Thursday, March 25, 2021

Jerome Gambit: Test



The following Jerome Gambit game starts off with an odd opening line, but quickly shows that the defender has the advantage, due to accepting the sacrificed material. It looks like the attacker is failing the test.

Suddenly, White sacrifices once more, and it becomes obvious that Black will not be able to escape a draw by repetition. 

Very interesting. 


Stockfish 12 NNUE 1 sec - Lc0 1 sec

Testing Jerome Gambit, 2021


1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 


4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 7.f4


This is a rather strange move - there are only 2 other games in The Database with it (both losses by White). Expected was 7.Qxe5.

7...Nf6 8.Qxe5 d6 9.Qg5 h6 10.Qh4 Qe8 


Black tries to restrain White's e-pawn, but it advances anyhow.

11.e5 dxe5 12.f5 Bxf5 13.Rf1 Bxc2 14.Qc4 Qg6 

Attacking both sides of the board.

White now recovers the sacrificed piece while Black castles-by-hand.

15.Qxc5+ Kg8 16.Qc4+ 

Occasionally annotators will describe a move as "computer-like", especially when it is, in fact, played by a computer. However, this is a very "human-like" move, as is Black's response - and that changes the whole nature of the game.

16...Kh7  


Based upon material, development and King safety, Black should be better.

However, White can play actively and draw, as Stockfish immediately shows

17.Rxf6 gxf6 18.Qxc7+ Kg8 

Possible was 18...Qg7, but after 19.Qxc2+ White would have 2 pieces for a Rook, a material advantage that a computer would not choose.

Black's King now goes on a journey.

19.Qc4+ Kg7 20.Qc7+ Kf8 21.Qc5+ Ke8 22.Qb5+ Kd8 23.Qd5+ Kc8 24.Qe6+ Kb8 



25.Qd6+ Kc8 26.Qe6+ Kd8 27.Qd5+ Ke8 28.Qb5+ Kf8 29.Qc5+ Kf7


Back again - but no refuge. Neither will there be one in the center.

30.Qc4+ Ke7 31.Qc5+ Ke6 32.Qc4+ Kd6 33.Qb4+ Kd5 34.Qxb7+ Ke6 Draw


The human running the test realized that there was no escaping the draw.


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