Showing posts with label savage13. Show all posts
Showing posts with label savage13. Show all posts

Monday, June 3, 2013

A Look at the "Modern" Jerome Gambit: 5.c3


When Alonzo Wheeler Jerome played his gambit in the late 1800s and early 1900s, he aways followed up 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 with 5.Nxe5+, the move that I use to mark the "classical" side of the opening. 

More recently, we have seen a selection of 5th move alternatives for White - 5.c3, 5.d3, 5.0-0, to give a few examples - so I have referred to the "not-5.Nxe5+" lines as those leading to the "modern" Jerome Gambit.


In "Ask Houdini" I indicated that it was time to take a closer look at the "modern" 5.c3. The earliest examples that I have of the move in the nearly 29,000 games of The Database are some blitz and lightning games played online at FICS by JeffreyOM from 1999 and 2000. Admittedly, this finding is of only slight historical interest, as my games collection is overwhelmingly drawn from FICS games, starting in 1999; although it can be pointed out that I have yet to find an over-the-board game with 5.c3, from any year.


In any event, here is a modern game with the modern line by a couple of modern players.


Wall,B - Zois

Chess.com, 2010

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.c3





Here we go. White decides to limit his generosity and not sacrifice a second piece. He prepares for a large pawn center, and, in some cases, he can bring his Queen to that a2-g8 diagonal.

5...d6


A reasonable response, although Houdini 3 prefers 5...d5. Interestingly enough, The Database has 162 games with 5...d6 (White wins 44%) and only 38 with 5...d5 (White wins 20%). This is reminiscent of Bill's reflection: why worry about a refutation if no one plays it?


6.d4 Bb6 


7.dxe5 dxe5 


A couple of alternative moves:


7...Nxe5?! 8.Nxe5+ dxe5? (8...Kf8 9.Qf3+ Nf6 10.Nc4 Bc5 11.e5 dxe5 12.Nxe5 Qe7 13.Bf4 h6 14.0-0 Kg8 15.Ng6 Black resigned, thmavz - miomatteo, FICS, 2011) 9.Qxd8 Black resigned, thmavz - Richad, FICS, 2012; and 


7...Bg4?! 8.Ng5+? Kf8? 9.Qxg4 Qe7 10.e6 Nf6 11.Qh3 h6 12.0-0 Ne8 White resigned (this looks like a loss on time - Rick), manago - savage13, Chessworld.net, 2008


8.Nxe5+ Ke8 9.Qh5+ g6 10.Nxc6 gxh5 11.Nxd8 Kxd8 




Objectively, Black's extra piece outweighs White's 2 extra pawns, especially if you consider that he has the two Bishops. However, this is the kind of position for White that a Jerome Gambiteer is likely to be both familiar and comfortable with.


12.a4 Nf6


That didn't take long. Black is happy with his advantage, he sees nothing to fear on the Queenside, so he confidently develops his Kingside - and drops a piece. Even when defending against the Jerome Gambit, your game will not play itself.


13.Bg5 Ke7 14.e5 Rg8 15.Bxf6+ Ke6 16.g3 c5 17.f4 Bd7




18.Rf1 Bc6 19.f5+ Kd5


Black's King should stay on the Kingside to help defend against the "Jerome pawns". He can probably keep them from Queening, but only at the cost of significant material.


20.c4+ Kxc4 21.Rf4+ Kd5 22.Nc3 checkmate




Saturday, March 9, 2013

The Wisdom of The Database (Part 4)



We continue (see the earlier "Opening Report" parts 12, and 3) to uses ChessBase's Opening Report function to take a look at the games in The Database. 

As a reminder, the Report gathers what lines are being played, and what lines are being used by the top players in the database. It gives a good "real life" view of the play of the Jerome Gambit, even if it does not always identify the objectively best move or line. 

Opening Report

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4


Alternative: 6...Bxd4

ubluk (1884) - billwall (2488)
Play The Jerome Gambit Quad, Chess.com, 2012
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bxd4 7.Qxd4 d6 8.Qd5+ Kf8 9.Qb3 Qh4 10.Nc3 Ng4 11.g3 Qh5 12.Nd5 N8f6 13.f3 Nxh2 14.Bf4 Nxf3+ 15.Kf2 Nxe4+ 16.Kg2 Qf5 17.Raf1 Be6 18.Bxd6+ Ke8 19.Nxc7+ Kd7 20.Nxe6 Ned2 21.Nxg7 Nh4+ 22.Kh2 Nxf1+ 23.Kg1 Nf3+ 24.Kf2 Nd4+ 25.Nxf5 Nxb3 26.axb3 Rac8 27.Rxf1 Rxc2+ 28.Ke3 Rxb2 29.b4 Rg8 30.Kf4 b6 31.Rd1 Ke6 32.Re1+ Kd5 33.g4 Rg6 34.Bf8 1/2-1/2


savage13 (1791) - AAlekhine (1783)
thematic, ChessWorld.net, 2007
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bxd4 7.Qxd4 Qf6 8.0-0? Ne7 9.f4? N5c6 10.Qc4+ d5 11.exd5 Na5  12.Qxc7 Qd4+ 13.Kh1 Qxd5 14.Nc3 Qc4 15.Re1 Qxc7 0-1



jutabar (1653) - vladx (2192)
rated standard, FICS, 2006
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bxd4 7.Qxd4 d6 8.0-0 Nf6 9.Nc3 c5 10.Qd1 Qb6 11.Na4 Qc6 12.f4 Bg4 13.Qd2 Nc4 14.Qc3 Qxa4 15.b3 Nxe4 16.Qd3 Qc6 17.bxc4 Rhf8 18.Bb2 Kg8 19.Rfe1 Rxf4 20.Rxe4 Qxe4 21.Qc3 Rf7 22.h3 Be2 23.Qg3 Qxc2 24.Ba3 Re8 25.Qxd6 Qc3 26.Qxc5 Qxa1+ 27.Kh2 Bf3 28.gxf3 Re2+ 29.Kg3 Qe1+ 30.Kg4 Rf4+ 31.Kxf4 Qh4+ 32.Kf5 g6# White checkmated 0-1

ChessIcon (1761) - adrotrico (1924)
rated standard, FICS, 2004
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bxd4 7.Qxd4 d6 8.Bf4 Nc6 9.Qd5+ Be6 10.Qh5+ g6 11.Qf3 Qf6 12.h4 Ne5 13.Qg3 h6 14.Nc3 Ne7 15.0-0-0 Raf8 16.Nd5 Bxd5 17.exd5 Ke8 18.Bxe5 Qxe5 19.Qb3 Rxf2 20.Qa4+ Kd8 21.Qxa7 Qe2 22.Qa4 b5 23.Qb3 Qc4 24.Qxc4 bxc4 25.Rhg1 Rhf8 26.Rde1 R8f5 27.g4 Rxd5 28.Rg3 Rdd2 29.Rc3 Rde2 30.Rg1 d5 31.a4 Nc6 32.g5 h5 33.b4 Nxb4 34.a5 Na2+ 35.Kb2 Nxc3 36.Kxc3 Rxc2+ 37.Kb4 Kd7 38.Kc5 c6 39.Kb6 Rb2+ 40.Ka7 Rf7 41.a6 Kd6+ 42.Ka8 Re2 43.Rb1 Re8+ 44.Rb8 Rxb8+ 45.Kxb8 c3 46.a7 Rxa7 White resigns 0-1

Sullyman (1758) - Hisaw (1911)
rated standard, FICS, 2011
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bxd4 7.Qxd4 d6 8.f4 Nc6 9.Qd3 Nf6 10.Nc3 Re8 11.0-0 Kg8 12.Be3 Qe7 13.Nd5 Nxd5 14.Qxd5+ Be6 15.Qb5 Bc8 16.Qd5+ Qe6 17.Qxe6+ Rxe6 18.f5 Rxe4 19.Bg5 Bd7 20.f6 Rf8 21.fxg7 Rxf1+ 22.Rxf1 Kxg7 23.Bf6+ Kg6 24.h4 h5 25.Bg5 Bf5 26.c3 Ne5 27.Bd8 c6 28.Bc7 d5 29.Bd8 Ng4 30.g3 Re2 0-1

vokrri (1612) - blackknight21 (1982)
GameKnot.com, 2007
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bxd4 7.Qxd4 d6 8.0-0 Nf6 9.f4 c5 10.Qe3 Nc6 11.e5 Ng4 12.Qe2 Nd4 13.Qd3 Bf5 14.Qc4+ d5 15.Qxc5 Qh4 16.h3 Ne2+ 17.Kh1 Qxh3+ 18.gxh3 Be4+ 0-1


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1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.f4

2 games, 2011-2012, Ø=2012
White scores excellently (100%).
Elo-Ø: 1261, 2 games. Performance = Elo 2109
played by: Petasluk, 1421, 1/1; Darthnik, 1101, 1/1

You should play: 6...Nc6

Petasluk (1421) - Jirayu (1412)
blitz, FICS, 2012
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.f4 Nc6 7.Qh5+ g6 8.Qd5+ Ke8 9.Qxc5 d6 10.Qe3 Nf6 11.0-0 Qe7 12.d3 Bd7 13.Bd2 Rf8 14.Nc3 Kf7 15.Rae1 Kg8 16.e5 Nh5 17.e6 Be8 18.d4 Ng7 19.d5 Nd8 20.g4 c6 21.Qg3 b5 22.a3 a5 23.b4 axb4 24.axb4 Qa7+ 25.Be3 Qe7 26.Bd4 Ra3 27.Bxg7 Kxg7 28.f5 gxf5 29.gxf5+ Kh8 30.Kh1 Rg8 31.Qe3 Qf6 32.Ne4 Rxe3 33.Nxf6 Rxe1 34.Rxe1 Rf8 35.e7 1-0

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d) 6.0-0

5 games, 2004-2011, 
White scores miserably (20%).
Elo-Ø: 1307, 4 games. Performance = Elo 1475
played by: Odizzel, 1508, 1/1; Chid, 1462, 0/1; Helal, 1166, 0/1; sTpny, 1094, 0/1

You should play: 6...Nf6

Odizzel (1508) - samshaunak (1740)
rated lightning, FICS, 2004
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.0-0 Nf6 7.d4 d6 8.dxc5 dxc5 9.f4 Qxd1 10.Rxd1 Neg4 11.h3 Nh6 12.g4 Nxe4 13.g5 Nf5 14.Re1 Re8 15.Nd2 Nxd2 16.Bxd2 Bd7 17.Rxe8 Rxe8 18.Bc3 Nd4 19.Bxd4 cxd4 20.Rd1 c5 21.c3 dxc3 22.Rxd7+ Re7 23.Rxe7+ Kxe7 24.bxc3 Kd6 25.Kf2 Kd5 26.Ke3 Kc4 27.Ke4 Kxc3 28.Kf5 c4 29.g6 Kb2 30.gxh7 c3 31.Kg6 c2 32.h8Q c1Q 33.Qxg7+ Qc3 34.Qxc3+ Kxc3 35.f5 b5 36.f6 a5 37.f7 b4 38.f8Q a4 39.Qc8+ Kb2 40.h4 b3 41.axb3 a3 42.Qh8+ Kxb3 43.Qe5 a2 44.Qe1 Kb2 45.h5 a1Q 46.Qxa1+ Kxa1 47.h6 1-0


AsceticKingK9 - Haroldlee123
ChessWorld JG6, 2011
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.0-0 Nf6 7.d4 Bxd4 8.Qxd4 d6 9.Nc3 c5 10.Qd1 Qd7 11.Bg5 h6 12.Bxf6 gxf6 13.f4 Nc4 14.Qe2 Nxb2 15.Rab1 Na4 16.Qc4+ d5 17.Qxa4 Qxa4 18.Nxa4 dxe4 19.Nxc5 e3 20.Nxb7 Ke7 21.Na5 Kf7 22.Rfe1 Re8 23.Nc4 Kg6 24.Rxe3 Rd8 25.Rg3+ Kf7 26.Ne3 Ba6 27.Nf5 h5 28.Re1 Kf8 29.Rg6 Rd2 30.Rxf6+ Kg8 31.Re7 Rd1+ 32.Kf2 Bc4 Black won on time 0-1



Friday, July 24, 2009

Battle Fatigue (1)

Slam-bang chess battles can be exhausting, especially when they involve off-beat openings like the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+). Picking a good move, time after time, builds pressure, and sometimes the result is picking a not-so-good move, simply out of battle fatigue. Here is an example.

Black Puma - Crusader Rabbit
JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Qf6 7.dxc5 Ne7 8.0-0

8...h5

Or 8...d6 9.cxd6 Qxd6 10.Qh5+ N7g6 11.Nc3 Bg4 12.Qf5+ Bxf5 13.exf5 Ne7 14.Ne4 Qd4 15.Ng5+ Kf6 16.c3 Qg4 17.h3 Qxf5 18.g4 Qd3 19.Be3 h6 20.Bd4 hxg5 21.Rad1 Qxh3 22.Bxe5+ Kxe5 23.f4+ gxf4 24.Rde1+ Kf6 25.Rxf4+ Kg5 26.Rxe7 Qg3+ White resigned, blackburne - Nestor250168, Chessworld 2007

Or 8...Re8 9.Nc3 Kg8 10.f4 Nc4 11.e5 Qf5 12.b3 Na5 13.Bb2 Nac6 14.Nd5 Nxd5 15.Qxd5+ Qf7 16.Qd3 Nb4 17.Qc3 a5 18.Rae1 Nd5 19.Qd4 c6 20.f5 Nb4 21.Qe4 Nd5 22.c4 Nc7 23.f6 g6 24.Bc1 Ne6 25.Bh6 Nc7 26.Bg7 Ne6 27.Bh6 Nc7 28.Rd1 Na6 29.Qd4 Nc7 30.Rd3 Ne6 31.Qe4 Nxc5 32.Qd4 Ne6 33.Qh4 g5 34.Bxg5 Nc5 35.Rg3 Rxe5 36.Bf4+ Kh8 37.Bxe5 Ne6 38.Rf5 d5 39.Rg7 Nxg7 40.fxg7+ Black resigned, savage13 - karmmark, Chessworld 2007

9.f4 Ng4 10.e5 Qh4 11.h3 Nf5 12.Qf3 Ng3 13.Re1 Nh1

Black's counter-attack is quite scary. White can hold on, and even drive back the enemy, according to Rybka 3, with 14.Bd2 Ng6 15.Rd1 Nf5 16.Be1 Qe2 17.hxg4, but that's a computer talking, not a human being.

14.Kxh1 Qxe1+ 15.Qf1 Qxf1 checkmate