Years ago, after playing over a number of Akiba Rubinstein's (1880 – 1961) games, I was inclined to think that he had reduced chess to a few easy steps: play 1.d4, win a pawn, exchange all the pieces, win the endgame. (Actually, it was a lot more complicated than that.)
With a chuckle, I was reminded of Rubinstein when playing over the following online blitz game by shugart. He offers a piece, Jerome Gambit style, but his opponent declines it. Like water rolling down hill, the game then progresses. It doesn't seem that there is a lot of need for tactical calculation - just look ahead and move!
Actually, it is a lot more complicated than that, as the notes show... A very eduational endgame!
shugart - snob
3 0 blitz, FICS, 2017
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4
The Blackburne Shilling Gambit.
4.Bxf7+
The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.
4...Ke7
Black declines the gift of a piece. If you want me to take the Bishop, then I won't take the Bishop.
5.Bxg8 Rxg8 6.Nxd4 exd4
Comfortable with an extra pawn - plus a safer King and a better pawn structure - White is comfortable letting the game unfold.
7.d3 h6 8.Qh5 d6 9.O-O Be6 10.f4 Bf7
Black has the two Bishops. He is not in a hurry, either.
11.Qh4+ Kd7 12.Qh3+ Be6 13.f5 Bf7 14.Bf4 Kc8 15.Nd2 b6 16.Nb3 c5
Black has secured his advanced d-pawn.
17.Qg3 Kc7 18.e5 Bxb3 19.exd6+ Bxd6 20.Bxd6+ Qxd6 21.Qxd6+ Kxd6 22.axb3
In a 3 0 game, such exchanges happen quickly and help with the clock.
Will White's kingside pawn majority be enough?
22...Rgf8 23.g4 a5 24.Rae1 Rae8 25.Rxe8 Rxe8 26.Kf2 Rf8
It was time, instead, for Black's Rook to invade via 26...Re3, with his King to advance behind it, keeping the game balanced. White now shows how it's done.
27.Re1 Rf7 28.Re6+ Kc7 29.Kf3 b5 30.Ra6 Re7
The issue here is not Black's a-pawn. It is the fact that when Rooks come off the board White will have a straight-forward win.
31.Ra7+ Kd6 32.Rxe7 Kxe7
Okay, how fast can you move your pieces? The game is barely half over.
33.h4 Kd6 34.Ke4 b4
Now the inhuman Stockfish 8 declares a checkmate in 26, but the ticking clock will inject a few inaccuracies before White grasps the full point.
35.g5 h5 36.Kf3 Ke5 37.f6 gxf6 38.gxf6
The more accurate 38.g6!? was the way to win, with many hassles: 38...Ke6 39.Kf4 Ke7 40.Kf5 c4 41.bxc4 a4 42.c5 a3 43.bxa3 bxa3 44.g7 Kf7 45.c6 Kxf7 46.c7 a2 47.c8/Q a1/Q 48.Qd7+
38...Kxf6
39.Kf4 Ke6 40.Kg5
White should admit that he has only a draw, and mark the enemy King with 40.Ke4, keeping it out of mischief. He also should keep his King closer to home, as Black can now cause pawn mischief similar to the note above: 40...c4 41.bxc4 a4 42.c5 a3 43.c6 Ke6 and it is Black who will have a checkmate in 26!
40...Ke5 41.Kxh5 Kf4
Black's King advances aggressively, but it needed, instead, to mark White's King with 41...Kf5 and let his pawns do the work, e.g. 42...c4.
The advantage agains shifts to White.
42.Kg6 Ke3 43.h5 Kd2 44.h6 Kxc2 45.h7 Kxb3 46.h8=Q Kxb2
This is a pretty crazy position, but quite won for White - with enough time to think. Amazingly, there is.
47.Qe5 Kc3 48.Qxc5+ Kxd3 49.Qxa5 Kc3 50.Kf5 d3 51.Ke4 d2 52.Qc5+ Kb3 53.Qd4 Ka3 54.Qxd2 b3
If only the pawn were on the a-file or the c-file, Black might have drawing chances.
55.Qc3 Ka2 56.Qc4 Ka3 57.Qc5+ Ka2 58.Qa5+ Kb1 59.Kd3 b2 60.Kc3 Kc1 61.Qg5+ Kb1 62.Qb5 Kc1 63.Qf1 checkmate
An amazing game for 3 0!
The following game is another lightning affair from shugart at FICS. Both sides play relatively calmly - after White starts with the Jerome Gambit, of course - and then at one point Black slips. Punishment strikes light a lightning bolt.
shugart - kisa
1 2 lightning, FICS, 2017
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6
7.Qd5+
Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Nf6 10.O-O Qe7
11.d3 Kf7 12.f4 Re8 13.Nc3 c6 14.b3
Kg8
15.Ba3 c5 16.Rae1 b6 17.Qg3 Bb7 18.Bb2
18...Nh5 19.Qg4 Qh4 20.Qf3
Continuing with the theme of trapped knights that we have seen in recent posts (see "Jerome Gambit: Quirky" and "Jerome Gambit: Beware the Calm After the Storm"), White had 20.Qxh4 Nxh4 21.f5 d5 22.g3 Nf6
23.gxh4 dxe4 24.dxe4 Nxe4 with an equal game.
20...Nf6
21.g3 Qh5 22.Qg2 Qg4 23.Nd1 h5 24.Ne3 Qd7
25.f5 Ne5 26.Qe2 g6
Oops.
27.fxg6 Nxg6 28.Rxf6 Black resigned
I recently received a couple of games from chessfriend shugart, who plays at the online site FICS. The time control for each game is 1 minute, with a 2 second increment per move.
That kind of speed melts my brain, so the whole field of lightning - or bullet - chess always amazes me. Especially when it involves the Jerome Gambit.
Years ago I reviewed Bullet Chess One Minute to Mate by Hikaru Nakamura and Bruce Harper. A quote from that book is worth sharing
It is important to realize that bullet chess is not really about "truth," to the extent that some chess players use the term to refer to the objectively best moves, but rather whatever works. Bullet chess won't often help you in your search for "chess truth," although it will certainly help you learn how to play chess more quickly! But bullet chess will teach you a lot about chess psychology, as there is always a reason that any particular move is played it may not be a good reason, and it may not have much to do with the actual position, but there is always a reason. In this book, we explore the reasons why players do what they do when they are short of time, especially when it comes to making mistakes.
Clearly, the largely unknown and often unappreciated Jerome Gambit is going to cause the defender many "huh?" moments - deadly, in and of itself, when time is of the essence.
The final position brings a smile to the face.
shugart - kisa
1 2 lightning, FICS, 2017
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bxd4 7.Qxd4
Qf6
Okay, commenting on moves in this game would be something like watching someone juggling chainsaws, and saying "That one over there doesn't look so sharp". But, I do have to point out that White's Queen is unprotected and at risk of being lost after ...Nf3+.
8.O-O Ne7 9.f4 N5c6 10.Qc4+ Qe6 11.Qe2 Rf8 12.Nc3 Kg8
Black has castled-by-hand. White has to give him something to worry about.
13.Be3 a6
A good sign. I remember that whenever my Chess Challenger 7 computer felt its position was fine, or it could not come up with a move that improved its position, it would begin to move its Rook pawns. That often allowed me to slowly improve my own position without disruption.
14.Rae1 d6 15.f5 Qe5 16.Bf4 Qc5+ 17.Be3 Qe5
Will there be a draw?
18.Kh1
White does not repeat the position. We can guess who is ahead on time.
18...Bd7 19.Bf4 Qa5 20.Bg5 Nd4
21.Qc4+
Tactics prevail.
21...Kh8 22.Qxd4 Nc6 23.Qc4 Rae8 24.f6 g6 25.f7 Re5 26.Bf6 checkmate
Very nice!
Here is the second game recently shared by shugart. It is "slower" than the previous one, being a 3-minute blitz game. The kind of quick thinking that sugart shows is pretty impressive: the name of the game is tactics.
shugart - mijac
3 0 blitz, FICS, 2017
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8
The Jerome Defense to the Jerome Gambit, played successfully by Alonzo Wheeler Jerome in two correspondence games against Daniel Jaeger in 1880.
7 Qxe5 Qe7 8.Qf4+
shugart has also tried 8.Qd5, e.g. 8...d6 9.O-O Nf6 10.Qc4 Be6 11.Qe2 Re8 12.c3 Kg8 13.d4 Bb6 14.f3 c5 15.d5 Bd7 16.c4 a5 17.Bf4 Ba7 18.Nc3 h6 19.Bg3 Kh7 20.Rae1 Rhf8 21.Qc2 Qf7?! 22.e5+ Kh8 23.exf6 Qxf6 24.Ne4 Qf5 25.Nxd6? Qxc2 26.Nxe8 Rxe8 27.Rxe8+ Bxe8 28.h3 Qxc4 29.Re1 Qc3 30.Rxe8+ Black forfeited on time, shugart - orakel, lightning, FICS, 2014.
He has also played 8.Qg3, which looks like a mouse slip: 8...Qxe4+ 9.Kd1 d5 10.Qxc7 Bxf2 11.Rf1 Bg4 checkmate, shugart - bakugan, lightning, FICS, 2014.
8...Nf6
Of about similar strength was 8...Qf6, e.g. 9.Qg3 Bd6 10.Qe3 b6 11.c3 Bb7 12.O-O Re8 13.f3 Ke7 14.d4 Kd8 15.e5 Bxe5 16.dxe5 Rxe5 17.Qd4 Ne7 18.Nd2 Nc6 19.Qd3 Rhe8 20.Ne4 Qe7 21.Bg5 Black resigned, shugart - eggert, blitz, FICS, 2013.
9.d3 d5 10.e5 Bd6
Black was doing well, with an extra piece (for two pawns) and better development, despite his more exposed King. His plan to win the e-pawn is proably a blitz oversight.
mijac would have done better with 10...Ke8. He was apparently not thinking in that direction as he observed his pinned Knight being attacked by White's pinned pawn.
11.d4 Kg8 12.O-O Nh5
13.exd6 cxd6 14.Qf3 Nf6
The position has calmed down, but Black has all the weaknesses.
15.Bg5 Kf7 16.Bxf6 gxf6 17.Qxd5+ Kg7 18.Nc3 Be6 19.Rae1 Kf7
Protecting for a second time the twice-attacked Bishop - but there is a tactical continuation for White, the kind that wins blitz games.
20.Qh5+ Kf8 21.d5 Bf7
Not a saving move, but a good try in a desperate situation.
22.Qh6+ Ke8 23.Rxe7+ Kxe7
24.Re1+ Kd7 25.Qh3+ Kc7 26.Re7+ Kb6 27.Qe3+ Black resigned
Black's Bishop is hanging - but, even worse, his King is in a mating net.
I recently received two Jerome Gambit games from chessfriend shugart, who plays at FICS. We have seen his games here before.
His willingness to play at lightning time control continues to explode my brain.
One thing that helps in his play is familiarity with the opening, as the notes to the following game will show. (There might even be the chance that he reads this blog, and has picked up a tip or two.)
shugart - NightEagle
lightning, FICS, 2017
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4
The Blackburne Shilling Gambit.
4.Bxf7+
The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.
4...Kxf7
In what appears to be a quick blitz game, shugart easily dealt with his opponent declining the gift: 4...Ke7 5.Nxd4 exd4 6.Bxg8 Rxg8 7.c3 d3 8.Qf3 h6 9.Qxd3 d6 10.O-O Be6 11.Qe2 Qe8 12.d4 Kd7 13.Qb5+ Kc8 14.Qxe8 checkmate, shugart - snob, blitz, FICS, 2013.
5.Nxe5+
The alternative 5.Nxd4 is a hybrid line that has also been played by Jerome Gambiteers such as drumme, HauntedKnight, JKELSEY and Wall: 5...exd4 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qe5+ Ne7 9.Qxh8 d6 10.Qxh7 Qd7 11.O-O Qg4 12.f3 Qg5 13.d3 Qf6 14.Nd2 Be6 15.Nb3 Bg8 16.Qh3 Be6 17.Qg3 Kd7 18.Bg5 Qf7 19.Bxe7 Bxe7 20.Nd2 Rh8 21.Rae1?! Bh4 22.Qf4? Qxf4 23.e5 Bxe1 (23...Qxh2+!) 24.Rxe1 Qxh2+ 25.Kf2 Qh4+ 26.Kg1 dxe5 White resigned, shugart -Yaman, lightning, FICS, 2014.
5...Ke8
(5...Ke6 6.Qh5 Nxc2+ 7.Kd1 Nxa1 8.Qf7+ Kxe5 9.f4+ Kd6 10.e5+ Kc6 11.Nc3 b5 12.Qd5+ Kb6 13.Qxb5 checkmate shugart - Manoelo, blitz, FICS, 2013)
6.Qh5+ Ke7
Necessary was 6...g6, but shugart has some experience with that, too: 7.Nxg6 hxg6 (7...Nf6 8.Qe5+ Ne6 (8...Be7 9.Nxe7 Qxe7 (9...Nxc2+ 10.Kd1 Qxe7 11.Qxe7+ Kxe7 12.Kxc2 d6 13.d3 Be6 14.Nc3 c6 15.Bg5 Rhg8 16.Bxf6+ Kxf6 17.g3 Raf8 18.f4 Ke7 19.Rae1 Kd7 20.e5 dxe5 21.Rxe5 Bg4 22.Rhe1 Kc8 23.Ne4 h5 24.Nd6+ Kd7 25.Nxb7 Rf7 26.Nc5+ Kc7 27.Re7+ Rxe7 28.Rxe7+ Kb6 29.Ne4 Bf3 30.Kd2 h4 31.Ng5 Bd5 32.gxh4 Bxa2 33.h5 Rh8 34.Rh7 Rf8 35.Ke3 Re8+ 36.Kf3 Bd5+ 37.Kg3 Re2 38.Ne4 Rxb2 39.h6 Rb3 40.Nf2 a5 41.Re7 Bg8 42.h7 Bxh7 43.Rxh7 a4 44.Rh8 Kc5 45.Ra8 a3 46.h4 Kd4 47.h5 Ke3 48.h6 Rb7 49.Rxa3 Rh7 50.Rc3 Kd4 51.Rxc6 Black resigned, shugart - Sutarsa, blitz, FICS, 2013) 10.Qxd4 Nxe4 11.0–0 Rg8 12.d3 c5 13.Qxe4 Qxe4 14.dxe4 Black resigned, shugart - smarcek, blitz, FICS, 2014) 9.Nxh8 Qe7 10.0–0 Qg7 11.f4 Qxh8 12.f5 Bd6 13.Qc3 Nc5 14.e5 Nce4 15.Qd4 c5 16.Qe3 Bxe5 17.d3 Bd4 18.Qxd4 cxd4 19.dxe4 d6 20.Bg5 Bd7 21.Nd2 Qg7 22.h4 h6 23.Bf4 Nh5 24.Bxd6 Ng3 25.Rf3 Bc6 26.Re1 Kd7 27.e5 Rf8 28.f6 Rxf6 White forfeited on time, shugart -Yaman, lightning, FICS, 2014) 8.Qxh8 Ne7 9.Qxd4 c6 10.0–0 d6 11.d3 Bd7 12.Bg5 Qc7 13.f4 c5 14.Qc3 b5 15.Bxe7 Bxe7 16.Qh8+ Bf8 17.Qf6 Be7 18.Qxg6+ Kd8 19.Nc3 Be8 20.Qg4 b4 21.Nd5 Qd7 22.Qxd7+ Bxd7 23.Nxe7 Kxe7 24.h3 Rg8 25.Kh2 Bc6 26.g4 d5 27.e5 Ke6 28.Rae1 d4 29.f5+ Kd5 30.e6 Be8 31.f6 Rf8 32.f7 Bc6 33.e7 Rxf7 34.Rxf7 Kd6 35.e8Q Bxe8 36.Rxe8 Kc6 37.Rxa7 Kd5 38.Rb8 c4 39.Rxb4 cxd3 40.cxd3 Kc5 41.Rb8 Kd5 42.Rb3 Ke6 43.Raa3 Kd5 44.Kg3 Black forfeited on time, shugart - Yaman, lightning, FICS, 2014.
7.Qf7+ Kd6 8.Qd5+
Okay, okay, hold on a minute...
8...Ke7 9.Qf7+
Acceptable, but unnecessarily time-consuming, is 9.Qxd4, e.g. 9...Nf6 10.O-O d6 11.Nc4 Be6 12.Ne3 Kf7 13.f4 Be7 14.f5 Bd7 15.Nd5 Re8 16.Nxf6 Bxf6 17.Qd5+ Kf8 18.d3 Bc6 19.Qb3 Bd4+ 20.Kh1 Qh4 21.Nd2 Bb6 22.Nf3 Qf6 23.Bd2 Rad8 24.Bg5 Qf7 25.Bxd8 Rxd8 26.Qxf7+ Kxf7 27.a4 a5 28.c3 Bd7 29.b4 axb4 30.cxb4 Be3 31.Ra2 Bc6 32.b5 Bd7 33.Re2 Bb6 34.e5 dxe5 35.Nxe5+ Kg8 36.Nxd7 Rxd7 37.Rd2 Rf7 38.d4 Rd7 39.d5 Rd6 40.g4 Kf7 41.h4 Kf6 42.Kg2 Kf7 43.Kg3 Bc5 44.Kf4 Bb6 45.Ke4 Ba5 46.Kf4 Bxd2+ 47.Kf3 Ba5 48.Rd1 Bb6 White forfeited on time, shugart - Yaman, lightning, FICS, 2015.
9...Kd6 10.Nc4+
That's it.
10...Kc5 11.Qd5+ Kb4 12.c3+ Ka4 13.Qa5 checkmate
