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+
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.
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 andpushed 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...Kf510.0-0+ Ke6
11.Qg4+Kd612.Qxd4+ Ke7
13.Re1+
Of course, there was always the alternative 13.Qe5 checkmate.
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.
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.
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.
