1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ ...and related lines
(risky/nonrisky lines, tactics & psychology for fast, exciting play)
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
It's getting interesting...
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
All's not well that ends not well
The following game, from the current Chessworld Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 Bxf7+) Thematic Tournament, pits Black Puma, who has recently had a number of hammering wins, against calchess10, who has been having a difficult tournament, but who played well enough to reach the following postion after 41 moves.
True, Black is two pawns down, but knowledge of the two kinds of endgames (see "All's well that ends well") that are in play here should help him hold the draw.
42.Kg3 hxg4 43.hxg4 g5 44.f4 gxf4+ 45.Kxf4 Kg6
Here we have a pretty straight-forward Bishops-of-opposite-colors endgame. Black should be able to establish light-square blockades of the two pawns, and hold the game to a draw.
46.g5 Bc2 47.Be7 Ba4 The blockades are established, although Black would do well now to exchange the King's and Bishop's roles, putting the Bishop to work on the Kingside and the monarch to work on the Queenside. Otherwise he runs the risk of White using his King to escort the a-pawn up the file, eventually winning the Black Bishop; and then bringing his King over to help the other pawn advance to the Queening square.
48.Ke4 Bb3 49.Kd4 Kf7 As expected.
50.Kc3 Kxe7
Oh, no... 50...Ba2 51.Bf6 Ke8 etc. and the Black King will get to the Queenside while his Bishop holds off the g-pawn from afar. This transition in the game to a pure pawn endgame gives White the win.
51.Kxb3 Kf7 52.Kb4 Kg6 53.a4 Kxg5 54.a5 Black resigns
A pity.
By the way, above I mentioned that knowledge of "two kinds of endgames" would come to Black's aid. Had he recalled the frustrations of the K vs K + RP + wrong-colored-Bishop (see "All's well that ends well"), he could have, before our second diagram, played 45.,.Bxg4, instead of 45...Kg3. The Black King would have plenty of time to then hurry to a8 to blocade the last pawn, a task from which he could not be chased away.
My congratulations to Black Puma on toughing out a fine win, and my applause to calchess10 on getting oh-so-close...
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Rare
Black has played solidly, and has even increased his piece advantage to a Rook advantage; but here he sees the chance to create a passed pawn and intensify pressure on the enemy King, so he grabs an expensive pawn...
45...Bxd3 46.Qf5+ Kh8 47.Qf8+ Kh7 48.Qf5+ Kh8 49.Qf8+ Kh7 50.Qf5+ Kh8 51.Qf8+ Kh7 52.Qf5+ Kh8 53.Qf8+ Kh7 drawn
Saturday, July 11, 2009
The Modern Jerome Gambit
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Ed, Ed and Eddie
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.0-0 h6 6.c3 Nf6 7.d4 Bd6 8.dxe5 Nxe5 9.Nxe5+ Bxe5 10.f4 Bd6 11.e5 Bc5+ 12.Kh1 Ne4 13.Qd5+ Ke8 14.Qxe4 Be7 15.f5 d5 16.Qf3 b6 17.f6 gxf6 18.exf6 Bd6 19.f7+ [ 19.Qxd5] 19...Kd7 20.b4 Ba6 21.a4 Bxf1 22.Qf5+ Kc6 23.Qxf1 Qh4-+ 24.b5+ Kb7 25.h3 Qg3 26.Ba3 Qh2 checkmate
calchess10 - eddie43
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.d3 h6 6.Nc3 Nf6 7.h3 d6 8.0-0 Be6 9.a3 a6 10.b4 Ba7 11.Nh2 Bd4 12.Bb2 Qd7 13.Rb1 Na7 14.Ne2 Bb6 15.Kh1 g5 16.Ng3 h5 17.Nf3 Rag8 18.c4 g4 19.Nh4 gxh3 20.Ngf5 Ng4 21.gxh3 Nxf2+ 22.Rxf2 Bxf2 23.Ng2 Bxf5 24.exf5 Qxf5 25.Nf4 Qxf4 26.Qe2 Rg3 27.d4 Rxh3+ 28.Kg2 Qg3+ 29.Kf1 Rh1 checkmate
stampyshortlegs - eddie43
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.c3 Nh6 9.Qf4 Rf8 10.Qg3 White resigned
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Oooooooops...
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.c3 Nh6 9.Qf4 Rf8 10.Qg3 White resigned
TWODOGS - Black Puma