Jerome Gambit: Grandpa Gambit (Part 1)

 

After defeating Deadlost (see "Jerome Gambit: Deadlost [Parts 1, 2, and 3]), a chess bot at Chess.com, I decided to challenge the Grandpa Gambit bot.

Grandpa Gambit is a lifelong chess player known to regale his opponents with a chess anecdote of his past…or two. Ready to take a trip down memory lane?

I played the Jerome Gambit, of course, and this may have offended my opponent (if such a thing were possible), as he was silent throughout the game, posting not a single remark.

perrypawnpusher - GrandpaGambitBot

Chess.com, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 

A quick look at The Database shows that I have done well against this defensive lineup, scoring 79 - 14 - 1, that is 85%.

8...Nc4

This is an odd move. It is hard to find the idea behind it, other than escaping the attack of White's f-pawn.

If the Knight were to retreat, it should have gone to c6, i.e. 8...Nc6.

Better was a Queen move, either 8...Qh4+ 9.g3 Qf6 or 8...Qf6 directly.

Possibly the best move was 8...Kc6, simply abandoning the Knight, followed by 9.fxe5 Nh6 or 9.Qxe5 Nf6. 

Perhaps the issue was that the dangers ahead lay beyond the computer's depth of search.

9.Qd5+ Ke7 10.Qxc5+ 

At this point, Black resigned in perrypawnpusher - KanatolyAsparov, 4 16 blitz, FICS, 2011.

10...Nd6 11.e5 

White will recover his second sacrificed piece, with advantage.

11...h5

Another unusual move, reminiscent of the choice of the early dedicated chess computer game, Chess Challenger 7. As I mentioned in "Jerome Gambit: The Science of the Draw?! (Part 1)"

when it assessed its King to be safe (wherever it was) and the position balanced, couldn't "think" of what to do, and so would advance its Rook pawns...  

About 15 years ago I challenged the CC7 with the Jerome Gambit, and won in 20 moves.

12.exd6+ cxd6 

Here I was a pawn ahead, but Stockfish 15.1 (36 ply) sees White's advantage as four times that. 

The danger for me, as always, was inattention and complacency.

[to be continued]