Showing posts with label brownplant. Show all posts
Showing posts with label brownplant. Show all posts

Friday, August 5, 2011

Short and Unbecoming



The following Jerome Gambit game is short and unbecoming, a collection of moves on my behalf which look like a multiple choice test where the answers are all a) best, b) good, or c) barely adequate and I keep selecting c) as my choice.


perrypawnpusher - Conspicuous
blitz, FICS, 2011

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


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


With the promise of an exciting game ahead.

7.Qxe5 Bxf2+

Or not. The text is a counter occasionally seen: there are 63 games in The Database, with White scoring 67%.

8.Kxf2 Qf6+ 9.Qxf6+ Nxf6


At the cost of exchanging a won game for one in which he is a pawn down, Black has reached a Queenless middlegame that is not what every Jerome Gambiteer wishes for.

On the other hand, I figured that it would not be difficult to grind this one out.

10.Nc3 Re8 11.d3 c6 12.Rf1

More energetic was 12.Ke2, as in Ghandybh - brownplant, Chess.com, 2009 (1-0, 20).

12...Kg7 13.Kg1 Rf8 14.Bg5 Nh5


This leaves Black open to a tactical shot, but I was only thinking "exchange with tempo".

If you compare Queensides, you can see that White's development advantage is significant.

15.Rxf8

Fine, but why not 15.Bh6+ ?

15...Kxf8 16.Rf1+ Kg7 17.g4 h6 18.Bh4


I had figured out the following line of play, but where would Black's Knight go after 18.Be3, instead?

18...g5 19.gxh5 gxh4 20.Rf4

Winning a rather meaningless pawn, as Black's remaining Kingside pawn holds back two of White's, anyhow.

20...h3 21.Rg4+

Making more sense was 21.e5

21...Kf6 22.Rg6+ Black resigned


Yes, White is better, but who's to say that Black didn't expire of boredom? 

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Moment of Truth


Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) Gemeinde member Welton Vaz ("Ghandybh") sends a victory over a defense that everyone who plays the Jerome Gambit will eventually see. (My database has 33 wins for White, 11 wins for Black and 6 draws.)


Ghandybh - brownplant
Chess.com, 2009

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



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



The moment of truth: will we see Blackburne's defense, Whistler's defense, or what?

7.Qxe5 Bxf2+


For comments on this return of material, see "Jerome Gambit Strikes in Denmark" and "A Side Line to Watch". It simplifies the game and protects Black's King, in exchange for giving White the advantage.

8.Kxf2 Qf6+ 9.Qxf6+ Nxf6



White is a pawn up. He can get his pieces out and then go to work.

10.Nc3 Re8 11.d3 c6



12.Ke2

Adding excitement to the game. A quieter alternative was to castle-by-hand with 12.Rf1 and 13.Kg1.

12...d5 13.Rf1 Bg4+ 14.Kd2 dxe4



Black seems to be getting counter-play by opening up the position around White's King, but the first player still has the game under control.

15.Nxe4 Re6

The pin along the f-file is deadly.

16.Ng5+ Ke7 17.Nxe6 Bxe6



White is now a pawn and the exchange up.

18.b3 Rd8 19.Ba3+ Kf7 20.Bb2 Black resigned



White will be a Rook up after 20...Bf5 21.Bxf6 Kxf6 22.g4, etc. A very workman-like game.