Thursday, September 18, 2014

Finesse


Jerome Gambit and Jerome-like games are not usually though of as finesse-filled duels, but in the following game, in seeing to apply a refutation to White's attack, Black makes a couple of slim errors, and the results are unfortunate.

poethe - Principia

blitz, FICS, 2013

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


The Blackburne Shilling Gambit. 


4.Bxf7+ 


The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.


4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6 6.f4 




In 327 games in The Database, White scores 50% with this move, but correct is 6.c3. See "Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit: Don't Feed the Greed" among many relevant earlier posts.

6...Qh4+


The sharpest response. Now White's King comes under attack. 


7.g3 Qh3 8.Kf2 


Best, according to Houdini, is the alternative 8.Nf3, as in DragonTail - jantonacci, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 37), 8..Nxf3+ 9.Qxf3 when 9...Ke7 is advantageous to Black, e.g. Steelfinder - Sali, FICS, 2012 (0-1, 13).


8...Bc5 9.c3 Nc2+


Black goes directly after material.


Interestingly, Houdini suggests that he first kick out the White knight with 9...d6 10.Nc4 and then go for the Rook with 10...Nc2+ 11.d4 Nxa1 12.dxc5 Nf6, with the idea that Black's Knight on a1 will either eventually escape, or White will spend so much time capturing it that Black's lead in development will prove decisive. 


10.d4 Nxa1


11.dxc5 d6 


Here 11...Nf6 would lead to a complicated, unclear, perhaps balanced position.

The text clarifies things: Black will be checkmated.


12.Qd5+ Ke7 13.Qf7+ Black resigned




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