Opening Report: Take a breath...

So far, the recent Opening Report on the Jerome Gambit (see 1, 2 and 3), based on the 27,000+ games contained in TheDatabase, has had few surprises. I'd like to point out a couple of interesting findings, however, before pursuing a deeper look.

The Opening Report highlights a number of games from an interesting 2008 30-game human vs computers match (starting with "Jerome Gambit: Drilling Down (1)"

This post starts an extended series (which may be interrupted from time-to-time for news, games or analysis) wherein the intrepid "RevvedUp" (a good chess player) and his trusted companions Hiarcs 8, Shredder 8, Yace Paderborn, Crafty 19.19 and Fritz 8 explore the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) by taking turns playing the White and Black pieces. 

The human moves first, and takes notice of the defense the computer plays. In the next game, where he moves second, the human plays that defense against a new computer – and sees how it attacks. In the third game, the human plays the recent attack against his new computer foe. Collectively, the players drill deeper and deeper into the Jerome Gambit.

It also shows that Jerome Gambit players sometimes prefer chaos to clarity, as recommended responses to the Jerome Gambit Declined (again, based on the examples in TheDatabase) - 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kf8 or 4...Ke7 - are given as 5.Nc3 and 5.Nxe5, respectively.

The straight-forward Bishop retreat 5.Bb3 (as well as its cousin, 5.Bd5) is stronger.

We will use the ChessBase Opening Report to dig deeper into the Jerome Gambit (through the eyes of TheDatabase), but first there are a few new interesting games from Philidor1792 to look at.

Opening Report (Part 2)

I decided to have ChessBase8 give me an Opening Report on the Jerome Gambit, based on The Database. I got a whole lot of information, and I was only dealing with the first few moves...


Opening report

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

9062 games in 'TheDatabase'


4. Moves and Plans

a) 4...Kxf7

8794 games, 1874-2012, 
Black scores well (57%).
Elo-Ø: 1394, 7469 games. Performance = Elo 1392
played by: Shredder 8, 3376, 3/3; YOUCANWIN, 3284, 2/2; Yace Paderborn, 3126, 2.5/3; Fritz 8, 3076, 8/11; Hiarcs 8, 3076, 5/6;

You should play: 5.Nxe5+

Shredder 8 (3374) - RevvedUp (2038)
blitz 2 12, 2006
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 d6 8.fxe5 dxe5 9.Qe2 Nf6 10.Qc4+ Kd6 11.b4 Bb6 12.Nc3 Be6 13.Qe2 c6 14.Na4 Qe7 15.Nxb6 axb6 16.0-0 Rhf8 17.a3 Kc7 18.Bb2 Bg4 19.Qe3 h6 20.d4 exd4 21.Qg3+ Kd7 22.e5 Be2 23.exf6 Rxf6 24.Rfe1 Raf8 25.Bxd4 1-0


Shredder 8 (3377) - RevvedUp (2034)
blitz 2 12, 2006
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qd5+ Kf8 8.Qxc5+ d6 9.Qe3 Qh4 10.Nc3 c6 11.d3 Nf6 12.Qd4 Ke7 13.h3 Qh5 14.0-0 Qc5 15.Qa4 Re8 16.Be3 Qe5 17.f4 Qe6 18.f5 Qf7 19.fxg6 Qxg6 20.Rf3 h6 21.Raf1 Be6 22.Qb4 b6 23.e5 Nd5 24.Qxd6# 1-0

Shredder 8 (3377) - RevvedUp (2031)
blitz 2 12, 2006
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qxh8 Qh4 9.0-0 Nf6 10.Qd8 Qxe4 11.Qxc7+ Qe7 12.Qxe7+ Kxe7 13.d3 Be6 14.Be3 Bxe3 15.fxe3 Rf8 16.e4 Ng4 17.Rxf8 Kxf8 18.Nc3 a6 19.Rf1+ Ke7 20.h3 Ne5 21.Kf2 h5 22.h4 Ng4+ 23.Ke2 Ne5 24.b4 Bg4+ 25.Ke3 Be6 26.b5 a5 27.Nd5+ Bxd5 28.exd5 1-0

Yace Paderborn (3124) - RevvedUp (2039)
blitz 2 12, 2006
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 d6 8.fxe5 dxe5 9.Qh3+ Kd6 10.Qd3+ Ke7 11.Qg3 Kf7 12.Qxe5 Bd4 13.Rf1+ Nf6 14.Qh5+ Ke7 15.Qg5 Rg8 16.e5 h6 17.Qf4 Re8 18.exf6+ Kf7+ 19.Kd1 Bxf6 20.Nc3 Kg8 21.Ne4 Rf8 22.Rf3 Bd7 23.Nc5 Bc6 24.Ne6 Bxf3+ 25.gxf3 Qd6 26.Qxd6 cxd6 27.Nxf8 Rxf8 28.f4 g6 29.d3 h5 30.a4 a6 31.Ra3 Rf7 32.c4 Rd7 33.b3 d5 34.Kc2 Kf7 35.Be3 dxc4 36.bxc4 Ke6 37.Rb3 Bd4 38.Bxd4 Rxd4 39.Rb6+ Kf5 40.Rxb7 Rd6 41.Rf7+ Kg4 42.Kc3 Kh3 43.f5 gxf5 44.Rxf5 Rh6 45.Rf2 h4 46.d4 Kg4 47.c5 h3 48.d5 1-0

Yace Paderborn (3127) - RevvedUp (2032)
blitz 2 12, 2006
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qxh8 Qh4 9.0-0 Bd7 10.d4 Bb6 11.Nd2 Re8 12.Nf3 Qh5 13.Ng5+ Kf8 14.Nxh7+ Kf7 15.Bd2 Nf6 16.Qxf6+ Kg8 17.Ng5 Rf8 18.Qe7 Bc8 19.Bc3 d5 20.exd5 Bf5 21.Bb4 Qh6 22.c3 c5 23.dxc6 Bd8 24.Qxf8+ Qxf8 25.Bxf8 Kxf8 26.cxb7 1-0

Fritz 8 (3074) - RevvedUp (2037)
blitz 2 12 2, 2006
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 d6 8.fxe5 dxe5 9.Rf1 Nf6 10.Qe2 Ke7 11.d3 Qd4 12.c3 Qd6 13.Nd2 Bg4 14.Rxf6 Bxe2 15.Rxd6 Bh5 16.Rd5 Bd6 17.Nc4 Bf7 18.Bg5+ Ke6 19.Rd1 h6 20.Bh4 Rhe8 21.Bg3 Kd7 22.Nxe5+ Rxe5 23.Rxe5 Bxe5 24.Bxe5 Bxa2 25.Bxg7 Rg8 26.Bxh6 Rxg2 27.Rd2 Rxd2 28.Kxd2 Bf7 29.d4 c6 30.Ke3 b5 31.b4 Ke6 32.h3 Kf6 33.Kf4 Bc4 34.Bf8 Be6 35.h4 a6 36.h5 Bc4 37.h6 Kg6 38.Ke5 Bd3 39.d5 cxd5 40.exd5 Kf7 41.Bc5 Bh7 42.d6 Ke8 43.Kf6 Bd3 44.Kg7 Kd7 45.h7 1-0

Main line:


5...Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qxc5 d6  45%, 
5...Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6  54%, 
5...Nxe5 6.d4  49%, 

Critical line:
5...Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 7.Qxe5 Bd6 8.Qf5+ 22 % White. 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Poor, Poor Computer

If I told you that an online player recently challenged a computer (rated about 350 points higher than himself) to a game of chess, choosing to play an often-refuted opening and facing its best-known defense (highlighted in a brutal miniature by a master known as "the Black Death") – well, you might be inclined to say "Poor, poor human."

Oh, but you noticed: this post is titled "Poor, Poor Computer" (my emphasis).

Welcome to the weird and wonderful world of the Jerome Gambit! 

radicalmove - LuigiBot
rated standard game, FICS, 2012

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 d6 

Blackburne's Defense, made famous by the game Amateur - Blackburne, London, 1885. See "Flaws (Part I) and Flaws (Part II)".

8.Qxh8 Qh4 9.0-0 Nf6 10.Qd8 

White's 10th move was suggested shortly after the Blackburne game was played, but it did not become widely known. Most players understand the end of Black's counter-attack to be a combination of "Nobody Expects the Jerome Gambit!" and "Mars Attacks!"

10...Qxe4

This is a move that computers are fond of. See "Ionman vs the Bots" for some examples. 

11.Qxc7+ 

Instead, 11.Nc3 was seen in the game RevvedUp - Shredder 8, blitz 2 12, 2006 (0-1, 25) from the incredible match, RevvedUp vs Hiarcs 8, Shredder 8, Yace Paderborn, Crafty 19.19 and Fritz 8. See "Jerome Gambit: Drilling Down (1)" for starters.

11...Bd7 12.d3 Qd5 13.Nc3 Qc6 14.Qxc6 Bxc6 

LuigiBot has traded off its harassed Queen, but the situation looks kind of grim in any event. White is ahead the exchange and a couple of pawns; about a piece worth of material. Quite a change from less than a dozen moves ago!

15.Be3 Re8 16.Rae1 Re6 17.Bxc5 dxc5 18.Rxe6 Kxe6 

Radicalmove is content to continue to reduce the play to a basic endgame. 

19.a3 Kf5 20.h3 h6 21.b4 cxb4 22.axb4 Kf4 23.b5 

As if the current game were not bad enough, the two combatants played another game the same day (I do not know which was played first, but it might be the longer one) with the same result: 23.Re1 Bd7 24.h4 Bc6 25.g3+ Kf5 26.d4 Ne4 27.Nxe4 Bxe4 28.c4 b6 29.c5 h5 30.cxb6 axb6 31.Ra1 Bd5 32.Ra6 b5 33.Ra5 Ke4 34.Rxb5 Kxd4 35.Rb8 Kd3 36.b5 Kd4 37.b6 Kc5 38.b7 Kd4 39.Rd8 Ke4 40.b8Q Kd4 41.Qb7 Ke5 42.Qxd5+ Kf6 43.Rd7 Black resigned, radicalmove - LuigiBot, rated standard game, FICS, 2012.

23...Bd7 24.Re1 Bf5 25.h4 Bg4 26.g3+ Kf5 27.d4 Nd7 28.Na4 Bf3 29.Nc5 Nxc5 30.dxc5 Be4 

31.c4 Ke5 32.c6 a5 33.cxb7 Kd4 34.b8Q Bf5 35.Qb6+ Kxc4 36.Qxa5 Bd3 37.Qa4+ Black resigned

Got A Match?

It was not long after I began looking into the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) that I noticed one chess match kept turning up in the databases: in 1993, between the human Micah Fischer-Kirshner and the chess-playing program KnightStalker, an early version of Fritz. As luck would have it, I was able to interview Micah about his experience for this blog.

The Jerome Gambit seemed a natural for matches, especially ones involving computers. Jeroen_61 of the Netherlands ran one with Hiarcs, Junior 7, Shredder Paderdorn (6.02) and Fritz 7.

I tried a few myself, notably a Fritz8 vs Fritz5 encounter and a Delphi vs Wealk Delphi contest. Each attempt had its shortcomings. (Perhaps you read about them here.)

The mysterious "perfesser" played an introductory 4-game match with the Talking LCD Chess Gadget. Like the Jerome Gambit itself, it was good for some chuckles.

Topping all efforts so far, "RevvedUp" and his trusted companions Hiarcs 8, Shredder 8, Yace Paderborn, Crafty 19.19 and Fritz 8 explored the Jerome Gambit in a 30-game encounter. It was simply war.

And then there is that as yet untold tale of two expert-to-master-level American players who played a Jerome Gambit match 5 years ago, but the games remain hidden from public view, pending the players' release of a monograph on the opening...

Perhaps that will show up on this blog one of these days.






























http://jeromegambit.blogspot.com/2008/11/jerome-gambit-and-perfesser-part-i.html


iv

LPDO Revisited

In "My House! My House! My Kingdom for a House!" I mentioned Grandmaster John Nunn's acronym, LPDO, as a reminder that "Loose Pieces Drop Off". In the following game, Jerome Gambit Gemeinde member HauntedKnight takes that notion into account when planning his play, and it helps him grab a "loose" Knight. Black's resignation, only a pawn down, might be a bit early, but it is easily understood.

HauntedKnight - OneNoTrump
blitz, FICS, 2011

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bb4+

Computers tend to like this move, for their own computer-ish reasons. For examples, see "Jerome Gambit: Drilling Down (1)" for RevvedUp's 2008 tag-team match against Hiarcs 8, Shredder 8, Yace Paderborn, Crafty 19.19 and Fritz 8, where this move showed up, played by Crafty. It also appears in Jeroen's earlier 2003 Jerome Gambit computer tournament in the game Deep Sjeng 1.5 - Hiarcs 9.

If the computers are given enough time they often find the recommended 6...Qh4!? as well.

Has OneNoTrump examined the Jerome Gambit with a computer, or is this a knee-jerk reaction (my Bishop is attacked, move it and attack White)?

7.c3 Bxc3+

A clue: this looks like a human decision. The 75 games that have this move in The Database all have a person playing Black.

Computers realize, of course, that Black must return a piece, and suggest something like 7...Ng6/c6 8.cxb4 to mess up White's pawns a bit; or they let White choose which piece he wants by playing 7...Qh4. 

8.bxc3

Bolstering White's center, but 8.Nxc3 was probably a bit better: development and all that.

8...Nc4 9.Qh5+ g6

Reflex. 

Better was 9...Kf8 and Black keeps his edge, even against 10.Qc5+ Nd6 11.e5, because he has 11...b6 12.Qb4 Qe7 when after 13.0-0 the Knight escapes with 13...Nf7. 

10.Qd5+ Black resigned

The loose piece at c4 will drop.

Theory From the Thematic Tourney (3)

One problem with a refuted opening like the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) is that it is refuted... That means that there are lines that Black can play that lead to equality – or more. In some of those lines White can complicate things and hope to take advantage of the confusion. In other lines it is not so easy for White to "find something".

Luke Warm - Daves111
Jerome Gambit Thematic Tournament,
ChessWorld, 2010

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 d6 8.fxe5 dxe5

This defense, a favorite of computer chess programs, gives back a piece to drain the dynamism out of the position.

In the gruelling "Jerome Gambit: Drilling Down" matches between human RevvedUp (a pseudonym) and Hiarcs 8, Shredder 8, Yace Paderborn, Crafty 19.19 and Fritz 8, the flesh-and-blood player twice scored draws with Black from this position against opponents rated 1,000 points higher than him. 

The updated New Year's Database shows that White has tried 9.b4, 9.c3, 9.d3, 9.d4, 9.Nc3, 9.Rf1, 9.Qe2, 9.Qf5+, 9.Qg4+ and 9.Qh3+.

In the current game, Luke Warm decides to try a Queenless middlegame, but he finds nothing but trouble.

9.Qf5+ Kd6 10.Qf3 Qh4+ 11.g3 Qg4 12.Qxg4 Bxg4

13.Nc3 Rf8 14.d3 Bh3 15.Bd2 Bg2 16.Ke2 Bf3+ 17.Ke1 Bxh1 18.Ke2 Rf2+ 19.Ke1 Rxh2

20.Nb5+ Kd7 21.b4 Bf2+ 22.Kd1 Bxg3 23.c3 Bf3+ 24.Kc2 Nf6 25.a4 a6 26.Na3 Bf4 27.Rd1 Bxd1+ 28.Kxd1 Rxd2+ 29.Ke1 Black resigned

A Pie-in-the-Face Variation

If you play the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ ) long enough, you will eventually play the 6.d4 variation (4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4) and one day you will come face-to-face with the best in-your-face variation for Black since J.H. Blackburne offered his Rook...  

This move (6...Qh4) was first seen in Sorensen - Anonymous, Denmark 1888 (see "Jerome Gambit Tournament: Chapter X").

I have 193 games with 6...Qh4 in my database, with only 10 wins for Black, but those numbers are deeply flawed, as most of the games are computer vs computer, and the great majority of those come from a source that only provided White wins (see "Bright Ideas from Silicon"). Of the 8 person vs person 6...Qh4 games in my database, White has won 4 and lost 4, which still seems overly optimistic to me.

Here's a quick game to try to sort out the variation.

Danivarl - Bb35
echecsemail.com, 2005

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7

5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Qh4

7.dxc5

This move is simply wrong. If White wants the piece, he should castle first, then go after it: 7.0-0 Qxe4 8.dxc5

Would it be helpful to mention that in their games Deep Shredder 10, Deep Sjeng 1.5, Gambit Fruit1,  Hiarcs 11.1 and Shredder Paderborn all chose 7.0-0 instead of 7.dxc5?

7...Qxe4+

Also leading to an advantage for Black (but not as big a one) is 7...Ng4, from a game earlier this year where the second player was finally able to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory: 8.Qd5+ Kf8 9.g3 Qf6 10.Be3 Ne7 11.Qd2 Qxb2 12.0-0 Qxa1 13.Nc3 Qb2 14.f3 Nxe3 15.Qxe3 Qxc2 16.Ne2 Qxa2 17.f4 d6 18.f5 Nc6 19.f6 Bh3 20.fxg7+ Kxg7 21.Qg5 checkmate, yorgos - mofte, FICS, 2009.

8.Be3

A bit better (but still very good for Black) was 8.Kf1, but after 8...Nf6 White has to be scolding himself: I sacrificed a piece for this position?? 

8...Qxg2

Black went after the other Knight pawn with 8...Qb4+  in AlgozBr - nikolasa, FICS 2009, a wild game where the second player maintained his advantage for a score of moves and then swapped blunders with White at the end. To be fair, the first player waited to get a winning position before resigning (or losing on time): 9.Nc3 Qxb2 10.Qd5+ Kf8 11.0-0 Qxc3 12.Bd4 Qxc2 13.Qxe5 Qg6 14.Qf4+ Nf6 15.Qxc7 Nd5 16.Qd8+ Qe8 17.Bxg7+ Kxg7 18.Qg5+ Qg6 19.Qxd5 Rg8 20.Rae1 Kh8 21.Re7 d6 22.cxd6 Bh3 23.Rfe1 Bxg2 0-1

9.Rf1 Nf3+ 10.Ke2 Nf6

Just to show you that the Jerome Gambit belongs to the Twilight Zone of chess openings, here is a game where Black chose 10...Qg4 instead,  11.Qd5+ Ke7 12.Qxf3 Qxf3+ 13.Kxf3 d5 14.Bd4 Nf6 15.Nc3 Bg4+ 16.Kf4 h5 17.Rae1+ Kd7 18.f3 Bh3 19.Rg1 Rae8 20.Rxg7+ Kc8 21.Reg1 Nd7 22.R7g3 Rhf8+ 23.Kg5 Be6 24.Kxh5 Rh8+ 25.Kg5 Rxh2 26.Kf4 Rxc2 27.Nb5 c6 28.Nd6+ Kd8 29.Nxe8 Kxe8 30.b4 Rc4 31.Ke3 Rxb4 32.Rh1 Kf7 33.Rg7+ Ke8 34.Rh8+ Nf8 35.Rg6 Bf7 36.Rg5 Rb1 37.Re5+ Kd7 38.Rxf8 Re1+ 39.Kf4 Rxe5 40.Bxe5 Be6 41.Kg3 a5 42.f4 Ke7 43.Rf6 a4 44.Rh6 Kf7 45.Rh7+ Kg6 46.Rxb7 Kf5 47.Rb6 Ke4 48.Rxc6 Bf5 49.Ra6 Kd3 50.Rxa4 Kc2 51.c6 d4 52.c7 d3 53.Rd4 Kd1 54.c8Q Black resigned, yorgos - ErrareHumanumEst, FICS, 2009

Yes, the name of the second player translates from the Latin as "to err is human."

11.Qd3

You know you're doomed when you can play a move like 11.Nd2 instead and Black can safely ignore it, as after 11...d5 12.Nxf3 Bg4 it is still a sad position for White.

11...Ne5 12.Qb3+ d5 13.Nd2 Bg4+

White's downfall is his unsafe King: the irony!

14.Ke1 Rhe8 15.Qxb7

Leading to an explosive conclusion.

15...Nd3+ 16.cxd3 Rxe3+ White resigned

Stats (1)

For what it's worth, let's look at some numbers, based on my Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) database.

Please keep in mind the caveats about this that I mentioned in my reply to Pete Bank's ("blackburne") Comment to "Fool me once..."

I use ChessBase 8 to store most of my Jerome Gambit games and findings.

If I look at the series of moves 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+, and run an Opening Report, I can see that ChessBase finds 1,436 relevant games. About these, it notes that White scores above average – 57%; that is, White wins 693 (55%), Draws 32 (3%), and Black wins 528 (42%). Not surprisingly, it points out that the Drawing number is quite low, with 1/3 of those drawn games having fewer than 20 moves.

In addition, White's wins are "shorter than average" (35 moves), Black's wins are "short" (29 moves), and the Draws are "shorter than average" (34 moves).

Looking at Moves and Plans, I can see that 1217 games featured 4...Kxf7, with which Black scored "averagely" – 44%. The Opening Report recommends 5.Nxe5+ for White, noting that 5...Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 d6 then occured in 97 games; 5...Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 occurred in 118 games; and 5...Nxe5 6.d4 Qh5 7.0-0 Nf6 8.dxc5 Qxe4 9.Nc3 Qb4 10.Nd5 occurred in 118 games. That last line is highly skewed: all 118 games were from a match between Deep Shredder 10 and Rybka 2.3.1.

Interestingly enough, the "Critical line" for White, in which he scored only 29%, is 5.Nxe5+ Kf8 6.Nxc6 dxc6, which certainly bears some looking into.

Althought taking the sacrificed Bishop seems the thing to do, the Opening Report shows that in 19 games Black played 4...Kf8 instead, scoring "below average" at 37%. The recommended response for White is 5.d3.

In 5 games Black responded with 4...Ke7, when he "scored miserably" with 20%. White's response should be 5.Bh5.

Jerome Gambit: Drilling Down (28)

Shredder 8 comes up with a new move in the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) and while it doesn't lead to any kind of advantage, it helps complicate things – and in a computer vs human battle, that's often enough. In that regard, being able to spot every tactical opportunity in the Jerome is a great advantage.

Shredder 8 - RevvedUp
blitz 2 12, 2006
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6

7.f4 d6 8.fxe5 dxe5 9.Qe2
A new move in this position, although it was seen a move later in Fritz 8 - RevvedUp and RevvedUp - Hiarcs 8.
9...Nf6 10.Qc4+ Kd6 11.b4

A major theme in the Jerome Gambit is for White to bring pressure – psychological, if not tactical – against the Black King. Although RevvedUp's monarch isn't any more insecure on the Queenside than on the Kingside (or in the center), Shredder 8 has to play it that way.

11...Bb6 12.Nc3 Be6 13.Qe2 c6

Nothing accomplished, yet.

14.Na4 Qe7 15.Nxb6 axb6 16.0-0 Rhf8 17.a3 Kc7


18.Bb2 Bg4 19.Qe3 h6 20.d4


Looking for some kind of play.

20...exd4

A slip: better to have reinforced the center with 20...Nd7.

21.Qg3+ Kd7 22.e5


Suddenly Shredder 8 has an active (if even) game, and all for the cost of a tiny pawn... All Jerome Gambiteers should have this good fortune.

22...Be2 23.exf6 Rxf6 24.Rfe1 Raf8

Keeping things in balance was 24...c5.

25.Bxd4 Black resigns

Jerome Gambit: Drilling Down (27)

Again the tame 7...d6 defense holds up for Black, and the tactical wiles of the computer strike before the human can take it down.

RevvedUp - Shredder 8
blitz 2 12, 2006

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6

7.f4 d6 8.fxe5 dxe5 9.Qh3+
A move as old as the 1993 Fisher-Kirshner - Knightstalker match (see "A Few Words With... Micah Fisher-Kirshner"). The alternative 9.Rf1 appeared in Fritz 8 - RevvedUp and RevvedUp - Hiarcs 8.

9...Kf7 10.Qh5+ g6
In 2006 I heard from Jeroen_61 of the Netherlands, who emailed me

Some time ago when Hiarcs 8 was released after receiving my copy I ran some small tournaments to see how things would go with Hiarcs. Other participants were Junior 7, Shredder Paderdorn (6.02) and Fritz 7. One of the tournaments I conducted with - the Jerome gambit as opening. They are games 40/40' + 40/40' + 40' (round robin two rounds, so 12 games in all). Only two were won by the white side.

Six of the games featured this line of play in RevvedUp - Shredder 8. (All were posted at a website that Jeroen_61 gave, although an attempt to use the url today got me the message De pagina is niet gevonden, which probably means just what it looks like.)
11.Qxe5
Oddly enough, the position is identical to that of the Blackburne line 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 (see ''Nobody expects the Jerome Gambit!") except that Black's d-pawn is missing. This difference is probably in the second player's favor.

11...Bd4 12.Qf4+ Nf6
One reason not to use only database statistics in evaluating a position can be seen by the fact that I have 52 wins by White from this position, all computer games from Randy Tipton at HANGING PAWN :: Tip's Chess Blog (see "We are not alone..."). Of course, he only provided me with the Jerome Gambit wins, not the whole package of games.

13.c3

A "TN", but it is a prelude to a tactical oversight by RevvedUp.
13...Re8 14.cxd4 Rxe4+ White resigns

Jerome Gambit: Drilling Down (19)

Our human chess investigator takes on his last computer opponent for this round of play with the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+).


RevvedUp - Yace Paderborn blitz 2 12, 20061.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6

7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Qh4

We saw this move played first, only with Black's King on f8, by Shredder 8 (see "Jerome Gambit: Drilling Down (17)").

10.0-0 Nf6 11.Nc3 Ng4 12.Qg3 Qxg3 13.hxg3 Be6

Again reaching a position that is objectively better for Black, but which is the kind that RevvedUp likes to play against computers.

14.f4 Bf7 15.d3 Kd7 16.Bd2 Ne7 17.Rae1 Rhf8 18.a3 Rae8 19.Nd1 Bh5 20.Ne3 Kc8

Yace Paderborn has effectively castled-by-hand.

21.Nxg4 Bxg4 22.Kf2 Nc6

The White King is safe in his fortress – for now.

23.Bc3 Rf7 24.Rh1 h6 25.Rh4 h5 26.Rhh1 Ne7 27.Rc1 Kb8 28.b3 Nc6 29.Bb2 g5 30.Ke3 d5

In past games RevvedUp has done well in closed positions, especially when he can "threaten" a draw by repition of position; it is not a good sign for him that Yace Paderborn wants to rip things open.

31.Rhf1 dxe4 32.dxe4 Rfe7 33.e5 Rf7 34.c4 Rd8


Invasion on the d-file will spell the end for White.

35.Rc2 Rfd7 36.Rff2 gxf4+ 37.gxf4 Ne7 38.Bc3 Rd3+ 39.Ke4 Bf5 checkmate