Bots on Our Side (Part 1)

I have posted here about computer vs computer Jerome Gambit games, and about human vs computer Jerome Gambit games (see "Ionman vs the Bots").

The other day I ran into some games in The Database where a computer  - GriffySr at FICS - was playing White.

What??? 

I suddenly had visions of Steffen Jakob's Crafty clone Brause and his own creation Hossa - both set up to play the Halloween Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nxe5!?).

How cool would it be to have an engine playing the Jerome Gambit!?

It turns out, GriffySr is not that engine, but it was fun to look at its games, anyway!

GriffySr - asmsk
standard, FICS, 2002

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Na5

Okay, if you play the Jerome Gambit, someday you will face this move. The "objectively" best response is 4.Nxe5, but that shouldn't be your first choice - and it is not GriffySr's choice, either.

4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Nxg6 hxg6 8.Qxg6+ Ke7 9.d4 Bh6 10.Bxh6 Rxh6 11.Qg5+ Nf6 12.Qg7+ Ke8 13.Qxh6 c6 14.Nd2 d5 15.e5 Ne4 16.Nxe4 dxe4 17.Qg6+ Kf8 18.e6 Qxd4 19.Qf7 checkmate


Here's another line.

GriffySr - ccie
standard, FICS, 2008

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6

Again, if you are looking for a Giuoco Piano to transform into a Jerome Gambit, the Semi-Italian defense is designed to side-step that. White can temporize with 4.0-0 or 4.Nc3 and hope Black will then play 4...Bc5 - or he can advance in the center.

4.d4

After 4.Nc3 Black added a second bad idea, and was crushed: 4...Na5 5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Ke8 7.Qh5+ g6 8.Qxg6+ Ke7 9.Nd5 checkmate, GriffySr -mackadee, FICS, 2002.

4...exd4

The alternatives are poor, but sometimes played:

4...Nxd4 5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Ke8 (6...Kf6 7.Qxd4 Black resigned, GriffySr - ankoay, FICS, 2009) 7.Qh5+ Ke7 8.Ng6+ Kf6 9.Qh4+ Kxg6 10.Qxd8 Be7 11.Qxc7 Black resigned, GriffyJr - ManOOwar, FICS, 2003.

4...d6 5.dxe5 Nxe5 6.Nxe5 dxe5 7.Bxf7+ Ke7 (7...Kxf7 8.Qxd8  Black resigned, GriffySr - JayadiHendro, FICS, 2009) 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8 9.Nc3 c6 (9...Bb4 10.Bd2 Bxc3 11.Bxc3 Ke7 12.Bxg8 Rxg8 13.Bxe5 c6 14.O-O-O Be6 15.b3 g6 16.Bd6+ Ke8 17.Rhe1 Rg7 18.Kb2 Rd7 19.Bc5 Black forfeited by disconnection, GriffySr - JayadiHendro, FICS, 2009) 10.Be3 Nf6 11.O-O-O+ Kc7 12.f3 Bd7 13.a3 (13.Na4 b6 14.c4 Rd8 15.c5 b5 16.Nc3 Be7 17.Kb1 Rhf8 18.Bb3 a6 19.Rhe1 g5 20.h4 Rg8 21.Bxg8 gxh4 22.Bf7 h5 23.Bg5 Rf8 24.Bxf6 Rxf7 25.Bxe5+ Kc8 26.Kc2 Be6 27.Bd6 Bg5 28.Rd3 Rg7 29.Be5 Rg8 30.Rd6 Bd7 31.b4 Be7 32.Rd2 Bg5 33.f4 Be7 34.f5 Bg5 35.Rf2 Re8 36.Bd6 Bf6 37.e5 Kd8 38.exf6 Rxe1 39.f7 Black resigned, GriffySr - Sirpooba, FICS, 2009) 13...Rd8 14.Kb1 Bd6 15.Bxa7 b6 16.Bxb6+ Kxb6 17.Rxd6 Kc7 18.Rdd1 Be8 19.Rxd8 Kxd8 20.Rd1+ Ke7 21.Bb3 Bf7 22.Bxf7 Kxf7 23.Rd6 Rc8 24.a4 Ke7 25.Rd3 Nh5 26.a5 Nf4 27.Rd2 Ne6 28.Kc1 Nc7 29.Kd1 Rd8 30.Rxd8 Kxd8 31.Ke2 Kd7 32.Ke3 g5 33.Kd3 Kd6 34.Na4 Na6 35.Nb6 Kc7 36.Nc4 Nc5+ 37.Ke3 Nd7 38.a6 Kb8 39.h4 Ka7 40.hxg5 hxg5 41.Nd6 Kxa6 42.Nf7 Kb5 43.Nxg5 Kc4 44.Ne6 Nc5 45.b3+ Kc3 46.Nxc5 Kxc2 47.g4 Kc3 48.Kf2 Kd4 49.Ne6+ Kc3 50.g5 Kxb3 51.g6 Kb4 52.g7 c5 53.Ke2 c4 54.g8=Q c3 55.Qb8+ Kc4 56.Qb1 Black resigned, GriffyJr - ManchesterUtd, FICS, 2009. 

5.Nxd4 Bc5 6.Nxc6 

Or 6.Bxf7+ Kxf7 (6...Ke7 7.Nxc6+ bxc6 8.Bc4 Qf8 9.Be3 Bxe3 10.fxe3 Nf6 11.e5 Ng4 12.Qxg4 d6 13.exd6+ cxd6 14.Qe4+ Kd7 15.Rf1 Qe7 16.Rf7 Black resigned, GriffySr - sanssouci, FICS, 2006) 7.Qh5+ g6 8.Qxc5 Nxd4 9.Qxd4 Nf6 10.e5 Re8 11.O-O c5 12.Qc4+ d5 13.exd6+ Be6 14.Qxc5 Qd7 15.Nc3 Rac8 16.Qxa7 Ra8 17.Qd4 Rad8 18.Rd1 Bf5 19.Bxh6 Bxc2 20.Rd2 Qe6 21.f3 Rxd6 22.Qxd6, Black resigned, GriffySr - Mpalfi, FICS, 2006.

6...bxc6 7.Bxf7+ Kf8 8.Qf3 Ke7 9.Bf4 Nf6 10.Bg6 Ba6 11.e5 Nd5 12.Bg5+ Nf6 13.Bxf6+ Ke6 14.Qg4+ Kd5 15.Nc3 checkmate