More Errors in Thinking

One of my interests in exploring the Jerome Gambit comes from observing - and occasionally provoking - "errors in thinking". Essentially, the only way White can win is if Black errs - sometime in the most fascinating of ways.

The following game is my  most recent Jerome Gambit from the Chess.com Italian Game tournament (see "Yet Once Again Into The Fray"). For a while it looked like it was going to be one of my best Jeromes ever, thanks to some fun tactics - but I fell victim to my own "error in thinking", and it was all for naught...

perrypawnpusher - Hywel2
Chess.com, Italian Game tourney, 2015

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 Kf7 11.f4 Re8 12.f5 Ne5 13.d4 

I have also tried 13.Nc3 in perrypawnpusher - DysonLin, blitz, FICS, 2009 (1-0, 23); perrypawnpusher - darqknight, blitz, FICS, 2011 (0-1, 63); perrypawnpusher - CorH, 3 12 blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 24);  and perrypawnpusher - yasserr, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 32).

13...Nc6

Oddly, this natural move is a TN according to The Database. Instead, 13...Neg4 was seen in Vazquez,A - Carrington,W, Mexico, 2nd match 1876 (1-0, 34); Wall,B - Vijay,V, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 22) and perrypawnpusher - whitepandora, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0. 64). 

14.Nc3 Kg8 15.Qd3 Kh8 16.Bg5 Qd7 17.Rae1 b6 

I am always impressed when the masters of the Jerome Gambit are able to "make something out of nothing" in their games. It is not so easy for me.

18.Bxf6 gxf6 19.Nd5 Qg7 20.Rf3 a5 21.c3 Ba6 22.Qd2 Bc4 23.Rg3 Qf7 24.Nf4 Bxa2 25.Ree3 

I am not sure what my opponent made of this move. Perhaps he thought I was still shuffling pieces.

25...Rg8 26.Ng6+!?

White has only a pawn for his sacrificed piece, but this new sac changes everything.

26...hxg6 27.Rh3+ Kg7 28.Rh7+ 

The main idea: if now 28...Kxh7, then 29.Rh3+ Kg7 30.Qh6 mate. Black, instead, gives up his Queen.

28...Kf8 29.Rxf7+ Kxf7 

Houdini gives a deep look, and evaluates the position as being equal. A couple of lines to share what it sees: 30.Qd3 (looking at the light squares on the Queenside and Black's two loose minor pieces) Ne7 31.Qb5 gxf5 32.exf5 Rae8 33.g3 c6 34.Qxb6 Nxf5 35.Qc7+ Re7 36.Rxe7+ Nxe7 37.Qxd6 a4 38.Qf4 Be6 39.d5 Bxd5 40.Qxa4; or 30.Qc2  (to trap the Bishop) a4 31.e5 Ne7 32.fxg6+ Rxg6 33.exd6 Nd5 34.Rg3 Rxg3 35.hxg3 Bb3 36.Qd3 cxd6 37.c4 Ne7 38.Qh7+ Kf8 39.Qh6+ Kf7 40.Qh7+ draw 

I wanted to take advantage of Black's loose pieces, too, before his R + B + N got coordinated and out-played my Queen.

30.fxg6+ Rxg6 31.Rh3 Rag8 32.Rh7+ R8g7 33.Rxg7+ Rxg7 34.Qd1 Be6 

 Now is the time for White to continue his escape with 35.Qh5+ Rg6 36.Qh7+ Rg7 37.Qh5+ draw, as any other line by Black would drop a minor piece to a Queen check and fork.

But - what is this?? My opponent, having played strongly the whole game, has suddenly fallen for a simple pawn fork?? What good fortune!

What an error in thinking! On my part, that is.

35.d5?

Allowing Black to quickly pull his game together.

35... Bg4 

I had looked at 35...Bh3, but had totally overlooked the text.

After some discouraged piece-shifting, I gave up the ghost.

36.Qe1 Ne5 37.Qe3 Bf3 38. g3 Bh5 39. h3 Nc4 40. Qf2 Bg6 41. Qe2 Ne5 42. g4 Ke7 43. Kf2 Kf8 44. Qa6 Re7 White resigned

Black's pieces are cooperating, and it is only a matter of time before they begin chopping away at White's position (starting with Pe4).

I am sure that Jerome Gambit stalwarts like blackburne, Bill Wall and Philidor1792 would find a way to prevail, even in this position, but I felt "lost" after my 35th move, and couldn't see my way out - perhaps the final "thinking error".

Another Error, Another Win

Some day, maybe, I will get caught.

Oh, wait a minute. I already did get caught.

Some day, maybe, I will learn.

Oh, wait a minute, I once did know.

Well - next time I hope to remember...

In the meantime here's another Jerome Gambit game where I made what I knew was the wrong move, because I couldn't remember why it was wrong.

And I won in a near-miniature, anyhow.

perrypawnpusher - alvarzr
2 12, FICS, 2014

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qd5+ Kf6

Last year my game against the same opponent continued 7...Ke8 8.Qxc5 Qe7 9.Qe3 Nf6  and I was out-played in a pitched battle, (missing one chance at a saving swindle) in perrypawnpusher - alvarzr, blitz, FICS, 2013, (0-1, 59). Hmmm... Looks like I haven't posted that game yet. My bad.

8.d4

I played this move even though I knew it was not the best move.

I had forgotten 8.Qxc5 d6 (8...Qe7 9.Qf5# perrypawnpusher - zsilber, blitz, FICS, 2010) 9.Qe3, with an edge for Black in perrypawnpusher - useche, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 22) and perrypawnpusher - wbrandl, blitz, FICS, 2011 (0-1, 28).

8...Bxd4

Black doubles my error and sends it back to me...

In a game six years ago my opponent back then played the correct 8...Bb4+!?, but after  9.c3 he tried 9...c6 and after 10.Qg5+ I was on my way to sweet victory in perrypawnpusher - whitepandora, blitz, FICS, 2008 (1-0, 41).

A more recent game - the analysis from this blog should still have been clear in my memory - saw 8...h6 9.Qxc5 with Black a bit better, in perrypawnpusher - tjaksi, blitz, FICS, 2013 (1-0, 16).

9.Qg5+ 

This is fine, but 9.Bg5 would have been checkmate. (And 10.Bg5 would have been checkmate against whitepandora, too!)

9...Ke6 10.Qxd8 

These kind of positions make me verrrrrrry nervous. Sure, White has a Queen and a pawn for only two pieces, but that's the problem - what if I get overconfident and blunder it all away? (Sure, that would be almost as bad as losing to the Jerome Gambit, right?)

10...N8e7 11.Qxc7 Ne5 12.Qa5 b6 13.Qd2 Bc5 14.Nc3

I briefly looked at 14.b4!? but quickly decided that I didn't need more material, I needed to escape with what I had and to find a settled position. (Thanks, Dan Heisman.)

14...Ba6 15.Nd5!? Rac8 16.Nxe7 Kxe7 17.Qg5+ Ke6 18.Qf5+ Kd6 19.Bf4 Rce8 20.0-0-0+ 

Hold the Xanax. I think I've got things under control now.

20...Kc6 21.Bxe5 Black resigned

Lost in the Maze; Then Just Lost

If, occasionally, both my opponent and I get lost in the maze of the Jerome Gambit, I feel reassured that it is my maze, and that I will still be able to find my way out, safely.

perrypawnpusher - tjaksi
blitz, FICS, 2013

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6

7.Qd5+ Kf6 

Alert! Possible trouble on the d8-h4 diagonal!

8.d4 

Interestingly enough, Houdini shows about a half-pawn preference for 8.Qxc5 over the text. That is not immediately obvious, although both  MrJoker and I have generally had success with that move - perrypawnpusher - zsilber, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 9); perrypawnpusher - useche, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 22); perrypawnpusher - wbrandl, blitz, FICS, 2011 (0-1, 28); MrJoker - ipon, Internet Chess Club, 2011 (1-0, 33); and MrJoker -vicwill, Internet Chess Club, 2011 (1-0, 12).

8...h6

My opponent responds to the perceived threat. The computer prefers 8...Bb4+ 9.c3  and then 9...Ke7, allowing for the Black Knight to intervene at f6, e.g. 10.Bg5+ Nf6 when White will recover one of his two sacrificed pieces, but Black will still have the advantage.

Instead, 8...Bb4+ 9.c3 c6 was seen in perrypawnpusher - whitepandora, blitz, FICS, 2008 (1-0, 41); while 8...d6 9.Bg5 checkmate, from mrjoker - Taj, Internet Chess Club, 2009 also has to be mentioned.

9.Qxc5 N8e7 10.e5+ Kf7 11.Qc4+ Kf8 12.0-0 b6 

Black is preparing to take advantage of White's pieces on the a6-f1 diagonal. It was probably better to play the straight-forward 12...d5. 

13.f4 a5 14.f5 Ba6 

Much to my opponent's delight, I have fallen into his trap: the Black Bishop skewers my Queen. However, I've suggested in "BSJG: Don't Try To Out-Think Me", and here is another case of that. Instead, after the game Houdini recommended the related 14...Nxe5 15.dxe5 Ba6 when 16.Qe4 Bxf1 17.Kxf1 d5 18.exd6 cxd6 19.Nc3 d5 would be about equal, White having a pawn for the exchange.

While Black was planning his maneuver, I used my moves to allow a discovered check.

15.fxg6+ Ke8 16.Qf7 checkmate

Trampled!

Although I reached a decent position out of the opening in the following game, it felt like I was suddenly trampled by my opponent. Only later, after I was able to examine the game in more detail, did I see how I let various opportunities (some easy to see, some not) slip by - giving Black the signal to run me over.

perrypawnpusher - avgur
blitz, FICS, 2013

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 10.0-0 Kf7 11.f4 Rf8

Alternately, 11...Re8 was seen in perrypawnpusher - whitepandora, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 64).

12.f5 Ne5 13.d4 Neg4

The more sedate 13...Nc6 was probably better. Black's choice in the game allows White to even things up, or even get a small edge. It is hard for Black's Knights to avoid the temptation of harassing the White Queen, however.

14.Qb3+

An improvement over 14.Qf4 from perrypawnpusher - Jore, FICS, 2010 (1-0,32). 

14...d5 

15.e5

Stronger, according to Houdini, who advised me after the game, is 15.h3 Nh6 16.Bxh6 gxh6.

15...Ne4 16.h3

Already looking several moves ahead - but wrongly so.

In retrospect, Houdini preferred 16.Qh3 Nh6 17.Bxh6 gxh6 18.e6+ Kg8 19.Nc3 Nxc3 20.bxc3 Qg5 21.Rae1 

analysis diagram



when White's "Jerome pawns" are poised to create trouble (and might encourage Black to return a piece with ...Bxe6).

16...Ngf2 17.Rxf2

Too hurried. Instead, 17.Be3 seems to force 17...Nxh3+, when 18.gxh3 Ng3 19.Rf3 Nxf5 20.Nc3 Be6 would be an equal game.

Where did my move come from? Well, with Black's Rook on e8 instead of f8, the position is the same as in the above game, perrypawnpusher - whitepandora, blitz, FICS, 2011, where I won two Knights for my Rook. Humorously, when I posted that game on this blog, I rejected 17.Be3 because of 17...Nh1!?, when 18.Kxh1 Ng3+ would have led to the same two-pieces-for-one-Rook swap.

It turns out that things are not that "simple". After the current game Houdini suggested that White meet 17.Be3 Nh1 with 18.Nc3!? when 18...Nxc3 19.bxc3 Ng3 20.Rf3 Nxf5 21.g4 Kg8 22.Raf1 g6 (not 22...Nh6? 23.Qxd5+!) 23.gxf5 Rxf5 24.c4!? 

analysis diagram




gives White a chance for a small edge.

17...Nxf2 18.Kxf2 

I was, quite frankly, pleased to have remembered my earlier play in a similar position. It did not hit me for a few moves that I had gotten myself into trouble.

18...Bxf5

Obvious, but look at 18...Qh4+!? This allows Black to snipe the White d-pawn first, e.g. 19.Kf1 Qxd4 20.Nc3 Bxf5 21.Qxd5+ Qxd5 22.Nxd5 Bxc2 and White has nothing for the lost exchange except a weak e-pawn.

19.Kg1

I needed to try something like 19.Kg3!?

19...Kg8 

If, instead, 19...Qh4, it looks like I could hold things together with 20.Qxd5+ Be6 21.Qf3+ Kg8 22.Qe3 - but not after 22...Rf5!? followed by 23...Raf8.

20.Nd2 Qh4 21.Nf3 Qg3 

22.Kh1 

White needed to try 22.B/Nd2 - and pray. 

22...Bxh3 23.gxh3 Rxf3 24.Qxd5+ Kh8 25.Bf4 Rxf4 26.Qg2 Qxg2+ 27.Kxg2 Raf8 White resigned

Excellent break-through and wrap-up by my opponent.

Attacking is Hard; Defending is Harder

Every time I play a game that seems "good" to me, I turn it over to my friends Houdini, Rybka or Fritz and they tear it all apart.

Just this one time, let me keep the notes light and pretend that my Jerome Gambit's attack carried the day...



perrypawnpusher - yasserr
blitz, FICS, 2011

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

10.0-0 Kf7 11.f4 Re8 12.f5

There are a number of games in The Database with 12.d3, including some by mrjoker and myself, but I think the text, properly followed up, is better.

12...Ne5 13.Nc3

Hesitating, when 13.d4 was the right move, from Vazquez - Carrington, Mexico, 2nd match, 1876 (1-0, 34) to Wall -Vijay, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 22) and perrypawnpusher - whitepandora, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 64).

13...b6 14.d4 Ned7 15.Qd3 Bb7 16.Bg5 Qc8 17.Rae1 Ba6

18.Nb5 Bxb5 19.Qxb5 Kf8 20.Qd3 a5

I think my 18.Nb5 surprised my opponent, and after he exchanged off the piece (perhaps not figuring out what else to do) I sent my Queen back to support the center.

Yasserr's pawn move is odd, and I am not sure what he intended.

I intended a killing attack, but, as often happens, it deflated slowly, like a baloon losing air...

21.Bxf6 Nxf6 22.e5 dxe5 23.dxe5 Nd7 24.f6

24...g6 25.e6

After the game, my, er, friend, Houdini, suggested 25.Qh3 Kg8 26.f7+ Kg7 27.fxe8N+ Qxe8 28.e6 Nf6 29.Rxf6 Kxf6 30.Qc3+ Ke7 31.Qxc7+ Kf6 32.Qe5+ Ke7 33.Rd1 h5 34.Rd7+ Qxd7 35.exd7+ Kxd7 36.Qd5+.

25...Nc5 26.e7+

And here, 26.Qe3, with mate threats, is more brutal, i.e. 26...Nxe6 27.Qh6+ Kg8 28.Rxe6 Qd7 29.f7+ Qxf7 30.Rxf7 Kxf7.

26...Kf7 27.Qd5+

(Try 27.Qe3)

27...Ne6 28.Rf3 c6 29.Qb3

 At least White will be able to exchange his "Jerome pawns" for the sacrificed piece.

29...Qd7 30.Rfe3 Kxf6 31.Rxe6+ Kf7 32.Rd6+ Black resigned

Troubled and Troubling Knights

I know that some chess players choose the Knight for their favorite piece, as its moves are "tricky" but I've never quite had to face the kind of the strange silliness that Black's Knights present in this game. Even so, they were more of a side show, as the "Jerome pawns" took center stage.

perrypawnpusher - whitepandora
blitz, FICS, 2011

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

10.0-0 Kf7 11.f4 Re8 12.f5 Ne5

If 12...Rxe4 then 13.fxg6+, as in perrypawnpusher- bnxr, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 29)

13.d4 Neg4 14.Qb3+ d5

Better was 14...Kf8 as seen in Vazquez - Carrington, 2nd match, 1876 (1-0, 34).

15.e5 Ne4

After the game Rybka 3 suggested that it was time for Black to return the extra piece with 15...Nxe5 16.dxe5 Rxe5 leading to an even game.

Now, White's "Jerome pawns" are beginning to look menacing. What to make of Black's advanced Knights? 

16.h3

Rybka suggested that White preface this move with 16.Nc3, which shows that computers can not only play chess, they sometimes can have a sense of humor.  The Black pawn at d5 is pinned, so White's move threatens the Black Knight at e4.

Unpinning the pawn with 16...Kf8 allows White to grab a pawn with 17.Qxd5, when Black can dump one troubled steed with 17...Nxc3 18.Qc5+ Kg8 19.Qxc3 and return the other with 19...Rf8 20.h3 Rxf5 21.Rxf5 Bxf5 22.hxg4, when White has an edge. 

Actually, Rybka suggests that White delay the pawn grab and try 17.h3 first, although this leads, after 17...Ngf2 18.Qxd5 Nxc3 19.Qc5+ Kg8 20.Qxc3 to 20...Ne4, when the second Black Knight can escape via g5.

16...Ngf2 17.Rxf2

I thought that my best chance here was to gather in the two Knights for one Rook. It turns out that I could have done better; or, more correctly, a better player could have done better...

It is easy to see that White has the alternate try 17.Be3, but Black's frustrating 17...Nh1 seems to hold that off, as 18.Kxh1 Ng3+ would lead to the same 2-for-1 swap.

Instead, White needs to shuffle in his Queen with 18.Bf4 Nhf2 19.Qf3 planning to return his Bishop to e3...

But Black is not asleep. With 19...Rf8 he can answer 20.Be3 with 20...Kg8 when Bxf2 can be answered by ...Bxf5 with equal chances. So White must first bolster his f-pawn with 21.g4, when 21...g6 is but one of Black's defensive ideas, i.e. 22.f6 Nxf6 23.Rxf2 Ne4 24.Qxf8+ Qxf8 25.Rxf8+ Kxf8 26.Nd2 Nxd2 27.Bxd2 and the drawish Bishops-of-opposite-colors endgame beckons...

17...Nxf2 18.Kxf2

So far, most of the excitement has been in the notes, but that is about to change. White has two pawns for the exchange, but as in my recent game against LuigiJerk, my unprotected King should be my undoing.

18...Qh4+

Here it comes...

19.g3

This is not the best response, objectively, and I knew it at the time. However, if my opponent was surprised at his sudden good fortune (and I was guessing that he was), he might not have any "grand plans" at this point. If so, he might want to just grab a pawn and see what happens.

19...Qxh3

Like this.

20.Qxd5+ Kf8

21.e6 Qh2+ 22.Qg2 Qh5 23.g4 Qh4+ 24.Qg3 Qf6

It is frustrating, to have the Queen's attack produce so little. White seems to be consolidating.

25.Be3

Sloppy. It was consistent to return a pawn to continue development: 25.d5 Qd4+ 26.Be3 Qxd5 27.Nc3 Qc6.

25...g6

Black could have played 25...Bxe6 when White would just soldier on with 26.Nc3.

26.Qf4 gxf5 27.gxf5 a5

Opening a door for the Queen Rook to enter play.

In the meantime, White's "Jerome pawns" are not only connected and passed, their development has opened lines against the Black King.  

28.Nc3

Development is good, but it was okay to take time for 28.d5 (followed by Bd4).

28...c6 29.Qh6+

Still thinking "safety" when I could have played for mate with 29.Qd6+ Kg7 30.Rg1+

29...Qxh6 30.Bxh6+ Kg8

31.Rg1+ Kh8 32.Bg7+ Kg8 33.Bh6+

I had no intention of repeating the position three times for a draw, I just wanted to catch my breath and gain a little clock time.

33...Kh8 34.Bg7+ Kg8 35.Ne4

There is a mate starting with 35.Be5+ but I had things under control.

35...Bxe6 36.Nf6+ Kf7 37.Nxe8 Rxe8 38.fxe6+ Rxe6

39.Be5 b5 40.Rg7+ Ke8 41.Rxh7 c5 42.c3 cxd4 43.cxd4 Rc6 44.Ke3 Rc2 45.Rh2 Rc6 46.Ke4 a4 47.Rh8+ Kd7 48.Rh7+ Ke6 49.Rh6+ Kd7 50.Rxc6 Kxc6

51.d5+ Kd7 52.Kf5 b4 53.Kf6 a3 54.b3 Kd8 55.Bd6 Kd7 56.Bxb4 Kc7 57.Ke7 Kb6 58.d6 Kb5 59.Bxa3 Kb6 60.d7 Kb5 61.d8Q Ka6 62.Qb8 Ka5 63.Bc5 Ka6 64.Qb6 checkmate