Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit: Junk Beats Junk

I try as often as possible to aim toward the Giuoco Piano in the opening, so that I can surprise my opponents with the Jerome Gambit. Occasionally, I meet a defender who wants to surprise me with the Blackburne Shilling Gambit. I usually surprise him with the Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit - and, quite often, my junk opening beats his junk opening.

perrypawnpusher - bandiahegyrol
2 12 blitz, FICS, 2019

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 

The Blackburne Shilling Gambit. Black wants to see 4.Nxe5?!, so he can respond with 4...Qg5!?. It may be true that White would still have a slight edge after 5.Bxf7+, but Black would be playing the kind of wacky, unbalanced game that he was seeking.

Of course, White can pursue a safe advantage with 4.Nxd4, 4.0-0, 4.Nc3, 4.c3, 4.d3 - and probably even 4.a3 and 4.h3, if Stockfish 10 is to be believed.

I prefer "Jerome-izing" the game, however, even if it should only lead to an even position. 

4.Bxf7+ 

The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit. The Database has 6,091 games with this move, with White scoring 56%. (Fair enough, but I have played the line in 44 games, and have scored 92%.)

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8 

6.Qh5+ Ke7 

This is one of the reasons that I play the Queen check, although the strongest response is 6...g6, when Black seems to cede the exchange after 7.Nxg6 hxg6 8.Qxh8 - which is why some players avoid (or miss) the line in blitz. See "Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit: Black Runs Out of Energy" for some examination.

For the record, The Database has 339 games which reach the position after 6...Ke7. Pay attention, students: White has a forced checkmate!

7.Qf7+ 

Only 178 games (53% of the games that reached 6...Ke7) in The Database include this move.

7...Kd6 8.Nc4+ 

Only 94 games (53% of the games that reached 7...Kd6) in The Database include this move. (Even so, White lost from this position - a checkmate of Black in 3 moves - 4 times.)

8...Kc6 

Or 8...Kc5 9.Qd5+ Kb4 10.a3 Ka4 11.Nc3#

9.Qd5 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: I Hate RoboCalls

I hate robocalls - those annoying phone calls that provide an endless supply of scams and sales pitches. My home town has one of the largest collections of call centers in any city, and it is not unsual for me to receive 10 bogus calls a day. I let the calls go to my voice recorder, unless I recognize the name given by Caller ID (my favorite is "Illegal Scam" - for real), so that I do not waste time with fool things.

Except, sometimes the phone rings when I am playing a blitz game, online...

perrypawnpusher - pepxbcn
10 0 blitz, FICS, 2019

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 

The Semi-Italian Opening.

4.O-O Nf6 5.Nc3 Bc5 6.Bxf7+ 

The Semi-Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.

6...Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ Nxe5 8.d4 Bxd4 9.Qxd4 Re8 

Black has a decent position. I have lost once from here - perrypawnpusher - kholthaus, blitz, FICS, 2010 (0-1, 45) - and won once - perrypawnpusher - Odeon, blitz, FICS, 2012 (1-0, 15). Over all, The Database has 5 previous games, with White scoring 40%.

10.f4 Nc6 11.Qd3 d6 12.b3 Bd7 13.Bb2 Ne7

Eyeing the f5 square, but 13...Be6 was just fine.

14.e5 Nh5 15.exd6 

My original plan was to play 15.Rae1, and I should have stuck with that. Sometimes I think my handle should be "perrypawngrabber".

15...cxd6 16.Qxd6 Qb6+ 

White has two pawns for the sacrificed piece, but Black remains better. And, now -

Ring! Ring! Ring! Blast, that stupid phone! Another call! So distracting! So annoying!*

17.Kh1? Qxd6 White resigned

Sigh.

Sadly, that's not the first time that I have hung my Queen in a Jerome Gambit game.

(*It is also a generational thing. When my kids' phones ring, they figure a friend is trying to reach them. When my phone rings, I ask myself, "Who died?" In this case, the White Queen.)

Jerome Gambit: Smites

Cecil J. S. Purdy (1906 - 1979), world correspondence chess champion and author, editor, and chess teacher, suggested that when considering moves to play in a chess game, one ought to look at ones that "smite" the opponent.

It is quite possible that my opponent in the following blitz game was familiar with this suggestion. Clearly, he was not impressed with my Jerome Gambit, and countered with a series of smiting moves. Alas, not all of them were strong, and the first one - an old friend of mine - frittered away his advantage.

Notes to the moves in the game allow me to present several of my games that I have somehow overlooked and not previously posted, despite my commitment to share all of my Jerome Gambits, well-played and not-so-well-played. (Please, do not smite me.)

perrypawnpusher - havasiviktor
5 12 blitz, FICS, 2019

 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 

The Semi-Italian Opening.

4.O-O Nf6 5.Nc3 Bc5 6.Bxf7+ 

The Semi-Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit. I have played this line in 59 games, scoring 79%.

6...Kxf7

Of course Black should capture the Bishop, although The Database contains two examples where the defender declined: 6...Kf8 7.Bb3 Ng4 (7...d6 8.h3 Nd4 9.Nxd4 exd4 10.Nd5 Nxe4 11.Qf3+ Nf6 12.d3 Be6 13.Nxf6 Qxf6 14.Bxe6 Qxf3 15.gxf3 Ke7 16.Re1 g5 17.f4 Bb4 18.Re2 gxf4 19.Bxf4 Raf8 20.Bg3 Rhg8 21.Bxg8+ Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - Duquesne, blitz, FICS, 2010) 8.d3 Nd4 9.Nxd4 d6 10.Ne6+ Bxe6 11.Bxe6 Bxf2+ 12.Rxf2+ Nxf2 13.Kxf2 Qf6+ 14.Qf3 Ke7 15.Qxf6+ gxf6 16.Bf5 Rhg8 17.Be3 c5 18.Nd5+ Kf7 19.Nc7 Rab8 20.Be6+ Ke7 21.Bxg8 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - Duquesne, blitz, FICS, 2012 

7.Nxe5+ Nxe5 

Recapturing is best, but, curiously, I have lost the only games where I faced 7...Kf8 and 7...Kg8:

perrypawnpusher - ojot, blitz, FICS, 2012: 7....Kf8 8.Ng6+ Kg8 9.Nxh8 Kxh8 10.d3 d6 11.Be3 Bb4 12.f4 Ng4 13.Qf3? Nxe3 14.Qxe3 Bc5 15.d4 Bxd4 White resigned; and

perrypawnpusher - roccovargas, blitz, FICS, 2011: 7...Kg8 8.Nxc6 dxc6 9.d3 Bg4 10.Qe1 Bb4 11.f4 Kh7 12.h3 Bd7 13.g4 Rf8 14.g5 hxg5 15.fxg5 Nh5 16.Rxf8 Qxf8 17.Qh4 g6 18.Be3 Qf3 19.Qf2 Qxf2+ 20.Kxf2 Bxh3 21.Rh1 Rf8+ 22.Ke2 Ng3+ White resigned

8.d4 Bxd4 

I have faced 10 different moves in this position. I believe the text is best.

9.Qxd4 d6 

10.f4 Nc6 11.Qd3 Nb4 

An old friend. I have faced a similar attack on the Queen six times in earlier games (somewhat different lines), and scored 5 - 0 - 1. That draw was a strange - and strangely familiar -one: perrypawnpusher - grunf, blitz, FICS, 2013:1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.O-O Nf6 5.Nc3 Bc5 6.Bxf7+ Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ Nxe5 8.d4 Bxd4 (8...Bd6 was seen in perrypawnpusher - grunf, blitz, FICS, 2010 9.dxe5 Bxe5 10.f4 Bxc3 11.bxc3 Re8 12.e5 Nh7 13.Qd5+ Re6 14.f5 c6 15.fxe6+ Black resigned) 9.Qxd4 d6 10.f4 Nc6 11.Qd3 Re8 12.Bd2 Nb4 13.Qc4+ Be6 14.Qxb4 b6 15.Rae1 c5 16.Qb5 a6 17.Qd3 b5 18.b3 c4 19.Qf3 Bg4 20.Qg3 Qd7 21.Bc1 Nh5 22.Qf2 Kg8 23.h3 Be6 24.g4 Nf6 25.g5 hxg5 26.fxg5 Nh7 27.Qg3 Bxh3 28.Rf3 Qg4 29.Kh2 Nxg5 30.Qxg4 Bxg4 31.Rg3 Nf3+ 32.Rxf3 Bxf3 33.Kg3 Rf8 34.Bf4 Bh5 35.Rh1 Bg6 36.Bxd6 Rfe8 37.e5 Bxc2 38.bxc4 bxc4 39.Rh2 Bd3 40.Nd5 Rac8 41.Nf4 Bf5 42.Rh1 c3 43.Rc1 c2 44.Nd5 Re6 45.Ne3 Bh7 46.Kf2 Rf8+ 47.Ke2 Rfe8 48.Kd2 g5 49.Nxc2 Rd8 50.Rg1 Rexd6+ 51.exd6 Rxd6+ 52.Kc1 Bxc2 53.Kxc2 Rc6+ 54.Kd3 Rc5 55.Rg2 Kg7 56.Kd4 Ra5 57.Ke4 Kg6 58.Kf3 Rf5+ 59.Ke4 a5 60.Ke3 a4 61.Kd3 Rf4 62.Kc3 Kf5 63.Kd3 g4 64.Kc3 Re4 65.Kd3 Rf4 66.Kc3 Kg5 67.Kd3 Kf5 68.Kc3 Kg5 69.Kd3 Kf5 draw

12.Qc4+ Be6 13.Qxb4 b6 

Often the little things are what let White back into the game, or even allow him to forge ahead. Black would have done better with 12...d5, eventually getting in the move ...dxe4, snatching a pawn for the piece lost. Instead of the text - admittedly, protecting the b-pawn -13...Re8 was more active.

14.Qd4 

Rusty. I could have played 14.e5 Nd5 15.Nxd5 Bxd5 16.Qd4, instead, but I did not realize how much stronger that line of play was.

14...c5 

Smiting my impertinent Queen, who has made 1/3 of my moves in the game.

15.Qd3 c4 

And again!

16.Qf3 

This move is fine, but Her Majesty would have been a bit stronger if she returned to d4.

16...Bg4 

Yet, again!

17.Qg3 

Yes, my Queen has made almost 1/2 of my moves. But, has Black gained anything from all of this smiting?

17...h5 18.e5 dxe5

This allows the opening of the f-file, with White's Rook lined up with Black's King, but there was only temporary relief with 18...h4 19.Qe1 h3 20.exf6 hxg2, when 21.Kxg2 would be good enough, and 21.Rf2!? (intending Rxg2, covering the White King on the open g-file) would be even better.

19.fxe5 Qd4+ 20.Be3 Black resigned

Black can try 20...h4, but after 21.exf6 hxg3 22.fxg7+ Kxg7 23.Bxd4+ he is going to be a Rook down.

Jerome Gambit: The Innocuous Qe2

Bill Wall has experimented with many lines and ideas in the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+). Often he chooses move that seem to lull his opponent into carelessness. One such move is 4.Qe2.

Wall, Bill - Anonymous
lichess.org, 2019

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Qe2

Certainly a quiet, conservative-looking move.

4...Nf6

This is a natural move, but it overlooks the threat behind Bill's move. (On purpose? That is not clear.) 

Bill has also seen the risky 4...h6 5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.Qc4+ Ke8 7.Qxc5 Nf6 (7...Qf6 8.Nc3 d6 9.Qb5 Nge7 10.d4 a6 11.dxe5 Qe6 12.Qe2 Nxe5 13.Nxe5 Qxe5 14.O-O Nc6 15.f4 Qe7 16.Nd5 Qf7 17.Bd2 Nd4 18.Qc4 c5 19.c3 Nc6 20.Rae1 Na5 21.Qd3 Bd7 22.Nc7+ Black resigned,Wall,B - Guest11524088, PlayChess.com, 2019) 8.O-O Nxe4 9.Qe3 d5 10.d3 Nf6 11.Nxe5 Ne7 12.b3 Kf8 13.Ba3 Bf5 14.g4 Bh7 15.Re1 d4 16.Ng6+ Bxg6 17.Bxe7+ Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest8687229, PlayChess.com, 2019.

5.Bxf7+

Of course, 5.0-0 was just fine, but this is a Jerome Gambit blog, after all.

5...Kxf7 6.Qc4+ d5 

Not 6...Kf8 7.Qxc5+ d6 8.Qe3 Bg4 9. O-O Kg8 10.Qb3+ d5 11.Qxb7 dxe4 12.Qxc6 exf3 13.Re1 Qd5 14.Qxd5+ Nxd5 15.Rxe5 Nb4 16.Na3 fxg2 17.Kxg2 Bd7 18.d3 Kf7 19.Bd2 Nc6 20.Re4 Rab8 21.Rf4+ Kg6 22.Nc4 Be6 23.Re1 Rhe8 24.Kg3 h6 25.h4 Bxc4 26.Rxe8 Rxe8 27.Rg4+ Kh7 28.Rxc4 Ne5 29.Rxc7 Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest8656945, PlayChess.com, 2019;

Nor 6...Ke8 7.Qxc5 Nxe4 8.Qe3 d5 9.d3 Bf5 10.dxe4 Bxe4 11.O-O Rf8 12.Nbd2 Rf4 13.Nxe5 Qg5 14.Ndf3 Qf5 15.Qxf4 Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest13595479, PlayChess.com, 2019;

Both are inexact. 

7. Qxc5 Nxe4 

Not quite right is 7...dxe4 8.Nxe5+ Nxe5 9.Qxe5 Re8 10.Qg3 Kg8 11.O-O c6 12.b3 Qd4 13.Nc3 Bf5 14.h3 Nd5 15.Bb2 Qxd2 16.Nxd5 Qxd5 17.Qxg7 checkmate, Wall,B - Guest13734457, PlayChess.com, 2019.

So far, in our main game, Black has kept his head, and Komodo 10 sees him as about a half pawn ahead - development more important than King safety. 

8.Qe3 Bg4

Castling-by-hand was also a good idea: 8...Rf8 9.O-O Kg8 10.d3 Nf6 11.Nxe5 Re8 12.Nxc6 bxc6 13.Qc5 Bb7 14.Bg5 Re5 15.Bf4 Rh5 16.Nd2 Ng4 17.f3 Nxh2 18.Bxh2 Qh4 19.Bxc7 Qh2+ 20.Kf2 Qh4+ 21.Bg3 Qg5 22.Rad1 Rd8 23.Qxa7 Bc8 24.Rfe1 d4 25.Qe7 Qd5 26.Bc7 Rf8 27.Bd6 Rhf5 28.Re5 Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest10540586, PlayChess.com, 2019. 

9.O-O Bxf3 10.Qxf3+ Qf6 11.Qd1 Rag8 

Black completes his development and looks forward to a brutal attack on his opponent's King.

It turns out, however, that White can initiate counterplay quickly enough to turn the tables.

12.d3 Ng5 

Black wants to attack, overlooking the dangers that this move exposes his King and Queen to. Instead, 12...Nd6 13.Nc3 Ke6 14.f4 Rf8 15.Re1 Kd7 16.Nxd5 Qh4 17.fxe5 Nxe5 was best, according to Stockfish 10, when White is only a pawn ahead.

13.f4

13...Nh3+

Going for broke. There has to be an attack here, right? So - sacrifice a piece to open the King up.

14.gxh3 Qg6+ 15.Kh1 e4 

The problem for Black is that there is no attack. His g- and h-pawns have not advanced and have not opened lines of attack for his Rooks. On the other hand, White's Rook (his only developed piece) creates mayhem.

16.f5 Qf6 17.dxe4 dxe4 18.Qd5+ Ke7 19.Nc3 Black resigned

White is developing his pieces - and he has an extra one. There is nothing but misery ahead for Black.

Another fine example of the strangeness that is the Jerome Gambit.