Critical Line: 5...Kf8 (2)

In the series of posts starting with "Stats (1)", where I began a look with ChessBase's "Opening Report" at the games in my Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) database, I noticed that there was a Critical Line given, beginning (after 4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5) with 5...Ke8.

Here we follow the discussion started in "Critical Line: 5...Kf8 (1)".

THE BANKS VARIATION

With 5...Kf8 Black side-steps the excitment of White's invasive Queen in the main line of the Jerome Gambit: 5...Nxe5 6.Qh5+.

But what if White played 6.Qh5, anyhow?
The move was introduced successfully in Banks - Rees, Wolverhampton, 2003, a game later annotated by International Master Gary Lane in his "Opening Lanes" column at ChessCafe.com. "Yes, it is always nice to threaten checkmate after just six moves" Lane commented.

The following year, Banks won with the variation again: 6.Qh5 Nxe5 7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qf4+ Qf6 9.Qxf6+ Nxf6 10.d3 Kf7 11.Nc3 Bd7 12.0-0 Rhf8 13.Bg5 Ng4 14.Nd5 Kg8 15.Nxc7 Rac8 16.Nd5 Bxf2+ 17.Rxf2 Kh8? 18.Rf4 Rxf4 19.Bxf4 Rxc2 20.Bxd6 a6 21.Rf1 h6 22.h3 Rc6 23.Bf8 Kh7 24.hxg4 Bxg4 25.Rf7 Rg6 26.Rxb7 Black resigns, blackburne - hollandia, ChessWorld, server game, 2004

Only an endgame slip kept Banks from at least a draw, last year as well: 6.Qh5 Qf6 7.Nxd7+ Bxd7 8.Qxc5+ Nge7 9.Nc3 Kf7 10.d3 Rhf8 11.0-0 Kg8 12.f4 Qd4+ 13.Qxd4 Nxd4 14.Rf2 b5 15.Be3 b4 16.Ne2 Nxc2 17.Rc1 Nxe3 18.Rxc7 Rad8 19.Rf3 Nd1 20.b3 Ng6 21.Kf1 Bg4 22.Rg3 Bxe2+ 23.Kxe2 Nc3+ 24.Ke3 Rc8 25.Rb7 a5 26.f5 Rb8 27.Ra7 Ra8 28.Rb7 Rfb8 29.Rc7 Nb5 30.Rd7 Ra7 31.Rxa7 Nxa7 32.fxg6 Nc6 33.gxh7+ Kh8 34.Rh3 Rd8 35.g4 Ne5 36.d4 Nxg4+ 37.Kd3 Nf2+ White resigns, blackburne - Rail2Rail, ChessWorld, 2008

The variation again looked very good in vlad-tepes - splott, GameKnot, 2008 and vlad-tepes - Mika76, GameKnot, 2008: 6.Qh5 Nxe5 7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qh5 Nf6 9.Qf3 Bg4 10.Qf4 Qe7 11.d3 d5 12.0-0 Re8 13.Nc3 c6 14.exd5 cxd5 15.Nxd5 Qe6 16.Nc7 Qb6 17.Nxe8 Kxe8 18.Qb8+ Qd8 19.Re1+ Be7 20.Qxb7 Bd7 21.Bg5 Kf7 22.Qxa7 h6 23.Bh4 g5 24.Bg3 h5 25.h3 Kg6 26.Re2 g4 27.Rae1 Re8 28.Bc7 Qc8 29.Rxe7 Rxe7 30.Rxe7 gxh3 31.Qb8 Qa6 32.Qb6 Black resigned.

Alas, the game splott - Mika 76, GameKnot, 2008 (0-1, 17), and the move 6...Qe7, had a chilling effect on the Banks Variation. As pointed out in "Jerome Gambit, Vlad Tepes... and Garlic!"

Suggested by International Master Gary Lane in his "Opening Lanes" (see "International Master Gary Lane") column at Chess Cafe. (Readers: when was the last time you heard of an IM making a substantive contribution to Jerome Gambit theory??)
Mika76, however, tells me that he came up with the move on his own.

Critical Line: 5...Kf8 (1)

Back in the series starting with "Stats (1)" – where I took a look with ChessBase's "Opening Report" at the games in my Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) database – I pointed out that

"the 'Critical line' for White [after 4...Kxf7] in which he scored only 29%, is 5.Nxe5+ Kf8 6.Nxc6 dxc6, which certainly bears some looking into."

HISTORY

As early as his first Jerome Gambit article (Dubuque Chess Journal April, 1874), Alonzo Jerome considered the possibility that Black might refuse to capture the second piece with 5...Nxe5, and instead play for King safety instead with 5...Kf8.
In a letter to the American Chess Journal, March 1877, Jerome wrote

5...Kf8 leaves White's pawns intact while Black has lost two strong pawns and doubled another. This defense was adopted by G.J. Dougherty of Mineola, NY, a strong amateur, against whom I first played the opening, and I think he will agree that 5...Kf8 is not a good defense. He generally played 6.bc and that was the play of Mr. J. C. Young of Danville, KY, who subsequently abandoned the game. Why, I do not know, as it was not necessarily lost to either of us. It is a question with which Pawn it is best to take.

The earliest game example that I have of this line is Jerome - Brownson, Iowa, USA, 1875 (1/2-1/2, 29) [correcting a misstatement in "Jerome Gambit and Vlad Tepes..."] – Brownson being the editor of the Dubuque Chess Journal – the game appearing in the March 1875 issue.

The Mexican chess champion, Andres Clemente Vazquez, familiar with the DCJ, played the Jerome Gambit in his second match against Carrington in 1876, and met 5...Kf8, winning in 43 moves.

This was, in fact, the defense that Hallock, the skeptical editor of the American Chess Journal, used in a correspondence game played “by special request” to test the gambit (ACJ February,1877) – defeating the promising young player, D.P. Norton, in 18 moves.

The 5...Kf8 defense received a great boost from an article in the "Chess for Beginners" series by Lt. Sorensen in the Nordisk Skaktidende of May 1877 – which was translated into several languages and printed around the world. Sorensen recommended 5...Kf8 as “more solid and easier to manage.”

After 6.Nxc6 dc (Jerome gave 6…bc 7.d4 “putting Black’s KB out of play”) analysis has generally followed Jerome – Brownson, 1875, with 7.O-O Nf6 8.Qf3 (Sorensen said 8.e5 would be met by 8…Bg4 9.Qe1 Kf7! which was how Norton – Hallock had continued ) Qd4 9.d3 Bg4 10.Qg3


At this point, Brownson played 10…Bb6. Jerome responded with 11.e5, and drew the game, with help from his opponent, in 29 moves. Brownson (DCJ, March, 1875) suggested 11.Kh1 and 12.f4 as an improvement for White.

Sorensen (NS, May, 1877) gave the alternative line 10…Bd6, attacking White’s Queen, and followed this up with 11.Bf4 g5 12.Bxd6+ cd 13.h3 Be6 14.Qxg5 Rg8 15.Qh6+ Ke7 16.Nc3 Rg6 17.Qh4 Rag8 with a better game for Black.

However, S.A. Charles – see "A Jerome Discovery (Afterword)" – in the Pittsburgh Telegraph a few years later (April 27, 1881) offered 11.c3 as an improvement, suggested to him by Jerome, which they both believed reversed the valuation of the line.

As an historical aside, later sources, relying on Sorensen’s analysis, miss 11.c3; those that follow Charles’ work, based on his Brentano's Chess Monthly article (October 1881) or on the American Supplement (1884) – see "A Jerome Discovery (Afterword)" – include it.

There has been little change in the assessment of this line during the ensuing 125 years.

Birthday Gift

From the first days of this blog I have been asking Readers to share their Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) games (see "Looking for a few good Jerome Gambit Games..." and "Still Looking for a few good Jerome Gambit games..."); and I have offered in exchange PGN databases of games presented here (see "Trading Up!", "Blackburne collects..." and "Cha - ching!").

On June 10, 2009, the first "birthday" of this blog (celebrating a year of posting every day) I will offer a "present" to interested readers, a combined PGN database of over 1,100 games: mostly Jerome Gambits or Jerome-ish Gambits, with occasional forays into other unorthodox opening areas as they have been touched upon on in the first year of this blog.

It will be yours for the asking, with my thanks for stopping by to celebrate.

(p.s. Because of an early interest in the Jerome Gambit blog games, I have already sent the file out 9 times. Why wait? Join the crowd! richardfkennedy@hotmail.com)

Real - and Un-Real

Recently I exchanged emails with someone interested in unorthodox chess openings, in particular, the Jerome Gambit, via the Unorthodox Chess Openings newsgroup at Yahoo!



To: UnorthodoxChessOpenings@yahoogroups.com
Date: Tue, 26 May 2009 23:27:40 +0000
Subject: [UnorthodoxChessOpenings] Jerome Gambit for Dummies



Hello,
Is this book available in Europe? Thanks in advance for any information.

Regards




From:Rick Kennedy (richardfkennedy@hotmail.com)
Sent:Thu 5/28/09 6:18 AM
To: unorthodoxchessopenings@yahoogroups.com

Bonjour,

For now, Jerome Gambit for Dummies exists only in my imagination, as host of the blog jeromegambit.blogspot.com; and in the creativity of the Jerome Gambit Gemeinde - those who fearlessly play 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+.

Please stop by, feel free to chuckle or guffaw - and send in your own Jerome Gambit games, won or lost, as White or Black.

Rick / perrypawnpusher

From: unorthodoxchessopenings@yahoogroups.com

Sent:Thu 5/28/09 9:13 AM
To: UnorthodoxChessOpenings@yahoogroups.com

Hello,

Thanks you for answer, all is clear. I have never played the Jerome Gambit but why not!! I play many times Bishop Opening. Do you know a Jerome database for download?

I hope to study a little this gambit before play it

Regards.


Well, it turns out that my correspondent was was just in time! Check out tomorrow's post.

Yahoo Groups - Brazil

There is a spirited discussion of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) going on in one of the Portugese language Yahoo groups, "Clube de Xadrez" at Yahoo Brazil: http://br.dir.groups.yahoo.com/group/clube-de-xadrez/message/35124

I hope to see some Jerome Gambit games as a result - and, if so, I will share them with Readers.

A Conspiracy of Silence?

Yesterday's post ("Travelling a Dangerous Path") showed a line in the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) that was challenging enough to give even one of the premier players of the Jerome – Pete Banks ("blackburne") – enough to keep him on his toes.

It can be hard playing against a line recommended by either International Master Gary Lane – The Greatestest Ever Chess Tricks and Traps (2008) – or FIDE Master Eric Schiller – Unorthox Chess Openings (1998, 2002), Gambit Chess Openings (2002), and Survive and Beat Annoying Chess Openings (with John Watson, 2003): 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke3 7.f4 and either 7...d6 (Lane) or 7...Qf6 (Schiller).

But what about the alternative 7th move, 7.Qf5+ ? It turns out that blackburne has played that move, too, for example: 7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Bd4 9.fxe5+ Bxe5 10.d4 Qh4+ 11.Kd1 Nh6 12.Qxe5+ Kc6 13.Qc5 checkmate, blackburne - Temmo, Chessworld, 2008.

Hope you didn't blink: that was a fast win, there.

I have to admit that although more than half of my losses with the Jerome Gambit have come after playing 7.Qf5+, I have a few wins with it, as well. Over a dozen.

So, what do our friends IM Lane and FM Schiller have to say about that alternative to 7.f4, 7.Qf5+ ?

Nothing.

That's right: nothing.

It's almost as if the two, each of whom enjoys writing about and playing offbeat openings, are announcing the death of the Jerome Gambit (for the umpteenth time) to the chess world at large when it comes to 7.f4 – and then giving a wink and a nod to the Jerome Gambit Gemeinde when it comes to 7.Qf5+.

Editorial oversight, or Conspiracy of Silence?

You decide.

Travelling a Dangerous Path

The Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) can be a dangerous route for the enterprising and plucky gambiteer to follow. Theoretically, each of its paths leads to a dead end.

As a practical matter, however, some travel it regularly. The games of modern Jerome Gambit Gemeinde member Pete Banks ("blackburne") will be used to explore further a byway in the line given in "An International Master Refutes the Jerome Gambit".

White doesn't win every time, but play over the games, and enjoy his unflagging, fighting spirit!

blackburne - macsek
ChessWorld, 2004

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

7.f4 Qf6

This is an interesting alternative to 7...d6 – the move recommended by many, including IM Gary Lane in his The Greatest Ever Chess Tricks and Traps, to put the kabosh on the Jerome Gambit, by returning a piece directly.

The text move was seen as early as in a note in G.H.D. Gossip's 1891 The Chess Player's Vade Mecum and Pocket Guide to the Openings with all the latest theoretical discoveries and traps in the openings revealed. Lee and Gossip's The Complete Chess Guide (1903, 1905, 1907, 1910) carried the same analysis.

It has been more recently revived by FM Eric Schiller, who recommended it in his Unorthodox Chess Openings (1998, 2002), Gambit Chess Openings (2002) and (with John Watson) Survive and Beat Annoying Chess Openings (2003).

8.Qxe5+

This was blackburne's first response to the move, but there are other choices.
Somewhat surprisingly, Gossip gave 8.fxe5 as White's move in his analysis, followed by 8...Qxe5. In this manner, blackburne - Piratepaul, Chessworld, 2008 continued: 9.Qf5+ Qxf5 10.exf5+ Kxf5 11.Rf1+ Kg6 12.Rf8 Bxf8 13.d4 d5 14.Nc3 Bb4 15.Bd2 Bxc3 16.Bxc3 Nf6 17.0-0-0 a5 18.Re1 Ne4 19.Rf1 h6 20.g4 Bxg4 21.Rg1 Kh5 22.Be1 g5 23.c3 Be2 24.Kc2 a4 25.Rg2 Bc4 White resigned – hardly a fair test of the line, as the first player was clearly having a bad game; but, still, ominous.

More to be expected after 8.fxe5 is 8...Qf2+ after which blackburne had a couple of Lord of the Rings-style adventures: 9.Kd1 Qxg2 10.Qf5+ Ke7 11.Rf1 Nh6 12.Qf3 (after 12.Qf4 b6 13.Nc3 d6 14.exd6+ Bxd6 15.Nd5+ Ke8 16.Nf6+ Kd8 17.e5 Bg4+ 18.Nxg4 Black lost on time, blackburne - manago, Chessworld, 2008) 12...Qxf3+ 13.Rxf3 d5 14.Rf4 Bg4+ 15.Ke1 Raf8 16.Rxf8 Rxf8 17.d3 Bf2+ 18.Kd2 d4 19.c3 Be3+ 20.Kc2 Rf2+ 21.Nd2 Bxd2 22.Bxd2 dxc3 23.bxc3 Nf7 24.Rg1 Nxe5 25.h3 Nf3 26.Rxg4 Rxd2+ 27.Kb3 Rxd3 28.Rxg7+ Kf6 29.Rxc7 Nd4+ 30.Kc4 Rd1 31.Rxb7 Ne2 32.Rxa7 Ra1 33.Kb3 Rc1 34.Rc7 h5 35.c4 Nd4+ 36.Ka4 Ke5 37.Rc5+ Kxe4 38.Rxh5 Rxc4+ 39.Ka5 Nc6+ 40.Kb5 Rc2 41.a4 Nd4+ 42.Kb4 Ra2 43.Rg5 Nc6+ 44.Kc5 Ne5 45.Kb5 Nf3 46.Rg4+ Kf5 47.a5 Ne5 48.Rg8 Rb2+ 49.Ka6 Nc4 50.Rg4 Ne3 51.Ra4 Nd1 52.Ka7 Nc3 53.Ra1 Rh2 54.a6 Rxh3 55.Kb7 Nb5 56.Ra5 Rb3 57.a7 Ke6 58.a8Q Nd6+ 59.Kc6 Rc3+ 60.Rc5 Rxc5+ 61.Kxc5 Ke5 62.Qd5+ Black resigned, blackburne - AAlekhine Chessworld, 2007.

Another adventure followed 8.Qh3+, as blackburne - Kemik, Chessworld, 2005 continued 8...Ke7 9.fxe5 Qxe5 10.d3 d5 11.Qh4+ Nf6 12.Nc3 c6 13.Bf4 Qh5 14.Bg5 Qxh4+ 15.Bxh4 Bb4 16.0-0-0 dxe4 17.Nxe4 Bg4 19.Rf4 Ba5 20.Rxg4 Rg8 21.Rf1 h6 22.Nxf6 gxf6 23.Bxf6+ Ke6 24.Re4+ Kd6 25.Be7+ Kc7 26.g3 Rae8 27.Rf7 Kb6 28.b4 Bxb4 29.Rxb4+ Ka6 30.Bd6 b6 31.Ra4+ Kb5 32.Rfxa7 c5 33.Bf4 h5 34.c4+ Kc6 35.Rc7 checkmate

Currently 8.Rf1 is seen as the strongest move for White; but it was not considered by Gossip, Lee or Schiller; nor played by Blackburne.

8...Qxe5 9.fxe5 Kxe5

According to Schiller, Black's King is "perfectly safe in the center" in this interesting endgame position, but most players will have a "better" game against the Jerome Gambit – right up to the point where they resign.

10.Nc3 Nf6 11.d3 d5
11...Bd4 is not a "bad" alternative, but iltimately failed against White's active play in blackburne - drewbear, chessworld, 2008: 12.Rf1 Ke6 13.Nb5 Bb6 14.Bf4 d6 15.0-0-0 a6 16.Nc3 Bd7 17.Rf3 Rhf8 18.Rdf1 Ng4 19.h3 g5 20.Bxg5 Rxf3 21.Rxf3 Ne5 22.Rf6+ Ke7 23.Nd5+ Ke8 24.Rh6 Kf7 25.Nf6 Be8 26.Nxh7 Kg7 27.Nf6 Bg6 28.Nd5 Rf8 29.Ne7 Nf7 30.Rxg6+ Kh7 31.Bf6 Ne5 32.Rg7+ Kh6 33.Nf5+ Kh5 34.g4+ Black resigned

12.Rf1 Ke6 13.Bg5 Bb4 14.exd5+ [14.Bxf6 first was stronger] Nxd5 15.0-0-0 Nxc3 16.bxc3 Bxc3 17.Bd2 Bf6 18.Rde1+ Kd7 19.Re4 b6 20.g3 Bb7 21.Re2 Rae8 22.Rfe1 Rxe2 23.Rxe2 Re8 24.Rxe8 Kxe8 25.Bf4 Kd7 26.Kd2 Bd5 27.c4 Be6 28.Kc2 g5 29.Be3 c5 30.Bd2 Bd4 31.Be1 Bh3 32.Bd2 h6 33.Be1 Bg1 34.a4 Bxh2 35.Bf2 Ke6 36.d4 cxd4 37.Kd3 h5 38.Kxd4 Bf5 39.c5 Bc2 40.cxb6 axb6 41.Kc4 Bxa4 42.Kb4 b5 43.Be1 Kf5 44.Kc3 Kg4 White resigned