Some lines in the Jerome Gambit and related openings get a lot of attention on this blog, while others get short shrift. Below, Black uses a rare defense to the Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit, White misses the best response, and, after a relatively short tussle, the first player loses.
Clearly I have some educational work to do.
lorecai - ffdallagnol
blitz, FICS, 2013
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4
The Blackburne Shilling Gambit.
4.Bxf7+
The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke7
It is rare that I can give the history of my attention to a particular line in short order, but with "Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit (2)", "Please don't do that", "My Turn Again" and "BSG: Later on in theDiscussion" that's about it.
Reflecting how often Bill Wall mines The Database for ideas for play (see "Hit Me With Your Best Shot"), I feel compelled to point out that I did not provide ffdallagnol with the games collection so that he could ambush lorecai with something rare.
6.Qh5
Looks aggressive, but best, leading to only a small edge for Black, is 6.c3, as Houdini 3 lays out: 6...d6 7.Nc4 Ne6 8.d4 Nf6 9.f4 d5 10.Ne5 dxe4 11.f5 Nc5 12.0-0 Nd3 13.Nxd3 exd3 14.Qxd3 Kf7 15.Bg5 Be7 16.Nd2 Re8 17.Rae1 Kg8 18.Bxf6 gxf6 19.Qe4 Qd6 20.Rf3 Kh8 21.Rg3 Bd7 . I'll have to track down some of the relevant games.
6...Qe8 7.Qg5+
Wanting to keep the attack alive, but best play at this point, alas, was exchanging the Queens followed by 8.Kd1.
7...Nf6 8.Na3 d6 9.Nec4
9...b5 10.Ne3 b4
This pawn charge is fun, but not best.
11.Nd5+
White can stir up more mischief with 11.e5 bxa3 12.exf6+ gxf6 although he still would be worse.
11...Kd7 12.Nxf6+ gxf6 13.Qxf6
Hoping the attack on the Rook on h8 will give him time to save his Knight on a3. In a way, he succeeds.
13...Qxe4+ 14.Kf1 Qe2+ 15.Kg1 Qe1 checkmate
Here we have another game where Black seems to be unimpressed with White's "funny" opening.
I mean, come on, White has to be clowning around, right, playing that "joke opening," the Jerome Gambit?
As I've written before, "If you want them to stop laughing..."
Not all clowns are funny, though. Some are killers. Witness the following.
Wall, Bill - Guest3544144
PlayChess.com, 2013
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Nf6 10.f3
White's move appears to be a TN, although the idea of supporting the e4 pawn in this way is not unknown in the Jerome Gambit.
10...Kf7 11.d4 Re8 12.O-O c5
A pawn is a pawn, right? Black sacrifices one to get the Queens off of the board, ending White's attack, perhaps?
Now that's funny.
13.dxc5 dxc5 14.Qxc5 Qb6 15.Qxb6 axb6
With a piece for three pawns, Black has an even game. However, given that he had a won game at move 4, this is not actually progress.
16.Rd1 Be6 17.Nc3 Red8 18.Be3 Ne5
What's another pawn among friends?
19.Bxb6 Re8
20.Nb5
Threatening Nc7 and Nd6+
20...Re7 21.a4 Nc4 22.Bc5 Rd7 23.b3 Rxd1+ 24.Rxd1 Na5
White is in no hurry, but slowly improves his position.
25.Nd6+ Kg6 26.f4 Bc8 27.f5+ Kh5 28.e5 Ng8
The "Jerome pawns", completely supported by their pieces, advance and bring havoc. White's next move adds an additional theme: threat to the enemy King.
29.Rd3 Ne7 30.Rh3+ Kg4
This looks risky, and it is, but the alternative, 30...Kg5, is met with 31.Be3+ Kg4 32.Rg3+ Kh4 33.Bg5+ Kh5 34.Bxe7 g5 35.Rxg5+ Kh4 36.Rg6+ Kh5 37. g4 checkmate.
31.f6 gxf6 32.exf6 Ng6 33.Be3 h5 34.Rg3+ Kh4 35.Bg5 checkmate
Five years and one week ago, I started this blog as a tentative look at a very disreputable chess opening, the Jerome Gambit, 1.e4 e5 Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+.
I started out posting daily, and after over four years, moved to posting every-other-day.
I have discovered many other adventurers who enjoy playing the Jerome, and variants of Alozo Wheeler Jerome's "Double Gambit". Their games make up The Database, almost 29,000 battles strong.
As this blog approaches its 1,700th post, it is amazing to know that there is still so much more to share.
Many thanks to everyone who has made this journey so enjoyable!
