And Yet Again!

In the following game Philidor 1792's discovers he must contend with the Evans Gambit, the Jerome Gambit, and the ever-ticking clock, in an aggressive 3-minute game.

Philidor 1792 - guest206
3 0 blitz, www.bereg.ru, 2013

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4

4...Bxb4 5.c3 Ba5 6.Bxf7+ 

6...Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ Nxe5 8.Qh5+ Ng6 9.Qd5+ Kf8 10.Qxa5 b6

Black varies from the equally good 10...Qe7 of Philidor 1792 - guest23, blitz 3 0, www.bereg.ru, 2013 (1/2-1/2, 63).

11.Qa3+ d6 12.d3 Nf6 13.0-0 Bb7

14.f4 Kf7 15.Qb3+ Ke7 16.e5 Nd5 17.d4 dxe5 18.fxe5 

18....Re8 

Likely a time-slip.

19.Bg5+ Black resigned

Black will have to give up  a piece with 19...Nf6, and, after 20.exf6+ Kd7 21.fxg7 the advanced enemy pawn will also be a headache.

And Again!

Here we have another wild attack, and in a 3-minute game it can be a race as to what will finish off the Black King - enemy pieces or the clock.

Philidor 1792 - guest221
3 0 blitz, www.bereg.ru, 2013

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 

4...Bxb4 5.c3 Ba5 6.Bxf7+ 

The Evans Jerome Gambit.

6...Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ Nxe5 8.Qh5+ Ke6 9.Qf5+ Kd6 10.d4 

10...Qe8 11.dxe5+ Kc6 12.e6 Kb6 

Protecting the bishop and varying from 12...Qxe6 of Philidor 1792 - guest2001, 3 0 blitz, www.bereg.ru, 2013, (1-0, 26).

13.Na3 d5 14.Rb1+ Ka6 15.exd5 

It looks like Black lost on time. He had 15...Qg6 as a defensive move, although after 16.Qf3 b6 (to castle-by-hand) 17.0-0 White would be better.

The Evans Jerome Gambit Strikes Again!

An abiding concern for Black, besides dealing with the attack that comes with the Evans Gambit and the Jerome Gambit, is not using up too much time figuring out how he is going to respond. Sometimes a successful defense over-the-board is undone by a shortage on the clock.

Philidor 1792 - guest2001
3 0 blitz, www.bereg.ru, 2013

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4

The Evans Gambit.

4...Bxb4 5.c3 Ba5 6.Bxf7+ 

The Evans Jerome Gambit.

6...Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ Nxe5 8.Qh5+ Ke6 9.Qf5+ Kd6 10.d4 

Philidor1792 tried 10.Ba3+ in 4 games against guest1321 in 2013, winning in 14, 16, 17 and 18 moves. 

10...Qe8 11.dxe5+ Kc6 12.e6 Qxe6 13.Qxa5 Qxe4+ 14.Be3 b6 15.Qg5 Qg6 

16.Nd2 Qxg5 17.Bxg5 h6 18.Be3 Ne7 19.0-0-0 Ba6

20.Nf3 d5 21.Rhe1 Rhe8 22.Ne5+ Kb7 23.f4 c5 24.g4 Rad8 25.Bf2 Nc6 26.Nf7

At this point, in a relatively balanced game, White won on time.

It Is Easier To Attack Than To Defend

Jerome Gambit Gemeinde member Philidor 1792 has sent another batch of Jerome and Jerome-ish games played at the 3-minute time limit, showing that an attacking spirit is a very dangerous thing!

Philidor 1792 - guest2187
3 0 blitz, www.bereg.ru, 2013

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.d4

This is a rare line (there are only 6 other game examples in the 30,000+ game The Database) whose idea is clear - more open lines at the cost of an additional pawn.

7...Bxd4 8.Qf5+ Kd6 9.Bg5 Nf6 10.Na3 Rf8 11.Nb5+

Another aggressive idea is 11.0-0-0. White is not going to win this game in a long, drawn-out ending - he is looking for checkmate.

11...Kc6

This is what he was waiting for. Instead, 11...Kc5 12.Nxd4 d6 and Black still has the advantage. 

12.Nxd4+ Kc5 13.Qxe5+ Kc4

The only way to prevent mate was 13...d5, but Black would still be lost. 

14.b3+ Kc3 15.Nc6+ Kxc2 16.Rc1+ Kd3 17.Qd4 checkmate

[January 2014 was the fourth-highest most-viewed month in this blog's existence, behind only December 2013, November 2013 and May 2011. Many thanks to Readers everywhere - Rick]