I was looking at some recent games played at lichess.org, and recognized the name Darrenshome. I should - he has over 400 games in The Database, played at FICS, starting in 2005.
It turns out that Darrenshome has also played almost 6,000 games, total, at lichess.org. I don't have a way to easily check his work there for Jerome Gambit and related games, but I wanted to share the following.
Darrenshome - sanuch111
3 2 blitz, lichess.org, 2016
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nd4
The Blackburne Shilling Gambit.
4.Bxf7+
The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8 6.c3 Qg5 7.cxd4
The right idea against Black's thematic threat.
He fought valliantly after the slip 7.Qf3, but it was all for naught: 7...Nxf3+ 8.Nxf3 Qxg2 9.Rg1 Qxf3 10.d3 Qxd3 11.Rg3 Qd6 12.Be3 Be7 13.Nd2 Bh4 14.Rxg7 Qf6 15.Rg1 d6 16.Bd4 Bxf2+ 17.Bxf2 Qf4 18.Bd4 Nf6 19.O-O-O Rf8 20.e5 Ne4 21.exd6 cxd6 22.Rge1 Bg4 23.Rxe4+ Qxe4 24.Nxe4 Bxd1 25.Kxd1 Kd7 26.Nf6+ Ke6 27.Nxh7 Rf1+ 28.Ke2 Rh1 29.Ng5+ Kd5 30.Nf3 Re8+ 31.Kd3 b6 32.Be3 Rd1+ 33.Nd2 Rh8 34.c4+ Kc6 35.Bf4 Rh3+ 36.Bg3 Rh5 37.Kc2 Rg1 38.Nf3 Rg2+ 39.Kc3 d5 40.Ne5+ Kc5 41.Nd3+ Kc6 42.Ne5+ Kb7 43.Nd3 dxc4 44.Nf4 Rxg3+ 45.hxg3 Rg5 46.Kxc4 Rxg3 47.Nd3 a6 48.a3 b5+ 49.Kd4 Kb6 50.Ne5 Rg2 51.Nd3 a5 52.Kd5 Rd2 53.Kd4 Kc6 54.Kc3 Rh2 55.Kd4 a4 56.Ke5 Rh4 57.Nf2 Kc5 58.Ne4+ Kc4 59.Nd6+ Kb3 60.Kd5 Rh5+ 61.Kc6 Kxb2 62.Nxb5 Rxb5 63.Kxb5 Kxa3 64.Kc4 Kb2 65.Kd4 a3 66.Ke3 a2 White resigned, Darrenshome - AndyMell, FICS, 2005
7...Qxg2 8.Qf3 Qxf3 9.Nxf3 d6
Or 9...Nf6 10.Nc3 Bb4 11.e5 Bxc3 12.dxc3 Nd5 13.c4 Nb6 14.a4 Nxc4 15.b3 Nb6 16.Rg1 g6 17.Bh6 d6 18.Bg7 Rg8 19.Bf6 dxe5 20.dxe5 Be6 21.Rb1 Nd5 22.Ng5 Nxf6 23.Nxe6 Ke7 24.Nxc7 Rac8 25.exf6+ Kxf6 26.Nd5+ Ke6 27.Ne3 Rge8 28.Nc4 a6 29.Nb6 Rc6 30.Nc4 b5 31.axb5 axb5 32.Ne3 Kf7 33.Rg5 b4 34.Kf1 Rb6 35.Rd1 Kf6 36.Rgd5 Rbe6 37.R5d4 Kg7 38.Rxb4 Rf8 39.Rb7+ Kh6 40.Rd3 Rf3 41.Ng4+ Kg5 42.Rxf3 Kxg4 43.Rff7 h5 44.Rb4+ Kh3 45.Rf3+ Kxh2 46.Rh4 checkmate, Darrenshome - Steftcho, FICS, 2009; or
9...Bb4 10.a3 Ba5 11.b4 Bb6 12.Nc3 Ne7 13.a4 a6 14.a5 Ba7 15.b5 axb5 16.Nxb5 Kd8 17.Ba3 Nc6 18.Ng5 Rf8 19.Bxf8 h6 20.Nxa7 Nxa7 21.Nf3 d6 22.Bxg7 h5 23.Bf6+ Ke8 24.Ng5 Bg4 25.h3 Bd7 26.d5 Bb5 27.Ne6 Kd7 28.Rg1 c6 29.Rg7+ Ke8 30.Nc7+ Black resigned, Darrenshome - Steftcho, FICS, 2009
10.Nc3
Or 10.d3 Bg4 11.Ng5 Nf6 12.f3 Bd7 13.Nc3 h6 14.e5 dxe5 15.Nge4 Nxe4 16.fxe4 Bb4 17.Bd2 exd4 18.Nd5 Bxd2+ 19.Kxd2 Rc8 20.Rac1 Bc6 21.Nf4 Bd7 22.Rhg1 g5 23.Ng6 Rg8 24.Ne5 b6 25.Nxd7 Kxd7 26.Rc4 c5 27.b4 Rgf8 28.Rg2 Rf4 29.a4 Kd6 30.b5 Ke5 31.Ke2 Rg8 32.Rg3 Rf2+ 33.Kxf2 Kf4 34.Rf3+ Kg4 35.Rf7 h5 36.Rxa7 Rf8+ 37.Kg2 Rf3 38.Rb7 Rxd3 39.Rxb6 Rd2+ 40.Kf1 Kf3 41.a5 Rd1 checkmate, Darrenshome - crazymaniac, FICS, 2008
10...Bg4 11.Ng5
He has also tried the creative 11.Ke2 against a regular BSG fan: 11...Kd7 12.d3 Ne7 13.Rg1 h5 14.h3 Bxh3 15.Ng5 Bg4+ 16.f3 Be6 17.Nxe6 Kxe6 18.d5+ Kd7 19.Bg5 Ng6 20.f4 h4 21.f5 Ne5 22.d4 Nf7 23.Bf4 Re8 24.Kd3 c6 25.Rae1 h3 26.e5 dxe5 27.dxe5 Nxe5+ 28.Bxe5 Bb4 29.dxc6+ bxc6 30.Bh2 Ref8 31.Rxg7+ Kc8 32.Rxa7 Rd8+ 33.Kc4 c5 34.Rc7+ Kb8 35.Rxc5+ Ka8 36.Kxb4 Rb8+ 37.Rb5 Rxb5+ 38.Nxb5 Rh4+ 39.Kb3 Rg4 40.Re8+ Kb7 41.Rh8, Black resigned, Darrenshome - ZekeTheWolf, FICS, 2008
11...h6 12.f3
Not the best choice. Instead, 12.Rg1 was more what he was looking for. Now it takes a bit more battling to pull ahead.
12...Bd7 13.d3 hxg5 14.Bxg5 Be7 15.Be3 a6 16.f4 Rh3 17.Kd2 Be6 18.f5 Bf7 19.Rag1 Kf8 20.e5 dxe5 21.dxe5 Be8 22.Nd5 Bc6 23.Nxc7 Rc8 24.Ne6+ Kf7
Missing some tactics. Perhaps he was overly focused on the Rook at h1.
25.Rxg7+ Ke8 26.Rxg8+ Kd7 27.Rxc8 Kxc8 28.Rg1 Rxh2+ 29.Kc3 Kb8 30.f6 Bd8 31.Nxd8 Black resigned
I discovered the following game while preparing yesterday's blog post (see "My work is not nearly over..."), and for some reason it reminded me of a pie fight. I had originally planned on imbedding a Three Stooges video, but I decided at the last moment to go with a Laurel and Hardy still photograph.
Funny?? Absolutely!
But... is it chess?
GOH - crazymaniac
lightning game, FICS, 2004
Okay, from the first move this game is going to be unusual, because the time limit is "lightning" – traditionally, one minute for each side per game.
At FICS, lightning time limits can stray a bit from "1 0": there can be small increments per move, for example; but generally games that consume less than three minutes per side (however achieved) are considered to be of this faster-than-blitz variety.
By the way, there's a cool resource on "Psychology of lightning chess" at Olimpbase.
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4
The Blackburne Shilling Gambit. White is supposed to grab the pawn with 4.Nxe5 and then suffer untold horrors after 4...Qg5.
4.Bxf7+
But, of course. A guiding rule in lightning chess is: don't waste time thinking, attack!
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6
6.c4
As I mentioned before, 6.c3 is the "correct" move at more reasonable time limits.
Of course, White might have meant to play that move here (he played 6.c3 forty three times previously), but maybe this time he made a mouse-slip and pushed the pawn too far...
6...Kxe5 7.f4+
7...Kxe4
Capture first; think later.
8.Nc3+
8...Kxf4
Burp!
Rybka suggests that after 8...Kf5 9.Qh5+ Ke6 10.0-0 d6 11.Qd5+ Kd7 12.Qxd4 White would have regained some material, but Black would still be better.
analysis diagram
9.d3+
Black's King is a long way from home, even if he has picked up a couple of pie(ce)s in his journey.
White's game would have been even stronger after 9.Qh5.
9...Kf5 10.0-0+ Ke6
11.Qg4+ Kd6 12.Qxd4+ Ke7
13.Re1+
Of course, there was always the alternative 13.Qe5 checkmate.
13...Kf7 14.Qd5+ Kf6
Black could hang on longer with 14...Kg6.
15.Bg5+ Kg6 16.Bxd8 Black resigned.
Getting the word out on how to play the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) and related openings – with the black and white pieces – is a fun, but seemingly full-time job. As the following recent game shows, there is still a lot of the "basics" to teach and spread around.
vsvor - MULENGA
FICS, 2010
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4
The Blackburne Shilling Gambit. Timely.
4.Bxf7+
The updated New Year's Database shows 2,349 games with this position, with White scoring 56%.
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6
6.f4
The move recommended around these parts is 6.c3, which leads to an even game where White has chances. (For the record, in 180 games in the Database, White scored 57%.)
The text move shows up in 163 games in the Database, with White scoring 47%.
6...Nf6
When White has played f2-f4 before castling, it is always a good idea to check out the possibilites associated with a Black Queen check; here, 6...Qh4+. After 7.g3 Qh3, the White may have nothing better than the retro 8.Nf3 Nxf3+ 9.Qxf3, which keeps Black's advantage alive.
Of course, you can always go your own way with 6.c4, as one Jerome Gambit Gemeinde member did: 6...Kxe5 7.f4+ Kxe4 8.Nc3+ Kxf4 9.d3+ Kf5 10.0-0+ Ke6 11.Qg4+ Kd6 12.Qxd4+ Ke7 13.Re1+ Kf7 14.Qd5+ Kf6 15.Bg5+ Kg6 16.Bxd8 Black resigned, GOH - crazymaniac, FICS, 2004. This game is worth a blog post of its own.
analysis diagram
7.d3
A bit better was the thematic 7.c3.
7...Bc5
Someday Black will play 7...d6, and his opponent will get immediate induction into the Jerome Gambit Gemeinde by playing 8.f5+, enticing Black to take another piece with 8...Kxe5.
8...d6 9.f5+
Ah, yes, what a difference a delay makes... There is little danger in taking the Knight, now.
9...Ke7
By being careful, Black limits his risks – and his gains.
10.Ng4 Nxg4 11.Qxg4 Qf8 12.Bg5+
Here we have an interesting position.
Black will no doubt place his King on the unstable-looking d7 (12...Kd7), after which White might as well castle Queenside (13.0-0-0), leaving Black with an edge, as nothing (except some uneasy feelings for the defender) will come from advancing the f-pawn with discovered check (13.f6+)...
Actually, Black resigned. As this was a "standard" game at FICS, it is not likely that the second player over-stepped his time limit in 11 moves.
It'll take me some more work to explain that.
