Sunday, March 28, 2010

(Un)Seen Before (sort of)

I was surprised to meet my opponent so soon after out last game (see "More Than Meets the Eye") but he didn't seem surprised to see my Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) again.

Although udofink had played a workable defense the first time, he switched up on me for our second game.

Unfortunately, he wandered into what I've casually referred to as an "optical illusion" – Bill Wall correctly does not include this "name" in his "Jerome Gambit Nomenclature" – that I've posted about before: see "Optical Illusion (I)" and "Optical Illusion (II)".

perrypawnpusher - udofink
blitz 10 0, FICS, 2010

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


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


The earlier perrypawnpusher  - udofink,  blitz FICS, 2010 continued 6...Ng6 7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Be6 10.f4 Qh4+ 11.g3 Qg4 12.f5 Bf7 13.fxg6 Bxg6 14.d3 Kd7 15.0-0 Nf6 16.Nc3 c6 17.Qf4 Qe6 18.Bd2 Rhf8 19.Qg5 Rf7 20.Rae1 Raf8 21.e5 dxe5 22.Qxe5 Qh3 23.Bf4 Ne8 24.Qd4+ Kc8 25.Qxa7 Nd6 26.Qa8+ Kd7 27.Qa3 Nc8 28.Qc5 b6 29.Qd4+ Black resigned

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Qf6


Racing the Queen to the Black King's defense, a wise idea mentioned as early as in Alonzo Wheeler Jerome's analysis ("New Chess Opening") in the April 1874 issue of the Dubuque Chess Journal. Black gives back a piece, but he adds to his development and threatens a Queen trade, which could break White's attack.

9.fxe5+ Qxe5 10.Qf3 Nf6 11.d3


From the Dubuque Chess Journal
compelling either K or Q to move as White threatens Bf4; or Black can play ...g5
Or at least you would think so.

Over the years Jerome faced 11...Ke7 (Amateur, Brownson, Kinnieu, Pane and Shinkman) and 11...Kc6 (Neufville and Charles).

This is the sixth time that I have reached this position, having seen 11...Ke7, 11...Bd4, 11...Re8, 11...Bb4+ and

11...Rf8 

12.Bf4 Black resigned


I can't explain Black's oversight, except to guess that it had to do with the time limit or that he was facing an opening that was so terrible that it didn't require all of his attention. 

Maybe he just didn't see my move.

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