It's never a good idea to overlook mate...

My opponent put up creative resistance in the following game, but eventually I found myself in a better position. It was unfortunate that I overlooked a very Jerome-ish possible move 20. However, it's never a good idea to overlook mate...

perrypawnpusher - Cibola
blitz, FICS, 2010

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

An earlier contest between the two of us was a Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit: 3...h6 4.0-0 Bc5 5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.Qh5+ Ng6 8.Qd5+ 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.

My opponent also had scored in the past in one of his games with the Blackburn Shilling Jerome Gambit: 3...Nd4 4.Bxf7+ Ke7 5.Bxg8 Rxg8 6.d3 h6 7.Nxe5 d6 8.Ng6+ Kd7 9.0-0 b6 10.c3 Ne6 11.Nd2 Bb7 12.Nc4 Qg5 13.Nxf8+ Black resigned, Cibola - patitolo, blitz, FICS, 2005

4.Bxf7+

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+

My opponent had even played a straight Jerome Gambit, albeit a bit wobbly: 5.Ng5+ Qxg5 6.d3 Qxg2 White resigned, Cibola - Argo, blitz, FICS, 2003

5...Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8

7.Qxe5 Be7

An interesting idea. Black has so many ways to go right in the Jerome Gambit.

8.d4 Bf6 9.Qf4 g5

This is overly energetic, however.

10.Qe3

Stronger was 10.Qf3. Even now I'm amused that when I consider that move in my mind, I think: but this leaves my d-pawn unprotected!

10... d6 11.O-O h6 12.f4

12...Kg7 13.e5 dxe5 14.fxe5 Be7 15.Qf3

The problem with this move is not 15...Qxd4+, which would cost Black a handful of tempos in return for a dubious pawn. It's that White's Queen needs more help, as in 15. Nc3 Be6 16. Ne4 followed by b3-b3 and Bc1-b2, with an even game.

15...Be6 16.Be3 Bd5 17.Qf2 20.Qe8 18.Nc3 c6

This move appears to cement Black's Bishop in the center, but has a weakness that my opponent and I overlooked.

19.Nxd5 cxd5

 Now 20.c4 should come to the mind of any Jerome Gambiteer, as 20...dxc4 21.d5 liberates the "Jerome pawns" and puts Black under pressure, e.g. 22...Qg6 22.Bxa7 when Black's pieces stumble over each other, while White plans Qf4-d4, supporting the pawns and preparing a discovered check.

20.c3 Qg6 21.Qf3

The game is about even. If White can snare a pawn or two more, he will have the advantage.

21...Rf8 22.Qxd5 Rxf1+ 23.Rxf1 h5

Black's 21st move was a mistake, and this move compounds it. Now there are pawns to feast upon.

24.Qxb7 h4 25.Qxa7

It is always nice to have five connected, passed pawns, but this is the first sign that I was not paying sufficient attention to what my opponent was planning.

25...h3 26.g3

Necessary was 26.Qb7 protecting g2. Black is now probably better.

26...Qe4 27.d5 Qg2 checkmate

It is unclear if White could have held the game after 27.Rf2 Qxe3, with five pawns vs two pieces, but it's never a good idea to overlook checkmate...

Folly

Remember the quote that the winner in a chess game is the player who makes the next-to-last mistake ? This always seemed hedged a bit by Bronstein's equally wry suggestion that three little mistakes make one big mistake.

In any event, as I indicated in "No Letdown", I believe that when it comes to playing the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), if my opponent makes a series of small mistakes, and I make a series of smaller mistakes, then eventually I should catch up...

Still, it took a while for me to be at peace with the following game.

perrypawnpusher - lourotors
blitz FICS, 2009

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

The King can also go to e6. See "Crime and Punisher".

6.Qh5+ g6 7.Nxg6

7...Nxc2+

As in perrypawnpusher - tiagorom, blitz FICS, 2009, although that game actually took place after this one.

More frequently, Black captures the Knight: 7...hxg6 8.Qxg6+ (8.Qxh8 Nh6 9.Qxd4 Qg5 10.0-0 Bc5 11.Qh8+ Ke7 12.d4 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - tampajake, FICS, 2009) 8...Ke7 9.Qg5+ Ke8 10.Qe5+ Qe7 11.Qxd4 Bg7 12.Qc4 Kd8 13.Nc3 Nf6 14.0-0 c6 15.d4 d5 16.exd5 Nxd5 17.Nxd5 cxd5 18.Qxd5+ Qd7 19.Bg5+ Kc7 20.Qc5+ Qc6 21.Qxc6+ bxc6 22.c3 Rb8 23.b3 Rh5 24.Bf4+ Kb7 25.Bxb8 Kxb8 26.Rae1 Ba6 27.Re8+ Kc7 28.Rfe1 Bh6 29.R8e5 Rxe5 30.Rxe5 Bd2 31.c4 Bc3 32.Re4 Bb7 33.d5 cxd5 34.cxd5 Bxd5 35.Re7+ Kb6 36.h4 Bf6 37.Rd7 Be6 38.Rd6+ Kc7 39.Rxe6 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - adamzzzz, blitz FICS, 2009.

I've also seen 7...Nf6 8.Qe5+ Ne6 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - fintrade, blitz FICS, 2009 (8...Qe7 9.Nxe7 Bxe7 10.Qxd4 d6 11.Nc3 Be6 12.Nd5 c5 13.Nxf6+ Bxf6 14.Qxf6 Rf8 15.Qxe6+ Kd8 16.Qxd6+ Ke8 17.d3 Rd8 18.Qe7 checkmate, perrypawnpusher - patitolo, blitz FICS, 2005)

8.Kd1 Nf6

This may work in analogous situations, but not here: best was 8...hxg6 9.Qxg6+ Ke7 and the position is unclear after 10.d3 or 10.Kxc2. 

9.Qe5+ Be7 10.Nxh8

Squandering an advantage, when the simple 10.Nxe7 Qxe7 11.Qxe7+ Kxe7 12.Kxc2 was available.

White's Knight will be stuck in the corner, just as Black's will in the opposite corner, but the second player will come out a piece ahead.

10...Nxa1 11.d4

It might have been a bit better to go after the enemy Knight immediately with 11.b3, intending Qxa1.

11...d6 12.Qg3

12...Kd7

The King moves to allow the Queen to attack the Knight. Rybka suggested after the game 12...c5 13.d5 Bg4+ 14.Ke1 with a winning advantage for Black. The c-pawn acts as a shield against checks by the White Queen (see the following note) and the Bishop check moves the enemy King away from the Knight's escape square, c2.

13.Nf7

It was time to sue for peace with 13.Qh3+ Ke8 (or 13...Kc6 14.Qc3+, etc.) 14.Qg3. Of course, if Black then plays 14...c5 (or any other number of moves) instead of repeating the position, he is still comfortably ahead.

13...Qf8 14.Ng5 Nh5

Quite unexpectedly, White's Knight has been allowed to escape, and this move loses a piece.

The fact is that the position is quite complicated, as Rybka's post mortem analysis indicates: 14...h6 15.Nh3 Qf7 (hoping to safe the Knight at a1)16.Nc3 b5 17.Nf4 Qc4 18.Qd3 Ng4 (taking aim at White's other Rook) 19.Qxc4 bxc4 20.Nh3 Rb8 21.f3 Nf6 22.Nf4 Ng8 23.Nfd5 which is evaluated as slightly better for Black. The cramp on his Queenside limits White's play.

15.Qg4+ Kd8 16.Qxh5 Qxf2

17.Qe2

I should have simplified with 17.Nf7+ Kd7 18.Qf5+, forcing the exchange of Queens.

17...Qh4

In turn, my opponent missed 17...Qxd4+ which keeps the pot boiling.

This is feeling like the typical Jerome Gambit family game: I'm staying in the game with help from my opponent – a dangerous way to live.

18.Nf3 Qh5 19.Nc3 Bg4

20.b3 d5 21.Nxd5 Bd6 22.Bg5+ Kc8 23.Kd2

Hoping to gather in the Knight at a1, at last, but Black can now play 23...Bxf3 24.Qxf3 Qxg5+ recovering a piece. He will eventually have to give it back with ...Na1xb3, but White's advantage will be made smaller.

23...c6 24.Rxa1

Understandable, as the enemy Knight has been sitting in the corner for over a dozen moves. I also thought that the open file would give me attacking chances against Black's King. It does, although 24.Bf4 was probably more straight forward.

24...cxd5 25.Rc1+ Kd7

White now has a mate in 7 (a better, but still losing choice for Black was 25...Kb8) but of course, it won't play itself.

26.e5

This move is inadequate, as, for starters, it allows 26...Bxf3+ and Black can work his way to a draw.

It also misses 26.Qb5+ Ke6 27.Qxd5+ Kd7 28.Qb5+ Ke6 29.Rc7 Bf4+ 30.Kc2 Kd6 31.Qc5+ Ke6 32.Qe7 mate

analysis diagram





26...Bb4+ 27.Kc2 Rc8+

Black, in turn, wants to use the c-file for attack. It shouldn't work. It does.

28.Kb2 Rxc1 29.Kxc1

It was time for the stranded Bishop to come home with 29.Bxc1. Now it will be lost.

29...Bxf3 30.gxf3

Well beyond my sight was Rybka's suggestion 30.e6+, which would have allowed White to draw after 30...Kc6 31.Qc2+ Kd6 32.Bf4+ Kxe6 33.Qc8+ Kf7 34.gxf3 Qxf3 35.Qxb7+

30...Qxg5+ 31.Kc2

 Sigh. Another pawns vs Bishop endgame, this time with Queens instead of Rooks (see my game against CorH).

33.f4 31...Qg6+ 32.Kb2 Qb6

This hurries the loss, although Rybka's analysis is ultimately just as painful: 33.Qd3 Be7 34.f4 Qh6 35.Qg3 Qg6 36.Qh3+ Kc7 37.f5 Qg1 38.Qc3+ Kb8 39.f6 Qf2+ 40.Kc1 Ba3+ 41.Kd1 Qxh2 42.b4 Qxa2 43.e6 Qb1+ 44.Ke2 Qe4+ 45.Kd1 Qh1+ 46.Ke2 Qg2+ 47.Kd1 Qf1+.

33...Qxd4+ 34.Kb1 Ba3 35.Qg4+ Kc6 36.Qc8+

Resignation would have been okay, instead.

36...Kb6 37.Qc2 Qg1+ White resigned

Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit

A few years ago, in the wee hours of the morning, I was playing blitz chess online at the Free Internet Chess Server (FICS). I was getting batted around by a player rated below me – he was playing very well, or I was playing very poorly, or some blend of the two.
Anyhow, if "losing face" were a big issue for me I'd have been Ichabod Crane's "headless horseman" decades ago.
My sangfroid was challenged, however, when my opponent decided that I was enough of a fish that he could unleash the dreaded "Blackburne Shilling Gambit" on me.

According to Wikipedia:

The first known mention of this line was by Steinitz, who noted it in 1895 in the Addenda to his Modern Chess Instructor, Part II. The earliest game with the opening on chessgames.com is Dunlop-Hicks, New Zealand Championship 1911.

perrypawnpusher - patitolo
FICS rated blitz, FICS, 2005

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

Here I was supposed to capture the e-pawn and foolishly fall to my death: 4.Nxe5 Qg5 5.Nxf7 Qxg2 6.Rf1 Qxe4 7.Be2 Nf3 checkmate as in Muhlock - Kostic, Cologne 1912.
4.Bxf7+
Instead, I Jerome-ized the opening!

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8

Black should have looked at 5...Ke6, but I think that White still has compensation for his piece.

6.Qh5+ g6 7.Nxg6 Nf6 8.Qe5+ Qe7

I'll attribute this error to "shock and awe." It is already time to draw the curtain on the game.

9.Nxe7 Bxe7 10.Qxd4 d6 11.Nc3 Be6 12.Nd5 c5 13.Nxf6+ Bxf6 14.Qxf6 Rf8 15.Qxe6+ Kd8 16.Qxd6+ Ke8 17.d3 Rd8 18.Qe6 checkmate