Folly

Remember the quote that the winner in a chess game is the player who makes the next-to-last mistake ? This always seemed hedged a bit by Bronstein's equally wry suggestion that three little mistakes make one big mistake.

In any event, as I indicated in "No Letdown", I believe that when it comes to playing the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), if my opponent makes a series of small mistakes, and I make a series of smaller mistakes, then eventually I should catch up...

Still, it took a while for me to be at peace with the following game.

perrypawnpusher - lourotors
blitz FICS, 2009

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4

The Blackburne Shilling Gambit.

4.Bxf7+

The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8

The King can also go to e6. See "Crime and Punisher".

6.Qh5+ g6 7.Nxg6

7...Nxc2+

As in perrypawnpusher - tiagorom, blitz FICS, 2009, although that game actually took place after this one.

More frequently, Black captures the Knight: 7...hxg6 8.Qxg6+ (8.Qxh8 Nh6 9.Qxd4 Qg5 10.0-0 Bc5 11.Qh8+ Ke7 12.d4 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - tampajake, FICS, 2009) 8...Ke7 9.Qg5+ Ke8 10.Qe5+ Qe7 11.Qxd4 Bg7 12.Qc4 Kd8 13.Nc3 Nf6 14.0-0 c6 15.d4 d5 16.exd5 Nxd5 17.Nxd5 cxd5 18.Qxd5+ Qd7 19.Bg5+ Kc7 20.Qc5+ Qc6 21.Qxc6+ bxc6 22.c3 Rb8 23.b3 Rh5 24.Bf4+ Kb7 25.Bxb8 Kxb8 26.Rae1 Ba6 27.Re8+ Kc7 28.Rfe1 Bh6 29.R8e5 Rxe5 30.Rxe5 Bd2 31.c4 Bc3 32.Re4 Bb7 33.d5 cxd5 34.cxd5 Bxd5 35.Re7+ Kb6 36.h4 Bf6 37.Rd7 Be6 38.Rd6+ Kc7 39.Rxe6 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - adamzzzz, blitz FICS, 2009.

I've also seen 7...Nf6 8.Qe5+ Ne6 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - fintrade, blitz FICS, 2009 (8...Qe7 9.Nxe7 Bxe7 10.Qxd4 d6 11.Nc3 Be6 12.Nd5 c5 13.Nxf6+ Bxf6 14.Qxf6 Rf8 15.Qxe6+ Kd8 16.Qxd6+ Ke8 17.d3 Rd8 18.Qe7 checkmate, perrypawnpusher - patitolo, blitz FICS, 2005)

8.Kd1 Nf6

This may work in analogous situations, but not here: best was 8...hxg6 9.Qxg6+ Ke7 and the position is unclear after 10.d3 or 10.Kxc2. 

9.Qe5+ Be7 10.Nxh8

Squandering an advantage, when the simple 10.Nxe7 Qxe7 11.Qxe7+ Kxe7 12.Kxc2 was available.

White's Knight will be stuck in the corner, just as Black's will in the opposite corner, but the second player will come out a piece ahead.

10...Nxa1 11.d4

It might have been a bit better to go after the enemy Knight immediately with 11.b3, intending Qxa1.

11...d6 12.Qg3

12...Kd7

The King moves to allow the Queen to attack the Knight. Rybka suggested after the game 12...c5 13.d5 Bg4+ 14.Ke1 with a winning advantage for Black. The c-pawn acts as a shield against checks by the White Queen (see the following note) and the Bishop check moves the enemy King away from the Knight's escape square, c2.

13.Nf7

It was time to sue for peace with 13.Qh3+ Ke8 (or 13...Kc6 14.Qc3+, etc.) 14.Qg3. Of course, if Black then plays 14...c5 (or any other number of moves) instead of repeating the position, he is still comfortably ahead.

13...Qf8 14.Ng5 Nh5

Quite unexpectedly, White's Knight has been allowed to escape, and this move loses a piece.

The fact is that the position is quite complicated, as Rybka's post mortem analysis indicates: 14...h6 15.Nh3 Qf7 (hoping to safe the Knight at a1)16.Nc3 b5 17.Nf4 Qc4 18.Qd3 Ng4 (taking aim at White's other Rook) 19.Qxc4 bxc4 20.Nh3 Rb8 21.f3 Nf6 22.Nf4 Ng8 23.Nfd5 which is evaluated as slightly better for Black. The cramp on his Queenside limits White's play.

15.Qg4+ Kd8 16.Qxh5 Qxf2

17.Qe2

I should have simplified with 17.Nf7+ Kd7 18.Qf5+, forcing the exchange of Queens.

17...Qh4

In turn, my opponent missed 17...Qxd4+ which keeps the pot boiling.

This is feeling like the typical Jerome Gambit family game: I'm staying in the game with help from my opponent – a dangerous way to live.

18.Nf3 Qh5 19.Nc3 Bg4

20.b3 d5 21.Nxd5 Bd6 22.Bg5+ Kc8 23.Kd2

Hoping to gather in the Knight at a1, at last, but Black can now play 23...Bxf3 24.Qxf3 Qxg5+ recovering a piece. He will eventually have to give it back with ...Na1xb3, but White's advantage will be made smaller.

23...c6 24.Rxa1

Understandable, as the enemy Knight has been sitting in the corner for over a dozen moves. I also thought that the open file would give me attacking chances against Black's King. It does, although 24.Bf4 was probably more straight forward.

24...cxd5 25.Rc1+ Kd7

White now has a mate in 7 (a better, but still losing choice for Black was 25...Kb8) but of course, it won't play itself.

26.e5

This move is inadequate, as, for starters, it allows 26...Bxf3+ and Black can work his way to a draw.

It also misses 26.Qb5+ Ke6 27.Qxd5+ Kd7 28.Qb5+ Ke6 29.Rc7 Bf4+ 30.Kc2 Kd6 31.Qc5+ Ke6 32.Qe7 mate

analysis diagram





26...Bb4+ 27.Kc2 Rc8+

Black, in turn, wants to use the c-file for attack. It shouldn't work. It does.

28.Kb2 Rxc1 29.Kxc1

It was time for the stranded Bishop to come home with 29.Bxc1. Now it will be lost.

29...Bxf3 30.gxf3

Well beyond my sight was Rybka's suggestion 30.e6+, which would have allowed White to draw after 30...Kc6 31.Qc2+ Kd6 32.Bf4+ Kxe6 33.Qc8+ Kf7 34.gxf3 Qxf3 35.Qxb7+

30...Qxg5+ 31.Kc2

 Sigh. Another pawns vs Bishop endgame, this time with Queens instead of Rooks (see my game against CorH).

33.f4 31...Qg6+ 32.Kb2 Qb6

This hurries the loss, although Rybka's analysis is ultimately just as painful: 33.Qd3 Be7 34.f4 Qh6 35.Qg3 Qg6 36.Qh3+ Kc7 37.f5 Qg1 38.Qc3+ Kb8 39.f6 Qf2+ 40.Kc1 Ba3+ 41.Kd1 Qxh2 42.b4 Qxa2 43.e6 Qb1+ 44.Ke2 Qe4+ 45.Kd1 Qh1+ 46.Ke2 Qg2+ 47.Kd1 Qf1+.

33...Qxd4+ 34.Kb1 Ba3 35.Qg4+ Kc6 36.Qc8+

Resignation would have been okay, instead.

36...Kb6 37.Qc2 Qg1+ White resigned

A Word from the Wise...

Arnie Moll's column at Chess Vibes, "Salieri down the Rabbit-Hole", has fun things to say about strange openings in quick games. It's worth taking a break from the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) to read.

Watch that last step...

I was logged onto FICS, waiting to challenge "metheny" to a game – a Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), I hoped – when "AreWeThereYet" got to him first. I hung around and watched the first few moves – and then settled in to enjoy the whole game: a fun battle, with a lesson at the end.

AreWeThereYet  - metheny

blitz 10 0, FICS, 2009

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Na5

Ooooooh. He's asking for it. I was saying to myself: sac the Bishop, sac the Bishop, sac the Bishop...

4.Bxf7+

Yes! I decided to stick around and watch the game.

I have 85 games with this move in my database: 55 wins, 28 losses, 2 draws – scoring 66%. Not bad, but I thought it would be higher.

I've sprinkled in a few short games along with my notes.

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8

Rybka and others have preferred 5...Ke7: 6.Nc3 (6.Qf3 Nf6 7.Qa3+ d6 8.Qxa5 dxe5 9.Qxe5+ Kf7 10.0-0 Bd6 11.Qc3 Re8 White resigned, M,T-Lothar, remoteschach.de, 2006) 6...Qe8 7.d4 Kd8 8.0-0 d6 9.Nf3 Qg6 10.Qd3 equal game ;

Also 5...Ke6 6.d4 d6 (6...Bd6 7.Qg4+ Ke7 8.Bg5+ Nf6 9.Bxf6+ gxf6 10.Qg7+ Ke8 11.Qf7 checkmate, tih - Shatranje, FICS, 2000) 7.Nd3 d5 8.exd5+ Kxd5 9.Qh5+ Kxd4 10.Be3+ Ke4 11.Nd2 checkmate Sims - Collins, Detroit, 1999;

Or 5...Kf6 6.d4 d6 (6...g5 7.Qf3+ Ke7 8.Bxg5+ Nf6 9.Qxf6+ Ke8 10.Qf7 checkmate, thefrench - bouffant, net-chess, 2002) 7.Qf3+ Bf5 8.Qxf5+ Ke7 9.Qf7 checkmate, Karlsson - Parkes, IECC 2001.

6.Qh5+

Not so successful was 6.c3 Qg5 7.Qf3 Qxe5 8.d4 White resigned, majorminor - chilepine, FICS, 2005.

6...Ke7

Again, Rybka and others preferred 6...g6:
a) 7.Nxg6 Qf6 8.Nxh8+ Black resigned, UNPREDICTABLE - Umbertino, FICS, 2009 ;
b) 7.Nxg6 Nf6 8.Qe5+ (8.Qxa5 b6 9.Qe5+ Be7 10.Nxh8 d6 11.Qg5 Nxe4 12.Qg8+ Bf8 13.Qf7 checkmate, jdgalba - lukkaz,FICS, 2008) 8...Qe7 9.Nxe7 Black resigned, fmarius - drwinstonoboogie, FICS 2009;
c) 7.Nxg6 hxg6 8.Qxg6+ Ke7 9.d4 Bh6 10.Bg5+ Bxg5 11.Qxg5+ Ke8 12.Qxa5 Qe7 13.Nc3 b6 14.Qe5 Qxe5 15.dxe5 Bb7 16.0-0-0 Nh6 slight advantage to White 

7.Qf7+ Kd6 8.Qd5+

It is clear from this move that White has at least a draw, as he can repeat positions with continued checks. What if he wants more than a draw?

For starters, he can play as in the game, and pick up the wayward Black Knight at a5.

He can also play 8.d4, threatening to weave a mating net. Black's strongest response is 8...Qf6, but White's surprise shot 9.Nc4+ will allow a win of the Black Queen with 10.Bf4+. Something to remember the next time the line pops up!

8...Ke7 9.Qxa5

Of course, 9.Qf7+ Kd6 10.d4 transposes into the previous note.

It is not as good to jump into a typical Jerome Gambit endgame (Queenless middlegame): 9.Qf7+ Kd6 10.Qxg8 Rxg8 11.Nf7+ Ke7 12.Nxd8 Kxd8 13.d3 b6 14.0-0 Nc6 15.f4 Ba6 16.Nc3 Bc5+ 17.Be3 Bxe3+ 18.Kh1 Nd4 19.Rf3 Nxf3 White resigned, paaras - worpe, FICS, 2004

9...d6 10.Nf3 Bg4

White has a comfortable two-pawn-plus position, and develops his game.

11.d3 Nf6 12.Bg5 Bxf3 13.gxf3 c6 14.Qxd8+ Rxd8

15.Rg1 h6 16.Bxf6+ gxf6 17.Nc3 b5

The endgame may take a while, but the game should be White's. He can infiltrate along the g-file, use f5 as a post for his Knight, and even look to open up another file with a2-a4. 

18.Kd2 a6 19.Ne2 h5 20.Nf4

Working against Black's possible ...d6-d5. I prefer Ne2-d4-f5.

20...Bh6 21.Ke3 Rhg8 22.Rg3 Rxg3

This seems a bit too cooperative, as it allows White to straighten out his pawns. Probably 22...d5 was best, now that the White Knight was pinned. 

23.fxg3 Rg8 24.b4 d5 25.exd5 cxd5

White's play has left his opponent with 4 pawn islands, to his own two. He might now have considered 26.a4 to open a line for his Rook.

26.Kd4 Kd6

If sacrificing a Bishop on move 4 always led to engames like this, we might see masters playing the Jerome Gambit...

27.Nxd5

Surprisingly, a weak move, as Black's next move reveals. In fact, it is hard to say if the move loses the game, or merely leaves White with a difficult draw to find. Amazing!

It looks like 27.Nxh5 was the correct move.

27...f5

The threat of an x-ray attack along the a1-h8 diagonal will win the White Knight: 28.Re1 Bg7+ 29.Ke3 Re8+ 30.Kd2 Rxe1 31.Kxe1 Kxd5, when White has three pawns against Black's Bishop. Fritz8 says Black wins, but not every club player plays like a computer, especially in blitz.

28.Ne3 Bg7 checkmate

Wow. An excting game: interesting opening play, a business-like middle, and a surprising resource that turns the table in the end.

My thanks to both metheny and AreWeThereYet.

For the record

I include this game "for the record" because it is technically a Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game, by transposition, and because I'm one of the two players tossing the pieces around.

However, it is one of those devilish 3 0 games which rapidly became a comedy of errors as my opponent (rated 125 higher than me), behind in material, kept throwing things at me, while I – for once, ahead on the clock – picked my moves quickly, knowing the game wouldn't end with a checkmate, but with a flag.

I have identified a few relevant points in the game, but it is best just played over with the Chess Publisher feature – chuckling (or covering your eyes) the whole way.

ncis  - perrypawnpusher
blitz 3 0, FICS, 2009

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.d4

The Italian Gambit.

4...exd4 5.Bxf7+

From the Dubuque Chess Journal, November 1874

An unsound variation of Jerome's double opening. Note that it is the P at Q5 that gives the second player such a wonderfully harassing position later in the game.

5...Kxf7 6.e5

My database has 26 games with this position, 18 of them played by DragonTail (White) with limited success: 5-13-0.

An alternative was seen in Wright - Hunn, Arkansas, USA, 1874 – the game referred to, above, in the Dubuque Chess Journal – 6.Ng5+ Kf8 7.Qf3+ Qf6 8.0-0 Ne5 9.Qh5 Qg6 10.Qe2 Nf6 11.Kh1 h6 12.f4 Neg4 13.f5 hxg5 14.Qxg4 Rxh2+ 15.Kxh2 Nxg4+ 16.Kg3 Qh5 17.Nd2 Qh4+ 18.Kf3 Nh2+ and won.

6...d6 7.Ng5+ Ke8 8.Qf3 Nh6

Better was 8...Nxe5, but the text, while new, is adequate. 

9.e6 Rf8

Or 9...Qf6.

10.Nf7 Nxf7 11.exf7+ Rxf7 12.Qh5 Qe7+ 13.Kd2 Bb4+ 14.c3 dxc3+ 15.Nxc3 Bxc3+ 16.bxc3 g6 17.Qb5 Kf8

Black is safely a piece and a pawn up, and actually overlooked a mate here: 17...Rxf2+ 18.Kd1 Bg4+ 19.Qe2 Qxe2. I'll stop annotating; there is little educational about my win.

18.Re1 Rxf2+ 19.Kd1 Qf6 20.Bh6+ Kf7 21.Qd5+ Be6 22.Rxe6 Qxe6 23.Qb3 Qxb3+ 24.axb3 Re8 25.Ra4 Ree2 26.Rh4 Rxg2 27.Rf4+ Ke7 28.Bf8+ Kd7 29.Rf7+ Ke6 30.Rxh7 Ref2 31.Ke1 Re2+ 32.Kf1 Ref2+ White forfeited on time

Sometimes a platypus has to do what a platypus has to do...

I like to think of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) as "the duck-billed platypus of chess openings" – something strange, unexpected, and often quite dangerous.

The following game is not amazing or even unusual, it's just business as usual for the platypus...

perrypawnpusher  - LibertasProVita

blitz FICS, 2009

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6

7.Qxe5 Nf6

So far, we have the usual scenario. Black accepts the first piece without question. Then he happily accepts the second piece. Then he reacts to White's obviously wrong early Queen move by blocking the check with his g-pawn. Take that!

When White does take that – the Knight on e5 – Black slows down. Hmmm... Bishop on c5 is en prise, Rook on h8 too...

If Black doesn't know the Blackburne (7...d6) or Whistler (7...Qe7) defenses, then he is most likely going to guard his Rook on h8 with 7...Nf6.

Of course, that leaves White simply up two pawns – one, if Black is aware – after the Black Bishop disappears.

8.Qxc5 Nxe4

The alternative 8...d6 is at least as old as Vazquez - Carrington, 2nd match, Mexico, 1876:  9.Qe3 Re8 10.d3 Ng4 11.Qf3+ Kg7 12.0-0 Rf8 13.Qg3 Qf6 14.h3 Ne5 15.Nc3 c6 16.Bg5 Qe6 17.Qh4 Nf7 18.f4 h6 19.f5 hxg5 20.fxe6 gxh4 21.Rxf7+ Rxf7 22.exf7 Kxf7 23.Rf1+ Kg7 24.e5 d5 25.Ne2 b5 26.Nd4 Bd7 27.Rf6 Rc8 28.Rd6 Be8 29.Kf2 Kf7 30.Kf3 c5 31.Ne2 d4 32.Kg4 Rc6 33.Kxh4 Rxd6 34.exd6 Kf6 35.Ng3 Bc6 36.Ne4+ Bxe4 37.dxe4 a5 38.e5+ Ke6 39.Kg3 Black resigned

9.Qd5+

Or 9.Qc4+ d5 10.Qb3 Re8 11.0-0 Nc5 12.Qf3+ Kg7 13.b4 Ne4 14.Bb2+ Kg8 15.d3 Ng5 16.Qf6 Qxf6 17.Bxf6 Ne6 18.Be5 c6 19.d4 b6 20.f4 Ba6 21.Rf2 c5 22.bxc5 bxc5 23.c3 cxd4 24.cxd4 Bd3 25.Nc3 Rac8 26.Nxd5 Be4 27.Nf6+ Kf7 28.Nxe4 Ng7 29.Nd6+ Kf8 30.Bxg7+ Kxg7 31.Nxe8+ Rxe8 32.Kf1 Re4 33.Rd1 a5 34.d5 Black resigned, UNPREDICTABLE - hahahehe, FICS 2009.

9...Kg7 10.0-0

After 10.Qxe4 Re8 11.Qe3 d5 12.0-0 Rxe3 13.dxe3 Bf5 White has Rook, a Knight and a pawn for his Queen. I think simply being a pawn up, with the text, is better. 

10...Re8 11.d3 Nf6 12.Qf3 Qe7 13.Bg5 d6

White's focus is on the pinned Knight at f6. He would like nothing better than to exchange pieces down to a pawn plus endgame. And, who knows, he might even get lucky.

14.Nc3 Bf5

Like I said...

15.Nd5 Qf7 16.Bxf6+ Kg8 17.Bc3 c6

18.Ne3

Of course, winning the exchange with 18.Nf6+ was stronger. 

18...Re6 19.Nxf5

And here, 19.g4 wins a piece. 

19...Qxf5 20.Qxf5 gxf5

21.Rfe1 Rg6 22.Re7 b5

23.Rae1 Kf8 24.Rxh7 c5 25.Rh8+ Rg8 26.Rxg8+ Kxg8

Up a piece and two pawns, I can slowly make my way to the full point.

27.Re6 b4 28.Bd2 Rd8 29.Kf1 Kf7

30.Re3 a5 31.b3 d5 32.h4 c4 33.dxc4 dxc4 34.Ke2 c3 35.Bc1 Kg6

36.Rd3 Rh8 37.g3 Kh5 38.Rd5 Kg4 39.Rxa5 Re8+

40.Be3 f4 41.Rg5+ Kh3 42.gxf4 Kxh4 43.f5

This allows Black a nice tactic, but the resulting position is just as lost for him.

43...Rxe3+ 44.fxe3 Kxg5 45.e4 Black resigned

Black cannot capture one of the two passed pawns without allowing the other to advance and Queen. White can either escort the pair forward with his King, or capture Black's remaining pawns, freeing up three more pawns for Queening.