The Psychology of Gambit Chess Openings

I am going to take advantage of the return of Chessville to point out Clyde Nakamura's very interesting article there on "The Psychology of Gambit Chess Openings".

Clyde is a very creative, aggressive player who specializes in gambits, many of his own creation.

While his article uses gambits other than the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) to make his points, this makes it doubly worth reading: learn about the psychology of gambits, maybe pick up one or two unortodox openings as well...

Eyeblink Chess: A Good Move, Poorly Timed

Some moves are very common in the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+): Bxf7+, Nxe5+, Qh5+ for White, for example; and ...Kf8, ...Qf6 or ...Qe7 for Black. Good moves have to be played at the right time, however, as my opponent learned in the following game.


perrypawnpusher - zsilber
blitz, FICS, 2010

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

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

7.Qd5+ Kf6 8.Qxc5

9...Qe7 9.Qf5 checkmate

Freedom From Choice

Freedom of choice
Is what you got
Freedom from choice
Is what you want
-- Devo, "Freedom of Choice"

Whether you are giving "Jerome Gambit odds" or simply playing an aggressive blitz game, it is often a good strategy to give your opponent plenty of choices in any given position. 

Your opponent may select a move based on deep tactical analysis and an appreciation of the strategic needs of the position.

Or not.

perrypawnpusher  - recreation
5 12 blitz FICS, 2010

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8

The updated New Year's Database has 250 games with this position, with White scoring 46%.

7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qg3 Qf6 9.0-0 Nh6

This Knight move is rare, but not bad. Alternatives were 9...Qg6, 9...Qe5 or 9...h5!?.

10.Nc3

In the two games in the database featuring 9...Nh6, Jerome Gambit Gemeinde members mrjoker and Petasluk preferred 10.c3, with 11.d4 to follow.

10...Kf7

Planning to castle-by-hand, a sensible strategy in the Jerome. In this particular position, however, 10...Qg6, threatening the exchange of Queens, was better.

11.Nd5 Qg6

Seeing the direct attack on his Queen, but missing both the attack on c7 and the growing pressure on f6.

Yet the common sense 11...Qd8 (best) was not a complete answer. White would respond with 12.d4!? when either taking the pawn with 12...Bxd4 or retreating from it with 12...Bb6 would be met by 13.Bg5.

analysis diagram
after 11...Qd8 12.d4




Two possible lines of play: 11...Qd8 12.d4 Bxd4 13.Bg5 Bf6 (if 13...Qd7 then 14.Rad1 is strong) 14.Nxf6 gxf6 15.Bxh6 is better for White; 11...Qd8 12.d4 Bb6 13.Bg5 Qf8 (best) 14.Rae1 is also better for White.

12.Qf4+

12...Ke6

Returning a piece with 12...Bf5 was a bit better.

13.Nxc7+ Black resigned

I suspect that my opponent was discouraged at the coming loss of a Rook, which would leave him the exchange and three pawns down. There is too much going on around Black's King for him to expect to be able to trap and capture the White Knight.

Pawn-ful Lessons

A pawn advance seems to sew up the game for White, but it turns out upon further inspection that not as many were needed, only the proper amount of support from the pieces...

perrypawnpusher  - nmuffjgp
blitz FICS, 2010

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

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

This is one of the recognized refutations of the Jerome Gambit, but one reason I am pleased to face it is that White gets to eliminate Black's dark-squared Bishop which would otherwise hold up f2-f4.

7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Be6

10.0-0 Nf6 11.f4

An interesting alternative: 11.d3 Qd7 12.b3 Kf7 13.Bb2 Rhf8 14.Nd2 Kg8 15.f4 Ng4 16.Qg3 Bf7 17.h3 Nf6 18.f5 Ne5 19.Bxe5 dxe5 20.Qxe5 Rfe8 21.Qg3 Rad8 22.Nf3 Qc6 23.Rf2 Qc5 24.Raf1 a5 25.a4 b5 26.axb5 Qxb5 27.Kh1 c5 28.Ne5 a4 29.bxa4 Qxa4 30.Nxf7 Kxf7 31.Qc7+ Rd7 32.Qxc5 Kg8 33.e5 Nd5 34.f6 gxf6 35.exf6 Qa8 36.f7+ Kh8 37.f8Q+ Black resigned, fehim - BoardStupid, FICS, 2009.

11...Ne7

Alternatives: 11...Bc4 12.d3 Bb5 13.c4 Bc6 14.f5 Ne5 15.Nc3 Qd7 16.b3 Qf7 17.d4 Neg4 18.Qe2 Qe7 19.Bg5 h6 20.Bxf6 Nxf6 21.Rae1 h5 22.e5 dxe5 23.dxe5 Ng4 24.h3 Nh6 25.Qf2 Kd7 26.Qd4+ Ke8 27.f6 Qe6 28.fxg7 Rg8 29.Rf6 Qd7 30.Qxd7+ Kxd7 31.e6+ Kd6 32.e7+ Kc5 33.Rxh6 Rxg7 34.Rxh5+ Kd4 35.Nb5+ Kd3 36.g4 Rag8 37.Rhe5 Rh7 38.e8Q Bxe8 39.Rxe8 Rgg7 40.Rd8+ Kc2 41.Re2+ Kc1 42.Na3 Rxh3 43.Rc2 checkmate, perrypawnpusher - avgur, blitz, FICS 2009;

11...Bf7 12.d4 Kf8 13.b3 h5 14.f5 Ng4 15.Qg3 Ne7 16.Bg5 Nf6 17.Nd2 Qd7 18.Rae1 Re8 19.c4 c5 20.d5 Ng4 21.Nf3 b5 22.h3 Nf6 23.Nh4 bxc4 24.bxc4 Qa4 25.Bxf6 gxf6 26.Ng6+ Bxg6 27.fxg6 Kg7 28.Qxd6 Rhf8 29.Qxc5 Qxa2 30.d6 Ng8 31.Ra1 Qe2 32.Rxa7+ Kxg6 33.Qf5+ Kh6 34.Rh7 checkmate, mrjoker - PhlebasP, ICC, 2009; and

11...Kd7 12.f5 Bxf5 13.exf5 Re8 14.Qg5 Ne7 15.Qxg7 c6 16.Qxf6 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - dirceu, blitz, FICS, 2010.

12.d4

A dynamic alternative was 12.f5, as in 12...Bf7 13.d3 c6 14.h3 Qb6 15.g4 Qxe3+ 16.Bxe3 Kd7 17.Nd2 b6 18.Kg2 g6 19.g5 Nh5 20.f6 Nc8 21.d4 b5 22.b3 Nb6 23.Rac1 a5 24.c4 bxc4 25.Nxc4 Rhb8 26.Kf3 Nxc4 27.bxc4 Rb2 28.Rf2 Rab8 29.d5 c5 30.Rcc2 Rxc2 31.Rxc2 a4 32.Rc3 Kc7 33.Ra3 Be8 34.e5 dxe5 35.Bxc5 Rb2 36.Ke4 Re2+ 37.Be3 Bd7 38.f7 Black resigned, mrjoker - Melbourne, ICC, 2008.

12...d5 13.e5

Falling in with Black's plan. After the game Rybka suggested that White give up a Rook and a pawn for a couple of pieces: 13.f5 Bd7 14.e5 Nxf5 15.Rxf5 Ng4 16.Qf4 Bxf5 17.Qxf5 when Black has a small edge. 

13...Ne4

14.Nd2 Nxd2 15.Bxd2 Nc6

This move lets White's pawns run free. Instead, 15...Qd7 covers the f5 square.

16.f5 Bf7 17.e6 Bh5

18.h3

Preparing for the advance of more pawns. After the game Rybka showed that this was unnecessary. Instead, 18.Qh3 was strong, and after 18...Be2 White could afford 19.Rae1!? as 19...Bxf1 would be well met by 20.Qh5+.

Indeed, no further pawns need advance, if White's pieces are active.

18...Kf8

Better 18...Qf6 to answer 19.g4 with 19...Qxd4 although the Bishop is still lost after 20.gxh5.

19.g4

Here 19.f6 gxf6 20.Qh6+ Kg8 21.Qxh5 is stronger. 

19...Be8 20.g5

Again, this works, but stronger was 20.f6 gxf6 21.Qh6+

20...Ne7 21.f6

Here, 21.Bb4 would have tightened the screws before the pawn advance.

Black's resistance crumbles.

21...Ng6 22.e7+ Qxe7 Black resigned

Chessville is back!

Chessville is back online!

Readers have come to know Chessville as a place to find opening analysis, especially analysis of unorthodox openings, as well as news of the chess world, book & product reviews and chess fiction (including the Sherlock Holmes, Perry the Pawnpusher and "Kennedy Kids" stories). 

After about a half-year lapse in new material, and a month or so (lately) of being un-reachable, Chessville (you can also find it in my "Links") is back online and will soon be adding new content.

See you there!

Happy Birthday

Today marks two years of daily posts to this Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) blog. (I'll keep posting.)

I have received games, analysis and support from chess players all around the world, for which I am very, very grateful. (Please keep sending.)

Over 25% of the visitors to this blog have visited at least 100 times, and almost 20% of the visitors have been here 200 times or more! (Please keep visiting.)

I hope that this blog has given readers a chance to enjoy chess off-the-beaten path, and I look forward to another year of examining "the duck-billed platypus of chess" and its relatives. (Enjoy!)

Unorthodox Chess Openings Magazines

If you enjoy playing the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) you probably have an interest in playing other "unorthodox" chess openings, as well.

While you may not have the Myers Openings Bulletins at hand (M.O.B. 1979-1988, New M.O.B. 1992-1996)

I've mentioned on this blog three other magazines devoted to unusual opening lines that are still being published.

Kaissiber, a German language magazine published by FIDE Master Stefan Bücker, is always a treasure trove of solid chess creativity and chess history. The current Issue #37 has a large article on the Sicilian Wing Gambit (1.e4 c5 2.b4!?), for example, and on a reversed Budapest Gambit coming out of the Tal Gambit in the Sicilian (1.e4 c5 2.f4 d5 3.Nf3!? dxe4 4.Ng5) amongst other explorations.

The grand-daddy of current unorthodox openings magazines is Rainer Schlenker's Randspringer. The current publication is a triple issue, full of "Kaffeehaus-Schach". Schlenker's imagination knows few bounds, but he frequently plays the openings he presents, and his games are amusing and educational.

A relative "youngster" in the group is the Unorthodox Openings Newsletter. Issue #26 recently appeared. Yes, that is a picture of Women's World Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk on the cover. Editor Gary K. Gifford has an interview with Ms. Kosteniuk on the inside pages. There is also a ton of games by Philip du Chattel, who loves to play Nh6 in Hippopotamus style formations. Also catching my eye was more thought, analysis and games on the Tayler Opening (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Be2!?).

Why not check them all out?