Shoot Out

In the following game I broke my rule of keeping to the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+)  "book" while letting my opponents do the creative inventing. Still, the game quickly became a shoot-out, and the risky position of Black's King soon proved to be his un-doing.


 perrypawnpusher - thinan
blitz FICS, 2010

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6

This is one of the better Jerome Gambit refutations. Black, however, has an interesting twist in mind.

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Ng6

More popular are 8...Qf6 and the adventurous 8...Qh4+.

A week and a half earlier, against the same opponent,  perrypawnpusher - thinan, blitz FICS, 2010 had continued: 8...Qh4+ 9.g3 Nf3+ 10.Kd1 Qe7 11.Qd5 checkmate.

9.Qd5+ Ke7 10.Qxc5+ d6 11.Qe3

11.Qf2 and 11.Qg5+ have also been tried.

11...Nf6

In an earlier game I faced 11...Bd7 12.0-0 Qf8 13.e5 Kd8 14.exd6 Qxd6 15.Nc3 Nf6 16.d3 Re8 17.Qf2 Rf8 18.Be3 b6 19.Rae1 Nd5 20.Nxd5 Qxd5 21.Bd2 Qxa2 22.Bc3 Qd5 23.Bxg7 Re8 24.Rxe8+ Kxe8 25.f5 Ne7 26.f6 Ng6 27.f7+ Kd8 28.f8Q+ Nxf8 29.Qxf8+ Black resigned,  perrypawnpusher - GabrielChime, blitz FICS, 2009.

If Black had chosen to defend with 6...Ng6 instead of 6...Ke6, the game might have continued 7.Qd5+ Ke7 8.Qxc5+ d6 9.Qe3 Nf6 – reaching a position similar to the one in this game, only White wouldn't have already played f2-f4. In effect, thinan has given me an extra move.

12.d4

Trying to sneak in my "extra" move, but 12.f5 or 12.0-0 were correct. It is dangerous to leave the White Queen and King on the same file that Black's Rook can come to.

12...c5

Attacking the center, but losing a pawn. Stronger was 12...Re8, e.g. 13.0-0 Kf8 14.e5 dxe5 15.fxe5 Kg8 when Black will be able to work around White's "Jerome pawns".

13.dxc5 dxc5 14.Qxc5+ Kf7

15.Nc3 Bg4

This move looks like it just puts the Bishop in harm's way, but it has hidden resources that Black subesquently overlooks. 

After the game Rybka recommended instead 15...Qe7, but with three pawns for his sacrificed piece White should be close to even after the exchange of Queens.

16.f5

Moving quickly to trap a piece, although White has to be careful about the safety of his King. 

16...Nh4

Here is where Black could have shown his creativity: 16...Rc8 apparently returning the piece 17.fxg6+ hxg6 18.Qf2 Rxc3!

analysis diagram







White cannot capture the Rook, as that would allow checkmate. His best would be 19.0-0, which Black would meet by rescuing his Rook with 19...Rc4.

analysis diagram







Here it looks like White can recover his piece with advantage with 20.e5, but again Black is ready: 20...Qc7 pins the e-pawn (mate at h2 is threatened) and after 21.Qg3 (21.Bf4 Ne4 and 22...Kg8) Bf5 22.exf6 Qxg3 23.hxg3 gxf6 the game is about even – and Black's pieces are more active.

analysis diagram







17.0-0 Rc8

With White's King castled, this move loses its bite.

18.Qxa7 Rc7 19.Bg5

Going after the unsettled pieces on the Kingside.

19...b5 20.Qe3 b4 21.Nd5

Even stronger was 21.Nb5

21...Rxc2

Counter-attacking at g2, but Black's game begins to collapse. He should have defied the pin on his Knight and played: 21...Nxd5 when 22.exd5 Qxd5 23.Bxh4 Re8 24.Qb3 Qxb3 25.cxb3 leads to an ending where White has more pawns – but they are ugly pawns, and if the Rooks come off the board then the drawish Bishops-of-opposite-colors may lead to a draw.

22.Bxh4 Be2 23.Rf2 Rxb2 24.Rxe2 Rxe2 25.Qxe2 h6

White is a piece and two pawns ahead, and, more importantly, his attack is still strong.

26.Rd1 g5 27.fxg6+ Kxg6 28.Bxf6 Qa8 29.Qg4+ Kf7 30.Qg7+ Ke6 31.Nf4 checkmate

More Than Meets the Eye

One of the joys of chess, and this has to be true even for that reprobate of openings, the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) and its relatives, is that often things on the board are not as they first appear to be: there is more than meets the eye. 

perrypawnpusher - udofink
blitz FICS, 2010

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6

This is a solid response for Black – computers will rate the second player about 1 1/4 pawns better.

Familiarity has its benefits, however: my score with White against this position in 36 games is 93%.

7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3

9...Be6

This move is not as bad as I thought it to be, and my response is not as good as I thought, either.

10.f4

Black's response should cure me of this premature move.

I was more on target in an earlier game with 10.0-0 Nf6 11.f4 Kd7 12.f5 Bxf5 13.exf5 Re8 14.Qg5 Ne7 15.Qxg7 c6 16.Qxf6 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - dirceu, blitz FICS, 2010

10...Qh4+

Thematic, and an improvement over 10...N6e7 11.0-0 Nc6 (11...Nf6 12.f5 Bf7 13.d3 c6 14.h3 Qb6 15.g4 Qxe3+ 16.Bxe3 Kd7 17.Nd2 b6 18.Kg2 g6 19.g5 Nh5 20.f6 Nc8 21.d4 b5 22.b3 Nb6 23.Rac1 a5 24.c4 bxc4 25.Nxc4 Rhb8 26.Kf3 Nxc4 27.bxc4 Rb2 28.Rf2 Rab8 29.d5 c5 30.Rcc2 Rxc2 31.Rxc2 a4 32.Rc3 Kc7 33.Ra3 Be8 34.e5 dxe5 35.Bxc5 Rb2 36.Ke4 Re2+ 37.Be3 Bd7 38.f7 1-0, mrjoker - Melbourne, ICC 2 12 blitz, 2008,) 12.d4 Bf7 13.Nc3 Qd7 14.e5 dxe5 15.dxe5 Qe6 16.f5 Qxe5 17.Qxe5+ Nxe5 18.Re1 Rd8 19.Bf4 Kd7 20.Bxe5 Nf6 21.Bxf6 gxf6 22.Ne4 Kc8 23.Nxf6 Rd6 24.Ne4 Rdd8 25.Rad1 Rxd1 26.Rxd1 Re8 27.Nc3 Bc4 28.Kf2 Rf8 29.g4 c6 30.b3 Bf7 31.Ne4 Bd5 32.Nc5 Rf6 33.c4 Black forfeited on time, perrypawnpusher - GabrielChime, blitz FICS, 2010

11.g3 Qg4

Here Black's followup is inaccurate, however. Certainly the Queen can be more annoying at h3.

After 11...Qh3, White might as well continue developing with 12.Nc3, as the pawn fork 12.f5, instead, would win a piece after 12...Bxf5 13.exf5+  but allow after 13...Kf8 the deadly move ...Rae8.  

12.f5

Now the pawn fork works, however.

12...Bf7

A bit better, but still leading to an edge for White, was 12...Nf6, which is best answered by 13.d3.

The problem now with 12...Bxf5 for Black is that after 13.exf5+ Kd7 (threatening ...Rae8, as in the not to White's 12th move) White can safely castle out of the threatened pin of his Queen. 

With a Black Queen on h3, that would not have been possible.

13.fxg6 Bxg6 14.d3 Kd7 15.0-0 Nf6 16.Nc3 c6

White is a pawn up.

17.Qf4

An exchange of Queens would make my King safer: Black has 4 pieces on the Kingside (with another Rook waiting in the wings) to my 2 pieces.

17...Qe6 18.Bd2 Rhf8 19.Qg5 Rf7 20.Rae1 Raf8

21.e5 dxe5 22.Qxe5

22...Qh3

Black declines to exchange Queens (his best choice), seeing his chances for an attack on the enemy King (starting with pressure on f1) to be good.

23.Bf4

It is Black's King, on the Queenside, however, who is at greater risk. 

23...Ne8

Not so good, but Rybka's suggestion after the game – to exchange Queens and give up a piece – is not attractive, either: 23...Qxh2+ 24.Kxh2 Ng4+ 25.Kg2 Nxe5 26.Rxe5.





analysis diagram





24.Qd4+ Kc8 25.Qxa7

26...Nd6 26.Qa8+

Noticing that capturing Black's Knight now leads to me being checkmated, I was a bit too nervous to work out the cool Knight sacrifice at b5, but after the game Rybka did: 26.Nb5 cxb5 (26...Nxb5 27.Qb8+ Kd7 28.Qxb7+ Kd8 29.Bg5+ Rf6 30.Qxg7) 27.Qc5+ Kd8 28.Qxd6+.

26...Kd7 27.Qa3

27...Nc8

White's Bishop is making things too hot, and Black needed instead to sacrifice the exchange with 27...Rxf4 in order to stay in the game.


28.Qc5 b6

Swatting at my Queen as if she were a bothersome mosquito, Black hastens his end.

29.Qd4+ Black resigned

Checkmate is unavoidable.

Timing

It is a bit of tricky timing, but sometimes right after I analyze and post a Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game I soon run into that particular line of play.

perrypawnpusher - GabrielChime
blitz 12 0, FICS, 2010

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6

My opponent and I have played a few Jeromes. An earlier one continued: 6...Ke6 7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Ng6 9.Qd5+ Ke7 10.Qxc5+ d6 11.Qe3 Bd7 12.0-0 Qf8 13.e5 Kd8 14.exd6 Qxd6 15.Nc3 Nf6 16.d3 Re8 17.Qf2 Rf8 18.Be3 b6 19.Rae1 Nd5 20.Nxd5 Qxd5 21.Bd2 Qxa2 22.Bc3 Qd5 23.Bxg7 Re8 24.Rxe8+ Kxe8 25.f5 Ne7 26.f6 Ng6 27.f7+ Kd8 28.f8Q+ Nxf8 29.Qxf8+ Black resigned,  perrypawnpusher - GabrielChime, blitz FICS, 2009.

7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Be6

Earlier I had faced 9...Ne5 10.f4 Ng4 11.Qg3 g6 12.d4 Qe7 13.Nc3 Bd7 14.0-0 N4f6 15.e5 Nh5 16.Qf2 Bf5 17.exd6 Qxd6 18.Be3 Kd7 19.Rae1 Rd8 20.h3 Ngf6 21.g4 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - GabrielChime, blitz FICS, 2009.

10.f4

Previously, I had castled, which is a better idea: 10.0-0 Nf6 11.f4 Kd7 12.f5 Bxf5 13.exf5 Re8 14.Qg5 Ne7 15.Qxg7 c6 16.Qxf6 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - dirceu, blitz FICS, 2010. 

After the game Rybka preferred 10.Nc3, suggesting that after 10...Qh4 11.0-0 Nf6 12.f4 Bd7 13.f5 Ne7 14.d3 Kf7 Black had an edge.

10...N6e7

This move is okay, but as the previous note hints at, Black could have made more mischief with 10...Qh4+, e.g. 11.g3 Qh3 12.Nc3 Bg4 and White will find it difficult to castle.

11.0-0 Nc6

The game is roughly even.

An alternative was seen in mrjoker - Melbourne, ICC 2 12 blitz, 2008: 11...Nf6 12.f5 Bf7 13.d3 c6 14.h3 Qb6 15.g4 Qxe3+ 16.Bxe3 Kd7 17.Nd2 b6 18.Kg2 g6 19.g5 Nh5 20.f6 Nc8 21.d4 b5 22.b3 Nb6 23.Rac1 a5 24.c4 bxc4 25.Nxc4 Rhb8 26.Kf3 Nxc4 27.bxc4 Rb2 28.Rf2 Rab8 29.d5 c5 30.Rcc2 Rxc2 31.Rxc2 a4 32.Rc3 Kc7 33.Ra3 Be8 34.e5 dxe5 35.Bxc5 Rb2 36.Ke4 Re2+ 37.Be3 Bd7 38.f7 Black resigned 

12.d4 Bf7 13.Nc3 Qd7

14.e5

Probably advancing the wrong pawn. With a little patience, White would do well with 14.d5 Nce7 15.Qg3 Kf8 16.Be3 Nf6 17.Bd4 – although the position would still be level.

analysis diagram







14...dxe5 15.dxe5 Qe6

My opponent has grasped the weakness of  my pawn advance: the "Jerome pawns" can be frozen and blockaded, making the extra Black piece more valuable. Placing the Queen at f5 was necessary, however. 

16.f5

16...Qxe5 17.Qxe5+ Nxe5 18.Re1 Rd8

19.Bf4 Kd7 20.Bxe5 Nf6

White is a pawn up, but as I learned not long ago in my game against KaZC, that may not be enough for me to win.

21.Bxf6 gxf6 22.Ne4 Kc8

Black did not want to protect the f-pawn by moving his King to e7 and into the line of a possible discovered check. Yet the checks would prove harmless, while giving White a second pawn increases the first player's opportunities.

In all fairness, GabrielChime's time was getting short.

23.Nxf6 Rd6 24.Ne4 Rdd8 25.Rad1 Rxd1 26.Rxd1 Re8 27.Nc3

There is nothing really exciting going on: White plans to grind out the win.

27...Bc4 28.Kf2 Rf8 29.g4 c6

30.b3 Bf7 31.Ne4 Bd5 32.Nc5 Rf6 33.c4

Here, my opponent's flag fell.

Better isn't good enough

White starts out in the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) with what can objectively be called "a lost game."

Fortunately, most club level chess games hardly proceed along "objective" lines.

Still, my opponent's sudden resignation – when I figured that he had solved the opening and was looking forward to some decent counter-play – came as a bit of a mystery to me.

Perhaps Jerome Gambit Gemeinde member Pete Banks was playing the wise detective when he suggested that some defenders never quite get over the "shock and awe" of the Jerome Gambit!

perrypawnpusher - GabrielChime
blitz 12 0, FICS, 2009

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6

A good defense, one of a number of refutations to the Jerome Gambit.

7.Qd5+

The "nudge".

7...Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3

So far we are moving along well-travelled lines – I have over 70 games with this position in my database, starting with Charlick - Mann, correspondence, 1881: 9...Nf6 10.d4 Qe7 11.0-0 Ng4 12.Qe2 Qh4 13.h3 Nf6 14.f4 Nh5 15.Qf2 Qxf2+ 16.Rxf2 Rf8 17.f5 Ne7 18.c4 c6 19.g4 Nf6 20.Nc3 d5 21.e5 Nd7 22.cxd5 Nxd5 23.Ne4 N7b6 24.b3 a5 25.e6 h6 26.Bb2 Ke7 27.Re1 Ra7 28.Nc5 Na8 29.Nd3 b5 30.Ne5 Kd6 31.Rc1 Ra6 32.Rc5 Bb7 33.Rfc2 Rc8 34.Bc1 a4 35.b4 a3 36.Bd2 Nab6 37.Be1 Na4 38.Bg3 Ke7 39.Nd7 Nxc5 40.dxc5 Rg8 41.Bd6+ Ke8 42.Rd2 Ra4 43.Rxd5 cxd5 44.f6 gxf6 45.Nxf6+ Kd8 46.e7+ Kc8 47.Nxg8 Bc6 48.Nf6 Rxb4 49.e8Q+ Bxe8 50.Nxe8 Rb1+ 51.Kf2 Rb2+ 52.Kf3 Rxa2 53.Nc7 b4 54.Nxd5 b3 55.c6 Rc2 56.Bxa3 Ra2 57.Bd6 Rc2 58.Be5 b2 59.Nb6+ Kd8 60.c7+ Rxc7 61.Bxb2 Rc5 62.Bd4 Rb5 63.Nc4 Ke7 64.h4 Ke6 65.Ke4 Rb1 66.Ne3 Kf7 67.h5 Kg8 68.Nf5 Kh7 69.Be3 Re1 70.Nxh6 Rxe3+ 71.Kxe3 Kxh6 72.Kf4 Black resigned

9...Ne5 

This is new to me. Maybe Black is trying to provoke my pawns?

10.f4

A little bit better might have been 10.d4.

10...Ng4 11.Qg3

I've had problems with "Wild Horses" a number of times in the past.

11...g6 12.d4

If those "Jerome pawns" look eggshell-brittle, I agree. The simple 12.0-0 was better.  

12...Qe7

Black begins to pressure the center, although 12...N8f6 might have been a better start. 

13.Nc3 Bd7 14.0-0 N4f6

I think that Black is holding his own (in part because he has not been developed enough to benefit from advancing his pawns), although after the game Rybka surprisingly suggested that Black should castle-by-hand on the Queenside: 14...Kd8 15.h3 N4f6 16.e5 Nh5 17.Qd3 Kc8 18.Bd2 Kb8 with a small edge to White.

15.e5 Nh5 16.Qf2

Better was16.Qf3. That "horse" was really throwing me. 

16...Bf5 17.exd6

This cannot be right: White throws away his large pawn center for a chance to make a check along the e-file. Rybka rates the resulting position as roughly even, but the "Jerome pawns" are much more effective as a unit, not split to make pawn majorities on each side.

17...Qxd6

18.Be3 Kd7 19.Rae1 Rd8 20.h3 Ngf6

Stronger was the move that Black probably originally intended, 20...Kc8.

21.g4 Black resigned

Yes, Black will have to return his extra piece, but in doing so he will probably receive open lines to attack White's King. At the end of the game, Black still has an edge, so my opponent's resignation surprised me.