Platinum Mind Tricks

I had another encounter with what I have called a Blackburne Shilling Gambit "Jedi Mind Trick". My opponent was PlatinumKnight, so perhaps I should refer to it as a "Platinum Mind Trick".


perrypawnpusher - PlatinumKnight
blitz, FICS, 2010

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4

The Blackburne Shilling Gambit.

4.Bxf7+

The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.

The updated New Year's Database has 60 examples of games by my opponent in this line: 58 with Black, 2 with White. Two have already appeared on this blog, one against darrenshome and another against richiehill.

4...Ke7

Messing with my mind (4...Kxf7 was just fine)...

After our game I learned that PlatinumKnight is a bit of a specialist with this strategy, as the Database has 30 of his games with 4...Ke7, starting in 2005. 

5.Bc4

Also possible, of course, are 5.Bxg8 or  5.Bb3.

5...Ke8

A striking move, played, I imagine, to allow Black's Queen to regain access to the d8-h4 diagonal. Indeed, we have the original Blackburne Shilling Gambit position, except that Black's f-pawn is missing and Black's King cannot castle – neither will be important if he can pull off the usual BSG shenanigans.

6.Nxd4

I suspect that PlatinumKnight was hoping for 6.Nxe5, which he could answer with 6...Qg5 (and a roughly equal position) but I've learned my lesson from Master zadox.

I don't think that my opponent has faced 6.Nxd4 in this position before. Perhaps it will help him give up attempts at "mind tricks".

6...exd4

It is sad that after the game all Rybka had to recommend instead of this recapture was: 6...Qh4 7.Nf3 Qxe4+ 8.Be2 Qf5 when White is much better.

7.Qh5+

7...g6 8.Qe5+ Ne7

Or 8...Qe7, as in perrypawnpusher - zadox, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 14).

9.Qxh8 Black resigned

Untangling Lines of Play

When I meet the Blackburne Shilling Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4) I respond in the Jerome Gambit way with 4.Bxf7+. I have confidence in that strategy, but I am often surprised at how much remains either unexplored or unclear. Lines of play get tangled, and it seems that some knowledge of theory is essential for White's success.   


Darrenshome  - PlatinumKnight
blitz FICS, 2006

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4

4.Bxf7+

Of course White can also play 4.0-0, 4.Nxd4 or 4.c3 with a good game.

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6

6.c3 Kxe5 7.cxd4+ Kxd4

Certainly throwing down the gauntlet in front of White by grabbing that extra pawn instead of retreating with 7...Ke6: What are you going to do about it, Gambiteer?? 

8.Qa4+

This move is seen in 35 games in the New Year's Database, with White scoring 40%. Strongest is 8.d3, with White scoring 73% in 11 games.

8...Ke5 9.f4+

9...Kxf4

Indigestion!

The King has eaten one pawn too many, and now faces checkmate. Retreating would have given Black the advantage.

10.0-0+

This move is good, and it wins, but faster was 10.d4+ Kxe4 (10...Kg4 11.Qd1+ Kh4 12.Qf3 Bb4+ 13.Ke2 d5 14.g3+ Kh3 15.g4+ Kh4 16.Qg3#) 11.0–0 Bb4 12.Qxb4 Qg5 13.Nc3+ Kd3 14.Rd1+ Qd2 15.Rxd2+ Ke3 16.Rd1 checkmate 

10...Ke5

Black would put up more resistance with 10...Kg5. Then best play, according to Rybka, would be 11.Qb3 d5 12.d4+ Kh5 13.Qf3+ Bg4 14.Qf7+ g6 15.h3 when Black will lose his Bishop and face aggressive follow-up moves such as Rf5+.

11.d4+

White actually let the position slip away from him and allowed Black to deliver the checkmate in LordMonkey - uko, FICS, 2007: 11.Nc3 Bc5+ 12.d4+ Bxd4+ 13.Kh1 d6 14.Qb5+ c5 15.Bf4+ Ke6 16.Qc4+ Kd7 17.Qb5+ Kc7 18.Nd5+ Kb8 19.Bxd6+ Qxd6 20.Rad1 a6 21.Qb3 Be6 22.Qf3 Ne7 23.Nf4 Ka7 24.Nxe6 Qxe6 25.Rd3 Rhf8 26.Qg3 Rxf1

analysis diagram






11...Kxe4

12.d5+

White sees a checkmate and goes for it, bypassing a few shorter ones (e.g. 12.Nc3+ Kd3 13.Rf3#) in the process.

A win is a win.

12...Kxd5 13.Nc3+

13...Ke6 14.Qe4+ Kd6 15.Bf4+

15...Kc5 16.Qd5+ Kb6 17.Qb5 checkmate

One More Bit of Advice...

If you are going to be playing or facing the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) or one of its cousins, probably the best piece of advice I can offer – to avoid untold heartbreak – is the standard offering from every teacher: Pay Attention! Witness the following short games from my database...

AlgozBR - AbdiAshirta

blitz FICS, 2009 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qxh8 Nf6?? 9.Qxd8 1-0

AlgozBR - Coxybleue

blitz FICS, 2009 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8 6.Qh5+ Ke7 [ 6...g6 7.Nxg6 hxg6 8.Qxg6+ Ke7=/+] 7.Qf7+ Kd6 8.Nc4+ Kc6 [ 8...Kc5 9.Qd5+ Kb4 10.a3+ Ka4 11.Nc3#] 9.Qd5#

AlgozBR - nikolasa

blitz FICS, 2009 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bxd4 7.Qxd4 Qf6 8.Qc4+?? Nxc4 0-1

CesarDK - moadib

blitz FICS, 2009 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Na5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke7 6.Qh5 Nh6 7.d4 d6 8.Bg5+ Ke6 9.Bxd8 1-0

UNPREDICTABLE - DAVIDSTEINFELD

blitz FICS, 2009 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qxc5 Qe7 8.d3?? Qxc5 0-1

UNPREDICTABLE - ViveLaVie

blitz FICS, 2009 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qxc5 Qe7 8.d3?? Qxc5 White resigns 0-1

UNPREDICTABLE - papin (1361)

blitz FICS, 2009 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qxh8 Nf6?? 9.Qxd8 Ng8 1-0

itajuba - barcellos

blitz FICS, 2009 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.c3 Nf6 6.b4 Bb6 7.Qb3+ Kf8 8.Ng5 Ng4?? 9.Qf7#

richiehill - PlatinumKnight

blitz FICS, 2009 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6 6.Nc4 Qg5 7.0-0 Bd6 8.d3 Ne7?? 9.Bxg5 1-0

yorgos - MichaelOlsson

blitz FICS, 2009 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.Ng5+ Kg8 7.Qe2 h6 8.Qc4+ Kf8?? [ 8...d5 9.exd5 b5 10.Qxc5 Nd4-/+] 9.Qf7#