Friday, March 1, 2019

Jerome Gambit: More Bullets

Related image




Bullet chess: know your openings, watch out for tactics, punish your opponent's errors.

Quickly.

angelcamina - sugerlove
1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2019

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 



The Jerome Gambit, not the "quiet game".

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 Ng6 



Black realizes he has to give back a piece, and "volunteers" the Bishop. The computers suggest that White take the offer, although the (limited) practical results of The Database back the next move in the game: 8.Qxc5 scored 3 - 2; 8.f5 scored 2 - 0.

In bullet chess, there has to be extra value in distressing the enemy King.

8.f5+ Ke7 9.fxg6 Nf6 

It is tempting to follow C.J.S. Purdy's advice to find a move that "smites", but it is always best to check your own situation, first. 

10.Qxc5+ d6 11.Qe3 Kf8 12.gxh7 Rxh7 13.O-O Kg8



Both sides have castled (one, by hand), and White has a 2 pawn edge.

14.d4 Bg4 15.Nc3 Qd7 16.Bd2 Re8


Taking time to build their positions.

17.Qg3 Nh5 18.Qf2 Nf6 19.Rae1 

White declines the offer to pursue a draw with 19.Qg3 Nh5, etc. He is almost immediately rewarded.

19...Qc6 20.e5 Nd5 21.Qf7+ Black resigns


After 21...Kh8 the Queen sac finishes: 22.Qf8+ Rxf8 23.Rxf8 checkmate.

Wednesday, February 27, 2019

Jerome Gambit: Faster Than A Speeding Bullet

Image result for free clip art bullet



If Alonzo Wheeler Jerome played bullet chess - one minute a game, no increment - his gambits would probably look something like the following game from Angel CamiƱa...

angelcamina - zorosyria00 
1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2019 

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+ 


The Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 Bxd4 8.Qxd4 Nc6 


9.Qc4+ d5 10.exd5 Nxd5 


A slip - perhaps Black was counting on his next move to regain the piece. If so, at the speed he was playing, he didn't see that White could slip out of trouble.

11.Nxd5 Be6 12.Qf4+ Ke8 


13.Nxc7+ Kd7 14.Nxa8 Qxa8 


White is up the exchange and a couple of pawns, but he wants more.

15.Be3 Rf8 16.O-O-O+ Ke7 17.Bc5+ Ke8 18.Qxf8 checkmate


Monday, February 25, 2019

Jerome Gambit: The Pawns, Again


Image result for free clip art pawns



In the Jerome Gambit, White may get "only" a couple of pawns in exchange for his sacrificed piece, but, if he gives his pawns a chance, they can prove very helpful in the outcome of the game. The following contest is an example.

White's calmness in the face of aggression at the end of the game is exciting, too - why become upset, if you can checkmate your opponent, first?

vlastous - ADELAZIZ
internet, 2019

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 



4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8


The Jerome Defense, presented by Alonzo Wheeler Jerome in his earliest published analyses.

7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qf4+ Qf6 

This is a perfectly logical move, offering to exchange Queens to blunt White's attack; and although it does not show up in early Jerome Gambit analyses, The Database points out that it is played twice as often as 8...Nf6.

9.d3 Qxf4 10.Bxf4 Nf6 

11.Nc3 Kf7

This looks like a slight improvement over 11... a6, which was seen in vlastous - Nyanyiwa, internet 2017, (1-0, 34) 

12.h4 Rf8 13.f3 Nh5 14.Bh2 Bb4 15.g4 Nf6 16.O-O Be6 



The "Jerome pawns" already take on a menacing look, but Black is still doing fine. His problem will be finding and executing a successful defense and counter-attack.

17.Bg3 a6 18.Ne2 Rad8 19.Nf4 Rfe8 20.c3 Bc5+ 21.d4 Bb6 22.Kg2 d5 

The move ...d5 is frequently good against the Jerome Gambit (and 1.e4 e5 openings in general) but here the move gives White's Kingside ambitions encouragement. Stockfish 10 suggests the quieter 22...g6.

23.e5 Ng8 24.Nxe6 Rxe6 25.f4 c5 



The right idea, hitting back at the growing center.

26.f5 Rc6 27.e6+ Ke8 28.Be5 cxd4 



This move looks like a slip, according to Stockfish 10, which suggests, instead, 28...Kf8 29.dxc5 Bxc5 30. g5 Bd6 31.Bd4 Bc5 and a draw by repetition.

The computer is not yet impressed by the "Jerome pawns", but the problem with the text move is that White does not have to recapture at d4 - he can take the g7 pawn, instead, opening the way for the connected passed pawns that have suddenly grown fierce.

29.Bxg7 dxc3 30.bxc3 d4 

To open lines, but his King's castle has already been breached.

31.g5 dxc3 32.f6 Rd2+ 33.Kh1 Rc4 



Black's counter-attack looks scary, but White has one move at his disposal that brings home the point - by implementing his own mating attack.

34.f7+ Ke7 35.f8=Q+ Kxe6 36.Rae1+ Kd7 37.Qe8+ Kc7 38.Be5+ Black resigned

Beautiful!