Beyond LCD

There are 70 games by Nesseerd in the New Year's Database of Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4) and Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.various Bc5 5.Bxf7+) games.

In the following battle, he encounters a hybrid defense that has hardly been played and has largely been unsuccessful – only to discover that statistics can, as ever, mislead.

Nesseerd - slouhend
blitz, FICS, 2010

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

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

7.f4 d6

This defense is at least as old as D'Aumiller - A.P., Livorno 1878, and is a computer favorite.

8.fxe5 g6

slouhend adds a "Blackburne" twist to the line, following in the footsteps (?) of the chess-playing Talking LCD Chess, which had an exploratory match with The Perfesser (see "Jerome Gambit and The Perfesser (Part I, II, III and IV)").

9.Qh3+

9.Qf3 dxe5 10.b4 Bb6 11.Rf1 Qh4+ 12.g3 Qg5 13.Qf7+ Kd6 14.Na3 Be6 15.Nb5+ Kc6 16.Qxe6+ Kxb5 17.a4+ Kxb4 18.Qb3+ Kc5 19.Qd5+ Kb4 20.Qb5 checkmate, Perfesser - Talking LCD Chess (3 ply), casual game, 2003;

9.Qe2 Kxe5 10.Rf1 Qh4+ 11.g3 Qg4 12.d4+ Bxd4 13.Bf4+ Kf6 14.Bxd6+ Kg5 15.Qd2+ Kh5 16.Qxd4 cxd6 17.Rf4 Qd7 18.Rh4+ Kg5 19.Nd2 h5 20.Qxh8 Qf7 21.Rf4 Qxf4 22.gxf4+ Kxf4 23.Qxg8 Black resigned, Perfesser - Talking LDC Chess (4 ply), casual game, 2003

9...Kf7

 A challenging position for White. Rybka recommends 10.Rf1+ Ke8 11.Qf3 Be6 12.exd6 with the first player following up by fianchettoing his Queen's Bishop and castling Queenside, then being only about a pawn's worth behind.

10.Qb3+ Be6

The position is likewise not easy for Black. Rybka suggests 10...Kg7 instead, with a defense along the lines of 11...Qe7 and ...Be6, with a winning advantage.

11.c4

Rybka's recommendation here (blunder check, 5 minutes a move) has me puzzled, but I'll give it anyway: 11.Rf1+ Ke7 12.Qc3 Kd7 13.g3 Bh3 14.d4 Bxf1 15.dxc5 dxe5 16.c6+ bxc6 17.Kxf1 Qf6+ 18.Kg1 Qd6 19.Qf3 Rf8 20.Qe2 Nf6 21.Nc3 Qb4 22.a3 Qb7 23.Be3 Kc8 24.b4, when Black is up the exchange, but his poorer pawn structure means he has only a slight advantage

analysis diagram






11...Qh4+

Here comes trouble. White's pawns are weak, and his lack of development will tell against him.

12.g3 Qxe4+ 13.Qe3

An oversight, ending the game, but Black likely had a forced mate in any event.

13...Qxh1+ White resigned