A Closer Look (Part III)

Here are some more interesting and enjoyable games to play over from the recently completed Ninja Knights T3 Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) thematic tournament at ChessWorld (see "A Closer Look (Part I)" and "A Closer Look (Part II)").

Although the "modern" Jerome Gambit with 5.0-0 (instead of 5.Nxe5; see "Jerome Gambit Tournament: Chapter IV") risks less, it also gives White less for his sacrifice, and he must rely on development and attack against the enemy King in order to bring home the point.

The following game has an amusing mate at the end.


drewbear - braken, www.chessworld.net 2008: 5.0-0 Nh6 6.d3 Ng4 7.h3 Bxf2+ 8.Rxf2 Nxf2 9.Kxf2 Qf6 10.Nc3 Nd4 11.Nd5 Qd6 12.Nxd4 exd4 13.Qf3+ Ke8 14.e5 Qc5 15.Kg1 c6 16.Nc7+ Kd8 17.Nxa8 Rf8 18.Bg5+ Ke8 19.Nc7 checkmate


Sometimes White just doesn't have enough:

casker - mediax, www.chessworld.net 2008: 5.0-0 Nf6 6.d3 Rf8 7.Nc3 h6 8.Be3 Bxe3 9.fxe3 Kg8 10.d4 d6 11.d5 Ne7 12.Ne2 c5 13.dxc6 bxc6 14.b4 Nxe4 15.c3 Ba6 16.Re1 Bxe2 17.Qxe2 Nxc3 18.Qc4+ Ncd5 19.e4 Rc8 20.exd5 cxd5 21.Qb3 Kh8 22.a4 d4 23.b5 Rc3 24.Qb4 Nd5 25.Qb1 Rcxf3 26.gxf3 Qg5+ 27.Kf2 Qh4+ 28.Kg2 Nf4+ 29.Kf1 Qh3+ White resigns

By far the most popular line in the tournament was the "modern" 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.d3 (see "Jerome Gambit Tournament: Chapter V" and "Jerome Gambit Tournament: Chapter VI").

Combining 5.d3 with c2-c3 and b2-b4 was seen a number of times, including in the following game:

casker - drewbear, www.chessworld.net 2008: 5.d3 Nf6 6.c3 b5 7.0-0 h6 8.Na3 g5 9.b4 Bd6 10.Qb3+ Kg7 11.Nxb5 a6 12.Na3 g4 13.Nh4 Ne7 14.Nc4 Ne8 15.g3 Ng6 16.Nf5+ Kh7 17.Ncxd6 cxd6 18.Qf7+ Black resigned

Sometimes White simply out-played his opponent:

drewbear - queen st, www.chessworld.net 2008: 5.d3 d6 6.0-0 Nf6 7.Bg5 Qe7 8.Nc3 Re8 9.Nd5 Qe6 10.Nxc7 Qd7 11.Nxa8 b5 12.Bxf6 gxf6 13.Nh4 Bb7 14.Nf5 Bxa8 15.Qh5+ Kf8 16.Qh6+ Kg8 17.Qxf6 h5 18.Qg6+ Kf8 19.Qxh5 Ne7 20.Qh6+ Kf7 21.Nxe7 Kxe7 22.Qh7+ Kd8 23.Qxd7+ Kxd7 24.Kh1 b4 25.c3 Rb8 26.c4 Bd4 27.Rab1 Rg8 28.f3 Kc6 29.a3 Bc5 30.axb4 Bxb4 31.Ra1 Kb7 32.Ra4 Bc5 33.b4 Bd4 34.b5 Kb8 35.Ra6 Bc5 36.g4 Bb7 37.Ra2 Rh8 38.Kg2 Kc7 39.Kg3 Kd7 40.h4 Ke6 41.g5 Bc8 42.Rh1 Kf7 43.h5 Be3 44.g6+ Kg7 45.Re2 Bf4+ 46.Kh4 Bb7 47.Ra1 Ra8 48.Rd1 a6 49.b6 a5 50.d4 Ba6 51.Rc2 Rb8 52.c5 exd4 53.Rxd4 dxc5 54.Rxc5 Be3 55.Rd7+ Kh6 56.Rh7 checkmate

Sometimes when White didn't outplay his opponent, the "clock" proved helpful:

drewbear - willitfw, www.chessworld.net 2008: 5.d3 d6 6.0-0 Bg4 7.h3 Bxf3 8.Qxf3+ Nf6 9.g4 d5 10.g5 dxe4 11.dxe4 Nd4 12.Qc3 Ne2+ 13.Kg2 Black lost on time.

Even the idea of a "delayed classical Jerome Gambit" popped up:

mediax - casker, www.chessworld.net 2008: 5.d3 h6 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.Qh5+ Ke6 8.Qf5+ Kd6 9.Bf4 Qf6 10.c3 Qxf5 11.Bxe5+ Qxe5 12.Nd2 Ke7 13.0-0 Qg5 14.Nf3 Qg6 15.d4 Bb6 16.Nh4 Qh7 17.f4 Kd8 18.f5 Nf6 19.e5 Nd5 20.Rad1 Ne3 21.Ng6 Nxd1 22.Rxd1 Re8 23.b4 d5 24.c4 dxc4 25.Kh1 Bxf5 26.Nf4 Bd3 27.e6 Qf5 28.g3 Qe4+ 29.Ng2 White resigned

graphic by Jeff Bucchino, "The Wizard of Draws"

A Closer Look (Part II)

The recently completed Ninja Knights T3 Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) thematic tournament at ChessWorld – won by Carlos Azcarate – has many interesting and enjoyable games to play over (see "A Closer Look (Part I)").

A number of players followed up 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 in the "modern Jerome Gambit" fashion with 5.c3 (for a discussion of this move, see "Jerome Gambit Tournament: Chapter XII").


Piratepaul - drewbear, www.chessworld.net 2008: 5...Nf6 6.Ng5+ Kg8 7.d4 exd4 8.cxd4 Bxd4 9.Qb3+ d5 10.exd5 Nxd5 11.0-0 h6 12.Ne4 b6 13.Nbd2 Kh7 14.Nf3 Be6 15.Qc2 g6 16.Qxc6 Bf5 17.Ng3 Bd3 White lost on time;

delboy138 - Carlos Azcarate, www.chessworld.net 2008: 5...Nf6 6.Qb3+ Ke8 7.Ng5 Qe7 8.d3 d6 9.0-0 b6 10.Be3 Bxe3 11.fxe3 Ng4 12.Qd5 Qxg5 13.Qxc6+ Bd7 14.Qxa8+ Ke7 15.Qxh8 Qxe3+ 16.Kh1 Nf2+ 17.Rxf2 Qe1+ White resigned

casker - delboy138, www.chessworld.ne 2008: 5...Nf6 6.0-0 Rf8 7.Qb3+ d5 8.d3 Kg8 9.exd5 Nxd5 10.Nbd2 Kh8 11.Ne4 Bd6 12.Qxd5 Bf5 13.Neg5 Bg6 14.Nh4 Be7 15.Nxg6+ hxg6 16.Nf7+ Rxf7 17.Qxf7 Qd6 18.Be3 Rf8 19.Qc4 Qf6 20.Rae1 b6 21.h4 Bd6 22.Qxc6 Qxh4 23.g3 Qg4 24.Qh1+ Kg8 25.f3 Qe6 26.b3 Qd5 27.f4 Qxd3 28.fxe5 Bxe5 29.Rxf8+ Kxf8 30.Qh8+ Ke7 31.Bg5+ Kd7 32.Qd8+ Black resigned;


queen st - drewbear, www.chessworld.net 2008: 5...Qf6 6.0-0 h5 7.b4 Bb6 8.c4 Nxb4 9.Qb3 a5 10.c5+ Kg6 11.cxb6 cxb6 12.a3 Nc6 13.Bb2 d6 14.d3 Ra6 15.Bc1 Be6 16.Qd1 Bg4 17.h3 Bxf3 18.Qxf3 Qxf3 19.gxf3 Nd4 20.Nd2 Kh7 21.Kh1 Ne7 22.Nc4 Nxf3 23.Nxd6 Ng6 24.Kg2 Ngh4+ 25.Kg3 b5 26.Nxb7 Rg6+ White resigned;


casker - braken, www.chessworld.net 2008: 5...Nf6 6.d3 Rf8 7.Qb3+ d5 8.Ng5+ Kg8 9.0-0 Kh8 10.Be3 Bxe3 11.fxe3 Nxe4 12.Nf7+ Rxf7 13.Rxf7 Be6 14.Rf1 Nc5 15.Qd1 Qg5 16.Qf3 Nxd3 17.g3 Nxb2 18.Na3 e4 19.Qf2 Nd3 20.Qe2 Nce5 21.Nb5 Bh3 22.Rf4 Nxf4 23.exf4 Nf3+ 24.Kf2 Qe7 25.Nd4 Nxh2 26.Kg1 Ng4 27.Qb5 e3 28.Qxd5 e2 29.Ne6 Re8 30.f5 Qg5 31.Qe4 Qe3+ 32.Qxe3 Nxe3 33.Kf2 Nc2 34.Rc1 e1Q+ 35.Rxe1 Nxe1 36.Kxe1 Bxf5 37.Kd1 Bxe6 White resigned

The majority of the games continued after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 with either the "modern" 5.d3 or 5.0-0, or the classical 5.Nxe5, each which requires a separate "closer look".

graphic by Jeff Bucchino, "The Wizard of Draws"

Carlos Azcarate Wins Tourney

As predicted (see "Carlos Azcarate Topping Ninja Knights T3") Carlos Azcarate took first place in the 13-player, double round robin Ninja Knights T3 (Jerome Gambit) tournament at ChessWorld scoring 79% – 19 wins out of 24 games.

He was followed closely by casker with 18.5 points, braken with 18 points and drewbear with 17.5 points. Next came Piratepaul with and delboy138 each with 16 points, although Piratepaul's score (2-0) in their individual encounters would seem to put him ahead on tie-breaks.

I am hoping to be able to bring you the best and most interesting games played in the tournament over the next few weeks.

graphic by Jeff Bucchino, "The Wizard of Draws"

Carlos Azcarate Topping Ninja Knights T3

With only four games left to complete the 13-player, double round robin, Ninja Knights T3 (Jerome Gambit) tournament at ChessWorld, it appears that Carlos Azcarate will hold onto first place with 19 points out of 24 games, followed closely by casker with 18.5 points, braken with 18 points, drewbear with 17.5 points and Piratepaul with 17 points.

This fighting chess offsets the misfortune at the bottom of the score table, where one player racked up a score of 0 points, losing all of his games by time forfeit, likely due to loss of interest in the tournament. Placing just ahead of him, with 1 point, was another disengaged player who acted quickly to claim a time forfeit from the tail-ender – before losing the rest of his own games on time.


The Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc5 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) is likely to score 42% for White, which is what it has achieved in recent thematics. This statistic must be taken with a grain of salt, however, as a full 60 of the 156 games (38%) in this tournament were decided by the clock.


In the following game White is holding his own against the 6...Kf8 defense, until his unfortunate 23rd move.

mediax - queen st
Ninja Knights T3 2008

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qc3 Qg5 9.0-0 Nf6 10.d4 Qg6 11.dxc5 Nxe4 12.Qf3+ Bf5 13.cxd6 Nxd6 14.h3 Kf7 15.Qb3+ Be6 16.Qc3 c6 17.Bf4 Ne4 18.Qf3 Rad8 19.Bc7+ Bf5 20.Bxd8 Rxd8 21.Qb3+ Kf8 22.f3 Ng3 23.Rf2 Rd1+ 24.Kh2 Rh1 checkmate


The tournament winner uncorked the most surprising opening move of all, not once, but twice, when he followed the routine 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 with 6.Ng5+



While I await detailed analysis, it is possible to point out precedents, the earliest of which in my database is an internet blitz game from a decade ago, lar - babylyub (1/2-1/2, 27).