Update: Blackburne Defense

Given that the miniature Amateur - Blackburne, London, 1885 is likely the most-well-known of Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) games, it stands to reason that the counter-attack that "The Black Death" adopted to utterly destroy his opponent is likely the most-well-known of the defenses to the Jerome Gambit.

However, as we have seen in the past, not everyone who "knows" the Blackburne defense actually knows it.

Last year we took a look at Jerome Gambit Gemeinde member blackburne, playing the Blackburne (of course, he plays against it, too). It looks like it's about time to check out how another Gemeinde member is handling the defense these days.

MrJoker - submariner
blitz 2 12, ICC, 2011

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 d6

Here is Blackburne's offer of a Rook.

My guess is that most players believe that it wins for Black. Some (secretly) know that it wins for White. A few (even more secretly) know that it leads to an edgy draw...

8.Qxh8

Depending on your mood, or upon your opponent, you can pass on the Rook, although that leaves Black better. That did not seem to matter in MrJoker - chiron, Internet Chess Club 2011: 8.Qg3 Qe7 9.d3 Nf6 10.O-O Kg7 11.Nc3 c6 12.Be3 Bb6 13.f4 Bc7 14.f5 Nh5 15.Bd4+ Kg8 16.Qg4 Nf6 17.Qg5 Kf7 18.fxg6+ hxg6 19.Rxf6+ Black resigned.

8... Qh4

The idea: Black will combine a checkmate attack with plans to trap White's Queen – not so much to win it (although that is possible if the first player gets sloppy), but to keep it out of play (even if it takes the further sacrifice of the other Black Rook).

This year MrJoker faced 8... Bxf2+, which was a bit of an odd move, as if his opponent "knew" that 7...d6 was the right way to go, but did not know how to continue further. The game went 9.Kxf2 Qh4+ 10.g3 Qxe4 11.Qxh7+ Kf6 12.Qh4+ Qxh4 13.gxh4 Bh3 14.Kg3 Bf5 15.d3 Nh6 16.Bxh6 and Black resigned, MrJoker - NSonnenberg, Internet Chess Club, 2011.

9. O-O

Another complicated defense (for White, against the counter-attack) is 9.d4 (see "A Closer Look (Part V)" as in 9...Qxe4+ 10.Be3 Bb6 11.Qxh7+ Kf8 12.Nc3 Qe7 13.Qxe7+ Nxe7 14.O-O-O Bf5 15.Bg5 Nc6 16.Nd5 Be6 17.Nxb6 axb6 18.d5 Bxd5 19.Rxd5 Nb4 20.Rd4 Nxa2+ 21.Kb1 Ra5 22.Bd2 Black resigned, MrJoker -carrotop, Internet Chess Club, 2011.

9... Bg4

This is a new move, as far as The Database is concerned. Perhaps Black did not remember 9...Nf6 10.c3 Ng4 11.h3 Bxf2+ 12.Kh1 Bf5 13. Qxa8 Qxh3+ 14. gxh3 Bxe4 checkmate, Amateur - Blackburne, London, 1885. Wow!


Chances are that MrJoker remembered 9...Nf6 10.d4 Bxd4 11.Qd8 Bf5 12.Qxc7+ Bd7 13.Qxd6 Bb6 14.e5 Ng4 15.Qxd7+ Kg8 16.h3 Bxf2+ 17.Kh1 h5 18.Bf4 Black resigned, mrjoker - annicks, Internet Chess Club, 2000.

10. d4

Blocking the attacking dark-squared Bishop. White has some untangling to do, but he has the exchange and a couple of pawns for his discomfort. 

10...Bb6 11.f3 Bd7 12.Be3 Re8 13.Bf2 Qh5

Black is still fighting: he has rescued one Bishop, then the other; he has moved his Queen out of the line of fire; and he has finally protected his Rook, so that he can finally trap the White Queen...

White would do well to play 14.e5 now, setting up f6 as an escape square for his Queen after ...Ne7.

14.Nc3 Nf6 15.Qxe8+ Kxe8

White has two Rooks and two pawns for a Queen and a Bishop – not quite enough for equality, but plenty enough for him to keep fighting.  

16.Rae1 Kf7 17.e5 dxe5 18.dxe5 Bxf2+ 19.Rxf2 Ng8

20.Nd5 c6

White now reverses his next two moves, but he gets away with it.

21.e6+ Bxe6 22.Nf4 Qc5

Instead, 22...Qa5 holds because of 23.Rxe6 g5!?

23.Nxe6 Nf6

A final, fatal slip.

24.Nxc5 Black resigned

It's just really that important

In a recent book review at Chessville that I wrote about GM Nigel Davies' 10 Great Ways to Get Better at Chess (Everyman Chess, 2010), I mentioned

For an alternate “great way” – or as an addition – Chapter Two suggests Study the Endgame. Again, Davies gives game examples from his students, but this should not be necessary to persuade readers of the truth of his suggestion: most club players unconsciously imitate the play of early chess-playing computers, memorizing opening moves, concentrating on tactics at the expense of long-term planning, and playing the endings like duffers…

Davies would have been justified in giving a Chapter Three (“Study the Endgame Some More”) and a Chapter Four (“Keep Studying the Endgame”) just to reinforce the topic. It’s just really that important.

I wish I had taken more of my own advice before playing the following game.

perrypawnpusher - BEEB
blitz, FICS, 2011

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Bxf2+

A "calming variation", but still a side line to watch.

8.Kxf2 Qf6+

8...Qh4+ was played unsuccessfully in annicks - Ribosome, Dos Hermanas Internet, 2002, (1-0, 23).

9.Qxf6+ Nxf6

By returning the sacrificed piece, Black has moved play into a Queenless middlegame or early endgame where he is simply down a pawn.

He no longer faces the Bashi-Bazouk attack of the Jerome Gambit. However, he also no longer has an objectively won game.

Sometimes, chess is a strange game.

10.Nc3

I have also tried 10.d3, as in perrypawnpusher - ScudRocket, blitz, FICS, 2009 (1-0, 24)

10...Re8

Black could play 10...Rf8 as in blackburne03 - bobby-pisher, Internet Chess Club, 2003, (1-0, 23) or perrypawnpusher - Edvardinho, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0,42); or in a delayed manner such as 10...b6 11.d3 d6 12.Rf1 Rf8 in blackburne - Bullit52, ChessWorld thematic tournament, 2007 (1-0, 32),


He also could start with 10...d6 and after 11.d4 c6 12.h3 play 12...Re8 as in brianwall - maten8, Internet Chess Club, 2004 (1-0, 21).

11.d3 d6 12.Rf1 Ng4+ 13.Kg1+ Kg7

Tactics can hide even in "boring" positions. For example, now 14.Nd5

14.h3

Laziness on my part. "The game will play itself."

The possible Knight fork at c7 remains "on" for a number of moves, despite my overlooking it.

14...Ne5 15.Be3 Be6 16.b3 c5 17.a4 a6 18.Rf2 Rf8 19.Raf1 Rxf2 20.Rxf2 Rb8 21.d4 Nd7 22.dxc5 dxc5 23.Nd5 b5

Like two zombies dancing a waltz, my opponent and I push the pieces around the board and pretend that we are playing chess...

24.axb5

If someone had whispered "Pssst. This is a middlegame" I might have looked for and found the tactical 24.Bf4 Rb7 25.Nc7 Bf7 26.Rd2 Nf6 27.Nxa6 bxa4 28.Nxc5 Rb5 29.Nxa4 Nxe4 30.Re2

analysis diagram







24...axb5 25.Nf4 Bg8 26.Nd3 c4 27.bxc4 bxc4 28.Bd4+ Kh6 29.Ne5 Rb1+ 30.Rf1 Rxf1+ 31.Kxf1 Nf6

For all of my shuffling, the e-pawn will now be lost.

32.Be3+ Kh5

My opponent has grown complacent, too, or he would have played the wiser 32...Kg7

33.c3

Readers who enjoy tactical endgames surely saw the better 33.g4+  which merely threatens checkmate after 33...Kh4 34.Kg2, costing Black his Knight.

Playing on "auto-pilot" was hurting both of us.

33...Nxe4 34.Bd4

The checkmate was still on, in a slightly longer version, with 34.g4+.

34...Ng3+ 35.Kf2 Nf5

This slip costs a piece.

36.g4+ Kh4 37.gxf5 gxf5 38.Kg2

With a piece for a pawn, White is now winning – but how exactly does he win?

If he can get his King to d4 and then attack the Black pawn at c4 a second time (with the Knight) he can win it. For that to happen, it might be best to trade White's weak h-pawn for Black's f-pawn. Then, with the help of the extra piece, White's c-pawn can be "faster" than Black's h-pawn.

38...Bd5+ 39.Kh2

Protecting the pawn for now. After the game Rybka suggested 39.Nf3+, since 39...Kh5 40.Kg3 Be4 41.h4 Bd5 42.Kf4 Be6 43.Bf2 Kg6 44.Ne5+ Kh5 45.Nc6 Bd7 46.Ne7 would allow White to win the f-pawn. If Black exchanges off the Knight instead with 39...Bxf3+ 40.Kxf3 then after 40...Kxh3 41.Kf4 White's King will wander over and win the Black c-pawn and Queen his own; the Black h-pawn will not be an issue.

39...Be6 40.Nf3+ Kh5 41.Kg3 f4+

A mistaken offer to exchange pawns that I should have accepted.

42.Kh2 Kg6 43.Kg2 Kf5 44.Ne5 Bd5+ 45.Nf3 Bg8

Black is content to sit and wait.

It is not clear to me that there is a win any more for White, as Black's advanced King and h-pawn make it dangerous for White's King to leave that area to help win the c-pawn.

My "winning try" falls to the inevitability of the Bishops-of-opposite-colors endgame.

46.Kf2 Ke4 47.Nd2+ Kd3 48.Nxc4 Kxc4 49.Kf3 Be6 50.h4 Kd5 51.Kxf4

The position is drawn now, and a dozen moves later, too.

51...Bf7 52.Kg5 Bg6 53.h5 Bd3 54.Kf6 Ke4 55.Kg7 Kf4 56.h6 Kg5 57.Bf6+ Kh5 58.Bd4 Kg5 59.Be3+ Kh5 60.c4 Bxc4 61.Kxh7 Bd3+ 62.Kg7 Kg4 63.h7 Bxh7 drawn

This game contained plenty of wasted opportunities.

A Question of Theory and Practice

"Theory" and "practice" in the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) can be light-heartedly summed up as: the leading theory is not to practice the opening.

Yet, we persist.

Today's game highlights an area of theoretical controversy – that is to say there would probably be a controversy, if enough people played the Jerome Gambit to be aware of it.

In typical Jerome fashion, White loses the theoretical battle, wins the game handsomely, nonetheless – while the rest of the world refines the 18th (or 28th) move of Sicilian Najdorf theory...

mrjoker - annicks
2 12 blitz, ICC 2000
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+

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

Munoz and Munoz wrote in the August 1885 Brooklyn Chess Chronicle

In the American edition of Cook's Synopsis K-K3 [...Ke6] is given as the best defence, but Mr. Blackburne's ingenious counter sacrifice in the present skirmish would seem to show that the text is at least as good.

7.Qxe5 d6

This move is usually given a "!" because the offer of Black's Rook led to a smashing finish in Amateur - Blackburne, London, 1885; but, in truth, it deserves a "?!". The best move, instead, is 7...Qe7!, Whistler's Defense, when the Rook is then truly poisoned.

After White captures the Rook in the current game, his biggest "risk" is in allowing Black chances to draw.

8.Qxh8 Qh4 9.0-0 Again, the Brooklyn Chess Chronicle

He should have attempted to free his piece by P to Q4 [d4] before castling.

My database has three examples of the recommendation, although none were available at the time this game was played: 9.d4 Nf6 ( 9...Bb4+ 10.c3 Qxe4+ 11.Kf1 Qd3+ 12.Ke1 Bg4 13.Qxh7+ Kf8 14.f3 Re8+ 15.Kf2 Qe2+ 16.Kg3 Bf5 17.Bh6+ Nxh6 18.Qxh6+ Ke7 19.cxb4 Qxb2 20.Qg5+ Kd7 21.Nd2 Qxd4 22.Rhe1 Rh8 23.Qe7+ Kc6 24.Rec1+ Kb5 25.a4+ Kxb4 26.Ne4 Rh3+ 27.gxh3 Qh8 28.Nf2 g5 29.Qe1+ Kb3 30.Qe3+ Kb4 31.Qd2+ Kb3 32.Qd5+ Kb4 33.Qb5 checkmate, perrypawnpusher - bakker, FICS, 2007; 9...Qxe4+ 10.Be3 Bxd4 11.Qxh7+ Kf8 12.0-0 b6 13.Bh6+ Ke8 14.Qxg8+ Kd7 15.Qf7+ Kc6 16.Qf3 Qxf3 17.gxf3 Bh3 18.Rd1 Re8 19.c3 Bc5 20.b4 Bxf2+ 21.Kxf2 Re7 22.Nd2 a5 23.a3 Rf7 24.Ne4 Bg4 25.Ng5 Rf6 26.Rd4 Kd7 27.Rxg4 d5 28.Rd1 c5 29.Rxd5+ Kc6 30.Rd8 axb4 31.axb4 cxb4 32.Rc4+ Kb5 33.Rxb4+ Kc5 34.Ne4+ Kc6 35.Nxf6 Kc7 36.Rd7+ Kc6 37.Be3 b5 38.Rd5 g5 39.Rbxb5 Black resigned, mediax - yorkypuddn ChessWorld.com, 2008) 10.Nd2 Bxd4 11.Rf1 Bh3 12.Qxa8 Bxg2 13.Qxb7 Bxf1 14.Qb3+ Ke7 15.Qg3 Qxg3 16.hxg3 Bg2 17.f3 Bh3 Black resigned, dj222 - invincible1,GameKnot.com, 2003

9...Nf6 10.d4

I have not seen a lot of analysis of this move. The earliest entry in my database is from J. du Mont, in his 1942 200 Miniature Games of Chess, where he only notes that 10.d4 Bxd4 11.c3 would lead back to the Blackburne game. Certainly there must be earlier references.

Hindemburg Melao, Jr., in a 2003 internet article about the Amateur - Blackburne game, at superajedrez.com, mentioned that Idel Becker, in his Manual de xadrez (1974), attributed the move 10.d4 to Euwe, although he did not give the source. In any event, the author was dismissive

but in this case Black could simply follow with 10...Bh3 11.gxh3 (11.Qxa8 Qg4 –+ ) 11...Rxh8 12.dxc5 Qxh3 13.f3 g5 14.Rf2 g4 15.Bf4 (15.fxg4 Qxg4+ –+ )15...gxf3 16.Bg3 h5 17.Nd2 h4 18.Nxf3 Qg4 –+ ...

...The best option seems to be 10.Qd8 after 10...Bb6 11.e5 dxe5 12.Qd3 is not clearly how the Black people can be successful. For example 12...Bf5 13.Qb3+ (13.Qg3 Qxg3 14.hxg3 Bxc2µ) 13...Kg7 14.d4 Rd8 15.Nd2 (15.dxe5? Qxf2+! 16.Rxf2 Rd1#) 15...Qxd4 16.c3 (16.Nf3? Qxf2+!) 16...Qc5 with compensation for the material

10...Bxd4 11.Qd8

The game Glameyer - Piske, www.freechess.de, 2006, continued unsuccessfully 11.Be3 Ng4 12.Qxh7+ Qxh7 13.h3 Bxb2 White resigned.

In our game Black has walked by his chance for advantage, allowing White's Queen to both attack c7 and pin the Black Knight. Best for the second player at this point is 11...Bb6, although White's Queen can still be released with 12.e5 dxe5 13.Be3 (or 13.Qd3).

11...Bf5

Quickly losing the thread of the game.

12.Qxc7+ Bd7 13.Qxd6

White has his choice of ways to win now.

13...Bb6 14.e5 Ng4

This only looks dangerous.

15.Qxd7+ Kg8 16.h3 Bxf2+

An attempt to swindle: 17.Rxf2? Qxf2+ 18.Kh1 Qf1 checkmate!

17.Kh1 h5 18.Bf4 Black resigned

A Side Line to Watch

When my opponent unleashed his 7th move in our Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game, the only surprise came later, when I realized that it was the first time the move had been played against me.

It's a side line that all who play the Jerome should be ready for.


perrypawnpusher - ScudRocket
blitz 2 11, FICS, 2009
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Bxf2+

National Master Brian Wall discussed this kind of move, when made by a lower-rated player, in one of his games. I figured my opponent (my strength) was thinking

Only a patzer would try an attack like this! I can disrupt his crazy attack, swap Queens, and then easily wallop someone I could probably give a knight to, not just a pawn...

8.Kxf2 Qf6+

Alternately: 8...Qh4+ 9.g3 Qh6 10.Qxh8 Qg5 11.Qxh7+ Ke6 12.Qxg8+ Ke5 13.d4+ Kxe4 14.Re1+ Qe3+ 15.Rxe3+ Kxd4 16.c3+ Kc5 17.Qxg6 d6 18.Qe8 a5 19.b4+ axb4 20.cxb4+ Kxb4 21.Re4+ Kc5 22.Be3+ Kd5 23.Nc3# checkmate, annicks - Ribosome, Dos Hermanas Internet, 2002;
8...Nf6 9.d3 (9.Qf4 g5 10.Qf3 g4 11.Qf4 d5 12.e5 Rf8 13.exf6 Kg6 14.Ke1 Qxf6 15.Qxf6+ Rxf6 16.d3 Bd7 17.Nc3 Re8+ 18.Kd1 d4 19.Ne4 Rf5 20.h3 gxh3 21.Rxh3 Rf1+ 22.Ke2 Bxh3 23.Kxf1 Bf5 24.Ng5 c5 25.b3 Black resigned, instantcrow - KingEfraim, ChessWorld.net 2005) 9...Re8 10.Qf4 d6 11.Rf1 Kg7 12.Qh6+ Kg8 13.h3 Bd7 14.Bg5 Re5 15.Kg1 Ng4 16.Bxd8 Nxh6 17.Bxc7 Rc8 18.Bxd6 Rg5 19.Bf4 Rgc5 20.Bxh6 Rxc2 21.Nc3 Black resigned, guest232 - BoardChairman, Internet Chess Club 2002

9.Qxf6+ Nxf6 10.d3
Or: 10.Nc3 b6 11.d3 d6 12.Rf1 Rf8 13.Kg1 Kg7 14.Bg5 Nd7 15.Nd5 Rxf1+ 16.Rxf1 c6 17.Nc7 Rb8 18.Ne6+ Kg8 19.Bh6 Ba6 20.Kf2 Nc5 21.Nxc5 bxc5 22.Ke3 Re8 23.b3 d5 24.Rf4 Bc8 25.Kd2 dxe4 26.Rxe4 Rxe4 27.dxe4 Kf7 28.h3 Kf6 29.Ke3 g5 30.g4 Kg6 31.Bf8 h5 32.Bxc5 a6 Black resigned, blackburne - Bullit52, Chessworld.net 2007.

White is up a solid pawn – and remember, a few moves ago, he was down two pieces.

10...d6

10...d5 11.exd5 Nxd5 12.Rf1 Ke8 13.Bh6 Nf6 14.Bg7 Ng4+ 15.Kg1 Rg8 16.Re1+ Kf7 17.Bd4 Rd8 18.Rf1+ Bf5 19.h3 Rxd4 20.hxg4 Rxg4 21.Nc3 c6 22.Rae1 b5 23.Ne4 Kg7 24.Nd6 Rg5 25.Nxf5+ gxf5 26.Re6 Rg6 27.Re5 Rf8 28.Re7+ Kh8 29.Rxa7 f4 30.Rf3 h5 31.Re7 Rfg8 32.Re2 Rg4 33.Kh2 R8g5 34.c4 Kg7 35.b3 Kf6 36.Re4 Rxg2+ 37.Kh3 R2g3+ 38.Rxg3 Rxg3+ 39.Kh2 Rxd3 40.Rxf4+ Kg5 41.Rf2 Kg4 42.Rg2+ Kf4 43.cxb5 cxb5 44.Kg1 b4 45.Rf2+ Rf3 46.Kg2 Rxf2+ 47.Kxf2 Ke4 48.Ke2 Kd4 49.Kd2 h4 50.Ke2 Kc3 White resigned, mediax - Carlos Azcarate, ChessWorld.net, 2008

11.Rf1 Kg7 12.Bg5

This is still known territory: 12.Kg1 Bd7 13.Nc3 c6 (13...Rhf8 14.h3 (14.Bg5 Nh5 15.Nd5 Rac8 16.Rxf8 Kxf8 17.Rf1+ Kg7 18.Bf6+ Nxf6 19.Nxf6 Bc6 20.Ng4 h5 21.Ne3 Re8 22.Rf4 d5 23.Nxd5 Black resigned, blackburne03 - bobby-pisher, Internet Chess Club, 2003) 14...Nh5 15.Be3 a6 16.Nd5 c6 17.Nb6 Rxf1+ 18.Rxf1 Rd8 19.Bg5 Black resigned, Moller - Pedersen, www.eskak.dk 2008) 14.Bh6+ Kxh6 15.Rxf6 Rhf8 16.Raf1 Rxf6 17.Rxf6 d5 18.Rd6 Black forfeited, guest1824 - guest1255, Internet Chess Club, 2002

12...Ng4+ 13.Kg1 Be6

Both Kings have castled-by-hand, and Black is slightly ahead in development – but not a pawn's worth. Maybe he planned to out-play me here, but it didn't work out that way.

14.h3 Nf6



A mistake: 14...h6 was necessary.
15.Bxf6+ Kh6 16.Bxh8 Rxh8

A Rook is a Rook.

17.Nc3 Rg8 18.Rf6 Bd7 19.Rf7 Rd8 20.Raf1 g5 21.R1f6+ Kh5 22.g4+
I had mate worked out, but 22.Rxh7# was faster.
22...Kh4 23.Rxh7+ Kg3 24.Ne2 checkmate