Tuesday, July 3, 2012

A High Level of Danger


The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit frequently leads to positions with a high level of danger. 

For example, the Black Knight that has thematically leaped to d4 often goes on to c2, where sometimes it captures the White Rook at a1 with advantage; sometimes it captures the White Rook at a1 causing a disadvantage; and sometimes the White King walks over and captures it before it can get to a1.

Too, there are the lines where Black's King grabs material in the center of the board, then creeps away. Or not. 

jorgemlfranco - FoldZero
blitz, FICS, 2012

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nc6 3.Nf3 Nd4 4.Bxf7+ 


The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6 6.c3 Kxe5 


7.f4+

Varying from the recommended 7.cxd4+, when Black then does best to head his King homeward with 7...Ke6 with a balanced game.

7...Kxe4

Grabbing material is not as wise as heading the King homeward with 7...Ke6.

An earlier game, featuring 7...Kxf4, illustrated similar dangers, although the play could have been improved in different places 8.Rf1+ (8.0-0+) 8...Ke5 9.cxd4+ Kxd4 (9...Ke6) 10.Qa4+ (10.Rf5) 10...Ke5 11.d4+ Ke6 12.Qb3+ Kd6 (12...d5) 13.Qd5+ Ke7 Black resigned, drakorg - borodin, FICS, 2002.

8.cxd4

Likewise, grabbing material. 

White could keep an edge by focusing on the enemy King, as Rybka suggests: 8.Qh5 Nc2+ 9.Kd1 g5 10.Qf3+ Kf5 11.fxg5+ Kg6 12.Rf1 Qe8 13.Kxc2 d6 when White's pawns and attack are adequate compensation for the sacrificed piece.

8...Kxf4 

More material = more risk. This is a complicated line!

Another uneven instructive tale: 8...Kxd4 9.0–0 Bc5 (9...Nf6) 10.Kh1 (10.Nc3) 10...Qh4 (10...Be7) 11.Qa4+ Kd5 12.Nc3+ Kd6 13.d4 (13.Qe4) 13...Bb6 14.Bd2 (14.Qb4+) 14...Nf6 (14...Ke6) 15.Qb4+ Ke6 (15...c5) 16.Rae1+ Kf7 17.Qc4+ (17.Qe7+) 17...Kg6 (17...Kf8) 18.f5+ Kh5 19.Ne2 d5 20.Qd3 Ne4 21.Nf4+ Kg4 22.Qf3+ Kxf5 23.Ng6+ Kxg6 24.Qf7 checkmate, richiehill - steadylooking, FICS, 2011

Rybka prefers 8...Nf6 9.0-0 Kf5.

9.Rf1+ Kg5 10.d3+ Kg6 11.Qg4+ Black resigned


No comments: