16...Qxe4

Boo!!

Understandable, even if 16...Be6 17.Qxh8 was less worse for Black.

17.dxe4 Black resigned


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