Updating the Blackburne Defense (Part 1)

Chess players who know about the Jerome Gambit are most familiar with the game Amateur - Blackburne, London, 1885. Many believe that the Blackburne Defense, when played properly, leads to an advantage for the second player.

Players a bit more familiar with the Jerome Gambit and past published analysis might well believe that White has the advantage.

Readers familiar with this blog would know that modern analysis has termed the Blackburne Defense as difficult, but actually a draw.

I thought of all of this as I played my most recent game, and decided that the Blackburne Defense needed another update.

Of course, you can start first with earlier efforts: "Update: Old Dog Can Still Bite", "A Closer Look (Part V)", "Update: Blackburne Defense" and "Junk Openings".

perrypawnpusher - lfcanales
blitz, FICS, 2014

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 d6

Here is the famous Blackburne defense, from Amateur - Blackburne, London, 1885. The Brooklyn Chess Chronicle (edited by J.B. and E.M. Munoz) Vol. III, August 15, 1885, p. 169, noted the game was

"played some months ago in London between Mr. Blackburne and an Amateur..."

8.Qxh8 Qh4

Here Amateur played 9.0-0. The editors of the Brooklyn Chess Chronicle suggested

He should have attempted to free his pieces by P to Q4 before castling. 

Although my opponent lfcanales played 9.0-0 as well, I would like first to look at the under-investigated 9.d4. After all, if 9.0-0 leads to a draw, as Chandler and Dimitrov have argued, then 9.d4 might be the better chance for White to fight for an advantage.

Here is some of what I have found.

After 9.d4, thematic and best for Black is 9...Nf6, although other moves have been played.

For example, Black has the alternative 9...Qxe4+ 10.Be3 Qxg2 -best - there have been several games with lesser 10th moves:
     1)10...Bb6?! 11.Qxh7+ Kf8 12.Nc3 Qe7 13.Qxe7+ Nxe7 14.0-0-0 Bf5 15.Bg5 Nc6 16.Nd5 Be6 17.Nxb6 axb6 18.d5 Bxd5 19.Rxd5 Nb4 20.Rd4 Nxa2+ 21.Kb1 Ra5 22.Bd2 Black resigned,  MrJoker - carrotop, Internet Chess Club, 2011; 
     2)10...Bxd4 11.Qxh7+ (better 11.Qxd4) Kf8 12.0-0 b6 13.Bh6+ Ke8 14.Qxg8+ Kd7 15.Qf7+ Kc6 16.Qf3 Qxf3 17.gxf3 Bh3 18.Rd1 Re8 19.c3 Bc5 20.b4 Bxf2+ 21.Kxf2 Re7 22.Nd2 a5 23.a3 Rf7 24.Ne4 Bg4 25.Ng5 Rf6 26.Rd4 Kd7 27.Rxg4 d5 28.Rd1 c5 29.Rxd5+ Kc6 30.Rd8 axb4 31.axb4 cxb4 32.Rc4+ Kb5 33.Rxb4+ Kc5 34.Ne4+ Kc6 35.Nxf6 Kc7 36.Rd7+ Kc6 37.Be3 b5 38.Rd5 g5 39.Rbxb5 Black resigned, mediax - yorkypuddn, ChessWorld.net  2008; 
     3)10...Bh3 (shouldn't work here) 11.Qxh7+ Kf8 12.Qxh3 Bxd4 13.Qf3+? (13.Nd2) 13...Qxf3 14.gxf3 Bxb2 15.Rg1 Kf7 16.Nc3 Bxc3+ 17.Ke2 Bxa1 18.Rxa1 Ne7 19.Rb1 b6 20.f4 Rh8 21.Rh1 Nd5 22.Bd2 c5 23.h4 Kf6 24.Kf3 b5 25.Kg4 Ne7 26.h5 gxh5+ 27.Rxh5 Rxh5 28.Kxh5 Kf5 29.Kh4 Nd5 30.Kg3 c4 White resigned, chrisdeb - stephPaillade, Echecs.com 2004; 
     4)10...Qxc2 11.dxc5 dxc5 12.Qc3 Qxc3+ 13.Nxc3 Bf5 14.Bxc5 Re8+ 15.Be3 Re5 16.0-0 Bd3 17.Rfd1 Bc2 18.Rd7+ Re7 19.Rxe7+ Nxe7 Black resigned, Marfia,J - Stelter,J, offhand game, 1964; 
     5)10...Nf6 11.Nd2 Qxg2 12.0-0-0 and White wins, comment by Bad Temper, Chessgames.com, 2005; 

Continuing -11.Qxh7+ Kf8 12.Rf1 Bh3 (12...Bb6 13.Nd2 Bf5 14.c3 Bd3 15.0-0-0 winning for White - personal communication, Paul Keiser, 2004) 13.Bh6+ Nxh6 14.Qxh6+ Kf7 15.Qf4+ Kg7 16.Kd2 Qxf1 17.dxc5 Rd8 18.Qd4+ Kh7 19.b3 Qb5 20.Qh4+ Kg7 21.Qxd8 Qxc5 22.Qe7+ Kh6 23.Qh4+ Kg7 24.Qxh3 Qxf2+ 25.Kc3 Qc5+ 26.Kb2 Qe5+ 27.Qc3 Black resigned, darumsdad - KolaTwoOFour, FICS, 2013. 

Black can also respond to 9.d4 with 9...Bb4+ 10.c3 Qxe4+ (not 11.Kf1? from perrypawnpusher - bakker, blitz, FICS, 2007) 11.Be3 Qxg2 12.Qxh7+ Kf8 13.Rf1 when White will hold on and keep his advantage.

10.Nd2 Bxd4 11.0-0

Given by Hindemburg Melao, in an internet article  at www.superajedrez.com, (which identified Blackburne's opponent as "Millner") as good for White. 

Instead, 10.dxc5 was given in Chess Openings: Traps and Zaps, by Bruce Pandolfini (1989) - see""Traps and Zaps" -  10...Qxe4+ 11.Be3 Qxg2 12.Rf1 where he wrote

Scenario: Don't be misled by White's extra Rook. It's a meaningless ornament. White is in serious trouble. His King is exposed and his cornered Queen is in danger of being trapped. The cruncher is 12...Bh3 which wins White's Queen by discovery from the a8-Rook.

Actually, the correct response to 11...Qxg2? is 12.Nc3!? which later prevents Black's Knight from moving to e4 and giving mate. After  12...Qxh1+ 13.Kd2 Qxa1? White turns the tables with 14.Bd4! (13...Qxh2 would keep Black's Queen in play) when Black's extra Rook would mean little in the face of White's strong counterattack.

Also, 10.e5 does not appear as strong as 10.Nd2 - and seems more dangerous for White - after 10...dxe5 11.Nd2 (11.dxc5? Qe4+; 11.dxe5?? Qxf2+ 12.Kd1 Bg4 mate) Bxd4 12.0-0 Be6!? 13.Qxa8 Bd5 14.Qc8 Ng4 15.Qxc7+ Ke6 16.Nf3 Bxf3 17.Bf4 Bxf2+ 18.Kh1 exf4 19.Qxf4 g5 20.Qb8 Be2 21.c4 Bxf1 22.Rxf1 Nf6 23.Qc8+ Ke5 24.Qxb7 Ne4 White has an edge, analysis by Houdini.

[to be continued]

It's A Small World After All (Part 2)

Of course [continuing from "It's A Small World After All (Part 1)"] there would not be much of a story if "fluffybunnyfeet" did not turn out to be National Master James Marfia after all.

He did.

We swapped emails. Jim remembered his opponent and the game. Of the Jerome, he noted "It was, indeed, not much of a gambit."

All of which is a light-hearted introduction to a game that is of significant interest for the serious Jerome Gambiteer.


Marfia,J - Stelter,J
Offhand Game, 1964

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6

7.Qxe5 d6

Blackburne's "generous" offer of a Rook.

Those slightly familiar with Amateur - Blackburne, London, 1885, will remember the game ending in a crush of White.

Those a bit more familiar will recall that later analysis suggested that White was winning.

Regular Readers will know, however, that the move actually leads to a complicated draw. (See "Flaws" Part 1 and Part 2.) 

8.Qxh8 Qh4 9.d4

The Database has only 5 other games with this move, including perrypawnpusher - bakker, blitz, FICS, 2007 (1-0, 33).

9...Qxe4+

Black's best was 9...Nf6, as detailed in "Traps and Zaps", leading to a complicated mess that favors the second player.

The text is tempting, but losing.

10.Be3 Qxc2

Houdini recommends 10...Qxg2 11.Qxh7+ Kf8 12.Rf1 Bb6 13.Nc3 Bf5 14.0-0-0 Qh3 15.Qxh3 Bxh3 16.Rfe1 Bf5 17.f3 Ba5 18.Bd2 Nf6 when White is better.
11.dxc5 dxc5 12.Qc3

Withdrawing the White Queen from mischief, guarding the White King, and offering a safety-making exchange.

12...Qxc3+ 13.Nxc3 Bf5 14.Bxc5 Re8+ 15.Be3 Re5 16.0-0 Bd3 17.Rfd1 Bc2 18.Rd7+ Re7 19.Rxe7+ Nxe7 Black resigned

A Rook is, after all, a Rook.

It's A Small World After All (Part 1)

I would like to share another typical Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) story. "Typical" in that, of course, it has several rather odd features...

A Reader from the Netherlands requested a copy of The Database the other day.

Like my book, The Marshall Gambit in the French and Sicilian Defenses, which was more popular in Europe than in the USA, this blog has a decent international following. (There is nothing quite like watching a player from Moldova, in the current ChessWorld Jerome Gambit Thematic Tournament, successfully play a move that I have championed, and others mostly have ignored.)

I was happy to oblige.

I was even happier when the Reader offered, in return, his Jerome Gambit (and related openings) collection. Although The Database has over 25,500 games, it is focused largely on FICS games and those that I have discovered in my historical research. I know that there are many, many other games out there.

One of my new aquisitions was the 1964 "offhand game" between "Marfia, J" and "Stelter, J".

I wondered: was that Jim Marfia, author of four books on the U.S. Open in the 1980s; author of Queen's Gambit with Bf4 and Queen's Indian with 4.g3; and translator for Botvinnik's 15 Games and Their Stories and Botvinnik on the Endgame, as well as Korchnoi's Persona Non Grata, Nimzovich's Carlsbad International Chess Tournament 1929, and Bronstein's Zurich International Chess Tournament 1953 (among others)?

After some searching, I discovered that "the" Jim Marfia was involved in West Michigan Chess. Further searching oncovered a recent game and the fact that he was playing games online at queenalice.com and GameKnot.com under the handle "fluffybunnyfeet".

As my wife said, "You can't make this stuff up..."

[to be continued]