[This is a continuation of one of the articles from the "Unorthodox Openings Newsletter" (UON-18, May - August 2007), mentioned in an earlier blog post.]
The rematch between the two computer programs was no better for the Gambit, or the gambiteer.
Spike1.2 vs. Colossus
Jerome-forced Computer Chess Match USA, 2006
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Qf6 9.fxe5+ Qxe5
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Here, A.W. Jerome recommended 10.Qf3 (April 1874, Dubuque Chess Journal). My database has seven games with the alternative move 10.Qxe5+ -- with White planning to play the strategic concept of using pawns against the piece. Interestingly, five of those games are human versus human contests, and White won 4 and drew one. The other two were computer versus computer games; and Black won both of those.
What happens in the current game is that Spike cannot come up with a long-term plan, and the tactics it chases after are easily rebuffed. "The Black King is a strong piece!" Steinitz would say, and that puts White two pieces down.
10.Qxe5+ Kxe5 11.d3 Ke6 12.Nc3 Nf6 13.Nb5
There is nothing in this. A human would play 13.Bg5 and 14.0-0-0 and hope for the best. Spike has no hope here.
13...Ne8 14.Rf1 c6 15.Nc3 Rf8 16.Rxf8 Bxf8
A consistent plan, which leads to a temporary lead in development for White; but really, we are just one step closer to the end.
17.Bf4 Nf6 18.Ne2 c5 19.e5
For White, there is nothing but pain and disappointment to follow.
19...Nd5 20.d4 Be7 21.c4 Nxf4 22.Nxf4+ Kf5 23.Nh5 g6 24.Ng3+ Ke6 25.Kd2 b5 26.Ne4 bxc4 27.Kc3 Rb8 28.Rd1 Ba6 29.h4 Rf8 30.Ng5+ Bxg5 31.hxg5 Rf5 32.Rh1 Rxg5 33.Rxh7 Rg3+ 34.Kc2 Rxg2+ 35.Kc3 Bb5 36.Rh8 0-1
This gets me to wonder how Fritz10 would do playing the Jerome Gambit against KnightStalker.
If you aren't totally disgusted with the Jerome Gambit by now, check out the following game. After just a dozen moves Black's King is in serious trouble! White stumbles along, though, and it is only Black's blunder at move 18 that allows for a mate in 2 moves – though white announced a mate in 4 (il blanco annunzia lo sc i 4).
Editor’s Note: The following game was presented without annotation – and in playing over it, it looked like Black got mopped up fairly well. In fact, the game made me feel like playing the Jerome. But I know from having watched the 2006 Jerome Gambit computer match, that dire positions in the gambit are often little more than grand cases of deceptio visus [Latin for optical illusion]. And so, with the assistance of Fritz, I was able to see the game as not so good for White, even though he won.- gkg
D'Aumiller, A versus A.P. Livorno 1878
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7-+ 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 d6 8.d4 Bxd4 9.c3 Bb6
Fritz correctly points out that 9...Nd3+ nails it down 10.Kf1 Nf2 11.Qd5+ Kd7 12.Qxd4 Nxh1 13.Qxg7+ Ne7-+
10.fxe5 dxe5 11.Na3 Nf6 12.Qf5+ Kd6
But 12...Kf7 secures victory for Black 13.Qf1 ¦f8-+
13.Nc4+ Kc5??
Black should have played 13...Ke7 when we would likely see 14.Qxe5+ Kf7 15.Nxb6 axb6 16.Bg5-+
14.Qxe5+??
14.Be3+ was necessary. Then, after 14...Kc6 15.Nxe5+ Kd6 16.Rd1+ Ke7 17.Bc5+ Bxc5 18.Nc6+ bxc6 19.Qxc5+ Qd6 20.¦xd6 cxd6 21.Qxc6 and equality is realized.
14...Kxc4-+ 15.b3+ Kd3 16.Bf4??
This mistake should hasten the end of White, better was 16.Qb5+ Kxe4 17.Rf1³
16...Kc2
Fritz prefers the following Bg4 line which has quite a bit of checking, and appears to win for Black by force. 16...Bg4 17.Bg5 Re8 18.Qg3+ Kxe4 19.Qf4+ Kd5+ 20.Kd2 Ne4+ 21.Qxe4+ Rxe4 22.c4+ Ke5+ 23.Bxd8 Re2+ 24.Kd3 Rxd8+ 25.Kc3 Bd4+ 26.Kb4 c5+ 27.Ka5 Bc3+ 28.b4 Bxb4+ 29.Ka4 Rd3 30.Rhe1 Bd7#
17.Rc1+ Kb2 18.c4+ Ka3 ??
Instead, 18...Bd4! and Black will win! 19.Rd1 Bxe5 20.Bxe5+ Kxa2 21.Rxd8 Rxd8-+
19.Rc2+− Re8 1−0
Editor’s Note: I cannot help but to wonder if White ever realized the constant danger he faced in the above game; or if Black never realized he stood better. Many spectators would likely have concluded that Black was crushed, thus giving a boost to the lively gambit. -gkg
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