The Cure Being Worse Than the Disease

Hmmm... As I was mumbling just last month (see "Declining the Jerome Gambit - Légally") –

Given that my favorite opening, the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) has so many refutations, I'm constantly amazed at the number of people who go out of their way to decline the fool thing.

Having faced my opponent's (I did not name him/her) creative declined line, I was able to make my way through and finish in 10 moves, using Légall's mate. (Again, David Surratt's article on Légall's Mate at Chessville is well worth reading.)

So – when I was matched with the same opponent again, I wondered what would happen...

perrypawnpusher  - NN
blitz FICS, 2010

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 f6

Okay, no Jerome Gambit today, either.

4.0-0

Our earlier game had continued, instead, 4.d4 d6 5.0-0 Bg4 6.dxe5 fxe5 7.Nc3 Nd4 8.Nxe5 Bxd1 9.Bf7+ Ke7 10.Nd5 checkmate, perrypawnpusher - NN, blitz FICS, 2010

4...g5

Apparently the problem with the first declined game, in my opponent's consideration, was that it wasn't aggressive enough.

By the way, I gave this game to Rybka for some "blunderchecking" overnight (5 minutes a move) and it had some creative things to show me about Black's choice at move 4.  Rybka's recommended line was 4...Nge7 5.d4 Nxd4 6.Nxd4 exd4 7.Qxd4 Nc6 8.Qd1 Ne5 9.Bb3 c6 10.Be3 h5 11.Nc3 g5 12.Qd4, which it rated as slightly better for White.

analysis diagram






I was amazed. It couldn't be.

So I set Rybka on "infinite analysis" on this position and let it analyze about 18 ply deep. It turns out that I was right. Rybka didn't see this position as slightly better for White any more. It saw it as just about even.

Couldn't White do better? I backed up a move and tried 12.f4 instead of 12.Qd4, and after 12...gxf4 13.Bxf4 Qe7 White was slightly better, again.

I backed up another move, and tried 11.h3 instead of 11.Nc3. Again, Rybka said that after 11...g5 12.Nd2 Qe7 White was slightly better.

Finally, I tried 10.f4 instead of 10.Be3, and after 10...Nf7 11.Be3 Be7 Rybka gave me a +/-.

Clearly, Black still had resources at move 4. Unfortunately, the move chosen was not one of them.

5.Nxg5 fxg5 6.Qh5+ Ke7

7.Qf7+

My silicon buddy suggested later that 7.d4 would have been even stronger.

7...Kd6 8.b3

Going for the quick checkmate, but, again, 8.d4 was objectively better.

8...a6  9.Ba3+ Nb4

10.Bxb4+

The mind is a funny thing. I thought that the Bishop on a3 was there to capture the Knight on b4. It wasn't. It actually was there to pin the Knight, so White could play 10.Qd5+ Ke7 11.Qxe5 mate. 

10...c5 11.Qd5+ Kc7 12.Ba5+ b6 13.Qxa8

13...Bb7 14.Bxb6+ Kxb6 15.Qxd8+ Ka7 Black resigned

Looking Backwards

This is my 636th consecutive daily post. I would like to think that I remember everything on this Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) blog, but clearly I have forgotten some things.

The other day I was looking back at my earlier posts and I found an amusing thread that has worked its way forward.

Remember the line 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6 from perrypawnpusher - johnde, blitz FICS, 2010?

In my post "Stinking up the Chessboard" I mentioned that I had covered this rare move earlier this year in "A Strange, But Intriguing, Path (Part 1)", "(Part 2)" and "(Part 3)".

This closer look came because I had done an Opening Report on the New Year's Database and concluded about 5...Ke6 that it "needs more analysis on behalf of White."

That was not my first encounter with the move, however. At the end of June, 2009, in analyzing the game blackburne - DREWBEAR 63, JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009 I had commented on it.

DREWBEAR 63's move [5...Ke6] comes as quite a shock – certainly it must have been played before, perhaps in the earliest days of the Jerome Gambit; but there are no games in my database with the move, no analysis, and not even a mention of it.

Of course, that was before I had access to the gazillion game database of FICS games, and before the advent of the New Year's Database.

Also, I hadn't looked in my own blog, where, about a year earlier, in a note to my analysis of  Blackstone - Dommeyer skittles game, California, USA 1960, I had written

Of course, if you opponent springs the "Theoretical Novelty" 5...Ke6 on you, you'll be prepared with 6.Qg4+ Kxe5 7.d4+ Bxd4 8.Bf4+ Kf6 9.Bg5+ Kf7 10.Bxd8 Nxd8 (or 10...Bxb2 11.Qf3+ Ke8 12.Bxc7 Bxa1 13.Nd2 – a mess, but Black's uncertain King gives White the edge) and although the position is roughly even Black may not recover from "losing" his Queen.

All is new that has been forgotten...

Kaissiber!

Regular readers of this blog know that I think very highly of FIDE Master Stefan Bücker's magazine, Kaissiber. If you know any German at all, or if you are interested in playing over the games and the analysis and working to decode the comments with a German/English dictionary – the amount of quality information, especially on unorthodox chess openings, is very impressive.

Kaissiber #37 is due out at the end of March. Word is that it will have a significant article on the Sicilian Wing Gambit, 1.e4 c5 2.b4!?

Also, it again seems somewhat possible that the year 2010 will see a Kaissiber article on the Jerome Gambit. My head is spinning...

Kaissiber #35

Openings

• Maurits Wind: Battle of the Systems: Myers g7-g5 vs Réti
• Lev Gutman: Canal’s 7 Nc3!? in the Two Knights Defense (1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bc4 Bc5 4 d4 exd4 5 0-0 Nxe4 6 Re1 d5 7 Nc3!?, part II)
• (Readers’ Letters) Nachmanson Gambit in the Two Knights; Queen’s Indian Defense
• Further topics: Center Game (commented game, 6 pp.) 

History

• Bent Larsen: Héctor Rossetto 1922-2009
• Peter Anderberg: Emanuel Lasker in Köln
• Alfred Diel: Theo Schuster

Contents in more detail: Openings

ECO Name
A 04 Réti Opening (h6 & g5)
A 46 Queen’s Pawn Opening
A 98 Dutch Defense
B 03 Alekhine Defense
B 20 Sicilian Defense
B 30 Sicilian Defense
B 46 Sicilian Defense
B 51 Sicilian Defense
B 70 Sicilian Defense
C 20 Thyrow Opening 1 e4 e5 2 Na3
C 22 Center Game
C 31 King’s Gambit
C 46 Three Knights Game
C 56 Two Knights Defense (6 Nc3)
C 56 Two Knights Defense Canal
C 58 Two Knights Defense
C 60 Ruy Lopez
C 68 Ruy Lopez
C 77 Ruy Lopez
C 90 Ruy Lopez
D 04 Queen’s Pawn Opening
D 04 Colle System
D 66 Queen’s Gambit
E 05 Catalan Opening
E 14 Queen’s Indian Defense
E 15 Queen’s Indian Defense
E 21 Nimzo Indian Defense
 
 
Kaissiber #35
 
Openings

• Volker Hergert: From’s Gambit
• Michiel Wind: King’s Bishop Gambit
• In the section “games”: 1 e4 c5 2 Na3, resp. 1 e4 e5 2 f4 exf4 3 Nf3 Nf6

History

• Bent Larsen: Fritz Sämisch
• Dieter Mohrlok on Fritz Sämisch
• Peter Anderberg, review: Emanuel Lasker – Denker, Weltenbürger, Schachweltmeister
• Interview: Hübner on Emanuel Lasker
• Peter Anderberg: Alfred Hrdlicka
• Peter Anderberg: Warsaw 1943 (a forgotten match game Bogolyubov – Alekhine and much more)
• Alfred Diel: Salo Flohr
• Adrian Harvey: Early British chess columns and magazines and how they created a “global village of chess”

Contents in more detail: Openings
ECO Name
A 02 From’s Gambit
B 20 Sicilian Defense 2 Na3
B 73 Sicilian Defense
B 84 Sicilian Defense
C 04 French Defense
C 14 French Defense
C 18 French Defense
C 33 King’s Gambit
C 34 King’s Gambit
C 77 Ruy Lopez
D 23 Queen’s Gambit
D 32 Schara-Hennig Gambit
D 63 Queen’s Gambit
E 01 Catalan Opening
E 47 Nimzo-Indian Defense

Perhaps the best chess advice that I ever read...

...was that if your opponent attacks one of your pieces, don't hurry to move it away. First, see if there is an attack that you can make, one that is more serious than his, one that can allow you to ignore your opponent's threat while he pays attention to yours.

My opponent's play in the following Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game shows that he was aware of that gem of knowledge, as well.

perrypawnpusher  - perama
blitz 10 0, FICS, 2010

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

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

According to the updated New Year's Database, 6...Ng6 is the most popular reaction to the Queen check, followed by 6...Ke6, with 6...g6 and 6...Kf8 about equally third. All, of course, are considered refutations of the Jerome Gambit.

 7.Qd5+ Ke8

According to the Database, this move (first seen in Jerome - Brownson, Iowa, USA,1875) is about twice as popular as the reply 7...Kf8 (first see in Vazquez - Carrington, 2nd Match, Mexico, 1876).

8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 N8e7

Keeping the Knight out of danger, and preparing for ...Rh8-f8.

10.0-0 Be6

This move gives me a chance to complicate things.

Since Black has nothing to "prove" – he is comfortably ahead in material – he could rely on simple development and castling-by-hand to maintain his advantage: 10...Nc6 11.d3 Kf7 12.Nc3 Rf8 13.f4 Kg8

analysis diagram








11.f4 d5

Black's Bishop needed to move.

12.f5 d4

White attack's Black's pieces. Black, in turn, attacks White's Queen. In general, this is an admirable strategy, but in this particular case, to my good fortune, White's Queen can escape while maintaining threats.

13.Qg3 Bc4

Again: White threatens a piece, so Black threatens a Rook.

After the game Rybka suggested that Black could keep White's advantage to less than a pawn's worth with: 13...d3 14.cxd3 Qd4+ 15.Qe3 Qxe3+ 16.dxe3 Rd8 17.fxe6 Rxd3

analysis diagram







14.d3 Bxd3

Giving back the piece, although a stouter defense might have been to offer a Knight instead: 14...Bf7 15.fxg6 Nxg6.

15.cxd3 Nf8 16.Qxg7 Rg8

Stuck in the middle of the board, Black's King is in grave danger.

17.Qe5 c5 18.f6 Nfg6 19.f7+ Kf8 20.Bh6+ Rg7 21.Qxg7  checkmate

Did I tell you about the time...?

They say that there is no fool like an old fool, and I'm pretty sure that if I keep fooling around with the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) in its Four Knights Opening form, it will only be a matter of time before I receive a just punishment for such impertinence.

Still, the opening has its attractions.

perrypawnpusher  - KaZC
blitz FICS, 2010

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6

The Petroff. I usually play the Boden-Kiezeritzky Gambit here (i.e. 3.Bc4 Nxe4 4.Nc3, etc.) but I have been learning about the Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit, and couldn't resist trying that again.

3.Nc3 Nc6 4.Bc4 Bc5

So far, so boring.

5.Bxf7+

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4

White has achieved an interesting position... at the cost of a losing game, critics would say. Certainly this is true in master-level play, but among club players, the outcome is not as clear.

7...Bxd4 8.Qxd4 d6 9.0-0 Re8

Here I had a pawn for my sacrificed piece – plus some attacking ideas and a plan to chase after the Black King.

10.f4

Next time (if there is a next time) I think I'll try 10.Bg5 first.

10...Nc6 11.Qd3 Kg8

Black has castled-by-hand, and his development matches White's.

12.Bd2

Other games in this position have seen 12.Nd5 and 12.b3

12...a6 13.Rae1 Kh8

Black is taking precautions. He knows that if White breaks in the center with e4-e5, then after ...d6xe5 the Queens can be exchanged, taking an important piece out of White's attack.

14.Nd5 Nxd5 15.exd5 Rxe1 16.Rxe1

16...Na7

One precaution too many. The alternative 16...Ne7 kept Black's advantage. Now White has a chance to even the game.

17.Qe4

Boring and uninspired.

Consider the alternative, 17.f5, which limits the movements of Black's Bishop, and therefore his Rook as well.

analysis diagram







Now Black can play 17...Bd7 and answer White's 18.Rf1 with the active 18...Qh4 – all reasonable moves. There follows the advance 19.f6.

analysis diagram







Should Black reply 19...Re8 (If 19...gxf6 20.Rxf6 Qxf6 21.Bc3 etc.) White can offer his Queen with 20.Qe3, as 20...Rxe3 21.f7 h6 22.f8Q+ Kh7 23.Bxe3 wins. 

analysis diagram







After 20...Nc8 21.Bc3 gxf6 ( the Queen is still safe: 21...Rxe3 22.fxg7+ Kg8 23.Rf8#) White liquidates to a roughly equal end game with 22.Qxe8+ Bxe8 23.Bxf6+ Qxf6 24.Rxf6

analysis diagram







Back to the game.

17...Bg4

18.h3 Bh5 19.g4 Bf7 20.Bc3 Qe8

Exchanging Queens and Rooks would move Black closer to the win.

21.Qf5

Here I missed a chance to grab a pawn with 21.Bxg7+ since 21...Kxg7 would be followed by 22.Qd4+ Kg8 23.Rxe8+ Rxe8 24.Qxa7.

21...Qf8 22.Qd7

Preparing to double heavy pieces on the 7th rank, but this is a plan that should not work.

22...Nb5 23.Re7 Nxc3

Defending the Bishop with 23...Kg8 would have put an end to my plans.

24.Rxf7 Qe8 25.Qxe8+ Rxe8 26.bxc3 Kg8

The smoke has cleared. White has a small advantage in a drawish endgame.

27.Rxc7 b5 28.Kf2 Re4 29.f5

29...Ra4

KaZC's plan is clear: exchanging off the center and Queenside pawns will give him a draw.

30.Rd7 Rxa2 31.Rxd6 Rxc2+ 32.Ke3 Rxc3+ 33.Kd4 Rc4+

Black's Queenside pawns look scary, but they can be kept under control.

34.Kd3

Advancing the King was stronger.

34...Rc5 35.Rxa6 Rxd5+ 36.Ke3 Rd1

I think that at this point we could have fairly split the point, but I wanted to see what I could squeeze out of the position.

37.Rb6 Rb1 38.Kd4 Kf7 39.g5 Kg8 40.g6

Threatening mate!

40...Rd1+ 41.Ke5 Re1+ 42.Kf4 Re8 43.Rxb5 hxg6 44.fxg6

KaZC has everything under control.

44...Rf8+ 45.Rf5 Rxf5+ 46.Kxf5

Black's King is in his fortress, and no amount of wandering or maneuvering is going to allow a breakthrough.

At the time I still thought that I could come up with something.

46...Kf8 47.Ke6 Kg8 48.Ke7 Kh8 49.h4 Kg8 50.h5 Kh8

Now 51.Kf7 is stalemate.

51.Ke6 Kg8 52.Kf5 Kh8 53.Kg5 Kg8 54.Kf5 Kh8 55.Ke5 Kg8 56.Ke6 Kh8 57.Kd7 Kg8 58.Ke7 Kh8

Looking over this game, I am amazed at my opponent's patience and good humor. I am trying to get blood out of a stone, the game is hopelessly drawn.

Okay, there is one swindle in the position: try it, and then accept the draw...

59.h6

59...Kg8

By this time I was actually glad that my opponent did not fall for 59...gxh6 60.Kf8 h5 61.g7+ Kh7 62.g8Q+ Kh6 63.Qg7 checkmate.

 60.h7+ Kh8 61.Kf8 Game drawn by stalemate

Unsung Heroes

The updated New Year's Database, with almost 17,500 Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 4.Bxf7+), and Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.0-0/4.Nc3/4.d3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+) games, includes the inspiration and effort of many, many players.

Only a few of these chessers are known to this blog and its readers, however.

Because a large number of the games were played on the Free Internet Chess Server (FICS), I have reached out to a dozen players there who have lots of Jerome Gambit experience and asked them to share their stories.

Of course, there are many places to play chess: ICC, Chess.com, PlayChess, GameKnot, RedHotPawn, Chess World, ChessHere, and Yahoo & MSN, for starters.

I would like others to drop me an email or add a "comment" to one of these posts – tell us how you got started with Bxf7+ in the double e-pawn openings, what was your greatest triumph, and what was (if you can) your deepest disappointment.

The whole Jerome Gambit Gemeinde is interested and waiting to applaud your efforts.