New to the Jerome Gambit Gemeinde

I hope that you enjoyed yesterday's game. I have brought back the same contestants for a second Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit, played on the same day. Mvskoke has played over a dozen Jerome Gambits this year, and they all are interesting.


Mvskoke - trss
blitz, FICS, 2012


1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Nc3 Nf6 5.Bxf7+ 

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 Bxd4 8.Qxd4 d6 

9.f4


More aggressive than yesterday's 9.0-0, although they could transpose.


9...Nc6 


In another outing, play continued 9...Neg4 10.0-0 Qe7 11.h3 Nh6 12.e5 Nd7 13.Nd5 Qh4 14.Nxc7 Nf5 15.e6+ Kg6 16.Qd1 Ne3 17.Qd3+ Nf5 18.exd7 Bxd7 19.Nxa8 Kf6 20.Bd2 a6 21.Nc7 Bc6 22.Bc3+ Kg6 23.Rae1 Bd7 24.Nd5 Kh6 25.Rf3 Bb5 26.Qxf5 g6 27.Qg5+ Qxg5 28.fxg5+ Kh5 29.b3 Bc6 30.Nf4+ Kh4 31.g3+ Kxg5 32.Ne6+ Kh5 33.g4+ Kh4 34.Rf7 Re8 35.Rxh7+ Kg3 36.Bd2 Bd5 37.Bf4+ Kf3 38.Nd4+ Kxf4 39.Rxe8 g5 40.Nf5 Kf3 41.Re3+ Kf4 42.Rd7 b5 43.Rxd6 b4 44.Rxd5 a5 45.Red3 a4 46.R5d4+ Ke5 47.Re3+ Kf6 48.Rd6+ Kf7 49.Re7+ Black forfeited on time.Mvskoke - ClaytonBigsby, FICS, 2012 


10.Qc4+ Be6 11.Qb5 Nd4 

A tough game followed 11...Rb8, i.e., 12.f5 Bd7 13.Qc4+ Kf8 14.Bg5 Ne5 15.Qe2 c6 16.0-0 Kf7 17.h3 Re8 18.g4 Kg8 19.Bh4 Rf8 20.Bf2 c5 21.g5 Ne8 22.h4 a6 23.Rad1 Qc7 24.Nd5 Qd8 25.Bg3 Nc7 26.f6 Nxd5 27.Bxe5 dxe5 28.Rxd5 Qc7 29.f7+ Rxf7 30.Rxf7 Kxf7 31.Qf3+ Kg8 32.Qc3 Re8 33.h5 b6 34.b4 Bc6 35.Rd1 cxb4 36.Qc4+ Kh8 37.h6 Rc8 38.Qe6 Bxe4 39.Rd6 Qc5+ 40.Kh2 Qf2+ 41.Kh3 Bf5+ White resigned, Mvskoke - malick, FICS, 2012 


12.Qd3 b5


This is a difficult move to understand. Perhaps it is a mouse slip?


13.Qxd4 c5 14.Qd1 b4 15.Nd5 Nxe4 

Black should have been thinking about the vulnerability of his opponent's King, and tried 15...Bxd5 16.exd5 Re8+. Now the advantage shifts to White, and he works to increase it.


16.0-0 Bf5 17.Ne3 Qf6


This does not save the endangered Bishop.


18.Qd5+ Qe6 19.Qxf5+ Qxf5 20.Nxf5 Ke6 

White's extra piece is enough for the full point.


21.Nxg7+ Kd5 22.f5 Rhg8 23.Ne6 Rac8 24.Bh6 Rg4 25.Rae1 Rcg8 26.Nf4+ Ke5 27.f6 Kd4 28.f7 Rxf4  Black resigned

Sometimes People Don't Think Like Computers

I like to consult with a computer program when I prepare games for posting on this blog. Often Rybka or Houdini point out tactical oversights. Sometimes, though, they make recommendations that are terribly esoteric, like in the following game, and I am forced to conclude, once again, that sometimes people don't think like computers...


Mvskoke - trss
blitz, FICS, 2012


1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Bc5 4.Bc4 Nf6 5.Bxf7+ 

The Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.


5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 Bxd4 8.Qxd4 d6 

9.0-0 Nc6 10.Qa4 


Something new. Instead, 10.Qd3 would have transposed, after 10...Re8 11.Bg5, to the recent perrypawnpusher - JoseSoza, Chess.com, 2012 (0-1, 34)


10...Re8 11.Bg5 h6 12.f4 hxg5 13.fxg5 Kg8 14.gxf6 gxf6

According to Rybka, this leads to a slight edge for White. The computer recommends 14...Ne5 and a complicated follow up for a small edge for Black. 


15.Nd5 Rf8 16.Qb3 Be6 17.Qg3+ Kh7 

Stepping into the open is very dangerous. 


Rybka's recommendation leaves Black with a Rook and two minor pieces for his Queen and a couple of pawns, which is unclear: 17...Kf7 18.Rxf6+ Qxf6 19.Nxf6 Kxf6 20.Rf1+ Ke7 21.Qg5+ Ke8 22.Rxf8+ Kxf8 23.Qf6+ Bf7 24.Qh8+ Bg8 25.h4 Re8 26.Qh6+ Ke7 27.Qg5+ Kf7 28.Qf5+ Ke7 29.h5 Be6 30.Qf4 Rg8 31.h6.


I am not surprised that Black did not see this "escape". I don't think that regular club players think that way.


18.Rf4 f5 19.Rh4+ Qxh4 20.Qxh4+ Kg6 21.Nxc7 fxe4

22.Nxa8 Rxa8 23.Rf1 Bf5 24.g4 Black resigned