Monday, August 27, 2012

Sometimes

Having explored the difficult 10.Kd1 variation of the "Nibs Defense" to the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) (see "Sailing Off the Edge of the World" and "Sailing Off Again"), Philidor1792 recently tackled the lesser-played 10.Kf1 variation, with equally sober results.

Sometimes a "refuted" opening plays like a refuted opening...

Philidor1792 - computer
Casual game, 2012

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 


4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Qh4+ 9.g3 Nf3+ 

Black's two quirky last moves show that he is either a) familiar with the His Nibs Defense, or b) a computer.

10.Kf1 

Avoiding the d1-h5 diagonal, so deadly in the 10.Kd1 variation.

10...Ne7 11.e5+ Kc6 12.Qe4+ d5 13.exd6+ 


This is an improvement over the reasonable-looking 13.Qxf3, e.g. 13...Bg4 14.Qg2 Qh5 15.Ke1 Nf5 16.Qf1 Nd4 17.Qd3 Be2 18.Qc3 Nf3+ White resigned, Philidor1792 - computer, casual game, 2012

13...Nd5 14.gxh4 Bh3+ 

White gets Black's Queen, but it is a sacrifice, not a blunder. White's King can find no peace.

15.Ke2 Nd4+ 16.Kd3 Rhe8 17.Qxd4 Bf5+ 18.Kc4 b5+ 19.Kb3 Bxd4 20.dxc7 Be6 21.c3 Ne3+ 22.c4 Bxc4+ 23.Kb4 a5+ 24.Ka3 Nc2 checkmate

Sometimes seeking the truth, however courageously, is painful.

No comments:

Post a Comment