Asterisk

In the notes to "Still Worth Knowing" I mentioned that The Database had 10 games with the line 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.0-0 Na5. Since one was played recently, I thought I'd present the contests.


ghostshadowrook - VeniceOdyssey
FICS, 2011

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6

The Semi-Italian Opening

4.0-0 Na5

If anything, even less of a good idea than 3...Na5.

5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.Nxe5+

6...Ke8

Or 6...Ke6 7.d4 c5 8.Qg4+ Ke7 9.Bg5+ hxg5 10.Qxg5+ Ke8 11.Qxd8+ Kxd8 12.Nf7+ Ke8 13.Nxh8 cxd4 14.Nd2 b6 15.c3 dxc3 16.bxc3 Rb8 17.Rfe1 Kd8 18.e5 Nh6 19.Ng6 Bc5 20.Ne4 Bb7 21.Nxc5 bxc5 22.Rad1 Nf5 23.e6 Bc6 24.e7+ Nxe7 25.Nxe7 Rb7 26.Nxc6+ Nxc6 27.Rd5 c4 28.a4 Rb3 29.Rg5 Rxc3 30.Rxg7 Ra3 31.Rd1 Nb8 32.Rg8+ Kc7 33.a5 Rxa5 34.Rc1 d5 35.Rg7+ Kc6 36.Rg6+ Kc5 37.h4 d4 38.Rg5+ Kb4 39.Rxa5 Kxa5 40.Rxc4 Kb5 41.Rxd4 Nc6 42.Rd5+ Kb6 43.h5 a6 44.h6 Ne7 45.Rd6+ Ka5 46.Rxa6+ Kxa6 47.h7 Kb6 48.h8Q Ng6 49.Qf6+ Kb5 50.Qxg6 Kc5 51.f3 Kd5 52.Kf2 Ke5 53.Qe4+ Kf6 54.Ke3 Kf7 55.Kf4 Kf6 56.Qc6+ Ke7 57.Ke5 Kf7 58.Kf5 Ke7 59.Ke5 Kf7 60.g4 Ke7 61.Kf5 Kf7 62.Qc7+ Kf8 63.Kf6 Kg8 64.Qg7 checkmate,  ctstraightedge - oirimil, FICS 2010;


Or 6...Ke7 [here Black resigned in yenalexxx - skimtnbikekayak, blitz, FICS, 2010] 7.Qh5 Kd6 8.Nf7+ Ke7 9.Nxd8 Kxd8 10.Qxa5 b6 11.Qc3 Nf6 12.d3 d6 13.f4 Ng4 14.e5 dxe5 15.fxe5 Bc5+ 16.d4 Be7 17.Qc6 Rb8 18.Qg6 Rg8 19.Nc3 Ba6 20.Rf7 c5 21.Qxg4 cxd4 22.Qxd4+ Ke8 23.Rxe7+ Kxe7 24.Qd6+ Ke8 25.Qxb8+ Kf7 26.Qxa7+ Kg6 27.Qxa6 Kh7 28.Qd3+ Kh8 29.Qh3 Re8 30.Bxh6 gxh6 31.Qxh6+ Kg8 32.Qg6+ Kf8 33.e6 Ke7 34.Qf7+ Kd8 35.Qd7 checkmate, perrypawnpusher - Butin, blitz, FICS, 2009.

7.Qh5+ g6

With Black's pawn on h6, this does not close out any danger.

Instead, 7...Ke7 8.Ng6+ (8.Qf7+ Kd6 9.Qd5+ Ke7 10.Ng6+ [10.Qf7+ Kd6 11.Qd5+ Ke7 12.Ng6+ White won by ajudication, JoeDemir - dogbrother, FICS 2010] 10...Ke8 11.Nxh8 Nc6 12.Qf7 checkmate, rosti - carifano, FICS, 2010) 8...Ke6 (8...Kd6 9.Qe5+ Kc6 10.Qd5+ Kb6 11.d3 Nf6 12.Be3+ c5 13.Qf5 d6 14.d4 Bxf5 15.dxc5+ dxc5 16.exf5 Rg8 17.b4 Nc6 18.Nd2 Ka6 19.bxc5 Bxc5 20.Bxc5 Qxd2 21.Rab1 b6 22.Be3 Qxc2 23.Rfc1 Qe4 24.Rxc6 Qxc6 25.Ne7 Qc2 26.Rc1 Qxa2 27.Nxg8 Nxg8 28.g4 Nf6 29.h3 Kb7 30.g5 hxg5 31.Bxg5 Ne4 32.Be3 Rc8 33.Rxc8 Kxc8 34.Kg2 Qd5 35.f3 Qa2+ 36.Kf1 Ng3+ 37.Ke1 Qe7 checkmate, valiantknight - Monkee, FICS, 2000) 9.Qf5+ Kd6 10.Qd5 checkmate perrypawnpusher - TheTrueDamaBlanca, blitz, FICS, 2009).

8.Qxg6+ Ke7

And here Black resigned.

Instead, Divtwo - HotCaldron, FICS, 2010, continued to the same end: 9.Qf7+ Kd6 10.Qd5+ Ke7 11.Qxa5 d6 12.Ng6+ Ke8 13.Nxh8 Qf6 14.Qh5+ Ke7 15.Ng6+ Kd7 16.Nxf8+ Qxf8 17.Qf5+ Kd8 18.Qxf8+ Kd7 19.Qxg8 Kc6 20.Qc4+ Black resigned,

A Hot Rocket to Oblivion

If you play a refuted opening like the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) you have to know that you are riding a hot rocket to oblivion, and if a chance comes along to hop off safely, you should consider it. That is one reason why it is useful to recognize and punish your opponent's first "creative" step away from the main line. The game you save may be your own.

perrypawnpusher  - TheTrueDamaBlanca

blitz FICS, 2009

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6

The Semi-Italian opening. White can make a developing move, and hope that Black will play 4...Bc5, transposing into the Jerome Gambit.

4.0-0 Na5

This is like walking around with a Kick Me! sign pinned to the seat of your pants...

5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.Nxe5+

6...Ke8

I've been here before. TheTrueDamaBlanca choses the most dangerous alternative.

Tricky and trappy is 6...Kf6. There is no way that I would have figured out the following over-the-board in a blitz game, but it is knowledge that I will arm myself with for the next time...

After 6...Kf6, White can win the enemy Queen, but then he has to take care of his own: 7.Qh5 Ne7 8.Nf7 Qe8 9.e5+ Ke6 10.Ng5+ hxg5 11.Qxe8 (with a Queen for two pieces, this is winning; although now Black plans to box in the Queen and then play ...Bg7) 11...Nac6 (covering the escape square d8) 12.Nc3 a6 (stopping the rescue mission Nc3-b5) 13.d4 Nxd4 14.Rd1 g6 15.Bxg5 Ndc6 (reinforcing the Knight that guards the pawn at g6)16.Nd5 Bg7 17.Nxc7+ Kf5 18.Qf7+ (at last!) Kxg5 19.Qxg7 Rh4 20.Qf6+ Kh5 21.f4 and Black's King is in a mating net. Whew! 

analysis diagram






Rybka sees 6...Ke6 as the best choice for Black. White's logical response is 7.Ng6, when the second player can surrender the h8 Rook (for a piece) immediately with 7...Nf6 and face complications after 8.Nxh8 Bd6 9.e5 or he can surrender the Rook (for a piece) after complications: 7...Rh7 8.Qg4+ Kf7 9.Ne5+ Ke7 10.Qg6 Nf6 11.Qf7+ Kd6 12.Ng6 Qe8 13.Qxf8 Qxf8 14.Nxf8 Ke7 15.Nxh7 Nxh7. 

analysis diagram






Again: nobody should memorize this, just understand that there is "something" to look for after 6...Ke6, too.

Finally, an earlier encounter: 6...Ke7 7.Qh5 Kd6 8.Nf7+ Ke7 9.Nxd8 Kxd8 10.Qxa5 b6 11.Qc3 Nf6 12.d3 d6 13.f4 Ng4 14.e5 dxe5 15.fxe5 Bc5+ 16.d4 Be7 17.Qc6 Rb8 18.Qg6 Rg8 19.Nc3 Ba6 20.Rf7 c5 21.Qxg4 cxd4 22.Qxd4+ Ke8 23.Rxe7+ Kxe7 24.Qd6+ Ke8 25.Qxb8+ Kf7 26.Qxa7+ Kg6 27.Qxa6 Kh7 28.Qd3+ Kh8 29.Qh3 Re8 30.Bxh6 gxh6 31.Qxh6+ Kg8 32.Qg6+ Kf8 33.e6 Ke7 34.Qf7+ Kd8 35.Qd7 checkmate, perrypawnpusher - Butin, FICS, 2009

7.Qh5+ Ke7

Again, choosing the greater of two evils, but there was not a lot of happiness in 7...g6, either: 8.Qxg6+ Ke7 9.Nc3 (threatening mate) c6 10.b3 (adding White's dark-squared Bishop to the attack) and Black will eventually lose his King or Queen.

8.Ng6+ Ke6 9.Qf5+ Kd6 10.Qd5 checkmate

Bully

Sometimes I feel like a bully playing the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) or one of its relatives – in this case, a variant of the Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 followed by Bxf7+). Too much "shock and awe" or something...



Still, the opening is worth a look, as it has its interesting features
perrypawnpusher - Butin
blitz 10 0, FICS, 2009

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6
4.0-0 Na5


Provocative!
I had never seen this move before, and was only able, later, to find two game examples – neither of which contained my next move.
5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Ke7

Although Rybka 3 and Fritz 8 will immediately recommend the Bishop sacrifice, finding the "safest" place for the Black King, and the best followup for White, now is not easy. Rybka 3 suggests that White can win the Rook, ramaining the exchange and two pawns up, with the exact 6...Ke6 7.Ng6 Rh7 8.Qg4+ Kf7 9.Ne5+ Ke7 10.Qg6 Qe8 11.Qxh7 Nf6 12.Qg6.

7.Qh5


Certainly the Jerome-ish play, but simpler and better was 7.Ng6+ followed by 8.Nxh8.

7...Kd6

Ouch. Game over.

With 7...Qe8 now Black can fight back, although after 8.Ng6+ Kd8 9.Qf3 Qxg6 10.Qxf8+ Qe8 11.Qxg7 Ne7 White has 3 pawns for his missing piece.

My opponent put up a fight for almost 30 more moves, but it seems unfair to do more than list them. (Play through the game on Chess Publisher, if you wish.)

8.Nf7+ Ke7 9.Nxd8 Kxd8 10.Qxa5 b6 11.Qc3 Nf6 12.d3 d6 13.f4 Ng4 14.e5 dxe5 15.fxe5 Bc5+ 16.d4 Be7 17.Qc6 Rb8 18.Qg6 Rg8 19.Nc3 Ba6 20.Rf7 c5 21.Qxg4 cxd422.Qxd4+ Ke8 23.Rxe7+ Kxe7 24.Qd6+ Ke8 25.Qxb8+ Kf7 26.Qxa7+ Kg6 27.Qxa6 Kh7 28.Qd3+ Kh8 29.Qh3 Re8 30.Bxh6 gxh6 31.Qxh6+ Kg8 32.Qg6+ Kf8 33.e6 Ke7 34.Qf7+ Kd8 35.Qd7 checkmated