Swan Song

Having reached an advantageous position in my game against MarkHundleby1 (defending against an Evans Gambit) in the Italian Game tournament at Chess.com - only to drop a rook in a one-move blunder - I find myself in a two-way battle for last place in the fourth and final round. Still, if I win our remaining game, I can take 3rd place - not a terrible outcome, as my rating is 3rd highest among the players.

So, of course, the Jerome Gambit is in order, as I have the white pieces.

Curiously enough, after 11 moves our game resembles my battle against Navarrra from a couple of years ago - although dedicated Readers who wish to see that particular skirmish will be frustrated by the fact that most of my references to the game erroniously link to an earlier (by two weeks), different game with the same opponent. (Note to self: please fix.)

My most accurate reference to the relevant Navarrra game can be found in "Done In By Greed": 

[Hmmm, I don't think that I have posted this game yet - RK]

Quick Update on Another Update

A few months ago (see "Take your chance when you get it...") I took at look at recent play in Whistler's Defense to the Jerome Gambit - 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Qe7!?. 

With the new batch of games in the Database (see "Updating") I wondered what, if anything, was new. I found two games that reminded me of the old adage "It isn't a blunder until it's refuted".

Here is a quick look.

IagainstI - kingphilippineda, 
blitz, FICS, 2013

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Qe7

8.Qxh8 Qxe4+ 9.Kf1 Qc4+

Instead, markinchrist - Gurucool, blitz, FICS, 2013, continued
9...Qxc2 10.Qxh7+ Kf6 11.Qh4+ Kg7 12.Nc3 Qd3+ 13.Kg1 d6 14.g3 (throwing away the advantage; 14.b3 followed by 15.Bb2 keeps it) Bd7 15.b4 (the idea here doesn't work) Bd4 16.Bb2 Bc6 17.Na4 Bxb2 18.Nxb2 Qf3 19.Qd4+ Nf6 20.Kf1 Qxh1+ here Black forfeited by disconnection in a winning position

10.d3 Qxc2 

White pursues the wrong goal, gaining material instead of attacking White's King - and protecting his own.

11.Qxh7+ Kf8 12.Bh6+ Nxh6 13.Qxh6+ Kf7 14.Qf4+ Ke8 15.Nd2 Qxd3+ 16.Kg1 Bd6 17.Re1+ Kd8 Black resigned

Updating

Yesterday's post reminded me that The Database only has FICS games through February of this year, so last night I downloaded Jerome Gambit and Jerome-ish games through July 2013. 

It will take a while to vet the collection, as I like to be sure I catch all the transpositions, and am always on the lookout for strange moves - so I tend to play over each game.

New games will appear periodically, and I will make the updated Database available as soon as possible.

Better Than Even

I have been playing over the FICS games of chessmanjeff that appear in The Database in 2012 and 2013. In 33 games - there must be more by now, as The Database is current mostly through February 2013 - his score is a bit better than even, which is pretty good for a disreputable opening with many refutations. I was drawn to two draws that ended thusly:

chessmanjeff - flexomat, blitz, FICS, 2013

chessmanjeff - gniKssehC, blitz, FICS, 2013

In the first, Black ran out of time and White had no material to mate. In the second, White ran out of time and Black had no material to mate. The "equalizing injustice of chess" and all that.

Somehow, it was encouraging to see the following position - familiar to everyone in the Jerome Gambit Gemeinde, but apparently not to all defenders - with Black, to move, resigning.

chessmanjeff - xxNexus, blitz, FICS, 2013