Another Provocation

In my February 11, 2010 blog post, "Provoked", I noted about a chessfriend and Jerome Gambit Gemeinde member,

Welton Vaz de Souza is a nice guy. 

Sure, from time-to-time he crushes opponents with the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), but he's a nice guy.

Suggestion: don't provoke him in a game of chess.

I was reminded of that when I ran into the following game.

Richad  - NeoNunes
blitz, FICS, 2013

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 

The Blackburne Shilling Gambit.

4.0-0 

This is one of the orthodox treatments of the BSG, along with 4.Nxd4 or 4.c3. Not everyone wants to play the Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit, 4.Bxf7+!?

4...b5 

This move, however, proves to be too much provocation. White decides on a Delayed Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.

5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.Nxe5+

As I noted in that older post,

It turns out that 5.Bxf7+ is so strong (or 4...b5 so ill-advised) that White could simply grab back a piece here with the alternative 6.Nxd4. If Black responds 6...exd4 then White has 7.Qh5+ and a few checks later the Rook on a8 will be captured.

After 6.Nxd4 Nf6, White retreats his Knight with 7.Nf3 and is better.

6...Ke6

Instead, 6...Ke8 7.Qh5+ g6 8.Nxg6 was seen in Ghandybh - BoogieKnights, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 16) and mikelovell - rogerlovell, FICS, 2012 (1-0, 44).

The alternative, Black's strongest move, 6...Ke7, was seen in Rub - Wall,B, Palo Alto, 1989, (0-1, 12), mukund - jantonacci, FICS, 2013 (1-0, 10) and Chabus - AlfonsoX, FICS, 2013 (1-0, 14).

7.f4 

Stronger was 7.c3, as in mukund - jantonacci, FICS, 2013 (1-0, 10) and Chabus - AlfonsoX, FICS, 2013 (1-0, 14). 

7...Nf6 8.c3 Nc6 9.d4 

 9...Nxe5

Courting danger.

10.fxe5 c6 11.exf6 gxf6 12.Qg4+ Kd6 13.Bf4+ Ke7

14.Nd2

This move is good enough, but White misses the hilarious 14.Be5!?
when Black cannot capture the Bishop, as he will be checkmated; so the cheeky prelate can go on and capture at f6.

Black's next move hangs a piece, but White is in no hurry: he builds his attack and breaks through.

14...Bg7 15.Rae1 Rg8 16.e5 d5 17.exf6+ Kf7 18.Qh5+ Kf8 19.fxg7+ Rxg7 20.Bh6+ Kg8 21.Bxg7 Kxg7 22.Rf7+ Kg8 23.Qxh7 checkmate

(May 2014 was the highest visited month in the history of this blog, going back to 2008. Many, many thanks to readers - and please feel free to continue to visit. - Rick)

Provoked

Welton Vaz de Souza is a nice guy.

Sure, from time-to-time he crushes opponents with the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), but he's a nice guy.

Suggestion: don't provoke him in a game of chess.


Ghandybh - BoogieKnights
Chess.com, 2010

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

The Blackburne Shilling Gambit. There are a number of good responses. I'm partial to 4.Bxf7+, but 4.c3, 4.Nxd4 and 4.0-0 are good, too.

4.0-0

See? That's almost a friendly response.

4...b5

No, no, no, no, no, no...

5.Bxf7+

The expected response from a member of the Jerome Gambit Gemeinde.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+

The Jerome Way.

It turns out that 5.Bxf7+ is so strong (or 4...b5 so ill-advised) that White could simply grab back a piece here with the alternative 6.Nxd4. If Black responds 6...exd4 then White has 7.Qh5+ and a few checks later the Rook on a8 will be captured.

After 6.Nxd4 Nf6, White retreats his Knight with 7.Nf3 and is better.

6...Ke8

In this small world, it turns out that about 20 years ago Bill Wall  tried the alternative 6...Ke7, finishing quickly: 7.c3 d6 8.Qh5 dxe5 9.Qxe5+ Ne6 10.d4 Qd6 11.Qxd6+ cxd6 12.f4 Bb7 White resigned, Rub - Wall, Palo Alto 1989.

Also possible is 6...Ke6, similar to the lines covered in "Crime and Punisher" and "Gorilla Chess".

7.Qh5+ g6 8.Nxg6 Qf6

This move simplifies a complicate position – and not in Black's favor. Far better was to give up the Rook, and go looking to capture one himself: 8...hxg6 9.Qxh8 Nf6 10.d3 Nxc2. 

analysis diagram





The downside of this (as compared to 10...Ne2+ 11.Kh1 Nxc1 12.Rxc1 Kf7, which may be better) is that Black loses both of his Knights: 11.Bg5 Kf7 12.e5 Be7 13.Qxd8 Bxd8 14.Nd2 Nxa1 15.Rxa1 d6 16.Bxf6 Bxf6 17.exf6 Kxf6 when White is a pawn up – although Black's Bishop and better-developed King may give some compensation.

analysis diagram







9.Nxh8+ Kd8

10.Nf7+ Ke7 11.Ne5 Nxc2

12.d4 Nxa1

The Knight has finally captured the a1 Rook, at the expense of the game.

13.Bg5

13...d6 14.Bxf6+ Nxf6 15.Qf7+ Kd8 16.Nc6 checkmate