Jerome Gambit-Inspired Play (Part 1)

Jerome Gambit Gemeinde member Philidor 1792 is back with a whole passle of attacking 3-minute chess games, with tactical themes inspired by the Jerome Gambit. Of course, at such a time limit, the first rule almost always has to be: Attack! Attack! Attack!

guest34 - Philidor 1792
3 0 blitz, www.bereg.ru, 2013

1.d4 e5

The Englund Gambit, sometimes referred to as the Charlick Gambit, the latter being an Australian player with a connection to the Jerome Gambit.

2.c4 exd4 3.Nf3 Nf6

The game has transposed into a Budapest Gambit.

4.Nxd4 Bb4+ 5.Bd2 Bc5 6.Nb3 Bxf2+ 

Just when the game was becoming a bit "normal", Black stirs it up again, Jerome Gambit-style.

7.Kxf2 Ne4+ 8.Kg1 Qf6 9.Be3 Qxb2

A bit of a bluff, which 10.Bd4 would call - but, remember this is a 3-minute game, and one of the best ways to stifle an attack is to swap Queens...

10.Qd4 Qxd4 11.Bxd4 0-0 12.Nc3 Re8 13.e3 

What a difference a move-order change makes: best was 13.Nxe4 Rxe4 and then 14.e3 

13...Nxc3 14.Bxc3 Rxe3 15.Bd4 Re6 16.Bd3 Nc6 17.Kf2 a5

In blitz, whenever you can, make a threat.

18.Bc3 d6 19.Nd4 Rf6+ 20.Kg3 Ne5 21.Rhd1 Nxd3 22.Rxd3 b6

23.Nc6 Rg6+ 24.Kf2 Kf8 25.g3 Bb7 26.Nd4 Re8 27.Nb5 Rg5

28.Nd4 Rc5 29.Re1 Rxe1 30.Bxe1 Rxc4 31.Nf5 Rc2+ 32.Rd2 Rc5 and here White's time expired. 

Black's four extra pawns are probably better than White's extra Knight. 

Sunday Book Review: S.O.S. # 13

In my writing at Chessville (alas, the site is still without new content) I have reviewed a number of books in the Secrets of Opening Surprises series (#4, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, #11, #12), edited by Jeroen Bosch. They are surprisingly addictive, sometimes startling, and always creative. As the series describes itself,

No time to study main lines? Shock your opponent with an SOS!... Secrets of Opening Surprises brings you a wide variety of unusual opening ideas. They may seem outrageous at first sight, but have proven to be perfectly playable.

After the introductory "S.O.S. Files", chronicling how earlier suggestions have worked out in over-the-board combat, Volume #13 contains:

- Sicilian Najdorf: the Czebe Attack (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Qe2!?) GM Arthur Kogan

- The North Sea Defence (1.e4 g6 2.d4 Nf6) IM Jeroen Bosch

- The Williams Anti-Grünfeld Variation (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.h4) GM Simon Williams

- The Scotch Game: Carlsen Leads the Way (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Bc5 5.Nb3 Bb6 6.Nc3 Nf6 7.Qe2) GM Konstantin Landa

- The Budapest Gambit Delayed (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 e5) IM Jeroen Bosch

- French Defence: Obtaining Two Bishops (1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Nge2 dxe4 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.Nxc3) GM Alexander Finkel

- Grabbing a Pawn in the Réti/Catalan (1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 c5 3.Bg2 Nc6 4.d4 e6 5.0-0 Bd7 6.c4) GM Glenn Flear

- Sicilian: Karma Chameleon (1.e4 c5 2.Ne2 d6 3.c3) GM Dimitri Reinderman

- The Centre Game in Viking Spirit (1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.Qxd4 Nc6 4.Qa4) IM Jeroen Bosch

- Slav: The Easy Way (1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nbd2) GM Efstratios Grivas

- Spanish: Kortchnoi's Idea in the Central Attack (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.d4 Nxd4) GM Adrian Mikhalchishin

- Panic in the London (1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bf4 Nh5) GM Dimitri Reinderman

- Pirc Defence - Taking off the Gloves (1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.f4 Bg7 5.Nf3 0-0 6.e5 Nfd7 7.h4) GM Alexander Finkel

- New Recipe in Old Indian (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 d6 3.Nc3 e5 4.Nf3 Nbd7 5.e4 Be7 6.Be2 0-0 7.g4) IM Jeroen Bosch

- Sicilian Mission: To Boldly Go... (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bf4 d6 7.Bg3) GM John van der Wiel

- Surprising Sacrifice in the Giuoco Piano (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Bb4+ 7.Bd2 Bxd2+ 8.Qxd2!) GM Ian Rogers

Another fine collection of off-the-beaten path openings!

Unorthodox Chess Openings Magazines

If you enjoy playing the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) you probably have an interest in playing other "unorthodox" chess openings, as well.

While you may not have the Myers Openings Bulletins at hand (M.O.B. 1979-1988, New M.O.B. 1992-1996)

I've mentioned on this blog three other magazines devoted to unusual opening lines that are still being published.

Kaissiber, a German language magazine published by FIDE Master Stefan Bücker, is always a treasure trove of solid chess creativity and chess history. The current Issue #37 has a large article on the Sicilian Wing Gambit (1.e4 c5 2.b4!?), for example, and on a reversed Budapest Gambit coming out of the Tal Gambit in the Sicilian (1.e4 c5 2.f4 d5 3.Nf3!? dxe4 4.Ng5) amongst other explorations.

The grand-daddy of current unorthodox openings magazines is Rainer Schlenker's Randspringer. The current publication is a triple issue, full of "Kaffeehaus-Schach". Schlenker's imagination knows few bounds, but he frequently plays the openings he presents, and his games are amusing and educational.

A relative "youngster" in the group is the Unorthodox Openings Newsletter. Issue #26 recently appeared. Yes, that is a picture of Women's World Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk on the cover. Editor Gary K. Gifford has an interview with Ms. Kosteniuk on the inside pages. There is also a ton of games by Philip du Chattel, who loves to play Nh6 in Hippopotamus style formations. Also catching my eye was more thought, analysis and games on the Tayler Opening (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Be2!?).

Why not check them all out?

Montgomery Major Attack

Even when it comes to the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), and especially when it comes to related openings, there always seems something new to discover.

Imagine my surprise when, thumbing through John Lutes' Tennsion Gambit I encountered the following line of play

1.e4 d5 2.Nf3

This is the Tennison Gambit, which also can be reached via the Zukertort Opening, i.e. 1.Nf3 d5 2.e4.

2...dxe4 3.Ng5 e5

There is a superficial similarity to the Budapest Gambit (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5) here, with colors reversed, although the fact that Black has not played ...c7-c5 in the Tennison actually strengthens his position, as the traditional ...Bb4+ in the Budapest – Bb5+ in the Tennison – is more easily met.

4.Nxf7 Kxf7 5.Qh5+

Things are already beginning to look a little Jerome-ish, moreso after 5...g6 6.Qxe5, when White looks forward to two pawns for his sacrificed piece and play against Black's vulnerable King.

The Montgomery Major Attack is named after an early editor of Chess Life, who published his analysis of the line in Chess Correspondent in the early 1960s.