BSJG: Return of ZekeTheWolf

perrypawnpusher - ZekeTheWolf
blitz, FICS, 2014

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 

The Blackburne Shilling Gambit.

4.Bxf7+ 

The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit. 

If you play the BSG at FICS (Free Internet Chess Server), sooner or later you will encounter the BSJG. Before this game, according to The Database, ZekeTheWolf had met it 24 times, winning 10. That's scoring 40%, not quite the score of Black as a whole for the BSJG in 4,272 games in The Database - 44%,

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke7 

Our earlier game continued very differently - 5...Ke8 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Nxg6 Nxc2+ perrypawnpusher, ZekeTheWolf, blitz, FICS, 2010, (1-0, 30).

6.c3

I tried 6.Qh5?! once, but it did not turn out well in perrypawnpusher - vlas, blitz, FICS, 2009 (0-1, 26). 

6...Ne6 7.d4 

Here we have a bit of a "free form" position, where Black's one weakness is the placement of his King. His extra piece for two pawns gives him an edge, but he has to put together a plan and execute it before he can think about gathering in the point.

7...d6 8.Nd3 g6 9.f4 Ke8 10.O-O Bg7 

Here White would probably do best to patiently continue his development with 11.Be3 and 12.Nd2.

11.f5 gxf5

By voluntarily opening the e8-h5 diagonal, Black, makes his King's life more difficult. After the game, Houdini suggested the curious 11...Ng5!?, with pressure on White's e-pawn, as a way to keep the game in balance.

12.exf5 

Okay, but 12.Qh5+ Kd7 13.d5 would have really shaken things up.

Black now decides it is time to give a piece back.

12...Nxd4 13.cxd4 Bxd4+ 14.Kh1 Nf6 

There is a hole in this line that both ZekeTheWolf and I overlooked, which would have made 14...Qf6 the better move.

15.Nc3

Again, okay, but missing the fork 15.Qa4+. 

15...Rg8 16.Re1+

Ditto. 

16... Kf7 17.Qf3 Bxc3 18.bxc3

If White has an advantage any more, it is in his better development and safer King. Unfortunately, Black now follows a defensive maxim (to diffuse an attack, exchange pieces) that immediately shifts things back toward the first player.

18...Re8 19.Bg5 Rxe1+ 20.Rxe1 Qd7 21.Re6 Ng8 22.Qh5+

Black resigned