Jerome Gambit: We Have A Winner!

A quick look at the RedHotPawn.com Jerome Gambit Tournament shows that the second round (and thus the tournament) has been "decided". (One game remains, but it will determine who will be the "line follower" not the "line leader".)

With 3 points for a win and 1 point for a draw, SeinfeldFan91 topped the list handily with 24 points, going unbeaten through both rounds. Hat tip to the man!

The rest of the players: procyk 15 points,  kristjan 9 points,  junnujannu 6 points and rigidwithfear 3 points.

(junnujannu and rigidwithfear remain locked in an interesting battle.)

Jerome Gambit: Important Win

If SeinfeldFan91 wins the current RedHotPawn.com Jerome Gambit tournament, it will be in part due to his second round win over his main rival for top honors.

SeinfeldFan91 - procyk
Giuoco Piano Jerome Gambit Tournament
RedHotPawn.com, 2016

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

4...Kxf7 5.c3 h6

White chooses a "modern" Jerome Gambit variation, playing something other than the "classical" 5.Nxe5+.

Black's defensive pawn move has risks as well as benefits.

6.b4 Bd6

The text is maybe a little bit better than 6...Bb6. Two examples: 7.b5 Na5 (7...Qf6 8.bxc6 dxc6 9.d4 exd4 10.cxd4 Bg4 11.Qb3+ Ke8 12.Nbd2 Rd8 13.O-O Bxd4 14.Nxd4 Qxd4 15.Rb1 b5 16.Qg3 Nf6 17.h3 Be6 18.Nf3 Qxe4 19.Qxg7 Rf8 20.Re1 Qd5 21.Bxh6 Rf7 22.Qg6 Rdd7 23.Ng5 Kd8 24.Rxe6 Black resigned, Wall,B - Albertasss, Chess.com, 2010) 8.Nxe5+ Ke6 9.Qh5 Qf6 10.d4 d6 11.Ng6 Rh7 12.Qd5+ Kd7 13.Ne5+ Ke7 14.Qxg8 dxe5 15.Ba3+ Kd7 16.Qxh7 exd4 17.O-O dxc3 18.e5 Qf7 19. e6+ Qxe6 20.Qxg7+ Ke8 21.Qf8+ Kd7 22.Rd1+ Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest2359830, PlayChess.com, 2015.

7.b5

Another idea: 7.Qb3+ Kf8 8.d3 Nf6 9.O-O Qe7 10.Be3 Qe6 11.Qc2 b6 12.Nbd2 Bb7 13.d4 exd4 14.Nxd4 Nxd4 15.Bxd4 Qxe4 16.Nxe4 Nxe4 17.Qd3 Re8 18.f3 Ng5 19.Rae1 Rxe1 20.Rxe1 Be7 21.Qf5+ Ke8 22.Bxg7 Rg8 23.Qf6 Kd8 24.Qxe7+ Kc8 25.Bf6 Ne6 26.Rxe6 dxe6 27.Qxe6+ Kb8 28.Qxg8+ Bc8 29.Qd8 Kb7 Black resigned, KingAsh - Nineyes, FICS, 2015. 

7...Na5 8.d4 Qf6

Overlooking a tactic based on Black's King being on f7.

9.dxe5 Qe6 

Now he sees it: if 9...Bxe5 then 10.Qd5+ will win the Bishop. As it is, White wins back the piece anyhow.

10.exd6 Qxe4+ 11.Be3 Nc4

Black gets some pressure, but it is not enough.

12.Nbd2 Nxd2 13.Qxd2 Nf6 14.dxc7 Ng4 15.O-O Re8

It is useful to point out Black's light-squared Bishop, still on its home square, blocking the Queenside Rook.

16.Bd4 d6 17.Rfe1 Qd5 18.Qf4+ Bf5 19.c4 g5 20. Qxg4 Bxg4 21.
cxd5 Black resigned

Tournament Update (updated)

The second round of the RedHotPawn Jerome Gambit thematic tournament has generated a good number of interesting games!

The field is currently led by SeinfeldFan91 (2171),  ahead of procyk (1865),  kristjan (1673), rigidwithfear (1481) and junnujannu (1397).

Stop by and check out the games. When the round is completed, I will share some of them.

Jerome Gambit: Little Surprises

!?!?

While the Jerome Gambit might, on the surface, appear to be a "simple" chess opening - so brutal as to be completely transparent - it can have its little surprises, which is part of what makes it attractive. Take the following game...

procyk - deriver69
Jerome Gambit Tournament, RedHotPawn.com, 2016

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

4...Kxf7 5.c3 Nf6 6.O-O d6 7.d4 exd4 8.cxd4 Bb6 9.Qb3+ Ke7 

It is interesting that Stockfish 7 prefers 9...d5 here, while a couple of other computers in game situations preferred 9...Kf8, e.g. 10.Qd3 (10.d5 Ne5 11.Nxe5 dxe5 12.Nc3 Ng4 13.h3 Bxf2+ 14.Rxf2+ Nxf2 15.Kxf2 Qh4+ 16.Kg1 Qg3 17.Nb5 Qxb3 18.axb3 c6 19.Nc7 Rb8 20.Be3 Bd7 21.Bxa7 Rd8 22.Rf1+ Kg8 23.Bc5 cxd5 24.exd5 h6 25.Re1 Rc8 26.d6 Rh7 27.b4 g6 28.Nd5 Rf8 29.Rxe5 Rhf7 30.Re1 Re8 31.Ne7+ Kh7 32.Ra1 Ref8 33.b3 Rf4 34.Ra7 Rb8 35.Bb6 Rf7 36.Bc7 Rbf8 37.Rxb7 Bxh3 38.Bb6 Bc8 39.Ra7 Be6 40.d7 Rf1+ 41.Kh2 Rd1 42.d8=Q Rdxd8 43.Bxd8 Rxd8 44.b5 Rd3 45.Nc6+ Kg8 46.b6 Rxb3 47.b7 Bc4 48.b8=Q+ Rxb8 49.Nxb8 Be6 50.Nc6 h5 51.Kg3 Kf8 52.Kf4 Bd5 53.Ne5 Bxg2 54.Nxg6+ Ke8 55.Kg5 Bf3 56.Nf4 Kd8 57.Nxh5 Kc8 58.Rg7 Be4 59.Kf4 Bc6 60.Ke5 Bf3 61.Nf4 Bc6 62.Ne6 Kb8 63.Kd6 Be4 64.Nd4 Kc8 65.Rc7+ Kb8 Black resigned, Rybka 2.3.2a - DrunkenMaster 1.2, 2009) 10...Qe7 11.Nc3 Bg4 12.Be3 Nb4 13.Qd2 Bxf3 14.gxf3 Kg8 15.Na4 Nc6 16.Rac1 Qf7 17.b4 Qg6+ 18.Kh1 Qh5 19.Qd1 Rc8 20.Nxb6 axb6 21.Rg1 Nxb4 22.Qb3+ Kf8 23.Qxb4 Qxf3+ 24.Rg2 Qxe4 25.Bg5 Qd5 26.Bxf6 gxf6 27.Qd2 h5 28.Qf4 f5 29.f3 Rh7 30.Rg6 Ra8 31.Rf6+ Ke8 32.Rxf5 Qg8 33.Qe4+ Kd8 34.Qxb7 Rc8 35.Rf6 Ke7 36.Rf4 Kd8 37.Re4 Qf7 38.f4 Rg7 39.Rce1 Rg8 40.Qc6 Qd7 41.Qd5 Qg4 42.Re7 Qg6 43.Qc6 Qg1+ 44.Rxg1 Rxg1+ 45.Kxg1 Kxe7 46.f5 Kf6 47.Qg2 Re8 48.Qg6+ Ke7 49.Qg7+ Kd8 50.f6 Kc8 51.f7 Black resigned, SOS 5.1 - DrunkenMaster, 2009.

In any event, Black appears to be doing well, having an extra piece for the cost of a pawn. True, his King has not found safety, but isn't that a trivial thing?

7.Bg5

White pins the Knight, setting up a hit on it with the e-pawn. It turns out that he can make the advance right away: 7.e5 dxe5 8.dxe5 Ne4 9.Ng5!? Here's a shocker; White recovers his piece. Stockfish 7 recommends 9...Qg8 10.Qxg8 Rxg8 11.Nxe4 h6 and White has a small edge.

7...Bg4 8.e5 dxe5 

9.Nxe5 

Deviating from the foretold 9.dxe5. Maybe he can still get a pawn to e5?

9...Nxe5 

Black believes he has an antidote to all the mischief regarding the e5 pawn's attack on the pinned Knight at f6, but he should have played it - 9...Be6 - right away, as after 10.Nxc6+ bxc6 11.Re1 Qd6 he would be doing fine.

10.dxe5 Be6 11.exf6+ gxf6 12.Qa3+ Kf7 

White has recovered his piece, and Black's King remains slightly exposed. If the first player can safeguard his Bishop, he should be able to keep the game level.

13.Bh4 

This looks fine, but Stockfish 7 recommends the pin, 13.Qf3, instead, i.e. 13...Qd4 14.Nd2 Bg4 15.Qb3+ Be6 16.Qf3 and an invitation to draw by repetition. Existential anxiety?

13...Rg8

This proves to be the winning idea, but the computer prefers 13...Qd4 14.Bg3 h5 15.Qc3 h4 16.Qxd4 Bxd4 17.Bxc7 Bxb2 18.Nd2 Bxa1 19.Rxa1 Bd5 when Black is clearly better.

14.Nc3 Bd4 15.Ne2 Qd5 16.Rad1 

Suddenly realizing that he had overlooked something, here White resigned

Jerome Gambit: Compensation

The following game is from the second round of the RedHotPawn.com Jerome Gambit tournament. Despite good effort in a difficult variation, White is not able to pry away the full point.

kristjan - procyk
RedHotPawn, 2016

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.d3 h6 

The game has transposed to a Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit line where White temporized with d2-d3, i.e. 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.d3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+ Kxf7.

White now decides on the "classical" second piece sacrifice. It is interesting to note that a first round game, deriver69 - procyk, transposed into the continuation 6.0-0 (0-1, 25).


6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.Qh5+ Ke6

Alternatives include:

7...g6 8.Qxe5 Be7 9.Qxh8 Bf6 10.Qh7+ Bg7 11.e5 d6 12.f4 Bf5 13.Nc3 Nf6 14.exf6 Qxf6 15.O-O c6 16.g4 Rh8 17.Qxh8 Bxh8 18.gxf5 gxf5 19.Be3 b5 20.Bxa7 h5 21.Be3 h4 22.a4 d5 23.d4 b4 24.Ne2 Qg6+ 25.Kf2 c5 26.a5 c4 27.a6 h3 28.a7 Qg2+ 29.Ke1 Black resigned, Wall,B - Riichmarj, Chess.com, 2010; 

7...Ng6 8. Qxc5 (8.Qd5+ Ke8 9.Qxc5 N8e7 10.f4 Rf8 11.O-O d6 12.Qh5 Kd7 13.Nc3 c6 14.Be3 Kc7 15.b4 Bd7 16.b5 cxb5 17.Nxb5+ Bxb5 18.Qxb5 a6 19.Qb2 Nc6 20.Bb6+ Kb8 21.Bxd8 Black resigned, Wall,B - Ashley, Chess.com, 2010) 8...d6 9.Qe3 Nf6 10.h3 (10.O-O Rf8 11.Nc3 Kg8 12.b4 Ng4 13.Qd4 N6e5 14.Qd5+ Kh8 15.f3 Qh4 16.fxg4 Rxf1+ 17.Kxf1 Qxh2 18.Bb2 Bxg4 19.Ke1 Qg1+ 20.Kd2 Qxg2+ 21.Kc1 Qf1+ 22.Kd2 Nf3+ 23.Ke3 Qh3 24.Qxb7 Ne5+ 25.Kd4 c5+ 26.bxc5 dxc5+ 27.Kxe5 Qh5+ 28.Kd6 Rd8+ 29.Kc6 Rc8+ 30.Kb5 c4+ 31.Kb4 Qe5 32.Rb1 Rb8 33.Nb5 Qxb2+ 34.Rxb2 Rxb7 35.Kxc4 a6 36.a4 axb5+ 37.axb5 White resigned, DREWBEAR 63 - TWODOGS, JGTourney4, ChessWorld, 2009) 10...Bd7 11.Bd2 Bc6 12.Nc3 Rf8 13.O-O-O Kg8 14.f4 Nd7 15.g4 Nxf4 16.Qd4 Ne6 17.Qg1 Ng5 18.h4 Nf3 19.Qg3 Nxd2 20.Rxd2 Ne5 21.Ne2 Rf3 22.Qg2 Qe7 23.Nd4 Rf4 24.g5 Rg4 25.Qe2 hxg5 26.hxg5 Qxg5 27.Qh2 Kf7 28.Rf1+ Ke7 29.Nf5+ Kd7 30.Nd4 a5 31.b3 a4 32.b4 b6 33.Rf5 Qe3 34.Nxc6 Kxc6 35.Kb2 a3+ 36.Kb3 Qd4 37.c3 Qe3 38.Rdf2 Qxd3 39.Rd2 Qc4+ White resigned, ZahariSokolov - laspac, FICS, 2014.

8.Qf5+ Kd6 9.Nc3

Development is a good thing in a gambit, but White might have had more luck with 9.f4. There are only two games with that move in The Database, but White won both.

9...c6

Black also succeeded with 9...a6 10.Bf4 Qf6 11.Bxe5+ Qxe5 12.Qf8+ Kc6 13.f4 Qxc3+ White resigned, jibeng - ehvmc, FICS, 2010.

10.Bf4

Again White goes with develoment. Seen elsewhere was 10.f4 Qf6 11.fxe5+ Qxe5 12.Bf4 Bd4 13.Bxe5+ Bxe5 14.O-O Nf6 15.Rad1 Ke7 16.d4 d6 17.Qg6 Bxh2+ 18.Kxh2 Be6 19.e5 dxe5 20.dxe5 Bf7 21.exf6+ gxf6 22.Qe4+ Kf8 23.Rxf6 Re8 24.Rxf7+ Kxf7 25.Rd7+ Kf6 26.Qh4+ Ke6 27.Rxb7 a6 28.Qc4+ Kd6 29.Qxa6 Rc8 30.Ne4+ Kd5 31.Qd3+ Ke5 32.g3 Rcd8 33.Re7+ Kf5 34.Qf3+ Kg6 35.Qf7 checkmate, ZahariSokolov - mmamaju, FICS, 2014 

10...Qf6

11.Bxe5+ 

Likely better was 11.O-O-O, although the position would still be difficult. 

11...Qxe5 12.Qf3 Nf6 13.O-O-O Bd4 White resigned

The ending comes abruptly, but White may have decided that he simply did not have enough compensation for his two pieces. It will take some work to get any kind of attack on the King going.

Tournament Update

The second round of the RedHotPawn Jerome Gambit thematic tournament has started. SeinfeldFan91 (2171),  procyk (1865),  kristjan (1673), rigidwithfear (1481) and junnujannu (1397) are battling it out for top honors!

I will share first round games, with analysis, when such attention does not interfere with the ongoing games. At the completion of the tournament, I will add second round games.

Good chess, all!

Tournaments Update

The first round of the RedHotPawn Jerome Gambit thematic tournament is nearing completion - there is one game left, deep in a one-sided endgame - and it looks like SeinfeldFan91 (18 points) will advance from Group 1; procyk and rigidwithfear (each 12 points) will advance from Group 2; kristjan (15 points) will advance from Group 3; and junnujannu (15 points) will advance from Group 4. Good chess to all of you!

In the Chess.com Giuoco Piano thematic tournament, I am (temporarily) in first place, with 12 points out of 16 games. With one game (with the Black pieces) yet to start, I am currently playing a Jerome Gambit - and my record with the Jerome so far is an odd 3 wins, 3 wins on time, and 2 losses. 

Jerome Gambit Thematic: More Fighting Chess to Come

The first round of the Jerome Gambit thematic tournament at RedHotPawn.com is almost complete. One game remains in motion, an endgame where Black has B+N+5p and White has 5p. Assuming that Black is able to convert his advantage to a win, the following players will advance to the second round;

SeinfeldFan91 won all 6 of his games, and will advance from Group 1.

procyk and rigidwith fear each won 5 of their games, and both will advance from Group 2.

kristjan, with 5 wins, will advance from Group 3.

junnujannu, with 5 wins, will advance from Group 4.

It is pleasant to note that all players (except one who forfeited all games) in the first round were able to score at least 1 point.

Expect more fighting chess in Round Two!

Good Knight

I have been enjoying the games of the RedHotPawn.com Jerome Gambit tournament (over 80% of the first round games have been completed). I have shared some of the games here, but only the short ones and the ones with unusual (for the Jerome Gambit!) lines - it is clear that players are putting serious effort into opening play, and I don't want to spill anyone's "secrets" in case they want to use them in later rounds.

Still, it is possible to look at a few fun endings, each making use of a Knight or Knights.

For example, here LittleDonkey uses three pieces to achieve a checkmate.

Jean TylerGabriel - LittleDonkey

He didn't need a Queen, you say? He could have used a pawn to do the same job (cover the g2 square)? Here is another checkmate that uses a hearty, helpful pawn -

RODbr - SeinfeldFan91

As a matter of fact, Black's last move was 29...Ra2-g2#. For fun, he also could have played 29...h2# - thanks, in part, to the stalwart Knight.

Here are a couple more Knights at work:

rigidwithfear - procyk

And a single Knight:

RODbr - ZorroTheFox

And a Knight with a lot of helpers:

BigD00 - kristjan

In this last position, Black and White are roughly equal in material, but White has a move that should win the exchange. Black is not willing to give up the material, and so faces a Queen sacrifice and then suffers death by suffication...

rigidwithfear - golddog2

33.Ne5+ Kg8 34.Qe6+ Kh8 35.Nf7+ Kg8 36.Nh6+ Kh8 37.Qg8+ Rxg8 38.Nf7 checkmate

Good Knight!