Stepping up the Heat

Sad to say, it is not a good time to be the online computer program Boris at sparkchess.com, at least as far as the Jerome Gambit goes. No sooner had Bill Wall handed the silicon monster its head, as it were, he decided to see if he could improve on Dave Black's recent thrashing of the program – and, remember, Dave disassembled it and delivered mate in 18 moves.


Wall,B - Boris
sparkchess.com 2012


1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 g5

In the computer world, as well as in the human chess world, it is dangerous to become too predictable. Readers saw this defense in "Boris Isn't So Hot," and you can be sure that Bill Wall saw it, too.


8.fxe5 Kxe5 9.Rf1


Deviating from 9.c3 of Black,D - Boris, sparkchess.com, 2012, (1-0, 18).


9...Be7

An improvement over 9...d5 from GuestCRJQ - Despistado, FICS, 2009 (1-0, 26). Still, White is better, thanks to Black's exposed King.


10.d4+ Kxd4 


In order to avoid checkmate, Boris needed to play 10...Kd6, which was where he placed his King against Dave Black, when checked in that game by 10.d4+.


11.Be3+ Kxe3 12.Qf3+ Kd4 13.Qc3+ Kxe4 14.Qd3+ Ke5 15.Rf5+ Ke6 16.Qd5 checkmate

Boris Isn't So Hot...

From the email bag, a note and a game from Dave Black, who has graced these pages before...

Hi Rick,

I came across a site with a online chess program so I thought I would give it a bash with the Jerome.

http://www.sparkchess.com/

The program has 3 levels available to play for free named Cody, Claire and Boris. Boris's blurb states "Get ready for a challenge. Boris will do his best to beat you, play if you're an advanced player." 

I will let you judge just how advanced Boris is.  ;)

Dave Black - Boris
sparkchess.com, 2012
(notes by Rick)


1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 g5

To go from a won game to a worse (if not lost) one so quickly, deserves recognition,  but this defense has been played before.


8.fxe5 Kxe5


Chess software these days is not supposed to be so materialistic, but, in Boris' defense, its position was already critical.


Black's simplest continuation was 8...Nf6, and, after 9.exf6 Qxf6 he can play on, a pawn down.


Otherwise, he had the thematic 8...d5, although after 9.d4 his position requires much thought: 9...Be7 (there is no time for 9...Bxd4, and the pawn at g5 needs defending) 10.0-0 (with mate threats) Kd7 11.Qf7 and Black is so tied up, if he does not want to immediately return a piece with ...Nh6 then he has to try something tortured like 11...Kc6, when 12.Nc3 b6 13.exd5+ Kb7 14.Qg7 is just one possible unfortunate outcome.


9. c3


Previously GuestCRJQ - Despistado, FICS, 2009, continued 9.Rf1 d5 10.d4+ Bxd4 11.Bxg5 Kd6 12.Bxd8 Be6 13.Qh4 Bxb2 14.Qg3+ Kd7 15.Qxc7+ Ke8 16.Qxb7 Rxd8 17.Qxb2 d4 18.Qb5+ Bd7 19.Qe5+ Be6 20.Qxh8 d3 21.Qg7 Ne7 22.Rf8+ Kd7 23.Rxd8+ Kxd8 24.cxd3 h5 25.Nc3 Ke8 26.Rb1 Black resigned


Analagously, 9.d4+ was also playable.


9...Be7 10.d4+ 


Going for the jugular with 10.Qf7 was stronger, but, like I indicated above, the position is complicated. What is relevant is that Dave has a "feel" for it, while Boris does not.


10...Kd6 

11.O-O Kc6 12.Na3 Kb6


Black should have tried "castling" with 12...b6 and 13...Kb7.


13.Qf7 

13...Bxa3


Opening the b-file for White's Rook can hardly be a good idea.


14.bxa3 h6 15.Rb1+ Ka5 16.Qd5+ c5 17.Qxc5+ Ka6 18.Qb5 checkmate