Crime and Punisher

One nice thing about this blog is that people around the world read it.

Another nice thing is that not everybody reads it.

So, less than a week ago I played, analyzed, and posted a Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit game (see "Gorilla Chess") and today I played the same opponent in the same line and used my "improvement" – which readers would be aware of – confidently.

perrypawnpusher - PunisherABD

blitz FICS, 2009

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4

4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6

6.c3 Kxe5 7.cxd4+ Kxd4

We've been here before, PunisherABD and I.

8.d3

This is my improvement over 8.Nc3, which my opponent had answered with the uncomfortable 8...Qg5.

The next few moves were pretty easy to work out.

8...Ke5 9.Qh5+ Ke6 10.Qf5+ Ke7 11.Bg5+ Nf6 12.e5

Black's King has returned safely from his journey, and now, after 12...Kf7 13.exf6 gxf6 White will have a small edge in the position – not much larger than if the first player had played the more traditional 4.0-0, 4.d3, 4.Nc3 or 4.Nxd4. 

The difference is one of comfort. When a player is uneasy about a position, he is more likely to make an error, regardless of the "objective" evaluation of his situation.

12...Ke8

This is what I mean. Trouble follows quickly.

13.exf6 Kf7

Black could have chosen to go down swinging with 13...Bb4+ 14.Kd1 Rf8, although if White has faith in his advanced pawn and supports it with his Queen, all will be well: 15.Qe4+ Kf7 16.Qxh7 Rg8 17.Qh5+ g6 18.Qh7+ Ke6 19.f7, etc.

analysis diagram





Back to the game...

14.fxg7+ Kf7 15.Bxd8

I thought that this would be enough to end the game, but PunisherABD is made of stronger stuff. I kept collecting material and he kept playing on.

15...Kg8 16. Bf6 Bg7 17.Qg5 Kf7 18.Qxg7+ Ke6 19.Qxh8

19...b6 20.0-0 Bb7 21.Re1+ Kd6 22.Be5+ Kc6 23.Qf6+ d6

24.Na3 Re8 25.Rac1+ Kd7 26.Qf5+ Kd8 27.Bf6+ Black resigned

graphic by Jeff Bucchino, The Wizard of Draws

Seriously!

On the other hand (see "Beware, Hubris"), just as a player facing the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) and other similar manisfestations benefits from taking the opening "seriously" enough to avoid over-confidence and self-inflicted disaster, so, too, does the player of the White pieces benefit from serious attention to the opening he plays. This means not only knowing significant lines of play, but committing energy to the necessary struggle that always arises.

In the following game the first player only accomplishes one of the two goals, so he is unable to pull himself back from the precipice.

NN -Brunhold
Kempten, 1988

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

4...Kxf7 5. Nxe5+ Nxe5 6. Qh5+ g6 7. Qxe5 d6

Blackburne's line, from Amateur - Blackburne, London, 1885 – the best known Jerome Gambit game. Less well known is that the Rook sacrifice, so incredibly successful for "The Black Death" in his game, is actually an error. Black gets his desired crush, instead, from 7...Qe7, Whistler's Defense. 

 8. Qg3

White hesitates, then retreats. For homework he should study this and this.

8... Qf6 

This move is often a part of a successful defense. A bit more accurate is 8...Nf6, but the text allows Black to maintain his advantage.

9. O-O Be6 10. c3 h5

While White goes for the "Jerome Center", Black counters creatively. It is still possible for the first player to make a game of it.

11. d4 h4 12. Qd3 Bb6 13. Be3

White has focused his energies on development and using his advantage of the extra pawns in the center. He would have been wise to acknowledge Black's threat, however, and played 13.h3 before 14.Be3. Now his Kingside is breached, and the effort poured into his last few moves is wasted.

Rybka gives 13.h3 Kg7 14.Be3 c6 15.c4 d5 16.e5 Qf5 17.Qa3 and says that White is about 1/2 a pawn behind.

13... h3 14. g3

Ruinous, but 14.Re1 hxg2 is very good for Black

14... Qf3 White resigned

 

Beware, Hubris

It's okay with me if you don't like the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) and all its relatives, such as the Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.0-0 Bc5 5.Bxf7+) and the Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 4.Bxf7+). I don't mind if you think they are all "garbage openings."

Just remember that it takes more than disdain and sneering to defeat these attack – as the appropriately named "hubris" discovered quickly in the following game.

dubnikova - hubris
redhotpawn.com, 04.06.2009

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4

The Blackburne Shilling Gambit.

4.Bxf7+

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6

6.Qg4+

Better chances come with 6.c3. See "Why I oughta..." and "Gorilla Chess".

6...Kxe5 7.f4+ Kxe4 8.Nc3 checkmate

"...three bishops, never..."

This is not a Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) quote, but it could have been...

Alexander Alekhine once remarked that while "two bishops" (versus two knights, or a knight and a bishop) win, "three bishops" never do.

The key to unravelling the comment is to realize that the French (Alekhine played first board for their team at four Olympiads) call the mitred piece a "fou", not an "évêque"– that is, a "fool", not a "bishop".

Thus, having two "fools" on the board can be an advantage, but having a third one in charge of the pieces will never be.

A Hot Rocket to Oblivion

If you play a refuted opening like the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) you have to know that you are riding a hot rocket to oblivion, and if a chance comes along to hop off safely, you should consider it. That is one reason why it is useful to recognize and punish your opponent's first "creative" step away from the main line. The game you save may be your own.

perrypawnpusher  - TheTrueDamaBlanca

blitz FICS, 2009

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6

The Semi-Italian opening. White can make a developing move, and hope that Black will play 4...Bc5, transposing into the Jerome Gambit.

4.0-0 Na5

This is like walking around with a Kick Me! sign pinned to the seat of your pants...

5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.Nxe5+

6...Ke8

I've been here before. TheTrueDamaBlanca choses the most dangerous alternative.

Tricky and trappy is 6...Kf6. There is no way that I would have figured out the following over-the-board in a blitz game, but it is knowledge that I will arm myself with for the next time...

After 6...Kf6, White can win the enemy Queen, but then he has to take care of his own: 7.Qh5 Ne7 8.Nf7 Qe8 9.e5+ Ke6 10.Ng5+ hxg5 11.Qxe8 (with a Queen for two pieces, this is winning; although now Black plans to box in the Queen and then play ...Bg7) 11...Nac6 (covering the escape square d8) 12.Nc3 a6 (stopping the rescue mission Nc3-b5) 13.d4 Nxd4 14.Rd1 g6 15.Bxg5 Ndc6 (reinforcing the Knight that guards the pawn at g6)16.Nd5 Bg7 17.Nxc7+ Kf5 18.Qf7+ (at last!) Kxg5 19.Qxg7 Rh4 20.Qf6+ Kh5 21.f4 and Black's King is in a mating net. Whew! 

analysis diagram






Rybka sees 6...Ke6 as the best choice for Black. White's logical response is 7.Ng6, when the second player can surrender the h8 Rook (for a piece) immediately with 7...Nf6 and face complications after 8.Nxh8 Bd6 9.e5 or he can surrender the Rook (for a piece) after complications: 7...Rh7 8.Qg4+ Kf7 9.Ne5+ Ke7 10.Qg6 Nf6 11.Qf7+ Kd6 12.Ng6 Qe8 13.Qxf8 Qxf8 14.Nxf8 Ke7 15.Nxh7 Nxh7. 

analysis diagram






Again: nobody should memorize this, just understand that there is "something" to look for after 6...Ke6, too.

Finally, an earlier encounter: 6...Ke7 7.Qh5 Kd6 8.Nf7+ Ke7 9.Nxd8 Kxd8 10.Qxa5 b6 11.Qc3 Nf6 12.d3 d6 13.f4 Ng4 14.e5 dxe5 15.fxe5 Bc5+ 16.d4 Be7 17.Qc6 Rb8 18.Qg6 Rg8 19.Nc3 Ba6 20.Rf7 c5 21.Qxg4 cxd4 22.Qxd4+ Ke8 23.Rxe7+ Kxe7 24.Qd6+ Ke8 25.Qxb8+ Kf7 26.Qxa7+ Kg6 27.Qxa6 Kh7 28.Qd3+ Kh8 29.Qh3 Re8 30.Bxh6 gxh6 31.Qxh6+ Kg8 32.Qg6+ Kf8 33.e6 Ke7 34.Qf7+ Kd8 35.Qd7 checkmate, perrypawnpusher - Butin, FICS, 2009

7.Qh5+ Ke7

Again, choosing the greater of two evils, but there was not a lot of happiness in 7...g6, either: 8.Qxg6+ Ke7 9.Nc3 (threatening mate) c6 10.b3 (adding White's dark-squared Bishop to the attack) and Black will eventually lose his King or Queen.

8.Ng6+ Ke6 9.Qf5+ Kd6 10.Qd5 checkmate

Why, I oughta...

When I started writing this blog (not quite a year and a half ago), I decided to post every one of my Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf4+) and Jerome-related games, win or lose, good or bad. Three good examples of my bad play are perrypawnpusher - thehunterjames, FICS, 2009 (0-1, 25), perrypawnpusher -james042665, Chess.com, 2008 (0-1, 18), and perrypawnpusher - drewbear, JG3 thematic, chessworld, 2008 (0-1, 10).

The following game is not a loss, but in light of my experience with the Blackburne Shilling Gambit – especially the recent "Gorilla Chess", but also, for example "Keep the shilling..." – I sure looked pretty comical.

perrypawnpusher - MNUNP

blitz FICS, 2009

1.e4 Nc6 2.Nf3 e5 3.Bc4 Nd4

4.Bxf7+

Of course.

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6

6.c3 Kxe5 7.cxd4+ Kxe4

Here I felt a little foolish. I knew that capturing the e-pawn was bad for Black (7...Kxd4 was roughly even), but I couldn't remember why, or how to prove it. Black should have thought of King safety: 7...Ke6 8.Nc3 Kf7 9.0-0 c6 10.d3 g6 11.Be3 Kg7 and if anyone has an advantage, it is the second player.

8.Qg4+

Okay, I not only didn't remember the right path, I didn't figure it out over-the-board, either.

The correct move was 8.Qh5, boxing-in the King, which Black should answer with 8...g5. Then a King-hunt starting with 9.Qf3+ either succeeds or allows White's Queen to get to e5 with check, followed by the capture of the h8 Rook.

An alternative to 8.Qh5 g5 was quickly dealt with: 8...Kxd4 9.d3 Bb4+ 10.Nc3 Bxc3+ 11.bxc3+ Kxc3 12.Qc5+ Kxd3 13.Qd5+ Kc3 14.Bd2+ Kb2 15.Qb3+ Kxa1 16.0-0 checkmate, Melao Jr.,H - Danilo, Centro Cultural 1996;

Or 8.0-0 Qf6 9.Qc2+ Kxd4 10.b4 Kd5 11.Bb2 Qg6 12.Qb3+ Kd6 13.Re1 b6 14.Be5+ Kc6 15.Rc1+ Kb7 16.Rxc7+ Kb8 17.Rc6+ Black resigned was fidotopdog - Krait, FICS 2009

8...Kd5 9.Nc3+ Kd6

This is very dangerous. The King should, instead, go to c6 when the game is still in balance.

10.0-0

I admit that I played this move with a sense of resignation: I wasn't sure what to do next, and figured that castling couldn't go too far wrong: I would have three pieces developed to his none (or one, if you count his King). 

Next time I'll know to play 10.Qe4. White can build a good attack on the dark squares after 10...a6 11.d3 g5 12.Qe5+ Kc6 13.d5+ Kb6 14.Be3+ c5 15.dxc6+ Kxc6 16.Qd5+ Kc7 17.Qa5+ and Black loses his Queen.

analysis diagram

Another way to play the position was 10.b3 Qe7+ 11.Ne2 Kc6 12.d5+ Kb6 13.d3 c5 14.dxc6 bxc6 15.Be3+ Kb7 16.Rc1 Qb4+ 17.Qxb4+ Bxb4+ 18.Nc3 Nf6 19.Ke2 Bxc3 20.Rxc3 Nd5 21.Rc4 Nxe3 22.fxe3 d5 23.Rb4+ Kc7 Black resigned, ibenrooked - ironhorse1056, GameKnot, 2005.

10...Nf6 11.Qf4+

Again, I told myself "the win has to be there" – but I couldn't find it. I'm not sure that it was there, any more.

11...Ke6 12.Re1+ Kf7 13.Nd5

13...d6 14.d3

Now Black can play 14...c6 and 15...d5 and be assured that he has weathered the attack. Instead, he gets careless (and not a moment too soon, as far as I was concerned).

14...Be7 15.Rxe7+

15...Kg8

If Black wanted to fight on, he needed to surrender his Queen for a Knight and Rook with 15...Qxe7.

16.Nxf6+ gxf6 17.Qg3+ Kf8 18.Qg7 checkmate

Perhaps it is true that "fortune favors the bold"!

Gorilla Chess

The general view of gorillas is one of lots of muscle and perhaps less of intellect. The following game, played this week, shows that adding Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 3.Bxf7+) ideas to the Blackburne Shilling Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4) can produce some powerful chess – even if occasionally brawn triumphs over brain.

perrypawnpusher  - PunisherABD

blitz 5 12, FICS, 2009

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4

The Blackburne Shilling Gambit, a frequent visitor to these pages (see "Jerome Gambit: Reeling Sequel", "Keep the shilling...", "Aaarrrgggh!", and "My Turn Again" for recent mentions).

4.Bxf7+

Specialty of the House.

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6

6.c3 Kxe5 7.cxd4+ Kxd4

When I checked my database for this position after the game, I was surprised to see that, of six games, White won three and Black won three. After study, I came to the conclusion that despite the dangerous position of Black's King, the game is still roughly even.

8.Nc3 Qg5

This is really not a good time to start monkeying around with the position. Rybka suggests that Black focus, instead, on safely retreating his King and returning some material. After 8...c6 9.d3 Kc5 10.Qb3 Kd6 11.Bf4+ Ke2 12.Bg5+ Nf6 13.e5 d5 14.0-0 Kf7 15.exf6 gxf6 – the moves are not difficult to find after the strategic plan is clear – and the game is in balance.

Analysis diagram





9.0-0

This move keeps White's advantage, but the computer took me to task for missing the tricky 9.Qa4+ Ke5 10.f4+ when the capture of the pawn by either Black piece is met with 11.d4+. Nice.

9...Ke5

This is disastrous. Time was not an issue, but rather a bad case of "shock and awe".

10.f4+ Qxf4 11.Rxf4 Kxf4

12.Qf3+

Repeat after me, Class: When you see a good move, sit on your hands, there might be a better one...

I hate having missed the picturesque 12.d4 checkmate. 

12...Ke5 13.Qf5+

13...Kd4 14.Qd5 checkmate