Joseph Blackburne's play against the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) makes a powerful impression: it is a dangerous opening for White to play, one that may lead to a counter-sacrifice and a scintillating checkmate by Black.
But, it is helpful for those who wish to follow in The Black Death's footsteps to know the whole Blackburne Defense, not just the first few moves or the general idea...
perrypawnpusher - saltos
blitz FICS, 2010
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5
Last year our game went: 3...h6 4.0-0 (4.c3 Na5 5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Ke8 7.Qh5+ Ke7 8.Ng6+ Kd6 9.Qd5 checkmate, Ghandy - saltos, blitz FICS, 2009) Bc5 5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.Qh5+ Ng6 8.Qd5+ Ke8 9.Qxc5 d6 10.Qe3 Qf6 11.f4 N8e7 12.Nc3 c6 13.f5 Ne5 14.d4 Nc4 15.Qd3 b5 16.b3 Nb6 17.Bf4 Nd7 18.Rae1 Qf7 19.Bxd6 Nf6 20.Bxe7 Kxe7 21.e5 Nd5 22.f6+ Kf8 23.fxg7+ Kxg7 24.Rxf7+ Kxf7 25.Qf3+ Ke7 26.Nxd5+ Kd8 27.Qf6+ Kd7 28.Qe7 checkmate, perrypawnpusher - saltos, blitz FICS, 2009.
4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6
This can be the beginning of the Blackburne Defense, or it can be a knee-jerk reaction by Black to the Queen check.
7.Qxe5 d6
Likewise, this can be Blackburne's brilliant offer of a Rook – or the quick protection of the Bishop on c5, with thought for little else (after all, how can White's opening be any good?).
8.Qxh8 Be6
Okay... It's not Blackburne's Defense, which would continue 8...Qh4.
9.Qxh7+ Kf8 10.Qxg6
White's Queen grabs some pawns – the extra material is nice – while making sure that Her Majesty will not be trapped behind enemy lines.
An alternative: 10.d4 Bxd4 11.Bh6+ Ke8 12.Nc3 Qf6 13.0-0 Bf7 14.Nd5 Qe6 15.Nxc7+ Kd8 16.Nxe6+ Black resigned, Petasluk - cuadriculas, FICS, 2008.
10...Qf6 11.Qxf6+ Nxf6
The exchange of Queens has removed any danger from Black's King, but White is the exchange and four pawns ahead in the late middlegame / early ending.
12.d3 Ke7 13.Be3 Bxe3 14.fxe3 Rf8 15.Rf1
White simply plans to exchange pieces and then get a passed pawn moving – while trying to avoid a blunder.
15...Ng4 16.Rxf8 Kxf8 17.h3 Nxe3 18.Na3 Nxg2+
19.Kf2 Nf4 20.h4 Kg7 21.Rh1
A little beter was 21.Nb5
21...c6 22.Nc4 d5 23.Nd2 dxe4 24.Nxe4 Bd5 25.Kf3 Ne6
26.c4 Nd4+ 27.Ke3 Nf5+ 28.Kf4 Be6 29.Ng5 Bd7 30.Nf3 c5
31.Rg1+ Kh6 32.Ne5 Be6
A slip.
33.Rg6+ Kh5 34.Rxe6 Nxh4 35.Re7
35...Ng2+ 36.Kf3 Nh4+ 37.Ke4 Kg5 38.Nf3+ Nxf3 39.Kxf3 Kf6 40.Rxb7 Black resigned
There are many ways to lose a Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game – with either the white pieces or the black pieces.
Inattention, or dozing during the game, often leads to trajedy. It happens to all of us.
Here are a few recent examples:
jairaramb - ahdtjs
blitz FICS, 2010
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6 6.Qh5 Nf6 7.Kd1 Nxh5 White resigned
brazucanl - faunen
blitz FICS, 2010
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8 6.0-0 d6 7.Qh5+ Ke7 8.Qf7 checkmate
Ronels - sarosha
blitz FICS, 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.Qf7+ Kd6 11.Qd5+ Ke7 12.Qg5+ Nf6 13.Qe5 checkmate
kcis - Chicagin
standard game, FICS, 2010
1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nc6 3.Nf3 Bc5 4.Nc3 Nf6 5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.Ng5+ Kg8 7.0-0 h6 8.Nd5 hxg5 White resigned
kingpro - Frikoo
standard game FICS, 2010
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6 6.Nc4 Qh4 7.c3 Qxe4+ 8.Kf1 Qd3+ White resigned
crazyyugo - Sirpooba
standard game FICS, 2010
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.c3 Na5 5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Ke8 7.Qh5+ Ke7 8.Ng6+ Kd6 9.Qd5 checkmate
What follows is a pretty standard Semi-Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit as played by Bill Wall, where things become quite unlucky for Black at move 13, and the second player's game seems to spiral down out of sight after that.
Wall,B - Snoopy
Chess.com, 2010
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6
The Semi-Italian Opening.
4.0-0 Nf6 5.Nc3 Bc5
Semi-Italian Four Knights Game.
6.Bxf7+
Semi-Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.
I find it fascinating that Rybka, on "blunder check" at 5 minutes per move, suggested: 6.Na4 Be7 7.d3 0-0 8.h3 a6 9.Nc3 Bc5 10.Nd5 d6 as being slightly better for White.
analysis diagram
6...Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ Nxe5 8.d4
8...d6
The current game is the only example of this move in the updated New Year's Database, but there are a number of games from the Four Knights move order (without the Semi-Italian ...h6 and 0-0).
9.dxc5 dxc5 10.Qe2 Bg4
Similar to the move in perrypawnpusher - foreverblackman, blitz FICS, 2010: Black gets his Bishop over to where the action is, causing White to play the inconvenient f2-f3, and perhaps planning to return the gambitted piece for a pawn.
11.f3 Bh5 12.g4 Bg6 13.f4
This move is thematic (i.e. advance of the "Jerome pawns") but leads to a very complicated position. Black can – and probably should – play 13...Nexg4, capturing a pawn, even though he will lose the Knight eventually.
Rybka suggests 13...Nexg4 14.Qc4+ (to avoid the exchange of Queens which would occur after 14.h3 Qd4+) Ke8 15.Rd1 Qe7 16.h3 Rd8 17.Re1 Ne5 18.fxe5 Qxe5 and it looks as if Black is better on material, development and King safety – although there are many ways either player can go wrong.
analysis diagram
13...Nc6
Certainly this is a reasonable move, but White's game now gathers momentum.
14.e5 Nd5
Black still has a piece to give back, and Rybka suggest that he do so with: 14...Kg8 15.exf6 Qxf6 16.f5 Bf7 17.Be3 Re8 18.Rad1 Kh7 19.Rf4 b6 when White's edge is minimal.
analysis diagram
15.Qc4 Re8
Returning material, but it does not help much.
16.Nxd5 b5 17.Qxc5 Nxe5
Hastens the end.
18.fxe5+ Kg8 19.Bxh6 Rxe5 20.Rad1 Bf7
21.Qc3 Qd6 22.Nf6+ Black resigned
When I meet the Blackburne Shilling Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4) I respond in the Jerome Gambit way with 4.Bxf7+. I have confidence in that strategy, but I am often surprised at how much remains either unexplored or unclear. Lines of play get tangled, and it seems that some knowledge of theory is essential for White's success.
Darrenshome - PlatinumKnight
blitz FICS, 2006
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4
4.Bxf7+
Of course White can also play 4.0-0, 4.Nxd4 or 4.c3 with a good game.
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6
6.c3 Kxe5 7.cxd4+ Kxd4
Certainly throwing down the gauntlet in front of White by grabbing that extra pawn instead of retreating with 7...Ke6: What are you going to do about it, Gambiteer??
8.Qa4+
This move is seen in 35 games in the New Year's Database, with White scoring 40%. Strongest is 8.d3, with White scoring 73% in 11 games.
8...Ke5 9.f4+
9...Kxf4
Indigestion!
The King has eaten one pawn too many, and now faces checkmate. Retreating would have given Black the advantage.
10.0-0+
This move is good, and it wins, but faster was 10.d4+ Kxe4 (10...Kg4 11.Qd1+ Kh4 12.Qf3 Bb4+ 13.Ke2 d5 14.g3+ Kh3 15.g4+ Kh4 16.Qg3#) 11.0–0 Bb4 12.Qxb4 Qg5 13.Nc3+ Kd3 14.Rd1+ Qd2 15.Rxd2+ Ke3 16.Rd1 checkmate
10...Ke5
Black would put up more resistance with 10...Kg5. Then best play, according to Rybka, would be 11.Qb3 d5 12.d4+ Kh5 13.Qf3+ Bg4 14.Qf7+ g6 15.h3 when Black will lose his Bishop and face aggressive follow-up moves such as Rf5+.
11.d4+
White actually let the position slip away from him and allowed Black to deliver the checkmate in LordMonkey - uko, FICS, 2007: 11.Nc3 Bc5+ 12.d4+ Bxd4+ 13.Kh1 d6 14.Qb5+ c5 15.Bf4+ Ke6 16.Qc4+ Kd7 17.Qb5+ Kc7 18.Nd5+ Kb8 19.Bxd6+ Qxd6 20.Rad1 a6 21.Qb3 Be6 22.Qf3 Ne7 23.Nf4 Ka7 24.Nxe6 Qxe6 25.Rd3 Rhf8 26.Qg3 Rxf1
analysis diagram
11...Kxe4
12.d5+
White sees a checkmate and goes for it, bypassing a few shorter ones (e.g. 12.Nc3+ Kd3 13.Rf3#) in the process.
A win is a win.
12...Kxd5 13.Nc3+
13...Ke6 14.Qe4+ Kd6 15.Bf4+
15...Kc5 16.Qd5+ Kb6 17.Qb5 checkmate
The other day I was looking through Niels Jorgen Jensen, Tom Purser and Rasmus Pape's Elephant Gambit monograph when I ran into something interesting in the "Introduction" that applies equally to the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+)
...it is evident that many openings – the Sicilian Defense, for example – have been diffused almost beyond reasonableness. Consequently, if you play the Sicilian, as black or White, you must accept the probability that your opponent has studied the latest grandmaster variations to the beginning of the endgame.
On the other hand, if you play something off the beaten track – let's say the Elephant Gambit – you can be quite secure that your opponent has no prepared variation; quite the contrary, he will be forced to play chess on his own. This can give you a pronounced psychological advantage: your opponent is likely to be facing his first Elephant, and has studied no variations, and the only thing he might have is some vague recollection of having read that the opening is incorrect, unsound, and unplayable. He will be looking for easy refutations, and may become frustrated when he does not find them. The pressure will all be on him. After all, he will appear ridiculous if he cannot beat an "unplayable" opening.
After a Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game, I like to consult my database and see if' I've seen that line of play before and see if I've crossed swords with my opponent previously.
The following game contains two strange "echoes".
perrypawnpusher - Kotimatka
blitz FICS, 2010
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6
I know that objectively this move keeps Black's advantage, but I'm always glad to see it because it allows me to capture the Bishop on c5, giving my f-pawn a faster chance to get moving.
7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Nf6
10.0-0 Ne5
After the game I discovered that Kotimatka and I had played a game last year. Even more interesting was how the game went. The opening was a Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit: 3...h6 4.0-0 Bc5 5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.Qh5+ Ng6 8.Qd5+ Ke8 9.Qxc5 d6 10.Qe3 Ne5
analysis diagram
11.d4 Ng4 12.Qg3 N8f6 13.Nc3 Be6 14.h3 Bc4 15.Re1 Qd7 16.hxg4 Nxg4 17.f3 Nf6 18.e5 Nh5 19.exd6+ Kf7 20.Qh2 g6 21.Re7+ Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - Kotimatka, blitz FICS, 2009.
In the current game, Black is a tempo ahead of last time, having not played ...h7-h6.
11.f4
Better was 11.d4 Neg4 12.Qb3 b6 13.h3 Nh6 14.e5 dxe5 15.dxe5 Nfg8 16.Qf3 Be6 17.Rd1 Qc8 18.Nc3 Ne7 19.Nb5 Rf8 20.Qxa8 Kf7 21.Qxc8 Rxc8 22.Bxh6 gxh6 23.Nxa7 Rg8 24.Kh2 Nf5 25.g4 Ne7 26.Nb5 h5 27.Nxc7 hxg4 28.Rd6 Bf5 29.Rf6+ Kg7 30.hxg4 Bg6 31.Rd1 Bxc2 32.Rd7 Black resigned, Gandybh - Noel1942, Chess.com, 2009
11...Nfg4
12.Qg3 Ng6 13.f5 N6e5
The Knights are begining to trip over each other. Black could have brought about a roughly even game with 13...Qh4, e.g. 14.Qxh4 Nxh4. Perhaps my opponent couldn't tolerate the notion of losing a half-point to the Jerome Gambit.
14.d4 c6
Black gives back the piece and prepares for his Queen to enter the combat.
15.dxe5 Qb6+ 16.Kh1 Nxe5
17.Qxg7 Rf8
18.f6
I looked at 18.Bh6, a better move, but I didn't look deep enough to be comfortable with it. Too bad: 18...Rf7 19.Qg8+ Kd7 20.Bg5 is strong. I missed the Bishop move.
18...Be6
Okay, so I wasn't the only player to overlook something.
19.Qe7 checkmate
