The other day I woke up too early, and said to myself, "Let's have a chess game, and then a cup of coffee." Wrong. I needed the coffee first. perrypawnpusher - igisr blitz, FICS, 2015 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 The Semi-Italian Opening. 4.0-0 Bc5 5.Bxf7+
I have played games where Black has chosen 8...Ke8, 8...Kf8 and even 8...Kf6, but the text move was new to me. (There is only one game example in The Database.) There is something significant about the placement of the Black King, but in the morning mental fog, it eluded me. 9.Qxc5+ d6 10.Qe3 Nf6 11.f4 Re8 Instead, the game mrddblack - ammagamma (1-0, 32), continued 11...Rf8. 12.f5 Ne5 13.d4 Nc4
Routine, but probably better was 13...Nc6. 14.Qd3 b5 15.Nc3 After the game, Stockfish recommended the straight-forward 15.b3 Nb6 16.e5 dxe5 17.dxe5 Qxd3 18.exf6+ Kxf6 19.cxd3 with a slight advantage for White. The text move is not "wrong", but it reflects the fact that I believed that e4-e5 was not currently playable because it allowed the exchange of Queens - missing, as Stockfish showed, that White can use thezwischenzug exf6+ after ...Qxd3 to regain his sacrificed piece. 15...a6 16.b3 Nb6 17.Ba3
Hoping that the pin on Black's d6 pawn will allow White's e-pawn to advance, but this is cloudy thinking, and easily evaded. Better was the simple 17.e5 dxe5 18.dxe5 Qxd3 19.exf6+ Kxf6 20.cxd3 as we have seen. 17...Kf7 18.Rae1 A standard move in this kind of position, but I could not escape the feeling that I had missed something... 18...Bb7 19.Bb2 b4
White's pawn center is now crumbling under the pressure of Black's pieces (and the b-pawn), but I was confident that I had everything under control. 20.Qc4+Nxc4 Or not.White resigned. I had a cup of coffee while I did the post mortem.
I received another interesting game from Dave Black, who commented on how "Sometimes games just seem to flow. In this game i just seemed to make natural moves, looking to stay as active as I could and that was enough."
It is hard to argue with him: smooth sailing.
mrddblack - ammagamma
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6
The Semi-Italian Opening.
4.0-0 Bc5 5.Bxf7+
The Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit.
5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.Qh5+ Ng6 8.Qd5+ Ke7
I was amazed to see that in over 3,700 Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit games in The Database, this was the first with 8...Ke7.
The move itself is not "bad", but it might indicate a casual approach to defense, depending on what Black's plans are. As the game goes, the second player wants to castle-by-hand, and his King is not slowed by the text (in comparison with the more often played 8...Ke8).
Now Black secures his King while White mobilizes his "Jerome pawns".
The position is about equal. I doubt that Dave used much time in reaching it, it is so "Jerome-ish".
16.Bf4 Nh5 17.Ne2 Nxf4 18.Nxf4 Bd7 19.Rae1 Kg8
20.Ng6 Rf7 21.e5 dxe5 22.dxe5 Qg5
Black reaches for more, but obtains less. He was counting on the threat to g2, but overlooked that White will have a move with an attention-demanding check.
23.e6 Bc6 24.exf7+
The proof that ...Bc6 should have come a move earlier.
24...Kxf7 25.Qg3 Qxg3 26.hxg3
White is up the exchange, plus two annoying "Jerome pawns."
26...Nd5 27.Ne5+ Kf6 28.Nxc6 bxc6 29.Re6+ Kg5
Black avoids the long, uphill struggle that would come after 29...Kf7 30.Rxc6 by falling into a mating net.
Eight pawns. Two Rooks. Two Knights. Two Bishops. A King and a Queen. We all start out a chess game with the same number of chessmen. However, as the following game by Dave Blackshows, being familiar with and playing the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) can give the first player an edge in thinking time; and with the clock as White's "seventeenth man" that can tip the advantage in his favor.
Black has stopped the progress of White's "Jerome pawns" at the cost of stifling his Queen and Knight. White decides to open a second front, which has the eventual result of lifting the semi-blockade.
It is always great to hear from people who have visited this site – doubly so when someone gives the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) a try and then is willing to share the results.
Is that me in the picture to the left, sharing some analysis?*
Inspired by your great website i decided to launch myself into the Jerome gambits alternate universe with this game of blitz. A few classic Jerome motifs i've picked up from your site crop up here. The "nudge", the Jerome pawns... Just remember it's all your fault from here in.. :)
A standard Jerome Gambit position. Black is better, and his prospects would be awesome if he could castle next move. This last factor, however – Black's King stuck in the middle – often combines with a few other tasty ingredients.
10.f4 Ng4
Harassing the Queen can sometimes seem irresistable. Other continuations include:
White's pawns hold a lot of promise in a roughly balanced position.
17.0-0-0 b5
Black envisions opposite-side pawn storms. He will need something to distract his opponent.
18.f5 Nf8
Rybka suggests as a stronger defense: 18...Qf6 19.Qe3 Ne7
19.g4 b4 20.Na4 c5
Consistent play against the Knight and White's King's position. However, White has a number of tactical shots at his disposal.
21.b3
As an example of how tactical a Jerome Gambit game can get, look at the (stronger) alternative 21.e5. The opened a8-h1 diagonal forces Black to play 21...d5 (if 21...Bxa4 22.exd6 Qxd6 23.Rhe1+ Kd7 24.Qxa8) when after 22.f6 gxf6 23.exf6 Qd6 White continues to pile on the pressure with 24.Rde1+ Kd8 25.Nxc5 (with Re7 coming up).
analysis diagram
21...Bxa4
Black would have done better to ignore the Knight and play 21...Bc6, covering the diagonal.
22.bxa4
Rybka's take on the position is quite extraordinary: apparently White doesn't need to racapture: 22.e5 Rb8 23.exd6 Qb7 24.Rhe1+ Kd8 25.Qf2 Nd7 26.dxc5 Bc6 27.Re7 Nfe5 28.Qh4 Kc8 29.Qxh7 Rd8 30.Qxg7 Nf3 31.Be3 Qa6 32.f6 Qxa2 33.f7 with an edge. Oh, those Jerome pawns!
analysis diagram
22...cxd4
Very dangerous.
23.e5 Nxe5
24.Qxa8+ Kf725.Bxb4
White is ahead the exchange and some pawns – and his attack continues. 25...d326.Qd5+ Ke8
27.cxd3Qc7+ 28.Kb1 Kd7
29.Rc1
Black resigned. He could have played long enough to win a piece with 29...Qb8, but after 30.Rhe1 Qb4+ 31.Ka1 he will soon see his Knight on e5 expire, followed by his King.
Quite an exciting first Jerome Gambit for mrddblack!
*Oh, no, wait, that's Fagin, from Charles Dickens' novel Oliver Twist, equally subverting others.
