The Jerome Gambit: BSJG Improvement

A day after our first game, HanPeng and I met up again at FICS. He was comfortable playing the Blackburne Shilling Gambit. I was comfortable playing the Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.

My goal was to avoid hanging my Queen or a Rook this time.

perrypawnpusher - HanPeng

10 0 blitz, FICS, 2021

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4

The Blackburne Shilling Gambit.

4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5. Nxe5+ Ke7

My opponent varies first. He is not interested in 5...Ke8 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Nxg6 again.

I decided to take my own advice, offered a few posts ago

Against 5...Ke7 or 5...Ke8, 6.c3 is also a good idea...

6.c3

Not 6.Qh5, as in perrypawnpusher - vlas, blitz, FICS, 2009 (0-1, 26) because of 6...Qe8.

6...Ne6

Keeping the Knight closer to the Kingside, but 6...Nc6 was probably a bit better.

Instead, 6...d6 7.cxd4 dxe5 8.dxe5 Bg4 was seen in perrypawnpusher - michon, blitz, FICS, 2013 (1-0, 18).

7.d4 d6

An improvement over 7...Nf6 seen in perrypawnpusher-Macgregr, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 56)

8.Nd3 h6

The center strike 8...d5 looks like the best move.

A different idea was the Kingside fianchetto 8...g6 9.f4 Ke8 10.O-O Bg7 in perrypawnpusher - ZekeTheWolf, blitz, FICS, 2014 (1-0, 22).

9.O-O g5

This move fails in its intention to stop White's f-pawn. Black comes up with another idea - to return the sacrificed material - as a fall back plan.

10.f4 Nf6 11.f5 Ng7 12.e5 dxe5 13.dxe5 Bxf5 14.exf6+ Kxf6

White's Knight at d3 is under pressure, and the undeveloped state of White's Queenside is a problem - despite the fact that I can now win a piece.

15.g4 Qd5 16.Qf3

Leading to nothing more than an even position. A little creatvivity would have produced 16.Be3 with the idea if 16...Rd8 17.Bd4+.

16...Qxf3 17.Rxf3

17...Kg6

In turn, Back wants to untangle his Kingside.

After the game Stockfish 13 gave a lesson in the value of development. The line is long, but well worth playing over: 17...Rd8 18.Nf2 Bc5 19.Nd2 Kg6 20.gxf5+ Nxf5 21.Kf1 Ne3+ 22.Ke2 Rhe8 23.Nfe4 Nd5 24.Kf1 Bb6 25.a4 a5 26.b4 axb4 27.cxb4 Ne3+ 28.Ke2 Nc2 29.Rf6+ Kh7 30.Rb1 Be3 31.Rb2 Bxd2 32.Rxc2 Rxe4+ 33.Kf3 Re3+ 34.Kf2 Bxc1 35.Rxc7+ Kg8 36.Rg6+ Kf8 37.Rxc1 Rh3 and the game is even.

18.gxf5+ Nxf5 19.Nd2 Bd6 20.Ne4 Rad8 21.Nxd6 Rxd6 22.Ne5+ Kf6 23.Ng4+ Kg6 24.Ne3 Nxe3 25.Bxe3