Sunday, November 27, 2022

Jerome Gambit: Morphy-Bot?



A recent YouTube video, "Stockfish plays the Jerome Gambit", is the latest in a series of Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) computer vs computer games.

Earlier coverage of bot battles can be found in "Jerome Gambit: Entertaining Chess Content (Part 1)", "Jerome Gambit: Entertaining Chess Content (Part 2)", "More Entertaining Jerome Gambit Chess Content", and, most recently, "Jerome Gambit: Challenging the Bot".

It makes me wonder: how would the real Paul Morphy fare against Stockfish and the Jerome Gambit?


Stockfish - Morphy-Bot

Chess.com, 2022

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 7.Qxe5 

7...d6 8.Qg3 Kf7 

It looks like Morphy-Bot is planning to castle-by-hand, but this never happens.

In this slow Jerome Gambit, Stockfish slowly outplays its opponent.

9.d3 Nf6 10.Nc3 c6 11.O-O Bb4 12.Bg5 h6 13.Be3 Be6 14.f4 Bg4


This is a tactical oversight that Jerome Gambit players will recognize by putting the pieces together: White Rook on f-file, Black King on f-file, Black Knight protecting Black Bishop (which is attacked by White Queen), the opportunity of a White pawn causing mischief at e5.

Better for Black would have been 14...Kg8.

 15.e5 Bf5  

The poor Bishop is having a bad day. Stockfish 15 (on my computer, not the one in the game) suggests 15...Bxc3!?, because 16.bxc3 would allow 16...Nd5, while  16.exf6 Bxb2 17.Qxg4 Bxf6 18.Rab1 b5 would give White an edge. 

16.exf6 Rg8 17.fxg7 Rxg7 18.Qf3 Qh4 


Morphy-Bot has some Kingside pressure, but not 2 pawns worth.

19.Bd4 Rag8

Odd. There is little compensation for this exchange sacrifice.

20.Bxg7 Kxg7 21.Ne2 Kh8 

Finally.

22.c3 Ba5 23.Ng3 Bg4 24.Qe4 Qf6 25.f5 Bb6+ 26.d4 d5 27.Qf4 c5 


Looking to open the attacking diagonal a7-g1.

White is ahead the exchange and two pawns, but the computer assesses the advantage as being more than a Queen's worth. 

28.Rae1 Rf8 29.Qxg4 cxd4 30.Re6 dxc3+ 31.Kh1 Qg5 32.Qh3 Be3 33.bxc3 Bd2 


This allows White to drive the enemy Queen away, and setting up mate.

34.Rg6 Qe3 35.f6 Qe8 36.Rxh6+ Kg8 37.Rh8+ Kf7 38.Rh7+ Kg8 39.Rg7 checkmate




No comments: