Not As Scary As It Looks

Have you ever played what you thought was a smashing attack – only to discover, upon closer inspection, that it wasn't nearly as sound as you (and your opponent) imagined? If you play the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) – of course you have.

perrypawnpusher  - Philidork
blitz FICS, 2010

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nc3 Nc6 4.Bc4 Bc5

5.Bxf7+

The Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit, one of those lines known to me personally as the Why-Am-I-Still-Playing-This Opening??

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 Bxd4 8.Qxd4

This seems to be the most popular defense, although 7...Bd6 8.dxe5 Bxe5 was stronger.

8...d6 9.Bg5

Or the alternative: 9.0-0 Re8 10.f4 (10.Bg5 Kg8 11.f4 Nc6 12.Qd3 Nb4 13.Qc4+ Be6 14.Qxb4 b6 15.Rae1 c5 16.Qb5 d5 17.e5 d4 18.exf6 a6 19.Qc6 Bd7 20.Qd5+ Kh8 21.fxg7+ Kxg7 22.Bxd8 Black resigned, Wall - Foman, Chess.com, 2010) 10...Nc6 11.Qd3 Kg8 12.Bd2 a6 13.Rae1 Kh8 14.Nd5 Nxd5 15.exd5 Rxe1 16.Rxe1 Na7 17.Qe4 Bg4 18.h3 Bh5 19.g4 Bf7 20.Bc3 Qe8 21.Qf5 Qf8 22.Qd7 Nb5 23.Re7 Nxc3 24.Rxf7 Qe8 25.Qxe8+ Rxe8 26.bxc3 Kg8 27.Rxc7 b5 28.Kf2 Re4 29.f5 Ra4 30.Rd7 Rxa2 31.Rxd6 Rxc2+ 32.Ke3 Rxc3+ 33.Kd4 Rc4+ 34.Kd3 Rc5 35.Rxa6 Rxd5+ 36.Ke3 Rd1 37.Rb6 Rb1 38.Kd4 Kf7 39.g5 Kg8 40.g6 Rd1+ 41.Ke5 Re1+ 42.Kf4 Re8 43.Rxb5 hxg6 44.fxg6 Rf8+ 45.Rf5 Rxf5+ 46.Kxf5 Kf8 47.Ke6 Kg8 48.Ke7 Kh8 49.h4 Kg8 50.h5 Kh8 51.Ke6 Kg8 52.Kf5 Kh8 53.Kg5 Kg8 54.Kf5 Kh8 55.Ke5 Kg8 56.Ke6 Kh8 57.Kd7 Kg8 58.Ke7 Kh8 59.h6 Kg8 60.h7+ Kh8 61.Kf8 Game drawn by stalemate, perrypawnpusher - KaZC, blitz FICS, 2010.

This position is of historical interest, as it appeared in two games in a Jerome Gambit correspondence chess match between Alonzo Wheeler Jerome and S.A. Charles, presented in an article by Charles in Brentano's Chess Monthly, October 1881.

The move order in those games was 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bxd4 7.Qxd4 d6 8.Nc3 Nf6 9.Bg5.

9...Nc6

Or 9...h6 10.Bxf6 Qxf6 11.0-0-0 Be6 12.Kb1 Nc4

analysis diagram





"so far from an unfinished game between Mr. Jerome and the writer, the following seems a possible continuation 13.Qd3 b5 14.f4 Nxb2 15.Kxb2 b4 and wins." Jerome - Charles, correspondence, 1881;

analysis diagram





Also possible was 9...Bh3 10.0-0-0 Bxg2 11.f4 h6 12.Bxf6 gxf6 13.Rhg1 Bh3 14.fxe5 "better game [for White]. from a game between Mr. Jerome and the writer"

10.Qd3

10...Re8 11.0-0 Kg8

12.Nd5 Re6 13.Nxf6+

Part of a "plan of attack," but 13.f4 followed by 14.e5 was more sensible.

13...gxf6 14.Bh6

14...Ne5

After I played my 14th move, I suddenly wondered, what if Black plays 14...f5...? The answer is, of course, that White's "attack" crumbles.

The move played by Philidork shows that he sees my plan to check along the g-file, and he hastens to cover up.

15.Qg3+ Ng6

Now White can achieve an even game with the straight-forward 16.f4 Rxe4 17.f5.

16.h4 Kh8

White "attacks" with the h-pawn, which can be stopped by the simple 16...Re5.

17.h5

Unfortunately, my opponent was taken in by all of this and resigned here.

True, if the Knight moves, White can checkmate at g7. But Black is a piece ahead, so he can afford to defend with 17...Qg8 – when all I would have after 18.hxg6 Qxg6 was an even game.

Looking back, the situation was not as scary as it looked.

Just Another Walk in the Park

Here we have another example of that odd cousin of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), the Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit. I've begun to "just play it" with no more concern than a walk in the park.

perrypawnpusher - Avious
blitz FICS, 2010

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bc5

The Italian Four Knights Game.

5.Bxf7+

The Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4

The updated New Year's Database has almost 200 games with this position, with White scoring 46%. (I guess my 3 wins and 2 draws helped.)

7...Bxd4 8.Qxd4 Nc6

This position – with 0-0 and ...h7-h6 added – has appeared twice in my games: perrypawnpusher - mjmonday, blitz FICS 2010 (0-1, 26 ); and perrypawnpusher - DeDaapse, blitz FICS 1010 (0-1, 19).

Instead of 8...Nc6, Black also had 8...Re8: 9.0-0 d6 10.f4 Nc6 11.Qd3 Kg8 12.Bd2 Nd5, b3 12...a6 13.Rae1 Kh8 14.Nd5 Nxd5 15.exd5 Rxe1 16.Rxe1 Na7 17.Qe4 Bg4 18.h3 Bh5 19.g4 Bf7 20.Bc3 Qe8 21.Qf5 Qf8 22.Qd7 Nb5 23.Re7 Nxc3 24.Rxf7 Qe8 25.Qxe8+ Rxe8 26.bxc3 Kg8 27.Rxc7 b5 28.Kf2 Re4 29.f5 Ra4 30.Rd7 Rxa2 31.Rxd6 Rxc2+ 32.Ke3 Rxc3+ 33.Kd4 Rc4+ 34.Kd3 Rc5 35.Rxa6 Rxd5+ 36.Ke3 Rd1 37.Rb6 Rb1 38.Kd4 Kf7 39.g5 Kg8 40.g6 Rd1+ 41.Ke5 Re1+ 42.Kf4 Re8 43.Rxb5 hxg6 44.fxg6 Rf8+ 45.Rf5 Rxf5+ 46.Kxf5 Kf8 47.Ke6 Kg8 48.Ke7 Kh8 49.h4 Kg8 50.h5 Kh8 51.Ke6 Kg8 52.Kf5 Kh8 53.Kg5 Kg8 54.Kf5 Kh8 55.Ke5 Kg8 56.Ke6 Kh8 57.Kd7 Kg8 58.Ke7 Kh8 59.h6 Kg8 60.h7+ Kh8 61.Kf8, drawn by stalemate, perrypawnpusher - KaZC, blitz FICS, 2010

9.Qc4+ Ke7

Instead, 9...d5 was a bit better.

10.0-0 Re8 11.Bg5 Kf8 12.f4 h6

This should lead to an even game, although it actually introduces a series of misplays by both sides.

After the game Rybka suggested an interesting line for Black, giving up two pieces for a Rook and coming out with a simplified position the exchange ahead: 12...d6 13.e5 Be6 14.Qb5 a6 15.Qxb7 Qd7 16.f5 Bxf5 17.Rxf5 Qxf5 18.Bxf6 gxf6 19.Qxc6 Qxe5.

 



analysis diagram






13.Bh4

Rybka's post mortem suggestion was: 13.Nd5 Rxe4 14.Qxe4 Nxe4 15.Bxd8 Nxd8 16.Nxc7 Rb8 when White has a Rook and a Pawn for Black's Knight and Bishop; about even.

analysis diagram







13...a6

More useful was 13...d6, but Black has decided to strike out on both wings.

14.e5 b5

See "Perhaps the best chess advice that I ever read..."

15.Qd3 g5

This is over-doing it, however, and should lead to disaster. 

16.fxg5 Nxe5 17.Rxf6+

A few moves later, I wondered where my attack and advantage had gone. This move is a mistake, while 17.Qh7 would have been very strong.

17...Qxf6 18.gxf6 Nxd3 19.cxd3 Bb7

Black has the exchange for a pawn, and is better.

I couldn't believe that I had lost my way.

20.g4 Kf7 21.g5 hxg5 22.Bxg5 Rg8 23.h4

Establishing the two passed pawns. My plan looks frail, but it was the best that I could come up with.

23...d5 24.Re1 d4

Black has pawns that he wants to start moving, too. This move allows a critical tempo for me to get my Rook into the thick of things, though – something that 24...Rae8 would have prevented.

25.Re7+ Kg6 26.Ne2 Rae8

27.Nf4+ Kf5 28.f7 Rxg5+

29.hxg5 Rf8 30.g6 Kf6

31.Rxc7

After the game, Rybka pointed out that here I had a mate in 12 with 31.Re6+.

At the time I saw how to slowly improve my position, and I decided to grind things out, especially since my opponent was running low on time.

31...Bc8 32.Nd5+

32...Kg7 33.Ne7 Be6 34.Rc6 Bxa2

Readers may notice (I didn't) that this allows a creative mate in 3: 35.Nf5+ Kh8 36.g7+ Kh7 37.Rh6 #

analysis diagram







35.Rxa6

35...Bxf7 36.gxf7 Rxf7

A consequence of my un-hurried strategy, but the game is still well in hand for White.

37.Nd5 Rf3 38.Nb4 Re3 39.Kf2 Re5 40.Rd6

At this point Black lost on time.

Alekhine - Marshall, Baden-Baden 1925

When International Master Gary Lane wrote about the Marshall Defense to the Queen's Gambit (1.d4 d5 2.c4 Nf6) in his March 2010 column at Chess Cafe, I decided to send him an English language version of the article that I had written on the defense, as highlighted in the game Alekhine - Marshall, Baden-Baden 1925, that was published in Kaissiber #27.

The article is now available in the "Skittles Room" at Chess Cafe. 

Danger

In this particular Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), White's Queen and Black's King each do a lot of running around the board, into and out of danger. It is only when the Queen evades a trap that she can help drive the King into one.

perrypawnpusher - useche
blitz FICS, 2010

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

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

7.Qd5+ Kf6

8.Qxc5

A couple of years ago I tried 8.d4 instead, and after 8...Bb4+ 9.c3 c6 was able to win Black's Queen with 10.Qg5+ Ke6 11.Qxd8, perrypawnpusher - whitepandora, blitz FICS, 2008 (1-0, 41).

The line isn't that strong.

Black's defensive strategy should be similar to that of the recent Wall-SavenRain, Chess.com, 2010 (see "Falling off the Wall") – moving the King, even if it seems like the monarch has moved too many times already. So: 8.d4 Bb4+ 9.c3 Ke7 – to make room for the Knight at f6, to block the anticipated check at g5.

analysis diagram






White now would have 10.Bg5+ Nf6 11.cxb4, when Black would still better.

8...d6 9.Qe3 N8e7

Black's King gets in the way of his pieces, and it will have a longer walk than usual if he wants to castle-by-hand.

10.d4 c5

11.dxc5 Qa5+ 12.Nc3 Qxc5 13.Qf3+ Ke6

So far, Black's King has lived a charmed life.

14.0-0 Ne5 15.Qh3+ Kf7

16.Qh5+ N7g6 17.Be3

The position is still somewhat better for Black, but only if he realizes what is going on.

Can you see Black's best move?

17...Qb4

White's Queen is hemmed in, so Black should have tried either 17...Bg4 as a counter-attack, or the inventive 17...Qxc3 18.bxc3 Bg4.

The text move gives White the tempo he needs to press his attack and relieve his Queen.

18.f4

18...Nc4

Better was 18...Re8 19.fxe5+ Kg8, although Black would be down two pawns.

19.f5 Nxe3 20.fxg6+

Black's best now is 20...Ke8, although this is well met by 21.Qxh7.

20...Kg8 21.gxh7+ Rxh7 22.Qe8 mate