Public Service Announcement

Public Service Announcement: It is not necessary to play the Jerome Gambit version of the Blackburne Shilling Gambit. There are a number of ways for White to play safely against the BSG, with advantage. Here is one take, from Bill Wall, who knows both the BSG and the JG.

I felt compelled to post the above PSA after playing over the following game. The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit will continue to be my preference, but the play gets pretty wild for both sides.

sexymax - Jesuswins
standard, FICS, 2012

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 

The Blackburne Shilling Gambit.

4.Bxf7+ 

The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit. I have been playing the line since this blog was in its early months, 4 1/2 years ago. In 37 games, I have scored 91%.

The Database shows 3818 BSJG games, with White scoring 56%.

Of course, Bill Wall has scored 100% in 14 games.

Your mileage may vary.

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Nxg6 hxg6 8.Qxh8

Pretty standard play for the Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.

8...Nxc2+ 

White tears up Black's Kingside while Black tears up White's Queenside. 164 games have reached this point in TheDatabase, with White scoring 53%

9.Kf1

Necessary was 9.Kd1, keeping Black's advantage small.

9...Ne7

The way out of this mess was 9...Kf7, and only 1 game in The Database has this correct continuation: MkRules - Magico, blitz, FICS, 2004, (1-0, 34). Yes, that's right: Black played the right move and still lost.

Houdini 2 had this to say about the position: 9...Kf7 10.Qc3 Nxa1 11.d4 Qf6 (Black is up two pieces for two pawns) 12.f3 Qc6 13.Kf2 d5 14.Bd2 dxe4 15.Rc1 exf3 16.Qxf3+ Qxf3+ 17.gxf3 Bf5 (the battle over the Knight at a1 continues) 18.Rxc7+ Kf6 19.Nc3 Nc2 20.d5 Ke5 21.f4+ Kd4 22.Nb5+ Kxd5 23.Rxc2 Bxc2 24.Nc7+ Kc6 25.Nxa8 (now it is White's Knight that is trapped, and Black will remain up two pieces for two pawns). 

10.d4 Nxa1 11.Bh6 Kf7 12.Qh7+ Ke6

Black decides to decline the draw implicit with 12...Ke8 13.Qh8 and instead sends his King out into the wide open spaces. This is as dangerous as it looks. And as messy.

13.d5+ Kd6 14.Bf4+ 

Bringing another piece into the attack looks like a good idea, But Houdini 2 gives the key move as 14.Qh8, with a multitude of threats against the King and his army:  14...Ng8 15.Qxg8 Kc5 16.Bxf8+ d6 17.Qg7 Bd7 18.Qc3+ Kb6 19.Bg7 Bb5+ 20.Kg1 c5 21.dxc6 bxc6 22.b3 Nxb3 23.axb3 Kb7 White has recovered his material, with interest.

14...Kc5 15.Qh3 

15...d6

Amazingly, Black can escape by returning some material to activate his Queen: 15...Nxd5 16.exd5 Qf6. Houdini 2 continues to throw pieces around in its analysis with 17.Qf3 Qxb2 18.Nc3 Qc2 19.Be3+ Kb4 20.Qxf8+ Kxc3 when White does best to sue for peace, i.e. 21.Qc5+ Kb2 22.Bd4+ Kb1 23.Qb4+ Kxa2 24.Qa5+ Kb3 25.Qb5+ Ka2 26.Qa5+ etc.

After the game continuation, White has a forced checkmate. 

16.Qe3+ Kb5 17.Na3+ Ka6 18.Qd3+ b5 Black resigned