Denied the chance for a Jerome Gambit, and facing a foe with a strategy that had been successful against me in past games, I found a way to update an old chess strategem of my own.
perrypawnpusher - koek
blitz, FICS, 2011
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 d6
Sigh. No Jerome Gambit today: a Philidor Defense by transposition, or maybe a Hungarian Defense.
4.0-0 Bg4
Planning to gang up on my pinned Knight at f3 and cause a breakup of the pawn wall in front of my King.
5.Nc3
Going along with Black's plan.
Last year Koek and I played one game that continued 5.d4 White resigned; and another that continued 5.h3 Bh5 6.d3 Nd4 White resigned.
5...Nd4
I've been having a hard time finding games that follow this move order, but I did discover Hansen, S. - Briz, P., Denmark, 1974, that now continued 6.d3 Nxf3+ 7.gxf3 Bh3, showing the Kingside damage that I was trying to avert.
Now for something completely different.
6.Nxe5
Ah, yes, the idea from Legal de Kermeur - St. Brie, Paris 1750: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bc4 Bg4 4.Nc3 g6 5.Nxe5 Bxd1 6.Bxf7+ Ke7 7.Nd5#
6...Bxd1
Black needed to play 6...dxe5, but who could resist a "free" Queen?
7.Bxf7+ Ke7 8.Nd5 checkmate
I received a very pleasant email from Guido de Bouver of Grimbergen, Belgium, the other day,
Hello Richard,
I have been following your posts on your blog regularly.
I am not an 1.e4 player but enjoy the attacking positions in the gambit.
I have created a new blog http://blackmardiemergambit.blogspot.com/ on the Blackmar Diemer Gambit.
Please have a look - you might want to add some words on your blog and add a link, so I get some additional publicity!
Thanks for your help and keep up the good work !
Guido
Readers will see that I have added a link to Guido's web page.
After all, not everybody plays the Jerome Gambit all the time, but they still like to attack. (And if you open with 1.e4, looking for the Jerome Gambit, and your opponent plays 1...d5, you can counter his Center Counter with 2.d4 and go for the BDG!)
You should also know that Guido has written a very exciting book on the Blackmar Diemer Gambit (I have a copy, and when Chessville.com comes back online you will be able to see my review): Attack with the Blackmar Diemer, A Computer Analysis of the Teichmann, Gunderam, O'Kelly lines in the Blackmar Diemer Gambit.
International Master Gary Lane, in his "Opening Lanes" column at ChessCafe.com has written about the book "My advice if you have a love of the opening is to seek it out and buy it at the first opportunity."
According to Tom Purser, at Tom's BDG Pages, Guido is working on a second BDG volume, including the Euwe and Bogoljubow Defenses.
Readers who have access to the March 2011 issue of Chess Life are urged to turn to page 44 and take a look at Grandmaster Lev Alburt's "Back to Basics" column, titled this time around "How to Trick the Trickster". It features my Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit game against PunisherABD.
My introduction to MRBarupal was rather ubrupt: he beat my Jerome Gambit three straight times.
Since then we had met once more, and I had scored my first win.
Today's game is my second.
perrypawnpusher - MRBarupal
blitz, FICS, 2011
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Kf8
This is Sorensen's Variation, a solid defense and a change from the games MRBarupal and I had previously played, all of which had continued 5...Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3.
6.Nxc6 dxc6
I was surprised to see that Rybka 3 prefer 6...bxc6 by the tiniest bit, even though it allows 7.d4. Alonzo Wheeler Jerome is on record as preferring 6...dxc6.
7.d3
7.0-0 as in Jerome - Brownson, Iowa, USA, 1875 (1/2-1/2, 29) is probably more accurate, as it is clear that White will be castling Kingside, but it is not totally clear (depending on Black's development) that the first player has to completely forego d2-d4.
That said, after 7.0-0 Nf6 White may respond with 8.d3 (better than 8.e5 of Norton - Hallock, corr 1877), which would simply be a transposition to this game.
7...Nf6
I have had mixed success against 7...Qf6: perrypawnpusher - fortytwooz, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 29); perrypawnpusher - Lark, FICS, 2011, (1-0, 12); and perrypawnpusher - Jore, FICS, 2011, (0-1, 16).
8.0-0 Bg4
A slower game came about after 8...h6 9.Be3 Qe7 10.d4 Bb6 11.f3 Kg8 12.Nc3 Kh7 13.Qd3 g6 in perrypawnpusher - vladchess, blitz, FICS, 2011, (½-½, 46).
9.Qe1
Black's Bishops are really annoying! It was beginning to feel like my "nemesis" was taking over the game again.
9...Qe8
Instead, 9...Qe7 was seen in Lowe - Parker, corr, 1879 (1-0, 37)
10.Be3 Bd6
10...Qe7 and 10...Bb6 are slightly better alternatives, mostly because they prove to be less complicated than the text.
11.f4 Nh5
Instead, after the game Rybka 3 suggested that it was time to return the piece for three pawns: 11...Nxe4 12.dxe4 Qxe4 13.Nc3 Qxc2
analysis diagram
Here Black is a pawn up, but the uncertain placement of his King and the open lines against it give White sufficient counterplay to call the game even.
The text allows White's "Jerome pawns" to advance with malice.
12.e5 Be7 13.f5
Black resigned
I admit that I was a bit surprised at my opponent's decision, as in the past he had shown some strong tactical chops in messy situations.
It is true that after 13...Qf7 14.Nd2 Bxf5 15.g4 g6 16.gxf5 gxf5 material is even and Black's f-pawn is hanging, but after 17.Qf2 Rg8+ 18.Kh1 Qd5+ 19.Ne4 Ng7 it still has not fallen and after 20.Qg3 Ke8 21.c4 Qf7 22.Bh6 Ne6 23.Rxf5 Rxg3 24.Rxf7 Kxf7 25.hxg3 Rd8 it doesn't look like the extra pawn for White will account for much, at least according to Rybka 3 and Fritz 8.
Perhaps events off of the chess board accounted for his need to leave.
Side lines are not played as often as main lines, but it can be helpful to know how to play against (and punish) certain wanderings-away, as this can be a pleasant (and often quick) way to score points.
sainik - glaucokoltz
blitz, FICS, 2011
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.c3
This move is a decent alternative to the routine 4.0-0 in the Semi-Italian opening, one that shows up in 226 games in The Database and scores 69% for White.
4...Na5
I first covered this move when it appeared against 4.0-0 in "A Line of Play Everyone Should Know About"; and later in "Bully" and "A Hot Rocket to Oblivion". Currently The Database contains only 10 games with the 4.0-0 Na5 line, but 9 of them were won by White.
For the record, the fourth move alternative 4.Nc3 Na5 shows up in 49 games in The Database, with White scoring 86%; and 4.d3 Na5 shows up in 34 games, with White scoring 71%.
As for 4.c3 Na5, as in the current game, that shows up in The Database 88 times, with White scoring 88%.
5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Ke8
Black's best defense is 6...Ke6, but after 7.Qh5 his prospects are gloomy. Two possibilites: 7...Nf6 8.Qf5+ Ke7 9.Ng6+ Kf7 10.Nxh8 Kg8 11.Qxa5 Kxh8 and Black is down two pawns (although his King is safe); and 7...g5 8.d4 Nf6 (8...Qe7 9.Qg4+ Kd6 10.Ng6 followed by 11.Qf5) 9.Qf7+ Kd6 10.Ng6 Rh7 11.e5+ Kc6 12.Qxf6+, etc.
7.Qh5+ Ke7 8.Ng6+ Kf6 9.e5+
This wins, as does 9.Qf5#.
9...Ke6 Black resigned
I have finally played a Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) that is so bad that I will not even bother to share it with readers (something that has not happened for over 1,000 days). Far beyond the simple reversal of move orders, as in Friday's game against Cibola, it contained a flock of inexplicable errors – topped off with mouse-slip that lost the Queen... There is no need for me to take a vacation, as when "a case of the stupids" struck before, though: from now on, such games will go directly into The Database, and the time that I would have spent analyzing and preparing the disaster for posting here will be spent on either more historical research into the Jerome Gambit or on assembling information for my forthcoming book, The Worst Chess Opening Ever: The Jerome Gambit in Black and White.
We now return you to regularly scheduled posting.
The following game takes its time getting where it's going. In fact, it probably could have taken even longer, if my opponent had not forseen the future and decided to stop travelling.
perrypawnpusher - VGxdys
blitz, FICS, 2011
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6
The Semi-Italian Opening.
4.O-O Bc5 5.Bxf7+
The Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit.
5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.Qh5+ Ng6 8.Qd5+
Interestingly, Rybka 3 (at a depth of 20 ply) sees this "nudge" as 1/2 pawn better than the immediate capture, 8.Qxc5.
8...Ke8 9.Qxc5 d6 10.Qe3 Nf6
A standard Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit position, although Black has also played 10...Qf6 in perrypawnpusher - saltos, blitz FICS 2009 (1-0, 28); 10...Ne5 in perrypawnpusher - Kotimatka, blitz FICS, 2009 (1-0, 21) and perrypawnpusher - Eferio, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 24); 10...Qe7 in perrypawnpusher - Macgregr, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 23); and 10...N8e7 in perrypawnpusher - apinheiro, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 59), perrypawnpusher - VGxdys, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 32) and perrypawnpusher - apinheiro, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 25).
11.f4
Or 11.d4 and then 12.f4 as in perrypawnpusher - KenWhitaker, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 27).
11...Kf8
Taking the King off of the dangerous e-file, if temporarily putting him on the dangerous f-file. Black's plan is to castle-by-hand, with the King ending up on h7. Instead a center strike with 11...Qe7 12.d3 d5 occurred in perrypawnpusher - LeifPetersen, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 30).
12.f5 Ne5 13.d4 Nc4
It was probably safer to play 13...Nf7, but who can resist harassing the Queen?
14.Qd3 b5
Oddly similar to our earlier game, referred to above.
15.b3 Nb6 16.Nc3 Kg8 17.Qxb5 a6 18.Qe2 Kh7
White has grabbed a Queenside pawn while Black has castled-by-hand on the Kingside. The game is about even.
19.e5 dxe5 20.dxe5 Nfd5 21.Bb2
Good enough, although with White's forces focusing on the f6 square, 21.Ne4 would have been even better.
21...Re8 22.Rad1 Qg5
This was Black's idea, attacking White's King.
25.Rd2 a5 26.Qf2 Ba6 27.Rfd1 Rad8 28.Rxd8 Rxd8 29.Rxd8 Qxd8
30.Qd4 Qg5 31.e6 Bb7 32.Qf2 Be4 33.f6 gxf6 34.Bxf6 Qc1+
The game has taken on some of the annoying aspects of the typical Jerome Gambit Bishops-of-opposite-colors endgame. Still, I was willing to exchange Queens and try my luck. Too, exchanging Queens was Black's best chance.
35.Qf1 Qe3+ 36.Kh1 Bxc2 37.e7 Bd3
A slip, which should have been punished by 38.e8/Q, winning the Bishop.
38.Qg1 Qe6 39.Bh4 Qf7
40.Qe1 Bb5 41.Qe4+ Kg7
Another slip: White can now check the King and win the Bishop.
My opponent seems to have been a bit too comfortable with his assessment of the endgame as drawish. That made two of us.
42.Qg4+ Kh7 43.Qe4+ Kg8 44.h3
A small idea, but a useful one. With the back-rank checkmate prevented, my Queen can wander more successfully, not just limiting herself to offeres to exchange or checks on the enemy King.
44...Bd7 45.Kh2 Qe8
White's e-pawn is effectively blockaded, his Queenside pawns will not produce a passer on their own, and creating one on the Kingside will expose the White King to plenty of attacks. A win for for me, if it is there, is a long way down the road.
46.Qc4+ Kh7 47.Qxc7 Black resigned
With my King safe, however, my pawns do not have to do it on their own. The Queen will soon pick off Black's a-pawn, and then White's Queenside pawns will begin to advance and assert themselves.
My opponent decided that there was no need to let things go that far.
23.Nxd5 Nxd5 24.Rxd5 Bb7
