Moment of Truth

Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) Gemeinde member Welton Vaz ("Ghandybh") sends a victory over a defense that everyone who plays the Jerome Gambit will eventually see. (My database has 33 wins for White, 11 wins for Black and 6 draws.)


Ghandybh - brownplant
Chess.com, 2009

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

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

The moment of truth: will we see Blackburne's defense, Whistler's defense, or what?

7.Qxe5 Bxf2+

For comments on this return of material, see "Jerome Gambit Strikes in Denmark" and "A Side Line to Watch". It simplifies the game and protects Black's King, in exchange for giving White the advantage.

8.Kxf2 Qf6+ 9.Qxf6+ Nxf6

White is a pawn up. He can get his pieces out and then go to work.

10.Nc3 Re8 11.d3 c6

12.Ke2

Adding excitement to the game. A quieter alternative was to castle-by-hand with 12.Rf1 and 13.Kg1.

12...d5 13.Rf1 Bg4+ 14.Kd2 dxe4

Black seems to be getting counter-play by opening up the position around White's King, but the first player still has the game under control.

15.Nxe4 Re6

The pin along the f-file is deadly.

16.Ng5+ Ke7 17.Nxe6 Bxe6

White is now a pawn and the exchange up.

18.b3 Rd8 19.Ba3+ Kf7 20.Bb2 Black resigned

White will be a Rook up after 20...Bf5 21.Bxf6 Kxf6 22.g4, etc. A very workman-like game.

Italian Game Anti-Fried Liver Defense (Part 2)

Do you like kibitzers?

Neither do I.

They always know the moves you should have played, the moves your opponent could have played, and they're never shy about sharing all of that.

There is a world of difference between kibitzing and annotating, despite their allegedly similar goals.

I mention all this because after Welton Vaz ("Gandybh" at Chess.com) completed his Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) treatment of the Semi-Italian Opening (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6) (see "Italian Game Anti-Fried Liver Defense Part 1"), he submitted it for analysis to the computer at Chess.com.

The result was surely educational, but it was also relentless. I chuckled my way through the game – it was a fun, exciting, typical Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit – because of the computer's notes. A computerized kibitzer – what will they think of next?

Gandybh - sqerl
Chess.com, 2009

0% (1270) - 0% (1243) [C55]
Live Chess Chess.com, 16.11.2009
[Chess.com Computer Analysis]

Inaccuracies(?!): 8 = 22.9% of moves
Mistakes(?): 3 = 8.6% of moves
Blunders(??): 3 = 8.6% of moves

1.e4 (Book Move) e5 (Book Move) 2.Nf3 (Book Move) Nc6 (Book Move) 3.Bc4 (Book Move) 3...h6 (+0.78)

4.Bxf7+??

(-2.32) BLUNDER - Oh no - a blunder! You should have played 4. O-O [BEST MOVE (+0.77) 4.0-0 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.Nxd4 Ne5 7.Bb3 Bc5 8.Nc3 0-0 9.f4 Bxd4+ 10.Qxd4 Nc6 11.Qc5 Kh8±;

BLUNDER (-2.32) 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.0-0 Nf6 6.d3 Bb4 7.a3 Ba5 8.Nc3 Bxc3 9.bxc3 d5 10.exd5 Nxd5 11.Bd2-+]

(I prefer to play something like 4.0-0 and wait for 4...Bc5 before sacrificing my Bishop, but Gandybh is a braver man than I am. Still, we have seen 4.Bxf7+ on this blog before: perrypawnpusher - marapr, blitz FICS, 2007 and Fuller - Vallance-Gallant, Women's Open Championship of Canada ICCF, 2008 – Rick)

4...Kxf7 (-2.33)

5.Nxe5+? (-4.91) MISTAKE - Your position is getting even worse - you are now losing. The best line was 5. O-O [BEST MOVE (-3.04) 5.0-0 Nf6 6.Nc3 Bb4 7.d3 Bxc3 8.bxc3 d6-+;

MISTAKE (-4.91) 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Nc6 7.0-0 Qh4 8.Nc3 Nf6 9.Qd3-+]

5...Nxe5 (-4.91)

6.Qh5+?!

(-5.18) INACCURACY - Perhaps better was 6. O-O [BEST MOVE (-4.80) 6.0-0 Ng6 7.d4 d6 8.Qf3+ Nf6 9.Qb3+ Be6 10.Qxb7 Be7-+;

INACCURACY (-5.18) 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.0-0 Qg5 9.Nc3 Nf4 10.Qxg5 hxg5-+]

6...Ng6 (-5.18) 7.Qd5+ (-5.26) 7...Ke8 (-5.31)

8.0-0 (-5.32) 8...Qe7 (-4.83) 9.Nc3 (-4.80) 9...c6 (-4.41) 10.Qf5 (-4.50) 10...Ne5 (-4.11)

11.d4 (-3.94) 11...d6 (-3.85) 12.Qf4 (-4.10) 12...Ng4 (-4.03)

13.f3 (-3.43) 13...Nxh2?

(-2.03) MISTAKE - Your opponent made a mistake! Better was 13... g5 [BEST MOVE (-3.49) 13...g5 14.Qg3 N4f6 15.e5 dxe5 16.dxe5 Qc5+ 17.Kh1 Nd5-+;

MISTAKE (-2.03) 13...Nxh2 14.Qxh2 Be6 15.d5 cxd5 16.Nxd5 Bxd5 17.exd5-+]

14.Kxh2?! (-2.80) INACCURACY - Things are looking up! You're still losing, but you're better off than before. [BEST MOVE (-1.99) 14.Qxh2 Kd8 15.e5 Bf5 16.Bf4 dxe5 17.dxe5 Kc7-+;

INACCURACY (-2.80) 14.Kxh2 Nf6 15.Kh1 Be6 16.e5 Nd5 17.Nxd5 Bxd5 18.exd6 Qxd6-+]

14...g5 (-2.60) 15.Qg3 (-2.83) 15...Bd7 (-2.14)

16.Be3?!

(-2.86) INACCURACY - Perhaps better was 16. e5 [BEST MOVE (-2.28) 16.e5 Qe6 17.Ne4 d5 18.Nc3 Qf5 19.Be3 Qxc2-+;

INACCURACY (-2.86) 16.Be3 Nf6 17.Kg1 Bg7 18.Rad1 Rf8 19.d5 cxd5 20.Nxd5 Nxd5 21.Rxd5-+]

16...Bg7 (-2.86)

17.Rh1?! (-3.52) INACCURACY - Your position is getting even worse - you are now losing. The best line was 17. a4 [BEST MOVE (-2.99) 17.a4 Nf6 18.Kh1 Nh5 19.Qh2 Nf4 20.g3 Nh3-+;

INACCURACY (-3.52) 17.Rh1 Nf6 18.a4 Nh5 19.Qf2 g4 20.fxg4 Bxg4-+]

17...Nf6 (-3.51)

18.Kg1?!

(-3.82) INACCURACY - Perhaps better was 18. Rhe1 [BEST MOVE (-3.50) 18.Rhe1 Nh5 19.Qf2 Kd8 20.g4 Nf4 21.Bxf4 gxf4-+;

INACCURACY (-3.82) 18.Kg1 Nd5 19.Kf2 Nxc3 20.bxc3 Rf8 21.Ke1 d5-+]

18...Kd8 (-3.55)

19.a4?! (-4.31) INACCURACY - Perhaps better was 19. Re1 [BEST MOVE (-3.51) 19.Re1 Nh7 20.e5 dxe5 21.dxe5 Bxe5 22.Bb6+ axb6 23.Rxe5-+;

INACCURACY (-4.31) 19.a4 Nd5 20.Nxd5 cxd5 21.Kf2 dxe4 22.c4 Kc7-+]

19...Ne8? (-3.17) MISTAKE - Your opponent made a mistake! Better was 19... Nd5 [BEST MOVE (-4.13) 19...Nd5 20.Kf2 Nxe3 21.Kxe3 Kc7 22.Ne2 h5 23.Kd2-+;

MISTAKE (-3.17) 19...Ne8 20.a5 g4 21.fxg4 Nf6 22.g5 Nxe4 23.Nxe4 Qxe4 24.gxh6 Bxd4 25.Bxd4 Qxd4+-+]

20.b4?! (-3.59) INACCURACY - Perhaps better was 20. a5 [BEST MOVE (-3.17) 20.a5 g4 21.fxg4 Nf6 22.g5 Nxe4 23.Nxe4 Qxe4 24.gxh6 Bxd4 25.Bxd4 Qxd4+-+;

INACCURACY (-3.59) 20.b4 d5 21.Qe1 Qxb4 22.Rb1 Qc4 23.e5 Kc7-+]

20...c5?

(-2.52) MISTAKE - Your opponent made a mistake! Better was 20... Qe6 [BEST MOVE (-3.98) 20...Qe6 21.Na2 Qc4 22.Qf2 Kc7 23.Rh2 Nf6 24.a5-+;

MISTAKE (-2.52) 20...c5 21.bxc5 dxc5 22.e5 cxd4 23.Bxd4 Qb4 24.Qf2-+]

21.Nd5 (-2.87) ALTERNATIVE - Things are looking up! You're still losing, but you're better off than before. [BEST MOVE (-2.72) 21.bxc5 dxc5 22.e5 cxd4 23.Bxd4 Qb4 24.Rd1 Bxa4 25.Be3+ Bd7-+;

ALTERNATIVE (-2.87) 21.Nd5 Qf7 22.c3 cxb4 23.cxb4 Be6 24.Rc1 Bxd5 25.exd5 Qxd5-+]

21...Qe6 (-3.04) 22.bxc5 (-2.66) 22...dxc5 (-2.55)

23.c3?

(-3.41) MISTAKE - Your position is getting even worse - you are now losing. The best line was 23. Rd1 [BEST MOVE (-2.39) 23.Rd1 Bxa4 24.dxc5 Kc8 25.Nb4 Bc3 26.Bd4 Qd7-+;

MISTAKE (-3.41) 23.c3 Bc6 24.Bxg5+ hxg5 25.Qxg5+ Kc8 26.Rxh8 Bxh8 27.dxc5 Be5-+]

23...cxd4 (-2.44) 24.cxd4 (-2.48) 24...g4 (-1.80) 25.Qh4+ (-2.19) 25...Nf6 (-2.19)

26.Bf4 (-2.33) 26...gxf3 (-1.96)

27.gxf3?!

(-1.96) INACCURACY - Perhaps better was 27. Be5 [BEST MOVE (-1.51) 27.Be5 Rf8 28.gxf3 Rc8 29.Rh2 Qf7 30.Rg2 h5-+;

INACCURACY (-1.96) 27.gxf3 Rc8 28.Rh2 Rg8 29.Rg2 Bc6 30.Bxh6 Bxh6 31.Nxf6-+]

27...Rc8 (-1.95)

28.a5?

(-3.12) MISTAKE - Your position is getting even worse - you are now losing. The best line was 28. Rh2 [BEST MOVE (-1.92) 28.Rh2 Rg8 29.Rg2-+;

MISTAKE (-3.12) 28.a5 Bc6 29.Nb4 Qc4 30.Nxc6+ Rxc6 31.Be5 Qe2 32.d5-+]

28...Bc6 (-2.49)

29.Nxf6??

(-4.82) BLUNDER - Oh no - a blunder! You should have played 29. Ne3 [BEST MOVE (-2.39) 29.Ne3 Ke8 30.d5 Nxd5 31.exd5 Bxd5 32.Qh5+ Qf7 33.Nxd5 Bxa1 34.Bxh6-+;

BLUNDER (-4.82) 29.Nxf6 Bxf6 30.Qf2 Rg8+ 31.Bg3 Qd6 32.e5 Rxg3+ 33.Qxg3 Qxd4+ 34.Kh2 Bxe5-+]

29...Bxf6 (-5.75) 30.Qf2 (-5.89) 30...Rg8+ (-5.96) 31.Kf1 (-5.96)

31...Bb5+??

(-4.78) BLUNDER - Lucky you! Your opponent blundered! The best move was 31... Qc4+ [BEST MOVE (-8.63) 31...Qc4+ 32.Qe2 Qb3 33.Bg5 hxg5 34.Kg2 Bxd4 35.Rad1 Qc3-+;

BLUNDER (-4.78) 31...Bb5+ 32.Ke1 Qb3 33.Bd2 Rc3 34.Rxh6 Rxf3 35.Rxf6 Rxf2 36.Rxf2-+]

32.Ke1 (-4.78)

32...Ke8??

(-3.43) BLUNDER - Lucky you! Your opponent blundered! The best move was 32... Qb3 [BEST MOVE (-6.23) 32...Qb3 33.Bd2 Bg5 34.f4 Qd3 35.Rh2 Qxe4+ 36.Qe3 Qxe3+-+;

BLUNDER (-3.43) 32...Ke8 33.d5 Bc3+ 34.Bd2 Qe5 35.Rd1 Bxd2+ 36.Qxd2 h5 37.d6-+]

33.Rxh6??

(-12.62) BLUNDER - Oh no - a blunder! You should have played 33. d5 [BEST MOVE (-3.44) 33.d5 Bc3+ 34.Bd2 Bxd2+ 35.Qxd2 Qe5 36.Rb1 Ba6 37.Qe3 Qg3+ 38.Qf2-+;

BLUNDER (-12.62) 33.Rxh6 Qc4 34.Bg5 Qc3+ 35.Qd2 Qxa1+ 36.Qd1 Qxa5+ 37.Kf2 Bxg5 38.Rh7-+]

33...Rd8??

(-0.59) BLUNDER - Lucky you! Your opponent blundered! The best move was 33... Qc4 [BEST MOVE (-20.06) 33...Qc4 34.Bg3 Qc3+ 35.Qd2 Qxa1+ 36.Qd1 Rc1 37.Kf2 Rxd1 38.Be5-+;

BLUNDER (-0.59) 33...Rd8 34.Rc1 Rf8 35.Be5 Qe7 36.Bxf6 Rxf6 37.Rh8+ Rf8³]

34.Rc1 (-1.52)

34...Bxd4??

(+10.00) BLUNDER - Lucky you! Your opponent blundered! The best move was 34... Qe7 [BEST MOVE (-2.47) 34...Qe7 35.Qh2 Qb4+ 36.Bd2 Bh4+ 37.Rxh4 Qxd4 38.Rg4 Rxg4 39.fxg4 Qxe4+ 40.Kd1 Qxg4+-+;

BLUNDER (+10.00) 34...Bxd4 35.Rxe6+ Kf8 36.Be3 Kf7 37.Bxd4 Kxe6 38.Qa2+ Ke7 39.Bc5+ Kd7 40.Qd5+ Kc8 41.Bxa7++-]

35.Rxe6+ (+10.84)

35...Kf7?

(+12.14) MISTAKE - Your opponent made a mistake! Better was 35... Kf8 [BEST MOVE (+10.84) 35...Kf8 36.Be3 Kf7 37.Rh6 Be5 38.f4 Bb8 39.Rh7+ Rg7 40.Rxg7+ Kxg7 41.Bxa7 Bxa7 42.Qxa7+-;

MISTAKE (+12.14) 35...Kf7 36.Rc7+ Bd7 37.Qxd4 Kxe6 38.Qd6+ Kf7 39.Rxd7+ Rxd7 40.Qxd7+ Kg6 41.Qxb7+-]

36.Rc7+ (+12.38)

36...Kxe6?

(+Mat04) MISTAKE - Your opponent made a mistake! Better was 36... Kf8 [BEST MOVE (Mat09) 36...Kf8 37.Bh6+ Rg7 38.Bxg7+ Bxg7 39.Qc5+ Kg8 40.Rxg7+ Kh8 41.Rh7+ Kxh7 42.Qe7+ Kh8 43.Rh6+ Kg8 44.Rg6++-;

MISTAKE (+Mat04) 36...Kxe6 37.Qa2+ Bc4 38.Qxc4+ Rd5 39.Qxd5+ Kf6 40.Qf7#+-]

37.Qa2+ (+Mat04) 37...Kf6 (+Mat01) 38.Qf7# (+Mate) WHITE WINS 1-0

The computer's comments remind me of something a friend would say whenever we finished a chess game: "I was winning, you know" and I would reply "Yes, you were winning – right up to the point where you had to resign."

Italian Game Anti-Fried Liver Defense (Part 1)

Jerome Gambit Gemeinde member Welton Vaz sends us a Chess.com link to an enjoyable discussion on the play of 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 – known on this site as the "Semi-Italian Opening" (after Euwe) – as a way of avoiding the Fried Liver Attack 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Nxd5 6.Nxf7

Although one of the Chess.com posters complained about 3...h6 "I hate when players play this as it is an insult to the Italian" there was no suggestion on the website, either in the discussion or the related 21 games given, that White could return the "insult" of 3...h6 by transposing to the Jerome Gambit with, say, 4.0-0 Bc5 5.Bxf7+.

Of course Welton sent one of his games where he provided that "insult" – which we will see in "Italian Game Anti-Fried Liver Defense (Part 2)".

By the way, Grandmaster Boris Alterman has a 6-part series on the Fried Liver Attack on his website, along with instruction on a whole list of gambits, including the Danish, Evans, Max Lange and Morra.

I note that Alterman has two books forthcoming, one on gambits with White and one on gambits with Black. Of the first, he writes

The Alterman Gambit Guide: White Gambits is both an opening book and an instructive manual. Sharpen your tactics and learn to play dynamic attacking chess while studying the most entertaining gambits. Lines covered include:Evans Gambit, Panov Attack, Morra Gambit, Philidor, Danish Gambit, Urusov Gambit, Morphy Attack, Cochrane Gambit, Max Lange Attack, Fried Liver Attack and Milner-Barry Gambit

For those who like their liver fried, there is also a book by NM Dan Heisman on The Computer Analyzes the Fried Liver / Lolli.

Another Miniature from Brazil

I was pleased to grab another Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game from Welton Vaz's "Chess, Science Fiction and Peace" blog. See also: "Xadrez, Ficção Cientifíca e Paz" and "Teach / Learn"

Ghandybh  - DVBLTTN 

Online Chess, 2009

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

The adventure begins!

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

7.Qf5+

An earlier game of Welton's went 7.f4 g6 8.Qxe5+ Kf7 9.Qxh8 Qh4+ 10.g3 Qh6 11.Qc3 b6 12.d4 Be7 13.Qc4+ Kf8 14.0-0 c5 15.f5 Qe3+ 16.Bxe3 Black resigned, Ghandybh - duboak, Chess.com 2009

7...Kd6 8.f4 g6

Not a common move, and not a good one, either. Refutations look like 8...Qh4+ or 8...Qf6, not just kicking the White Queen in the shins.

9.Qxe5+ Kc6 10.Qxh8

Yes!

In a previous game I went chasing after butterflies, and caught nothing but a half point: 10.Qd5+ Kb6 11.Nc3 c6 12.Na4+ Kc7 13.Qe5+ Bd6 14.Qxh8 Qh4+ 15.g3 Qg4 16.Qxg8 Qf3 17.Rf1 Qxe4+ 18.Kd1 b5 19.Nc3 Qd4 20.Qxh7 Bb4 21.Qxg6 d6 22.Qd3 Bg4+ 23.Ne2 Qxd3 24.cxd3 Re8 25.Re1 c5 26.a3 Ba5 27.b4 cxb4 28.axb4 Bb6 29.Bb2 Bf2 30.d4 Bxe1 31.Kxe1 Rxe2+ 32.Kf1 Rxd2 33.Bc3 Rxh2 34.Rxa7+ Kb6 35.Rf7 Bh3+ 36.Kg1 Rg2+ 37.Kh1 Rxg3 38.Rf6 Rxc3 39.Rxd6+ Kc7 40.Rd5 Kc6 41.Rh5 Bg4 42.Rg5 Bf3+ 43.Kh2 Bd5 44.f5 Rc4 45.Rg6+ Kc7 46.Rg7+ Kd6 47.Rg6+ Kd7 48.Rg7+ Kd6 49.Rg6+ Ke7 50.Rb6 Rxb4 51.Kg3 Rxd4 52.Rxb5 Kf6 53.Kf2 Kxf5 54.Ke3 Re4+ 55.Kd3 Re5 56.Kd4 Re4+ 57.Kxd5 Re5+ 58.Kc4 Rxb5 59.Kxb5 draw, perrypawnpusher - spontex, FICS, 2009

10...Qh4+ 11.g3 Qh3

White's move is more aggressive than duobak's Qh6 (above), because he plans to infiltrate the Kingside with his Queen. The problem is that Black's Kingside will fall apart faster.

12.Qxg8 Qg2 13.Qd5+ Kb6 14.Rf1

If Black's unsafe King isn't his undoing, being a Rook down will eventually finish him off.

14...Qxh2 15.Qb3+ Kc6 16.Na3 d5 17.Qb5+ Black resigned, as he is going to lose another piece (17...Kd6 18.e5+ followed by 19.Qxc5).