Repairing a Variation (Part 3)

The next step in repairing a variation, after you have defined the problem (Part 1) and reviewed some game history (Part 2), is to see what has been written about the line.

Unfortunately, when you are dealing with a variation of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), reading up on the "His Nibs" Variation (4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Qf5+ Ke6 8.f4 Qh4) can be done during a coffee break.
There are only two sources in print that I have been able to find in about 8 years of study of the Jerome Gambit.

The first, in Randspringer #6 1990-1991, was in an article by Jack Young, author of many hysterical "Bozo's Chess Emporium" articles for Chess Horizons.

"Meet Jerome"

The Jerome Gambit (also known as the "Kentucky Opening" according to Blackburne), like the Reynolds Gambit, like the Chicago Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nxe5!! Nxe5 4.d4), like the Fred (1.e4 f5!!) desrves to be in the arsenal of every serious tournament player. Don't know the Jerome? That's OK but if you play through the following game I would not be surprised if it convinced you to venture the Jerome in your next serious tournament game. This important theoretical battle featured some real "high caliber" opposition and makes a good case for the playability of the Jerome Gambit...

...Young - Computer, 1991: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+! Kxf7 5.Nxe5+! Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4?! Another computer defused the attack after 8...Qh4+ 9.g3 Qf6

I admit that this is only a snippet of a mention, but I include it for a couple of reasons. First, it is also the first game (even if a partial) after "R.F" - "Nibs", 1899, that I have in my database. Secondly, it shows that the Black Queen check-and-return was primarily to disrupt White's kingside, not the beginning of a complicated Queen sacrifice.

The second reference I reviewed is from the unusual chess book Unorthodox Chess (2005), by the even more unusually-named author, Some Loser. (I reviewed the book for Chessville here.)

...the Jerome Gambit - an old favorite of mine, back in the good old days when I used to imagine I could get away with anything. It goes like so: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+!! Kxf7 5.Nxe5+! Nxe5 6.Qh5+ White will be able to recover one of the sacrificed pieces, after which Black's exposed King position plus the two Pawns, not to mention the fabulous shock value, almost compensate for the other piece. Ah, those were the days... and hard to swallow as it may seem, it has actually been known to work from time to time.
For instance 6...Ke6?! 7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Qh4+?! 9.g3 Nf3+ 10.Kf1 Nxh2+?! 11.Kg2 Qd8 [11...Qg4 12.Qd5+ Ke7 13.Qxc5+ d6 14.Qf2 Nf6 15.Rxh2 Nxe4 16.Qe3 Qe6] 12.Qd5+ Ke7 13.Qxc5+ d6 14.Qg5+ Ke8 15.Qxd8+ Kxd8 16.Rxh2 Nf6 17.d3 Ng4? 18.Rh4 Nf6 19.Be3 Bg4?! 20.Bd4 Bd1? 21.Na3 Be2 22.Kf2 Bxd3 23.cxd3 c5 24.Bxf6+ gxf6 25.Nc4 Ke7 26.Ne3 Kf7 27.Rah1 Kg6 28.Rh6+ Kg7 29.Nf5+ Kg8 30.Rxf6 d5 31.Nh6+ Kg7 32.Rf7+ Kg6 33.e5 Rhg8 [33...Rab8 34.f5+ Kg5 35.Rg7#; 33...Rag8 34.Rf6+ Kg7 35.Nf5#] 34.Rf6+ Kg7 35.Nf5+ Kh8 36.Rxh7+ Kxh7 37.Rh6#

The lesson from Some Loser's game (or analysis, it is not clear from the text) is that the White King move 10.Kf1 is not an improvement over abhailey's and R.F.'s 10.Kd1. This was confirmed in both perrypawnpusher - james042665, Chess.com, 2008 (0-1, 18) and perrypawnpusher - Temmo, chessworld.com, 2008 (0-1, 43), even though both defenders did not follow the best line of play.
Black's 10...Nxh2+ vs Some Loser was a mistake which surrendered the second player's advantage. As in abhailey - peonconorejas, net-chess, 2008, the best move was 10...Ne7 with similar powerful play against White's Queen and King. Also, 10...Qd8 gave White the advantage, whereas 10...Qg4 would have led to an equal game.

Repairing a Variation (Part 2)

It is helpful to look at some early play in the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) to develop a feel for the line that needs repairing (see "Repairing a Variation (Part 1)" ). The first example in my database of a game with 8...Qh4+ is an imaginary game presented in the June 1899 issue of the American Chess Magazine. In an article titled "A CHESS SCRAP" by "R.F." it is supposedly an early example of chess-by-telephone – filled with all of the difficulties that came from using a then new and unproven technology. "R.F." - "Nibs" telephone chess, 1899 "HULLO! Is this Nibs? I move 1.e4 --yes, I get you - 1...e5 now 2.Nf3 Black 2...Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 NOW 4.Bxf7+

"HULLO! Centr-r-r--what's up? YOU'RE not referee! -- pre-ee-kwu-ror-bing!!! "YES, I get you - Black 4...Kxf7 now 5.Nxe5+ --yes, I mean it --What opening? you'll see -- it's the END I'm after -- a variation on the Spanish -- fire away! 5...Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 all right -- "You want 1/3 OFF! Who are YOU?--Hullo--I'm not talking to Drex-irrwhixzyvilling--SAY, CENT, you've cut us off; what ails you?--Give me 725 38-- "Now, Nibs - 7.Qf5+ Kd6 I thought so -- this game adjourned till we check, Central. 8.f4 "NO, O-O -- WE'RE NOT THROUGH YET!! Hold the wire, what, your 8th? 8...Qh4+ ? Regular El Caney move -- "SPELL-ELL it - groorumbrkyxgz -- HBLLULLOOA YOU mind your biz! Send your manager to the wire - whyer-er-ert-r-roontoonmuling--Is this Central? Well, I've sent to a pay station to ring up your manager -- WHO HAS? I, I, myself, have, give me 725 38 -- You, Nibs? 9.g3 Nf3+ "Hang this-- match--You'll hang it up very soon now! 10.Kd1 Ne7 yes, not quite through- 11.e5+ Kd5 that can't draw you out, see? 12.Qd3+ check--your 8th move cooked your defence--goodbye, Central, you've mated him."

A few comments:

Fortunately, telephone service is far improved today, especially with the absence of an interrupting Central operator.

The American Chess Magazine article did not say if this "game" was based on a real game or someone's analysis.

The "El Caney" reference was to a July 1898 battle during the Spanish-American War, when 500 Spanish soldiers withstood the attack of 8,000 American soldiers for 12 hours. It is odd that the author attributes this to a Black move, as it is clear from diagram three that the second player in the game had more "troops" in the field.

The final comment – "you've mated him" – was incorrect. However, after 12...Nd4 White can play 13.gxh4, winning the enemy Queen, with a significant advantage.

Repairing a Variation (Part 1)

I know that the idea of "repairing" a variation in an opening like the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bx5 4.Bxf7+) – which has a number of refutations – seems kind of silly, if not impossible. Still, I remain troubled by the game last year in which my pal, abhailey, met a devastating Queen sacrifice by Black (see "Jerome Gambit Tournament: Chapter II", "Jerome Gambit Tournament: Chapter XVI" and "A Dangerous Place") and, along with the opening, was hammered to pieces in a miniature. That just doesn't seem right...

First, here's a closer look at the game.

abhailey - peonconorejas
net-chess.com 2008

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6

Defenders unfamiliar with the Jerome Gambit might find this move to be scary, but it is part of a number of established defensive schemes.

7.Qf5+

I have always preferred this nudge of the King (to in front of the d-pawn) to the straight-forward 7.f4 (see "Joker's Wild (1)", "Joker's Wild (2)" and "Joker's Wild (conclusion)" for some recent analysis of that line). That's one reason why I'd like to find a defense to peonconorejas' attack.

7...Kd6 8.f4 Qh4+ This move is reminiscent of the counter-attack first played against Lt. Sorensen (see "Bashi-Bazouk Attack" for Sorensen's take on the Jerome Gambit; and "Jerome Gambit Tournament: Chapter: X" for the game): 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bx4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.d4 Qh5.

9.g3 Nf3+

Black is clearly confused – or he has a specific plan.

10.Kd1 Ne7

Instead of moving his attacked Queen, Black counter-attacks. At first it seems that White's only task is to rescue his Queen, with checks. (During this internet correspondence game abhailey emailed me, pleased with his play and happy that he could see the win of the Black Queen.) Black's army of pieces, however, is a serious threat.

11.e5+ Kc6

The right escape square. If 11...Kd5 12.Nc3+ Kc6 13.Qe4+ Kb6 and Black's Queen can be captured.

12.Qe4+ d5

The only move, but it is very good.

13.exd6+ Nd5

Again, the best move. Leading to equality, even though Black will have only two pieces for a Queen and a pawn, was 13...Kxd6 14.gxh4, for example: 14...Bg4 15.f5 Ne5+ 16.Ke1 Bf3 17.Qa4

analysis diagram

14.gxh4 Bg4

15.Qa4+

Again, White seems to have rescued his Queen.

15...b5

Also winning, and perhaps simpler, was 15...Kxd6

16.Qa6+ Nb6

The position is not just complicated for White, but for Black, too. A better move here was 16...Bb6.

17.c4

After 17.h3 Bh5 18.d3 things are very unclear. Black might have a win in the long run, or White might eventually escape.

The text move allows a mate-in-three that Black overlooks.

17...Nd4+

This wins, but an even nicer ending would have been: 17...Ne1+ 18.Kxe1 Rae8+ 19.Kf1 Bh3+.

analysis diagram

18.Ke1 Rhe8+

There are just too many Black pieces in play.

19.Kf2 Nf5+ 20.Kf1

The alternative 20.d4 holds out longer, but why suffer?: 20...Bxd4+ 21.Be3 Rxe3 22.Qxb5+ Kb7 23.Qxf5 Bxf5 24.d7 Rd3+ 25.Ke2 Nxd7 26.Nd2 Re8+ 27.Kd1 Be3 28.Kc2 Rxd2+ 29.Kb3 Rd3+ 30.Kc2 Rd6+ 31.Kb3 Nc5+ 32.Kb4 Rb6+ 33.Ka3 Bd2 34.b3 Bc3 35.Rae1 Ra6#

20...Bh3 checkmate

500

Today marks the 500th consecutive daily post on this Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) blog.

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Rough Weather

Pete Banks ("blackburne"), likely the top contemporary across-the-board Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) player this blog is aware of, will finish the current 15-player ChessWorld Jerome Gambit Thematic Chess Tournament tied for 10th place, a bit of a disappointment. Some of his games show a bit of rust – just enough that, barring a few unfortunate slips, he could have actually finished 5 or 6 places higher. The following is an example of things suddenly going haywire.

blackburne - Piratepaul
JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6

A very reasonable defense, considered one of the refutations of the Jerome Gambit.

7.Qxc5 d6 8.Qe3 Nf6

9.0-0 Rf8 10.d4 Kg8

Black has castled-by-hand. White's task is to use his center pawns (d-, e- and f-pawns) to begin an attack on the enemy King. Black will strike back in the center.

11.Nc3 c6 12.f4 Ng4 13.Qg3 Nf6 14.f5

14...Ne7 15.Bh6 Nh5

Protecting the g7 pawn and attacking the White Queen, although the more "boring" 15...Rf7 might have been a better move.

16.Qg4

This is one of the moves that I referred to as "rusty." The Queen moves to a square which is on the same diagonal as Black's Bishop. One step further would have gotten White the attack he wanted: 16.Qg5. Now 16...Qe8 allows White a smashing attack, for example: 17.f6 Ng6 18.fxg7 Nxg7 19.h4 Rxf1+ 20.Rxf1 Qe7 21.Rf6 Nf8 22.d5 Bd7 23.e5 +-;






analysis diagram






Leading to a bit of an edge for White would have been 16. Qg5 Rf7 17.Qxh5 gxh6 18.Qxh6 +/=.

Best for Black would have been to give back his piece to achieve a drawish endgame: 16...Nxf5 17.exf5 Qxg5 18.Bxg5 Bxf5.

analysis diagram






Returning the piece is a theme in Jerome Gambits that does not get attended to enough; doing it correctly, even moreso.

16...Qe8 17.Rf3 Rf6

Stronger was the thematic 17...d5

18.Rh3

White needed to mix it up with 18.Bg5 when one possible line is 18...d5 19.Qh4 dxe4 20.Bxf6 exf3 21.Bxe7 fxg2 (Hungry, hungry pawn!) and then 22.f6 gives White the edge because of his initiative.







analysis diagram





18...Rxh6 19.f6

Ouch. Rusty.

19...Bxg4 20.fxg7 Bxh3 21.gxh3 Nxg7 22.Rf1 Rxh3 White resigns

This game hardly shows blackburne at his best.

To the winners go the awards

As mentioned in yesterday's post it is possible to identify the three top finishers in the soon-to-be-completed (one game unfinished) ChessWorld Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) Thematic Tournament:

1st Place: Piratepaul
2nd Place: stampyshortlegs
3rd Place: Sir Osis of the Liver

Congratulations, all!

The tournament, sponsored by blackburne, has light-hearted prizes (sponsored by jeromegambit.blogspot.com) for the first three finishers. For Piratepaul, in case he wants to expand his attacking openings, there is An Opening Repertoire for the Attacking Player by Raymond Keene and David Levy. For stampyshortlegs, who showed skill in playing the offbeat Jerome Gambit, there is Baroque Chess Openings by Richard Wincor – containing a whole new set off unorthodox openings. For Sir Osis of the Liver, there is The Basis of Combination in Chess by Julius Du Mont, so that he can continue his tactical ways.

All three are asked to contact me (richardfkennedy@hotmail.com) to provide mailing addresses.

And the winner is...

With two games left to be played in the ChessWorld Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) Thematic Chess Tournament, it appears that Piratepaul will take top honors, with 22 points out of 28 games (a winning percentage of 79%).

Second place stampyshortlegs has one game not yet completed, but with 20.5 points out of 27 games, even a win in that final encounter would give him only 21.5 points, .5 points behind Piratepaul.

Third place belongs to Sir Osis of the Liver, with 19 out of 28 points.

Stampyshortlegs leads the number of points from the Jerome Gambit with 9.5, followed by Piratepaul and Sir Osis of the Liver with 9.0