Ng5+

Still fascinated with the move Ng5+ for White in the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) after yesterday's examples of play in the ChessWorld Jerome Gambit Thematic Tournament, I bumped into the following recently played game at FICS.



Darthnik - cstevep
blitz, FICS, 2011

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

The Italian Four Knights Game.

5.Bxf7+

The Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.

5...Kxf7 6.Ng5+ Ke8 7.h3 Be7 8.Nf3 Kf7 9.Ng5+ Ke8 10.Nf3 Kf7 11.Ng5+ Ke8 Draw

(Ah, yes Geoff Chandler was on to it earlier; perhaps the Jerome Gambit is a forced draw after all...)

Diversion

Why not take a moment to check out a pleasant discussion on the Blackburne Shilling Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4?!, including the Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit, 4.Bxf7+!?, at RedHotPawn.com, initiated by Honorable Jerome Gambit Gemeinde member Geoff Chandler?

Theory From the Thematic Tourney (5)

The Blackburne Defense to the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 B5 4.Bxf7+) is probably the best known way for the second player to respond to the opening sacrifices – by offering a sacrifice himself, Black hopes to bring the game to a quick tactical end in his favor.

The current ChessWorld Jerome Gambit Thematic Tournament features three Blackburne Defenses, and, fittingly, the player "blackburne" is involved in all of them.

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 d6

This is Black's offer of a Rook. Although in theory White can take the Rook and live – there is a complicated draw that Black can put together, found by Chandler and Dimitrov – over-the-board the capture can be filled with dangers for the unwary.

We've already seen the game Luke Warm - blackburne, Jerome Gambit Thematic Tournament, ChessWorld, 2010, where one mis-step by White was all it took to give Black the win (0-1, 10).

On the other hand, stampyshortlegs - blackburne, Jerome Gambit Thematic Tournament, ChessWorld, 2010 (1-0, 29), showed that Black needs to be precise in bringing home his win after the Rook sacrifice: about his 10th move I commented

The problem with this move is that White has 32 possible responses: 31 lead to an advantage (most of them mate) for Black. However, 1 leads to a win for White.

The third Blackburne Defense game features blackburne with the White pieces: blackburne - CheckmateKingTwo, Jerome Gambit Thematic Tournament, ChessWorld, 2010. It is not yet completed, but it can be noted that in the opening blackburne refused the Rook, playing 8.Qf4+ instead. After 8...Qf6 9.Qg3 Nh6 (an oversight) 10.d3 Bxd4 11.c3 Bb6 12.Bxh6 Re8

White was better, but the game continued (and continues) in a very complicated fashion.

Thus, while the theoretical chances favor White in the Blackburne Defense, the practical chances favor Black.

  

Chandler on the Loose

When honorary Jerome Gambit Gemeinde member Geoff Chandler (yes, he has played the Jerome!) finished his postings at Chandler Cornered, (see "Chandler Unbound") he left a gap in chess commentary that was almost impossible to fill. 

(See "Mars Attacks!", "Whodunnit??", and "Hitler vs Lenin in Chess?!" for a few examples.)

So it was with great excitement that I noticed recently that Chessville now has Chandler on the Loose; and, furthermore, the folks at C'ville point out that at the Red Hot Pawn site, Geoff has been blogging at The Planet Greenpawn.

Wonderful!

(By the way, observe closely the drawing of Chandler, above. See the tiniest indication of a white square at the right of the chessboard in front of Geoff? Aha! See, the illustration does follow the rule of "white on the right" when it comes to setting up the board. Of course, if you count all of the squares, from right to left, there are nine, including "white on the left" too!) 

Blackburned! #1

He came. He saw. He conquered.

That was J.H. Blackburne in 1885 – see "Flaws (Part I)" and "Flaws (Part II)" – and the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+).

Ever since, the Jerome Gambit Gemeinde has seen the Blackburne Defense – or parts of it, at least.

perrypawnpusher - Saveurking
blitz FICS, 2010

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

The good old Jerome Gambit. "Sound as a cracked bell," as Geoff Chandler has written.

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6

7.Qxe5

Now 7...Qe7, Whistler's Defense, is very strong, but not well known, while 7...d6, Blackburne's Defense, is not as strong, but much better known. Sort of.

Actually, I frequently run into opponents who play 6...g6 quickly and confidently... and then go into a long think.

7...Qf6

For the record, Amateur - Blackburne, London, 1885 continued: 7...d6 8.Qxh8 Qh4 9.0-0 Nf6 10.c3 Ng4 11.h3 Bxf2+ 12.Kh1 Bf5 13.Qxa8 Qxh3+ 14.gxh3 Bxe4 checkmate.

Fantastic!

My opponent in this game, however, lets me take a two-pawn lead.

8.Qxc5 c6 9.Nc3

Other games that started out well for White: 9.0-0 d6 (9...Ne7 10.d3 d6 11.Qe3 Be6 12.f4 Rhf8 13.e5 Qg7 14.exd6 Nf5 15.Qe5 Bd5 16.Nc3 Rae8 17.Qxg7+ Kxg7 18.Nxd5 cxd5 19.Bd2 Nxd6 20.Bc3+ Kg8 21.Rae1 Nf5 22.Rxe8 Rxe8 23.Kf2 a6 24.g3 Ne3 25.Re1 Ng4+ 26.Kg2 Rxe1 27.Bxe1 Ne3+ 28.Kf2 Nxc2 29.Ke2 Kf7 30.Bf2 Ke6 31.a3 Na1 32.d4 Nb3 33.Kd3 b5 34.Be1 Nc1+ 35.Kc2 Ne2 36.Kd3 Ng1 37.Ba5 Nh3 38.Ke3 g5 39.Bd8 gxf4+ 40.gxf4 Ng1 41.Kf2 Nh3+ 42.Kg3 Kf5 43.Kxh3 Ke4 44.Bb6 Kxf4 45.Kh4 Ke4 46.h3 Kf5 47.Kh5 Ke6 White resigned, UNPREDICTABLE - antoon, FICS 2009) 10.Qb4 Ne7 11.Nc3 Re8 12.d3 b6 13.Be3 c5 14.Qb3+ Be6 15.Qa3 a6 16.b4 Nc6 17.bxc5 bxc5 18.Qb2 Rab8 19.Qa3 Nd4 20.Bxd4 Qxd4 21.Ne2 Qb4 22.Qxa6 Rb6 23.c3 Qb2 24.Qa7+ Re7 25.Qa5 Reb7 26.c4 Qxe2 27.Qa8 Qxd3 28.Rfd1 Qc3 29.Rac1 Qe5 30.f3 Rb2 31.a4 Qf6 32.a5 Qg5 33.Rc2 Qe3+ 34.Kh1 Rb8 35.Qa7+ R2b7 36.Qa6 Qb3 37.Rcd2 Qxc4 38.Qxd6 Qb3 39.Qf4+ Kg7 40.e5 Rf7 41.Qh4 c4 42.Rc1 c3 43.Rdc2 Rd8 44.Rxc3 Rd1+ White resigned, Idealist - joffea, FICS, 2000.

9...Nh6

10.0-0 b6 11.Qe3 Ng4 12.Qg3 d6

This looks like an invitation for me to put my "Jerome pawns" into motion.

13.h3 Ne5 14.d4 Nc4 15.b3 Na5

16.Be3

Protecting the pawn at d4, but it is interesting to note that this was not necessary: if White played 16.Bg5 instead, and Black responded 16...Qxd4, 17.Qf4+ would have won a piece (17...Bf5 18.exf5) or allowed a sacrificial attack, say 17...Ke6 18.Nd5.

analysis diagram







Some day I would like to find this kind of move during a game, not after it. If 18...cxd5 19.exd5+ Qxd5 White's position is crushing afte 20.Rad1 and 21.Rfe1.

16...h5

Saveurking is not going to give up easily.

17.f4 h4 18.Qf3 Bb7

19.e5 dxe5 20.fxe5 Qxf3 21.Rxf3+ Ke6

My opponent was happy to exchange Queens, but there is more to this position than just attacking the King: I still have two extra pawns, one of them passed; plus better development and open lines.

22.Rf6+ Ke7 23.Raf1 Raf8 24.Rxf8 Rxf8 25.Rxf8 Kxf8

Again, piece exchanges have snuffed out any danger to Black's King, but this is not all that is going on.

My first chess book was Reuben Fine's Chess the Easy Way – available in paperback these days, used, for under $5.00 – and it gave me the idea (rightly or wrongly) that much of chess can be boiled down to: win a pawn, exchange everything else, win the K + P vs K endgame...  

I have missed a lot of exciting chess by following this imagined "guideline," and I have been "bought off" with material too many times to mention; but I am almost always ready to cooperate with my opponents' wishes to "simplify" the position and stifle my attack – if it brings me closer to that fabled winning K + P endgame.

26.Bg5 c5

This move hastens the end. Black could try 26...Bc8 instead, with the idea of pulling his Knight back to b7 and then putting it back into the game via d8 and e6.

27.d5

The pawns will now decide the game.

27...Bc8 28.e6 Nb7 29.Ne4 Ke8 30.Kf2 b5

31.c4 bxc4 32.bxc4 Na5

33.Nd6+ Kf8 34.e7+ Kg7 Black resigned

White will Queen his pawn and deliver mate in a few move moves.

Chandler Unbound

If the posting at the Chandler Cornered website is not an April Fool's joke (what next – radio shock jock Howard Stern playing in the US Chess Championship??), then it looks like chessfriend-of-all and Jerome Gambit Gemeinde member Geoff Chandler has finished his 400th and final column for Chess Edinburgh.

Of course, the "Obituary" and the picture of the gorilla likeness that accompany the announcement (I always thought Geoff was taller) make it hard to take things totally seriously.

Yet he writes

It was brilliant fun and I really enjoyed doing them all...Don't know what I'll do now. I won't do a blog, perhaps write a chess book, perhaps not. Who Knows.

I hope Who – or Geoff, or WhoEver – keeps in touch. His puckish wit and insight into the Royal Game as we commoners play it will be sorely missed.

Chandler Cornered and the Blackburne Shilling Gambit

If you are not visiting Geoff Chandler's Chandler Cornered website on a regular basis, then you are taking life and chess way too seriously.* Follow the link above, or the link that this blog provides, and go visit Geoff as soon as you can. (I won't mind if you leave this post and go there. Really.)

Recently, Geoff posted on the Blackburne Shilling Gambit – here and here –  typical great stuff. Check it out. You'll leave smiling. 



* a few of my posts that point out his good senses of chess and humor are"Mars Attacks!", "Queened! and Rooked!", "Whodunnit??", "Blunder Table" and "Hitler vs Lenin in Chess".

Another Krejcik

Recently Geoff Chandler ("greenpawn" at redhotpawn) posted an interesting Krejcik Gambit (1.e4 Nf6 2.Bc4) game at the RedHotPawn website. As that opening's just been touched upon here (see "I want my Jerome Gambit!") I thought I'd share it with readers. It features another relentless King hunt.

Thalassa - MHT

redhotpawn.com, 2004

1.e4 Nf6 2.Bc4 2...Nxe4 3.Bxf7+ Kxf7 4.Qh5+ 4...Kf6

This does not look any wiser than the 4...Ke6 of perrypawnpusher - computer, internet 2009. Better was either 4...Kg8 5.Qd5+ e6 6.Qxe4 d5 or 4...g6 5.Qd5+ e6 6.Qxe4 Bg7.

5.Qf3+ Ke5

Hanging onto the Knight! This is not as dangerous as 5...Kg5 6.Qf7 Nf6 7.d4+ Kf5 8.f3 h5 9.Ne2 h4 10.g4+ hxg3 11.Nxg3 checkmate, but; 5...Kg6 was to be preferred (although White still is better).

6.d4+ Kxd4

7.Ne2+

Interestingly, a bit better was 7.Nc3 Nxc3 8.bxc3+ Ke5 9.Nh3 with a serious attack. It's a position worth looking at.

analysis diagram

7...Ke5

A better defence was 7...Kc5, but it's really coming down to which way Black wants to lose.

8.Bf4+ Ke6 9.Nd4+ Kd5
10.Nc3+ Kxd4 11.0-0-0+

White has his choice of checkmates.

11...Kc5 12.Nxe4+

12...Kb6 13.Qb3+ Kc6 14.Qc4+ Kb6 15.Qb4+ Black resigned

graphic by Jeff Bucchino, the Wizard of Draws

Hitler vs Lenin in Chess?!

Good chessfriend and Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) Gemeinde member Geoff Chandler has another hysterically funny (as opposed to his usual "quite funny": see "Mars Attacks!" as an example) post on his "Chandler Cornered" site. Check it out!

Harried

The (in)famous historical Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game, Amateur - Blackburne, London 1885 featured a harried White Queen that captured one Rook on a diagonal and another by sliding across a rank – only to watch her King be checkmated across the board.


The following game, from the current Chessworld Jerome Gambit Thematic Tournament, features two of the top players and highlights a harried Black Queen shuttling forward and back, until her own demise.

stampyshortlegs - Sir Osis of the Liver
JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7


5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 d6

White reaches an interesting position, historically. Here "Amateur" played 8.Qxh8 and after 8...Qh4 9.0-0 Nf6 10.c3 he was crushed by Blackburne: 10...Ng4 11.h3 Bxf2+ 12.Kh1 Bf5 13.Qxa8 Qxh3+ 14.gxh3 Bxe4 checkmate.
At that time, 10.Qd8 was suggested by J.B. and E.M. Munoz, giving White the better game; although, almost 120 years later, Chandler and Dimitrov showed that Black could hold the draw.

Throughout this tournament stampyshortlegs has shown a good understanding of the Jerome Gambit. Will he "fall into" and become a victim of Blackburne's "trap" – will he grab the Rook and ask his Queen to fight her way out, "risking" a draw in the process – or has he come up with an improvement, himself?

8.Qd5+

There's a pawn to be taken.

8...Be6

Fritz8 preferred 8...Kg7 9.d4 Nf6 10.Qc4 Bb6 11.Nc3 Re8 12.f3 d5 13.Qd3 dxe4 14.fxe4 Qxd4 15.Qxd4 Bxd4 16.Bd2 Bg4 17.h3 Nxe4 18.Nxe4 Rxe4+ 19.Kf1 Rf8+ White Resigned, RevvedUp - Fritz 8, blitz 2 12, 2006.

9.Qxb7
White has three pawns for his piece, but with Black's King not under attack, and with White's pieces not developed, the position has to be judged better for the second player. As in most Jerome Gambit games, however, the player who is more comfortable and creative with the advantages at hand will be successful.9...Rc8 10.Nc3 Qf6 11.f3 Bb6 12.Nd5 Qh4+
Sir Osis sees his opponent's King as vulnerable, and assigns his Queen to harass it.

13.g3 Qh3 14.Nf4 Qh6
An inglorious retreat.

15.Nxe6 Ne7 16.d3 Qh3 Dodging the attack of the Bishop, but the return to this square is even more dangerous than the first visit.

17.Ng5+ Kg7 18.Nxh3

Black fights gamely for another 20 moves, but the point is already decided.

18...Rb8 19.Qa6 Nc6 20.Qc4 Ne5 21.Qe6 Rbe8 22.Qb3 Nxf3+ 23.Kd1 Rhf8 24.Bf4 Nd4 25.Qc3 h6 26.Be3 c5 27.b4 Rf3 28.Bxd4+ cxd4 29.Qc6 Ref8 30.Qxd6 Rf1+ 31.Ke2 R1f6 32.Qe5 Kh7 33.Rhf1 R6f7 34.Rxf7+ Rxf7 35.Rf1 Rc7 36.Kd2 Rg7 37.Qe6 h5 38.Rf7 Kg8 39.Ng5 Black resigned

Go for Broke

When playing a go-for-broke opening like the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), it can be difficult sometimes to decide whether to play a solid, if calm, move, or continue to play wild, attacking shots. In the following game, DREWBEAR 63 takes time to play a "normal" couple of moves – and gets overtaken by eddie43.


DREWBEAR 63 - eddie43
JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.Nc3

More frequently seen is 8.f4, which has its own problems, starting with 8...Qh4+.

8...c6 9.0-0

A dynamic alternative was shown by Jerome Gambit Gemeinde honorary member Geoff Chandler: 9.d4 Bxd4 10.Be3 Bxe3 11.fxe3 Qf6 12.0-0-0+ Kc7 13.Qh3 d5 14.Qg3 dxe4 15.Rhf1 Qe7 16.Rf7 Qxf7 17.Qxe5+ Kb6 18.Na4+ Ka6 19.Nc5+ Kb6 20.Na4+ Ka6 21.Nc5+ Kb6 22.Na4+ Ka6 drawn, greenpawn34 - Homedepotov, redhotpawn, 2008

9...Qf6

Coming to the rescue.

10.Qh3 Kc7 11.Qg3 d6 With a safe King, Black's two extra pieces are looking large.

12.Na4 Bb4 13.c3 Ba5 14.d4 Nd7 15.e5 dxe5 16.dxe5 Qe6 17.Qxg7 Qxe5

18.Bf4

With 18.Qxe5 Nxe5 19.Bf4 White could have reclaimed one of the missing pieces, and found himself back in familiar two-pawns-for-a-piece Jerome Gambit territory. The text wins the exchange, but allows Black to develop his remaining pieces.

Further resistance becomes more difficult.

18...Qxf4 19.Qxh8 Ndf6 20.Qg7+ Bd7 21.Rad1 Qxa4 22.Rd4 Qxa2 23.Rfd1 Rd8 24.g4 h6 25.f4 Bb6 White resigned.