Jerome Gambit: A Machine Idea

Besides being used to annotate Jerome Gambit games of interest, computer programs have served as proponents or opponents in Jerome and Jerome-related games. The program below, GriffyJr, has visited this blog on several occasions - for starters, check out "Bots on Our Side" Part 1, Part 2  and Part 3 as well as "Ionman vs the Bots".

In today's game we examine the most recent example of a computer - generated move. There is still a lot of game to play afterward, however.

Petasluk - GriffyJr
5 0 blitz, FICS, 2017

 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 Bd4 

An interesting and somewhat unusual idea. The earliest example of it in The Database was played in 2002 by the computer program BigBook at the online site FICS.

8.Qf5+

Instead, 8.c3 was seen in the oldest and most recent games with the line in The Database: 8...Nd3+ 9.Kd1 (9.Kf1 Nxc1 10.cxd4 a6 11.Qe5+ Kf7 12.Nc3 Nd3 13.Qf5+ Qf6 14.Qxf6+ Nxf6 15.e5 Ne8 16.f5 Nxb2 17.Rb1 Nd3 18.g3 a5 19.a3 b6 20.Ke2 Ba6 21.Ke3 Bc4 22.Nb5 a4 23.Rhc1 Nxc1 24.Rxc1 Bxb5 25.h4 c6 26.g4 d6 27.g5 dxe5 28.dxe5 c5 29.d4 cxd4+ 30.Kxd4 Be2 31.e6+ Ke7 32.Rc6 b5 33.Rb6 Nd6 34.Rc6 Nxf5+ 35.Ke5 Nxh4 36.Rc7+ Kf8 37.e7+ Ke8 38.Ke6 Ng6 39.Rc2 Bf1 40.Rf2 Bd3 White forfeited on time, megagurka - BigBook, FICS, 2002) 9...Nf2+ 10.Ke2 Nf6 11.Qf5+ Kf7 12.cxd4 Nxh1 13.d3 d5 14.e5 Bxf5 White resigned, Petasluk - GriffyJr, FICS, 2017. 

And there was also another computer-with-black game: 8.f5+ Kd6 9.d3 g6 10.Qe2 gxf5 11.c3 Qh4+ 12.g3 Bxc3+ 13.bxc3 Qg4 14.d4 Nf3+ 15.Kf1 Qh3+ 16.Kf2 Nxh2 17.Bf4+ Ke7 18.exf5+ Kf8 19.Nd2 Nh6 20.Bxh6+ Qxh6 21.Kg2 Qg5 22.Rxh2 Qxf5 23.Rf1 d5 24.Rxf5+ Bxf5 25.Qe5 Kf7 26.Rh5 Bd7 27.Qxd5+ Kg6 28.Ne4 Rae8 29.Qg5+ Kf7 30.Qf6+ Kg8 31.Rg5 checkmate, Moller,M - Mephisto, Denmark 2008.

Interestingly, Stockfish 8 suggests 8.fxe5 g6 9.Qg4+ Kf7 10.Qf4+ Kg7 11.c3 Bb6 12.a4 a5 13.d4 d6 14.O-O Qe7 15.exd6 cxd6 16.Na3 Be6 17.Kh1 h6 18.d5 Bd7 19.Nc4 Bc5 20.e5 Rf8 21.Qxf8+ Qxf8 22.Rxf8 Kxf8 23.Bf4 Ne7 with an even game because White's pawns are balancing out Black's extra piece. 

8...Kd6 9.fxe5+ 

A clear improvement over 9.c3 Nd3+ 10.Ke2 Ne7 11.e5+ Nxe5 12.fxe5+ Bxe5 13.Qd3+ Ke6 14.Qc4+ d5 15.Qg4+ Kd6 16.d4 Bxg4+ White resigned, fehim - blik, FICS, 2006. (Yes, blik is a computer.)

9...Bxe5 

If it can't see a reason not to, a computer will grab material. Here GriffyJr shows some nearsightedness. 

10.d4

Yes.

Interestingly, two earlier several-days-per move games (all players human) missed the idea:

10.O-O Qh4 11.h3 Qg3 12.Rf2 Nf6 13.d4 Bxd4 14.Bf4+ Kc6 15.Bxg3 Bxf2+ 16.Bxf2 d6 17.Qa5 Nxe4 18.Qa4+ Kd5 19.Nc3+ Nxc3 20.bxc3 Ke6 21.Re1+ Kf6 22.Qf4+ Kg6 23.Re3 Bf5 24.Rg3+ Kf6 25.Bd4+ Ke6 26.Re3+ Kd7 27.Qxf5+ Kd8 28.Bxg7 Rg8 29.Bf6 checkmate, blackburne - eddie43, Jerome Gambit thematic, ChessWorld.net, 2008; and

10.c3 Nh6 11.Qf3 c5 12.Qd3+ Kc7 13.Na3 a6 14.Nc4 d6 15.Rb1 Qh4+ 16.g3 Qh3 17.Nxe5 dxe5 18.Qe3 b6 19.b4 Rf8 20.bxc5 b5 21.Ba3 Ng4 22.Qg5 Rf7 23.Qh4 Qg2 24.Qxg4 Bxg4 White resigned, Gary_Seven - drewbear, JG3 thematic, ChessWorld.net 2008. 

10...Qh4+

GriffyJr decides to mix it up.

11.Kf1 Qf6 

Yikes. Instead, GriffyJr gets mixed up. I have no idea how or why. Much better was 11...Kc6.

12.dxe5+ Qxe5 13.Qxe5+ 

Oh, dear. The crusher was, of course, 13.Bf4 winning Black's Queen. These things happen in blitz games.

13...Kxe5 

Even game.

14.Nc3 Nf6 15.g3 Nxe4 16.Bf4+ Kf5 17.Nxe4 Kxe4 18.Re1+ Kf5 19.Kg2 b6 20.Rhf1 Bb7+ 21.Kh3 Ba6 22.Rf2 c6 

Play continues in a Queenless middlegame, about balanced, despite White's pawn minus (because of his activity).

23.Be5+ Kg6 24.Rd2 d5 25.Rd4 Bc8+ 26.Kg2 Bf5 27.h3 Rhe8 

By focusing on development Black has pulled ahead. Still, if White can exchange Rooks, the possibility of a drawn bishops-of-opposite-color endgames is there.

Unfortunately, the computer can move lightning fast, while the human actually has to think - a disadvantage in blitz. White makes a tactical slip.

28.g4 Bxc2 29.h4 Be4+ 30.Kg3 Rxe5 White resigned

Jerome Gambit: Theory and Practice (Part 4)

In the following game, White confidently and patiently makes his way through the opening and middlegame, indifferent to his opponent's attempts to simplify - and, later, to look for dynamic chances. The endgame win is there; he just has to keep strolling until he gets there.

Vlastous - Daboa 1799
ChessManiac.com, 2016

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 Qf6 

8.Rf1 g6 9.Qh3+ Ke7 10.fxe5 Qxe5 11.Qf3 Nf6 12.Nc3 c6 

White's play was inexact after 12...Bd4 in Gary_Seven - Kevin the fruitbat, JG3 thematic, ChessWorld.net, 2008:  13.d3 Bxc3+ 14. Bd2 Bxb2 15. Rb1 Bc3 16. Bxc3 Qxc3+ 17. Kd1 d6 18. h3 Bd7 19. g4 Rhf8 20. d4 Qxf3+ 21. Rxf3 Nxe4 22. Rxf8 Rxf8 23. Rxb7 Bb5 24. Rxc7+ Kd8 25. Rxa7 Rf1 checkmate.

What happens next in the text is that Queens are exchanged and the sacrificed piece is returned for a couple of pawns, giving Black a small advantage. The game is not over at all, however.

13.Ne2 Rf8 14.d4 Bxd4 15.Bf4 Qxe4 16.Qxe4+ Nxe4 17.Nxd4 d5 

18.O-O-O Bg4 19.Rde1 Kd7 20.h3 Bf5 21.Bh6 Rf7 22.Nf3 Re8 23.g4 b6 

An odd choice by Black. He will have two pawns for his piece, a typical Jerome Gambit situation for White. Perhaps it was a slip, perhaps he saw that situation as more dynamic that a possible Bishops-of-opposite-colors endgame.

24.gxf5 Rxf5 25.Nd2 Ng3 26.Rxe8 Kxe8 27.Rxf5 Nxf5 28.Bf4 h5 

Black's extra pawns are more targets than attacking units, as White begins to show.

29.Nf3 Ke7 30.Ne5 Kf6 31.Nxc6 g5 32.Bc7 g4 33.hxg4 hxg4 34.Nxa7 g3 35.Nb5 Kg5 36.Bxb6 Kg4 

37.a4 g2 38.Bg1 Kg3 39.a5 Nh4 40.Nd4 Kf4 41.a6 Nf3 42.Nxf3 Black resigned

MultiTasking

It is quite possible that some Readers are superior MultiTaskers, capable of doing several things at once, each of them capably. My suggestion is, however, if you are playing a game of chess against Bill Wall, it would be a good idea to give it your complete attention, even if he is playing the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) against you. Otherwise, you could wind up having to explain a few things...

Wall,B - Tanha
blitz 10 0 Chess.com, 2011

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

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

7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 c6  

I was astonished to find only one game in The Database with this position, perrypawnpusher - Gary_Seven, JG3 Thematic Chess.World, 2008 (1-0, 35).

9.0-0 Nf6 10.e5 Ne4

KnightShade to place in the third race at Pimlico...

Black starts horsing around. It does not lose the game, but it does forfeit whatever advantage he had.

11.Qe3 Ng5 12.f4 Nf7 13.f5 Nh4

Okay, this will give White the advantage.

14.g3 Nxf5 15.Rxf5 Qb6 16.d4 g6 17.Rf6 Kd8?

What? A new fender is going to cost how much??

18.Rxf7 Kc7 19.e6 Qb4 20.Qe5+ Kb6 21.Bd2 Qxb2??

Our Anniversary is today??

22.Qa5 checkmate

On the other hand, maybe Tanha was paying attention, maybe he was just having a bad day...

Could Not Happen, Right? (Part 2)

Not too long ago I received an email from Stipe Drinovac who had noticed (from a post at Chessgames.com) that I was interested in Jerome Gambit games.  He sent me a game that he had played last year at a club event. My eyes popped.

Drinovac - NN
club game, 2010

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

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

7.f4 Qf6 8.Rf1

I found only a couple dozen games in The Database with this move (White scored 54%), but the players were impressive: Jerome Gambit Gemeinde members mrjoker, Petasluk and Gary_Seven, as well as paladins Fritz 5.32, Fritz 8, Junior 7 and Zappa 1.1.

8...Nh6 9. Nc3 d6

10.Nd5 Qd8


And, just like that, White is winning, according to Rybka, which preferred the offer to exchange Queens with 10...Qf7.

11.d4 Bxd4 12. fxe5 dxe5

13.Bg5 Qg8 14.c3 Bb6 15.Nxb6 axb6

16.Qh3+ Kd6 17.Qd3+ Kc6 18.Rf8

If Black had not realized until this point that he was doomed, this probably delivered the message.

18..Qe6 19.Rxh8 b5 20.a4 bxa4 21.Re8

Another deflecting sacrifice, offering the Rook a second time.

21.Qxe8

Drinking the poison. Declining with something like 21...Qb3 left Black down the exchange, with his King still in danger. Rybka likes 22.Bd8, putting pressure on c7 and planning to sacrifice White's Bishop there, if nessary, as a response. 

22.Qc4+ Kd6 23.O-O-O checkmate

Q.E.D.

Jerome Gambit Tournament: Chapter XVIII

Here is my last game of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) thematic tournament – and a good thing, too.

I was very lucky in this game, getting away with playing "routine" moves – several of which could have been punished, if my opponent had been a bit less "routine" himself.

Still, as noted in "Overrated!" the win here gave me a final score of 16 - 2, and first place in the tournament by three points.

brain50 - perrypawnpusher
JG3 thematic www.chessworld.net, 2008

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.d4


As noted elsewhere ("Jerome Gambit Tournament: Chapter XV"), brain50's main line for the tournament.

5...exd4


5...Nxd4 6.Nxe5+ Kf8 7.Nc3 d6 8.Nc4 Qf6 9.0–0 Be6 10.e5 dxe5 11.Ne4 Qe7 12.h3 h6 13.Be3 Bxc4 14.Nxc5 Bxf1 15.Qxf1 Qxc5 16.Kh1 Qd6 White lost on time, brain50 - Kevin the fruitbat, JG3 thematic www.chessworld.net 2008

5...Bxd4 6.Nxd4 Nxd4 7.Qh5+ Kf8 8.Na3 d6 9.c3 Nf6 10.Qg5 Ne6 11.Nc4 Nxg5 12.Bxg5 h6 13.Be3 Nxe4 14.0–0 g5 15.h3 Be6 16.Na3 Ke7 17.Nb5 a6 18.f3 Ng3 19.Na3 Kd7 20.Rfd1 Qe7 21.Bc5 b6 22.Bf2 Ne2+ White resigned, brain50 - blackburne/JG3 thematic www.chessworld.net 2008

6.0-0

6.c3 Qe7 7.0–0 Ne5 8.Ng5+ Ke8 9.Qh5+ g6 10.Qh4 d6 11.f4 dxc3+ 12.Kh1 h6 13.fxe5 dxe5 14.Rf7 Qd6 15.Nxc3 Bb4 16.a3 Bxc3 White lost on time, brain50 - Temmo, JG3 thematic www.chessworld.net 2008

6...d6

6...Nge7 7.Ng5+ Kg8 8.Qh5 g6 9.Qf3 Ne5 10.Qf4 d6 11.Nd2 Kg7 12.Ndf3 Rf8 13.Qh4 h6 14.Nh3 Nxf3+ 15.gxf3 h5 16.Qg5 Bxh3 17.Qh6+ Kg8 18.Re1 Rf7 19.Qd2 d5 20.e5 Nc6 21.e6 Rxf3 22.Qh6 Qf6 23.Bg5 Qf5 24.Bh4 d3 25.Be7 Qg4+ 26.Kh1 Qg2 checkmate, brain50 - Sir Osis of the Liverm JG3 thematic www.chessworld.net 2008

6...d5 7.Ng5+ Kf8 8.Qf3+ Nf6 9.exd5 Qxd5 10.Ne4 Qxe4 11.Qb3 b6 12.Bg5 Bb7 13.Nd2 Qg4 14.Bxf6 gxf6 15.Qf3 Rg8 16.Qxf6+ Ke8 17.Rfe1+ Ne7 18.Kf1 Bxg2+ 19.Kg1 Bf3+ 20.Kf1 Qg2 checkmate,Temmo - Kevin the fruitbat, JG3 thematic www.chessworld.net 2008

7.Nbd2


7.Bf4 Ke8 8.c3 dxc3 9.Nxc3 Be6 10.h3 Nf6 11.g4 h6 12.Kg2 Qe7 13.Na4 Rd8 14.Nxc5 Bc8 15.Nd4 Nxd4 16.Qxd4 dxc5 17.Qa4+ c6 18.Rae1 Kf7 19.e5 Nd5 20.Bg3 Nb6 21.e6+ Bxe6 22.Qf4+ Qf6 23.Qc7+ Qe7 24.Kh2 Qxc7 25.Bxc7 Rd2 26.Kg1 Rxb2 27.Bd6 Rxa2 28.Kg2 Bd5+ 29.Kg3 c4 30.Re7+ Kg6 31.h4 Ra3+ 32.f3 Ra2 33.h5+ Kf6 34.Rxb7 Re8 35.Bf4 Re7 36.Be3 Rxb7 37.g5+ hxg5 White resigned, brain50 - Gary_Seven,JG3 thematic www.chessworld.net 2008

7.Re1 Nf6 8.Ng5+ Kf8 9.e5 dxe5 10.c3 d3 11.Bd2 Bg4 12.Qb3 Qd7 13.Na3 h6 14.h3 hxg5 15.hxg4 Nxg4 16.Rf1 Qf5 17.Rae1 Nxf2 18.g3 Rh1+ 19.Kg2 Qh3+ 20.Kf3 g4 White resigned, brain50 - hogmaster, JG3 thematic www.chessworld.net 2008

Rybka suggests 7.c3 dxc3 8.Nxc3 with an advantage to Black.

7...Nf6 TN

Black is a piece up, his King will soon be castled-by-hand, and a nice, calm game would suit me fine.
7...Bg4 8.Re1 Ne5 9.h3 Nxf3+ 10.Nxf3 Be6 11.Ng5+ Ke7 12.e5 d5 13.Kh1 h6 14.Qh5 Qe8 15.Qh4 Kd7 16.Nf3 Ne7 17.Bf4 g5 18.Bxg5 hxg5 White lost on time. brain50 - drewbear, JG3 thematic www.chessworld.net 2008

8.Nc4 Re8 9.Qe2 Rxe4

This capture is a blunder and should drop a Rook: the proper move is 9...Nxe4
10.Qd3

Simply 10.Ng5+ followed by 11.Nxe4 puts White back into the game.
10...Kg8 11.Bg5 Re8 12.Rae1 Bd7

White is better developed, but with nothing going on, Black has a chance to catch up -- and he does have that extra piece.

13.Rxe8+ Bxe8 14.Re1 Bf7 15.Bxf6 Qxf6 16.h3 Re8 17.Rxe8+ Bxe8



18.Kh2 Ne5

Again, throwing away a piece. Developing with the simple 18...Bg6 was better.

19.Nfxe5
Unfortunately capturing with the wrong Knight. 19.Ncxe5 Kf8 (19...dxe5 20.Qc4+ Bf7 21.Qxc5) 20.Nc4 left Black with only a small advantage.
19...dxe5 20.a3 e4 21.Qxe4 Bc6 22.Qg4 Qxf2 23.Ne5 Bd6

24.Qc8+ Qf8 25.Qxf8+
Trading Queens is the equivalent of resigning, although after the better 25.Qe6+, protecting the pinned Knight, Black still is losing.
25...Kxf8 White resigns.

Jerome Gambit Tournament: Chapter XII

Once more, the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), once more the Black pieces -- once more a victory for the second player.


Kevin the fruitbat - perrypawnpusher JG3 thematic www.chessworld.net, 2008
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.c3


This move was played by Plejade (see "Les Femmes des Echecs...& the Jerome Gambit") at ChessWorld a couple of times in 2003. It has also been played by viejoasquerosos at redhotpawn.com, who has always been willing to sac his Bishop at f7 (or f2) almost as soon as the opportunity arrives, regardless of the opening.
5...Nf6

A couple of alternatives were played in Kevin's other games in the tournament:
5...d6 6.d4 exd4 7.cxd4 Bb4+ 8.Nc3 Bg4 9.h3 Bh5 10.0-0 Nf6 11.Qd3 Re8 12.Re1 Kg8 13.Bg5 Bxf3 14.Qxf3 Rf8 15.Qg3 Nxd4 16.Rac1 c6 17.e5 dxe5 18.Bh6 Nh5 19.Qg4 Qe8 20.Be3 Bc5 21.Na4 b6 22.Nxc5 bxc5 23.Rxc5 Qf7 24.b3 Nf5 25.Qe4 Nxe3 26.Qxe3 Nf4 27.Rxe5 Qg6 28.g4 Nd3 29.Re6 Qf7 30.Qxd3 Qxf2+ 31.Kh1 Rf3 32.Re8+ Rxe8 33.Qc4+ Kf8 34.Rxe8+ Kxe8 35.Qxc6+ Kf8 36.Qd6+ 0-1 Kevin the fruitbat - Sir Osis of the Liver, JG3 thematic, www.chessworld.net 20085...Qf6 6.0-0 Nge7 7.b4 Bb6 8.d3 h6 9.Qe1 d6 10.b5 Nd8 11.c4 Ng6 12.Be3 Rf8 13.a4 Nf4 14.Qd2 Qg6 15.Nh4 Qg5 16.Nf5 Qxg2# 0-1 Kevin the fruitbat - Temmo, JG3 thematic, www.chessworld.net 2008
6.Qb3+

Or 6.d4 exd4 7.Qb3+ Kf8 8.Ng5 Qe7 9.f3 h6 10.Nh3 d5 11.Nf2 dxe4 12.fxe4 Nxe4 13.Rf1 Ng3+ 14.Kd1 Qe2# 0-1 Kevin the fruitbat - drewbear, JG3 thematic www.chessworld.net 2008

6...d5 7.d3

Gary_Seven played 7.exd5 in our game -- see."Jerome Gambit Tournament: Chapter VI".
7...Bb6 8.Nbd2 Rf8 9.h3 Kg8

10.c4 dxc4 11.Qxc4+ Kh8 12.Nb3 Be6
An interesting move, made doubly so by the fact that I had overlooked that the Bishop was unprotected.

13.Qxe6

The piece turns out to be poisoned
13...Qxd3 14.Nxe5

14...Qxe4+

Blandly looking for the peace and quiet of the endgame, but missing the mate: 14...Bxf2+ 15.Kxf2 Ng4+ 16.Ke1 Qxe4+ 17.Kd1 Nf2+ 18.Kd2 Rad8+ 19.Qd5 Rxd5+ 20.Nd4 Rxd4+ 21.Kc3 Rc4+ 22.Kb3 Qc2+ 23.Ka3 Ra4, which shouldn't have been too hard to find.

15.Be3 Qxe5 16.Qxe5 Nxe5 17.0-0 Bxe3 18.fxe3 Nc4

There is not a lot of excitement in the rest of the game, only a relentless march toward a simpler and more "won" piece-up endgame for Black.

19.Rfc1 Nxe3 20.Rxc7 Rab8 21.Re1 Ned5 22.Rc5 Rfc8 23.Ra5 a6 24.Re5 Nb4 25.Nd4 Nc6 26.Nf5 Nxe5 27.Rxe5 Re8 28.Rc5 Rbc8 29.Rxc8 Rxc8 30.Nd6 Rc7 31.Kh2 Kg8 32.Kg3 Kf8 33.Kf3 Ke7 34.Nf5+ Ke6 35.Nd4+ Ke5 36.Ke3Nd5+ 37.Kd3 Nb4+ 38.Ke3 Nxa2 39.Nf3+ Kf6 0-1

Overrated!

Well, it's offical: all the games of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) Tournament that I was participating in at ChessWorld.net have been completed.

While I will continue to bring you my struggles, one-by-one, in more of the "Jerome Gambit Tournament: Chapter Whatever" posts I thought I would tip my hand by sharing the fact that I scored 16-2-0, meeting my goal of going 9-0-0 against the Jerome Gambit, while racking up a defensible 7-2-0 record with the Gambit.

That result was good enough for first place, although because of my ridiculously over-inflated rating, I lost over 100 rating points with it.

Still, I finished three points ahead of Temmo, at 13-5-0.

Following quickly were Kevin the fruitbat with 12-6-0, Sir Osis of the Liver with 11-6-1, Hogmaster with 10-6-2 and Blackburne with 10-7-1.

Hogmaster had the second-best score with White with the Jerome Gambit: 6-3-0.

Temmo and Sir Osis of the Liver were equally cruel with Black to the Jerome Gambit, scoring 8-1-0 against it.

The field finished with drewbear at 8-10-0, Gary_Seven at 5-13-0, brain50 at 3-15-0 and Capt.Mandrake at 0-18-0.

Jerome Gambit Tournament: Chapter VII

Ok, here we go again.

Playing the White side of the Jerome Gambit.

So far I have a disastrous loss thanks to introducing a "Theoretical Lemon" and a fortunate win when my opponent overplayed a drawn position – both games from the same home analysis.

Then there's that 9-move win on time.

Stand back, everyone!
perrypawnpusher - Gary_Seven
JG3 thematic www.chessworld.net, 2008

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 c6 TN



Much more often played is 8...d6, bumping the White Queen back to e3.

9.Nc3 N8e7 10.0-0 d6 11.Qh5 Qc7


Things are already getting screwy for Black – Rybka recommends instead 11...Qb6 12.d3 Ng8 13.Qg5 Nf6 followed by 14.Qg3 Qc7 and castling-by-hand 15.Be3 Kf7 16.f4 Re8 17.Rae1 Kg8 after which the second player has an edge.

12.f4 Qb6+ 13.Kh1 Kd8 14.d4 Qxd4 15.Rd1 Qf2 16.f5

16...Nf4

Now might have been a good time, instead, to return the piece for two pawns, and an even game, with 16...Bxf5.

17.Rxd6+

I thought this was a pretty good move, as did my opponent, apparently. Later, my computer called it "a weak move, throwing away the advantage."

17...Bd7

This was, according to the computer "a weak move, ruining a winning position" preferring 17...Kc7. Don't you just hate Know-It-Alls?

With the balance of power tipped however, Black's game rolls quickly downhill.
18.Bxf4 Qxf4 19.Rad1 Kc7 20.Rxd7+ Kb6 21.Rxe7 Qf2 22.Qe2 Qxe2 23.Nxe2 Rhg8 24.Rdd7 Rab8 25.Rxg7 Rge8 26.Rge7 Rg8 27.Rxh7 Rge8 28.Rhe7 Rxe7 29.Rxe7 Rd8 30.f6 Rd1+ 31.Ng1 Rd2 32.f7 Rxc2 33.f8Q Rxb2 34.Rxb7+ Kxb7 35.Qg7+ 1-0

Clip art © by Tony Martin