Trying To Escape The Inevitable

The following game reminds me of Douglas Adam's comment, above. I am not exactly sure why.

Wall, Bill - Guest2901729

PlayChess.com, 2015

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 

The Blackburne Shilling Gambit.

4.Bxf7+

The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke7 6.c3 Ne6 

It is already possible to see where danger might strike Black: along the d8-h4 diagonal, where his King and Queen are lined up; or in the center, where White's "Jerome pawns" can cause mischief.

7.d4 d6 8.Nd3 Nf6 9.d5

Best according to Stockfish 7. 

Interesting was 9.Qe2 as in Philidor 1792 - g-chessman1518, GameKnot.com, 2015(1-0, 22).

9...Nc5 10.Nxc5 dxc5 11.e5

An improvement over the older 11.f3 Ke8 12.O-O Be7 13.c4 Kf7 14.e5 Nd7 15.e6+ Ke8 Black resigned, AMITAF - UofM, FICS, 2010.

11...Nxd5

Trying to escape the inevitable. He should have given up the Knight directly.

12.Bg5+ Nf6 13.exf6+ gxf6

Or 13...Ke8 14.Qxd8+ Kxd8 15.fxg7+ Kd7 16.gxh8=Q Be7 17.Qxh7 Kc6 18.Qxe7 Bd7 19.b4 Re8 20.Qxe8 Bxe8 21.bxc5 Kxc5 22.Nd2 b6 Black resigned, EdoTK - Jorma, FICS, 2006.

14.Bxf6+ Black resigned

Ouch! The Queen is lost.

Overrun

I was feeling a bit cranky when I began to put this post together, so I decided upon a Jerome Gambit game that features a "TL", that is, a "TN" (theoretical novelty) that turned out to be a "theoretical lemon" as White was rudely overrun by his opponent.

Tadayoshi - AMITAF
blitz, FICS, 2012

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bc4 Bc5 5.Bxf7+ 

The Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 d6 8.f4 

Black's last move shows an indifference as to which piece White captures. (White should choose one.)

White, in turn, leaves his capture options open and adds another "Jerome pawn" to the mix. This is risky, as Black demonstrates that pawn advances can leave weaknesses in their wake.

8...Bg4 9.Qd2 Nc4 10.Qd3 d5 

11.b3

Going after the annoying Knight, and perhaps even anticipating his 13th move, but needed to try the straight-forward 11.dxc5, even though it would still leave him worse.

11...Bb4

A deadly pin.

12.bxc4 Nxe4 13.Bb2 Qh4+ 14.g3 Qh3 

15.Rf1 Rhe8 16.Qxe4 Rxe4+ 17.Kd2 Rxd4+ 18.Kc1 Qxf1+ White resigned

Ouch.

Pathbreaking

Exploring an opening variation has its excitements and its drawbacks. Often it is best, once the end of the trail is reached, to reflect on the path travelled – in case you go that way again.


AMITAF - aditikalpesh
blitz, FICS, 2011

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4

The Blackburne Shilling Gambit.

4.Bxf7+

The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6 6.f4

Common, but perhaps not best. This move allows Black chances that he does not take advantage of in this game.

6...Bd6

An odd sideline that puts Black at great risk. He needed to play 6...Qh4+ 7.g3 Qh3 with possibilities of infiltrating on the Kingside.

7.c3

Solid.

Next time White can come armed with 7.Qg4+ Kf6 (or 7...Ke7, jamci - tpg, FICS, 2009 [1-0, 26]; Handlangari - PlatinumKnight, FICS, 2007 [1-0, 9] and bushytail - PlatinumKnight, FICS, 2009 [1-0, 9]; or 7...Nf5 8.Qxf5+ Cyberkid - PlatinumKnight, FICS, 2009 [1-0, 8]) 8.Qg5+ wayaut - tomcatx, FICS, 2010 [1-0, 8] and Pandolfl - screaminghead, FICS, 2005 [1-0, 15]

7...Nc6

Lost.

Better: 7...Bxe5 while he has the chance. (Hint: White's best response would be 8.0-0, and he would be worse.)

8.d4

Again, the short cut next time would be 8.Qb3+ Ke7 9.Qf7 checkmate 

8...Nb8

Danger.

Again, 8...Bxe5 was the choice, with White only slightly better.

9.f5+

This leads to White's advantage. 

So, too, would 9.Qb3+ Kf6 10.Qf7 checkmate. 

9...Ke7 10.Bg5+ Nf6

The brutal pin on the Black Knight at f6 and the possibility of forking the Knight and Bishop with a pawn (once White's Knight is out of the way after 11.Ng4) give White a clear advantage.

11.Nd2 h6

Certainly Black should have tried to remedy the ills mentioned above with 11...Kf8 12.Nd3 Be7 13.e5 h6 14.Bh4 Nd5 15.Bxe7+ Qxe7 16.Qf3 Qf7 17.0-0 Nc6 18.Rae1 Kg8, although White would still be for choice.

Now the wilderness swallows him up.

12.Ng6+ Kf7 13.Qb3+

13...Ke8 14.Nxh8 hxg5 15.Qf7 checkmate