A Long Day's Journey Into Checkmate

Welton Vaz shows that if you can't win a Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game quickly (see "Provoked!", "Moment of Truth" and "Another Miniature from Brazil") it's okay to once again win it slowly.

Ghandybh  - nosseir

Chess.com, 2010

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

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

6...Ke6 7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.d3

This is an unusual alternative to the more frequently played 8.f4. Clearly White avoids the complexities associated with that move – 8...Qh4+ 9.g3 Nf3+, for starters – while preparing to put pressure on the Knight at e5 with Bc1-f4. On the other hand, he battles along lines where White remains two pieces down. 

8...Nh6

Black, in turn, takes immediate aim at the White Queen.

Two alternatives have been seen: 8...Qf6 9.Be3 Bxe3 10.fxe3 Ke7 11.d4 Nc4 12.Qc5+ Nd6 13.e5 Qh4+ 14.g3 Qe4 15.exd6+ Ke6 16.Qe5+ Qxe5 17.dxe5 cxd6 18.exd6 Kxd6 19.Nc3 Nf6 20.Nb5+ Ke7 21.0-0-0 b6 22.Rd4 Bb7 23.Rhd1 Bc6 24.Nc7 Rac8 25.Na6 Rhe8 26.Nb4 Kf8 27.Kd2 Re4 28.Re1 Rxd4+ 29.exd4 Re8 30.Rg1 Bb5 31.b3 Ne4+ 32.Kc1 Nc3 33.Kb2 Ne2 34.c4 Bc6 35.Rd1 Be4 36.d5 Kg8 37.Rd2 Ng1 38.Na6 Nf3 39.Rf2 Ne5 40.Kc3 Ng4 41.Rd2 Rf8 42.Rd4 Rf3+ 43.Kb4 Nf6 44.a4 Bc2 45.Nc5 bxc5+ 46.Kxc5 Ne4+ 47.Rxe4 Bxe4 48.b4 Rf6 49.a5 Kf8 50.Kd4 Bc2 51.b5 Ke7 52.c5 d6 53.c6 Kd8 54.b6 axb6 55.axb6 Bb3 56.Ke4 g6 57.h4 Rf5 White resigned, dott - dj-travis, GameKnot.com, 2004;

and 8...Nf6 9.Bf4 Qe7 10.0-0 g6 11.Bxe5+ Qxe5 12.Qxe5+ Kxe5 13.c3 Be7 14.Nd2 d6 15.g3 Bh3 16.Rfe1 Rhf8 17.d4+ Ke6 18.e5 dxe5 19.Rxe5+ Kd7 20.Rae1 Rae8 21.f3 Bd6 22.Rxe8 Rxe8 23.Rxe8 Kxe8 24.g4 h5 25.Nc4 Bf4 26.Ne5 Be3+ 27.Kh1 g5 28.Nc4 hxg4 29.Nxe3 gxf3 30.Kg1 g4 31.Kf2 Ne4+ 32.Ke1 Kd7 33.c4 c6 34.d5 c5 35.Nf5 b6 36.Ng3 Nxg3 37.hxg3 Kd6 38.Kf2 a6 39.b3 b5 40.a3 bxc4 41.bxc4 Ke5 42.Ke3 Bf1 White resigned, Nestor250168 - karmmark, thematic, Chessworld.net 2008.

9.Bxh6 gxh6

Rybka's assessment is that things have already entered the Twilight Zone, suggesting instead: 9...Rf8 10.Bg5 Rxf5 11.Bxd8 Rxf2 with a clear advantage to Black.

10.Nc3

Here 10.f4 would have led to the recover of a piece as well. 

10...Rf8 11.Nb5+ Kc6 12.Qxe5 d6

Capturing the White Knight with the King would have only led to an exchange of pieces (12...Kxb5 13.a4+ followed by 14.Qxc5), so Black protects his Bishop first.

He had sharper play in 12...Bxf2+ 13.Ke2 d5 14.a4 Bg4+ 15.Kd2 Qg5+ 16.Qxg5 hxg5 17.exd5+ Kb6 but it can be difficult to think of "attack" when your King needs "defense."

analysis diagram







13.Nd4+

Rybka points out the sneaky alternative 13.Qd5+, as 13...Kxb5 leads to checkmate, while 13...Kb6 and 13...Kd7 allow 14.d4.

The position has become complicated for both players, a situation that favors the one more familiar and comfortable with this kind of play.

13...Bxd4 14.Qd5+ Kd7 15.Qxd4

15...Qf6 16.Qxf6 Rxf6 17.f3

Black has managed to remove the immediate danger to his King, and he has the standard small advantage of a piece for two pawns, but this kind of position is like one's own back yard to a Jerome Gambit player. 

17...b6 18.Rf1 Bb7 19.Kd2 Rg8 20.g3 Kc8

21.f4 Rf7 22.f5 Rg5 23.Rae1 Rh5

Black has underestimated or overlooked his opponent's reply.

24.h4 Rg7 25.Rf3

25...d5

This only unleashes the "Jerome pawns".  

26.f6 Rf7 27.e5 d4 28.e6 Rf8 29.e7 Rh8

30.Rf4

Finally, Black catches a small break. White does not really need to worry about saving his Rook: after 30.f7 Bxf3 he can play 31.f8/Q+ Kb7 32.Qxf3+ Ka6 33.Qxh5 and be a Queen ahead, with another pawn ready to promote!

 30...Bd5 31.f7 Bxf7 32.Rxf7 Re8

Perhaps Black even chuckled here, and reminded himself of the old saying All Rook and pawn endings are drawn.

33.Re4 c5 34.Rf8 Kd7 35.Rf7

At this point, this Rook and pawn ending does look drawn.

But looks can be deceiving.

35...a5 36.a4 b5 37.axb5 Rd5 38.Rxh7 Rd6

White's pawns are beginning to look like ants at a picnic.

39.c3 dxc3+ 40.Kxc3 Re6

41.Rxe6 Kxe6 42.b6 Kd6

43.Rxh6+ Kd7 44.b7 Kc7 45.Re6 Kxb7 46.Kc4 Kc7

47.Kxc5 Kd7 48.Kd5 Rxe7 49.Rxe7+ Kxe7

Black keeps capturing pawns, and his position keeps getting worse.

50.h5 Kf6 51.g4 Kg5 52.Kd6 Kxg4 53.h6 Kg5 54.h7 Kf4

55.h8Q Ke3 56.Qe8+ Kxd3 57.Qg6+ Kd2 58.Qb1 Ke3 59.Qa2 Kf4 60.Qxa5 Ke3 61.Qd5 Black resigned

Busch-Gass Pass

As much as I like surprising my opponents with unusual openings like the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) – that's how much I dislike being surprised by my opponents.

The following game is also about having a "Plan B" for when you can't follow "Plan A".

perrypawnpusher  - vladchess
blitz FICS, 2010

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Bc5

My opponent offers to play the Busch-Gass Gambit  (see "Worth a Second Look... Part 1", "Part 2" and "Part 3"), an opening with a number of Jerome-ish characteristics.

The idea is that if White now plays 3.Nxe5, Black can follow with 3...Bxf2+ 4.Kxf2 Qh4+ with mischief ahead.

3.Bc4

I decided to "pass" on the pawn offer.

Maybe Black will relent and play 3...Nc6, allowing me to play the Jerome Gambit after all?

3...f6

This is an awkward transposition to a variation of the Damiano Defense, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f6, suggesting that my opponent was not prepared for me to decline his gambit.

Better were 2...Nc6, 2..d6 or 2...Qe7.

4.Nxe5

As in play against the regular Damiano setup.

4...d6

Another surprise.

Black probably would have done best by staying within Damiano lines as well: 4...Qe7.

analysis diagram






Because Black's Bishop will be hanging on c5 – as opposed to being safe at f8, as in the original Damiano Defense – White can now play out his Queen with 5.Qh5+, as after 5...g6 6.Nxg6 Qxe4+ 7.Be2 Black's Damiano-ish 7...Qxg6 could be met with 8.Qxc5.

analysis diagram






Black can desperado that Bishop with 7...Bxf2+ (instead of 7...Qxg6), but after 8.Kxf2 Qxg6 9.Qc5 White will have several advantages that will only grow over the next few moves: King safety, development, the usefulness of the two Bishops.

analysis diagram







5.Qh5+ g6

6.Nxg6 Kd7

The alternative, 6...hxg6 7.Qxh8+ followed by capturing the Knight on g8 is not attractive, either.

7.Nxh8 Qe7 8.Qf7

Stifling any thought of counter-play.

8...Nc6 9.Be6+ Kd8 10.Qxg8+ Black resigned

After 10...Qe8 I planned to quiet things down with exchanges after 11.Nf7+ Ke7 12.Qxe8+ Kxe8 13.Bxc8 Rxc8 14.Nh6, remaining up a Knight, a Rook and two pawns.

Good things come to those who... work!

When Jerome Gambit Gemeinde member Welton Vaz started the following game, I doubt that he realized the gigantic struggle that lay ahead of him. I'm pretty sure that his opponent figured that a win was only a matter of time – it was, but for White.

Ghandybh  - mentalbreak
Chess.com, 2010

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

The Semi-Italian Opening.

White's typical "Jerome treatment" is to play a temporizing move like 0-0 or Nc3 now, hoping for ...Bf8-c5, allowing the signature Bxf7+. 

4.Bxf7+

Wow.

This reminds me of Veijoasquerosos of Mexico, who played over 1,100 games at RedHotPawn.com, and who played Bxf7+ (or ...Bxf2+) as early and as often as possible: see "King of Bxf7+".  

I've played the move myself, although accidentally: perrypawnpusher - marapr, blitz FICS, 2007 (1-0, 27).

A look at the updated New Year's Database shows 904 games with this position, with White scoring 39%.

One of the top users of 4.Bxf7+ here is GFcrafty (a weakened version of Crafty, the free, open-source computer chess program developed by Dr. Robert M. Hyatt) at FICS.

Perhaps the most important of those games, however, is Gandybh - sqerl, Chess.com, 2009 which shows that Welton has played the line before, and is ready to face his opponent.

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

Rybka, in its "blunder check" mode (5 minutes per move), suggested 6.d4 Nc6 7.Nc3 d6 8.0-0 Nf6 9.h3 Be7 10.d5 Nb8 11.Be3 Re8 12.Re1 as better. The line looks like no fun at all. Maybe when the "Jerome pawns" get rolling...

analysis diagram







6...Ng6 7.Qd5+ Ke8

White has his work cut out for him.

8.d3 Nf6 9.Qf5 Ne7 10.Qf4 Nc6 11.0-0 Nd4 12.Qe5+ Ne6 13.Be3 Qe7

14.Nc3 d6 15.Qb5+ c6 16.Qb4 c5

It looks like Welton's play has begun to annoy his opponent who would probably prefer "16.Resigns."

Good.

17.Qb5+ Bd7 18.Qxb7 Rc8 19.Qxa7

White now has 4 pawns for his 2 sacrificed pieces. That's not enough, but it's more than he had a few moves ago. Also, Black's King is stuck in the center, and at least for now his King's Rook is buried in the garage.

19...Ng4 20.Nd5 Qd8 21.h3 Nxe3 22.fxe3 Be7 23.Nxe7 Qxe7

Black has made progress in one area – when ahead in material, exchange pieces – but he still has an opponent fighting back.

24.Qb7 Rf8 25.Rxf8+ Qxf8 26.Rf1 Qe7 27.a3

Here's a clue: White believes that his "Jerome pawns" will one day be able to take on Black's two extra pieces in the endgame.

27...Rc7 28.Qb8+ Qd8 29.Qb6 Rc6 30.Qxd8+ Kxd8 31.Rf7

31...Ke8 32.Rf1 Rb6 33.b3 Ra6 34.a4 Ng5 35.h4 Nf7

Black has been teasing and provoking the pawns. No harm done. So far.

36.Kf2 Ne5 37.Ke2 d5

To open a path to swing the Rook over – but, a pawn is a pawn.

38.exd5 Rf6

39.d4

Hesitating. It was okay to exchange the Rooks.

39...cxd4 40.exd4 Bg4+ 41.Ke1 Rxf1+ 42.Kxf1 Nd7

Now the fun really begins.

White's plan is pretty clear: have his King escort the five connected past pawns forward, until one or more of them Queens.

Black has to counter this. Ideally, if he can hold up the pawns with his King and only one piece, then he can use (or sacrifice) the other to create a winning passed pawn on the other side of the board.

43.Ke1 Ke7 44.Kd2 Kd6 45.c4 Bf5

46.Kc3 Nf6 47.b4

47...Ne4+ 48.Kb3 Nd2+ 49.Kc3 Ne4+ 50.Kb3

White is willing to repeat the position and accept the draw.

50...Bd7

Black can't bring himself to "lose" the half-point.

51.a5 Nd2+ 52.Kc3 Ne4 53.Kb3 Nf2

Again Black wavers – and then decides "no draw". His problem is that now White's game gains momentum.

54.a6 Kc7 55.b5 Kb6

Rybka suggested instead : 55...Ne4 56.Kb4 Nd6 57.a7 Kb7 58.b6 Nc8 59.c5 Nxa7 60.bxa7 Kxa7 when it looks like Black's King and Bishop may be able to hold up White's central pawns (and draw) after all.

analysis diagram






56.c5+ Ka7 57.c6 Bc8

Black's Knight is sadly out of play. 

58.d6 Ne4 59.d7 Nd6

60.d8Q Nxb5 61.Qxc8 Nd6 62.Qd7+ Nb7 63.Qxb7 checkmate

Very nice work. As they say, nobody ever won a game by resigning...

Blackburned! #2

My heart pounds when I start a Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game.

It's always a gamble – the Jerome Gamble, Gary Gifford calls it – how much of the many refutations does my opponent know?

Can he get to me before I can get to him??

perrypawnpusher - LtPoultry
blitz 10 0, FICS, 1020

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

Our story begins...

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6

This can lead to the dreaded Whistler Defense, or the much misunderstood Blackburne Defense. Quo vadis?

7.Qxe5 d6

Blackburne! Sac that Rook! Trap that Queen! Mate that King!

8.Qxh8

Falling for the Blackburne bait.

8...Qh4

Yes!

9.O-O

Telegraphing where the King will be, when Black wants to attack.

I've always been a bit uneasy about the "refutation of the refutation" 9.d4.

9...Qxe4

Uh oh... This doesn't look right.

Amateur - Blackburne, London, 1885 continued 9...Nf6, trapping the White Queen, before a series of sacrifices finished White off 10.c3 Ng4 11.h3 Bxf2+ 12.Kh1 Bf5 13.Qxa8 Qxh3+ 14.gxh3 Bxe4 checkmate.

Of course, I would have veered off with 10.Qd8.

10.Qxh7+

Letting my Queen escape immediately.

Instead, AlgozBR - khuizen, blitz FICS, 2009 continued: 10.d3 Qe5 11.Qxh7+ Qg7 12.Qh4 Be6 13.Nc3 Re8 14.Ne4 Bb6 15.Be3 Qxb2 16.Qh7+ Qg7 17.Ng5+ Black resigned

10...Kf8 11.Nc3

A bit better was 11.d3, as in obviously - dmyze, GameKnot.com, 2004: Qf5 12.Qxc7 Nf6 13.d4 Be6 14.dxc5 Bc4 15.Bh6+ Ke8 16.Re1+ Ne4 17.Nc3 Qxf2+ 18.Kh1 Qf7 19.Rxe4+ Be6 20.Qxd6 Black resigned.

11...Qxc2 12.Qh4  Black resigned

White's Queen is not trapped, Black's King is at risk, and White is ahead the exchange and a couple of pawns. 

It was not completely necessary to resign here. DREWBEAR 63 - blackburne, JGTourney4, ChessWorld, 2009 continued a few more moves, for example – after 12.d3 instead of 12.Qh4 – without changing the outcome: 13.Bh6+ Ke8 14.Rfe1+ Kd8 15.Qxg8+ Kd7 16.Qe8 checkmate