Sunday, October 4, 2009

White: Looking For Opportunites

Not every Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc3 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) can be a swash-buckling win for White. Often the first player must keep the game (sometimes, even the draw) in hand while looking for an opportunity to present itself (see "It's not over until the Lady sings..."). At the right moment he can strike back, like in the following game, and win the day.

AlgozBR - WeiJ
blitz, FICS, 2009

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8

Given by Alonzo Wheeler Jerome in his analysis in the July 1874 Dubuque Chess Journal.

7.Qxe5 Qe7

As far as I can tell, this was first played by Jerome himself, in two 1880 corresponcence games with Daniel Jaeger.

8.Qf4+ Nf6 9.0-0 TN

Or 9.Nc3 d6 ( 9...c6 10.d3 d6 11.h3 h6 12.0-0 g5 13.Qg3 Qe5 14.Qxe5 White resigned, Jaeger - Jerome, correspondence, 1880) 10.0-0 Bd4 11.d3 a6 12.Ne2 c6 13.Nxd4 b5 14.Nxc6 Qe6 15.Nd4 Qe7 16.Bd2 Kg8 17.Nf5 Qc7 18.Qxd6 Qxd6 19.Nxd6 Be6 20.f4 g6 21.Bc3 Nd7 22.Bxh8 Kxh8 23.f5 gxf5 24.exf5 Bd5 25.Rae1 Nf6 26.Ne4 Bxe4 27.dxe4 Rc8 28.e5 Nd5 29.e6 Rxc2 30.e7 Nxe7 31.Rxe7 Rxb2 32.f6 Rd2 33.Re8 checkmate, perrypawnpusher - ERICOLSON, 2 12 blitz, FICS, 2007

9...d6 10.Re1 Be6 11.e5

Breaking in the center at the earliest moment, to facilitate an attack on the enemy King and Queen.

11...dxe5 12.Rxe5 Bd6

Black has to feel like he already has the game in the bag – always a dangerous mind-set.

13.d4 Kg8 14.Nc3 14...Bxe5 15.dxe5 Nd5 16.Qg3 h6
Okay, if you're going to look for a swindle, er, opportunity, where would you start?

17.Ne4 Kh7 18.c4 Nb6 19.Qd3
There are so many reasons why this shouldn't work, but it's a blitz game, and Black gets careless...

19...Rhf8 20.Nf6+ Kh8 21.Qh7 checkmate



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