Jerome Gambit and Jerome-like games are not usually though of as finesse-filled duels, but in the following game, in seeing to apply a refutation to White's attack, Black makes a couple of slim errors, and the results are unfortunate.
poethe - Principia
blitz, FICS, 2013
1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nc6 3.Nf3 Nd4
The Blackburne Shilling Gambit.
4.Bxf7+
The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6 6.f4
In 327 games in The Database, White scores 50% with this move, but correct is 6.c3. See "Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit: Don't Feed the Greed" among many relevant earlier posts.
6...Qh4+
The sharpest response. Now White's King comes under attack.
7.g3 Qh3 8.Kf2
Best, according to Houdini, is the alternative 8.Nf3, as in DragonTail - jantonacci, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 37), 8..Nxf3+ 9.Qxf3 when 9...Ke7 is advantageous to Black, e.g. Steelfinder - Sali, FICS, 2012 (0-1, 13).
8...Bc5 9.c3 Nc2+
Black goes directly after material.
Interestingly, Houdini suggests that he first kick out the White knight with 9...d6 10.Nc4 and then go for the Rook with 10...Nc2+ 11.d4 Nxa1 12.dxc5 Nf6, with the idea that Black's Knight on a1 will either eventually escape, or White will spend so much time capturing it that Black's lead in development will prove decisive.
10.d4 Nxa1
11.dxc5 d6
Here 11...Nf6 would lead to a complicated, unclear, perhaps balanced position.
The text clarifies things: Black will be checkmated.
12.Qd5+ Ke7 13.Qf7+ Black resigned
After posting the Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit game for "Is Still Not" I wondered what the current state of the main line in that variation (6.c3 vs 6.Qh5 as in the game) was. I came across the following fantastic game. The center "Jerome Pawns" advance in a mass, like a zombie horde...
brandonn - Sali
blitz, FICS, 2011
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4
4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6
6.c3 Kxe5 7.cxd4+ Ke6
Stepping back from the center is the safe way to play (see "More Updating"). Capturing the White d-pawn is not worth it.
8.d5+ Kf7
An alternative was seen in an earlier game: 8...Ke7 9.d4 Ke8? 10.0-0!? (10.Qh5+!?+-) 10...Qf6 11.f4 Bb4 12.Nc3 Ne7 13.Qd3 Bxc3 14.bxc3 b6 15.c4 Bb7 16.h3 h6 17.g4 Qh4 18.Kh2 Rf8 19.f5 d6 20.Bf4 Ng8 21.e5 Rd8 22.Rae1 Kd7 23.c5 (23.f6!?+-) 23...dxc5 24.e6+ Kc8 25.dxc5 Rxd5 26.Qb5 c6 Black was better, White forfeited on time, iliapana - Sali, FICS, 2005.
9.d4
In a couple of games earlier this year, Black faced 9.e5: drpeker - Sali, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 37) and drpeker - Sali, FICS, 2011 (0-1, 38).
9...Qf6 10.e5 Qg6
11.0-0 Ne7 12.Nc3 a6 13.f4 Nf5 14.Qb3
Also seen on the same day, in a game between the same opponents, was 14.Re1 Bb4 15.Qb3 Bxc3 16.bxc3 Qb6 17.Qc2 g6 18.Kh1 Re8 19.Bb2 Kg8 20.Rad1 Qa5 21.c4 b5 22.c5 c6 23.d6 Qd8 24.Qb3+ Kh8 25.d5 Ng7 26.e6 dxe6 27.dxe6 Bb7 28.e7 Qd7 29.Qf7 Rg8 30.e8Q Raxe8 31.Bxg7+ Rxg7 32.Rxe8+ Qxe8 33.Qxe8+ Rg8 34.Qe5+ Rg7 35.d7 Black resigned, brandonn - Sali, FICS, 2011.
14...Ke8 15.Qc4 b5 16.Qxc7 Nxd4 17.Be3 Nc2 18.f5 Qg4
19.Rf4 Qg5 20.Bd2
Moving the Bishop out of the range of the enemy Knight, but more aggressive in this tactical mess was 20.Ne4.
20...Nxa1
This is really not the time to go grabbing material, at least without shoring up the King's defenses.
Houdini suggests that the Black Queen return home with 20...Qd8, after which White has a delightful draw by repeating the position (which Black avoids only to his disadvantage): 21.Nxb5 Nxa1 22.Qxd8+ Kxd8 23.Ba5+ Ke7 24.Nd6 Bb7 25.Be1 Kd8 26.Ba5+ Ke7 27.Be1, etc.
21.d6
Even stronger was 21.f6.
21...Qd8 22.Qc5 Rb8 23.Nd5 Bb7 24.Nc7+ Kf7
25.e6+ Kg8 26.f6 dxe6 27.f7 checkmate
Wow!
According to George Santayana, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."
Not everyone who plays the Blackburne Shilling Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4) has read the blog post here, "Clearly Unclear", so I should probably add "Those who do not know the past are likewise condemned to repeat it."
Pity. More points for the Jerome Gambit Gemeinde.
richiehill - XGrandMaster
blitz, FICS, 2010
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4
4.Bxf7+
The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6 6.c3 Nc6
This is a very reasonable alternative to the line that goes 6...Kxe5 7.cxd4+. I used games played by GOH and SotoG to look into this line last year.
7.Qg4+
White can withdraw his Knight, 7.Nf3, with an even game; but the recommended move is 7.d4 with a poisoned pawn in the follow-up: 7...Nxe5 8.dxe5 Kxe5? 9.Qd5+ Kf6 10.Bg5+ Black resigned APe-Sali, blitz, FICS, 2009
7...Kxe5
Taking the piece is the right move (7...Ke7 is only even), but it must have unsettled Black to do so. After all, White is not throwing all of this material around just to bluff, is he?
8.d4+
8...Kf6 9.Bg5+ Black resigned
Ouch.
After 8...Kd6 9.e5+ Ke7 10.Bg5+ Nf6 11.0-0 Kf7 12.exf6 gxf6 Black's King would have still been uncomfortable, but he would have had an extra piece to console himself. I wonder where someone could have learned about that ?
The updated New Year's Database holds 2,375 examples of the Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 4.Bxf7+) but the opening remains clearly unclear in many lines.
What is clear is the bare-knuckled brawling that can show up in game after game. (Please note the efforts of GOH, as well as SotoG.)
SotoG - njkiller
blitz FICS, 2001
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4
The so-called Blackburne Shilling Gambit.
4.Bxf7+
The choice of the Jerome Gambit Gemeinde because it avoids the trappy 4.Nxe5?! Qg5!? and gives Black more to think about. Of course, 4.Nxd4, 4.0-0 and 4.c3 were good replies as well.
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6
A spirited reply. The other main response is 5...Ke8.
6.c3
Best.
6...Nc6
Serious complications follow 6...Kxe5 7.cxd4+ Kxd4, so this alternative, which appears simpler, makes a lot of sense.
There are only 50 games (2% of the BSG total) in the New Year's Database with 6...Nc6.
7.Qg4+
Here SotoG keeps the play very sharp, offering a second piece to keep Black's King in danger.
A calmer follow-up (although the game had its explosive moments) is 7.d4, which SotoG had played a year earlier: 7...Nxe5 8.dxe5 d5 9.Qg4+ Kf7 10.Qh5+ g6 11.Qf3+ Kg7 12.exd5 Bc5 13.Bf4 Ne7 14.c4 Rf8 15.Qg3 Nf5 16.Qd3 Qh4 17.g3 Bxf2+ 18.Kxf2 Nxg3 19.hxg3 Qxh1 20.e6 b6 21.Qf3 Kg8 22.Qxh1 Black resigned, SotoG - Ludek, blitz FICS, 2000
Rybka (blunder check, 5 minutes per move) suggests: 7.d4 Nxe5 8.dxe5 as well, continuing 8...Kf7 9.e6+ Ke8 10.Qh5+ g6 11.exd7+ Qxd7 12.Qe5+ Kf7 13.Qxh8 Nf6 14.Nd2 Bg7 15.Nf3 Bxh8 16.Ne5+ Ke6 17.Nxd7 Nxd7 18.Be3 b6 19.0-0-0 – absolutely out-of-this-world play for both Black and White...
7...Kxe5
Taking the bait.
A couple of responses by Black are just plain bad: 7...Kd6 (8.Nf7+ Ke7 9.Nxd8) and 7...Kf6 (8.Qf5+ Ke7 9.Qf7+ Kd6 10.Nc4+ Kc5 11.Qd5 checkmate).
Other games continued 7...Ke7 8.d4 (8.Nf3 Nf6 9.Qh4 d6 10.d4 h6 11.0-0 Bg4 12.e5 Bxf3 13.exf6+ gxf6 14.Re1+ Kf7 15.gxf3 Qd7 16.Qh5+ Kg7 17.Kh1 Rh7 18.Rg1+ Kh8 19.Nd2 Re8 20.Ne4 Bg7 21.Be3 Ne7 22.Qf7 Rf8 23.Qh5 Nf5 24.Rae1 Qf7 25.Qxf5 Black resigned, GOH - XePa, FICS 2006) 8...Nxe5 9.dxe5 (9.Bg5+ Ke8 10.dxe5 Be7 11.f4 Bxg5 12.fxg5 Qe7 13.0-0 Qxe5 14.g6 Nf6 15.Rxf6 Qxf6 16.gxh7 Rxh7 17.Nd2 Qh4 18.Qg6+ Kd8 19.Nf3 Black resigned, DaniMP - ahdtjs, FICS, 2009) 9...d6 10.Bg5+ Ke8 11.Bxd8 Bxg4 12.Bxc7 dxe5 13.Bxe5 Nf6 14.0-0 Kf7 15.Nd2 Bc5 16.Kh1 Rhe8 17.Bxf6 gxf6 18.f4 Be3 19.Nc4 Rxe4 20.Nd6+ Kg6 21.Nxe4 f5 22.h3 Bxh3 23.gxh3 fxe4 24.Rfe1 Kf5 25.Rxe3 Kxf4 26.Rae1 Re8 27.Kh2 h5 28.h4 b6 29.Kh3 a5 30.b3 b5 31.a3 Re7 32.c4 bxc4 33.bxc4 Re5 34.c5 Rxc5 35.Rxe4+ Kf5 36.R1e3 Rd5 37.a4 Rc5 38.Re7 Kf4 39.R7e4+ Kf5 40.Kg3 Rd5 41.Rf4+ Kg6 42.Re6+ Kg7 43.Rfe4 Kf7 44.Re7+ Kf6 45.R7e6+ Kf5 46.Kf3 Rd3+ 47.Re3 Rd5 48.R6e4 Kg6 49.Rf4 Kh7 50.Re7+ Kg6 51.Re6+ Kg7 52.Rfe4 Kf7 53.Ke3 Rd1 54.Re7+ Kf6 55.R4e6+ Kf5 56.Re5+ Kf6 57.Rxh5 Kxe7 58.Re5+ Kd6 59.Re4 Ra1 60.Kf4 Kc5 61.Rd4 Kxd4 62.Kf5 Rxa4 63.h5 Ke3 64.Kg6 Rh4 65.h6 Rxh6+ 66.Kxh6 a4 67.Kg5 a3 68.Kf5 a2 69.Ke6 a1Q 70.Kd5 Qb2 71.Kd6 Kd4 72.Ke6 Qb4 73.Kf5 Draw, GOH - Mazetov, FICS, 2003.
Clearly fortune favors the bold.
8.d4+
In GOH - kremba, FICS 2006, White needed some assistance after the less accurate 8.f4+, since 8...Kd6 9.Na3 Nf6 10.e5+ was still good for Black. Luckily for GOH, the second player decided to return a piece (a typical anti-Jerome strategy) with 10...Nxe5 (10...Ke7 was stronger) 11.fxe5+ when 12.Nc4+ would have been equal. Instead, after 12.Qd4+ Ke6 13.0-0 d5 14.d3 c5 15.Re1+ White needed a bit more help 15...Kd6 (15...Kf7 was much better)16.Bf4+ Kc6 17.Qa4+ and Black resigned.
8...Kd6
Of course, 8...Kf6 was punished immediately by 9.Bg5+ in another GOH - kremba, FICS 2006.
9.Bf4+
This looks like a very reasonable development of a piece with tempo, but probably stronger was 9.e5+ Ke7 10.Bg5+. Black would still be better, but in such a wild position, the more comfortable player would likely survive.
9...Ke7
Black chose to return a piece with 9...Ne5 10.Bxe5+ Kc6 in stretto - kremba, FICS 2007, leading to an even game in which both players later faltered, White more decisively: 11.d5+ Kb6 12.Na3 Bxa3 13.bxa3 a6 14.Rb1+ Ka7 15.Bd4+ b6 16.0-0 Nf6 17.c4 Nxg4 18.c5 Rb8 19.a4 a5 20.Rb5 d6 21.c6 Ba6 22.Rxa5 Ne5 23.Rb1 Nc4 24.Rxa6+ Kxa6 25.Rc1 Na5 26.Rb1 h5 27.Rb5 h4 28.h3 g5 29.e5 dxe5 30.Bxe5 Re8 31.Bc3 Qd6 32.Bb2 Re1 checkmate
10.Bg5+
This is sharper than a couple of alternatives: 10.Qh4+ Nf6 11.e5 h6 12.exf6+ gxf6 13.0-0 d6 14.Re1+ Kf7 15.Qh5+ Kg7 16.Re3 Ne7 17.Rg3+ Kh7 18.Qf7+ Black resigned, GOH - brigante, FICS, 2001; and
10.e5 d6 11.exd6+ cxd6 12.Qe2+ Kf7 13.0-0 Nf6 14.Nd2 Be7 15.Rfe1 Re8 16.Qc4+ d5 17.Qd3 Kg8 18.Nf3 Bg4 19.Ng5 h6 20.Ne6 Bxe6 21.Rxe6 Bf8 22.Rae1 Qd7 23.Rxe8 Rxe8 24.Be3 Ng4 25.h3 Nxe3 26.fxe3 Qe6 27.a3 a6 28.b4 Qe4 29.Qd2 Bd6 30.a4 Rf8 31.b5 axb5 32.axb5 Na5 33.Qa2 b6 34.Re2 Qh4 35.Qxd5+ Kh8 36.Qxd6 Qf6 37.Qxf6 Rxf6 38.e4 Kg8 39.Rc2 Nc4 40.Re2 Kf8 41.g4 Ke7 42.Kg2 Ke6 43.Rf2 Ne3+ 44.Kg3 Rxf2 45.Kxf2 Nd1+ 46.Kf3 Nxc3 47.d5+ Ke5 48.Ke3 Nxb5 49.h4 Nd6 50.g5 hxg5 51.hxg5 g6 52.Kd3 Nxe4 53.Kc4 Nxg5 White resigned, tyrelcorp - Mazetov, FICS, 2004.
10...Nf6 11.e5
Less effective (but White pushed on to victory, anyhow) was: 11.Bxf6+ gxf6 12.e5 Kf7 13.f4 d6 14.Qh5+ Kg8 15.0-0 Bg7 16.Nd2 Be6 17.Ne4 Qe8 18.Qh4 d5 19.exf6 dxe4 20.fxg7 Kxg7 21.f5 Bc4 22.f6+ Kf8 23.Qh6+ Kf7 24.Qg7+ Ke6 25.Rfe1 Bd5 26.c4 Qf7 27.cxd5+ Black resigned, GOH - Sali, FICS, 2005.
11...Kf7
Black's King steps aside and gives the piece back. Remember, Black is two pieces up, so he can afford to do this, if, in the process, he safeguards his monarch.
Another way was 11...d5 12.exf6+ (12.Qh5 was necessary) gxf6 13.0-0 Bxg4 14.Re1+ Kf7 White resigns. 0-1 GOH - Jorma, FICS 2007
12.exf6 gxf6 13.Qf3
Keeping the pin.
More challenging was 13.Qh5+ as after 13...Ke6 (13...Kg8 kept Black's advantage) the game was equal, although White lost after a struggle: 14.Bf4 d6 15.0-0 Ne7 16.Na3 a6 17.Rae1+ Kd7 18.Nc4 b5 19.Na5 c6 20.b4 Nd5 21.Bd2 Be7 22.c4 bxc4 23.Nxc4 Qe8 24.Qh3+ Kc7 25.Qa3 Kb8 26.b5 axb5 27.Na5 Qd7 28.Qc1 Bb7 29.Nxb7 Kxb7 30.Rxe7 Qxe7 31.Qb2 Rhe8 32.Re1 Qd7 33.Rxe8 Qxe8 34.g3 Qe2 35.Be3 Qxb2 36.Kg2 Nxe3+ 37.Kf3 White resigned, GOH - Sali, FICS, 2005.
13...Qe7+ 14.Kd1
Feisty! Of course White wants to add his Rook to the attack, although 14.Be3 was safer. Jerome Gambit players don't always go for "safer".
14...Bg7 15.Re1 Qd6
This breaks one of the pins on the f-pawn, but makes Black vulnerable to an attack on the 8th rank: 16.Qh5+ Kg8 17.Re8+ winning the Queen.
Safer was the patient 15...Qd8.
16.Na3
Developing, but missing the opportunity mentioned above.
16...Kg6
Black definitely wants out of that pin, but Rybka shows that patience was still needed: 16...Ne7 17.Nc4 Qa6 18.Ne5+ Kf8 19.Ng4 Qc6 20.Qe2 Qe6 21.Nxf6 Qxe2+ 22.Rxe2 Kf7 23.Nxd7 Ng6 24.Nc5 b6 25.Ne4 Ba6 26.Rd2 h6 27.Be3 when Black is still better – although the position is still playable for the Jerome Gambiteer.
analysis diagram
17.Bf4 Qf8
Things remain murky to the end.
Again, Rybka tries to give some light, and, of course, play continues to revolve around pins: 17...Ne5 18.Qe4+ f5 19.Qc2 Qd5 20.Bxe5 Re8 21.f4 d6 22.Bxg7 Rxe1+ 23.Kxe1 Kxg7 and White has a small advantage.
analysis diagram
18.Qg4+
18...Kf7 19.Qh5+ Kg8 20.Re8
Winning the Queen in a manner similar to that of the note to move 15. Thus, White collects the full point – the goal of the game – but given a few more minutes of thinking time I'd like to think that SotoG would have found the mate (again, based on pins) after the pretty 20.Qd5+ Qf7 21.Re8+ Bf8 22.Bh6.
analysis diagram
20...d6 21.Qd5+ Black resigned
