Deja Vu for Me (not U)

In this game it was nice to find myself with a familiar opening, a familiar arrangement of pieces – and a familiar "optical illusion" plaguing my opponent...

perrypawnpusher - Padalino
blitz, FICS, 2010

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6


The Semi-Italian Opening.

4.0-0 Nf6 5.Nc3 Bc5

The Semi-Italian Four Knights Opening.

6.Bxf7+

The Semi-Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.

6...Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ Nxe5 8.d4

8...Bxd4 9.Qxd4 d6 10.f4 Nc6 11.Qd3 Re8 12.Bd2 Kg8 13.Rae1

A typical position for this variation: Black has castled-by-hand while White's Rooks back up his "Jerome pawns". White does not have full compensation for his sacrificed piece.

13...Nb4

A typical blitz oversight for this kind of position: the temptation to "kick" the Queen is too much for Black, as has been seen in:

perrypawnpusher - amirelattar, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 50)
perrypawnpusher - Angstrem, blitz, FICS, 2010 (0-1, 35)
perrypawnpusher - mjmonday, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 32)

I am sure that under slower time controls, none of my opponents would have made this error.

14.Qc4+ Be6 15.Qxb4 b6 16.h3 Bf7 17.Qd4 a5 18.Nd5 Nxd5 19.exd5

Black is down a pawn, but the open e-file and unblocked a1-h8 diagonal offer a way to exchange the heavy pieces, after which the Bishops-of-opposite-colors endgame has serious drawing potential. With this in mind, Black might now try 19...Qf6.

19...Qc8

Quickly highlighting the difference between a Bishops-of-opposite-colors endgame and a Bishops-of-opposite-colors middlegame:  the former is drawish, the latter gives the attacking side the advantage.

20.Bc3 Black resigned

It will cost Black a Rook to block the checkmate at g7, but White will have other mates available soon after 20...Re5 21.fxe5. 

Busted!

I've been playing too much chess lately, breaking my rule to follow Dan Heisman's (of the "Novice Nook" articles at Chess Cafe) suggestion mentioned in a Chess Life article earlier this year

...set up a "feedback loop" whein one studies something (adds positives), applies it with careful practice, gets expert help to correct mistakes (subtracts negatives), and then repeats ad infinitum. this loop, which is essentially practiced in every school, is a key for getting better at any complex endeavor, whether it be chess, math, skiing or pharmacy.

I've been dropping points and half-points here and there, and even my wins have been ragged and have had more to do with good fortune than good play.


Tonight I hit my nadir


perrypawnpusher -TrentonTheSecond
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

7...Re8

I faced this move for the first time a few days ago and won in a baker's dozen worth of moves, ending with 13.Qd5+.

8. dxc5 Nc4

9. Qd5+??

Unbelievable.

9...Nxd5 White resigned

I've decided: no more playing chess games until next month. Study, analyze, learn: no pawn-pushing.

Readers probably won't even notice, however, as I have a backlog of about a dozen games to post here...

Swind

I'm using the word "swind" in the title of this post to represent "incomplete swindle" because it's shorter than "a-swindle-that-didn't-work-because-I-missed-a-move" and better sounding than "blunder".

This position is from perrypawnpusher - Gibarian, blitz, FICS, 2010.

My opponent had defended very well against my Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit, but time was running low for him, and because of that I had managed to regain my sacrificed piece.

Unfortunately, time was running short for me too. So I decided on a swindle to split the point and maintain my dignity.

32.Rxd6

Looking like a time pressure oversight.

32...Qxf1 33.Rxh6+

33...gxh6 34.Qe5+ Kg8

35.Qe6+

Aaaack!

The draw is obtained with 35.Qg3+:
35...Kh7 36.Qxc7+ etc.;
35...Kh8 36.Qe5+ etc.
35...Kf7 36.Qxc7+ Kf6 (36...Ke8 37.Qe5+ Kd7 38.Qg7+ Ke8 39.Qe5+ etc.) 37.Qd6+ Kg5 38.Qg6+ Kf4 39.Qxh6+ Kf3 40.Qxc6+ Ke2 41.Qc4+ etc.

35...Rf7 36.Qg6+ Rg7 37.Qe8+ Kh7 White resigned

I had my chances...

I had my chances in the following game. The opening that I chose, the Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit (a form of the "modern" Jerome Gambit) was odd and new enough to get me a very playable position. My opponent, however, was the one who played well enough to win.


perrypawnpusher - braunstein
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

7...Qe7 8.dxc5 Qxc5 9.Be3 Qd6

Or 9...Qc6, as in the tortured and tortuous perrypawnpusher -barbos, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 49)

10...a6

Protecting the Queen from attack by Nc3-b5, but probably a developing move like 10...Re8 was better. White cannot afford to waste time on such simple threats.

11.f4 Neg4 12.e5 Qe6 13.0-0 Nxe3 14.Qxe3 Ng4 15.Qc5

15...Qb6 16.Qxb6 cxb6 17.Rae1 Re8

White has about equalized. Any troubles from now on are not the fault of the Jerome Gambit.

18.h3 Nh6 19.Nd5 Ra7 20.Nxb6 Nf5 21.c3 a5 22.g4 Ne7 23.f5 Nc6

White even has an edge here. His plan should be to advance his pawns, starting with 24.e6, with the idea of infiltrating both Rooks to the 7th rank.

24.Nxc8 Rxc8 25.e6+ dxe6 26.fxe6+ Kg8 27.Rf7 Re8

By exchanging his active Knight for Black's passive Bishop, White removed an attacker as well as a target. The more simplified position holds little prospect for advantage.

28.Ref1

White needed to be precise: 28.Rc7 instead prevents Black's next move and allows for Re-d1-d7, abandoning the e-pawn for doubled Rooks on the seventh.

After this move, I was steadily out-played by my opponent.

28...b6 29.Rxa7 Nxa7 30.Re1 Nc6

 

With the e-pawn about to fall, and with little counter-play as compensation for the Knight, the game is essentially over. I played on for a couple dozen more moves in the vain hope that my opponent might slip up. That never happened.

31.Kf2 Kf8 32.Kf3 Nd8 33.e7+ Rxe7 34.Rxe7 Kxe7 35.Ke4 Ke6 36.c4 Nf7 37.b3 Ng5+ 38.Kf4 Nxh3+ 39.Kg3 Ng5 40.Kf4 h6 41.a3 Nf7 42.b4 axb4 43.axb4 Nd6 44.c5 g5+ 45.Kf3 bxc5 46.bxc5 Nc4 47.Ke4 Ne5 48.c6 Nxc6 49.Kf3 Ne5+ 50.Kg3 Kd5 51.Kh3 Ke4 52.Kg3 Nd3 53.Kg2 Kf4 54.Kh3 Ne5 White resigned

A very steady game by my opponent!

Theory From the Thematic Tourney (6)

In the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), the Jerome Variation or Defense (4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8) was analyzed by Alonzo Wheeler Jerome in 1874, and played (successfully) by him with the black pieces in two correspondence games against Daniel Jaeger in 1880.

Two games in the ChessWorld Jerome Gambit Thematic Tournament tested the utility of f2-f3 in White's attacking formation.

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8

Luke Warm - CheckmateKingTwo, Jerome Gambit Thematic Tournament, ChessWorld, 2010, continued 7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qd5 Qf6 9.f3

with the plan of protecting the e-pawn and safe-guarding the f2 square. 9...Qh4+ 10.g3 Qh3 11.d3 Qg2

Instead, Black has found a way into White's castle, and nothing but ruin follows: 12.Rf1 Bh3 13.Nd2 Qxh2 14.b4 Bxf1 15.Nxf1 Qf2+ 16.Kd1 Qxf1+ 17.Kd2 Qf2+ 18.Kd1 Qxf3+ 19.Kd2 Bxb4+ 20.c3 Qf2+ 21.Kd1 Bxc3 22.Rb1 Ne7 23.Qb3 Qe1+ 24.Kc2 Ba5 25.a3 Nc6 26.Qc4 Qe2+ 27.Kb3 Ne5 28.Qd4 Qxd3+ 29.Qxd3 Nxd3 White resigned


White was more successful in using f2-f3 to establish his pawn center in blackburne - DREWBEAR 63 Jerome Gambit Thematic Tournament, ChessWorld, 2010: (he actually reached the Jerome Defense via the Banks Variation: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Kf8 6.Qh5 Nxe5) 7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qf4+ Nf6 9.c3 Qe7 10.f3 Kg8 11.d4 Bb6

12.Be3 c5 13.dxc5 Bxc5 14.Nd2 h6 15.0-0-0

Unfortunately, the White f-pawn now limits its Queen, and Black is able to gain a decisive material advantage: 15...Nh5 16.Nc4 Nxf4 17.Bxf4 g5 18.Bxd6 Bxd6 19.Rxd6 Be6 20.Rd4 Bxc4 21.Rxc4 b5 22.Rd4 Rd8 23.Rhd1 Rxd4 24.cxd4 Kf7 25.Kd2 Qb4+ 26.Kc1 Rc8+ 27.Kb1 Qc4 28.d5 Qc2+ White resigned

Theory From the Thematic Tourney (5)

The Blackburne Defense to the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 B5 4.Bxf7+) is probably the best known way for the second player to respond to the opening sacrifices – by offering a sacrifice himself, Black hopes to bring the game to a quick tactical end in his favor.

The current ChessWorld Jerome Gambit Thematic Tournament features three Blackburne Defenses, and, fittingly, the player "blackburne" is involved in all of them.

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 d6

This is Black's offer of a Rook. Although in theory White can take the Rook and live – there is a complicated draw that Black can put together, found by Chandler and Dimitrov – over-the-board the capture can be filled with dangers for the unwary.

We've already seen the game Luke Warm - blackburne, Jerome Gambit Thematic Tournament, ChessWorld, 2010, where one mis-step by White was all it took to give Black the win (0-1, 10).

On the other hand, stampyshortlegs - blackburne, Jerome Gambit Thematic Tournament, ChessWorld, 2010 (1-0, 29), showed that Black needs to be precise in bringing home his win after the Rook sacrifice: about his 10th move I commented

The problem with this move is that White has 32 possible responses: 31 lead to an advantage (most of them mate) for Black. However, 1 leads to a win for White.

The third Blackburne Defense game features blackburne with the White pieces: blackburne - CheckmateKingTwo, Jerome Gambit Thematic Tournament, ChessWorld, 2010. It is not yet completed, but it can be noted that in the opening blackburne refused the Rook, playing 8.Qf4+ instead. After 8...Qf6 9.Qg3 Nh6 (an oversight) 10.d3 Bxd4 11.c3 Bb6 12.Bxh6 Re8

White was better, but the game continued (and continues) in a very complicated fashion.

Thus, while the theoretical chances favor White in the Blackburne Defense, the practical chances favor Black.

  

Complications

Chess sparkles with complications. In the following game my opponent finds a way to complicate things in his favor, then almost immediately finds one to complicate it in my favor...

 perrypawnpusher  - Marcym
blitz, FICS, 2010

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

The Italian Four Knights Game. Not Black's only choice (see "Jerome Gambit vs Two Knights Defense Part 3" and "Part 4")

5.Bxf7+

The Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 d5

A good way to keep things complicated.

8.dxe5 Bxf2+

This is taking things too far, however. The proper continuation (the only other game with this line in the New Year's Database) was seen in Simavo - SeaDonkey, FICS, 2009: 8...Nxe4 9.Qf3+ Kg8 10.Nxe4 dxe4 11.Qxe4 Qd4 12.Qxd4 Bxd4 13.f4 Kf7 14.c3 Bb6 15.Ke2 Bg4+ 16.Kd3 Rad8+ 17.Ke4 Ke6 18.f5+ Bxf5+ 19.Kf4 Rhf8 White resigned.

9.Kxf2 dxe4

Instead, 9...Nxe4+ 10.Nxe4 dxe4 give White only a slight edge.

10.exf6 Qxf6+ 11.Ke1

11...Re8

Now things just keep going bad for Black.

12.Rf1 Qxf1+ 13.Kxf1 b6 14.Qh5+ g6 15.Qxh7+ Kf6 16.Qh4+ Kg7 17.Bh6+ Kf7 18.Re1

18...Bf5 19.Nxe4 Rad8 20.Qf6+ Black resigned