Anybody want a (couple of) piece(s) of me?

In the previous post I bemoaned the fact that all of my games with White in first round of the most recent ongoing Chess.com Italian Game tournament were against opponents who did not want to allow the Jerome Gambit.

Now the third round of the earlier Chess.com Italian Game tournament has started, and I am in an interesting group along with Rebecca_Wiebe , who still has 200 rating points on me, but who, last round, against me chose the Hungarian Defense (3...Be7) - and gave up her only half-point (she is 13-0-1 so far in the tournament) - and djdave28 (who is 10-4-0) who lost a Jerome Gambit to me in round one.

djdave28 (I've got 100 points on him - how did that happen?) has already signaled that he is ready for a rematch by playing 3...Bc5. We will see about Rebecca_Wiebe. (No. Another Hungarian Defense.)

From Staid to Chaotic

Starting out with a calm defense, the following game becomes more dynamic - and as the clock ticks down, play becomes more frantic...

Philidor1792 - Guest616259
PlayChessBase.com, 2014

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 d6

The Hungarian Defense. Here, most Jerome Gambiteers would sigh and mumble "Maybe next game..." But not Philidor1792.

4.Bxf7+

We have seen this kind of a thing in "Philidor vs the Philidor". 

4...Kxf7 5.c4

Now, Black has to figure out what to do, how to arrange his defense. It is not unusual to see him protect the g5 square against incursion, but this will come back to haunt him.

5...h6 6.d3 Nf6 7.Be3 Be7 8.Nc3 Rf8 9.Qb3 Na5 10.Qa4 c6 11.Qc2 b6 12.O-O Kg8

Except for his offside Knight, Black does not seem to have suffered
from the gambit - but, too soon, he relaxes.

13.Rac1 Bb7 14.b4 d5 15.bxa5 dxe4

Surrendering the advantage. Instead he had 15...d4 16.Bd2 dxc3 17.Bxc3 Nd7 18.Nxe5 Nxe5 19.Bxe5 c5. 

16.dxe4 b5 17.cxb5 cxb5 18.Qb3+ Kh8 19.Nxe5 Kh7 20.Qxb5 Bxe4 21.Rfd1

Possibly better was 21.Nxe4 Nxe4 22.Qb1 Qd5 and now the acrobatic 23.Rc4!?.

21...Qe8 22.Qxe8 Rfxe8 23.Nxe4 Nxe4 24.Rd7 Bf6 25.Nf3 a6 26.h3 Rab8 27.Kf1 Nc3 

28.Bd4 Bxd4 29.Nxd4 Nxa2 30.Rcc7 Rg8 

Time is so short that both players miss 30...Rb1+ 31.Rc1 Rxc1# 

31.Ne6 Kg6 32.Nxg7 Rb2 33.Rd6+ Black resigned

Essence of Evans / Jerome / Halloween

In the following blitz game Philidor1792 shows his typical creativity, aggression and persistence in whipping up an interesting attack. Resistance is strong, however, and this time White does not win the day.

Philidor1792 - Guest292640
5 0, PlayChessbase.com, 2014

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6

The Two Knights Defense, avoiding the Evans Gambit and lesser gambits like the Jerome.

4.b4 

Philidor1792 wishes to have his gambit anyway!

This move makes me wonder why we haven't seen this gambit against the Hungarian Defense, i.e. 3...Be7 4.b4!? as if the pawn is captured, the game becomes and Evans Gambit after all.

In the text, White enters an Evans Gambit a move down, as Black's Bishop comes to b4 in one move, not the usual two. Philidor1792 doesn't fret over such trivialities.

4...Bxb4 5.c3 Be7 6.Bxf7+ 

Adding a dash of Jerome...

6...Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ 

...and a splash of the Halloween Gambit, to top it off.

7...Nxe5 8.d4 Nc6 

9.e5 Ng8 10.f4 d5 11.f5 Bh4+ 12.g3 Bg5 13.Qh5+ g6 

14.Qxg5

White is not afraid to enter an endgame with the pawns against Black's extra piece, but in this instance he might have had better chances (compared to the game) after 14.fxg6+!? Kg7 15.Bxg5 Qe8 16.0–0 hxg6 17.Bf6+ Nxf6 18.exf6+ Kf7 19.Qxd5+, although Black would still be objectively ahead.

14...Qxg5 15.Bxg5 Bxf5 16.0-0 Ke6 17.Nd2 h6 18.Be3 Nge7

19.Nb3 b6 20.a4

Looking for open lines and play on the Queenside.

20...Raf8 21.a5 Bc2 22.Nd2 Nf5 23.Bf2 Bd3 24.Rfc1 Rf7 25.axb6 axb6 26.g4 Nfe7 

27.Be3 h5 

Looking for open lines and play on the Kingside.

28.h3 hxg4 29.hxg4 Rh4 30.Kg2 Rxg4+ 31.Kh3 Re4 32.Re1 Rh7+ 33.Kg3 Nf5+ 34.Kf3 Rh3+ 35.Kg2 Rhxe3 36.Nxe4 Bxe4+ 37.Kf2 Rxc3 38.Rg1 Nfxd4 39.Ra8 Nxe5 40.Re8+ Kf6 41.Rc8 b5 White resigned

Alas, no victory today for the Evans / Jerome / Halloween pawns.

What the...?

Here are a selection of games by Philidor 1792, referenced in yesterday's post. He brings a bit of Jerome Gambit magic, a bit of Halloween Gambit sparkle, and lays on a bit of the 3-minute game crunch. It doesn't always work, but it's always entertaining.

Philidor 1792 - guest1223
3 0 blitz, www.bereg.ru, 2014

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Be7 

Well, it looks like Black is interested in the Hungarian Defense, not the Jerome Gambit - but he is in for some excitement, anyhow.

4.c3 

Or the even calmer 4.O-O Nf6 5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 Nc6 8.e5 Ne8 9.Qf3+ Kg8 10.Nc3 d6 11.Qd5+ Kf8 12.f4 Bf5 13.Rf2 Nb4 14.Qb3 c5 15.d5 a5 16.Be3 c4 17.Qxc4 Nxc2 18.Rxc2 Bxc2 19.Rf1 Rc8 20.Qd4 h5 21.Rf2 Bf5 22.Ne4 h4 23.g3 hxg3 24.hxg3 Rh3 25.Kg2 Qc7 26.Rd2 Rh6 27.Nf2 Qc4 28.Qxc4 Rxc4 29.g4 Bb1 30.a3 Rc2 31.Rxc2 Bxc2 White resigned, Philidor 1792 - guest267, 3 0 blitz, www.bereg.ru 2014.

4...Nf6 5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 Ng6 

Or 7...Nc6 8.e5 Ng8 9.Qf3+ Ke8 10.Qg3 Bf8 11.Bg5 Nge7 12.d5 Nb8 13.d6 cxd6 14.exd6 Nbc6 15.Qh4 Qa5 16.dxe7 Bxe7 17.Bxe7 Qe5+ 18.Kd2 Nxe7 19.Re1 Qf6 20.Qxf6 gxf6 21.Na3 Kf7 22.Nb5 d5 23.Nd6+ Kf8 24.Re3 Nf5 25.Re8+ Kg7 26.Nxf5+ Bxf5 27.Re7+ Kg6 28.Rxb7 Rhb8 29.Rxb8 Rxb8 30.b3 Re8 31.f3 h5 32.Re1 Rxe1 33.Kxe1 Bc8 34.Kf2 Kf5 35.Ke3 Ke5 36.b4 Ba6 37.g4 hxg4 38.fxg4 Bc4 39.a4 f5 40.gxf5 Kxf5 41.Kd4 Kg4 42.Kc5 Kh3 43.b5 Kxh2 44.a5 Kg3 45.b6 axb6+ 46.axb6 Ba6 47.Kxd5 Kf4 48.c4
Kf5 49.c5 Kf6 50.Kd6 Kf7 51.Kd7 Kf6 52.c6 Bb5 53.b7 Black resigned, Philidor 1792 - guest1982, 3 0 blitz, www.bereg.ru 2014. 

8.e5 Ng8 

Another time Black defended with 8...Ne8 9.Qf3+ Kg8 10.Qd5+ Kf8 11.Qf3+ Kg8 12.Qd5+ Kf8 13.Qf3+ Nf6 14.exf6 Bxf6 15.O-O d5 16.Bg5 c6 17.Nd2 Kf7 18.Rfe1 Bd7 19.c4 h6 20.Bxf6 Qxf6 21.Qb3 Rhe8 22.cxd5 Kf8 23.Qxb7 Qd6 24.Rxe8+ Rxe8 25.dxc6 Bxc6 26.Qxa7 Kg8 27.Qa3 Qxd4 28.Nf3 Bxf3 29.Qxf3 Qxb2 30.Qb3+ Qxb3 31.axb3 Rb8 32.Rb1 Nf4 33.g3 Ne2+ 34.Kg2 Nd4 35.b4 Nc6 36.b5 Rb6 37.f4 Nd4 38.Rb4 Nxb5 39.f5 Rb7 40.g4 Nd6 41.Rxb7 Nxb7 42.Kg3 Kf7 43.Kf4 Nd6 44.Ke5 Nc4+ 45.Kf4 Kf6 46.h3 Nb6 47.Ke4 Kg5 48.Ke5 Kh4 49.f6 Nd7+ 50.Kf5 Nxf6 51.Kg6 Nxg4 52.Kxg7 h5 53.hxg4 hxg4 White resigned, Philidor 1792 - guest267, 3 0 blitz, www.bereg.ru, 2014. 

9.f4 d5 

Or 9...d6 10.f5 Nxe5 (10...Nf8 11.O-O Ke8 12.Qe2 dxe5 13.dxe5 Bc5+ 14.Kh1 b6 15.b4 Be7 16.Na3 Bb7 17.Bf4 Qd5 18.Nb5 Bd8 19.Rad1 Qe4 20.Qd2 Qc4 21.a4 h6 22.Kg1 Bc6 23.Na3 Qe4 24.Nb5 Qxf5 25.Nd4 Qg6 26.Nxc6 Qxc6 27.Bg3 a6 28.Qf2 Qe6 29.Qxf8 checkmate, Philidor 1792 - guest11, 3 0 blitz, www.bereg.ru, 2014) 11.dxe5 dxe5 12.Qb3+ Kf8 13.O-O Bc5+ 14.Kh1 Qd3 15.Rd1 Qe2 16.c4 Bxf5 17.Nc3 Qh5 18.Qxb7 Re8 19.Qxc7 Bd4 20.Rf1 Nf6 21.c5 Be6 22.Ne4 Qf7 23.Qc6 Qd7
24.Qxd7 Bxd7 25.Bg5 Re6 26.Nxf6 gxf6 27.Bxf6 Kg8 28.Rac1 Rc6 29.b4 h5 30.Bxh8 Kxh8 31.Rf7 Be6 32.Rxa7 Black resigned, Philidor 1792 - guest449, 3 0 blitz, www.bereg.ru, 2014. 

10.f5 Bxf5 11.O-O Nh6 12.g4 Rf8 13.gxf5 Nh4 14.Qh5+ Kg8 15.f6 Black resigned

Jerome Gambit-Inspired Play (Part 5)

Actually, it is a bit of a stretch to call the following blitz game some sort of a Jerome Gambit - but the swash-buckling nature of it (and the ornery center pawns) may well have been inspired by that wild opening. Let's give it a chance...

Philidor 1792 - guest1063
3 0 blitz, www.bereg.ru, 2013

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nc6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Bb3 Be7 

Similar to Philidor 1792's play against guest1063 - see "Jerome Gambit-Inspired Play (Part 4)" - but this time looking more like a Hungarian Defense than a Two Knights Defense. 

Does that make a difference? Philidor 1792 now bypasses the Jerome-ish Bxf7+ and tries a tactic similar to that in the Chicago Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nxe5, etc. and the Halloween (Müller - Schulze) Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nxe5, etc.

5.Nxe5 Nxe5 6.d4 Ng6 7.e5 Ng8 

8.Qf3 

With all of the subltety of the Scholar's Mate.

8...f6 

And, just like that, White has full compensation for his piece ("Who dares, wins"), according to Houdini, who prefers 8...d5 9.exd6 Bf6 10.Qe2+ Kf8 11.dxc7 Qxc7 with advantage to Black. 

9.Qd5 Nh6 

And here Black turns over the game to his opponent. Wily Houdini suggests, instead, 9...d6 10.Qf7+ Kd7 11.exd6 cxd6 12.h4 Nh6 13.Bxh6 gxh6 14.h5 Nf4 15.g3 Rf8 16.Ba4+ Kc7 17.Qc4+ Kb8 18.gxf4 d5 leading to an unclear mess which may be balanced. 

10.Bxh6 Rf8 11.Bxg7 c6 12. Qc4 d5 13. exd6 Qxd6
14. Bxf8 Black resigned 

After Black captures the Bishop on f8 he will be down the exchange and two pawns.

Started!

The fourth and final round of the Chess.com Italian Game thematic tournament has started, and there are four competitors: JoseSoza of Chile, vz721 of Russia, MarkHundleby1 of Canada, and yours truly, perrypawnpusher of the USA.

This presented as many as three more opportunities to defend the "honor" of the Jerome Gambit 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+, depending on how my opponents wished to defend.

So far, JoseSoza has declined the Jerome with 3...Be7, choosing the Hungarian Defense. This is his second "pass" after scoring two wins against my Gambit in rounds one and two.

On the other hand, vz721 has allowed it with 3...Bc5, and I was quick to sacrifice the Bishop! Let us hope this is not another example of Act in haste, Repent at leisure.

I have Black against MarkHundleby1 right now (defending against the Evans Gambit; alas, not the Evans Jerome Gambit), so the chance for a Jerome Gambit has to wait - unless he plays it against me!

The results, as for previous rounds, come what may, will be reported. 

graphic by Jeff Bucchino, the Wizard of Draws

Satisfaction: Still Quite Légal

As I've mentioned in "Housekeeping..." and "Barely Legal", there is still a chance for satisfaction when you try for a Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) and your opponent opts for a defense with ...d7-d6

perrypawnpusher - Olito
blitz, FICS, 2011

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6

The Semi-Italian opening.

4.O-O d6

The Hungarian Defense, or a variation of the Philidor.

5.d4 Bg4 6.Nc3 Nxd4 7.Nxe5 Bxd1

Oooops.

8.Bxf7+ Ke7 9. Nd5 checkmate

 

Here, have another...

The second game passed along to me by Dr. Goeller (see "A GM Plays the Jerome Gambit??" and "Here, have a Bishop...") was closer to a "pure" Jerome Gambit game. Again, we see how an experienced, aggressive Grandmaster, American Larry Christiansen, can give something similar to "Jerome Gambit odds" and win the game with ease.

LarryC (2559) - wetvader (1250)
45 15, ICC (1), 2007

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Be7

4.d4 Nxd4

This capture is not seen very often, and is not correct. Even Fritz8 sees the next move as best.

5.Bxf7+

Adding a little Jerome to the quiet Hungarian Defense. In this case it is the Knight on d4 that is hanging.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Kf8 7.Qxd4

7...Bf6 8.Qb4+ d6

As sometimes happens, the weaker player misses an "opportunity" against the Grandmaster. Instead of the text, the "anti-positional" 8...c5 bids to win a piece, i.e. 9.Qc3 (if 9.Qxc5, then 9...d6) d6 10.f4 although things are actually quite complex: 10...Nh6 11.0-0 Ke8 (getting off of the hot f-file) 12.Nd2 Qe7 13.Ndc4 Nf7 14.Nxf7 Bxc3 15.Nfxd6+ Kf8 16.bxc3 b5 17.Nxc8 Rxc8 18.Ne5 and Rybka 3 sees the position as about equal, even though White has only two pieces and two pawns for his Queen...

analysis diagram






Does the Grandmaster worry? He does not. He knows that every player makes mistakes with a certain frequency,  like a metaphorical "bomb" that goes off again and again (infrequently for GMs, regularly for club players). He just has to light the fuse, playing solidly, holding tight, and waiting for the next "boom!"

9.Nf3 h6 10.0-0 a5 11.Qc4 b6 12.Qe2 Ba6 13.c4 d5 14.exd5 Qe7

Black backs away from his original idea of 14...Qxd5, which would have been best.

15.Qc2 Qd6 16.Nbd2 Ne7 17.Ne4 Qd7 18.Nxf6 gxf6 19.Re1 Re8 20.Bf4 Qg4

21.Bg3 Qxc4 22.Qxc4 Bxc4 23.d6 cxd6 24.Bxd6

White did not mind returning a pawn to exchange Queens, as there is every likelihood that he can play the pawn-up endgame with half his brain tied behind his back.

Black can hope: can he reach the Bishop-of-opposite-colors endgame? In the meantime, there is the issue of the pinned Knight. 

24...Rh7 25.Nd4 Kf7 26.Rac1 Ba6 27.Bxe7 Rxe7 28.Rxe7+ Black resigned

After 28...Kxe7 29.Rc7+ will win his Rook.

Barely Legal

Denied the chance for a Jerome Gambit, and facing a foe with a strategy that had been successful against me in past games, I found a way to update an old chess strategem of my own.

perrypawnpusher - koek
blitz, FICS, 2011

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 d6

Sigh. No Jerome Gambit today: a Philidor Defense by transposition, or maybe a Hungarian Defense.

4.0-0 Bg4

Planning to gang up on my pinned Knight at f3 and cause a breakup of the pawn wall in front of my King.

5.Nc3

Going along with Black's plan.

Last year Koek and I played one game that continued 5.d4 White resigned; and another that continued 5.h3 Bh5 6.d3 Nd4 White resigned.

5...Nd4

I've been having a hard time finding games that follow this move order, but I did discover Hansen, S. - Briz, P., Denmark, 1974, that now continued 6.d3 Nxf3+ 7.gxf3 Bh3, showing the Kingside damage that I was trying to avert.

Now for something completely different.

6.Nxe5

Ah, yes, the idea from Legal de Kermeur - St. Brie, Paris 1750: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bc4 Bg4 4.Nc3 g6 5.Nxe5 Bxd1 6.Bxf7+ Ke7 7.Nd5#

6...Bxd1

Black needed to play 6...dxe5, but who could resist a "free" Queen?

7.Bxf7+ Ke7 8.Nd5 checkmate

Learning from the Jerome

I like to think that playing the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4Bxf7+) will improve my tactics, or at least point me in that general direction. I think it did in the following game.

perrypawnpusher  - Banassi

blitz FICS, 2010

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Be7

The Hungarian Defense. No Jerome Gambit this time. (I know that some Jerome Gambit Gemeinde members – DragonTail and sTpny come to mind – fire off 4.Bxf7+ here, anyhow.)

4.0-0 Nf6 5.d3 d5 6.exd5 Nxd5 7.Nc3 Nxc3 8.bxc3 Bf5

9.Re1 Bf6 10.Ba3 Na5

Courting danger.

11.Bxf7+

There is something funny about this Jerome-style move, which I will get to later.

11...Kxf7 12.Nxe5+ Bxe5

This capture only helps White's attack. 12...Kg8 led to an even game.

13.Rxe5 g6 14.Rxa5 c6

15.Rxf5+

Of course.

15...gxf5 16.Qh5+ Ke6

Black's best move was 16...Kg7, but after the powerful 17.Bc5!? (intending to move to d4) he is in trouble whether or not he returns the exchange.

17.Re1+ Kd7 18.Qxf5+ Kc7 19.Re7+ Kb8

Moving in front of the pawns was no cure: 19...Kb6 20.Qc5+ Ka6 21.Qc4+ b5 22.Qxc6+ Qb6 23.Qe4 and White has too many threats.

analysis diagram







20.Qe5+ Kc8 21.Qe6+ Kb8 22.Bd6+ Black resigned

A Bishop sacrifice at f7... A Knight capture at e5... A King-hunt started with Qh5+... The game ended up Jerome-ish, after all.

And the funny thing about 11.Bxf7+ – it wasn't the strongest move on the board.

White's best was to take the e5 pawn for free with 11.Nxe5 and offer to sacrifice the Bishop a different way: if Black played 11...Nxc4, White's best would be 12.Nc6+!? winning Black's Queen.