The following Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit re-visits an interesting defensive idea first touched upon in "Starting Over". Black's King does not greedily wander to d4 (or e4) grabbing material; instead, an interesting pawn clash takes center stage.
bartab - JackalDeOur
standard game, FICS, 2011
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4
The Blackburne Shilling Gambit.
4.Bxf7+
The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6
6.c3 d6
An interesting alternative to the recommended 6...Kxe5.
7.cxd4 dxe5
In my game vs ozypawnstar, I mentioned Rybka's recommendation of 8.dxe5 Qd3 here. Given more time to think, the computer also likes 8.Qb3+ Ke7 9.dxe5, which is answered by the similar 9...Qd4; after 10.Nc3 c6 the game is about even. (There is trouble ahead for Black with 10...Qxe5 11.d4 Qxd4 12.Bg5+ Nf6 13.0-0.)
8.d5+ Ke7
A bit better is 8...Kf7 as in Jefersondsouza - Zeddyzeddy, FICS 2011 (0-1, 51).
After ozypawnstar's 8...Kd6 I continued similarly to bartab with 9.d4, in perrypawnpusher - ozypawnstar, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 29)
9.d4 Qd6
10.dxe5 Qxe5 11.Nd2 Nf6 12.0-0 Bg4
Black is developing quickly and pressuring White's pawn center. White's response is natural, but Rybka prefers 13.Qb3.
13.f3 Bh5
Played too quickly. With 13...Qd4+ the second player could have shifted his Queen out of danger; and then retreated his Bishop to d7.
14.Nc4
Black's Queen is trapped in the middle of the board.
14...Bxf3
A little bit "better" (but still losing) was 14...Qxe4 15.Re1 Qxe1+.
15.Rxf3 Qh5 16.d6+
Crashing through in the center.
16...Kd7 17.dxc7+ Kxc7
18.e5
This works, but adding a couple of pieces to the attack with 18.Bf4+ Kc8 19.Rc1 was more ferocious.
18...Ng4 19.Rh3 Bc5+ 20.Be3 Bxe3+ 21.Nxe3 Nxe3
A slip, but 21...Qxe5 22.Nxg4 would still leave him a piece down.
22.Qc1+ Kb8 23.Rxh5 Black resigned
You might not be a fan of the Blackburne Shilling Gambit, and you might not be a fan of the Jerome Gambit, but you would have to be a pretty jaded chess player not to appreciate the complications stirred up in the following game.
richiehill - fidotopdog
standard game, FICS, 2010
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4
4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6
6.c3 d6
Recently looked at on this blog: see perrypawnpusher - ozypawnstar, blitz, FICS, 2010.
7.Qg4+
Reviving and older line and introducing further complications.
7...Ke7
Capturing the Knight with 7...Kxe5 is only asking for trouble, although if Black has his wits about him he can still draw.
White can split the point after that with 8.f4+ Kxe4 (8...Kf6 costs Black his queen after 9.Qh4+ Kf7 10.Qxd8 but he can limp on with a worse position after 10...Nc2+ 11.Kf2 Nxa1) 9.f5+ Kd5 (or 9...Ke5 10.cxd4+ and White is better; or 9...Kd3 10.Qxd4+ Kc2 11.Na3#) 10.Qxd4+ Kc6 11.Qc4+ Kd7 12.Qe6+ Kc6 13.Qc4+ draw by repetition, as White has nothing better.
White has tried for more after 7...Kxe5 with 8.cxd4+ and gotten lucky after both 8...Kf6 9.Qh4+ Kf7 (9...g5 was necessary to keep the game even) 10.Qxd8 Be7 11.Qxc7 Nf6 Black resigned, Jeopar - InduMMS, FICS, 2009;
and 8...Kxd4 9.Qe2 (9.Qf3 is unclear) 9...Nf6 10.d3 (better 10.Nc3 Ke5 11.f4+) 10...Ke5 11.f4+ Ke6 12.d4 Kf7 when Black was better, but White won in 26 moves in SynapticGap - osmann, FICS, 2006.
It is easy to see why fidotopdog retreated his King in this game!
8.Qg5+ Nf6
This looks natural, but Black would have done better exchanging Queens, i.e. 8...Ke8 9.Qxd8+ Kxd8. He probably avoided this line because of 10.Nf7+ Ke8 11.Nxh8, but his position would have been better after the reciprocal 11...Nc2+ 12.Kd1 Nxa1. That kind of thing is easier to see after the game.
9.cxd4 dxe5
10.Qxe5+
Choosing to win the Bishop rather than the Knight, but this takes some cooperation. Better was the straight-forward 10.dxe5, when 10...Qd3!? 11.exf6+ gxf6 12.Qf4 would give White the edge.
10...Be6
Falling in with White's plan. Instead, 10...Kf7 leads to a position where Black has a piece for three pawns. richiehill might have been happy with that, but "objectively" Black would have been better.
11.d5 Ng4
A panic-induced attack on the enemy Queen.
As often happens in the Jerome Gambit family of games, there comes a time for Black to return his extra piece for some pawns. After 11...Nxd5 12.exd5 Qxd5 White can try the scary-looking 13.Qxc7+ to go two pawns up, but 13...Kf6, preparing ...Bd6 (the power of the two Bishops), shows Black's better development to good advantage. After 14.Qf4+ Qf5 15.d4 Bb4+ 16.Nc3 Rac8 White's best might well be to return a pawn with 17.0-0 Bxc3 18.bxc3 Rxc3 when the impact of the first player's extra pawn may not be very much.
12.Qxe6 checkmate
This is my first post-break game (see "Busted!"), and except for a missed shot on move 16, it looks like the rest has helped my game. Time will tell.
perrypawnpusher - ozypawnstar
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+
Oddly, the online FICS games database has yeabro- ozypawnstar, FICS, 2010, which continued 5.Ng5+ Qxg5 listed as a win for White...
5...Ke6
Taking up the challenge.
Previously ozypawnstar played 5...Ke8: 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qg4 Nf6 8.Qf4 Nxc2+ 9.Ke2 Nxa1 10.Nc3 Bd6 11.Nd5 Bxe5 12.Qxe5+ Kf7 13.Nxf6 Qxf6 14.Qxc7 Re8 15.d3 Kg8 16.Qc4+ Kg7 17.Be3 d6 18.d4 Rxe4 19.Rxa1 Be6 20.Qc7+ Kh8 21.Qxb7 Rf8 22.Qxe4 Bc4+ 23.Ke1 d5 24.Qc2 a6 25.b3 Bb5 26.a4 Bd7 27.b4 Qh4 28.h3 Re8 29.b5 Qxd4 30.Rd1 Qb4+ 31.Kf1 axb5 32.Rxd5 Rc8 33.Bd4+ Kg8 34.Qd2 Qc4+ 35.Kg1 Qxd5 36.axb5 Bxb5 37.Qh6 Qxd4 38.g3 Bc6 White resiged, GuyEtienne - ozypawnstar, FICS, 2008.
6.c3
Best.
My opponent has also faced: 6.Qh5 Nf6 7.Nf7 Qe7 8.Qh3+ Kxf7 9.0-0 Nxc2 10.Qb3+ Qe6 11.Qxc2 Qxe4 12.Qxc7 Qc6 13.Qf4 Bd6 14.Qd4 b6 15.Nc3 Bb7 16.f3 Rhe8 17.d3 Be5 18.Qh4 Kg8 19.Bg5 a6 20.Rac1 Bd4+ 21.Kh1 h6 22.Ne2 Qd6 23.Bf4 Qe6 24.Nxd4 Qxa2 25.Nf5 Qxb2 26.Nd6 Re2 27.Nxb7 Rxg2 28.Be5 Qxe5 29.Kxg2 Re8 30.Rce1 Qb2+ 31.Kg1 Rf8 32.Qc4+ Kh8 33.Nd6 b5 34.Nf7+ Kh7 35.Ng5+ hxg5 36.Qc5 Rg8 37.Qxg5 Rf8 38.Kh1 Qd4 39.Rg1 Rf7 40.Rg3 Qxd3 41.Rh3+ Kg8 42.Qh4 Qf5 43.Qh8 checkmate, fmarius - ozypawnstar, FICS, 2010.
6...d6
Varying from the main line, which features a King's walk and which did not serve him well in the past: 6...Kxe5 7.cxd4+ Kxe4 8.0-0 Kxd4 9.d3 d5 10.Qh5 Nf6 11.Be3+ Kxd3 12.Rd1+ Kc2 13.Na3+ Bxa3 14.Rac1+ Kxb2 15.Qe5+ Kxa2 16.Rd2+ Kb3 17.Qc3+ Ka4 18.Rd4+ Kb5 19.Rb1+ Bb4 20.Rdxb4+ Ka5 21.Qa3 checkmate, icefive - ozypawnstar, FICS, 2009.
7.cxd4 dxe5 8.d5+
I used up a third of my thinking time on this move, only to learn after the game that Rybka preferred 8.dxe5, which I had rejected because of the cramping response 8...Qd3.
My goal in this (and later) games was to use more time on early critical positions than I usually allowed myself, with the hope that finding the right move or plan would shorten the game (with a win) and the time wouldn't be needed later. So even though I didn't find the "best" move, what I understood about the position was helpful and worth the time.
8...Kd6
The King was safer on f7.
9.d4
Open the center, develop pieces.
9...Qf6
Black reverses moves. He should have played 9...exd4 10.Qxd4 Qf6, although White would still be better.
10.dxe5+
Missing the great move 10.f4 (I had a similar plan in mind), which floods the center with "Jerome pawns." Then 10...Ke7 11.dxe5 looks very uncomfortable for Black.
10...Qxe5 11.Nc3 Nf6 12.f4 Qe8
13.e5+ Kd7 14.0-0 Ng8
15.Be3
I was very happy with this patient move. It was not time to fling pawns further forward.
15...Bb4
This should cost a piece.
16.Qd4
Leading to an advantage, but 16.Qa4+ probably would have lead to my opponent's resignation. (Note to self: once you find a good move, sit on your hands...etc.)
16...Bxc3 17.bxc3 Ne7
18.e6+ Kd8 19.f5 Qb5 20.c4 Qb4 21.f6
This works, but 21.Qxg7 was better, as after 21...Rg8 22.Qf7 the White f-pawn advances with greater impact.
21...Nxd5
An oversight. I think my opponent saw that the c-pawn was pinned, but a pawn capture wasn't my only possible response.
22.Qxd5+ Qd6 23.fxg7 Rg8 24.Qxd6+
I saw a win and went for it, missing the quicker 24.Rf8+ Ke7 25.Bg5 checkmate.
24...cxd6 25.Rf8+ Ke7 26.Rxg8 Kxe6 27.Rf8 b6 28.g8Q+ Ke7 29.Qf7 checkmate
