Recently I received a request for The Database from Rodolfo Pardi (librarian, Italian Chess Federation chess instructor and tournament director), the author of a good number of chess books, including A dreadful Chess Trap: Blackburne Shilling. He said he had been frequently meeting the Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 4.Bxf7+), and wanted to know more about it.
Of course, I sent the (compressed) PGN file right away!
As we exchanged emails, and he remained politely skeptical about the BSJG, he shared one of his own games featuring an early Bishop sacrifice.
lapaget - pa_chiro 1720
GameKnot Blitz, 20161.e4 e5 2.Bc4 c6 3.Nf3 b5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6 6.Qh5 Nh6 7.d4
7...g6 8.Qh3+ Ke7 9.Bg5+ Ke8 10.Bxd8 Kxd8 11.Nc3 d6 12.Qh4+ Kc7 13.Nf3 Nf7 14. Qf6
Black resigned
Nicely done!
A quick look at the RedHotPawn.com Jerome Gambit Tournament shows that the second round (and thus the tournament) has been "decided". (One game remains, but it will determine who will be the "line follower" not the "line leader".)
With 3 points for a win and 1 point for a draw, SeinfeldFan91 topped the list handily with 24 points, going unbeaten through both rounds. Hat tip to the man!
The rest of the players: procyk 15 points, kristjan 9 points, junnujannu 6 points and rigidwithfear 3 points.
(junnujannu and rigidwithfear remain locked in an interesting battle.)
"Cliff Hardy" is back with another hard-fought Jerome Gambit battle that shows that the life of a P.I. is never boring, even if it is at times a bit painful. There are lessons to be learned from the following game.
I still struggle with my 3 days per move games. I have no idea how anyone plays 3 minutes per game! (Guess I'm not hero material.)
Notes are by "Hardy". (Occasional note by me, in red - Rick)
"Hardy, Cliff" - NN
3 0 blitz, FICS, 2016
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 7.Qxe5 Bd6
(I was shocked to find 867 games in The Database with this slightly strategically suspect move - the Bishop blocks the d-pawn which blocks the light-squared Bishop which blocks the Rook - but there are tactical reasons for its success, as White scores only 42% against it. - Rick)
8.Qc3 Qe7 9.f3?
Not the best move to defend the e-pawn and Stockfish
prefers 9.Qe3. 9.d3?? Bb4 would have been an absolute disaster, however.
9...c6
9...Qh4 would be even better.
10.O-O Qh4?!
10...Qe5 to swap queens was better.
11.e5 Bc7 12.d4 Ne7 13.g3 Qh3 14.f4?
14.Nd2 was much better and if black had continued, as he did in the
game with 14...h5 15.Ne4 h4?? 16.g4, he would then lose his queen to 17.Ng5
14...h5 15.Nd2 h4 16.Rf3 hxg3 17.Rxg3 Qxh2
(Ah, yes, the femme fatale, weakness of many a private eye. - Rick)
18.Kf1 Nf5 19.Rg2 Qxf4+ 20.Rf2 Ne3+??
(The Jerome Gambit player must hang on against all odds, waiting for an opportunity to strike back. Here it is. - Rick)
21.Ke2??
Whoops, missed 21.Qxe3, as black's queen is now pinned :).
21...Rh2??
21...Qxf2! 22. Kxf2 Nd1.
22.Qxe3 Rxf2+ 23.Qxf2 Qxf2+ 24.Kxf2 d6
The position is equal now, but I was down to 22 seconds versus 1 minute 26 seconds on the clock for my opponent so I had to start moving instantly.
25.Nc4 dxe5 26.dxe5 Bf5 27.Bf4 Bxc2 28.Rh1
28...Kf7?? 29.Ne3??
29.e6! Kxe6 30.Bxc7
29...Be4
The rest of the game is not really worth going through! (That's "Cliff's" comment, not mine. - Rick)
30.Rh4 Rf8 31.Bg3 Ke6+ 32.Ke2 Bf3+ 33.Kd2 Bxe5 34.Bxe5 Kxe5 35.Rb4 b6 36.Kc3 Bd5 37.Ra4 Rf3 38.Kd2 a5 39.Rh4 g5 40.Rh5 Rg3 41.Ke2 Bxa2 42.Rh8 Bd5 43.Re8+ Kf4 44.Rb8 Rxe3+ 45.Kd2 Re7 46.Rxb6 g4 47.Rb8 g3 48.Rf8+ Rf7 49.Rg8 g2 50.Rg6 Kf3 51.Kc3 Kf2 52.Rg7 Rxg7 White lost on time
Sometimes Bill Wall and his opponents leave me little choice. Putting together a blog post, I am just getting warmed up - and the game is over. So I add a bit more to the notes...
(Does it seem like we have been here before, lately? True; perhaps those who defend against the Jerome Gambit need to catch up on their reading of this blog...)
Wall, Bill -NN
lichess.org, 2016
1 e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4..Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bb4+ 7.c3 Ba5
Of course, Bill has been this way before. Let's take a look at some alternatives.
7... Bxc3+ The most popular choice for Black in The Database. Black scores 65-77-4 for 46%. He might do better with the alternatives. See below. 8.Nxc3 Ng6 (8...Nc6 9.d5 [9.O-O Qf6 10.e5 Qg6 11.Qf3+ Ke8 12.Nb5 Kd8 13.Qf8+ Qe8 14.Qxe8+ Kxe8 15.Nxc7+ Ke7 16.Nxa8 Nxd4 17.Bg5+ Ke6 18.Nc7+ Kxe5 19.Rae1+ Kd6 20.Bf4+ Kc6 21.Rc1+ Kb6 22.Nd5+ Kb5 23.Rxc8 Ne6 24.a4+ Kxa4 25.Ra1+ Kb3 26.Be5 Black resigned, Wall,B - Caynaboos, FICS, 2011] 9...Ne5 10.f4 Ng6 11.h4 Nxh4 12.Qh5+ g6 13.Qxh4 Qxh4+ 14.Rxh4 Nf6 15.e5 Ne8 16.Be3 c6 17.O-O-O d6 18.e6+ Ke7 19.g4 Nf6 20.f5 gxf5 21.gxf5 cxd5 22.Bg5 a6 23.Nxd5+ Kf8 24.Bxf6 Rg8 25.Rxh7 b5 26.Be7+ Ke8 27.Nf6 checkmate, Wall,B - ChessFlower, PlayChess.com, 2012) 9.O-O N8e7 (9...Nf6 10.e5 Ne8 11.Qf3+ [11. f4 Rf8 12. f5 Ne7 13. Qb3+ d5 14. exd6+ Black resigned, Wall,B - FJBS, FICS, 2015] 11...Kg8 12.Qd5+ Kf8 13.Be3 a6 14.Rae1 c6 15.Qb3 d5 16.f4 Kg8 17.f5 Nh4 18.Qc2 g6 19.f6 Be6 20.Bg5 Qb6 21.Bxh4 Qxd4+ 22.Bf2 Qf4 23.Ne2 Qc4 24.Qd2 Qxa2 25.Nd4 Bf5 26.Nxf5 gxf5 27.Qg5+ Kf7 28.e6+ Kf8 29.Bc5+ Nd6 30.Bxd6+ Ke8 31.f7 checkmate, Wall,B - Boris, sparkchess.com 2012) 10.f4 Rf8 11 f5 Nh8 12.Bg5 Kg8 13.Qb3+ Nf7 14.f6 gxf6 15.Bxf6 d5 16.Nxd5 Re8 17.Qg3+ Kf8 18.Qg7 checkmate, Wall,B - NN, lichess.org, 2016).
7...Be7 (In The Database Black scores 3-3 for 50% with this move) 8.dxe5 Nh6 9.Qf3+ Ke6 10.Bxh6 gxh6 11.Qf5 checkmate, Wall,B - ChrSav, FICS, 2010.
7...Qh4 is a feisty choice; Black is 10-0, scoring 100%, according to The Database.
The solid 7...Ng6 shows up in The Database 4 times, Black is 2-2, scoring 50%
7...Bc5 is untested and funny, but probably playable.
8.dxe5 d6 9.Qd5+ Black resigned
White will capture the offside Bishop on his next move, and will be a couple of pawns ahead. Black's lead in development - say, after 9...Be6 10.Qxa5 dxe5 11.Qxe5 Nf6 - will not be enough compensation. Black would prefer to move his attention to another game.
