Jerome-Knight Gambit

Chessfriend Yury Bukayev recently referred me to the France-Echecs.com website, to a discussion that took place earlier in the year, regarding, in part, the game Millet,C - Sénéchaud,D, Rochefort, 1995 - most recently covered in the "Unorthodox Openings Newsletter", issue #33, which was mentioned in the last blog post.

In addition, in the France-Echecs.com article there are three games presented with the opening moves 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.Bxf7+, along with the suggested name "the Jerome-Knight gambit".

A quick look at The Database shows only 6 examples of the Jerome-Kight gambit (not surprising, as I have not specifically collected the line), including an online ICC blitz game by American GM Larry Christiansen ("Here, have a Bishop...") and three games recently discovered at GameKnot.com.

While Readers check out France-Echecs.com, I will see what other games I can gather.

UON #33

The latest issue (#33) of Gary K. Gifford's ever-interesting and always-enlightening "Unorthodox Openings Newsletter" (in pdf format; see "UON", among others) is now available.

Among many topics, "UON #33" contains material from the "Dany Sénéchaud" post to this blog - an interesting game by the French chessplayer (and openings explorer) with notes, and speculation about possible early influences on Alonzo Wheeler Jerome's creation of the Jerome Gambit.

Well worth checking out.

Dany Sénéchaud

French chess player, openings explorer and author - Emil Joseph Diemer (1908-1990): missionnaire des échecs acrobatiques - Dany Sénéchaud sent the following game, which opens up more understanding of Bxf7+ in the double e-pawn openings and gives a possible contribution to the lineage of the Jerome Gambit.

Millet,C - Sénéchaud,D

Rochefort, 1995

(notes by Sénéchaud, with additions)

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.c3 Nc6!!?

3...Nf6 4.d4 exd4 5.e5 d5 

4.d4! exd4 5.Bxf7+ 

The position after 4 moves, and this sacrifice - reminiscent of the Abrahams Jerome Gambit - is rare, although it goes back at least as far as Philidor, who thought it playable. Could this have been one of the early influences that led Alonzo Wheeler Jerome to his Gambit?? For other ideas, see "Proto-Jerome Gambits?" Part 1 and Part 2 as well as "Godfather of the Jerome Gambit" Parts i, ii, iii and endnote. - Rick

5...Kxf7

Of course, someone had to try declining the sacrifice, although that can hardly be recommended: 5...Kf8 6.Bxg8 Rxg8 7.Nf3 h6 8.cxd4 Bb4+ 9.Bd2 Qe7 10.0-0 Qxe4 11.Bxb4+ Nxb4 12.Qb3 Nc2 13.Ne5 d5 14.Nd2 Qf5 15.g4 Qh7 16.Qxd5 g5 17.Qd8+ Kg7 18.Qxc7+ Black resigned, Wassilieff,H - Akadegawa,K, email 2000 - Rick 

6.Qh5+ 

6...Kf8 7.Qxc5+ d6

Also seen: 7...Qe7 8.Qxe7+ Ngxe7 9.Ne2 d5 10.exd5 Nxd5 11.Nxd4 Nxd4 12.cxd4 Nb4 13.Na3 Nd3+ 14.Ke2 Bf5 15.Rd1 Re8+ 16.Kf1 c6 17.b3 Kf7 18.Be3 Rd8 19.Ke2 Nb4 20.Nc4 Rhe8 21.Ne5+ Kf8 22.a3 Nc2 23.Ra2 c5 24.g4 Nxe3 25.fxe3 Rxe5 26.gxf5 cxd4 27.Rd3 Rde8 28.e4 Rxe4+ 29.Kf3 Re3+ 30.Rxe3 Rxe3+ 31.Kf4 Rxb3 32.Rc2 Rc3 33.Rb2 b6 34.a4 d3 35.Ke3 Rc5 36.Kxd3 Rxf5 37.Rc2 g5 38.Rc8+ Kg7 39.Kc4 h5 40.Rc7+ Rf7 White resigned, Fekete,J - Fenyes,G, Goed op 1st, 2004 - Rick 

8.Qg5

White has tried two alternatives:

8.Qc4 Qe7 9.f3 Nf6 10.cxd4 d5 11.Qc3 dxe4 12.f4 Nd5 13.Qb3 Ndb4 14.Be3 Be6 15.Qc3 Nd5 16.Qd2 Ncb4 17.Kd1 Nd3 18.b3 Rd8 19.Ne2 c5 20.Nbc3 c4 21.bxc4 Nb2+ 22.Kc2 Nxc4 23.Nxd5 Bxd5 24.Qc1 Qb4 25.Nc3 Rc8 26.Rb1 Na3+ 27.Kd2 Nxb1+ 28.Qxb1 Qxc3+ 29.Ke2 Qc2+ 30.Bd2 Qxb1 31.Rxb1 Kf7 32.Ke3 Rc2 33.Rb5 Rd8 34.a4 Ra2 35.a5 Ra3+ 36.Kf2 Rd3 37.Be3 Rd7 38.f5 Rc3 39.Bd2 Rc4 40.Ke3 Kf6 41.Kf4 Rc2 42.Be1 Rxg2 43.Bh4+ Kf7 44.Bg3 Rd2 45.Ke5 Bc6 46.Rb4 e3 47.Bf4 Rd3 White resigned, Ramakrishna, G - Guo Yuth, Belconnen op, 2005; and 

8.Qb5 Qe8 9.f3 Nge7 10.Ne2 dxc3 11.Nbxc3 Nd8 12.Qd3 Kf7 13.f4 Qd7 14.0-0 Re8 15.f5 Nec6 16.Bf4 a5 17.Rad1 Ra6 18.Qf3 h5 19.Nd5 Kg8 20.Nxc7 Black resigned, Morrison,J - Storr Best,J, Bromley prelim C, 1925 - Rick

8...Nf6 9.f3 h6 10.Qg3 dxc3 11.bxc3!?

Or 11.Nxc3 Nb4 12.Kd1.

11...Ne5 !!? 12.f4 Nxe4 13.Qe3 Nf2 !!? 14.fxe5 Nxh1 15.Qf3+?

Instead, 15.Nf3 &16.Ba3.

15...Kg8 16.g3 dxe5 17.Qxh1 Bg4 18.Nd2 e4 19.Qxe4 Qd7 20.Qd4 Re8+

21.Kf2 Qf5+ 22.Ndf3 Kh7 23.Bf4 Rhf8 24.Qd1 g5 25.Be3
Qe4 26.Qb1 Bxf3 White resigned

Book Review: Blackmar Diemer Gambit, Method of Operating (Part 2)

Blackmar-Diemer Gambit
Method of Operating
by Eric Jégo

TheBookEdition (2011)
ISBN: 978-2-9536013-1-2
softcover, 164 pages
figurine algebraic notation
http://ericlediemerophile.blogspot.com/
http://gambit-blackmar-diemer.cabanova.fr/

The English-language version of Eric Jégo's French-language Gambit Blackmar-Diemer Modus Operandi has a number of changes and improvements.

In addition to "Acknowledgements", "Dany Sénéchaud’s [of Emil J. Diemer, missionnaire des échecs acrobatiques] Preface" and "Eric Jégo's Preamble" there is a selection of "Reviews of the French edition".

As readers of the first edition requested, games now have the ratings of the players given, as well as the time control (i.e. correspondence, classical, blitz, etc.)

To save some space, each chapter starts with a main line (say, "Bolgoljubow Defense 1.d4 d5 2.e4 dxe4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.f3 exf3 5.Nxf3 g6") and then the games are given, each "starting" from that point on. The author has "boxed" the first moves of the games (say 6.Bf4) to make them stand out a bit more visually, and allow the readers' eyes to better pick up on the continuity.

It is easier to keep track as to what line the game is following, as additional data (e.g. "6.Bc4 Bc7 7.0-0 0-0 8.Qe1 Nc6 9.Qh4 Ng4 Kloss Variation") is given at the bottom of the page.

There is a player index at the back of the book.

The print is somewhat smaller, allowing for the above additions, but producing 164 pages instead of the original 188 pages.

Of course, the book still has 287 annotated Blackmar-Diemer Gambit games, many of which you have probably not seen before (even if you have several BDG books). It still has the 14 "Elementary Principles" of BDG play outlined at the front, and referred to in the notes of each game.

Yesterday on this blog I asked

How far will the members of the Blackmar Diemer Gemeinde go in pursuit of esoteric knowledge? Brush up on their German so they can read Diemer’s original Vom Ersten Zug An Auf Matt! ? Freshen up their French, so they can appreciate Dany Sénéchaud’s, Emil J. Diemer, missionnaire des échecs acrobatiques ?Actually, if you are a BDG fanatic, that’s not a bad idea. And I have just the place for you to start: Eric Jégo’s new Gambit Blackmar-Diemer.

If they do so, they will have games and analysis unavailable to others who are unwilling to work that hard to improve their game. They will also experience more of the joy that is the Blackmar Diemer Gambit.

In making his second edition an English translation, Blackmar-Diemer Gambit Method of Operating author Jégo has gone a step further than Diemer and Sénéchaud, making the steps that an adventurous English-speaking reader needs to take a little less burdensome. Meeting him in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, as it were (at least for American readers). 

Yet, this boldest move is also the riskiest, for the result is often something akin to the "Frenglish" that automated translation services such as Babelfish can produce. Sometimes the going is easy, as with phrases such as "e6 allows White to arrange the Kingside" and "the sole interest of such a development is to accelerate the protection of the Black King." Sometimes the going is shaky, such as "the White Knight may well not stand the offensive in the Kingside but self removes a useful piece for defense, does not develop the Black play and enhances the White play." (Reading Sénéchaud’s references to J.P. Sartre in his "Preface" are extraordinarily painful.)

As I wrote to the author,

In my Chessville review of your book's French language edition, I told readers that if they really wanted an edge in the BDG, they would have to do some work.

Do I speak German? No. Do I have a German - English dictionary, and have I bought Diemer's classic work? Of course! Playing over his games, even the Ryder Gambits, is pure magic. I learned a bit of German, too.

Do I speak French? Sure -- like a Spanish cow! But -- I am willing to work to improve my BDG game. So I have your book, and Dany Sénéchaud’s, Emil J. Diemer, missionnaire des échecs acrobatiques as well. Is it work the effor to struggle to understand? Sure it is!

The true English-speaking BDG-phile is not afraid of a German language or French language book. There are treasures to uncover!

In my mind, it is very much worth the effort to pick up Blackmar-Diemer Gambit Method of Operating and work with it, even if you decide that the games are the most important content of all; and they are in simple figurine algebraic notation.