Choose: Pawns or Piece?

In the following game White chooses to play with the pawns vs Black's extra piece in a Queenless middle game. The second player cannot figure out how to break through, and eventually settles for returning the extra material, ending up in a drawn Bishops-of-opposite-colors endgame.

Philidor 1792 - guest2498
3 0 blitz, www.bereg.ru, 2014

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qf4+ Qf6 9.d3 Qxf4 10.Bxf4 Nf6 

White has two pawns for his sacrificed piece. He plans to patiently test his opponent. That is a bit of a feat in a 3-minute game.

11.c3 Bb6

Black continued 11...h6 12.Nd2 g5 in Philidor1792 - guest2052, Internet online game, 2012, (1-0,40). 

12.Nd2 Bd7 13.Nc4 Kf7 14.Nxb6 axb6 15.f3 Rhe8 16.Kf2 b5 17.a3 Be6 

18.Ke3 Rad8 19.d4 Bb3 20.Kd2 h6 21.Rae1 g5 22.Be3 Nh5 23.g3 Kg6 24.Re2 Rf8 25.Rf2 Rf7 

26.f4 gxf4 27.gxf4 Rdf8 28.Rg1+ Kh7 29.f5 Rg8 30.Rxg8 Kxg8 31.Bxh6 Nf6 32.Rf4 Rh7 33.Bg5 Rxh2+ 34.Ke3 Kf7 35.Rh4 Rxh4 36.Bxh4 c6 

Black's chances have come and gone, and his last attempt is to return his extra piece, arriving at a drawn endgame.

37.Kf4 Bc2 38.e5 Nd5+ 39.Kg5 dxe5 40.dxe5 Nc7 41.Bg3 Bd3 42.e6+ Nxe6+ 43.fxe6+ Kxe6 44.Kf4 Kd5 45.Ke3 Bf1 46.Kd2 Kc4 47.Kc1 Kb3 48.Bf2 Draw

Not Right Enough

Sometimes, it seems, you can do almost everything right - and still not be successful.

In the following Jerome Gambit game, Black counter-attacks while securing the safety of his King. When White's pawns get too frisky, he returns the sacrificed material and transitions to what looks like a draw-able endgame.

And then he loses.

As ever, especially in a 3-minute game, Phiilidor 1792 is a force to be reckoned with.  


Philidor 1792 - guest2498
3 0, www.bereg.ru, 2014

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qd5+ Kf8 8.Qxc5+ d6 9.Qe3 Nf6 

10.Nc3 c6 11.0-0 Kf7 12.f4 Re8 13.f5 Ne5 14.d4 Nc4

Harassing the Queen with the Knight is a known theme, but probably 14...Neg4 was a stronger way to do it, as in perrypawnpusher - andrecoenen, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 25) and perrypawnpusher - darqknight, blitz, FICS, 2011 (0-1, 63). 

15.Qf3 Kg8

Curiously, reaching perrypawnpusher - Nadant, blitz, FICS, 2010 (0-1, 59) only with White to move, not Black.

Black has castled-by-hand, and White will soon be ready to get his "Jerome pawns" rolling. The defender still has an edge. 

16.b3 Nb6 17.Bg5 Qe7 18.Rae1 Qf7 19.e5 dxe5 20.dxe5 Nfd5 21.e6 Qf8 

The pawns are beginning to look ominous, so Black returns material.

22.Ne4 Bxe6 23.fxe6 Qxf3 24.Rxf3 Rxe6 25.c4 Rae8 26.cxd5 Rxe4 27.Rxe4 Rxe4 28.dxc6 bxc6 

White's Bishop vs Knight and better pawn position give him a slight edge. He outplays his opponent the rest of the way.

29.Rc3 Re6 30.Kf2 h6 31.Bh4 Nd5 32.Rc5 g5 33.Bg3 Ne3 34.Bb8 Ng4+ 35.Kf3 Nf6 36.Bxa7 Nd5 37.Rc2 Kf7 38.Bc5 Kg6 39.a4 h5 40.a5 g4+ 41.Kf2 Nf4 42.a6 Nd3+ 43.Kg3 Kg5 44.h4+ gxh3 45.Kxh3 Nxc5 46.Rxc5+ Black resigned

[Readers: March 2014 was the 5th most-visited month in this blog's history and the highest March ever. Many thanks for stopping by! - Rick]

A Whole Lot In There

Chessfriend Philidor 1792 has delivered another large collection of exciting games: some Jerome Gambits and some Jerome Gambit-related openings.

For a three-minute blitz game, the following match has a whole lot in it. White improves on earlier efforts (a dozen or so moves into the game) and carries the fight from the opening through the middle game to the endgame. When his opponent slips, Philidor 1792 executes a piquant checkmate.


Philidor 1792 - guest1200

3 0 blitz, www.bereg.ru, 2014

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 

7.Qxe5 Qe7 8.Qxe7+ Nxe7

Philidor 1792 previously played three games against the computer Crafty, which chose 8...Kxe7, winning one game, losing one, and drawing one. See "Long Distance Traveller" and "Which One Wins?"

9.c3 d5

Or 9...Bb6 10.d4 d6 11.Nd2 Kf7 12.Nc4 Re8 13.Nxb6 axb6 14.0-0 Bd7 15.f4 Bb5 16.Rf2 Ng8 17.e5 Ne7 18.b3 dxe5 19.fxe5+ Kg8 20.Bg5 Ng6 21.h4 h6 22.Bd2 Rf8 23.c4 Bd7 24.Bc3 Nxh4 25.d5 Bg4 26.Bb4 Rxf2 27.Kxf2 Re8 28.Kg3 Nxg2 29.Kxg4 Ne3+ 30.Kf4 Nc2 31.Bc3 Nxa1 32.Bxa1 Kf7 33.e6+ Kg6 34.Be5 Re7 35.Bd4 h5 36.Ke5 h4 37.b4 h3 38.Bg1 Kg5 39.c5 bxc5 40.bxc5 Re8 41.d6 cxd6+ 42.cxd6 Rf8 43.d7 Kg4 44.e7 Black resigned,  Philidor 1792- BigM, Internet online game, blitz, 2012.

10.d4 Bb6 11.e5 c5 12.Be3 Nf5

Improving over 12...cxd4 13.cxd4 Nc6 14.Nc3 Nxd4 15.O-O-O Nc6 16.Nxd5 Bxe3+ 17.Nxe3 Ke7 18.Nd5+ Kf7 19.Nc7 Rb8 20.f4

Bg4 21.Rd6 Rhd8 22.Nb5 a6 23.Rxd8 Rxd8 24.Nd6+ Ke6 25.Nxb7 Rd4 26.g3 Bf3 27.Rf1 Nb4 28.Nc5+ Kd5 29.Rxf3 Kxc5 30.a3 Nd3+ 31.Kb1 Ne1 32.Re3 Rd1+ 33.Ka2 Nd3 34.e6 Re1 35.Rxd3 Rxe6 36.Rd7 Re2 37.Rxg7 Rxh2 38.Kb3 Rh3 39.Ka4 h5 40.b4+ Kb6 41.Rg6+ Kb7 42.Ka5 h4 43.gxh4 Rxh4 44.Rb6+ Kc7 45.f5 Rh5 46.Kxa6 Rxf5, Black resigned, Philidor1792 - NN, 2012

13.O-O

An improvement over the earlier 13.Na3 cxd4 14.cxd4 Nxd4 15.Bxd4 Bxd4 16.O-O-O Bxe5 17.Rxd5 Bf4+ 18.Kb1 Be6 19.Rd4 Be5 20.Rd2 Bf5+ 21.Ka1 Kf7 22.f4 Bf6 23.Nc4 Rhd8 24.Nd6+ Kg8 25.h3 Be7 26.Nxf5 Rxd2 27.Nxe7+ Kf7 28.Nf5 g6 29.Nh4 Re8 30.g4 Ree2 31.Rb1 Rf2 32.f5 g5 White resigned, Philidor1792 - Kharitonoff, Casual Game, Chess-Samara.ru, 2014.

13...cxd4 14.cxd4 Nxd4 15.Nc3 Be6 16.Rfd1 Nc6 17.Bxb6 axb6 18.Nxd5 Bxd5 19.Rxd5 Ke7

20.Rb5 Ra6 21.Rd1 Rd8 22.Rxd8 Nxd8 23.f4 Rxa2 24.Rxb6 Ra6 25.Rb4 Ke6 26.Kf2 h5 27.Kf3 Kf5 28.g3 g5 29.Rd4 Nf7 30.Rd7 g4+ 31.Ke3 Ke6 32.Rxb7 Nh6 33.Ke4 

33...Ra4+

The "Jerome pawns" are looking frisky, but 33...Nf5 would have kept the game even. 

34. b4 Ng8 35. f5 checkmate

Dany Sénéchaud

French chess player, openings explorer and author - Emil Joseph Diemer (1908-1990): missionnaire des échecs acrobatiques - Dany Sénéchaud sent the following game, which opens up more understanding of Bxf7+ in the double e-pawn openings and gives a possible contribution to the lineage of the Jerome Gambit.

Millet,C - Sénéchaud,D

Rochefort, 1995

(notes by Sénéchaud, with additions)

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.c3 Nc6!!?

3...Nf6 4.d4 exd4 5.e5 d5 

4.d4! exd4 5.Bxf7+ 

The position after 4 moves, and this sacrifice - reminiscent of the Abrahams Jerome Gambit - is rare, although it goes back at least as far as Philidor, who thought it playable. Could this have been one of the early influences that led Alonzo Wheeler Jerome to his Gambit?? For other ideas, see "Proto-Jerome Gambits?" Part 1 and Part 2 as well as "Godfather of the Jerome Gambit" Parts i, ii, iii and endnote. - Rick

5...Kxf7

Of course, someone had to try declining the sacrifice, although that can hardly be recommended: 5...Kf8 6.Bxg8 Rxg8 7.Nf3 h6 8.cxd4 Bb4+ 9.Bd2 Qe7 10.0-0 Qxe4 11.Bxb4+ Nxb4 12.Qb3 Nc2 13.Ne5 d5 14.Nd2 Qf5 15.g4 Qh7 16.Qxd5 g5 17.Qd8+ Kg7 18.Qxc7+ Black resigned, Wassilieff,H - Akadegawa,K, email 2000 - Rick 

6.Qh5+ 

6...Kf8 7.Qxc5+ d6

Also seen: 7...Qe7 8.Qxe7+ Ngxe7 9.Ne2 d5 10.exd5 Nxd5 11.Nxd4 Nxd4 12.cxd4 Nb4 13.Na3 Nd3+ 14.Ke2 Bf5 15.Rd1 Re8+ 16.Kf1 c6 17.b3 Kf7 18.Be3 Rd8 19.Ke2 Nb4 20.Nc4 Rhe8 21.Ne5+ Kf8 22.a3 Nc2 23.Ra2 c5 24.g4 Nxe3 25.fxe3 Rxe5 26.gxf5 cxd4 27.Rd3 Rde8 28.e4 Rxe4+ 29.Kf3 Re3+ 30.Rxe3 Rxe3+ 31.Kf4 Rxb3 32.Rc2 Rc3 33.Rb2 b6 34.a4 d3 35.Ke3 Rc5 36.Kxd3 Rxf5 37.Rc2 g5 38.Rc8+ Kg7 39.Kc4 h5 40.Rc7+ Rf7 White resigned, Fekete,J - Fenyes,G, Goed op 1st, 2004 - Rick 

8.Qg5

White has tried two alternatives:

8.Qc4 Qe7 9.f3 Nf6 10.cxd4 d5 11.Qc3 dxe4 12.f4 Nd5 13.Qb3 Ndb4 14.Be3 Be6 15.Qc3 Nd5 16.Qd2 Ncb4 17.Kd1 Nd3 18.b3 Rd8 19.Ne2 c5 20.Nbc3 c4 21.bxc4 Nb2+ 22.Kc2 Nxc4 23.Nxd5 Bxd5 24.Qc1 Qb4 25.Nc3 Rc8 26.Rb1 Na3+ 27.Kd2 Nxb1+ 28.Qxb1 Qxc3+ 29.Ke2 Qc2+ 30.Bd2 Qxb1 31.Rxb1 Kf7 32.Ke3 Rc2 33.Rb5 Rd8 34.a4 Ra2 35.a5 Ra3+ 36.Kf2 Rd3 37.Be3 Rd7 38.f5 Rc3 39.Bd2 Rc4 40.Ke3 Kf6 41.Kf4 Rc2 42.Be1 Rxg2 43.Bh4+ Kf7 44.Bg3 Rd2 45.Ke5 Bc6 46.Rb4 e3 47.Bf4 Rd3 White resigned, Ramakrishna, G - Guo Yuth, Belconnen op, 2005; and 

8.Qb5 Qe8 9.f3 Nge7 10.Ne2 dxc3 11.Nbxc3 Nd8 12.Qd3 Kf7 13.f4 Qd7 14.0-0 Re8 15.f5 Nec6 16.Bf4 a5 17.Rad1 Ra6 18.Qf3 h5 19.Nd5 Kg8 20.Nxc7 Black resigned, Morrison,J - Storr Best,J, Bromley prelim C, 1925 - Rick

8...Nf6 9.f3 h6 10.Qg3 dxc3 11.bxc3!?

Or 11.Nxc3 Nb4 12.Kd1.

11...Ne5 !!? 12.f4 Nxe4 13.Qe3 Nf2 !!? 14.fxe5 Nxh1 15.Qf3+?

Instead, 15.Nf3 &16.Ba3.

15...Kg8 16.g3 dxe5 17.Qxh1 Bg4 18.Nd2 e4 19.Qxe4 Qd7 20.Qd4 Re8+

21.Kf2 Qf5+ 22.Ndf3 Kh7 23.Bf4 Rhf8 24.Qd1 g5 25.Be3
Qe4 26.Qb1 Bxf3 White resigned

Good to the End

The Jerome Gambit is a strange opening. White gets what he wants by giving Black a winning game. Black often fights to reach an even game, by giving up his advantage. The winner is the one who makes sense of this, and wins in the end.

Wall,B - Guest75785
PlayChess.com, 2014

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.d4 Nxd4

I have to say that I am not very familiar with this "modern" (no 5.Nxe5) Jerome Gambit variation, even though I discovered that there are over 530 games in The Database with this position, including games by Jerome Gambit regulars like Darrenshome, DragonTail, drumme, ItsAllBullCheck, and yorgos.

Of course, Bill Wall is willing to experiment just about any game.

6.Nxe5+ Kf8 7.Be3 Ne6 8.Qh5 Qe7

Bill notes 8...Qf6 9.Nxd7+ Bxd7 10.Bxc5+ Ne7 11.Nc3 Nxc5 12.Qxc5 Qb6; not 8...g6? 9.Nxg6+.

9.Nc3 c6

White has equalized. It is important to remember the old adage: In the Jerome Gambit, when White has equalized, he has the advantage.

10.Ng6+ hxg6 11.Qxh8 Bxe3 12.fxe3 Ng5 

Bill prefers 12...Nd8.

13.Rf1+ Nf7 14.h4 Qe5 

As is frequently the case, 14...d5! is the move.

15.0-0-0 Qh5 16.Rxf7+ Kxf7

Not 16...Ke8?? 17.Qxg8#

17.Rf1+ Nf6 18.Qxh5 gxh5 19.e5 d5 20.exf6 gxf6

Black - or is it White? - has made it through the opening and the middle game and now has a roughly even endgame.

21.e4 d4

Or 21...Be6 22.exd5 cxd5 23.Nb5

22.Ne2 c5 23.e5 f5 24.Nf4 Be6 25.Nxh5 Rh8 26.g4

26...Kg6

Better 26...Rh6 or 26...b5. 

27.Nf4+ Kf7 28.gxf5 Bxf5 29.h5 Re8

This is a mistake that turns a position with a lot of drawing potential into a loss. The "Jerome pawns" can no longer be contained.

30.Nd3

Threatening 31.Rxf5+.

30...Ke6 31.Nxc5+ Kd5

Not 31...Kxe5? 32.Re1+

32.Rxf5 Kxc5 33.Rf7 Rxe5 34.h6 Rh5 35.h7 Kc6

36.Kd2 Rh3 37.Ke2 a5 38.Kf2 b5 39.Kg2 Rh5 40.Kg3 b4 41.Kg4 Rh2 42.Kg5 Black resigned

Still A Bad Idea

One benefit of Jerome-izing the Blackburne Shilling Gambit is that the game becomes transformed, and ideas that were playable in the original opening become sketchy in the "modified" version. That was true when we looked at the opening variation in the following game, four years ago, and it remains true today.

Oak  - sealse
blitz, FICS, 2013

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4

The Blackburne Shilling Gambit.

4.Bxf7+

The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6 6.c3 Qg5

A thematic move for the plain Blackburne Shilling Gambit, as covered in "Reeling Sequel", but not as strong here as taking the Knight.

7.cxd4 Qxg2 

Still leading to mate. It is worth knowing these things.

8.Qb3+ Kf6

Black holds out a move longer with 8...d5, i.e. 9.Qxd5+ Kf6 10.Qf7+ Kg5 11.h4+ Kh6 12.d3+ g5 13.hxg5# 

9.Qf7+ Kg5 10.d3+

Or 10.h4+ Kh6 11.d3+ g5 12.hxg5#

10...Kh4 11.Nf3+ Kg4

Black holds out longest, not that it means a lot, with 11...Qxf3 12.Qxf3 Bb4+ 13.Kf1 Be7 14.Qg3+ Kh5 15.Qh3+ Bh4 16.Qf3+ Kg6 17.Qf5#

 12.Qf5 checkmate

Snake Eyes

Shades of "Jerome's Double Gamble", the following game is the only one in the current Italian Game Thematic Tournament at Chess.com where I was able to play a Jerome Gambit - and it has the same feel as Bill Wall's last game: the wrong opponent at the wrong time...

perrypawnpusher (1747) - Buddy_Thompson (2051)
Italian Game Thematic Tournament, Chess.com, 2014

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

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

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Qh4+ 9.g3 Qf6 10.fxe5+ Qxe5

11.Qf3 Nf6 12.d3 Ke7 13.Nc3 d5

14.Bf4 dxe4 15.dxe4 Qh5 16.Qxh5 Nxh5 17.Nd5+ Kd7 18.Nxc7

In retrospect, 18.Bxc7 was better, although White's game would remain difficult.

18...Nxf4 19.Nxa8 Ng2+ 20.Ke2 Kc6 21.Kf3 Ne3 22.b4 Rf8+ 23.Ke2 Bg4+ 24.Kd3 Rd8+ 25.Kc3 Bd4+ 26.Kd3 Bxa1+ 27.Kxe3 Be5 White resigned