A Command of Tactics

A command of tactics is almost like having extra time on your clock, especially in fast games.

See the following game as an example.

angelcamina - baptistedechandon

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2025

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bc5

The Italian Four Knights game 

5.Bxf7+ 

The Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.

The Database has 284 games by angelcamina that have this sacrifice. He scores 60%.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 Bxd4 8.Qxd4 Qe7 

Black's defense is sufficient - for now.

9.O-O Rf8 10.f4 Nc6

He has also faced 10...Neg4 11.e5 Nh5 12.h3 Nh6 13.f5 Kg8 14.Bxh6 gxh6 15.Qg4+ Ng7 16.f6 Qc5+ 17.Kh1 Rf7 18.fxg7 Rxg7 19.Qf4 d6 20.Qf8 checkmate, angelcamina - Bellerophon1, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2021

11.Qc4+ Qe6 

A weaker defense: 11...Ke8 12.b3 d6 13.Ba3 Be6 14.Qa4 Bd7 15.Rae1 Ne5 16.Qd4 Neg4 17.e5 dxe5 18.fxe5 Qxa3 19.exf6+ Kd8 20.Re7 Nxf6 21.Rxf6 Qc1+ 22.Nd1 Kxe7 23.Rxf8 Rxf8 24.Qxg7+ Kd8 25.Qxf8+ Be8 26.Qf6+ Kc8 27.Qe6+ Bd7 28.Qg8+ Be8 29.Qxe8 checkmate, angelcamina - BedirMan, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2024 

12.Nd5 

Earlier games:

12.Qa4 Kg8 13.Bd2 d6 14.Rae1 Bd7 15.f5 Qe8 16.Qb3+ Kh8 17.Nd5 Nd4 18.Qc3 Nxd5 19.Qxd4 Nf6 20.Bc3 a6 21.e5 dxe5 22.Rxe5 Bc6 23.Rxe8 Raxe8 24.Re1 Rxe1+ 25.Bxe1 Re8 26.Bc3 Kg8 27.g4 Kh8 28.g5 Rd8 29.gxf6 Rxd4 30.fxg7+ Kxg7 31.Bxd4+ Kh6 32.Kf2 Kg5 33.f6 Kf5 34.Ke3 Be4 35.c3 Bd5 36.b3 Bf7 37.h3 c6 38.Kf3 b6 39.Bxb6 c5 40.Bxc5 h6 41.Bd4 h5 42.h4 Bg6 43.Kg3 Bf7 44.c4 Be6 White resigned, angelcamina - Naguro, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2019; and

12.Qe2 Kg8 13.f5 Ne8 14.fxe6 Black resigned, angelcamina - abhishek_927, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2020.

12...Nxd5 

A reflexive response, turning the advantage over to White. Remember, this is a 1-minute game. 

Stockfish 17.1 suggests 12...b5 13.Qxb5 Rb8 

13.exd5 Qf6 14.dxc6+ Qe6 15.Qxe6+ dxe6 16.cxb7 Bxb7 

White has an extra pawn, and a better pawn structure. Remove the Rooks, however, and the Bishops-of-opposite colors would be drawish.

17.Bd2 Kg8 18.Bc3 Rf5 19.Rad1 Raf8 20.Rd7 

Black focuses his forces on an enemy pawn, while White focuses on the enemy King.

20...Rxf4 

When the clock allows a second or two of thinking per move, it is possible to miss that this move allows checkmate. Necessary was 20...R8f7. 

21.Rxg7+ 

White will execute what is called a windmill.

21...Kh8 22.Rxc7+ 

White sees the coming checkmate.

Readers who saw 22.Rxf4 e5 23.Rg3 Rf6 24.Rxf6 Bd5 25.Rf8+ Bg8 26.Bxe5#, good for you.

22...Kg8 23.Rg7+ Kh8 24.Rxb7+ Kg8 25.Rg7+ Kh8 

26.Rxf4 Rxf4 27.Rf7+ e5 28.Bxe5+ Rf6 29.Rxf6 White won on time

A possible ending, if the clock had allowed: 29...Kg7 30.c4 a5 31.c5 a4 32.c6 a3 33.bxa3 Kg8 34.c7 h6 35.c8Q+ Kh7 36.Qf8 h5 37.Rh6 checkmate

Boris-Trapsky Makes A Return Visit

                                  

The computer program Boris-Trapsky makes a return visit to this blog. It plays a Jerome-like opening, with interesting games in the notes.

Boris-Trapsky - TORRESLID

15 0 rapid, lichess.org, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nc3 Nc6 4.Bc4 Bc5 

The Italian Four Knights Opening.

If White now sacrifices its Bishop, it becomes the Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.

By the way, Boris-Trapsky is a computer chess program which has a "human" feel to it, occasionally a "coffeehouse" feel. See "Jerome Gambit: Boris-Trapsky [Parts 1 & 2]"

5.Na4 

The online site Schachzeit indicates that after this move, Black's position is about 1/2 pawn better.

The most recent example I have found, at Chess.com is a game between Mikhail Bryakin (2820) and Theodore Slade (2469) from 2024: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Nc3 Nf6 5.Na4 Nxe4 6.Nxc5 Nxc5 7.O-O O-O 8.b4 Nxb4 9.Nxe5 d5 10.Be2 Nc6 11.Nxc6 bxc6 12.Ba3 Ne4 13.Bxf8 Qxf8 14.Bf3 Bf5 15.d3 Nf6 16.Qd2 Rb8 17.Rab1 Rb6 18.Qa5 Qb8 19.Rb3 Be6 20.Re1 d4 21.Rxb6 axb6 22.Qe5 c5 23.a4 Nd7 24.Qe4 Qa7 25.Qc6 g6 26.Rxe6 fxe6 27.Qxe6+ Kh8 28.Qe8+ Kg7 29.Qxd7+ 1-0 

The earliest game example with the line that I have found is the correspondence game Roszkowski - Van der Kooij, Jaap, corr ICCF, 1982: 1.Nc3 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.e4 Nf6 4.Bc4 Bc5 5.Na4 Nxe4 6.O-O Nxf2 7.Rxf2 Bxf2+ 8.Kxf2 d5 9.Bb5 Qf6 10.d3 a6 11.Bg5 Qd6 12.Bxc6+ Qxc6 13.c4 Bg4 14.cxd5 Qxd5 15.Nc3 Qe6 16.Qa4+ c6 17.Nxe5 Bh5 18.Qh4 O-O 19.Nf3 Bxf3 20.gxf3 f6 21.Re1 fxg5 22.Qxg5 Qf5 23.Qxf5 Rxf5 24.Re7 Rf7 25.Re6 Raf8 26.Re3 g5 27.h3 Rd8 28.Ke2 Kf8 29.Kd2 Re7 30.Ne4 h6 31.Re1 b6 32.Rc1 c5 33.a3 Red7 34.Nf2 Rd4 35.Re1 Kf7 36.b3 c4 37.bxc4 Rxc4 38.Ng4 Kf8 39.Nxh6 Rh4 40.Re6 Rxh3 41.Ke3 Re8 42.Rxe8+ Kxe8 43.Ng4 Ke7 44.Ne5 Ke6 45.Kd4 Rh4+ 46.Ng4 Kf5 47.Kd5 Kf4 48.Ne5 Rh8 49.d4 Rc8 50.Ke6 Rc3 51.a4 Ra3 52.Ng6+ Kxf3 53.d5 Rxa4 54.Ne5+ Ke4 55.d6 Rd4 56.d7 a5 57.Nc4 Rxd7 58.Kxd7 a4 59.Kc6 g4 60.Kxb6 g3 61.Kb5 g2 62.Nd2+ Kf4 63.Kxa4 g1=Q 64.Kb3 Qc1 65.Nc4 Ke4 66.Na3 Kd3 0-1

Back to Boris-Trapsky. It has also played 5.d3 h6 6.O-O a6 7.a3 d6 8.h3 Bd7 9.Nd5 Nxd5 10.Bxd5 Qf6 11.h4 Bg4 12.Be3 O-O 13.Rb1 Bxf3 14.Qxf3 Qxh4 15.g3 Qh3 16.Bxc5 dxc5 17.Qf5 Qxf5 18.exf5 Nd4 19.Bxb7 Ra7 20.Be4 g5 21.Kg2 g4 22.f6 Ne6 23.Rh1 Ng5 24.Rxh6 Black resigned, Boris-Trapsky - Titusse, lichess.org, 2025. 

5...Na5 

A fanciful reply.

The computer program has seen different responses, starting with the strongest:

5...Nxe4 6.Nxc5 Nxc5 7.d4 d5 8.Bb5 exd4 9.Qxd4 Qe7+ 10.Be3 Ne6 11.Qxd5 O-O 12.Be2 Rd8 13.Qc4 Qb4+ 14.c3 Qxb2 15.Rc1 Black resigned, Boris-Trapsky - Ver-Bliten, lichess.org, 2024; 

5...Bd6 6.O-O a6 7.Nc3 b5 8.Bb3 Bb7 9.d3 a5 10.Nxb5 a4 11.Bc4 Na5 12.Nxd6+ cxd6 13.Bb5 Bc6 14.c4 Bxb5 15.cxb5 O-O 16.Be3 d5 17.exd5 Nxd5 18.Qxa4 Nc6 19.Qc4 Nce7 20.Nxe5 Nxe3 21.fxe3 Rc8 22.Qb3 Qe8 23.Rf3 d6 24.Nxf7 Rxf7 25.Raf1 Rc1 26.Rxf7 Rxf1+ 27.Rxf1+ Kh8 28.Qf7 Qxf7 29.Rxf7 Nd5 30.Rf8 checkmate, Boris-Trapsky - Tony_Litchfield, lichess.org, 2025; and 

5...d6 6.Nxc5 dxc5 7.d3 Ng4 8.Ng5 h6 9.Bxf7+ Kf8 10.Ne6+ Kxf7 11.Nxd8+ Nxd8 12.f4 exf4 13.Bxf4 Nc6 14.O-O g5 15.Be5+ Ke6 16.Bxh8 Bd7 17.Qxg4+ Black resigned, Boris-Trapsky - luv_shawty, lichess.org, 2025 

6.Bxf7+ 

6...Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ 

Jerome-ish, but capturing the Bishop was stronger.

7...Kg8 8.Nxc5 Nxe4 

Possibly a time error.

Earlier, the computer program faced 8... d6 9. b4 dxc5 10. d3 c4 11. dxc4 Nxc4 12. Qxd8+ Black resigned, Boris-Trapsky - OrkishPoem, lichess.org, 2024.

 9.Nxe4 Qe8 10.O-O 

Taking no chances.

10...Qxe5 11.Nc3 d5 12.Re1 

White has the win well in hand.

12...Qxh2+ 

Desperation - or a spite check?

13.Kxh2 h5 14.Re8+ Kf7 15.Rxh8 Black resigned

Not Regarded to Be A Very Good Move (Part 2)

 

[continued from the previous post]

perrypawnpusher - Serega40

Italian opning rapid players, Chess.com, 2025

15.c5 

I looked at the somewhat better 15.Qb3, but decided upon the text move in order to fix Black's pawns on the same color squares as his Bishop.

15...c6 16.f3 Ng6 17.fxe4 Bxe4 

Black has improved the placement of his Bishop, but the game is still even.

Remove the Queens, Rooks and Knights, and there is a standard, drawn, Bishops-of-opposite-colors endgame.

An opposite-colored-Bishops middlegame often tilts toward the player with the more aggressively placed Bishop - which is the reason for my next move, to get my Queen out.

18.Qg4 Qe7 19.Bg5 Qe8 20.Rfe1 

20...h6 21.Nxe4 dxe4 22.Rxe4 Qf7 23.Be3 Qf5 

Black is thinking about splitting the point, too.

White's extra pawn is backward on an open file, and is on a dark square, helping create a "bad" Bishop vs a "good" Knight. 

24.Qxf5 Rxf5 25.Rf1 Raf8 

After the game, Stockfish 17.1 suggested that Black's Rook hop onto the d5 square, later exchanging places with the Knight to sustain the blockade: 25...Rd5 26.Kf2 Rd7 27.Ke2 Ne7 28.Bf4 Rf8 29.Be5 Rxf1 30.Kxf1 Nd5. White would technically be a bit better, and a master could probably grind out a win, but at our level of club play, it probably wouldn't change things. 

26.Rxf5 Rxf5 27.Rg4 Kf7 28.Re4

Here, my opponent offered a draw, and I accepted.

All in all, I think I prefer the Jerome.

Not Regarded to Be A Very Good Move (Part 1)

My record with the following gambit (arguably a relative of the Jerome Gambit) is rather ordinary, 1 - 1 - 1 against humans, and 2 - 0 against (rather lightweight) Chess.com bots.

perrypawnpusher - Serega40

Italian opning rapid players, Chess.com, 2025

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 

The Two Knights defense

4.Nc3 Nxe4 5.Bxf7+ 

The Noa Gambit, otherwise known as the Monck Gambit, otherwise known as the Open Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit. 

"Not regarded to be a very good move" according to International Master Alex Astaneh, in his video Italian Game | Noa Gambit | Four Knights Game | Chess Openings | Alex Astaneh.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe4 d5 

There was the unusual 6...b5 7.Nfg5+ Kg8 8.Qf3 h5 9.Qf7 checkmate, in perrypawnpusher - Chidobe Awuzie bot, Chess.com, 2023. 

7.Ng3 e4 

Calmer was 7...Bc5 8.O-O Qf6 9.d3 Rd8 10.Bg5 Qd6 11.Bxd8 Qxd8 12.Re1 Bg4 13.h3 Bxf2+ 14.Kxf2 Bxf3 15.Qxf3+ Kg8 16.Kg1 Rb8 17.Rf1 Qf8 18.Qxf8+ Rxf8 19.Rxf8+ Kxf8 20.Rf1+ Ke7 21.Nf5+ Kf6 22.Nd4+ Ke7 23.Nxc6+ bxc6 24.Kf2 g5 25.Ke3 h5 26.Rf5 a5 27.Rxg5 Kf6 28.Rxh5 Ke6 29.g4 Ke7 30.Rxe5+ Kd6 31.Kf4 Kd7 32.g5 Kd6 33.g6 a4 34.g7 a3 35.bxa3 Kc5 36.g8=Q Kb6 37.Qb8+ Ka6 38.Re6 Ka5 39.Qb4+ Ka6 40.Rxc6+ Ka7 41.Rxc7+ Ka6 42.Qb8 Ka5 43.Ra7 checkmate, perrypawnpusher - Anthony bot, Chess.com 2024 

8.Ng1 Bc5 

Or 8...g6 as in perrypawnpusher - RemoveKubab1, Italian Game Battlegrounds tournament, Chess.com, 2019 (1 - 0, 30); or

8...Qf6 as in perrypawnpusher - vityas81, Chess.com, 2023 (0 - 1, 16)

9.N1e2 Rf8 10.O-O Kg8 

Black has castled by hand, has better central control and more active pieces. 

On a brighter note, Stockfish 17.1 sees the opening at least a pawn better for White than my favorite Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+).

11.d4 

At this point in the game, my thinking was Probably best is 11.d3, to be met by 11...exd3, which Black can transpose to if he now captures White's d-pawn in passing, after 11.d4.

Alas, Black now does not have to capture the d-pawn, as he has a much better move to play. It was White's threat to capture on e4, after 11.d3, that encouraged Black's pawn exchange. 

Ah, the things I learn after the game is over.

11...Bd6 12.c4 

Played like I knew what I was doing.

12...Bxg3 

I was okay to play 12...dxc4. White probably can not get the pawn back. 

13.Nxg3 Bf5 

Again, Black passes up the c-pawn.

The game is about even, according to Stockfish 17.1 (34 ply).

14.Be3 Ne7 

See the notes after Black's 12th and 13th moves.

Still, I think that adding to piece development cannot be wrong.

[to be continued]

Jerome Gambit History: The Board Game Xpert

The Board Game Xpert has a new video out on our favorite opening: "What is the History of the Jerome Gambit?"

The site has many other interesting videos - but, start with this one.

Jerome Gambit: Fingerfehler?

I have said many times on this blog that the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) is a refuted chess opening.

Nonetheless, it creates enough chaos on the board that a prepared and observant first player can often emerge victorious.

The lichess.org player angelcamina does very well with the Jerome, even with a time control of 1 minute per game.

About the following game we can only say, as Horace wrote in his Ars Poetica, that Even Homer sometimes nods

angelcamina - AChessAccount123

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f3 

White's rare last move is a bit of a head-scratcher.

Looking at The Database, there are 2,757 games with the alternative 7.Qf5+, and 2,822 games with the alternative 7.f4.

There are only 15 games with 7.f3.

The Database shows that angelcamina has played 7.Qf5+ 40 times, and 7.f4 54 times.

He has played 7.f3 3 times.

So, maybe the move in the game was intentional, perhaps experimental; maybe it was a finger slip.

7...Nf6 

Or 7...Qf6 8.c3 Bb6 9.d4 Nd3+ 10.Ke2 Nxc1+ 11.Rxc1 Ne7 12.Nd2 g6 13.d5+ Kf7 14.Qh6 d6 15.Rf1 Bd7 16.Rae1 Ng8 Black resigned, angelcamina - robinlourme, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2020. 

A clue to the position and game: it should be noted that White can not capture on e5 on move 9, which would have been possible after 7.f4.

8.Qf5+ Kf7 

Or 8...Kd6 9.f4 (9.b4 Bxb4 10.c3 Ba5 11.d4 Nc6 12.Ba3+ Nb4 13.cxb4 Ke7 14.bxa5+ d6 15.e5 Bxf5 16.exf6+ Kxf6 17.Nd2 Re8+ 18.Kf2 Bd3 19.Rae1 Qd7 20.Ne4+ Bxe4 21.Rxe4 Rxe4 22.fxe4 Qa4 23.Bc1 Qc2+ 24.Kg3 Qxe4 25.Rf1+ Kg6 26.Rf4 Qd3+ 27.Rf3 Qxd4 28.h4 h5 29.Be3 Qg4+ 30.Kf2 Qxh4+ 31.Rg3+ Kh7 32.Bg5 Rf8+ 33.Kg1 Qxg3 34.Be7 Rf2 White resigned, DutchLiLi - cchiluba, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2024) 9...Neg4 10.e5+ Kc6 11.exf6 Re8+ 12.Kd1 Nxf6 13.Nc3 d6 14.d4 Bxf5 15.d5+ Nxd5 White resigned, angelcamina - Charona, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2019 

9.Qxe5 d6 10.Qg3 Nh5 White resigned

The White Queen s attacked and can not escape.

Jerome Gambit: Was the Clock A Factor?

The following Jerome Gambit game raises the question - was the clock a factor in the defender's errors? 

The answer, usually, is yes.

feritTurkey - amrmostafa150

2 1 bullet, lichess.org, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nc6 3.Nf3 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.O-O 

Having dragged Black's King into danger, White takes a moment to safeguard his own King.

There are 126 games in The Database with 8.O-O. White scores 45%.

By comparison, there are 1,623 games in The Database with the alternative, 8.f4. White scores 60%.

8...Ne7 9.Qf4 Rf8 10.Qg3 

10...g6 

Black's g-pawn is no longer at risk. 

He should have considered getting his King to safety, starting with 10...Ke6.  

11.c3 Bb6 12.d4 

This is an interesting position: Black has two extra pieces, White has two extra pawns; Black's King is in danger, White's King is safely tucked away.

Stockfish 17.1 assesses the position to be about a pawn better for White.

12...c6 

Safety is paramount: the King needed to go to c6, not the pawn - 12...Kc6

Was the clock a factor?

13.Qxe5 checkmate