Jerome Gambit: Drilling Down (4)

This time Fritz 8 tries the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) and boldly takes on the Blackburne Rook sacrifice (see "Jerome Gambit: Drilling Down (3)"). The play is tricky for both players; since neither know the variation, it is also dangerous.

Fritz 8 - RevvedUp

2 12, 2006

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6

7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qxh8

Okay! (For a way to avoid the capture, see "Jerome Gambit: Drilling Down (3)")

8...Qh4

The start of Blackburne's counter-attack.

9.0-0 Bh3

A very interesting miscalculation: if the "material grubbing" computer now takes the Bishop with 10.gxh3, Black draws with 10...Nf6 11.Qxa8 Qxh3 12.Qxb7 Qg4+ 13.Kh1 Qf3+ 14.Kg1 Qg4+ etc.

White does better to rescue his Queen with 10.Qc3 – which explains why Blackburne's move was 9...Nf6 (instead of the text 9...Bh3) trapping Her Majesty.

10.Qc3

Now White is the exchange and two pawns up and is clearly winning. He decides to open lines against the beleaguered Black King.

10...Be6 11.d4 Bb6 12.Nd2 Nf6 13.Nf3 Qh5 14.Ng5+ Ke7 15.e5 Ng4 16.h3 Nh6 17.exd6+ cxd6 18.Qe3 Black resigns