Jerome Gambit Discovery

I enjoyed looking at positions in the Jerome Gambit with the help of Stockfish 8 - to the depth of 30 ply - that I thought I would look at a few of the classical defenses and see what turns up.

My first surprise came in Blackburne's Defense.
 
dj222 - invincible1
GameKnot.com, 2003

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 d6

Blackburne's Defense. It is a complicated, tactical mess. Initially thought to favor Black, and then to favor White, the current assessment has been that it leads to a complicated draw that either player avoids at his own peril. But, maybe it favors White after all.

8.Qxh8 Qh4 9.d4

See "Traps and Zaps" for some background. The move was suggested in the notes to Amateur - Blackburne, London, 1885, but given scant attention afterward. 

Far more often played is 9.0-0. Although White won in Chandler - Dimitrov, 2004, analysis supported a complicated drawn game.

9...Nf6

Black ignores the danger his Bishop is in. Only one game in The Database has this move, which is Stockfish 8's top choce.

It is hard for Black not to plump for 9...Qxe4+ 10.Be3 Qxg2 with complications, but the text is the second player's best option.

Check out "Opening Traps by GM Ferzbery" for a look.

10.Nd2

White does not go after the enemy Bishop, but keeps White's Queen away from e4.

10...Bxd4 11.Rf1

It was probably best to play 11.0-0 here, and ride out the storm after 11...Qxh2+ 12.Kxh2 Ng4+ 13.Kg3 Bxh8, coming out the exchange ahead.

11...Bh3

Recovering a pawn and offering a Rook while threatening White's Queen! Unfortunately, it is a mistake: Black had better in 11...b6 with the idea of 12...Ba6 and a very complicated, but balanced, game.

12.Qxa8 Bxg2 13.Qxb7 Bxf1 14.Qb3+ Ke7 15.Qg3

White's Queen returns in time to save the King.

15...Qxg3 16.hxg3 Bg2 17.f3 Bh3 Black resigned

Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit Investigator

Recently I received a request for The Database from Rodolfo Pardi (librarian, Italian Chess Federation chess instructor and tournament director), the author of a good number of chess books, including A dreadful Chess Trap: Blackburne Shilling. He said he had been frequently meeting the Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 4.Bxf7+), and wanted to know more about it.

Of course, I sent the (compressed) PGN file right away!

As we exchanged emails, and he remained politely skeptical about the BSJG, he shared one of his own games featuring an early Bishop sacrifice.

lapaget - pa_chiro 1720
GameKnot Blitz, 20161.e4 e5 2.Bc4 c6 3.Nf3 b5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6 6.Qh5 Nh6 7.d4 

7...g6 8.Qh3+ Ke7 9.Bg5+ Ke8 10.Bxd8 Kxd8 11.Nc3 d6 12.Qh4+ Kc7 13.Nf3 Nf7 14. Qf6
Black resigned

Nicely done!

Jerome Gambit Pawns: Inaction, In Action

In the Jerome Gambit, White's "extra" pawns can be part of the attack, or part of a fortress of protection. In the following game, they take both roles, as part of the first player's success.

Queenpunisher - parviz1340
12 8, lichess.org, 2016

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3  Bc5 4.Bc4 h6 5.Bxf7+

Transposing to the Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit.

5...Kxf7 

The same position would be reached after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.Nc3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+ Kxf7.

6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.Qh5+ Ng6 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qh5 Nf6 10.Qf3 Bg4 

Black has the right idea: his team of minor pieces should harass the White Queen, even if his own King is not yet castled-by-hand. Perhaps Queenpunisher's Queen should have been harassed by 10...Nh4!? instead.

11.Qg3

The text is a little bit better than 11.Qe3 Re8 12.d3 d5 13.f3 d4 14.Qf2 Bxf3 15.Qxf3 dxc3 16.bxc3 c6 17.O-O Kg8 18.Be3 Qd6 19.Rab1 b6 20.Bd4 Qd7 21.Bxf6 Rf8 22.Qg3 gxf6 23.Qxg6+ Qg7 24.Qf5 Qg5 25.Qe6+ Kh8 26.Qxc6 Rac8 27.Qd6 Rcd8 28.Qf4 Qxf4 29.Rxf4 Rg8 Black resigned, MIG - leshiy, FICS, 2001.

11...Re8 12.d3

Or 12.f3 Bd7 13.d4 Nh5 14.Qf2 Kg8 15.Be3 b6 16.f4 Rf8 17.f5 Ne7 18.g4 Nf6 19.g5 Nxe4 20.Nxe4 Bc6 21.f6 Ng6 22.Qf5 Qe8 23.d5 Bd7 24.Qf3 hxg5 25.Bxg5 Qe5 26.O-O-O Qe8 27.Rde1 Ne5 28.Qg3 Qg6 29.fxg7 Kxg7 30.Rhg1 Qf5 31.Bh6+ Black resigned, youjoin - molesto, GameKnot.com, 2007. 

12...Qd7 13.f3 Be6 14.O-O Nh5 15.Qf2 Kg8

For now the "Jerome pawns" provide a shield for White, but that will soon change!

16.Ne2 Rf8 17.b3 Rf7 18.f4 Bg4 

This second visit to g4 is ill-advised and will cost a piece. Better 18...Raf8. 

19.f5 Bxe2 20.Qxe2 Ne5 21Qxh5 Raf8 22.Bb2 Qc6

White now has attacking prospects.

23.Rf2 Kh7 24.Raf1 Qb6 25.Kh1 Nd7 26.Qg6+

He also could have tried the consistent 26.g4. 

26...Kh8 27.Qxh6+ Kg8 28.Qg5 Ne5 29.Rf4

White attacks successfully. He also could have tried the thematic 29.f6. 


29...c5 30.Rh4 Rf6 31.Bxe5 dxe5 32.Rg4 Rg6 33.Qxg6 Black resigned

Jerome Gambit: Sometimes I Don't Understand, I Just Enjoy

Sometimes I visit the GameKnot.com chess site and pick up a Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game or two. (I would collect more, using their Games Database feature, but I am not a regular member.) The following one is a few years old, but it has the typical Jerome je ne sais quoi that sets it apart from other contests.

surfingscotty - arif__khan
GameKnot,com, 2012

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Ne7 

Black's idea is familiar, even if it shows up in only a few games in The Database: If he has to give back a piece, don't waste time deciding on which on, just develop another.

7.Qh5+

A bit better is probably 7.dxc5 as seen in a couple of games: 7...Re8 (7...Rf8 8.Qh5+ N5g6 9.Qxh7 Rh8 10.Qxh8 Qxh8 11.O-O d6
12.cxd6 cxd6 13.Bg5 Be6 14.f4 Bc4 15.Rd1 Rd8 16.b3 Qh5 17.Nd2 Be2 18.Re1 Rh8 19.h3 Ba6 20.c4 Nc6 21.Nf3 b5 22.h4 bxc4 23.b4 Nxb4 White resigned, paoloumali - regnarkragh, FICS, 2011) 8.Qh5+ N7g6 9.Qf5+ Qf6 10.Qh3 Kg8 11.Qb3+ Kh8 12.Nc3 Ng4 13.Be3 Nxe3 14.fxe3 Qg5 15.O-O-O Qxe3+ 16.Kb1 b6 17.Rhe1 Qxc5 18.Nd5 c6 19.Ne3 Ne5 20.Nf5 Re6 21.Rf1 Ba6 22.Rf4 Bc4 23.Qg3 Rg6 24.Qh3 Rd8 25.Rh4 Bg8 26.Rf1 Nf7 27.Rg4 Ng5 28.Qd3 Bc4 29.Qd2 Bxf1 30.b3 d5 31.Rxg5 Rxg5 32.Qxg5 Qf8 33.Nxg7 Qxg7 34.Qxd8+ Qg8 35.Qf6+ Qg7 36.Qxf1 h6 37.exd5 cxd5 38.a4 Kh7 39.Qd3+ Kh8 40.Qxd5 Qg8 41.Qe5+ Qg7 42.Qb8+ Kh7 43.g3 h5 44.h4 Qxg3 45.Qxg3 Black resigned, HauntedKnight - dukifanto. FICS, 2012.

Also seen was 7.dxe5 Rf8 8.Nc3 Kg8 9.O-O Ng6 10.Qd5+ Kh8 11.Qxc5 d6 12.exd6 cxd6 13.Qe3 Qf6 14.Nd5 Qe7 15.Nxe7 Nxe7 16.f4 h6 17.e5 dxe5 18.Qxe5 Nc6 19.Qd6 Bg4 20.Qg6 Bf5 21.Qg3 Nd4 22.Qf2 Nxc2 White forfeited on time, stretto - svadali, FICS, 2008.

7...N7g6 8.dxc5 d6 9.f4 

A standard "tool" from White's "toolbox", although Stockfish 7 suggests development with 9.h3 Re8 10.O-O Kg8 11.Nc3 b6 12.Bg5 Qd7 13.cxd6 Ba6 14.Rfd1 cxd6  first, then 15.f4.

In the game, Black is able to force an exchange of Queens when White does not have enough dynamic pawn play in the middle game to balance the sacrificed piece. The attacker will develop, castle, and begin to pressure his opponent, but he will need some help to prevail - and, oddly, he receives it.

9...Bg4 10.Qg5 Qxg5 11.fxg5 dxc5 12.Nc3 c6 13.O-O+ Ke7 14.h3 Be6 15.Be3 b6 16.Ne2 Nc4 

Here Black resigned after playing his move. I don't know why. Most likely the real world intervened, and he needed to return there.

Excitment in a Jerome Gambit Sideline

I recently encountered a 10-minute game played online at lichess.org that featured a rather unusual line of play for White in the Jerome Gambit - and to be "unusual" in such an unusual opening means that the play got complicated and messy, just the kind of thing that a Jerome Gambit player enjoys taking advantage of!

I have placed all (few) game examples from The Database in the notes, to give Readers an idea of how stressed play can become in the variation.

StatsRowan - firstrow
10 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2016

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nc6 3.Nf3 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 Nf6 8.Qf5+ 

The usual (and recommended) move is 8.Qxe5+, but White has an interesting idea in mind. In quick games "interesting" often equals "dangerous" and regularly becomes "entertaining". 

8...Kf7 9.fxe5 d6 

Here we have White's idea and Black's response: White's Queen stays on the f-file and pins Black's Knight, planning to win it with the pawn that has gone to e5; while Black opens up an attack on the Queen.

The alternate move of the Black d-pawn has also been seen. From The Database: 9...d5 10.Qf4 (10.exf6? Bxf5 11.exf5 Qxf6 12.Rf1 Qh4+ 13.g3 Rhe8+ 14.Kd1 Qg4+ 15.Rf3 Qxf3#, Tysonx - cmstub, FICS, 2010; 10.Qf1 dxe4?! [10...Re8!?] 11.exf6 Qxf6? 12.Qc4+ Be6 13.Qxc5 c6? 14.Rf1 Bf5 15.Nc3 Black resigned, Superpippo - Gars, FICS 2002) 10...dxe4?! 11.exf6 Bd6 12.Qe3 (12.Qh4!?) 12...gxf6 13.O-O Qe7 14.Nc3? (14.d4 exd3 15.Qxd3 +/=) 14...Bc5 White resigned, DrRai - abudhabi, FICS, 2013. 

10.Qf3

Or 10.Qf4 dxe5 11.Qxe5 Bd6 12.Qd4 Bg3+ 13.hxg3 Qxd4 14.d3 Re8 15.Nc3 Bg4 16.Ne2 Bxe2 17.Kxe2 Nxe4 18.Rf1+ Nf6+ 19.Kd1 Qg4+ 20.Rf3 Re6 21.Bf4 Rae8 22.Rc1 Re1+ 23.Kd2 R8e2+ 24.Kc3 Rxc1 25.Bxc1 Rxg2 26.Rf1 Rxg3 27.Rf4 Qe6 28.b3 Qe5+ 29.Kb4 Qe1+ White resigned, unixo - nurfaza, GameKnot.com, 2008. 

10...dxe5 11.Nc3 Bg4 

Also seen: 11...c6 12.d3 Bb4 13.O-O Bxc3 14.bxc3 Rf8 15.Bg5 Kg8 16.d4 Qb6 17.Kh1 Nd7 18.Qg3 Rxf1+ 19.Rxf1 exd4 20.Bh6 g6 21.Qd6 Qd8 22.Qxd4 Qe7 23.h3 b5 24.e5 Bb7 25.e6 c5 26.Qxd7 Qxd7 27.exd7 Bc6 28.Rf8+ Rxf8 29.Bxf8 Bxd7 30.Bxc5 a6 31.Kg1 drawn, bobbob78 - panga74, GameKnot.com, 2008. 

12.Qg3 Qd7 

Or 12...Rf8 13.h3 Bh5 14.d3 Qd4 15.Rf1 Kg8 16.Bd2 Nxe4 17.Rxf8+ Rxf8 White resigned, Petasluk - Belive, FICS, 2006. 

13. Qxe5 Rhe8

This routine, not-so-deeply-analyzed move brings trouble.

14.Qxc5 Nxe4 15.Qc4+ Be6 16.O-O+ Kg8 17.Qxe4 Bd5

More trouble. Possibly time problem.

18.Qxd5+ Qxd5 19.Nxd5 c6

The last slip.

20.Nc7 Black resigned

But Blackburne Made It Look So Easy!

The most famous Jerome Gambit game is the one by Blackburne, where he sacrificed material as Black to build a counter attack that led to a Queen sacrifice and checkmate.

Never mind that subsequent analysis and play has shown that, "objectively", the best Black should be able to hope for is a draw.

The fact is, the Blackburne Defense leads to sharp and complicated play, and it is important to have a concrete knowledge of the line - if either Black or White wishes to survive. As we have seen, and will see in the game below, "half a defense is worse than no defense at all..." Better to "Commit It To Memory".

fehim - KramMan
blitz, FICS, 2015

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5
d6

Here we go! To capture the excitement of the play ahead, it is fun to return to Geoff Chandler's comparison of the Blackburne Defense with "Mars Attacks!"

8.Qxh8 Qh4 9.O-O Qxe4

Wait a minute... Sure, Black flashes out his Queen to h4, all big and bad and scary. But - then what? Certainly not to pawn-grab. What did he miss? What did he miss??

Hint: 9...Nf6! Black wants to trap White's Queen and make threats against her (as well as the King), eventually offering his other Rook as well.

10.Qxh7+

This is not going to go well for Black.

10.d3 worked in AlgozBR - khuizen, FICS, 2009 (1-0, 17)

10...Kf8 11.Nc3

Or 11.d3 Qe2 (or 11...Qf5 in obviously - dmyze, GameKnot.com, 2004 [1-0, 20]; or 11...Qe6 in ubluk - bfcace, Chess.com, 2012 [1-0, 18]) 12.Bh6+ Nxh6 13.Qxh6+ Kf7 14.Qh7+ Kf6 15.Qxc7 Bf5 16.Nc3 Qxc2 17.Nd5+ Kg5 18.Qe7+ Kh6 19.h4 Rh8 20.Qg5+ Kg7 21.Rae1 Rf8 22.h5 Bxd3 23.h6+ Kg8 24.Nf6+ Kf7 25.Nh7 Kg8 26.Nxf8 Bxf1 27.Rxf1 Bxf2+ 28.Rxf2 Qc1+ 29.Qxc1 Black resigned, ZahariSokolov - pedroregistro, FICS, 2015

11...Qf5

Or 11...Qxc2 12.Qh4 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - LtPoultry, blitz, FICS, 2010; or 12.d3 Qxd3 13.Bh6+ Ke8 14.Rfe1+ Kd8 15.Qxg8+ Kd7 16.Qe8 checkmate, DREWBEAR 63 - blackburne, JGTourney4, ChessWorld, 2009.

12.d3 Nf6 13.Qh4

This move is okay, as White is up the exchange plus a couple of pawns, so he can consolidate. He could continue his attack, however, with 13.Bh6+ Ke8 14.Rae1+ Be6 15.Qg7.

13...Kg7 14.Be3 Be6 15. Bxc5 dxc5 16. Ne4 Nxe4 17. Qxe4 Qf6

The next few moves bring some excitement, but the game is pretty much over. Black's slip at move 23 just ends things

18.c3 Rh8 19.f4 c6 20.c4 Qh4 21.Qxe6 Qxh2+ 22.Kf2 Qxf4+ 23.Ke2 Qg4+ 24.Qxg4 Black resigned

Trying To Escape The Inevitable

The following game reminds me of Douglas Adam's comment, above. I am not exactly sure why.

Wall, Bill - Guest2901729

PlayChess.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 

It is already possible to see where danger might strike Black: along the d8-h4 diagonal, where his King and Queen are lined up; or in the center, where White's "Jerome pawns" can cause mischief.

7.d4 d6 8.Nd3 Nf6 9.d5

Best according to Stockfish 7. 

Interesting was 9.Qe2 as in Philidor 1792 - g-chessman1518, GameKnot.com, 2015(1-0, 22).

9...Nc5 10.Nxc5 dxc5 11.e5

An improvement over the older 11.f3 Ke8 12.O-O Be7 13.c4 Kf7 14.e5 Nd7 15.e6+ Ke8 Black resigned, AMITAF - UofM, FICS, 2010.

11...Nxd5

Trying to escape the inevitable. He should have given up the Knight directly.

12.Bg5+ Nf6 13.exf6+ gxf6

Or 13...Ke8 14.Qxd8+ Kxd8 15.fxg7+ Kd7 16.gxh8=Q Be7 17.Qxh7 Kc6 18.Qxe7 Bd7 19.b4 Re8 20.Qxe8 Bxe8 21.bxc5 Kxc5 22.Nd2 b6 Black resigned, EdoTK - Jorma, FICS, 2006.

14.Bxf6+ Black resigned

Ouch! The Queen is lost.

Database Asterisk

The previous blog post mentioned that a large percentage of the games in The Database is from the online website the Free Internet Chess Server (FICS). This is because that is the site where I am a member, have played most of my Jerome Gambit games, and have the greatest access to their games database.

I am always open to game contributions from Readers, and I would like nothing better than to be able to add 50,000 - or 5,000 - or 500 - or 50 - or 5 - Jerome Gambit (or related) games played on the Internet Chess Club (ICC) site, or GameKnot.com, or Chess.com , or wherever - or even (especially) over-the-board games played at your favorite chess club.

By the way, I have already received requests for a copy of The Database. I can send you a compressed (.zip) PGN file via email, at no cost - just ask.

Cuts Like A Knife

Sharp variations can work in favor of the gambiteer, or cut against him. It is important to be as up-to-date as possible on the tricky variations.

I recently downloaded some more games from the Free Internet Chess Server (FICS), and, as well as checking out some "old" Jerome Gambiteers (e.g. drumme, HauntedKnight, Petasluk), looked at the efforts of a relatively new member of the Gemeinde, ZahariSokolov.

In the following game he faces a rare, but old and dangerous defense, and, under pressure, chooses the wrong line (although, in another game in the notes, this also leads to victory), and suffers defeat.

I have added some game references for Readers to have a better idea of how to deal with this kind of play.   

ZahariSokolov - Quarte
standard, FICS, 2015

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 surprising move, attributed to Norton - who defeated Alonzo Wheeler Jerome with it in a correspondence game in the early years of the gambit - rips open White's Kingside and makes him vulnerable to attack.

9.gxf3

Probably the only move, although I have gotten away with 9.Kf1 a couple of times in perrypawnpusher - igormsp, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 13), and perrypawnpusher - rheapennata, blitz, FICS, 2012 (1-0,12); while Jerome, as mentioned, did not - Jerome,A - Norton,D, Correspondence, 1876 (0-1, 42).

ZahariSokolov, himself, a few days earlier, had gotten away with 
9.Kd1: 9...Nd4 (9...Ne7!) 10.Qd5+ Ke7 11.Qxc5+ d6 12.Qxd4 Bg4+ 13.Ke1 c5 14.Qxg7+ Ke8 15.Qxg4 Nf6 16.Qe6+ Qe7 17.Qxe7+ Kxe7 18.d3 h6 19.Nc3 a6 20.Be3 b5 21.Ke2 Rhg8 22.g3 b4 23.Nd5+ Nxd5 24.exd5 Kf6 25.Rae1 Kf5 26.Kd2 h5 27.Bf2 Rae8 28.Rxe8 Rxe8 29.Re1 Rxe1 30.Bxe1 Kg4 31.Ke3 Kh3 32.f5 Black resigned, ZahariSokolov - LAVAL, standard, FICS, 2015


9...Qh4+ 10.Ke2

The "only" move, this time, is 10.Kd1: CFBBlind - Quandary, FICS, 2001 (1-0, 18); perrypawnpusher - Sir Osis of the Liver, JG3 thematic, ChessWorld.net, 2008 (1-0, 19);  perrypawnpusher - sjeijk, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 19);  ZahariSokolov - GhengusFungus, FICS, 2014 (1-0, 11).

10...Qf2+ 11.Kd3 Qxf3+ 12.Kc4 b5+ 13.Kxb5 Qe2+

A testimony to White's ability to struggle and survive: 13...a6+ 14.Kc4 Nf6? 15.Qxc5+ Ke6 16.Re1 Qxf4 17.d3 Qd6 18.Qxd6+ Kxd6 19.e5+ Kc6 20.exf6 gxf6 21.b3 d5+ 22.Kc3 Bg4 23.Bf4 h5 24.h4 f5 25.d4 Rhe8 26.Rxe8 Rxe8 27.Be5 Rf8 28.Nd2 f4 29.Rf1 f3 30.Rf2 Kb6 31.Kd3 c5 32.c4 dxc4+ 33.bxc4 cxd4 34.Bxd4+ Kc6 35.Ke4 Re8+ 36.Kf4 Rf8+ 37.Kg3 Rd8 38.Bf6 Rd3 39.Nxf3 Bxf3 40.Rxf3 Rxf3+ 41.Kxf3 Kc5 42.a3 Kxc4 43.Kf4 Kd5 44.Kg5 Ke6 45.Bc3 Kf7 46.Kxh5 Kg8 47.Kg6 Kf8 48.h5 Black resigned, gibonacci - jschulte, GameKnot.com, 2007.

A testimony to an early chess computer's terrible addiction to grabbing material: 13...Rb8+ 14.Ka5 Bb4+ 15.Ka4 Qxh1 16.Qe5+ Kc6 17.Qd5+ Kb6 18.Qb5 checkmate,  Young,J - Chess, Computer game, 1979. 

14.d3 Rb8+ 15.Ka5 Bb4+ 16.Ka4 Qxc2+ 17.b3 Qc6+ White resigned

Victory From the Jaws of Defeat

The following game gave me a good laugh. I've included a lot of sidelines, and some decent earlier games (available from The Database). Black (rated almost 400 points higher) plays just fine - until he takes his eye off the ball for one second. That is enough for White to grasp victory from the jaws of defeat.

Philidor1792 - abarmard765
lichess.org, 2014

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qg3 Nf6 9.d3 Be6 

Or 9...Nh5 10.Qf3+ Qf6 11.Nd2 a)11.Qxh5? Qxf2+ 12.Kd1 Qxg2 13.Re1 (a)13.Qh4 Qxh1+ 14.Kd2 Qg2+ 15.Kc3 Qg1 16.Qf4+ Ke8 17.Nd2 Qd4+ 18.Kb3 Qb4 checkmate, chessmanjeff - Gardenz, FICS, 2012) 13...Bg4+ 14.Qxg4 Qxg4+ 15.Kd2 Qf4+ 16.Kc3 Qxh2 17.Bd2 Qe5+ 18.Kb3 a5 19.a4 Bd4 20.Nc3 g6 21.Rf1+ Kg7 22.Rf3 Rhf8 23.Raf1 Rxf3 24.Rxf3 Bxc3 25.Bxc3 Qxc3+ 26.Kxc3 Rf8 27.Rg3 h5 28.b3 Kh6 29.Kd2 g5 30.Ke3 h4 31.Rg1 h3 32.d4 Kh5 33.e5 dxe5 34.dxe5 g4 35.Ke4 h2 36.Rg2 h1B 37.Kd4 Kg5 38.Rg3 b6 39.c4 Rf4+ 40.Ke3 Rf3+ 41.Rxf3 Bxf3 42.e6 Bc6 43.e7 g3 44.e8Q Bxe8 45.Kf3 Kh4 White resigned ZahariSokolov - Jiracek, FICS, 2014; b)11.Qxf6+ Nxf6 12.h3 (b)12.Nc3 c6 13.Na4 Bb4+ 14.Bd2 Bxd2+ 15.Kxd2 Be6 16.f4 b5 17.Nc3 Ke7 18.Rhe1 b4 19.Ne2 c5 20.c4 a5 21.h3 Rhf8 22.a3 b3 23.Rf1 g6 24.Rae1 Nd7 25.g4 Bg8 26.g5 Bf7 27.Kc3 Rab8 28.h4 Nb6 29.Kd2 Kd7 30.Rf2 Be6 31.Ng3 Na4 32.f5 Bxc4 33.dxc4 Nxb2 34.Kc3 Na4+ 35.Kd2 b2 36.Kc2 Nb6 37.Kxb2 Nxc4+ 38.Ka2 a4 39.Rc2 Nxa3 40.Kxa3 Rb3+ 41.Ka2 Rxg3 42.f6 Re8 43.e5 dxe5 44.Rxc5 Kd6 45.Rc4 Rg2+ 46.Ka1 a3 47.Ra4 Rf2 48.Rd1+ Kc5 49.Ra7 h5 50.Re7 Ra8 51.Rxe5+ Kc6 52.Red5 Ra4 53.Rd6+ Kb7 54.R6d4 Rxd4 55.Rxd4 Kc6 56.Rd3 a2 57.Rd8 Kc5 58.Rb8 Kd5 59.Rb6 Ke5 60.Ra6 Kd5 61.Rxa2 Rf1+ 62.Kb2 Rf2+ 63.Kb3 Rf3+ 64.Kb4 Rf4+ 65.Kb5 Kd6 66.Ra6+ Kd7 67.Kc5 Rxh4 68.Ra7+ Ke8 69.Rg7 Rg4 70.Rxg6 Rg1 71.Rg8+ Kf7 72.Rg7+ Ke8 73.g6 Kf8 74.Kd5 h4 75.Ra7 Rxg6 76.Ke6 Kg8 77.Ke7 Kh7 78.f7 Rg7 79.Kf6 Rg6+ 80.Kf5 Black resigned,  destinyx - belgje, GameKnot.com, 2004) 12...d5 13.e5 Nd7 14.f4 Kf7 15.Nc3 Nb6 16.a4 a5 17.Nb5 c6 18.Nc3 Bb4 19.Bd2 Rf8 20.g4 Kg8 21.f5 Nd7 22.e6 Nf6 23.0-0-0 d4 24.Ne4 Nxe4 25.dxe4 Bd6 26.Rde1 Be5 27.g5 b6 28.Rhf1 Ba6 29.Rf3 Bc4 30.c3 c5 31.e7 Rf7 32.f6 gxf6 33.Rg1 Rg7 34.Rg4 fxg5 35.Rf5 Bd6 36.Bxg5 dxc3 37.bxc3 Re8 38.e5 Be6 39.Rf6 Bxe7 40.Rg3 Bxf6 41.exf6 Rg6 42.h4 h6 43.Bf4 Rxg3 44.Bxg3 h5 45.Bc7 c4 46.Bxb6 Ra8 47.Kd2 Kf7 48.Bd4 Bd7 49.Ke3 Bxa4 White resigned, raes - belgje, GameKnot.com, 2004; c)11.Be3?! Qxf3 12.gxf3 Be6 13.Bxc5 dxc5 14.Nc3 Nf4 15.Ne2 Nxe2 16.Kxe2 Ke7 17.f4 g6 18.h4 Rad8 19.h5 Bg4+ White resigned, obviously - belgje, GameKnot.com, 2004; 11...g6 (11...Be6? 12.Qxh5 Qxf2+ 13.Kd1 Qxg2 14.Qf3+ Qxf3+ 15.Nxf3 Bg4 16.Ke2 Ke7 17.Bg5+ Kd7 18.Raf1 Bxf3+ 19.Rxf3 Rhf8 20.Rhf1 Rxf3 21.Rxf3 Rg8 22.c3 h6 23.Bh4 g5 24.Bg3 a6 25.Rf7+ Kc8 26.d4 Ba7 27.Rh7 h5 28.Rxh5 g4 29.Ke3 Black resigned, lamacuk -tomwhufc, GameKnot.com, 2007) 12.0-0 Kg7 13.Qxf6+ Nxf6 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, Philidor1792 - Dayana2006, Chess.com 2015. 

10.c3 Bb6 

Or 10...Qd7 11.Be3 Kf7 12.0-0 Rhf8 13.f4 Bg4 14.Nd2 Bh5 15.d4 Bb6 16.e5 Nd5 17.Ne4 Bg6 18.Ng5+ Kg8 19.Bd2 a6 20.Rae1 dxe5 21.fxe5 c5 22.e6 Qe7 23.Nf3 Bf5 24.Bg5 Qc7 25.e7 Qxg3 26.hxg3 Rfe8 27.Nh4 Bd3 28.Rf3 Black forfeited on time. naffets - pckong, FICS, 2008. 

11.Be3 Bxe3 12.Qxe3 Qd7 13.0-0 Ke7 14.f4 Rhf8 15.f5 Bf7 16.Nd2 Bh5 17.Rae1 Kf7 18.d4 Rae8

19.e5 dxe5 20.dxe5 Qc6 

White has temporarily equalized, as 21.Qg3 would show.

21.Qg5 Qc5+ 22.Kh1 Rxe5 23.Nb3 Qe7 24.Rxe5 Qxe5 25.Nd4 Re8 26.Ne6 Kg8 27.Qxg7 checkmate