blackburne as Blackburne with black

Mention the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) and most people will either give you a blank look, or remember "that game that Blackburne played in London in the 1880s".


In the ongoing Jerome Gambit thematic tournament at ChessWorld, player blackburn brought out J.H. Blackburne's defense, a line of some contention. One hundred and twenty four years ago, Blackburne, as Black, crushed the Jerome Gambit with fine sacrificial play. Improvements show that White can do better, and at least draw, if not win -- but the play remains complicated.


DREWBEAR 63 - blackburne
JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6


J.H. Blackburne's defense, returning a piece and preparing to offer a Rook as well.

7.Qxe5 d6
The start of fireworks.

8.Qxh8 Qh4 9.0-0


From here the Black Death played 9...Nf6 10.c3 (10.Qd8 was an improvement suggested in the Brooklyn Chess Chronicle 8/1885) 10...Ng4 11.h3 Bxf2+ 12.Kh1 Bf5 13.Qxa8 Qxh3+ 14.gxh3 Bxe4 checkmate, Amateur - Blackburne, London 1885







analysis diagram







9...Qxe4



This is blackburne's updating of Blackburne. The move has been seen before, but it omits blocking in the enemy Queen, which brings about dire consequences.
10.Nc3

An alternative was 10.Qxh7+ Kf8 11.d3 Qf5 12.Qxc7 Nf6 13.d4 Be6 14.dxc5 Bc4 15.Bh6+ Ke8 16.Re1+ Ne4 17.Nc3 Qxf2+ 18.Kh1 Qf7 19.Rxe4+ Be6 20.Qxd6 Black resigned, obviously - dmyze, GameKnot, 2004

10...Qxc2 11.Qxh7+ Kf8 12.d3 Qxd3 13.Bh6+

With his Queen unlocked, DREWBEAR 63 can press a mating attack.


13...Ke8

There was no hope in 13...Nxh6, as follows 14.Qxh6+ Kg8 15.Rae1 d5 16.Re8+ Kf7 17.Rfe1 Qd4 18.Nxd5 Qxf2+ 19.Kh1 Qg1+ 20.Rxg1 Kxe8 21.Qxg6+ Kd7 22.Re1 Be3 23.Rxe3 c6 24.Re7+ Kd8 25.Qe8 checkmate

14.Rfe1+ Kd8


Drawing out the pain was 14...Be3 15.Qxg8+ Kd7 16.Rxe3 Kc6 17.Rxd3 Be6 18.Qxe6 a5 19.Qc4+ Kd7 20.Nd5 c6 21.Qg4+ Kd8 22.Bg5+ Ke8 23.Qe6+ Kf8 24.Bh6 checkmate

15.Qxg8+ Kd7 16.Qe8 checkmate

Wing, Center, Wing

While the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) has its refutations, if White isn't put out of his misery quickly, he can develop a very interesting game, even if "objectively" he is "worse". Play can develop all over the board, and in the resulting mayhem, anything might happpen...

gwyn1 - Sir Osis of the Liver
JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.c3
One of the "modern" variations of the Jerome Gambit – including 5.0-0, 5.Nc3 and 5.d3 – where White avoids the "classical" 5.Nxe5. About 80% of the games in this tournament favored "modern" variations.

5...d5

Black decides to strike back in the center.

6.b4 Bb6

White's plan is clear: knock out the support of the pawn on e5. Black's alternate response was 6...dxe4, responding to an attack on the wing with an attack in the center.

7.b5 Nce7

Again, ...exe4 was possible.

8.Nxe5+ Ke8 9.Ba3


A Queenside Jerome Gambit attack is interesting and unusual. An indication of the fun the opening provides is that there was also a Kingside feint with 9.Qh5+ g6 10.Qf3 Be6 11.d3.
9...Nf6 10.0-0 Nxe4 11.Qf3 Nf5

Black probably needed one more piece in play to be scary, i.e. 11...Be6. Now White hits the Kingside.

12.Qh5+ g6 13.Nxg6


Here we have a complicated, dangerous, and unclear position. Fritz 8 says things will be equal after 13...Kf7 14.Nxh8+ Kg7, even though White would be up the exchange and two pawns. A few more moves give light to the computer's thinking: 15.Nf7 Qf6 16.d3 Nfg3.









analysis diagram




Messy, messy, messy – but fun!
13...Nf6 This move, instead, allows White to attack in the center: 14.Re1+ Be3 15.Rxe3+ Nxe3 16.Qe5+ Kd7 17.Nxh8 Nc4.

14.Ne5+

An oversight.

14...Nxh5 15.Re1 Bxf2+ 16.Kxf2 Qh4+ 17.Kg1 Qxe1 White resigned

Critical Line: 5...Kf8 (Revisited)

It wasn't so long ago that this blog took a look at one of the "Critical Lines" identified for the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) – see "Critical Line: 5...Kf8 (1) - (2) - (3)" – so I wasn't surprised to see it pop up in my most recent game. I took my own advice, and followed the "standard plan of castling, developing pieces, and advancing [the] Kingside pawns with the usual play."

perrypawnpusher - Lark 

blitz 2 12, FICS, 2009 

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Kf8 Here we go: one of the oldest refutations of the Jerome Gambit.

6.Nxc6 dxc6 7.0-0 Bd6 Whoa! Lark is not kidding: he plans a Kingside attack, and moves his Bishop to focus on h2. It is easy to visualize his Queen on h4 and his Knight on g4 as well.

8.f4 g6 9.d4 Bd7 10.Nc3 Nh6

White's center pawns make ...Nf6 inadvisable.

11.f5 Qh4

12.e5

White's pawns, Black's pieces – and it is hard not to point out the position of Black's King, facing White's Rook...

12...Nxf5

The standard return-the-piece-for-a-pawn-or-two strategem, but my opponent has overlooked something. The calm, cool Rybka 3 later recommended: 12...Bb4 13.Qe1 Qxe1 14.Bxh6+ Ke8 15.Raxe1 Bxf5 and White is up a pawn, although Black is not without counterplay.

13.exd6 cxd6 14.g4 My guess is that when Lark played his 12th move, he overlooked this move, perhaps imagining that 14...Qxg4+ was now playable.

14...Re8 15.gxf5 Bxf5 16.Qf3

Sloppy, giving up a pawn. Better was the development 16.Bf4, of course, followed perhaps by Qd2 and Rae1.

Time was getting short for us, especially my opponent.

16...Qxd4+ 17.Kh1 Kg7 18.Qf2 Here, Black forfeited on time.

It is a bit of irony that materially we have swapped Jerome Gambit roles, as I have an extra piece for my opponent's two pawns, and I have a small advantage.

Oooooooops...

Playing – or defending against – the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) requires close attention to what is going on, so that every tactical opportunity can be caught. Take advantage of your chances, you could take the point. Overlook a chance or two, and ooooooops...

stampyshortlegs - eddie43

JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.c3 Nh6 9.Qf4 Rf8 10.Qg3 White resigned


TWODOGS - Black Puma

JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.d4 Nxd4 6.Nxe5+ Kf8 7.0-0 Qf6 8.b4 Qxe5 9.bxc5 Qxc5 10.Ba3 Qxa3 11.Nxa3 Black resigned

graphic by Jeff Bucchino, the Wizard of Draws

Mea culpa – again

About a year ago (see "Overrated!") I played in a Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) thematic tournament at ChessWorld, organized, like the one this year, by blackburne.

I had prepared a few "theoretical novelties" for my games, but one of them turned out to ge a "theoretical lemon" instead, leading to a quick loss. Worse than that, I think blackburne tried out the idea before he saw my disastrous results, and, fight as he could, he still wound up losing a point in his game, too.

I'm not sure if blackburne had a "fix" in mind for the line or not, but he recently repeated it in the current Jerome Gambit thematic tournament, and took it on the chin from eddie43.

blackburne - eddie43
JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009

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

Here we go.

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6


7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Qh4+

This sharp move, the "Nibs defense," is best for Black.


9.Kd1

The "improvement" on an earlier Alonzo Wheeler Jerome game, only it allows Black to force the exchange of Queens, holding onto his two-pieces-for-two-pawns advantage – too much for White to overcome.

9...Qg4+ 10.Qxg4


Instead, 10.Ke1 Qxf5 White resigned was perrypawnpusher - drewbear, JG thematic ChessWorld, 2008.

10...Nxg4 11.e5+ Ke7

Blackburne's earlier game continued: 11...Ke6 12.Rf1 Nxh2 13.f5+ Kxe5 14.d4+ Bxd4 15.Bf4+ Kxf5 16.Bxh2+ Ke6 17.Bxc7 Bxb2 18.Re1+ Kf7 19.Be5 Bxa1 20.Bxa1 Nf6 21.Rf1 Re8 22.Nc3 Kg8 23.Nb5 Rb8 24.Nd6 Re6 25.Nf5 d5 26.g4 Re4 27.g5 Bxf5 28.gxf6 Bg4+ 29.Kd2 g6 30.f7+ Kf8 31.Rh1 h5 32.Rf1 Be6 33.Bc3 Bxf7 34.Kd3 Rbe8 35.Kd2 d4 36.Bb4+ Kg8 37.a3 Bc4 38.Rg1 Kh7 39.Rg3 Rg4 40.Rf3 Re2+ 41.Kc1 Rgg2 42.Rf7+ Bxf7 White resigned, blackburne - drewbear, JG thematic, ChessWorld 2008.

12.Ke2 b6 13.c3 Ba6+ 14.Kd1 Nf2+ 15.Kc2 Bd3+ 16.Kb3 Nxh1 17.Na3 Nf2 18.Nc2 b5 19.a4 Bc4 checkmate

Ouch.

I'd like to think that eddie43 might have gotten the idea from this blog, but he probably worked it up himself.

Beware the Bear

DREWBEAR 63, the top-rated player, has quickly won 3 games in the ChessWorld Jerome Gambit Thematic Tournament. Yesterday (see "Surprise!") we saw a theoretical novelty in defense against 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+. Here are 2 of his more prosaic wins, one with White and one with Black.

There are 15 players and 210 games in the tournament, but everyone is on alert: Beware the Bear!


DREWBEAR 63 - calchess10
JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 Qf6 8.f5+ Ke7 9.Nc3 d6 [a slip: better 9...Kf8] 10.Nd5+ Kd7 11.Nxf6+ gxf6 12.c3 Ne7 [ 12...Nd3+ only +/-] 13.d4 Bxd4 14.cxd4 Nd3+ 15.Kd2 Nb4 16.Qf7 c6 17.Qe6+ Kd8 18.Qxf6 Re8 19.Qxd6+ Bd7 20.Qxb4 b6 21.f6 Black resigned


calchess10 - DREWBEAR 63
JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.a3 Qf6 6.Nc3 Nge7 7.d3 h6 8.h3 g5 9.b4 Bb6 10.Bb2 d6 11.0-0 g4 12.hxg4 Bxg4 13.Nh2 h5 [ 13...Bxd1] 14.g3 Qg6 15.Qd2 h4 16.Kg2 hxg3 17.fxg3+ Ke8 18.Rae1 Bh3+ [ 18...Rxh2+ 19.Kxh2 Qh5+ 20.Kg2 Qh3#] 19.Kh1 Bxf1 20.Rxf1 Qxg3 21.Ne2 Qxh2 checkmate

Surprise!

Games are already being won and lost in the ChessWorld Jerome Gambit Thematic Tournament, including the following game between two Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) veterans.

If this game is any indication of the creativity that players are putting into their preparation, the tournament should provide many new insights into the Jerome Gambit!


blackburne - DREWBEAR 63
JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6

Usual here is 5...Nxe5 or 5...Kf8.

DREWBEAR 63's move comes as quite a shock – certainly it must have been played before, perhaps in the earliest days of the Jerome Gambit; but there are no games in my database with the move, no analysis, and not even a mention of it.

Now 5...Ke6 throws the game into a whirlwind. Rybka 3 suggests that best play involves White winning Black's Queen for three pieces, and that the resulting position is about even: 6.Qg4+ Kxe5 7.d4+ Bxd4 8.Bf4+ Kf6 9.Bg5+ Kf7 10.Bxd8 Nxd8 11.Nc3 Bxc3+ 12.bxc3 Nf6.

analysis diagram

Also in need of investigation are 6.Nxc6 and 6.d4. It is not at all surprising that blackburne missed Rybka's line.

6.f4 6...Nxe5 7.fxe5

The danger mounts. Best, but not without difficulties, was 7.d4, hoping to transition into a more Jerome-like position.

7...Qh4+


8.Ke2 Qxe4+ 9.Kf1 Nh6 10.Nc3 Rf8+ White resigned


An exciting debut for the "DREWBEAR 63 variation"!