Sunday, November 8, 2009

A Hot Rocket to Oblivion


If you play a refuted opening like the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) you have to know that you are riding a hot rocket to oblivion, and if a chance comes along to hop off safely, you should consider it. That is one reason why it is useful to recognize and punish your opponent's first "creative" step away from the main line. The game you save may be your own.

perrypawnpusher  - TheTrueDamaBlanca
blitz FICS, 2009

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6



The Semi-Italian opening. White can make a developing move, and hope that Black will play 4...Bc5, transposing into the Jerome Gambit.

4.0-0 Na5

This is like walking around with a Kick Me! sign pinned to the seat of your pants...

5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.Nxe5+


6...Ke8

I've been here before. TheTrueDamaBlanca choses the most dangerous alternative.

Tricky and trappy is 6...Kf6. There is no way that I would have figured out the following over-the-board in a blitz game, but it is knowledge that I will arm myself with for the next time...

After 6...Kf6, White can win the enemy Queen, but then he has to take care of his own: 7.Qh5 Ne7 8.Nf7 Qe8 9.e5+ Ke6 10.Ng5+ hxg5 11.Qxe8 (with a Queen for two pieces, this is winning; although now Black plans to box in the Queen and then play ...Bg7) 11...Nac6 (covering the escape square d8) 12.Nc3 a6 (stopping the rescue mission Nc3-b5) 13.d4 Nxd4 14.Rd1 g6 15.Bxg5 Ndc6 (reinforcing the Knight that guards the pawn at g6)16.Nd5 Bg7 17.Nxc7+ Kf5 18.Qf7+ (at last!) Kxg5 19.Qxg7 Rh4 20.Qf6+ Kh5 21.f4 and Black's King is in a mating net. Whew! 





analysis diagram






Rybka sees 6...Ke6 as the best choice for Black. White's logical response is 7.Ng6, when the second player can surrender the h8 Rook (for a piece) immediately with 7...Nf6 and face complications after 8.Nxh8 Bd6 9.e5 or he can surrender the Rook (for a piece) after complications: 7...Rh7 8.Qg4+ Kf7 9.Ne5+ Ke7 10.Qg6 Nf6 11.Qf7+ Kd6 12.Ng6 Qe8 13.Qxf8 Qxf8 14.Nxf8 Ke7 15.Nxh7 Nxh7. 





analysis diagram






Again: nobody should memorize this, just understand that there is "something" to look for after 6...Ke6, too.

Finally, an earlier encounter: 6...Ke7 7.Qh5 Kd6 8.Nf7+ Ke7 9.Nxd8 Kxd8 10.Qxa5 b6 11.Qc3 Nf6 12.d3 d6 13.f4 Ng4 14.e5 dxe5 15.fxe5 Bc5+ 16.d4 Be7 17.Qc6 Rb8 18.Qg6 Rg8 19.Nc3 Ba6 20.Rf7 c5 21.Qxg4 cxd4 22.Qxd4+ Ke8 23.Rxe7+ Kxe7 24.Qd6+ Ke8 25.Qxb8+ Kf7 26.Qxa7+ Kg6 27.Qxa6 Kh7 28.Qd3+ Kh8 29.Qh3 Re8 30.Bxh6 gxh6 31.Qxh6+ Kg8 32.Qg6+ Kf8 33.e6 Ke7 34.Qf7+ Kd8 35.Qd7 checkmate, perrypawnpusher - Butin, FICS, 2009

7.Qh5+ Ke7


Again, choosing the greater of two evils, but there was not a lot of happiness in 7...g6, either: 8.Qxg6+ Ke7 9.Nc3 (threatening mate) c6 10.b3 (adding White's dark-squared Bishop to the attack) and Black will eventually lose his King or Queen.

8.Ng6+ Ke6 9.Qf5+ Kd6 10.Qd5 checkmate


No comments:

Post a Comment