Swan Song

Having reached an advantageous position in my game against MarkHundleby1 (defending against an Evans Gambit) in the Italian Game tournament at Chess.com - only to drop a rook in a one-move blunder - I find myself in a two-way battle for last place in the fourth and final round. Still, if I win our remaining game, I can take 3rd place - not a terrible outcome, as my rating is 3rd highest among the players.

So, of course, the Jerome Gambit is in order, as I have the white pieces.

Curiously enough, after 11 moves our game resembles my battle against Navarrra from a couple of years ago - although dedicated Readers who wish to see that particular skirmish will be frustrated by the fact that most of my references to the game erroniously link to an earlier (by two weeks), different game with the same opponent. (Note to self: please fix.)

My most accurate reference to the relevant Navarrra game can be found in "Done In By Greed": 

[Hmmm, I don't think that I have posted this game yet - RK]

Quick Update on Another Update

A few months ago (see "Take your chance when you get it...") I took at look at recent play in Whistler's Defense to the Jerome Gambit - 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Qe7!?. 

With the new batch of games in the Database (see "Updating") I wondered what, if anything, was new. I found two games that reminded me of the old adage "It isn't a blunder until it's refuted".

Here is a quick look.

IagainstI - kingphilippineda, 
blitz, FICS, 2013

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Qe7

8.Qxh8 Qxe4+ 9.Kf1 Qc4+

Instead, markinchrist - Gurucool, blitz, FICS, 2013, continued
9...Qxc2 10.Qxh7+ Kf6 11.Qh4+ Kg7 12.Nc3 Qd3+ 13.Kg1 d6 14.g3 (throwing away the advantage; 14.b3 followed by 15.Bb2 keeps it) Bd7 15.b4 (the idea here doesn't work) Bd4 16.Bb2 Bc6 17.Na4 Bxb2 18.Nxb2 Qf3 19.Qd4+ Nf6 20.Kf1 Qxh1+ here Black forfeited by disconnection in a winning position

10.d3 Qxc2 

White pursues the wrong goal, gaining material instead of attacking White's King - and protecting his own.

11.Qxh7+ Kf8 12.Bh6+ Nxh6 13.Qxh6+ Kf7 14.Qf4+ Ke8 15.Nd2 Qxd3+ 16.Kg1 Bd6 17.Re1+ Kd8 Black resigned

Updating

Yesterday's post reminded me that The Database only has FICS games through February of this year, so last night I downloaded Jerome Gambit and Jerome-ish games through July 2013. 

It will take a while to vet the collection, as I like to be sure I catch all the transpositions, and am always on the lookout for strange moves - so I tend to play over each game.

New games will appear periodically, and I will make the updated Database available as soon as possible.

Better Than Even

I have been playing over the FICS games of chessmanjeff that appear in The Database in 2012 and 2013. In 33 games - there must be more by now, as The Database is current mostly through February 2013 - his score is a bit better than even, which is pretty good for a disreputable opening with many refutations. I was drawn to two draws that ended thusly:

chessmanjeff - flexomat, blitz, FICS, 2013

chessmanjeff - gniKssehC, blitz, FICS, 2013

In the first, Black ran out of time and White had no material to mate. In the second, White ran out of time and Black had no material to mate. The "equalizing injustice of chess" and all that.

Somehow, it was encouraging to see the following position - familiar to everyone in the Jerome Gambit Gemeinde, but apparently not to all defenders - with Black, to move, resigning.

chessmanjeff - xxNexus, blitz, FICS, 2013

Chess Marches On (Again)

I was wandering through The Database again, enjoying how the theory of the Jerome Gambit and its relatives has developed over the years, when I ran into the following position from dusanmunja  - valud, blitz, FICS, 2013

It had again been reached through a nameless opening variation that had been Jerome-ized: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Na5 4.Bxf7+ (or 4.Nxe5) Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8 6.Qh5+ Ke7 7.Ng6+ Kf6

A search of The Database showed that this position had been reached twice before, both leading to wins for White.

First was JakartaGuy - SwoopingCrane, standard, FICS, 2005 which continued 8.Nxh8 g5 9.d4 h6 10.Qf3+ Kg7 11.Ng6 d5 12.Ne5 Nf6 13.Nc3 Bb4 14.0-0 Bxc3 15.bxc3 dxe4 16.Qe3 Qd6 17.f3 c5 18.fxe4 cxd4 19.cxd4 Nc6 20.Nxc6 bxc6 21.e5 Qd5 22.exf6+ Kf7 23.Qe7+ Kg8 24.Qg7 checkmate

The second was chessforce - bbrom, blitz, FICS, 2010, which concluded more swiftly 8.Nxh8 g6 9.Qxa5  Black resigned

Of course, dusanmunja, in this year's game, was able to improve upon the play of both of his predecessors (Chess marches on!) by playing 8.Qf5 checkmate.

8.Qf5# 1-0

Stuck in the Middle

White's attack on Black's King is a standard theme in the Jerome Gambit. Sometimes it is deadly to be stuck in the middle.

Wall, Bill - Schichua, Stephen
FICS, 2013

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8

7.Qxe5 d6

Bill has faced the Jerome Defense to the Jerome Gambit, 7... Qe7, a couple of times: Wall,B - Guest340293, PlayChess.com, 2012 (1-0, 41) and Wall,B - Josti, PlayChess.com, 2013 (1-0, 26).

8.Qg3 Qf6 9.d3

Or 9.O-O as in Wall,B - GuestZCLK, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 15), or 
9.Nc3 a6 10.Nd5 Qf7 11.d4 Bxd4 12.Bf4 Bxb2 13.Rb1 Ba3 14.Qxa3 Nf6 15.Nxc7 Nxe4 16.Bxd6+ Kg8 17.O-O Black resigned, Wall,B - GoldCoinCollector, Chess.com, 2010.

9...h6 10.O-O Ne7

11.Nc3 Bd4 12.Nb5

Threatening 13.Nxc7.

13...Bb6 

Or, Bill notes, 12...Be5 13.f4 Bd4+ 14.Be3 Bxe3+ 15.Qxe3 Qxb2 16. Nxc7.

13.Be3 c5 14.Nxd6 Qxb2

Black is counting on his Queen to provide counterplay, but it can be risky to leave the King stuck in the middle of the board.

15.f4 c4

White can handle the tactical skirmish 15...Qxc2 16.f5 Qxd3 17.Rad1 Qxe3+ 18.Qxe3 c4 19.Rd4

16.Nxc4 Qxc2 17.Bxb6 axb6 18.f5 

The three central "Jerome pawns" give White the advantage.

18...b5 19.f6

White presses his attack.

19...gxf6

Of course, if 19...bxc4 then 20.Qxg7+ Ke8 21.Qxe7 checkmate.

20.Rxf6+ Ke8 21.Nd6+ Kd8 22. Nf7+ Black resigned 

After 22...Ke8 (22...Kd7 23.Qd6+ Ke8 24.Qd8#) 23.Nxh8 Qc5+ 24.Kh1 Black has the swindle 24...Rxa2, but after 25. Raf1 (25. Rxa2? Qc1+ winning for Black) White is firmly in control with a strong attack.

Chess Marches On

While wandering through The Database, I came across the following position, from Tetlekker - mabden, standard, FICS, 2013:

It had been reached through a nameless opening variation that had been Jerome-ized: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Na5 4.Bxf7+ (4.Nxe5 would be just fine, as well) Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6 6.d4 Bd6 7.Qg4+ Kf6.

A quick search showed three earlier games with the same position.

The first was RookLift  - suckermc, blitz, FICS, 2001, which continued:

8.Qf5+ Ke7 9.Bg5+ Nf6 10.Ng4 Kf7 11.e5 Bb4+ 12.c3 g6 13.Nh6+ Kg7 14.exf6+ Kf8 15.f7 Qxg5 16.Qxg5 Kg7 17.cxb4 Nc4 18.Qe7 Kxh6 19.f8Q+ Rxf8 20.Qxf8+ Kg5 21.0-0 d6 22.Nc3 Nd2 23.Rfe1 Nf1 24.Ne4+ Kg4 25.h3+ Kh5 26.g4+ Kh4 27.Qh6 checkmate

The second, assiassi - morts, blitz, FICS, 2008, was a bit tidier:

8.Qf5+ Ke7 9.Bg5+ Nf6 10.Ng4 Bb4+ 11.c3 Bxc3+ 12.Nxc3 d5 13.Qe5+ Be6 14.Nxf6 gxf6 15.Qxf6+ Kd6 16.Qe5+ Black resigned

The third, UNPREDICTABLE - DJJDev, blitz, FICS, 2009, saw White adopt a different strategy, and bring home the point a move later:

8.Qh4+ Ke6 9.Qxd8 Be7 10.Qxc7 Nc6 11.d5+ Kf6 12.dxc6 bxc6 13.Nxd7+ Ke6 14.Qxc6+ Kf7 15.Ne5+ Kf8 16.Qxa8 Nf6 17.Qxc8+ Ne8 Black resigned

And then there was the finish of Tetlekker - mabden, itself:

8.Bg5 checkmate. (But, you saw that, right?)