I have just completed my first Jerome Gambit game in the ongoing "Italian Battleground" tournament at Chess.com (3 days / move). It was one of those not infrequent games that was very interesting - until it suddenly ended.
(For the record, it was a win for me.)
perrypawnpusher - Abhishek29
"Italian Battleground" tournament, Chess.com, 2018
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6
I have always been glad to see this move, as it seems to me to be based upon common sense - block the check, keep the Black King off of the back rank to facilitate castling-by-hand, remove the Knight from danger, return one of the two sacrificed pieces, and be ready to kick the White Queen with ...d6 - which suggests that the defender is figuring the opening out as he goes along, rather than having studied an ultra-sharp line to strike back with (although 6...Ng6 can still be considered one of the "refutations" of the Jerome Gambit).
I was therefore surprised to see, after checking with The Database, that out of 127 games of mine that have reached this position, I scored 79% - versus the overall 82% that I scored in 318 games with 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+.
More research with The Database led to more surprises.
Against the sharper 6...Ke6 - which usually means either that Black is unfamiliar with the Jerome Gambit and wants to hang on to every bit of his material (good for me), or that he is ultra-familiar with the Jerome, and has a nasty "surprise" in store for me (not so good) - I scored 85% in 78 games.
Even moreso, against 6...g6 - either a reflex block by Black of the Queen check (good for me) or a segue into the Blackburne Defense (mixed; how much does my opponent know about Amateur - Blackburne, London, 1884?), where I have scored 85% in 13 games, or Whistler's Defense ("objectively" very scary), where I have scored 83% in 3 games - I have done better than average: 89% in 46 games.
The biggest trouble I have had, in terms of main Jerome Gambit opening lines, has been with 6...Kf8, where I scored only 77% in 33 games. (The Four Knights versions have given me similar trouble: the Semi-Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit has scored 78% for me in 58 games, while the Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit has scored 74%.)
Now, with a caution concerning the above - Your mileage may vary - back to my recent game.
7.Qd5+
The "nudge". Good enough for Alonzo Wheeler Jerome, good enough for me. White uses a move go give Black a chance to spend some time puzzling over Why?. If Black is going to castle-by-hand, he will have to give the move back, anyhow, with ...Kf7.
7...Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Nf6 10.O-O Qe7
Black's pieces put pressure on White's center. If only he could ...0-0, his advantage would be very clear.
On the other hand, a Black Queen on the e-file, in front of her King, is a signal for White to play Nc3 (with the idea of Nd5), and to think about opening the e-file with a Rook aiming at the royal couple.
11.Nc3 Rf8
Thinking about artificial castling on the Kingside.
Another plan was seen in perrypawnpusher - Vaima01, Chess.com, 2012, which is worth showing again: 11...Be6 12.f4 Bf7 13.f5 Ne5 14.d4 Nc6 15.Qd3 Kd7 16.e5 Ne8 17.e6+ Bxe6 18.fxe6+ Kd8 19.d5 Ne5 20.Qf5 h6 21.Bf4 Rf8 22.Qh3 Rf6 23.Ne4 Rf8 24.Bxe5 dxe5 25.Qg3 Nf6 26.Qxe5 Nxe4 27.Qxe4 Qc5+ 28.Kh1 Ke7 29.Rf7+ Rxf7 30.exf7+ Kxf7 31.Qe6+ Kf8 32.Rf1+ Qf2 Black resigned.
12.f4 Ng4
Black tucked his King away in an earlier game: 12...Kf7 13.f5 Ne5 14.d4 Neg4 15.Qe2 Kg8 16.h3 Nh6 17.Bxh6 gxh6 18.e5 dxe5 19.dxe5 Qc5+ 20.Kh1 Nd5 21.Qh5 Nxc3 22.bxc3 Qxe5 23.Rae1 Qf6 24.Re3 Bxf5 25.Ref3 Qe6 26.Rxf5 Rxf5 27.Qxf5 Qxf5 28.Rxf5 Rd8 29.Rb5 Rd2 30.Rxb7 Rxc2 31.Rxa7 Rxc3 32.a4 Rc1+ 33.Kh2 Ra1 34.Rxc7 Rxa4 35.Rd7 Ra2 36.Re7 drawn, perrypawnpusher - chingching, FICS, 2011.
The text move illustrates the atraction of attacking White's wayward and overactive Queen. "Objectively" it is not best, as it leads to a relatively balanced game, but it reminded me of a series of unfortunate games I played against a difficult opponent (see "Nemesis") - and one particular game (see below).
13.Qg3 Nf6
Black retreats the Knight. I wondered for a moment: What if I played 14.Qe3? Would he play 14...Ng4, agreeing that the position had leveled out? I didn't think so.
Besides, I was heartened by the gift of two tempii, especially after my recent blog post about some lines of the Jerome Gambit being one tempo away from being playable.
To mention, a few years ago I had faced two alternative ideas:
13...Bd7 14.f5 N6e5 15.d4 d5 16.Nxd5 Qd6 17.dxe5 Nxe5 18.Bf4 Qc5+ 19.Kh1 Nf7 20.Nxc7+ Ke7 21.Nxa8 Rxa8 22.Bg5+ Ke8 23.c3 Bc6 24.Rae1 h6 25.Be3 Qc4 26.Qxg7 Bxe4 27.Qg8+ Kd7 28.Qxa8 Qc6 29.Rd1+ Kc7 30.Bf4+ Kb6 31.Qg8 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - obturator, FICS, 2012; and
13...Nxf4 14.Rxf4 Qe5 15.Rxg4 Bxg4 16.Qe3 Qf6 17.h3 Bd7 18.d4 Rf7 19.Bd2 Kf8 20.Nd5 Qd8 21.Rf1 Rxf1+ 22.Kxf1 Kg8 23.Qg3 Qf8+ 24.Kg1 c6 25.Nc3 Re8 26.Bf4 Re6 27.e5 dxe5 28.Bxe5 Rg6 29.Qe3 Qf5 30.Kh2 Qxc2 31.d5 Qxg2 checkmate, perrypawnpusher - MRBarupal, FICS, 2010.
14.f5 Ne5 15.d4 Nc4
I suspect my opponent considered the better move, 15...Nc6, but figured that both moves guarded against White's threat e4-e5, and his choice threatened the pawn at b2 as well.
16.Bg5
White can play this move, anyhow, because 16...Nxb2 would be answered by 17.e5.
16...h6
Black probably needed to play something more challenging, such as 16...Nh5!? suggested by Stockfish 9 after the game. After 17.Qh4 Qf7 18.e5 White's attack in the center, towards Black's King, will be very strong - but also very complicated, giving the defender chances.
17.Bh4 Bd7 18.Nd5
White's pieces are causing all sorts of mischief, especially the Knight on d5 (recall the note to move 10!) After 18...Qf7 19.Nxc7+ Kd8 20.Nxa8 Kc8 21.Bxf6 gxf6 22.b3 White will be the exchange and 3 pawns ahead. There is too much going on for Black to count on trying to balance things a bit more by grabbing the Knight on a8.
In fact, Black focuses on the upcoming Knight fork at c7, overlooking the Knight's greater threat.
18...Kd8 19.Nxe7 Black resigned
Ouch. Perhaps this is the result of the outside world intruding, providing more important things to think about than defending against the Worst Chess Opening Ever.
Here's that "overlooked" Jerome Gambit game that I mentioned in my last post, "Another Error, Another Win". It's a painful one to play over, as my opponent offered me an escape from a difficult situation, and I missed it.
perrypawnpusher - alvarzr
blitz, FICS, 2013
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qd5+ Ke8
8.Qxc5 Qe7 9.Qe3 Nf6
Or 9...d5 as in Wall,B - Guest497592, PlayChess.com, 2012 (1-0, 23).
10.Nc3 d6
Or 10...Kf7 11.0-0 Rf8 as in perrypawnpusher - frencheng, 20 5 blitz, FICS, 2010 (½-½, 34).
11.0-0 b6
Instead, Black got more aggressive with 11...Be6 12.f4 Ng4 13.Qg3 Qh4 in Wall,B - Hirami,Z, Chess.com, 2011 (1-0, 20) and with
11...Ng4 in Wall,B - CKSP, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 15); but more careful (castling-by-hand) with 11...Rf8 12.f4 Kf7 in perrypawnpusher - chingching, blitz, FICS, 2011 (½-½, 36).
12.f4 Bb7 13.d3
The more forward 13.f5 Ne5 14.d4 followed in perrypawnpusher-Navarrra, blitz, FICS, 2011 (24) and perrypawnpusher - MarkHundleby1, Chess.com, 2013 (1-0, 27).
13...Kd7
Or 13...a6 14.b3 Kd7 15.Ba3 Rae8 as in perrypawnpusher -MRBarupal, blitz, 2010 (0-1, 22)
14.Bd2
A bit better was 14.Qh3+ Ke8 15.b3.
14...Rae8 15.Rae1 Rhf8
One of the reasons that I have shared a lot of links above is to show how many ideas grow out of these Jerome Gambit positions. In the current game, however, as things went on, I began to think less and push pieces more, and this is never a good thing.
16.Qd4 Kc8 17.Qa4 Nd7 18.Qxa7 Nc5 19.Qa3
Pawn grabbing with the Queen is not such a deep idea. Instead, it was time to be more dynamic with play like 19.b4 Na6 20.b5 Nc5 21.f5 Nh8 22.Nd5.
19...Qh4 20.Nd5 Bxd5 21.exd5 Rxe1
22.Rxe1
After the game, Houdini suggested that I should have started looking for a draw here with 22.Qa8+ Kd7 23.Qc6+ Kd8 24.Rxe1 Ne7 25.Qa8+ Nc8 26.g3 Qg4 27.Kg2 Re8 28.Rxe8+ Kxe8 29.b4 Qe2+ 30.Kh3 Qh5+ 31.Kg2 Qe2+ 32.Kh3 Qh5+
22...Kb7 23.g3 Qg4 24.Qc3
Overlooking danger: 24.d4 was necessary.
24...Nxf4
Even stronger: 24...Nh4.
25.Bxf4 Rxf4 26.b4
One last gasp. Where's a good swindle when you need one?
26...Nd7
That should do it. Of course, 26...Rxb4 keeps Black on top.
27.Qc6+
Now White can answer 27...Ka7 with 28.Qxc7+ Ka6 29.b5+ Ka5 30.Qc3+ Ka4 31.Qb3+ Ka5 32.c4 Rxc4 33.dxc4 Qd4+ 34.Re3 and advantage - if he sees it.
27...Kc8 28.Qa8+
Yipes! Instead, my opponent walks into a mate-in-one (28.Re8#) - and I miss it.
We both deserve to lose. I deserved it more.
28...Nb8 29.Re8+ Kd7 30.Re1
Alas, capturing Black's Knight allows him to checkmate me.
30...Rf8 31.Qa4+ Kc8 32.c4 Qd4+ 33.Kh1 Qf2 34.Re8+ Rxe8 35.Qxe8+ Kb7 36.h4 Qxg3 37.Qe4 Qf2 38.Qg2 Qxg2+ 39.Kxg2 Nd7
The endgame is fairly won for Black.
40.d4 b5 41.c5 Nf6 42.cxd6 cxd6 43.Kf3 Nxd5 44.a3 Nc3 45.Kf4 Nb1 46.Kf5 Nxa3 47.Ke6 Kc7 48.Kf7 g6 49.Kg7 Nc2 50.Kxh7 Nxb4 51.Kxg6 Nd5
White's King has gotten his exercise, but it doesn't save the game.
52.Kf5 Nc3 53.h5 b4 54.h6 b3 55.h7 b2 56.h8Q b1Q+ 57.Ke6 Qe4+ 58.Kf7 Qf5+ 59.Ke7 Nd5+ White resigned
In the first of my two Italian Game tournaments at Chess.com I have won one game and am near another win. Both of them are technical endgames.
In my second tournament, I suffered a loss when my "brilliant" Queen sacrifice did not lead to a back rank checkmate, after all... Awkward.
However, I have just completed a win with the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), and that is enough for me to consider the tournament a success, already!
perrypawnpusher (1636) - Vaima01 (1773)
Italian Game - Round 1 Chess.com, 2012
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6
This is a natural response, prudently returning one of the two sacrificed pieces; yet, I am always glad to see it, as it leads to interesting clashes between the "Jerome pawns" and Black's extra piece, and the chess engines usually show a gradual slip into an even game after about a dozen moves.
7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Qe7
10.Nc3
Or 10.d4, as in mrjoker - lilred, ICC, 2009 (1-0, 50); or 10.0-0 as in mrjoker - blind25, ICC, 2009 (0-1, 66) and perrypawnpusher - Edvardinho, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 57).
10...Nf6 11.0-0 Be6
A bit more active was 11...Rf8, as in perrypawnpusher - MRBarupal, blitz, FICS, 2010 (0-1, 31) and perrypawnpusher - chingching, blitz, FICS, 2011 (½-½, 36).
An alternate development of Black's Bishop was seen after 11...b6 in perrypawnpusher - Navarrra, blitz, FICS, 2011, (1-0, 24).
12.f4 Bf7
Black's move is sensible. There have been a variety of alternatives:
The frisky 12...Bc4 was seen in perrypawnpusher - ZhekaR, blitz, FICS 2011 (0-1, 36) and perrypawnpusher - tuffnut, blitz, FICS, 2012 (1-0, 62);
The retreat 12...Bd7 appeared in perrypawnpusher - Unimat, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 25);
The bold 12...Kd7 was tried in perrypawnpusher - Solaar, blitz, FICS, 2011 (33); and
The counter-attacking 12...Ng4 erupted in Wall,B - Hirami,Z, Chess.com, 2011 (1-0, 20).
13.f5 Ne5 14.d4 Nc6 15.Qd3 Kd7 16.e5 Ne8
Black opts for the scientific solution of returning a piece for two pawns, with the goal of leveling out the position and the game.
After the game, however, Rybka suggested the way to do that would have been by 16...Nxe5 17.dxe5 Qxe5. It turns out that there is a glitch or two in giving back the Bishop.
17.e6+ Bxe6 18.fxe6+ Kd8
The second pawn is not easily taken, as after 18...Kxe6 there is 19.Qf5 checkmate; and after 18...Qxe6 White has 19.d5.
White is now better, but it took me a while to figure out how to proceed.
19.d5 Ne5 20.Qf5 h6 21.Bf4 Rf8 22.Qh3 Rf6
This helps, although in the end I decided to settle for the win of another pawn, with a strong position.
23.Ne4 Rf8 24.Bxe5 dxe5 25.Qg3 Nf6 26.Qxe5
26...Nxe4 27.Qxe4 Qc5+ 28.Kh1 Ke7 29.Rf7+
My favorite move of the game. It's success is based on finding a "quieter" move later on.
29...Rxf7
After the alternative, 29...Ke8, I had planned 30.Raf1 and Black does not have long to live.
30.exf7+ Kxf7
I was happy to see that after 30...Kf8 I would have the nice move 31.Re1
31.Qe6+ Kf8 32.Rf1+ Qf2 Black resigned
If a tree falls in the forest, and there is no one around to notice, does it make a sound?
Is a bad move in chess a blunder, if it never is punished?
perrypawnpusher - tuffnut
blitz, FICS, 2012
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
Before this game tuffnut had 7 wins, 6 losses, and a draw against the Jerome Gambit.
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+
An exciting alternative was seen in workingdead - tuffnut, FICS, 2011 5.b4 Bxb4 6.c3 Be7 7.d4 exd4 8.cxd4 d6 9.0-0 Bg4 10.Qb3+ Ke8 although Black prevailed in 72 moves.
On the other hand, the specious 5.Ng5+ earned a split decision against my opponent in three games: carlbecker - tuffnut, FICS, 2005 (½-½, 69); neni - tuffnut, FICS, 2009 (1-0, 7); and Lommel -tuffnut, FICS, 2010 (0-1, 15).
Like the above, I would hardly have known until my research, after our game was over, that my opponent had also dispatched 5.d4 (Handlangari - tuffnut, FICS, 2005, 0-1, 22) and 5.d3 (pettypete - tuffnut, FICS, 2004, 0-1, 21).
5...Nxe5 6.Qh5+
It turned out afterward that my opponent was only 1-3 against 6.d4, but that is a move that I do not play.
6...Ng6
A number of years ago, perrypawnpusher - tuffnut, blitz, FICS 2007 saw 6...g6 (1-0, 33).
7.Qd5+
The "nudge".
Later, I chuckled to note that my opponent was 2-0 against the "pure" 7.Qxc5.
7...Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Qe7
10.0-0 Nf6 11.Nc3
Or 11.d3 as in perrypawnpusher - Edvardinho, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 57). (Hmmmm, it looks like I have never posted this game - Rick.)
11...Be6
Not overlooking the possible pawn fork, but planning to put pressure on White's center and his Rook at f1.
Either 11...Rf8 (e.g. perrypawnpusher - MRBarupal, blitz, FICS, 2010, 0-1, 31) or 11...Kf7, looking to castle-by-hand, could be a bit stronger.
12.f4 Bc4 13.d3 Ba6 14.Bd2 b6
15.Rae1 Kd7 16.Qh3+ Kd8 17.g4
Searching for an improvement over 17.Nd5 of perrypawnpusher - ZhekaR, blitz, FICS 2011 (0-1, 36), but this is not it.
After the game Rybka preferred 17.e5 dxe5 18.fxe5 Nd7 but I don't think that I would have seen the followup 19.Ne4, leading to an edge for White.
17...Bc8 18.f5 Ne5 19.g5 Ne8 20.Qg2 Qd7 21.f6
With Black's King and pieces huddled in the middle of the board, it looks like the ideal time to open things up, but White ignores the dangers to his King and Queen along the g-file. 20.d4, with the idea of e4-e5 was a better way.
21...gxf6 22.gxf6 Qf7 23.Bg5
Instead of this move (and for the next few moves) Rybka's post-game analysis focuses on 23.Re3, so that White will have some kind of an answer to Black's ...Rg8.
23...Be6
24.b3 c6 25.Kh1 Kc7 26.d4 Ng6 27.e5 dxe5 28.dxe5 Bd5
In blitz, you can sometimes not see something that is there (like the threats along the g-file), and then see something that is not there.
I don't know if tuffnut thought that he was pinning and winning my Queen with this move, or if he decided that his extra piece would give him the advantage with Queens off of the board; but, suddenly, my "Jerome pawns" can spring to life.
29.Nxd5+ Qxd5 30.Qxd5 cxd5 31.h4
More straight-forward was 31.f7.
31...h6 32.Bf4 Nxf4 33.Rxf4 Kc6
Better was 33...Rf8 right away, with plans to include the Rook in a blockade of the pawns.
34.e6 Nd6 35.f7 Rhf8
36.e7 Rxf7 37.Rxf7 Nxf7 38.e8Q+ Rxe8 39.Rxe8 Nd6
White's "Jerome pawns" have disappeared, by they have taken their toll: White is up the exchange. Further, his h-pawn will cost Black his Knight.
Can Black's King advance and cause problems on the Queenside?
40.Re6 h5 41.Rh6 Kc5 42.Rxh5 Ne4 43.Rh7 a5 44.h5 Kb4 45.Rb7 b5 46.h6 Ng5 47.h7 Nxh7 48.Rxh7 Kc3
49.Rc7+ Kb2 50.a4 bxa4 51.bxa4 Ka3 52.Kg2 Kxa4 53.Kf3 Kb4 54.Ke3 a4 55.c3+ Kb3 56.Kd4 a3
57.Rb7+ Kc2 58.Ra7 Kb2 59.Ra5 a2 60.Rxa2+ Kxa2 61.Kxd5 Kb3 62.c4 Black resigned
White's endgame play was rough-hewed, but good enough.
I have mentioned elsewhere GM Bronstein's lighthearted comment that in chess, three small errors tend to add up to one big error. In the following game, Black suffers a loss more because he loses his way against the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxv7+) than because of any great blunder.
perrypawnpusher - Unimat
blitz, FICS, 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 d6 9.Qe3 Nf6
10.0-0 Qe7 11.Nc3 Be6
Black has any number of alternatives, including 11...b6 as in perrypawnpusher - Navarrra, blitz, FICS, 2011, (1-0, 24); 11...Rf8 as in mrjoker - rex3, Internet Chess Club 2009 (1-0, 50), perrypawnpusher - MRBarupal, blitz, FICS, 2010 (0-1, 31), perrypawnpusher - parlance, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 20) and perrypawnpusher - chingching, blitz, FICS, 2011 (½-½, 36); 11...Ne5 as in perrypawnpusher - mikelars, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0,50); and 11...Kd7 as in perrypawnpusher - parlance, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 22).
The text encourages White to play f2-f4-f5.
12.f4 Bd7
Losing a tempo.
The alternative, 12...Bc4, was seen in QuadCoreBR - Alecs, blitz, FICS, 2008 (1-0, 27) and perrypawnpusher - ZhekaR, blitz, FICS, 2011 (0-1, 36).
Too risky is 12...Kd7 as in perrypawnpusher - Solaar, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 33).
13.f5 Ne5 14.d4 Nc4 15.Qd3 Nb6
The "Jerome pawns" are rolling and White has the advantage.
16.Bg5 h6 17.Bh4 Qf7
Moving out of the pin on the Knight, but it is interesting to see what Houdini recommended after the game: 17...Rd8 18.e5 dxe5 19.dxe5 Bc6 20.exf6 gxf6 21.Qg3 Kd7 22.Rae1 Qc5+ 23.Qf2 Qxf2+ 24.Rxf2 Rde8 25.Rfe2 Rhf8 26.Rd1+ Kc8 27.Rxe8+ Rxe8 28.Bxf6 Nc4 29.Nd5 Bxd5 30.Rxd5 Ne3 31.Re5 Rxe5 32.Bxe5 Nxf5.
analysis diagram
White's attack has been neutralized, but his extra pawn and Bishop vs Knight should win in the end.
18.e5 dxe5 19.dxe5
19...Nfd5
This raises the level of danger, but Houdini's suggestion 19...Qc4 20.Qxc4 Nxc4 21.exf6 will lead to a two-pawn advantage for White, any way.
The tactics all go White's way now.
20.e6 Qh5 21.exd7+ Kxd7 22.Nxd5 Nxd5 23.Qxd5+ Kc8
24.g3
The computer later pointed out that the Bishop was untouchable: 24.Rad1 Qxh4 25.f6 leads to mate.
24...Rd8 25.Qxd8 checkmate
