Jerome Gambit: One Last Bot (Part 1)

One more Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game against a bot, this time played online at SparkChess.com.

The line features a go-for-the-throat response by Black.

perrypawnpusher - Claire bot

Spark Chess, 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 Qh4+ 

Black counter-attacks.

As I mentioned in the post "Jerome Gambit Tournament: Chapter II", what we have here is

An interesting line that I refer to as "His Nib's Defense," which made its first appearance in the American Chess Magazine of June 1899 in a comical article lampooning a new pastime, chess by phone. 

9.g3 Nf3+ 

This move surprised me, especially played by a bot. There is no way that it could be in Claire bot's opening book, is there?

Stockfish 15.1 likes the Knight check, assessing that (at 31 ply) Black is almost 3 pawns better.

Practical results, however, show a different story.

There are 206 games with this position in The Database, with White scoring 57%.

For that matter, The Database has 25 of my games with this position, and I have scored 88%.

Verdict: It's complicated, and familiarity helps.

10.Kf1 

Stockfish 16, at 46 ply, prefers 10.Kd1 over 10.Kf1 by .17 of a pawn: not much. 

Consulting The Database again, there are 128 games with 10.Kd1, with White scoring 63%.

This compares with 43 games with 10.Kf1, with White scoring 71%.

So, despite the computer's assessment of winning for Black, in practical online club level play, White does well with either 10.Kd1 or 10.Kf1; a bit better with 10.Kf1.

I have played 7 games with 10.Kd1 and won them all, including 3 games with the "Buyer's Regret variation", 10...Qe7 11.Qd5# ; while playing 18 games with 10.Kf1, scoring 83%. 

Again: It's complicated, and familiarity helps.

10...Nxh2+

Another surprise.

I had expected 10...Qf6, as in perrypawnpusher - james042665, Chess.com, 2008 (0-1, 18); perrypawnpusher - HarlemKnight, 6 13 blitz, FICS, 2014 (0-1, 24); and perrypawnpusher - vasbur, Chess.com, 2018 (1-0, 34). 

I wouldn't have been totally put off to see 10...Qh6 as in perrypawnpusher - Temmo, Jerome Gambit 3 thematic tournament, ChessWorld.net, 2008 (0-1, 43). 

11.Kg2 

Despite all the attention that it has attracted, White's King is the safer one.

In the meantime, Black stands to lose his advanced Knight or his developed Bishop, and his King is sitting uneasy.  

Still, at 35 ply, Stockfish 15.1 still sees Black as about 9/10 of a pawn better.

[to be continued]