The Old "Poisoned Rook" Trick Again

It can be fun for Black to play a game of "duelling Knights" in certain lines of the Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit - his Knight is busy on one side of the board while White's is busy on the other - but he has to be careful not to fall victim of a poisoned piece.

aguisou - Gomenovich
blitz, FICS, 2015

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 4.Bxf7+ 

The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8 6.Qh5+

Interestingly, drumme - Gomenovich, blitz, FICS, 2014 continued 6.c3 Nc6  before the Queen check, 7.Qh5+ g6 8.Nxg6 Qf6 9.Nxh8+ Kd8 10.Nf7+ Ke7 11.d3 Qxf7 12.Bg5+ Nf6 13.Bxf6+ Qxf6 14.Qxh7+ Qg7 15.Qh4+ Ke8 16.0-0 Ne5 17.Nd2 Nxd3 18.Nf3 d6 19.e5 Qg4 20.Qh8 dxe5 21.Nxe5 Nxe5 22.Qxe5+ Be7 23.Rae1 Bd7 24.Qxe7 checkmate.

Kicking the Knight first didn't work in gregweb - Gomenovich, blitz, FICS, 2015 as Black had an effective counter 6.c3 d6 7.cxd4 dxe5 8.dxe5 Qe7 9.d4 Bd7 10.0-0 Nh6 11.Nc3 c5 12.Nd5 Qd8 13.Bxh6 gxh6 14.Nf6+ Kf7 15.Qh5+ Ke7 16.d5 Bg7 17.d6+ Kf8 18.e6 Bxe6 19.e5 Bxf6 20.exf6 Qxf6 21.Qxc5 Kf7 22.Qc7+ Kg6 23.Qxb7 Rhb8 24.Qe4+ Bf5 25.Qe7 Qxe7 26.dxe7 Re8 27.Rfe1 Kf7 28.Rac1 Rac8 29.Rcd1 Rxe7 30.Rxe7+ Kxe7 31.Rd5 Be6 32.Ra5 Rc7 33.Rh5 Rc1 checkmate.

aguisou has had some experience with 6.c3 as well, in a couple of games played a couple of months apart: 6...Qg5 7.cxd4 Qxg2 8.Qf3 Qg5 9.Qf7+ (here Black resigned in aLmaLja - aguisou, blitz, FICS, 2014) Kd8 10.Qxf8 checkmate, aLmaLja - aguisou, blitz, FICS, 2014.

6...g6 7.Nxg6 Nxc2+ 

The pawn is digestible, but the Rook is poisoned. 

8.Kd1 Nxa1

A quick look at The Database shows 65 games with this position. White scores 82%. 

9.Nxh8+ Ke7

10.Qf7+ 

Or 10.Qe5 checkmate. perrypawnpusher - mbranimir, blitz, FICS, 2009. 

10...Kd6 11.e5+ 

Or 11.Qd5+ Ke7 12.Qe5 checkmate. Yes, I missed the mate, too, in perrypawnpusher - robertpthom, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 32).

White has his own ideas on how to win the game.

11...Kc6 12.Qc4+ Bc5 

There is danger everywhere: 12...Kb6 13.Nc3 (13.d3 Qg5 14.Bxg5 Black resigned, Handlangari - PlatinumKnight, FICS, 2005) 13...c5 14.Nf7 Qe7 15.Nd5+ Black resigned, GOH - Neca, FICS, 2008.

13.d4 b5 14.Qxc5+ Kb7 15.Qxb5 checkmate.

The Somnambulists

 My opponent and I were obviously up past our bedtimes when we played the following game. It is as if we were sleep-walking... The checkmate that Black falls into is quite a nightmare, however.

perrypawnpusher - robertpthom

blitz, FICS, 2010

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.Qh5+ g6 7.Nxg6 Nxc2+

Very tempting, but as we have seen before 7...hxg6 8.Qxg6+ Ke7 9.Qg5+ Nf6 10.Qc5+ Kf7 11.Qxd4 d5 is better and leads to equality.

8.Kd1 Nxa1

During the game I knew that this was the wrong move, (8...hxg6 was still best) but I could not clear my head as to why.

9.Nxh8+ Ke7

The updated New Year's Database has 37 games with this position, not counting the current game. White scored 31 wins, 1 draw, and 5 losses – even though the position is White to move and mate in 1.

10.Qf7+

Missing, of course, 10.Qe5 mate. Amazingly, of the above 37 games in the database, only 4 ended with this winning move, including perrypawnpusher - mbranimir, blitz, FICS, 2009. Ouch!

It's not like it's rocket surgery...

10...Kd6 11.Qd5+ Ke7 12.Qxg8

Again, instead, there was 12.Qe5 mate.

Hats off to jtapia, who found the move in his game against jmercado, FICS, 2007. Eight of us did not, although Ronels played 12.Qg5+ Nf6 13.Qe5 mate against sarosha, FICS, 2010. 

White is still better, of course, but as long as the game continues there is opportunity for error.

12...Bh6

This offer to safeguard the King by exchanging Queens eliminates the danger of an early checkmate, but it drops a piece and turns the game into a technical win for White. 

13.Qxd8+

Even stronger was 13.Qxh7+ Ke6 14.d4, but I was comfortable with the Queens off of the board.

13...Kxd8 14.Nf7+ Ke7 15.Nxh6 d6

16.b3 Kf6 17.h3 Be6 18.Ng4+ Kg6 19.Bb2 Nxb3 20.axb3 Bxb3+

Black's connected passed pawns on the Queenside do not make up for being down two Knights.

21.Ke2 Bc4+ 22.d3 Bb5 23.f4 Rf8 24.f5+ Kg5

Black wants his King active, but he compounds his difficulties by walking into a mating net. 

25.Bc1+ Kh4 26.Nc3

This move is, of course, okay, but 26.Bf4 starts a mate-in-eleven. 

26...Bd7 27.Nd5 c6 28.Nf4

Closing the net around the Black King, although 28.g3+ led more directly to checkmate. 

28...d5 29.Kf3 dxe4+ 30.dxe4 b5 31.g3+ Kg5 32.h4 checkmate

Big Bad Wolf

The other day I ran into a big, bad wolf – a higher-rated player who tried to surprise me with the Blackburne Shilling Gambit. Instead, I surprised him with the Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.


perrypawnpusher - ZekeTheWolf
blitz, FICS, 2010

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.Qh5+ g6 7.Nxg6 Nxc2+

Tempting, because it delivers a check, forks White's King and Rook, and generally messes the position up.

Still, 7..hxg6 is better, and after the game Rybka suggested the line: 8.Qxg6+ Ke7 9.Qg5+ Nf6 10.Qc5+ Kf7 11.Qxd4 d5 12.d3 c5 13.Qc3 dxe4 14.dxe4 Qd4 15.Qxd4 cxd4 16.f3 Be6 17.c3

analysis diagram








when Black is slightly better, although someone comfortable with the Jerome Gambit would probably be comfortable with the White pieces. 

8.Kd1 Qf6

Played too quickly. Better was 8...Nf6 as in perrypawnpusher - xenoglot, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 21) and perrypawnpusher - lourotors, blitz, FICS, 2009 (0-1, 37); but not the suicidal 8...Nxa1 9.Nxh8+ Ke7 10.Qe5, checkmate, perrypawnpusher - mbranimir, blitz, FICS, 2009.

9.Nxh8+ Ke7 10.Kxc2

I was surprised when I checked the updated New Year's Database after the game and saw that my opponent had played this line before: 10.Nc3 c6 11.e5 Qxh8 12.Kxc2 Qg7 13.d3 h6 14.Qh4+ Ke8 15.Qh5+ Ke7 16.Bf4 Qxg2 17.Bg3 d6 18.exd6+ Kd8 19.Rae1 Bd7 20.Qf7 Bxd6 21.Qxg8+ Kc7 22.Qxa8 Bxg3 23.hxg3 Qxf2+ 24.Re2 Qxg3 25.Qxa7 Qf3 26.Qa5+ Kc8 27.Qa8+ Kc7 28.Rxh6 Qxe2+ 29.Nxe2 Black resigned, DragonTail - ZekeTheWolf, FICS 2007

Still, the stronger reply that both DragonTail and I overlooked was 10.Qxh7+  as in 10...Qg7 11.Qh4+ Nf6 12.Kxc2 d6 13.Nc3 Be6 14.Re1 Kd7 15.d4 Be7 16.d5 Rxh8 17.dxe6+ Kc8 18.Qf4 Kb8 19.e5 dxe5 20.Rxe5 Bd6 21.Nb5 Bxe5 22.Qxe5 Qg6+ 23.Kb3 Rc8 24.Bf4 Ka8 25.Nxc7+ Rxc7 26.Qxc7 Qe8 27.Rc1 Qxe6+ 28.Kc2 Qc6+ 29.Kd3 Qxc7 30.Bxc7 a5 31.Bxa5 Ka7 32.b4 Nd5 33.Kd4 Nxb4 34.Bxb4, Black forfeited on time, stemplarv - hitijnar, blitz, FICS, 2008.

10...Qxh8

White is ahead the exchange and two pawns, a winning advantage if he can develop and press his attack, while keeping his own King safe.

11.Qg5+ Ke8 12.Nc3 c6 13.f4 Be7 14.Qh5+ Kd8 15.Qf3 Nf6 16.d3 d6

17.Be3 Bg4 18.Qf2 Bd7 19.h3 Kc7 20.g4 a6

Black's last move weakens the b6 square. Perhaps he was preparing to move his Rook without losing his a-pawn. After the game Rybka recommended 20...Be6, instead.

21.g5 Nh5 22.Bb6+

Taking a short break from the Kingside advance to force Black's King to block his Rook.

22...Kc8 23.f5

This pawn sacrifice was not necessary – I could have prepared for this advance with 23.Rhg1 – but the open g-file is useful. 

23...Bxg5 24.Rag1 Bf6 25.Qf3 Ng7

26.Rg2 Bd8

To get rid of the annoying Bishop at b6. Rybka's suggestion shows how difficult Black's position is, as White's Rooks infiltrate along the g-file: 26...Qf8 27.Rhg1 Ne8 28.Rg8 Qe7 29.Qe3 a5 30.Bd4 Kc7 31.Bxf6 Qxf6 32.R1g7.

analysis diagram








 27.Bxd8 Kxd8 28.Rhg1 Kc7

This slip frees up the Rook, but drops the Knight.

29.Rxg7 Rf8 30.Qh5 Kb6 Black resigned

Half-way There

I seem to be playing against the Blackburne Shilling Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4) a lot, lately. I'm not sure why – probably just coincidence. I'm still giving it the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) treatment, though.

perrypawnpusher - mbranimir
blitz 12 0, FICS, 2009

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nd4

4. Bxf7+ Kxf7 5. Nxe5+ Ke8

6.Qh5+ g6 7. Nxg6

Black usually plays 7...hxg6 here, although I've also faced 7...Nf6. My opponent now plays an interesting and logical move, first seen in perrypawnpusher - Iourotors, blitz FICS, 2009 (0-1, 37).

7...Nxc2+

This takes the Black Knight out of range of the White Queen. If, instead, 7...hxg6 then 8.Qxg6+ Ke7 9.Qg5+ Ke8 10.Qe5+ Qe7 11.Qxd4 Bg7 when White has 4 pawns for his sacrificed piece, in an unclear position.

8. Kd1 Nxa1

Sometimes half of a good plan turns out to be a bad plan after all. The proper move instead of the text was 8... hxg6, when everything is pretty unclear. Of course, White would always have 9.Qxg6+ Ke7 10. Qg5+ Ke8 11. Qg6+ etc, forcing the draw; or he could try 10.Kxc2 or 10.d3.

Certainly this line bears further investigation – but not today.

9. Nxh8+ Ke7 10. Qe5 checkmate