Turn About is Fair Play

I was doing some online research at the Chess Archaeology website when I ran into an interesting game (a cross between the Italian Game and the Petroff Defense) in the "Chess" column of the St. Louis Globe-Democrat for June 24, 1877

Amateur - Jos. N. B.

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nxe5 Bxf2+ 5.Kxf2 Nxe4+ 6.Kf3 d5 7.Bd3 

At this point Black announced mate in two

Of course, I like the Bishop sacrifice theme (it is interesting to think of the game coming out of a Petroff, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 Bc5!? 4.Bc4; or even a Busch-Gass Gambit 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Bc5!? 3.Nxe5 Nf6 ), even if it is performed this time by Black. 

Has this line appeared in a post in this blog before? I looked up 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bc4 Bc5 and ran across it in "Not Quite the Jerome Gambit". Figures.

(By the way, Black does better to 4...0-0, and White should choose the safer 6.Kg1.)

Persistence

I met JoseSoza in the first round of our Chess.com tournament. I played the Jerome Gambit. He beat me.

I recently met JoseSoza in the second round of our Chess.com tournament. I played the Jerome Gambit again. He beat me again.

I am waiting to see if I will make it to the third round of our Chess.com tournament. I already know that JoseSoza will advance. If I meet him again, I will play the Jerome Gambit again.

perrypawnpusher - JoseSoza
"Italian Game" Thematic, Chess.com, 2012

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 

The same answer LeeBradbury offered in my other Jerome Gambit game in this round.

7.Qxe5 Qe7 8.Qf4+ Qf6 9.Qg3 d6 

I decided not to play the Queen exchange this time.

After 9...Bd6 I was able to outplay my opponent in  perrypawnpusher - molerat, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 23).

10.Nc3 

Instead, Bill Wall was successful with 10.c3, in Wall,B - Guest340293, Playchess.com, 2012 (1-0, 41). 

10...Ne7 11.d3 Be6 12.0-0 Qg6 13.Be3 Bxe3 14.Qxe3 a6 

JoseSoza has beaten my Jerome Gambit before, so he is not terribly concerned in this game. Still, he has allowed me to exchange off his dark-squared Bishop, keep my Queen, and prepare for f2-f4. Black's piece-for-two-pawns gives him an advantage, but the game is not unfamiliar to a Jerome Gambit player with white. 

15.f4 Bf7 16.Rae1 Qe6 17.f5 Qd7 18.e5 

The game is effectively over at this point.

That may surprise you.

What happened is that I spent hours and hours with my pocket chess set, looking at 18.f6!? I then studied the position further, and decided that I could play the text move first, as long as I followed it up properly.

So I played the text.

Then I realized that I had not written any of my analysis down, and I could not remember any of it at all! I played the rest of the game like a zombie.

For the record, after the game Rybka suggested that after 18.Rf2 Kg8 19.Ref1 Rf8 20.Qg3 Qe8 21.b3 h6 22.f6 Ng6 23.d4 Rh7 24.Qe3 White would have a tiny edge.

18...dxe5 19.Qxe5 Nc6 20.Qc5+ Qd6 21.Qxd6+ cxd6 

Exchanging Queens was not a good idea. Black now has a slight advantage, and he outplayed me the rest of the game.

22.f6 Re8 23.fxg7+ Kxg7 24.Ne4 Rd8 25.a3 Rhe8 26.Ng5 Rxe1 27.Rxe1 Rd7 28.Nxf7 Kxf7 

29.c3 Re7 30.Kf2 Rxe1 31.Kxe1 Ke6 32.Ke2 Ke5 33.Ke3 d5 34.d4+ Kf5 35.a4 Na5 36.b4 Nc4+ 37.Kf3 b6 White resigned

A Propos the Blackburne Shilling Gambit

The opening 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4!? has been named the Blackburne Shilling Gambit, even though examples of Joseph Henry Blackburne playing the line have yet to turn up. Supposedly he would play off-hand games with amateurs for a shilling's stake, and such a trappy line might well speed up the master's collections.

Related to the latter, I enjoy sharing the following, from "The Chess Player" column of Yenowine's News for October 13, 1889. 

Our Milwaukee Chessist Abroad

J. L Garner, who is back from a five months' tour over Continental Europe, has been devoting his spare hours since his return to dealing out bits of precious chess gossip pertaining to his adventures among the chess lions of the Old World. All in all, he managed to win considerably more than half the games. In Paris he played two with Taubenhaus, drawing one. All the big guns were in London during his stay there, and the Milwaukeean met Blackburne, Bird, Mackenzie, Muller, Gossip and a lot of other stars at Simpson's Divan daily. He made even scores with Gossip, winning one, losing one and drawing one. He regards Gossip as below either Elliott or Treichler as a chess player. With Lee, a very strong player ,who beat both Burn and Blackburne, at the Bradford tournament, Garner had a peculiar experience. In one game he mated Lee on the move, and thinking he would not object, offered to let him take the move back. He was fooled in the man, however; he was willing enough to let the game count, and coolly pocketed the shilling which the professionals charge for a "lesson." As a rule, the chess professionals in London and Paris are a dilapidated lot of tramps, with coat sleeves out at elbows, toes projecting from their boots, hats badly caved in and a ghoulish eagerness to fasten upon some wandering amateur, and bleed him at the rate of a shilling a game...

Roundabout

In doing an online search for the Jerome Gambit, I ran across the Brisbane Courier, whose August 9, 1930, p.20, "Chess" column, has the memorable Blackburne game in which he applies a thrashing to the Jerome, but, according to the Courier, it was J.H.B. who was playing White. (Not so!)

Holiday celebration disclaimer...
Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all. I also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2013, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great. Not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country nor the only America in the Western Hemisphere. Also, this wish is made without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith, gender or sexual preference of the wishee.

Tie Breaks?

My opponent and I exchanged wins in the second round of our Chess.com "Italian Game" Thematic tournament. I'm not sure what tie-break is being used (first in our group is JoseSoza, but I don't know if one or two players will advance) but it should be "most wins with the Jerome Gambit" if you ask me.

perrypawnpusher - LeeBradbury
"Italian Game" Thematic, Chess.com, 2012

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 

7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qf4+ Qf6 9.d3 Be6 10.0-0 Qxf4 11.Bxf4 Nf6

I don't think that I have ever played the Queen exchange variation in this line. I was intrigued by Philidor1792's play in past games.

12.Nd2 Ke7 13.c3 Rhf8 14.d4 Bb6 

Trickier, but not necessarily better, was 14...Nxe4 15.Nxe4 Rxf4 16.Rae1 Kd7 17.dxc5 Bc4 18.cxd6 Bxf1 19.Kxf1 cxd6. 

15.Bg3 Ng4 

I am not sure what this is about. Perhaps, like the next move, it is aimed at preventing White's f2-d4.

16.Rae1 g5 17.h3 Nf6 18.e5 dxe5 19.Rxe5 Rae8 20.Rxg5 Bd5

I was happy to grab a third pawn for my sacrificed piece. This move suggests that my opponent was happy to open a line for his Rook to attack along the g-file, cooperating with his light-squared Bishop.

I decided to take advantage of his wish to keep the Bishop on the a8-h1 file.

21.c4 Be4 22.c5 Ba5 23.Nb3 b6 24.Nxa5 bxa5 25.Bxc7 a4 

Too much looking "over there" instead of "over here". Protecting the advanced a-pawn costs the exchange. Better was the consistent 25...Rg8. 

26.Bd6+ Kf7 27.Bxf8 Rxf8 

White now has a Rook and four pawns against a Knight and Bishop, but there are still technical difficulties to overcome.

28.Rd1 Ke6

After the game Houdini suggested 28...Rb8 29.b3 axb3 30.axb3 Rxb3 31.Ra1 Rb7 32.f3 Bd5 33.Kf2 White still would be better, but Black would have more counter-chances. 

29.Re5+ Kd7 30.d5 Bg6 

Now the pawns are going to cause too much trouble.

31.c6+ Kc7 32.Re7+ Kb8 33.d6 Be8 34.d7 Bxd7 35.cxd7 Rd8 36.Rf7 Black resigned

How much work do you have to do..?

The question arises, again: how much work do you have to do to beat Bill Wall's Jerome Gambit?

Wall,B - JKBK
FICS, 2012

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qd5+ Ke7 8.Qxc5+ 

There is also the interesting 8.Qg5+, seen in Wall,B - CKFM, FICS, 2012 (1-0, 44). 

8...d6 9.Qa5 

Or, for variety, there still is 9.Qg5+ as in  billwall - buhov, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 32). 

9...Nf6 10.0-0 b6 11.Qa3 Rf8 

This certainly seems correct: while White runs his Queen around, Black castles-by-hand and safeguards his monarch.

12.f4 Kf7 13.f5 Ne7 14.Qb3+ d5 15.e5 Ne4 16.d3 Nc5 17.Qc3 Kg8 

18.b4 Nb7 19.f6 Ng6 20.a4 gxf6 21.exf6 Be6 22.Bb2 Bf7 

23.Qd2 Nd6?

How fragile the position... This allows White to equalize, which is almost like a winning advantage for Mr. Wall.

24.Qh6 Ne8 25.Nd2 d4 

How can shutting out the White Bishop be wrong? When it lets the White Knight in.

26.Ne4 Bd5 27.Ng5 Qd7 28.f7+ 

Remember me?

28...Rxf7 29.Rxf7 Bxf7 30.Qxh7+ Kf8 31.Rf1 Nd6 32.Qxg6 Black resigned

Black will lose significant material.

Refocused

After "A Correction" concerning how to play against the line 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.Nf3 Nd4!? I decided that I needed to look further into the Jerome approach, 5.Bxf7+!?, recommended by Yury Bukayev, after all (despite the fact that I still thought 5.Nxe5!? Qg5!? to be playable for White).

In the meantime, however, another Jerome Gambit game from Bill Wall has arrived via email, and I just finished another two Jerome Gambit games in my Chess.com "Italian Game" thematic tournament, winning one and losing one, so the next few posts will focus on them as an interlude.

A Correction

In my email comments to Yury Bukayev about the line we were discussing, 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.Nf3 Nd4, 5.Bf7!?, I did not show much enthusiasm. In short order, I got a very bright email, enlightening me.

How do you do, dear Mr. Kennedy!

Dear Rick, thank you very much for your 2 letters! But I disagree with your appraisals of 5.Bxf7 and of 5.Nxe5. I suggest you discuss with me or publish (it will be better) my following analysis (5.Bf7! Kf7 6.Ne5 Ke6 7.Qh5+- ) and my words about 5.Ne5 Qg5-+:

1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 (Vienna game: Max Lange variation) 4.Nf3 (Italian game/ Three Knights game) …Nd4?

Paragraph 1. 5.Bf7! Kf7 6.Ne5 Ke6 7.Qh5!? (White stands better.)

I)  7…Nc2 8.Kd1 Na1 9.Qf5 Kd6 (9…Ke7 10.Ng6 Kd6 11.Qd5 mate) 10.Nc4 Ke7 11.Nd5 Ke8 12.Qg6 mate;

II) 7…Qg5 8.Qf7 Kd6 [8…Ke5 9.d3 (with the idea 10.Bf4 mate) …Nc2 10.Kf1!?+-] 9.Qd5!? Ke7 10.Qd4 Qg2 11.Nd5 Kd8 12.Rf1 White stands better.

III) 7…Qf6 8.Ng6!? (White stands better.)

     A)    8…Nc2 (8…Rh7 9.Qd5 mate) 9.Kd1 Na1 10.Qd5 mate;

B)   8…Qg5 9.Nf8!? Ke7 10.Ng6 White stands better.
C)   8…c6 9.Qg4!? Kf7 10.Nh8 Ke8 11.0-0!? Nc2 12.Rb1 Nge7 13.e5 White stands better.

D)  8…d6 9.Nf8 (or 9.Nd5) …Qf8 (9…Ke7 10.Nd5!? Kf8 11.Nf6+-) 10.Qd5 White stands better.

E)  8…Ne7 9.Nd5 Qg5 (9…Qg6 10.Nf4+-; 9…Qf7 10.Ngf4+-) 10.Qg5!? White stands better.

IV) 7…g6 8.Qg6!? (White stands better.)

A)  8…Ke5 9.f4 Kf4 10.0-0+-;

B)  8…Nf6 9.Qf7 Ke5 10.f4 Kd6 (10…Kf4 11.0-0 Ke5 12.d3+) 11.e5 with the very strong attack;

C)  8…Qf6 9.Nd5!? Qg6 10.Ng6 (White stands better.) …Nc2 11.Kd1 Na1 12.Nc7 (or 12.Nh8) …Kf6 (12…Kd6 13.Na8 Rh7 14.Nf8 White stands better.) 13.Nh8 Rb8 14.b3 (with the idea 15.Bb2) +-

V) 7…Nf6 8.Qf7 Ke5 9.f4 Kd6 [9…Kf4 10.0-0 Ke5 11.d3 (with the idea 12.Bf4 mate) …g5!(11…Nc2 12.Bf4 Kd4 13.Qc4 mate) 12.Rf6!? c6 (12…Qf6 13.Qd5 mate; 12…Qe7 13.Rf5+-; 12…Bg7 13.Rg6!? White stands better.) 13.Be3 White stands better.] 10.e5 with the very strong attack.

Paragraph 2. 5.Ne5?! Qg5.

Probably, Black stands better both after 6.Nf7 and after 6.Bf7, because Black has a very strong attack in both cases: Qg2, Nf3, d5, Bg4.

Do you agree with me, dear Rick? I suggest you to discuss with me or to publish (it will be better) my analysis.

Best wishes! Yury V. Bukayev (“Bruno’s Chess Problem of the Day”)

Thinking again...

Despite my initial skepticism about Black's chances in the line Yury Bukayev recently asked me about, 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.Nf3 Nd4 (a line I once dismissively suggested transposed to "the Improved Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit" after 5.Bxf7+), further examination indicates that things can get pretty tricky for White, if he does not respond properly.

Certainly White can simply 5.0-0 and have the better game (because of his lead in development), but the question arises: does the addition of Nb1-c3 for the first player "detoxify" the dangerous-in-the-original-Blackburne-Shilling-Gambit move 5.Nxe5? Of course, Black will respond with 5...Qg5.

Here, as with the original BSG, the greedy 6.Nxf7 leads to all sorts of complications and inevitable pain for White: 6...Qxg2 7.Rf1 d6 and Black's threat of ...Bg4 means that the first player doesn't even have time to win the Rook, safely (check out 8.Nxh8 Bg4 9.f3 Be7! 10.Ng6 Bxf3 11.Nxe7 Bxd1 12.Nf5 Nxf5 13.Rxf5 Bxc2 as one example, where White does not get enough for his Queen). 

He can carry on with 8.Nd5 Bg4 9.Ne3 Bxd1 10.Nxg2 Bh5 11.Ne3 Bxf7 12.Bxf7+ Kxf7 where White has a pawn for his sacrificed piece. Clearly it is not a line to go into voluntarily, if there are alternatives!

There is also the defensive-minded 6.Ng4, which can lead to either messy or kempt positions where White has two pawns for his piece: 6...d5 7.Nxd5 Qxg4 8.0-0 (or the messy 8.Nxc7+ Kd8 9.Nxa8 Nxc2+ 10.Kf1 Nxa1 11.Bxf7 Kc8 when both a-Knights are likely to eventually expire) Qxd1 9.Rxd1 Bd6 10.Ne3 Be6.

My preference, until recently, has been 6.Bxf7+, since after 6...Kd8 White can play 7.Ng4 and answer 7...d5 with 8.Ne3, covering the White g-pawn.

Of course, not everyone will agree with me. In fact, in my next post I will share a very educational email from Yury, taking this discussion in a new direction!

What do you think?

About a month ago, Yury Bukayev asked me about the following line of play: 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.Nf3 Nd4.

It had a certain familiarity to it, especially since he suggested 5.Bxf7+!? as a response.

I told him that I would share the opening and my thoughts about it with Readers.

In the meantime, I went to the online ChessLab site and searched for games with the line. I found exactly zero.

Silly me, I was looking in the wrong place. A check of the 26,685 games in The Database showed me 10 examples (White won 9).

One was Wall - Surr, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 11), which has already appeared on this blog.

So, clearly, it was time for me to pay attention. First, a brisk walk-through.

1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6

Starting out as a Vienna Game.

3.Bc4 h6 4.Nf3

The game has transposed to a Semi-Italian Opening, i.e. 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.Nc3 (I usually play the alternative 4.0-0).

4...Nd4

Reaching the diagram above.

This Knight move is seen in the Blackburne Shilling Gambit: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4. The idea in the BSG is that White's greedy 4.Nxe5 can be met by 4...Qg5. 

Then the classic BSG punishment by Black follows 5.Nxf7 Qxg2 6.Rf1 Qxe4+ 7.Be2 Nf3#. The pluckier 5.Ng4 is met by 5...d5, with Black advantage. "Best" at this point for White might be 5.Bxf7+ followed by 6.0-0, When Black has the advantage of a piece for two pawns, but many Jerome Gambiteers would be used to that.

Of course, against the Blackburne Shilling Gambit, many Jerome Gambiteers would reply with 4.Bxf7+!? to begin with.

Can the Knight jump work for Black in the delayed form, however? What do you think?

Once Again Into the Fray

I have mentioned earlier (see "Only Seemed Fair" and "Through To Two" for two accounts) my participation in a couple of Chess.com's Italian Game thematic tournaments where opportunities to play the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) surfaced.

In one tournament I failed to advance (see "You have been eliminated") but in the other, I have just started the second round in a 4-player group, alongside two 3-player groups.

As always, I will do my best to uphold the, ahem, good name of the Jerome Gambit (while trying not to make a fool out of myself), and will share my games with readers, come what may.

I am again matching wits with JoseSoza, whom I defeated in the first round with the Black pieces (against his Evans Gambit), but who defeated my Jerome Gambit, giving me my only loss. In this second round I gave him the opportunity to play the Jerome against me, but he decided on 4.c3 instead. We drew in 10 moves.

Guess what opening he allowed me to play with the White pieces? 

Meanwhile, LeeBradbury has also allowed me to play 4.Bxf7+, and perhaps Philip6Esq will as well (ooops, he lost that game on time).

Philidor1792 vs The Annoying Defense (Part 3)

Starting two days ago, and continuing with yesterday's post, we have been looking at recent (and not-so-recent) games by Philidor1792 against what can generally be called The Annoying Defense to the Jerome Gambit.

The current game has reached the following diagram, where White has two pawns for his sacrificed piece; but Black's two Bishops look dangerous, and White's pawn center alone does not make up for his lack of development.

15.d4 Bb6 16.Kf2 Rf8+ 17.Ke3 Nf6 18.Nd2 Ng4+

19.Ke2 Rf2+ 20.Kd3 Bg2 21.Re1 Nxh2 22.Nc4 Bf1+ White  resigned

And so Philidor1792 continues to bravely explore the difficult terrain of "The Annoying Defense"... and enlighten the rest of us with his discoveries.

Thank you.

Philidor1792 vs The Annoying Defense (Part 2)

Starting with yesterday's post, we have been looking at recent (and not-so-recent) games by Philidor1792 against what can generally be called The Annoying Defense to the Jerome Gambit.

The games (those in the notes are as important as the main line) continue from the diagram.

13...Kxe7 

Developing a piece while recapturing seems reasonable, although it would not seem to be the case if one reasoned by results alone. If you play the games over, you will see that White simply out-plays his opponent (the final refuge of the Jerome Gambiteer): 13...Nxe7 14.c3 Bh3 (14...Bb6 15.d4 Ke8 16.Be3 Nc6 17.Nd2 Ne5 18.Kd1 Ng4 19.Ke2 Be6 20.Bf4 Kd7 21.Raf1 Raf8 22.h3 Nf6 23.Kd3 Kc8 24.Re1 Nh5 25.Be5 Rf7 26.Rhf1 Nf6 27.g4 Nd7 28.Bg3 Rxf1 29.Rxf1 a6 30.Nc4 Ba7 31.b3 h5 32.Ne3 hxg4 33.hxg4 Bb6 34.Rf3 Nf6 35.g5 Nh5 36.Be5 Kd7 37.Nf5 Rf8 38.c4 Bxf5 39.exf5 c6 40.Ke4 Rf7 41.Rh3 c5 42.Rxh5 cxd4 43.Bxd4 Bxd4 44.Kxd4 Rxf5 45.Ke4 Ke6 46.b4 Re5+ 47.Kd4 b6 48.Rh8 Rxg5 49.Rb8 Rg4+ 50.Kc3 Rg3+ 51.Kd4 Rg4+ 52.Kc3 Rg3+ 53.Kb2 b5 54.Rb6+ Ke5 55.cxb5 axb5 56.Rxb5+ Kd4 57.Rc5 g5 58.a4 g4 59.a5 Rg2+ 60.Kb3 Rg3+ 61.Ka4 Rg1 62.Kb5 g3 63.a6 Ra1 64.Rg5 Ra3 65.Kb6 Black resigned, Philidor1792 - NN, Casual game, 2012) 15.d4 Bb6 16.Kd1 c5 17.d5 Ng6 18.Na3 (18.Re1 Rhe8 19.Nd2 Ne5 20.Kc2 c4 21.b3 cxb3+ 22.axb3 Bf2 23.Re2 Bb6 24.c4 Bg4 25.Re1 Kg6 26.b4 Bf2 27.Bb2 Bxe1 28.Rxe1 a6 29.Bxe5 Rxe5 30.Kd3 a5 31.bxa5 Rxa5 32.Kd4 Re7 33.Nb3 Ra2 34.h4 Ra3 35.Re3 b6 36.Nd2 Rxe3 37.Kxe3 Ra7 38.e5 Kf5 39.Kd4 Ra3 40.Ne4 Be2 41.Nd6+ Kg4 42.e6 Rxg3 43.Nc8 Rd3+ 44.Ke5 Re3+ 45.Kd4 Rd3+ 46.Ke5 b5 47.cxb5 Bf3 48.Nb6 h6 49.Kd6 Kxh4 50.e7 Re3 51.Nc4 Re1 52.Ne5 Bh5 53.b6 g5 54.b7 Rb1 55.Kc7 Kg3 56.b8Q Rxb8 57.Kxb8 Be8 58.d6 g4 59.d7 Bxd7 60.Nxd7 h5 61.e8Q h4 62.Qe3+ Kh2 63.Ne5 g3 64.Nf3+ Kh3 65.Qg1 Kg4 66.Nxh4 Kxh4 67.Kc7 Kh3 68.Kd6 g2 69.Ke5 Kg3 70.Ke4 Kh3 71.Kf3 Kh4 72.Qxg2 Kh5 73.Kf4 Kh6 74.Kf5 Kh7 75.Kf6 Kh6 76.Qh3 checkmate, Philidor1792 - NN, friendly match, 5-minutes blitz 2012) 18...Bg2 19.Re1 Bc7 (19...Rhe8 20.Nc4 Rad8 21.Bg5 Rd7 22.Nd2 c4 23.Kc2 Ne5 24.Re2 Bh3 25.Be3 Bxe3 26.Rxe3 Ng4 27.Ree1 Nf6 28.Nxc4 Nxe4 29.Rad1 Bf5 30.Kc1 b5 31.Ne3 Bg6 32.Ng2 Red8 33.Nf4 Nf6 34.Re5 Ng4 35.Re2 Nf6 36.Re5 Re7 37.Rxe7+ Kxe7 38.a4 a6 39.Nxg6+ hxg6 40.Re1+ Kf7 41.Re6 Rxd5 42.Rxa6 bxa4 43.Rxa4 Rh5 44.h4 Rf5 45.Kd1 Rf3 46.g4 g5 47.hxg5 Nh7 48.Rc4 Nxg5 49.b4 Ne6 50.b5 Ke7 51.Ke2 Rf8 52.Ke3 Rb8 53.Rb4 Kd6 54.Kd3 Kc5 55.Rc4+ Kd5 56.Rb4 Kc5 57.Rc4+ Kd5 58.Rb4 draw, Philidor1792 - NN, friendly match, 5-minutes blitz, 2012) 20.Nc4 Rae8 21.Nd2 Ne5 22.Re2 Bh3 23.Kc2 c4 24.b3 b5 25.a4 a6 26.axb5 axb5 27.Ra7 Re7 28.bxc4 bxc4 29.Ba3 Rd7 30.Rxc7 Rxc7 31.Bd6 Re7 32.Rf2+ Ke8 33.Bxe5 Rxe5 34.Nxc4 Re7 35.Kd3 Bc8 36.Ra2 Rc7 37.Ra8 Kd7 38.Nb6+ Kd8 39.d6 Rc6 40.d7 Kc7 41.dxc8Q+ Black  resigned, Philidor1792 - NN, friendly match, 5-minutes blitz, 2012. 

14.c3 

Or 14.d3 Bh3 15.Bg5+ Kd7 16.Kd2 Rf8 17.Bf4 h6 18.Na3 g5 19.Be5 Rh7 20.Nb5 Bb6 21.a4 c6 22.Nd6 Rf2+ 23.Kc3 Kd8 24.Nc4 Ne7 25.Nxb6 axb6 26.Bd4 Rf3 27.Bxb6+ Kd7 28.a5 Rhf7 29.a6 bxa6 30.Bc5 Black lost on time, Philidor1792 - NN, friendly match, 5-minutes blitz, 2012. 

14...Bh3 

Or 14...Bb6 15.d4 Nf6 16.Bg5 h6 17.Bxf6+ gxf6 18.Nd2 Be6 19.Rf1 Rae8 20.b3 Rhg8 21.Nc4 Rg4 22.Rf4 Rxf4 23.gxf4 Bxc4 24.bxc4 c5 25.Rd1 Kf7 26.e5 Ba5 27.Rd3 cxd4 White resigned, Philidor1792 - NN, friendly match, without time control, 2012. 

[to be continued]

Philidor1792 vs The Annoying Defense (Part 1)

I am sure that everyone who plays the Jerome Gambit has a particular defense that is the biggest pain to play against. For chessfriend Philidor1792, my guess is the 7...d6 defense (so far unnamed, but a great candidate is "The Annoying Defense") is the one.

Philidor1792 has sent another batch of games, and since a good percentage of them are against "The Annoying Defense" I thought I would aggregate them, and a few others, and show them all. 

Philidor1792 - NN
friendly match, 5-minutes blitz, 2012

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 d6 

Black casually gives back a piece and his uncastled King (annoyingly) remains relatively safe.

8.fxe5 dxe5 9.Qh3+ Ke7 10.Qg3 Kf7 11.Qxe5 

Here Black has several alternatives:

11...Qd6 12.Qh5+ Ke7 13.Qg5+ Kd7 14.Qxg7+ Black resigned, Wall,B - Qi,H, Chess.com, 2011;

11...b6 12.Qh5+ g6 13.Qf3+ Nf6 14.d3 Bg4 15.Qf4 Bd6 16.Qf2 Be5 17.h3 Qd6 18.0-0 Bd4 19.Be3 Bxb2 20.hxg4 Bxa1 21.g5 Ke7 22.Bf4 Qe6 23.gxf6+ Bxf6 24.e5 Bg7 25.Nc3 Raf8 26.Qd4 Qc6 27.Bg5+ Ke6 28.Bf6 Bxf6 29.exf6 Kf7 30.Ne4 h6 31.Rf3 Rd8 32.Qe3 Rde8 33.c3 Qe6 34.Qf4 Qe5 35.Qh4 c5 36.Qh3 Qd5 37.Qg3 Rd8 38.Qf4 Rh7 39.Qc7+ Qd7 40.Qg3 g5 41.Qf2 Kg8 42.Rh3 Qe6 43.Qe2 Qf7 44.a4 Qg6 45.Qa2+ Kh8 46.a5 g4 47.Re3 Rhd7 48.axb6 axb6 49.Qb1 Rb7 50.Re1 Qh5 51.Rf1 Qf7 52.Qc1 Kh7 53.Rf4 Qg6 54.Qf1 Ra7 55.Qe2 g3 56.Rf1 Kh8 57.c4 Kg8 58.Qe3 Kh7 59.Qf3 Rf7 Draw, Wall,B - Redom,T, Chess.com, 2010;

11...Bd4 12.Rf1+ Nf6 13.Qh5+ Kg8 14.Qg5 h6 15.Qf4 Qe7 16.d3 Bg4 17.Nd2 Rf8 18.h3 Bh5 19.c3 g5 20.Qg3 Be5 21.Qe3 Bf4 22.Rxf4 gxf4 23.Qxa7 Qg7 24.Qf2 Nd7 25.d4 Kh7 26.e5 Rhg8 27.Kf1 Qg6 28.Kg1 f3 29.g3 Qxg3+ 30.Qxg3 Rxg3+ 31.Kf2 Rg2+ 32.Kf1 Bg6 White resigned, Fritz 5.32 - Junior 7, The Jeroen Experience, 2003.

11...Qh4+ 12.g3 Qe7 13.Qxe7+ 

The Queen exchange has been Philidor1792's choice, but, years ago, a computer had a different idea: 13.Rf1+ Kg6 14.Qxe7 Nxe7 15.c3 Bh3 16.Rf4 Bd6 17.Rh4 Bd7 18.d4 Rae8 19.e5 Nd5 20.a3 Be7 21.Re4 Bf5 22.Re2 Bd3 23.Rg2 Rhf8 24.Bf4 c5 25.Nd2 Kh5 26.Rc1 Nxf4 27.gxf4 Rxf4 28.Kd1 Rg4 29.Rxg4 Kxg4 30.b4 Rf8 31.bxc5 Rf2 32.h3+ Kxh3 33.Rb1 Bxb1 34.Nxb1 Rf1+ 35.Kc2 Rxb1 36.Kxb1 h5 37.d5 Bxc5 38.d6 Kg4 39.Kc2 h4 40.Kd3 h3 41.Kc4 b6 42.d7 Be7 White resigned, Colossus - Rybka v1.0 Beta.w32, USA, 2006 

[to be continued]

He can't do that, can he?

Another Bill Wall game, a win with the Jerome Gambit, which leaves observers fuming, "He can't do that, can he?"

Wall,B - Guest2900292
Playchess.com, 19.11.2012

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

7.Qf5+

A different kind of "nudge" than the usual 7.Qd5+. The reason will be apparent in a couple of moves.

7...Qf6 8.Qxc5 d6

or 8...Nf4, Wall, Bill - Tony7, Playchess.com, 2011 (1-0, 48);
or 8...c6, Wall, B - Smith, R., Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 23); 
or 8...N8e7 Wall, B - Doantaung, Chess.com 2010 (1-0, 18) 

9.Qxc7+ N8e7 

10.0-0 Be6 11.Nc3 Rac8 12.Qxd6 

Not only is White attacking with his Queen, he's gobbling pawns. He can't do that, can he?

12...Qe5 13.Qa3 Rhf8 14.Qxa7 Bc4 15.d3 Be6 16.f4 Qc5+

That's one way to stop White's Queen.

17.Qxc5 Rxc5 18.f5 Nxf5 19.exf5 Rxf5 20.Rxf5+ Bxf5 

The smoke has cleared, and White is up three pawns.

21.Be3 Ne5 22.Rf1 Kg8 23.Bc5 Rf7 24.Re1 Black resigned