One good blunder deserves another...

I'm not an endgame maven.

I have plenty of endgame books, but I have worked my way through only two or three of them.

Still, I know a few little things about endgames. Especially the ones that "haunt" me.

Take the following position. It's from a recently completed FICS blitz game of mine, and it's pretty simple.

Despite the fact that it was snowing outside, I had some food on the grill and I was taking a break inside to warm up. Why not a quick online game of chess before dinner?

When I reached this position, I thought "My opponent's played well, I should force the draw, split the point, and get back to the chops."

Wrong!

Of course I played 36.c5 – which does lead to a draw – but in my careless "thinking" I overlooked that the alternative 36.b5 wins.

After the game's simple 36...bxc5 37.bxc5 things were clear: I can trade my c-pawn for Black's e-pawn, and then capture his h-pawn, but my remaining passer will not be able to get to its queening square (see "All's well that ends well" for a similar theme) without stalemating the enemy King – or being stalemated myself


About 25 years ago I played in a small tournament that saw, in the final round, a similar position. The odd thing was that if Black could have held the draw back then, 8 out of 10 (or 12) of us would have tied for first place (and probably each would have won enough prize money to spend on a call home from a public phone booth).


37...Kd5 38.c6 Kxc6 39.Kxe4 Kd6 40.Kf4 Ke6 41.Kg4 Ke5 42.Kxh4 Kf4

Of course, Black can, instead, race to h8 and keep the pawn from getting there. In this position, he can keep the White King from getting out from in front of the pawn by shadowing him up and down their respective files.

43.Kh5 Kg3

Huh?

44.h4

The cat is out of the bag.

44...Kf4 45.Kg6 Kg4 46.h5 Kf4 47.h6 Black resigns

(Dinner was great, too.)

Attacking the King

A big hope of someone who plays the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) is that the sacrifice of a piece at f7 will put the enemy King in sufficient danger that a successful attack can follow.

Sometimes, it actually does.

perrypawnpusher - vypux
blitz 5 7, FICS, 2009

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

Jerome Gambit 101.

5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6


7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Ne7

Last seen in my game against TheChessInnovator (see "The Black Knight"), this is one of many ways for Black to return a piece.

Better for Black here appears to be the more mainline 8...Qf6 or 8...Qh4+

9.Qxe5+ Kc6 10.d4


Again missing, as I did against TheChessInnovator, the superior 10.Qc3 (with the threat of b4, winning the Bishop) which would have given me an advantage.

10...d6 11.d5+


This is the move that I had relied upon, hoping to chase the enemy monarch to the Queenside. The plan worked, but Rybka's suggestion of 11.Qxg7 (leading to an edge for the second player) shows that my chances had been reduced by my 10th move to pawn-grubbing.
11...Kb5
Too cooperative. Instead, Rybka's 11...Kd7 12.Qxg7 Qe8 13.Rf1 Rg8 14.Qxh7 Kd8 looks about even, if messy.

12.a4+ Kb6

Again, probably not best. If the Black King goes to a6 instead, it will be more difficult to get at him. Of course, I'd still prefer to be White. As the song goes, I'd rather be a hammer than a nail...
Now, any player with attacking pretensions has to be thinking: there's got to be something to find here.
13.a5+ Kb5
Black's King looks terribly unsafe -- and it is.

14.Qc3 Bb4 15.Na3+ Kxa5

Leading to mate, but surrendering the piece with 15...Ka6 16.Qxb4 led to a grim and ultimately losing position as well.

16.Nc4+ Kb5 17.Ra5+ Bxa5 18.Qxa5+ Kxc4 19.b3+ Kd4 20.Qb4 checkmate

Smooth Moves

Brian Wall takes a look at a Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) blitz game that was played at the Internet Chess Club...

From : Brian Wall

Sent : Wednesday, July 14, 2004 10:04 PM

To : smoothmoves06@hotmail.com, BrianWallChess@Yahoogroups.com
Subject : [BrianWallChess]

The next game is an effort from smooth-moves06 - He read about the Jerome Gambit in my emails and gave it a try...

smooth-moves06 - Zorz
ICC blitz 5 0, ICC, 2004

The Opening - The Jerome Gambit, about 150 years old.

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qxc5

Not so bad for a Jerome Gambit - 2 pawns plus a displaced King for a piece. I still like Black but I've seen worse.

7...d6 8.Qe3 Nf6 9.f4 Nxe4

Ooops

10.0-0 Re8 11.f5 Nf8 12.Qb3+ Kf6 13.d3 Nc5 14.Qc3+ Kf7 15.Qc4+ Kf6
16.h4

Smooth-moves06 is making a fight of it, giving his opponent no peace of mind.

16...h6 17.g4 Re2 18.g5+ Ke7 19.f6+ gxf6 20.gxf6+ Kd7 21.Qf7+ Kc6 22.d4 Be6 23.Qh5

Time -
White - smooth-moves06 - 84 seconds -
Black - Zorz - - 70 seconds

Zorz gets a phone call or freaks out and spends 54 seconds here, dooming him to lose on time.

23...Re5 24.dxe5 dxe5 25.Qf3+ Bd5 26.Qc3 Black
resigns

Danke!

The German language chess web site Schacharena.de has a current discussion of the Busch-Gass Gambit (see"Worth A Second Look..." parts 1, 2, and 3) in its Forum area, and Schacharena member Schroeder has kindly mentioned (and linked to) this blog's contribution to the discussion – which, in turn, has led some Schacharena.de readers to stop by JeromeGambit.blogspot.com.

Welcome!

And thank you, Schachfreund Schroeder!

Traps and Zaps

It's always fun to see where the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) turns up. Most recently, it was in IM Gary Lane's latest book (see "The extraordinary and forgotten Jerome Gambit"), but 20 years ago it was in Bruce Pandolfini's Chess Openings: Traps and Zaps.
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 d6

A defense made famous by Joseph Henry Blackburne (see "Nobody expects the Jerome Gambit!" and "Flaws (Part II)") and most recently explored on this blog in "Jerome Gambit: Drilling Down" (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), (9) and (10).

8.Qxh8 Qh4 9.d4

An improvement suggested by Munoz and Munoz in the August 1885 Brooklyn Chess Chronicle, repeated by Fletcher in Gambits Accepted (1954) and Druke in the November 1987 Gambit Revue, to give some early citations. (Actually, the move is rarely mentioned, but see "A Closer Look (Part V)".)

9...Nf6

Druke gave this move as an alternative to Fletcher's 9...Qxe4+ 10.Be3, saying that it came from analysis by Fritz 5. Of course, the two lines can transpose; in either case, as Hindemburg Melao, Jr., wrote in an intenet article (2003) on Amateur - Blackburne, London 1885 (not currently available), White's proper response is Nd2.

10.dxc5

Pandolfini appears to be the first to explore this move, and he uses it in a bit of a morality tale (after a few more moves) about grabbing material in his Chess Openings Traps and Zaps.

10...Qxe4+ 11.Be3 Qxg2 12.Rf1

Scenario: Don't be misled by White's extra Rook. It's a meaningless ornament. White is in serious trouble. His King is exposed and his cornered Queen is in danger of being trapped. The cruncher is 12...Bh3 which wins White's Queen by discovery form the a8-Rook. If White tries to save the Queen by capturing the Rook, 13.Qxa8 then 13...Qxf1+ 14.Kd2 Ne4 is mate.

Interpretation: White began with a very aggressive, sacrificial line of play which, because of Black's cavalier pawn move (6...g6), led to the gain of material. The price White had to pay was the removal of his Queen from the center of the board. Without his Queen being available for defense, White has to play carefully, and every move becomes critical. Instead of his h1-Rook, he should be more concerned with the potential trap of his Queen. The correct response to 11...Qxg2 is 12.Nc3 which later prevents Black's Knight from moving to e4 and giving mate. After 12...Qxh1+ 13.Kd2 Qxa1?(13...Qxh2 keeps Black's Queen in play), White turns the tables with 14.Bd4!. Black's extra Rook then means little in the face of White's strong counterattack.

Melao's analysis 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.d4 Nf6! ( 9...Qxe4+ 10.Be3 Nf6 11.Nd2 Qxg2 [11...Qxc2 12.0-0+-] 12.0-0-0+-) 10.Nd2!
a)10.dxc5 Qxe4+ 11.Be3 (11.Kd1 Bg4+ -+; 11.Kf1 Bh3 12.Qxa8 Bxg2+ 13.Kg1 Bh3 -+) 11...Qxg2 12.Rf1 Bh3 -+;
b)10.Be3 Bxd4! 11.Bxd4 Qxe4+ 12.Kd2 (12.Be3 Qxg2 -+) 12...Qxd4+ 13.Kc1 Qc5 14.b4 (14.Na3 b5 15.Re1 Bb7 -+) 14...Qc4 15.c3 (15.Na3 Qf4+ 16.Kb1 Qxb4+ -+) 15...b5 -+;
c)10.e5 dxe5! 11.0-0! Bd6! (11...Bxd4 12.Nd2 e4! 13.Qd8 Be5 14.g3 [14.f4 Bf5! 15.Qxa8 Bd4+ 16.Kh1 Ng4 17.h3 Qg3 18.hxg4 Qh4#] 14...Qh3 [14...Qg4 15.Nc4] 15.Nxe4! Qxf1+ [15...Nxe4 16.Qd5+] 16.Kxf1 Bh3+ 17.Ke1 Rxd8 18.Ng5+ Kg7 19.Nxh3 unclear) 12.f4 (12.Nd2 e4 13.g3 [13.f4 b6 -+] 13...Qh3 14.f3 e3 15.Ne4 Nxe4! 16.fxe4+ Qxf1+! 17.Kxf1 Bh3+ 18.Ke2 Rxh8 -+) 12...e4! 13.g3 Qh5 14.f5 gxf5 15.Bf4 Bxf4 16.Rxf4 [16.gxf4 e3 -+] 16...Qd1+ 17.Kg2 [17.Rf1 Qxd4+ 18.Kg2 f4 -+] 17...e3! 18.Qd8 Bd7! [18...e2! 19.Qxc7+ Kg6 20.Nc3! e1N+ 21.Kh1 Qxa1 22.Rf1! Be6 23.g4! fxg4 (23...Nxg4 24.d5) 24.h4! (24.Qe5 Nf3)] 19.Qxc7 (19.Qxa8 Bc6+ 20.Kh3 Qh5+ 21.Rh4 Bg2+! 22.Kxg2 Qe2+ 23.Kg1 [23.Kh3 Qf1#] 23...Qf2+ 24.Kh1 Qf1#) 19...Rc8 20.Qxb7 Rxc2+ 21.Kh3 Qh5+ 22.Rh4 Qe2 23.Qh1 f4+ 24.g4 Bxg4+ 25.Rxg4 Qxg4#;
10...Bxd4 11.0-0! (11.g3 Qh5 12.Qd8 Bxf2+! 13.Kxf2 Qc5+;11.Rf1 b5 [11...Bh3! 12.Qxa8 Bxg2 13.Qxb7! Bxf1 14.Qb3+! d5 15.Qg3] 12.Qd8 Bb6 13.e5 dxe5 14.Qd3 Qxh2 [14...e4 15.Qg3 +/=] 15.Qf3 Rb8 16.Ne4 Qh4 17.Nxf6 Qxf6 18.Qxf6+ Kxf6 unclear)

The extraordinary and forgotten Jerome Gambit

I always enjoy John Elburg's book reviews.

Of course, who wouldn't enjoy his look at International Master Gary Lane's latest title, The Greatest Ever Chess Tricks and Traps ? --

Gary Lane provides the reader in this greatest ever chess tricks and traps book with a amazing collection short cuts.
Some are well known as the seven move lost from the poor Ree against Petrosian,at the Wijk aan Zee tournament from 1971, but many others as for example the game Banks – Karmmark, Internet Blitz 2007, are brand new.
Where white went for the extraordinary and forgotten Jerome Gambit 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+?
These moves, as we can read in this entertaining work from Lane is named after the American player Alonzo Wheeler Jerome 1834-1902 of Paxton, Illinois, and was analysed in the American Chess Journal in 1874. It has to be remembered that in the 19th century people liked to attack and never defend.
This book from Lane is not only a very exciting game collection but above all, a very good read.
Nearly all major openings are divided with a instructive example of play and all games in this book are pleasantly indexed with names and openings.
All together I counted around 110 complete games where some are good for over two pages of text!
As for example the following victory in the opening: Skurski, Jan (2069) - Gasik, Piotr (2189) [B12] POL-ch sf Polanczyk (6), 09.11.2000 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.f3 dxe4 4.fxe4 e5 5.Nf3 exd4 6.Bc4 Bb4+ 7.c3 dxc3 8.Bxf7+ Kxf7 9.Qxd8 cxb2+ 10.Ke2 bxa1Q 11.Ng5+ Kg6 12.Qe8+ Kh6 13.Ne6+ g5 14.Bxg5# 1-0
As we can read in the book from Lane black has tried to avoid defeat at this point with no success.
Conclusion: This book is overloaded with unbelievable shortcuts!

Be careful what you wish for...

I am pleased that this blog is read all around the world (Mauritania: yes; Cape Verde Islands: yes; North Korea: no; China: no) and I hope readers try out a few of the strategies and tactics shared here by the Jerome Gambit Gemeinde – even the silly ideas, obviously reflective of Western decadence...

Sometimes, though, it seems that this broader knowledge of the Jerome Gambit (and its relatives) has a chance to come back and haunt me (see, for example, "Where are all of these Jeromes coming from?").

Today, for example, I was minding my own business, looking for a 3 0 blitz game on FICS – admittedly, way too fast a time control for an addled mind like my own – when suddenly familiarity struck!

leobrazer - perrypawnpusher
blitz 3 0, FICS, 2009

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6
The good old Two Knights Defense.

4.Bxf7+
Ha! says my opponent (in my imagination, anyhow).

Oh, bother! say I (to myself). In a three-minute game, of all things...

4...Kxf7 5.0-0 Bc5


Transposing to a "modern" Jerome Gambit: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.0-0 Nf6.

6.Nc3 Rf8 7.Ng5+

Trickier and stronger was the thematic 7.Nxe5+, when 7...Nxe5 8.d4 Bd6 9.f4 Nc6 10.e5 Kg8 11.exd6 cxd6 12.Be3 is okay for Black, although I would have probably chosen 7...Kg8 instead.

7...Kg8 8.d3 d5 9.exd5 Nxd5 10.Nxd5 Qxd5

Move quickly, avoid a blunder, I have an extra piece...

11.Bd2 Bf5 12.c4 Qd7 13.Bc3 Qxd3 14.Qxd3 Bxd3

Faster, faster, a piece up in the endgame still wins...

15.Rfe1 Bxc4

Too fast: missing 15...Bxf2+

16.b3 Bf7

Ditto.

17.Nf3 Rae8 18.Nxe5 Nxe5 19.Bxe5 Bd6

Better 19...Bxb3. The clock is ticking down, but I have more time than my opponent, who now slips...

20.Re4 Rxe5 21.Rxe5 Bxe5

Home free: just have to play Beat The Clock...

22.Re1 Re8 23.g3 Bd4 24.Rxe8+ Bxe8 25.Kg2 Bg6 26.Kf3 Bb1

We were banging out moves here.

27.Ke2 Bxa2 28.Kd3 Bf6 29.b4 Kf7 30.f4 Ke6 31.Ke4 Be7 32.f5+ Kf6 33.g4 Bxb4 34.h3 a5


There's enough time left for this to decide the game.

35.Kd4 a4 36.h4 h6 37.g5+ hxg5 38.hxg5+ Kxf5 39.Ke3 a3 40.Ke2 Bb3 41.Ke3 a2 42.g6 a1Q 43.Kf3 Qf1+ 44.Ke3 Bc5+ 45.Kd2 Qf3 46.Kc1 Qf2 47.Kb1 Qc2+ 48.Ka1 Qa2 checkmate

Whew!