Boris-Trapsky Makes A Return Visit

                                  

The computer program Boris-Trapsky makes a return visit to this blog. It plays a Jerome-like opening, with interesting games in the notes.

Boris-Trapsky - TORRESLID

15 0 rapid, lichess.org, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nc3 Nc6 4.Bc4 Bc5 

The Italian Four Knights Opening.

If White now sacrifices its Bishop, it becomes the Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.

By the way, Boris-Trapsky is a computer chess program which has a "human" feel to it, occasionally a "coffeehouse" feel. See "Jerome Gambit: Boris-Trapsky [Parts 1 & 2]"

5.Na4 

The online site Schachzeit indicates that after this move, Black's position is about 1/2 pawn better.

The most recent example I have found, at Chess.com is a game between Mikhail Bryakin (2820) and Theodore Slade (2469) from 2024: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Nc3 Nf6 5.Na4 Nxe4 6.Nxc5 Nxc5 7.O-O O-O 8.b4 Nxb4 9.Nxe5 d5 10.Be2 Nc6 11.Nxc6 bxc6 12.Ba3 Ne4 13.Bxf8 Qxf8 14.Bf3 Bf5 15.d3 Nf6 16.Qd2 Rb8 17.Rab1 Rb6 18.Qa5 Qb8 19.Rb3 Be6 20.Re1 d4 21.Rxb6 axb6 22.Qe5 c5 23.a4 Nd7 24.Qe4 Qa7 25.Qc6 g6 26.Rxe6 fxe6 27.Qxe6+ Kh8 28.Qe8+ Kg7 29.Qxd7+ 1-0 

The earliest game example with the line that I have found is the correspondence game Roszkowski - Van der Kooij, Jaap, corr ICCF, 1982: 1.Nc3 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.e4 Nf6 4.Bc4 Bc5 5.Na4 Nxe4 6.O-O Nxf2 7.Rxf2 Bxf2+ 8.Kxf2 d5 9.Bb5 Qf6 10.d3 a6 11.Bg5 Qd6 12.Bxc6+ Qxc6 13.c4 Bg4 14.cxd5 Qxd5 15.Nc3 Qe6 16.Qa4+ c6 17.Nxe5 Bh5 18.Qh4 O-O 19.Nf3 Bxf3 20.gxf3 f6 21.Re1 fxg5 22.Qxg5 Qf5 23.Qxf5 Rxf5 24.Re7 Rf7 25.Re6 Raf8 26.Re3 g5 27.h3 Rd8 28.Ke2 Kf8 29.Kd2 Re7 30.Ne4 h6 31.Re1 b6 32.Rc1 c5 33.a3 Red7 34.Nf2 Rd4 35.Re1 Kf7 36.b3 c4 37.bxc4 Rxc4 38.Ng4 Kf8 39.Nxh6 Rh4 40.Re6 Rxh3 41.Ke3 Re8 42.Rxe8+ Kxe8 43.Ng4 Ke7 44.Ne5 Ke6 45.Kd4 Rh4+ 46.Ng4 Kf5 47.Kd5 Kf4 48.Ne5 Rh8 49.d4 Rc8 50.Ke6 Rc3 51.a4 Ra3 52.Ng6+ Kxf3 53.d5 Rxa4 54.Ne5+ Ke4 55.d6 Rd4 56.d7 a5 57.Nc4 Rxd7 58.Kxd7 a4 59.Kc6 g4 60.Kxb6 g3 61.Kb5 g2 62.Nd2+ Kf4 63.Kxa4 g1=Q 64.Kb3 Qc1 65.Nc4 Ke4 66.Na3 Kd3 0-1

Back to Boris-Trapsky. It has also played 5.d3 h6 6.O-O a6 7.a3 d6 8.h3 Bd7 9.Nd5 Nxd5 10.Bxd5 Qf6 11.h4 Bg4 12.Be3 O-O 13.Rb1 Bxf3 14.Qxf3 Qxh4 15.g3 Qh3 16.Bxc5 dxc5 17.Qf5 Qxf5 18.exf5 Nd4 19.Bxb7 Ra7 20.Be4 g5 21.Kg2 g4 22.f6 Ne6 23.Rh1 Ng5 24.Rxh6 Black resigned, Boris-Trapsky - Titusse, lichess.org, 2025. 

5...Na5 

A fanciful reply.

The computer program has seen different responses, starting with the strongest:

5...Nxe4 6.Nxc5 Nxc5 7.d4 d5 8.Bb5 exd4 9.Qxd4 Qe7+ 10.Be3 Ne6 11.Qxd5 O-O 12.Be2 Rd8 13.Qc4 Qb4+ 14.c3 Qxb2 15.Rc1 Black resigned, Boris-Trapsky - Ver-Bliten, lichess.org, 2024; 

5...Bd6 6.O-O a6 7.Nc3 b5 8.Bb3 Bb7 9.d3 a5 10.Nxb5 a4 11.Bc4 Na5 12.Nxd6+ cxd6 13.Bb5 Bc6 14.c4 Bxb5 15.cxb5 O-O 16.Be3 d5 17.exd5 Nxd5 18.Qxa4 Nc6 19.Qc4 Nce7 20.Nxe5 Nxe3 21.fxe3 Rc8 22.Qb3 Qe8 23.Rf3 d6 24.Nxf7 Rxf7 25.Raf1 Rc1 26.Rxf7 Rxf1+ 27.Rxf1+ Kh8 28.Qf7 Qxf7 29.Rxf7 Nd5 30.Rf8 checkmate, Boris-Trapsky - Tony_Litchfield, lichess.org, 2025; and 

5...d6 6.Nxc5 dxc5 7.d3 Ng4 8.Ng5 h6 9.Bxf7+ Kf8 10.Ne6+ Kxf7 11.Nxd8+ Nxd8 12.f4 exf4 13.Bxf4 Nc6 14.O-O g5 15.Be5+ Ke6 16.Bxh8 Bd7 17.Qxg4+ Black resigned, Boris-Trapsky - luv_shawty, lichess.org, 2025 

6.Bxf7+ 

6...Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ 

Jerome-ish, but capturing the Bishop was stronger.

7...Kg8 8.Nxc5 Nxe4 

Possibly a time error.

Earlier, the computer program faced 8... d6 9. b4 dxc5 10. d3 c4 11. dxc4 Nxc4 12. Qxd8+ Black resigned, Boris-Trapsky - OrkishPoem, lichess.org, 2024.

 9.Nxe4 Qe8 10.O-O 

Taking no chances.

10...Qxe5 11.Nc3 d5 12.Re1 

White has the win well in hand.

12...Qxh2+ 

Desperation - or a spite check?

13.Kxh2 h5 14.Re8+ Kf7 15.Rxh8 Black resigned