Jerome Gambit vs Two Knights Defense (Part 4)

Still another way for the Jerome Gambiteer to face the Two Knights Defense (see "Jerome Gambit vs Two Knights Defense Part 1", "Part 2" and "Part 3"), besides playing the main lines, opting for 4.Qe2 or playing for a transition to the Italian Four Knights Game with 4.Nc3 is 4.0-0.

So we have 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.0-0, which has more going for it than is generally realized.

International Master Tim Harding, writing in his "Kibitzer" column at ChessCafe, noted 

4 0-0 is not a move you will see played by experienced players; it is simply not direct enough.

International Master Jan Pinski, in Italian Game and Evans Gambit, was even more dismissive

4.0-0 is completely toothless, and Black can do as he pleases.

Perhaps the second player will be so lulled by the move that he will play 4...Bc5, when 5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 transforms the game into a "modern" Jerome Gambit variation (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.0-0 Nf6)? In this line, the updated New Year's Database has 548 games. White scores 39%.

What if, after 4.0-0, Black plays 4...Nxe4? Probably White can get an even game with 5.d3, but the move he should really look at is 5.Nc3!?, offering the Boden-Kieseritzky Gambit – a strategy that has worked well for me. The same idea should occur after 4.Nc3 (from yesterday's post) Nxe4 5.0-0.

The Boden-Kieseritzky Gambit is not well-known at the club level. In addition, it gives White a line to play against the Petroff Defense (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bc4 Nxe4 4.Nc3).

The one "downside" I would say that the B-KG has is that it is so much fun, some players might give up the Jerome Gambit and start playing it!

Here are a few B-KG resources to get started:

http://www.chesscafe.com/text/kibitz145.pdf
http://www.chesscafe.com/text/lane38.pdf
http://www.mjae.com/boden-kieseritzky.html
http://jeanpaul.garnier.free.fr/htm/A2Ten.htm

Jerome Gambit vs Two Knights Defense (Part 3)

Another way for the Jerome Gambiteer to face the Two Knights Defense (see "Jerome Gambit vs Two Knights Defense Part 1" and "Part 2"), besides playing the main lines or opting for 4.Qe2 is to play for a transition to the Italian Four Knights Game, and, thus, the Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.

So: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 (hoping for 4...Bc5).

The updated New Year's Database has over 900 games with this position, with White scoring 41%. (By contrast, the Database includes 21 of my games and 21 of Bill Wall's games. We each scored 90%. As they say: your mileage may vary.)

Of course, Black does not have to play 4...Bc5; in fact, the recommended move is 4...Nxe4, planning what Hans Kmoch called "the Fork Trick": 5.Nxe4 d5, winning back a piece.

By the way, after 4...Nxe4 White does not have to recapture immediately, but instead can try the Jerome-ish 4.Bxf7+, although after 5.Kxf7 Nxe4 6.d5 Neg5+ 7.Kg8 Black's King has found safety (and he has the intimidating pawns).

The problem for White here is not so much that his position is worse than in regular Jerome Gambit lines – objectively, it is far better – but that the Fork Trick is standard fare for players learning about openings, whereas the Jerome Gambit is far less known or understood. The chance of surprising Black is less. (Still, this line remains a "project" for further analysis.)

Recommended for White after 4...Nxe4 5.Nxe4 d5 is 6.Bd3 dxe4 7.Bxe4 Bd6.

It is worth examining Y. Bukayev's article on this line, as he sees White as standing slightly better after 8.Bxc6+.

None of this seems as much fun as the Jerome Gambit proper, though, does it?

Tomorrow's post takes a look at 4.0-0, and in the process shows one way to redeem 4.Nc3 as well.

Jerome Gambit vs Two Knights Defense (Part 2)

Readers of this blog may remember that in the 2009 ChessWorld Jerome Gambit Thematic Tournament, GladToMateYou played 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Qe2 fourteen times, winning eight of those games (see "Home Cooking").

Five of those games (GladToMateYou won four of them) continued with 5...Nf6, transposing to a Jerome Gambit / Two Knights Defense line that can arise from the play mentioned in yesterday's post: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Qe2, which can be followed by 4...Bc5 5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.Qc4+ and 7.Qxc5. 

The earliest game that I have in my database with 4.Qe2 meeting the Two Knights is Bird - Chigorin, Sixth American Chess Congress, New York, 1889 (although the related 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Qe2 probably goes all the way back to Ruy Lopez), about which Wilhelm Steinitz briefly wrote, in the tournament book, "Not as strong as the authorized move Ng5".

The earliest game in my database with 4.Qe2 Bc5 5.Bxf7+ as mentioned previously (see "Adolf Albin Plays the Jerome Gambit (Part 1)" and "(Part 2)"), is Albin - Schlechter, Trebitsch Memorial Tournament, Vienna, 1914.

The line has surprise value, and, as NiceToMateYou showed, some practical use in club play, but Black has resources (if he can find them) in 6...Kxf7 7.Qc4+ d5! 8.Qxc5 Nxe4! when after 9.Qe3 Re8 Black is somewhat better, and White is scrambling for playable ideas.

Still, none of this dissuaded Bill Wall from playing and winning with the opening this year:

Wall,B - Asesino
Chess.com, 2010

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

4...Kxf7 5.Qe2 Nf6 6.Qc4+ d5 7.Qxc5 dxe4

8.Nxe5+ Nxe5 9.Qxe5 Re8 10.Qb5 Qd4 11.0-0 c6 12.Qb3+ Nd5

White has already achieved an edge in the game.

13.Nc3 Be6 14.Qxb7+ Ne7 15.Re1 Bd5 16.b3 Kg8 17.Bb2 Rf8

For the illusion of an attack, Black surrenders a piece.

18.Qxe7 Qxf2+ 19.Kh1 Rae8 20.Qg5 e3 21.Nxd5 exd2 22.Qxg7 checkmate

Jerome Gambit vs Two Knights Defense (Part 1)

What to do? What to do?

You're looking forward to a nice Jerome Gambit, but after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 you wily opponent plays 3...Nf6, signalling the Two Knights Defense.

Well, if you have a favorite attack against the Two Knights (e.g 4.Ng5 or 4.d4) you could simply play that.

Or, you could try 4.Qe2!?, as explored in "Adolf Albin Plays the Jerome Gambit (Part 1)" & "(Part 2)" and "Back to the Wall".

There are over 900 examples of 4.Nc3 (my current favorite, heading for a chance at the Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit ) in the updated New Year's Database and 46 examples of the interesting 4.0-0!?.

The next few posts will explore the possibilities open to the prospective Jerome Gambiteer.

I'll never understand this stuff...

I usually enjoy playing chess at the Free Internet Chess Server (FICS) and I especially appreciate having access to their massive database of games played on the site – but my experiences with opponents who disconnect when losing can be terribly frustrating.

I thought that I understood the rules that govern adjudication of disconnections, after my most recent encounter (see "Serves me right...").

So, when I played the following game I realized right away that just because my opponent made a mess of things and then he disconnected, it didn't mean that he would be penalized for it...

The outcome of an adjudication is primarily based on position and clocks. Who disconnected is rarely a decisive factor.

perrypawnpusher - anonymous

blitz, FICS, 2010

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 Nxe4 8.Nxe4 Bb6 9.dxe5

Position? White is up a pawn, has a safer King, and is ready to castle. (Fritz 8 rates White about a pawn and a half better.)

Clocks? I had more time than my opponent, but time was not critical.

Result of adjudication? The game was aborted.

I could guess that maybe the game hadn't been long enough to be adjudicated a win (see "Disconnect" where a 14-move game was aborted by adjudication), if it were not for the fact that I'd had a opponent disconnect against me after 7 moves, request adjudication, and be awarded a win... (see "A Sneaky Way to Beat the Jerome Gambit...")

It seems that the "d/r/a Defense" remains one of the strongest ways to counter the Jerome and its relatives. Pity.

First Split Point

With 129 of the 156 games (83%) of the ChessWorld Jerome Gambit Thematic Tournament complete, the players have seen their first drawn game. That's a rate of less than 1% of the games!

This balanced position is from DREWBEAR 63 - TWODOGS. The somewhat "open" position of the Kings, the presence of Queens who can check at will, and the existence of Bishops-of-opposite-colors all suggest a possible draw.

This happens, but not as expected.

27.Qd8+ Qe8 28.Qxc7 Bd5

This slip gives White a winning advantage.

29.Qd6+ Qe7 30.Qxd5 g5 31.Qf5+ Ke8 32.Qg6+ Kd7 33.Qxh6 Qe5+ 34.Kg2 Qd5 35.Bxg5 e3+

White's extra piece is enough to win, but he has been picking up stray pawns as well. Black's chances lie in repeatedly checking White's King, as it is unlikely that he will be able to promote his passed pawn on e3.

36.Kf1

An understandable slip that gives away a half point.

Necessary was the paradoxical 36.Kg3, moving the White King temporarily away from the passer, but giving it shelter from enemy checks. After 36...e2 the King can return with 37.Kf2, and although Black will be able to grab a couple of pawns in exchange for the pawn on e2, he will not be able to check the enemy King enough to force the draw.

36...Qf3+ 37.Kg1 Qd1+

If Black tries to advance the pawn with, say, 37...Qf2+ 38.Kh1 e2 he gets checkmated 39.Qd6 Ke8 40.Qe7#. Also, if he gives White a chance, the first player will chop off the passed pawn.

38.Kg2 Qe2+ 39.Kh1 Qf1+ Drawn

 

Working Knights

Here's another Jerome Gambit with a flurry of pieces, especially Knights, on the Kingside, harassing my poor Queen...

perrypawnpusher - Verlen
blitz, FICS, 2010

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 Be6 11.f4 Ng4

Black has developed his Bishop to a risky square, facing a pawn fork after 11.f4. His solution is to ignore the threat and attack White's Queen. Safer was either 11...Bf7 or 11...Ne7.

12.Qg3 Rf8

Black has a simpler way out of his dilemma: exchange Queens. After the game Rybka suggested 12...Qh4 13.Qxh4 Nxh4 14.g3 d5 15.gxh4 dxe4 16.Nc3 Nf6 17.Re1 Kd7 18.Nxe4 Nxe4 19.Rxe4 Rae8 and White's two extra pawns are not going to mean much, especially if Black can force the Rooks off of the board and play a Bishops-of-opposite-colors endgame.

13.f5 N6e5

14.d4

Simpler was 14.fxe6, but the text move is okay.

14...Bc4 15.Re1 h5

16.dxe5 dxe5 17.Be3 Qd7 18.h3 Nxe3 19.Qxe3 Qb5

20.b3 Bf7 21.Nc3 Qc6 22.Rad1 Qf6

Black has reinforced his Kingside with pieces. True, White has a pawn advantage, but it will be a long time before it will become meaningful in the game; and even then, it will be facing a stocked side of the board.

23.Nd5 Black resigned

The end came as a surprise to me. Perhaps my opponent just didn't see the value (or fun) in defending a technical position.