Friday, September 21, 2012

An Adventure


Researching and playing the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) is a lot of fun, but I get the most enjoyment out of hearing from others who have discovered Alonzo Wheeler Jerome's impertinent opening, had had their own adventures.

Here's a recent email that I received; you will see what I mean.

Dear Rick,
I played your beloved Jerome Gambit in a real OTB tournament game (8 man 3 round Swiss G/30) at my local chess club last night.
First, a little background.  I played OTB rated chess at a chess club in the mid 1980’s as a young fanatic just out of school.  Then I got married and raised a family.  Chess was a rare occasional pleasure with friends or family.  I became known as sort of the Shane of my chess playing friends, trying to let the past remain in the past but getting called in from time to time to shoot down someone else’s evil black hatted nemesis.  But of course you know there is a world of difference between rated players and casual players.  So there is little real pleasure in beating Uncle Willie’s plumber.  Not even if it includes  a Fischer-esque ego crushing.
So after a 25 year absence I’ve started playing OTB USCF rated chess again.
I discovered your blog while googling “Bent Larsen quotes” and hit on this:
LOL.  Not the one I was searching for but fortuitously found out “why chess was invented”.  Truly a gift of the gods to a languishing chess world.  An adrenaline junkie’s wet dream.

In my sixth rated game since my return to chess, and the third game of last evening, I was playing white.  My opponent was rated in the mid-1300’s and my rating is probably comparable at this time.  We reached a Guioco Piano position after three moves.  My planned repertoire was to play the Evan’s Gambit vs GP and Max Lange Attack vs Two Knights Defense.   On a whim, I decided to play 4.Bxf7 and have some fun.

“This is totally unsound and should never be tried!” – GM Raymond Keene

With such an endorsement, who can resist?  Here’s the game.

White: Me
Black:  Mr. SF
G/30
1.e4            e5
2.Nf3          Nc6
3.Bc4          Bc5
4.Bxf7+      Kxf7
5.Nxe5+     Kf8

Unexpected.  Ke7 is the Paulsen variation.  I hadn’t seen this move on your blog….yet, but I’ve only read a few months worth of posts.  So from here, I’m on my own.  “Intelligence guided by experience.”  (OK Mr. Mystery writer - 10 extra credit points if you can identify that quote without google J)

6.Qh5         Nxe5
7.Qxe5       d6
8.Qh5         Qf6
9.d4            Bxd4
10.Be3       Bxe3
11.fxe3

I didn’t want to trade dark squared bishops, and I didn’t want to double the Jerome pawns, but I really, really wanted to open up the f-file for Rf1 pinning and winning the queen.  This is taking on the flavor of a Muzio King’s Gambit.

11. …           Qxb2

How to squirm out of this one?

12.O-O +   

The title of this should probably be “Thank You Mr. Polgar”.  I’ve been going through Chess: 5334 Problems, Combinations and Games lately and two themes popped up in my game.

Thank you Mr. Polgar.  The only “mate in one” that I had trouble with in your book was a mate that was delivered by white castling.  So it was fresh in my mind.  This doesn’t deliver mate obviously but it makes my game come alive and saves my rooks.

12. ….          Nf6
13.Nd2        Qc3
14.e5           Qxe3+
15.Kh1        Qxe5

Well done by black.  At this point I’m thinking my game is going nowhere.  I’m down material, my attack is fading, and I don’t have the Jerome big pawn center to shove down black’s throat.  But this is no ordinary game.  This is the Jerome Gambit!  All you have to do is jump on its back and hang on for the ride!  Right?  Right???

16.Qf3          d5
17.Rae1       Qg5

What to do… what to do…. Ah ha!  Let’s sneak in the back door and stir up the hen house.

18.Qa3+      Kf7
19.Qe7+      Kg6
20.Re3

With the intention of Rg3 pinning and winning the queen.  I have to be careful about the back rank mate threats.  I almost played Rf3??

20. …           Re8
21.Rxf6+     Qxf6
22.Qxe8+    Kh6
23.h3

Removing the back rank mate threat and setting up my next two moves.
 
23. …               Qf4
24.g4                b6

He missed the point of g4 entirely.
 
Thank you Mr. Polgar for including a lot of examples in your book of utilizing pawns to help deliver checkmate.  This was the second game of the evening that my pawn pushes put my opponent’s king in peril.

25.Qh5 #

Obviously not a high quality game.  I’m sure we both missed many opportunities.  Just two class C players doing their best.

Thanks for the blog.  Do I have the USCF apply my gained rating points to you?
Sincerely,
Mr. J.E.
Danville, IL


A fine adventure, eh, Readers? Many thanks for sharing, Joe.

(From Danville, IL, huh? That reminds me of Danville, Kentucky, which reminds me of the Danvers Opening and the Kentucky Opening, which the Jerome Gambit reminded J.H. Blackburne of... But I digress. - Rick)

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