Provoked

Welton Vaz de Souza is a nice guy.

Sure, from time-to-time he crushes opponents with the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), but he's a nice guy.

Suggestion: don't provoke him in a game of chess.


Ghandybh - BoogieKnights
Chess.com, 2010

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

The Blackburne Shilling Gambit. There are a number of good responses. I'm partial to 4.Bxf7+, but 4.c3, 4.Nxd4 and 4.0-0 are good, too.

4.0-0

See? That's almost a friendly response.

4...b5

No, no, no, no, no, no...

5.Bxf7+

The expected response from a member of the Jerome Gambit Gemeinde.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+

The Jerome Way.

It turns out that 5.Bxf7+ is so strong (or 4...b5 so ill-advised) that White could simply grab back a piece here with the alternative 6.Nxd4. If Black responds 6...exd4 then White has 7.Qh5+ and a few checks later the Rook on a8 will be captured.

After 6.Nxd4 Nf6, White retreats his Knight with 7.Nf3 and is better.

6...Ke8

In this small world, it turns out that about 20 years ago Bill Wall  tried the alternative 6...Ke7, finishing quickly: 7.c3 d6 8.Qh5 dxe5 9.Qxe5+ Ne6 10.d4 Qd6 11.Qxd6+ cxd6 12.f4 Bb7 White resigned, Rub - Wall, Palo Alto 1989.

Also possible is 6...Ke6, similar to the lines covered in "Crime and Punisher" and "Gorilla Chess".

7.Qh5+ g6 8.Nxg6 Qf6

This move simplifies a complicate position – and not in Black's favor. Far better was to give up the Rook, and go looking to capture one himself: 8...hxg6 9.Qxh8 Nf6 10.d3 Nxc2. 

analysis diagram





The downside of this (as compared to 10...Ne2+ 11.Kh1 Nxc1 12.Rxc1 Kf7, which may be better) is that Black loses both of his Knights: 11.Bg5 Kf7 12.e5 Be7 13.Qxd8 Bxd8 14.Nd2 Nxa1 15.Rxa1 d6 16.Bxf6 Bxf6 17.exf6 Kxf6 when White is a pawn up – although Black's Bishop and better-developed King may give some compensation.

analysis diagram







9.Nxh8+ Kd8

10.Nf7+ Ke7 11.Ne5 Nxc2

12.d4 Nxa1

The Knight has finally captured the a1 Rook, at the expense of the game.

13.Bg5

13...d6 14.Bxf6+ Nxf6 15.Qf7+ Kd8 16.Nc6 checkmate

Two Wrongs Making A Right

Well, despite my better efforts, I guess that I'm back playing the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) again. So it's probably a good idea to share a recent game, and then do a little philosophising – or rambling, if you will – along with it.

perrypawnpusher - avgur
blitz FICS, 2010

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

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

A quick glance at the updated New Year's Database shows 1,844 games with this Queen check, with White scoring 52%. The most popular response is 6...Ng6 (847 games, White scores 48%), followed by 6...Ke6 (499 games, White scores 53%), 6...g6 (245 games, White scores 69%) and 6...Kf8 (239 games, White scores 44%).

6...Ng6

7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3

This is a familiar position – I've been here a dozen times before (9 wins, one loss, two draws).

9...Nf6 10.0-0 Kf7

Played at least as early as the first game of the second Vazquez - Carrington match in Mexico in 1876.

I was surprised to learn after the game that avgur and I had played before. perrypawnpusher - avgur, blitz FICS, 2009 had continued 10...Be6 11.f4 Bc4 12.d3 Bb5 13.c4 Bc6 14.f5 Ne5 15.Nc3 Qd7 16.b3 Qf7 17.d4 Neg4 18.Qe2 Qe7 19.Bg5 h6 20.Bxf6 Nxf6 21.Rae1 h5 22.e5 dxe5 23.dxe5 Ng4 24.h3 Nh6 25.Qf2 Kd7  26.Qd4+ Ke8 27.f6 Qe6 28.fxg7 Rg8 29.Rf6 Qd7 30.Qxd7+ Kxd7 31.e6+ Kd6 32.e7+ Kc5 33.Rxh6 Rxg7 34.Rxh5+ Kd4 35.Nb5+ Kd3 36.g4 Rag8 37.Rhe5 Rh7 38.e8Q Bxe8 39.Rxe8 Rgg7 40.Rd8+ Kc2 41.Re2+ Kc1 42.Na3 Rxh3 43.Rc2 checkmate

11.f4 Re8 12.Nc3 Kg8

Black has developed three pieces to White's three, and has castled-by-hand to bring his King to safety. He has the advantage.

13.f5 Ne5 14.d4 Neg4

A while back, I tried to explain the Jerome Gambit and this blog to a friend of mine – a fellow clinican who does not play chess. She could not understand why I was so fascinated by a line that was clearly wrong.

I wasn't able to get across the idea that part of me appreciated the myriad wrong reactions to the Jerome by Black that helped make the opening right. 

The text move is a case in point. It seems obvious to the second player that White has made mistakes – sacrificing unsoundly, moving his Queen around too many times, moving pawns instead of developing pieces – and White can, therefore, be punished for it.

If someone had told my opponent that he (or she) was facing the latest analysis from, say, Magnus Carlsen – that there was nothing to "correct" – the sensible move that kept Black's advantage, 14...Nf7, would have easily been found.

15.Qf3 c6 16.h3 Nh6 17.g4

Of course, this looks to Black like more noodling around. And dallying on the wing needs to be countered with direct action in the center.

17...d5 18.e5 Nd7

White's game should be near collapse. Perhaps all that it needs to tumble its house of cards is ...c6-c5.

19.Bxh6 gxh6 20.f6 Rf8 

21.Qf4

Revealing some of the same kind of impatience seen in perrypawnpusher - taman, blitz FICS, 2010. White has a technical advantage in this game that he can exploit, even against Black's counter-plan of returning material, but it's not something that's going to happen quickly.

After 21.Rae1 (part of the reason for playing 19.Bxh6) Nb6 22.e6 Bxe6 23.Rxe6 the Kingside pawn match-up favors White, but he is going to have to re-deploy his pieces to make progress, e.g. 23...Rf7 24.Nd1 (headed to f5) Kh8 25.Qf4 Qf8 26.Ne3 Rd8 27.Re1 Nd7 28.Nf5 Rxf6 29.Re7 and White will wrestle control of the 7th rank, and with it the game.

analysis diagram






21...c5

22.Qxh6 cxd4

A slip. After 22...Nxf6 23.exf6 White has an improved version of the technical endgame we just looked at, starting with 23...Rf7 24.Rae1. 

23.Qg7 checkmate

Four Walls

Bill Wall likes to collect miniature games of chess. When it comes to the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) and related openings, he likes to play miniature games, as well.

Wall - Alexshiva
chess.com, 2010

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.Bxf7+ Ke7 5.Bc4 Nf6 6.d4 Ke8 7.dxe5 Black resigned



Wall - Apple69
Chess.com, 2010

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Nxg6 Nxc2+ 8.Kd1 Nxa1 9.Nxh8+ Ke7 10.Qe5 checkmate



Wall - Cheesepie
Chess.com, 2010

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Qf6 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qxc7+ Black resigned



Wall - Gebba
Chess.com, 2010

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8 6.Nxc6 dxc6 7.Qh5+ Kf8 8.Qxc5+ Qd6 9.Qe3 Nf6 10.e5 Ng4 11.Qf4+ Black resigned

No Ideas vs No Time

The following game is a standard Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+): White sacrifices a piece for two pawns, eventually gets his piece back for one pawn and enjoys a small edge.

Then – he has no idea what to do next.

perrypawnpusher  - taman
blitz FICS, 2010

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

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

One of the standard refutations, although it does allow White to get rid of the enemy dark-square Bishop, which in turn allows an early f2-f4 and a march of the "Jerome pawns".

7.Qd5+

I still like this "nudge" and my opponent often takes time to try to  figure out What is he doing?? (I just want the Black King on the back rank, to interfere with any plans of castling-by-hand; plus, I want my opponent taking time to try to figure out what I'm doing...) 

7...Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3

9...N8e7

I haven't seen this move played often, although it is very logical: Black will bring his Rook to f8.

10.f4

Or 10.0-0 Be6 (10...Rf8 11.d4 Rf7 12.f4 Nc6 13.f5 Nge7 14.g4 Kf8 15.c3 Kg8 16.Na3 Qf8 17.Bd2 Bd7 18.Rae1 a6 19.c4 Re8 20.e5 dxe5 21.dxe5 Nxe5 22.Qxe5 Nxf5 23.Qxc7 Rxe1 24.Bxe1 Bc6 25.Qb6 Nh4 Black resigned, mrjoker - tomnoah, ICC, 2008) 11.d4 c6 12.f4 Bc4 13.Rf3 Qd7 14.b3 Bf7 15.f5 Nf8 16.f6 gxf6 17.Rxf6 Bg6 18.Ba3 Ng8 19.Rxd6 Qg4 20.Nd2 Rd8 21.e5 Rxd6 22.exd6+ Kd7 23.Re1 Ne6 24.Qe5 Qxd4+ 25.Qxd4 Nxd4 26.Nc4 Nxc2 27.Ne5+ Kd8 28.Rf1 Nxa3 29.Rf8+ Be8 30.d7 Ke7 31.dxe8Q+ Kd6 32.Nf7+ Black resigned, Chemistry - Chamaeleon, ICC, 2003

10...Rf8

11.0-0 Nc6 12.f5 Nge5 13.d4 Ng4 14.Qg3 h5

See "Out of a clear sky..." for tales of Knights-that-go-to-g4.

15.Be3

I didn't like this move, but I couldn't think of something better. After the game Rybka suggested 15.h3 Nf6 16.Nc3, since after 16...Nxd4 White has 17.e5 dxe5 18.Qxe5+ Kf7 19.Rd1 Nc6 20.Qe2 Qe7 21.Qc4+ Ke8 22.Bg5 Ne5 23.Qd4 Nc6 24.Qc4 Ne5 25.Qd4 Nc6 26.Qc4 Ne5 when it suggests that White take the draw by repetition.

analysis diagram






15...Nxe3 16.Qxe3 Qf6 17.c3

This was probably the hardest move in the game for me to play. Too often I try to get Jerome Gambit to act like The Incredible Hulk – you know, Hulk Smash!! – when a quieter and more effective line is available.

17...g6 18.Nd2 g5

Confidently preparing for a counter-attack, but I do not think that this is best, as it lets my pawns advance.

19.e5 dxe5 20.dxe5 Qxe5 21.Qxe5+ Nxe5

22.Rae1 Kf7 23.Rxe5 Kf6

I was happy to reach this position, being a pawn up in the end game – always a reasonable outcome for a refuted opening.

I think my opponent was happy, too, having turned away a scary attack – in fact, it is not immediately clear how much Black's Bishop vs Knight (pawns on both sides of the board) advantage offsets that extra pawn.

The truth is that White is quite a bit better here, but that understanding is based on a tactic that I missed.

24.Re2

Consolidating.

Instead, the Rook needed to remain active: 24.Rc5. Black's best response would have been to activate his Rook as well, with 25...Re8. I saw this far, but also saw that after 25.Rxc7 Black simply had 25...Bxf5, swapping pawns.

The trick is that White then has 26.Rc5 (the active Rook again) Re5 27.Rxe5 Kxe5 28.Nf3+ – when Black cannot now protect his pawn at g5 with 28...Kf6 because of 29.Nd4, winning the Bishop. After 28...Kd5 29.Nxg5 it is clear that White's Knight plus two pawns will outweigh Black's Bishop.

analysis diagram







24...Bd7

The pawn was free to be taken, instead. 

25.Ne4+ Kg7 26.f6+

Simpler and better was to exchange the sickly f-pawn for Black's g-pawn, 26.Nxg5 Bxf5, remaining with an edge. I could see that, but I kept thinking: there has to be more in this position – and I couldn't find it.

The only things going right for me at this point were that I was ahead on time, and that my opponent continued to think that I was up to something.

26...Kg6 27.Rfe1

Same criticism: better to let the weaky go with 27.f7 Rxf7 28.Rxf7 Kxf7 29.Nxg5+.

27...h4

Suspecting (correctly) that I was just shuttling pieces at this point, (trying not to make things worse) my opponent went in for a plan that would eat up a few moves – he was beginning to feel the time crunch.

28.c4 g4 29.Rf2

29...Rae8 30.Rfe2 Bc6 31.Nd2 Rd8

32.Ne4 h3 33.gxh3 gxh3 34.Kf2 Rde8 35.Kg3 Black forfeited on time

White has a small edge in the final position, but Black can exchange his Bishop for White's Knight and then win the f6-pawn, leaving White to win the h3-pawn. It is not clear then that White's extra pawn at h2 would be worth much in a two Rook vs two Rook endgame. 

Jedi Mind Tricks

Other than a few rather inexplicable moves, this game progresses as might be expected for two club players: my opponent tosses the Blackburne Shilling Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4) at me and I counter with a form of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+). But what about those strange moves...?

perrypawnpusher - zadox
blitz FICS, 2010

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

The Blackburne Shilling Gambit.

4.Bxf7+ Ke7

Highly irregular. There can be only one reason that my opponent (rated higher than me) would do this...

5.Bxg8 Ke8

Stranger still.

6.Nxe5

No, no, no, no, no... This is the only move that gives the BSG any power! 

Clearly, this is some kind of Jedi "mind trick"!

Simple enough was 6.Nxd4 exd4 7.Bg3 or 6.Nxd4 Rxg8 7.Nf3 with a clear advantage to White.

6...Qg5

7.Nf3

More madness. White should castle and then retreat whichever piece Black doesn't capture – leaving a pawn or two up.

Now Black is better.

7...Qxg2 8.Nxd4 Qxh1+ 9.Ke2

9...Qxd1+

Strange.

Instead, 9...Qxe4+ 10.Kf1 Rxg8 11.Qe2 Qxe2+ 12.Nxe2 d5 and Black has won the exchange, has the two Bishops and will develop faster.  

10.Kxd1 Rxg8

Black is still for choice, but I have time to catch my breath.

11.d3 d6 12.Nc3 Bg4+ 13.f3 Bh5 14.Bg5 c5

15.Nf5 Bxf3+ 16.Kd2 h6

A messy position, but I felt that I had made some progress.

17.Bf4 g6

18.Nxd6+ Bxd6 19.Bxd6 Kd7 20.Bxc5 b6

Black's Kingside has the possibility of developing a passed pawn, but otherwise I was comfortable with two "Jerome pawns" for the exchange.

21.Be3 Rac8

This and Black's next move allow me to get my Rook into play, to gather more pawns.

22.Rf1 Bg4 23.Rf7+

In the absence of any pawn play on the Kingside, White is going to maintain an initiative.

23...Ke6 24.Rxa7 g5 25.Ra6 Rc6 26.Nd5 Rgc8

27.Rxb6 Kd7

Allowing further problems.

28.Rxc6 Kxc6 29.Ne7+ Black resigned