Jerome Gambit: Too Fast, Too Furious (Part 2)

[continued from previous post]

perrypawnpusher - TobiasBrunner

"Let's Play The Italian Game" tournament

Chess.com, 2018 

Striking back, the Knight that has been kicked around targets the Queen.

I have seen the retreat 13...Nc6 three times: perrypawnpusher - Heler, Giuoco Piano tournament, Chess.com, 2015 (1-0, 33); perrypawnpusher - apurv83, Giuoco Piano tournament, Chess.com, 2015 (1/2-1/2, 29); and perrypawnpusher - Hywel2, Italian Game tournament, Chess.com, 2015 (0-1, 44).

Stockfish 9 prefers the retreat 13...Ned7; there are no games with this move in The Database.

14.Qb3+ 

Delivering the check before Black can sequester his King at g8.

14...Kf8

Better than 14...d5 15.e5 (15.h3!? Rxe4 16.hxg4 Rxg4 17.Bf4 Bxf5 =) Ne4 (15...Nxe5!? 16.dxe5 Rxe5 17.Bf4 Re8 =) 16.h3 (16.Nc3!? Ngf6 17.exf6 Nxf6) Ngf2 (16...Nxe5 17.dxe5 Rxe5) as in perrypawnpusher-whitepandora, blitz, FICS, 2011(1-0, 64) 

15.h3 Nh6

Instead, 15...Rxe4 16.hxg4 Rxg4 was seen in Vazquez,A - Carrington,W, Mexico, 2nd match 1876 (1-0, 34)

16.Bxh6 gxh6 17.Nd2 

It is rather curious that Stockfish 9, after the game, now recommended 17...b6!? for Black, giving 18.Qe3 Qe7 19.Rae1 Bb7 20.e5 dxe5 21.dxe5 Nd7 22.Qxh6+ Qg7 23.Qxg7+ Kxg7 24.e6 Nf6 25.g4 as even.

Clearly the e-pawn is poisoned, but why is that?

17...Nxe4 18.f6 

This advance and offer of a "Jerome pawn" is the reason. After 18...Nxf6 White will double his Rooks on the f-file and swing his Queen over to the g-file. As is often the case, Black will be troubled by having his Bishop on its home square, blocking entry of his other Rook.

I wish I could take credit for the move, but I had already seen it in Wall - Vijay, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 22). Of course, I had already played it, then, in perrypawnpusher - Bunnywarrior, Giuoco Piano thematic tournament, Chess.com, 2016 (1-0, 20)

18...Be6

This moves seems to solve Black's problems at first glance, avoiding the tempting 18...Nxd2? which led to a crush after 19.Qg3!? in Wall, - Vijay, Chess.com, 2010. It also improves on my game against Bunnywarrior, which makes me wonder - was TobiasBrunner aware of that game?

19.Qd3 Nxd2 

The Knight grabs material, abandoning his King.

After the game, Stockfish 9 said something like "Bwahaha! White now has a checkmate in 12." I didn't have any idea at the time, but I knew that White was going to have a strong attack.

What could Black have done, instead? He could have (temporarily) protected the h-pawn with 19...Ng5, although 20.h4 Bf7 21.hxg5 Bg6 22.Qf3 looks good for White. He could also have tried 19...d5, although 20.Nxe4 dxe4 21.Qe3!? targeting the advanced h-pawn, looks dangerous.

Looking at White's f-pawn, I remembered the villains' line from various Scooby Doo cartoons, "And I would have gotten away with it too, if it weren't for you meddling kids"

20.Qxh7 Qd7 21.Qh8+ Bg8 22.Qxh6+ Kf7 

Now, 23.d5! would effectively block the Black King's avenue of escape, and he could only delay checkmate by returning lots of material.

I missed the move because, two pieces down, I was mostly thinking about - material.

23.Qg7+ Ke6 24.d5+

This certainly accomplishes the task of moving the King away from his defense of the Queen, but 24.Rae1+ would have provided more of an attack, and would have been stronger. 

24...Kxd5 25.Qxd7 

25...Nxf1 26.Rxf1 Be6 

Black has a Rook and a Bishop for his Queen (and a couple of pawns), and decides that he can fight on.

[to be continued]

More Errors in Thinking 3.1

The title of this post comes from a couple of previous ones - "More Errors in Thinking" and "More Errors in Thinking 2.0" - and can be explained by the truism I related earlier

One of my interests in exploring the Jerome Gambit comes from observing - and occasionally provoking - "errors in thinking". Essentially, the only way White can win is if Black errs - sometimes in the most fascinating of ways.

In the first of the two posts I presented the Jerome Gambit game perrypawnpusher - Hywel2, Chess.com Italian Game tournament, 2015, with the gushing note

For a while it looked like it was going to be one of my best Jeromes ever, thanks to some fun tactics - but I fell victim to my own "error in thinking", and it was all for naught...

In the second of the two above posts, I presented the game again, adding notes and suggestions by Bill Wall, longtime Jerome Gambit Gemeinde member.

It all was in the service of some mental hand-wringing, the likes of which I have done before, for example, about a year ago in "Jerome pawns - Clowning Around"

After my discouraging loss with the Jerome Gambit in my previous Chess.com Italian Game tournament (perrypawnpusher - Buddy_Thompson), I knew that I had to cook up something new, or risk facing a future opponent who just "looked the refutation up" (and not even on this blog, mind you, but in my recent games on Chess.com).

Such worry bore fruit, however, in terms of a win in my return game with djdave28, as the post showed.

So - recently I played a couple of Jerome Gambits, one too-quickly leading "Toward Disaster" with the other "following, step-by-step, a recent loss of mine from a Chess.com Italian Game tournament."

As you might guess, that "recent loss" was the game chronicled in "More Errors in Thinking" and "More Errors in Thinking 2.0", perrypawnpusher - Hywel2, Chess.com Italian Game tournament, 2015.

So, "without further ado" as they say, let us take a look at my latest Jerome Gambit win, (with earlier notes cribbed from earlier posts).

perrypawnpusher - Heler, 
Chess.com, Giuoco Piano tournament, 2015

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Nf6 10.O-O Kf7 11.f4 Re8 12.f5 Ne5 13.d4 

I have also tried 13.Nc3 in perrypawnpusher - DysonLin, blitz, FICS, 2009 (1-0, 23); perrypawnpusher - darqknight, blitz, FICS, 2011 (0-1, 63); perrypawnpusher - CorH, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 24); and perrypawnpusher - yasserr, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 32).

13...Nc6

Oddly, this natural move was a TN according to The Database until perrypawnpusher- Hywel2, Chess.com, Italian Game tournament, 2015

Instead, 13...Neg4 was seen in Vazquez,A - Carrington,W, Mexico, 2nd match 1876 (1-0, 34);Wall,B - Vijay,V, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 22) and perrypawnpusher - whitepandora, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0. 64).

14.Nc3 Kg8 15.Qd3 Kh8 16.Bg5 Qd7

So far, all replay of the earlier game; but things were about to change.

[to be continued]

  

More Errors in Thinking 2.0

In response to "More Errors in Thinking" I received an email from Bill Wall, one of the top modern day Jerome Gambiteers, with notes about my recent game against Hywel2. I will reprise the column, adding Bill's thoughts in red. Thank you, Bill!

One of my interests in exploring the Jerome Gambit comes from observing - and occasionally provoking - "errors in thinking". Essentially, the only way White can win is if Black errs - sometime in the most fascinating of ways.

The following game is my most recent Jerome Gambit from the Chess.com Italian Game tournament (see "Yet Once Again Into The Fray"). For a while it looked like it was going to be one of my best Jeromes ever, thanks to some fun tactics - but I fell victim to my own "error in thinking", and it was all for naught...

perrypawnpusher - Hywel2
Chess.com, Italian Game tourney, 2015

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6

7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Nf6 10.O-O Kf7 11.f4 Re8 12.f5 Ne5 13.d4

I have also tried 13.Nc3 in perrypawnpusher - DysonLin, blitz, FICS, 2009 (1-0, 23); perrypawnpusher - darqknight, blitz, FICS, 2011 (0-1, 63); perrypawnpusher - CorH, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 24); and perrypawnpusher - yasserr, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 32).

13...Nc6

Oddly, this natural move is a TN according to The Database. Instead, 13...Neg4 was seen in Vazquez,A - Carrington,W, Mexico, 2nd match 1876 (1-0, 34); Wall,B - Vijay,V, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 22) and perrypawnpusher - whitepandora, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0. 64).

14.Nc3 Kg8 15.Qd3 Kh8 16.Bg5 Qd7

After 16...Qd7, I would have played 17.Bxf6 right away. After 17...gxf6 18.Nd5 Qg7 19.c3, then 20.Rf3 looks a little bit more solid.

17.Rae1 b6

I am always impressed when the masters of the Jerome Gambit are able to "make something out of nothing" in their games. It is not so easy for me.

18.Bxf6 gxf6 19.Nd5 Qg7 20.Rf3 a5 

After 20...a5, I like 21.Qc3 instead of 21.c3, attacking the knight. After 21...Bb7 22.Nf4 and 23.Rh3 looks OK for white.

21.c3 Ba6 22.Qd2 Bc4 

After 22...Bc4, instead of 23.Rg3, forcing the queen to move, perhaps to a better square, I would try 23.Nf4 Bxa2 24.Rh3, threatening 25.Ng6+ and perhaps 26.Rg3 after that.

23.Rg3 Qf7 24.Nf4 Bxa2 25.Ree3

I am not sure what my opponent made of this move. Perhaps he thought I was still shuffling pieces.

Instead of 25.Ree3, I might have played 25.Rh3, threatening 26.Ng6+, but it may fizzle to a draw after 26...Rg8 26.Ng6+ Rxg6 27.fxg6 Qxg6 28.Qf4 and 29.Rh6.

25...Rg8 26.Ng6+!?

White has only a pawn for his sacrificed piece, but this new sac changes everything.

26...hxg6 27.Rh3+ Kg7 28.Rh7+

The main idea: if now 28...Kxh7, then 29.Rh3+ Kg7 30.Qh6 mate. Black, instead, gives up his Queen.

28...Kf8 29.Rxf7+ Kxf7

Houdini gives a deep look, and evaluates the position as being equal. A couple of lines to share what it sees: 30.Qd3 (looking at the light squares on the Queenside and Black's two loose minor pieces) Ne7 31.Qb5 gxf5 32.exf5 Rae8 33.g3 c6 34.Qxb6 Nxf5 35.Qc7+ Re7 36.Rxe7+ Nxe7 37.Qxd6 a4 38.Qf4 Be6 39.d5 Bxd5 40.Qxa4; or 30.Qc2 (to trap the Bishop) a4 31.e5 Ne7 32.fxg6+ Rxg6 33.exd6 Nd5 34.Rg3 Rxg3 35.hxg3 Bb3 36.Qd3 cxd6 37.c4 Ne7 38.Qh7+ Kf8 39.Qh6+ Kf7 40.Qh7+ draw

I wanted to take advantage of Black's loose pieces, too, before his R + B + N got coordinated and out-played my Queen.

30.fxg6+

Instead of 30.fxg6, I would try to keep it complicated with 30.Qc2 and with the threat of 31.Qa4, winning a piece (threatening bishop and knight), or 31.b3, trapping the bishop.

30...Rxg6 31.Rh3 Rag8 32.Rh7+ R8g7 33.Rxg7+ Rxg7 34.Qd1 Be6

Now is the time for White to continue his escape with 35.Qh5+ Rg6 36.Qh7+ Rg7 37.Qh5+ draw, as any other line by Black would drop a minor piece to a Queen check and fork.

But - what is this?? My opponent, having played strongly the whole game, has suddenly fallen for a simple pawn fork?? What good fortune!

What an error in thinking! On my part, that is.

35.d5?

Allowing Black to quickly pull his game together.

Instead of 35.d5? which allows 35...Bg4!, I would have played 35.Qh5+ Rg6 36.Qh7+ Rg7 37.Qh5+ Rf6, take the draw and call it a day.

35... Bg4

I had looked at 35...Bh3, but had totally overlooked the text.

After some discouraged piece-shifting, I gave up the ghost.

36.Qe1 Ne5 37.Qe3

I looked at your last game and you thought there might be a way I could prevail. Not after 37.Qe3. After 36...Ne5 was played (you threatened dxc6), you played 37.Qe3? But after 35...Ne5, Black's threat is 36...Bf3 or 36...Bh3 as the rook pins the king and you can't take the bishop. So you have to play either 37.Kf1 or 37.Kh1. I think 37.Kf1 is slightly better to get out in the middle of the board in the endgame. Maybe there is something with Qh4 later or just h3. So after 37.Qe3, White' game looks lost. 

37...Bf3 38. g3 Bh5 39. h3 Nc4 40. Qf2 Bg6 41. Qe2 Ne5 42. g4 Ke7 43. Kf2 Kf8 44. Qa6 Re7 White resigned

Black's pieces are cooperating, and it is only a matter of time before they begin chopping away at White's position (starting with Pe4).

I am sure that Jerome Gambit stalwarts like blackburne, Bill Wall and Philidor1792 would find a way to prevail, even in this position, but I felt "lost" after my 35th move, and couldn't see my way out - perhaps the final "thinking error".

(In the two other second round games with White in this tournament, I am playing an Italian Four Knights game [with the help of chessfriend Yury Bukayev's opening analysis] and facing a Hungarian Defense [I did not follow Yury's suggestion, and may come to regret it. {Wow! I was just offered a draw, which I took quickly}] - Rick)

More Errors in Thinking

One of my interests in exploring the Jerome Gambit comes from observing - and occasionally provoking - "errors in thinking". Essentially, the only way White can win is if Black errs - sometime in the most fascinating of ways.

The following game is my  most recent Jerome Gambit from the Chess.com Italian Game tournament (see "Yet Once Again Into The Fray"). For a while it looked like it was going to be one of my best Jeromes ever, thanks to some fun tactics - but I fell victim to my own "error in thinking", and it was all for naught...

perrypawnpusher - Hywel2
Chess.com, Italian Game tourney, 2015

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Nf6 10.O-O Kf7 11.f4 Re8 12.f5 Ne5 13.d4 

I have also tried 13.Nc3 in perrypawnpusher - DysonLin, blitz, FICS, 2009 (1-0, 23); perrypawnpusher - darqknight, blitz, FICS, 2011 (0-1, 63); perrypawnpusher - CorH, 3 12 blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 24);  and perrypawnpusher - yasserr, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 32).

13...Nc6

Oddly, this natural move is a TN according to The Database. Instead, 13...Neg4 was seen in Vazquez,A - Carrington,W, Mexico, 2nd match 1876 (1-0, 34); Wall,B - Vijay,V, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 22) and perrypawnpusher - whitepandora, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0. 64). 

14.Nc3 Kg8 15.Qd3 Kh8 16.Bg5 Qd7 17.Rae1 b6 

I am always impressed when the masters of the Jerome Gambit are able to "make something out of nothing" in their games. It is not so easy for me.

18.Bxf6 gxf6 19.Nd5 Qg7 20.Rf3 a5 21.c3 Ba6 22.Qd2 Bc4 23.Rg3 Qf7 24.Nf4 Bxa2 25.Ree3 

I am not sure what my opponent made of this move. Perhaps he thought I was still shuffling pieces.

25...Rg8 26.Ng6+!?

White has only a pawn for his sacrificed piece, but this new sac changes everything.

26...hxg6 27.Rh3+ Kg7 28.Rh7+ 

The main idea: if now 28...Kxh7, then 29.Rh3+ Kg7 30.Qh6 mate. Black, instead, gives up his Queen.

28...Kf8 29.Rxf7+ Kxf7 

Houdini gives a deep look, and evaluates the position as being equal. A couple of lines to share what it sees: 30.Qd3 (looking at the light squares on the Queenside and Black's two loose minor pieces) Ne7 31.Qb5 gxf5 32.exf5 Rae8 33.g3 c6 34.Qxb6 Nxf5 35.Qc7+ Re7 36.Rxe7+ Nxe7 37.Qxd6 a4 38.Qf4 Be6 39.d5 Bxd5 40.Qxa4; or 30.Qc2  (to trap the Bishop) a4 31.e5 Ne7 32.fxg6+ Rxg6 33.exd6 Nd5 34.Rg3 Rxg3 35.hxg3 Bb3 36.Qd3 cxd6 37.c4 Ne7 38.Qh7+ Kf8 39.Qh6+ Kf7 40.Qh7+ draw 

I wanted to take advantage of Black's loose pieces, too, before his R + B + N got coordinated and out-played my Queen.

30.fxg6+ Rxg6 31.Rh3 Rag8 32.Rh7+ R8g7 33.Rxg7+ Rxg7 34.Qd1 Be6 

 Now is the time for White to continue his escape with 35.Qh5+ Rg6 36.Qh7+ Rg7 37.Qh5+ draw, as any other line by Black would drop a minor piece to a Queen check and fork.

But - what is this?? My opponent, having played strongly the whole game, has suddenly fallen for a simple pawn fork?? What good fortune!

What an error in thinking! On my part, that is.

35.d5?

Allowing Black to quickly pull his game together.

35... Bg4 

I had looked at 35...Bh3, but had totally overlooked the text.

After some discouraged piece-shifting, I gave up the ghost.

36.Qe1 Ne5 37.Qe3 Bf3 38. g3 Bh5 39. h3 Nc4 40. Qf2 Bg6 41. Qe2 Ne5 42. g4 Ke7 43. Kf2 Kf8 44. Qa6 Re7 White resigned

Black's pieces are cooperating, and it is only a matter of time before they begin chopping away at White's position (starting with Pe4).

I am sure that Jerome Gambit stalwarts like blackburne, Bill Wall and Philidor1792 would find a way to prevail, even in this position, but I felt "lost" after my 35th move, and couldn't see my way out - perhaps the final "thinking error".

Voice of Wreckage and Ruin

Many people play the Jerome Gambit for a very simple, straight-forward reason: it is fun. Imagine how much enjoyment Bill experienced in the following game, where he delivers wreckage and ruin upon the enemy King.

Wall, Bill - Guest3157671
PlayChess.com, 2014

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qxc5

Of course, 7.Qd5+, "the nudge", is also played by Bill: 

Wall,B - Quack, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 22)
Wall, B - Vijay, V, Chess.com, 2010, (1-0, 22)
Wall,B - LC, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 20)
Wall,B - guest154187, PlayChess.com, 2012 (1-0, 22)
Wall,B - Boris, SparkChess.com 2012 (1-0, 32)
Wall,B - Guest4149739, PlayChess.com, 2013 (1-0, 30)
Wall, B - guest3797656, PlayChess.com, 2013 (1-0, 40)
Wall, B - guest392045, PlayChess.com, 2013 (1-0, 33)
Wall,B - Guest198654, PlayChess.com, 2013 (1-0, 21)
Wall, B - Guest428245, PlayChess.com, 2014 (1-0,20)  

7...d6 8.Qd5+ 

Ah, "Nudge 2.0", another Wall specialty.

8...Ke7

Or 8...Ke8 as in Wall,B - Seven11, Chess.com, 2008 (1-0, 51)

Or 8...Kf8 as in Wall,B - Chung,J, Chess.com 2010 (1-0, 25).

Or 8...Be6 as in Wall, B - CheckMe, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 23) and Wall,B - Guest249301,PlayChess.com, 2013 (1-0, 30).

9.O-O

Or 9.d3 as in Wall,B - Guest4395, Internet, 2001 (1-0, 18). 

9... Nf6

10.Qg5 Be6

Despite the awkward  placement of his King, Black is feeling comfortable with his lead in development. All he has to do is take care of that pesky White Queen, and it will be smooth sailing, he reassures himself.

11.f4 Bf7 12.d4

Indeed, and how can White expect to prevail when he is only moving his Queen and his pawns? (Ah, the eternal Jerome Gambit question!)

12...h6 13.Qg3

Bill suggests 13.Qb5 and 13.Qf5 as alternate possibilities.

13...Re8

It looks risky for Black, but Bill's suggestion of 13...Nxe4 14.Qe1 d5 15.f5 Nf8 has merit. 

14.f5 Nf8 

This position reminds me of the kind of thing that my old "Chess Challenger 7" computer used to do - leave its King in the center of the board, surround it by pieces, and consider the position to be good. Often it would continue with the advance of a Rook pawn.

15.e5

Of course, Bill advances his "Jerome pawns" and plans to open up the center to get at the enemy King.

15...dxe5

Things are already dire for the defender, as Bill points out: 15...Nh5 16.Qh4+ Nf6 17.Bxh6 and 15...Nd5 16.Qxg7.

16.dxe5 Nd5

Or, fast and furious, any of the following: 16...Nh5 17.Qa3+ Kd7 18.Rd1+ or 16...Qd4+ 17.Be3 or 16...Ne4 17.Qh4+ Kd7 18.Qxe4. 

17.Qxg7 Nd7 18.e6

18...N7f6 19.exf7 Rf8 20.Re1+ Kd6 

21.c4 Nb6 22.Rd1+ Kc5 23.Rxd8 Raxd8 24.Be3+ 

As the loss of Black's Queen is not enough to cause him to strike his colors, Bill brings out some more pieces to enforce checkmate. Bill also notes that 24.Qxf6 leads to mate as well. 

24...Kxc4 25.Na3+ Kd3 26.Bxh6 Ne4 27. Rd1+ Ke2 28. Qg4 checkmate