Blunder Check

When I finish a chess game, especially one with the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), I often turn it over to Deep Rybka to analyze, using the "blunder check" mode set at 5 minutes per move. Usually the computer gives me variations that show where I missed an opportunity to win a pawn, or where I unnecessarily gave up a piece, or where I overlooked giving or receiving a checkmate...

I thought I played pretty well in the following game, so I was totally unprepared for the comments from my electronic partner.

perrypawnpusher  - saltos

blitz, FICS, 2009

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

Ah, the Semi-Italian Opening. See here, here, and here for more information.

4.0–0 Bc5 5.Bxf7+

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.Qh5+ Ng6

The 7...Ng6 defense (as opposed to, say, 7...Ke6) is not "bad", but I wonder if it is "best", as it allows White to capture the Bishop at c5, which was doing a good job of pinning the White f-pawn and preventing its advance.

8.Qd5+ Ke8 9.Qxc5 d6 10.Qe3 Qf6

This is a new move in this position, but it is a good one. In fact, throughout the game Black seems to be making good moves and having a good position. Then he loses.

11.f4 N8e7 12.Nc3 c6

Now it's time for a series of moves, a kind that we've seen before (see "I apologize, Jerome Gambit" and "Diagnosis: Misplaced Knight").

13.f5 Ne5 14.d4 Nc4 15.Qd3 b5 16.b3 Nb6

17.Bf4

This leads to a small advantage, Rybka says. Instead, the computer recommends: 17.e5 Qh4 18.Ne4 Nxf5 19.g3 Qe7 20.exd6 Qf7 21.Nc5 Qd5 22.Bb2 Kd8 23.d7 Bxd7 24.Nxd7 Nxg3 25.hxg3 Qxd7 26.Qg6 Re8 27.Rf7 Qe6 28.Rxg7 Qxg6 29.Rxg6 Kc7 30.Rg7+ Kd6 31.Rf1 Rg8 32.Rf6+. 

analysis diagram






Um, sure, er, well, yes – that's exactly the other line I was considering...

17...Nd7

Not good enough. Rybka suggests: 17...b4 18.Ne2 a5 19.Qg3 Ba6 20.Rae1 d5 21.Bc7 Nd7 22.Qe3 Ra7 23.Bg3 Kd8 24.e5 Qg5 25.Qf2 Rh7 26.Bh4 Qd2 27.Nf4 Qxf2+ 28.Rxf2 Nf8 29.e6 Bb5 30.Rc1 with only a small advantage for White.

analysis diagram






Yes, I'm sure I heard my opponent muttering: Rooks on Rook two! Rooks on Rook two! What a fool I was! (Not really.)

18.Rae1 Qf7

Looking at this diagram, would you figure that Black was more than a piece worse than White? Rybka would.

 19.Bxd6 Nf6

Going down the equivalent of a Rook, according to Rybka, which suggests the following, instead: 19...Nb6 20.d5 b4 21.Bxb4 a5 22.Bxe7 Qxe7 23.d6 Qe5 24.Nd5 Rb8 25.Ne7 Qc5+ 26.Rf2 Rb7 27.Ng6 Rg8 28.e5 Rd7 29.Qe4 Qb4 30.c4.

analysis diagram








I don't think I understand chess anymore...

20.Bxe7 Kxe7 21.e5 Nd5 22.f6+ Kf8

Allows mate in 16, Rybka says. Sure, I knew that... Lucky for me, Black now falls apart.

23.fxg7+ Kxg7 24.Rxf7+ Kxf7 25.Qf3+

25...Ke7 26.Nxd5+ Kd8 27.Qf6+ Kd7 28.Qe7 checkmate

Lost

If a visitor to the Black side of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) loses the way in the opening, as is often the case, it is the responsibility (and pleasure) of the first player to deliver a stinging rejoinder.


guest2036 - guest612
blitz 2 12 ICC, 2001

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8
This King retreat, instead of to f8, is unusual, and the Jerome Gambiteer should be looking for a strong reply.

6.Qh5+

This was enough for one opponent of Louis Morin, playing at the Internet Chess Club in 2004: it was met with Black's resignation!

Leading to a small advantage for White was 6.Nxc6

6...g6

The alternative 6...Ke7 is a disaster. See "One (or both) of us needs help" (Part I) and (Part II).

7.Nxg6 Nf6
The twin games Hultgren - Harrow, SVE cup, Campbell, CA, 1960 and Blackstone - Dommeyer, skittles, Campbell, CA 1960 continued: 7...Bxf2+ 8.Kxf2 Qf6+ 9.Nf4+ Kd8 10.d3 d6 11.Rf1 Qd4+ 12.Be3 Qf6 13.c3 Black resigned.

8.Qxc5 hxg6 9.d3 d6 10.Qc3 Rf8

Here we have the typical Jerome Gambit imbalance, pawns vs a piece (only this time White has three pawns).

11.Bg5 Be6

Rybka 3 recommends 11...d5 to keep the game even, but that may have been too "open" for Black.

12.Nd2 a5

An interesting psychological aspect to this game: what is Black supposed to be doing? White has a number of ideas to follow up, but his opponent can only think to put a Knight on b4.

13.0-0 Nb4 14.a3 Na6

Going back to Nc6 was probably better.

15.Rae1 c6


16.e5

The break-through, although he might have prepared for it with 16.Nf3.

16...dxe5 17.Qxe5 Nc7 18.Ne4 Ra6

19.Nxf6+ Kf7 20.Nh7 Re8 21.Bxd8 Rxd8 22.Qxc7+ Black resigned




graphic by Jeff Bucchino, The Wizard of Draws

Superpippo and the Third Player

When a sports team has the enthusiastic support of the crowd, the players work harder and strive mightily to reward their fans. In a football game (NFL, FIFA) a strong crowd can have such an effect that they can be thought of as the "12th player" for the team that they are cheering on.

Chess is a game between two players, but sometimes the clock and the time controls weigh in as the "third player". This is often the case when one is playing the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+).

The first player may be struggling with his opponent, but the unexpected and unusual play of the Jerome Gambit will set time-consuming problems for the other side, and that is often enough to swing the "third player" into action.

To win the game, you have to Beat the Clock.

Here are a few examples from the blitz games of Superpippo. In all games he is White. It is Black's turn to move, but he has been fighting two "players"...





Two interesting positions, but Black's flag dropped in each, giving White the game.











More of the same: tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock...












Things looked bad for White, until time ran out... on Black.









These positions are getting silly, but when Black's time was up White grabbed the point.

Superpippo!

My Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) and related openings database has about 60 internet blitz games played by Superpippo. It is clear that he enjoys the opening, plays it come fair or foul weather, and wins and loses with equanimity. I'd like to introduce Superpippo to readers of this blog with a game that is, well, kind of goofy... 

Superpippo - HarryPaul 

blitz FICS, 2001

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

So far, so good. Black doesn't have to play creative chess, he only has to decide which Jerome Gambit refutation he wants to play.

7.f4 Ng6

This move, despite the soundness of the basic idea – save one piece and return another – is too "creative" and leads to an even game. With a regular opening, having Black reach equality this early is an accomplishment for the second player, but in the Jerome Gambit – where White spots his opponent two pieces – it is a sign that something has already gone wrong for Black. 

8.f5+

Rybka 3 suggests: 8.Qxc5 Kf7 9.0-0 Qf6 10.Nc3 Qc6 11.Qf2 d6 12.f5 N6e7 13.d4 Qb6 14.Qe2 Nf6 15.Qc4+ d5 16.Nxd5 as even.

analysis diagram

8...Ke5

Brave King. Foolish King.

9.fxg6+ Kxe4

See the above note.

10.Qxc5

White can now win as he likes, for example 10.Nc3+ Kd4 11.Qd5 checkmate

10...hxg6

This allows a mate-in-one

11.Nc3+

Superpippo had his finish already planned out, and so he didn't bother with 11.d3 checkmate.

11...Kf4 12.d3+ Kg4 13.h3+ Kh4 14.Qd4+ Kh5 15.Qg4 checkmate

Prized Players

Prizes have been mailed to the top three finishers of the Chessworld Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) Thematic Tournament: Piratepaul, stampyshortlegs and Sir Osis of the Liver.

I would like to express my thanks to blackburne, who hosted the tournament, and to all of the other players who combined to produce 210 interesting Jerome Gambit games: DREWBEAR 63, GladtoMateYou, Luke Warm, Haroldlee123, eddie43, TWODOGS, Black Puma, gwyn1, metalwarrior1969, Crusader Rabbit and calchess10.

Not Such A Good Idea

In the October 1881 issue of Brentano's Chess Monthly, a letter to the editors ( H.C. Allen & J.N. Babson), was printed in the "Games" section. Here is an excerpt

...Some time since, I published in the Pittsburg Telegraph a compilation of such analyses of the Jerome Gambit as I could find, with some additions from published games. Mr. Jerome justly criticized some of the moves as not being the best for either party, and we commenced as series of correspondence games more as a test of the opening than of individual skill. Unfortunately Mr. Jerome's business engagements have prevented him from playing out the full number of games originally started; yet the situation even in the unfinished games seems to me at least to prove the gambit unsound, and that while White may win against weak, he cannot do against strong play. I should add, perhaps, that Mr. Jerome does consider the defenses here given to 6.d4 to be the best but he does not suggest any others...

Very respectfully
S.A. Charles

Charles presented the incomplete games, and in one of them made mention of a Jerome suggestion

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 White now has 3 lines of attack [7.Qf5+, 7.f4, 7.0-0 ]. Mr Jerome also suggests for analysis b2-b4.

It is not clear what White achieves if Black takes the pawn with 7...Bxb4 – something to be expected in play between amateurs in the 1880s – but there is even less to recommend White's game after the reasonable 7...Bd4. If the first player intended 8.c3 as a response, it is short-circuited by 8...Nd3+. Coping with this threat can lead to something like 7...Bd4 8.Qh3+ Kf7 9.c3 Bb6 10.d4 (presumably White's idea).

White has a wonderful center, but he is down two pieces for two pawns and his only developed piece – the Queen – will have to move again after 10...d6.

Possibly Alonzo Wheeler Jerome did not think very long before making his suggestion, because it is not such a good idea after all.

Repairing a Variation (Part 4)

Once you have defined the problem (Part 1) with an opening variation, reviewed some game history (Part 2), and seen what has been written about the line (Part 3), it is time to analyze and test out new ideas.

In the case of the "Nibs" defense of the Jerome Gambit, (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) there are three strategies to choose from.


#1) Embrace the chaos

You may choose to continue to play the main line, anyway, believing that it is so complicated that your opponent will never find a way through to the advantage. (So far, only one player, peonconorejas has.) In this case, it is important to be familiar with the places (especially moves 10 through 17) where Black might slip up, so that your greater understanding of the strategic and tactical nuances gives you the better chances.

An example is perrypawnpusher - electrahan, blitz FICS, 2009.

Black did not discover the killer 10...Ne7 (and the idea behind it) and instead retreated his Queen with 10...Qh6.

Three moves later I reached the following position.

My comment at this point of the game was

My one advantage against electrahan was that I was more familiar with the positions and play, and so was significantly ahead on the clock.

The game continued to be very interesting, and I prevailed in 35 moves.

#2) Find a Jerome Gambit endgame that you are comfortable with.

Much to my annoyance, despite a lot of hard work (with the help of Rybka 3, Fritz 8 and ChessBase 8) I have not yet found a "bust" to Black's Queen sacrifice in the "His Nibs" defense.

Players who are comfortable with a Jerome Gambit endgame (blackburne and mrjoker come quickly to mind) – with one, two or three pawns for the sacrificed piece; ideally, also with an active King – can look at the following line.

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Qh4+ 9.g3 Nf3+ 10.Kf1

If you are going to battle the Queen-sac line, I think 10.Kd1 is the right move. If you are looking toward the endgame, 10.Kf1 is to be preferred.

10...Ne7 The same strong move with the same strong threats. 11.Qxc5+ This move will either displease or please your opponent, depending on whether the second player knows the Queen-sac line or not. 11...Kxc5 12.gxh4

This is an interesting position. White has two pawns for a piece, although the one at h4 is threatened. As long as a lot of pieces remain on the board, Black's King is at risk; but with each exchange, he becomes more of an attacker than a defender. Black's advanced Knight may or may not be in danger, similar to the game perrypawnpusher - Temmo, Chessworld, 2008.

It's not very exciting for White after 12...Nxh4 13.Nc3 (with d2-d3 and possibly Rh1-g1 to follow) but if Black's Knight becomes dim on the rim, or if White's King can mosey over that way, there may be some play to be had.

#3) Change to another line of play.

In this case, it might be worth investigating 7.f4, instead of the 7.Qf5+ and 8.f4 line, something that I am doing right now.

(But I still hope to be able to crack the Queen-sac some day!)

graphic by Jeff Bucchino, The Wizard of Draws