Play over the following game and try not to scream at me.
Even "The Worst Chess Opening Ever" should receive more respect than it gets here.
perrypawnpusher - mtibuk
blitz, FICS, San Jose, 2011
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6
The Semi-Italian Opening.
4.0-0 a6
It is hard to tell if mtibuk is being extra cautious here, simply going his own way in the opening, or intentionally avoiding the Jerome Gambit. Since The Database doesn't contain any of his games (before this one) my guess is the last suggestion is not the proper explanation.
5.Nc3
I'm hanging in there and trying to transpose to the Jerome. Otherwise, 5.d4 would have been enough for a slight advantage.
5...Bc5 6.Bxf7+
Okay!
6...Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ Nxe5 8.Qh5+ Ng6
Here we have a typical Jerome Gambit position, to which Black has added ...a6 and ...h6 and White has added Nc3 and 0-0. Certainly, this should be an improvement for the first player. Indeed, the computer suggests that the additions are worth about a half a pawn, but Black is still better.
That means there is still work to do.
Previously, angelosgoulianos played the stronger 8...Ke6 against me, in perrypawnpusher - angelosgoulianos, blitz, FICS, 2007, (1-0, 40), where I prevailed after a struggle.
9.Qd5+ Kf6
It is hard to see what Black gains with this move, instead of the standard 9...Kf8 10.Qxc5+ d6 11.Qe3 Nf6 (slight edge to the second player).
It is also hard to see that what he loses is another pawn: 10.Qf5+ Ke7 11.Nd5+ Ke8 12.Qxg6+ Kf8 13.Qf5+ Nf6 14.Nxf6 d6 15.Nd7+!? Ke7 16.Qg6 Kxd7 17.Qxg7+ Kc6. I didn't see that, Rybka 3 did, after the game.
10.Qxc5 d6 11.Qe3 Ne5
With the safer King, the better development, and the possibility of launching the "Jerome pawns", White has to have compensation for his sacrifice.
12.d4 Nc4
Black continues to play (and get away with) in a fancy free manner. More sedate was 12...Nc6.
13.Qf4+
In playing over this game afterward, the question came up: should I have been able to see that 13.e5+ was the proper move to play? I had looked as far as 13...dxe5 14.dxe5 Nxe5, saw that it lost a pawn, and checked out something else.
The trick was to see that 15.Rd1! would have given White's Knight a platform (d5) from which to check the Black King – moving it either away from the Black Knight, which can subsequently be captured by the White Queen; or to where it is pinned to the Black Knight by the White Queen and can be won with f2-f4.
Of course, Black should not exchange center pawns, but answer 13.e5+ with 13...Kf7. White then would have 14.Qf3+ with the makings of an attack on the Black King, although no immediate forced win of a piece.
If I am going to continue to attack with the Jerome Gambit, I have to be able to better recognize "a good attacking position" and move myself down that path.
13...Kg6 14.Qg3+ Kh7 15.f4 Nf6
White is still doing fine here, and his "Jerome pawns" still counter-balance Black's extra Knight; it is just that an opportunity has been missed.
16.e5 dxe5 17.fxe5
This is a careless, double error because I was looking in the wrong direction: it misses the much better 17.Qd3+ with the subsequent win of the Black Knight at c4; and it captures with the wrong pawn; at least after 17.dxe5 Black does not win material with 17...Qd4+.
17...Qxd4+ 18.Kh1 Qxe5
Much to my relief, my opponent returns the favor. After 18...Nxe5 Black is simply a piece up.
19.Qd3+ Kg8 20.Qxc4+ Be6 21.Qd3 Ng4
Material is even, and perhaps White can make something of Black's Rook blocked in at h8. Of course, he will have to take care of that mate threat at h2.
22.Bf4 Qh5 23.Rae1 Re8 24.Bxc7 b5 25.a3
This is an interesting slip. I read Black's move as a threat to my Knight on c3, and protected against it. Perhaps that is what Black intended.
If that is the case, we both missed the fact that Black can now play 25...Bc4, winning the exchange.
25...g5 26.Qf3
Attacking, which is the right idea.
26...Rh7
Mobilizing the locked-in Rook, but this should not be enough to hold the game.
27.Rxe6
Winning a piece after 27...Rxc7 28.Rxe8+ Qxe8 29.Qxg4. Black's response is inadequate, and again it was time for me to find the killer line of play.
27...Rc8 28.Be5
This move is "okay" but 28.Qd5 was devastating. It should not have been hard to find.
28...Rf7 29.Rf6
White had a simple win with the simplifying 29.Qxf7+ Qxf7 30.Rxf7 Kxf7 31.Rxa6 Nxe5 32.Rxh6. Given my propensity to run for simple endings, this is a sad oversight.
29...Rxf6 30.Bxf6
Believing that I was winning a piece ("Have I overlooked anything??"), I had no thoughts about forcing a draw with, for example, 30.Qd5+ Rf7 31.Ne4 Nxe5 32.Nf6+ Kh8 33.Qxe5 Qg6 34.Nh5+ Kg8 35.Nf6+ Kh8 36.Nh5+ etc.
30...Qxh2 checkmate
That's embarassing!
"I don't believe in psychology," Bobby Fischer supposedly said. "I believe in strong moves."
Then, again, Bobby probably never played the Jerome Gambit. If he had, he would have known the power of psychology (causing surprise, confusion, doubt and fear in the opponent) to make up for shortcomings, in an otherwise busted chess opening.
In the following game my opponent totally out-psychs me, though,and then adds some strong moves, too, for a well-deserved (for him) and painful (for me) victory.
perrypawnpusher - Olito
blitz, FICS, 2011
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6
The Semi-Italian Opening.
4.0-0 Nf6
With 4...a6 the game would transpose to perrypawnpusher - angelosgoulianos, blitz, FICS, 2007 (1-0, 40).
The whole Rook-pawns idea should not have been unsettling to me, but the fact that my opponent was playing his moves quickly sort of cued the ominous violin music to start playing in the background... See "If I write all this and someone reads it...".
5.Nc3 a6 6.a3
Temporizing. Last year I had tried a similar time-wasting idea, d2-d3-d4, in perrypawnpusher - tschup, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 18).
Of course, there certainly was nothing wrong with 6.d4 and a small advantage. I was still hoping for a Jerome Gambit-style game.
6...Bc5 7.Bxf7+ Kxf7 8.Nxe5+ Nxe5 9.d4 Nf3+
This hit me like a ton of bricks.
Not just the move – I had seen it in my game against AirmanLeonidas – but the ideas behind it.
My game with Olito was taking place later on in the same day that I had posted my ICC game against HenryV . In the notes to HenryV I had pointed out that White could capture the Black Knight on f3 with his Queen, because if Black retaliated with with ...Bxd4, White had a neat maneuver starting with Nc3-b5.
Of course, my opponent had just prevented Nc3-b5 with his a-pawn move.
Apparently, Olito was familiar with my blog post and had planned accordingly. Panic ran screaming down the hallways of my brain – which is reason #253 as to why I will never be a good chess player...
For the record, the text move is better than 9...Qe7 as in perrypawnpusher - cinamon, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 28).
10.Qxf3
I decided to go along with a modification of my original plan, anyhow.
Next time I will take a look at 10.gxf3, breaking up my Kingside pawns, but giving me a chance to scatter Black's pieces after 10...Ba7 11.e5 Nh7. Both Rybka 3 and Fritz 8 then suggest marching White's d-pawn to d6: 12.d5 Qh4 13.d6 c6 14.Qd3 Qh5 15.f4 when the "Jerome pawns" could still cause some grief.
10...Bxd4 11.Ne2 Be5 12.Qb3+
I was playing quickly, too, but more with a sense of desperation: I didn't like being out-prepared in my own, favorite opening!
Now Black has 12...d5 when 13.f4 Bd6 14.e5 forks two pieces, but there is escape with either 14...Bc5+ or 14...Re8.
12...Kg6
A mistake, or more psychological warfare?
13.f4 Bd6 14.f5+
Going after the King! To punish it! To checkmate it!
Yes, I had kind of lost my head by this point.
Sticking with the obvious, instead, would have given White at lease an even game, and perhaps a small edge: 14.e5 (the fork) Bc5+ (one piece escapes) 15.Be3 Ne4 (the other piece escapes) 16.Bxc5 Nxc5 17.Qc4 (chasing off the defender) d6 18.b4 Na4 19.e6 Qf6 20.f5+ Kh7 21.Qxc7
analysis diagram
But, back to the real world.
14...Kh7
15.Bf4 Bc5+ 16.Kh1 Nxe4
White is mostly just a piece down now. Still, I thought it was worth taking a swipe at the enemy King.
17.Qf3 d5 18.g4 Qh4 19.Ng3 Nxg3+ 20.Bxg3 Qg5 21.h4
White has, as my Dad would say, "a whole lot of nothing", but Jerome Gambiteers have gotten out of worse messes than this one.
21...Qf6 22.Qxd5 Bd6 23.Bxd6 Qxh4+
Somewhere out there, Jerome Gambit Gemeinde member Pete Banks ("blackburne") is saying "I told you so!" I've seen Pete hang on and survive some pretty desperate positions – the Jerome Gambit is complicated for Black, as well as White.
24.Bh2 Qxg4
25.Rg1
After the game, Rybka 3 liked White's position enough to suggest: 25.Rf4 Qh5 26.Rg1 Rg8 27.Rg2 Re8 28.Rg1 Rg8 29.Rg2 Re8 30.Rg1 Rg8 31.Rg2 Re8 32.Rg1 Rg8 33.Rg2 Re8 34.Rg1 Rg8 35.Rg2 Re8 36.Rg1 Rg8 37.Rg2 Re8 38.Rg1 Rg8 39.Rg2 Re8 40.Rg1– that's right, White repeats the position and Black goes along with him: a draw.
Of course, my line of play gives up a pawn, and my opponent's generosity (giving back the piece) is all for naught.
25...Qxf5 26.Rad1 c6 27.Qg2 Rg8 28.Rgf1 Qh3 29.Qxh3 Bxh3 30.Rf7 b5 31.Rg1
The idea of active Rooks trying to win a pawn before transitioning into a hopefully-drawable Bishops-of-opposite-colors endgame is an attractive one, but it needs to be executed properly. My move overlooks a nice response by Black.
31...Be6 32.Re7 Bd5+ 33.Rg2 Bxg2+ 34.Kxg2 Rad8 35.Be5 Rd2+ White resigned
What a mess...
Hat off to my opponent Olito, who seriously schooled me in this game.
This game wanders a bit from the usual Jerome Gambit move order, but I was very interested in playing Bxf7+, even if the move had to be delayed a bit.
perrypawnpusher - cinamon
blitz, FICS, 2010
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6
The Semi-Italian Opening.
A delay similar to the game: 3...a6 4.0-0 h6 5.Nc3 Bc5 6.Bxf7+ Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ Nxe5 8.Qh5+ Ke6 9.Qf5+ Kd6 10.d4 Bxd4 11.Rd1 c5 12.Ne2 Kc7 13.Nxd4 d6 14.Ne6+ Bxe6 15.Qxe6 Nf6 16.Bf4 Re8 17.Qb3 Nxe4 18.Bxe5 Rxe5 19.Qf7+ Qd7 20.Qf3 Qf5 21.Qxf5 Rxf5 22.f3 Ng5 23.Re1 Kd7 24.Rad1 Re8 25.Rxe8 Kxe8 26.Rxd6 Re5 27.Kf2 Ke7 28.Rb6 Rf5 29.Rxb7+ Kf6 30.Rb6+ Kf7 31.Rxa6 Ne4+ 32.Ke3 Nd6 33.Rxd6 Ke7 34.Rd3 Rh5 35.h3 Re5+ 36.Kf2 g5 37.Re3 Rxe3 38.Kxe3 Kd6 39.Ke4 c4 40.Kd4 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - angelosgoulianos, blitz, FICS, 2007.
4.0-0 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.a3
I'm sure that 6.d4 is a better move, but I was still angling for a Jerome-ish game.
I've also tried 6.d3 Bc5 7.Be3 (7.Bxf7+ Kxf7 8.Nxe5+ Nxe5 9.d4 d6 10.dxc5 Bg4 11.f3 Bh5 12.g4 Nexg4 13.fxg4 Bg6 14.g5 hxg5 15.Bxg5 dxc5 16.Qf3 Qd4+ 17.Kh1 Qe5 18.Bxf6 Qxh2 checkmate, perrypawnpusher - tschup, blitz, FICS, 2010) 7...Qe7 8.Nd5 Nxd5 9.Bxd5 Nb4 10.Bb3 Bxe3 11.fxe3 Qc5 12.Bxf7+ Kxf7 13.Nxe5+ Ke7 14.Ng6+ Kd6 15.d4 Qg5 16.e5+ Kd5 17.Qf3+ Kc4 18.b3+ Kb5 19.c4+ Kb6 20.Nxh8 d6 21.exd6 c6 22.Nf7 Qg6 23.e4 Bd7 24.Ne5 h5 25.Nxg6 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - EAB, blitz, FICS, 2010.
6...Bc5 7.Bxf7+
Finally.
7...Kxf7 8.Nxe5+ Nxe5 9.d4 Qe7 10.dxc5 Qxc5 11.Be3 Qc4
12.f4 Neg4 13.Bd4 Re8
A bit better was 13...d6, which kept Black's edge.
14.h3 Ne3 15.Bxe3 Nxe4 16.Qd5+ Qxd5 17.Nxd5 Rf8
Black has returned the sacrificed piece and material is even, for the moment. I am able to grab a pawn, but over the next few moves miss chances to gain more.
18.Nxc7 Rb8 19.Nd5
Much better was 19.Ba7 (or 21.Ba7).
19...Ng3 20.Rfe1 d6 21.Rad1 Be6
22.Nc3 Rbd8 23.Kh2 Nf5 24.Bb6 Rc8
25.g4 Ne7 26.Rxd6 Kg8
White has been making steady progress, but this error accelerates it.
27.Rdxe6 Nc6 28.f5 Black resigned
With the time control being a speedy 5 5, the following "Delayed Jerome Gambit" game was more of a brawl than anything like serious chess. I'm glad that I got the last clout in.
perrypawnpusher - Tlslevens
blitz 5 5, FICS, 2010
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 a6
Okay, this is not a "proper" Jerome Gambit, but there is always the possibility of a "Delayed Jerome Gambit," should my opponent choose.
4.0-0 Bc5
Other delayed Jerome Gambits arrived after 4...Bb4 5.c3 Ba5 6.Bxf7+ (perrypawnpusher - dabbling, blitz, FICS, 2009); and
4...h6 5.Nc3 Nf6 (5...Bc5 6.Bxf7+ perrypawnpusher - angelosgoulianos, blitz, FICS, 2007) 6.d3 Bc5 7.Bxf7+, perrypawnpusher - tschup, blitz, FICS, 2010.
5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Ke6
I've looked at this move in the regular Jerome Gambit, after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6, in "A Strange, But Intriguing, Path (Part 1)", "(Part 2)" and "(Part 3)".
It's funny that in two subsequent games (perrypawnpusher - johnde, blitz, FICS, 2010 and perrypawnpusher - crayongod, blitz, FICS, 2010) I forgot my recommended continuation, 6.Qg4+!?.
It should come as no surprise that I forgot it in the current game in the Delayed Jerome Gambit, too...
7.Qh5
White gets the advantage with 7.Qg4+ Kxe5 8.d4+, whereas the text allows Black to keep his advantage – and transpose back into more "normal" Jerome Gambit lines.
7...Nxe5 8.Qf5+ Kd6 9.d4
The position is similar to one from the Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit, where Black has played 3...h6 instead of the 3...a6 in this game. Because the Black Bishop is still alive at c5, White has to make the less effective d-pawn move, instead of being able to play f2-f4.
9...Bxd4 10.Rd1 c5 11.c3 Nh6
Who invited him to the fight? Black chooses an "aggressive" move, when he should have stayed with the more purposeful 11...Kc7.
12.Qh3
White would have an edge after the complex 12.Bxh6 Rf8 13.Bg5 g6 14.cxd4 gxf5 15.dxe5+ Kxe5 16.Bxd8 Rxd8 instead.
12...Kc6 13.cxd4 cxd4 14.Rxd4 d6
White has a pawn for his sacrificed piece, but Black's vulnerable King makes the game close to even.
15.Qc3+ Kd7 16.Bf4 Nhg4
This Knight can provide its support more effectively from f7.
17.h3 Nxf2
A wild sacrifice – but this kind of thing can be successful in fast games, where attacking is everything.
After the game Fritz8 recommended 17...Qf6 18.Bg3 Nh6 19.Bxe5 Qxe5 20.Nd2 Qe7 when White is better.
18.Kxf2
Sloppy. Best was 18.Bxe5, as the Knight on f2 has nowhere safe to go. After 18...Qh4 19.Bg3 Nxh3+ 20.gxh3 White is up a piece and clearly better.
18...Qh4+
Swinging wildly. The proper way to counter-attack was 18...Qf6 leading to a balanced game.
19.g3
Better 19.Bg3.
19...Qxh3 20.Bxe5 Rf8+ 21.Ke2
As smart as poking myself in the eye. Instead, 21.Bf4 kept White's advantage, while now Black has a forced checkmate.
21...Qg2+
Now Black is landing the punches, but he missed 21...Qf1+ 22.Ke3 Rf3+ 23.Kd2 Rf2+ 24.Ke3 Qe2 checkmate. We were moving quickly.
22.Kd3 Rf3+ 23.Kc4 Rxc3+ 24.Nxc3
White has only a Knight and a Rook for his Queen, and his King is in more danger than Black's.
24...Qxb2 25.Rxd6+ Ke7
A blitz slip.
26.Nd5+ Kf7 27.Bxb2
Whew! Now I'm winning again.
27...Be6 28.Rf1+ Black resigned
Let's go over that mental checklist (see yesterday's "I think I have a win, but it will take time...") for playing the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) again: surprse, inattention, over-confidence, shallow analysis and a well-timed unfortunate blunder...
I was doing fine until that last one.
perrypawnpusher - tschup
blitz FICS, 2010
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 a6
Wow. Didn't Karpov play something like this in his match against Korchnoi in 1981? (Actually, he played it on move 5 in one game and move 6 in another. Oh, well.)
4.0-0 h6
Okay.
5.Nc3
From a practical point of view, White might do best to head toward a Scotch Game or Gambit with 5.d4, counting on the tempos gained by Black's Rook pawn moves.
5...Nf6
A few years ago, my patience was rewarded – with a delayed Jerome Gambit – after 5...Bc5 6.Bxf7+ Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ Nxe5 8.Qh5+ Ke6 9.Qf5+ Kd6 10.d4 Bxd4 11.Rd1 c5 12.Ne2 Kc7 13.Nxd4 d6 14.Ne6+ Bxe6 15.Qxe6 Nf6 16.Bf4 Re8 17.Qb3 Nxe4 18.Bxe5 Rxe5 19.Qf7+ Qd7 20.Qf3 Qf5 21.Qxf5 Rxf5 22.f3 Ng5 23.Re1 Kd7 24.Rad1 Re8 25.Rxe8 Kxe8 26.Rxd6 Re5 27.Kf2 Ke7 28.Rb6 Rf5 29.Rxb7+ Kf6 30.Rb6+ Kf7 31.Rxa6 Ne4+ 32.Ke3 Nd6 33.Rxd6 Ke7 34.Rd3 Rh5 35.h3 Re5+ 36.Kf2 g5 37.Re3 Rxe3 38.Kxe3 Kd6 39.Ke4 c4 40.Kd4 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - angelosgoulianos, blitz FICS, 2007.
6.d3 Bc5
Finally! He plays it after I've already played d2-d3...
Wait a minute. If he's "wasted" two moves, can't I afford to "waste" one move myself?
Sure, why not??
7.Bxf7+
Ahhh, that feels better...
I suppose that this is a Delayed Semi-Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.
7...Kxf7 8.Nxe5+ Nxe5 9.d4
9...d6
Reminiscent of my game against FrankMCMLVII.
10.dxc5 Bg4
Okay, this guy is definitely playing with my head. The text move is good for Black, but the simple 10...dxc5 was even better.
11.f3 Bh5 12.g4 Nexg4
Not unexpected, but after the game Rybka preferred 12...Bg6, suggesting further 13.f4 Nexg4 14.cxd6 Qxd6 15.Qxd6 cxd6 16.h3 Nxe4 17.Nxe4 Bxe4 18.hxg4 h5 19.g5 Bxc2 with Black better by a pawn.
analysis diagram
13.fxg4 Bg6
14.g5 hxg5 15.Bxg5
I did not see it at the time, but White is better here, especially if he can get in Qd1-d5+, something that Black prevents with his next move.
15...dxc5 16.Qf3
After the game Rybka recommended 16.e5 Qd4+ 17.Qxd4 cxd4 18.Nd5 which wins a piece for White.
16...Qd4+ 17.Kh1 Qe5
Black's centralized Queen now gives him counter-chances and equality.
18.Bxf6
Wow! Speaking of "a well-timed unfortunate blunder..."
The position would wind down after 18.Bf4 Qxe4 19.Nxe4 Bxe4 20.Qxe4 Nxe4 21.Bxc7+ Nf6
analysis diagram
18...Qxh2 checkmate
