(More) Update: Whistler's Defense

In response to a Comment to a post here (see "GM Larry Evans and the Jerome Gambit"), continuing from yesterday's post (see "Instead of the Sunday Book Review"), here is a closer look at Whistler's Defense to the Jerome Gambit, through my most recent game at FICS.

perrypawnpusher - Yaku
blitz, FICS, 2011

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Qe7

The American Chess Journal of December 1876, referring to their correspondence match, noted, "This is the key move to Lt. Whistler's defence, adopted in all his games with Mr. Jerome."

8.Qf4+

Of 8.Qxh8? the American Chess Journal of June 1876 commented, in presenting Jerome - D.P. Norton, correspondence, 1876 (1/2-1/2, 20) "Played experimentally; and analysis will probably show the capture to be unsound." 

In the December 1876 issue, the ACJ was more succinct in its assessment of 8.Qxh8? in Jerome - Whistler, correpsondence, 1876: "Weak." The game continued 8...Qxe4+ 9.Kd1 Qg4+ 10.f3 Qxg2 11.Qxh7+ Kf8 12.Re1 d5 13.Qh4 Qxf3+ 14.Re2 Bg4 15.Nc3 Bf2 White resigned.

The alternative, 8.Qxe7+, seems to surrender White's chances for attack, leaving him with two pawns for the sacrificed piece, but lagging in development. Still, it was successful for White in the two games in The Database: obviously - flatchio, GameKnot.com, 2004 (1-0, 41) and Nesseerd - grandmasterrick, FICS, 2007 (1-0, 38).


Although 8.Qd5+ was given by the December 1876 American Chess Journal as better than 8.Qxh8?, it has received little attention: The Database has only one game, levigun - obviously, GameKnot.com, 2004 (0-1, 11) which is not very convincing.

8.d4 and 8.f4 remain untested, but as both allow the exchange of Queens, they seem as (in)effective as 8.Qxe7+.

8...Qf6

I faced, and eventually overcame, the sensible 8...Kg7 in a totally unconvincing win in  perrypawnpusher - tmarkst, blitz, FICS, 2009 (1-0, 43), although my notes to the game have some ideas for White to try.

The text is a better way to block White's Queen check than 8...Nf6, showing that Black has to have some idea about how to play the Whistler Defense if he wants to keep his advantage. After 9.e5 Re8 10.d4 Bxd4 11.Qxd4 Qxe5+ 12.Qxe5 Rxe5+ 13.Be3, Black outplayed White with 13...Ng4 in Jerome - Jaeger, correspondence, 1879 (0-1, 45) while Black was outplayed by White after 13...Nd5, in abhailey - cruciverbalist, net.chess.com, 2008 (1-0, 51). The problem with 8...Nf6 is that it leads to a rather small edge for Black, nothing more.

9.Qg3 Ne7 10.0-0

At this point White's "compensation" for his sacrifice is looking a bit thin. He needs to keep developing and looking for opportunities.

After the game, Houdini suggested 10.Nc3 as a bit better than castling, but Black would still be better.

10...Rf8

Houdini's post mortem suggestion was 10...d5, which is one reason that White might have preferred 10.Nc3.

Intentionally or not, Black's move offers a pawn, which I decided to grab. That would give me three pawns for the sacrificed piece, and if I could keep my position solid until I got something going... Well, a guy can dream, can't he?

11.Qxc7 b6 12.Qg3

With Black getting ready to move ...Bb7, it looks like White is going to get punished for both taking the pawn and playing the Jerome Gambit in the first place. Still, the position is a problem that Black has to figure out.

12...Kg7 13.d3 Bb7 14.Nc3 Kg8

Black has castled-by-hand, but taken two moves to get his King to g8. (Perhaps he was first worried about the possibility of Bc1-h6 ?) The lost tempo is not a lot, but it does mean that White has been allowed one more small step toward equality. 

15.Be3 Bxe3 16.fxe3 Qc6 17.Qg5 Rxf1+18.Rxf1

18...Qc5 19.Qf6

Another example of the warning, when you find a good move, sit on your hands and look for a better one... The threat to Black's King is real, and the offer of the e-pawn to distract Black's Queen is tempting, but White can accomplish the same (without the sacrifice) with 19.Qf4.

19...Qxe3+ 20.Kh1 Qc5

White is thinking "draw by repetition."

Is Black thinking "that's okay"?

If so, he misses 20...Nf5, which returns the piece but gives him a better endgame after 21.exf5 Rf8 22.Qh4 Rxf5 23.Qe1 Qxe1 24.Rxe1 Rf2 25.Rc1 Rxg2 26.Ne4 Re2 27.Kg1 Bxe4 28.dxe4 Kf7

21.Qf7+

With the draw available, I grabbed it.

Too bad. White could have tried 21.Na4, pressuring Black's Queen (which protects Black's Knight). If 21...Qxc2  then 22.Qf7+ Kh8 23.Qxe7  because if Black moves to keep material even with 23...Qxa4?, he will be checkmated. After 23...Qc8 24.Nc3 Qe8 25.Rf7 Qxe7 26.Rxe7 Rd8 it will be White who has the better endgame.

Of course, the rest of the moves in this game flashed by on the way to the draw, taking with them a few more chances for White to win.

21...Kh8 22.Qf6+ Kg8 23.Qf7+ Kh8 24.Qf6+ Kg8 25.Qf7+ Kh8 26.Qf6+ Kg8 Game drawn by repetition