Saturday, September 20, 2014

Don't, Here


In the Blackburne Shilling Gambit, Black has high hopes that his third move will bamboozle White and lead to a killing attack. However, in the following game, Black's fourth move practically cedes the point. If this is a "Jedi Mind Trick", it is no match for a good blaster at your side...

sahistonline - aguisou

blitz, FICS, 2013

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 


The Blackburne Shilling Gambit.


4.Bxf7+ 


The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.


4...Ke7 


The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit Declined.


A word to the wise defender: Don't.


In 475 games in The Database, White scores 70% 

For a good discussion of this Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit Declined see "Idées Fixes et Manqués",


5.Nxe5!? 


This complicating move appears in 201 games in The Database, where White scores 66%.

That is a good bit better than 5.Bd5, which appears in 10 games in The Database, where White scores only 50%. Half-way measures, it seems, score half the time.


"Best" according to Houdini, is 5.Bb3, which appears in a mere 14 games in The Database, where White scores "only" 68%. Perhaps the retreat is too "conservative" for many Jerome Gambiteers!


On the other hand, 5.Nxd4 appears in 78 games in The Database, where White scores 70%.


Alternately, 5.Bc4 appears in 32 games in The Database, where White scores 75%.


Finally, 5.Bxg8 appears in 102 games in The Database, where White scores 77%.


So, for White: hang onto your piece with 5.Bb3, or swap it off with 5.Bxg8; but you are by no means limited to these two good, contrasting, ideas. 


5...Nf6 6.Bc4 


White can tell his opponent what Al Capone said in "The Untouchables" - You got nothing.


6...d5 7.exd5 Nxd5 8.c3 Nf5 9.Qf3 White won by adjudication




I've had my problems in the past with adjudication at FICS (see "A Sneaky Way to Defeat the Jerome Gambit") but things look fine here. Down two pawns, with less development and an unsafe King, Black is finished. 

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