BSJG: No Shelter

The following game sees Black defending well in his Blackburne Shilling Gambit, until suddenly the Kingside opens up and his King can find no shelter.

I blame Jerome.

klfoerster - zakiabdelli

3 2 blitz, lichess.org, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 

The Blackburne Shilling Gambit. White can now play 4.Nxe4 or 4.d3 or 4.O-O, but he also has a Jerome response. 

4.Bxf7+ 

The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8 6.c3 

This is one of White's two main responses, the other being the Jerome-ish immediate Qh5+.

6...Nc6 7.Qh5+ g6 8.Nxg6 Nf6 9.Qh4 Rg8 10.Nxf8 Rxf8 

Up to this point klfoerster and zakiabdelli have been playing like they were both familiar with the Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit - indeed, according to The Database, klfoerster played a couple of games with that opening in 2022. I have not found any earlier efforts by zakiabdelli. (I guess players rated 2200 and 2100 look like they know what they are doing.)

Here, though, the routine 10...Kxf8 or the interesting 10...Qe7 might have changed things from an edge for Black to an edge for White.

11.O-O d6

Black keeps an eye on the enemy e-pawn and hopes to imede its advance. He might have done a little better with 11...Ne7. 

12.d4 Ng4 

So far we have seen moves that Stockfish 15.1 might improve upon, slightly.

This move allows too much pressure on f6. Better would have been 12...Ne7. 

13.Qh5+ Rf7 14.Bg5 Qd7 15.f3 

Things have gotten messy for Black. Not only is his Knight in danger, his Queen blocks his Bishop which hems in his Rook - a problem for defense that we have seen a number of times before.

15...Nxh2 16.Qxh2 Rg7 17.Qh5+ 

On revient toujours a sa premier amour.

17...Rg6 18.f4 Kf8 19.f5 Rg8 20.Bh6+ Ke7 21.f6+ Ke6 22.Qd5 checkmate