Here we continue from our previous post, "Updating the Blackburne Defense (Part 1)", a look at the Blackburne Defense and what is new (or newer).
For earlier efforts, see also "Update: Old Dog Can Still Bite","Junk Openings", "A Closer Look (Part V)", "Update: Blackburne Defense" and "Traps and Zaps".
perrypawnpusher - lfcanales
blitz, FICS, 2014
9...Nf6 10.Qd8 Qxe4
Black's move allows White's Queen to escape and counter-attack. There are a number of alternative moves for Black, two of which bear attention.
Not 10...a6?, as in piratebopper - MiloBot, FICS, 2010, (1-0, 24).
Nor 10...a5? as in perrypawnpusher - MiloBot, blitz, FICS, 2010, (1-0, 24).
Played, if in a stumbling manner, is 10...Bd7?. The core game continued 11.Qxc7 (instead, 11.Qxa8? Nxe4? [Black should finish Blackburne-style: 11...Ng4 12.h3 Bxf2+ 13.Kh1 Qg3 14.Rxf2+ Nxf2+ 15.Kg1 Nxh3+ 16.Kh1 Nf4 17.Qf8+ Kxf8 18.d3 Qxg2#] 12.d4 Bxd4 13.Be3 Bxb2 14.Qxb7 Bxa1 15.Qxc7 Nf6 16.Qxd6 Kg7 17.Qc5 Ne4 18.Bd4+ Bxd4 19.Qxd4+ Kh6 20.f3 Black resigned, UNPREDICTABLE - choron, FICS, 2009) 11...Bb6? (instead, 11...Rc8 12.Qxb7 Ke7 is "gloriously obscure" according to Dr. Andrew Walker, University of Nottingham, personal communication, 2001. Probably 13.Qb3 with the idea of Qg3 is White's answer - not 13.Nc3? Ng4 when Black mates) 12.g3?! (12.Qxd6) 12...Qh3 13.Qxd6? Bc6 14.g4 Qxg4+ White resigned, Harris,S - Quayle,E, Los Angeles, CA, 1944.
Certainly solid, and Rybka's recommendation, is 10...Bb6. White should spring his Queen with 11.e5 dxe5 12.Qd3. The earliest reference that I have seen to this line is from The Art of the Checkmate by Renaud and Kahn (1953), which says White has the advantage. This proved true in Wall,B - Foo,N, Palm Bay, FL, 2010 (1-0, 33).
The most exciting move in the position is Chandler's 10...Bh3!?, when White has to temporarily forego the Rook at a8 and focus on checking Black: 11.Qxc7+ (11.g3? Qxe4 12.Qxc7+ Kf8 White resigned, Siggus -toe, FICS, 2007; 11.Qxa8? Qg4 12.Qe8+ Nxe8 13.g3 Qf3 14.Re1 Qg2#) 11...Kf8! (11...Kg8 lost in Chandler,G - Dimitrov, T/5 minute special game 2004; in Hiarcs 8 - RevvedUp, blitz 2 12, 2006 [1-0, 17]; and AsceticKingK9 - blackburne, ChessWorld JG6, 2011 [1-0, 22] ) and analysis by Geoff Chandler and, later, Dennis Monokroussos (see the two posts on his blog) show that the outcome is a draw, as it is too dangerous for either player to look for more.
11.Qxc7+
This is an improvement over 11.Nc3 Qe7 (11...Qxc2 12.Qxc7+ Nd7 13.Nd5 Qe4 14.Nc3 Qe5 15.d3 Qd4 16.Re1 Qxf2+ White resigned, ionman - GriffyJr, FICS, 2005 (0-1,16); Interested readers should check out "Ionman vs The Bots" ) 12.Qxe7+ Kxe7 as in RevvedUp - Shredder 8, blitz 2 12, 2006 (0-1, 25).
11...Kg8
radicalmove played over a dozen games against LuigiBot on FICS in 2012, testing the somewhat weaker 11...Bd7 (see "Poor, Poor Computer" for a couple of examples). The games are in The Database.
Likewise, ionman took on the computer GriffyJr a couple of times at FICS in 2005, over the somewhat weaker 11...Qe7 (the games are also in The Database). White triumphed in Shredder 8 - RevvedUp, blitz 2 12, 2006 (1-0, 28).
12.Nc3
Maybe a little better was 12.Qd8+ Kf7 13.d3 Qe5 14.Bh6 Qe8 15.Qxe8+ Nxe8.
12...Qxc2
The pawn is poison.
13.Qd8+
After the game Houdini preferred 13.d4!? Bb6 (13...Bxd4 14.Bh6 Bd7 15.Qc4+ d5 16.Qxd4) 14.Qe7 when White steals the Knight in broad daylight.
13...Kg7 14.Qe7+ Kh6 15.Qxf6 Black resigned
After a series of Jerome Gambit games where either my opponent or I (once, both) blundered away our Queens (I will spare Readers, but include the games in The Database), I played the following exciting adventure.
As the nursery rhyme goes (the two characters can also be found in Lewis Carroll's chess-themed Through the Looking-Glas and What Alice found There)
Tweedledum and Tweedledee
Agreed to have a battle...
After playing almost 500 Jerome Gambit games, I again found myself in quite a battle.
perrypawnpusher - vermifugo
blitz, FICS, 2014
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6
Black was looking to hold on to both extra pieces.
7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 g6
This is not Black's best play, even if it conjurs up visions of the venerable Blackburne Defense (6...g6). Yet it leads to largely unexplored territory, and play can become very uncomfortable for White if he is not careful. It is worth exploring more in depth.
9.Qxe5+ Kc6 10.Qxh8
At this point, the game UNPREDICTABLE - zaboulef, blitz, FICS, 2010 ended with Black's resignation.
The earliest game (of four) that I have with this variation in The Database is perrypawnpusher - spontex, blitz, FICS, 2009 (½-½, 59), where White bypassed capturing the Rook and went after the Black King, instead, with 10.Qd5+. As I noted in "The Opponent",
It was better to take the Rook, although play remains complicated, if in White's favor.
10...d6
The more aggressive 10...Qh4+ (also reminiscent of Blackburne's play in his 1885 game) was seen in Ghandybh - DVBLTTN, Online chess, 2009 (1-0, 17). As I noted,
The problem is that Black's Kingside will fall apart faster.
Best for Black seems to be 10...Qe7.
11.Qxh7
What to do?
I have found my Queen at h8, early in the game after grabbing a Rook, about 25 times, and I have always feared it getting trapped, and eventually captured (see the introductory note to this game, although they refer to different lines of play). My first thought has always been to get Her Majesty out of confined spaces!
One lesson I should have learned from a closer look at Blackburne's Defense is that White's Queen often escapes through the middle of the board (after a well-timed Qd8) - or after blocking the diagonal of Black's dark-squared Bishop with d2-d4.
In the current game, White's best was 11.d4.
Yet, that is not the end of the discussion, as Black has several possible replies, including the straight-forward 11...Bb6, seen in UNPREDICTABLE - farhadk, blitz, FICS, 2009 (1-0, 21).
What is more fun to look at is 11.d4! Bh3!?, when Black continues to play in Blackburne style. Can White actually then take the Bishop with 12.gxh3 ? If he does, he can face, among other things, the energetic counter-attack 12...Qh4+ 13.Kd1 Nf6!? 14.Qxa8 Qh5+
Analysis diagram
Here, Black has sacrificed a couple of Rooks for a couple of pawns, but it is hard for White to escape a draw - while avoiding checkmate (remember, this is a blitz game).
Analyze with me (and Houdini): 15.Ke1 (Not 15.Kd2 Nxe4+ 16.Kd3 Qf3+ 17.Be3 [17.Kc4 d5#] 17...Nf2+ 18.Kd2 [18.Kc4 Qe2+ 19.Kb3 Qb5+ 20.Kc3 Qb4#; 18.Kc3 Qxe3+ 19.Kc4 d5#] 18...Ne4+ 19.Kd3 draw) 15...Qh4+ 16.Ke2! (16.Kf1 Bxd4 17.Ke2 Qf2+ 18.Kd3 Qf3+ 19.Kxd4 Qxe4+ 20.Kc3 Nd5+ 21.Kd2 Qg2+ 22.Kd3 Qf3+ 23.Kd2 draw; 16.Kd2 Qf2+ 17.Kd1 [17.Kc3 Qxd4+ 18.Kb3 Qb4#; 17.Kd3 Qxd4+ 18.Ke2 Qf2+ 19.Kd1 Qf3+ 20.Kd2 Nxe4+ 21.Ke1 Bf2+ 22.Kf1 Bg3+ 23.Kg1 Qf2#; 16.Kd1 Qh5+ 17.Ke1 Qh4+ 18.Ke2 as in the main line] 17...Qf3+ 18.Ke1 [18.Kd2 Nxe4+ 19.Ke1 Qxh1+ 20.Ke2 Qg2+ 21.Kd3 Qf1+ 22.Ke3 Qe1+ 23.Kf3 Qd1+ 24.Kxe4 Qxd4+ 25.Kf3 Qf2+ 26.Kg4 Qg2+ 27.Kh4 Bf2#] 18...Qxh1+ 19.Ke2 [19.Kf2 Nxe4+ 20.Ke2 Qg2+ 21.Kd3 Qf1+ 22.Ke3 Qf2+ 23.Kd3 Qxd4+ 24.Ke2 Qf2+ 25.Kd3 Qf1+ 26.Kxe4 Qe2+ 27.Be3 Qxe3#] 19...Qxh2+ 20.Kd1 Qg1+ 21.Ke2 Qg2+ 22.Ke1 Qxe4+ 23.Kd1 Qf3+ 24.Ke1 Bxd4 25.c4 a6-+) 16...Qh5+ 17.Kd3! Qf3+ 18.Be3! Qxe4+ 19.Kd2 (Not as strong is 19.Ke2 Bxd4 20.Re1 Qxe3+ 21.Kd1 Qf3+ 22.Kc1 Qxf4+ 23.Nd2 Be3 24.Rxe3 Qxe3 25.c4 Qe1+ 26.Kc2 Qxa1 27.Qf8 Qxa2 28.Qxf6 Qa4+ 29.Kc3 Qa5+ 30.Kd3 Qh5 31.Qf3+ Qxf3+ 32.Nxf3) 19...Qg2+ (19...Qxh1? 20.Nc3!? Qxa1 21.dxc5 Qh1 22.Qxa7 Qg2+ 23.Kc1 Qh1+ 24.Nd1) 20.Kc3 Qe2 21.b4! Qxe3+ 22.Kb2 Bxd4+ 23.c3 Qe2+ 24.Kb3 Qe6+ 25.Ka3 Qe3 26.Ka4! Nd5 27.Qg8 b5+ 28.Ka3 Bxc3 29.Qa8+ Kd7 30.Qxd5 Bxa1+ 31.Qb3 and it looks like White may survive. What a mess!
All of the above suggests that White should answer 11.d4! Bh3!? with the sober 12.0-0!, when his King will be safe, and all of Black's problems - down the exchange and two pawns, unsafe King, two Bishops hanging - will remain. The computer suggests 12...Nf6 13.Qxd8 Bxd4+ 14.Kh1 Rxd8 15.gxh3 Nxe4, but what fun is there in that?
11...Bg4?!
Development toward the enemy King, but more to the point would have been 11...Qe8! and White would have to give back a couple of pawns to free his Queen - again, while negotiating some very complex play (without Houdini's help, which I had after the game) - 12.e5 (12.d3 Nf6 13.Qh4 Nxe4!? 14.Kf1 Bf2 [14...Nf2 15.b4 g5 16.Qh7 Bg4 17.Nc3 Bxb4 18.Qg7 Nxh1 19.Rb1 a5 20.a3 Bc5 21.d4 unclear, perhaps even] 15.g3 Bc5 16.h3 g5 17.fxg5 Qf7+ 18.Bf4 Qd5 19.Rh2 Bf5 20.g4 Bg6 21.dxe4 Qxe4 22.Nd2 Qxf4+ 23.Rf2 Qe5 24.Nf3 Qxb2 25.Re1 Qxa2 26.Rfe2 b5 even, whew!) 12...dxe5 13.f5 Bxf5 14.Qh4± but White is still uncomfortable, say after 14...e4 15.b3 Rd8 (15...Qe5 16.Nc3 Nf6 17.Bb2 Ng4 18.0-0-0 Bf2 [18...Nf2 19.d4] 19.Qg5 Bd4 20.Rhf1 Nxh2 21.Rf4) 16.Bb2 Qd7! 17.Qf4 g5 18.Qe5 b6 19.b4 Bxb4 20.0-0 Bc5+ 21.Kh1.
[to be continued]
While wandering through The Database, I came across the following position, from Tetlekker - mabden, standard, FICS, 2013:
It had been reached through a nameless opening variation that had been Jerome-ized: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Na5 4.Bxf7+ (4.Nxe5 would be just fine, as well) Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6 6.d4 Bd6 7.Qg4+ Kf6.
A quick search showed three earlier games with the same position.
The first was RookLift - suckermc, blitz, FICS, 2001, which continued:
8.Qf5+ Ke7 9.Bg5+ Nf6 10.Ng4 Kf7 11.e5 Bb4+ 12.c3 g6 13.Nh6+ Kg7 14.exf6+ Kf8 15.f7 Qxg5 16.Qxg5 Kg7 17.cxb4 Nc4 18.Qe7 Kxh6 19.f8Q+ Rxf8 20.Qxf8+ Kg5 21.0-0 d6 22.Nc3 Nd2 23.Rfe1 Nf1 24.Ne4+ Kg4 25.h3+ Kh5 26.g4+ Kh4 27.Qh6 checkmate
The second, assiassi - morts, blitz, FICS, 2008, was a bit tidier:
8.Qf5+ Ke7 9.Bg5+ Nf6 10.Ng4 Bb4+ 11.c3 Bxc3+ 12.Nxc3 d5 13.Qe5+ Be6 14.Nxf6 gxf6 15.Qxf6+ Kd6 16.Qe5+ Black resigned
The third, UNPREDICTABLE - DJJDev, blitz, FICS, 2009, saw White adopt a different strategy, and bring home the point a move later:
8.Qh4+ Ke6 9.Qxd8 Be7 10.Qxc7 Nc6 11.d5+ Kf6 12.dxc6 bxc6 13.Nxd7+ Ke6 14.Qxc6+ Kf7 15.Ne5+ Kf8 16.Qxa8 Nf6 17.Qxc8+ Ne8 Black resigned
And then there was the finish of Tetlekker - mabden, itself:
8.Bg5 checkmate. (But, you saw that, right?)
Four days ago (see "GM Larry Evans and the Jerome Gambit"), Guido de Bouver, author of a rowdy, rollicking and bodacious book on the Blackmar Diemer Gambit, had a Comment to make on the post, which, of course, I took time to answer.
Guido De Bouver said...
Great work Rick ! Really great. I replayed the Evans game and it feels good to see also grandmasters are only human after all. But by curiousity, what do you play after 6...g6 7.Qxe5+ Qe7. I guess 8.Qf4+ but then black has both 8...Qf6 and 8...Kg7 ?
guido
Rick Kennedy said...
Hi Guido,
Here, as with an earlier comment (readers should check out "Slaughter" from 6/22/2011), you have touched on a very difficult defense for White to handle, Whistler's Defense, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Qe7! played by Lt. G.N. Whistler, Secretary of the Lexington, Kentucky Chess Club, against Alonzo Wheeler Jerome, in a set of correspondence games in 1876.
The Database contains 37 games with this defense, including one of the Jerome - Whistler games (0-1, 15) and a Jerome - D.P. Norton game (1/2-1/2, 20) from the same year. (I have a win from each side of the board.)
White scored 51% in The Database games, which seems a bit optimistic to me.
White's best response is 8.Qf4+, as you suggest.
8.Qxh8?? is, of course suicidal for the first player, although The Database has White scoring 55% in 29 games!
It looks like it is time for me to post an update on the status of the Whistler Defense.
Thanks for your comments.
Rick
So, I guess it is time to have another "Update", this time on the Whistler Defense, which runs
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5+ 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Qe7
As it turns out, only a few hours after I posted my response to Guido's Comment, I played a Jerome Gambit game at FICS – and somebody played the Whistler against me!
My opponent played his moves quickly, especially his 6th and 7th. Not for the first time did I suspect that I had found a defender who had been reading this blog...
So, I have jumped this most recent game to the top of the list (I usually present my games in the order that they were played) and will use it as the backbone of the Update.
Let me start by saying that, unless you are someone like Bill Wall, who can "bend steel in his bare hands" or who has the power to "cloud men's minds," don't play 8.Qxh8.
The game UNPREDICTABLE - sharepointme, blitz, FICS, 2010 (0-1, 26) is a lesson hard-learned (although I do not know if UNPREDICTABLE has learned it, as he has played 8.Qxh8 seven times, with a 4-3 record, at that).
Black can play 8...Qxe4+ and very bad things (Tyrin Price and Brian Wall have done a comprehensive analysis of the brutality, right down to the very last coffin nail, but I can't find a url to reference) can happen to White's King...
To Be Continued...
Black's 6th move in the following Jerome Gambit is a bit unusual, but it has been covered on this blog: see "Wait 'Till Next Year!", "A couple of pawns among friends..." and "Jerome Gambit and The Perfesser (Part I)".
UNPREDICTABLE - Kjosavik
blitz, FICS, 2011
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf6
Not well thought out.
Before this game, The Database had 25 examples of this move, with White scoring 76%. (In 4 of the 6 White losses, understandably, the first player had overlooked White's next move.)
7.Qf5+ Ke7
The game has reached the same position as yesterday's. See "Alarming".
8.Qxe5+ Kf7 9.Qxc5
Simply capturing the Bishop, instead of playing around with 9.Qd5+ as in perrypawnpusher - Navarrra, blitz, FICS, 2011, (1-0, 26).
9...d6 10.Qe3 Nf6
White is a solid two pawns up.
11.d3 Re8 12.0-0 d5 13.f3 dxe4 14.fxe4 c6
15.e5
Somewhat impatient, although it is clear what is going on: White wants to use the pin on Black's Knight to win it with the pawn, although he temporarily overlooks the fact that the pawn, itself, is pinned by the Black Rook.
Ever-so-patiently Rybka suggests that White complete his development first: 15.Qc5 Qb6 16.Qxb6 axb6 17.b3 b5 18.Bb2 Kg6 19.a3 Bd7 20.Nd2 h6 21.Rf3 Be6 22.Raf1.
analysis diagram
This is not an "exciting" position, but White can safely look forward to making his extra material count.
15...Qb6
Overlooking the pin on the Knight. Rybka suggests that Black break the pin with 15...Kg8, but then recommends an exchange sacrifice for White: 16.d4 Nd5 17.Qe4 g6 18.Nc3 Bf5 19.Rxf5 gxf5 leading to and endgame where White's Bishop plus three pawns outrank Black's Rook, 20.Qxf5 Qb6 21.Nxd5 cxd5 22.c3 Rf8 23.Qg5+ Qg6 24.Qxg6+ hxg6.
analysis diagram
If only chess were as easy as Rybka makes it seem!
(No doubt Rybka would mutter, if it could: Humans don't win with the Jerome Gambit, they lose against it! There is a difference!)
16.Qxb6 axb6 17.exf6 gxf6
18.Nc3 Be6 19.Ne4 f5 20.Nd6+ Black resigned
Some moves for Black and or for White in an opening are "thematic" – the kind of moves that are played frequently, because they accomplish the tactical or strategic aims of that line.
Some are not.
eltemible - DJJDev
blitz, FICS, 2011
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Na5
That unnamed "line of play that everyone should know about".
4.Bxf7+
For the record, 4.Nxe5 is best.
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6 6.d4 Bd6
I don't have anything against the move ...Bf8-d6 in the abstract; I am sure that sometimes it is an ambitious move (I am thinking of the Four Knights Game), but as in the Jerome Gambit game HauntedKnight - sarahdaniel, blitz, FICS, 2011 that we looked at a short time ago, and as in the Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit game HJBuck - fastglass, blitz, FICS, 2011, it is also a poor fit in this related line: Black does better with 6...d6. See "The Psychology of Error in Chess".
7.Qg4+
Simply the beginning of The End.
7...Ke7 8.Bg5+
Okay, it seems that The End has been postponed. It was expected to arrive with 8.Qxg7+ Ke6 9.Qf7 checkmate, but it still is not far away.
8... Nf6
The sad alternative was for Black's King to step aside and let his Queen be taken without even the recompense of recapture, as 8...Ke8 9.Bxd8 Kxd8 loses a Rook to 10.Qxg7. Painful.
9.Bxf6+ gxf6
As above, "best" was 9...Ke8 10.Bxd8 and again 10...Kxd8 would lose a Rook to 11.Nf7+.
It is no wonder that Black chose a faster exit.
10.Qg7+ Ke8 11.Qf7 checkmate
It is not as if DJJDev had not been warned. A year and a half ago he had played 6...Bd6, and his opponent, Jerome Gambit Gemeinde member UNPREDICTABLE, had also found 7.Qg4+, although after 7...Kf6 The End was again postponed – if for more moves, then also with more pain – 8.Qh4+ (or 8.Bg5#) 8...Ke6 9.Qxd8 Be7 10.Qxc7 Nc6 11.d5+ Kf6 12.dxc6 bxc6 13.Nxd7+ Ke6 14.Qxc6+ Kf7 15.Ne5+ Kf8 16.Qxa8 Nf6 17.Qxc8+ Ne8 Black resigned.
My favorite anti-Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) line is Whistler's Defense. It gave me a very nice game against Jerome Gambit Gemeinde member Pete Banks ("blackburne") in one of our games in the 2008 ChessWorld Jerome Gambit Tournament.
So far this year I've found only 3 examples of Black trying the Whistler: each time White took the poisoned Rook at h8, but twice he escaped.
UNPREDICTABLE - sharepointme
blitz, FICS, 2010
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6
7.Qxe5 Qe7
Whistler's Defense.
8.Qxh8
This should lead to disaster.
8...Qxe4+
The proper continuation.
Ineffective was 8...Qf6, as the White Queen escapes and causes problems: 9.Qxh7+ Kf8 10.0-0 (Black resigned here in Wall - Sepoli, Chess.com, 2010) Bd6 11.d3 Qe5 12.g3 Qg7 13.Qh4 Be7 14.Qf4+ Nf6 15.Qxc7 Qh6 16.Bxh6+ Black resigned, Chainbk - Baffipapa, FICS, 2010.
9.Kf1
Or 9.Kd1 Qxg2 10.Qxh7+ Kf8 11.d4 Qxh1+ and Black has the advantage.
9...Nf6
10.d3 Qa4
This turns the advantage over to White.
Black must play strongly and accurately: 10...Qd4 11.Be3 Qxb2 12.Nd2 Bxe3 (12...Qxa1+ 13.Kd2 Qxh1 14.Ne4 allows White to draw!) 13.Ne4 (13.fxe3 allows Black a timely check of the White King, either by Queen or Knight) Qxa1+ (now this is okay) 14.Ke2 d5 (but not 14...Qxh1, as 15.Qxf6+ allows White to draw through repetition!) 15.Qxf6+ (15.Rxa1 Bg4+ 16.Kxe3 Rxh8 is no better) Qxf6 16.Nxf6 Kxf6 17.fxe3 and White is down a piece with no counterplay.
11.Nc3
Developing a piece, attacking the Queen... and giving up the advantage.
Necessary was a continued focus on releasing or exchanging the White Queen: 11.Bg5 Qd4 12.Qxf6+ Qxf6 13.Bxf6 Kxf6 and White is up the exchange and a pawn.
11...Qxc2 12.Ne4
This move would work, if Black didn't have the following reply (or 12...Qd1 checkmate).
12...Qxd3+
It's all over but the shouting.
13.Ke1 Qxe4+ 14.Be3 Bxe3 15.fxe3 Qxe3+
16.Kd1 d6 17.Rf1 Bg4+ 18.Kc2 Rxh8
19.Rae1 Qc5+ 20.Kb1 Bf5+ 21.Ka1 Re8 22.Rc1 Qe3 23.Rxc7+ Kg8 24.Rcc1 Ng4 25.h3 Nf2 26.Rfe1 Qxe1 White resigned
I noticed today that I (perrypawnpusher) have almost 170 Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) and related games in the updated New Year's Database.
That's not quite as many as Petasluk (175). We're both getting closer to UNPREDICTABLE (213).
Still, I have a good way to go before catching drumme (248) and stretto (270). For the time being, Darrenshome (376) and yorgos (534) are out of reach.
I have no idea how kingmaple can have 619 games in the Database and not have been mentioned on this blog (until now).
Of course, we all trail DragonTail, the "king of the hill" with 1,213 games included.
He came. He saw. He conquered.
That was J.H. Blackburne in 1885 – see "Flaws (Part I)" and "Flaws (Part II)" – and the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+).
Ever since, the Jerome Gambit Gemeinde has seen the Blackburne Defense – or parts of it, at least.
perrypawnpusher - Saveurking
blitz FICS, 2010
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
The good old Jerome Gambit. "Sound as a cracked bell," as Geoff Chandler has written.
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6
7.Qxe5
Now 7...Qe7, Whistler's Defense, is very strong, but not well known, while 7...d6, Blackburne's Defense, is not as strong, but much better known. Sort of.
Actually, I frequently run into opponents who play 6...g6 quickly and confidently... and then go into a long think.
7...Qf6
For the record, Amateur - Blackburne, London, 1885 continued: 7...d6 8.Qxh8 Qh4 9.0-0 Nf6 10.c3 Ng4 11.h3 Bxf2+ 12.Kh1 Bf5 13.Qxa8 Qxh3+ 14.gxh3 Bxe4 checkmate.
Fantastic!
My opponent in this game, however, lets me take a two-pawn lead.
8.Qxc5 c6 9.Nc3
Other games that started out well for White: 9.0-0 d6 (9...Ne7 10.d3 d6 11.Qe3 Be6 12.f4 Rhf8 13.e5 Qg7 14.exd6 Nf5 15.Qe5 Bd5 16.Nc3 Rae8 17.Qxg7+ Kxg7 18.Nxd5 cxd5 19.Bd2 Nxd6 20.Bc3+ Kg8 21.Rae1 Nf5 22.Rxe8 Rxe8 23.Kf2 a6 24.g3 Ne3 25.Re1 Ng4+ 26.Kg2 Rxe1 27.Bxe1 Ne3+ 28.Kf2 Nxc2 29.Ke2 Kf7 30.Bf2 Ke6 31.a3 Na1 32.d4 Nb3 33.Kd3 b5 34.Be1 Nc1+ 35.Kc2 Ne2 36.Kd3 Ng1 37.Ba5 Nh3 38.Ke3 g5 39.Bd8 gxf4+ 40.gxf4 Ng1 41.Kf2 Nh3+ 42.Kg3 Kf5 43.Kxh3 Ke4 44.Bb6 Kxf4 45.Kh4 Ke4 46.h3 Kf5 47.Kh5 Ke6 White resigned, UNPREDICTABLE - antoon, FICS 2009) 10.Qb4 Ne7 11.Nc3 Re8 12.d3 b6 13.Be3 c5 14.Qb3+ Be6 15.Qa3 a6 16.b4 Nc6 17.bxc5 bxc5 18.Qb2 Rab8 19.Qa3 Nd4 20.Bxd4 Qxd4 21.Ne2 Qb4 22.Qxa6 Rb6 23.c3 Qb2 24.Qa7+ Re7 25.Qa5 Reb7 26.c4 Qxe2 27.Qa8 Qxd3 28.Rfd1 Qc3 29.Rac1 Qe5 30.f3 Rb2 31.a4 Qf6 32.a5 Qg5 33.Rc2 Qe3+ 34.Kh1 Rb8 35.Qa7+ R2b7 36.Qa6 Qb3 37.Rcd2 Qxc4 38.Qxd6 Qb3 39.Qf4+ Kg7 40.e5 Rf7 41.Qh4 c4 42.Rc1 c3 43.Rdc2 Rd8 44.Rxc3 Rd1+ White resigned, Idealist - joffea, FICS, 2000.
9...Nh6
10.0-0 b6 11.Qe3 Ng4 12.Qg3 d6
This looks like an invitation for me to put my "Jerome pawns" into motion.
13.h3 Ne5 14.d4 Nc4 15.b3 Na5
16.Be3
Protecting the pawn at d4, but it is interesting to note that this was not necessary: if White played 16.Bg5 instead, and Black responded 16...Qxd4, 17.Qf4+ would have won a piece (17...Bf5 18.exf5) or allowed a sacrificial attack, say 17...Ke6 18.Nd5.
analysis diagram
Some day I would like to find this kind of move during a game, not after it. If 18...cxd5 19.exd5+ Qxd5 White's position is crushing afte 20.Rad1 and 21.Rfe1.
16...h5
Saveurking is not going to give up easily.
17.f4 h4 18.Qf3 Bb7
19.e5 dxe5 20.fxe5 Qxf3 21.Rxf3+ Ke6
My opponent was happy to exchange Queens, but there is more to this position than just attacking the King: I still have two extra pawns, one of them passed; plus better development and open lines.
22.Rf6+ Ke7 23.Raf1 Raf8 24.Rxf8 Rxf8 25.Rxf8 Kxf8
Again, piece exchanges have snuffed out any danger to Black's King, but this is not all that is going on.
My first chess book was Reuben Fine's Chess the Easy Way – available in paperback these days, used, for under $5.00 – and it gave me the idea (rightly or wrongly) that much of chess can be boiled down to: win a pawn, exchange everything else, win the K + P vs K endgame...
I have missed a lot of exciting chess by following this imagined "guideline," and I have been "bought off" with material too many times to mention; but I am almost always ready to cooperate with my opponents' wishes to "simplify" the position and stifle my attack – if it brings me closer to that fabled winning K + P endgame.
26.Bg5 c5
This move hastens the end. Black could try 26...Bc8 instead, with the idea of pulling his Knight back to b7 and then putting it back into the game via d8 and e6.
27.d5
The pawns will now decide the game.
27...Bc8 28.e6 Nb7 29.Ne4 Ke8 30.Kf2 b5
31.c4 bxc4 32.bxc4 Na5
33.Nd6+ Kf8 34.e7+ Kg7 Black resigned
White will Queen his pawn and deliver mate in a few move moves.
