A Game Shorter Than the Notes

My opponent in the following game was only rated 50 points above me, but I think he quickly went from thinking "this is a silly opening, any response will do" to "maybe I can't spot this guy two pawns, maybe we should start over." So, three cheers for the Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit!

Oh, I had Black in our second game, and lost. Figures.

perrypawnpusher  - FanumFortunae
blitz, 2 12 FICS, 2009

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6

The Semi-Italian Opening.

4.0-0 Bc5 5.Bxf7+

The Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.Qh5+

7...Kf6

Probably a spur-of-the-moment choice. A guy sacs two pawns and then comes out with his Queen against me?

Best was 7...Ke6, although 7...Kf8, 7...Ng6 and 7...g6 are playable.

8.Qf5+ Black resigned

Well, yeah, there's that...

A couple of years ago, an opponent of mine pushed the game a bit further, with a similar result: 8...Ke7 9.Qxe5+ Kf7 10.Qd5+ Kf6 11.e5+ Kg6 12.Qxc5 d6 13.exd6 Qxd6 14.Qxd6+ cxd6 15.Nc3 Bf5 16.d3 Rc8 17.Be3 a6 18.Bd4 Nf6 19.Rae1 Rhe8 20.f3 Kh7 21.Bxf6 gxf6 22.Rxe8 Rxe8 23.Kf2 Kg6 24.Re1 Rc8 25.Re7 Rb8 26.Ne4 Bxe4 27.fxe4 b5 28.Rd7 Rb6 29.c3 b4 30.c4 b3 31.a3 f5 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - bergeruw, blitz FICS, 2007

Out of sight, out of mind

When I was putting together yesterday's Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) post – a long game with analysis and diagrams can take a couple of hours – I noticed that I had referenced a game that was in my database, but had not yet shown up on this blog. Playing through the game, I could understand the oversight: it's another bad game.

I suppose that I can take some comfort in the fact that I scored 2.5 point in those 3 bad games – that almost makes up for the poor play.


perrypawnpusher - episodeninetynine
blitz 10 0, FICS, 2009
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 The Semi-Italian opening.


4.0-0 Bc5 5.Bxf7+ 5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.Qh5+ Ng6
Some of my games have goen otherwise: 7...Ke6 8.Qf5+ Kd6 9.d4 Bxd4 ( 9...Qf6 10.dxe5+ Qxe5 11.Rd1+ ( 11.Bf4 Qxf4 12.Qxf4+ Kc6 13.e5 d5 14.b4 Nf6 15.bxc5 Ne4 16.Qf7 Nxc5 17.Qxg7 Be6; 11.Bf4 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - joejox, FICS 2009) 11...Bd4 12.Qf8+ Ke6 13.Qe8+ Kf6 14.Qf8+ Ke6 15.Qe8+ Kf6 drawn, perrypawnpusher - Joyus, FICS, 2007) 10.Rd1 c5 11.c3 Ne7 12.Qh5 Kc7 13.cxd4 cxd4 14.Qxe5+ d6 15.Qxd4 Nc6 16.Qxg7+ Bd7 17.Bf4 Rg8 18.Qxh6 Qe7 19.Bxd6+ Qxd6 20.Qxd6+ Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - Lakritzl, FICS 2009;

And 7...Kf6 8.Qf5+ Ke7 9.Qxe5+ Kf7 10.Qd5+ Kf6 11.e5+ Kg6 12.Qxc5 d6 13.exd6 Qxd6 14.Qxd6+ cxd6 15.Nc3 Bf5 16.d3 Rc8 17.Be3 a6 18.Bd4 Nf6 19.Rae1 Rhe8 20.f3 Kh7 21.Bxf6 gxf6 22.Rxe8 Rxe8 23.Kf2 Kg6 24.Re1 Rc8 25.Re7 Rb8 26.Ne4 Bxe4 27.fxe4 b5 28.Rd7 Rb6 29.c3 b4 30.c4 b3 31.a3 f5 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - bergeruw, FICS 2007

8.Qd5+

As I've said (see "Ugly"), I continue to play this nudge; few others do. For example: 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qc4+ Be6 10.Qe2 Nf6 11.f4 Re8 12.f5 Bxf5 13.Rxf5 d5 14.e5 Qd7 15.Qh5 c6 16.Nc3 Qc7 17.d4 c5 18.Nxd5 Qd8 19.exf6 gxf6 20.Rxf6+ Qxf6 21.Nxf6 Black resigned, abhailey - cumelen, net-chess, 2008

8...Kf6

Or 8...Kf8 9.Qxc5+ d6 10.Qe3 N8e7 11.d4 Kg8 12.Nc3 Kh7 13.f4 Rf8 14.f5 Nh8 15.g4 Kg8 16.g5 hxg5 17.Qxg5 Nf7 18.Qg3 Nc6 19.f6 g5 20.Bxg5 Nxg5 21.Qxg5+ Kf7 22.Qg7+ Ke6 23.d5+ Ke5 24.Qg3+ Kd4 25.Qd3+ Ke5 26.Qg3+ Kd4 27.Qd3+ Ke5 28.Qg3+ Kd4 29.Qd3+ Ke5 30.Qg3+ Kd4 31.Qd3+ Ke5 32.Qg3+ Kd4 drawn, perrypawnpusher - pascalwilliams, blitz, FICS, 2007;

Or 8...Ke8 9.Qxc5 Qe7 10.Qe3 Nf6 11.Nc3 c6 12.f4 b6 13.f5 Ne5 14.d4 Ba6 15.dxe5 Qxe5 16.Re1 Kf7 17.Qf3 Rhe8 18.Bf4 Qc5+ 19.Be3 Qb5 20.Bd4 Qxb2 21.e5 Nd5 22.e6+ Kg8 23.Qg4 Nxc3 24.Qxg7 checkmate, perrypawnpusher - Cibola, blitz, FICS, 2009

9.Qf5+ Ke7 10.Qxc5+ Ke8 11.f4 d6 12.Qe3

Too much of a reflex action. One subtle difference between the regular Jerome Gambit and the Jerome Gambit coming out of the Semi-Italian opening is that here I had the option of 12.Qh5, pinning and eventually winning the Knight on g6.

That's worth remembering for next time.

12...Qf6 13.f5 Ne5 14.d4 Nc4

Now, where should the Queen go?

15.Qg3

What made sense was 15.Qd3, not this move which drops a pawn.

15...Qxd4+ 16.Kh1 Kd7 17.Nc3 b6

As long as Black is behind in development, White has hope.

18.Bf4 Ba6


This move is consistent, but turns out not to be good. I wish I had realized how not-good it was.

19.Rad1 Qc5


Sometimes there are things going on in a game that neither player recognizes. I was totally unaware that the Black Queen had to go to f6 to stay out of trouble.

20.Qxg7+ Ne7 21.e5

This seemed consistent and good to me, but Rybka later saw it as a blunder, preferring 21.b4 Rag8 22.Qxg8 Nxg8 23.bxc5 bxc5.

21...Rag8 22.e6+ Kc6


On the other hand, Rybka didn't like this move one bit, either, preferring 22...Kd8.

Offsetting blunders, and White is now better.

23.Qxe7 Re8 24Qd7+Kb7 24.b3

Ah, the irony: Rybka shows how "simple" the position actually was – 25.Rd5 Qc6 26.b4 Na3 ( 26...Qxd7 27.exd7 Rd8 28.b5) 27.b5 Nxb5 28.Nxb5 Qxd7 29.exd7 Re7 30.f6 Rxd7 31.Bxh6 Rf7 32.Bg7... I think I'll leave the computer out of the discussion for a while.

25...Nd2 26.Bxd2 Bxf1 27.Rxf1 Qd4

28.f6 Rhf8

In the face of the advancing pawns, Black's play is deteriorating.

29.Nb5 Qxd2 30.Qxc7+ Ka6 31.Qxa7+ Kxb5 32.Qd7+


Overlooking the mate (that I paid two good pieces for!) with 32.Qa4+ Kc5 33.Qc4.

Well, I'm down a Rook now, but those advanced pawns have to count for something.

32...Ka6 33.e7 Qe2 34.Rg1

34...Rxf6 35.Qxe8 Rf1

Threatening mate-in-2, but it is Black's last hurrah...

36.Qa8+ Kb5 37.e8Q+ Qxe8 38.Qxe8+ Kb4 39.Rxf1 Black resigned

Get back on the horse...

If you fall off of a horse, you're supposed to get right back on it, or you'll be too scared to ride again... After my last loss via blunder (see "My Turn Again") I knew I had to saddle up the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) or one of its relatives, and take off at a gallop.

The following game, a Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit, followed a line of play that I was familiar with, but didn't really know, bringing to mind David Freeman's comment that "The more you know, the more you realise how much you don’t know — the less you know, the more you think you know."
perrypawnpusher - Lakritzl
blitz 5 12, FICS, 2009

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6


4.0-0 Bc5 5.Bxf7+ 5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.Qh5+ Ke6
Or 7...Kf6 8.Qf5+ Ke7 9.Qxe5+ Kf7 10.Qd5+ Kf6 11.e5+ Kg6 12.Qxc5 d6 13.exd6 Qxd6 14.Qxd6+ cxd6 15.Nc3 Bf5 16.d3 Rc8 17.Be3 a6 18.Bd4 Nf6 19.Rae1 Rhe8 20.f3 Kh7 21.Bxf6 gxf6 22.Rxe8 Rxe8 23.Kf2 Kg6 24.Re1 Rc8 25.Re7 Rb8 26.Ne4 Bxe4 27.fxe4 b5 28.Rd7 Rb6 29.c3 b4 30.c4 b3 31.a3 f5 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - bergeruw, blitz, FICS, 2007 ;

Or 7...Ng6 8.Qd5+ Kf8 ( 8...Ke8 9.Qxc5 Qe7 10.Qe3 Nf6 11.Nc3 c6 12.f4 b6 13.f5 Ne5 14.d4 Ba6 15.dxe5 Qxe5 16.Re1 Kf7 17.Qf3 Rhe8 18.Bf4 Qc5+ 19.Be3 Qb5 20.Bd4 Qxb2 21.e5 Nd5 22.e6+ Kg8 23.Qg4 Nxc3 24.Qxg7 checkmate, perrypawnpusher - Cibola, blitz, FICS, 2009) 9.Qxc5+ d6 10.Qe3 N8e7 11.d4 Kg8 12.Nc3 Kh7 13.f4 Rf8 14.f5 Nh8 15.g4 Kg8 16.g5 hxg5 17.Qxg5 Nf7 18.Qg3 Nc6 19.f6 g5 20.Bxg5 Nxg5 21.Qxg5+ Kf7 22.Qg7+ Ke6 23.d5+ Ke5 24.Qg3+ Kd4 25.Qd3+ Ke5 26.Qg3+ Kd4 27.Qd3+ Ke5 28.Qg3+ Kd4 29.Qd3+ Ke5 30.Qg3+ Kd4 31.Qd3+ Ke5 32.Qg3+ Kd4 drawn, perrypawnpusher - pascalwilliams, blitz, FICS, 2007;

Or 7...g6 8.Qxe5 Nf6 9.Qxc5 d6 10.Qe3 Ng4 ( 10...Qe8 11.Nc3 c6 12.d3 Be6 13.f4 Ke7 14.f5 gxf5 15.exf5 Kd7 16.Qxe6+ Qxe6 17.fxe6+ Kxe6 18.Bd2 Kd7 19.Rxf6 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - wadada, blitz, FICS, 2009) 11.Qf4+ Kg7 12.d4 Rf8 13.Qg3 g5 14.Nc3 c5 15.f4 cxd4 16.Ne2 Ne3 17.Bxe3 dxe3 18.Qxe3 gxf4 19.Nxf4 Qg5 20.Nd5 Qxe3+ 21.Nxe3 Be6 22.Nf5+ Bxf5 23.exf5 Rae8 24.Rae1 Rxe1 25.Rxe1 Rxf5 26.Re7+ Kf6 27.Rxb7 Rc5 28.Rxa7 Rxc2 29.Rb7 Rc1+ 30.Kf2 Ke5 31.Rb3 Rc2+ 32.Kf3 d5 33.Re3+ Kf5 34.Re2 Rc4 35.g3 h5 36.b3 Rc5 37.Ke3 Rc3+ 38.Kd4 Rf3 39.Kxd5 Kg4 40.b4 h4 41.gxh4 Kxh4 42.b5 Rd3+ 43.Kc4 Rd7 44.b6 Rb7 45.Kc5 Rxb6 46.Kxb6 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher -islanderchess, blitz, FICS, 2008;

Or 7...Kf8 8.Qxe5 Bd6 9.Qd4 Qh4 10.g3 Qh5 11.Qe3 c6 12.d4 b6 13.e5 Bc7 14.f4 Ne7 15.Nc3 b5 16.Ne4 Bb7 17.Nc5 Bc8 18.f5 d6 19.Ne6+ Kg8 20.Nxc7 Nxf5 21.Qf4 Rb8 22.exd6 Bd7 23.Bd2 Rf8 24.Rae1 Kh7 25.Qe5 Qh3 26.Bf4 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - LethHansen, blitz, FICS, 2009.

8.Qf5+

Rybka 3.0 suggests as better the Queen maneuver 8.Qh3+ Ke7 9.Qc3 d6 10.d4 and after 10...Bxd4 11.Qxd4 Nf6 White does better than in the game, although Black still has the advantage.

I didn't know that.

8...Kd6 9.d4



An alternative: 9.Rd1 Ne7 10.Qh5 g6 11.Qh3 Bd4 12.Qa3+ Bc5 13.b4 Bd4 14.c3 Bxf2+ 15.Kxf2 Rf8+ 16.Ke3 White resigned, prettyhip1 - cubs0_0, GameKnot, 2007.

9...Bxd4

A tougher defensive idea is 9...Qf6 10.dxe5+ Qxe5 11.Rd1+ ( 11.Bf4 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - joejox, blitz, FICS, 2009) 11...Bd4 12.Qf8+ Ke6 13.Qe8+ Kf6 14.Qf8+ Ke6 15.Qe8+ Kf6 1/2-1/2 perrypawnpusher - Joyus, blitz, FICS, 2007.

10.Rd1 c5

Black does better with 10...Qf6 11.Rxd4+ Ke7; but, make no mistake, even with the text he has the advantage.

11.c3 Ne7 12.Qh5

Or 12.Qh3 Qb6 13.cxd4 cxd4 14.Qa3+ Ke6 15.f4 N5c6 16.f5+ Kf7 17.Nd2 Re8 18.Nc4 Qc7 19.Nd6+ Kf8 20.Nxe8 Kxe8 21.Qf3 Ne5 22.Qg3 Kf8 23.Bf4 d6 24.Rac1 Qa5 25.f6 N7g6 26.Bxe5 Qxe5 27.Qxg6 Be6 28.Qxg7+ Ke8 29.Qe7 checkmate, joev6225 - liverpool, GameKnot, 2006.

Now Black can continue his defense with 12...Qe8, but decides to give back one piece, and instead gives back two.

13.cxd4 cxd4 14.Qxe5+ d6 

White is now better, and Black's game goes to pieces.

15.Qxd4 Nc6 16.Qxg7+ Bd7 17.Bf4 Rg8 18.Qxh6 Qe7 19.Bxd6+ Qxd6 20.Qxd6+ Black resigned 1-0



Graphic by Jeff Bucchino, "The Wizard of Draws"

Take the advantage and run...

Sometimes the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) leads to messy positions. In those situations, it's better to have more material and more time; but it's equally important to have an idea what to do and what not to do.
perrypawnpusher - LethHansen
blitz game 3 12 FICS, 2009

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6
The Semi-Italian game.

4.0-0 Bc5 5.Bxf7+ 5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.Qh5+ Kf8 New to me. I have seen 4 other moves: 7...Kf6 (Bergeruw), 7...Ng6 (pascalwilliams, cibola), 7...Ke6 (Joyus, joejox), and 7...g6 (Islanderchess, wadada).

8.Qxe5 Bd6

A new kind of counter attack. I like it.

9.Qd4 Qh4 10.g3

A nervous move, since the thematic 10.f4 was ok, i.e. 10...Bxf4 11.g3.

10...Qh5 11.Qe3 c6
Black has the advantage of a piece for two pawns. He needs to develop quickly and safeguard his pawn. If White is to have a chance, he needs to develope even quicker.
12.d4 b6 13.e5 Bc7 14.f4

This pawn play is all very Jerome-ish, but Rybka 3, after the game, suggested instead 14.b3 followed by 15.Ba3 with more attention to the Black King.

14...Ne7 15.Nc3 b5

Probably 15...d5 was better, although that would give White an advanced, protected passed pawn.

16.Ne4 Bb7 17.Nc5 Bc8 18.f5 d6 19.Ne6+ Kg8


Black has a defense, but it begins with 19...Bxe6. This oversight swings the game towards White.

20.Nxc7 Nxf5 21.Qf4 Rb8 22.exd6 Bd7


23.Bd2 Rf8 24.Rae1 Kh7

The clocks are ticking. LethHansen is untangling. I'm hoping not to blunder.

25.Qe5 Qh3 26.Bf4 Black lost on time.

graphic by Jeff Bucchino, "The Wizard of Draws"

Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit

I have a habit of giving the "Jerome Gambit treatment" to related openings, if I think I can get away with it (see "Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit" and "Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit 2").


Take the "semi-Italian" opening, as referred to by Euwe, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6, and played at times by GM Pavel Blatny (and many nervous club players who fear Nf3-g5).

perrypawnpusher - bergeruw
blitz game FICS, 2007
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6


4.0-0

One early morning on FICS I was in such a hurry to Jerome-ize this opening that I fired off 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Qf5+ Ke7 8.Qxe5+ Kf7 only to realize (of course) that there was no enemy Bishop on c5 to pick up! So I had to weasel my way out: 9.Qd5+ Ke8 10.0-0 c6 11.Qd4 c5 12.Qc3 d6 13.f4 Be7 14.d4 b5 15.dxc5 dxc5 16.Qxg7 Bf6 17.Qg6+ Ke7 18.Nc3 Bb7 19.e5 Qd4+ 20.Kh1 Bh4 21.Qg7+ Ke8 22.Qxh8 Kf7 23.Qh7+ Kf8 24.Qf5+ Bf6 25.exf6 Nxf6 26.Nxb5 Be4 27.Nxd4 Black resigns, perrypawnpusher - marapr, FICS, 2007

4...Bc5 5.Bxf7+

I think that adding 0-0 to the regular Jerome Gambit line is more helpful to White than adding ...h6 is to Black. In any case, the game is no longer the quiet affair hoped for by the second player.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.Qh5+ Kf6

Black moved his King, instead, to e6 in a humorous gamelet of mine, where both sides were plagued by nerves from the onset, and I foolishly forced a draw in a won position: 7...Ke6 8.Qf5+ Kd6 9.d4 Qf6 10.dxe5+ Qxe5 11.Rd1+ Bd4 12.Qf8+ Ke6 13.Qe8+ Kf6 14.Qf8+ Ke6 15.Qe8+ Kf6 Game drawn by mutual agreement.. perrypawnpusher - Joyus, blitz game, FICS, 2007

Black can, as an alternative, block the check: 7...Ng6 8.Qd5+ ( 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qc4+ Be6 10.Qe2 Nf6 11.f4 Re8 12.f5 Bxf5 13.Rxf5 d5 14.e5 Qd7 15.Qh5 c6 16.Nc3 Qc7 17.d4 c5 18.Nxd5 Qd8 19.exf6 gxf6 20.Rxf6+ Qxf6 21.Nxf6 Black lost on time in a busted position, abhailey - cumelen, net-chess.com 2008) 8...Kf8 9.Qxc5+ d6 10.Qe3 N8e7 11.d4 Kg8 12.Nc3 Kh7 13.f4 Rf8 14.f5 Nh8 15.g4 Kg8 16.g5 hxg5 17.Qxg5 Nf7 18.Qg3 Nc6 19.f6 g5 20.Bxg5 Nxg5 21.Qxg5+ Kf7 22.Qg7+ Ke6 23.d5+ Ke5 24.Qg3+ Kd4 25.Qd3+ Ke5 26.Qg3+ Kd4 27.Qd3+ Ke5 28.Qg3+ Kd4 29.Qd3+ Ke5 30.Qg3+ Kd4 31.Qd3+ Ke5 32.Qg3+ Kd4 in time trouble, with a winning position, I forced the draw, perrypawnpusher - pascalwilliams, blitz game, FICS 2007

8.Qf5+ Ke7 9.Qxe5+ Kf7 10.Qd5+ Kf6


11.e5+ Kg6 12.Qxc5 d6 13.exd6 Qxd6 14.Qxd6+ cxd6



Black is simply two pawns down, and his King's increased activity is not sufficient compensation.
15.Nc3 Bf5 16.d3 Rc8 17.Be3 a6 18.Bd4 Nf6 19.Rae1 Rhe8 20.f3 Kh7 21.Bxf6 gxf6 22.Rxe8 Rxe8 23.Kf2 Kg6 24.Re1 Rc8

A further ten moves has not improved Black's lot.

25.Re7 Rb8 26.Ne4 Bxe4 27.fxe4 b5 28.Rd7 Rb6 29.c3 b4 30.c4 b3 31.a3 f5 Black resigns