Trick Fork

On the way to reaching the Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit, Black can always stop off and play the "fork trick", which gives him, according to common belief, an even or slightly better game.* Is this an improvement over defending against the Jerome, though, where Black technically has a won game?


In the following game, my opponent gets tricked up in the fork trick...


perrypawnpusher - Tinde

blitz, FICS, 2012


1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Nxe4

Played after some thought. Was he considering 4...Bc5 ?

5.Nxe4 d5 6.Bd3 dxe4 7.Bxe4 Bd7

The main line is 7... Bd6, after which it is helpful to be familiar with analysis by Yuri Bukayev. A few days later, I faced 7...Bc5.**

8.Bxc6

Better was the straight-forward 8.O-O Bd6 9. d4, but I had ideas along the e-file.

8... Bxc6 9.O-O 

Now White has nothing after 9... Bd6, but Black comes to that conclusion a move too soon and makes a mistake. Once a defender has played his defense, he sometimes stops defending...


9...Qe7 10.Nxe5 


Now Black's best is to acknowledge that he has troubles down the e-file, but still go out and meet them: 10...Qxe5 11.Re1 Be4 12.d4 (if 12.d3, then 12...O-O-O 13. Bd2 f5 14.dxe4 Bc5 give Black a lot of active play for the pawn, for example 15.c3 fxe4 16.Qg4+ Kb8 17.Be3, even) 12... Qd5 (or 12...Qe6 13.f3 O-O-O 14.fxe4 with an edge to White) 13.c4 Qe6 14.d5 Qe5 15.f3 f5 16.fxe4 Bc5+ 17.Kh1 O-O 18.exf5 Qxf5 and White is a bit better.


Instead, he marshalls on.


10...f6 11.Nxc6 bxc6 12.Re1 Black resigned.

This time there is no minor piece to intercede between the White Rook and the Black Queen.


*Those who have read Yuri Bukayev's article on the "fork trick" may find that White, actually, has an edge. 


**perrypawnpusher- adrienr, blitz, FICS, 2012: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Nxe4 5.Nxe4 d5 6.Bd3 dxe4 7.Bxe4 Bc5 8.O-O O-O 9.Bxc6 bxc6 10.Nxe5 Qd5 11.Nf3 Bg4 12.d3 Rfe8 13.h3 Bh5 14.Bf4 Re6 15.Bxc7 Rg6 16.Kh2 Re8 17.Bg3 f5 18.Re1 Rf8 19.c4 Qf7 20.d4 f4 21.dxc5 fxg3+ 22.fxg3 Bxf3 23.gxf3 Qxf3 24.Qxf3 Rxf3 25.Rg1 Rf2+ 26.Rg2 Rgf6 27.Kg1 Rxg2+ 28.Kxg2 Kf7 29.Rf1 Rxf1 30.Kxf1 Ke6 31.Ke2 Kf5 32.Kf3 h6 33.b4 Ke5 34.Ke3 Black resigned [I know it's a footnote game, but it was pretty well-played -- Rick]