BSJG: Choose the Right Response

When you can think fast, bullet chess - 1 minute, no increment - might be your thing.

When you can remember places that you have been to before - that's an edge you can count on.

In the following game, angelcmina uses both tools - and his opponent can not keep up.

angelcamina - Erimagination

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2026

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 

The Blackburne Shilling Gambit.

4.Bxf7+

The Blackurne Shilling Jerome Gambit.

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8 6.Qh5+ 

Looking at The Database, there are 2,326 games with this position, with White scoring 61%. angelcamina does better in his 50 games with the position, scoring 70%. 

Stockfish 16.1 (40 ply) evaluates Black as being about a pawn ahead - but the defender has to choose the right response to this check.

6...Ke7

Possibly chosen quickly, due to the time control. About 20% of those 2,326 games has this move. 

The proper course was 6...g6 7.Nxg6 hxg6 (7...Nxc2+ 8.Kd1 hxg6 9.Qxg6+ Ke7 10.Qg5+ [10.d3 Bh6 11.Kxc2 Qf8 12.Bxh6 Nxh6 13.Qg5+ Ke8 14.Qe5+ Kd8 15.Qg5+ Ke8 16.Qe5+ draw] 10...Ke8 11.Qg6+ Ke7 12.Qg5+ draw) 8.Qxh8 Nxc2+ 9.Kd1 Nxa1 10.Qxg8 Qg5 11.Rg1 d6 and Black is better.

White now delivers checkmate.

7.Qf7+ Kd6 8.Nc4+ Kc5 

Or 8...Kc6 9.Qd5 checkmate, angelcamina - deep140, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2021 

9.Qd5+ Kb4 10.a3+ 

Or 10.c3+ Ka4 11.Qa5 checkmate, angelcamina - Vpkl,1 0 bullet, lichess.org 2022; Or 11.b3+  Nxb3 12.axb3+ Kxb3 13.Ne3 checkmate, angelcamina - peteza, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2023 

10...Ka4 11.Nc3 checkmate.