Pete Banks.
If you have followed this blog for a long time, you know that he is a member in good standing of the modern Jerome Gambit Gemeinde. You have seen many of his games here - online and over-the-board - under his own name (an example) or his online "blackburne" handle. You may even have read about him in International Master Gary Lane's "Opening Lanes" columns at ChessCafe.com, or in IM Lane's book The Greatest Ever Chess Tricks and Traps (Everyman Chess, 2008).
Yes, he still finds time to play the occasional Jerome Gambit.
Welcome back to the blog, Pete.
(By the way, I will make a number of references in my notes to "The Database", which is my collection of almost 60,000 Jerome Gambit and Jerome-related games. The vast majority of the games were played online by club level players, making statistics representative of their/our level of play.)
pb-hal - HEIGRO
Chess.com, 2019
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qxc5
Pete has never been a fan of playing 7.Qd5+ - the nudge - first. Maybe after this game he will give it a whirl.
7...d6 8.Qe3 Nf6
Compare this position with the one that comes about after 7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Nf6 where Black's King currently blocks his Rook's access to e8.
Consulting The Database, the position in the diagram has been reached 403 time, with White scoring 49%. (Pete's own record is 17 games with this position, scoring 53%.) That always has to be compared with similar statistics after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+: 14,456 games with White scoring 46%. The implication is that White is on the right track, according to Jerome Gambit praxis.
9.d4
This move shows up in 73 games in The Database; Pete has played it 5 times previously. It is thematic, but rather risky - an odd thing to say in a Jerome Gambit game. Still, instead of "open" play, Stockfish 10 recommends a transition to "close" play, with 9.f3 (appearing only 4 times in The Database, scoring 50%) d5 10.d3.
9...Nxe4
This is the thing: Because the White King and Queen are on the open file, Black can snatch the e-pawn. As is the case in Jerome Gambit practice, however, out of the 73 times that this position has been reached, per The Database, Black found this move only 4 times.
Knowing the "best" move in the Jerome Gambit often confers a significant advantage, and having a "mind map" of how play usually unfolds increases this. (I wonder if Pete remembers that 9...Nxe4 was played against him by Sir Osis of the Liver in the Jerome Gambit tournament at ChessWorld.com, a full ten years ago. Probably.)
10.Qb3+
No doubt Pete was thinking Nice move, there, but I'm the one playing the Jerome Gambit, and it takes more than one nice move to stop me.
10...d5 11.O-O c6 12.Nc3 Re8 13.Nxe4 Rxe4 14.Qf3+
This is funny: one of the larger "errors" of the Jerome is "too many Queen moves". Pete's psychological punch yields immediate results, as Black relaxes too soon.
14...Bf5
As my boss used to say, "Really? Really??"
Precisely the blunder that I have been expecting.
15.Qxf5+ Kg8 16.Bg5 Qf8
Black refuses to try to add more chaos to the position with 16...Qb6, threatening 17...Qxb2 (and possibly a later ...Qxd4), even though it would lead to a relatively balanced "unbalanced" game.
On the other hand, White is quite willing to be "distracted" from his attack and go into an endgame a pawn up, with little risk.
17.Qxf8+ Rxf8 18.Rae1 Rfe8 19.Rxe4 Rxe4 20.Be3 Ne7 21.Re1 Nf5
It is always interesting to observe a Bashi-Bazouk attack turn into a quiet endgame with advantage. A cool drink after an active workout.
22.c3 b6 23.Kf1 Nxe3+ 24.Rxe3 Rxe3 25.fxe3 a5
There is not much more to say. The game plays out until White's extra pawn prevails.
26.a4 b5 27.axb5 cxb5 28.Ke2 Kf7 29.Kd3 Ke6 30.e4 dxe4+ 31.Kxe4 g6 32.g4 Kd6 33.h4 b4 34.cxb4 axb4 35.b3 Ke6 36.d5+ Kd6 37.g5 Kc5 38.Ke5 Black resigned
White's King will escort the d-pawn to the 8th rank.
To play the Jerome Gambit at bullet speed - one minute time control, no increment - you can't always do deep analysis, and sometimes you can't do much analysis at all. You have to have a feel for the opening, where the pieces go, how things develop.
The following game, where angelcamina was using about a second a move, is a good example.
angelcamina - iheartannakendricks
1 0 bullet, lichess.org
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 b6
Not the usual response, but one that Jerome Gambit players are familiar with. I have faced it, as has gobo, MrJoker, Bill Wall, shugart - and Australian master Henry Charlick, over the board, back in 1884.
9.Qe3 Qe7 10.O-O Bb7 11.d3 Nf6 12.f4 Kf7 13.e5 Nd5 14.Qf2 Ngxf4
I am not sure what Black is about, here, as White could simply capture with his Bishop.
15.g3 Qg5
Certainly thinking of a kingside attack, now, although the e-pawn could be had for free.
16.Bxf4 Nxf4 17.Qxf4+ Qxf4 18.Rxf4+ Ke6
Whoosh! Things have transformed into a Queenless middlegame where White is probably better. Certainly his moves are reasonable to come by.
19.d4 Rhf8 20.Rxf8 Rxf8 21.Nc3 c5 22.dxc5 bxc5 23.Rd1 Bc6 24.Re1 a6 25.Ne4 Rf5 26.Nxc5+ Kd5 27.Nxa6 Rxe5 28.Nb4+ Ke6 29.Rxe5+ Kxe5 30.Nxc6+ dxc6
Moves came rapid fire, like out of a machine gun. White's win is straight forward.
31.Kf2 Kd4 32.Ke2 c5 33.a4 c4 34.a5 Kc5 35.Ke3 Kb5 36.a6 Kxa6 37.Kd4 Kb5 38.c3 g6 39.g4 h6 40.h4 g5 41.h5 Ka4 42.Kxc4
42...Ka5 43.Kc5 Ka4 44.b4 Kb3 45.b5 Kxc3 46.b6 Kd3 47.b7 Ke3 48.b8=Q Kf3 49.Qd6 Kxg4 50.Qxh6 Kf4 51.Qg6 g4 52.h6 Kg3 53.Qxg4+ Kf2 54.h7 Ke1 55.h8=Q Black resigned
It is wise not to get in a footrace against angelcamina.
angelcamina - Erosen
1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2019
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
I like this move, especially in bullet chess. Black does not bother deciding which minor piece to rescue, he develops his Rook on an attacking file and makes White choose.
8.dxe5 Rxe5 9.O-O Kg8
Black has a material advantage, better development, and he has castled-by-hand. But - he is facing the weirdness that is the Jerome Gambit, an opening that often prompts bad things to happen to defenders.
10.Bf4 Rxe4
Like this. Black decides, rather than retreat his Rook and lose time, to give up the exchange for a pawn. But, this is an illusion, as White immediately shows.
11.Nxe4 Nxe4 12.Qd5+
Oh, I see.
12...Kh8 13.Qxe4
From here, White quickly outplays his opponent, who occasionally contributes to the effort.
13...d5 14.Qd3 g6 15.Be3 d4 16.Bf4 Bf5 17.Be5+ Kg8 18.Qc4+ Kf8 19.Qxc5+ Qe7 20.Qxc7 Qxc7 21.Bxc7 Rc8 22.Be5 Rxc2 23.Bxd4 Rxb2 24.Bxb2 Ke7 25.Rfe1+ Black resigned
The following game is a mess. White makes mistakes (more than usual). Black makes mistakes (plenty enough to lose). Quickly.
Because, to be fair: in a 1-minute (no increment) game, advantages often shift back and forth, until someone wins, or time runs out.
Also, the game is a Jerome Gambit variant, and we know that the Jerome is an oft-refuted line of play. White purposefully gets himself a worse game - and then, often wins. So, maybe things are not so surprising, after all.
angelcamina - eloali
1 0 bullet, lichess.org
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4
The Blackburne Shilling Gambit. It can work as a surprise, eating up response time, containing tactics that impact on the clock.
4.Bxf7+
The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit. White has his own tactical surprise.
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8
At first glance, this looks safest. As angelcamina knows from earlier experience, however, this move allows the action to focus on the Black King.
6.Qh5+ g6 7.Nxg6 Nxc2+
White's opening continues to cast its spell. This counter-grab of a Rook is always tempting, but, here, it should only lead to an even game, or maybe and edge for White. The correct move was 7...hxg6.
8.Kd1 Nxa1 9.Nxh8+ Ke7
10.Qf7+
The game wouldn't be nearly as interesting after 10.Qe5#, but it would be over.
10...Kd6 11.d4
Highly unusual. angelcamina now misses 11.Qd5+ Ke7 12.Qe5#. It is not safe for Black to keep dancing on the edge of the abyss, however - after the text, White is still better.
11...Kc6 12.Qd5+ Kb6 13.Nc3 c6
14.Qb3+ Kc7
Okay, a couple of "Think Quick!" surprises, there.
15.Bf4+ d6 16.Qf7+ Ne7 17.e5 d5
White has two pawns for a piece in this strange position - and his King is safer.
18.e6+ Kb6 19.Na4+ Ka5 20.b3 b5 21.Bd2+ Ka6 22.Nc5+ Kb6 23.Qf4 Ng6
24.Qe3
Saving the Queen this time, but hanging the Knight. Time had to be a factor.
24...Nxh8 25.Qc3 Bxc5
Falling in with White's plans - it is surprising how often defenders "believe" in their opponents' attacks. Best defense was to return the Knight with 25...Nxb3 26.axb3 a5, with advantage (but that is easiest to see after the game).
26.Qa5+ Kb7 27.Qxd8 Bb6 28.Qe7+ Ka6 29.Qxh7 Bb7
30.e7 Black resigned
In the following game, White improves his play, and quickly ushers his opponent into checkmate. Of course, in bullet chess, everything happens quickly.
angelcamina - apropes
1 0 bullet, lichess.org
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nc3 Nc6 4.Bc4 Bc5 5.Bxf7+
The Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.
5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 Bb4 8.dxe5 Bxc3+ 9.bxc3 Nxe4 10.Qd5+
Improving over his recent win against Puffy04.
10...Kf8 11.Ba3+ d6 12.Qxe4 Be6 13.O-O-O
It certainly looks like White is enjoying himself.
13...Bd7 14.exd6 cxd6 15.Bxd6+ Kg8 16.Rhe1 Qg5+ 17.Bf4 Qa5 18.Rd7 Qxc3
Last gasp.
19.Rxf7 Kxf7 20.Qe6+ Kf8 21.Bd6 checkmate
I would guess that this game was played after the one previously posted on this blog. Having tasted the Jerome Gambit in a painful bullet (one minute, no increment) game, Black may have decided to avoid that evil line. Not that he was able to escape a similar punishment.
angelcamina - MegaBane
1 0 bullet, lichess.org
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bb4
No Giuoco Piano, so no Jerome Gambit, right?
4.c3 Ba5 5.Bxf7+
Not again.
5... Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.Qh5+ g6
Reminiscent of the Blacburne Defense in the Jerome Gambit.
8.Qxe5 Bb6 9.Qxh8 d6
Black has a piece for a couple of pawns, but he is about to be crushed.
10.Qxh7+ Kf6 11.O-O Bg4 12.d4 Ne7
13.f4
Here 13.Qh4+, followed by 14.Qxg4, was even stronger, but it doesn't really matter.
13...Qd7 14.h3 Be6 15.e5+ dxe5 16.fxe5 checkmate
Ouch. Again.
Bullet chess - one minute time control, no increment - is beyond my comprehension. So is trying to defend against a strange opening variation like the Jerome Gambit, as it is played by someone skilled in its nuances. Black may have been wondering: Why did I do that?
angelcamina - MegaBane
1 0 bullet, lichess.org
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8
Understandable, but rare and risky.
6.Qh5+
It is possible that 6.Nxc6 is stronger, but who wants to be the first (according to The Database) to meet the dynamic counter 6...Qh4!? - ? Anyhow, the text is thematic and a lot more fun.
6...g6 7.Nxg6 hxg6
Best is 7...Bxf2+, but who thinks of that in a 1 minute game
8.Qxh8 Kf8
9.O-O d6 10.c3 Be6 11.d4 Bb6 12.d5 Bf7 13.dxc6 bxc6
Is it over, yet?
14.Bh6+ Ke7 15.Bg5+ Nf6 16.Bxf6+ Ke6 17.Bxd8 Rxd8 18.Qxd8 Bxf2+
19.Rxf2 d5 20.exd5+ cxd5 21.Rf6+ Ke5 22.Nd2 c5 23.Qe7+ Be6 24.Qxe6 checkmate
