Struggling

I have seen games where a player gives odds of pawn, Knight, Rook or Queen and then wins brilliantly. I do not know how many games where the odds-acceptor's wins have been published. Here is one I gave "Jerome Gambit odds" and lost.


 perrypawnpusher  - pblond
blitz, FICS, 2011

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

The Semi-Italian Opening.

4.0-0 Bc5 5.Bxf7+

The Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit.

Of course, White does not have to sacrifice. He can keep a small edge with 5.c3 d6 6.d4 exd4 7.cxd4 Bb6 8.Nc3 Nf6 9.h3 0-0.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.Qh5+ Ke6

I have played this position a number of times. The deeper I get into the game, the more it feels like I am walking through a junkyard, and I keep expecting to see myself amongst the wrecks.

8.Qf5+ Kd6 9.d4 Bxd4

The capture seems best, but has not always been played:

9...Qf6 10.dxe5+ Qxe5 11.Rd1+ (11.Bf4 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - joejox, FICS 2009) 11...Bd4 12.Qf8+ Ke6 13.Qe8+ Kf6 14.Qf8+ Ke6 15.Qe8+ Kf6 draw, perrypawnpusher - Joyus, blitz, FICS, 2007 ;

9...Ne7 10.Qxe5+ Kc6 11.Qxc5 checkmate, perrypawnpusher - GabrielH, blitz, FICS, 2010 & perrypawnpusher - StockholmMoskva, blitz, FICS, 2010.

10.Rd1 c5

A reasonable move, but not actually necessary, as my opponent showed in perrypawnpusher - richardachatz, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1/2-1/2, 71) by playing 10...Ke7. Remember, Black is two pieces up. In that game I was lucky to swindle my way to a draw.

Also good for Black is 10...Qf6 11.Rxd4+ Ke7.

11.c3 Ne7

12.Qh3

I have played this move successfully before, but I think that 12.Qh5 as in perrypawnpusher - Lakritzl, blitz, FICS, 2009 (1-0, 20) and perrypawnpusher - tuffmom, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 26) or 12.Qf4 as in perrypawnpusher - Xasquete, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 46) might be better.

In truth, all still leave White struggling for even equality.

12...Kc7

Stepping out of the pin, although also good for Black was 12...N7g6 as in perrypawnpusher - Repunante, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 17). [Hmmm... doesn't look like I've posted this game here yet - RK]

13.cxd4 cxd4

Or 13...d6 14.Qc3 Nd7 15.dxc5 Nxc5 16.Bf4 b6 17.b4 Kc6 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - tuffmom, blitz, FICS, 2010.

14.Rxd4 d6

perrypawnpusher - Jantra, blitz, FICS, 2010 continued with 14...N7c6 (1-0, 26) Black probably should have played 14...Kb8 first.

15.Qc3+ N7c6 16.Bf4

After the game Rybka recommended 16.f4, giving Black an edge after 16...Nf7 17.Be3 g5

16...Qf6

Black's defense is now solidly in place. He is even threatening to win the exchange after 17.Bg3 Nf3+ 18.gxf3 Qxd4.

17.Bxe5 Qxe5 18.Rc4 Be6

Black is ready to finish up.

19.Qxe5 dxe5 20.Rc1 Rac8 21.b4

Hope springs eternal, but Black is even able to castle-by-hand on the Queenside. White has nothing for his sacrificed piece (the extra pawn is meaningless).

21...Kb8 22.Nd2 Nd4 23.a4 Ne2+ White resigned

Whew! This was a very good game by pblond, and it certainly shows what a struggle the Jerome Gambit can sometimes deliver – for White.

Walking Through A Junkyard

Giving "Jerome Gambit odds" can feel like a walk through a junkyard. You pass wreck after wreck and your only hope is that you will find something to get you out of there.

perrypawnpusher - Jantra
blitz, FICS, 2010

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

The Semi-Italian Opening.

4.0-0 Bc5 5.Bxf7+

The Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.Qh5+ Ke6

8.Qf5+

The computer-recommended follow-up is 8.Qh3+ Ke7 9.Qc3 d6 10.d4 Bxd4 11.Qxd4 Nf6 12.Nc3 although this leads to a position that is almost identical to a position from the Semi-Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit: Black's King is on e7 instead of f7, and it is his move instead of White's.

Amusingly, at this point, until about a depth of 12 moves, Fritz8 recommends the next two moves for Black to be ...Re8 and ...Kf7, which would be identical to the Semi-Italian Four Knight's Jerome Gambit, except that the recommended move for White in the interim is Bf4, not f2-f4.

8...Kd6 9.d4

Moving the pawn directly seems better than preparing for it, as in prettyhip1 - cubs0_0, GameKnot.com, 2007: 9.Rd1 Ne7 10.Qh5 g6 11.Qh3 Bd4 12.Qa3+ Bc5 13.b4 Bd4 14.c3 Bxf2+ 15.Kxf2 Rf8+ 16.Ke3 White resigned.

9...Bxd4

The right idea. Problems came with

9...Qf6 10.dxe5+ Qxe5 11.Rd1+ (11.Bf4 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - joejox, blitz, FICS, 2009) 11...Bd4 12.Qf8+ Ke6 13.Qe8+ Kf6 14.Qf8+ Ke6 15.Qe8+ Kf6 Game drawn by mutual agreement, perrypawnpusher - Joyus, blitz, FICS, 2007; and

9...Ne7 10.Qxe5+ Kc6 11.Qxc5 checkmate, perrypawnpusher - GabrielH, blitz, FICS, 2010 & perrypawnpusher - StockholmMoskva, blitz, FICS, 2010.

10.Rd1 c5

Black did better with 10...Ke7 11.Rxd4 d6 after which only an endgame swindle saved me in perrypawnpusher - richardachatz, blitz, FICS, 2010 (½-½, 71). Although the text is still good for the second player, richardachatz' King move "abandoning" the Bishop on d4 is also to be considered.

11.c3 Ne7

This is okay, but again 11...Ke7 could be considered.

12.Qh3

I was surprised, but also amused, to be a dozen moves into this offbeat line (rightly or wrongly) and still be in "book". It is sometimes very helpful to review and analyze games for this blog! 

This Queen retreat is comparable with the others that I had played previously:

12.Qh5 Qe8 (12...Kc7 13.cxd4 cxd4 14.Qxe5+ d6 15.Qxd4 Nc6 16.Qxg7+ Bd7 17.Bf4 Rg8 18.Qxh6 Qe7 19.Bxd6+ Qxd6 20.Qxd6+ Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - Lakritzl, blitz, FICS, 2009) 13.cxd4 cxd4 14.Rxd4+ Kc7 15.Qxe5+ Kd8 16.Nc3 Nc6 17.Qxe8+ Rxe8 18.Rd6 b6 19.Bf4 Bb7 20.Rad1 Re7 21.e5 Nxe5 22.Bxe5 Rxe5 23.Rxd7+ Ke8 24.Rxb7 Rd8 25.Rxd8+ Kxd8 26.Kf1 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - tuffmom, FICS, 2010;

12.Qf4 Qf8 13.cxd4 Qxf4 14.Bxf4 cxd4 15.Rxd4+ Kc5 16.Bxe5 Nc6 17.Rd5+ Kb6 18.Na3 Nxe5 19.Rxe5 d6 20.Re7 Bg4 21.f3 Bh5 22.Rc1 Rhe8 23.Rcc7 Rxe7 24.Rxe7 Rc8 25.Rxg7 Rc1+ 26.Kf2 Ra1 27.Rh7 Rxa2 28.Kg3 a5 29.Rxh6 Bf7 30.Rxd6+ Kc5 31.Rd2 b5 32.Kf2 b4 33.Nb1 Ra1 34.Rc2+ Kd4 35.Rd2+ Kc5 36.Rc2+ Kd4 37.Nd2 Kd3 38.Rc7 Kxd2 39.Rxf7 Kc2 40.e5 b3 41.e6 Kxb2 42.e7 Kc1 43.e8Q Ra2+ 44.Kg3 b2 45.Rc7+ Kb1 46.Qe1 checkmate, perrypawnpusher - Xasquete, blitz, FICS, 2010.

12...Kc7

The text is an improvement on 12...Qb6 13.cxd4 cxd4 14.Qa3+ Ke6 15.f4 N5c6 16.f5+ Kf7 17.Nd2 Re8 18.Nc4 Qc7 19.Nd6+ Kf8 20.Nxe8 Kxe8 21.Qf3 Ne5 22.Qg3 Kf8 23.Bf4 d6 24.Rac1 Qa5 25.f6 N7g6 26.Bxe5 Qxe5 27.Qxg6 Be6 28.Qxg7+ Ke8 29.Qe7 checkmate, joev6225 - liverpool, GameKnot.com, 2006.

13.cxd4 cxd4

Black is still better, despite his shaky King, because of his extra piece.

Leading only to equality was 13...d6, although things quickly deteriorated: 14.Qc3 Nd7 15.dxc5 Nxc5 16.Bf4 b6 17.b4 Kc6 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - tuffmom, blitz, FICS, 2010

14.Rxd4 N7c6 15.Qc3 Qf6

16.f4

Thematic, but wrong, as it should lose the exchange. I should have retreated the Rook first.

16...Nf7

My opponent missed 16...Nf3+ 17.Qxf3 Qxd4+ trading his Knight for my Rook. I think he was getting tired of all the attention that I was paying to his King.

17.e5 Qe7 18.b4 d6

Deciding to return the gambitted piece at precisely the point where his King might have begun to feel relief with 18...Kb8.

19.b5 dxe5 20.fxe5

20...Nfxe5

An unfortunate slip. After the game Rybka gave 20...Rd8 21.bxc6 Rxd4 22.Qxd4 Qd8 23.Qc3 bxc6 24.Nd2 Be6 25.Bb2 Qd5 26.Nb3 Rb8 27.Rc1 Rb6 and White is only a bit better (King safety)

analysis diagram





21.bxc6 Nxc6 22.Bf4+ Kb6 23.Qb3+ Ka6 24.Ra4+ Na5 25.Qc4+ b5 26.Qc6 checkmate

How odd that three Rooks, a Bishop and a Knight look on, uninvolved...

Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play...?

If you overlook the fact that I hung my Queen on move 13 in the following game – and you might as well, since both my opponent and I did, too – it's a pretty interesting game in a pretty interesting variation.

Even if that 13th move wasn't pretty at all.

perrypawnpusher - tuffmom
blitz, FICS, 2010

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

The Semi-Italian Opening.

4.0-0 Bc5 5.Bxf7+

The Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.Qh5+ Ke6

8.Qf5+ Kd6 9.d4 Bxd4

Not 9...Qf6 10.dxe5+ Qxe5 11.Rd1+ (11.Bf4 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - joejox, blitz, FICS, 2009) 11...Bd4 12.Qf8+ Ke6 13.Qe8+ Kf6 14.Qf8+ Ke6 15.Qe8+ Kf6 Game drawn by mutual agreement, perrypawnpusher - Joyus, blitz, FICS, 2007;


Nor 9...Ne7 10.Qxe5+ Kc6 11.Qxc5 checkmate, perrypawnpusher - GabrielH, blitz, FICS, 2010; and perrypawnpusher - StockholmMoskva, blitz, FICS, 2010.

10.Rd1 c5

11.c3 Ne7 12.Qh5

The Queen can go elsewhere: 12.Qf4 Qf8 13.cxd4 Qxf4 14.Bxf4 cxd4 15.Rxd4+ Kc5 16.Bxe5 Nc6 17.Rd5+ Kb6 18.Na3 Nxe5 19.Rxe5 d6 20.Re7 Bg4 21.f3 Bh5 22.Rc1 Rhe8 23.Rcc7 Rxe7 24.Rxe7 Rc8 25.Rxg7 Rc1+ 26.Kf2 Ra1 27.Rh7 Rxa2 28.Kg3 a5 29.Rxh6 Bf7 30.Rxd6+ Kc5 31.Rd2 b5 32.Kf2 b4 33.Nb1 Ra1 34.Rc2+ Kd4 35.Rd2+ Kc5 36.Rc2+ Kd4 37.Nd2 Kd3 38.Rc7 Kxd2 39.Rxf7 Kc2 40.e5 b3 41.e6 Kxb2 42.e7 Kc1 43.e8Q Ra2+ 44.Kg3 b2 45.Rc7+ Kb1 46.Qe1 checkmate, perrypawnpusher - Xasquete, blitz, FICS, 2010; or

12.Qh3 Qb6 13.cxd4 cxd4 14.Qa3+ Ke6 15.f4 N5c6 16.f5+ Kf7 17.Nd2 Re8 18.Nc4 Qc7 19.Nd6+ Kf8 20.Nxe8 Kxe8 21.Qf3 Ne5 22.Qg3 Kf8 23.Bf4 d6 24.Rac1 Qa5 25.f6 N7g6 26.Bxe5 Qxe5 27.Qxg6 Be6 28.Qxg7+ Ke8 29.Qe7 checkmate, joev6225 - liverpool, GameKnot.com, 2006.

12...Qe8

Stronger than: 12...Kc7 13.cxd4 cxd4 14.Qxe5+ d6 15.Qxd4 Nc6 16.Qxg7+ Bd7 17.Bf4 Rg8 18.Qxh6 Qe7 19.Bxd6+ Qxd6 20.Qxd6+ Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - Lakritzl, blitz, FICS, 2009.

13.cxd4

Ooops...

13...cxd4

Double oops...

14.Rxd4+

14...Kc7

As uncomfortable as it looks, Black's King needed to take shelter at e6 where he could protect the Knight at e5. It is not a good time for Black to return the sacrificed piece.

15.Qxe5+ Kd8 16.Nc3 Nc6 17.Qxe8+ Rxe8

18.Rd6 b6 19.Bf4 Bb7 20.Rad1 Re7 21.e5

Stronger, maintaining more of the bind, was 21.Rg6.

21...Nxe5

An oversight.

22.Bxe5 Rxe5 23.Rxd7+ Ke8 24.Rxb7 Rd8 25.Rxd8+ Kxd8 26.Kf1 Black resigned

Out of sight, out of mind

When I was putting together yesterday's Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) post – a long game with analysis and diagrams can take a couple of hours – I noticed that I had referenced a game that was in my database, but had not yet shown up on this blog. Playing through the game, I could understand the oversight: it's another bad game.

I suppose that I can take some comfort in the fact that I scored 2.5 point in those 3 bad games – that almost makes up for the poor play.


perrypawnpusher - episodeninetynine
blitz 10 0, FICS, 2009
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 The Semi-Italian opening.


4.0-0 Bc5 5.Bxf7+ 5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.Qh5+ Ng6
Some of my games have goen otherwise: 7...Ke6 8.Qf5+ Kd6 9.d4 Bxd4 ( 9...Qf6 10.dxe5+ Qxe5 11.Rd1+ ( 11.Bf4 Qxf4 12.Qxf4+ Kc6 13.e5 d5 14.b4 Nf6 15.bxc5 Ne4 16.Qf7 Nxc5 17.Qxg7 Be6; 11.Bf4 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - joejox, FICS 2009) 11...Bd4 12.Qf8+ Ke6 13.Qe8+ Kf6 14.Qf8+ Ke6 15.Qe8+ Kf6 drawn, perrypawnpusher - Joyus, FICS, 2007) 10.Rd1 c5 11.c3 Ne7 12.Qh5 Kc7 13.cxd4 cxd4 14.Qxe5+ d6 15.Qxd4 Nc6 16.Qxg7+ Bd7 17.Bf4 Rg8 18.Qxh6 Qe7 19.Bxd6+ Qxd6 20.Qxd6+ Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - Lakritzl, FICS 2009;

And 7...Kf6 8.Qf5+ Ke7 9.Qxe5+ Kf7 10.Qd5+ Kf6 11.e5+ Kg6 12.Qxc5 d6 13.exd6 Qxd6 14.Qxd6+ cxd6 15.Nc3 Bf5 16.d3 Rc8 17.Be3 a6 18.Bd4 Nf6 19.Rae1 Rhe8 20.f3 Kh7 21.Bxf6 gxf6 22.Rxe8 Rxe8 23.Kf2 Kg6 24.Re1 Rc8 25.Re7 Rb8 26.Ne4 Bxe4 27.fxe4 b5 28.Rd7 Rb6 29.c3 b4 30.c4 b3 31.a3 f5 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - bergeruw, FICS 2007

8.Qd5+

As I've said (see "Ugly"), I continue to play this nudge; few others do. For example: 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qc4+ Be6 10.Qe2 Nf6 11.f4 Re8 12.f5 Bxf5 13.Rxf5 d5 14.e5 Qd7 15.Qh5 c6 16.Nc3 Qc7 17.d4 c5 18.Nxd5 Qd8 19.exf6 gxf6 20.Rxf6+ Qxf6 21.Nxf6 Black resigned, abhailey - cumelen, net-chess, 2008

8...Kf6

Or 8...Kf8 9.Qxc5+ d6 10.Qe3 N8e7 11.d4 Kg8 12.Nc3 Kh7 13.f4 Rf8 14.f5 Nh8 15.g4 Kg8 16.g5 hxg5 17.Qxg5 Nf7 18.Qg3 Nc6 19.f6 g5 20.Bxg5 Nxg5 21.Qxg5+ Kf7 22.Qg7+ Ke6 23.d5+ Ke5 24.Qg3+ Kd4 25.Qd3+ Ke5 26.Qg3+ Kd4 27.Qd3+ Ke5 28.Qg3+ Kd4 29.Qd3+ Ke5 30.Qg3+ Kd4 31.Qd3+ Ke5 32.Qg3+ Kd4 drawn, perrypawnpusher - pascalwilliams, blitz, FICS, 2007;

Or 8...Ke8 9.Qxc5 Qe7 10.Qe3 Nf6 11.Nc3 c6 12.f4 b6 13.f5 Ne5 14.d4 Ba6 15.dxe5 Qxe5 16.Re1 Kf7 17.Qf3 Rhe8 18.Bf4 Qc5+ 19.Be3 Qb5 20.Bd4 Qxb2 21.e5 Nd5 22.e6+ Kg8 23.Qg4 Nxc3 24.Qxg7 checkmate, perrypawnpusher - Cibola, blitz, FICS, 2009

9.Qf5+ Ke7 10.Qxc5+ Ke8 11.f4 d6 12.Qe3

Too much of a reflex action. One subtle difference between the regular Jerome Gambit and the Jerome Gambit coming out of the Semi-Italian opening is that here I had the option of 12.Qh5, pinning and eventually winning the Knight on g6.

That's worth remembering for next time.

12...Qf6 13.f5 Ne5 14.d4 Nc4

Now, where should the Queen go?

15.Qg3

What made sense was 15.Qd3, not this move which drops a pawn.

15...Qxd4+ 16.Kh1 Kd7 17.Nc3 b6

As long as Black is behind in development, White has hope.

18.Bf4 Ba6


This move is consistent, but turns out not to be good. I wish I had realized how not-good it was.

19.Rad1 Qc5


Sometimes there are things going on in a game that neither player recognizes. I was totally unaware that the Black Queen had to go to f6 to stay out of trouble.

20.Qxg7+ Ne7 21.e5

This seemed consistent and good to me, but Rybka later saw it as a blunder, preferring 21.b4 Rag8 22.Qxg8 Nxg8 23.bxc5 bxc5.

21...Rag8 22.e6+ Kc6


On the other hand, Rybka didn't like this move one bit, either, preferring 22...Kd8.

Offsetting blunders, and White is now better.

23.Qxe7 Re8 24Qd7+Kb7 24.b3

Ah, the irony: Rybka shows how "simple" the position actually was – 25.Rd5 Qc6 26.b4 Na3 ( 26...Qxd7 27.exd7 Rd8 28.b5) 27.b5 Nxb5 28.Nxb5 Qxd7 29.exd7 Re7 30.f6 Rxd7 31.Bxh6 Rf7 32.Bg7... I think I'll leave the computer out of the discussion for a while.

25...Nd2 26.Bxd2 Bxf1 27.Rxf1 Qd4

28.f6 Rhf8

In the face of the advancing pawns, Black's play is deteriorating.

29.Nb5 Qxd2 30.Qxc7+ Ka6 31.Qxa7+ Kxb5 32.Qd7+


Overlooking the mate (that I paid two good pieces for!) with 32.Qa4+ Kc5 33.Qc4.

Well, I'm down a Rook now, but those advanced pawns have to count for something.

32...Ka6 33.e7 Qe2 34.Rg1

34...Rxf6 35.Qxe8 Rf1

Threatening mate-in-2, but it is Black's last hurrah...

36.Qa8+ Kb5 37.e8Q+ Qxe8 38.Qxe8+ Kb4 39.Rxf1 Black resigned