Let the Guilt-a-thon Continue

I was already feeling bad about the Jerome Gambit (see "Mixed Feelings" and " 'The Worst Chess Opening Ever' Warning or Menace??") when I played the following game.

perrypawnpusher - Anon
blitz 4 10, FICS, 2010

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

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

7.Qxe5 Black resigned

Uh...okay.

Well, I know that I was facing a lower-rated player, giving "Jerome Gambit odds," but still... Not that much lower. Too much "shock and awe"?

Chin up, good opponent. There are 260 games with this position in the updated New Year's Database. White scored only 48% in them. (I admit, 17 of those games are mine, and I scored 85%.)

Besides, Rybka rates Black almost a pawn and a quarter better at this point.

I'm not really a scary guy. The Jerome Gambit is really refuted.

Ask my nemesis, MRBarupal.

Mixed Feelings

I sometimes have mixed feelings about sharing the Jerome Gambit and related openings. Are they something that new or young or unpracticed players should be learning?

Then I remember that some coaches teach their players the Blackburne Shilling Gambit, and it would be a shame not to be able to meet that Jerome-ishly...

Olivera,T  - Khapizov,Z
U-10, World Youth Chess Championship 2009

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

The Blackburne Shilling Gambit. There are many ways to answer this last move – 4.Nxd4, 4.d3, 4.0-0, 4.c3, 4.d3 even 4.a3 – as long as you stay away from the hoped-for 4.Nxe5?!.

4.Bxf7+

Then, of course, there is the Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.

This is seen as "a courageous sacrifice" at Xadrez ms.

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8 6.Qh5+

I have been experimenting with Stockfish as an analysis engine, and it suggested here 6.c3 first (an ideas once suggested by Tim McGrew), and after 6...Ne6 then 7.Qh5+. This bears further exploration.

6...g6 7.Qd1

If White is going to make the sacrifice at f7, then he has to follow through here with 7.Nxg6.

The Queen retreat leaves the first player without the initiative, which is part of the usual compensation for the sacrificed piece.

7...Qe7 8.Nc4 Qxe4+ 9.Ne3 d5 10.0-0 Bd6 11.Re1 Ne7 12.Nc3 Qf4 13.Nf1 Rf8 14.f3 Bc5

White is under serious pressure. He bravely continues to defend.

15.Ne3 Bd6 16.Nf1 Bc5 17.Ne3

Yes, at this point young Olivera would be happy with a draw (by repetition).

17...Qh4 18.Ncxd5 Nxc2 

Leading to complications for both sides – and eventually a chance for White.

19.Nxc7+ Kd8 20.Re2 Nxa1 21.Nxa8 Qc4 22.Kh1 Qxa2 23.d4 Bd6 24.Ng4 Bxg4 25.fxg4 Kd7

26.b4 Qb3 27.Qe1 Rxa8 28.Bg5

White is down two pieces, but with this move he conjures up an escape swindle.

28...Kc7 

It is not clear what Black feared here, as 28...Re8, 28...Nc6, 28...Nd5, 28...Qxb4 and 28...Nc2 (among others) were all good. Perhaps time was a factor?

29.Rxe7+ Bxe7

Leading to a forced draw. Black could have tried 29...Kb6 (other moves are disastrous), but 30.Re6 would have led to either 30...Kc7 31.Re7+ and a draw as in the game, or to 30...Qd5 31.Qe5 Qxe5 32.dxe5 when White has an edge.

30.Qxe7+ Kc6 31.Qc5+ Kd7 32.Qe7+ Kc6 33.Qc5+ Kd7 34.Qe7+ Draw

Pawnful

Today's game is a routine Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+): White plays solidly, Black plays second-best moves, White accepts the full point.

perrypawnpusher - caterwaul
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. White scores 46%.

7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qg3
 

I've only reached this position a couple of times, but there are over 70 games with it in the New Year's Database. White scores 53%.

8...Nf6

An alternate defense was seen in perrypawnpusher - frencheng, blitz FICS, 2010: 8...Qe7 9.d3 d5 10.0-0 dxe4 11.Re1 Qd6 12.Bf4 Qd4 13.Be5 Qd7 14.Rxe4 Qf5 15.Qxg7+ Ke8 16.Bg3+ Qxe4 17.dxe4 Black resigned.

9.d3

Or 9.Nc3 Ng4 10.0-0 g6 11.d3 Kg7 12.h3 Ne5 13.Kh1 Rf8 14.f4 Kh8 15.Bd2 Nc6 16.Nd5 Be6 17.Ne3 Rg8 18.c3 d5 19.d4 Be7 20.e5 Bh4 21.Qf3 Qf8 22.g3 Be7 23.g4 Qf7 24.f5 gxf5 25.gxf5 Bc8 26.f6 Bf8 27.Nf5 Bxf5 28.Qxf5 Re8 29.Rae1 Nd8 30.Kh2 Ne6 31.Rg1 Rxg1 32.Rxg1 a5 33.Qg4 White won on time, perrypawnpusher - klixar, blitz FICS, 2007.

9...h6

10.Nc3 c6 11.0-0 Be6 12.Be3 Qd7

There was nothing wrong with 12...Bxe3; in fact, it was probably better than the text.

13.f4 Bxe3+ 14.Qxe3 Qe7

The game is about even. Black's King is still not castled (by-hand) and White's "Jerome pawns" are ready to roll.

15.e5 Nd5 16.Qe4 

An odd choice. After the game Rybka suggested: 16.Nxd5 Bxd5 17.c4 Bg8 18.Rae1 Bh7 19.d4 Bf5 20.Qf3 Rd8 21.g4 which seems to work out better.
 

analysis diagram





16...Nxc3 17.bxc3 Qf7 18.f5 Bd5 19.Qf4

19...Ke7

Making room for the Rooks, apparently, but 19...dxe5 20.Qxe5 Re8 showcased Black's advantage. Instead, Black's Bishop gets caught by the pawns.

20.c4 Be6

The desperado move 20...Bxg2 was better, although White would still have the advantage.

21.exd6+ Kd7 22.fxe6+ Qxe6

23.c5

Much stronger was 23.Qg3, as Black has no good way to protect the pawn at g7, and when White's captures it with check he has the dual threats of winning one of Black's Rooks if the King goes to the back rank, or pinning Black's Queen to his King with a Rook if the King advances.

I played the text move with the Rooks and pawns endgame in mind.

23...Rae8 24.Qf7+ Qxf7 25.Rxf7+ Ke6 26.Rxb7

White's advantage is clear. I admit that my next moves appear wasteful, as I allow my two advanced pawns to be captured; but my plan was to gobble up Black's pawns in return, and create more passers for myself.

26...Kd5 27.Rxa7 Kxc5 28.Rxg7 Kxd6 29.Rg6+ Kc5 30.a4 Re2 31.a5 Rxc2 32.a6

32...Kb6 33.Rg4 Ra8 34.Rb4+ Kc7 35.Rb7+ Kc8 36.Rh7 Kb8

37.Rxh6

I was not doing a lot of analysis here, but I didn't think that I needed to.

37...c5 38.Rb1+ Ka7 39.Rb7 checkmate

...and you will enjoy it...

Here is another post-Nemesis Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), and one that I enjoyed, even though I had to pursue my opponent through the opening, the middle game, and the endgame in order to capture the full point.

perrypawnpusher - nmuffjgp
blitz, FICS, 2010

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+  Ng6

7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Nf6

10.f4  Qe7

Placing the Black Queen at e7 has been popular, of late.

11.Nc3 Bd7 12.O-O Bc6 13.d3 Rf8

Black has good pressure against White's center ("Jerome pawns") and should continue to castle-by-hand.

14.f5 Ne5 15.Qh3 Qf7

16.Bg5

After the game Rybka recommended: 16. d4 Neg4 17. Qd3 as more energetic for White.

16...Qh5 17.Qxh5+ Nxh5 18.d4 Nf7 19.Bh4 Nf6

This Queenless middle game is about even. With his King on g8, Black would be better.

20.Rae1 h6 21.e5 dxe5 22.dxe5 Nh5

The Knight needed to hunker down at g8, instead.

23.g4 Rd8

An oversight.

24.Bxd8 Kxd8 25.gxh5 Ng5

26. Re3 Ke7 27. f6+ Kf7 28. h4 Ne6 29.fxg7+ Kxg7 30. Rg3+ Kh7 31. Rxf8 Nxf8

The exchange and the passed pawn are enough for White to win.

32. Ne2 Be4 33. c3 Bd5 34. a3 Bf7 35. Nf4

35...Nd7 36. e6 Be8 37. exd7 Black resigned

Rumors of my death...

Since I had decided not to give up on the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) despite my recent difficulties, there was nothing left to do but to keep playing – and keep pressing for the best.

perrypawnpusher - mikelars
blitz, FICS, 2010

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

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

7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Ne5

A provocative move. Standard was 9... Nf6

10.O-O Nf6 11.f4

The alternative 11.d4 was seen in Ghandybh - Noel1942, Chess.com, 2009.

11...Neg4

Instead, 11...Nfg4 was seen in perrypawnpusher - Kotimatka, blitz, FICS, 2010. Probably 11...Nc6 was best. 

12.Qe2 Qe7 13.d3 Rf8 14.Nc3 Nh5

With his 13th move Black set up to castle-by-hand, and he should have continued that with 14... Kf7. The Knights are not going to accomplish anything on the Kingside.

15.Nd5 Qd7 16.f5 Ngf6

17.Bg5 h6 18.Bxf6 Nxf6 19.Nf4 Qb5 20.c3 Bd7

21.Rae1 Qa5

While I strengthen my center, Mikelars eyes my pawns on the Queenside. This could prove risky, which is why 21... Kf7 was to be preferred.

22.a3 Bb5 23.e5

23... dxe5

This allows White to crash through, as Black's Bishop blocks his Queen from affecting the center. The best defense was 23...Qb6+, guarding the vulnerable e6 square. 

24. Qxe5+ Kd7 25. Qe7+ Kc8 26. Qxf8+

Black forfeited on time, but he was due to experience the loss of serious amounts of material, followed by checkmate.