Chess Is Not Life

Despite what different masters are reported to have said, it is not true that "Chess Is Life". Sometimes it appears that "life" is what keeps us busy, and occasionally from playing chess, though...

perrypawnpusher  - mnoori
blitz, FICS, 2014

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 Qf6

10.Nc3

The is one move among many possible.

Bill Wall has played 10.d3, as in Wall,B - G3LC, PlayChess.com 2011 (1-0, 22).

Louis Morin has show an interest in 10.d4, as in mrjoker - Igor77, Internet Chess Club, 2008 (1-0, 70), guest2199 - guest401, Internet Chess Club, 2004 (1-0, 87) and MrJoker - Melbourne, Internet Chess Club, 2011 (1-0, 13).

I've varied with 10.0-0, as in perrypawnpusher - TJPOT, blitz, FICS, 2009 (1-0, 48) and perrypawnpusher - LeiCar, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 25). 

10...Be6

Possibly better was 10...c6, as in perrypawnpusher - pitrisko, blitz, FICS 2011 (1-0, 28), perrypawnpusher - HGBoone, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0,59) and MrJoker - ZICO, Internet Chess Club, 2012 (1-0, 34).

11.0-0 N8e7 12.f4 Bd7 

In this kind of position, I usually see things differently during the game than Houdini sees afterwards. I think "tactics" and play f4-f5, "kicking" Black's Knight, hoping to chase him to e5 when I can "kick" it again with d2-d4. Houdini "thinks" "position" and chooses d2-d4 instead, suggesting that Black respond to a later f4-f5 by withdrawing his Knight to g8.

13.f5 Ne5

In all fairness, had my opponent played 13...Nf8 here instead, I would have followed up with 14.d4.

14.d4 Nc4

My opponent prefers to play actively, but 14...N5c6 was probably better, with and edge to Black.

15.Qd3 b5 

I was pretty sure during the game that Houdini would want me now to play 16.a4, but I couldn't figure out what would be wrong with Black simply defending with 16...c6. After the game Houdini showed me 17.e5 dxe5 18.Ne4!? with a sharp attack - good for you, Readers, who figured that out!

I was unhappy with the possibility of 16.a4 b4 as well, although, again, after the game Houdini said "no worries" after 17.Nb5 Bxb5 18.axb5 and White will eventually capture the pawn at b4. Well, okay...

16.b3 Nb6

After the game Houdini again pointed out that if 16...b4, White would have the familiar 17.e5 dxe5 18.Ne4!? I think I would have answered 16...b4 with 17.bxc4 bxc3 18.Qxc3 and been happy with my broad pawn center.

17.Nxb5 

At this point my opponent seems to have disappeared, and Black forfeited on time. Quite likely, "life" intruded; I hope nothing bad. 

Instead, after 17...Bxb5 18.Qxb5+ Nd7 19.Bb2 White would have a comfortable game, with three pawns for his sacrificed piece, and possibly a small edge.

"Jerome pawns" - Clowning Around

After my discouraging loss with the Jerome Gambit in my previous Chess.com Italian Game tournament (perrypawnpusher - Buddy_Thompson), I knew that I had to cook up something new, or risk facing a future opponent who just "looked the refutation up" (and not even on this blog, mind you, but in my recent games on Chess.com).

I was happy that I did do the research, too, because in my third Jerome Gambit in my current tourney, my opponent went straight for the same line (leaving out the superfluous Queen check).

As often happens, the white "Jerome pawns" held a starring, if comic, role in the game, supporting me while mistreating the Black King horribly.

perrypawnpusher - djdave28
Chess.com Italian game tournament, 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 Qf6 9.fxe5+ Qxe5 

10.Qxe5+

This was my idea, to "surrender" to Black's plan. Exchanging Queens isn't much worse than leaving them on. I found only 30 examples of this line in The Database, including a few played by "Blackburne", Louis Morin and UNPREDICTABLE.

If we go back to the perrypawnpusher - Buddy_Thompson, Chess.com, 2014 game, however, with 8...Qh4+ 9.g3 Qf6 thrown into the move order, there are two relevant precendents: NN - Kapil Gain, Internet, 2004 (1-0, 56) and perrypawnpusher - Kevin the Fruitbat, Jerome Gambit Thematic, ChessWorld.net, 2008.(1-0, 38). Both are discussed at "Jerome Gambit Tournament: Chapter XIII".

Likewise, if we use the opening approach 7.f4 (instead of 7.Qf5+) Qf6 8.Qxe5+ Qxe5 9.fxe5 Kxe5 we reach the same position as in the game, only a move earlier. There are 13 examples of this in The Database, but only one follows our main line (see below).

10...Kxe5 11.b4

This is the reason I went into the line - it looks hokey, and the next few moves by White don't suggest that I know what I am doing, either. (It's only showed up twice - three times if we count transpositions - before in The Database.)

I was pretty sure that I had discussed the line in an email with Stefan Bücker, editor of Kaissiber, years ago; but I have not been able to find our correspondence on the topic.

11...Bb6

The alternative, 11...Bd4, was seen in two games:

Spike1.2 - Fritz 6.0, USA 2006:  12.c3 Bb6 13.d4+ Kxe4 14.Nd2+ Kf5 15.0-0+ Ke6 16.a4 a5 17.b5 Nf6 18.Ba3 Re8 19.Rae1+ Kf7 20.Rxe8 Kxe8 21.Re1+ Kf7 22.Nc4 Nd5 23.Rf1+ Ke6 24.Re1+ Kf6 25.Rf1+ Kg5 26.Bc1+ Kh4 27.Rf5 Nxc3 28.Be3 Bxd4 29.Bxd4 Ne2+ 30.Kf2 Nxd4 31.Rf4+ Kg5 32.Rxd4 b6 33.Ne3 Ra7 34.Rc4 Kf6 35.Nd5+ Ke5 36.Nxb6 cxb6 37.Rxc8 d5 38.Rh8 h6 39.Rb8 Rf7+ 40.Ke3 Rf6 41.h3 h5 42.Rh8 Rh6 43.Re8+ Re6 44.Rc8 Kd6+ 45.Kd3 h4 46.Rc2 Re4 47.Rc6+ Ke5 48.Rxb6 Rxa4 49.Ra6 Ra2 50.b6 Rxg2 51.Rxa5 Rb2 52.Ra6 g5 53.Kc3 Rb5 54.Kc2 g4 55.hxg4 Kf4 56.Ra4+ Kg5 57.Rd4 h3 58.Rd2 Rxb6 59.Rxd5+ Kh4 60.Rd2 Rf6 61.g5 Kxg5 62.Rd5+ Kg4 63.Rd1 h2 64.Kb3 Rf4 65.Ka2 Rf3 66.Rc1 Kh3 67.Rc8 Kg2 68.Rg8+ Rg3 69.Rh8 h1Q 70.Rxh1 Kxh1 71.Kb2 Kg2 72.Kc2 Kf1 73.Kd2 Rh3 74.Kc1 Ke2 75.Kc2 Rd3 White resigned;

and in

Matacz CCT7 - Imp 0.74b, 2005: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 Qf6 8.Qxe5+ Qxe5 9.fxe5 Kxe5 10.b4 Bd4 11.c3 Bb6 12.d3 d5 13.Rf1 dxe4 14.Bf4+ Ke6 15.dxe4 Nf6 16.Nd2 Bd7 17.a4 a5 18.b5 Rhf8 19.0-0-0 Rac8 20.h4 Bc5 21.Nb3 Bb6 22.c4 Nh5 23.g3 Nxf4 24.Rxf4 Ke7 25.Rxf8 Rxf8 26.Rd3 c5 27.e5 Rf1+ 28.Kb2 Re1 29.Rd6 Bc7 30.Nxc5 Bc8 31.Rd5 Rxe5 32.h5 b6 33.Na6 Rxd5 34.Nxc7 Rxh5 35.Nd5+ Kd6 36.Nxb6 Be6 37.Kc3 Kc5 38.Na8 Rh3 39.Nc7 Rxg3+ 40.Kd2 Bxc4 41.Na6+ Kd6 42.Nb8 Ra3 43.Nc6 Rxa4 44.Nd4 Kc5 45.Nf3 Kd5 46.b6 Ra3 47.Nh4 Ke4 48.b7 Rb3 49.Ng2 Rxb7 50.Ne3 Bd3 51.Nd1 Kd4 52.Ke1 a4 53.Kf2 a3 54.Kg3 Be2 White resigned

12.Bb2+ Bd4

The "idea" behind the line appeared in axykk - bromby, FICS, 2011: 12...Kxe4 13.Bxg7 Black resigned.

13.c3 Bb6 14.d4+ 

14...Kxe4

I wouldn't be surprised to find that taking the pawn isn't the strongest move (see Spike1.2 - Fritz 6.0, USA, 2006, above). It reminds me of the Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit line, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6 6.c3 Kxe5 7.cxd4+ where Black has to think "homeward bound" for his King, or risk dangerous play. More prudent in our game seems 14...Ke6.

I suspect that my opponent saw the position as an endgame, in which case his King should be safe; while I saw it as a Queenless middlegame, where I still had tactical intentions. 

15.0-0 Nf6 16.Nd2+ Kd3 17.Nf3 d6 18.Rad1+ Kc4 19.Nd2+ 

I was hoping for 19...Kd3, when I was going to plan 20.Nf3+ and offer a draw. I know that's a bold thing to do, down a piece, but I thought Black's King might be feeling homesick.

19...Kb5

Again, a surprise. I thought that after 19...Kd5 I could play 20.c4+ and 21.c5 and win the piece back - hoping that my lead in development would compensate for my lack of pawns.

20.a4+

Played automatically, remembering a comment that Bill Wall once made to me, that certain moves just have to be played, not even thought over. Here, it either works, or White is doomed, anyway - I'm a piece down, and if Black's King escapes, I got nothin'... 

To my chagrin, when this game was over and I shared it will Bill, he suggested 20.c4+ instead.

20...Kxa4 21.c4 

The "Jerome pawns" do special duty, hemming in the King.

21...Kxb4 

This move, however, leads to a pie in the face. After the game, both Bill and Houdini suggested 21...d5.

22.Rf3 Black resigned

The King cannot escape checkmate.

Why so serious?

I recently received an email and game from Louis Morin, aka MrJoker. Playing through the game, I got very nervous after White's 4th move, but as I played on I imagined that I could hear Heath Ledger's voice as the Joker "Why so serious?"

Indeed, despite the difficulties, MrJoker wrapped up the game like it was an amusing anecdote.

Hi Rick

Perhaps my most recent game on ICC could be of interest for your blog.

MrJoker - HarryP
Internet Chess Club, 2012

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Nxe5?? 

Okay I am joker but not usually that much... 

4...Nxe5 

Only now did I realize that I forgot to play Bxf7+ before Nxe5+.
I am getting old I guess… 

5.Qh5 Qf6 6.0-0 g6 7.Bxf7+?? 

Never too late? 

7...Kxf7 

I must admit that I completely overlooked this. I thought Black had to take with the Queen or Knight. Now I have a typical Jerome gambit position… except for the fact that I am 2 full pieces down instead of “only” one. Anyway, White’s advantage is still decisive, it will only take a bit longer than usual to realize it.

8.Qe2 d6 9.Kh1 Ne7 10.c3 N5c6 11.d4 Bb6 12.Bh6 Qh4 13.Qe3 Ne5 14.Bg5 

14...Qxh2+ 15.Kxh2 Ng4+ 16.Kg3 Nxe3 17.fxe3+ Ke6 18.Rf6+ Kd7 19.Rf7 Re8 20.Nd2 c6 21.Raf1 Bd8 

22.Rxh7 Kc7 23.Rff7 Kb6 24.Bxe7 Be6 25.Bxd8+ Raxd8 26.Rxb7+ Ka6 27.Rxa7+ Kb6 28.Rhb7 checkmate

I hope you enjoyed this. But if you publish this game, tell your readers I advise them NOT to try 4.Nxe5.

Something New In Something Old

In an old line, Black discovers something new.

Not quite new enough, however.

MrJoker  - KnickAtKnight
blitz, 2 12, Internet Chess Club, 2012

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Kf8 

The Sorensen Variation, based on a line recommended by Lt. Sorensen in his article on the Jerome Gambit in the Nordisk Skaktidende, May, 1877. 

The idea is simple: Black does not get greedy, seeing one extra piece as enough to win.

6.Qh5 

The Banks Variation, after Banks,P - Rees,M, Halesowen v Lucas, 2003 (1-0, 45). Pete Banks, playing the Jerome Gambit over-the-board, risked rating points and club pride with "Jerome's Double Opening."

6...Bxf2+

A creative response ("what's good for the goose is good for the gander"), which only shows up in one other game in The Database. Unfortunately for KnickAtKnight, that game was played (and won) by Mr.Joker six months earlier.

It was possible for Black to return to normal Jerome Gambit lines with 6...Nxe5, as in MrJoker - Marduk, blitz, Internet Chess Club 2012 (1-0, 64).

Best for Black seems to be 6...Qe7, discovered four years ago. See "Jerome Gambit, Vlad Tepes, and... Garlic!"

7.Kxf2 Nxe5

As mentioned in the note Black's 6th move, there had already occurred: 7...Qf6+ 8.Nf3 d6 9.d3 Nd4 10.Na3 h6 11.c3 Nxf3 12.Qxf3 Qxf3+ 13.gxf3 Nf6 14.Be3 Bh3 15.Nb5 a6 16.Nd4 Ke7 17.Kg3 Bd7 18.h3 Rhf8 19.Raf1 c5 20.Ne2 Nh5+ 21.Kh4 Nf6 22.f4 Bb5 23.c4 Ba4 24.b3 Bc6 25.Rhg1 Rg8 26.f5 b5 27.Nf4 Be8 28.Ng6+ Bxg6 29.Rxg6 bxc4 30.bxc4 Rab8 31.Rfg1 Kf7 32.R6g2 a5 33.Bc1 a4 34.Bb2 Rb7 35.Bxf6 Kxf6 36.Rg6+ Ke7 37.f6+ gxf6 38.Rxg8 Rb2 39.R1g7+ Ke6 40.Re8 checkmate, MrJoker - Chicagojr, Internet Chess Club, 2012. 

8.Qxe5 Qh4+ 

Black has stalled White's attack and is counter-attacking, but he is doing so a pawn down.

9.g3 Qf6+ 10.Qf4 d6 11.d4 Ke7 12.Qxf6+ Nxf6 13.Nc3 Rf8 14.Bg5 Ke8 15.Bxf6 Rxf6+ 16.Kg2 b6 

White still does not have a raging attack: only a better center, a safer King, and an extra pawn.

17.Rhf1 Re6

Putting pressure on White's center, but exchanging the Rook with 17...Rxf1 18.Rxf1 was probably better, even if it brought the game closer to a simple endgame.

18.Nd5 Kd8

A consistent example of what might be called a "negative halo effect": the second player, having faced the ridiculous 4.Bxf7+ and the outrageous 5.Nxe5 and the preposterous 6.Qh5 shrugs off White's Knight leap as just another simple threat. Otherwise he would have realized that his "best" choice was 18...Re7, "neutralizing" the Knight by exchanging it off for his Rook right away. (Ouch)

19.Rf8+ Kd7 20.Rf7+ Ke8 21.Rxg7 c6 22.Nc7+ Kf8 Black resigned 

Things would settle down after 23.Nxe6+ Bxe6 24.Rxh7 with White ahead the exchange and three pawns.

Brilliant Sunset

MrJoker - rvcclub, blitz, ICC, 2012 

When I finally write my book on the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) I will be tempted to use the above position for the front cover.

It is from one of the recent games sent by MrJoker (Louis Morin) and it is the kind of finish that probably gave Black nightmares afterwards.

I will share the game, in time, of course, but the checkmate itself is something worth sharing.

Further Exploration

Here is another Jerome Gambit exploration by Philidor1792, tackling an annoying defensive variation (for a game, and a discussion by MrJoker, see "Theory From the Thematic Tourney" Part 3 and Part 4), battling with his opponent and prevailing.

Philidor1792 - NN
Casual game, 2012

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 d6 

8.fxe5 dxe5 9.Qh3+ Ke7 

9...Kd6 was seen in Yace Paderborn - RevvedUp, 2006 (1-0, 48) and Morin,L-Dumont,F, Montreal, 2011 (0-1, 57). 

10.Qg3 Kf7 11.Qxe5 Qh4+ 

Other choices by Black (all in The Database):

11...Qd6 in Wall,B, - Qi,H, Chess.com, 2011 (1-0, 14); 
11...b6 in Wall,B - Redom,T, Chess.com, 2010 (½-½,59); 
11...Bd4 in Fritz 5.32 - Junior 7, The Jeroen Experience, 2003 (0-1, 32)

12.g3 Qe7 13.Qxe7+ 

Or 13.Rf1+ in Colossus - Rybka v1.0 Beta.w32, USA, 2006 (0-1,42).

13...Nxe7 14.c3 Bb6 15.d4 Ke8 

Here we have a typical Jerome Gambit Queenless middlegame/endgame, where Philidor1792 wants to make the most of his "Jerome pawns".

16.Be3 Nc6 17.Nd2 Ne5 18.Kd1 Ng4 19.Ke2 Be6 20.Bf4 Kd7 21.Raf1 Raf8 22.h3 Nf6 23.Kd3 Kc8 24.Re1 Nh5 25.Be5 Rf7 26.Rhf1 Nf6 

White patiently maneuvers and improves the placement of his pieces.

27.g4 Nd7 28.Bg3 Rxf1 29.Rxf1 a6 30.Nc4 Ba7 31.b3 h5 32.Ne3 hxg4 33.hxg4 Bb6 34.Rf3 Nf6 35.g5 Nh5 36.Be5 Kd7 

37.Nf5 Rf8 38.c4 Bxf5 39.exf5 c6 40.Ke4 Rf7 

A slip, but the game remains drawish..

41.Rh3 c5 42.Rxh5 cxd4 43.Bxd4 Bxd4 44.Kxd4 Rxf5 

45.Ke4 Ke6 46.b4 Re5+ 47.Kd4 b6 48.Rh8 Rxg5 49.Rb8 Rg4+ 50.Kc3 Rg3+ 51.Kd4 Rg4+ 52.Kc3 Rg3+ 

Has White reached his goal of an endgame draw with the Jerome Gambit?

53.Kb2 

No!

White wants more.

This seems to upset Black, who soon settles for less.

53...b5 54.Rb6+ Ke5 55.cxb5 axb5 56.Rxb5+ Kd4 57.Rc5 g5 58.a4 g4 59.a5 Rg2+ 60.Kb3 Rg3+ 61.Ka4 Rg1 62.Kb5 g3 63.a6 Ra1 64.Rg5 Ra3 65.Kb6 Black resigned

Piece Development vs Pawns

The following Jerome Gambit miniature, featuring long-time Jerome Gambit Gemeinde member Louis Morin (also known as "mrjoker") playing White, showcases Black developing all of his pieces, including his extra one, while his opponent gathers in pawns. The game ends abruptly in the face of a rather intimidating gathering of "Jerome pawns".

guest585 - guest983
blitz, 2 12, Internet Chess Club, 2001

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6

7.Qxc5 Qe7 8.Qc4+ d5 9.Qxd5+ Be6 10.Qxb7 Re8

11.d3 h6 12.Nc3 Nf6 13.Be3 Rhf8 14.0-0 c5

15.Qxe7+ Nxe7 16.Bxc5 Kg8 17.Bxa7 Ng6 18.f4

Black has completed his development and castled-by-hand. His extra Knight, however, is outweighed by White's 6 extra pawns.

Black resigned

Shortcut

The following game is from the recent collection sent to me by Louis Morin. It again shows that if your opponent becomes disoriented by the Jerome Gambit, the game can be over before he even knows it.

mrjoker - Taj
blitz, 2 12, Internet Chess Club, 2009

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6

7.Qd5+ Kf6 8.d4 d6 9.Bg5 checkmate

MrJoker Strikes Again

I just received a friendly email from Louis Morin, aka "mrjoker", a member of the Jerome Gambit Gemeinde who is familiar to long-time readers of this blog. He attached a pgn file of over 6,000 of his games, many of which are Jerome Gambits (or related openings), and a good number of which are new to me. After playing them over, I will, of course, add the games to The Database and post selected ones here, from time-to-time.

A hearty "thank you" to mrjoker!

Say, what...?

While playing against an opponent who has a sense of what is going on in the Jerome Gambit is one thing (see, for example, "La la la la la..."), playing against an opponent who seems to be bamboozled can be quite another, as axykk demonstrates...


axykk - bromby
blitz, FICS, 2011

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

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

When Black makes this move it usually means that either he is new to the Jerome Gambit, and wants to hang on to the second piece, or that he has studied the Jerome Gambit and this is the defensive system that he is most comfortable with.

The Database indicates that bromby faced and defeated a "modern" Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.d3) in 2006; and drew and won against Petasluk in 2009 in a couple of 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 games. So: not necessarily "new" to the Jerome Gambit, but is he prepared ?

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Qf6

A solid defense, as we know from analysis dating back to Alonzo Wheeler Jerome and the April 1874 issue of the Dubuque Chess Journal. Over the years, Shinkman, Jaeger, Colburn and Charles beat the opening's "inventor" with it.

9.fxe5+ Qxe5 10.Qxe5+

This is a relatively new idea, as opposed to retreating the Queen to f3. The Database has games with this move by Louis Morin in each of 2001, 2002, and 2003, all wins.

I don't think that bromby was quite prepared for it.

10...Kxe5 11.b4

" 'Freedom' 's just another word for 'nothing left to lose' " as the song goes. Axykk can play freely with the White pieces, as he's already had a "lost" game since move 4. What is the worst thing that can happen now?

11...Bb6

Suspicious of White's motives, Black retreats.

It seems silly to point out that 11...Bd4 12.c3 Bb6 13.d4+ Kxe4 was better – not everyone wants to know what happens after 14.Nd2+ Kf5 15.0-0+, especially against a higher-rated player at blitz speed.

12.Bb2+ Kxe4

Befuddled. At a distance we can recommend the same notion as above, with 12...Bd4 13.c3 Bb6 14.d4+ and even after 14...Kxe4 Black will be better.

13.Bxg7

Black resigned

It might have been worth hanging around to try (wait for it...) 13...Bd4, as White would have to find 14.Nc3+ to keep his edge, i.e. 14...Bxc3 (nothing else comes close to working) 15.dxc3 Ne7 16.Bxh8 when White would be a solid exchange ahead, and his Kingside pawn majority would spell future trouble for Black.