Jerome Gambit: Against the Titans (Part 2)

[continued from the previous post]

perrypawnpusher - Chess Titans

Casual Game, 2019

Black's move seems to be the most natural in the world, but, after the game, Stockfish 10 preferred 13...Kf7. Can you see why? The reason is covered in the next note.

14.Qg5+ Ke8 15.Qxd8+ 

I made this move quickly, seeing an opportunity to simplify things by getting the Queens off of the board, leading to a position where I would be a pawn up.

Had I looked closer - or been less anxious - I would have found the alternative, 15.Qxg7, which would scoop up another pawn, and leads, after 15...Qf6 16.Qxf6 Nxf6, to an exchange of Queens, anyhow.

Playing against computers makes me nervous. (Against human beings, too.)

15...Kxd8 16.Rxh2

16...Be6 

Instead, 16...Nf6 17. d3 Ng4 18. Rh4 Nf6 19. Be3 Bg4 20. Bd4 Bd1 21. Na3 Be2 22. Kf2 Bxd3 23. cxd3 c5 24.Bxf6+ gxf6 25. Nc4 Ke7 26. Ne3 Kf7 27. Rah1 Kg6 28. Rh6+ Kg7 29. Nf5+ Kg8 30.Rxf6 d5 31. Nh6+ Kg7 32. Rf7+ Kg6 33. e5 Rhg8 34. Rf6+ Kg7 35. Nf5+ Kh8 36.Rxh7+ Kxh7 37. Rh6 checkmate, was Born Loser - NN, 2005.

17.Nc3 g6 18.d4 h5 

The rest of the game, starting with this move, has a bit of an odd tinge to it. Some of Black's moves are hard to fathom. Readers may also be frustrated by my sudden intense caution.

19.d5 Bf7 20.e5 dxe5 21.fxe5 

The central "Jerome pawns" give White a winning advantage.

21...c6 22.d6 

It was better to advance the other center pawn.

22...Bd5+ 23.Nxd5 cxd5 24.Be3 

Safe development, but 24.e6 was stronger.

24...Kc8 25.Rd1 a5 26.Rxd5 Nh6 27.Bxh6 Rxh6 28.Kf3 a4 29.Re2 h4 30.gxh4 Rxh4 

31.e6 Rh3+  32.Kg4 Rh4+ 

Black throws away the Rook, in order to push even a more dire position from appearing on its analysis "horizon". I have seen examples of computers tossing piece after piece, just to make an even-more-unfavorable future position "disappear", only to have it "reappear" after the opponent makes a capture. In the end, more material is lost than in the "dreaded" situation it is trying to avoid. (The similarity to human clinical depression is notable.)  

33.Kxh4 a3 34.d7+ Kc7 35.e7 Rh8+ 36.Kg4 Rh4+ 

See the previous note.

37.Kxh4 g5+ 38.Kxg5 b6 39.d8=Q+ Kb7 40.e8=Q axb2 41.Re7+ Ka6 42.Qa4 checkmate 

Jerome Gambit: Against the Titans (Part 1)

Sitting at the computer the other day, I suddenly decided to challenge one of the programs to game of chess. I played the Jerome Gambit, of course. I've done this before - see "Jerome Gambit: Artificial Piffle" and "Contempt?!" 

Quickly we raced toward one of the more deadly refutations, a trip down memory lane for me that was lined with past escapes - and non-escapes. Suddenly, my opponent came up with a novelty that undid all of its hard work. The rest of the game was a combination of me timidly moving forward, while the computer seemed to lose much sense of things. Come, see. 

perrypawnpusher - Chess Titans
casual game, 2019

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+ 

The first example that I have found of this move appeared in the American Chess Magazine of June 1899, in a satirical piece titled "A CHESS SCRAP" by "R.F.", which presented a supposed new-fangled thing - a chess game played over the telephone. The move is not a joke, however.

Interestingly enough, when I reported on last year's game against Chess Titans, I noted

I was pretty sure that my opponent was not seriously booked up on the Jerome Gambit, and that the killer move 8...Qh4+!? was not going to show up now.

Back then, it played the insufficient 8...g6. This time, it appeared to be better prepared.

9.g3 Nf3+ 

Black can quietly remove his Queen to f6, but the text is more aggressive.

10.Kf1

I have also played 10.Kd1: perrypawnpusher - electrahan, blitz, FICS, 2009 (1-0, 35); perrypawnpusher - Banassi, blitz, FICS, 2009 (1-0, 28); perrypawnpusher - fortytwooz, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 11); perrypawnpusher - javistas, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 11); and perrypawnpusher - thinan, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 11).

The text is best, but, it still leaves Black better.

10...Nxh2+

As I have suggested, "Black can get away with this, but it is not best."

I actually met 10...Qh3+ (likely a mouse slip) twice, perrypawnpusher - rjbriggs, blitz, FICS, 2011(1-0, 10) and perrypawnpusher - inansoy, blitz, FICS, 2014 (1-0, 51).

I have had trouble in the past with 10...Qh6 -  perrypawnpusher - Temmo, Jerome Gambit thematic, ChessWorld.net, 2008 (0-1, 43) and 10...Qf6 -  perrypawnpusher - james042665, blitz, FICS, 2008, (0-1, 18); and perrypawnpusher - HarlemKnight, blitz, FICS, 2014}(0-1, 24).

I was familiar with the text move, having found it in the game Born Loser - NN, 2005 (1-0, 37) in White's unique book, Unorthodox Chess (2005).

11.Kg2

11...Qd8 

An odd move. I have faced a number of alternatives:

11...Qg4 (probably best) in perrypawnpusher - jgknight, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 68);

11...Nf6 12.gxh4 in perrypawnpusher - mikelars, blitz, FICS 2011 (1-0, 12);

11...Qe7 12.Qd5 checkmate, perrypawnpusher - intssed, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 12);

11...Qh6 in perrypawnpusher - JTIV, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 32); 

11...Qf6 in perrypawnpusher - IlToscano, Chess.com, 2016 (1-0, 18); and

11...Ne7 in perrypawnpusher - constipatedguru, blitz, FICS, 2017 (1-0, 20)

12.Qd5+ 

This move is good and easy to find. After the game, however, Stockfish 10 recommended that I ignore both the Bishop on c5 and the Knight on h2, at least at first, and play 12.Nc3!? The point is that neither Black piece can move to safety effectively - and a couple of possible Bishop moves would lead to checkmate in 2 or 3 moves.

The computer recommends 12...Nf6, which falls right away to the fork 13.e5+. The alternative, 12...Qe8, simply allows 13.Qd5+, and the Bishop will fall next move, and the Knight soon thereafter. White is better, in any event, but the computer is always looking for a "better better."

12...Ke7 13.Qxc5+ d6 

[to be continued]

Jerome Gambit: How Much Do You See?

In a game with a time limit of 1 minute, no increment, you have to rely on a quick assessment of the board. It helps if you have had similar positions in past games, if you are familiar with relevant strategic and tactical themes, and if you have confidence in your ability to make your way through a complicated game.

angelcamina demonstrates.

angelcamina - danyielmagicianul
1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2019

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

angelcamina has also faced 8...N8e7 in  angelcamina- southerngumbo, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2019 (1-0, 40)  and angelcamina - Claim1, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2019 (1-0, 31).

He met 8...Qe7 in angelcamina - mustapha1996, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2019 (1-0, 32).

9.Qe3 Nf6 10.O-O 

A small improvement over 10.Nc3, which he played in angelcamina - JsFlexWay, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2018 (1-0, 19) 

10...Qe8 

On the other hand, this is not quite as strong as 10...Ng4  that angelcamina faced in angelcamina -Kvngmicky, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2019 (1-0, 38) and angelcamina-Cubigami, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2019(1-0, 27).

11.Nc3 c6

Designed to keep White's Knight of d5, but he would have been more prudent to castle-by-hand.

12.f4 Ng4 13.Qg3 h5 

14.h3 Bd7

A bold idea, and somewhat of an explanation why he did not castle-by-hand - he wants to use his Rook on a hopefully opened h-file. Will it succeed? Will White defend adequately? In bullet games, anything can happen.

15.hxg4 

Taking the piece, trusting in his attack on the enemy King.

15...hxg4 16.d4 Qe7

17.e5

White judges that it is time to break in the center. His preparations also would allow for 17.f5!?, which is sharp, if complicated, winning another piece.

17...d5

Stockfish 10 recommends, instead, that Black continue with pressure on the Kingside, i.e. 17...Nh4 18.f5 Nxf5 19.Qxg4 Kg8 20.Bg5 Qf7 21.Rae1 Qh5 22.Qxh5 Rxh5 23.Bf4 Nxd4 24.exd6 Ne6, when it is not very concerned about White's extra, passed pawn.

18.f5 Nh4 19.Qxg4 Ke8 

He could have tried, instead, to hold on by giving up two pieces for a Rook and a pawn, with 19...Nxf5 20.Rxf5+ Bxf5 21.Qxf5+ Kg8. White would still be better, but it would be a complicated win to achieve.

White now wins the offside Knight, and concludes the game quickly.

20.Bg5 Qb4 21.Bxh4 Qxb2 22.Qg6+ Kf8 23.f6 Qxc3 24.fxg7+ Kg8 25.gxh8=Q+ Kxh8 26.Bf6 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: The Goal Is Not A Quick Draw

Here is another 1-minute, no increment game from angelcamina. White's play is calm and brutally effective.

angelcamina - halit18
1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2019

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bb4+ 

A popular solution to the fork. The Database has 313 games with this position; White scores 57%.

7.c3 Bxc3+ 8.bxc3

I think that capturing with the Knight is stronger, but the most important point in this 1-minute game is that White has a plan for how the game will progress. 

8...Nc6 9.O-O Nf6 

10.e5 Nd5 

Careless.

Stockfish 10 is not a fan of the Jerome Gambit. It recommends for Black, instead, 10...Ne8, and then sees the best outcome for White to be 11.Qf3+ Kg8 12.Qd5+ Kf8 13.Qf3+ with a draw by repetition. I can not imagine angelcamina going for that line - you do not play the Jerome Gambit in a bullet game to achieve a quick draw.

11.Qf3+ Ke8 12.Qxd5 d6 

White has an extra pawn, but what really matters is Black's vulnerable King, which can be exploited for further gain.

13.exd6 Qxd6 14.Re1+ Ne7 15.Qxd6 cxd6 16.Bg5 

Tactics.

White finishes up in short order.

16...Kd7 17.Rxe7+ Kc6 18.Nd2 h6 19.Be3 Rf8 20.c4 b6 21.d5 checkmate

Very smooth.

BSJG: An Improvement Is Not Always Enough

White is on familiar ground in the following game, and he seems quite prepared when his opponent improves on earlier defenses White has faced. Alas, for Black, he needed to continue improving, in order to win the game; and there doesn't seem to have been time for that. 

angelcamina - aldiardiansyah
1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2019

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 

The Blackburne Shilling Gambit.

4.Bxf7+ 

The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8 6.Qh5+ g6 

Instead, 6...Ke7 was punished quickly in angelcamina - umutkaraca09, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2019, (1-0, 9).

7.Nxg6 hxg6

An improvement over:

7...Nf6 in angelcamina - Skhokho1507, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2019, (1-0, 19);

7...Qf6 in angelcamina - felix_paton, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2019, (1-0, 12); and

7...Nxc2+ in angelcamina - eloali, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2019, (1-0, 30). 

8.Qxh8 Ke7

A mistake, and a losing one. At first, it looks like a mouse slip for 8...Kf7, although White would then be better after 9.Qxd4.

Black had to accept the Rook sacrifice with 8...Nxc2+ followed by 9...Nxa1, but there are times in the Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit when that is wise, and there are times when that is not very wise; in a 1-minute game, it can be hard to know which case this is.

Now White collects the Knight a d4, castles, and is a comfortable exchange and 3 pawns up.

9.Qxd4 Ke8 10.O-O Be7 

11.f4

Cold-hearted was 11.Qg7!?, but the text fits into White's plan. 

11...Nf6 12.e5 Ng4 13.f5 b6 

Drops another piece, but nothing works.

14.Qxg4 gxf5 15.Qg6+ Kf8 16.Rxf5+ Bf6 17.Rxf6+ Ke7 18.Rf7+ Ke8 19.Qg8 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: Check the Notes

Is Black's defense to the Jerome Gambit in the following game acceptable?

Of course. 

Does it give him practical chances? 

Of course. (Check the notes, and you will find a couple of draws against Bill Wall, and even a very rare win against him.)

Does Black win?

Of course not.

Once again, the defender is able to grasp loss from the jaws of victory - as so often happens in the Jerome Gambit.

Wall, Bill - Guest3172540
PlayChess.com, 2019

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Qe7 

Black has many ways to return a piece. This one activates his Queen.

7.dxc5 Qxc5 8.O-O Nf6

Or 8...d6, as in Wall, Bill - Guest927010, PlayChess.com, 2017: 9.Be3 Qc6 10.f4 Ng4 11.Bd4 Qxe4 12.Re1 Qf5 13.Nc3 N8f6 14.h3 Nh6 15.Bxf6 gxf6 16.Nd5 Be6 17.Nxc7 Qc5+ 18.Kh2 Qxc7 19.Qh5+ Kg7 20.Rxe6 Qf7 21.Qxf7+ Nxf7 22.Rae1 Rac8 23.c3 Rc7 24.Re7 Rxe7 25.Rxe7 Rb8 26.g4 h6 27.h4 a6 28.Kg3 b5 29.a3 Kf8 30.Ra7 Rb6 31.Kf3 d5 32.Ke3 Nd6 33.Kd4 Nc4 34.Kc5 Re6 35.Kxd5 Re2 36.Rxa6 Ne3+ 37.Kc5 Nxg4 38.b4 Re3 39.Kxb5 Rxc3 40.a4 Rf3 41.a5 Rxf4 42.Rc6 Ne5 43.Rc8+ Kg7 44.a6 Rf5 45.a7 Nd7+ 46.Kc6 Ne5+ 47.Kc7 Black resigned

9.Be3 Qe7 

Or

9...Qb5 as in Wall - Guest3992982, PlayChess.com, 2015 (1-0, 23); or in Wall, Bill - Guest11373407, PlayChess.com, 2019: 10.Nc3 Qxb2 11.Bd4 Nc6 12.Rb1 Qa3 13.e5 Nxd4 14.Qxd4 Ne8 15.Nd5 c5 16.Qf4+ Ke6 17.Rfd1 Qxa2 18.Qg4+ Kf7 19.Qf5+ Nf6 20.exf6 g6 21.Qf4 Qxc2 22.Qh6 Rg8 23.Re1 drawn; or

9...Qc4 as in Wall, Bill - Guest8692633, PlayChess.com, 2018:
10.Nc3 Nfg4 11.h3 Nxe3 12.fxe3+ Ke8 13.Qh5+ Ng6 14.Nb5 d6 15.b3 Qc6 16.c4 a6 17.Nc3 Be6 18.Qg5 Kd7 19.h4 Rhg8 20.Rad1 Rae8 21.e5 Qc5 22.exd6 Qxg5 23.dxc7+ Kxc7 24.hxg5 Bg4 25.Rd4 Bc8 26.Rf7+ Kb8 27.e4 Ne5 28.Rf4 Nc6 29.Rd6 Nb4 30.Rf7 h6 31.gxh6 gxh6 32.Rxh6 Nd3 33.Rh4 Rg3 34.Rf3 Rxf3 35.gxf3 Rg8+ 36.Kf1 Ne5 37.Rf4 Bh3+ 38.Ke2 Rg2+ 39.Ke3 Rc2 40.Rf8+ Ka7 41.Nd5 Rxa2 42.f4 Nd7 43.Re8 drawn; or

9...Qd6 as in Wall, Bill - Youi, lichess.org, 2017 (1-0, 24); or

9...Qc6 as in Wall, Bill - NN, lichess.org, 2016 (0-1, 30)


10.Nc3 Re8 

Or 10...Rf8 as in Wall, Bill - Guest457006, PlayChess.com, 2018: 11.f4 Neg4 12.Bd4 d6 13.e5 dxe5 14.fxe5 Nxe5 15.Qh5+ Kg8 16.Qxe5 Qxe5 17.Bxe5 c6 18.Rae1 b6 19.Bxf6 Rxf6 20.Rxf6 gxf6 21.Re8+ Kf7 22.Rd8 a5 23.Ne4 Ke7 24.Rh8 Ke6 25.Re8+ Kf5 26.Nd6+ Kf4 27.Rxc8 Rxc8 28.Nxc8 b5 29.Na7 Ke3 30.Nxc6 Black resigned

11.Re1 d6 12.f4 Neg4 13.Bd4 Kg8 

Black has castled-by-hand. If he works on his development, he can make something of his piece-for-a-pawn advantage.

White's job is to disrupt Black's plans.

14.h3 Nh6 15.g4 c5 16.Bf2 Be6 

This is a funny oversight. Often, in the Jerome Gambit, Black has to be careful that when he plays his Bishop to e6, that it doesn't become a victim to a pawn fork. This move allows a fork - of the two Knights.

17.g5 Nf7 

Possibly 17...Nxe4 18.Nxe4 Ne5 was better.

18.gxf6 Qxf6 19.f5 

19...Qg5+

Energetic, and focused on the enemy King, but possibly the start of some "smites" that are too shallowly considered.

20.Kh2 Bc4 21.b3 Qf4+ 

White's answer is sufficient. 

Black's attack on the King is an illusion, as will be seen.

22.Bg3 Qh6 23.bxc4 Ng5 24.h4 Re7 25.Qg4 Nf7 26.Nd5 Ree8 27.Bf4 Black resigned

Black's Queen is in trouble. There is an immediate defense, but, in the long run, White's pressure on the Kingside will prevail, e.g. 27...g5 28.Bxg5 Qg7 29.Qh5 Nxg5 30.hxg5 Re5 (to avoid the Knight fork) 31.Nf6+ Kh8 32.g6.