Blackburne Shilling Gambit Investigator: Update

I have written here before about Rodolfo Pardi (see "Blackburne Shilling Gambit Investigator")

Recently I received a request for The Database from Rodolfo Pardi (librarian, Italian Chess Federation chess instructor and tournament director), the author of a good number of chess books, including A dreadful Chess Trap: Blackburne Shilling. He said he had been frequently meeting the Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 4.Bxf7+), and wanted to know more about it.Of course, I sent the (compressed) PGN file right away!

In a recent email he said he had updated his book about the Blackburne Shilling Gambit, adding a section for the Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit and noting

As my book is aimed to the player with Black, I put a link to the following file, containing 600 games from your database [The Database] where Black plays Ke6 and ends winning.  http://scacchi.vecchilibri.eu/partite/jeromeke6.html

Wow.

Rodolfo was referring to the line 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6 and I thought I would take a closer look at it. The following game holds a lot of analysis and ideas - and also shows the practical side of the Blackburne Shilling Gambit, as complications bring the clock into play.

hanslenz - raidrunner
blitz, FICS, 2012

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 4.Bxf7+

The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit. The Database has 5,337 game examples. White scores 56%. (Only 2% of the games are draws.)

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6 

Black's most enterprising response. Here The Database has 1,434 games, with White scoring 53%.

6.c3 Kxe5 7.cxd4+ Ke6

Wise. Black avoids a whole lot of trouble by declining the d-pawn and the e-pawn. Trust me. Or check out the wild analysis, below.

After 7...Kxd4?! 8.Qb3 we enter a line that shows up in exactly 0 games in The Database, and which has complications galore. 

Stockfish 8 recommends 8...d5 (instead, grabbing the second pawn makes matters dangeously worse for Black: 8...Kxe4?! 9.d4! Bb4+!? 10.Nc3+!? Bxc3+ 11.bxc3 Qe7 12.g4!? Qe6 [12...Kf3+ 13.Be3 Kxg4 14.Rg1+ and mates] 13.c4 Qxg4 [13...Kxd4+ 14.Be3+ and mates] 14.Qc2+ Kxd4 15.Qb2+ Kd3 [15...Ke4 16.f3+!? Qxf3 17.Rf1 Qxf1+ 18.Kxf1 and wins] 16.Be3 Ke4 17.h3 Qg6 18.0–0–0 Qf6 19.Bd4 Qf4+ 20.Kb1 Kf5 21.Bxg7 d6 22.Bxh8 Ke6 23.Rhg1 and White is winning) 9.Nc3 Ne7 10.Nb5+!? (Or 10.exd5 Ke5 11.0–0 Kf6 12.d6 Kg6 [12...Nc6 13.Ne4+ Kg6 14.Qg3+ Kf7 15.Ng5+ Kf6 16.b4 Bxd6 17.Bb2+ Be5 18.Bxe5+ Nxe5 19.Ne4+ Kf7 20.Qf4+ Kg6 21.Qxe5] 13.dxe7 Bxe7 14.Re1 Re8 15.d4 Bd6 16.Bd2 h6 17.Nd5 c6 18.Nf4+ Bxf4 19.Bxf4 Rxe1+ 20.Rxe1 Qd5 21.Qxd5 cxd5 22.Re7 Kf6 23.Rc7 g5 1.52/27 ) 10...Ke5 11.Nxc7!? Rb8 (11...Qxc7? 12.Qg3+ Kf6 13.Qxc7) 12.d4+ Kf6 [only move] 13.Bf4 dxe4 14.0–0 h6 15.Rae1 b5 16.Be5+ Kg6 17.Ne6 Bxe6 18.Qxe6+ Kh7 19.Bxb8 Qxb8 20.Rxe4 Qc8 21.g3 Qxe6 22.Rxe6 Nf5 with the advantage to White of R+2P vs N+B.

If Black tries 7...Kxe4?! instead, White has 8.Qf3!? Kxd4 9.Nc3 (there are no games with this move in The Database) and Black will lose material trying to undo the mating web. For example, 9...c6 10.Qe3+ Kc4 11.a4!? Qe7 - trying to keep the White Queen out of the action by pinning it to the King - 12.b3!? and Black will lose his Queen after 12...Kb4 13.Ba3+ or be checkmated after 12...Kxb3 13.Ne4+ Kc4 14.Ba3!? Also a reasonable defensive try is 9...Qe7+, but after the logical 10.Kd1 White's King is far less uncomfortable, for example 10...Nf6 11.Qf4+ Kc5 12.Qxc7+ Kd4 13.Re1, winning the Queen. (See also "Regicide".)

8.O-O

Keeping his options open.

Also seen:

8.Nc3 Kf7 (8...Bb4, instead, is "A casual move that brings much misfortune"; see Clydeco - chaparov, standard, FICS, 2012) 9.Qb3+ (9.Qh5+ g6 10.Qf3+ Qf6 11.Qd3 Bg7 12.e5 Qa6 13.Qf3+ Ke8 14.d3 Ne7 15.O-O Rf8 16.Qh3 h5 17.Qg3 d6 18.Bg5 dxe5 19.Bxe7 Kxe7 20.Nd5+ Kd8 21.dxe5 Bf5 22.e6 Qd6 23.e7+ Ke8 24.exf8=Q+ Bxf8 25.Nxc7+ Kd7 26.Nxa8 Qxg3 27.fxg3 Bc5+ 28.d4 Bxd4+ 29.Kh1 Bxb2 30.Rab1 Bxb1 31.Rxb1 Ba3 32.Rxb7+ Kc6 33.Rxa7 Bc5 34.Rg7 Kb5 35.Rxg6 h4 36.gxh4 Kc4 37.Rg5 Be3 38.Rg3 Bf4 39.Rg4 Kd5 40.Rxf4 Kc6 41.h5 Kd6 42.h6 Ke6 43.h7 Ke5 44.Rf7 Ke6 45.h8=Q Kxf7 46.g4 Ke6 47.g5 Kf7 White ran out of time, Black has no material to mate, do drawn, Randompl - Steftcho, FICS, 2012) 9...Ke8 10.O-O (10.d3 c6 11.O-O d6 12.Bf4 Qf6 13.Ne2 Qe6 14.d5 cxd5 15.Nd4 Qf6 16.Qb5+ Kf7 17.Qxd5+ Kg6 18.e5 Qxf4 19.Ne6 Bxe6 20.Qxe6+ Kh5 21.Rae1 Black forfeited on time, papernoose - nuumm, FICS, 2004) 10...Be7 11.f4 Nf6 12.e5 Ng8 13.Ne4 d6 14.exd6 Bxd6 15.Re1 Kf8 16.Ng5 Qf6 17.Ne6+ Bxe6 18.Rxe6 Qxd4+ 19.Kh1 Bc5 20.Re3 b6 21.d3 Nf6 22.Bd2 Ng4 23.Re4 Nf2+ White resigned, bestcoast - Banjar, FICS, 2013; and

8.d5+ Ke7 9.d4 d6 10.Bg5+ Nf6 11.e5 h6 12.exf6+ gxf6 13.Bh4 Bg7 14.Qe2+ Kf8 15.O-O Bf5 16.Nc3 a6 17.Qf3 Bg6 18.Ne4 Kf7 19.Rae1 Re8 20.Ng3 Qd7 21.Rxe8 Rxe8 22.Ne2 Be4 23.Qh5+ Bg6 24.Qf3 Be4 25.Qh5+ Bg6 26.Qf3 Be4 27.Qb3 Bxg2 28.Re1 Bf3 29.Qxf3 Kg8 30.Kh1 f5 31.Rg1 Re4 32.Nf4 Qf7 33.Ne6 Rg4 34.Rxg4 fxg4 35.Qxg4 Kh7 36.f3 Bxd4 37.Qe4+ Kg8 38.Qxd4 Qxf3+ 39.Kg1 Black resigned, marciprevi - nchak, FICS, 2016

8...d6 9.f4

9...Ke7

9...Kf7 was seen in topsoul - moisesserraramos, lichess.org, 2016

10.f5 h6 11.e5 

Understandable, but a bit premature, although it is tempting to hurry things up in a blitz game. Better was 11.Nc3.

11...dxe5 12.dxe5 Qd5 

If Black wants to win the e-pawn he probably should start out with 12...Qd4+ 13.Kh1 Kd8 when there will be no danger of the Queen being pinned to her King.

13.Nc3 Qd4+ 14.Kh1 Ke8

Missing the advice of the previous note.

15.Qe2 Bd7

White has two pawns for his sacrificed piece, and a much safer King. He is better.

16.b3 a6 17.Bb2 Kd8 18.Rab1 

It is clear that White want's to unmask his fianchettoed Bishop, but 18.Nd1!? might have been a better way to to that. Or he could patiently play 18.Rc1 instead.

18...Qh4 19.d4 Kc8 20.d5 b6 21.a4 Bc5 22.e6 Be8 23.Ne4 

White has clearly taken control of the game.

23...Nf6 24.Nxf6

White prefers to hold onto his powerful Bishop, but he could have considered exchanging it, as after 24.Bxf6!? gxf6 25.g3!? Black's Queen will be nudged away from protecting the pawn at f6, e.g. 25...Qh5 26.Qc4 and the pawn will fall.

24...gxf6 25.Qf3 Bh5

Suddenly Black seems to be in charge.

26.Qd3

White had the alternative 26.Bxf6!? Bxf3 27.Bxh4 Bxd5 28.b4 Bd6 29.Rbd1 c6, but his "Jerome pawns" appear stalled.

26...Bd6 27.g3 Qg4

The clock seems to be affecting moves at this point.

28.Bxf6 Qe2 

Missing the fact that after the exchange of Queens and then the "exhange" of Rooks, he would drop a piece, i.e. 29.Qxe2 Bxe2 30.Bxh8 Bxf1 31.Rxf1. 

29.Qc3

Yikes! Tick, tick, tick... Black now has 29...Qe4+ 30.Kg1 Bc5+ winning White's Queen.

29...Bf3+

Seeing ghosts.

Now Black drops a piece, and the "Jerome pawns" advance menacingly.

30.Rxf3 Rg8 31. Bh4 Qe4 32. Rbf1 Qxd5 33. e7 Re8 34. f6 Bxe7 35.fxe7 Kb7 

Cruel, cruel clock.

36.Kg1 Qc5+ 37.Qxc5 bxc5 38.Rf8 Kb6 39.Rxe8 Rxe8 40.Rf8 Rxe7 41.Bxe7 

Here Black forfeited on time.

Jerome Gambit: Knight and Queen

A couple of nice looking checkmates using Knight and Queen, by White in recent Jerome Gambit games online at FICS

cutnpaaste - microlab, blitz, FICS, 2017

marciprevi - ppd, blitz, FICS, 2017

Up-To-Date Blackburne Shilling Gambit

Concerning the Blackburne Shilling Gambit (see the previous post), 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4, it is clear that there are several good responses, including 4.0-0, 4.Nxd4, 4.c3 and 4.d3. Of course, if you are a Jerome Gambit fan, or if you want to try something that might be a surprise to the defender, there is always 4.Bxf7+...

The following game - another 3-minute blitz - is an up-to-date example. 

marciprevi - nchak
3 0 blitz, FICS, 2016

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nc6 3.Nf3 Nd4 4.Bxf7+ 

The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6 6.c3 Kxe5 7.cxd4+ Ke6

8.d5+

Possibly White's best response to Black's prudent King retreat. (7...Kxe4 is unnecessarily risky for the defender.)

8...Ke7 

It could be that 8...Kf7 is a tiny bit better. 

9.d4 d6 10.Bg5+ Nf6 11.e5 h6 

Black should probably have simply allowed the return of the piece with 11...dxe5 12.dxe5 Kf7 13.exf6 

12.exf6+ gxf6 13.Bh4 Bg7 

14.Qe2+ Kf8 15.O-O Bf5 16.Nc3 a6 17.Qf3 Bg6 

18.Ne4 

The trip to e2 and then f4 for the Knight, hitting the Bishop at g6 and eying the square e6, looked a bit better.

18...Kf7 19.Rae1 Re8 20.Ng3 Qd7 21.Rxe8 Rxe8 22.Ne2 Be4

23.Qh5+ Bg6 24.Qf3 Be4 25.Qh5+ Bg6 26.Qf3 Be4 27.Qb3

Wanting more than the draw.

27...Bxg2 28.Re1 

A slip. 28.Kxg2 Rxe2 29.Qxb7 was the way to keep the game in balance.

28...Bf3

Returning the favor. Remember: this was a 3-minute blitz game.

29.Qxf3 Kg8 30.Kh1 f5 31.Rg1 Re4 32.Nf4 Qf7 33.Ne6 Rg4 34.Rxg4 fxg4 35.Qxg4 Kh7

36.f3 Bxd4 37.Qe4+ Kg8 38.Qxd4 Qxf3+ 39.Kg1 Black resigned

Footnotes to More Exploring

Here are some additions to the previous post, which focused upon a line in the  Abrahams Jerome Gambit, the game ndizvoh - stevebrown, blitz, FICS, 2015.


After 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Bxf7+ Kxf7 4.Qh5+ g6 5.Qxe5 Bxf2+ 
6.Ke2

the move 6...Nf6 was suggested as an alternative to 6...Qf6,

He also had the move 6...Nf6, which does the same thing, as 7.Kxf2 would then be met with 7...Ng4+, winning White's Queen.

Examples from The Database: 

Rattymouse  - bobbybo
blitz, FICS, 2007
1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Bxf7+ Kxf7 4.Qh5+ g6 5.Qxe5 Bxf2+ 6.Ke2 Nf6 7.Kxf2 Ng4+ White resigned

lksharma - oeyvind
blitz, FICS, 2008
1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Bxf7+ Kxf7 4.Qh5+ g6 5.Qxe5 Bxf2+ 6.Ke2 Nf6 7.Kxf2 Ng4+ 8.Ke1 Nxe5 9.d3 Rf8 10.Nh3 Kg8 11.Bg5 Qe8 12.Nd2 d5 13.Ke2 Bxh3 14.gxh3 dxe4 15.Nxe4 Nc4 16.Raf1 Rxf1 17.Rxf1 Nc6 18.Kd1 Nxb2+ 19.Kc1 Qe5 20.Nf6+ Kg7 21.Nd7 Qd6 22.Bf6+ Kh6 23.Bxb2 Qxd7 24.Bc3 Re8 25.Bd2+ g5 26.h4 Kh5 27.Bxg5 Re2 28.Bf6 Qg4 29.Kb2 Qb4+ 30.Kc1 Qa3+ 31.Kd1 Rxh2 32.Rf5+ Kg6 33.Rf4 Rg2 34.Bb2 Rg1+ 35.Ke2 Qe7+ White forfeited on time

xreal - jgknight
blitz, FICS, 2010
1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Bxf7+ Kxf7 4.Qh5+ g6 5.Qxe5 Bxf2+ 6.Ke2 Nf6 7.Kxf2 Ng4+ 8.Ke2 Nxe5 9.Nf3 Nxf3 10.gxf3 d5 11.d3 dxe4 12.fxe4 Bg4+ 13.Kd2 Qg5+ 14.Kc3 Qe5+ 15.Kb3 Be6+ 16.c4 Nc6 17.Rf1+ Ke8 18.Bf4 Nd4+ 19.Kc3 Ne2+ 20.Kd2 Nxf4 21.Nc3 Rf8 22.Ke3 Ng2+ 23.Kd2 Rxf1 24.Rxf1 Qg5+ 25.Kc2 Ne3+ 26.Kb3 Nxf1 White resigned

marciprevi - chesssuperstar
blitz, FICS, 2014
1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Bxf7+ Kxf7 4.Qh5+ g6 5.Qxe5 Bxf2+ 6.Kf1 Nf6 7.Kxf2 Ng4+ 8.Ke2 Nxe5 9.d4 Nc4 10.b3 d5 11.bxc4 Bg4+ 12.Ke3 Qg5+ 13.Kd3 dxc4+ 14.Kxc4 Qxc1 15.Kc3 Bd1 16.Ne2 Qxc2+ 17.Kb4 a6 18.Rf1+ Kg7 19.Na3 Nc6 checkmate

A little further along in the game's notes, I recommended that

White probably should have settled for 7.Qxf6+ Nxf6 8.Kxf2 Nxe4+ and a roughly equal game.

However, a quick look at The Database showed that in 23 games my suggestion scored 72% for Black!?

A consultation with Houdini 3 and Stockfish 6 gave me a clue as to what was going on. While both computer programs agreed that the responses 9.Ke1 and 9.Kf1 led to a balanced game, the move 9.Ke2 (3 games) led to an edge for Black, and the move 9.Ke3 (15 games) led to  an advantage for Black. (Both moves are well met by 9...Re8.)

It can be helpful to know what has been played previously, if only to know what moves to avoid!

Finally, it can be noted that after the game continuation, 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Bxf7+ Kxf7 4.Qh5+ g6 5.Qxe5 Bxf2+ 6.Ke2 Qf6 7.Qd5+ Kg7

The Database contains 7 games with this position: 6 losses for White (one of them ndizvoh - stevebrown, blitz, FICS, 2015) and 1 draw.