No Breach in the Wall

The move ...Qd8-h4+ can be played in the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) with great effect.

Sometimes.

Wall,B - Edaison
FICS, 2010

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6

7.f4 Nf7

8.Qxc5

The capture has also come with preliminaries: 8.Qd5+ Ke7 9.Qxc5+ Ke8 10.0-0 d6 11.Qe3 Qe7 12.Nc3 Bd7 13.d4 Bb5 14.Nxb5 Kd7 15.Qh3+ Kd8 16.Nc3 Black resigned, mrjoker-Dabo, ICC 2008; and

8.Qf5+ Kd6 9.Qd5+ Ke7 10.Qxc5+ d6 11.Qd4 Nf6 12.Nc3 Re8 13.d3 Kf8 14.0-0 c5 15.Qf2 b6 16.Bd2 Bb7 17.Rae1 d5 18.e5 Nd7 19.e6 Re7 20.exf7 Rxf7 21.Re6 Nf6 22.Rfe1 d4 23.Ne4 Nxe4 24.dxe4 Bc8 25.Re5 Qd6 26.Rd5 Qh6 27.Qg3 Bb7 28.f5 Bxd5 29.Bxh6 gxh6 30.exd5 Rf6 31.Re6 Rxf5 32.Rxh6 Rf7 33.Qd6+ Kg8 34.Qe6 Raf8 35.Rf6 Kg7 36.Rxf7+ Rxf7 37.d6 Kf8 38.d7 Re7 39.Qf6+ Rf7 40.Qxf7+ Kxf7 41.d8Q Ke6 Black resigned, Superpippo - Sulu, FICS, 2002.

8...Qh4+

Or 8...d6 9.Qc3 Nf6 10.0-0 Kd7 11.e5 Nd5 12.e6+ Ke7 13.Qxg7 Bxe6 14.f5 Qg8 15.Qxg8 Raxg8 16.fxe6 Kxe6 17.Nc3 Nxc3 18.dxc3 Rg6 19.Be3 b6 20.Rae1 Ne5 21.Bd4 Rhg8 22.Re2 c5 23.Bxe5 dxe5 24.Rfe1 Rg5 25.h4 Rf5 26.Re4 h5 27.c4 Rgf8 28.c3 Rf4 29.Rxe5+ Kd6 30.Rd5+ Kc6 31.Re6+ Kb7 32.Rxh5 Rxc4 33.Rh7+ Ka6 34.Ree7 Ra8 35.g3 Black resigned, tomvandermeer - keeswillern, GameKnot, 2006.

9.g3 Qe7

The Queen check did not prove very helpful, but the retreat will prove disastrous. The Queen needed to return to d8.

10.Qd5+

Curiously, in an earlier game White missed the checkmate-in-two, and later lost: 10.f5+ Kf6 11.Qd4+ Ne5 12.d3 c5 13.Qc3 Kf7 14.Bf4 Nf3+ 15.Kf2 Nd4 16.Nd2 Nf6 17.e5 Ng4+ 18.Kg2 Rd8 19.e6+ dxe6 20.fxe6+ Nxe6 21.Rhe1 Nxf4+ 22.gxf4 Qh4 23.Nf3 Qf2+ 24.Kh1 Qxf3+ 25.Kg1 Qf2+ 26.Kh1 Qf3+ 27.Kg1 Qf2+ 28.Kh1 Qxh2 checkmate, Nesseerd - MYCAT, FICS, 2007.

10...Kf6 11.Qf5 checkmate

Technical Difficulties (Part 2)

Sometimes when I play chess online – usually at FICS and usually a Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) or related opening – I encounter "technical difficulties" to be overcome, along with the expected chess resistance. Luckily, as yesterday's and today's posts show, these problems can be overcome.

perrypawnpusher - szuwarek
blitz 10 0, FICS, 2010

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6

This move usually signals pretty bad news – if it means that my opponent is familiar with the Whistler Defense – or pretty good news – if it means that my opponent remembers something about Blackburne's Defense.

7.Qxe5 d6

Blackburne.

8.Qxh8

As in Amateur - Blackburne, London, 1885, the best-known Jerome Gambit game.

Despite Blackburne's crushing win, modern theory holds that if Black is well-prepared, he may be able to work out a draw; otherwise, he loses to a knowledgeable opponent.

8...Qf6

Okay, make that "pretty good news" – for White.

9.Qxh7+

By coincidence, both ecimsa - Mordent, FICS, 2006 and irvpat - Mordent, FICS, 2009 ended here with Black's resignation after White's ninth move.

One of my earlier games continued with the less exact 9.Qxf6+: 9...Nxf6 10.d3 Be6 11.Nc3 Re8 12.0-0 d5 13.exd5 Nxd5 14.Bd2 Bb4 15.a3 Bd6 16.Nxd5 Bxd5 17.Rae1 b6 18.Rxe8 Kxe8 19.Re1+ Kf7 20.Bc3 a5 21.Be5 Ba2 22.Bxd6 cxd6 23.b3 a4 24.bxa4 d5 25.f3 h5 26.Ra1 b5 27.Rxa2 bxa4 28.Rb2 Ke6 29.Kf2 Ke5 30.Ke3 d4+ 31.Kf2 Kf4 32.Rb4 Ke5 33.Rxa4 h4 34.Rb4 g5 35.a4 g4 36.fxg4 h3 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - nicholasjanssen, blitz FICS, 2009.

Another Jerome Gambit Gemeinde member (with a pleasant 57% score with the Gambit) had an oddly de-caffeinated moment and paid for it: 9.0-0 Qxh8 10.c3 Be6 11.d4 Bb6 12.Bg5 Nf6 13.e5 dxe5 14.dxe5 Ne4 15.Na3 Nxg5 White resigned, Superpippo - ddp, FICS, 2001.

9...Ke6

This move costs a piece, but interposing the Queen allows White to exchange, arriving at a calm position where the first player is ahead the exchange and three pawns: 9...Qg7 10.Qh4 (10.Qxg7+ Kxg7 11.c3 Be6 12.d4 Bb6 13.Bg5 Bc4 14.Nd2 Bd3 15.f3 Rf8 16.Kf2 c5 17.Ke3 Ba6 18.Rad1 cxd4+ 19.cxd4 d5 20.e5 Rf5 21.f4 Nh6 22.Bxh6+ Kxh6 23.g4 Rf8 24.Rc1 Bd8 25.Rc8 b5 26.Ra8 g5 27.f5 Re8 28.Rxa7 Bc8 29.Rc1 Bb6 30.Rf7 Rxe5+ 31.Kd3 Re4 32.Rf6+ Kg7 33.Nxe4 dxe4+ 34.Ke3 Kxf6 35.Rxc8 Black resigned, tedhort - ElMagoVago, FICS, 2009) 10...Qf6 11.Qxf6+ Nxf6 12.0-0 Nxe4 13.d3 Nf6 14.Be3 Bf5 15.Nc3 Bb4 16.Nb5 c6 17.Nd4 Bd7 18.c3 Bc5 19.Nf3 Bxe3 20.fxe3 Re8 21.Ng5+ Kg7 22.e4 Be6 23.Rf3 Bg4 24.Rg3 Bh5 25.Rh3 Ng4 26.Rg3 Rf8 27.Rf1 Rxf1+ 28.Kxf1 Kf6 29.Rf3+ Kxg5 30.Rg3 Kf6 31.Rf3+ Ke7 32.Rg3 Ne5 33.d4 Nc4 34.b3 Nd2+ 35.Kf2 Nxe4+ White resigned, Nesseerd - oldway, FICS, 2005

10.Qxg8+ Kd7 11.0-0 b6

12.Nc3 Bb7 13.Qh7+ Ke6 14.Qh3+

The Queen returns safely. All Black has for his missing Rook is a handful of attacking files and diagonals.

14...Ke7 15.Nd5+ Bxd5 16.exd5

From this position White will be able to exchange Queens then a Rook, after which the extra Rook will win in the endgame.

However, my opponent made no moves in the roughly 8 minutes he had left on his clock. Oddly, after running down to zero his clock then began to rack up "negative" minutes, despite my call for a win on time. 

At 5 minutes after his flag fell, with his clock still running, I asked for a courtesy adjournment.

I then sent my opponent a message, asked for a continuation of the game, left the site, returned to the site, and reissued the continuation request.

I'm not sure what my opponent was seeing at his end of the chess board, but he did not respond to any of this, and actually started a game with another player.

After a few days of not hearing from my opponent, I requested and almost immediately received an ajudicated win.

A Strange, But Intriguing, Path (Part 2)

Let's continue to take a look at a strange variation of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf 7+) that we started with yesterday – see "A Strange, But Intriguing, Path (Part 1)"

blackburne - DREWBEAR

JG Tourney4, Chessworld, 2009

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6

This can't be good, can it?

6.f4

Inadequate is 6.Nc4 Qf6 (6...Qh4!? 7.Qe2 Nd4 8.Qd3 Nf6 [stronger than 8...Nxc2+ 9.Qxc2 Qxf2+ 10.Kd1 Qxg2 11.Re1 Qxh2] 9.Nc3 d5 10.exd5+ Kf7 11.Ne3 Re8 12.Ne2 Rxe3 13.dxe3 Bf5) 7.Qg4+ Ke7 8.0-0 h6 9.Nc3 d5 10.Nxd5+ Black resigned, jecree - larsgoran, FICS,  2008

Tricky is 6.d4, as the pawn is poisoned, provided that White responds to either 6...Nxd4 or 6...Bxd4 with 7.Qg4+ (7.Nf3 may draw).

After 6.d4 Nxe5 (6...Nf6 is best met by 7.Nf3 with an edge to White) 7.dxe5 d6 (7...Kxe5? 8.Qd5+ Kf6 9.Bg5+ Kg6 10.Qf5+ Kh5 11.g4 checkmate) 8.Nc3 Black has an edge. 

6...Nxe5

7.fxe5

This does not turn out well. Rybka actually recommends 7.d4 as best for White, although, as you might guess, Black has an advantage in all variations.

7...Qh4+

Here's the trouble.

8.Ke2

Worse was 8.g3 Qxe4+ 9.Qe2 Qxh1+ 10.Qf1 Qxf1+ 11.Kxf1 Kxe5 12.c3 Ke6 13.d4 Bd6 14.Nd2 b6 15.Ne4 Bb7 16.Ng5+ Kf6 17.Bd2 h6 18.Nh3 Rf8 19.Ke2 Re8+ 20.Kd3 Ne7 21.Rf1+ Kg6 22.Nf2 Rhf8 23.Be3 Nd5 24.Bd2 b5 25.g4 Rf3+ 26.Kc2 Ne3+ 27.Bxe3 Rexe3 28.h4 Re2+ 29.Kb3 Rfxf2 30.Rg1 Rxb2 checkmate, Superpippo - MrJaggers, FICS, 2002

8...Qxe4+ 9.Kf1 Nh6 10.Nc3 Rf8+ White Resigned

When your opponent takes his time...

...it's OK for you to take time, too.

When your opponent falls behind on the clock, especially in a Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), it is tempting to blitz out moves, to keep the pressure on.

Strong moves, not necessarily fast ones, provide the most challenge, though – and this can mean some thinking time for the Gambiteer as well.

perrypawnpusher - calexander
blitz 5 12, FICS, 2009

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6

Oh, dear. Another one of those refutations...

On the other hand, my opponent had been taking quite a bit of time over his last few moves. This was good.

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Nf7

This move was new to me, and has been rarely played.

The strongest defense/counter-attack begins with 8...Qh4+.

9.Qd5+

After a little thought, I decided to take the Bishop, an understandable idea but not best.

Had I taken more time, I would have found 9.Qxf7, which is an interesting move. A pawn fork at e5 will follow if Black develops his Queen or Knight at f6. If Black plays for King safety with 9...c6, then Rybka suggests that 10.Qxg7 Nf6 11.Qxf6+ Qxf6 12.e5+ is possible, with an edge to White.

analysis diagram




9...Ke7 10.Qxc5+ Ke8

The only other example I have of this line continued 10...d6 11.Qd4 Nf6 12.Nc3 Re8 13.d3 Kf8 14.0-0 c5 15.Qf2 b6 16.Bd2 Bb7 17.Rae1 d5 18.e5 Nd7 19.e6 Re7 20.exf7 Rxf7 21.Re6 Nf6 22.Rfe1 d4 23.Ne4 Nxe4 24.dxe4 Bc8 25.Re5 Qd6 26.Rd5 Qh6 27.Qg3 Bb7 28.f5 Bxd5 29.Bxh6 gxh6 30.exd5 Rf6 31.Re6 Rxf5 32.Rxh6 Rf7 33.Qd6+ Kg8 34.Qe6 Raf8 35.Rf6 Kg7 36.Rxf7+ Rxf7 37.d6 Kf8 38.d7 Re7 39.Qf6+ Rf7 40.Qxf7+ Kxf7 41.d8Q Ke6 Black resigned, Superpippo - Sulu, FICS, 2002

11.0-0 b6 12.Qe3 d6 13.Nc3 Nf6

14.e5 dxe5 15.fxe5 Nd5

Black has an even position. If only he could castle, he'd have the better game. In the meantime, his time shortage was getting serious. 

16.Qf3

A cheap tactical trick: 16.Qg6 was better.

16...Qe7

Black could defend easily and economically with 16...Be6, for example 17.d4 Nxc3 18.Qc6+ Ke7 19.Qxc3 c6 looks okay for him. But that time shortage was hurting calexander and helping me.

17.Qxd5 Rb8 18.d4 Be6

19.Qb5+ Kd8 20.Nd5

More tactics.

I am also happy to exchange pieces and eventually cash in my "Jerome pawns".

Swapping pieces doesn't take much time, so my opponent went along with me.

20...Bxd5 21.Qxd5+ Qd7 22.Qxd7+ Kxd7 23.Rxf7+

Ooops.

23...Ke8 24.Rxc7 Rf8 25.Rxg7 Black lost on time

Of course, down a piece and four pawns, his eventual demise was only a matter of time, anyhow.

Eyeblink Chess: Crash

It can be an exciting challenge to be successful with the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), even when it is played well.

To play the opening poorly is an invitation to disaster. It also seems to be a betrayal of the opening itself. Witness:

Arcetri - dworm
blitz FICS, 2000
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Ng5+ Qxg5 6.d3 White resigned


ocho - Aquanaut
blitz FICS, 2000
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Ng5+ Qxg5 6.d3 Qxg2 White resigned


xxkrsevenxx - mscp
blitz FICS, 2001
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Ng5+ Qxg5 6.d4 Qxg2 White resigned


akhnaten - fafner
blitz FICS, 1999
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.d3 Nf6 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.Qh5+ Nxh5 White resigned


BillieBob - SuperCanuck
blitz FICS, 2000
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.d3 Qf8 6.Ng5+ Kg6 7.h4 Qxf2 checkmate


Superpippo - kostik
blitz FICS, 2001
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Ng5+ Qxg5 6.d4 Qxg2 7.Qh5+ g6 White resigned


Relax, readers. This blog, and the support of the Jerome Gambit Gemeinde will help you avoid such crashes.

Teach / Learn

Welton Vaz ("Ghandybh" at Chess.com) shares a Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game (for an earlier one, see "Xadrez, Ficção Cientifíca e Paz" or visit his "Chess, Science Fiction and Peace" blog).

Looking at the end of the game – a nice mate-in-7 – you can understand why people play the Jerome.

Ghandybh  - ishahir
Chess.com, 2009

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Nc6

Alarms should be going off inside the head of every Jerome Gambit Gemeinde member. If Black varies from one of the main line this early, there has to be a nasty surprise waiting for him. (For one such example, see "Lost".)

9.e5+

Welton is thinking "King!" A more routine (if safer) response would be picking up a piece with 9.Qd5+ Ke7 10.Qxc5+.

9...Ke7

Black has the option of giving a piece back willingly: 9...Nxe5 10.Qxe5+ Kc6 11.d4 Qe7 12.d5+ Kb6 13.Nc3 Qxe5+ 14.fxe5 d6 15.Na4+ Kb5 16.b3 Bd4 17.c4+ Ka5 18.Bd2+ Ka6 19.b4 b6 20.Rb1 Bxe5 21.c5 dxc5 22.bxc5 Bf5 23.Rc1 Bd4 24.cxb6 axb6 25.Rf1 Re8+ 26.Kd1 Bg4+ 27.Kc2 Nf6 28.h3 Bh5 29.g4 Bg6+ 30.Kb3 Nxd5 31.Bc3 Nxc3 32.Nxc3 Bxc3 33.Rxc3 c5 34.Kb2 Rhf8 35.Ra3+ Kb7 36.Rd1 Rd8 37.Re1 Rf2+ 38.Kc1 Rd7 39.Rae3 Rff7 40.h4 h6 41.g5 hxg5 42.hxg5 Kc7 43.a4 Rd3 44.Re7+ Rxe7 45.Rxe7+ Kb8 46.Rxg7 Be4 47.g6 Rd6 48.Rg8+ Kc7 49.g7 Rg6 50.Re8 Rxg7 51.Rxe4 Rg1+ 52.Kd2 Rg2+ 53.Kc3 Ra2 54.Kc4 Kc6 55.Re6+ Kb7 56.Kb5 Rb2+ 57.Kc4 Rb4+ 58.Kc3 Rxa4 59.Re7+ Ka6 60.Re8 Black forfeited on time. Superpippo - MattMeister, FICS, 2002. This is one of the games whose end position was given in "Superpippo and the Third Player".

10.Qg5+ Ke6

It is fun to speculate – did Black play this move because he thought it was best (it's not; 10...Kf8 is better) or was he thinking of letting White off the hook by allowing him a draw through repetition, i.e. 11.Qg4+ Ke7 12.Qg5+ Ke6, etc.?

11.Qxg7

Of course, Welton is not thinking "Draw?!"

11...Nge7

There's a lesson to be learned here: don't be greedy. Giving back a piece – Black has two extra – with 11...Nf6 maintained the second player's advantage.

The game is over now.

12.Qf6+ Kd5 13.Nc3+ Kc4 14.Qf7+ d5 15.exd6+ Kd4 16.Nb5+ Ke4 17.d3 checkmate

Superpippo and the Third Player

When a sports team has the enthusiastic support of the crowd, the players work harder and strive mightily to reward their fans. In a football game (NFL, FIFA) a strong crowd can have such an effect that they can be thought of as the "12th player" for the team that they are cheering on.

Chess is a game between two players, but sometimes the clock and the time controls weigh in as the "third player". This is often the case when one is playing the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+).

The first player may be struggling with his opponent, but the unexpected and unusual play of the Jerome Gambit will set time-consuming problems for the other side, and that is often enough to swing the "third player" into action.

To win the game, you have to Beat the Clock.

Here are a few examples from the blitz games of Superpippo. In all games he is White. It is Black's turn to move, but he has been fighting two "players"...





Two interesting positions, but Black's flag dropped in each, giving White the game.











More of the same: tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock...












Things looked bad for White, until time ran out... on Black.









These positions are getting silly, but when Black's time was up White grabbed the point.

Superpippo!

My Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) and related openings database has about 60 internet blitz games played by Superpippo. It is clear that he enjoys the opening, plays it come fair or foul weather, and wins and loses with equanimity. I'd like to introduce Superpippo to readers of this blog with a game that is, well, kind of goofy... 

Superpippo - HarryPaul 

blitz FICS, 2001

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

So far, so good. Black doesn't have to play creative chess, he only has to decide which Jerome Gambit refutation he wants to play.

7.f4 Ng6

This move, despite the soundness of the basic idea – save one piece and return another – is too "creative" and leads to an even game. With a regular opening, having Black reach equality this early is an accomplishment for the second player, but in the Jerome Gambit – where White spots his opponent two pieces – it is a sign that something has already gone wrong for Black. 

8.f5+

Rybka 3 suggests: 8.Qxc5 Kf7 9.0-0 Qf6 10.Nc3 Qc6 11.Qf2 d6 12.f5 N6e7 13.d4 Qb6 14.Qe2 Nf6 15.Qc4+ d5 16.Nxd5 as even.

analysis diagram

8...Ke5

Brave King. Foolish King.

9.fxg6+ Kxe4

See the above note.

10.Qxc5

White can now win as he likes, for example 10.Nc3+ Kd4 11.Qd5 checkmate

10...hxg6

This allows a mate-in-one

11.Nc3+

Superpippo had his finish already planned out, and so he didn't bother with 11.d3 checkmate.

11...Kf4 12.d3+ Kg4 13.h3+ Kh4 14.Qd4+ Kh5 15.Qg4 checkmate