It's getting interesting...

With over half (112 out of 210) of the games in the 15-player, double-round robin Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) Thematic Tournament at ChessWorld completed, White has so far scored a gloomy 33%, lagging behind other Jerome Gambit Tournaments.

DREWBEAR 63 remains the leader, with 16 points out of 26 games completed. He is still followed by Sir Osis of the Liver (12 points out of 17 games completed) and blackburne (10.5 points out of 20 games completed).

eddie43 (9.5 points out of 19 games) and Black Puma (9.5 points out of 20 games) have been surging lately, putting them ahead of Piratepaul (9 points out of 12 games completed) – but not by much.

Players to watch in the long run are those with the best winning percentages: stampyshortlegs (6 points out of 7 games), Piratepaul and TWO DOGS (5 points out of 7 games).

Not to be counted out are players like Haroldlee123 (5.5 points out of 10 games) and metalwarrior1969 (6 points out of 10 games) – and even Crusader Rabbit (1 point out of 5 games) – because they have so many more games to complete, and possibly win.

Rare

Draws in Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) thematic tournaments are quite scarce, showing up about 3% to 4% of the time, on average, according to my database.

So it is only fair to mention the recently completed game eddie 43 - Black Puma, from the ongoing Jerome Gambit Thematic Tournament at Chessworld, which reached the following position after White's 45rd move.

Black has played solidly, and has even increased his piece advantage to a Rook advantage; but here he sees the chance to create a passed pawn and intensify pressure on the enemy King, so he grabs an expensive pawn...

45...Bxd3 46.Qf5+ Kh8 47.Qf8+ Kh7 48.Qf5+ Kh8 49.Qf8+ Kh7 50.Qf5+ Kh8 51.Qf8+ Kh7 52.Qf5+ Kh8 53.Qf8+ Kh7 drawn

The Modern Jerome Gambit

I have been using the games of the current Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) thematic tournament at Chessworld to gain a better understanding of the "modern" (non-5.Nxe5) variations, especially since they make up about 80% of the games there.

Here is a sampling of recent trials.

eddie43 - DREWBEAR 63 JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nc3 Nf6 6.d3 h6 7.h3 d6 8.a3 Be6 9.Bd2 g5 10.Nh2 Rg8 11.g4 Qf8 12.Na4 b5 13.Nxc5 dxc5 14.Nf3 c4 15.Qe2 cxd3 16.Qxd3 Bc4 17.Qc3 Nxe4 18.Qe3 Nxd2 19.Qxd2 e4 20.Nd4 Ne5 21.b3 Bd5 22.Qe3 Nf3+ 23.Ke2 Nxd4+ 24.Qxd4 c6 25.b4 Kg6 26.Kd1 Qf3+ 27.Kd2 Rad8 28.Qxa7 Bc4+ 29.Kc1 Qxh1+ 30.Kb2 Qf3 31.Rc1 Ra8 0-1 gwyn1 - blackburne JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.c3 d6 6.d3 Nf6 7.Bg5 Rf8 8.b4 Bb6 9.Qb3+ Be6 10.c4 Kg8 11.0-0 h6 12.Be3 Bxe3 13.fxe3 Qd7 14.h3 Bxh3 15.Nh2 [15.gxh3 Qxh3 16.Qc2 Ng4 17.Qe2 Nxe3 terrible pins 18.Qxe3 Nd4 19.Nbd2 Rf6] 15...Be6 16.Nd2 Ng4 17.Ndf3 Nxe3 18.Rfe1 Ng4 19.Nxg4 Bxg4 20.Nd2 Nd4 21.Qc3 Be2 [21...Qf7] 22.Rf1 Bxf1 23.Rxf1 Ne2+ 24.Kh1 Nxc3 25.Nf3 Qg4 26.Nh2 Rxf1+ 27.Nxf1 Rf8 28.Ne3 Qh4+ 29.Kg1 Ne2 checkmate

Black Puma - blackburne JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.d3 Nf6 6.0-0 Rf8 7.c3 Kg8 8.a4 a6 9.b4 Ba7 10.Bg5 d6 11.Nbd2 Bg4 12.Qb3+ Kh8 13.h3 Bh5 14.a5 Qd7 15.Bh4 Rf7 16.Ng5 Re7 17.Ngf3 Rf8 18.c4 Bxf3 19.Nxf3 Nd4 20.Nxd4 Bxd4 21.Ra2 Ref7 22.Kh1 Nh5 23.Qd1 Nf4 24.Bg3 Nxh3 0-1 calchess10 - gwyn1 JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.h3 Nge7 6.a3 h6 7.Nc3 a6 8.b4 Bb6 9.d3 d6 10.Ne2 Ke8 11.c3 Be6 12.0-0 Kd7 13.a4 a5 14.b5 Na7 15.Nh4 g6 16.d4 g5 17.Nf3 Ng6 18.dxe5 g4 19.hxg4 Bxg4 20.Nh2 Nxe5 21.Nxg4 Nxg4 22.Ng3 Bxf2+ 23.Rxf2 Nxf2 24.Kxf2 Rf8+ 25.Nf5 Qh4+ 26.g3 Qf6 27.Bf4 Rae8 28.c4 Rxe4 29.c5 Qxf5 30.Kg2 Rg8 31.cxd6 Qxf4 32.dxc7+ Kc8 33.b6 Rxg3+ 34.Kh2 Qh4 checkmate

Yes, Sir!

Here are three more games from the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) thematic tournament at Chessworld – this time, three wins by a Jerome Gambit veteran, Sir Osis of the Liver.

Sir Osis of the Liver - calchess10

JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.d4 Bxd4 6.Bg5 Nf6 7.Nxd4 g6 8.Nb5 d6 9.N5c3 Be6 10.0-0 a6 11.Na3 b5 12.Nd5 Bxd5 13.Bxf6 Qxf6 14.Qxd5+ Kg7 15.f4 exf4 16.Qxc6 Rac8 17.Rf3 Qxb2 18.Qd7+ Kh6 19.Rh3+ Kg5 20.Rb1 Qxa2 21.Qe7+ Kg4 22.Qh4 checkmate

Sir Osis of the Liver - gwyn1

JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 Nd3+ 8.cxd3 Bd6 9.Nc3 Nf6 10.Qf5+ Kf7 11.e5 g6 12.Qh3 Bxe5 13.fxe5 d6 14.Qf3 dxe5 15.Ne4 Bf5 16.Ng5+ Ke7 17.Qxb7 Bxd3 18.b3 h6 19.Qc6 hxg5 20.Ba3+ Kf7 21.0-0-0 Be4 22.Qc5 Re8 23.d3 Bd5 24.Bb2 c6 25.Rhf1 Bxg2 26.Rf2 Bd5 27.Rdf1 g4 28.Rxf6+ Kg7 29.Qe3 Bf3 30.Bxe5 Kh7 31.Rf7+ Kg8 32.Rg7+ Kh8 33.Qh6 checkmate

eddie43 - Sir Osis of the Liver

JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.0-0 Nf6 6.d4 exd4 7.e5 Nd5 8.a3 Rf8 9.Ng5+ Kg8 10.Nf3 d6 11.b4 Bb6 12.Bd2 dxe5 13.h3 Be6 14.Re1 Qf6 15.Bg5 Qg6 16.Qd2 h6 17.Bxh6 Qxh6 18.Ng5 Nf4 19.Nxe6 Qxe6 20.a4 a5 21.b5 Nb4 22.Re4 d3 23.c3 Bxf2+ 24.Qxf2 Nxh3+ 25.gxh3 White resigns

Go for Broke

When playing a go-for-broke opening like the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), it can be difficult sometimes to decide whether to play a solid, if calm, move, or continue to play wild, attacking shots. In the following game, DREWBEAR 63 takes time to play a "normal" couple of moves – and gets overtaken by eddie43.


DREWBEAR 63 - eddie43
JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.Nc3

More frequently seen is 8.f4, which has its own problems, starting with 8...Qh4+.

8...c6 9.0-0

A dynamic alternative was shown by Jerome Gambit Gemeinde honorary member Geoff Chandler: 9.d4 Bxd4 10.Be3 Bxe3 11.fxe3 Qf6 12.0-0-0+ Kc7 13.Qh3 d5 14.Qg3 dxe4 15.Rhf1 Qe7 16.Rf7 Qxf7 17.Qxe5+ Kb6 18.Na4+ Ka6 19.Nc5+ Kb6 20.Na4+ Ka6 21.Nc5+ Kb6 22.Na4+ Ka6 drawn, greenpawn34 - Homedepotov, redhotpawn, 2008

9...Qf6

Coming to the rescue.

10.Qh3 Kc7 11.Qg3 d6 With a safe King, Black's two extra pieces are looking large.

12.Na4 Bb4 13.c3 Ba5 14.d4 Nd7 15.e5 dxe5 16.dxe5 Qe6 17.Qxg7 Qxe5

18.Bf4

With 18.Qxe5 Nxe5 19.Bf4 White could have reclaimed one of the missing pieces, and found himself back in familiar two-pawns-for-a-piece Jerome Gambit territory. The text wins the exchange, but allows Black to develop his remaining pieces.

Further resistance becomes more difficult.

18...Qxf4 19.Qxh8 Ndf6 20.Qg7+ Bd7 21.Rad1 Qxa4 22.Rd4 Qxa2 23.Rfd1 Rd8 24.g4 h6 25.f4 Bb6 White resigned.

Ed, Ed and Eddie

Here are three recent wins by eddie43 from the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) thematic tournament at Chessworld:

Black Puma - eddie43

JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.0-0 h6 6.c3 Nf6 7.d4 Bd6 8.dxe5 Nxe5 9.Nxe5+ Bxe5 10.f4 Bd6 11.e5 Bc5+ 12.Kh1 Ne4 13.Qd5+ Ke8 14.Qxe4 Be7 15.f5 d5 16.Qf3 b6 17.f6 gxf6 18.exf6 Bd6 19.f7+ [ 19.Qxd5] 19...Kd7 20.b4 Ba6 21.a4 Bxf1 22.Qf5+ Kc6 23.Qxf1 Qh4-+ 24.b5+ Kb7 25.h3 Qg3 26.Ba3 Qh2 checkmate

calchess10 - eddie43

JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.d3 h6 6.Nc3 Nf6 7.h3 d6 8.0-0 Be6 9.a3 a6 10.b4 Ba7 11.Nh2 Bd4 12.Bb2 Qd7 13.Rb1 Na7 14.Ne2 Bb6 15.Kh1 g5 16.Ng3 h5 17.Nf3 Rag8 18.c4 g4 19.Nh4 gxh3 20.Ngf5 Ng4 21.gxh3 Nxf2+ 22.Rxf2 Bxf2 23.Ng2 Bxf5 24.exf5 Qxf5 25.Nf4 Qxf4 26.Qe2 Rg3 27.d4 Rxh3+ 28.Kg2 Qg3+ 29.Kf1 Rh1 checkmate

stampyshortlegs - eddie43

JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.c3 Nh6 9.Qf4 Rf8 10.Qg3 White resigned

graphic by Jeff Bucchino, the Wizard of Draws

Oooooooops...

Playing – or defending against – the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) requires close attention to what is going on, so that every tactical opportunity can be caught. Take advantage of your chances, you could take the point. Overlook a chance or two, and ooooooops...

stampyshortlegs - eddie43

JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.c3 Nh6 9.Qf4 Rf8 10.Qg3 White resigned


TWODOGS - Black Puma

JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.d4 Nxd4 6.Nxe5+ Kf8 7.0-0 Qf6 8.b4 Qxe5 9.bxc5 Qxc5 10.Ba3 Qxa3 11.Nxa3 Black resigned

graphic by Jeff Bucchino, the Wizard of Draws

Mea culpa – again

About a year ago (see "Overrated!") I played in a Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) thematic tournament at ChessWorld, organized, like the one this year, by blackburne.

I had prepared a few "theoretical novelties" for my games, but one of them turned out to ge a "theoretical lemon" instead, leading to a quick loss. Worse than that, I think blackburne tried out the idea before he saw my disastrous results, and, fight as he could, he still wound up losing a point in his game, too.

I'm not sure if blackburne had a "fix" in mind for the line or not, but he recently repeated it in the current Jerome Gambit thematic tournament, and took it on the chin from eddie43.

blackburne - eddie43
JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009

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

Here we go.

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6


7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Qh4+

This sharp move, the "Nibs defense," is best for Black.


9.Kd1

The "improvement" on an earlier Alonzo Wheeler Jerome game, only it allows Black to force the exchange of Queens, holding onto his two-pieces-for-two-pawns advantage – too much for White to overcome.

9...Qg4+ 10.Qxg4


Instead, 10.Ke1 Qxf5 White resigned was perrypawnpusher - drewbear, JG thematic ChessWorld, 2008.

10...Nxg4 11.e5+ Ke7

Blackburne's earlier game continued: 11...Ke6 12.Rf1 Nxh2 13.f5+ Kxe5 14.d4+ Bxd4 15.Bf4+ Kxf5 16.Bxh2+ Ke6 17.Bxc7 Bxb2 18.Re1+ Kf7 19.Be5 Bxa1 20.Bxa1 Nf6 21.Rf1 Re8 22.Nc3 Kg8 23.Nb5 Rb8 24.Nd6 Re6 25.Nf5 d5 26.g4 Re4 27.g5 Bxf5 28.gxf6 Bg4+ 29.Kd2 g6 30.f7+ Kf8 31.Rh1 h5 32.Rf1 Be6 33.Bc3 Bxf7 34.Kd3 Rbe8 35.Kd2 d4 36.Bb4+ Kg8 37.a3 Bc4 38.Rg1 Kh7 39.Rg3 Rg4 40.Rf3 Re2+ 41.Kc1 Rgg2 42.Rf7+ Bxf7 White resigned, blackburne - drewbear, JG thematic, ChessWorld 2008.

12.Ke2 b6 13.c3 Ba6+ 14.Kd1 Nf2+ 15.Kc2 Bd3+ 16.Kb3 Nxh1 17.Na3 Nf2 18.Nc2 b5 19.a4 Bc4 checkmate

Ouch.

I'd like to think that eddie43 might have gotten the idea from this blog, but he probably worked it up himself.

A Closer Look (Part I)

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 – showed White scoring 65.5 points out of 156 games, for 42%, a figure consistent with that of other recent Jerome Gambit tournaments.

It is a tribute to the fighting nature of the players that there was only 1 draw in the whole tournament -- which amounts to about 6/10th of 1% of the games.

An overwhelming 92% of the games featured the "modern Jerome Gambit" – 5th move alternatives to the traditional 5.Nxe5+.

Three defenders declined the Bishop sacrifice (not recommended!) – 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ – with 4...Kf8, and two of them "got away with it": 5.Bb3

5.Bc4 Nf6 6.d3 Bb4+ 7.Bd2 b6 Black claimed a win on time. 0–1 TJay2465 - yorkypuddn, www.ChessWorld.net 2008;

5.d3 Kxf7 6.c3 Nf6 7.Ng5+ Ke7 8.Qb3 Ng4 9.d4 exd4 10.Qf7+ Kd6 11.Qd5+ Ke7 12.Nf7 Nb4 13.cxb4 Bxb4+ 14.Bd2 Nf6 15.Bxb4+ d6 16.Nxd8 Nxd5 17.Bd2 Rxd8 18.exd5 b6 Black claimed a win on time, eddie43 - yorkypuddn, www.ChessWorld.net 2008

5...Nge7 6.Ng5 Nd4 7.Nf7 Qe8 8.Nxh8 d6 9.Bf7 Qb5 10.d3 Qb4+ 11.c3 Qa5 12.b4 Qb5 13.bxc5 dxc5 14.cxd4 Qb4+ 15.Qd2 Qxd2+ 16.Bxd2 Bg4 17.dxe5 g6 18.Bh6 checkmate, drewbear - yorkypuddn, www.ChessWorld.net 2008

Three times White proceeded 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.d4 successfully, with two wins on time (willitfw - TJay2465; Piratepaul - jemasc) and a third one "for real": willitfw - queen st, www.ChessWorld.net 2008 5...exd4 6.Ng5+ Ke7 7.Nf3 d6 8.Bg5+ Nf6 9.Bxf6+ gxf6 10.a3 Be6 11.b4 Bb6 12.c3 dxc3 13.Nxc3 Qg8 14.0-0 Bh3 15.Nh4 Ne5 16.Nd5+ Kf7 17.Nxb6 axb6 18.Qh5+ Ke7 19.Nf5+ Bxf5 20.Qxf5 Qg7 21.f4 Nd3 22.e5 dxe5 23.Qxd3 Rhg8 24.fxe5 fxe5 25.Rae1 Rgd8 26.Qb5 Rd6 27.Rxe5+ Kd8 28.Re8 checkmate

The exotic choices 5.a3 and 5.b3 also scored with the clock, although the latter saw a couple of games through to conclusion:

queen st - Piratepaul,www.ChessWorld.net, 2008: 5.b3 h6 6.Bb2 d6 7.0-0 Bg4 8.h3 Bh5 9.Na3 a6 10.d4 exd4 11.g4 Bg6 12.Re1 Nf6 13.Nc4 Rf8 14.Bxd4 Kg8 15.e5 Nxd4 16.Nxd4 Bxd4 17.Rb1 Bxe5 18.Qe2 Re8 19.Rbd1 Bh2+ 20.Kxh2 Rxe2 21.Rxe2 Kh7 22.f4 Bf7 23.h4 Nxg4+ 24.Kg3 Bh5 25.Re6 Qd7 26.Rde1 Nf6 27.Na5 c5 28.Re7 Qg4+ 29.Kh2 Qxf4+ 30.Kh1 Bf3+ 31.Kg1 Qg3+ White resigned

braken - yorkypuddn, www.chessworld.net 2008: 5.b3 d6 6.Bb2 Nd4 7.c3 Nxf3+ 8.Qxf3+ Nf6 9.d4 exd4 10.cxd4 Bb4+ 11.Nc3 Rf8 12.e5 dxe5 13.dxe5 Bg4 14.Qf4 Kg8 15.Qxb4 Nd5 16.Qxb7 Nxc3 17.0-0 Ne2+ 18.Kh1 Rb8 19.Qe4 Qh4 20.Qd5+ Kh8 21.e6 Rxf2 22.Qe5 Rg8 23.e7 Bd7 24.Rad1 Bb5 25.Qxg7+ Rxg7 26.Rd8+ Rf8 27.Rdxf8 checkmate

The in-your-face 5.Ng5+ was championed by tournament winner Carlos Azcarate (see "Carlos Azcarate Topping Ninja Knights T3") to the tune of one win and four losses

Carlos Azcarate - Piratepaul, www.ChessWorld.net 2008: 5...Qxg5 6.d4 Qxg2 7.Rf1 Qxe4+ White resigned;

Carlos Azcarate - eddie43, www.ChessWorld.net 2008: 5...Qxg5 6.d4 Qxg2 7.dxc5 Qxh1+ 8.Ke2 Qxe4+ White resigned;

Carlos Azcarate - casker, www.ChessWorld.net 2008: 5...Qxg5 6.0-0 b6 7.Qf3+ Nf6 8.d4 Nxd4 9.Bxg5 Nxf3+ 10.gxf3 Nh5 11.Nc3 h6 12.Bd2 Rf8 13.Nd5 Bd6 14.c4 Ba6 15.b3 Kg8 16.Kh1 Rxf3 17.Ne3 Bb7 18.Nf5 Bxe4 19.Nxd6 cxd6 20.Kg1 Rf5 21.Rae1 Bb7 22.h4 g5 23.hxg5 hxg5 24.Bb4 Kf7 25.Bxd6 Ke6 26.Rd1 Nf4 27.Kh2 Rh8+ White resigned;

Carlos Azcarate - drewbear, www.ChessWorld.net 2008: 5...Kf8 6.Qf3+ Qf6 7.Qxf6+ Nxf6 8.0-0 h6 9.Nf3 Nxe4 10.d3 Nxf2 11.Nh4 Ke8 12.Rxf2 Bxf2+ 13.Kxf2 Rf8+ 14.Kg1 Nd4 15.Nc3 Nxc2 16.Nd5 Kd8 17.Rb1 c6 18.Ng6 Rf5 19.Nde7 Rf6 20.Bd2 Nd4 21.b4 d5 22.Re1 Bf5 23.Nxf5 Nxf5 24.Nxe5 g5 25.Nf3 Kc7 26.a4 b5 27.a5 g4 28.Ne5 g3 29.Nf3 Rg8 30.Bc3 Rfg6 31.Ne5 gxh2+ 32.Kh1 Rxg2 33.Nf3 d4 34.Re7+ Nxe7 35.Bxd4 Nf5 36.Be5+ Kb7 37.Bxh2 Ne3 38.Bd6 Rd8 39.Bc5 Rxd3 40.Ne1 Rd1 White resigned;

Carlos Azcarate - queen st, www.ChessWorld.net 2008: 5...Ke8 6.Nf3 Qf6 7.c3 d6 8.0-0 Bg4 9.b4 Bb6 10.Bb2 Qg6 11.d3 Bh3 12.Nh4 Bg4 13.Nxg6 Bxd1 14.Nxh8 Bc2 15.b5 Na5 16.d4 Nc4 17.Ba3 Ba5 18.Bc1 Bxe4 19.Nd2 Bxc3 20.Nxe4 Bxa1 21.Ng5 Nh6 22.Ne6 Kd7 23.Bxh6 gxh6 24.Rxa1 Kxe6 25.a4 Rxh8 26.Rc1 Nb6 27.Rxc7 exd4 28.a5 Na4 29.Kf1 Rb8 30.Rxh7 d3 31.Rxh6+ Kd5 32.Ke1 Nc3 33.Rh5+ Kc4 34.b6 Re8+ 35.Kf1 Re2 36.Rh4+ Kb5 37.Rd4 Rd2 38.g4 Kxa5 39.bxa7 Kb6 40.a8Q Nb5 41.Qd8+ Kc5 42.Qg5+ Kb6 43.Qxd2 Nxd4 44.Qxd3 Nb5 45.h4 Black resigned

graphic by Jeff Bucchino, "The Wizard of Draws"

Rail2Rail Nails It

As predicted, Rail2Rail has won his double round robin Jerome Gambit tournament at ChessWorld.

He was followed by dandoo, who lost a vital step on the leader by dropping a game on time to tailender calchess10.

On the other hand, the runner-up played a snappy game that helped distance himself from the middle of the pack:

dandoo - Piratepaul
JG2 thematic www.chessworld.net, 2008
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.d4 exd4 6.Ng5+ Kg6 7.h4 d6 8.h5+ Kf6 9.Qf3+ Ke5 10.Nf7+ 1–0

"Stay alert!" would be a good title for the following game, won by the third place finisher.


blackburne - eddie43
JG2 thematic www.chessworld.net, 2008

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 Bd4



A novel way to return a piece with hopes of breaking the attack, although it turns out to be more of a "TL" than "TN".

8.fxe5 Bxe5 9.Qf5+ Kd6 10.0–0

White, in turn, takes the position a bit too casually. With 10.d4 he could have shown an advantage in the game. Instead, he "castles into it."

10...Qh4

Stronger was 10...Qf6. Even so, Black is now clearly better.

11.h3 Qg3 12.Rf2 Nf6

Black looks like he has a killer position, and he would have, if his Knight had gone to either e7 or h6 instead. As it is, he gives White a chance.

13.d4 Bxd4 14.Bf4+ Kc6 15.Bxg3 Bxf2+ 16.Bxf2 d6

The smoke has cleared, and White has the winning advantage of a Queen for a Rook.

17.Qa5 Nxe4 18.Qa4+ Kd5 19.Nc3+ Nxc3 20.bxc3 Ke6 21.Re1+ Kf6 22.Qf4+ Kg6 23.Re3 Bf5 24.Rg3+ Kf6 25.Bd4+ Ke6 26.Re3+ Kd7 27.Qxf5+ Kd8 28.Bxg7 Rg8 29.Bf6 checkmate