Rocket Surgery

perrypawnpusher - MrMef
blitz, FICS, 2012

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

The Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 Re8

Recently seen in HauntedKnight - sfanel, FICS, 2011, (0-1, 13).

8.dxc5 Kg8

This is an improvement over both 8..Nc6 from perrypawnpusher - hudders, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 13) and 8...Nc4 from perrypawnpusher - TrentonTheSecond, blitz, FICS, 2010 (0-1, 9).

Curiously, the strongest move, 8...Qe7, appears in The Database in two losses for Black, natarajanm - jmarchetti, blitz, FICS, 2008 (1-0, 25) and ARUJ - cippolippo, blitz, FICS, 2009 (1-0, 19).

The Jerome Gambit: it's not rocket surgery.

9.0-0 b6 10.cxb6

Not actually necessary, as 10.f4 followed by 11.e5 will win a piece. The text should, too, but not the way it does.

10...axb6 11.f4 Neg4

12.e5

It is more complicated than this, as Black's advanced Knight covers the f2 square, so first it needs to be kicked with 12.h3.

12...Ba6 13.Re1

Since 13.Rf2 is not possible.

13...Nd5

Missing 13...Qe7, pinning the White e-pawn.

14.Nxd5 Qh4

Suddenly, it did not feel like I had won a piece, but, rather that my opponent had sacrificed one.

15.h3 Qf2+ 16.Kh1 Qh4 17.Kg1

I was ready to accept a repetition of position and a draw. Instead, 17.Qd2 would organize a defense for White, and his threats against the Knight at g4 as well as the pawn at c7 would show an advantage.

17...Qf2+ 18.Kh1 Bb7

MrMef does not want the draw.

19.hxg4

Time was running short (shorter for my opponent) so I grabbed the piece. Later, Rybka suggested protecting the advanced Knight with 19.c4 or challenging the enemy Queen with 19.Re2. 

19...Bxd5

An oversight. Black would do best to continue his attack with 19...Re6, although 20.f5 is an effective answer, as long as White answers the further 20...Bxd5 with 21.Qe2.

20.Qe2

Totally missing that 20.Qxd5 would come with check. 

20...Qh4+

Despite White's extra pawns, Black's active pieces give an equal game.

Time was growing shorter.

21.Kg1 Ra4 22.Qf2 Qxg4 23.b3 Raa8 24.c4 Bb7

25.Re3 d6 26.Rg3 Qf5

Not best.

27.Rg5

The same. White could copy Black's attack with 27.exd6 cxd6 28.Bb2

27...Qe4 28.Qg3

Counter-attacking, and offering a Rook, which, if taken, would allow White to force a draw.

28...g6 29.Bb2

29...dxe5 30.Bxe5

This capture gives Black a chance for a swindle. 

30...Rxe5 31.Rxe5

After the better 31.fxe5, Black can win the Rook with 31...Qd4+ 32.Kh2 Qxa1, but 33.Rxg6+ will allow White to force a draw by repetition.

Neither of us had much thinking time left.

31...Qd4+ 32.Qe3

Losing. After the game Rybka suggested 32.Kh2 Qxa1 33.Qh3 Rf8 34.Re7 Rf5 35.Qxh7+ Kf8 36.Qxg6 Kxe7 37.Qxf5 when things are almost balanced, White's extra pawns vs Black's extra piece. 

32...Qxa1+ 33.Kh2 Bc6

Protecting e8. Was 33...Kf8 better?

34.f5

After the game I could laugh at Rybka's suggestion that 34.Re6 still held a draw by picking on the defending Bishop: 34...Bd7 35.Re7 Bf5 36.Re8+ Rxe8 37.Qxe8+ Kg7 38.Qe7+ Kh6 39.Qh4+.

Maybe the Jerome Gambit is rocket surgery.

34...Qxa2 35.Qg3 Qb2 36.fxg6 Bxg2 37.gxh7+

One last, frantic try.

With more than mere seconds available, Black would find 37...Kh8, winning.

37...Kxh7 38.Rh5 checkmate

Egads...

The Jerome Attitude

Some players who essay the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) have adopted the Jerome "attitude" of Attack-Attack-Attack. Others have opted for Creep-Creep-Pounce.

While I try to learn from others, my own "Jerome Attitude" seems too often to be Attack-Run-Hide. The following win (yes, win; I still take 8 out of 10 games) is a light example

perrypawnpusher -Tensecterror
blitz 2 10, FICS, 2012


1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6

The Semi-Italian Opening.  A couple weeks ago, an earlier game had continued along regular Jerome Gambit lines, i.e. 3...Bc5 4.Bxf7+ in perrypawnpusher - Tensecterror, blitz, FICS, 2012 (1-0, 45). This time my opponent was taking precautions.

4.O-O Bc5 5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Kf8

The retreat from the Knight check is certainly an interesting defensive idea in the regular Jerome Gambit. In the Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit, however, it has a flaw.

7.Ng6+

Much better than my silly 7.Nxc6 in perrypawnpusher - acwizard, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 18).

7...Kf7 8.Nxh8+ Ke7 9.Ng6+

Take the Rook and run.

Stronger and more adventurous was 9.Qh5.

9...Kf6 10.Qh5

Now that my Knight was safe, I was willing to play this move, as it has several positives: it protects the Knight, it attack's Black's Bishop at c5, and it threatens Qh5-f5+.

However, Black's response eliminates these threats.

Had my attitude been Attack-Attack-Attack, I would have looked at the more efficient 10.Qf3+, since 10...Ke6 11.Qf5+ Kd6 12.Qd5 is checkmate. This would have required me to see that "saving" the Knight was unnecessary, as 10.Qf3+ Kxg6 falls directly to 11.Qf5 checkmate.

10...d6 11.Nf4

More retreat from danger. A bit pluckier was 11.Nc3.

11...Ne5 12.Nd3

And, finally, the poor Knight is safe. Too bad that he missed 12.Nd5+ Ke6 13.Qf5 checkmate.

See what I mean about "attitude"?

12...g6 13.Qh4+ g5 14.Qg3 Nxd315.Qxd3 Be6

White is ahead the exchange and two pawns, but he still has work to do before he is comfortable.

16.b4 Bb6 17.Bb2+ Ke7 18.Qc3

Looking to infiltrate Black's Kingside. (I admit, I anticipated Black's next move, too, which he played too quickly.)

18...Nf6 19.Qxf6+ Kd7 20.Qxd8+ Rxd8

White is now up a Rook and two pawns. "Game over", right? My timid play encourages Tensecterror to continue: he dreams of using his "two Bishops" and Rook against my King.

21.d4 g4 22.Nd2 h5 23.f4 h4 24.f5 Bf7 25.a4 a6 26.c4 h3 27.c5 dxc5 28.dxc5 Ba7

We both have used pawn moves for our own plans: Black, to storm my Kingside; White, to stifle Black's dark-squared Bishop; and to unleash the "Jerome pawns".

29.e5 Bd5 30.e6+ Ke7 31.g3

A bit stronger was 31.Rae1 directly 

31...b6 32.Rae1 bxc5 33.f6+ Ke8

The "Jerome pawns" will win this duel.

34.f7+ Ke7 35.Bf6+ Kf8 36.e7+ Kxf7 37.exd8=Q cxb4+ 38.Rf2 Bxf2+ 39.Kxf2 Black resigned

Folie à Deux (part deux)

Laugh. Groan. Throw rotten vegetables. The game was played early in the morning and I was only half-awake. As for my opponent, who knows? Maybe he did have one too many...



perrypawnpusher - onetoomany
blitz 5 10, FICS, 2012

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

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

I am always happy to see this move, as it allows White to recover one of the sacrificed pieces, and the annoying Bishop at c5 at that.

7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Nf6

10.O-O Kf7 11.f4 Re8 12.f5

So far, so good. Now we can expect something like 12...Ne5 13.Qb3+ (or 13.d4 Neg4 14.Qb3+) Kf8 14.d3 c6 when Black is better.

12...Bxf5

Overlooking something.

13.Rxf5 Rxe4

Overlooking something else.

14.Qb3+

Hey, this "overlooking" stuff looks like fun. Can I try?

14...d5

Even game, but as they say "You ain't seen nothing yet." How true.

15.Nc3 c6 16.Nxe4 Black resigned

'Tis A Puzzlement

The following Jerome Gambit game lasted 81 moves and was collected from the FICS games database site with the notation that the game was "drawn by ajudication".


That conclusion is a bit puzzling, as Black has a forced checkmate.

Could it be that it was White's good fortune that his opponent ran out of time, and the game was drawn because the first player did not have sufficient mating material?

Victus - Schereschevsky
blitz, FICS, 2012 

A Mention is Not an Endorsement

Here, like yesterday, we have another "First of the Year" game.*

If anyone read my "Return of Jerome Gambit for Dummies (Part 2)" and decided, for whatever reason, that I was endorsing White's 5th move, let me please disambiguate: a mention is not an endorsement; don't play 5.Ng5+.

caraneo - vargahz
blitz, FICS, 2012

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Ng5+ White resigned

(*Okay, it's actually the second example of the opening of the year 2012, as far as I can determine from The Database. Even worse, gulp, is that the day before, White played 5.Ng5+ and drew. PureKnight  - agno, lightning, FICS, 2012: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Ng5+ Ke8 6.Qf3 Qe7 7.Nc3 Nf6 8.Nd5 Nxd5 9.exd5 Nd4 10.Qh5+ g6 11.Qd1 Qxg5 12.0-0 Qh5 13.d3 d6 14.Qxh5 gxh5 15.c3 Nf5 16.b4 Bb6 17.Bg5 a6 18.Rae1 Rg8 19.Bh4 Nxh4 20.g3 Nf3+ 21.Kg2 Nxe1+ 22.Rxe1 h4 23.d4 hxg3 24.hxg3 Bg4 25.dxe5 dxe5 26.Rxe5+ Kd7 27.Re4 Rae8 28.Rf4 Ref8 29.Re4 Rxf2+ 30.Kg1 Rf3+ 31.Kh2 Bf5 32.Rf4 Rxf4 33.gxf4 Be4 34.Kh3 h5 35.d6 Kxd6 36.c4 Bf3 37.c5+ Bxc5 38.bxc5+ Kxc5 39.a4 Bg4+ 40.Kh4 Rf8 41.f5 Rxf5 42.Kg3 Rd5 43.a5 Kb5 44.Kf4 Kxa5 45.Ke4 b5 46.Kxd5 b4 47.Kc6 Ka4 48.Kxc7 b3 49.Kb6 a5 50.Ka6 Black ran out of time and White has no material to mate ½-½. Still: caveat emptor)

I'm Just Sayin'...

Most of what needs to be said about Black's defense in the following game has already been said in an earlier post, "Still Worth Knowing", but I thought I'd touch on it again, with the game being played being relatively early in this new year – the first example that I have seen for 2012, the first win for White...

lekar - grapehyacynth
blitz, FICS, 2012

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6

The Semi-Italian Opening.

4.c3

One of a number of responses possible, including 4.0-0, 4.Nc3 and 4.d4.

4...Na5

Possibly thinking of winning the "two Bishops," but actually asking for the "Jerome treatment." Either 4...Nf6 or 4...d6 were more prudent.

5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Ke8

After the better 6...Ke6, White has 7.Qh5, anyway, with a strong game.

7.Qh5+ Black resigned

A Break in the Action

With 75% of the games completed in the "Play the Jerome Gambit Quad" at Chess.com, action has paused momentarily as a player involved in the remaining 3 contests has taken a "vacation" break.

To date White has won 5 games, Black has won 3, and 1 game has been drawn.

If the Jerome Gambit has already accomplished all the wins or drawns that it will have by the end of the Quad, that would represent a score of 46%, about average when compared to other Jerome Gambit Thematics. One more win, though, would push the opening above 50%, which would almost make it, er, respectable.