I was roaming the internet, wondering if anyone else these days was dealing with the Jerome-ized version of the Two Knights Defense, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Bxf7+, a line I have occasionally referred to as an "impatient Jerome Gambit" because White sacrifices his Bishop before Black plays ...Bc5.
I came upon a pleasant surprise.
Do you remember "Battle Chess"? The early chess-playing program on a variety of platforms, featuring basic graphics and even more basic chess?
Well, there is a 2017 YouTube video of the game Doucette, Matthew - Battle Chess, NES (level 1) [1990], featuring this line of play.
If you think that the Jerome Gambit and its relatives are primative, then you will appreciate the computer treatment of this line from 30 years ago. I had to share it.
Plaing the game over here will take a lot less time then watching the video.
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Ng5+ Kg6 6.Qf3!
Why the "!"? Shouldn't the move get a "?!" because of the reply 6...Nd4 ?
Matthew gets credit for knowing his opponent: early computers were serious material-grabbers. While modern programs have been mostly cured of this affliction, there is simply no way that Battle Chess can resist temptation in this game.
6...Kxg5 7.Qf5+ Kh6 8.d3+ g5 9.Qxg5 checkmate.
Awesome.
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