By checking the New Year's Database after this game was played, I learned that my opponent and I had clashed four times before, with two wins for me plus a couple of draws. That doesn't help explain what happened the 5th time.
Maybe he was not having a good day.
perrypawnpusher - frencheng
7 5 blitz, FICS, 2010
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6
An interesting choice. frencheng has played 6...Kf8 twice against me, scoring a draw and a loss. He has drawn with 6...Ng6.
7.Qxe5
I was wondering: will I see the Blackburne Defense (7...d6) or the Whistler Defense (7...Qe7)?
Previously my opponent had tried the unnamed 7...Qf6 against me.
7...Bd6
Hmm... Neither.
Including this game, according to the New Year's Database, 7...Bd6 has scored only 10% for Black in 30 games.
8.Qxh8 Qf6
If Black is going to have any chance at justifying giving up the Rook he has to try to complicate the game with something like 8...Qh4 and after 9.d3 then 9...Nf6, to trap the White Queen.
Of course, that's why the first time I met 8...Qh4 I responded with 9.Qd4, retrieving the Queen. The second time I varied with 9.Nc3 and got away with it when my opponent's game promptly exploded.
9.Qxh7+ Qg7 10.Qxg7+ Kxg7
Black has little for his exchange and three pawns.
11.d4 c5 12.Be3 Nf6 13.e5 cxd4
A tactic that doesn't work. It was just not frencheng's day.
14.exf6+ Kxf6 15.Bxd4+ Be5 16.Bxe5+ Kxe5 17.Nc3 Black resigned
I have played my opponent three times before, scoring a win and two draws. The Jerome Gambit is neither new nor scary for him. Yet this game was strange...
perrypawnpusher - frencheng
blitz, FICS, 2010
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6
Earlier games: 6...Kf8 7.Qxe5 Qe7 (7...d6 8.Qg3 Qe7 9.d3 d5 10.0-0 dxe4 11.Re1 Qd6 12.Bf4 Qd4 13.Be5 Qd7 14.Rxe4 Qf5 15.Qxg7+ Ke8 16.Bg3+ Qxe4 17.dxe4 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - frencheng, blitz, FICS, San Jose, California US 2010) 8.Qf4+ Nf6 9.d3 d6 10.0-0 Kf7 11.Nc3 Rf8 12.Nd5 Qd8 13.Bd2 Kg8 14.Qg3 Nxd5 15.exd5 Qf6 16.Bc3 Bd4 17.Rae1 Bxc3 18.bxc3 b6 19.c4 Bb7 20.Re6 Qc3 21.Re7 Rac8 22.Rfe1 Qf6 23.R1e6 Qd4 24.Re4 Qf6 25.R4e6 Qd4 26.Re4 Qf6 27.R4e6 Qd4 28.Re4 Qf6 29.R4e6 Qd4 30.Re4 Qf6 31.R4e6 Qd4, Game drawn by repetition, perrypawnpusher - frencheng, blitz, FICS, 2010) ;
6...Ng6 7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 Qe7 9.Qe3 Nf6 10.Nc3 Kf7 11.0-0 Rf8 12.f4 d5 13.e5 Nh5 14.h3 Nxe5 15.fxe5+ Kg8 16.g4 Rxf1+ 17.Kxf1 Bxg4 18.hxg4 Rf8+ 19.Kg2 Qd7 20.gxh5 d4 21.Qg5 Qc6+ 22.Kg1 dxc3 23.bxc3 Qf3 24.Qg2 Qxh5 25.d4 Qd1+ 26.Kh2 Qh5+ 27.Kg1 Qd1+ 28.Kh2 Qh5+ 29.Kg3 Qg6+ 30.Kh2 Qh5+ 31.Kg1 Qd1+ 32.Kh2 Qh5+ 33.Kg1 Qd1+ 34.Kh2 Game drawn by repetition, perrypawnpusher - frencheng, blitz, FICS, 2010.
7.Qxe5 Qf6
This doesn't work, though. Black had 7...d6, the Blackburne Defense, or 7...Qe7, the Whistler Defense, as his alternatives.
8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3
After the game Rybka pointed out 9.Qxc7+ Qe7 10.Qxe7+ Nxe7.
9...Ne7 10.0-0 Re8 11.Nc3 Nd5
This is strange, as if my opponent were simply relying on my e4 pawn being "pinned". This kind of stuff happens in blitz.
12.Nxd5 Qd8 13.f4 c6 14.Nc3 d5 15.Qd4 Rxe4
Here it is again. Either frencheng is having a tough game – or my Knight is invisible!?
16.Nxe4 Bf5 17.Ng5+ Kg8 18.Qe5 Qe8 19.d3 Rd8 20.Bd2 b5 21.Bc3 Qxe5 22.Bxe5 h6 23.Nf3 Black resigned
When people notice a good trait in a person, they often assume other positives. With the Jerome Gambit often a negative "halo effect" occurs – if the early moves are bad, many of the other ones must be bad, too.
perrypawnpusher - dkahnd
blitz, FICS, 2010
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5
4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8
7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qg3 Qe7
Starting the counter-attack in the center.
9.Nc3
Alternatives: 9.d3 d5 (9...Nf6 10.0-0 Qe5 11.Qf3 Bg4 12.Qg3 Qxg3 13.hxg3 Ke7 14.c3 Be2 15.Re1 Bxd3 16.e5 Ng4 17.exd6+ Kxd6 18.Be3 Nxe3 19.fxe3 Ke6 20.Nd2 Rad8 21.Kh2 Rhf8 22.Nf3 Rf6 23.e4 Rh6+ 24.Nh4 g5 25.Rad1 gxh4 26.g4 Bd6+ 27.Kh3 Bb5 28.Rd4 Bg3 29.Red1 Rxd4 30.cxd4 Bd7 31.b3 Rg6 32.e5 h5 White resigned, Petasluk - pawnloss, FICS 2006) 10.0-0 dxe4 11.Re1 Qd6 12.Bf4 Qd4 13.Be5 Qd7 14.Rxe4 Qf5 15.Qxg7+ Ke8 16.Bg3+ Qxe4 17.dxe4 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - frencheng, blitz, FICS, 2010.
9...Nf6 10.d3 Ng4
Here comes the counter-attack on f2 again (see "Frying Pan Minus Perspective Equals Fire").
Two different courses of play: 10...b6 11.Na4 Bb4+ 12.c3 b5 13.cxb4 bxa4 14.Bd2 Qe5 15.Qxe5 dxe5 16.Rc1 Ne8 17.Bc3 Be6 18.a3 Rd8 19.Ke2 Nd6 20.Bxe5 Nb5 21.Bxc7 Nxc7 22.Rxc7 Bd7 23.Rxa7 Ke7 24.Rc1 Rc8 25.Rac7 Rxc7 26.Rxc7 Rc8 27.Rxc8 Bxc8 28.Ke3 h6 29.Kd4 Kd6 30.f4 g6 31.Kc3 Ba6 32.d4 Bf1 33.g3 Bg2 34.e5+ Kd5 35.b5 Ke6 36.Kb4 Kd7 37.Kxa4 Bh3 38.Ka5 Kc7 39.b6+ Kb7 40.d5 Bg2 41.d6 Bh3 42.Kb5 Bd7+ 43.Kc5 Be6 44.a4 h5 45.b4 Black resigned, levigun - dmyze, GameKnot.com, 2004; and
10...h6 11.Be3 Bxe3 12.fxe3 Qe5 13.Qxe5 dxe5 14.Rf1 Ke7 15.Nd5+ Nxd5 16.exd5 Bd7 17.Rf2 Rhf8 18.Rxf8 Rxf8 19.Ke2 Bg4+ 20.Ke1 g5 21.c4 Kd6 22.b4 b6 23.a3 a6 24.Ra2 Bf5 25.Rf2 Ke7 26.e4 Bg4 27.Rxf8 Kxf8 28.Kd2 Ke7 29.d4 exd4 30.Kd3 Kd6 31.Kxd4 c5+ 32.dxc6 Kxc6 33.c5 bxc5+ 34.bxc5 h5 35.g3 h4 36.gxh4 gxh4 37.Ke5 Kxc5 38.Kf4 Bd7 39.h3 Bxh3 40.Kg5 Bg2 41.Kxh4 Bxe4 42.Kg4 a5 43.Kf4 Bc2 44.Ke3 Kc4 45.Kd2 Kb3 46.a4 Kb2 47.Ke1 Bxa4 48.Kd2 Bc2 White resigned, rhoadarmer - partha, Gameknot.com, 2006.
11.0-0 Ke8 12.Nd5 Qf7
Black continues his preparations even though the game has leveled out.
13.h3
More to the point, as with perrypawnpusher - marianomocoroa, blitz, FICS 1020, was 13.Be3.
13...Nxf2
This is an error that 14.Be3 would have pointed out – just because White's early moves were bad doesn't make all of his other moves, or his position now, bad.
13...Rxf2 Rf8
Consistent, but 13...Bxf2+ 14.Qxf2 Qxf2+ 15.Kxf2 Rf8+ 16.Kg3 Rf7 18.Be3 would have given Black a position with the exchange for a pawn. Now White recovers.
15.Be3 Bxe3 16.Qxe3 Qd7
17.Rxf8+ Kxf8 18.Rf1+ Kg8 19.Qf3
Even stronger was 19.Qg5, when Black will have to give up his Queen (e.g. 19...h6 20.Qg6 Qe6 21.Nf6+ Qxf6 22.Rxf6) to avoid checkmate.
19...Qd8 20.Qf7+ Black resigned
Today's game is a routine Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+): White plays solidly, Black plays second-best moves, White accepts the full point.
perrypawnpusher - caterwaul
blitz FICS, 2010
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8
The updated New Year's Database has 250 games with this position. White scores 46%.
7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qg3
I've only reached this position a couple of times, but there are over 70 games with it in the New Year's Database. White scores 53%.
8...Nf6
An alternate defense was seen in perrypawnpusher - frencheng, blitz FICS, 2010: 8...Qe7 9.d3 d5 10.0-0 dxe4 11.Re1 Qd6 12.Bf4 Qd4 13.Be5 Qd7 14.Rxe4 Qf5 15.Qxg7+ Ke8 16.Bg3+ Qxe4 17.dxe4 Black resigned.
9.d3
Or 9.Nc3 Ng4 10.0-0 g6 11.d3 Kg7 12.h3 Ne5 13.Kh1 Rf8 14.f4 Kh8 15.Bd2 Nc6 16.Nd5 Be6 17.Ne3 Rg8 18.c3 d5 19.d4 Be7 20.e5 Bh4 21.Qf3 Qf8 22.g3 Be7 23.g4 Qf7 24.f5 gxf5 25.gxf5 Bc8 26.f6 Bf8 27.Nf5 Bxf5 28.Qxf5 Re8 29.Rae1 Nd8 30.Kh2 Ne6 31.Rg1 Rxg1 32.Rxg1 a5 33.Qg4 White won on time, perrypawnpusher - klixar, blitz FICS, 2007.
9...h6
10.Nc3 c6 11.0-0 Be6 12.Be3 Qd7
There was nothing wrong with 12...Bxe3; in fact, it was probably better than the text.
13.f4 Bxe3+ 14.Qxe3 Qe7
The game is about even. Black's King is still not castled (by-hand) and White's "Jerome pawns" are ready to roll.
15.e5 Nd5 16.Qe4
An odd choice. After the game Rybka suggested: 16.Nxd5 Bxd5 17.c4 Bg8 18.Rae1 Bh7 19.d4 Bf5 20.Qf3 Rd8 21.g4 which seems to work out better.
analysis diagram
16...Nxc3 17.bxc3 Qf7 18.f5 Bd5 19.Qf4
19...Ke7
Making room for the Rooks, apparently, but 19...dxe5 20.Qxe5 Re8 showcased Black's advantage. Instead, Black's Bishop gets caught by the pawns.
20.c4 Be6
The desperado move 20...Bxg2 was better, although White would still have the advantage.
21.exd6+ Kd7 22.fxe6+ Qxe6
23.c5
Much stronger was 23.Qg3, as Black has no good way to protect the pawn at g7, and when White's captures it with check he has the dual threats of winning one of Black's Rooks if the King goes to the back rank, or pinning Black's Queen to his King with a Rook if the King advances.
I played the text move with the Rooks and pawns endgame in mind.
23...Rae8 24.Qf7+ Qxf7 25.Rxf7+ Ke6 26.Rxb7
White's advantage is clear. I admit that my next moves appear wasteful, as I allow my two advanced pawns to be captured; but my plan was to gobble up Black's pawns in return, and create more passers for myself.
26...Kd5 27.Rxa7 Kxc5 28.Rxg7 Kxd6 29.Rg6+ Kc5 30.a4 Re2 31.a5 Rxc2 32.a6
32...Kb6 33.Rg4 Ra8 34.Rb4+ Kc7 35.Rb7+ Kc8 36.Rh7 Kb8
37.Rxh6
I was not doing a lot of analysis here, but I didn't think that I needed to.
37...c5 38.Rb1+ Ka7 39.Rb7 checkmate
Of the 17,615 games in the updated New Year's Database, only 4% are draws.
Although my personal statistic is a bit higher (9%), I have always thought of a draw as a "fire exit" for me, to escape from a game that has gone bad. I don't usually think of my opponents of being interested in splitting the point – they're usually too busy trying refute or destroy my plans to bother.
All of which explains some of the following game.
perrypawnpusher - frencheng
blitz FICS, 2010
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6
7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 Qe7
It's always a good thing if Black can get in ...Qf6 or ...Qe7 in a meaningful way.
9.Qe3 Nf6 10.Nc3 Kf7 11.0-0 Rf8
Black has just about castled-by-hand. As always, White has to make something of his "Jerome pawns" to keep in the game.
12.f4 d5
13.e5
White achieves less than nothing with the alternative 13.exd5 Qxe3 14.dxe3 Bf5.
After the game Rybka suggested a line to keep Black's advantage slight: 13.f5 Ne5 14.Nxd5 Nxd5 15.exd5 Qf6 16.d4 Nc4 17.Qd3 Nd6 18.Bf4 Kg8 19.g4 Bd7 20.b3 Rae8.
analysis diagram
13...Nh5
14.h3 Nxe5
Giving back the piece, rather than continue to deal with the penned in Knights. I think completing castling by 14...Kg8 was less committal.
15.fxe5+
First 15.Nxd5 was better.
15...Kg8 16.g4
It looks like White has found a way to capture the second Knight as well – but this move is actually a blunder. He would have done much better with 16.Rxf8+ Qxf8 17.d4, getting some development in before chasing the randspringer.
16...Rxf1+ 17.Kxf1 Bxg4 18.hxg4 Rf8+ 19.Kg2
19...Qd7
A solid move, but missing the direct and very useful pawn sacrifice 19...d4, as after 20.Qxd4 Black's attack builds with 20...Qh4 since the White g-pawn is pinned to its Queen. If White defends then with 21.Ne2 Black has the simple 21...Nf4+ followed by 22.Nxf4 Qxg4+ winning.
The un-supported ...d5-d4 isn't easy to see at first, but I am sure that my opponent would have been happy had he found it. Me, not so much.
20.gxh5
The position would still be complicated, but in White's favor, after 20.e6 Nf4+ .
20...d4
This was frencheng's plan to recover a piece.
He would have done better to sue for peace with: 20...Qg4+ 21.Qg3 Qf5 when White's three Queenside pieces look silly standing by doing nothing while Black's Queen forces repetitions of position.
21.Qg5
Willingly giving back one of the two pieces, but this was not the way to do it!
Simply 21.Qe4 dxc3 22.bxc3 and White is OK.
analysis diagram
21...Qc6+
Black is right – White's King is vulnerable – and the proper entry to the attack wins White's Queen (and more): 21...Qf7 22.Qg3 Qf1+ 23.Kh2 Rf2+ 24.Qxf2 Qxf2+ 25.Kh1 dxc3.
At the time the game was being played, I was clueless of the danger that my King was in.
22.Kg1 dxc3 23.bxc3 Qf3
24.Qg2
This is funny.
If I had seen 24.Ba3, opening up my Rook's protection along the first rank, I'd have found the win.
24...Qxh5
Temporarily missing the fire exit.
25.d4
Okay, this is ridiculous: it is the same error.
Again, 25.Ba3 wins.
25...Qd1+
My opponent heads for the exit and the safety of a draw.
26.Kh2 Qh5+ 27.Kg1 Qd1+ 28.Kh2 Qh5+ 29.Kg3 Qg6+ 30.Kh2 Qh5+ 31.Kg1 Qd1+ 32.Kh2 Qh5+ 33.Kg1 Qd1+ 34.Kh2
Game drawn by repetition.
graphic by Jeff Bucchino, the Wizard of Draws
