I am not Bill Wall...

The other day I was hanging around the FICS web site, trying to get in a Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game or two, or come up with something related to the Jerome Gambit, at any rate.

I wasn't having any luck.

Rats! I thought. If only I were Bill Wall. He gets to sac his King Bishop against almost anything!

Of course, I had my thinking all backward. It took me a few moves to straighten it out.

perrypawnpusher - Alquinte
blitz FICS, 2010

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

The Semi-Italian Opening.

4.0-0 Nf6

I was hoping for 4...Bc5, so I could play the Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit with 5.Bxf7+.

5.Nc3 Bc5

Here we have the Italian Four Knights Game, where White has added 0-0 and Black has added ...h7-h6.

6.Bxf7+

Here we go! Fortune favors the bold.

I've never played (or even studied) this move, but I figured it had to be an improvement over the sac in the regular Italian Four Knights. (I was wrong: I found out later that in 42 games in the New Year's Database, White scored only 27%!)

6...Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ Nxe5 8.d4

Okay, what do we have here? A surprised opponent, and one or two pawns for the sacrificed piece (after I recapture). An uneasy enemy King that I have to attack quickly.

8...Nc6

This helps a bit. Stronger and more straight-forward was 8...Bxd4.

9.dxc5 d6 10.cxd6 Qxd6

11.Qf3

After the game Rybka recommended exchanging Queens and going into the endgame, with Black better. I thought I'd take my chances in the middle game.

11...Nd4 12.Qd3 Bg4

13.f3 Bh5 14.Be3 Nc6 15.Qc4+

15...Kf8

A slip that we both missed at first.

Insisting on exchanging Queens with 15...Qe6  was fine, for example 16.Qb5 b6 17.Rad1 Rhd8 and Black can be pleased with his small advantage – especially since White's "Jerome pawns" aren't going anywhere.

16.Rad1 Qe7

Ouch. Ouch.

Luckily, I had a second chance to wake up.

17.Bc5

17...Qxc5+ 18.Qxc5+ Kf7 19.Nd5 Nd7 20.Qe3 Nb4

This would lose a piece, but I didn't want to be distracted.

21.Qf4+

Leading to mate, although Black could have held out a little bit longer.

21...Kg8 22.Ne7+ Black resigned

This was not a game that "proved" that the Semi-Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit was "sound" – only that it was fun to play, and at least once, worth the risk.

Witam!

I am always impressed by the people who visit this Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) blog.

I recently learned that in November there was a short discussion of the Jerome Gambit ("Gambit Jereme'a ") at the Forum Szachowe, Poland, with one of the posters, jacprz, linking to this site. Dziękują, przyjaciel.

A quick visit to Google Analytics shows that in the last month readers have visited here from Sopot (the most visits), Gdynia (the longest average visit), Warsaw, Opole, Krakow, Nowy Targ, Katowice and Lublin.

Over at Chess.com, Bill Wall has set up a discussion of the Jerome Gambit, and we have been exchanging opinions with a number of players, including Kacparov, of Toruń, Poland (birthplace of Copernicus).

Small world.

Do zobaczenia później.

Hypermodern Defense

To simplify things: classical chess play in the center revolves around occupation by pawns, while hypermodern play involves control from the wings, by pieces.

The Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) is a classical opening which often features a battle between White's "extra" center pawns and Black's "extra" piece, so it is not surprising that a "hypermodern" response has been developing of late.

perrypawnpusher - jdvatty
blitz FICS, 2010

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

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

7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 N8e7

This is a relatively unusual placement for Black's Knight (instead of going to f6), but jdvatty wants to use the f-file for his Rook.

9.0-0 b6

An alternative was seen in guest6567 [Louis Morin / mrjoker] - guest4702, blitz 2 12, ICC, 2004: 9...d6 10.Qe3 Rf8 11.d4 c5 12.c3 Bd7 13.f4 Rc8 14.f5 Bxf5 15.exf5 Rxf5 16.Rxf5 Qd7 17.Rf1 cxd4 18.cxd4 Rc2 19.Nc3 Qg4 20.Qf3 Qxd4+ 21.Be3 Qe5 22.Rae1 Nh4 23.Qf7+ Kd7 24.Bf2 Qg5 25.Rxe7+ Kc6 26.Rc7 checkmate

10.Qe3 Bb7

Or 10...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, perrypawnpusher - Lark, blitz FICS, 2009

11.f4 Kf7

Even the hypermodern strategist has to move a central pawn sometime, and now would have been good: after the game Rybka suggested 11...d5 and after 12.f5 (12.e5 allows the manic 12...d4 13.Qg3 d3 - check it out) Nh4 13.d3 Rf8 14.Qf2 dxe4 15.dxe4 Nexf5 16.exf5 Rxf5 White's center is gone and Black, if anyone, has an edge.

analysis diagram






Black also continued without the center pawn thrust in guest1730 [Louis Morin / mrjoker]- guest1656, blitz 2 12, ICC 2001 : 11...Rf8 12.d4 d6 13.f5 Nh8 14.g4 Qd7 15.c4 Nf7 16.Nc3 Kd8 17.b3 h6 18.h4 g5 19.h5 Nc6 20.Ba3 Qe8 21.Rad1 Kd7 22.e5 Nfxe5 23.dxe5 Qxe5 24.Qd3 Rae8 25.Rde1 Qd4+ 26.Qxd4 Nxd4 27.Rxe8 Rxe8 28.Bb2 Nf3+ 29.Kf2 Nh2 30.Rg1 Bf3 31.Rg3 Bxg4 32.Rg2 Bxf5 33.Rxh2 c6 34.Kf3 Rf8 35.Kg3 Be6 36.Ne2 c5 37.Bg7 Rf1 38.Bxh6 Ra1 39.Nc3 Rg1+ 40.Kf2 g4 41.Kxg1 g3 42.Rg2 Bg4 43.Rxg3 Bxh5 44.Ne4 Kc6 45.Rg5 b5 46.Rxh5 bxc4 47.bxc4 a5 48.Bf4 a4 49.Rh6 Kb6 50.Rxd6+ Ka5 51.Bd2 checkmate

12.f5 Ne5 13.d4 Nc4 14.Qf4

A better place for my Queen was d3.

The battle of pieces vs pawns is very clear.

14...Rf8 15.b3 Nd6 16.Nc3 Kg8

17.Ba3 Ng6

Provocative. Safer was 17...Ne8.

18.Qg4 Ne7

Black might have taken advantage of the opportunity his last move gave him to play 18...Qh4, as after 19.Qxh4 Nxh4 White has to slow down his pawn roller with 20.d5 and play positionally; or support it with 20.Rae1, and watch it be destroyed, as 20...Ba6 leads to active play and an even game, e.g. 21.Rf4 Ng6 22. Rg4 Nxf5 23.exf5 Rxf5. 

analysis diagram

19.f6 g6

Here my opponent decided to give the piece back. More in line with his hypermodern play would have been 19...Ng6 (again; Nimzovich would have loved it) 20.e5 c5 when White would destroy his own center and the game would become quite unclear after 21.exd6 Rxf6.

20.fxe7 Qxe7 21.Rae1 Rxf1+ 22.Rxf1

Now White is a pawn ahead, but Black can continue to induce complications after 22...Qe6, un-pinning his Knight and planning to pile up further on the e-pawn. Rybka suggests that White then swap Queens and exchange off Black's Knight: 23.Qxe6 dxe6 24.Bxd6 cxd6.

analysis diagram

It will be a long time, if ever, before White can make something out of his extra pawn.

One more point: if after 22...Qe6 23.Qxe6 dxe6 White tries 24.e5 instead, the Black Knight dances with 24...Nf5 and the pressure on White's center is intense.

22...Nxe4

Celebrating too soon. Yes, the e-pawn is attacked 3 times and only defended 2 times, but White left it to "hang" because one of Black's attackers was pinned to the other.

23.Bxe7 Nxc3

Black has played well and doesn't want to give the fight up yet.

I set my sights on checkmate.

24.Qxd7 Ba6 25.Bf6 Ne2+ 26.Kh1 Ng3+ 27.hxg3 Bxf1 28.Qg7 checkmate

I take my hat off to jdvatty for a fascinating game!

Rude Accompaniment

It can be eduational to turn over a recently-played game to Rybka or Fritz to see what they have to say about the game.

Sometimes, as in this one, when the silicon monster fusses over move after move after move, it can be grating, like singing with an off-key piano.

Of course, that only seems fair, considering that the strategy and tactics critiqued come from the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) – as off-key a Giuoco Piano as you are likely to find.

perrypawnpusher - apinheiro
blitz 5 12, FICS, 2010

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

The Semi-Italian Opening.

4.O-O Bc5 5.Bxf7+

The Jerome response.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.Qh5+ Ng6

I've been here before.

8.Qd5+ Ke8 9.Qxc5 N8e7

Similar to perrypawnpusher - Lark, blitz FICS 2009, only here White has added 0-0 and Black has added ...h7-h6.

10.f4 d6 11.Qe3 Rf8

12.f5 Ne5 13.d4 Ng4

Black's Knight on g4 has done a lot of travelling and is not finished yet. It will eventually move 8 times, exchanging itself at last for a piece that has moved once.

14.Qg3 h5 15.h3 Nf6 16.e5

Here is where the computer's post mortem became critical.

It does make sense to develop my Queenside first, as in 16.Nc3 Kf7 16.Bg5 Kg8 17.Rae1, with an even game.






analysis diagram





Rybka's primary suggestion was to crash through and blow things up right away: 16.Qxg7 Nxe4 17.f6 Rf7 18.Qh8+ Kd7 19.Qxd8+ Kxd8 20.fxe7+ Rxe7 with the edge to White. 

analysis diagram







16...Ne4

apinheiro did not want to cooperate with the formation of my pawn center, but the computer suggested that this Knight jump would be more powerful after exchanging pawns.

17.Qe3

17... d5 18. f6 gxf6 19. exf6

The computer continued its moaning and groaning, but it made a good point: Black's Knight on e7 should now go to f5, not c6. 

19... Nc6 20.Qh6 Rf7 21.Bg5 Nxd4

Black's Knights are strong and centralized. White's center pawns have been stopped or eliminated.

It is surprising that Rybka (blunder check, 5 minutes a move) rates White to have an edge in this position. 

22. Nc3 Nxg5 23. Qxg5 Ne6

Rybka disliked Black's last move, rating the position now 3 1/2 pawns better for White. It certainly didn't feel that way to me!

24.Qg8+ Rf8 25.f7+

25... Ke7 26. Qg6 Qd7

According to Rybka, this move makes the d-file fatally dangerous, and 26...c6 was better.

 27. Rae1

This was a blitz game, but even at longer time controls I probably would not have found 27.Rad1 c6 28.Rf5 when sacrificing the Knight for Black's two center pawns lets the White Rooks in with deadly effect. 

27...c6 28. Qf6+ Kd6 29. Qe5+ Ke7 30. Qf6+ Kd6

It's a good thing that computers can't laugh. (Actually, my Fritz8 has a CD that adds "voice".)

I was repeating positions to gain a little thinking time from the increment, totally missing the idea of sacrificing my Knight on d5 at move 29 or move 31, followed in a few moves by sacrificing my Rook on e6, winning easily...

Right.

 31. Qe5+ Ke7 32. Qxh5

Grabbing a pawn and avoiding a draw. It is clear from my opponent's next move that he doesn't think that I have more than a half point coming. He was mistaken: 33.Qg5+ Kd6 34.Rf5 would have won a piece plus a Queen for two Rooks. (Of course, I missed that, too.) 

32...a6 33.Qg5+ Kd6 34.Qe5+ Ke7 35.Qg7

35...Kd8

Finally, a move that I could comprehend!

36.Rxe6 Qxe6 37.Qxf8+

38...Kc7 38. Qe8 Bd7

39.Qxe6

I was aware that taking the Rook was stronger, but I wanted to quickly transition into a safe and won endgame.

39... Bxe6 40.f8=Q Rxf8 41. Rxf8

41...b5 42.g4 Kd7 43.Kg2 Ke7 44.Ra8 d4 45.Ne2 b4

46.Rxa6

Accidentally giving up the Knight for Black's pawns.

46...Bc4 47.Rxc6

Thoughtlessly offering the Rook, instead, for the pawns.

47...Bxe2

Even after 47...Bd5+ 48.Kg3 Bxc6 49.Nxd4 White is winning. 

48. Kf2 Bb5 49. Rb6 Ba4 50. b3 Bd7 51. Rxb4 Kf6 52. Rxd4

52...Bb5 53.a4 Be8 54.a5 Kg5 55.Kg3 Bc6

56. a6

Readers who have not fallen asleep by now will notice that while my move wins, 56.Rd6 is stronger, as it allows 57.h4 mate. 

56... Bh1 57. h4+ Kf6 58. a7 Ke5 59. Rd8 Black resigned

I hope that you didn't mind that I cut off the computer's criticisms for the last 20 moves or so. It was getting rather tiresome, if not downright rude...