Huntin'

I guess it's a good thing that I read this Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) blog – every once-in-a-while there's something here that I can use in my own games...

perrypawnpusher - avgur
blitz 5 5, FICS, 2009

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6
7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Nf6
10.0-0
Up to here, this is the same as perrypawnpusher - peroneal, blitz, FICS, 2009, which I analyzed a few days ago. My hope was that I had learned something.

10...Be6 11.f4 Bc4
This Bishop maneuver is reminiscent of perrypawnpusher - Kotimatka, blitz, FICS 2009, (also covered less than a week ago) but in that case I had already played d2-d4, so I didn't have the helpful reply I have here.

12.d3 Bb5 13.c4
A bit of over-thinking, here. The idea was to chase the enemy Bishop off of the a6-f1 diagonal, so I could play f4-f5 and answer Black's ...Ne5 with d3-d4. Ooops! That would leave the same c4-pawn vulnerable to capture... Luckily, I figured that out – right after I played the move, of course.

I probably would have had the same success (or more) with 13.Nc3, which also attacks the Bishop.
13...Bc6 14.f5 Ne5 15.Nc3 Qd7 16.b3 Qf7 I'm not sure what Black is doing with his Queen maneuvering, but I'm ready to get the "Jerome pawns" moving.

17.d4 Neg4 18.Qe2
Wouldn't you know it, after the game Rybka 3 preferred 18.Qg3! (Am I ever going to put the Queen on the right square?) Then Black can't win the White e-pawn without leaving his Knight on g4 hanging, while the protective 18...h5 lets White get in 19.e5. Thank you, Rybka.

18...Qe7 19.Bg5 h6 20.Bxf6
Keeping the pin with 20.Bh4 was stronger.

20...Nxf6 21.Rae1


Getting the last piece into place before advancing the pawns. White is close to even.

21...h5

Understandably, Black does not want another pawn joining the party with g2-g4, but moving the King (21...Kf7) might have been safer. Also, if the center opens up, Black's Rooks will wind up there, which means that later the h-pawn could be at risk.

It's not just White who can have a hard time choosing moves!

22.e5 dxe5 23.dxe5 Ng4 24.h3 Nh6
White finally gets the advantage. Black had an interesting save of his Knight, instead of the retreat: 24...Qc5+, since after 25.Kh1 the g4 Knight can't be captured because White would get checkmated.

25.Qf2
White should have grabbed the pawn at h5 instead.

25...Kd7

Black's King and Queen have had a horrible time deciding where to go. This continues to help White.

26.Qd4+
One of the things that I've discovered while going over this game and the several prior ones is that getting the "Jerome pawns" to the 5th (or 5th and 6th) rank is more of a strategic victory than a tactical conclusion – White has more space, and can use it; he can even conjure up threats; but there's still a lot of work to do.

26...Ke8

Taking refuge with 26...Kc8 was relatively safer, but Black is still troubled.

27.f6 Qe6 28.fxg7 Rg8 29.Rf6 As per the note after White's 26th move.
29...Qd7 30.Qxd7+ Kxd7 31.e6+ Kd6 32.e7+ Kc5
Wandering off. The fresh air doesn't help.

33.Rxh6 Rxg7 34.Rxh5+ Kd4
His Majesty has his own plans.

35.Nb5+ Kd3 36.g4 Rag8
Black's counter-attack comes too late.

37.Rhe5 Rh7 38.e8Q Bxe8 39.Rxe8
Time was running down on our clocks. Time to wrap the game up.
39...Rgg7 40.Rd8+ Kc2 41.Re2+ Kc1 42.Na3 Rxh3 43.Rc2 checkmate

Race to the Finish

With 80% (169 out of 210) of the games in the 15-player, double-round robin Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) Thematic Tournament at ChessWorld completed, the Jerome Gambit has scored 37%.

Piratepaul (19 points out of 23 games completed) maintains his lead. DREWBEAR 63 (17 points out of 28 games), who had been first throughout most of the play, was the first to complete his games; and shares second place with Sir Osis of the Liver (17 points out of 26 games completed).

Sitting behind them are GladtoMateYou (14 points out of 24 games), then blackburne and eddie43 (13.5 points out of 26 games), and stampyshortlegs (13 points out of 17 games).

Only one player, because of the number of games he has yet to complete, has a statistical chance of topping Piratepaul's (current) 19 points: stampyshortlegs (maximum score possible - 24).

From a practical point of view, it looks like it will be a race between Piratepaul (maximum score possible - 24) and stampyshortlegs for top honors.

Out of sight, out of mind

When I was putting together yesterday's Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) post – a long game with analysis and diagrams can take a couple of hours – I noticed that I had referenced a game that was in my database, but had not yet shown up on this blog. Playing through the game, I could understand the oversight: it's another bad game.

I suppose that I can take some comfort in the fact that I scored 2.5 point in those 3 bad games – that almost makes up for the poor play.


perrypawnpusher - episodeninetynine
blitz 10 0, FICS, 2009
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 The Semi-Italian opening.


4.0-0 Bc5 5.Bxf7+ 5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.Qh5+ Ng6
Some of my games have goen otherwise: 7...Ke6 8.Qf5+ Kd6 9.d4 Bxd4 ( 9...Qf6 10.dxe5+ Qxe5 11.Rd1+ ( 11.Bf4 Qxf4 12.Qxf4+ Kc6 13.e5 d5 14.b4 Nf6 15.bxc5 Ne4 16.Qf7 Nxc5 17.Qxg7 Be6; 11.Bf4 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - joejox, FICS 2009) 11...Bd4 12.Qf8+ Ke6 13.Qe8+ Kf6 14.Qf8+ Ke6 15.Qe8+ Kf6 drawn, perrypawnpusher - Joyus, FICS, 2007) 10.Rd1 c5 11.c3 Ne7 12.Qh5 Kc7 13.cxd4 cxd4 14.Qxe5+ d6 15.Qxd4 Nc6 16.Qxg7+ Bd7 17.Bf4 Rg8 18.Qxh6 Qe7 19.Bxd6+ Qxd6 20.Qxd6+ Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - Lakritzl, FICS 2009;

And 7...Kf6 8.Qf5+ Ke7 9.Qxe5+ Kf7 10.Qd5+ Kf6 11.e5+ Kg6 12.Qxc5 d6 13.exd6 Qxd6 14.Qxd6+ cxd6 15.Nc3 Bf5 16.d3 Rc8 17.Be3 a6 18.Bd4 Nf6 19.Rae1 Rhe8 20.f3 Kh7 21.Bxf6 gxf6 22.Rxe8 Rxe8 23.Kf2 Kg6 24.Re1 Rc8 25.Re7 Rb8 26.Ne4 Bxe4 27.fxe4 b5 28.Rd7 Rb6 29.c3 b4 30.c4 b3 31.a3 f5 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - bergeruw, FICS 2007

8.Qd5+

As I've said (see "Ugly"), I continue to play this nudge; few others do. For example: 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qc4+ Be6 10.Qe2 Nf6 11.f4 Re8 12.f5 Bxf5 13.Rxf5 d5 14.e5 Qd7 15.Qh5 c6 16.Nc3 Qc7 17.d4 c5 18.Nxd5 Qd8 19.exf6 gxf6 20.Rxf6+ Qxf6 21.Nxf6 Black resigned, abhailey - cumelen, net-chess, 2008

8...Kf6

Or 8...Kf8 9.Qxc5+ d6 10.Qe3 N8e7 11.d4 Kg8 12.Nc3 Kh7 13.f4 Rf8 14.f5 Nh8 15.g4 Kg8 16.g5 hxg5 17.Qxg5 Nf7 18.Qg3 Nc6 19.f6 g5 20.Bxg5 Nxg5 21.Qxg5+ Kf7 22.Qg7+ Ke6 23.d5+ Ke5 24.Qg3+ Kd4 25.Qd3+ Ke5 26.Qg3+ Kd4 27.Qd3+ Ke5 28.Qg3+ Kd4 29.Qd3+ Ke5 30.Qg3+ Kd4 31.Qd3+ Ke5 32.Qg3+ Kd4 drawn, perrypawnpusher - pascalwilliams, blitz, FICS, 2007;

Or 8...Ke8 9.Qxc5 Qe7 10.Qe3 Nf6 11.Nc3 c6 12.f4 b6 13.f5 Ne5 14.d4 Ba6 15.dxe5 Qxe5 16.Re1 Kf7 17.Qf3 Rhe8 18.Bf4 Qc5+ 19.Be3 Qb5 20.Bd4 Qxb2 21.e5 Nd5 22.e6+ Kg8 23.Qg4 Nxc3 24.Qxg7 checkmate, perrypawnpusher - Cibola, blitz, FICS, 2009

9.Qf5+ Ke7 10.Qxc5+ Ke8 11.f4 d6 12.Qe3

Too much of a reflex action. One subtle difference between the regular Jerome Gambit and the Jerome Gambit coming out of the Semi-Italian opening is that here I had the option of 12.Qh5, pinning and eventually winning the Knight on g6.

That's worth remembering for next time.

12...Qf6 13.f5 Ne5 14.d4 Nc4

Now, where should the Queen go?

15.Qg3

What made sense was 15.Qd3, not this move which drops a pawn.

15...Qxd4+ 16.Kh1 Kd7 17.Nc3 b6

As long as Black is behind in development, White has hope.

18.Bf4 Ba6


This move is consistent, but turns out not to be good. I wish I had realized how not-good it was.

19.Rad1 Qc5


Sometimes there are things going on in a game that neither player recognizes. I was totally unaware that the Black Queen had to go to f6 to stay out of trouble.

20.Qxg7+ Ne7 21.e5

This seemed consistent and good to me, but Rybka later saw it as a blunder, preferring 21.b4 Rag8 22.Qxg8 Nxg8 23.bxc5 bxc5.

21...Rag8 22.e6+ Kc6


On the other hand, Rybka didn't like this move one bit, either, preferring 22...Kd8.

Offsetting blunders, and White is now better.

23.Qxe7 Re8 24Qd7+Kb7 24.b3

Ah, the irony: Rybka shows how "simple" the position actually was – 25.Rd5 Qc6 26.b4 Na3 ( 26...Qxd7 27.exd7 Rd8 28.b5) 27.b5 Nxb5 28.Nxb5 Qxd7 29.exd7 Re7 30.f6 Rxd7 31.Bxh6 Rf7 32.Bg7... I think I'll leave the computer out of the discussion for a while.

25...Nd2 26.Bxd2 Bxf1 27.Rxf1 Qd4

28.f6 Rhf8

In the face of the advancing pawns, Black's play is deteriorating.

29.Nb5 Qxd2 30.Qxc7+ Ka6 31.Qxa7+ Kxb5 32.Qd7+


Overlooking the mate (that I paid two good pieces for!) with 32.Qa4+ Kc5 33.Qc4.

Well, I'm down a Rook now, but those advanced pawns have to count for something.

32...Ka6 33.e7 Qe2 34.Rg1

34...Rxf6 35.Qxe8 Rf1

Threatening mate-in-2, but it is Black's last hurrah...

36.Qa8+ Kb5 37.e8Q+ Qxe8 38.Qxe8+ Kb4 39.Rxf1 Black resigned

I apologize, Jerome Gambit

One of the "benefits" of playing an off-beat opening like the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) is that it has a built-in excuse for any loss: Of course I would have crushed him if I had been playing the Catalan...

Sometimes, though, even a disreputable opening like the Jerome – given enough cooperation by the opponent, of course – delivers a game that is quite playable, if not downright winable; and at that point, success or failure depends upon the player, not the opening. For the following game, I have to say: I apologize, Jerome Gambit...

perrypawnpusher - peroneal
blitz 10 0, FICS, 2009

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6

7.Qd5+ Ke8

Worth mentioning here is the game perrypawnpusher - hogmaster, chessworld, 2008 which is referred to in the note after move 10: 7...Kf8 8.Qxc5+ d6 9.Qe3 Nf6 10.0-0 b6 11.f4 Bb7 12.d3 Qe7 13.Nc3 Re8 14.Bd2 h6 15.h3 Qd7 16.Qg3 Ne7 17.e5 Nfg8 18.Rae1 Nf5 19.Qf2 Nge7 20.g4 g6 21.gxf5 gxf5 22.Re3 Rg8+ 23.Rg3 Kf7 24.Ne2 h5 25.Kh2 Rg6 26.Rfg1 Reg8 27.Nd4 dxe5 28.Rxg6 exd4 29.Rxg8 Nxg8 30.Qg3 Ne7 31.Qg7+ Ke6 32.Re1+ Kd6 33.Qe5+ Kc6 34.Qxe7 Qxe7 35.Rxe7 Kd6 36.Re5 Bc8 37.Kg3 Black resigned

8.Qxc5 d6

Also relevant to the next note, perrypawnpusher - Lark, blitz, FICS, 2009 continued: 8...N8e7 9.0-0 b6 10.Qe3 Rf8 11.f4 d6 12.f5 Ne5 13.d4 Nc4 14.Qg3 Rf7 15.Nc3 Kf8 16.Bg5 h6 17.Bc1 Bb7 18.f6 Rxf6 19.Rxf6+ gxf6 20.Bxh6+ Ke8 21.Qg7 Kd7 22.Qg4+ Ke8 23.Qg7 Nd2 24.Qxf6 Bxe4 25.Nxe4 Nxe4 26.Qh8+ Kd7 27.Qxd8+ Rxd8 28.Re1 Nf5 29.Rxe4 Nxh6 30.Rh4 Nf5 31.Rh7+ Kc6 32.c3 Re8 33.Kf2 a5 34.b3 Rf8 35.Ke2 Re8+ 36.Kd2 Ne3 37.Rg7 Nf1+ 38.Kd3 Nxh2 39.g4 Nf3 40.g5 Nh4 41.c4 Nf5 42.d5+ Kb7 43.Rh7 Re7 44.Rxe7 Nxe7 45.Ke4 Ng6 46.Kf5 Nh4+ 47.Kf6 Kc8 48.g6 Nxg6 49.Kxg6 Kd7 50.Kf6 c6 51.Kf7 cxd5 52.cxd5 b5 53.a3 Kc7 54.Ke7 b4 55.a4 Kb6 56.Kxd6 Ka6 57.Kc6 Ka7 58.Kc7 Ka6 59.d6 Black resigned

9.Qe3 Nf6

Okay, I've been here before. This is my 6th game (up until now 3-1-1) with this position which was first seen, according to my database, in Charlick - Mann, correspondence 1881 (1-0, 71).

10.0-0 Bd7

A new move, with the idea of putting the Bishop on the a8-h1 diagonal, to pressure the e4 pawn. Other players, like hogmaster and Lark (above) have fianchettoed the Bishop at b7.

11.f4 Qe7 12.Nc3 Bc6 13.f5 Ne5 14.d4 Nc4

This kind of Knight attack on the Queen has happened a lot recently: see my games against DysonLin, episodeninetynine, Joejox and Lark.

15.Qd3

Where should the Queen go? Probably 15.Qe2 was a bit better. Proper positioning of the heavy pieces behind the "Jerome pawn" center will be an important test of the middlegame play – a test that I barely passed, with a "D".

15...Bb5 16.b3

Shoot. Me. Now.

Just like in my previous game, my opponent hangs a piece – and I miss it!

16...Ne3 17.Qxb5+ c6 18.Qd3 Nxf1 19.Kxf1 Rd8

White has two pawns for the exchange. Considering Black's King stuck in the center of the board, White has to have the advantage.

20.Bg5 Rf8 21.Qe3

In this position Fritz8 prefers 21.Re1, if only to answer 21...h6 with the surprising 22.Nd5 – after 22...cxd5 23.e5 dxe5 24.dxe5 hxg5 25.exf6 Rxf7 26.Rxe7+ Kxe7 White should have the advantage. I think 21.Re1 is good for calmer lines, too.

21...h6 22.Bh4 Qd7

It might have been time to put the King on that square, instead, and continue with him to c8 – castling-by-hand on the Queenside.

23.Kg1 Rc8 24.e5

Breaking in the center – probably too early. White's Rook could have gone to f1 or e1 first.

24...Nd5

After 24...dxe5 25.dxe5 Ng4 26.Qxa7 White would be better – for example, after 26...Rxf5 27.Rd1 followed by Nc3-e4 – but things would be messy; and the result would be better than after the text.

25.Nxd5 cxd5 26.exd6+ Kf7

What now?

White should be winning, and there should be some kind of "killer" move here – but I couldn't find it during the game.

Fritz 8 suggests 27.Be7! Then, if 27...Rfe8, White calmly plays 28.Re1 and his threat to infiltrate with the Queen forces Black to liquidate to a lost ending: 28...Rxe7 29.Qxe7+ Qxe7 30.Rxe7+ Kf6 31.Rxb7. Totally beyond my calculation at the time, as well, was if Black played the odd 27...Ke8 (Fritz 8's second choice) then White has 28.f6. All a bit too beyond me.

My move leads to an equal game.

27.Qe6+ Qxe6 28.fxe6+ Kxe6 29.Re1+ Kxd6

Wait a minute! With 29...Kd7 Black probably keeps the game a draw. The text move returns a favor.

30.Be7+ Kd7 31.Bxf8 Rxf8

All Rook endgames are drawn, right? Actually, I thought I had good chances to win this one.

32.c3 Rc8 33.Re3 Kd6 34.Kf2 a6 35.Ke2 b6 36.Kd3 g6 37.c4 dxc4+ 38.bxc4 Rf8

So far, so good. My extra pawn is protected and passed.

39.d5 Rf2 40.Re2

White's job is simplified if he can exchange Rooks.

40...Rxe2 41.Kxe2 b5

Black's last gasp.

I looked at 42.cxb5 Kxd5 43.bxa6 and even though Black can catch the forward White a-pawn, there's still the other a-pawn to be distracted by, while White's King feasts on the Kingside pawns... With only that amount of thought, I played

42.cxb5

only to see instead

42...axb5

Oooops...

The game is now drawn. The winning move, of course, was 42.Kd3.

43.Kd3 Kxd5 44.a3 Kc5 45.Kc3 g5 46.g4 Kb6 47.Kb4 Kc6 48.h3 Kb6 49.Kb3 Kc5 50.Kc3 Kb6 51.Kb4 Kc6 52.Kb3 Kb6 53.Kb4 Kc6 54.Kb3 Kc5 55.Kc3 Kb6 56.Kb4 Kc6 Game drawn by repetition

Nice work, peroneal!

Another game like my last two, and the Jerome Gambit Gemeinde might suspend my membership!