Doesn't anybody read this blog??

I have to wonder, sometimes... (beside the Jerome Gambit Gemeinde, of course)

After presenting the first round of ten RevvedUp vs computer games exploring the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), predominantly the Blackburne variation (4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5+ 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 d6), I just played the following game at the Free Internet Chess Server (FICS):

perrypawnpusher - Sgrunterundt
blitz game 2 18, FICS, 12.2008

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qxh8 Black resigns



Perhaps my opponent was just unfamiliar with the Jerome Gambit and resigned after noticing that he had dropped the Rook.
Perhaps he had read all of this blog's posts on the Blackburne variation and realized that after 8.Qxh8 White had a tricky, but better position.
Who knows?
But: chalk another win up for Jerome's Double Gambit...
(p.s. Today's is the 200th daily post to this blog. Thanks for coming along for the ride!)

Merry Christmas...

...to the Jerome Gambit Gemeinde and to chess players everywhere.

Jerome Gambit: Drilling Down (10)

Here we reach the end of the first round of games, with every computer having had its opportunity to play and play against the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+). We can safely lay to rest the Blackburne defense (6...g6 followed by 7...d6)

Yace Paderborn - RevvedUp
blitz 2 12, 2006
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6

7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qxh8 Qh4 9.0-0 Bd7

Repeating Yace Paderborn's move from the previous game (see "Jerome Gambit: Drilling Down (9)"). This is understandable because of the way that RevvedUp is running this experiment (i.e. use the significant move from the last game) but in this case it is unfortunate: better is the traditional (if insufficient) 9...Nf6, going back to Blackburne.

10.d4

Yace Paderborn shows that White does not have to immediately withdraw his Queen to maintain an advantage.

10...Bb6 11.Nd2

White is up two pawns plus the exchange. If Black can make nothing out of the trapped Queen, he is doomed. The move 9...Bd7 is more of a Theoretical Lemon (TL) than a Theoretical Novelty (TN) and RevvedUp is stuck with it as his game rolls faster and faster downhill.
11...Re8 12.Nf3 Qh5 13.Ng5+ Kf8 14.Nxh7+ Kf7 15.Bd2 Nf6 16.Qxf6+ Kg8 17.Ng5 Rf8 18.Qe7 Bc8 19.Bc3 d5 20.exd5 Bf5 21.Bb4 Qh6 22.c3 c5 23.dxc6 Bd8 24.Qxf8+ Qxf8 25.Bxf8 Kxf8 26.cxb7 Black resigns

Jerome Gambit: Drilling Down (9)

Once more RevvedUp demonstrates that the Blackburne variation of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) is better for White – especially when including the TN the computer comes up with in this game.

Once more, though, Yace Paderborn shows the skills of the electronic beast can, in the long run, grind down those of a mere mortal.

RevvedUp - Yace Paderborn

blitz 2 12, 2006

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

7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qxh8 Qh4 9.0-0 Bd7

Something new! Standard is 9...Nf6.

10.Qc3

Immediately getting the Queen out of danger.

10...Qxe4 11.d3 Qd5 12.Qb3 Qxb3 13.axb3 Bd4

We have reached a Queenless middlegame, and White clearly has the advantage. If he is subsequently out-played by the computer (rated 1,000 points above him), that should not be attributed to the Jerome Gambit nor reflect poorly on RevvedUp.

14.c3 Bg7 15.b4 a6 16.Bg5 Re8 17.Be3 Ne7 18.Nd2 Bb5 19.c4 Bd7 20.Rab1 Bf5 21.Ne4 d5 22.cxd5 Nxd5 23.Rbd1 Bxb2 24.Bd2 Bxe4 25.dxe4 Rxe4

Black has been chipping away at the White advantage, and now has a pawn for the exhange, but the game is even.

26.Rfe1 Rc4 27.Bc1 Bc3 28.Bd2 Bxd2 29.Rxd2 c6 30.Rb1 b5

A very complicated ending has arisen, where RevvedUp is holding his own. Impressive.

31.g3 Nxb4 32.Rd7+ Kf6 33.Rxh7 a5 34.Rh4 Rxh4 35.gxh4 Kf5 36.Kf1 Kg4 37.Ke2 Kxh4 38.Ke3

More precise is 38.Kd2, but I think White can still hold the position. His King is active, his Rook can either capture or check as needed, and it is very difficult for Black to make headway.

38...c5 39.Ke4

I think the consistent move here is 39.Rc1. With the text White strays away from his duties on the Queenside.

39...c4 40.Kd4 Nc2+ 41.Kc5 b4 42.Rc1 Na3 43.Kb6 b3 44.Kxa5 b2

My database has the game ending here with a draw. I must have gotten something mixed up, as Black has a clear win. Perhaps there was some kind of move or time stipulation?

A very tough game for RevvedUp, reminiscent of his second game against Crafty 19.19.

Happy Hanukkah...

...to the Jerome Gambit Gemeinde and to chess players everywhere.

The Black Knight

I feel kind of bad about this game. My opponent was rated less than 70 points below me, which was a perfect spread for giving "Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) odds" – but the game was pretty one-sided. TheChessInnovator was brave, but in the battle he fell apart.

I felt better when I remembered the Black Knight in the movie "Monty Python and the Holy Grail." Gadzooks! That was my opponent!

perrypawnpusher - TheChessInnovator
FICS rated blitz 10 5, 2008

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6


7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Ne7



Black Knight: None shall pass!

An interesting novelty, returning a piece for some development, but not one likely to overturn the Jerome Gambit. Either 8...Qh4+ or 8...Qf6 would serve better.

9.Qxe5+ Kc6 10.d4

After the game Fritz 8 suggested: 10.Qc3 Nf5 11.b4 Qh4+ 12.g3 Qe7 13.Qxc5+ Qxc5 14.bxc5 Nd4 15.Na3 Ne6 16.d3 Nxc5 with White's advantage. I really like that move 10.Qc3; I wish I'd thought of it.

10...Bb4+

Black's chance was to get in 10...d6 now.

11.Nc3

Demonstrating no depth of thought. The idea: the Knight can help the Queen checkmate the King. The reality: 11.c3 Bd6 12.d5+ Kb6 13.Be3+ with the attack on the hapless King is better.

11...b6

Black wishes to castle-by-hand on the Queenside, but an advantage was his with the thematic 11...d5.

12.Qb5+ Kb7 13.Qxb4

Black Knight: 'Tis but a scratch

13...Nc6 14.Qc4 Qh4+ 15.g3 Qh3 16.Qf1


A little too panicky, willing to give up a pawn to swap Queens, when there was 16.d5 Na5 17.Qe2.

16...d6 17.Qxh3

Mission accomplished; but stronger was 17.Be3 Re8 18.d5 Ne7 19.0-0-0.

17...Bxh3 18.Be3 Nb4 19.0-0-0 Kc8 20.e5 Bg4 21.Rd2 Re8 22.h3 Bf3 23.Rf1 Bg2 24.Rxg2

Black Knight: I've had worse.

24...a5 25.Re2 b5 26.Rfe1

King Arthur: Victory is mine.

26...a4 27.a3 Kd7 28.axb4

King Arthur: You are indeed brave, Sir Knight, but the fight is mine.

Black Knight: It's just a flesh wound.

28...a3 29.bxa3 Rxa3 30.Kd2 Kc6 31.d5+ Kb7 32.e6 c6 33.dxc6+ Kxc6 34.f5 Ra4 35.Bf4


There was nothing wrong with 35.Nxa4

35...Rxb4 36.Re4 Kc5 37.Bxd6+


37...Kxd6 38.Rxb4


Black Knight: I'll do you for that!

38...Rd8 39.Rd4+ Kc7 40.Rxd8 Kxd8


Black Knight: The Black Knight always triumphs!

41.e7+ Ke8 42.Nxb5


Black Knight: I'll bite your legs off!

42...h5 43.Nd6+ Black resigns

Jerome Gambit: Drilling Down (8)

The two players move quickly through the first 10 moves of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), Blackburne variation, as established in earlier games, leaving White with a significant edge that Black is unable to overcome.

Shredder 8 - RevvedUp

blitz 2 12, 2006

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

7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qxh8 Qh4 9.0-0 Nf6

10.Qd8 Qxe4 11.Qxc7+

A new wrinkle that does not change White's advantage.

11...Qe7 12.Qxe7+ Kxe7 13.d3 Be6 14.Be3 Bxe3 15.fxe3 Rf8

White is up the exchange and two pawns again (see "Jerome Gambit: Drilling Down (7)"). White's advantage seems pretty clear in the Blackburne line. RevvedUp hangs in for another dozen moves, likely to see how well Shredder 8 plays the endgame.

16.e4 Ng4 17.Rxf8 Kxf8 18.Nc3 a6 19.Rf1+ Ke7 20.h3 Ne5 21.Kf2 h5 22.h4 Ng4+ 23.Ke2 Ne5 24.b4 Bg4+ 25.Ke3 Be6 26.b5 a5 27.Nd5+ Bxd5 28.exd5 Black resigns