The ongoing RedHotPawn.com Jerome Gambit tournament continues to produce interesting and educational games.
Be sure to follow the games in the notes, too, for extra excitment!
golddog2 - deriver69
Giuoco Piano Jerome Gambit Tournament
RedHotPawn.com, 2016
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Qh4 7.Nc3
Sang froid. White answers Black's wild counter-attack (which leaves two pieces en prise; see "A Pie-in-the-Face Variation") with a rare, but simple developing move. Anything is worth a try in such a precarious position.
For the adventurer with White, despite what a computer player might say about the position, it is reassuring to know that in 222 games in The Database, White scored a scintillating 67%!
7...Bb4
Instead, 7...Nd3+ was the odd idea of the coputer Milobot, in a crazy game that veered all over the place: 8.cxd3 (8.Qxd3) 8...Bf8 (8...Bxd4) 9.Qf3+ (9.Qb3+ or 9.O-O) 9...Qf6 10.Qh5+ Qg6 11.Qd5+ Ke8 12.O-O a6 13.f3 Ra7 14.Bf4 b5 15.Bxc7 Nh6 (15...Rxc7 16.Qe5+ Kd8) 16.f4 Qf7 (16...Rxc7) 17.Rae1 (17. Qe5+) 17...Qg6 (17...Rxc7) 18.f5 Qg4 $18 19.Qe5+ Be7 20.Bd6 Qxg2+ 21.Kxg2 Kf8 22.Qxe7+ Kg8 23.Qf8 checkmate, LeoJustino - MiloBot, FICS, 2012. Wow.
7...Ng4, like the text in the game, also preserves Black's advantage 8.Qf3+ (8.g3 Qf6 9.Qxg4 Bxd4 10.Nd5 Qxf2+ 11.Kd1 d6 12.Qh5+ g6 13.Qh4 Qf3+ 14.Kd2 Qxh1 15.c3 Qg2+ 16.Kd3 Be5 17.Bh6 Qh3 18.Qd8 Qxh6 19.Qxc7+ Ke8 20.Rf1 Qg7 21.Qc4 Be6 22.Nc7+ Kd7 23.Qxe6+ Kxc7 24. Rf7+ Qxf7 25.Qxf7+ Kc6 26.Qc4+ Kd7 27.Qf7+ Ne7 28.Qb3 b6 29.Qb5+ Nc6 30 b4 Rhf8 31.Qd5 Rf3+ 32.Ke2 Raf8 33.b5 Rf2+ 34.Ke1 Bxc3+ 35.Kd1 Rd2+ 36.Ke1 Rxd5+ White resigned, CoachCrupp - mathgk, FICS, 2010) 8...N8f6 9.dxc5 Nxh2 10.Qh3 Qxh3 11.gxh3 Nf3+ 12.Ke2 Nd4+ 13.Kd3 Nc6 14.a3 b6 15.Be3 Ba6+ 16.Kd2 Ne5 17.Rad1 Rhe8 18.Kc1 Nc4 19.cxb6 cxb6 20.Bf4 Nxe4 21.Nxe4 Rxe4 22.Rxd7+ Ke6 White resigned, Darthnik - picator, FICS, 2011.
8.dxe5
The wildness continued after 8.O-O with 8...Ng4 9.h3 h5 10.Qf3+ Qf6 11.hxg4 hxg4 12.Qxg4 Bxc3 13.bxc3 Qh4 14.Qf5+ Nf6 15.f3 d6 16.Qf4 Qxf4 17.Bxf4 b6 18.e5 Nd5 19.Bd2 Ba6 20.Rf2 dxe5 21.dxe5 Rae8 22.f4 g6 23.Re1 Ke6 24.g4 Rhf8 25.Kg2 Ne7 26.Kg3 Bb7 27.c4 c5 28.Bc3 Ba6 29.Re4 Rd8 30 a4 Rd1 31.Rh2 Rg1+ 32.Kf3 Bb7 33.Ke3 Rxg4 34.Rf2 Black forfeited on time in a winning position, PLURkidIT - CEZRUN, FICS, 2007.
8...Bxc3+ 9.bxc3 Qxe4+ 10.Qe2 Qxe2+ 11.Kxe2 Ne7
A lot of the tension has been taken out of the position, and with only a pawn for his sacrificed piece, White needs to find a way to make use of his open lines and Black's slightly unsafe King.
This time, he is not successful.
12.c4 b6 13.g4 Bb7 14.f3 Rae8 15.Bb2 Ng6
16.Kf2 Nxe5 17.Bxe5 Rxe5 18.Rad1 d6 19.Rd3 Rhe8 20.Rf1 Re2+ 21.Kg3 Rxc2 22.Rd4 Ree2 23.h3 g5 24.f4 Re3+ 25.Rf3 Rxf3 checkmate
Here we continue from our previous post, "Updating the Blackburne Defense (Part 1)", a look at the Blackburne Defense and what is new (or newer).
For earlier efforts, see also "Update: Old Dog Can Still Bite","Junk Openings", "A Closer Look (Part V)", "Update: Blackburne Defense" and "Traps and Zaps".
perrypawnpusher - lfcanales
blitz, FICS, 2014
9...Nf6 10.Qd8 Qxe4
Black's move allows White's Queen to escape and counter-attack. There are a number of alternative moves for Black, two of which bear attention.
Not 10...a6?, as in piratebopper - MiloBot, FICS, 2010, (1-0, 24).
Nor 10...a5? as in perrypawnpusher - MiloBot, blitz, FICS, 2010, (1-0, 24).
Played, if in a stumbling manner, is 10...Bd7?. The core game continued 11.Qxc7 (instead, 11.Qxa8? Nxe4? [Black should finish Blackburne-style: 11...Ng4 12.h3 Bxf2+ 13.Kh1 Qg3 14.Rxf2+ Nxf2+ 15.Kg1 Nxh3+ 16.Kh1 Nf4 17.Qf8+ Kxf8 18.d3 Qxg2#] 12.d4 Bxd4 13.Be3 Bxb2 14.Qxb7 Bxa1 15.Qxc7 Nf6 16.Qxd6 Kg7 17.Qc5 Ne4 18.Bd4+ Bxd4 19.Qxd4+ Kh6 20.f3 Black resigned, UNPREDICTABLE - choron, FICS, 2009) 11...Bb6? (instead, 11...Rc8 12.Qxb7 Ke7 is "gloriously obscure" according to Dr. Andrew Walker, University of Nottingham, personal communication, 2001. Probably 13.Qb3 with the idea of Qg3 is White's answer - not 13.Nc3? Ng4 when Black mates) 12.g3?! (12.Qxd6) 12...Qh3 13.Qxd6? Bc6 14.g4 Qxg4+ White resigned, Harris,S - Quayle,E, Los Angeles, CA, 1944.
Certainly solid, and Rybka's recommendation, is 10...Bb6. White should spring his Queen with 11.e5 dxe5 12.Qd3. The earliest reference that I have seen to this line is from The Art of the Checkmate by Renaud and Kahn (1953), which says White has the advantage. This proved true in Wall,B - Foo,N, Palm Bay, FL, 2010 (1-0, 33).
The most exciting move in the position is Chandler's 10...Bh3!?, when White has to temporarily forego the Rook at a8 and focus on checking Black: 11.Qxc7+ (11.g3? Qxe4 12.Qxc7+ Kf8 White resigned, Siggus -toe, FICS, 2007; 11.Qxa8? Qg4 12.Qe8+ Nxe8 13.g3 Qf3 14.Re1 Qg2#) 11...Kf8! (11...Kg8 lost in Chandler,G - Dimitrov, T/5 minute special game 2004; in Hiarcs 8 - RevvedUp, blitz 2 12, 2006 [1-0, 17]; and AsceticKingK9 - blackburne, ChessWorld JG6, 2011 [1-0, 22] ) and analysis by Geoff Chandler and, later, Dennis Monokroussos (see the two posts on his blog) show that the outcome is a draw, as it is too dangerous for either player to look for more.
11.Qxc7+
This is an improvement over 11.Nc3 Qe7 (11...Qxc2 12.Qxc7+ Nd7 13.Nd5 Qe4 14.Nc3 Qe5 15.d3 Qd4 16.Re1 Qxf2+ White resigned, ionman - GriffyJr, FICS, 2005 (0-1,16); Interested readers should check out "Ionman vs The Bots" ) 12.Qxe7+ Kxe7 as in RevvedUp - Shredder 8, blitz 2 12, 2006 (0-1, 25).
11...Kg8
radicalmove played over a dozen games against LuigiBot on FICS in 2012, testing the somewhat weaker 11...Bd7 (see "Poor, Poor Computer" for a couple of examples). The games are in The Database.
Likewise, ionman took on the computer GriffyJr a couple of times at FICS in 2005, over the somewhat weaker 11...Qe7 (the games are also in The Database). White triumphed in Shredder 8 - RevvedUp, blitz 2 12, 2006 (1-0, 28).
12.Nc3
Maybe a little better was 12.Qd8+ Kf7 13.d3 Qe5 14.Bh6 Qe8 15.Qxe8+ Nxe8.
12...Qxc2
The pawn is poison.
13.Qd8+
After the game Houdini preferred 13.d4!? Bb6 (13...Bxd4 14.Bh6 Bd7 15.Qc4+ d5 16.Qxd4) 14.Qe7 when White steals the Knight in broad daylight.
13...Kg7 14.Qe7+ Kh6 15.Qxf6 Black resigned
The following game (and its notes) tests the assertion that It's not a blunder if it isn't refuted - the theme song of those who play the Jerome Gambit, after all.
fehim - BlkSabb
blitz, FICS, 2013
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 d6
The Blackburne Defense to the Jerome Gambit, based on the famous game, Amateur - Blackburne, London, 1885.
8.Qxh8 Qh4 9.0-0 Nf6 10.d3
Fehim, who has been playing the Jerome Gambit on FICS since at least 2005, had only encountered the Blackburne Defense once before, and that game was something he probably wanted to improve upon, as it is a story all itself.
fehim - zsifkovitspeter, blitz, FICS, 2007, continued 10.d4 Bxd4 (the "only" move for Black was 10...Bh3 11.gxh3 Rxh8 12.dxc5 Nxe4 13.cxd6 cxd6 when he would be better) 11.Be3 (Leads to a big Black advantage, while 11.Qd8 Bb6 12.Nd2 Bh3 13.Nf3 Rxd8 14. Nxh4 Bd7 would let White hold on) 11...Bd7 (Continuing the friendly "give aways," when, instead, 11...Ng4 would be crushing.) 12.g3 (Instead, grabbing the Rook with 12.Qxa8 gives White the clear advantage.) 12...Qh3 13.Qxa8 Ng4 14.Rd1 Qxh2+ 15.Kf1 Nxe3+ 16.Ke2 Bb5+ 17.Kf3 Qh5+ 18.Kf4 Qg4 White was checkmated.
After the Blackburne game, the Jerome Gambit was largely seen as busted by the Rook sacrifice - although commentary at the time, suggesting 10.Qd8, actually gave White the advantage.
10...Ng4
Previously I noted
The problem with this move is that White has 32 possible responses: 31 lead to an advantage (most of them mate) for Black. However, one leads to a win for White.
As seen before, 10...Bh3 wins, RevvedUp-Hiarcs 8, blitz 2 12, 2006 (0-1, 12).
10...Ke6 led to a sustained battle in Knightpusher - MiloBot, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 47).
11.Bf4
White tried another defense with 11.h3 - 11...Bf5 (Black would consolidate, instead, with 11...Ne5 12.Nd2 Bxh3 13.Qxe5 dxe5) 12.Qxa8 (Instead, White is saved by the electric 12.Bg5!? Qxf2+ - what else? - 13.Rxf2 Bxf2+ 14.Kf1 Rxh8 15.hxg4 Bd4 16.c3 Bxe4 17.dxe4 Bf6) 12...Bxf2+ 13.Rxf2 Qxf2+ 14.Kh1 Qf1 checkmate, Kriton - Schoenwettermatt, FICS, 2013.
11...Nxf2
Black could have gone for the cheapo, 11...Bxf2+, since 12.Rxf2? (12.Kh1 is sufficient - if White can find, after 12...Bf5 13.Qxa8 Nxh2 the return 14.Qd8!? when he gets sufficient material for his Queen: 14...Qxd8 15.Bxh2 Bd4 16.c3 Be5 17.Nd2 Bxh2 18.Kxh2 Qg5 19.Rad1 Ke7 20.exf5 gxf5) Qxf2+ 13.Kh1 Qf1 is checkmate.
12.Bg3 Black resigned
The play was not over, however, for the earlier game, stampyshortlegs - blackburne, JG Tourney5, ChessWorld, 2010, continued further 12...Qh6 13.Bxf2 Bf5 14.Bxc5 Rxh8 15.Bd4 Re8 16.exf5 gxf5 17.Rxf5+ Ke6 18.Rf6+ Qxf6 19.Bxf6 Kxf6 20.Nc3 c6 21.Ne4+ Ke5 22.Re1 Kd4 23.Kf2 d5 24.Nd6 Rb8 25.Re7 Kc5 26.Nxb7+ Kb6 27.Rxh7 Rxb7 28.Rxb7+ Kxb7 29.h4 when Black resigned.
If yesterday's game was a bit of surprise, take a look at today's.
Is there a virus going around?
coolnicksin - MiloBot
standard. FICS, 2012
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.d3 Nf6 5.Bxf7+ Ke7 White Resigned
(White can withdraw his Bishop and simply have a better game.)
Almost all of my games with the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) played at FICS have been at blitz speed (the one notable exception being a mismatched game against MiloBot). I have decided to try the opening out at slower time controls. The following is my second non-blitz FICS game.
perrypawnpusher - kashifnaseem
standard, FICS, 2011
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8
The Jerome Variation of the Jerome Gambit.
7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qg3 Qf6
Including this game, The Database has 47 games with this move (reinforcing Black's hold on the dark diagonals), with White scoring 50%. Of interest are the 8 games between mrjoker and PhlebasP, where the first player scored 6-1-1.
Alternatives include 8...Nf6 (64 games in The Database, White scores 52%), as in perrypawnpusher - klixar, blitz, FICS, 2007 (1-0, 33), perrypawnpusher - marianomocoroa, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 14), perrypawnpusher - salla, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 18), perrypawnpusher - caterwaul, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 39); perrypawnpusher - maxmi, blitz, FICS, 2010, (1-0, 42), Wall - Badbeat994, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 48), Wall - Milsrilion, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 50), and perrypawnpusher - truuf, blitz, FICS, 2011 (0-1, 32).
Also 8...Qe7 (6 games in The Database, White scores 67%) as in perrypawnpusher - frencheng, 10 5 blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 17), perrypawnpusher-dkahnd, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 20) and Banks,P - Dunne,D, Worcestershire v Derbyshire, 2010, (1-0, 35); and 8...h5 (3 games in The Database, White scores 67%), as in Wall - Thieveyen, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 61).
9.0-0
Or 9.Nc3 as in Wall - GoldCoinCollector, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 17).
9...g6
Creating a refuge for his King.
10.Nc3 c6 11.d3 Be6
12.Be3 Bd4
Black sees the c3 spot as vulnerable, and figures that if White exchanges off the Bishop, the Queen will recapture and be centrally placed. This is an error that we both missed – which I realized as soon as I played my next move. This is something that I had hoped that "more time on the clock" would fix.
13.Bxd4
Too much of a reflex: after 13.Qxd6+ Black will simply lose the Bishop.
13...Qxd4 14.Kh1 Nf6 15.f4 Ng4
Eyeing the square e3, which no longer has the protection of White's dark-squared Bishop.
16.Rae1
This move is okay (protecting the square, developing a Rook) but after the game Houdini pointed out that I could have pushed 16.f5 anyhow, as I would not be losing the exchange, I would be getting two pieces for a Rook (leaving me up two pawns for the exchange): 16.f5 Ne3 17.fxe6+ Nxf1 18.Rxf1+ Kg8 19.Qg5 and White's Queen is ready to invade Black's fortress.
16...Qb4
This is the kind of move that makes my heart soar, especially after my games against irak, smarlny and chingching – it is dangerous for Black to let his Queen go wandering.
17.f5 gxf5 18.exf5 Bxa2
19.Nxa2
After the game Houdini pointed out that 19.Re4, both threatening to win the Knight at g4 and chase the Queen away from protecting the pawn at d6, was even stronger.
19...Qxb2 20.Qxd6+ Kg8 21.Qe6+ Kg7 22.Qe7+ Kh6 23.Qh4+ Kg7 24.Qxg4+ Kf6 25.Re6+ Kf7 26.Qh5+ Kf8 27.Qh6+ Qg7
I am sure that there was a checkmate after 27.f6, but, having gone up a piece, I decided to play it safe and exchange Queens.
28.Qxg7+ Kxg7 29.f6+ Kf7 30.Re7+ Kf8 31.Rxb7 Re8 32.Rxa7 Rg8 33.f7 Re6 34.Ra8+ Kg7 Black resigned
graphic by Jeff Bucchino, the Wizard of Draws
How do you make a computer chess program play not-so-strongly? You can limit the amount of time that it analyzes any position, or you can limit the depth to which it will analyze. Or, you can cause it to blunder every once-in-a-while...
perrypawnpusher - MiloBot
standard game, FICS, 2010
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
My "opponent", a chess-playing program at FICS, was not rated highly, and I wanted to see how it would do against the Jerome Gambit.
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 d6
Fascinating! MiloBot is playing the Blackburne Defense! To uphold my honor and that of the Jerome Gambit, I must take the Rook!
8.Qxh8 Qh4 9.0-0 Nf6
Slam! The White Queen is locked in, just like Blackburne played! MiloBot must still be in its opening "book".
10.Qd8
The "escape clause" for White, who now has the advantage, but Black should be able to draw.
10...a5
Yipes! Suddenly Black's "brain" goes haywire.
Necessary was 10...Bb6, and after 11.e5 dxe5 White's Queen escapes with 12.Qd3. I knew the line, but I guess that MiloBot was now out of its book.
11.Qxc7+ Ke8 12.d4 Bb4 13.c3 Ra6
If this was the "idea" behind Black's last move, then the game is largely over already...
14.cxb4
Taking the other Bishop was even better.
14...Be6 15.Qxb7 Qg4 16.Qxa6 Bc8 17.Qxd6 Be6
18.f3 Bg8 19.Qxf6 Qxg2+
I have no idea what the computer was doing.
20.Kxg2 axb4 21.Bg5 Kd7 22.Rc1 Bc4 23.Rxc4 Ke8 24.Qe7 checkmate
Well, that was a bit of a mis-match...
