Off On A Brief Tangent

I recently acquired Knight on the Left: 1.Nc3 by Harald Keilhack, an updated English version of his German language Der Linksspringer. I really like the book, and I am not alone - see the review by Paul Kane and review by lefthandsketch on the Brooklyn 64 site.

I noticed that in his chapter "Against the Sicilian - 1.Nc3 c5 2.Nf3" Keilhack took time to digress and address "The French Marshall" connection (1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 c5), where he mentioned my 1988 effort:

There is a booklet The Marshall Gambit in the French and Siclian Defenses by Kennedy/Sheffield with interesting material, however, its rather confusing presentation doesn't allow clear conclusions either.

Oh, well. In our book Riley and I opted to group the lines of play by patterns of piece development, rather than give example master games (with notes) or structure things along lines such as A1b1(c), etc. (By the way, we wrote back before electronic chess databases were prevalent - collecting the games from books, including those in the White Collection of the Cleveland Public Library.)

I will remember Keilhack's concerns as I prepare All or Nothing! The Jerome Gambit, my magnum opus on my current favorite opening.

Ups and Downs

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

A Second Chance to Decline

Here is a recent game played by Philidor 1792, from a cache of games he sent not long ago. His opponent declines the offer of a second piece with an inaccuracy that is worth knowing - and punishing. 

Philidor 1792 - Guest834593
3 0 blitz, PlayChess.com, 02.11.2014

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8

While declining the second piece is as old as Jerome - Brownson, Iowa, 1875 (1/2-1/2, 29), the safest place for Black's King to retreat to is f8, not e8.

6.Qh5+

It's possible that 6.Nxc6 is stronger, but who can resist checking the King?

On the other hand, White's Knight capture is tricky, as 6...bxc6? is not the correct response - see perrypawnpusher - rodrigojalpa, blitz, FICS, 2008 (1-0, 25); perrypawnpusher - zsilber, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1/2-1/2, 42); Wall,B - Qwerty, Chess.com 2010 (1-0, 9); and Wall,B - LFTN, FICS, 2012 (1-0, 20).

Neither is 6...dxc6? the right move - see Wall,B - Gebba, Chess.com 2010 (1-0, 11).

Although I have suggested the untried 6...Bf2+ in "Don't Drive Like My Brother", the best response for Black, still untried as far as The Database is concerned is 6...Qh4!?, as after 7.d4 Qxe4+ 8.Qe2 Qxe2+ 9.Kxe2 Bb6 10.Nb4 Bxd4 11.Nd5 Kd8 Black has an equal game. (Of course, he turned down a second piece to get there.)

6...g6

Silly alternatives: 6...Kf8 7.Qf7 checkmate,  perrypawnpusher - platel, blitz, FICS, 2011  and 6...Ke7 7.Qf7+ Kd6 8.Qd5+ Ke7 9.Nxc6+ Kf6 10.Qf5 checkmate, Kennedy - WeakDelphi, 2 12 blitz, 2008.

7.Nxg6 Bxf2+

Instead, 7...Qf6 was no solution in perrypawnpusher - schachix, blitz, FICS, 2013 (1-0, 10).

8.Kxf2 Qf6+

Black goes astray: 8...Nf6  was the way to keep an edge.

9.Nf4+ Kd8 10.d3 Nge7

Or 10...d6 11.Rf1 Qd4+ 12.Be3 Qf6 13.c3 Black resigned, Hultgren,R - Harrow, Campbell, CA 1960. 

11.Nc3 d6 12.Rf1 Ng6 13.Kg1

Usually it is Black who has to castle-by-hand. White is two pawns ahead, with a safer King.

13...Qd4+ 14.Kh1 Nge5 15.Nfd5 Be6 16.Be3 Black resigned

Black's Queen is trapped in the middle of the board!

Do As I Say...

Readers are encouraged to enjoy the following quickie game, while recalling the charge: Do as I say, not as I do...

perrypawnpusher - schachix
blitz, FICS, 2013

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8 

When declining the Knight, usually Black's King retires to f8.

6.Qh5+

The Queen check was irresistible, but not best. I had been trying to get a Jerome Gambit all week, and this was my first opportunity.

The proper way to play this, as I should have remembered, is 6.Nxc6 when after 6...Qh4 (no examples in The Database) 7.d4 Qxe4+ 8.Qe2 Qxe2+ 9.Kxe2 Bb6 10.Nb4 Bxd4 11.Nd5 Kd8 the game would be equal.

For the record, 6.Nxc6 bxc6 was seen in Wall,B - Qwerty, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 9) and Wall,B - LFTN, FICS 2012 (1-0, 20) while 6...dxc6 was dispatched in Wall,B - Gebba, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 11).

6...g6

I had already pulled off 6...Ke7 7.Qf7+ Kd6 8.Qd5+ Ke7 9.Nxc6+ Kf6 10.Qf5 checkmate, Kennedy - WeakDelphi, blitz 2 12, 2008 and 6...Kf8 7.Qf7 checkmate, perrypawnpusher - platel, blitz, FICS, 2011 (which probably influenced my choice of 6.Qh5+). 

7.Nxg6 

7...Qf6 

Here is where my opponent lost his chance. Houdini recommends 7...Bxf2+ 8.Kxf2 Nf6 9.Qh4 Rg8 10.Rf1 Rxg6 11.Kg1 Qe7 with advantage to Black.

Only 5 games in The Database have Black's counter-sacrifice of the Bishop, and 4 of them are wins for White, for example 7...Bxf2+ 8.Kxf2 Qf6+ (8...Nf6 was correct) 9.Nf4+ Kd8 10.d3 d6 11.Rf1 Qd4+ 12.Be3 Qf6 13.c3 Black resigned, Hultgren,R - Harrow, Campbell, CA 1960.

8.Nxh8+ Kd8 9.Qxc5 Qxh8 10.Qf8 checkmate

Contempt?!

If two chess players are equally matched and have fought hard in a game against each other, a draw might be a reasonable outcome.

If opponents in a game differ greatly in their strengths, the weaker player might be quite satisfied to split the point, while the stronger player might be unwilling to do so, except as a last resort.

Chess-playing programs have to take this into account: given that most of their opponents will be weaker than them, how ready should they be to accept a draw? It would be the height of absurdity if a human could open a game, for example, with 1.e4 and an offer of a draw – and the computer, seeing itself as worse off (even slightly, Black's fate) would agree to cease hostilities...

Programming a level of resistance to accepting draws is called setting its "contempt" level. Set it high enough, and the computer will play on, down a Rook or a Queen. That's contempt!

Recently I found myself away from home, staying in a hotel. While checking my email on the available computer, I noticed that it had the Chess Titans program. Time, I thought, for a quick Jerome Gambit game!

I've posted a Chess Titans game in the past (see "Artificial Ignorance" Parts 1 and 2) and the silicon beast appeared to be the perfect foil for such an offbeat gambit.

Kennedy - Chess Titans
casual game, 2011

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 Bb4

See "Casually" for my most recent game against this line, or  "Coffee Break" for a fuller treatment. As the titles suggest, Black's defense is not the most strenuous.

8.dxe5 Bxc3+ 9.bxc3 Nxe4 10.Qd5+

10...Kg6 11.Qxe4+ Kf7

White has recovered his sacrificed material, but his pawn advantage is almost meaningless. He has to use the open lines against Black's King.

12.Qd5+

Hoping to drive the King back.

12...Kg6 13.Qe4+

At this point I was not interested in forcing a draw by a three-fold repetition of position; I was simply curious as to how the computer would see things.

13...Kh5

Wow, no draw now!

That's serious contempt.

14.Qf5+ Kh4 15.g3 checkmate

Two/Three Knights Game

I've mentioned that my son, "Kennedy Kid" Jon [left], is a teacher in Haiti. His exciting times – including when the earthquake struck in January – can be read about at his blog, jbkhaiti.blogspot.com. Today Jon's big brother (another "Kennedy Kid") Matt [below] starts a two week trip to Haiti, to put his physical therapy skills to work, assisting in a medical step-down facility and working with earthquake victims.

Matt will be accompanied by a colleague, an occuptational therapist [picture currently unavailable] who also plans on being very, very busy. 

I hope he's not holding his breath...

From the Unorthodox Chess Openings news group on the internet, a number of years ago:

20.07.2002
[Internet - Unorthodox Openings - Nakamura]
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ -- In UnorthodoxChessOpenings@y..., "richardfkennedy" wrote: Until the time that there is a "Dumb Chess Openings" group, I guess that a discussion of the discredited Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5) will have to show up in UnorthodoxChessOpenings... :-)

Actually, I am researching the Jerome, especially its early years, which go back to the 1870s and Alonzo Wheeler Jerome. (Some of what I have discovered is at www.chesshistory.com.) I would be interested in anyone's experiences or games with the line.

Many thanks!

From: "hawgambit"
Date: Sat Jul 20, 2002 2:39 pm
Subject: Re: Jerome Gambit

Greetings from Hawaii, Richard F. Kennedy.

You are a new member who just joined our Unorthodox Chess Openings Newsgroups recently. I do welcome you as a new member.

I will post 15 Jerome Gambit Games (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+) in the files section.

I have played the Jerome Gambit before in blitz games and have analyzed this gambit. Currently I do not believe that this gambit is sound.

It seems that once white trades queens he is lost in the endgame. White has to avoid trading queens.

I recently did some further analysis of the Jerome Gambit and came to the same conclusion.

If you do find some good lines for white, I wlll be first to congratulate you.

Best Regards
Clyde Nakamura

London Calling... Six Months of Blog

Dear Jerome Gambit Gemeinde,

It's been 6 months since I first posted on this blog (see "Welcome!") and it's been a daily pleasure since then to find something about the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) to share with you.

According to Google Analytics, 40% of the visitors to this blog have been here 25 times or more. Twenty-three per cent have visited over 200 times!

About 50% of the visitors have only been here one or two times, though, so I still have a lot of work to do...

Responding to the discussions that I've been having with Pete Banks ("blackburne") – such as in the "Comments" section of "Jerome Gambit: Transylvanian Terror" – I began presenting the "Jerome Gambit: Drilling Down" series, which will ultimately contain 30 posts. (By the way, I realize that I could have used a graphic of an oil rig – instead of a hand-held electric drill – for the "drilling down" icon, but the latter seemed to better represent the personal computer and its software...)

I am also working on a "Jerome Gambit: Deep Analysis" series that will tap into my database as never before.

In the meantime, I will continue to post Jerome Gambit games as I play them, or as you send them to me. Any Jerome Gambit news that you can use – I will place it here as I get it.

After all, we're only about a couple of weeks away from blog post #200!

Best wishes,

Rick Kennedy ("perrypawnpusher")

p.s. If you've been thinking about creating your own chess blog, you might want to stop by Michael Goeller's site, "The Kenilworthian", for his take on "Web Publishing, 2.0 Style" which is quite informative.

One (or both) of us needs help (Part II)

Clearly the computer's revenge match had gotten off on the wrong foot – see "One (or both) of us needs help (Part I)."

For game two I set its skill level to 1400, and we played from the initial Jerome Gambit position (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) again.

Kennedy - WeakDelphi (1400)
blitz 2 12 (2), 2008

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8 6.Qh5+ Ke7 7.Nxc6+

We both quickly repeat our errors from the first match game – although mine are "inaccuracies" while its are "blunders."

7...Kf6 8.Qf5 checkmate

Yikes.

For our third game, I stepped the computer's skill level up another 200 points.

Kennedy - WeakDelphi (1600)
blitz 2 12 (3), 2008

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8 6.Qh5+ Kf8 7.Qf7 checkmate

Not much to say about that one.

Finally, I bumped the computer's skill level up to 1800.

Kennedy - WeakDelphi (1800)
blitz 2 12 (4), 2008

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8 6.Qh5+ Ke7

The move that gives Black the advantage is, of course, 6...g6.

7.Qf7+ Kd6 8.Qd5+

Missing the mate-in-one: 8.Nc4.

8...Ke7 9.Nxc6+ Kf6

One last gift.

10.Qf5 checkmate

No more experiments for me – for a while, anyhow.

graphic by Jeff Bucchino, "The Wizard of Draws"

One (or both) of us needs help (Part I)

After my computer vs computer Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) match debacle (see "I can't seem to get the hang of these things") I was sure that I had done something wrong.

Eventually I discovered that the skill setting for WeakDelfi was set at 1200 – could that have been responsible for the engine's odd play?

Having injured the honor of the electronic beast, I figured that it would only be fair for me to allow it some form of revenge – across-the-board.

So I set up a blitz game (2 12) to start after move 4 of the Jerome Gambit. I set my opponent's skill level at 1200.

Kennedy - WeakDelfi (1200)
blitz 2 12 (1), 2008

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8

Just. Plain. Bad.

6.Qh5+

I knew that this was not the best move, but I wanted to see how my opponent would handle it.

White would have a tiny advantage after 6.Nxc6 Qh4 7.d4 Qxe4+ 8.Qe2 Qxe2 9.Kxe2 Bb6 10.Nb4 Bxd4.

6...Ke7 7.Nxc6+

Missing: 7.Qf7+ Kd6 8.Nc4 checkmate.

7...Ke6

Clueless.

8.Qf5+ Kd6 9.Qd5 checkmate



Ouch!

graphic by Jeff Bucchino, "The Wizard of Draws"