The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit is a combination of two outrageous forms of play - one for Black, one for White - that can lead to odd, often outrageous, play, often along the a1-h8 diagonal. The following 15 minute game is a good example.
DVYate - borodin
FICS, 2017
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4
Blackburne Shilling Gambit.
4.Bxf7+
Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Nxg6 hxg6 8.Qxh8
Discussed a long time ago, blog-wise.
8...Nxc2+
Always a temptation, often an error - but just fine in this position.
9.Kd1 Nxa1 10.b3 Nf6 11.Bb2
So far, so good for Black, but he has to let the Knight at a1 go. Instead, he decides to get a pawn for it, and...
11...Nxb3 12.Bxf6 Black resigned
Why play the Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit, when there are perfectly playable responses for White within the regular lines of the Blackburne Shilling Gambit? Fun and familiarity are two reasons. The chance for a miniature is another.
DVYate - melazzini
FICS, 2017
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4
The Blackburne Shilling Gambit.
4. Bxf7+
The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.
(Certainly White can play 4.0-0, 4.Nxd4 or 4.c3 instead, with advantage.)
4...Kxf7 5. Nxe5+ Ke8
The Database has 2,256 games with this move. White scores 58%.
"Best" seems to be 5...Ke6.
6.Qh5+ g6
Likewise, The Database has 1,356 games with this move. White still scores 58%.
7. Nxg6 Bg7
This Bishop moves seems, at first glance, to be a practical response - arranging to capture White's Knight after it takes the Rook at h8.
There are three things wrong with this move, however: the game continuation, the recommendation in the notes, and the straight-forward capture 7...hxg6 (best).
8.Nxh8+
At the very least White is now going to wind up ahead a Rook and 4 pawns. That is more than enough.
However, in all fairness, he also had the King hunt 8.Ne5+ Ke7 9.Qf7+ Kd6 10.Nc4+ Kc5 11.Qd5+ Kb4 12.a3+ Ka4 13.Nc3 checkmate.
8...Kf8
Holding out longer is 8...Ke7, but why bother?
9.Qf7 checkmate
Sometimes it is a good idea to be familiar with a line that leads to checkmate. You never know when it might show up on the board.
doubleabood - forland
blitz. FICS, 2014
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 4.Bxf7+
The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6 6.c3 Qg5
Black continues as if nothing has happened (6...Kxe5 is best), playing the thematic move of the Blackburne Shilling Gambit. As I've pointed out previously, with more and more insistance, (see "Reeling Sequel", "Finishing It Off Smartly", "Still A Bad Idea" and "Calling Black's Bluff"), White should take heart and proceed with his game - Black is headed toward his own checkmate.
Admittedly, not every player of the White pieces has been aware of his or her good fortune. Of the 50 games with this position in The Database, for example, White scored only 59%.
7.cxd4 Qxg2
Black strikes! Well, sort of. With 35 games in The Database, White scored 61%.
8.Qb3+
The key! Checkmate is forced.
White won in 7 of 9 games with this position in The Database (78%) but his two losses were time forfeits in winning positions.
That's better.
8...Kf6
Or
8...Ke7 9.Qf7+ Kd6 10.Qd5+ [10.Nc4+ Kc6 11.Qd5 checkmate, jfhumphrey - jordibc, FICS, 2011] 10...Ke7 11.Qf7+ Kd6 12.Nc4+ Black resigned, ScottWeatherill- Hanjh, FICS, 2013;
8...d5 9.exd5+ [9.Qxd5+ Kf6 10.Qf7+ Kg5 11.h4+ Kh6 12.d3+ g5 13.hxg5#] Ke7 10.Qf3 Qxf3 11.Nxf3 Nf6 12.Nc3 Bg4 13.Ne5 Re8 14.f3 Bh5 15.Kf2 Kd6 16.d3 Nxd5 17.Nb5+ Ke7 18.Bg5+ Nf6 19.Rhe1 c6 20.Nxc6+ Kf7 21.Rxe8 Nxe8 22.Ncxa7 Bb4 23.a3 Ba5 24.b4 Bb6 25.Rc1 Bxa7 26.Nxa7 Nd6 27.Rc7+ Kg6 28.Bf4 Nf5 29.Rxb7 Rf8 30.Rb6+ Kf7 31.d5 Nd4 32.d6 Kg8 33.d7 Bxf3 34.Rb8 Ne6 35.Rxf8+ Kxf8 36.Kxf3 Ke7 37.Bg3 Kxd7 White forfeited on time, ReallyBadPlayer - skipi, FICS, 2006;
8...Kd6 9.Qd5+ Ke7 10.Qf7+ Kd6 11.Nc4+ Kc6 12.Qd5 checkmate, XprezzChezz - borodin, FICS, 2009.
9.Qf7+ Kg5 10.d3+ Kh4 11.Nf3+
Or 11.Qf4+ Kh3 12.Qg3+ Qxg3 13.hxg3+ Kg2 14.Rf1 Bb4+ 15.Ke2 d6 16.Nf7 Be6 17.Ng5 Bd7 18.Nc3 Nf6 19.Bd2 h6 20.Rh1 Bg4+ 21.Ke3 Nd5+ 22.exd5 Rae8+ 23.Kf4 Rhf8+ 24.Kxg4 h5+ 25.Kxh5 Kxf2 White forfeited on time, MATCHAPULANE - gregchess, FICS, 2012.
11...Kh3
Or 11...Kg4 12.Qf5 checkmate, DVYate - transalcolico, standard, FICS, 2013 and Oak - sealse, blitz, FICS, 2013.
12.Qh5 checkmate.
This is also how GOH - boggus, blitz, FICS, 2011 ended
