Move Along, Move Along, There's Nothing Here To Look At...

It's been a while - well over a year - since I've played a Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit, and I knew that I was a bit rusty (and a lot forgetful), but I had no idea I had such a horrible game in me - until I played the following. To be fair, my opponent wasn't on his best game, either.

You would do just as well to check out the first six moves, then move along. 

perrypawnpusher - michon
blitz, FICS, 2013

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 

The Blackburne Shilling Gambit. Black is just dying for White to play 4.Nxe5, so he can counter-attack with 4...Qg5!?

4.Bxf7+ 

The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit. Of course, White can also play 4.Nxd4, 4.0-0, 4.d3 or 4.c3.

4...Ke7 

The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit, Declined; more of a psychological ploy than a move sustained by analysis. I have likened it to a "Jedi Mind Trick".

There are 451 games in The Database with this move, and, not surprisingly, White wins 70%. 

5.Bxg8 

5.Bc4 was seen in perrypawnpusher - PlatinumKnight, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 9); perrypawnpusher - zadox, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 14); and perrypawnpusher - vlas, blitz, FICS, 2010, (1-0, 84).

5.Bb3 was seen in perrypawnpusher - Roetman, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 12). 

5...Rxg8 

Or 5...Nxf3+ as in perrypawnpusher - zadox, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 49); and perrypawnpusher - zimmernazl, blitz, FICS, 2012 (1-0, 30).

Or 5...Ke8 as in perrypawnpusher - zadox, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 29). 

6.Nxe5 

And, seriously, folks, the following moves are for historical (not hysterical) purposes only. Feel free to ignore them. (You can find them in The Database.)

6...Kd6 c5 8.Nxd4 cxd4 9.Qh5 h6 10.Qd5+ Kc7 11.Qxg8 Qe7 12.Qc4+ Kd8 13.Qxd4 d6 14.Nc3 g5 15.Nd5 Qe8 16.Qf6+ Be7 17.Qxe7+ Qxe7 18.Nxe7 Kxe7 19.d4 Bg4 20.f3 Bh5 21.Be3 Re8 22.0-0 Kd7 23.c4 Kc7 24.c5 g4 25.cxd6+ Kxd6 26.Bf4+ Kd7 27.Rac1 gxf3 28.Rc7+ Kd8 29.gxf3 Bf7 30.Bxh6 Bxa2 31.Rxb7 Bc4 32.Rb8+ Kd7 33.Rxe8 Kxe8 34.Rc1 Be2 35.Kf2 Kf7 36.Rc7+ Kg6 37.Be3 Bb5 38.Rxa7 Kh5 39.Ra5 Kh4 40.Rxb5 Kh3 41.Rh5 checkmate

Just Makin' Moves

The following game, my most recent Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit, is the kind of encounter where I made a move, then my opponent made a move, then I made a move... Afterward, Rybka criticized most of them. It's a lazy game.

perrypawnpusher - zimmernazl
blitz, FICS, 2012

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 

The Blackburne Shilling Gambit.

4.Bxf7+

The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.

4...Ke7 5.Bxg8

Of course, it is also possible to retreat the Bishop with 5.Bc4 as in perrypawnpusher - zadox, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 14),  perrypawnpusher - PlatinumKnight, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 9); and perrypawnpusher - vlas, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 84); or with 5.Bb3 as in perrypawnpusher - Roetman, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 12).

5...Nxf3+

More routine is 5...Rxg8 as in perrypawnpusher - TheProducer, blitz, FICS, 2009 (1-0, 16) and perrypawnpusher - issamica, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 8).

Downright strange was 5...Ke8 6.Nxe5 (6.Bb3) Qg5 7.Nf3 Qxg2 8.Nxd4 Qxh1+ 9.Ke2 Qxd1+ 10.Kxd1 Rxg8 as in perrypawnpusher - zadox, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 29).

6.Qxf3 Rxg8 7.Nc3 g6 

Or 7...d6 like in perrypawnpusher - zadox, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 49).

8.d4 Ke8 9.Be3

At this point I realized that I was just making moves, and so decided to focus on development and King safety, trusting that my extra pawn and my opponent's unsafe King would decide the game.

9...Bb4 10.0-0 Bxc3 11.bxc3 exd4 12.cxd4 Rf8 13.Qe2 d6 14.f4 

In the "Jerome pawns" we trust.

14...b6 15.e5 dxe5 16.fxe5 Bb7 17.Rxf8+ Kxf8 18.Rf1+ Kg7 19.Qf2 Qe7 20.c3 Ba6 21.Qf6+ Qxf6 22.Rxf6 Rf8  23.Rxf8 

A little to routine. With 23.Bh6+ I could have won the exchange and made the endgame easier.

23...Kxf8 24.Kf2 Ke7 25.Kg3 Bb7 26.h4 c5 27.dxc5 bxc5 28.Bxc5+ Ke6 29.Bxa7 Kf5 30.Bd4 Black resigned

My guess is that my opponent resigned here when he noticed that he was just making moves here, too, and could have played 29...Kxe5, instead. It would have made a difference.

I was willing to go into the notoriously drawish Bishops-of-opposite-colors endgame, and 3 pawns up, I think White would win; but 2 pawns up, I think Black had a draw...

Move Along... Two Challenges

My opponent laid down two challenges in the following game, one in the opening and one in the endgame. I was very glad to take each of them up. 

perrypawnpusher  - zadox
blitz, FICS, 2011

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

The Blackburne Shilling Gambit

4.Bxf7+

The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.

4...Ke7

I have classified declining the Bishop in this way, followed by returning the Black King to e8 (with the hopes of luring White into complacently playing Nxe5), as some sort of "Jedi mind trick".

My opponent may simply have been unwilling to go along with my plan, playing a psychological gambit ("if you want me to take the bishop, I won't take the bishop").

In any event, The Database has 11 games with zadox playing this move; showing a single win for Black (a time forfeit when White was a bit better). Perhaps it is time to move along to another line of play?

5.Bxg8

Also possible was 5.Bb3, as in perrypawnpusher - Roetman, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 12) and 5.Bc4, as in perrypawnpusher - vlas, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 84), perrypawnpusher - zadox, blitz, FICS 2010 (1-0, 14) and perrypawnpusher - PlatinumKnight, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 9).

5...Nxf3+

This was a switch from 5...Ke8 in  perrypawnpusher - zadox, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 29) and 5...Rxg8 in perrypawnpusher - TheProducer, blitz, FICS, 2009 (1-0, 16).

6.Qxf3 Rxg8

Here is the first challenge: we are playing neither a "normal" Jerome Gambit nor a "normal" Blackburne Shilling Gambit, can I make something of the extra pawn.

I think so.

7.Nc3 d6 8.Nd5+ Kd7 9.Qh3+ Kc6 10.Qxh7 Be6

Okay, it is nothing spectacular, but I am now up two pawns.

11.d3 Be7 12.Nxe7+ Qxe7 13.Qh5 b6 14.Bg5 Qf7 15.Qxf7 Bxf7

The outline of the second challenge is forming: do I think that I can take the game into a Bishops-of-opposite-colors ending and find more than half a point?

I think so.

We both raced through the next series of moves.

16.0-0-0 a5 17.b3 b5 18.Kb2 a4 19.Be3 axb3 20.axb3 Ra6 21.Ra1 Rga8 22.Rxa6+ Rxa6 23.Ra1 Rxa1 24.Kxa1

It is well-known that this kind of ending is very drawish, and an extra one, two, or even three pawns may not be enough for White to win.

In this particular ending, however, I was confident that I could convert. Readers are asked to point out a defense for Black that holds.

24...Bh5 25.f4 exf4 26.Bxf4 Bd1 27.Kb2 Be2 28.Kc3 Bd1 29.d4 d5

This is part of a strategy to get all of Black's pawns on the light squares, the same color as that of his Bishop, so that the drawish nature of the endgame can be enhanced; but the result, here, is a White pawn at e5 that is both passed and protected.

Might it have been better to hold the Black d-pawn back and wait for White to play e4-e5, exchanging at e5 and leaving the resulting passer without pawn protection? 

30.e5 Kd7 31.Kd2 Bh5 32.h3 Ke6 33.g4 Bf7 34.h4 g6

Black's King very effectively blockades the e5 pawn.

To win, White needs another passer.

35.Bg5 c6 36.b4 Be8 37.Ke3 Bf7 38.Kf4 Be8 39.Bd8 Bf7 40.Kg5 Be8 41.h5 gxh5 42.gxh5

42...Kd7 43.Bf6

This move wins, as planned, but I was amused later to see that I could have simply played 43.h6 and continued to advance the pawn to the end line. Better for Black would have been 42...Kf7, but White would still succeed.

43...Bf7 44.h6 Bg8 45.Kg6 Ke8 46.h7 Bxh7+ 47.Kxh7

Mission accomplished.

47...Kf7 48.Kh8 Ke6 49.Kg7 Black resigned

Simply Down Two

The Blackburne Shilling Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4!?) is supposed to lead to exciting chess for the second player, but when White responds in Jerome Gambit style (4.Bxf7+!?) there is excitement for both players (as GM Lev Alburt pointed out in his March 2011 Chess Life column, "How to Trick the Trickster").

If Black tries further psychology with 4...Ke7?!, either as a form of "Jedi mind trick" (search "mind trick" on this blog, or start here) or out of contrariness, it is up to White to claim his advantage.

The following game ends quickly, as Black realizes that he is simply down two pawns, and those are odds that he did not want to give.

perrypawnpusher  - issamica
blitz, FICS, 2011

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

The Blackburne Shilling Gambit.

4.Bxf7+

The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.

4...Ke7

I admit, the first time that zadox played this move against me, in a sort of "Jedi mind trick" (how else to explain my strange chess behavior?), it left me quite indisposed. Readers of this blog should not fall for such a thing, though.

Defenders who decide "if you want me to take the Bishop, then I won't take it" must also live with the consequences of such a position.

5.Bxg8

There is nothing wrong with 5.Bb3 as in perrypawnpusher - Roetman, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 12); or 5.Bc4 as in perrypawnpusher - vlas, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 84), perrypawnpusher - zadox, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 14) or  perrypawnpusher - PlatinumKnight, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 9).

5...Rxg8 6.Nxe5

It is also quite possible to play 6.Nxd4 or 6.d3.

6...d6

Or 6...Ke8 7.d3 d6 as in perrypawnpusher - TheProducer, blitz, FICS, 2009 (1-0, 16).

7.d3 Ke6

8.Nf3

Playing it safe and sitting on my two pawn advantage.

Adventurous readers would no doubt prefer to offer a piece that cannot be taken, with 8.Qg4+ Ke7 (8...Kxe5 9.Bf4+ Kf6 10.Qg5+ Kf7 11.Qxd8; 8...Kf6 9.Bg5+ Kxe5 10.f4#; 8...Nf5 9.Qxf5+ Ke7 10.Qf7#) 9.Qh5 when White's threat to win the Black Queen with Bg5+ is too much to cope with.

My plan was equally unpalatable to my opponent.

Black resigned

Platinum Mind Tricks

I had another encounter with what I have called a Blackburne Shilling Gambit "Jedi Mind Trick". My opponent was PlatinumKnight, so perhaps I should refer to it as a "Platinum Mind Trick".


perrypawnpusher - PlatinumKnight
blitz, FICS, 2010

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

The Blackburne Shilling Gambit.

4.Bxf7+

The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.

The updated New Year's Database has 60 examples of games by my opponent in this line: 58 with Black, 2 with White. Two have already appeared on this blog, one against darrenshome and another against richiehill.

4...Ke7

Messing with my mind (4...Kxf7 was just fine)...

After our game I learned that PlatinumKnight is a bit of a specialist with this strategy, as the Database has 30 of his games with 4...Ke7, starting in 2005. 

5.Bc4

Also possible, of course, are 5.Bxg8 or  5.Bb3.

5...Ke8

A striking move, played, I imagine, to allow Black's Queen to regain access to the d8-h4 diagonal. Indeed, we have the original Blackburne Shilling Gambit position, except that Black's f-pawn is missing and Black's King cannot castle – neither will be important if he can pull off the usual BSG shenanigans.

6.Nxd4

I suspect that PlatinumKnight was hoping for 6.Nxe5, which he could answer with 6...Qg5 (and a roughly equal position) but I've learned my lesson from Master zadox.

I don't think that my opponent has faced 6.Nxd4 in this position before. Perhaps it will help him give up attempts at "mind tricks".

6...exd4

It is sad that after the game all Rybka had to recommend instead of this recapture was: 6...Qh4 7.Nf3 Qxe4+ 8.Be2 Qf5 when White is much better.

7.Qh5+

7...g6 8.Qe5+ Ne7

Or 8...Qe7, as in perrypawnpusher - zadox, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 14).

9.Qxh8 Black resigned

Never Mind...

Except for the occasional Jedi Mind Trick (see "Jedi Mind Tricks", "Jedi Mind Tricks / Rematch" and "Sith still and don't move...") there doesn't seem to be a lot to support Black's choice of 4th and 5th moves.


perrypawnpusher - Roetman
blitz, FICS, 2010

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

The Blackburne Shilling Gambit, sometimes devastating against those who have never seen it before.

4.Bxf7+

The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit. Although objectively the best that White should get out of the line is a draw, I have scored 90% with it in 25 games (not counting this one).

The updated New Year's Database indicates that my opponent had faced this move 6 times previously.

4...Ke7

Other than the erronious idea "White wants me to take the Bishop, so I won't take the Bishop" it's hard to see the "why?" here.

Roetman had played this move twice (unsuccessfully) in 2004, and then moved on to the standard 4...Kxf7. I've faced 4...Ke7 three times (starting with "Opening Disaster") without a loss.

I suppose from a literary point of view, that's called "foreshadowing."

5.Bb3

Both 5.Bxg8, as in perrypawnpusher - TheProducer, blitz, FICS, 2009 (1-0, 16) and perypawnpusher - zadox, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 29), and 5.Bc4, as in perrypawnpusher - zadox, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 14) are good alternatives.

5...Ke8

Again, I am at a loss to explain this. All I can do is punish it severely, and hope that a lesson is learned.

6.Nxd4 exd4 7.Qh5+ g6 8.Qe5+ Qe7 9.Qxh8

9...Nf6

Hoping to trap White's Queen.

The sharper 9...Qxe4+ displaces White's King to f1, but the extra Rook that the first player has is bound to tell.

10. d3 d6 11. Bg5 Kd7 12. Qxf6 Black resigned

Capturing with the Bishop was even stronger, but I thought that the game would be simpler with the ladies off of the board.

Sith still and don't move...

I have posted on the "Jedi Mind Tricks" that may (or may not) have occured in my chess game and rematch with – Darth Zadox? Pleased was I, too long ago not, finding a similar effort unsuccessful...

djham - zadox
blitz FICS, 2010

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

The Blackburne Shilling Gambit. Maybe.

4.Bxf7+

The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.

4...Ke7

Highly irregular. There can be only one reason that my opponent (rated higher than me) would do this...

In perrypawnpusher - zadox, blitz FICS, 2010 our game continued 5.Bxg8 Ke8 6.Nxe5

No, no, no, no, no... This is the only move that gives the BSG any power!

Clearly, this is some kind of Jedi "mind trick"!

In this current game djham was not to be fooled. (You don't think he saw the earlier posts here, do you?)

5.Nxd4

5...exd4 6.Bd5

6..Nf6 7.0-0 Nxd5 8.exd5 d6

9.Re1+ Kd7 10.Qg4 checkmate

I think I detected a slight giggling in the Force...

Jedi Mind Tricks / Rematch

My first game against zadox had several strange and unexpected moves – odd enough for me to humorously attribute them to some kind of "Jedi Mind Tricks."

I was ready in our rematch, however, and the Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit had enough "Force" to win handily. 

perrypawnpusher - zadox

blitz 5 12, FICS, 2010

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

 

The Blackburne Shilling Gambit. I have 15 wins, 2 losses and a draw against it, all with 4.Bxf7+.

4.Bxf7+ Ke7

Again with the mind tricks!

There is no "objective" reason to decline the sacrifice, but zadox has this all thought out. As soon as the White Bishop moves off of the f7 square along the a1-g8 diagonal, the Black King will move back to e8, freeing the Black Queen to go to g5 – should White play Nxe5.

Don't laugh. That's what I did in our first meeting: I took on e5.

5.Bc4

Or 5.Bxg8, as in perrypawnpusher - zadox, blitz FICS, 2010: 5...Ke8 6.Nxe5 Qg5 7.Nf3 Qxg2 8.Nxd4 Qxh1+ 9.Ke2 Qxd1+ 10.Kxd1 Rxg8 11.d3 d6 12.Nc3 Bg4+ 13.f3 Bh5 14.Bg5 c5 15.Nf5 Bxf3+ 16.Kd2 h6 17.Bf4 g6 18.Nxd6+ Bxd6 19.Bxd6 Kd7 20.Bxc5 b6 21.Be3 Rac8 22.Rf1 Bg4 23.Rf7+ Ke6 24.Rxa7 g5 25.Ra6 Rc6 26.Nd5 Rgc8 27.Rxb6 Kd7 28.Rxc6 Kxc6 29.Ne7+ Black resigned

5...Ke8

"Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid" - Han Solo, having blasted the pawn at f7.

6.Nxd4 exd4

It is dire to note that after the game Rybka suggested that best for Black was not the recapture, but 6...Qh4. Since White has 7.Qf3, the result – 7...Nf6 8. Nb3 – is not much better an outcome for Black.

7.Qh5+ g6

8.Qe5+ Qe7 9.Qxh8 Qxe4+

At this point I realized that the position was oddly similar to one in a game (a Damiano Defense) that I had played against Dr. Andrew Hinkle, 40 years ago. Mind trick, indeed.

10.Kd1 Qxg2

Better is 10...Ne7, but after 11.Re1 Black has no compensation for the Rook. 

11.Re1+ Kd8 12.Qxg8 Qg4+ 13.Be2

13...Qe6 14.Qxf8+ Black resigned

And not a midi-chlorian too soon.