Philidor1792 recently shared the following game, where his quest to play a sort of reversed Jerome Gambit led him to a situation where he faced a piece sacrifice and he had to deal with the onslaught of some very uncomfortable "Jerome-like pawns". It took a while to win this one.
hitorkoal - Philidor1792
Chess.com, 2015
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Bc5
An old line, going back at least as far as Salvio's analysis in Il Puttino, altramente detto, il Cavaliero Errante, del Salvio, sopra el gioco de Scacchi, (1604), it is currently referred to as the Busch-Gass Gambit ( See "Worth A Second Look" Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3; as well as "Busch-Gass Gambit").
3.Nxe5 Nc6
Chiodini's Gambit. Chessville.com had a good article by Clyde Nakamura on the line. (Chessville is no longer functioning, but I was able to use the WayBackMachine to recover the article; the link should be good.)
4.Nxf7
Interestingly, Nakamura in his article on Chiodini's Gambit quotes analysis by Stefano Vezzani, an email friend of his, which gives this move a "??" and refers to it as "a common mistake".
4...Qf6
A light-hearted alternative: 4...Qh4 5.Bc4 Qxf2 checkmate, Nguyen Bao Do - Dich Tai Khuu, VIE-ch, U07, 2014.
5.Qe2
Or 5.d4 Bxd4 6.Be3 Bxe3 7.fxe3 Qxf7 8.Nc3 Nf6 9.Bd3 0-0 10.0-0 d6 11.Nd5 Ne5 12.Qe1 Be6 13.Nxf6+ gxf6 14.Be2 Kh8 15.Qh4 Qg6 16.Rf4 Qg5 17.Qf2 Ng6 18.h4 Qe5 19.Rf3 Bg4 20.Rf4 Bxe2 21.Rf5 Qxe4 22.Rxf6 Bg4 23.Rf1 Kg7 24.h5 Bxh5 White resigned, Ake - Evilonek, ICC, 1998.
5...Qxf7 6.c3
Here we have reached the end of Vezzani's analysis of the sub-variation, a position he evaluates as a winning advantage for Black ("-+").
Houdini 3 considers it simply advantageous for Black (by about a pawn).
As we will see - and as many have seen while facing "Jerome pawns", things are still not easy.
6...Nf6
From a strategic point of view, Houdini suggests retreating the Bishop to the Kingside with 6...Be7.
7.d4 Bb6 8.g3 0-0 9.Bg2 d5 10.e5 Ne8
Instead, Houdini suggests the cold-blooded madness of 10...Nxe5!? 11.dxe5 Ng4 12.f4 Bf2+ 13.Kf1 Bb6 14.Na3 Bf5 but I am not sure how appealing that is to human players.
11.0-0 Be6 12.f4 g6 13.Nd2 Qd7 14.Nf3 Bg4 15.Qe3 Ng7 16.Ng5 h6 17.Nf3 Bh3
18.Nh4 Bxg2 19.Kxg2 Nf5 20.Nxf5 Qxf5 21.Bd2 Ne7 22.Rac1 Rac8 23.h3 h5 24.Qf3 c5
25.g4 hxg4 26.hxg4 Qe4 27.Qxe4 dxe4 28.dxc5 Bxc5 29.Rce1 Rcd8 30.Bc1 e3 31.Bxe3 Bxe3 32.Rxe3 Rd2+ 33.Rf2 Rxf2+ 34.Kxf2 Rxf4+ 35.Kg3 Ra4
36.a3 Ra5 37.c4 Rc5 38.Re4 Kf7 39.b4 Rc6 40.Kf4 Ke6 41.Ke3 Ra6 42.Kd4 Rxa3 43.Rf4 Nc6+ 44.Ke4 Nxe5 45.g5 Nd7
With patience, Black has captured a couple of pawns.
46.Kd4 Rg3 47.Re4+ Kd6 48.c5+ Kc7 49.b5 Rxg5 50.c6 bxc6 51.bxc6 Kxc6 52.Re6+ Kc7 53.Ra6 Kb7 54.Ra3 a5
55.Ke4 Kb6 56.Rb3+ Rb5 57.Ra3 a4 58.Kf4 Ka5 59.Ra1 Nc5 60.Rg1 Rb6 61.Ke5 a3 62.Kd4 a2 63.Kxc5 Rb1 64.Rxg6 Rc1+ 65.Kd4 a1Q+ 66.Kd3 Qb1+ 67.Kd2 Qxg6 68.Kxc1 Qg2 69.Kd1 Kb4 70.Ke1 Kc3 71.Kd1 Qf1 checkmate
I enjoy playing over ZahariSokolov's games because so many of them go right to critical or interesting positions in the Jerome Gambit, allowing him (and us) to experience the excitement of battle, with all of its ups and downs.
ZahariSokolov - Yrusia
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
8...Nc4
Bypassing the solid and good 8...Qf6 and the wild and good 8...Qh5+. It is helpful for the Jerome Gambit player to have enough knowledge about the opening to know that Black's move calls for "punishment".
9.Qd5+ Ke7 10.Qxc4
The text is good enough for an equal position. The other capture, according to The Database, works out better:
10.Qxc5+ Nd6 (10...Kf7 11.Qxc4+ Kf8 12.d4 d6 13.O-O Nf6 14.Nc3 Qe7 15.e5 dxe5 16.fxe5 Be6 17.d5 Bg4 18.Bg5 h6 19.exf6 Black resigned, Petasluk - Comi, FICS, 2006) 11.e5 Nf6 (11...b6 12. exd6+ cxd6 13.Qe3+ Kf8 14.O-O Bb7 15.g3 Nf6 16.Qe2 Kf7 17.Nc3 Re8 18.Qf2 Ng4 19.Qd4 h5 20.Qxd6 h4 21.d3 hxg3 22.hxg3 Re6 23.Qd4 Rh6 24.f5 Rh1 checkmate, UNPREDICTABLE - ennuitois, blitz, FICS, 2009) 12.O-O Qg8 13.Nc3 g5 14.exf6+ Kxf6 15.fxg5+ Kg7 16.Qe5+ Kg6 17.Qf6+ Kh5 18.Qh6+ Kg4 19.h3+ Kg3 20.Ne2 checkmate, Kennedy - Chess Challenger 7, 2008.
10...d6
11.f5
Instead, 11.d4 led to another adventure: 11...Be6 12.Qd3 Bb6 13.f5 Bf7 14.c3 Kd7 15.Nd2 Qh4+ 16.g3 Qg4 17.Qf3 Qxf3 18.Nxf3 Nf6 19.Nd2 Rae8 20.O-O Nxe4 21.Nxe4 Rxe4 22.Bf4 Rhe8 23.Rf2 Re2 24.Rb1 Rxf2 25.Kxf2 Bc4 26.Be3 c5 27.b3 Bd3 28.Rd1 Bxf5 29.dxc5 Bc7 30.cxd6 Bxd6 31.Bxa7 Kc6 32.Be3 Bc5 33.Bxc5 Kxc5 34.Rd2 Rf8 35.Ke3 Bg6 36.c4 Re8+ 37.Kf4 Kc6 38.Kf3 Re6 39.Kf2 Rd6 40.Rb2 Rd3 41.b4 b5 42.c5 Bf7 43.Ke2 Ra3 44.Kf2 Rxa2 45.Rxa2 Bxa2 46.Ke3 Kd5 47.Kd3 g6 48.Kc3 Bc4 49.Kd2 g5 50.Ke3 Ke5 51.h3 Be6 52.h4 gxh4 53.gxh4 Kf5 54.Kd4 Kg4 55.Ke5 Bf5 56.c6 Black forfeited on time, UNPREDICTABLE - LucioF, FICS 2010
11...Nf6 12.d3
A center pawn push is probably premature, although it leads to interesting play, something like Houdini vs Nimzovich: 12.e5!? Re8! 13.d4 (13.exf6+?! Kf8+ 14.Kd1 Qxf6 advantage to Black; or 13.e6 b5!? 14.Qe2 [14.Qxb5 g6!? 15.c3 gxf5 16.d4 Bb6 17.Qxf5 Bxe6 18.Qd3 advantage to Black] 14... g6!? advantage to Black) 13...b5!? 14.Qc3 Kf8 15.O-O Bb6 16.e6!? (16.exf6 Qxf6 advantage to Black) 16...Bb7 17.a4 bxa4 18.Rxa4 c5 19.d5 c4+ 20.Kh1 Rc8 21.Bg5 Bxd5 22.Qd2 Bc6 23.Ra3 Kg8 24.Qe2 d5 25.Nd2 Bc5 26.Rh3 Rb8 27.Qe5 Qe7 advantage to Black
12...Bd7 13.Nc3
Again, 13.e5!? Re8 14.d4 Kf8 15.e6 b5!? edge to Black
13...Bc6
Black has the extra piece and better development, although with an exposed King. White has the "Jerome pawn" wall, maintains rough equality.
14.Nd5+
Forcing the issue, while 14.d4!? would keep things equal.
From here on out, inaccuracies control the outcome of the game.
14...Kd7
Instead, 14...Bxd5 15.exd5 Re8! planning to castle-by-hand and attack, was the way to go.
15.Nb4
Probably 15.Nf4 intending 16.Ne6 was better. Of course, that is easier to see from the sidelines.
15...Ng4
Planning a Kingside attack, but overlooking something.
16.Qe6 checkmate
Sometimes when I am playing the Jerome Gambit I think I should take Nike's advice and "Just Do It!"... Over-thinking something has its problems. In the following game, by the time I figured out what I was supposed to remember, the game had wandered off.
perrypawnpusher - catmandu
blitz, FICS, 2014
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+
the Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.
5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 Nf3+
A sharp and realatively unknown idea - this game is only the 10th example in The Database. It seemed familiar to me, though - and it actually was. I had responded with 8.gxf3 four years ago in perrypawnpusher - wertu, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 20).
8.Qxf3
During the game against catmandu, however, I thought I remembered perrypawnpusher - AirmanLeonidas, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 18), where, in my annotations, I had suggested that capturing with the Queen was better.
This was not entirely correct: against AirmanLeonidas I was playing the Semi-Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit - with 0-0 and ...h6 added to the current position - so that certain lines were playable then, but not now.
8...Bxd4
At this point I realized that 9.e5 would not work (it hadn't worked in stretto - NoWar, FICS, 2007 [0-1, 28] or yorgos - ANDGREG, FICS, 2009 [0-1, 51] either, I learned later); and that the idea starting with 9.Nb5 followed by 10.Qb3+, as in my game against AirmanLeonidas, would stumble upon the fact that my King in this game was still on the e-file.
I could have made more of a game of it with 9.Ne2 Be5 10.Qd3 c6 11.f4 Bc7 but of course Black would still be better.
Without any particular idea in mind, I just started "making moves".
9.Bg5 Rf8 10.0-0
After the game Houdini suggested the move complicated (hence, giving me more chances) 10.Ne2 Bxb2 11.Qb3+ Kg6 12.h4 h6 13.Nf4+ Kh7 14.Qxb2 Qe8 15.0-0-0 Qxe4 16.g3 Qc4 17.Bxf6 Rxf6 with Black still for choice.
10...Kg8
Black has castled-by-hand, and compensation for White's piece sacrifice is insufficient.
11.Nd5 Nxd5
One last oversight.
12.Qb3 Qxg5 White resigned
Next time, instead of trying to do all that remembering, I'll just focus on playing the game.
In an early article on the Jerome Gambit in the July 1874 issue of The Dubuque Chess Journal, it was noted
It should be
understood that Mr. Jerome claims in this New Opening "only a pleasant
variation of the Giuoco Piano, which may win or lose according to the skill
of the players, but which is capable of affording many new positions and
opportunities for heavy blows unexpectedly."
The same can be said for the Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit, as the following game illustrates. White triumphs in a blitz game - but, afterwards, as he played the game over, he must have smiled at a few of the missed "heavy blows".
TrippL - boggus
blitz, FICS, 2012
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 4.Bxf7+
The Database has 18 Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit games by TrippL, with White scoring 58%. (That's above the average of 56%
for all 4,454 BSJG games in The Database.)
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6 6.c3
TrippL has played 2 games with 6.Qh5 against the same opponent: 6...Nf6 (6...Nxc2+ 7.Kd1 Nxa1 8.Qf5+ Ke7 9.Qf7+ Kd6 10.Qd5+ Ke7 11.Qf7+ Kd6 12.Qd5+ Ke7, drawn, TrippL - boggus, FICS, 2008) 7.Qf7+ Kd6 8.Nc4+ Kc6 9.Nba3 Qe7 10.Qxe7 Bxe7 11.c3 Bxa3 12.cxd4 Be7 13.d5+ Nxd5 14.exd5+ Kxd5 15.Ne3+ Kc6 16.0-0 d6 17.b3 Bf6 18.Rb1 Be6 19.Re1 Rae8 20.Nc4 Bf5 21.Rxe8 Rxe8 22.Na5+ Kd7 White resigned, TrippL - boggus, FICS, 2013.
He has also played 6.f4 against boggus: 6...h5 7.c3 Nc6 8.Qb3+ Kd6 9.Nf7+ Ke7 10.Nxd8 Nxd8 11.d4 d6 12.f5 Nf6 13.h3 Ke8 14.Nd2 Be7 15.Qc2 Nc6 16.Nf3 Bd7 17.Bg5 a6 18.0-0-0 Kd8 19.e5 dxe5 20.dxe5 Black resigned, TrippL - boggus, FICS, 2012.
6...Kxe5
This is the strongest continuation, although the two players have tried
6...Nc6 7.Qh5 Nxe5 8.d4 Nd3+ 9.Kd2 Nxc1 10.d5+ Kd6 11.Kxc1 h6 12.Na3 Qg5+ 13.Qxg5 hxg5 14.Nc4+ Ke7 15.Kc2 d6 16.f3 Nf6 17.h3 Nd7 18.Rae1 b5 19.Na5 Ne5 20.Rhf1 Bd7 21.f4 Nf7 22.f5 Ne5 23.Nb3 a5 24.Nd4 c5 25.Nb3 a4 26.Nd2 Kd8 27.a3 Kc7 28.Nf3 Nxf3 29.Rxf3 Be7 30.g4 Bf6 31.Rd3 Rh7 32.Rde3 Rah8 33.Rh1 Be5 34.Kd2 Bf4 White resigned, TrippL - boggus, FICS, 2008; and
6...Qg5 7.cxd4 Qxg2 8.Qf3 Qxf3 9.Nxf3 Nf6 10.d3 h6 11.Nc3 c6 12.Be3 d5 13.e5 Ng4 14.Bf4 g5 15.Bg3 h5 16.h3 Nh6 17.Nxg5+ Kf5 18.h4 Be7 19.Nf3 Bb4 20.Kd2 Kg4 21.Ng5 Rf8 22.f3+ Kxg3 23.Rag1+ Kf4 24.Kc2 Bxc3 25.bxc3 Nf5 26.Rb1 Nxh4 27.Rxh4+ Kxg5 28.Rbh1 Rh8 29.Rg4+ hxg4 30.Rxh8 gxf3 31.Rg8+ Kf4 32.Kd1 Ke3 33.Ke1 Kxd3 34.Kf2 Kxc3 35.Rf8 Kxd4 36.e6 Bxe6 37.Rxa8 Bg4 38.Rxa7 b5 39.Rc7 Kc5 40.Rb7 Bh5 41.Rh7 Bg6 42.Rh6 Be4 43.Ke3 Kb4 44.Rf6 c5 45.Rb6 c4 46.Ra6 Kc5 47.Ra8 b4 48.a4 bxa3 49.Rc8+ Kb4 50.Ra8 Kb3 51.Ra5 a2 52.Rb5+ Kc3 53.Ra5 Kb2 54.Rxa2+ Black forfeited on time, TrippL - boggus, FICS, 2009.
7.cxd4+ Kxd4 8.Nc3 Qg5
White's 8th move was mentioned in the last post, "Caught Out".
Black's 8th move (thematic in the Blackburne Shilling Gambit) has already been scolded a number of years ago in "Gorilla Chess".
9.Qb3
This wins. Even better 9.Qa4+ Ke5 10.f4+ (or 9...Kc5 10.d4) as Black will lose his Queen. Check it out, play a few variations.
9...c6 10.d3 Qxg2
Deadly - but for the wrong side.
11.Be3+
This is good, but who could resist the double Rook sacrifice: 11.Bf4 Qxh1+ 12.Kd2 Qxa1 13.Qc4# ? Resisting the second Rook requires Black to sacrifice his Queen - and he will still be checkmated.
11...Ke5 12.f4+
Instead, 12.Qf7 would box the enemy king in, e.g. 12...Qxh1+ 13.Ke2 Qxh2 (13...Qxa1 14.Bf4+ Kd4 15.Qc4#)14.Nb5 Nf6 15.Bd4+ Kf4 16.Bxf6 gxf6 17.Qxf6+ Kg4 18.Qf5+ Kh4 19.Nd4 Qg2 20.Nf3+ Qxf3+ 21.Kxf3 Rg8 22.Rh1 checkmate, anyway.
12...Kf6
Black's King appears to be getting away.
13.0-0-0 Ne7
Houdini suggests that after 13...Ke7 Black would be better, but that is hard to see. Now the game concludes quickly.
14.Rhg1 Qxh2 15.Bd4 checkmate
Very pretty!
Despite the fact that I devote a lot of time to this blog, I am always worried that I won't remember enough of its information, and that I will be caught out in my next game. Luckily, as the following game shows, even when I forget particular lines, my sense of "what is going on" is sometimes enough for me to prevail over my opponent.
perrypawnpusher - michon
blitz, FICS,2014
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7
The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit. Accepted.
My opponent and I contested a couple of Declineds, 4...Ke7 (see "Jedi Mind Tricks"), last year: perrypawnpusher - michon, blitz, FICS, 2013 (1-0, 8) and perrypawnpusher - michon, blitz, FICS, 2013 (1-0, 41).
5.Nxe5+ Ke6
Or the related 5...Ke7 as in perrypawnpusher - michon, blitz, FICS, 2013 (1-0, 18).
6.c3 Kxe5 7.cxd4+ Kxd4
A dangerous meal. Safer is heading for home with 7...Ke6.
8.d3
Equally playable are 8.Nc3 and 8.Qb3.
8...d5
Instead, 8...Ke5 is the safest way to go, although White still keeps the pressure on with 9.Qh5+ as in perrypawnpusher - PunisherABD, blitz, FICS, 2009 (1-0, 27).
Alternately, 8...Bb4+ was seen in perrypawnpusher - AdamRou, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 28); and 8...Nf6 was seen in perrypawnpusher - RVLY, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 26).
9.Be3+ Ke5
10.d4+
The proper continuation was 10.Qh5+! as in an earlier game 10...Ke6 (better 10...g5 11.Bxg5 Nf6 12.f4+ Ke6 13.f5+ Kd7 14.Qf7+ Qe7 15.Qxf6) 11.Qf5+ Ke7 (better 11...Kd6 12.Qxd5+ Ke7 13.Bc5+ Ke8 14.Qxd8+ Kxd8 15.Bxf8) 12.Bg5+? (Losing the thread. Correct: 12.Bc5+! Ke8 13.Qxf8+ Kd7 14.Qxg7+ Ne7 15.Bxe7) 12...Nf6 13.Qe5+ Be6 14.exd5 Qxd5 15.Qxc7+ Ke8 16.Bxf6 gxf6 17.0-0 Qxd3 18.Re1 Qd7 19.Qc4 Kf7 20.Qh4 Rd8 21.Nc3 Bb4 22.Qxb4 Qd6 23.Qxb7+ Rd7 24.Qe4 f5 25.Qh4 Qd2 26.Rad1 Qxd1 27.Rxd1 Rxd1+ 28.Nxd1 Bxa2 29.Ne3 Be6 White forfeited on time, ghosty - smenke, FICS, 2004.
10...Kd6 11.e5+
Concentrating on development (11.Nc3 or 11.0-0) looks better in retrospect. I had to figure out a plan at this point, and decided to go with the "Jerome pawns"
11...Kc6
12.Qc2+ Kd7 13.Nc3 c6 14.0-0 Kc7 15.f4 Ne7 16.f5 Bxf5 17.Rxf5 Nxf5 18.Qxf5
Black has the extra exchange, but White's lead in development gives him chances.
18...Qd7
A slip we both overlooked.
19.Qf3
After the game Houdini pointed out that 19.Nb5+!? cxb5 20.Rc1+ Kd8 21.e6 with threats against the King and Queen was crushing.
19...c5
Nerves. Better was 19...Bb4.
20.Nxd5+ Kd8 21.dxc5 Rc8 22.Rd1 Qa4
Black is in trouble, and this does not help.
23.Nc3+
Winning Black's Queen, and Black resigned.
After the game Houdini recommended a direct attack on the Black King instead: 23.Bg5+ Be7 24.Bxe7+ Ke8 25.e6!? Qxd1+ 26.Qxd1 Rc6 27.Qh5+ g6 28.Qe5 Rxe6 29.Qxe6 Rf8 30.Bh4 checkmate.
Philidor 1792 returns with a topical Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit game, in which White keeps the heat on the enemy King - until the enemy Queen falls!
Philidor1792 - u_prolazu
Chess.com 3 d/move, 2014
1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nc6 3.Bxf7+ Kxf7 4.Nf3 h6 5.O-O
Also: 5.Qe2 Nf6 6.c3 d6 7.d4 exd4 8.cxd4 Bg4 9.Qc4+ Ke7 10.Nc3 Na5 11.Qa4 b6 12.Be3 Bd7 13.Qc2 Nc4 14.O-O-O Nxe3 15.fxe3 g5 16.e5 Ng4 17.Nd5+ Kf7 18.Rhf1 Kg7 19.h3 c6 20.Nf6 Nxf6 21.exf6+ Kxf6 22.Ne5+ Ke7 23.Qg6 Be8 24.Qf6 checkmate, Philidor 1792 - guest278, www.bereg.ru 2014.
5... Bc5
Starting off with a Bishop's Opening, the game has transposed to a Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit!
6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.Qh5+ Ke6 8. Qf5+ Kd6 9. Na3
"TN". Houdini sees this as slightly better than the much more popular 9.d4.
Philidor 1792 has investigated Na3 in similar situations - see"An Intriguing Letter" Part 1, 2 and 3; "A Fan of the Jerome Gambit"; "If It's A Good One"; and "It Is Easier to Attack Than Defend."
9...Qf6 10.Nc4+ Nxc4 11.Qd5+ Ke7 12.Qxc5+ Qd6
It is understandable that Black wants to ease his King's stress by exchanging Queens, but a better defense was to be found in 12...Nd6.
13.Qxc4 b6 14.d4 Bb7 15.f3 Re8 16.Bd2 Kd8
Black castles-by-hand, and White quickly moves to make the enemy unsafe again.
17.a4 a5 18.b4 Qc6 19.Qd3 axb4 20.a5 bxa5 21.Rxa5 d6 22.Rb1 Kd7
The Black King, uneasy, makes room to allow his Rook to contest the a-file. Little does he realize the danger in this! Better was the developing 22...Ne7.
23.Rxb4 Ra8 24.d5
The Queen is trapped.
24...Qb6+ 25.Rxb6 cxb6 26.Rxa8 Bxa8 27.Qb5+ Ke7 28.Qxb6 Nf6 29.Qc7+ Nd7 30.Bf4 Rd8 31.Qxd6+ Kf7 32.Qe6+ Black resigned
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.]
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