Opening Report (Part 3)

I decided to have ChessBase8 give me an Opening Report on the Jerome Gambit, based on The Database. I got a whole lot of information, and I was only dealing with the first few moves...

Opening report

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

9062 games in 'TheDatabase'


b) 4...Kf8

207 games, 2000-2012, 
Black scores averagely (44%).
Elo-Ø: 1353, 193 games. Performance = Elo 1304
played by: blackburne, 1778, 2/2; Talwhu, 1722, 1/1; PatOrMat, 1685, 1/1; Rolmx, 1683, 0/1; vilinar, 1666, 1/1

You should play: 5.Nc3

AAlekhine (1586) - blackburne (1795)
thematic ChessWorld.net, 2007
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kf8 5.Nc3 d6 6.d3 Kxf7 7.Ng5+ Kf8 8.Qf3+ Qf6 9.Qxf6+ Nxf6 10.0-0 Nd4 11.Be3 Nxc2 12.Rad1 Bxe3 13.Nf3 Bg4 14.h3 Bxf3 15.gxf3 Bf4 16.a3 Nd4 17.Kg2 Ke7 18.Rg1 g5 19.Kf1 Nxf3 20.Rg2 Rhg8 21.Nd5+ Nxd5 22.exd5 h5 23.h4 Nxh4 24.Rg1 g4 25.d4 Nf3 26.Rg2 h4 27.Ke2 Nxd4+ 28.Kd3 h3 29.Rgg1 h2 30.Rh1 g3 31.fxg3 Rxg3+ 32.Kc4 Rb3 33.Rxd4 exd4 34.Kxb3 d3 35.Kc3 d2 36.Kc2 Kf6 37.Kd1 Re8 38.b4 Re1+ 39.Rxe1 dxe1Q+ 40.Kxe1 h1Q+ 41.Kf2 Qe4 42.a4 Qe3+ 43.Kg2 Ke5 44.b5 Ke4 45.a5 Qf3+ 46.Kg1 Qe2 47.b6 Kxd5 48.bxa7 Be3+ 49.Kh1 Bxa7 50.a6 b6 51.Kg1 Ke4 52.Kh1 Kf3 53.Kg1 Qg2# 0-1


Plejade - erch
ChessWorld.net, 2003
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kf8 5.Nc3 Kxf7 6.Nd5 Nge7 7.Nxe7 Qxe7 8.d3 Rf8 9.Be3 Kg8 10.Bxc5 Qxc5 11.Qd2 Nb4 12.c3 Nc6 13.d4 exd4 14.Nxd4 Nxd4 15.0-0 Nc6 16.Rfd1 Ne5 17.Qd5+ Qxd5 18.exd5 Nc4 19.g3 Nxb2 20.Rd4 b5 21.d6 cxd6 22.Rxd6 Rf6 23.Rxf6 Nd3 24.Rd1 gxf6 25.Rxd3 Kf8 26.Rd6 Kf7 27.f4 a5 28.Rb6 Ba6 29.h4 d5 30.g4 b4 31.cxb4 d4 32.b5 d3 33.bxa6 Rd8 34.Rb1 Ke6 35.f5+ Ke5 36.Kf1 Kd4 37.Ke1 Ke3 38.Kd1 Kd4 39.Kd2 Rc8 40.Rb5 Rc2+ 41.Kd1 Rxa2 42.a7 Ra1+ 43.Kd2 Ra2+ 44.Kd1 Kc3 45.Rc5+ Kd4 46.Rc6 Ke3 47.a8Q Rd2+ 48.Ke1 Rg2 49.Rc3 Rg1# 0-1

Alternative: 5.Bxg8

drewbear (1718) - BrainFreeze (1685)
thematic ChessWorld.net, 2007
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kf8 5.Bxg8 Rxg8 6.d3 d5 7.Ng5 dxe4 8.Nxh7+ Ke8 9.Qh5+ Ke710.Bg5+ Kd6 11.Bxd8 Nxd8 12.Qg6+ Kd5 13.Nf6+ 1-0


SIRMO (1798) - AAlekhine (1625)
thematic ChessWorld.net, 2007
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kf8 5.Bxg8 Rxg8 6.c3 Qf6 7.d3 d6 8.a4 Ke8 9.Bg5 Qg6 10.h4 h6 11.h5 Qe6 12.Bd2 Bd7 13.b4 Bxf2+ 14.Kxf2 Rf8 15.Rh3 Ke7 16.Be3 Rae8 17.b5 Na5 18.Nbd2 Kd8 19.Ke2 Kc8 20.c4 g5 21.Nh2 Qf6 22.Rf3 Qe6 23.Qf1 g4 24.Rxf8 g3 25.Rxe8+ Bxe8 26.Nhf3 Bxh5 27.Qh1 Qf7 28.Qh3+ Kb8 29.Qxg3 b6 30.Bxh6 Nb7 31.Qg7 Qxg7 32.Bxg7 Nc5 33.a5 Ne6 34.Bf6 Nf4+ 35.Kf1 Nxd3 36.axb6 cxb6 37.Be7 Kc8 38.Bxd6 Kd7 39.Nxe5+ Nxe5 40.Bxe5 Ke6 41.Bc7 Kd7 42.Rxa7 Kc8 43.Bxb6 Kb8 44.c5 Bd1 45.Nc4 Bb3 46.Nd6 Bc2 47.Rd7 1-0


Superpippo (1597) - TajniDobrovoljci (1607)
FICS rated blitz game, 2001
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kf8 5.Bxg8 Kxg8 6.0-0 d6 7.c3 Bg4 8.d4 exd4 9.Qb3+ Kf8 10.Nxd4 Bxd4 11.cxd4 b6 12.Be3 Qf6 13.Nd2 Nxd4 14.Bxd4 Qxd4 15.Nf3 Bxf3 16.Qxf3+ Ke7 17.Rad1 Qf6 18.e5 Qxf3 19.exd6+ cxd6 20.Rfe1+ Kf7 21.gxf3 Rhd8 22.Re4 d5 23.Rh4 h6 24.Kg2 Rd7 25.f4 Rad8 26.Kf3 Re7 27.Rh5 d4 28.Re5 d3 29.Ke3 d2 30.Rxd2 Rxd2 31.Kxd2 Rxe5 32.fxe5 g5 33.Ke3 Ke6 34.Ke4 h5 35.f4 gxf4 36.Kxf4 a5 37.a4 Kd5 38.Kf5 Kc4 39.e6 Kb3 40.e7 Kxa4 41.e8Q+ Kb3 42.Qe2 Kb4 43.Qc2 b5 44.Qc3+ Ka4 45.Qa3# 1-0

drewbear (1718) - karmmark (1387)
thematic ChessWorld.net, 11.2007
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kf8 5.Bxg8 1-0


LSS (1875) - KaptKoca (1614)
FICS server game, rated blitz match, 2000
1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nc6 3.Nf3 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kf8 5.Bxg8 Rxg8 6.0-0 d6 7.d3 h6 8.Nc3 Bg4 9.h3 Bh5 10.Kh1 Ke8 11.g4 Bf7 12.Nh2 Rf8 13.f4 exf4 14.Rxf4 Ne5 15.Nd5 Bxd5 16.Rxf8+ Kxf8 17.exd5 Qh4 18.Qf1+ Kg8 19.Qg2 Rf8 20.b4 Bb6 21.Bb2 Rf2 22.d4 Rxg2 23.Kxg2 Nc4 24.Bc3 Ne3+ 25.Kh1 Qxh3 26.Rg1 Nxc2 27.Bb2 Nxd4 28.Bxd4 Bxd4 29.Rg2 Be5 30.a4 Bxh2 31.Rxh2 Qxg4 32.b5 Qxa4 0-1

Superpippo (1678) - raffa (1406)
FICS rated blitz game, 2002
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kf8 5.Bxg8 Rxg8 6.d4 exd4 7.c3 Qf6 8.cxd4 Nxd4 9.Nxd4 Bxd4 10.0-0 d6 11.Nc3 Bxc3 12.bxc3 Qxc3 13.Bg5 g6 14.Rc1 Qe5 15.f4 Qxe4 16.Re1 Qf5 17.Rxc7 Rg7 18.Qxd6+ 1-0

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

c) 4...Ke7

33 games, 1999-2011,
Black scores badly (29%).
Elo-Ø: 1287, 31 games. Performance = Elo 1125
played by: agno, 1607, 0/1; MRKumar, 1602, 0/1; AAlekhine, 1601, 1/2; Brown, 1552, 1/1; Bucephale, 1528, 0/1

You should play: 5.Nxe5

Nesseerd (1111) - nontheist (1291)
FICS server game, rated blitz match, 2009
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Ke7 5.Nxe5 Nxe5 6.Bd5 c6 7.Qh5 Ng6 8.Qe5+ Nxe5 0-1

Behind the scenes...?

Here are a couple of games that leave me wanting to say "Hey, things can't be that bad!" or "Well, things can't be that good!". Truth to be told, there was probably something going on behind the scenes that accounted for the abrupt termination of each game.

MoosMutz  - catcheck
blitz, FICS, 2010

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 White resigned


Nesseerd - MithrasHH
blitz, FICS, 2011

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Black resigned

No Breach in the Wall

The move ...Qd8-h4+ can be played in the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) with great effect.

Sometimes.

Wall,B - Edaison
FICS, 2010

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6

7.f4 Nf7

8.Qxc5

The capture has also come with preliminaries: 8.Qd5+ Ke7 9.Qxc5+ Ke8 10.0-0 d6 11.Qe3 Qe7 12.Nc3 Bd7 13.d4 Bb5 14.Nxb5 Kd7 15.Qh3+ Kd8 16.Nc3 Black resigned, mrjoker-Dabo, ICC 2008; and

8.Qf5+ Kd6 9.Qd5+ Ke7 10.Qxc5+ d6 11.Qd4 Nf6 12.Nc3 Re8 13.d3 Kf8 14.0-0 c5 15.Qf2 b6 16.Bd2 Bb7 17.Rae1 d5 18.e5 Nd7 19.e6 Re7 20.exf7 Rxf7 21.Re6 Nf6 22.Rfe1 d4 23.Ne4 Nxe4 24.dxe4 Bc8 25.Re5 Qd6 26.Rd5 Qh6 27.Qg3 Bb7 28.f5 Bxd5 29.Bxh6 gxh6 30.exd5 Rf6 31.Re6 Rxf5 32.Rxh6 Rf7 33.Qd6+ Kg8 34.Qe6 Raf8 35.Rf6 Kg7 36.Rxf7+ Rxf7 37.d6 Kf8 38.d7 Re7 39.Qf6+ Rf7 40.Qxf7+ Kxf7 41.d8Q Ke6 Black resigned, Superpippo - Sulu, FICS, 2002.

8...Qh4+

Or 8...d6 9.Qc3 Nf6 10.0-0 Kd7 11.e5 Nd5 12.e6+ Ke7 13.Qxg7 Bxe6 14.f5 Qg8 15.Qxg8 Raxg8 16.fxe6 Kxe6 17.Nc3 Nxc3 18.dxc3 Rg6 19.Be3 b6 20.Rae1 Ne5 21.Bd4 Rhg8 22.Re2 c5 23.Bxe5 dxe5 24.Rfe1 Rg5 25.h4 Rf5 26.Re4 h5 27.c4 Rgf8 28.c3 Rf4 29.Rxe5+ Kd6 30.Rd5+ Kc6 31.Re6+ Kb7 32.Rxh5 Rxc4 33.Rh7+ Ka6 34.Ree7 Ra8 35.g3 Black resigned, tomvandermeer - keeswillern, GameKnot, 2006.

9.g3 Qe7

The Queen check did not prove very helpful, but the retreat will prove disastrous. The Queen needed to return to d8.

10.Qd5+

Curiously, in an earlier game White missed the checkmate-in-two, and later lost: 10.f5+ Kf6 11.Qd4+ Ne5 12.d3 c5 13.Qc3 Kf7 14.Bf4 Nf3+ 15.Kf2 Nd4 16.Nd2 Nf6 17.e5 Ng4+ 18.Kg2 Rd8 19.e6+ dxe6 20.fxe6+ Nxe6 21.Rhe1 Nxf4+ 22.gxf4 Qh4 23.Nf3 Qf2+ 24.Kh1 Qxf3+ 25.Kg1 Qf2+ 26.Kh1 Qf3+ 27.Kg1 Qf2+ 28.Kh1 Qxh2 checkmate, Nesseerd - MYCAT, FICS, 2007.

10...Kf6 11.Qf5 checkmate

Technical Difficulties (Part 2)

Sometimes when I play chess online – usually at FICS and usually a Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) or related opening – I encounter "technical difficulties" to be overcome, along with the expected chess resistance. Luckily, as yesterday's and today's posts show, these problems can be overcome.

perrypawnpusher - szuwarek
blitz 10 0, FICS, 2010

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6

This move usually signals pretty bad news – if it means that my opponent is familiar with the Whistler Defense – or pretty good news – if it means that my opponent remembers something about Blackburne's Defense.

7.Qxe5 d6

Blackburne.

8.Qxh8

As in Amateur - Blackburne, London, 1885, the best-known Jerome Gambit game.

Despite Blackburne's crushing win, modern theory holds that if Black is well-prepared, he may be able to work out a draw; otherwise, he loses to a knowledgeable opponent.

8...Qf6

Okay, make that "pretty good news" – for White.

9.Qxh7+

By coincidence, both ecimsa - Mordent, FICS, 2006 and irvpat - Mordent, FICS, 2009 ended here with Black's resignation after White's ninth move.

One of my earlier games continued with the less exact 9.Qxf6+: 9...Nxf6 10.d3 Be6 11.Nc3 Re8 12.0-0 d5 13.exd5 Nxd5 14.Bd2 Bb4 15.a3 Bd6 16.Nxd5 Bxd5 17.Rae1 b6 18.Rxe8 Kxe8 19.Re1+ Kf7 20.Bc3 a5 21.Be5 Ba2 22.Bxd6 cxd6 23.b3 a4 24.bxa4 d5 25.f3 h5 26.Ra1 b5 27.Rxa2 bxa4 28.Rb2 Ke6 29.Kf2 Ke5 30.Ke3 d4+ 31.Kf2 Kf4 32.Rb4 Ke5 33.Rxa4 h4 34.Rb4 g5 35.a4 g4 36.fxg4 h3 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - nicholasjanssen, blitz FICS, 2009.

Another Jerome Gambit Gemeinde member (with a pleasant 57% score with the Gambit) had an oddly de-caffeinated moment and paid for it: 9.0-0 Qxh8 10.c3 Be6 11.d4 Bb6 12.Bg5 Nf6 13.e5 dxe5 14.dxe5 Ne4 15.Na3 Nxg5 White resigned, Superpippo - ddp, FICS, 2001.

9...Ke6

This move costs a piece, but interposing the Queen allows White to exchange, arriving at a calm position where the first player is ahead the exchange and three pawns: 9...Qg7 10.Qh4 (10.Qxg7+ Kxg7 11.c3 Be6 12.d4 Bb6 13.Bg5 Bc4 14.Nd2 Bd3 15.f3 Rf8 16.Kf2 c5 17.Ke3 Ba6 18.Rad1 cxd4+ 19.cxd4 d5 20.e5 Rf5 21.f4 Nh6 22.Bxh6+ Kxh6 23.g4 Rf8 24.Rc1 Bd8 25.Rc8 b5 26.Ra8 g5 27.f5 Re8 28.Rxa7 Bc8 29.Rc1 Bb6 30.Rf7 Rxe5+ 31.Kd3 Re4 32.Rf6+ Kg7 33.Nxe4 dxe4+ 34.Ke3 Kxf6 35.Rxc8 Black resigned, tedhort - ElMagoVago, FICS, 2009) 10...Qf6 11.Qxf6+ Nxf6 12.0-0 Nxe4 13.d3 Nf6 14.Be3 Bf5 15.Nc3 Bb4 16.Nb5 c6 17.Nd4 Bd7 18.c3 Bc5 19.Nf3 Bxe3 20.fxe3 Re8 21.Ng5+ Kg7 22.e4 Be6 23.Rf3 Bg4 24.Rg3 Bh5 25.Rh3 Ng4 26.Rg3 Rf8 27.Rf1 Rxf1+ 28.Kxf1 Kf6 29.Rf3+ Kxg5 30.Rg3 Kf6 31.Rf3+ Ke7 32.Rg3 Ne5 33.d4 Nc4 34.b3 Nd2+ 35.Kf2 Nxe4+ White resigned, Nesseerd - oldway, FICS, 2005

10.Qxg8+ Kd7 11.0-0 b6

12.Nc3 Bb7 13.Qh7+ Ke6 14.Qh3+

The Queen returns safely. All Black has for his missing Rook is a handful of attacking files and diagonals.

14...Ke7 15.Nd5+ Bxd5 16.exd5

From this position White will be able to exchange Queens then a Rook, after which the extra Rook will win in the endgame.

However, my opponent made no moves in the roughly 8 minutes he had left on his clock. Oddly, after running down to zero his clock then began to rack up "negative" minutes, despite my call for a win on time. 

At 5 minutes after his flag fell, with his clock still running, I asked for a courtesy adjournment.

I then sent my opponent a message, asked for a continuation of the game, left the site, returned to the site, and reissued the continuation request.

I'm not sure what my opponent was seeing at his end of the chess board, but he did not respond to any of this, and actually started a game with another player.

After a few days of not hearing from my opponent, I requested and almost immediately received an ajudicated win.

Beyond LCD

There are 70 games by Nesseerd in the New Year's Database of Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4) and Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.various Bc5 5.Bxf7+) games.

In the following battle, he encounters a hybrid defense that has hardly been played and has largely been unsuccessful – only to discover that statistics can, as ever, mislead.

Nesseerd - slouhend
blitz, FICS, 2010

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6

7.f4 d6

This defense is at least as old as D'Aumiller - A.P., Livorno 1878, and is a computer favorite.

8.fxe5 g6

slouhend adds a "Blackburne" twist to the line, following in the footsteps (?) of the chess-playing Talking LCD Chess, which had an exploratory match with The Perfesser (see "Jerome Gambit and The Perfesser (Part I, II, III and IV)").

9.Qh3+

9.Qf3 dxe5 10.b4 Bb6 11.Rf1 Qh4+ 12.g3 Qg5 13.Qf7+ Kd6 14.Na3 Be6 15.Nb5+ Kc6 16.Qxe6+ Kxb5 17.a4+ Kxb4 18.Qb3+ Kc5 19.Qd5+ Kb4 20.Qb5 checkmate, Perfesser - Talking LCD Chess (3 ply), casual game, 2003;

9.Qe2 Kxe5 10.Rf1 Qh4+ 11.g3 Qg4 12.d4+ Bxd4 13.Bf4+ Kf6 14.Bxd6+ Kg5 15.Qd2+ Kh5 16.Qxd4 cxd6 17.Rf4 Qd7 18.Rh4+ Kg5 19.Nd2 h5 20.Qxh8 Qf7 21.Rf4 Qxf4 22.gxf4+ Kxf4 23.Qxg8 Black resigned, Perfesser - Talking LDC Chess (4 ply), casual game, 2003

9...Kf7

 A challenging position for White. Rybka recommends 10.Rf1+ Ke8 11.Qf3 Be6 12.exd6 with the first player following up by fianchettoing his Queen's Bishop and castling Queenside, then being only about a pawn's worth behind.

10.Qb3+ Be6

The position is likewise not easy for Black. Rybka suggests 10...Kg7 instead, with a defense along the lines of 11...Qe7 and ...Be6, with a winning advantage.

11.c4

Rybka's recommendation here (blunder check, 5 minutes a move) has me puzzled, but I'll give it anyway: 11.Rf1+ Ke7 12.Qc3 Kd7 13.g3 Bh3 14.d4 Bxf1 15.dxc5 dxe5 16.c6+ bxc6 17.Kxf1 Qf6+ 18.Kg1 Qd6 19.Qf3 Rf8 20.Qe2 Nf6 21.Nc3 Qb4 22.a3 Qb7 23.Be3 Kc8 24.b4, when Black is up the exchange, but his poorer pawn structure means he has only a slight advantage

analysis diagram






11...Qh4+

Here comes trouble. White's pawns are weak, and his lack of development will tell against him.

12.g3 Qxe4+ 13.Qe3

An oversight, ending the game, but Black likely had a forced mate in any event.

13...Qxh1+ White resigned