Carlos Azcarate Wins Tourney

As predicted (see "Carlos Azcarate Topping Ninja Knights T3") Carlos Azcarate took first place in the 13-player, double round robin Ninja Knights T3 (Jerome Gambit) tournament at ChessWorld scoring 79% – 19 wins out of 24 games.

He was followed closely by casker with 18.5 points, braken with 18 points and drewbear with 17.5 points. Next came Piratepaul with and delboy138 each with 16 points, although Piratepaul's score (2-0) in their individual encounters would seem to put him ahead on tie-breaks.

I am hoping to be able to bring you the best and most interesting games played in the tournament over the next few weeks.

graphic by Jeff Bucchino, "The Wizard of Draws"

Jerome Gambit Tournament: Chapter XVIII

Here is my last game of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) thematic tournament – and a good thing, too.

I was very lucky in this game, getting away with playing "routine" moves – several of which could have been punished, if my opponent had been a bit less "routine" himself.

Still, as noted in "Overrated!" the win here gave me a final score of 16 - 2, and first place in the tournament by three points.

brain50 - perrypawnpusher
JG3 thematic www.chessworld.net, 2008

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


As noted elsewhere ("Jerome Gambit Tournament: Chapter XV"), brain50's main line for the tournament.

5...exd4


5...Nxd4 6.Nxe5+ Kf8 7.Nc3 d6 8.Nc4 Qf6 9.0–0 Be6 10.e5 dxe5 11.Ne4 Qe7 12.h3 h6 13.Be3 Bxc4 14.Nxc5 Bxf1 15.Qxf1 Qxc5 16.Kh1 Qd6 White lost on time, brain50 - Kevin the fruitbat, JG3 thematic www.chessworld.net 2008

5...Bxd4 6.Nxd4 Nxd4 7.Qh5+ Kf8 8.Na3 d6 9.c3 Nf6 10.Qg5 Ne6 11.Nc4 Nxg5 12.Bxg5 h6 13.Be3 Nxe4 14.0–0 g5 15.h3 Be6 16.Na3 Ke7 17.Nb5 a6 18.f3 Ng3 19.Na3 Kd7 20.Rfd1 Qe7 21.Bc5 b6 22.Bf2 Ne2+ White resigned, brain50 - blackburne/JG3 thematic www.chessworld.net 2008

6.0-0

6.c3 Qe7 7.0–0 Ne5 8.Ng5+ Ke8 9.Qh5+ g6 10.Qh4 d6 11.f4 dxc3+ 12.Kh1 h6 13.fxe5 dxe5 14.Rf7 Qd6 15.Nxc3 Bb4 16.a3 Bxc3 White lost on time, brain50 - Temmo, JG3 thematic www.chessworld.net 2008

6...d6

6...Nge7 7.Ng5+ Kg8 8.Qh5 g6 9.Qf3 Ne5 10.Qf4 d6 11.Nd2 Kg7 12.Ndf3 Rf8 13.Qh4 h6 14.Nh3 Nxf3+ 15.gxf3 h5 16.Qg5 Bxh3 17.Qh6+ Kg8 18.Re1 Rf7 19.Qd2 d5 20.e5 Nc6 21.e6 Rxf3 22.Qh6 Qf6 23.Bg5 Qf5 24.Bh4 d3 25.Be7 Qg4+ 26.Kh1 Qg2 checkmate, brain50 - Sir Osis of the Liverm JG3 thematic www.chessworld.net 2008

6...d5 7.Ng5+ Kf8 8.Qf3+ Nf6 9.exd5 Qxd5 10.Ne4 Qxe4 11.Qb3 b6 12.Bg5 Bb7 13.Nd2 Qg4 14.Bxf6 gxf6 15.Qf3 Rg8 16.Qxf6+ Ke8 17.Rfe1+ Ne7 18.Kf1 Bxg2+ 19.Kg1 Bf3+ 20.Kf1 Qg2 checkmate,Temmo - Kevin the fruitbat, JG3 thematic www.chessworld.net 2008

7.Nbd2


7.Bf4 Ke8 8.c3 dxc3 9.Nxc3 Be6 10.h3 Nf6 11.g4 h6 12.Kg2 Qe7 13.Na4 Rd8 14.Nxc5 Bc8 15.Nd4 Nxd4 16.Qxd4 dxc5 17.Qa4+ c6 18.Rae1 Kf7 19.e5 Nd5 20.Bg3 Nb6 21.e6+ Bxe6 22.Qf4+ Qf6 23.Qc7+ Qe7 24.Kh2 Qxc7 25.Bxc7 Rd2 26.Kg1 Rxb2 27.Bd6 Rxa2 28.Kg2 Bd5+ 29.Kg3 c4 30.Re7+ Kg6 31.h4 Ra3+ 32.f3 Ra2 33.h5+ Kf6 34.Rxb7 Re8 35.Bf4 Re7 36.Be3 Rxb7 37.g5+ hxg5 White resigned, brain50 - Gary_Seven,JG3 thematic www.chessworld.net 2008

7.Re1 Nf6 8.Ng5+ Kf8 9.e5 dxe5 10.c3 d3 11.Bd2 Bg4 12.Qb3 Qd7 13.Na3 h6 14.h3 hxg5 15.hxg4 Nxg4 16.Rf1 Qf5 17.Rae1 Nxf2 18.g3 Rh1+ 19.Kg2 Qh3+ 20.Kf3 g4 White resigned, brain50 - hogmaster, JG3 thematic www.chessworld.net 2008

Rybka suggests 7.c3 dxc3 8.Nxc3 with an advantage to Black.

7...Nf6 TN

Black is a piece up, his King will soon be castled-by-hand, and a nice, calm game would suit me fine.
7...Bg4 8.Re1 Ne5 9.h3 Nxf3+ 10.Nxf3 Be6 11.Ng5+ Ke7 12.e5 d5 13.Kh1 h6 14.Qh5 Qe8 15.Qh4 Kd7 16.Nf3 Ne7 17.Bf4 g5 18.Bxg5 hxg5 White lost on time. brain50 - drewbear, JG3 thematic www.chessworld.net 2008

8.Nc4 Re8 9.Qe2 Rxe4

This capture is a blunder and should drop a Rook: the proper move is 9...Nxe4
10.Qd3

Simply 10.Ng5+ followed by 11.Nxe4 puts White back into the game.
10...Kg8 11.Bg5 Re8 12.Rae1 Bd7

White is better developed, but with nothing going on, Black has a chance to catch up -- and he does have that extra piece.

13.Rxe8+ Bxe8 14.Re1 Bf7 15.Bxf6 Qxf6 16.h3 Re8 17.Rxe8+ Bxe8



18.Kh2 Ne5

Again, throwing away a piece. Developing with the simple 18...Bg6 was better.

19.Nfxe5
Unfortunately capturing with the wrong Knight. 19.Ncxe5 Kf8 (19...dxe5 20.Qc4+ Bf7 21.Qxc5) 20.Nc4 left Black with only a small advantage.
19...dxe5 20.a3 e4 21.Qxe4 Bc6 22.Qg4 Qxf2 23.Ne5 Bd6

24.Qc8+ Qf8 25.Qxf8+
Trading Queens is the equivalent of resigning, although after the better 25.Qe6+, protecting the pinned Knight, Black still is losing.
25...Kxf8 White resigns.

London Calling... Three Months of Blog

This Jerome Gambit blog has been up three months, with daily posts.

Visitors have stopped by from the following countries: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, India, Ireland, Italy, Ivory Coast, Japan, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, and the United States.

Readers' comments are always welcome, as are any history, games or analysis you would care to share. In return I can send a PGN file of the first 210 games posted (or referred to) at this site (see "Looking for a few good Jerome Gambit games...")

The Abrahams Jerome Gambit (Part II)

While it is probably best in the Abrahams Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Bxf7+) – see "The Abrahams Jerome Gambit (Part I)" – for Black to play, after 3...Kxf7 4.Qh5+ the safe move 4...Kf8, there is also the possibility that, for whatever reason, he might play the Jerome-ish 4...Ke6.

Here are a few games that show what might happen next.

magilla - reyrm1041559926
net-chess.com 2003

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Bxf7+ Kxf7 4.Qh5+ Ke6

5.Qf5+

5.Qg4+ Kf6 ( 5...Ke7 6.Qxg7+ Kd6 7.Qxh8 Bxf2+ 8.Kxf2 Qf8+ 9.Nf3 Nc6 10.Nc3 b6 11.Nb5+ Ke7 12.Nxc7 Rb8 13.d3 Nf6 14.Qxf8+ Kxf8 15.Bh6+ Ke7 16.Bg5 Nb4 17.Bxf6+ Kxf6 18.g4 h6 19.Nd5+ Nxd5 20.exd5 d6 21.Rhg1 Bb7 22.g5+ hxg5 23.Nxg5 Bxd5 24.Raf1 Ke7 25.Ke3 Rh8 26.c4 Bc6 27.Rf7+ Ke8 28.Rxa7 Rxh2 29.Nf3 Rh3 30.Rg8 checkmate, magilla - parkin, net-chess.com 2003; 5...Kf7 6.Qf5+ Qf6 7.Qxf6+ Nxf6 8.Nc3 Rf8 9.h3 Kg8 10.Nf3 b6 11.0-0 Bd6 12.Nb5 Nxe4 13.Re1 Bb7 14.d3 Nc5 15.Nxe5 Re8 16.Bf4 a6 17.Nxd6 cxd6 18.Nc4 Rf8 19.Bxd6 Nc6 20.Bxf8 Rxf8 21.Nxb6 Nd4 22.Re5 d6 23.Re7 Bc6 24.b4 Na4 25.Nxa4 Bxa4 26.c4 Rb8 27.Rae1 Rxb4 28.Rc7 h6 29.Ree7 Rb8 30.Rxg7+ Kh8 31.Rh7+ Kg8 32.Rxh6 Rf8 33.Rxd6 Ne2+ 34.Kf1 Nc3 35.Rxa6 Bc2 36.d4 Bd3+ 37.Ke1 Re8+ 38.Kd2 Black resigned, trabantx - fonix, http://www.gameknot.com 2004) 6.Qh4+ g5 7.Qh3 d6 8.Qf3+ Kg6 9.Nh3 h6 10.Qb3 Nc6 11.Nc3 Nd4 12.Qa4 Be6 13.0-0 Bxh3 14.gxh3 Nf3+ 15.Kh1 Nf6 16.Nd5 Rf8 17.Nxf6 Rxf6 18.Qb3 Qc8 19.a4 Qxh3 20.Qxf3 Qxf1 checkmate, magilla - parkin, net-chess.com 2003;

5.Nc3 Nf6 6.Qf5+ Kf7 7.Qxe5 Bd6 8.Qf5 Qe7 9.d3 c6 10.Nf3 Bc7 11.e5 g6 12.Qf4 Re8 13.d4 Kg8 14.0-0 Nh5 15.Qh6 Qg7 16.Qg5 Bd8 17.Qe3 d6 18.Qd3 Bf5 19.Qc4+ d5 20.Qe2 Bg4 21.h3 Bxf3 22.Qxf3 Qf7 23.Qg4 Ng7 24.Be3 Qf5 25.Qe2 Nd7 26.Na4 b5 27.g4 Qe6 28.Nc3 Bb6 29.b4 Rf8 30.Bh6 Bxd4 31.Qd3 Qxe5 32.Rae1 Qf6 33.Nd1 Ne5 34.Qg3 Nf3+ 35.Kh1 Nxe1 36.Rxe1 Bxf2 37.Nxf2 Qxf2 38.Qc7 Qxe1+ 39.Kh2 Rf2+ White resigned, coder3 - manhattan, www.GameKnot.com 2003;

5.Nf3 Qf6 6.Qe8+ ( 6.Nc3 g6 7.Qh3+ Kf7 8.Nd5 Qd6 9.Ng5+ Kg7 10.Qf3 Nh6 11.0-0 c6 12.Nc3 Bd4 13.Ne2 Rf8 14.Qh3 Qf6 15.Nf3 d6 16.Qg3 Na6 17.c3 Bb6 18.d4 exd4 19.cxd4 Bc7 20.Bg5 Qf7 21.e5 Nf5 22.Qh3 h5 23.Bf6+ Kg8 24.Ng5 Nxd4 25.Qd3 Nxe2+ 26.Qxe2 Qe8 27.f4 d5 28.h3 Bd8 29.Bxd8 Qxd8 30.e6 Qe7 31.Qc2 Qf6 32.Rae1 Re8 33.h4 Bxe6 34.Nxe6 Rxe6 35.Rxe6 Qxe6 36.f5 gxf5 37.Rxf5 Qe1+ 38.Rf1 Qe6 39.Rf5 Qe3+ 40.Kh2 Qe4 41.Rg5+ Kf7 42.Qf2+ Ke6 43.Rxh5 Rg8 44.g3 Re8 45.Rh6+ Kd7 46.Qxa7 Kc8 47.Qf2 Nc7 48.Qf7 Qg4 49.Rf6 Kb8 50.Rf4 Qe2+ 51.Kh3 Nb5 52.Rb4 d4 53.Qf4+ Qe5 54.Qc1 Qf5+ 55.Kh2 Re2+ 56.Kh1 Qf3+ 57.Kg1 Qg2 checkmate, okchess - knightplay, www.GameKnot.com 2006) 6...Kd6 7.Qxc8 Kc6 8.a3 g6 9.b4 Ne7 10.Qxh8 Qxh8 11.bxc5 Kxc5 12.a4 d5 13.Ba3+ Kc6 14.Bxe7 dxe4 15.Ng5 e3 16.Ra3 exf2+ 17.Kxf2 Kd7 18.Bd8 Nc6 19.Nf7 Qf8 20.Rf3 Qc5+ 21.d4 exd4 22.Rd3 Qxc2+ 23.Rd2 Qf5+ 24.Kg3 Qxf7 25.Bh4 Qb3+ 26.Kg4 Rf8 27.g3 Qf3+ 28.Kh3 Qxh1 White resigned, deeperinside - prepe, www.GameKnot.com 2004
5...Kd6

6.Nf3

6.Nc3 Qf6 7.Nb5+ Kc6 8.Qxf6+ Nxf6 9.a4 Nxe4 10.d3 Nxf2 11.d4 Nxh1 12.dxc5 Rf8 13.Be3 Na6 14.0-0-0 Nf2 15.Bxf2 Rxf2 16.Nf3 d6 17.c3 Bg4 18.b4 Rd8 19.Nxa7+ Kd7 20.Nxe5+ Ke7 21.Nxg4 Rxg2 22.Ne3 Rxh2 23.cxd6+ cxd6 24.Nf5+ Kf6 25.Nxd6 Kg6 26.Rg1+ Kh5 27.Nab5 g6 28.Nxb7 Rdd2 29.Nd4 g5 30.b5 Nb8 31.Nd6 Nd7 32.Ne4 Ra2 33.Rxg5+ Kh4 34.Nf3+ Kh3 35.Rg3 checkmate, magilla - tbear, net-chess.com 2003;

6.Qf7 Ne7 7.d4 Bxd4 8.Bg5 Bxb2 9.Bxe7+ Kc6 10.Qd5+ Kb6 11.Qb3+ Kc6 12.Bxd8 Bxa1 13.Qc4+ Black resigned, hennybogan1954 - jesse220, www.GameKnot.com 2005;

6.b4 Bd4 7.c3 Bb6 8.Ba3 c5 9.bxc5+ Bxc5 10.Bxc5+ Kxc5 11.Qxe5+ d5 12.exd5 Nf6 13.Qd4+ Kd6 14.c4 Re8+ 15.Ne2 Bg4 16.f3 Bh5 17.Nbc3 a6 18.0-0 Nbd7 19.Rfe1 Qa5 20.Rab1 Bg6 21.Rxb7 Nc5 22.Rxg7 Nh5 23.g4 Nxg7 24.Qxg7 Bd3 25.Qf6+ Kd7 26.Qc6+ Ke7 27.Nf4+ Kf7 28.Nxd3 Nxd3 29.Qd7+ Kg6 30.Rxe8 Rxe8 31.Qxe8+ Kg7 32.Qe7+ Kg8 33.Qg5+ Kh8 34.f4 Qc5+ 35.Kh1 Nf2+ 36.Kg2 Nd3 37.Qd8+ Kg7 38.Qd7+ Kg8 39.Ne4 Nxf4+ 40.Kf3 Ng6 Black resigned, hennybogan1953 - jesse220, http://www.GameKnot.com 2006;

6.d3 Ne7 7.Qg4 Qf8 8.Be3 Na6 9.Bxc5+ Kxc5 10.a3 d6 11.d4+ Kxd4 12.c3+ Kc5 13.Qd1 Qf7 14.b4+ Kc6 15.h3 Qg6 16.b5+ Kxb5 17.c4+ Kc5 18.Nc3 Bd7 19.Qb3 Qe8 20.0-0-0 b5 21.Nxb5 Bxb5 22.cxb5 Qxb5 23.Qe3+ Kc6 24.Rd3 Nc5 25.Rd1 Qc4+ 26.Kd2 Nxe4+ 27.Ke1 Qc3+ 28.Qxc3+ Nxc3 29.Rc1 Ned5 30.Ne2 Rab8 31.Nxc3 Nxc3 32.Rxc3+ Kd7 33.Ke2 Rb2+ 34.Ke3 Rhb8 White resigned, aaelarar - zhikart, www.GameKnot.com 2006

6...Qf6

6...g6 7.Qxe5+ Kc6 8.Qxh8 d5 9.0-0 dxe4 10.Ne5+ Kb6 11.Qxh7 Ne7 12.Nc3 Qe8 13.a4 a5 14.Qf7 Qh8 15.Qb3+ Ka7 16.Nb5+ Kb6 17.d4 Black resigned, hennybogan1953 - jesse220, www.GameKnot.com 2005

7.Nc3

7.Ng5 Qxf5 8.exf5 Ke7 9.Nc3 Nf6 10.Nge4 Bd4 11.Nxf6 Bxc3 12.Nd5+ Kd6 13.Nxc3 h5 14.h3 Nc6 15.Nb5+ Ke7 16.Nxc7 Rb8 17.Nd5+ Kd6 18.c4 Rf8 19.g4 Nd4 20.0-0 h4 21.b3 b5 22.Ba3+ b4 23.Bxb4+ Rxb4 24.Nxb4 Bb7 25.Rfd1 Ne2+ 26.Kf1 Nf4 27.d4 e4 28.d5 Nxh3 29.Re1 Ng5 30.Rad1 h3 31.Nc2 h2 32.Ke2 Ke5 33.Rh1 Rh8 34.Ne3 Kf4 35.Rdf1 Nf3 36.a4 Nd4+ 37.Kd1 Nxb3 38.Re1 Kf3 39.Re2 Nd4 40.Rd2 Nb3 41.Rb2 Nc5 42.d6 Bc6 43.a5 Nd3 44.Rd2 Nxf2+ 45.Rxf2+ Kxf2 46.Kd2 Rh6 47.c5 Bb5 48.g5 Rh3 49.f6 gxf6 50.gxf6 Kg3 51.Ke1 Rh7 52.Nf1+ Bxf1 53.Kxf1 Rf7 White resigned, jachwed - glennmille, www.GameKnot.com, 2004;

7.Qh3 c6 8.d3 h6 9.b3 Kc7 10.Qg3 d6 11.h3 Na6 12.Ba3 Bxa3 13.Nxa3 b5 14.c3 Ne7 15.0-0-0 b4 16.cxb4 Nxb4 17.Kb1 Ba6 18.Nc4 Bxc4 19.dxc4 c5 20.a3 Nbc6 21.Rd3 Rhb8 22.Rhd1 Nd4 23.Nxd4 cxd4 24.f3 a5 25.a4 Nc6 26.Kb2 Rb7 27.f4 exf4 28.Qg4 Ne5 29.Qh5 Nxd3+ 30.Rxd3 Rab8 31.Qxa5+ Kc8 32.Qd5 Kd7 33.Ka3 g5 34.c5 Rc7 35.Rxd4 Rc6 36.b4 Qe6 White resigned, jachwed - dimeliger, www.GameKnot.com, 2006

7...Nc6 8.Nb5+ Ke7 9.d4 Qxf5 10.exf5

10...Bd6 11.dxe5 Nxe5 12.Bg5+ Nf6 13.0-0-0

13...Nxf3 14.gxf3 Kf7 15.Nxd6+ cxd6 16.Rxd6

16...Ne8 17.Rd4 Nf6 18.h4 d5 19.Bxf6 Kxf6 20.Rxd5 Bxf5 21.Rhd1 Rhe8 22.f4 Rac8

23.Rd6+ Kf7 24.R1d5 Rxc2+ 25.Kd1 Be4 26.Rd7+ Kf8 27.Rd4 Bf5

28.Rxb7 Rxf2 29.Rd5 Bc2+ 30.Kc1 Re1+ White resigned

The Abrahams Jerome Gambit (Part I)

As mentioned in "'Tis A Puzzlement..." the line 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Bxf7+ has sometimes been referred to as the Jerome Gambit, most notably in a couple of passages by Gerald Abrahams.

The Chess Mind (1951)
Gerald Abrahams

...Objectively regarded, every winning position, and every losing position, is an unbalanced position; a position in which a player has a great advantage in tempo, or in space, or in the capacity to bring great force to bear effectively on a given point. But these characteristics are not easy to assess while the game is in progress. An undeveloped position should not yield a winning attack. Yet it often does. In point is any one of a thousand Muzio Gambits at odds. In these violent openings it is always the case that White is undeveloped. So is Black. But the relative merits of what development there is can only be found by seeing all the more important lines of play. Chess opinion has convincingly condemned many extravagant unbalancing attacks, such as the once popular Jerome Gambit, (1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Bxf7+), which yield the unbalancer nothing but loss against good defense.


The Pan Book of Chess (1965)
Gerald Abrahams

The Pianissimo form [of the Giuoco Piano] is 1.e4 e5... (But 2.Bc4 Bc5 can be played first and nobody in their right senses plays 3.Bxf7+ 3.BxPch, Jerome's Gambit.)...

It is fun to see if there are parallels between the "Abrahams Jerome Gambit" and the actual Jerome Gambit -- some knowledge might have proven helpful to the BlueEyedRook a few years back, for example.We'll leave hard core analysis for another time, and just look at some games.

magilla - seamus
net-chess.com 2003

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Bxf7+ Kxf7 4.Qh5+ g6 5.Qxe5 d6

A Rook sacrifice similar to NN - Blackburne, 1885 (see "Nobody expects the Jerome Gambit!", "Flaws (Part I)", "Flaws (Part II)", "The Joy of Discovery (Part I)" and others) – but does it work??

In this game White arrives at an overwhelming position, only to fritter it away, move-by-move, until he is losing – and then lost.

6.Qxh8 Qh4

6...Qe8 7.Qxh7+ Kf8 8.Nc3 ( 8.d3 Qf7 9.Qxf7+ Kxf7 10.Nf3 Nf6 11.0-0 Nc6 12.c3 Ne5 13.Ng5+ Kg8 14.d4 Nxe4 15.Nxe4 Nf3+ 16.gxf3 Bb6 17.Na3 Bh3 18.Nc4 d5 19.Nf6+ Kg7 20.Nxd5 Be6 21.Nde3 Rf8 22.Nxb6 axb6 23.Kg2 Rh8 24.Ng4 1-0 viejoasquerosos - Andrewtomlinson, redhotpawn.com 2006) 8...Qe6 9.d4 Bxd4 10.Bh6+ Ke8 11.Nd5 c6 12.Nc7+ Kd8 13.Nxe6+ Bxe6 14.Qxb7 Nxh6 15.Qxa8 Bxb2 16.Qxb8+ Bc8 17.Qxb2 Ng4 18.0-0-0 Nxf2 19.Rxd6+ Bd7 20.Qb8+ Ke7 21.Nf3 Nxh1 22.e5 a5 23.e6 Bxe6 24.Qd8+ Kf7 25.Ng5+ Kg7 26.Rxe6 Nf2 27.Qf6+ Kh6 28.Qxg6 checkmate, magilla - mduerr, net-chess.com 2002

6...Qf6 7.Qxh7+ Kf8 8.Nf3 Bg4 9.0-0 Qg7 10.Qh4 Bxf3 11.gxf3 Qf6 0-1 viejoasquerosos - Jeman, redhotpawn.com 2004

7.d4 Be6

7...Qxe4+ 8.Ne2 Bg4 9.Qxh7+ Kf6 10.f3 Qxc2 11.fxg4 Nd7 12.0-0+ Ke6 13.Qf7 checkmate, magilla-seamus, net-chess.com 2003

8.dxc5 Qxe4+ 9.Be3 Qxg2 10.cxd6 Qxh1 11.Qxh7+ Kf6

12.Bd4+ Kg5 13.f4+ Kxf4 14.Qh4+ Bg4 15.Nd2 Nd7 16.Qg3+

16...Kf5 17.Qf2+ Ke6 18.Qe3+ Kf7 19.Qf2+

19...Ngf6 20.Bxf6 Nxf6 21.dxc7

21...Re8+ 22.Kf1 Bh3+ 23.Qg2 Qxg2 checkmate

Jerome Gambit Tournament: Chapter XVII

At this point in the tournament I had two games left to complete, both against brain50. That made this game my last chance with the White pieces and the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+)


perrypawnpusher - brain50
JG3 thematic www.chessworld.net, 2008

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Nf6

A move seen on this blog before in perrypawnpusher - MsD, FICS rated blitz game, 2007 (see "Les Femmes des Echecs...& the Jerome Gambit") and which I'd faced a few years earlier, perrypawnpusher - Alternative, FICS rated blitz game, 2005: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Nf6 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Re8 10.d3 Kg7 11.0-0 d5 12.Qh6+ Kg8 13.exd5 Nxd5 14.Nc3 Nxc3 15.bxc3 Qf6 16.Bd2 Qg7 17.Rae1 Rxe1 18.Rxe1 Qxh6 19.Bxh6 Bf5 20.Re7 Rc8 21.Bf4 Kf8 22.Rxc7 Rxc7 23.Bxc7 Ke7 24.Kf1 Kd7 25.Be5 Kc6 26.Bd4 a6 27.c4 b5 28.cxb5+ axb5 29.a3 Be6 30.Ke2 Bd5 31.g3 Ba2 32.c3 Kd5 33.Ke3 Bb1 34.Bg7 Ba2 35.f4 Bb1 36.h3 Bc2 37.g4 Ke6 38.Ke4 Kf7 39.Bd4 h6 40.f5 g5 41.Kf3 Bxd3 42.Kg3 Be2 43.h4 Bd1 44.hxg5 hxg5 45.Be3 Kf6 46.Bb6 Ke5 47.Bd8 Ke4 48.Bxg5 Kd3 49.Bf6 Kc4 50.g5 Kb3 51.g6 Bh5 52.Kf4 Kxa3 53.Kg5 Bd1 54.Kh6 Bb3 55.Kg7 b4 56.cxb4 Kxb4 57.Kf8 Kc5 58.Be7+ Kd5 59.f6 Ke5 60.g7 Kf5 61.g8Q Bxg8 62.Kxg8 Kg6 63.f7 1-0

By playing 7...Nf6, Black gives back the sacrificed piece, leaving White a pawn up in a balanced position. That's more than I usually get with 1.e4 e5 and a whole lot more than what I usually get with the Jerome Gambit.

Black should have played 7...Qe7, Whistler's Defense, as I did against blackburne ("Jerome Gambit Tournament: Chapter VIII") and as my buddy A. B. Hailey faced ("Beware: Mad Dog!").

8.Qxc5 d6

Black could have tried 8...Nxe4 on this or the next move: the open e-file leading up to White's King makes this possible.

9.Qe3

Vazquez played 9.Qc3 in his match game against Carrington (see "Flaws (Part II)").

9...Be6 10.0-0 Rf8 11.Nc3 Kg7 12.d3


Brain 50 has castled-by-hand, and has an edge in development, while I have a couple of extra pawns. No need for me to do anything exciting, just slowly build my advantage.

12...c513.f4 Ng4 14.Qg3 Rc8
After the game Rybka suggested 14...h5 15.h3 h4 16.Qe1 Nh6 17.Bd2 Bd7 18.Qe3 Re8 19.Nd5. The waves are still going to break over the Black King's head.
15.f5 gxf5 16.h3


Better here was 16.exf5, as 16...Bxf5 would have been answered by 17.Rxf5 Rxf5 18.Qg4+. Black now went in for a series of exchanges.

16...f4 17.Bxf4 Rxf4 18.Rxf4 Qg5 19.Rxg4 Bxg4 20.Qxg4 Qxg4 21.hxg4



White's extra piece will prevail.

21...Kg6 22.Rf1 Rh8 23.Rf5 a6 24.Nd5 Black resigned

William A. Shinkman (Part II)

William Shinkman (1847-1933) was one of America's greatest chess composers, ranking perhaps only behind Sam Loyd. He is said to have published over 3,500 problems.

Many are collected in The Golden Argosy: 600 Chess Problems,by William Anthony Shinkman, Otto Wurzburg, Alain Campbell White and George Hume published by the "Chess Amateur" in 1929.

For an introduction to the world of chess problems, check out Australia's FIDE Master of Chess Composition Peter Wong's "Peter's Problem World".

Take a look at the following challenge, perhaps Shinkman's best known. White to move and checkmate in 8 moves.

Tim Krabbé gives the solution to the problem, as well as a fascinating tale of a problemist, Bader Al-Hajiri, who wanted to make sure that the above position was legal -- and then wanted to find out the shortest game that could lead to that position -- in his Chess Curiosities Open chess diary: "The Kuwait Immortal".

The following, published in White Rooks in 1910, is a checkmate in 3 moves, White moving first.

This final problem, published in the Dubuque Chess Journal in 1874, is likewise a checkmate in 3 moves.

Answers will be provided in a later post.