Watch me pull a rabbit out of my hat...

The other day I was having fun with a Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit (1.e4 d5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nc4 4.Bxf7+) and looked at a sideline that I had not analyzed before. I felt like a magician pulling a rabbit out of a hat.

Well, not quite.

perrypawnpusher - JokeritT

blitz 6 12, FICS, 2010

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

4.Bxf7+

A good look at this line can be found in "Please, don't do that..." and "It's a good thing I read this blog".

4...Kxf7

No Jedi Mind Tricks.

5.Nxe5+ Ke8 6.Qh5+ g6

7. Nxg6 hxg6 8. Qxg6+

Taking the pawn is more prudent than taking the Rook: 8.Qxh8 Nxc2+ 9.Kd1 Nxa8 10.Qxg8 Qg5, when White's King is in more danger than Black's.

 


analysis diagram






8...Ke7 9. Qg5+ Nf6

I've analyzed this position enough to know that now after 10.Qc5+ d6 11.Qxd4 White has 4 pawns for his piece – and that computers give Black the edge, while humans are okay with the compensation.

But what about the other sharp move in the position? I didn't remember looking at that one. I thought I'd give it a try.

10. e5

Down two pieces, White offers a Rook! 

10... Nxc2+

And Black goes for it – which turns out to be a mistake.

As much fun as this line is, I have to admit that if Black had not been greedy, but played 10... Kf7 instead,  I'd have nothing more to work with than 11.Kd1, and then it looks like Black has good responses in 11...Rg8, 11...Bg7 and 11...Be7.

For example, 10...Kf7 11. Kd1 Rg8 12. Qxf6+ Qxf6 13. exf6 Rxg2 14. d3 d5 15. h3 Kxf6 and White's two Kingside pawns do not make up for the missing piece, especially since Black has the two Bishops.

analysis diagram





More encouraging for White (and thus, misleading) was for Black to decline the Rook offer with 10...Rg8, as in GOH - NightEagle, lightning, FICS, 2009: 10...Rg8 11.exf6+ Ke8 12.Qh5+ Rg6 13.Qxg6 checkmate.

I'm glad that I was not aware of GOH's game at the time I played JokeritT.

11. Kd1

11...Nxa1

Black needed to reconsider his chances and play 11... Ke6. White's best choice would likely then be to let the air out of the position with 12.Kxc2, when 12...Rg8 13.Qxf6+ Qxf6 14.exf6 Rxg2 was a likely followup. 

The position would be similar to the analysis diagram after Black's 10th move, although Black and White would have the same number of pieces, and White can develop his while Black scoops up the loose pawns on the Kingside.  

analysis diagram





In a game that I was unaware of until I was writing this post, I discovered that the alternative 11...Ke8 led to a disastrous outcome for the second player: 12.Qg6+ Ke7 13.Qxf6+ Ke8 14.Qg6+ Ke7 15.Qxc2 d5 16.exd6+ cxd6 17.Qe4+ Kd7 18.Nc3 a6 19.d4 Kc7 20.Bf4 Qf6 21.Nd5+ Black resigned, themuppeteer - risbo, blitz, FICS, 2005

I wish I had seen that game before taking on JokeritT.

12.Qxf6+

This is what I offered the Rook for.

12...Ke8 13.Qg6+ Ke7 14. d4

14...d6 15. Bg5+ Kd7 16. Bxd8 Kxd8

17.Qf6+ Be7

Slightly better was 17...Kd7, although after 18.Qxh8 White would have a Queen and a handful of passed pawns against Black's two Bishops. 

18. Qxh8+Kd7 19. exd6 Bxd6 20. Qg7+ Be7

21. Re1 Kc6 22. Qxe7 Bg4+ 23. f3 Bf5 24. Qc5+ Kd7 25. Qxf5+ Kc6 26. Qc5+ Kd7 27. Re7+ Kc8 28. Qxc7 checkmate

Tah dah!

A Long Time Getting There

Some things take time. Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) games, for example, should be won or lost with a *bang* – leaving plenty of time for other things.

Sometimes, though they drag on and on. 

By the end of this post, readers familiar with the stories of the science fiction writer Ben Bova will understand why I wanted to title this "Pawns, Won't You Hide Me?"

perrypawnpusher  - barbos
blitz FICS, 2010

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bc5 

The Italian Four Knights Game, soon to become the Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit, a variation of the "modern" Jerome Gambit.

5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4

7...Qe7

Great move. I really enjoy it when my opponents play thoughtfully. Did I really sacrifice two pieces just so I could be behind in development 4:1?

8.dxc5

This capture seems like the right one to me, but a trip to the New Year's Database shows that the other has been played as well: 8.dxe5 Qxe5 9.Be3 (9.0-0 Rf8 10.Nb5 Kg8 11.g3 Bxf2+ 12.Rxf2 Qxb5 13.e5 Qxe5 14.Bf4 Qc5 15.Qd2 Ne4 16.Qe2 Nxf2 17.Qxf2 Qxf2+ 18.Kxf2 g5 19.Kg2 gxf4 20.Rd1 White resigned, jwilled - kalimaa, FICS, 2006; or 9.f4 Qe7 10.e5 Ne8 11.Qd5+ Kf8 12.Ne4 Bb4+ 13.c3 c6 14.Qb3 Ba5 15.0-0 Bb6+ 16.Kh1 d5 17.Ng5 h6 18.Nf3 Bg4 19.c4 Bxf3 20.Rxf3 dxc4 21.Qxc4 Qc5 22.Qf1 Qg1+ 23.Qxg1 Bxg1 24.Kxg1 g5 25.f5 Rh7 26.Rd3 Nc7 27.Be3 b6 28.Rd6 Nd5 29.Rb1 Nxe3 30.f6 Ke8 31.Re1 Rd8 32.Rxe3 Rxd6 33.exd6+ Kd7 34.Re7+ Rxe7 35.fxe7 Ke8 36.Kf2 b5 37.Ke3 c5 38.Ke4 a5 39.Kd5 c4 40.Ke6 b4 41.d7 checkmate, Oak - danielleshark, FICS, 2009) 9...Bxe3 10.fxe3 d6 11.0-0 d5 12.Nxd5 Qxe4 13.Nxf6 gxf6 14.Qe2 Bg4 15.Rxf6+ Kxf6 16.Rf1+ Bf5 17.Qd2 Rhg8 18.Qc3+ Ke6 19.g3 Bh3 20.Rf4 Qg2 checkmate, theep - alexmdc, FICS, 2000.

8...Qxc5 9.0-0

The New Year's Database contains 533 games by yorgos, so his alternative play must be taken seriously: 9.Be3 Qc6 10.0-0 Nxe4 11.Nxe4 Qxe4 12.Qh5+ Ng6 13.Rad1 d6 14.Bg5 Be6 15.f3 Qxc2 16.f4 Bf5 17.g4 Be4 18.Qh3 Rae8 19.f5 Ne5 20.Rd2 Qc6 21.Qh5+ g6 22.fxg6+ Kg7 23.Qh6+ Kg8 24.Bf6 Nf3+ 25.Kf2 Qc5+ 26.Kg3 Re7 27.Bxe7 Nxd2 28.Qf8 checkmate, yorgos - smartvikings, FICS, 2009.

9...d6

Or 9...Re8 10.Be3 Qc6 11.Bd4 Nxe4 12.f4 Nxc3 13.fxe5+ Kg8 14.Bxc3 d6 15.exd6 cxd6 16.Rf2 b6 17.Qd4 Re7 18.Rd1 Bb7 19.Qxd6 Qxd6 20.Rxd6 Rae8 21.h3 h6 22.Bb4 Re2 23.Rd7 Rxf2 24.Kxf2 Be4 25.Bc3 Rf8+ 26.Ke3 Bf5 27.Rxg7+ Kh8 28.Rxa7+ Kg8 29.Rg7+ Kh8 30.Bd4 Re8+ 31.Re7+ Black resigned, Wall - Cinthia, chess.com, 2010;

Or 9...Rf8 10.Be3 (10.Bg5 Kg8 11.Bxf6 Rxf6 12.Qd5+ Qxd5 13.Nxd5 Rc6 14.Ne7+ Kh8 15.Nxc6 bxc6 16.f4 Ng4 17.Rae1 Rb8 18.h3 Nf6 19.b3 Ba6 20.c4 d5 21.e5 Ne4 22.e6 Re8 23.f5 h6 24.Rf3 Kh7 25.cxd5 cxd5 26.Rc1 c5 27.Kh2 Bb5 28.a4 Ba6 29.Rd1 Be2 30.Rfd3 Bxd3 31.Rxd3 d4 32.g4 Kg8 33.Kg2 Kf8 34.Kf3 Nd6 35.Kf4 Ke7 36.Ke5 Rc8 37.Kd5 Rd8 38.Kc6 Rc8+ 39.Kd5 Rd8 40.Ke5 Rc8 41.Rf3 a5 42.f6+ gxf6+ 43.Rxf6 Ne8 44.Rf7+ Kd8 45.Rd7 checkmate, stretto - samepate, FICS, 2007) 10...Qd6 11.Bd4 Kg8 12.Nb5 Qe6 13.Nxc7 Qg4 14.Nxa8 Qxd1 15.Raxd1 Neg4 16.Bxf6 Rxf6 17.Nc7 d6 18.Nd5 Rh6 19.Ne7+ Kf7 20.Nxc8 Nxh2 21.Rfe1 Ng4 22.Rxd6 Ne5 23.Rxh6 gxh6 24.Nxa7 Black resigned,  yorgos-nerdlinger, FICS, 2009

10.Be3 Qc6 11.f4 Neg4

12.Qd3 Re8 13.e5 dxe5 14.fxe5 Rxe5 15.Bd4 Bf5

Play is heating up.

16.Rxf5

Thinking that I was winning a piece.

After the game Rybka suggested that the win of the exchange was all that was available: 16.Qg3 Rae8 17.h3 Ne3 18.Rfe1 Nc4 19.Bxe5 Qc5+ 20.Kh1 Rxe5 21.Rxe5 Qxe5 22.Qxe5 Nxe5 23.Nb5 a6 24.Nxc7 Bxc2, leaving White with a Rook for two pieces.

analysis diagram






16...Rxf5 17.Qxf5 Rd8

This is what I saw, and apparently what my opponent saw as well.

We both missed 17...Qd6 instead, when Black is able to torture two pawns out of the position: 18.Qd3 Qxh2+ 19.Kf1 Re8 20.Bg1 Qh1 21.Qh3 Ne3+ 22.Kf2 Qxh3 23.gxh3 Nxc2

analysis diagram






18.Bxf6 Nxf6

We have reached an even position. That should have been satisfactory for me, having started with a Jerome Gambit, but it was not. Of course, having let me escape my just fate, barbos was not finished, either.

19.Rf1 Rd2 20.Rf2

A slip. I should have been happy with 20.Ne4 Rxc2 21.Qxh7 Kf8 22.Qh8+ Kf7 when we both should have been pleased to repeat the position with 23.Qh7 Kf8 24.Qh8+, etc.

20...Qb6

21.g4

It is a question of which pawn to surrender.  Rybka preferred the b-pawn with: 21.h3 Rxf2 22.Qxf2 Qxb2.

21...Rxf2 22.Qxf2 Qxf2+ 23.Kxf2 Nxg4+

24.Kg3 Ne5 25.Kf4 Ke6

26.Nb5 Ng6+ 27.Ke4 Kd7

28.Nd4 c6 29.Nf5 h5

By keeping my King and Knight active, I've edged into an even position, and here Black slips.

Rybka suggested that he needed to find one retro move, 29...Nh8, surrendering the pawn, although then he could use similar piece activity to keep the game even, 30.Nxg7 Nf7 31.Nf5 Ke6 32.Nd4+ Kf6 33.Kf4 Ne5.

30.Nxg7 h4 31.Nf5

It was better for the King to go to this square.

31...Ke6 32.h3 b5

33.b4

Even at blitz speed, this endgame could have been played better. 33.Nd4+ would have pried open an entry to the Kingside for my King:  33...Kd6 34.Kf5 Ne5 35.Kg5 Nc4 36.Kxh4.

33...Kf6 34.Nd4 Ne7 35.a3 a6 36.c3 Kg5

Allowing 37.Nf3+ Kf6 38.Nxh4 which should be enough to win.

The draw came after 36...Nd5 37.c4 bxc4 38.Nf3 c3 39.Kd3 Ke6 40.Nxh4 Nxf4+ 41.Kxc3 Kd5.

analysis diagram







37.Ne6+

Pawns, won't you hide me?? 

37...Kf6 38.Nc5 Nf5

Better: 38...Nd5 39.Nxa6 Nxc3+ 40.Kf4 Nb1 41.Nb8 Nxa3 42.Nxc6 Ke6 43.Kg4 Nc2 44.Kxh4 Kd5 45.Na7 Nxb4 46.Nxb5 Nd3 and White's extra pawn means nothing.

39.Nxa6 Ng3+

Barbos and I have been wobbling back and forth, but finally I've got an advantage that I won't fumble back. Mostly.

40.Kf3 Ke5 41.Nb8 Kd5

A bit stronger defense was 41...Kd6.

42.Kg4 Kc4 43.Kxh4 Nf5+ 44.Kg5 Ne3

45.Nxc6 Kxc3 46.h4 Kb3 47.Nd4+ Kxa3 48.Nxb5+ Kxb4 49.Nd6

Here, with no small irony, Black forfeited on time. Neither his King nor his Knight can stop White's remaining pawn from Queening.

Sith still and don't move...

I have posted on the "Jedi Mind Tricks" that may (or may not) have occured in my chess game and rematch with – Darth Zadox? Pleased was I, too long ago not, finding a similar effort unsuccessful...

djham - zadox
blitz FICS, 2010

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

The Blackburne Shilling Gambit. Maybe.

4.Bxf7+

The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.

4...Ke7

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

In perrypawnpusher - zadox, blitz FICS, 2010 our game continued 5.Bxg8 Ke8 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"!

In this current game djham was not to be fooled. (You don't think he saw the earlier posts here, do you?)

5.Nxd4

5...exd4 6.Bd5

6..Nf6 7.0-0 Nxd5 8.exd5 d6

9.Re1+ Kd7 10.Qg4 checkmate

I think I detected a slight giggling in the Force...

Bad Penny

Like the proverbial bad penny, the 5...Ke8 variation of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) turns up here and there – most recently in two games played against Jerome Gambit Gemeinde member Bill Wall.

 Wall,B - Gebba
chess.com, 2010

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8

There are not a lot of positive things to say about this move, except perhaps that it has confused the chess computer program Rybka (see "Rybka deals with the Jerome Gambit") and that it takes White out of "book" – even that second point is of dubious value, as "book" favors Black, and therefore he should be playing "book" moves for as long as possible.

The move 5...Ke8 was championed (unsuccessfully) by the WeakDelphi program in a match I played against it a couple years ago: see "One (or both) of us need help (Part I)" and "(Part II)".

6.Nxc6

Both Hultgren - Harrow, California, 1960 and Blackstone - Dommeyer, skittles game, California, 1960, continued: 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Nxg6 Bxf2+ 8.Kxf2 Qf6+ 9.Nf4+ Kd8 10.d3 d6 11.Rf1 Qd4+ 12.Be3 Qf6 13.c3 Black resigned. See "You, too, can add to Jerome Gambit theory!"

6...dxc6

Capturing with the d-pawn prevents White from playing d2-d4. The alternative capture was seen in Wall - Qwerty, Chess.com, 2010: 6...bxc6 7.Qh5+ g6 8.Qxc5 Ne7 9.Qc3 Black resigned

Surprisingly, best for Black, keeping White's advantage to a minimum, was 6...Qh4

7.Qh5+ Kf8 8.Qxc5+

8...Qd6 9.Qe3 Nf6

This hastens the end.

10.e5 Ng4 11.Qf4+ Black resigned

 

Chandler Unbound

If the posting at the Chandler Cornered website is not an April Fool's joke (what next – radio shock jock Howard Stern playing in the US Chess Championship??), then it looks like chessfriend-of-all and Jerome Gambit Gemeinde member Geoff Chandler has finished his 400th and final column for Chess Edinburgh.

Of course, the "Obituary" and the picture of the gorilla likeness that accompany the announcement (I always thought Geoff was taller) make it hard to take things totally seriously.

Yet he writes

It was brilliant fun and I really enjoyed doing them all...Don't know what I'll do now. I won't do a blog, perhaps write a chess book, perhaps not. Who Knows.

I hope Who – or Geoff, or WhoEver – keeps in touch. His puckish wit and insight into the Royal Game as we commoners play it will be sorely missed.

Two/Three Knights Game

I've mentioned that my son, "Kennedy Kid" Jon [left], is a teacher in Haiti. His exciting times – including when the earthquake struck in January – can be read about at his blog, jbkhaiti.blogspot.com. Today Jon's big brother (another "Kennedy Kid") Matt [below] starts a two week trip to Haiti, to put his physical therapy skills to work, assisting in a medical step-down facility and working with earthquake victims.

Matt will be accompanied by a colleague, an occuptational therapist [picture currently unavailable] who also plans on being very, very busy.