Although the attack in my most recent Jerome Gambit game was unsound, it succeeded in winning back the sacrificed piece, reaching a drawn 2Rs + Ps vs 2Rs + Ps endgame. Alas, I let up my focus too soon, and my opponent's tactic won a rook, and the game. perrypawnpusher - spince blitz, FICS, 2014
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 An earlier game against the same opponent continued 3...Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Kf8,perrypawnpusher - spince, blitz, FICS, 2013 (1-0, 23). 4.Nc3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+
The Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit. 5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 Bxd4 8.Qxd4 Re8
This kind of thing always seems to work for Bill Wall. 20...Qf8 21.Kh1 Qg7 22.Rg1 Kf8 23.Qg3Ke7 24.Nd5+ Kd8 25.Qf4 c6 26.Nc3 Kc7 27.h4 Rg8 28.Re3 Qf8
Black could have played 28...Nxg4, but he had already decided on his defense. 29.Reg3 Qe7 30.g5 fxg5 31.hxg5 d5 32.exd5 Bxd5+ 33.Nxd5+ Rxd5 34.Re3
Instead, c2-c4, either here or the next move, would give White the advantage. 34...Kc8 35.Rge1 Qxg5 36.Qxg5 Rxg5 37.Rxe5 Rd4 38.R1e2
This move is okay, but 38.Re8+ Kc7 39.Re7+ Kb6 40.Rxh7 Rxf5 41.Ree7 would have made the draw clear. 38...Rh5+ 39.Rh2
A blunder, which my opponent quickly spotted. Even was 39.Kg2. 39...Rd1+ 40.Kg2 Rd2+ 41.Kg3 Rdxh2 White resigned
(The list of the top 10 home countries of visitors to this blog, for all time, is: United States, Russia, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Brazil, Canada, Poland, Netherlands, Ukraine. Welcome, and feel free to return! - Rick)
We continue (see the earlier "Opening Report" parts 1, 2, and 3) to uses ChessBase's Opening Report function to take a look at the games in The Database. As a reminder, the Report gathers what lines are being played, and what lines are being used by the top players in the database. It gives a good "real life" view of the play of the Jerome Gambit, even if it does not always identify the objectively best move or line.
After a long break, during which one player used up many "vacation" days, very little happened at the otherwise rather exciting Chess.com "Play the Jerome Gambit Quad."
Now, there has suddenly been some "action" – two games won on time, not surprisingly.
The current standings, with one game left to conclude
Following "Checking Back", it is time to use a recent Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit game to look at one of its more exciting variations.
pigsfeet - jantonacci blitz, FICS, 2011
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4
The Blackburne Shilling Gambit.
4.Bxf7+
The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke66.c3 Kxe5 7.cxd4+ Kxd4
Black's King has gone far afield to grab extra material. Why did he do that? Some chess players see the board as an all-you-can-eat buffet, and chow down on everything. Others might compare development, White vs Black, and as the first player has no pieces developed compared to the second player's one (the King) what appears to be the problem?
Best for Black seems to be 8...Kc5 with only a slight disadvantage.
9.Nc3
Playable also is 9.Kf1!? or 9.Ke2!? although the text is natural and even allows Black further gluttony, if he wishes.
9...d5
"Luft!" says the Queen.
Also played has been 9...Bxc3+ 10.bxc3+ when taking the c-pawn is fatal after 10...Kxc3 11.Qb3+ (The Database does not have any examples, but Edisce - nkm, FICS, 2005 came close with 11.0-0 Qf6 12.Be3 Kb4 13.Rb1+ Ka5 14.Qb3 c5 15.Qa3 checkmate).
Again, a very reasonable move, although White may try to weave a mating net by putting his Queen on b3 and his Bishop on f4. Black might give up his Bishop to buy White off.
10...Ke5 11.Qh5+
The Queen must commit herself, as the enemy monarch is making his escape.
11...Kf6
Rybka 3 recommends 11...Kd6, when, if Black can survive the scary, pawnful middlegame, he can then take a few swipes at White and enter an endgame, down a pawn and the exchange: 12.Qxd5+ Ke7 13.Qg5+ Nf6 14.Qxg7+ Ke6 15.f4 Rg8 16.f5+ Kd6 17.Qf7 Bxc3+ 18.bxc3 b6 19.Bd4 Kc6 20.Qc4+ Kb7 21.Bxf6 Qxf6 22.Qxg8 Qxc3+ 23.Ke2 Qc2+ 24.Ke3 Qc5+ 25.Kf3 Bxf5 26.Qc4 Qxc4 27.dxc4 Be6.
analysis diagram
In the game, Black gives up his Queen, and then his King.
Except for a few slips, my opponent consistently outplayed me in the following game, which is especially notable given that he used up much of his initial 2 minutes quickly and played the large majority of his remaining moves on each 12-second increment.
Just when he reached a "won" endgame, he offered me a draw. Was he simply tired from playing so long on the knife's edge of time? Or had he seen what was to come, but in a sporting way rewarded my resistance with a half-point? perrypawnpusher - dogofthesouth blitz 2 12, FICS, 2010
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8
7.Qxe5 Bd6
This move is better than it looks at first glance, and forces White's Queen to abandon the center or abandon the board.
I was not happy exchanging Queens, but sometimes it has to happen. I continued to play confidently and quickly, and a moment of uncertainty on behalf of my opponent (plus his use of time) was my reward.
Black's last move (instead of 18...c5, blocking the a3-f8 diagonal) is part of his plan to put pressure on g2, but proves to be inaccurate and allows White to pull even.
Black is up the exchange for a pawn (soon two), but with the proper follow-up White can now develop winning chances.
24.Re6+
This is not the right way, however. After 24.Bxd6, White's Rook can threaten Black's pawns at b7 and g7 (especially after Be5). When one of them falls, three pawns would be great compensation for the exchange.
24...Kf5 25.Rxd6 Rad8 26.Rxd8 Rxd8
Over the next 30 moves White's compensation falls, like autumn leaves from a tree. My opponent's play is not always the most accurate, but, given his time constraints, he did well; and certainly better than I did
White had a clearer chance to play for the draw here with 47.Kf6: 47...Kxa3 48.Ke7 Kb3 49.Kd7 a3 50.Bb6 Rg8 51.c8/Q Rxc8 52.Kxc8 a2 53.Bd4 Kc4! Black can now run his King over to attack White's h-pawn, causing the Bishop to protect it; play ...a2-a1/Q, forcing the Bishop to capture the Queen and un-protect the h-pawn; and capture the h-pawn; but the Bishop will stop the final Black pawn from Queening.
I was thinking, instead, that getting another Black pawn off of the board was the key to my survival. It might have been, but not the way that I played it.
47...Rxc7 48.Kxh5 Kc4
It is possible that 48...Rb7 is stronger, as it implements the threat of capturing White's Bishop and thus freeing Black's a-pawn to advance and Queen. White would have to try something like 49.Bf8. I am not sure how much more Black could achieve by chasing the Bishop here and there.
49.Kg6 Kd5 50.h5 Rc6+ 51.Kg5 Ke6
White must now play 52.Kg6 to keep Black's King away from the h-pawn and maintain drawing chances.
52.h6 Kf7 53.Kh5 Kg8 54.Be7 Kh7
Now the h-pawn is doomed, and with it, quite probably, my game.
At this point my opponent offered a Draw, and with a sense of relief I accepted.
The question in my mind was "Didn't Black have a win after 59...Rxh6"?
It turns out that the people who have created Rybka have a website (http://chessok.com/?page_id=361) where there is a 6-man Nalimov Endgame Tablebase which gives the answer: after 59...Rxh6 Black would have a mate in at most 48 more moves: 60.Kf5 Rh5+ 61.Ke4 Rh4+ 62.Kd3 Rg4 63.Bc5 Kg8 64.Bd6 Kf7 65.Bb4 Rh4 66.Bc5 Ke6 67.Bf8 Rh8 68.Bc5 Kd5 69.Bb4 Rh3+ 70.Kc2 Rg3 71.Be7 Rf3 72.Bb4 Kc4 73.Bd6 Rf2+ 74.Kb1 Kb3 75.Kc1 Rc2+ 76.Kd1 Rc8 77.Be7 Re8 78.Bb4 Kb2 79.Bc5 Rd8+ 80.Ke2 Kb3 81.Ke3 Rc8 82.Bb4 Rb8 83.Bc5 Kc4 84.Bd6 Re8+ 85.Kf2 Re6 86.Bb4 Rb6 87.Be7 Rb7 88.Bd6 Kd5 89.Bf4 Rb3 90.Bc1 Rc3 91.Bg5 Rxa3 92.Be7 Rd3 93.Bf6 a3 94.Ba1 Rd1 95.Bc3 Kc4 96.Bf6 a2 97.Ke3 Rd3+ 98.Ke4 Rc3 99.Bg7 a1Q 100.Bxc3 Qxc3 101.Kf5 Qd4 102.Kg6 Qe5 103.Kh7 Qg3 104.Kh8 Kd5 105.Kh7 Ke6 106.Kh8 Kf7 107.Kh7 Qh4#
Whew! That line is very complicated and possibly not worth the effort finding in a casual blitz game. In all fairness, though, White would be more likely to err and lose while Black would be risking very little.
This game features a battle between a counter-gambit and a gambit response, in lines where frequently one side relies on the advantage of surprise to take its point.
What happens when neither player surprises the other?
perrypawnpusher - RVLY
blitz, FICS, 2010
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4
The Blackburne Shilling Gambit. Some defenders play it because they hope that it will confuse their opponent. Others play it because they know that it will confuse their opponent.
4.Bxf7+
Me? I like to Jerome-ize the opening, offering my own gambit and my own surprise.
RVLY responded quickly to this move, however, so I wasn't too surprised to learn after the game that he has played against it before: he has 35 games with this line in the updated New Year's Database, (not counting this one).
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Kf6
At this point I began to suspect that someone had been reading this blog... specifically the recent "BSG: Later on in the Discussion" where I mentioned that this rare choice led to an even game. Of course, I did not know at the time that RVLY had played this move in 9 previous games. (Me? None.)
6.c3
I had recommended the retreat 6.Nf3 in the above post, but here I decided instead to offer a transposition to the 5...Ke6 line – which I later learned RVLY had also played, over a dozen times. (Me, five times.)
6...Kxe5 7.cxd4+ Kxd4
I was happy to reach this position, as White has good attacking chances for his sacrificed piece.
Safer was not taking the d-pawn, but preparing a retreat with 7...Ke6 as in richiehill - RVLY, FICS, 2009: 8.Nc3 c6 9.e5 Ne7 10.d3 Kf7 11.Qf3+ Kg8 12.0-0 d5 13.exd6 Qxd6 14.Re1 Qf6 15.Qg3 Qxd4 16.Be3 Qf6 17.Rad1 Nf5 18.Qc7 Qf7 19.Qa5 Nxe3 20.Rxe3 b6 21.Qe5 Bb7 22.Rf3 Qe7 23.Qd4 Qd6?? 24.Qc4+ Black resigned.
8.d3
Best.
White got away with 8.Qh5 c6 9.d3 d5 10.Be3+ Kxd3 11.Qe2+ Kxe4 12.Bg5+ Black resigned in kocanda - RVLY, FICS, 2008.
This move is designed to keep White's Queen off of h5 (see richiehill - RVLY, FICS, 2009, above). The value of this is seen in a game where Black chose to evacuate his King first: 8...Ke5 9.Qh5+ Ke6 10.Qf5+ Ke7 11.Bg5+ Nf6 12.e5 Ke8 13.exf6 Kf7 14.fxg7+ Kxg7 15.Bxd8 Kg8 16.Bf6 Bg7 17.Qg5 Kf7 18.Qxg7+ Ke6 19.Qxh8 b6 20.0-0 Bb7 21.Re1+ Kd6 22.Be5+ Kc6 23.Qf6+ d6 24.Na3 Re8 25.Rac1+ Kd7 26.Qf5+ Kd8 27.Bf6+ Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - PunisherABD, blitz, FICS, 2009.
After Black's move there are still ways to attack his King – I just didn't remember any of them.
9.Be3+
Right piece, wrong square.
With 9.Bf4, White has cut off escape to the Kingside, and Black has to tread warily.
After the game Rybka recommended 9...Bb4+ 10.Nd2 Kc5 11.Qb3 a5 12.Rc1+ Kb6 13.a3 Ka7 14.axb4 d6 15.0-0 Kb8 when White has recovered his piece, and Black's King has bizarrely castled-by-hand on the Queenside; although White is better.
9...Kc5 is not an improvement, e.g. 10.Nc3 b5 11.Qb3 a612.Nd5 Nxd5 13.Qxd5+ Kb6 14.Qxa8 when White is better.
Still, the position is quite messy, and confusion often favors the attacker.
9...Ke5 10.f4+ Ke6 11.Nc3 d6 12.0-0
Wisely giving up on finding a "forced win," hoping that better development and Black's uneasy King will be worth the sacrificed piece after all.
12...g6
Keeping White's Queen off of h5, should he evict the Black Knight with e4-e5. Still, the strategic retreat 12...Kf7 was safer.
13.e5 Ne814.Qg4+ Kf7 15.f5 Kg7
16.f6+
This is not right, and hands Black the advantage.
After the game Fritz 8 suggested the very understandable 16.Bg5 Be7 17.Bxe7 Qxe7 18.f6+ Nxf6 19.exf6+ Qxf6 with an edge to White.
Rybka preferred the quiet, but perhaps more powerful 16.e6 Nf6 17.Bd4 c5 18.Bxf6+ Qxf6 19.Ne4 h5 20.Qg3 Qd4+ 21.Kh1 Rh6 when White's f-pawn finally advances with 22.f6+.
You can see that the position was still complicated.
16...Kf7 17.Qc4+
I was floundering here – for example, Black's natural response to this check caught me by surprise...
17...Be6 18.Qf4 dxe5 19.Qxe5 Bd6
20.Qb5 b6 21.Ne4 Qd7
Necessary was 21...h6
22.Ng5+ Kf8 23.Nxe6+ Qxe6 24.Bh6+
This impatient move doesn't lead to much. White would have a clear advantage after 24.Rae1.
24...Kf7 25.Rae1 Qc8
Surrendering.
I had expected 25...c6, which I was going to answer with 26.Qg5. Black could not then afford to capture the a-pawn with 26...Qxa2, as this move would well-answered by 27.Qe3. The Bishop check 26...Bc5+ would be met with 27.d4!?, as 27...Bxd4+ would draw the piece away from its protection of the e7 square.
Best for Black was 25...c6 26.Qg5 Qd5 in an unclear position where White probably has an edge.
Bobby Fischer played successfully with and against the Sicilian Najdorf variation, referring to 5...a6 as "a high class waiting move."
In contrast, in the Jerome Gambit's (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), Jerome Defense, Black's 7...Bd6 can be considered "a working class, impatient move" – but one that both White and Black should become more familiar with.
perrypawnpusher - LeiCar blitz FICS, 2010
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8
Alonzo Wheeler Jerome mentioned this move in his 1874 analysis of the Jerome Gambit in the Dubuque Chess Journal. He later successfully played the defense in two correspondence games against Daniel Jaeger in 1880.
7.Qxe5 Bd6
In the updated New Year's Database, White has scored 45% in 243 games with this position.
I like this move. It looks like the kind of "ugly" move that Nimzovich and Tarrasch would have argued about. It's primative, it's raw, it's... hey, what should White do in response??
Deep Rybka, working in IDeA mode in Aquarium, rates a handful of moves about the same, showing a slight preference for 8.Qb5.
8...Qf6 9.Qxf6+ Nxf6
I have been convinced by better players than myself not to fear the Jerome Gambit end game, although I would still like to find a way to keep my Queen on the board.
Another Jerome GambitGemeinde member with 214 games in the New Year's Database (scoring 52% over all) faced, instead, 10...b6 11.0-0 Bb7 12.f4 Bc5+ 13.Kh1 Ke7 14.c3 d5 15.b4 Bd6 16.e5 Bxb4 17.exf6+ Kxf6 18.cxb4 Rhe8 19.Bb2+ Kf7 20.Na3 Re2 21.Be5 Re8 22.d4 c5 23.bxc5 bxc5 24.Nb5 cxd4 25.Nd6+ Kf8 26.Nxe8 Kxe8 27.Bxd4 Ba6 28.Rfe1 Rxe1+ 29.Rxe1+ Kd7 Black resigned, UNPREDICTABLE - dameyune, FICS, 2009.
11.Nc3 Ng4 12.0-0 d6 13.h3 Ne5
Black is working on finding a plan.
14.Bf4 Kf7 15.Nd5 Bb6 16.Nxb6 axb6
17.Be3 Rf8 18.f4 Nc6 19.c3 Kg8 20.d4 Ne7
White is mobilizing his "Jerome Pawns." Black still has the advantage, though.
21.f5 c622.Bg5 Rf7 23.Bxe7
A thoughtless move. Instead, 23.g4 was thematic and led to an almost-equal game.
23...Rxe7 24.Rf4 Bd7 25.g4 Rf8 26.Re1
26...g5
Taking a shorter step – 26...g6 – seemed more prudent to me, but Rybka let the text move go by without comment.
27.Rff1 c5 28.e5 dxe5 29.dxe5 Rfe8
The game seems in balance.
30.e6 Bc6
Of course, Black could have returned his piece for the two pawns (30...Bxe6 etc), but LeiCar was looking for more than an equal game.
Unfortunately for him, that was my best offer.
31.f6
As the villains say in many Scooby Doo episodes ...and I would have gotten away with it too, if it weren't for you meddling pawns, er, kids...
31...Rxe6 32.f7+ Kf8
This allows White's pawn to capture, promote and check. The alternative, 32...Kg7, would have allowd Black to capture the passer and would have cost only the exchange, but Black's position would have been poor after 33.Rxe6 Rf8 34.Rf5 Rxf7 35.Rxg5+ Kh8, for example, with 36.Rd6 Re7 37.Rd8+ Be8
