Thursday, October 29, 2020

Jerome Gambit: It's A Busy World


Chess players are busy. When they can, they catch a game. Often they play online, because it can be easier than travelling down to a club. Often they play blitz, because they can get in a game - or more - without consuming too much time.

There are some internet sites where players can find time limits of one move a day, or even one move every three days.

Think of what wonders someone could come up with, if he or she devoted 72 hours of thought to every move!

More likely players race around in their hectic worlds, using up most of their chess "clock" time surviving in the real world. Then, they are happy to be able to excape for a minute or two, to find a move - before disappearing back into the chaos.

That's my explanation for the following game. It's a busy world.  

onPoyntz - greatscotch7767

1 move / day, Chess.com, 2020


1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.Bxf7+ 


4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Ng6 


This is a perfectly playable move for Black, but if this game were a scary movie, you would begin to hear violins in the background...

7.e5 Nd5 

It was safer to begin thinking about returning a piece with 7...d5 or at least hiding a Knight with 7...Ng8. Still, after the text, Black is better.

8.Qf3+ Ndf4 

Again, it was prudent to look at 8...Nf6, as Black is a couple of pieces ahead. Again, Black is still better - but he appears to not be digging into the positions.

9.Bxf4 Kg8

Instead, 9...Nxf4 10.Qxf4+ Kg8 11.d5 would be funny looking, but Black would still have a piece (and the two Bishops) for two pawns and would be just fine.

10.Qd5 checkmate


Ouch.

We have seen this kind of thing before. Take a look at "Jerome Gambit: Iconic 9-Move Checkmate", for starters.

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