Friday, September 11, 2009

Adolf Albin Plays the Jerome Gambit (Part 2)

Adolf Albin (18481920), of Romania, was a creative chess master with a number of opening experiments to his credit, most notably the Albin Counter Gambit (1.d4 d5 2.c4 e5) and the Albin-Alekhine-Chatard Attack vs the French Defense (1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7 5.e5 Nfd7 6.h4).

As we saw last post (see "Adolf Albin Plays the Jerome Gambit (Part 1)" ) a case can be made that he dabbled in the "modern" variation of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) as well.

Albin,A - Schlechter,C
Trebitsch Memorial Tournament Vienna, 1914

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Qe2 Bc5 5.Bxf7+


Not good, as it retards White's development. Max Lange, in 1859, pointed out the weakness of 5.Ng5 Nd4 6.Bxf7+ Kf8 7.Qc4 Qe7. The best move is 5.c3. Deutsches Schachzeitung
An old continuation which only helps Black to develop. Deutsches Wochenschach

5...Kxf7

Or, from the Jerome Gambit move order: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Qe2 Nf6. Voila!

6.Qc4+ d5 7.Qxc5 Nxe4
8.Qe3 Re8 9.0-0 Kg8 10.c4

The decisive blunder. 10.d3 was indicated. Deutsches Schachzeitung
10...Nf6 11.cxd5 Nxd5 12.Qe4 Nf6 13.Qa4 e4
14.Ne1 Nd4 15.Nc3 a6 16.Nc2 c5


17.b4 was threatened. Deutsches Wochenschach

17.Ne3
Black would still have the best of it after 17.Nxd4 cd 18.Ne2 d3 Deutsches Schachzeitung
17...Be6 18.Qd1 Bf7



Threatening ...Bh5 and the sacrifice of the knight Deutsches Wochenschach

19.Kh1
There is no defense. If 19.b3 then 19...Bh5 20.Qe1 (or 20.f3 ef 21.gf Qd7) Nf3+ 21.gf Bxf3 with a winning attack. If 19.Ng4 then 19...Nh5 The reply to 19.d3 ed 20.Qxd3 is 20...Nf3+ Deutsches Schachzeitung
19...Bh5 20.f3


Or 20.Qe1 Nf3 21.gf Bxf3+ followed by ...Ng4 or 20.g4 Bg6 followed by ...Nf3 Deutsches Schachzeitung
20...exf3 21.gxf3 Qd7 22.Kg2


Otherwise Black plays 22...Qh3 Deutsches Schachzeitung
22...Re5 23.h4

Forced, on account of the threat of ...Rg5+ Deutsches Schachzeitung
23...Rf8 24.d3 Ne8 25.Ng4 Ref5 26.f4

If 26.Nh2 then 26...Nxf3 Deutsches Schachzeitung

26...Nf6 27.Nxf6+ R8xf6 28.Qd2 Rg6+ 29.Kf2 Rf8 30.Ke1 Qh3 31.Ne4 Rg2 White resigned


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