I won my third round game - an Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit - in the "Italian game Classic" tournament at Chess.com, when my opponent and I seemed to have the same "hallucination" about a tense, tactical position. Up until then, I had been awkwardly struggling to lurch my way back to equality - only to be smacked around by a violent return of my sacrificed material.
Given the distracted level of my play, I consider myself quite lucky.
perrypawnpusher - Sp1derR1c0
Italian Game Classic, Chess.com, 2020
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bc5
Whew! My game against Winawer99 in the same round continued 4...Nxe4, and I decided to avoid my past suffering with the Noa Gambit / Monck Gambit / Open Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit - 5.Bxf7+ - and played, instead, 5.Nxe4 d5 6.Bd3 dxe4 7.Bxe4 Bd6 8.Bxc6+ bxc6 9.d4, a line that I also have struggled with. It showed: on my way to a possibly drawn Bishops-of-opposite-colors endgame, I overlooked a checkmate in 2 moves (0-1, 21).
5.Bxf7+
The Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.
What difference does the addition of Knights at c3 and f6 make, when compared to the regular Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+)?
Komodo 10 shows it to improve Black's position by about 3/4 of a pawn.
The Database has 2,731 games with the Four Knights version, with Black scoring 61%. This compares to 15,157 games with the Jerome, proper, with Black scoring 54%.
I have to admit, in my own games, Black scores 25% in my Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit games (62) versus scoring 17% in my regular Jerome Gambit games (336).
5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 Re8
I like this move. Instead of worrying which piece to save, Black develops another one, on a crucial file. Let White figure it out!
8.dxc5
In preparing this post, I was amused to discover that Komodo 10's second choice, here, was not a capture, but 8.0-0, fully relying on the fact that not all of the pieces will be able to escape, e.g. 8...Bd6 9.f4!? Nc6 10.e5, etc.
That line, in turn, raised a question for me: Has anyone ever tried moving the f-pawn right away, i.e. 8.f4 ? It turns out that The Database has two examples - Svirfneblin - cosmoo, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 24) and Mvskoke - Panico, blitz, FICS, 2012 (1-0, 36). It is an example of going too far, however, as Black has 8...Bxd4 9.Qxd4 Nc6 and he is doing better than in the normal lines.
By the way, The Database has 6 games with 8.0-0 (Black scores 56%) - and in 3 of them, Svirfneblin had the White pieces. I will have to look at more of his games...
8...Kg8
Finishing castling-by-hand. I have noted
This is an improvement over 8...Nc6 of perrypawnpusher - hudders, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 13) and 8...Nc4 of the tragic perrypawnpusher - TrentonTheSecond, blitz, FICS, 2010 (0-1, 9),
9.O-O d6 10.cxd6 cxd6
This is probably an improvement over 10...Qxd6, which I faced a couple of times perrypawnpusher - hklett, blitz, FICS, 2013 (1-0, 31) and perrypawnpusher - strandskatan, blitz, FICS, 2013 (1-0, 38). I was prepared, sort of
After the game Houdini recommended the dull 11.Qxd6 cxd6 12.Rd1 with pressure against Black's d-pawn, although Black is still better.
11.Be3
An odd move; the Bishop usually goes to g5. I was planning to play f2-f4, but, for some reason I was worried about ...Qb6+ at some point, so I protected the a7-g1 diagonal. Of course, White's b-pawn is not vulnerable to that enemy double attack, until the Bishop moves. I suspect Caffeine Deficiency Disorder.
11...Be6 12.f3
This is the move that White sometimes plays when he gives up on his plan to attack, and decides to hunker down and challenge Black to do something with his material advantage. Suddenly - comparatively, as the time control was 3 days per move - that became my plan.
The word "collywobbles" comes to mind.
[to be continued]
Many players question the value of the Jerome Gambit. Their task is to play one of the refutations, follow through, and claim the point. One risk, however, is that of being so dismissive of the attack that the defender becomes inaccurate in his play. Again, observe the motto: In the Jerome Gambit, Black wins by force, White wins by farce.
perrypawnpusher - strandskatan
blitz, FICS, 2013
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nc3 Nc6 4.Bc4 Bc5 5.Bxf7+
The Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.
5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 Re8 8.dxc5 Kg8
Black's play is solid and scientific. He has castled-by-hand and is ready to counter-attack.
Alternately, 8...Nc6 was seen in perrypawnpusher - hudders, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 13); while 8...Nc4 9.Qd5+?? Nxd5 was one of my personal nightmares, perrypawnpusher - TrentonTheSecond, blitz, FICS, 2010 (0-1,9).
9.0-0 d6 10.cxd6 Qxd6 11.Qe2
After the game, Houdini recommended 11.Qxd6 cxd6 12.Nb5. I wasn't ready to trade Queens.
11...Bg4
Instead, 11...Be6 was seen in perrypawnpusher - hklett, blitz, FICS, 2013 (1-0, 31) while 11...Neg4 was Houdini's post-game recommendation. (Often, harassing White's Queen with a Knight proves to be a time-waster, but not in this case.)
12.f3 Bh5 13.Bf4 Qe6 14.Qf2 c6 15.g4
Objectively, not the best move, but I was pretty sure that my opponent liked his 2-piece advantage on the Kingside, and would figure that he had an extra piece to invest in an attack - if he were properly provoked.
15...Nfxg4?!
Ah, so many of us can resist anything but temptation. The boring 15...Bf7! was probably better, keeping Black's advantage.
16.fxg4 Nxg4 17.Qh4 Bg6 18.Rae1 Rad8 19.h3 Nf6 20.Bg5 Rd4
Despite Black's huffing and puffing, the game is even - which is not the expected outcome of the sacrifice.
Worse, it is time to recall the ironic aphorism inspired by many of Bill Wall's games: Often in the Jerome Gambit, when the game is equal, White is better. In this case, Black has invested (and continues to invest) too much time in his calculations, and his clock soon will become an issue.
21.Bxf6 gxf6 22.Rxf6 Qe5 23.Rf4 Rd2 24.Rf2 Qd4 25.Kg2 Rxf2+ 26.Qxf2 Qxf2+ 27.Kxf2 Kf7 28.Ke3 Ke6 29.Rd1 Ke5
White's extra pawn doesn't give him much more than a slight edge, but time is now on his side.
30.Rd7 Rb8 31.a4 a6 32.a5 b5 33.axb6
Better was 33.Ra7
33...Rxb6 34.b3 Rb5
A time-pressure mistake that I missed. I wonder how much precious time my opponent spent trying to figure out why I didn't simply capture the Rook.
35.Rd4 Rc5 36.Rd3 a5 37.Na4
Almost coming to Black's rescue by dropping material - my clock was ticking too. After the game Houdini suggested the patient 37.h4 Ke6 38.Kd4 Rh5 39.Rh3 Kd6 40.Ne2.
37...Rxc2 38.Nb6
Another error.
Here, Black is better, and can now win a pawn with 38...Bxe4, but, unfortunately, he forfeited on time.
There are a lot of explanations for the following game. It was a Jerome Gambit. It was blitz. It was played by a couple of club players. In the end, I think the most salient factor was that it was played in the early morning, and my opponent and I each could have used some coffee.
perrypawnpusher - hklett
blitz, FICS, 2013
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+
The Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.
5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 Re8
Instead, 7...Bxd4 was seen in perrypawnpusher - hklett, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 18) and perrypawnpusher - hklett, blitz, FICS, 2010 (0-1, 20).
8.dxc5 Kg8
This is an improvement over 8...Nc6 of perrypawnpusher - hudders, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 13) and 8...Nc4 of the tragic perrypawnpusher - TrentonTheSecond, blitz, FICS, 2010 (0-1, 9),
9.O-O d6 10.cxd6 Qxd6 11.Qe2
After the game Houdini recommended the dull 11.Qxd6 cxd6 12.Rd1 with pressure against Black's d-pawn, although Black is still better.
Neither White's Queen nor his e-pawn are going to be comfortable with Black's Rook on e8, and a timely f2-f3 (despite f2-f4 being thematic in the Jerome Gambit) will soon be helpful.
11...Be6 12.b3
Protecting against a possible ...Bc4, skewering White's Queen and Rook, but this is one-dimensional. A more complete response would have been 12.Rd1 Qe7 13.f3, which safeguards White's major pieces, chases Black's Queen off of the dangerous b8-h2 diagonal, and reinforces the pawn at e4.
12...Rad8
Maybe the Bishop move was all that my opponent was threatening, but, instead of the text, he could have loosened up my Kingside a bit with 12...Neg4 13.g3 Ne5 14.f3.
Alas, most of these subtle opportunities were wasted on us.
13.Bg5
Instead, 13.Bf4 would have kept Black's Knight in place at e5.
13...Qf8
14.h3 Nc6 15.e5
If only chess were this easy.
15...Nxe5
Cooperating. (I told you it was early in the morning.) More scrappy was 15...Nd4!? when things don't look so good for the first player after 16.Qe3 Nxc2 17.Qe2 Nxa1 18.exf6 Qc5.
16.Qxe5 Bxh3
Trying to catch me napping.
17.Qg3 Bc8
The game is about equal, and White might now get a small edge after 18.Qxc7.
18.Qh4 Rd6 19.Rad1 Rxd1 20.Rxd1 Bf5 21.Bxf6 Qxf6 22.Qxf6 gxf6 23.Rd2 Kf7
The game is about even, with Black's somewhat weaker pawns offsetting his B vs N advantage. Lucky for me, while I was playing the game I believed in the offbeat notion that, from a practical perspective, When White has equalized in the Jerome Gambit, he actually has the advantage.
24.Kf1 Kg6 25.Nd1 Kg5 26.Ne3 Bg6 27.c4 Bb1
My opponent probably was dreaming of the two of us cooperatively erasing all 6 of the Queenside pawns, when a draw would be an overdue conclusion. Alas, it is necessary to call attention to the sleepy word dreaming.
28.Rd7 Bxa2
Instead, the defensive 28...Rc8 probably gave enough for Black to hang on. My opponent has missed something.
29.Rxc7 Bxb3 30.Rxb7 Bxc4+
After the game, Houdini's best play for both sides showed that by giving up a couple of pawns with 30...Ba4 31.Rxa7 Bc6 32.Rxh7 Black could have still hung on, with a complicated game and drawing chances for Black. Certainly I couldn't have pushed through to the full point with White in the time that I had left.
31.Nxc4 Black resigned
perrypawnpusher - MrMef
blitz, FICS, 2012
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+
The Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.
5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 Re8
Recently seen in HauntedKnight - sfanel, FICS, 2011, (0-1, 13).
8.dxc5 Kg8
This is an improvement over both 8..Nc6 from perrypawnpusher - hudders, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 13) and 8...Nc4 from perrypawnpusher - TrentonTheSecond, blitz, FICS, 2010 (0-1, 9).
Curiously, the strongest move, 8...Qe7, appears in The Database in two losses for Black, natarajanm - jmarchetti, blitz, FICS, 2008 (1-0, 25) and ARUJ - cippolippo, blitz, FICS, 2009 (1-0, 19).
The Jerome Gambit: it's not rocket surgery.
9.0-0 b6 10.cxb6
Not actually necessary, as 10.f4 followed by 11.e5 will win a piece. The text should, too, but not the way it does.
10...axb6 11.f4 Neg4
12.e5
It is more complicated than this, as Black's advanced Knight covers the f2 square, so first it needs to be kicked with 12.h3.
12...Ba6 13.Re1
Since 13.Rf2 is not possible.
13...Nd5
Missing 13...Qe7, pinning the White e-pawn.
14.Nxd5 Qh4
Suddenly, it did not feel like I had won a piece, but, rather that my opponent had sacrificed one.
15.h3 Qf2+ 16.Kh1 Qh4 17.Kg1
I was ready to accept a repetition of position and a draw. Instead, 17.Qd2 would organize a defense for White, and his threats against the Knight at g4 as well as the pawn at c7 would show an advantage.
17...Qf2+ 18.Kh1 Bb7
MrMef does not want the draw.
19.hxg4
Time was running short (shorter for my opponent) so I grabbed the piece. Later, Rybka suggested protecting the advanced Knight with 19.c4 or challenging the enemy Queen with 19.Re2.
19...Bxd5
An oversight. Black would do best to continue his attack with 19...Re6, although 20.f5 is an effective answer, as long as White answers the further 20...Bxd5 with 21.Qe2.
20.Qe2
Totally missing that 20.Qxd5 would come with check.
20...Qh4+
Despite White's extra pawns, Black's active pieces give an equal game.
Time was growing shorter.
21.Kg1 Ra4 22.Qf2 Qxg4 23.b3 Raa8 24.c4 Bb7
25.Re3 d6 26.Rg3 Qf5
Not best.
27.Rg5
The same. White could copy Black's attack with 27.exd6 cxd6 28.Bb2
27...Qe4 28.Qg3
Counter-attacking, and offering a Rook, which, if taken, would allow White to force a draw.
28...g6 29.Bb2
29...dxe5 30.Bxe5
This capture gives Black a chance for a swindle.
30...Rxe5 31.Rxe5
After the better 31.fxe5, Black can win the Rook with 31...Qd4+ 32.Kh2 Qxa1, but 33.Rxg6+ will allow White to force a draw by repetition.
Neither of us had much thinking time left.
31...Qd4+ 32.Qe3
Losing. After the game Rybka suggested 32.Kh2 Qxa1 33.Qh3 Rf8 34.Re7 Rf5 35.Qxh7+ Kf8 36.Qxg6 Kxe7 37.Qxf5 when things are almost balanced, White's extra pawns vs Black's extra piece.
32...Qxa1+ 33.Kh2 Bc6
Protecting e8. Was 33...Kf8 better?
34.f5
After the game I could laugh at Rybka's suggestion that 34.Re6 still held a draw by picking on the defending Bishop: 34...Bd7 35.Re7 Bf5 36.Re8+ Rxe8 37.Qxe8+ Kg7 38.Qe7+ Kh6 39.Qh4+.
Maybe the Jerome Gambit is rocket surgery.
34...Qxa2 35.Qg3 Qb2 36.fxg6 Bxg2 37.gxh7+
One last, frantic try.
With more than mere seconds available, Black would find 37...Kh8, winning.
37...Kxh7 38.Rh5 checkmate
Egads...
The following game, from the newest version of The Database, shows HauntedKnight, a regular Jerome Gambiteer, wandering into largely unexplored opening territory. He makes some plucky choices, and as a result his opponent loses his way, as well. Still, the last tactical shot goes to the defender.
HauntedKnight - sfanel
blitz, FICS, 2011
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nc3 Nc6 4.Bc4 Bc5 5.Bxf7+
The Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.
5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 Re8 8.dxc5
Earlier in the year, White had tried the other capture: 8.dxe5 Rxe5 9.0-0 Nxe4 10.Nxe4 Rxe4 11.Qh5+ g6 12.Qxc5 d6 13.Qd5+ Re6 14.Bg5 Qe8 15.f4 c6 16.Qb3 d5 17.f5 Re2 18.fxg6+ Kxg6 19.Bh4 Rxg2+ 20.Kxg2 Qe4+ 21.Qf3 Qxc2+ 22.Rf2 Qe4 23.Qxe4+ dxe4 24.Re1 Bf5 25.Bg3 Rf8 26.Rd2 Re8 27.Rd6+ Kg5 28.h4+ Kg4 29.Rd4 c5 30.Rc4 b5 31.Rxc5 e3 32.Rxb5 Be4+ 33.Kh2 Kf3 34.Rb3 Bc2 35.Rb4 e2 36.Rf4+ Ke3 37.Rf6 Kd2 38.Rg1 e1Q 39.Bxe1+ Black forfeited on time, HauntedKnight - DrywallRickshaw, FICS, 2011.
8...d5
Several alternatives: 8...Nc4 9.Qd5+ Nxd5 White resigned, perrypawnpusher - TrentonTheSecond, blitz, FICS, 2010;
8...Nc6 9.0-0 Kg8 10.Bg5 Re5 11.f4 Rxg5 12.fxg5 Ne8 13.Qd5+ Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - hudders, blitz, FICS, 2010.
The unplayed 8...Qe7 may be best.
9.Nxd5
Rybka's recommendation, 9.cxd6 Qxd6 10.Qxd6 cxd6, is not for everyone.
9...Nxd5 10.Qh5+
Again, Rybka recommends exchanging Queens (10.Qxd5+ Qxd5 11.exd5) but it is hard to see how White can then reach the kind of tricky position that he needs, in order to induce Black to err.
The text, by comparison, is immediately successful.
10...g6
Of course Black should have played 10...Ng6, as the Knight on d5 is not really hanging, thanks to the pin of the White e-pawn by the Black Rook at e8.
11.Qxh7+ Kf6
"Out of the frying pan, into the fire."
Black's better choice was the dangerous-looking 11...Ke6, when 12.exd5+ Kxd5 (12...Qxd5 is also well met by 13.0-0) 13.0-0 Kc6 14.b4 a5 15.b5+ Kxb5 16.Bf4 Qe7 17.Rab1+ Kxc5 18.Qh6 Kc6 19.Bg3 Qf7 Black has an edge, according to Rybka.
12.exd5
Played a move too soon.
White could have tried 12.h4!? which looks stronger the more you look at it, with the main threat being, of course, Bc1-g5+.
Black's King can dodge the threat with 12...Ke6 (if 12...Ne7, then 13.Bg5+ Ke6 14.Qg7 Rf8 15.f4 and the heat is on), blocking the e-file, when 13.exd5+ Qxd5 (13...Kxd5 leads to a crazy position after 14.Bg5, where White's threat of a Rook skewer on the d-file trumps Black's discovered check on the e-file!)14.0-0 gives a balanced game where White has 3 pawns for the sacrificed piece, and the much safer King.
12...Nf3+ 13.Kd1 White resigned
I've been playing too much chess lately, breaking my rule to follow Dan Heisman's (of the "Novice Nook" articles at Chess Cafe) suggestion mentioned in a Chess Life article earlier this year
...set up a "feedback loop" whein one studies something (adds positives), applies it with careful practice, gets expert help to correct mistakes (subtracts negatives), and then repeats ad infinitum. this loop, which is essentially practiced in every school, is a key for getting better at any complex endeavor, whether it be chess, math, skiing or pharmacy.
I've been dropping points and half-points here and there, and even my wins have been ragged and have had more to do with good fortune than good play.
Tonight I hit my nadir
perrypawnpusher -TrentonTheSecond
blitz, FICS, 2010
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Nc3 Bc5
The Italian Four Knights Game.
5. Bxf7+
The Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.
5...Kxf7 6. Nxe5+ Nxe5 7. d4
7...Re8
I faced this move for the first time a few days ago and won in a baker's dozen worth of moves, ending with 13.Qd5+.
8. dxc5 Nc4
9. Qd5+??
Unbelievable.
9...Nxd5 White resigned
I've decided: no more playing chess games until next month. Study, analyze, learn: no pawn-pushing.
Readers probably won't even notice, however, as I have a backlog of about a dozen games to post here...
