Nothing Much Happened

Sometimes when my opponent innovates against the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) I am content to take my opening advantage (in this case, a pawn or two) and slowly reduce it to an endgame advantage. In such games it seems like "nothing much happened" – only a win for White.

perrypawnpusher - sdockray
blitz, FICS, 2010

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

The Italian Four Knights Game.

5.Bxf7+

The Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.

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

7...Nxe4

The same defense used by kfollstad earlier this year (see "Navigating on One's own"). It is at least as old as Alby - asalamon, FICS, 2000, which continued 8...Qh4 9.dxc5 Qxe4+ 10.Kf1 Qc4+ 11.Kg1 Qxc5 12.Qf3+ White resigned.

8.Nxe4 Be7

A new idea. Also possible was 8...d5.

9.dxe5 Re8 10.0-0 d6

11.exd6 cxd6 12.Bf4 Bf5 13.Nxd6+ Bxd6 14.Qd5+ Be6 15.Qxd6 Bc4 16.Qxd8 Raxd8

I have simplified the game: all Black has for his two missing pawns is the hope that he can make it to a drawish Bishops-of-opposite-colors endgame.

17.Rfe1 Rd4 18.Rxe8 Kxe8 19.Be3 Rd7 20.b3 Be2 21.Bxa7 Bd1 22.c4 Rd2

23.Kf1 Bc2 24.Be3 Bd3+ 25.Ke1 Re2+ 26.Kd1 h6 27.Rc1

Sloppy play, as Black can now capture the a-pawn, reducing White's advantage. Instead...

27...Kd7 28.Rc3 Black resigned

Off Road Rambling

I am not always content (or able) to play the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), but I like to think that I can inject a bit of Jerome-ness into my games every now-and-then, anyhow. My opponent's handle suggested that he might appreciate an uncanny "transformation" of his defense.

perrypawnpusher - Mysticizm
blitz, FICS, 2010

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 b6

4.Bxf7+

"This is the kind of move that Bill Wall would play" I told myself.

Later, I discovered that I was almost right. Wall - Drilo, Chess.com, 2010, contined: 4.0-0 Bc5 5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.d3 Nb4 7.Nxe5+ Ke8 8.Qh5+ g6 9.Nxg6 Nf6 10.Qe5+ Kf7 11.Nxh8+ Qxh8 12.Bg5 Qe8 13.Qxf6+ Kg8 14.Na3 Be7 15.Qxe7 Qxe7 16.Bxe7 d6 17.Nb5 Bd7 18.Nxc7 Rc8 19.Bxd6 Nxc2 20.Rac1 Nd4 21.Rfe1 Rf8 22.Rc4 Ne6 23.Bxf8 Kxf8 24.Nxe6+ Bxe6 25.Rc7 Black resigned

4... Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6

Sensible, but 6...g6 was stronger.

Another Jerome "Gamble" is successful.

7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxa8

This is an odd position: White has captured the other Rook, and his Queen has to be careful not to be trapped on the Queenside, not the Kingside...

Black still has an edge, as can be shown in the following reasonable line, where he obtains the two Bishops and better development against a Rook and two pawns: 8...Nf4 9.0-0 Ba6 10.Qxd8+ Kxd8 11.d3 Ne2+ 12.Kh1 Nxc1 13.Rxc1 Bc5 14.f3 Ne7

analysis diagram








8...a5 9.Nc3 c6 10.d3 N8e7 11.Be3

11...c5 12.Nb5 Nc6 13.Na7

My plan was to trade pieces as a way to free (or exchange) my Queen.

13...Nge7 14.Bg5 h6 15.Bxe7 Bxe7

16.Nxc6 Qc7

White's Queen goes free after 16...dxc6 17.Qxc6+ but this move is no solution.

17.Nxe7 Kxe7 18.Qd5 d6

19.0-0 Be6 20.Qh5 Rf8 21.f4 Bf7 22.Qe2 Be8

White is ahead the exchange and two pawns.

23.e5 dxe5 24.fxe5 Rxf1+ 25.Rxf1 Bb5 26.Re1 c4 27.Qe4 cxd3 28.cxd3 Bc6 29.Qf4 Bb5 30.d4 Qc2

White's central pawns should win easily, and I'm amazed that I allowed the game to continue 25 more moves.

31.Qf2 Qc4 32.b3 Qd3 33.Qe3 Qg6 34.d5 Ke8

35.d6 Bc6 36.g3 Qc2 37.Qe2

Black's mate threats are annoying and have to be dealt with first.

37...Qc5+ 38.Qe3 Qc2 39.Qf2 Qc5 40.Qxc5 bxc5

Game over. Black plays on with a hope that I will blunder or lose on time.

41.e6 a4 42.Kf2 axb3 43.axb3 g5 44.h4 gxh4 45.gxh4 Bd5

46.Re3 h5 47.Kg3 c4 48.bxc4 Bxc4 49.Kf4 Bd5 50.Kg5 Ba2 51.Kxh5

51...Bb1 52.Kg5 Bh7 53.Kf6 Bg8 54.Ra3 Bh7 55.Ra8 checkmate

Not Quite A Work of Art

The following game is a sloppy effort by both players, showing that playing the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) at club level – and in a blitz game, at that – is only one of many factors that go into deciding who wins a contest.


perrypawnpusher - HGBoone
blitz, FICS, 2010

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

The Italian Four Knights Game.

5.Bxf7+

The Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.

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

7...Bxd4 8.Qxd4 d6

A typical set-up: White has the two central "Jerome pawns" and Black has the extra piece.

9.f4 Nc6 10.Qd3 Re8

11.0-0 a6 12.Bd2 b6

A slip that both White and Black overlook for a move.

13.Rae1 a5 14.Qc4+

14...Kf8 15.Qxc6 Ba6 16.Rf2 Ng4

For a change, a Black Knight goes to this square to harass a Rook, not a Queen.

17.Rf3 Rb8 18.Nd5 Bb7 19.Qxc7 Qxc7 20.Nxc7 Rxe4 21.Rxe4 Bxe4

White is slightly better – which means little in a club game. I worked to consolidate my position.

22.Rg3 Nf6 23.c3 Rc8 24.Ne6+ Kf7 25.Nd4 d5 26.Nf3 h5

27.Ne5+ Kg8 28.Be3 b5 29.Bd4 h4 30.Rf3

This was a mouse-slip, losing the exchange.

My strongest "play" at this point was to move my pieces frantically and hope for some sloppy over-confidence by my opponent...

30...Bxf3 31.Nxf3 Nh5 32.Nxh4 Nxf4 33.Kf2

Better was 33.Nf4

33...Nd3+ 34.Ke2 Nxb2 35.Nf5 g6

Thinking only about the pawn that has been attacked twice.

36.Ne7+ Kf7 37.Nxc8 Nc4 38.Nb6 Ke6 39.Nxc4 dxc4

40.Bb6 a4 41.a3 Kd5 42.Ke3 b4 43.cxb4 c3 44.Kd3 Kc6 45.Be3 Kb5 46.Kxc3 Black resigned

That Variation

What can I say?

I can handle most variations of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), even the refutation lines, but I keep tripping over the Semi-Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit – even after my opponent has blundered back a piece to me.

It must be psychological: the loss this time had nothing to do with the opening, I blundered away a Rook in an even ending. For other unfortunate examples of "snatching defeat from the jaws of victory" see "My Turn to Blunder" and "My Turn Again".

perrypawnpusher - Angstrem
blitz, FICS, 2010

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

The Semi-Italian Opening.

4.0-0 Nf6 5.Nc3 Bc5

The Semi-Italian Four Knights Game.

6.Bxf7+

The Semi-Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.

6...Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ Nxe5 8.d4

8...Bxd4 9.Qxd4 d6 10.f4 Nc6 11.Qd3

The full Queen retreat was seein in ontocaustic - defjavid, FICS, 2009: 11.Qd1 Bg4 12.Qd3 Nb4 13.Qc4+ Kf8 14.Qxb4 Qe7 15.e5 Nh5 16.f5 Qe6 17.fxe6+ Black reigned.

11...Re8

Alternately: 11...Be6 12.Bd2 Nb4 13.Qg3 Nxc2 14.Rac1 Nd4 15.f5 Bd7 16.Qg6+ Kg8 17.Be3 Be8 18.Qg3 Nc6 19.Bf4 Nh5 20.Qe3 Nxf4 21.Rxf4 Qg5 22.Qf2 Ne5 23.h4 Qh5 24.Rd1 a5 25.f6 Ng4 26.Qg3 Qc5+ 27.Kh1 h5 28.Rxg4 hxg4 29.Qxg4 Rh7 30.Rd5 Qf2 31.h5 Qf1+ 32.Kh2 Qxf6 33.Rf5 Qd4 34.Qf3 Bd7 35.Rd5 Qf6 36.Qxf6 gxf6 37.Kg3 Rg7+ 38.Kf3 Bg4+ 39.Kf4 Be6 40.Rd2 Rg5 White resigned, perrypawnpusher - HRoark, blitz FICS, 2010; and


11...Rf8 12.Bd2 Kg8 13.Rae1 Nb4 14.Qc4+ d5 15.Qxb4 Ng4 16.Nxd5 Qh4 17.h3 Nf6 18.Nxf6+ Rxf6 19.e5 Rg6 20.Qb3+ Be6 21.Qf3 Bxh3 22.Rf2 Rg3 23.Qxb7 Rf8 24.e6 Rf6 25.e7 Bd7 26.e8Q+ Bxe8 27.Rxe8+ Kh7 28.Qe4+ Rgg6 29.Qd3 Qg4 30.Ree2 h5 31.f5 Rd6 32.fxg6+ Rxg6 33.Qf5 Qd4 34.Qxh5+ Rh6 35.Bxh6 gxh6 36.Re7+ Kg8 37.Qg6+ Kh8 38.Re8 checkmate, perrypawnpusher - pwr, blitz, FICS, 2010. 

12.Bd2 Kg8 13.Rae1 Nb4

Black has brought his King to safety, and should continue with his development. The text move loses a piece, unless Black prepares it, as he did in perrypawnpusher - JohnBr, blitz, FICS, 2010: 13...Kh8 14.h3 Nb4 15.Qe2 Bd7 16.Bc1 Nfd5 17.Nxd5 Nxd5 18.Qh5 Nf6 19.Qg6 Re6 20.e5 Ng8 21.Qg3 Qe7 22.exd6 cxd6 23.b3 Rxe1 24.Rxe1 Qf7 25.Bb2 Re8 26.Rf1 Nf6 27.Qd3 d5 28.g4 Ne4 29.f5 Qe7 30.Qxd5 Ng5 31.Kg2 Bc6 White resigned

14.Qc4+ Be6 15.Qxb4 c5 16.Qxb7

White should be able to survive his pawn-grabbing, but it complicates the position.

16...Bc4 17.Rf3 a6 18.Nd5 Rb8

19.Nxf6+ Qxf6 20.e5 dxe5

It is possible that Black should have gotten the Queens off the board and gone towards a Bishops-of-opposite-colors endgame, i.e. : 20...Rxb7 21.exf6 Rxe1+ 22.Bxe1 Bxa2 23.b3 gxf6 24.Rd3 Re7 25.Kf2 Bb1 26.Rxd6 Bxc2 27.Rxf6 Bxb3.

analysis diagram






21.fxe5

White did not need this pawn, but he did need to get his Queen off of the diagonal that she shared with his Rook: 21.Qe4.

21...Qh4

A missed opportunity to win the exchange: 21...Qd8 22.Qe4 Bd5

22.Qe4 Qxe4 23.Rxe4

23...Bxa2

The same opportunity to win the exchange existed with 23...Bd5.

24.b3 Bb1 25.Rc3 Red8 26.Be1 Rd1

It looks like Black is whipping up some counter-play, but 27.e6 now for White shows that the first player has the advantage.

By ignoring his e-pawn, White misses chances to put the game away; and the game drifts toward drawn.

27.Kf2 Rf8+ 28.Ke2 Rdd8 29.Ra4 Rfe8

30.Rxc5 Rc8 31.Rxc8 Rxc8

32.Kd2 Bxc2 33.Rxa6 Bxb3

34.Ke2

A blunder in a mostly-even position.

34...Bc4+ 35.Kf3 Bxa6 White resigned