Friday, May 23, 2014

Truth Is Stranger Than - Whatever...


The Jerome Gambit is a strange chess opening. It seems unfair to say that some moves should not be played - in an opening that, itself, should not be played. (See, for example, "But – Is this stuff playable?" Parts I and II)

Yet, I must again (see "Public Service Announcement") protest White's fifth move in the following game.

burraburra  - batmanzerothree 
blitz, FICS, 2013

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nc6 3.Nf3 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Ng5+ 



This move seems to throw away a piece. I much prefer that White throw away a piece, instead, with 5.Nxe5. Even the Jerome Gambit has its limits.

Still, I found 431 games with this move in The Database, with White scoring 24%, and that includes 99 wins!

5...Qxg5

The expected response. However, less than two weeks earlier, the same opponents had played differently: 5...Kf8 6.Qf3+ Ke7 7.Nf7 and here Black resigned. (It seems rude to suggest that 7...Nd4 would have led to a winning game for the defender - after all, so did 4.Bxf7+.)

6.d3 Qxg2 7.Qh5+ g6 White resigned


Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Frayed - Yet Again


As mentioned in my last post, I recently joined another Italian Game tournament (3 days per move) at Chess.com.

Luckily (to give credit where credit is due) I have been able to launch three Jerome Gambits (with another one possible, when I get the white pieces against my fourth opponent).

As always, I am doing my best to uphold the, ahem, good name of the Jerome Gambit (while trying not to make a fool out of myself). 

So far I have one win. I am trying to avoid a loss in the second game where Black's hypermodern defense caught me flat-footed. My third game is still too weird to call...

Monday, May 19, 2014

Yet Once Again Into The Fray!


I recently joined another Italian Game tournament (3 days per move) at Chess.com, and found myself playing four games at the same time - all of them with the black pieces.

Luckily (I aways have to give credit where credit is due) I won a couple of games, and, having grasped the white pieces, have been able to launch a couple Jerome Gambits! Who knows, when my third and fourth games are finished, I might be able to play a couple more Jeromes.

As always, I will do my best to uphold the, ahem, good name of the Jerome Gambit (while trying not to make a fool out of myself), and will share my games with readers, come what may.

Actually, one has already finished, but I don't really know the "story behind the story".

perrypawnpusher - Dohchamp
3 days/move, The Italian Game Thematic, Chess.com, 2014

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qd5+ Black resigned.