White has over 600 games in The Database. He has seen a lot in the Jerome Gambit world. In the following game, he encounters something new. I've added a few games and ideas, for when he meets it again.
yorgos - gruzanin
blitz, FICS, 2014
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4
The Blackburne Shilling Gambit.
4.Bxf7+
The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6 6.c3
The standard counter to Black's threat to the White Knight - threaten the Black Knight. After the "exchange" of Knights now with 6...Kxe5 7.cxd4+ there are 233 examples in The Database, and White scores 61%,
6...Nc2+
A creative idea.
7.Qxc2 Kxe5 8.d4+
Alternatives:
8.O-O Ke6 9.d3 (9.Qb3+ Ke7 10.d4 d6 11.Bg5+ Nf6 12.e5 d5 13.Nd2 h6 14.exf6+ gxf6 15.Rfe1+ Kf7 16.Bh4 c6 17.Nf3 b6 18.Ne5+ Kg7 19.Qd1 Qd6 20.Ng4 Be7 21.Rxe7+ Qxe7 22.Bxf6+ Qxf6 23.Nxf6 Kxf6 24.Qf3+ Kg6 25.Qf4 Re8 26.h4 Re4 27.h5+ Kxh5 28.Qf7+ Kg5 29.f3 Re6 30.Kf2 Rg6 31.Rh1 Be6 32.f4+ Black resigned, Coaque - Nikilady, FICS, 2012) 9...Kf7 10.Be3 d6 11.Nd2 Nf6 12.Qb3+ Ke8 13.Rfe1 Be7 14.Bd4 Rf8 15.e5 Ng4 16.e6 c6 17.Qd1 Nf6 18.Qa4 Qc7 19.c4 d5 20.g3 Kd8 21.c5 g6 22.Be5 Qxe5 23.Rxe5 Bxc5 24.e7+ Bxe7 25.Rxe7 Kxe7 26.Re1+ Kf7 27.Nf3 Bf5 28.Qb4 Rfe8 29.Qxb7+ Kg8 30.Rxe8+ Rxe8 31.Qxc6 Kg7 32.Qc7+ Kh6 33.Ne5 Rc8 34.Qxa7 Bh3 35.Nf7+ Kh5 36.Qe3 Black resigned, Coaque - Nikilady, FICS, 2012.
Tricky, suggested by Stockfish 6, is 8. f4+!? Kf6 (8...Kxf4? 9.d4+ Kg4 10.Qe2+ Kh4 11.g3+ Kh3 12.Qf1+ Kg4 13.Qf5#) 9.d4 equal.
8...Ke6
Black's King is wise to head toward home.
White's center pawns balance Black's extra piece.
9.d5+
Again, not the only idea:
9.Qb3+ d5 10.exd5+ (10.O-O c6 11.exd5+ Qxd5 12.c4 Qxd4 13.Re1+ Kf7 14.Be3 Qf6 15.Nc3 Bd6 16.Ne4 Qe7 17.c5+ Be6 18.Nxd6+ Kf8 19.Qb4 Rb8 20.Bf4 b5 21.Nf5 Qf6 22.Bd6+ Kf7 23.Nxg7 Qxg7 24.Bxb8 Nf6 25.Be5 Rg8 26.g3 Bd5 27.Qf4 h5 28.Bd6 Kg6 29.Re7 Qh8 30.h4 Qh6 31.Qd4 Ng4 32.Rae1 Rf8 33.Qd3+ Rf5 34.Bf4 Qf8 35.f3 Bxf3 36.R1e6+ Nf6 37.Qxf3 Rd5 38.Qe4+ Rf5 39.g4 hxg4 40.h5+ Kxh5 41.Qxf5+ Kh4 42.Qg5+ Kh3 43.Re3+ g3 44.Qxg3 checkmate, graniglia - Knightslider, FICS, 2000) 10...Qxd5 11.Qc2 Qxg2 12.Qe2+ Kd7 13.Rf1 Kd8 14.Nd2 Qxh2 15.Nf3 Qd6 16.Bg5+ Be7 17.Bxe7+ Qxe7 18.Ne5 Be6 19.O-O-O c6 20.f4 Kc7 21.Rde1 Nh6 22.Nc4 Rhe8 Black won by adjudication, ralte - Nikilady, FICS, 2012.
Stockfish 6 suggests the reasonable 9.O-O.
9...Kf7 10.f4
Continuing with the "central pawn" theme, but Black has a counter that begins to sway things in his favor.
Two other ideas:
10.O-O Nf6 11.f4 (11.e5 Nxd5 12.c4 Nb4 13.Qf5+ Kg8 14.a3 g6 15.Qe4 Nc6 16.Rd1 Bg7 17.f4 Qe7 18.Nc3 Qc5+ 19.Kh1 d5 20.exd6 cxd6 21.Qe8+ Bf8 22.Nd5 Rb8 23.f5 Bxf5 24.Qe2 Bg7 25.b4 Nxb4 26.Ne7+ Kf7 27.Nxf5 gxf5 28.axb4 Qxb4 29.Ba3 Rbe8 30.Qh5+, Black resigned, Darrenshome - tomcatx, FICS, 2010) 11...Bc5+ 12.Kh1 Ng4 13.b4 Bb6 14.c4 Bd4 15.Bb2 Ne3 16.Qe2 Bxb2 17.Qxb2 Nxf1 18.Nd2 Nxd2 19.Qxd2 d6 White resigned, jesusramon - ninofaca, FICS, 2014;
10.e5 Ne7 11.Bg5 Kg8 12.d6 cxd6 13.exd6 h6 14.dxe7 Bxe7 15.Bxe7 Qxe7+ 16.Kd1 d5 17.Re1 Qf7 18.Qa4 Kh7 19.Nd2 Qxf2 20.Kc2 Bf5+ 21.Kc1 Qxe1+ 22.Qd1 Rhe8 23. Qxe1 Rxe1 checkmate, HomogenousMass - jantonacci, FICS, 2009.
10...Qh4+ 11.g3 Qh3 12.Qf2 d6 13.Nd2 Bg4 14.Nc4 b5 15.Ne3 Nf6 16.Nxg4 Qxg4
White has dealt with threats on the Kingside, but that has taken time. As a result, his King is not yet castled - something that puts his center "Jerome pawns" (and their advance) at risk. The little things add up.
17.h3 Qd7 18.e5 dxe5 19.fxe5 Re8 20.Be3 Rxe5 21.O-O Kg8
After the final center pawn disappears, White's game collapses.
22.Bd4 Rxd5 23.Qe2 Bd6 24.c4 Rxd4 25.Rfd1 Bc5 26.Kh2 Ne4
27.Qe3 Rxd1 White resigned
White has lost material and is near checkmate.
Here we have another Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit game, giving an opportunity to share some speculation, and to once again ponder the aphorism that "the threat is greater than its execution".
kocanda - ETERHERE
standard, FICS, 2014
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4
The Blackburne Shilling Gambit.
4.Bxf7+
The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6 6.c3 Kxe5 7.cxd4+ Kxd4 8.d3 Bb4+
9.Nc3
Both 9.Ke2!? and 9.Kf1!? are mentioned in the notes to perrypawnpusher - AdamRou, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 28) and pigsfeet - jantonacci, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 14), but do not yet appear in any games in The Database.
The ideas: 9.Ke2 Ke5 10.Qb3 and White's mate threats allow him to grab the Black Bishop on the next move; or 9.Ke2 d5 10.Bf4 and White's Queen again will soon arrive at b3.
Similar attacking plans work for White after 9.Kf1.
9... Bxc3+ 10. bxc3+ Ke5 11. f4+
The "Jerome pawns" look scary, but the best move for White, instead, was 11.Qh5+ as in perrypawnpusher - AdamRou, blitz, FICS, 2010.
11...Kf6 Here Black forfeited by disconnection.
White may have a dangerous attack coming (although Houdini 3, at 25 ply, rated the position 0.00) but Black can continue to retreat his King, and declare "Show me!"
Perhaps other things were more pressing in Black's life away from the board.
Jerome Gambit and Jerome-like games are not usually though of as finesse-filled duels, but in the following game, in seeing to apply a refutation to White's attack, Black makes a couple of slim errors, and the results are unfortunate.
poethe - Principia
blitz, FICS, 2013
1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nc6 3.Nf3 Nd4
The Blackburne Shilling Gambit.
4.Bxf7+
The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6 6.f4
In 327 games in The Database, White scores 50% with this move, but correct is 6.c3. See "Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit: Don't Feed the Greed" among many relevant earlier posts.
6...Qh4+
The sharpest response. Now White's King comes under attack.
7.g3 Qh3 8.Kf2
Best, according to Houdini, is the alternative 8.Nf3, as in DragonTail - jantonacci, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 37), 8..Nxf3+ 9.Qxf3 when 9...Ke7 is advantageous to Black, e.g. Steelfinder - Sali, FICS, 2012 (0-1, 13).
8...Bc5 9.c3 Nc2+
Black goes directly after material.
Interestingly, Houdini suggests that he first kick out the White knight with 9...d6 10.Nc4 and then go for the Rook with 10...Nc2+ 11.d4 Nxa1 12.dxc5 Nf6, with the idea that Black's Knight on a1 will either eventually escape, or White will spend so much time capturing it that Black's lead in development will prove decisive.
10.d4 Nxa1
11.dxc5 d6
Here 11...Nf6 would lead to a complicated, unclear, perhaps balanced position.
The text clarifies things: Black will be checkmated.
12.Qd5+ Ke7 13.Qf7+ Black resigned
In my February 11, 2010 blog post, "Provoked", I noted about a chessfriend and Jerome Gambit Gemeinde member,
Welton Vaz de Souza is a nice guy.
Sure, from time-to-time he crushes opponents with the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), but he's a nice guy.
Suggestion: don't provoke him in a game of chess.
I was reminded of that when I ran into the following game.
Richad - NeoNunes
blitz, FICS, 2013
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4
The Blackburne Shilling Gambit.
4.0-0
This is one of the orthodox treatments of the BSG, along with 4.Nxd4 or 4.c3. Not everyone wants to play the Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit, 4.Bxf7+!?
4...b5
This move, however, proves to be too much provocation. White decides on a Delayed Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.
5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.Nxe5+
As I noted in that older post,
It turns out that 5.Bxf7+ is so strong (or 4...b5 so ill-advised) that White could simply grab back a piece here with the alternative 6.Nxd4. If Black responds 6...exd4 then White has 7.Qh5+ and a few checks later the Rook on a8 will be captured.
After 6.Nxd4 Nf6, White retreats his Knight with 7.Nf3 and is better.
6...Ke6
Instead, 6...Ke8 7.Qh5+ g6 8.Nxg6 was seen in Ghandybh - BoogieKnights, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 16) and mikelovell - rogerlovell, FICS, 2012 (1-0, 44).
The alternative, Black's strongest move, 6...Ke7, was seen in Rub - Wall,B, Palo Alto, 1989, (0-1, 12), mukund - jantonacci, FICS, 2013 (1-0, 10) and Chabus - AlfonsoX, FICS, 2013 (1-0, 14).
7.f4
Stronger was 7.c3, as in mukund - jantonacci, FICS, 2013 (1-0, 10) and Chabus - AlfonsoX, FICS, 2013 (1-0, 14).
7...Nf6 8.c3 Nc6 9.d4
9...Nxe5
Courting danger.
10.fxe5 c6 11.exf6 gxf6 12.Qg4+ Kd6 13.Bf4+ Ke7
14.Nd2
This move is good enough, but White misses the hilarious 14.Be5!?
when Black cannot capture the Bishop, as he will be checkmated; so the cheeky prelate can go on and capture at f6.
Black's next move hangs a piece, but White is in no hurry: he builds his attack and breaks through.
14...Bg7 15.Rae1 Rg8 16.e5 d5 17.exf6+ Kf7 18.Qh5+ Kf8 19.fxg7+ Rxg7 20.Bh6+ Kg8 21.Bxg7 Kxg7 22.Rf7+ Kg8 23.Qxh7 checkmate
(May 2014 was the highest visited month in the history of this blog, going back to 2008. Many, many thanks to readers - and please feel free to continue to visit. - Rick)
Following "Checking Back", it is time to use a recent Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit game to look at one of its more exciting variations.
pigsfeet - jantonacci
blitz, FICS, 2011
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4
The Blackburne Shilling Gambit.
4.Bxf7+
The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6 6.c3 Kxe5 7.cxd4+ Kxd4
Black's King has gone far afield to grab extra material. Why did he do that? Some chess players see the board as an all-you-can-eat buffet, and chow down on everything. Others might compare development, White vs Black, and as the first player has no pieces developed compared to the second player's one (the King) what appears to be the problem?
Safer was heading for home with 7...Ke6 as in richiehill - RVLY, FICS, 2009 (1-0,24).
8.d3
This is the recommended move, although White has also played 8.b3 (8.b4 is a variant) in jonyfin - jantonacci, FICS, 2009 (0-1, 16).
For 8.Nc3, see perrypawnpusher - PunisherABD, blitz, FICS, 2009 (1-0,14) and billwall - apollyon2010, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0,12).
DragonTail scored quickly with 8.Qc2 Qg5 9.Qc3+ Kxe4 10.0-0 Bd6 11.d3+ Kf5 12.Bxg5 Kxg5 13.Qxg7+ Black resigned, DragonTail - tcharge, FICS, 2009.
8.Qa4+ is an interesting idea which will be covered in a later post.
8...Bb4+
Retreats such as 8...Ke5 in perrypawnpusher - PunisherABD, blitz, FICS, 2009 (1-0, 27) and 8...Nf6 9.Be3+ Ke5 from perrypawnpusher - RVLY, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 26) have been seen.
Best for Black seems to be 8...Kc5 with only a slight disadvantage.
9.Nc3
Playable also is 9.Kf1!? or 9.Ke2!? although the text is natural and even allows Black further gluttony, if he wishes.
9...d5
"Luft!" says the Queen.
Also played has been 9...Bxc3+ 10.bxc3+ when taking the c-pawn is fatal after 10...Kxc3 11.Qb3+ (The Database does not have any examples, but Edisce - nkm, FICS, 2005 came close with 11.0-0 Qf6 12.Be3 Kb4 13.Rb1+ Ka5 14.Qb3 c5 15.Qa3 checkmate).
perrypawnpusher-AdamRou, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 28) saw 9...Bxc3+ 10.bxc3+ Ke5 11.Qh5+ Ke6.
10.Be3+
Again, a very reasonable move, although White may try to weave a mating net by putting his Queen on b3 and his Bishop on f4. Black might give up his Bishop to buy White off.
10...Ke5 11.Qh5+
The Queen must commit herself, as the enemy monarch is making his escape.
11...Kf6
Rybka 3 recommends 11...Kd6, when, if Black can survive the scary, pawnful middlegame, he can then take a few swipes at White and enter an endgame, down a pawn and the exchange: 12.Qxd5+ Ke7 13.Qg5+ Nf6 14.Qxg7+ Ke6 15.f4 Rg8 16.f5+ Kd6 17.Qf7 Bxc3+ 18.bxc3 b6 19.Bd4 Kc6 20.Qc4+ Kb7 21.Bxf6 Qxf6 22.Qxg8 Qxc3+ 23.Ke2 Qc2+ 24.Ke3 Qc5+ 25.Kf3 Bxf5 26.Qc4 Qxc4 27.dxc4 Be6.
analysis diagram
In the game, Black gives up his Queen, and then his King.
12.Bg5+ Ke6 13.Bxd8 d4 14.Qd5 checkmate
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