Sunday, June 27, 2010

Updating History Without Changing the Past


In a recent game by Bill Wall (see "Speaking of Bill Wall...") we can see some of the Jerome Gambit's (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) storied past, as well as understand why it is still being enjoyed by club players in modern times.


Wall,B - Vijay,V
Chess.com, 2010

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


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


7.Qd5+ Kf8 8.Qxc5+ d6 9.Qe3 Nf6


10.0-0 Kf7 11.f4 Re8 12.f5 Ne5 13.d4 Neg4


14.Qb3+ Kf8 15.h3 Nh6


Vijay improves on a game almost 135 years old!

Andres Clemente Vazquez, chess champion of Mexico, played two matches in 1876 with the American amateur William Carrington, winning the first one 12-3-0 and winning the second one 12-3-1.

Vazquez played the Jerome Gambit three times in the second match, winning each time.

The first game of the second match continued from the diagram above with Carrington returning a piece to break up White's center: 15...Rxe4 16.hxg4 Rxg4. Black had an even game, but was subsequently outplayed: 17.Qf3 c6 18.Nc3 d5 19.Bf4 Kg8 20.Be5 h5 21.Rae1 Bd7 22.Re3 Qb6 23.b3 Rf8 24.Na4 Qb4 25.Nc5 Bc8 26.c3 Qb6 27.Bxf6 gxf6 28.Qh3 Rg5 29.Ne6 Bxe6 30.fxe6 Qc7 31.e7 Re8 32.Qe6+ Kh8 33.Qxf6+ Rg7 34.Qf8+ Black resigned, Vazquez - Carrington, Mexico, 2nd match, 1876.

16.Bxh6 gxh6 17.Nd2


White's "Jerome pawns" are healthy (for the moment), and Black's Kingside haven has been wrecked, but the second player may still have a small advantage. 

17...Nxe4 18.f6


18...Nxd2

Who hasn't complained: I can resist everything except temptation!

Here Black grabs a "free" piece and attacks White's Rook.  The White Knight turns out to be "poisoned".

According Rybka, Black's best was 18...Nxf6, although White may be able to summon enough pressure along the f-file (Rf4, Raf1, Qf3) to keep the game in balance.

19.Qg3


19...Qd7

Black's best required a King walk during which he shed his two extra pieces: 19...Kf7 20.Qg7+ Ke6 21.Rae1+ Kd5 22.Qf7+ Be6 23.Rf5+ Kc6 24.d5+ Bxd5 25.Qxd5+ Kd7 26.Qxd2. 

20.f7 Nxf1 21.Qg8+ Ke7 22.Re1+ Black resigned




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