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Saturday, March 24, 2018
Interesting...
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Thursday, March 22, 2018
Jerome Gambit: Three Tools
It is often helpful to know what a computer chess engine "thinks" of a line or position. I currently use Stockfish 8 & 9, but have also used Houdini, Rybka, Fritz and Crafty. Computers are very good at pointing out tactical shots, and have been getting better and better at understanding positional nuances. (I have not tried Komodo, but it is supposed to be advanced in positional assessment.)
Of course, "objective" evaluation of the Jerome Gambit can be meaningless by itself. If machines could talk (I'm looking at you, Talking Fritz), after move 4 they would say "White, you are busted, why not stop wasting your time and just start another game?"
I leaven the serious look at Jerome lines with a peek at games drawn from The Database, currently 56,000+ Jerome Gambit and Jerome-related games that generally reflect online club play. Some players are very successful with my favorite "refuted" chess opening!
While I would not, ever, compare the Jerome Gambit to the Najdorf variation of the Sicilian defense, nor compare myself to Bobby Fischer, I was always impressed when Bobby would play Black with the Najdorf and win - and then turn around and take White and beat the Najdorf. Bobby was an awesome player, but he also showed the benefit of really knowing, down deep, the opening you play.
Finally, I always appreciate the wisdom of Geoff Chandler's humorous, but intuitively correct, "blunder table". In master and grandmaster games, the advantage of a pawn is frequently enough for a win. As we move down to the play of less-developed players, however, it can sometimes take a Knight or a Rook before one side has a "winning" advantage.
So, while the top players would hardly play an opening that involves the sacrifice of two pieces, it is not at all surprising (despite computer carping) to find that in club games - especially fast ones - that the Jerome Gambit can find its place - especially in lines where Black returns a piece, leaving him with a piece for two pawns (essentially a pawn ahead). That is hardly enough to guarantee a win for the second player!
Tuesday, March 20, 2018
Jerome Gambit: Strangeness Awaits
The following Jerome Gambit game is not an exemplar, but it has an appearance of strangeness that makes it fun to play over.
Wall, Bill - Faave, Al
PlayChess.com, 2017
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 Nf6
This is not the way to return the sacrificed material - Black gets little for it.
Just as the game was not "over" after White's 4th move, it it not yet over after Black's 7th. (Although White is up a couple of pawns.)
8.Qxe5+ Kf7 9.Qxc5 d6 10.Qa5 b6 11.Qg5 h6 12.Qb5 a6 13.Qb3+ Be6 14.Qe3
White exaggerates the errors of his opening - more than half of his moves are with his Queen! She has bounced around, encouraging Black to loosen the positions of his pawns.
14...Ng4
Harassing the enemy Queen further.
15.Qg3 Nf6 16.Nc3 Rf8 17.f5 Bd7 18.d3 Bc6 19.Qg6+ Ke7
It is understandable tht Black did not want to castle-by-hand with 19...Kg8, as White can respond with 20.Bxh6, but the King will not be safe in the center of the board.
20.Qxg7+ Rf7 21.Qxh6 Qg8 22.g3 Qg4
Black has an advantage in development, and wants to put it to use by pressuring White's King and Queen. (I am not ready to refer to this line of play as "the four pawns defense".)
23.Bg5 Rg8 24.Bh4 Rgg7
I was surprised to see that Stockfish 8 assesses this position to be vastly favorable for White - "+13", which is equivalent to the 4 extra pawns White has, plus and extra Queen. Clearly White is about to win back some material, but still...
25.h3 Qf3 26.Rf1 Qg2
27. Bxf6+ Kd7 28. Bxg7 Qxg3+ 29. Ke2 Rxg7
Eventually White's extra Rook - and pawns - will mean something, but for now his King still has to be careful.
30.f6 Rf7 31.Qh5 Rf8 32.Qh7+ Kc8 33.Qg7 Black resigned
Wall, Bill - Faave, Al
PlayChess.com, 2017
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 Nf6
This is not the way to return the sacrificed material - Black gets little for it.
Just as the game was not "over" after White's 4th move, it it not yet over after Black's 7th. (Although White is up a couple of pawns.)
8.Qxe5+ Kf7 9.Qxc5 d6 10.Qa5 b6 11.Qg5 h6 12.Qb5 a6 13.Qb3+ Be6 14.Qe3
White exaggerates the errors of his opening - more than half of his moves are with his Queen! She has bounced around, encouraging Black to loosen the positions of his pawns.
14...Ng4
Harassing the enemy Queen further.
15.Qg3 Nf6 16.Nc3 Rf8 17.f5 Bd7 18.d3 Bc6 19.Qg6+ Ke7
It is understandable tht Black did not want to castle-by-hand with 19...Kg8, as White can respond with 20.Bxh6, but the King will not be safe in the center of the board.
20.Qxg7+ Rf7 21.Qxh6 Qg8 22.g3 Qg4
Black has an advantage in development, and wants to put it to use by pressuring White's King and Queen. (I am not ready to refer to this line of play as "the four pawns defense".)
23.Bg5 Rg8 24.Bh4 Rgg7
I was surprised to see that Stockfish 8 assesses this position to be vastly favorable for White - "+13", which is equivalent to the 4 extra pawns White has, plus and extra Queen. Clearly White is about to win back some material, but still...
25.h3 Qf3 26.Rf1 Qg2
27. Bxf6+ Kd7 28. Bxg7 Qxg3+ 29. Ke2 Rxg7
Eventually White's extra Rook - and pawns - will mean something, but for now his King still has to be careful.
30.f6 Rf7 31.Qh5 Rf8 32.Qh7+ Kc8 33.Qg7 Black resigned
Sunday, March 18, 2018
Jerome Gambit: Their Majesties
Here is the latest Jerome Gambit from Vlasta Fejfar, featuring two wandering Queens. White's Queen successfully attacks, while Black's Queen is a few steps slow in defending. In a surprise twist, the player who loses his Queen, wins the game!
vlastous - Marwan 86
internet, 2018
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4
This move is at least as old as D'Aumiller - AP, Livorno, 1878 (1-0, 19), appeared in 2 of the Jerome - Charles correspondence games in their 1881 match (both games incomplete), and appeared in 6 of the games in the legendary (to Jerome Gambit players, anyhow) Fisher-Kirshner - KnightStalker match of 1993.
4...Qf6 8. Rf1 g6
We have seen a couple of Vlasta's opponents try other ideas:
8...Nd3+ "creatively returning a piece" in Vlastous - Kombe, internet, 2017, (1-0, 22); and
8...Nc6 "cold-blooded, but playable" in Fejfar,V - Vins, corr Czech Republic, 2015, (1-0, 23).
9.Qh3+ Ke7 10.fxe5 Qxe5 11.Qf3 Qf6
A common criticism of the Jerome Gambit is that White moves his Queen too early and too often. So far in this game, however, Black has kept pace with White.
Vlastous 2344 -Daboa 1799, Chessmaniac.com, 2016, (1-0, 42) saw the alternative, 11...Nf6.
12.Qe2 Qa6
You can almost hear Black sigh "Enough, already!". The threat to exchange Queens is easily parried, though, and Her Majesty soon finds that she needs to get back in the fray.
13.d3 Ke8 14.Nc3 Ne7 15.Nd5 Qc6
To protect against the threatened Knight fork at c7.
Black's best defense was 15...Kd8, when a typical messy game can continue with 16.Bg5 c6 17.b4 cxd5 18.bxc5 dxe4 19.Rf7 Re8 20.Qxe4 Qe6 21.Qxe6 dxe6 22.Rxh7 when White clearly has compensation for his sacrificed material, although the game is about even. (Who is more comfortable, though?)
16.Qf3 Nxd5
Opening the e-file with the enemy Queen facing the King is pretty risky, but the best move, 16...Nf5, still loses. (And it turns out that White doesn't need the e-file after all.)
17.Qf7+ Kd8 18.Bg5+ Be7
Black does not want to give up his Queen with 18...Qf6.
White decides to give up his.
19.Qf8+ Rxf8 20.Rxf8 checkmate
Very nice.
vlastous - Marwan 86
internet, 2018
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4
This move is at least as old as D'Aumiller - AP, Livorno, 1878 (1-0, 19), appeared in 2 of the Jerome - Charles correspondence games in their 1881 match (both games incomplete), and appeared in 6 of the games in the legendary (to Jerome Gambit players, anyhow) Fisher-Kirshner - KnightStalker match of 1993.
4...Qf6 8. Rf1 g6
We have seen a couple of Vlasta's opponents try other ideas:
8...Nd3+ "creatively returning a piece" in Vlastous - Kombe, internet, 2017, (1-0, 22); and
8...Nc6 "cold-blooded, but playable" in Fejfar,V - Vins, corr Czech Republic, 2015, (1-0, 23).
9.Qh3+ Ke7 10.fxe5 Qxe5 11.Qf3 Qf6
A common criticism of the Jerome Gambit is that White moves his Queen too early and too often. So far in this game, however, Black has kept pace with White.
Vlastous 2344 -Daboa 1799, Chessmaniac.com, 2016, (1-0, 42) saw the alternative, 11...Nf6.
12.Qe2 Qa6
You can almost hear Black sigh "Enough, already!". The threat to exchange Queens is easily parried, though, and Her Majesty soon finds that she needs to get back in the fray.
13.d3 Ke8 14.Nc3 Ne7 15.Nd5 Qc6
To protect against the threatened Knight fork at c7.
Black's best defense was 15...Kd8, when a typical messy game can continue with 16.Bg5 c6 17.b4 cxd5 18.bxc5 dxe4 19.Rf7 Re8 20.Qxe4 Qe6 21.Qxe6 dxe6 22.Rxh7 when White clearly has compensation for his sacrificed material, although the game is about even. (Who is more comfortable, though?)
16.Qf3 Nxd5
Opening the e-file with the enemy Queen facing the King is pretty risky, but the best move, 16...Nf5, still loses. (And it turns out that White doesn't need the e-file after all.)
17.Qf7+ Kd8 18.Bg5+ Be7
Black does not want to give up his Queen with 18...Qf6.
White decides to give up his.
19.Qf8+ Rxf8 20.Rxf8 checkmate
Very nice.
Friday, March 16, 2018
Tournament Update
With one game left - with the white pieces - in the first round of the "Italian Battleground" tournament at Chess.com, I have scored 7 wins, 1 loss and 1 draw. This includes a win and a draw with the Jerome Gambit.
This result is probably good enough for me to (eventually) move on to the next round, with more possible chances to play the Jerome.
In the meantime, I am waiting for my opponent in the final game to move - will I get to play one more example of the "worst chess opening ever"?*
Be sure, good, bad or indifferent, if it's a Jerome, I will share the game here.
(*Yes! It's a Jerome Gambit. Now all I have to do is win the darn thing... - Rick)
This result is probably good enough for me to (eventually) move on to the next round, with more possible chances to play the Jerome.
In the meantime, I am waiting for my opponent in the final game to move - will I get to play one more example of the "worst chess opening ever"?*
Be sure, good, bad or indifferent, if it's a Jerome, I will share the game here.
(*Yes! It's a Jerome Gambit. Now all I have to do is win the darn thing... - Rick)
Wednesday, March 14, 2018
Jerome Gambit: Everything is Fine for Black, Until...
One of the attractions for White in the Jerome Gambit is that things can suddenly fall apart for his opponent. One moment, Black is doing fine; the next moment, he is turning his King over.
The following game is a fine example.
Wall, Bill - Guest866139
PlayChess.com, 2017
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4
Bill prefers 6.d4 to 6.Qh5+. He has had a lot of success letting Black figure out how to defend, instead of going into a forcing line.
6...Bb4+ 7.c3 Ba5
For the record, the energetic 7...Qh4!? is best, and The Database supports this by pointing out that Black is 10-0 in the games it contains.
8.dxe5 Bb6
Not 8...d6 because 9.Qd5+ Black resigned, Wall,B - NN, lichess.org, 2016.
9.a4 a6 10.a5 Ba7 11.Qf3+ Ke8 12.O-O Ne7
White has two pawns for his sacrificed piece. Black has to be watchful that his King, stuck in the center, remains safe.
13.Bg5 d6 14.Na3 Be6 15.Rad1 Qd7 16.exd6 cxd6 17.Qg3 Rd8
Stockfish 8 and 9 each give Black an edge in this position, which begs the question: Which position would you prefer to play?
Black's position is cramped, and it doesn't take much to push it into the danger zone.
18.e5 d5 19.Nc4 Bb8
Here we go. The silicon solution, of course, is now for White to force a draw...
20.Nb6 Qb5
I suspect neither player was interested in 20...Qc7 21.Na8 Qd7 22.Nb6 Qc7, etc, repeating the position and splitting the point.
However, Black's move in the game leads to immediate disaster. The salient point is that his Queen needs to stay on the 7th rank to provide eventual protection for the g-pawn - or White will invade there.
21.Bxe7 Kxe7
The sad reality is that Black cannot afford to capture the Bishop, as he has to guard g7 with 21...Kf7. That leaves White with the straightforward followup 22.Bxd8, coming out the exchange and a couple of pawns ahead; or White can play 22.c4!? and after 22...Qxb2 everything blows up after 23.cxd5!?.
What a difference a couple of moves make.
22.Qxg7+ Bf7 23.Qf6+ Black resigned
Black is going to lose a Rook, and it will cost more material to delay the inevitable checkmate.
The following game is a fine example.
Wall, Bill - Guest866139
PlayChess.com, 2017
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4
Bill prefers 6.d4 to 6.Qh5+. He has had a lot of success letting Black figure out how to defend, instead of going into a forcing line.
6...Bb4+ 7.c3 Ba5
For the record, the energetic 7...Qh4!? is best, and The Database supports this by pointing out that Black is 10-0 in the games it contains.
8.dxe5 Bb6
Not 8...d6 because 9.Qd5+ Black resigned, Wall,B - NN, lichess.org, 2016.
9.a4 a6 10.a5 Ba7 11.Qf3+ Ke8 12.O-O Ne7
White has two pawns for his sacrificed piece. Black has to be watchful that his King, stuck in the center, remains safe.
13.Bg5 d6 14.Na3 Be6 15.Rad1 Qd7 16.exd6 cxd6 17.Qg3 Rd8
Stockfish 8 and 9 each give Black an edge in this position, which begs the question: Which position would you prefer to play?
Black's position is cramped, and it doesn't take much to push it into the danger zone.
18.e5 d5 19.Nc4 Bb8
Here we go. The silicon solution, of course, is now for White to force a draw...
20.Nb6 Qb5
I suspect neither player was interested in 20...Qc7 21.Na8 Qd7 22.Nb6 Qc7, etc, repeating the position and splitting the point.
However, Black's move in the game leads to immediate disaster. The salient point is that his Queen needs to stay on the 7th rank to provide eventual protection for the g-pawn - or White will invade there.
21.Bxe7 Kxe7
The sad reality is that Black cannot afford to capture the Bishop, as he has to guard g7 with 21...Kf7. That leaves White with the straightforward followup 22.Bxd8, coming out the exchange and a couple of pawns ahead; or White can play 22.c4!? and after 22...Qxb2 everything blows up after 23.cxd5!?.
What a difference a couple of moves make.
22.Qxg7+ Bf7 23.Qf6+ Black resigned
Black is going to lose a Rook, and it will cost more material to delay the inevitable checkmate.
Monday, March 12, 2018
Jerome Gambit: Checkmate
In the Jerome Gambit, White activates his Queen to attack - and, ideally, checkmate - the enemy King.
The following game illustrates.
Wall, Bill - Guest6199747
PlayChess.com, 2018
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6
The Two Knights defense. Bill has had a lot of success transforming games into the Jerome Gambit, however.
4.d3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+
Tranposing to the "modern" Jerome Gambit line 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.d3 Nf6.
5...Kxf7 6.Nc3 d6
Black seems safe. Black feels safe. Black is safe.
For the moment.
7.h3 Be6 8.Ng5+
The first step in drawing the enemy King out into the center. It is a simple idea - perhaps so simple that Black feels no sense of danger.
8...Ke7 9.Nxe6 Kxe6 10.O-O Qe7
11.Nd5 Nxd5 12.exd5+ Kxd5
It is interesting to see here that Stockfish 8 sees the game as even.
If you compare material, Black is "simply" a piece ahead, so the computer's assessment is either very concrete - White can win back a piece - or very abstract - White has a much better position.
You need only look at the position of Black's King to know that "something" is up.
13.Qg4
Do you see the threat?
13...Nd8
Giving the King some breathing room. The computer suggests returning a piece to achieve a messy, but even, position: 13...Nd4 14.c3 h5 15.Qe4+ Ke6 16.cxd4 Bxd4 17.Qxb7 c5
14.b4
To win the Bishop. There is also a hidden drop of poison in the move, as Black will discover. It is time for the defender to defend: 14...Kc6 15.bxc5 b6, when the King can escape, although White will be better.
14...Bd4 15.c3
Cute.
15...Bxc3
The game needed to go something like 15...h5 16.Qe4+ Ke6 17.cxd4 Kd7 when after 18.d5 Rf8 19.Be3 White has regained his piece and it looks like he has a better position - starting with a safer King.
16.Qc4 checkmate
The following game illustrates.
Wall, Bill - Guest6199747
PlayChess.com, 2018
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6
The Two Knights defense. Bill has had a lot of success transforming games into the Jerome Gambit, however.
4.d3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+
Tranposing to the "modern" Jerome Gambit line 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.d3 Nf6.
5...Kxf7 6.Nc3 d6
Black seems safe. Black feels safe. Black is safe.
For the moment.
7.h3 Be6 8.Ng5+
The first step in drawing the enemy King out into the center. It is a simple idea - perhaps so simple that Black feels no sense of danger.
8...Ke7 9.Nxe6 Kxe6 10.O-O Qe7
11.Nd5 Nxd5 12.exd5+ Kxd5
It is interesting to see here that Stockfish 8 sees the game as even.
If you compare material, Black is "simply" a piece ahead, so the computer's assessment is either very concrete - White can win back a piece - or very abstract - White has a much better position.
You need only look at the position of Black's King to know that "something" is up.
13.Qg4
Do you see the threat?
13...Nd8
Giving the King some breathing room. The computer suggests returning a piece to achieve a messy, but even, position: 13...Nd4 14.c3 h5 15.Qe4+ Ke6 16.cxd4 Bxd4 17.Qxb7 c5
14.b4
To win the Bishop. There is also a hidden drop of poison in the move, as Black will discover. It is time for the defender to defend: 14...Kc6 15.bxc5 b6, when the King can escape, although White will be better.
14...Bd4 15.c3
Cute.
15...Bxc3
The game needed to go something like 15...h5 16.Qe4+ Ke6 17.cxd4 Kd7 when after 18.d5 Rf8 19.Be3 White has regained his piece and it looks like he has a better position - starting with a safer King.
16.Qc4 checkmate
Once again, this is why we play the Jerome Gambit.
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