Jerome Gambit: Drilling Down (19)

Our human chess investigator takes on his last computer opponent for this round of play with the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+).


RevvedUp - Yace Paderborn blitz 2 12, 20061.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6

7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Qh4

We saw this move played first, only with Black's King on f8, by Shredder 8 (see "Jerome Gambit: Drilling Down (17)").

10.0-0 Nf6 11.Nc3 Ng4 12.Qg3 Qxg3 13.hxg3 Be6

Again reaching a position that is objectively better for Black, but which is the kind that RevvedUp likes to play against computers.

14.f4 Bf7 15.d3 Kd7 16.Bd2 Ne7 17.Rae1 Rhf8 18.a3 Rae8 19.Nd1 Bh5 20.Ne3 Kc8

Yace Paderborn has effectively castled-by-hand.

21.Nxg4 Bxg4 22.Kf2 Nc6

The White King is safe in his fortress – for now.

23.Bc3 Rf7 24.Rh1 h6 25.Rh4 h5 26.Rhh1 Ne7 27.Rc1 Kb8 28.b3 Nc6 29.Bb2 g5 30.Ke3 d5

In past games RevvedUp has done well in closed positions, especially when he can "threaten" a draw by repition of position; it is not a good sign for him that Yace Paderborn wants to rip things open.

31.Rhf1 dxe4 32.dxe4 Rfe7 33.e5 Rf7 34.c4 Rd8


Invasion on the d-file will spell the end for White.

35.Rc2 Rfd7 36.Rff2 gxf4+ 37.gxf4 Ne7 38.Bc3 Rd3+ 39.Ke4 Bf5 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: Drilling Down (10)

Here we reach the end of the first round of games, with every computer having had its opportunity to play and play against the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+). We can safely lay to rest the Blackburne defense (6...g6 followed by 7...d6)

Yace Paderborn - RevvedUp
blitz 2 12, 2006
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6

7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qxh8 Qh4 9.0-0 Bd7

Repeating Yace Paderborn's move from the previous game (see "Jerome Gambit: Drilling Down (9)"). This is understandable because of the way that RevvedUp is running this experiment (i.e. use the significant move from the last game) but in this case it is unfortunate: better is the traditional (if insufficient) 9...Nf6, going back to Blackburne.

10.d4

Yace Paderborn shows that White does not have to immediately withdraw his Queen to maintain an advantage.

10...Bb6 11.Nd2

White is up two pawns plus the exchange. If Black can make nothing out of the trapped Queen, he is doomed. The move 9...Bd7 is more of a Theoretical Lemon (TL) than a Theoretical Novelty (TN) and RevvedUp is stuck with it as his game rolls faster and faster downhill.
11...Re8 12.Nf3 Qh5 13.Ng5+ Kf8 14.Nxh7+ Kf7 15.Bd2 Nf6 16.Qxf6+ Kg8 17.Ng5 Rf8 18.Qe7 Bc8 19.Bc3 d5 20.exd5 Bf5 21.Bb4 Qh6 22.c3 c5 23.dxc6 Bd8 24.Qxf8+ Qxf8 25.Bxf8 Kxf8 26.cxb7 Black resigns

Jerome Gambit: Drilling Down (9)

Once more RevvedUp demonstrates that the Blackburne variation of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) is better for White – especially when including the TN the computer comes up with in this game.

Once more, though, Yace Paderborn shows the skills of the electronic beast can, in the long run, grind down those of a mere mortal.

RevvedUp - Yace Paderborn

blitz 2 12, 2006

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6

7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qxh8 Qh4 9.0-0 Bd7

Something new! Standard is 9...Nf6.

10.Qc3

Immediately getting the Queen out of danger.

10...Qxe4 11.d3 Qd5 12.Qb3 Qxb3 13.axb3 Bd4

We have reached a Queenless middlegame, and White clearly has the advantage. If he is subsequently out-played by the computer (rated 1,000 points above him), that should not be attributed to the Jerome Gambit nor reflect poorly on RevvedUp.

14.c3 Bg7 15.b4 a6 16.Bg5 Re8 17.Be3 Ne7 18.Nd2 Bb5 19.c4 Bd7 20.Rab1 Bf5 21.Ne4 d5 22.cxd5 Nxd5 23.Rbd1 Bxb2 24.Bd2 Bxe4 25.dxe4 Rxe4

Black has been chipping away at the White advantage, and now has a pawn for the exhange, but the game is even.

26.Rfe1 Rc4 27.Bc1 Bc3 28.Bd2 Bxd2 29.Rxd2 c6 30.Rb1 b5

A very complicated ending has arisen, where RevvedUp is holding his own. Impressive.

31.g3 Nxb4 32.Rd7+ Kf6 33.Rxh7 a5 34.Rh4 Rxh4 35.gxh4 Kf5 36.Kf1 Kg4 37.Ke2 Kxh4 38.Ke3

More precise is 38.Kd2, but I think White can still hold the position. His King is active, his Rook can either capture or check as needed, and it is very difficult for Black to make headway.

38...c5 39.Ke4

I think the consistent move here is 39.Rc1. With the text White strays away from his duties on the Queenside.

39...c4 40.Kd4 Nc2+ 41.Kc5 b4 42.Rc1 Na3 43.Kb6 b3 44.Kxa5 b2

My database has the game ending here with a draw. I must have gotten something mixed up, as Black has a clear win. Perhaps there was some kind of move or time stipulation?

A very tough game for RevvedUp, reminiscent of his second game against Crafty 19.19.

Jerome Gambit: Drilling Down (1)

This post starts an extended series (which may be interrupted from time-to-time for news, games or analysis) wherein the intrepid "RevvedUp" (a good chess player) and his trusted companions Hiarcs 8, Shredder 8, Yace Paderborn, Crafty 19.19 and Fritz 8 explore the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) by taking turns playing the White and Black pieces.

The human moves first, and takes notice of the defense the computer plays. In the next game, where he moves second, the human plays that defense against a new computer – and sees how it attacks. In the third game, the human plays the recent attack against his new computer foe. Collectively, the players drill deeper and deeper into the Jerome Gambit.


RevvedUp - Crafty 19.19
Blitz 2 12, 2006

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4



6...Bb4+ 7.c3 Qh4


If Black can play like this – and he can – against 6.d4, that's an indication that White's best prospects lie elsewhere (i.e. 6.Nxe5).

8.0-0 Nc6 9.cxb4 Qxe4 10.Be3 Nf6 11.Nc3 Qf5 12.b5


It is interesting that only here does the game diverge from the earlier computer game Deep Sjeng 1.5 - Hiarcs 9, 2003.

12...Nb4 13.Rc1 c6 14.a3 Nbd5 15.Qb3 Re8 16.Rce1 b6 17.h3 Bb7 18.g4 Qf3 19.g5 Ne4 20.Nxd5 cxd5 21.Qd3 Nxg5 White resigns.


It is interesting to note that while RevvedUp played well throughout the game, he was never able to get anything going against the enemy King – in all fairness, against an opponent rated about 1000 points above him.