Friday, April 25, 2014

"...All of the way up to the point that I checkmated you."


Years ago I regularly played chess against a co-worker, and he constantly complained that he was winning the whole time - "All of the way up to the point that I checkmated you," I would reply.

Philidor 1792's play here reminds me of those fun days.

Philidor 1792 - guest2445
3 0 blitz, www.bereg.ru, 2014

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 



The Semi-Italian opening.

4.Nc3 Nf6 5.Bxf7+ 

Instead, 5.0-0, hoping for 5...Bc5, so that White can play 6.Bxf7+, would be the Semi-Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.

In the game, White stops waiting and makes his sacrifice. It is a that was favored by Jerome Gambit Gemeinde member yorgos about 5 years ago.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 Nc6


An earlier game was over before Black knew what was going on: 7...Ng6 8.e5 Nh7 9.Qf3+ Kg8 10.Qd5 checkmate, You - Stranger, blitz, Chess-Samara.ru 2014

8.e5 Ne8 9.0-0 Kg8 10.f4 d6 11.Be3 Bf5 12.g4 Bh7 13.Qe2 dxe5 14.Qc4+ Qd5 15.Qxd5 checkmate



Wednesday, April 23, 2014

What the...?



Here are a selection of games by Philidor 1792, referenced in yesterday's post. He brings a bit of Jerome Gambit magic, a bit of Halloween Gambit sparkle, and lays on a bit of the 3-minute game crunch. It doesn't always work, but it's always entertaining.

Philidor 1792 - guest1223
3 0 blitz, www.bereg.ru, 2014

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Be7 



Well, it looks like Black is interested in the Hungarian Defense, not the Jerome Gambit - but he is in for some excitement, anyhow.

4.c3 

Or the even calmer 4.O-O Nf6 5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 Nc6 8.e5 Ne8 9.Qf3+ Kg8 10.Nc3 d6 11.Qd5+ Kf8 12.f4 Bf5 13.Rf2 Nb4 14.Qb3 c5 15.d5 a5 16.Be3 c4 17.Qxc4 Nxc2 18.Rxc2 Bxc2 19.Rf1 Rc8 20.Qd4 h5 21.Rf2 Bf5 22.Ne4 h4 23.g3 hxg3 24.hxg3 Rh3 25.Kg2 Qc7 26.Rd2 Rh6 27.Nf2 Qc4 28.Qxc4 Rxc4 29.g4 Bb1 30.a3 Rc2 31.Rxc2 Bxc2 White resigned, Philidor 1792 - guest267, 3 0 blitz, www.bereg.ru 2014.

4...Nf6 5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 Ng6 



Or 7...Nc6 8.e5 Ng8 9.Qf3+ Ke8 10.Qg3 Bf8 11.Bg5 Nge7 12.d5 Nb8 13.d6 cxd6 14.exd6 Nbc6 15.Qh4 Qa5 16.dxe7 Bxe7 17.Bxe7 Qe5+ 18.Kd2 Nxe7 19.Re1 Qf6 20.Qxf6 gxf6 21.Na3 Kf7 22.Nb5 d5 23.Nd6+ Kf8 24.Re3 Nf5 25.Re8+ Kg7 26.Nxf5+ Bxf5 27.Re7+ Kg6 28.Rxb7 Rhb8 29.Rxb8 Rxb8 30.b3 Re8 31.f3 h5 32.Re1 Rxe1 33.Kxe1 Bc8 34.Kf2 Kf5 35.Ke3 Ke5 36.b4 Ba6 37.g4 hxg4 38.fxg4 Bc4 39.a4 f5 40.gxf5 Kxf5 41.Kd4 Kg4 42.Kc5 Kh3 43.b5 Kxh2 44.a5 Kg3 45.b6 axb6+ 46.axb6 Ba6 47.Kxd5 Kf4 48.c4
Kf5 49.c5 Kf6 50.Kd6 Kf7 51.Kd7 Kf6 52.c6 Bb5 53.b7 Black resigned, Philidor 1792 - guest1982, 3 0 blitz, www.bereg.ru 2014

8.e5 Ng8 

Another time Black defended with 8...Ne8 9.Qf3+ Kg8 10.Qd5+ Kf8 11.Qf3+ Kg8 12.Qd5+ Kf8 13.Qf3+ Nf6 14.exf6 Bxf6 15.O-O d5 16.Bg5 c6 17.Nd2 Kf7 18.Rfe1 Bd7 19.c4 h6 20.Bxf6 Qxf6 21.Qb3 Rhe8 22.cxd5 Kf8 23.Qxb7 Qd6 24.Rxe8+ Rxe8 25.dxc6 Bxc6 26.Qxa7 Kg8 27.Qa3 Qxd4 28.Nf3 Bxf3 29.Qxf3 Qxb2 30.Qb3+ Qxb3 31.axb3 Rb8 32.Rb1 Nf4 33.g3 Ne2+ 34.Kg2 Nd4 35.b4 Nc6 36.b5 Rb6 37.f4 Nd4 38.Rb4 Nxb5 39.f5 Rb7 40.g4 Nd6 41.Rxb7 Nxb7 42.Kg3 Kf7 43.Kf4 Nd6 44.Ke5 Nc4+ 45.Kf4 Kf6 46.h3 Nb6 47.Ke4 Kg5 48.Ke5 Kh4 49.f6 Nd7+ 50.Kf5 Nxf6 51.Kg6 Nxg4 52.Kxg7 h5 53.hxg4 hxg4 White resigned, Philidor 1792 - guest267, 3 0 blitz, www.bereg.ru, 2014

9.f4 d5 

Or 9...d6 10.f5 Nxe5 (10...Nf8 11.O-O Ke8 12.Qe2 dxe5 13.dxe5 Bc5+ 14.Kh1 b6 15.b4 Be7 16.Na3 Bb7 17.Bf4 Qd5 18.Nb5 Bd8 19.Rad1 Qe4 20.Qd2 Qc4 21.a4 h6 22.Kg1 Bc6 23.Na3 Qe4 24.Nb5 Qxf5 25.Nd4 Qg6 26.Nxc6 Qxc6 27.Bg3 a6 28.Qf2 Qe6 29.Qxf8 checkmate, Philidor 1792 - guest11, 3 0 blitz, www.bereg.ru, 201411.dxe5 dxe5 12.Qb3+ Kf8 13.O-O Bc5+ 14.Kh1 Qd3 15.Rd1 Qe2 16.c4 Bxf5 17.Nc3 Qh5 18.Qxb7 Re8 19.Qxc7 Bd4 20.Rf1 Nf6 21.c5 Be6 22.Ne4 Qf7 23.Qc6 Qd7
24.Qxd7 Bxd7 25.Bg5 Re6 26.Nxf6 gxf6 27.Bxf6 Kg8 28.Rac1 Rc6 29.b4 h5 30.Bxh8 Kxh8 31.Rf7 Be6 32.Rxa7 Black resigned, Philidor 1792 - guest449, 3 0 blitz, www.bereg.ru, 2014

10.f5 Bxf5 11.O-O Nh6 12.g4 Rf8 13.gxf5 Nh4 14.Qh5+ Kg8 15.f6 Black resigned

Monday, April 21, 2014

What's Going On Here?



We have been looking at the creative ideas of Philidor 1792, and, like the animated character Buzz Lightyear says, they go "To infinity - and beyond!" 

Of course, in this case, they start with the Jerome Gambit - and go beyond.

Here are some of the ideas that Philidor 1792 sent in an email, along with his large collection of games.  

Since I wrote to you last time, I've played many Jerome games and found some fun ideas.

First of all, I explored the Modern Jerome Gambit and realized that here, in contrast to Double Jerome Gambit, one doesn't need to wait when opponent develop his bishop to c5 square (because the Qh5+ idea isn't involved), so why not to play Bxf7+ in response to Be7 or Nf6, without waiting Bc5 move? 

As you wrote in your blog some people belive that "it is bad investment to sacrifice the second piece with 5.Nxe5" and prefer to "focus on development". (If there is any soundness to be found in the Jerome, then I believe it involves replacing 5. Nxe5+ with a different move. - Gary K. Gifford). Why do we need a black bishop on c5 then? 

So I tried to play Bxf7+ after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 as a response to any black move. After that I saw that in the arising positions the main idea of the Halloween Gambit is applicable. For example after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Ng6 7.e5 the black knight doesn't have any secure square (the g4 ana h5 squares are controled by the white queen and after Nd5 or Ne4, Qf3+ with a fork may follow.)

I had a lot of fun playing this kind of Jerome gambit. There are a lot of games in attachment. Hope you like them!