Victory From the Jaws of Defeat

The following game gave me a good laugh. I've included a lot of sidelines, and some decent earlier games (available from The Database). Black (rated almost 400 points higher) plays just fine - until he takes his eye off the ball for one second. That is enough for White to grasp victory from the jaws of defeat.

Philidor1792 - abarmard765
lichess.org, 2014

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qg3 Nf6 9.d3 Be6 

Or 9...Nh5 10.Qf3+ Qf6 11.Nd2 a)11.Qxh5? Qxf2+ 12.Kd1 Qxg2 13.Re1 (a)13.Qh4 Qxh1+ 14.Kd2 Qg2+ 15.Kc3 Qg1 16.Qf4+ Ke8 17.Nd2 Qd4+ 18.Kb3 Qb4 checkmate, chessmanjeff - Gardenz, FICS, 2012) 13...Bg4+ 14.Qxg4 Qxg4+ 15.Kd2 Qf4+ 16.Kc3 Qxh2 17.Bd2 Qe5+ 18.Kb3 a5 19.a4 Bd4 20.Nc3 g6 21.Rf1+ Kg7 22.Rf3 Rhf8 23.Raf1 Rxf3 24.Rxf3 Bxc3 25.Bxc3 Qxc3+ 26.Kxc3 Rf8 27.Rg3 h5 28.b3 Kh6 29.Kd2 g5 30.Ke3 h4 31.Rg1 h3 32.d4 Kh5 33.e5 dxe5 34.dxe5 g4 35.Ke4 h2 36.Rg2 h1B 37.Kd4 Kg5 38.Rg3 b6 39.c4 Rf4+ 40.Ke3 Rf3+ 41.Rxf3 Bxf3 42.e6 Bc6 43.e7 g3 44.e8Q Bxe8 45.Kf3 Kh4 White resigned ZahariSokolov - Jiracek, FICS, 2014; b)11.Qxf6+ Nxf6 12.h3 (b)12.Nc3 c6 13.Na4 Bb4+ 14.Bd2 Bxd2+ 15.Kxd2 Be6 16.f4 b5 17.Nc3 Ke7 18.Rhe1 b4 19.Ne2 c5 20.c4 a5 21.h3 Rhf8 22.a3 b3 23.Rf1 g6 24.Rae1 Nd7 25.g4 Bg8 26.g5 Bf7 27.Kc3 Rab8 28.h4 Nb6 29.Kd2 Kd7 30.Rf2 Be6 31.Ng3 Na4 32.f5 Bxc4 33.dxc4 Nxb2 34.Kc3 Na4+ 35.Kd2 b2 36.Kc2 Nb6 37.Kxb2 Nxc4+ 38.Ka2 a4 39.Rc2 Nxa3 40.Kxa3 Rb3+ 41.Ka2 Rxg3 42.f6 Re8 43.e5 dxe5 44.Rxc5 Kd6 45.Rc4 Rg2+ 46.Ka1 a3 47.Ra4 Rf2 48.Rd1+ Kc5 49.Ra7 h5 50.Re7 Ra8 51.Rxe5+ Kc6 52.Red5 Ra4 53.Rd6+ Kb7 54.R6d4 Rxd4 55.Rxd4 Kc6 56.Rd3 a2 57.Rd8 Kc5 58.Rb8 Kd5 59.Rb6 Ke5 60.Ra6 Kd5 61.Rxa2 Rf1+ 62.Kb2 Rf2+ 63.Kb3 Rf3+ 64.Kb4 Rf4+ 65.Kb5 Kd6 66.Ra6+ Kd7 67.Kc5 Rxh4 68.Ra7+ Ke8 69.Rg7 Rg4 70.Rxg6 Rg1 71.Rg8+ Kf7 72.Rg7+ Ke8 73.g6 Kf8 74.Kd5 h4 75.Ra7 Rxg6 76.Ke6 Kg8 77.Ke7 Kh7 78.f7 Rg7 79.Kf6 Rg6+ 80.Kf5 Black resigned,  destinyx - belgje, GameKnot.com, 2004) 12...d5 13.e5 Nd7 14.f4 Kf7 15.Nc3 Nb6 16.a4 a5 17.Nb5 c6 18.Nc3 Bb4 19.Bd2 Rf8 20.g4 Kg8 21.f5 Nd7 22.e6 Nf6 23.0-0-0 d4 24.Ne4 Nxe4 25.dxe4 Bd6 26.Rde1 Be5 27.g5 b6 28.Rhf1 Ba6 29.Rf3 Bc4 30.c3 c5 31.e7 Rf7 32.f6 gxf6 33.Rg1 Rg7 34.Rg4 fxg5 35.Rf5 Bd6 36.Bxg5 dxc3 37.bxc3 Re8 38.e5 Be6 39.Rf6 Bxe7 40.Rg3 Bxf6 41.exf6 Rg6 42.h4 h6 43.Bf4 Rxg3 44.Bxg3 h5 45.Bc7 c4 46.Bxb6 Ra8 47.Kd2 Kf7 48.Bd4 Bd7 49.Ke3 Bxa4 White resigned, raes - belgje, GameKnot.com, 2004; c)11.Be3?! Qxf3 12.gxf3 Be6 13.Bxc5 dxc5 14.Nc3 Nf4 15.Ne2 Nxe2 16.Kxe2 Ke7 17.f4 g6 18.h4 Rad8 19.h5 Bg4+ White resigned, obviously - belgje, GameKnot.com, 2004; 11...g6 (11...Be6? 12.Qxh5 Qxf2+ 13.Kd1 Qxg2 14.Qf3+ Qxf3+ 15.Nxf3 Bg4 16.Ke2 Ke7 17.Bg5+ Kd7 18.Raf1 Bxf3+ 19.Rxf3 Rhf8 20.Rhf1 Rxf3 21.Rxf3 Rg8 22.c3 h6 23.Bh4 g5 24.Bg3 a6 25.Rf7+ Kc8 26.d4 Ba7 27.Rh7 h5 28.Rxh5 g4 29.Ke3 Black resigned, lamacuk -tomwhufc, GameKnot.com, 2007) 12.0-0 Kg7 13.Qxf6+ Nxf6 14.c3 Bg4 15.d4 Bb6 16.f3 Bd7 17.Nc4 h6 18.Re1 Rhe8 19.Kf2 d5 20.Nxb6 axb6 21.e5 Nh7 22.Be3 Nf8 23.g4 Ne6 24.Kg3 g5 25.h4 Rf8 26.Rh1 Bb5 27.Rh2 Rf7 28.Rah1 Raf8 29.Rf2 Bd3 30.hxg5 Nxg5 31.Bxg5 hxg5 32.Re1 Re8 33.Rh2 Bg6 34.a3 Rf4 35.e6 Re7 36.Re5 Kf6 37.Rhe2 c6 38.a4 Re8 39.Re1 Rh8 40.e7 Re8 41.b4 Bc2 42.a5 bxa5 43.bxa5 Bd3 44.Rd1 Bc2 45.Rc1 Ba4 46.Rce1 Bb5 47.Re6+ Kf7 48.R6e5 Kf6 drawn, Philidor1792 - Dayana2006, Chess.com 2015. 

10.c3 Bb6 

Or 10...Qd7 11.Be3 Kf7 12.0-0 Rhf8 13.f4 Bg4 14.Nd2 Bh5 15.d4 Bb6 16.e5 Nd5 17.Ne4 Bg6 18.Ng5+ Kg8 19.Bd2 a6 20.Rae1 dxe5 21.fxe5 c5 22.e6 Qe7 23.Nf3 Bf5 24.Bg5 Qc7 25.e7 Qxg3 26.hxg3 Rfe8 27.Nh4 Bd3 28.Rf3 Black forfeited on time. naffets - pckong, FICS, 2008. 

11.Be3 Bxe3 12.Qxe3 Qd7 13.0-0 Ke7 14.f4 Rhf8 15.f5 Bf7 16.Nd2 Bh5 17.Rae1 Kf7 18.d4 Rae8

19.e5 dxe5 20.dxe5 Qc6 

White has temporarily equalized, as 21.Qg3 would show.

21.Qg5 Qc5+ 22.Kh1 Rxe5 23.Nb3 Qe7 24.Rxe5 Qxe5 25.Nd4 Re8 26.Ne6 Kg8 27.Qxg7 checkmate

In the Balance

In the following game Philidor1792 takes on a higher-rated player, side-steps some historical pitfalls, and shows that an advanced "Jerome pawn" is the match for Black's extra piece.

Philidor1792 - Dayana2006
Russia Central Federal District vs Flyi, Chess.com, 2015

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 

This defense is as old as Alonzo Wheeler Jerome's analysis in the March 1875 issue of the Dubuque Chess Journal, and appeared in a game as early as Jaeger - Jerome, correspondence, 1880, (0-1, 40).

7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qg3 Nf6 9.d3 Nh5 10.Qf3+ Qf6 11.Nd2 

Practice shows the error of 11.Qxh5?: chessmanjeff - Gardenz, FICS, 2012 (0-1, 18) and ZahariSokolov - Jiracek, FICS, 2014 (0-1, 45).

Also not recommended is 11.Be3?! Qxf3 12.gxf3 as in obviously - belgje, GameKnot.com, 2004 (0-1, 19).

White has done better with 11.Qxf6+, e.g. destinyx - belgje, GameKnot.com, 2004 (1-0, 80) and  raes - belgje, GameKnot.com, 2004 (0-1, 49).

11...g6

Black should not temporize with 11...Be6?, as then the capture of the Knight 12.Qxh5 is playable, i.e. 12...Qxf2+ 13.Kd1 Qxg2 14.Qf3+ Qxf3+ 15.Nxf3 as in lamacuk - tomwhufc, GameKnot.com, 2007 (1-0, 29).

12.0-0 Kg7 13.Qxf6+ Nxf6

Philidor1792 has been comfortable taking the two extra pawns vs Black's extra piece in blitz games, where strategy is sometimes no deeper than "push the 'Jerome pawns' ". Here he works just as effectively at a slower time limit.

14.c3 Bg4 15.d4 Bb6 16.f3 Bd7 17.Nc4 h6 18.Re1 Rhe8 19.Kf2 d5 20.Nxb6 axb6 21.e5 Nh7 

22.Be3 Nf8 23.g4 Ne6 24.Kg3 g5 25.h4 Rf8 26.Rh1 Bb5 27.Rh2 Rf7 28.Rah1 Raf8 

29.Rf2 Bd3 30.hxg5 Nxg5 31.Bxg5 hxg5 32.Re1 Re8 33.Rh2 Bg6 34.a3 Rf4 35.e6 Re7 

36.Re5 Kf6 37.Rhe2 c6 38.a4 Re8 39.Re1 Rh8 40.e7 Re8 41.b4 Bc2 42.a5 bxa5 43.bxa5 Bd3 44.Rd1 Bc2 45.Rc1 Ba4 46.Rce1 Bb5 47.Re6+ Kf7 48.R6e5 Kf6 Drawn

In light of the coming repetition of position, the players agreed to split the point.

Lazy, lazy, lazy

I ran across the following game the other day, one that I played last year, that I had not presented on this blog.

No, it is not because I lost the game that it had slipped my mind. It is because how I won the game.

perrypawnpusher - maxmi
blitz, FICS, 2010

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8

7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qg3

In an earlier game my opponent faced 8.Qf4+ Nf6 9.d3 Kg8 10.Be3 Bxe3 11.Qxe3 Bd7 12.Nd2 b5 13.d4 Qf8 14.0-0-0 Re8 15.f3 d5 16.e5 Nh5 17.Qb3 c6 18.Qa3 Ra8 19.Rhf1 Nf4 20.Rf2 Be8 21.h3 Bg6 22.Qa6 h5 23.Qxc6 Rc8 24.Qxd5+ Kh7 25.Qxb5 Qf5 26.Ne4 Qd7 27.Qxd7 Black resigned, piratebopper - maxmi, FICS, 2010.

8...Nf6 9.d3 Nh5

Played in a trio of internet games by belgje a number of years ago -- destinyx - belgje, GameKnot.com, 2004 (1-0, 80); obviously - belgje, GameKnot.com, 2004 (0-1, 19); and raes - belgje, GameKnot.com, 2004 (0-1,49) – and more recently against a Jerome Gambit Gemeinde member, Petasluk - brittaundvolker, blitz, FICS, 2009 (1-0, 32).

10.Qf3+ Ke8

Reflex.

11.Qxh5+ g6 12.Qg5

Two pawns up, my brain dropped into L for Lazy: Why think when you can just push pieces? This is a habit that has hurt me in the past, so it is actually painful to see it be successful in this game.

12...Qxg5 13.Bxg5 Rf8 14.0-0 h6

This does not help, giving a free pawn. From now on I play almost on auto-pilot.

15.Bxh6 Rf7 16.Nc3 c6 17.Be3 a5 18.Bxc5 dxc5

19.f4 b5 20.Rae1 b4 21.Nd1 Bd7 22.Ne3 Ke7 23.Nc4 a4 24.Ne5 Rh7 25.Nxd7 Kxd7

Anyone still awake out there?

26.f5 gxf5 27.Rxf5 Rah8 28.h3 Kd6 29.Ref1 c4 30.d4 Re7 31.Rf6+ Kd7 32.Rf7 Rh4 33.Rxe7+ Kxe7 34.Re1 Kd6

35.c3 c5 36.dxc5+ Kxc5 37.e5 Kd5 38.cxb4 Re4

Unwittingly or wittingly bringing the game to a close.

39.Rxe4 Kxe4 40.e6 Ke5 41.e7 Ke6 42.e8Q+ Black resigned