Jerome Gambit Fun

I have been playing through new and unexamined games in the updated The Database. There are many entertaining and educational games - and one player (among many) who caught my eye was DANNYALBERTO, at FICS. He shows up mostly with Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambits (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 4.Bxf7+) with the occasional Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+) thrown in, from 2015 to the present. (He scores a very decent 64%.)

Check out the following end-of-the-game positions, just a few among many. The kind of fun that they represent is what draws many club players to the Jerome Gambit and various Jerome-ish lines.

DANNYALBERTO - Tseatsy, blitz, FICS, 2016

DANNYALBERTO - boggus, blitz, FICS 2016

DANNYALBERTO - NightEagle, blitz, FICS, 2017

DANNYALBERTO - fluters, blitz, FICS, 2019

BSJG: Another Riot of A 3-Minute Battle

Here is another quick game from chessfriend shugart, showing his interest in: attack, attack, attack! The fast time control is his friend.

I have added a few analytical notes, but not too many - I hope - because I don't want to dilute the fun of playing over another King hunt.

shugart - Tseatsy
3 0 blitz, 2018

1.e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nd4

4.Bxf7+ 

The Blakckburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6 6.Qh5 

The Database has 125 games with this move. White scores 57%. That compares well with the recommended 6.c3 (449 games, 60%), which shows the effect, at least in part, of the quick time control.

6...Nf6 7.Qf7+ Kd6 

Black is suspicious of the second piece sacrifice. In his next game (the one we saw first, in the previous post) he went for the capture with 7...Kxe5.

8.Nc4+ 

Going after the King. White is making his way through a messy line where the alternative ("best") play involves mutual King forks followed by wins of Rooks: 8.c3 Nc2+ 9.Kd1 Nxa1 10.d4 Qe8 11.Qxe8 Nxe8 12.Nf7+ Ke6 13.Nxh8 with advantage to Black. 

8...Kc5 9.b4+ Kxb4 

Taking the pawn is too risky, but in a 3-minute game it is sometimes recommended that you grab the material, and see how it all works out...

10.Ba3+

This certainly looks strong, and it turns out fine, but the fork 10.c3+ was probably the way to go.

10...Kb5 11.Nc3+ Ka6 12.O-O 

It looks like Black's King is doomed, but he has the wonderful 12...Ne6!? to cut off White's Queen and save the day. However, in a blitz game that is a resource that can be difficult to find. Black swaps off some pieces - and falls into a mating trap.

12...Nxc2 13.e5 Nxa3 14.Nxa3 Bxa3 15.Qc4+ Black resigned

Checkmate is coming.

BSJG: A Riot of A 3-Minute Battle

I recently received a couple of games from shugart, who plays online at the Free Internet Chess Server (FICS). He has about 150 games in The Database, and they tend to be like the following, "a riot of a 3-minute battle" (see "Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit: Risk vs Experience").

Please do not hurry to run to the nearest computer engine, just relax and enjoy the full-out conflict.

shugart - Tseatsy

3 0 blitz, FICS, 2018

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4

The Blackburne Shilling Gambit. A tricky opening that probably works best in fast time control games like this one.

4.Bxf7+ 

The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.

According to The Database, Tseatsy has encountered this move at least 28 times, scoring 61%. A fine opponent for shugart!

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6 6.Qh5 

Like White's 4th, this is a signature move of the Jerome Gambit and its relatives. At a slower time control, 6.c3 might be the move of choice, but here White is commanding: Think fast!

Checking The Database, I note that Tseatsy had not faced this move before this day.

6...Nf6 7.Qf7+ 

More sacrifice. At some point Black's King will catch his breath and count up his riches - if White gives him a chance.  

7...Kxe5 8.f4+ Kxf4 9.O-O+ Ke5 

Black is ahead a couple of pieces, but, oh, that King!

10.d3 Ne2+ 11.Kh1 Nxc1 12.Rf5+ 

White is not going to win the match on points, he is going for the knockout.

12...Kd6 13.e5+ Kc6 14.Qc4+ Bc5 15.Nc3 d6 16.Qb5 checkmate

Very nice!

(By the way, this was the second time that day that Tseatsy faced the Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit at the hands of shugart. This game lasted a move longer than the earlier one - as we shall see next post.)

Meeting A Surprise With A Surprise

The following game shows Black unveiling a surprise line, only to be met by White's surprise. The defender continues with another surprise on move 6, but cool play makes the difference in the face of complications.

Wall, Bill - Emankcin
Playchess.com, 2017

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 

The Blackburne Shilling Gambit. White has several ways of effectively meeting the idea, including 4.0-0, 4.d3, 4.c3 and 4.Nxd4. Black's main idea is revealed with 4.Nxe5 Qg5!?.

Of course, Jerome Gambit fans also like to give the game their own twist.

4.Bxf7+ 

The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8 6.c3 Qg5 

Black plays his thematic move. It might not be as strong as 6...Nc6, leading to an even game, but it certainly gives White something to think about. The Database contains 125 games with this position; White scores 57%.

For coverage on the line in this blog, see "Surprise!", "Too Fast, Too Furious" and "A Head Scratcher".

7.cxd4 Qxg2 8.Qf3 

Calmly meeting Black's play.

8...Qxf3 9.Nxf3 d6 

White has an extra pawn, and although it is doubled, it is a center pawn. Black has the two Bishops. The position would seem to slightly favor the first player - but it mostly favors the player who can come up with an effective plan.

Two other lines of play:

9...Bb4 10.Nc3 d6 11.Nd5 Ba5 12.b4 Bb6 13.Rg1 g6 14.Bb2 Ne7 15.Nf6+ Kd8 16.Ng5 Rf8 17.Ngxh7 Rf7 18.d5 c6 19.Ng5
cxd5 20.Nxf7+ Kc7 21.Rc1+ Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest1016975, PlayChess.com 2017 and

9...Nf6 10.d3 Bb4+ 11.Bd2 a5 12.a3 Bxd2+ 13.Nbxd2 b6 14.h3 Ba6 15.Ke2 Rf8 16.Ke3 Ke7 17.Rac1 c6 18.Nh4 g6 19.f4 Nh5 20.Rhf1 Rae8 21.f5 g5 22.Nhf3 h6 23.Ne5 Bb5 24.Ng6+ Kf6 25.Nxf8 Rxf8 26.e5+ Ke7 27.Ne4 d5 28.exd6+ Kd7 29.b3 a4 30.bxa4 Bxa4 31.Rb1 Bb5 32.a4 Bxa4 33.Rxb6 Bb5 34.Rb7+ Kc8 35.Rh7 Nf4 36.d7+ Kd8 37.Ra1 Nd5+ 38.Kd2 Nb6 39.f6 Nxd7 40.Ra8+ Kc7 41.Rxf8 Black resigned, ZahariSokolov - bemxyrus, FICS, 2012. 

10.Nc3 Bg4 

Also: 

10...Nf6 11.d3 Bg4 12.Nd2 Kd7 13.f3 Be6 14.d5 Bf7 15.O-O h5 16.Nc4 a6 17.d4 Re8 18.Bg5 Nh7 19.Bf4 g5 20.Bg3 c6 21.dxc6+ bxc6 22.d5 cxd5 23.Nxd5 Bxd5 24.exd5 Nf6 25.Rfe1 Be7 26.Rad1 h4 27.Rxe7+ Rxe7 28.Bxd6 Re2 29.Be5 Rf8 30.Nb6+ Kd8 31.Nc4 Nh5 32.Rd2 Re1+ 33.Kf2 Rc1 34.b3 Nf4 35.Bd4 Nh3+ 36.Kg2 Nf4+ 37.Kf2 g4 38.Bb6+ Kd7 39.Ne5+ Ke8 40.Nxg4 Ng6 41.d6 Rf7 42.d7+ Rxd7 43.Nf6+ Ke7 44.Nxd7 Black resigned, ingGra - dauerschach, FICS, 2007 and

10...a6 11.Nd5 Kd7 12.Ng5 h6?! (12...Nf6 13.Nxf6+ gxf6 14.Nh3) 13.Nf7 Rh7 14.d3 g6 15.Nxh6? Nxh6 (15...Bxh6) 16.Nf6+ Ke6 17.Nxh7 Bd7 18.Nxf8+ Rxf8 19.Bxh6 Rf3 20.Be3 Bb5 21.O-O-O Kf6 22.h4 Be8 23.Rdf1 Kg7 24.e5 d5 25.Kd2 Kf8 26.Rc1 c6 27.Rcg1 Ke7 28.Rg3 Rf5 29.Rg5 Rf3 30.Rhg1 Rh3 31.R5g4 Ke6 32.Ke2 b5 33.b4 Kd7 34.Rf4 Ke7 35.Kf1 Rh2 36.Rfg4 Kd7 37.Bf4 Rh3 38.Bg3 g5 39.Rxg5 Black resigned, PawnEater - jackb, FICS, 2000. 

11.Ke2 

Signalling that White wants his King to be active.

The one other game in The Database with this line is also complicated: 11.Nh4 Be7 12.Ng2 Bf3 13.Rg1 g6 14.d3 Kd7 15.Bf4 Nf6 16.Kd2 a6 17.Rae1 b5 18.Ne3 b4 19.Ncd5 Nxd5 20.Nxd5 a5 21.e5 dxe5 22.Nxe7 exf4 23.Rg5 Rhe8 24.Rge5 Ra6 25.d5 Rd6 26.Nc6 Rxe5 27.Nxe5+ Kd8 28.Nxf3 Rxd5 29.Re5 Rxe5 30.Nxe5 Ke8 31.h4 Kf8 32.Ke2 Kg7 33.Kf3 Kf8 34.Kxf4 Black resigned, Papaflesas - Tseatsy, FICS, 2015. 

11...Nf6 12.d3 Kd7 13.h3 Bh5 14.Bf4 Re8 15.Ke3 d5 

Black's strike at the center makes sense, especially with his Rook on the e-file, facing White's King; but it has the shortcoming of opening e5 for White's pieces.

16.Ne5+ Kc8 17.f3 

White is in no hurry. He reinforces his center and lets his opponent come up with the next new idea.

17...dxe4 18.dxe4 c5 

19.Rad1 

Developing another piece. An alternative was 19.d5, creating a second connected passed pawn that would eventually help decide the game..  

19...Kc7 

Perhaps a time slip: Black's King walks right into a discovered check.

Instead, Black could win the exchange with 19...cxd4+ 20.Rxd4 Bc5. Stockfish 8 is not particularly concerned about this, however, 
still seeing White as better after 21.Nb5 Bxd4+ 22.Nxd4. White has the open c-file for his Rook, and a pawn or two on the Queenside should prove vulnerable.

20.Nf7+ Black resigned

Play likely would continue 20...Kc6 21.Nxh8 cxd4 22.Rxd4 Bc5 23.Rc1 Bxd4+ 24.Kxd4 Kd7 when 25.Nb5!? gives Black too much to think about, e.g. 25...Rxh8 26.Rc7+ or 25...Bxf3 26.Rc7+

Quick Peeks

Looking at some of the recent games played at FICS, I came up with a few snapshots of play from Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) and related games.




After a lot of conflict, two players reached the safety of the Bishops-of-opposite-colors endgame, drawing in over 70 moves

JMonson-Waveylines, blitz, FICS, 2011

A couple of others players showed that it was not that hard to reach the same result in 64 moves, with less material

BBendingR - cortijlo, standard, FICS, 2011

In the following position White lost on time, which is a pity, as the position, odd as it is, is drawn: White checks repeatedly with his Rook or uses it in cooperation with the King to hold the pawns off (which advance at their peril).

KCOLD - bohnster, blitz, FICS, 2011

In a related position, White won on time, although, objectively his opponent was better (Black promotes his a-pawn to draw White's King away, and then advances his King to escort the remaining pawns).

JMonson - Tseatsy, blitz, FICS, 2011

Finally, a drawn position that brings to mind a quote attributed to Alexander Alekhine

The fact that a player is very short of time is, to my mind, as little to be considered an excuse as, for instance, the statement of the law-breaker that he was drunk at the time he committed the crime.

GeorgeCool - xadrezedificil, blitz, FICS, 2011
Black ran out of time and White has no material to mate