In the Balance

In the following game Philidor1792 takes on a higher-rated player, side-steps some historical pitfalls, and shows that an advanced "Jerome pawn" is the match for Black's extra piece.

Philidor1792 - Dayana2006
Russia Central Federal District vs Flyi, Chess.com, 2015

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 

This defense is as old as Alonzo Wheeler Jerome's analysis in the March 1875 issue of the Dubuque Chess Journal, and appeared in a game as early as Jaeger - Jerome, correspondence, 1880, (0-1, 40).

7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qg3 Nf6 9.d3 Nh5 10.Qf3+ Qf6 11.Nd2 

Practice shows the error of 11.Qxh5?: chessmanjeff - Gardenz, FICS, 2012 (0-1, 18) and ZahariSokolov - Jiracek, FICS, 2014 (0-1, 45).

Also not recommended is 11.Be3?! Qxf3 12.gxf3 as in obviously - belgje, GameKnot.com, 2004 (0-1, 19).

White has done better with 11.Qxf6+, e.g. destinyx - belgje, GameKnot.com, 2004 (1-0, 80) and  raes - belgje, GameKnot.com, 2004 (0-1, 49).

11...g6

Black should not temporize with 11...Be6?, as then the capture of the Knight 12.Qxh5 is playable, i.e. 12...Qxf2+ 13.Kd1 Qxg2 14.Qf3+ Qxf3+ 15.Nxf3 as in lamacuk - tomwhufc, GameKnot.com, 2007 (1-0, 29).

12.0-0 Kg7 13.Qxf6+ Nxf6

Philidor1792 has been comfortable taking the two extra pawns vs Black's extra piece in blitz games, where strategy is sometimes no deeper than "push the 'Jerome pawns' ". Here he works just as effectively at a slower time limit.

14.c3 Bg4 15.d4 Bb6 16.f3 Bd7 17.Nc4 h6 18.Re1 Rhe8 19.Kf2 d5 20.Nxb6 axb6 21.e5 Nh7 

22.Be3 Nf8 23.g4 Ne6 24.Kg3 g5 25.h4 Rf8 26.Rh1 Bb5 27.Rh2 Rf7 28.Rah1 Raf8 

29.Rf2 Bd3 30.hxg5 Nxg5 31.Bxg5 hxg5 32.Re1 Re8 33.Rh2 Bg6 34.a3 Rf4 35.e6 Re7 

36.Re5 Kf6 37.Rhe2 c6 38.a4 Re8 39.Re1 Rh8 40.e7 Re8 41.b4 Bc2 42.a5 bxa5 43.bxa5 Bd3 44.Rd1 Bc2 45.Rc1 Ba4 46.Rce1 Bb5 47.Re6+ Kf7 48.R6e5 Kf6 Drawn

In light of the coming repetition of position, the players agreed to split the point.

Attack!

The latest game I have received from Philidor 1792 is a classic attack led by White's pawns and backed up by his pieces. There are a number of ways to respond to Black's plucky gambit, but this game again puts forth the argument for 4.Bxf7+!?

Philidor 1792  - g-chessman1518
GameKnot.com, 2015

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 

The Blackburne Shilling Gambit.

4.Bxf7+ 

The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke7 6.c3 Ne6 7.d4 d6 8.Nd3 Nf6

Black's move looks natural, but it allows White a sharp blow. 

9.Qe2

This looks like a TN according to The Database.

Instead, 9.d5!? Nc5 10.Nxc5 dxc5 11.e5 was seen in the earlier EdoTK-Jorma, FICS, 2006 (1-0, 22). Black stops the White d-pawn advance with his next move, as he should have with his previous.

9...d5 10.e5 Ng8 11.0-0 c6 12.f4 Kd7 

Black's King runs for safety.

Houdini suggests the game would be equal after 12...g6 13.g4 Bh6 14.f5 Bxc1 15.Nxc1 Nf8. 

13.f5 Ng5 14.Bf4 Ke8 15.g4 

Philidor 1792 mentioned 15.Qh5+ as stronger.

 15...Ne4

Instead, 15...h5!? in this odd position, according to Houdini, gives Black an edge.

Now White pushes the attack and ends the game.

16.Nd2 Nxd2 17.Bxd2 Nh6 18.e6 Be7 19.g5 Bxg5 20.Qh5+ g6 21.fxg6 hxg6 22.Qxg6+ 

Black resigned

Complexity In The Notes.

ZahariSokolov has played some very interesting Jerome Gambits at FICS lately. The following games shows off one of the aspects of the Jerome - that even the "winning" lines for Black are tricky for the second player, as are the "losing" lines for White.

So much of the complexity this time is in the notes.

ZahariSokolov - GhengusFungus
standard, FICS, 2014

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Nf3+

This rogue knight move marks the "Norton Variation", as opposed to one move later - 8...Qh4+ 9.g3 Nf3+!? - which would lead to a very sharp and complicated Queen sacrifice that wins for Black.

Nonetheless, The Database has 9 games with the Norton line, and White wins 8 of them. There are 44 games with the Queen check line, and White wins half of them.

Perhaps GhengusFungus was unfamiliar with the Queen sac, or he found the Knight move to be disturbing enough.

9. gxf3 

I was able to get away with the erroronious 9.Kf1? twice, in blitz games,  perrypawnpusher - igormsp, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 13) and perrypawnpusher - rheapennata, blitz, FICS, 2012 (1-0, 12); but long ago, at a slower pace, the Gambit's creator was not Jerome,A - Norton,D, Correspondence 1876 (0-1, 42).

9... Qh4+ 10.Kd1

Again, this is the correct square for the King, although two games in The Database show White winning after 10.Ke2? Young,J - "Chess Challenger 10" Computer, 1979 (1-0,18) and gibonacci - jschulte, GameKnot.com ,5d/move, 2007 (1-0, 48). 

10... Qe7 

In "Vortex" I wrote

White's best chance is 11.Qe5+ Kc6 12.b4!? when White can probably eke out a draw, whether or not the pawn is captured, but the play is very difficult.

That is a fair assessment of this Norton variation: a very complicated game, but a draw, with a lot of hard work by White.

Two games show White successful after 10...Ne7!?: CFBBlind -Quandary, FICS, 2001 (1-0, 18) and perrypawnpusher - sjeijk, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0,19); while White had a draw against 10...Qf2 - until he was given more in perrypawnpusher - Sir Osis of the Liver, JG3 thematic, ChessWorld.net, 2008 (1-0,19).

How did Black deal with all these complications? Apparently he relaxed too soon. 

11. Qd5 Black checkmate

Jerome-Knight Gambit

Chessfriend Yury Bukayev recently referred me to the France-Echecs.com website, to a discussion that took place earlier in the year, regarding, in part, the game Millet,C - Sénéchaud,D, Rochefort, 1995 - most recently covered in the "Unorthodox Openings Newsletter", issue #33, which was mentioned in the last blog post.

In addition, in the France-Echecs.com article there are three games presented with the opening moves 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.Bxf7+, along with the suggested name "the Jerome-Knight gambit".

A quick look at The Database shows only 6 examples of the Jerome-Kight gambit (not surprising, as I have not specifically collected the line), including an online ICC blitz game by American GM Larry Christiansen ("Here, have a Bishop...") and three games recently discovered at GameKnot.com.

While Readers check out France-Echecs.com, I will see what other games I can gather.

Wow! That Was Fast!

Oh my! The way my opponent treated my recent Jerome Gambit (see"A Challenge!") you would have thought that it was a refuted opening. Oh, wait a minute - it is!

Black disposed of me in short order. Well done!

perrypawnpusher - izscha2014
GameKnot.com, 2014

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Qh4+ 9.g3 Qf6

We reached this position quickly, through a series of conditional moves that my opponent set up. Humorously, it is from perrypawnpusher - Buddy_Thompson, Italian Game Thematic Tournament, Chess.com, 2014 (0-1, 27). In that game my opponent was 300 rating points higher than me, not izscha2014's "mere" +200 points.

10.Qh5

An idea of Bill Wall's, from Wall,B - Marani,G, Chess.com, 2011, (1-0, 28).

10...c6 

Bill's opponent tried 10...g6. The text is an improvement.

11.fxe5+ Qxe5 12.Qe2 Nf6 13.d3 Ke7 14.c3 Qh5 15.e5

It might have been better to have played 15.Qxh5 followed by 16.d4, but, of course, Black would still have the advantage. 

15...Qxe2+ 16.Kxe2 Nd5 17.Bg5+ Ke8 18.Nd2

At this point I was pleased to see my pieces developing quickly, and I even anticipated the upcoming piece exchange. My evaluation of the position that occurred was faulty, however.

18...h6 19.Ne4 hxg5 20.Nxc5 d6! 

Wisely offering a pawn (which can easily be recovered) to also improve his development. As long as Black's Queenside remains undeveloped, White will have time to protect his exposed h-pawn and possibly double Rooks on the f-file.

21.exd6 b6 22.Ne4 

After the game Houdini suggested returning the pawn to exchange off Black's Bishop, 22.d7+ Bxd7 23.Nxd7 Kxd7 24.Raf1 

22...Bg4+ 23.Kd2 Bf3 White resigned

Like sand running through an hourglass, White's game promises to slip away, move-by-move: i.e. 24.Rhf1 Rxh2+ 25.Rf2 Rxf2 26.Nxf2 Kd7 27.Ne4 Bxe4 28.dxe4 Nf6 29.e5 - alas, the "Jerome pawns" have no future - 29...Ng4 30.Re1 Re8. After the e5/d6 pair disappear, Black would simply be a piece ahead in a relatively uncomplicated position.

Excellent game, izscha2014!

A Challenge!

In recent posts I have been sharing Jerome Gambit and related games played at GameKnot.com. I recently received the following message there.

izscha2014: I've seen your Jerome Blog and I can't believe this is a sound opening, altough it certainly is fun Do you want to try ?

With a record of 46 wins, 1 loss and 7 draws, izscha2014 is rated 200 points higher than me.

Of course I accepted. After all, what was there to lose? A refuted opening??

I went to GameKnot.com, and played

1.e4

I met with several condtional moves, and we were off!

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

I will share the game when it is completed.

And Another Thing...

We return to the Jerome Gambit treatment of the Blackburne Shilling Gambit to make a point. Even when you come out of the opening with an advantage, it pays to be alert to danger.

majorminor - JavyCT
standard, FICS, 2013

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 4.Bxf7+

The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit. 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8 6.c3 Qg5

This line was mentioned in the notes of the recent post featuring mr_kill - syiedan86, Team match, GameKnot.com, 2014, and was last covered in the post "Go Ahead and Do Your Worst!".

At first glance it looks like Black has gotten to play the thematic BSG Queen move after all. True - but not necessarily to his advantage.

7.cxd4 Qxg2 8.Qf3

majorminor, who has about 50 games in The Database, finds the proper response to Black's Queen sortie. He has recovered his sacrificed piece, and will be a pawn up, with an edge.

In all fairness, though, there is disappointment to be shared. Black does not have his expected wild counterplay, and White does not have his crazed attack on the King. Still, a pawn is a pawn, even if it is doubled.

8...Qxf3 9.Nxf3 

9...Bb4 10.a3 Ba5 11.Rg1 d6 12.b4 Bb6 13.Rxg7 Nf6

Black has enough counterplay and tricks up his sleeve that White must remain diligent.

For example, if White now shores up his center with 14.d3, Black has 14...Bg4, which attacks the f3 Knight and threatens to lock in the g7 Rook. After 15.Nbd2 Kf8 16.Rg5 h6 17.Rg6 Kf7 18.Nh4 Bxd4 19.Ra2 Rag8 20.Rxg8 Rxg8 White has finally eliminated the problem, at the expense of a pawn.

The move White chooses instead has its own issues.  

14.e5 dxe5 15. Nxe5 Bxd4 

Here, losing a piece, White forfeited on time.

BSJG: Move-by-Move

The following game - another recent one from GameKnot.com - allows a closer look at an interesting, more-positional variation of an otherwise wild, attacking opening.

mr_kill - syiedan86
Team match, GameKnot.com, 2014

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4

The Blackburne Shilling Gambit.

There are a number of ways to safely meet the BSG, including 4.Nxd4, 4.0-0, 4.d3 and 4.c3. Black wants to see 4.Nxe5?!, so he can respond with the thematic 4...Qg5!?

4.Bxf7+ 

The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit. As a Jerome Gambit fan, I like the move. Also, it has been good to me - I have scored 91% in 41 games. (The Database* contains 4,452 BSJG games;White scores 56%.)

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8 6.c3

This move shows up 398 times in The Database, scoring 55% for White. The major alternative is 6.Qh5+, which appears in 1,376 games, and with which White scores 61%.

Houdini 3 shows a slight preference for the text move, which doesn't surprise me, as 100% of my games contain the alternative.

6...Ne6

This move appears in 157 games, while the alternate retreat, 6...Nc6, appears 92 times. The challenging 6...Qg5 appears in 95 games. All score the same, plus or minus a percentage point or two.

7.d4

Here Houdini shows a slight preference for 7.Qh5+, leading to an even game.

7...d6 8.Nd3 Nf6 

This is a balanced position. (It must be remembered that Black cannot castle, as he has moved his King.)

A couple of ideas for White now include 9.Nd2, seen in the game GmCooper - Mazetov, lightning, FICS, 2001 (1-0, 28); and 9.d5 Nc5 10.Nxc5 dxc5 11.O-O, which is the choice of chess engines Houdini, Rybka and Stockfish.

9.e5 dxe5 10.Nxe5 Bd6 11.Qe2

Stronger might be 11.f4

11...Qe7 

In this tense position, White inexplicably dropped a piece, and the game was over.

12.Bg5 Nxg5 White resigned

[*A word about statistics. In any database devoted to a particular opening, the success of the line will be inflated, as partisans and publishers tend to show off successes, not abject failures. I have corrected for this somewhat, in that about 90% of the games in The Database are drawn from play at FICS, over a 12-year period - all the wins, losses and draws in each particular opening. Statistics in The Database, thus, largely reflect the results of "average" club players in an "average" online game environment.] 

Jerome Pawn Fall

The "Jerome pawns" - the one White obtains in exchange for his piece(s) - can be a powerful attacking or positional force. However, if White does not take care of his pawns, they can also become targets and the cause of his downfall, as in the following game.

ulla - abebe
milenrousoulski's mini-tournament, 
GameKnot.com, 2009

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 4.Bxf7+ 

The Blackburne Shilling Jerome gambit.

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Kf6 

Four years ago, in "BSG: Later on in the Discussion", I suggested that now, after 6.Nf3, the game would be equal. Shortly afterwards, I faced 5...Kf6 played by RVLY, a specialist in the line (see "Whose Territory Are We Fighting On?"), but after 6.c3 Kxe5 we transposed into more regular 5...Ke6 lines. GOH, a member of the Jerome Gambit Gemeinde playing at FICS, has faced 6.c3 Ne6 and 6.c3 d6. To date, The Database does not include a game with my suggestion 6.c3 Nc2+!?

6.Ng4+

There are 66 games with this line in The Database, played by the likes of Jerome Gambiteers GOH, HauntedKnight, MyGameUMove, stretto, Wall and yorgos. 

6...Ke7 7.c3 Ne6 

Or 7...Nc6 8.d4 d6 9.d5 Bxg4 10.Qxg4 Qd7 11.Qxd7+ Kxd7 12.dxc6+ Kxc6 13.0-0 Nf6 14.f3 h6 15.Be3 Be7 16.Nd2 b5 17.Nb3 a6 18.Nd4+ Kb7 19.Nf5 Bf8 20.Bd4 Re8 21.Rfd1 Re6 22.a4 g6 23.axb5 gxf5 24.bxa6+ Ka8 25.exf5 Re5 26.Bxe5 dxe5 27.Rd8+ Ka7 28.Ra5 Bc5+ 29.Rxc5 Rxd8 30.Rxc7+ Kb8 31.Rc6 Nd5 32.Rxh6 Nf4 33.g3 Rd1+ 34.Kf2 Nd3+ 35.Ke2 Nxb2 36.Rb6+ Black resigned, Wall,B - GYHZ, FICS, 2010. 

8.d4 h5

Or 8...Nf6 9.d5 Nc5 10.0-0 Ke8 11.Bg5 Be7 12.Nxf6+ Bxf6 13.Bxf6 Qxf6 14.b4 Na6 15.e5 Qg6 16.Qd4 b6 17.f4 Bb7 18.f5 Qg5 19.Nd2 c5 20.dxc6 Bxc6 21.Ne4 Qg4 22.Nd6+ Kd8 23.Qxg4 Black resigned, Wall,B - Darksquare, 15 0 game, Chess.com, 2010.

9.Ne5 Qe8 10.d5 

Unsettling the pawn front and ignoring the pawns left behind (e.g. at g2). White should have tried 10.0-0 followed by adding another pawn to the center with f2-f4. 

10...Nc5 11.Bg5+ Nf6 12.Qd4 d6 13.Nc4

White might have done better to try 13.Nd2 dxe5 14.Qxc5+ Kd8 15.Qe3, although Black would still have the advantage. 

13...Qg6

Striking back at the pawns.

14.Bxf6+ gxf6 15.g3 Qxe4+ 16.Qxe4+ Nxe4 17.0-0

The g-pawn is safe, but Black will now unravel his position and make use of his extra material. White does not complicate enough to distract him.

17...Kf7 18.Re1 Ng5 19.Nbd2 Bg4 20.Re3 Bh6 21.f4 Nh3+ 22.Kg2 Rhe8 White resigned

There is still play in the game, even after the Rooks are exchanged, but with only a pawn for Black's piece, it would be all uphill for White.

Cure Worse Than The Disease

I don't hang around GameKnot.com as much as I used to, but it is still a great place to visit and pick up a few Jerome Gambit or Jerome-related games.

The following game shows the typical "Jerome treatment" when Black "simply" tries to exchange his Knight for White's Italian Bishop. Black's "cure" for this approach turns out worse than the "disease" itself.

abinadi1 - mebaku
GameKnot.com, 2013

1.e4 Nc6 2.Nf3 e5 3.Bc4 Na5 

Discussed in this blog as early as 2008 in "Offside!" and "The Other Side" and as recently as this year in "Always Good to Remember".

4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke7 6.d4 h5

This is something new, as far as The Database is concerned. Black prevents White from playing either Qc1-h5 or Qd1-g4. However, the idea has several holes in it...

7.Bg5+ Nf6 8.Ng6+ Kf7 9.Nxh8+ Kg8 10.Bxf6 Qxf6 11.Qxh5

White succeeds in getting his Queen to h5 after all, and is the exchange plus three pawns ahead.

11...g5 12.Ng6 Bg7 13.e5 Qb6 14.Ne7+ Kf8 15. Nf5 d6 16.Nxg7 Qxb2 

Black's counterattack will prove insufficient.

17.Qh8+ Kf7 18.O-O Qxa1 19.e6+ Ke7 20.Qe8+ Kf6 21.Qf7 checkmate