A Line of Play Everyone Should Know About

Sometimes your opponent will not even wait until you play the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) to try to cross up your plans.

Most readers are familiar with the Blackburne Shilling Gambit (1.e4 e5 .Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4) which is such an effort, but it is not Black's only way of trying to offer a surprise.

perrypawnpusher  - sebapvar
blitz FICS, 2010

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

Let me first say that this is not a good idea, that White can now get an advantage with the logical 4.Nxe5, winning a pawn.

4.Bxf7+

Irresistable. See "Offside!" and "The Other Side".

My own database has 1,270 games with this line in it, with White scoring 70%. This is a tribute to those who play White, as the position soon arrived at is "objectively" equal.

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+

5...Ke8

Already a problem for Black, as this is the weakest of his four possible replies.

After 5...Kf6, White has a number of interesting moves, including 6.d4 and the untested 6.Nc3!?, but his strongest is probably 6.Qh5 when 6...g6 is forced, and then the "retreat" 7.Qf3+ causes all sorts of problems, for example 7...Ke6 (if 7...Kxe5 then 8.d4+) 8.d4 and Black will have to give back material, as in 8...Bb4+ 9.c3 Qf8 10.cxb4 Qxf3 11.Nxf3 Nc4.

analysis diagram







A bit better move for Black, leading to an even game, is 5...Ke6, when 6.d4 (6.Qg4+ Kxe5 7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.Qxa5 Qf6 may not give White enough, but should be playable for the adventurous) Nf6 is probably best met by the untested 7.Nd3, with pawn play in the center to follow.

analysis diagram







Black's best chance for advantage (see my comment after move 3) – if only for confusion's sake – is 5...Ke7.

After a lot of thought, Rybka thinks that the game should continue 6.Nc3 Qe8 7.d4 Kd8 8.0-0 Nc6 9.Bf4 d6 10.Nf3 Bd7, which looks about even to me, although I can't explain some of Black's moves. (I mean, he's not going to castle Queenside, right?)

analysis diagram







6.Qh5+

Back to the game.

6...g6 7.Nxg6

7...Bg7

Putting and end to things. He had to take the Knight with 7...hxg6. White then would have two choices, each leading to a slight advantage.

Most attractive is the grab 8.Qxh8, when 8...Kf7 9.Qc3 Nc6 gives White an edge, with a Rook and three pawns vs two pieces.

Trickier, and therefore better from a practical point of view, is to capture the pawn instead: 8.Qxg6+ Ke7 9.d4. White is then threatening all sorts of horrors starting with Bc1-g5,  and the only move to save Black is 9...Bh6.

Still, White will play 10.Bg5+ any way, and after 10...Bxg5 11.Qxg5+ Ke8 (if 11...Nf6, 12.e5) he can pick up the stranded Knight with 12.Qxa5, having four pawns for the sacrificed piece.

8.Nxh8+ Ke7 9.Qf7+ Kd6 10.Qxg7 Black resigned

White is ahead a Rook and three pawns, and threatens to capture more material.