No Letdown

I'm okay with the following game. I don't think that the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) let me down – I missed chances for a draw, which would have been a decent outcome against a higher-rated player. The fact is that my opponent outplayed me.

perrypawnpusher  - CorH
blitz FICS, 2009

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Kf8

I've been here before (3-0-1), and a lot of analysis has been written – actually a little bit of analysis, re-written and re-written – so it was a bit of a disappointment to lose my way so quickly.

At first I thought to enter the Banks Variation with 6.Qh5, but then decided to go with the "proper" way of playing. Perhaps there is a lesson there?

6.Nxc6 dxc6

The better way to recapture – if you are going to recapture.

7.0-0 Be6

This is a new, but of course, good move.

8.Qf3+

A mindless choice. The sequence d2-d3, Nb1-d2, and Nd2-f3 would have prepared for the useful d3-d4.

8...Qf6 9.Qxf6+ Nxf6

This is not a line of play that any master would follow, as Black's extra piece is more valuable than White's two extra center pawns. The lack of safety for Black's King has been diminished by the exchange of Queens, and his two Bishops are helpful in an open position.

Still, I had been thinking about those in the Jerome Gambit Gemeinde who go willingly into a "Jerome endgame" and I decided to play hard and give them their due. If my opponent makes a series of small mistakes, and I make a series of smaller mistakes, eventually I should catch up...

10.d3 Kf7 11.Bg5 Rhe8 12.Bxf6 gxf6

13.Nd2 Bd4 14.c3 Bb6 15.d4 Rad8 16.f4

Accentuate the positive is my motto. Black is still clearly better, but I'm getting my trumps out, and I haven't blundered.

CorH's attack on my pawns should now be successful; however, while his idea is right, the execution of it is faulty.

16...c5 17.d5 Bd7 18.c4 c6 19.Rae1 cxd5 20.cxd5 Ba5 21.Rf2 Bb6 22.Nc4

This is a much better position than I deserved, and Black's dark-squared Bishop (which could have caused hassles before now) is under control.

I could see myself approaching a level, if complicated, game. This is why club players don't resign on move one.

22...Bc7 23.e5 fxe5

Stronger was 23...Bb5

24.fxe5+ Kg7

This is pretty close to equality, I think. "Triumph" of the "Jerome pawns"!

25.e6 Bb5 26.Rf7+ Kh8 27.Re4

This move looks pretty, but it is a bit superficial. White would do best to save his Knight with 27.Na3, and follow it up with the capture of one of Black's Bishops, for example 27...Rxd5 28.Rxc7 or 27...Bb6 28.Rxc7. White's e-pawn is probably doomed, but there is enough play to keep the game even.

27...Bxc4 28.Rxc4 Rxd5 29.Rh4

An interesting oversight, but a blunder nonetheless. Of course 29.Rxc7 was the correct move, but I was "seeing" all kinds of draws-by-repetition and even possible mates after my Rook move – which would be there if Black's dark-square Bishop had suddenly "disappeared".

29...Be5 30.Rhxh7+ Kg8

And now comes the realization: oops, the Bishop protects g7 and h8...

31.e7 Rd1+ 32.Kf2 Bd4+ 33.Ke2 Rc1 34.Kd2 Rf1 35.Rxf1 Kxh7

Yes, this is still a "Jerome endgame" with two pawns (for the moment) against a piece; and so I must fight on...

36.Re1 Bf6 37.Kd3 Rxe7 38.Rxe7+ Bxe7 39.Ke4 Kg6

40.b3 Kh5 41.a4 Bf6 42.Kf3 Bd4 43.g3 a6 44.h3 b5 45.axb5 axb5

46.Kf4 Kg6

Black would have saved himself a lot of time and trouble if he had played 46...c4 47.bxc4 bxc4. His Bishop would be perfectly positioned on the a1-h8 diagonal, to both protect his remaining pawn and thwart White's pawns.  

47.g4 Bc3 48.h4 Bd2+ 49.Ke4 Kf6 50.Kd5 Be3

I was comfortable with all this "dancing" to and fro, and I would have offered a draw here if I didn't think it impolite, being the lower-rated player.

51.Ke4 Bf2 52.Kd5 Bd4

This is a significant slip, but neither CorH nor I realized it at the time.

White can now play 53.b4, forcing the exchange of a pair of pawns: 53...Be3 54.bxc5. White's c-pawn is not long for this world, but capturing it (for example: 54...Kg7 55.c6 Bb6 56.c7 Bxc7) allows White to approach and then capture Black's remaining pawn, assuring a draw. 

53.Ke4 Kg6 54.Kd5

It is an interesting question as to whether b2-b4 still works here. It is possible to see 54.b4 Bf2 55.bxc5 Bxc5 56.Kd3 Bf8 57.Kc3 Bd6.

analysis diagram





It looks like White's King can shuttle back and forth on b3 and c3 (or b3 and c4, if the pawn advances) , forcing Black's Bishop to stay on the a3 to f8 diagonal in order not to lose the b-pawn.

In the mean time, if White's pawns advance to g5 and h4, they will keep the Black King busy blockading them.

I think it would be a draw.

54...Kf6

Again, the move for White now is 55.b4, with a draw.

55.Ke4 Ke6

With Black's King a step closer to the Queenside, the thematic b3-b4 now no longer works, as after 56.b4 Bf2 57.bxc5 Black can play 57...Bxh4 instead of 57...Bxc5, crippling White's pawn play. Black's King can both catch the White pawn on c5 and protect his b-pawn. 

56.g5 Bf2 57.h5 Kf7

58.Kd5 Be3 59.g6+ Kf6 60.Ke4 Bd4

Black's King has wandered over to the Kingside again, and this should make 61.b4 work – again.

61.Kf4 Be5+ 62.Ke4 Bd4

Repetition of position – and repetition of oversight.

63.Kf4 Kg7 64.Kf5

There's not much left in White's game, as Black shows.

64...Kh6 65.Kg4 c4 66.bxc4 bxc4

67.Kf3 c3 68.Ke2 Kxh5 69.Kd3 Bg7 70.Kc2 Kxg6 71.Kd3 Kf5 72.Kc2 Ke4 73.Kd1 Kd3 74.Kc1

One last gasp: now 74...c2 is stalemate.

74...Bh6+ White resigned.

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