If you want them to stop laughing...

...first you have to stop telling jokes.

The following Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) is overly-long. That's not my opponent's fault – in fact, he thought my opening was such a joke that he rushed several "aggressive" moves that either put him at a disadvantage, or lost the chance at a serious advantage.

It's my fault. Several times when it looked like it was time for Black to exit, I made jokey moves that gave him hope that there would be more pratfalls like that ahead. It's fortunate for me that he didn't hold out until the moment of checkmate!

perrypawnpusher  - lorecai

blitz FICS, 2010


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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6

7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Nf6

It is pleasant to watch my opponent take time over every move, especially when I've been here a number of times before.

10.0-0 Rf8 11.f4

A different approach was seen in mrjoker - PhlebasP, ICC, 2009: 11.f3 Kf7 12.Qb3+ Be6 13.Qxb7 Kg8 14.d3 Nd7 15.d4 Bc4 16.Re1 Qb8 17.Qxb8 Raxb8 18.b3 Ba6 19.c4 Nf4 20.Bxf4 Rxf4 21.Nc3 c6 22.Ne2 Rf6 23.f4 Rbf8 24.g4 h6 25.h4 Bc8 26.Kg2 Nb8 27.Kg3 Na6 28.a3 Nc7 29.g5 hxg5 30.hxg5 Rg6 31.d5 cxd5 32.exd5 Bf5 33.Nd4 Na6 34.Nxf5 Rxf5 35.Kg4 Black resigned 

11...Ng4

A very radical approach was taken by Pete Banks a couple of years ago: 11...Kd7 12.Nc3 b6 13.d4 c6 14.f5 Ne7 15.e5 dxe5 16.dxe5 Nfd5 17.e6+ Kc7 18.Qe5+ Kb7 19.Qxg7 Nf6 20.Bg5 Nfg8 21.f6 Qd4+ 22.Kh1 Rxf6 23.Bxf6 Nxf6 24.Qxe7+ Nd7 25.exd7 Qxd7 26.Qxd7+ Bxd7 27.Rf7 Kc7 28.Rd1 Rd8 29.Ne4 Kc8 30.Nf6 Be6 31.Rxd8+ Kxd8 32.Rxa7 Bf5 33.Nxh7 Bxc2 34.h4 Ke8 35.h5 Bxh7 36.Rxh7 Kf8 37.h6 Kg8 38.Rb7 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - blackburne, JG3 thematic Chessworld,2008;


Wheras Louis Morin saw another defensive plan: 11...Rf7 12.Nc3 Kf8 13.d4 c6 14.Bd2 Bd7 15.f5 Ne7 16.Rae1 Qc7 17.h3 Re8 18.g4 b5 19.g5 Nfg8 20.Qg3 b4 21.Nd1 Qb6 22.Qxd6 Bxf5 23.Rxf5 Rxf5 24.exf5 Rd8 25.Qxb4 Qxd4+ 26.Qxd4 Rxd4 27.Bc3 Rf4 28.f6 gxf6 29.gxf6 Nxf6 30.Bxf6 Rxf6 31.Rf1 Rxf1+ 32.Kxf1 Nd5 33.a3 Ke7 34.Kf2 Kd6 35.Ne3 Nf4 36.Kg3 Ne2+ 37.Kf3 Nd4+ 38.Ke4 Ne6 39.h4 a5 40.b4 axb4 41.axb4 c5 42.b5 Nd4 43.c4 h6 44.Nf5+ Ke6 45.Nxd4+ cxd4 46.b6 d3 47.Kxd3 Kf5 48.b7 Kg4 49.b8Q Kxh4 Black resigned, mrjoker - Mandragora, ICC, 2008.

12.Qg3 h5

13.d4 h4 14.Qd3 Rxf4

A surprising slip – enough so that I capture with the wrong piece. Still, White now gets the advantage.

15.Rxf4 Nxf4 16.Bxf4 Qf6

17.Be3 h3 18.Nc3 hxg2 19.Kxg2 Qh4

This attack should not succeed, unless it is underestimated.

20.Bf4

This is silly: 20.h3 holds just fine – which I am sure that my opponent figured out, right after he mis-played his next move.

20...Nf2

If the Queen goes to f2, instead, Black wins a piece.

Lorecai must be convinced by now that he was playing a lucky someone who survives despite poor play. 

21.Qg3

The Queen's rush to defense makes everything okay for White.

21...Bh3+

An angry, impatient move; while the exchange of Queens would have saved the trapped Knight, at the cost of ending Black's attack.

22.Kxf2 Qxg3+ 23.hxg3

I'm up a pawn and a piece, but my play so far encourages Black to stay in the game.

23...Kd7 24.Rh1 Bg4

For the second half of the game, I focused on turning my material advantage into a win.

25.Ne2 Rf8 26.Ke3 Bxe2 27.Kxe2 Re8 28.Rh7 Rxe4+ 29.Kd3 Re7

30.c4 Rf7 31.d5 c6 32.dxc6+ bxc6 33.b4 Ke6 34.Kd4

34...Kf6 35.Bxd6 Rd7 36.Kc5 Ke6 37.Bf8 Kf6

38.Kxc6 Rd3 39.Rxg7 Rd2 40.Rxa7 Rd3

I was a little embarassed at this point that my opponent still didn't want to admit defeat – that he still thought he had a chance against me in this game.

41.Bd6 Ke6 42.c5 Rd4 43.b5 Rg4 44.b6 Rg8

45.Re7+ Kf5 46.b7 Kf6 47.Re3 Black resigned