Blackburne Shilling Gambit: Counter-Surprise

Although we do not have any game examples, it is said that Joseph Henry Blackburne played his Shilling Gambit to quickly win wagers placed upon his casual games.

When Black plays the Shilling Gambit, hoping to surprise his opponent, he is often not ready for a counter-surprise, if the opening becomes Jeromed.

feritTurkey - SviRep

5 0 blitz, lichess.org

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nc6 3.Nf3 Nd4 

The Blackburne Shilling Gambit.

4.Bxf7+ 

The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Nxg6 

Black does best now to give up the exchange with 7...hxg6 8.Qxh8, still with the advantage after 8...Nxc2+.

Instead, 7...Nxc2+ 8.Kd1 hxg6 allows White to play 9.Qxg6+ and draw by repetition, if he wants. Instead, 9.Qxh8 Nxa1 10.Qxg8 Qg5 favors Black.

This whole line is worth looking at before playing it, for either Black or White.

7...Nf6 8.Qe5+ Ne6 9.Nxh8 

9...Bd6 

The Bishop is placed with the hope that it will be part of an attack on White's King, once it castles.

Also seen was 9...Bg7 10.d3 Ng4 11.Qh5+ Kf8 12.Qf7 checkmate, feritTurkey - TurkoLoco, lichess.org, 2023 and 9...Ng4 10.Qh5+ Ke7 11.Qxg4 Bg7 12.Qh4+ Bf6 13.Qxh7+ Kd6 14.Nf7+ Black resiged, feritTurkey - queenwin_1492, lichess.org, 2024.

Now the White Queen goes on a deadly road trip.

10.Qc3 Nxe4 

Or 10...Ke7 11.O-O Qxh8 12.Na3 b6 13.Nc4 Ba6 14.Nxd6 Bxf1 15.Kxf1 cxd6 16.Qa3 Nxe4 17.d3 N4c5 White resigned, feritTurkey - Tomek_Kowalski, lichess.org, 2022. 

11.Qf3 N4g5 12.Qh5+ Ke7 

13.d3 Bb4+ 14.c3 Bd6 

Time to wrap things up.

15.Bxg5+ Nxg5 16.Qxg5+ Ke8 17.Qg8+ Ke7 18.Qf7 checkmate