(This time I saw it)

Early last year I played a Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) against Banassi (see "Platypus Perils and Follies"), and succeeded when my opponent lost his way in a complicated refutation line.

Although I won the game, I was so nervous at the time that I overlooked a checkmate-in-one along the way.

This time, I saw it.

perrypawnpusher - thinan

blitz FICS, 2010

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

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

One of the many ways to defeat the Jerome Gambit, others being 6...g6, 6...Ng6 and 6...Kf8.

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Qh4+

Wow!

The simpler 8...Qf6 was an effective defense, as was 8...Qd8, or 8...Qd7 or even 8...Kc6. The text holds the promise of a Queen sac, however.

9.g3 Nf3+ 10.Kd1

Now Black has 10...Ne7 11.e5+ Kc6 12.Qe4+ d5 13.exd6+ Nd5 14.gxh4 Bg4

analysis diagram







as in abhailey - peonconorejas, net-chess.com, 2008, which finished with 15.Qa4+ b5 16.Qa6+ Nb6 17.c4 Nd4+ 18.Ke1 Rhe8+ 19.Kf2 Nf5+ 20.Kf1 Bh3 checkmate.

analysis diagram







10...Qe7 

Taking the Queen out of danger, but allowing...

11.Qd5 checkmate

This was anticipated by CoachCrupp - jirikb, blitz FICS, 2008.

perrypawnpusher - Banassi, blitz FICS, 2009 continued: 11.e5+ Kc6 12.Qe4+ Kb6 13.Qxf3 d6 14.Nc3 Be6 15.Na4+ Kb5 16.Qxb7+ Bb6 17.Nxb6 axb6 18.Qxa8 dxe5 19.a4+ Kc5 20.d3 exf4 21.b4+ Kd6 22.Bxf4+ Kd7 23.Qb7 Bg4+ 24.Kc1 Ke8 25.Qa8+ Kf7 26.Qd5+ Kf8 27.Qe4 Qxb4 28.Qxb4+ Black resigned.

What a difference a delay makes...

Theory of the delayed Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) has developed slowly.  For example, transitions from the Semi-Italian opening (3.Bc4 h6) to the Jerome have been evaluated generally – e.g. White's "waiting" fourth move (4.0-0, 4.Nc3 or 4.d3) will be more useful than Black's 3...h6.

Occasionally a game pops up that illustrates more concretely the impact of waiting a move.

UNPREDICTABLE - badreligionnn

blitz FICS, 2010

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.d3

4...h6 5.Bxf7+

This position can be reached via the more familiar move-order of the Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.d3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.Qh5+ Ke6

Previously, White has not been very successful in this line, scoring 27% in 15 games.

8.Qf5+ Kd6 9.f4

UNPREDICTABLE has lost two struggles with different 9th moves: 9.Bf4 Qf6 10.Qxf6+ Nxf6 11.c3 Ke7 12.Bxe5 d6 13.Bxf6+ gxf6 14.d4 Bb6 15.Nd2 Rg8 16.0-0 Be6 17.g3 Rg6 18.f4 Rgg8 19.f5 Bd7 20.b3 c5 21.d5 Bb5 22.c4 Bd7 23.Nf3 Kd8 24.Nh4 Kc7 25.Ng6 Rae8 26.Rfe1 Ba5 27.Re2 Bc3 28.Rc1 Bd4+ 29.Kg2 a5 30.Kf3 a4 31.h4 axb3 32.axb3 Rb8 33.h5 b5 34.Rd2 bxc4 35.bxc4 Rb3+ 36.Kf4 Be5+ 37.Kg4 Rxg3+ 38.Kh4 Re3 39.Nxe5 fxe5 40.Rcc2 Rxe4+ 41.Kh3 Bxf5+ 42.Kh2 Rgg4 43.Rf2 Rh4+ 44.Kg1 Re1+ 45.Kg2 Bxc2 46.Rxc2 Rxh5 47.Kf2 Rf5+ 48.Kxe1 h5 49.Kd2 Rf4 50.Kc3 h4 51.Rh2 Rf3+ 52.Kc2 h3 53.Kc1 Rg3 54.Kd1 Rg1+ 55.Kd2 Rg3 56.Kd1 Rg1+ 57.Kd2 Rg2+ 58.Ke3 Rxh2 59.Kf3 Rc2 60.Kg4 h2 61.Kf5 h1Q 62.Ke6 Qh6+ 63.Ke7 Ra2 64.Kf7 Ra8 65.Ke7 Qg7+ 66.Ke6 Re8+ 67.Kf5 Rf8+ White resigned, UNPREDICTABLE - bigchip, FICS, 2009; and

9.c3 Qf6 10.Qxf6+ gxf6 11.d4 Nd3+ 12.Kd2 Nxf2 13.Rf1 Nxe4+ 14.Kd3 Kd5 15.dxc5 Nxc5+ 16.Kc2 d6 17.a4 Bd7 18.b3 Re8 19.c4+ Ke6 20.Re1+ Kf7 21.Rxe8 Bxe8 22.Nc3 Bc6 23.g3 Ne7 24.Be3 Be4+ 25.Nxe4 Nxe4 26.Kd3 f5 27.Rf1 Kf6 28.g4 Ke6 29.Re1 Nf6 30.Bxh6+ Kd7 31.g5 Ng4 32.Bg7 Rxh2 33.Bf6 Ng8 34.Kc3 N4xf6 35.gxf6 Nxf6 36.a5 a6 37.Kb4 Kc8 38.Re6 Ne4 39.Rg6 Rh5 40.Rg8+ Kd7 41.Rg7+ Kc6 42.Rg6 Nc5 43.Ka3 Rh3 44.Rf6 Rxb3+ 45.Ka2 Rc3 46.Rxf5 Rxc4 47.Kb2 Ra4 48.Kc3 Rxa5 49.Kb4 Rb5+ 50.Kc3 a5 51.Rf6 a4 52.Rf1 b6 53.Ra1 Ne4+ 54.Kd3 d5 55.Rxa4 Kc5 56.Ra1 c6 57.Rc1+ Kd6 58.Kd4 Rc5 59.Rh1 Rc4+ 60.Ke3 Kc5 61.Rh6 b5 62.Ke2 b4 63.Ke3 b3 64.Ke2 b2 65.Rh1 Kb4 66.Kf3 c5 67.Rb1 Kb3 68.Kf4 Rc3 69.Rh1 c4 70.Ke5 Ka2 71.Kxd5 b1Q 72.Rxb1 Kxb1 73.Kxe4 Rc1 74.Kd4 c3 75.Kc4 c2 76.Kd4 Re1 White resigned, UNPREDICTABLE - fdy, FICS, 2009.

The text is sharper, even if it allows Black to play along the lines of one of the more spectacular refutations in the regular Jerome Gambit.

9...Qh4+

Destination: complications.

10.g3 Nf3+

Black continues along classical Jerome Gambit lines, unaware of the difference that d2-d3 has made in White's game. To maintain his advantage, he needed to retreat his Queen, not advance his Knight: 10...Qe7.

Another change in Black's options is that he does not have the thematic ...Qf6 at his disposal, since 10...Qf6 11.fxe5+ cannot be met by 11...Qxe5 because of 12.Bf4, winning the Queen.

After 10 Qe7 11.fxe5+ Kc6 12.Qg6+ d6 13.Bf4 Be6 Black would have been better.

11.Kd1

The key game from the Jerome Gambit line, abhailey -peonconorejas, net-chess.com, 2008 (0-1, 20) went 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Qh4+ 9.g3 Nf3+ 10.Kd1 Ne7 

analysis diagram







11.e5+ Kc6 12.Qe4+ d5 13.exd6+ Nd5

analysis diagram






14.gxh4 Bg4 15.Qa4+ b5 when Black's 4 pieces and the threatened discovered check added up to a quick win.

In the current game, the same strategem would flounder: 11...Ne7 12.e5+ Kc6 13.Qe4+ d5 14.exd6+ Nd5 15.gxh4 Bg4

analysis diagram





because White now has 16.h3, when Black's discovered check allows him to win the Queen, but the recapture by White's pawn on d3 gives him the better game

analysis diagram







If  Black instead retreats his Bishop, White gets an even game after 16.h3 Bh5 17.c4 Ng5+ 18.Kc2 Nxe4 19.cxd5+ Kxd5 20.dxe4+ Kxd6 21.Nc3 Rhe8

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Whew! Now, where were we...?

11...Qe7 12.Qd5 checkmate

Ouch.

As is often the case with the Jerome Gambit, the annotations are about subtlety while the moves themselves are lummoxes

Out of sight, out of mind

When I was putting together yesterday's Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) post – a long game with analysis and diagrams can take a couple of hours – I noticed that I had referenced a game that was in my database, but had not yet shown up on this blog. Playing through the game, I could understand the oversight: it's another bad game.

I suppose that I can take some comfort in the fact that I scored 2.5 point in those 3 bad games – that almost makes up for the poor play.


perrypawnpusher - episodeninetynine
blitz 10 0, FICS, 2009
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 The Semi-Italian opening.


4.0-0 Bc5 5.Bxf7+ 5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.Qh5+ Ng6
Some of my games have goen otherwise: 7...Ke6 8.Qf5+ Kd6 9.d4 Bxd4 ( 9...Qf6 10.dxe5+ Qxe5 11.Rd1+ ( 11.Bf4 Qxf4 12.Qxf4+ Kc6 13.e5 d5 14.b4 Nf6 15.bxc5 Ne4 16.Qf7 Nxc5 17.Qxg7 Be6; 11.Bf4 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - joejox, FICS 2009) 11...Bd4 12.Qf8+ Ke6 13.Qe8+ Kf6 14.Qf8+ Ke6 15.Qe8+ Kf6 drawn, perrypawnpusher - Joyus, FICS, 2007) 10.Rd1 c5 11.c3 Ne7 12.Qh5 Kc7 13.cxd4 cxd4 14.Qxe5+ d6 15.Qxd4 Nc6 16.Qxg7+ Bd7 17.Bf4 Rg8 18.Qxh6 Qe7 19.Bxd6+ Qxd6 20.Qxd6+ Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - Lakritzl, FICS 2009;

And 7...Kf6 8.Qf5+ Ke7 9.Qxe5+ Kf7 10.Qd5+ Kf6 11.e5+ Kg6 12.Qxc5 d6 13.exd6 Qxd6 14.Qxd6+ cxd6 15.Nc3 Bf5 16.d3 Rc8 17.Be3 a6 18.Bd4 Nf6 19.Rae1 Rhe8 20.f3 Kh7 21.Bxf6 gxf6 22.Rxe8 Rxe8 23.Kf2 Kg6 24.Re1 Rc8 25.Re7 Rb8 26.Ne4 Bxe4 27.fxe4 b5 28.Rd7 Rb6 29.c3 b4 30.c4 b3 31.a3 f5 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - bergeruw, FICS 2007

8.Qd5+

As I've said (see "Ugly"), I continue to play this nudge; few others do. For example: 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qc4+ Be6 10.Qe2 Nf6 11.f4 Re8 12.f5 Bxf5 13.Rxf5 d5 14.e5 Qd7 15.Qh5 c6 16.Nc3 Qc7 17.d4 c5 18.Nxd5 Qd8 19.exf6 gxf6 20.Rxf6+ Qxf6 21.Nxf6 Black resigned, abhailey - cumelen, net-chess, 2008

8...Kf6

Or 8...Kf8 9.Qxc5+ d6 10.Qe3 N8e7 11.d4 Kg8 12.Nc3 Kh7 13.f4 Rf8 14.f5 Nh8 15.g4 Kg8 16.g5 hxg5 17.Qxg5 Nf7 18.Qg3 Nc6 19.f6 g5 20.Bxg5 Nxg5 21.Qxg5+ Kf7 22.Qg7+ Ke6 23.d5+ Ke5 24.Qg3+ Kd4 25.Qd3+ Ke5 26.Qg3+ Kd4 27.Qd3+ Ke5 28.Qg3+ Kd4 29.Qd3+ Ke5 30.Qg3+ Kd4 31.Qd3+ Ke5 32.Qg3+ Kd4 drawn, perrypawnpusher - pascalwilliams, blitz, FICS, 2007;

Or 8...Ke8 9.Qxc5 Qe7 10.Qe3 Nf6 11.Nc3 c6 12.f4 b6 13.f5 Ne5 14.d4 Ba6 15.dxe5 Qxe5 16.Re1 Kf7 17.Qf3 Rhe8 18.Bf4 Qc5+ 19.Be3 Qb5 20.Bd4 Qxb2 21.e5 Nd5 22.e6+ Kg8 23.Qg4 Nxc3 24.Qxg7 checkmate, perrypawnpusher - Cibola, blitz, FICS, 2009

9.Qf5+ Ke7 10.Qxc5+ Ke8 11.f4 d6 12.Qe3

Too much of a reflex action. One subtle difference between the regular Jerome Gambit and the Jerome Gambit coming out of the Semi-Italian opening is that here I had the option of 12.Qh5, pinning and eventually winning the Knight on g6.

That's worth remembering for next time.

12...Qf6 13.f5 Ne5 14.d4 Nc4

Now, where should the Queen go?

15.Qg3

What made sense was 15.Qd3, not this move which drops a pawn.

15...Qxd4+ 16.Kh1 Kd7 17.Nc3 b6

As long as Black is behind in development, White has hope.

18.Bf4 Ba6


This move is consistent, but turns out not to be good. I wish I had realized how not-good it was.

19.Rad1 Qc5


Sometimes there are things going on in a game that neither player recognizes. I was totally unaware that the Black Queen had to go to f6 to stay out of trouble.

20.Qxg7+ Ne7 21.e5

This seemed consistent and good to me, but Rybka later saw it as a blunder, preferring 21.b4 Rag8 22.Qxg8 Nxg8 23.bxc5 bxc5.

21...Rag8 22.e6+ Kc6


On the other hand, Rybka didn't like this move one bit, either, preferring 22...Kd8.

Offsetting blunders, and White is now better.

23.Qxe7 Re8 24Qd7+Kb7 24.b3

Ah, the irony: Rybka shows how "simple" the position actually was – 25.Rd5 Qc6 26.b4 Na3 ( 26...Qxd7 27.exd7 Rd8 28.b5) 27.b5 Nxb5 28.Nxb5 Qxd7 29.exd7 Re7 30.f6 Rxd7 31.Bxh6 Rf7 32.Bg7... I think I'll leave the computer out of the discussion for a while.

25...Nd2 26.Bxd2 Bxf1 27.Rxf1 Qd4

28.f6 Rhf8

In the face of the advancing pawns, Black's play is deteriorating.

29.Nb5 Qxd2 30.Qxc7+ Ka6 31.Qxa7+ Kxb5 32.Qd7+


Overlooking the mate (that I paid two good pieces for!) with 32.Qa4+ Kc5 33.Qc4.

Well, I'm down a Rook now, but those advanced pawns have to count for something.

32...Ka6 33.e7 Qe2 34.Rg1

34...Rxf6 35.Qxe8 Rf1

Threatening mate-in-2, but it is Black's last hurrah...

36.Qa8+ Kb5 37.e8Q+ Qxe8 38.Qxe8+ Kb4 39.Rxf1 Black resigned

A Dangerous Place

In a chess game, like when on a long walk, if you're not paying attention to where you're going, you could wind up in a dangerous place. If you happen to be playing the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) you are almost certain to find some danger.
I think that my opponent, electrahan, knew something about the Jerome Gambit. Our game quickly travelled to a very complicated line of defense – nothing like the Najdorf Sicilian, but Jerome Gambit Tournament: Chapter XVI and Jerome Gambit: Fools walk in... are almost "required reading" to appreciate what follows.

perrypawnpusher - electrahan
blitz 9 5, FICS, 2009

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

Welcome, Mr. Electrahan, shall we go for a walk?
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6
7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Qh4+
As far as you are willing to go, Mr. Pawnpusher...

Sometimes referred to as "His Nib's Defense," (see "Jerome Gambit Tournament: Chapter II") this line has caused me no small amount of headaches. And excitement. And wonder. There's a Queen sacrifice hidden somewhere, and even if it doesn't come off, the game becomes very unclear.

9.g3 Nf3+
Before this game I had losses to Temmo (0-1, 43) and James042665 (0-1, 18) in this line.

10.Kd1
This is the line that "R.F." originally played against "His Nib's", but in my earlier games I had preferred 10.Kf1, which was the better choice.

Now Black can sacrifice his Queen (as in abhailey - peonconorejas, net-chess.com, 2008, 0-1, 20) with 10...Ne7 11.e5+ Kc6 12.Qe4+ d5 13.exd6+ Nd5 14.gxh4 Bg4 and win – but you really have to know the line, as it would be difficult to suss out over-the-board in blitz.

10...Qh6
This retreat – which is similar to Temmo's Queen retreat (with my King on f1) and Kevin the fruitbat's Queen retreat to f6 in a comparable position (perrypawnpusher - Kevin the fruitbat, chessworld, 2008, 1-0, 38) – still leaves Black with a slight advantage.

11.Qd5+ Ke7 12.Qxc5+ Qd6 13.Qxd6+ cxd6
The same dilemma that I faced against Temmo: if the advanced Black Knight stands, the second player is better; but if it falls, I am even, and may have the advantage.

My one advantage against electrahan was that I was more familiar with the positions and play, and so was significantly ahead on the clock.
14.c3

To keep the Knight put.

After the game Rybka 3 recommended 14.b3 Nf6 15.Bb2 d5 (working to free the Bishop) with complications and a rather unclear game after either 15.exd5 or 15.e5.

14...Nf6
A sensible move, although Fritz8's 14...d5 and Temmo's 14...g5 were more likely to keep Black's edge.

15.d3

Stronger was the immediate 15.Ke2

15...b6
Black has settled upon his defensive plan: it involves ceding the Knight.

16.Ke2 d5 17.Kxf3 dxe4+ 18.dxe4 Bb7
19.Re1 Kf7 20.Nd2 Rhe8 Black has some compensation for his two pawns in the congestion of White's Queenside.

21.g4 d5

Instead, 21...Nxe4 22.Nxe4 Rxe4 23.Rxe4 Re8 24.Be3 Bxe4+ 25.Kf2 d5+ held chances of a drawn Bishops-of-opposite-colors endgame.

22.e5 d4+ 23.Kg3 dxc3 24.bxc3 Nd5
25.Bb2 Rad8 26.Ne4 Nf6 This does not work out, and is likely the result of time issues.

27.Nd6+

Good enough, but 27.Ng5+ Kg8 28.exf6 was stronger.

27...Kf8 28.Nxb7
Again, 28.exf6 was stronger, but the text works. Black's game unravels.

28...Rd7 29.Ba3+ Kf7 30.Nd6+ Rxd6 31.exd6
31...Ne4+ 32.Rxe4 Rxe4 33.Kf3 Rc4 34.d7 Rxc3+ 35.Ke4 Black forfeited on time