Jedi Mind Tricks

Other than a few rather inexplicable moves, this game progresses as might be expected for two club players: my opponent tosses the Blackburne Shilling Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4) at me and I counter with a form of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+). But what about those strange moves...?

perrypawnpusher - zadox
blitz FICS, 2010

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

The Blackburne Shilling Gambit.

4.Bxf7+ Ke7

Highly irregular. There can be only one reason that my opponent (rated higher than me) would do this...

5.Bxg8 Ke8

Stranger still.

6.Nxe5

No, no, no, no, no... This is the only move that gives the BSG any power! 

Clearly, this is some kind of Jedi "mind trick"!

Simple enough was 6.Nxd4 exd4 7.Bg3 or 6.Nxd4 Rxg8 7.Nf3 with a clear advantage to White.

6...Qg5

7.Nf3

More madness. White should castle and then retreat whichever piece Black doesn't capture – leaving a pawn or two up.

Now Black is better.

7...Qxg2 8.Nxd4 Qxh1+ 9.Ke2

9...Qxd1+

Strange.

Instead, 9...Qxe4+ 10.Kf1 Rxg8 11.Qe2 Qxe2+ 12.Nxe2 d5 and Black has won the exchange, has the two Bishops and will develop faster.  

10.Kxd1 Rxg8

Black is still for choice, but I have time to catch my breath.

11.d3 d6 12.Nc3 Bg4+ 13.f3 Bh5 14.Bg5 c5

15.Nf5 Bxf3+ 16.Kd2 h6

A messy position, but I felt that I had made some progress.

17.Bf4 g6

18.Nxd6+ Bxd6 19.Bxd6 Kd7 20.Bxc5 b6

Black's Kingside has the possibility of developing a passed pawn, but otherwise I was comfortable with two "Jerome pawns" for the exchange.

21.Be3 Rac8

This and Black's next move allow me to get my Rook into play, to gather more pawns.

22.Rf1 Bg4 23.Rf7+

In the absence of any pawn play on the Kingside, White is going to maintain an initiative.

23...Ke6 24.Rxa7 g5 25.Ra6 Rc6 26.Nd5 Rgc8

27.Rxb6 Kd7

Allowing further problems.

28.Rxc6 Kxc6 29.Ne7+ Black resigned