Confundus!

My first Jerome Gambit with AirmanLeonidas (see "Stupefy!") was unusual enough that I thought another one was in order. When I had the chance, I challenged him.

perrypawnpusher - AirmanLeonidas
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...Nf3+

A very creative response, apart from the normal 8...Bxd4 9.Qxd4 d6, and one that I've not seen before. I felt as if I'd been hit by a Confundus spell...

9.gxf3

Going with the "Jerome pawns," but not the best. After the game Rybka suggested: 9.Qxf3, since if 9...Bxd4 White can regain the pawn with 10.Nb5 Be5 11.Qb3+ d5 12.f4 Bd6 13.Nxd6+ Qxd6 14.e5 Qb6+ 15.Qxb6 axb6 16.exf6 gxf6 when Black may have a small edge if he can use his open lines.

analysis diagram






9...Bb4 10.Qd3 Bxc3 11.bxc3

Now I had more centralized pawns to play with.

11...Rf8 12.e5 Nh7

Thoughtless (Confundus!?); better was 12...Ne8. Now Black's game spirals quickly downward.

13.Qxh7 d6

14.Bxh6 Ke8 15.Qxg7

Good enough. Very strong was 15.Rae1

15...Rf7 16.Qg6

Again, good enough. Stronger was 16.Qg8+.

16...Bf5 17.Qg8+ Ke7 18.Bg5+ Black resigned

Stupefy!

"Kennedy Kid" Jon is home from Haiti and watching Harry Potter movies.

A "Stupefy!" spell might explain the following game.

perrypawnpusher  - AirmanLeonidas
blitz game 2 12, FICS, 2010


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

The Semi-Italian Opening.

4.0-0 Bc5 5.Bxf7+

The Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.Qh5+ Kf8

Oddly enough, the updated New Year's Database, with over 18,650 games (and free for the asking), has only one example of this move – and none of Black's very reasonable next move.

Rybka recommends, instead, 7...Ke6 8.Qh3+ Ke7 9.Qc3 d6 10.d4 Bxd4 11.Qxd4 Nf6 12.f4 Nc6 13.Qc3 Rf8 14.b4 Kf7 15.Bb2 Kg8 16.b5 Ne7 when Black has a clear advantage.

8.Qxe5 Qe7

Also seen is 8...Bd6 9.Qd4 Qh4 10.g3 Qh5 11.Qe3 c6 12.d4 b6 13.e5 Bc7 14.f4 Ne7 15.Nc3 b5 16.Ne4 Bb7 17.Nc5 Bc8 18.f5 d6 19.Ne6+ Kg8 20.Nxc7 Nxf5 21.Qf4 Rb8 22.exd6 Bd7 23.Bd2 Rf8 24.Rae1 Kh7 25.Qe5 Qh3 26.Bf4 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - LethHansen, blitz, FICS, 2009.

9.Qf4+ Nf6

Black's King does better to eacape with 9...Ke8. After 10.Nc3 c6 or 10...Bd6 the second player is still for choice. 

10.e5

Here I waited patiently as the clock moved on, for something like 10...d6 11.exf6 Qxf6 12.Qxf6 gxf6 when White has an edge: up a pawn, with better pawn structure, against the two Bishops.

Instead, Black resigned, right before his time ran out.

Endgame swindle

When you play the nefarious Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) you have to get your wins where you can find them. Sometimes it is in the opening, happily, against a stunned opponent. Sometimes it is in the middle game, catching an unprotected King. Sometimes it is in the endgame, if you are lucky...

perrypawnpusher - richardachatz
blitz, FICS, 2010

This is not my typical Jerome Gambit endgame. Black is ahead a piece and a pawn and probably has a checkmate in 25 moves or so.

Still, there is something quirky about the position – and if I "sell" just the right idea to my opponent, I might be able to make use of it to swindle him. After all, it is a blitz game, and the clock is ticking.

48.Kb7

Here's my story: White will capture Black's Queenside pawns, but it will be to no avail, as Black's Knight will keep the White a-pawn in check while his King captures my King Rook pawn and very closely shepherds his own pawn to the Queening square.

48...h5 49.Kxa7 h4 50.Kxb6 Nb2

At this point, if this were an over-the-board game, I would put on my most intense expression, bite my lip worriedly, stare intently at Black's h-pawn and begin to gallop my King over to the Kingside in a useless attempt to stop that passer...

51.Kc5 Kf4 52.Kd4 Kg3 53.Ke3 Kxh3 54.Kf3 Kh2 55.Kf2 h3 56.Kf1

Phooey! He got there first! But – careful! I might still win your pawn! I might blockade it, too! 

Of course, I didn't say any of that, or type any of that to my opponent. But I wouldn't be surprised if that's what richardachatz was thinking. Which is just what I wanted him to be thinking...

56...Kh1

Well, that certainly takes care of any plans that I might have had to get in front of the h-pawn. No blockade for me!

(Of course, there was the alternative 56...Kg3 57.Ke2 h2 58.Kd2 h1Q 59.Kc3 Qc1+ 60.Kd4 Kf4 61.Kd5 Qc7 62.a4 Nc4 63.a5 Ne5 64.a6 Qc6+ 65.Kd4 Qc4 checkmate.)

57.Kf2

57...h2

And that ends any chance that I could sneak up on the pawn from behind and capture it while it was unguarded!

(Of course, if Black played instead 57...Kh2 my King would have to give way, he could play 58...Kg3 and then he would have a checkmate in a dozen moves.) 

It takes a while for my opponent to realize it, but the position is now a dead draw: Black's King blockades his own pawn, and I will shuttle my King from f2-f1 and back, keeping him in that position. The Knight and my passed pawn are irrelevant (for now).

58.Kf1 Nc4 59.a4 Ne3+ 60.Kf2 Nd1+ 61.Kf1 Ne3+ 62.Kf2 Nd1+ 63.Kf1 Nc3 64.a5 Nd1 65.a6 Ne3+ 66.Kf2 Ng4+ 67.Kf1 Ne3+ 68.Kf2 Ng4+ 69.Kf1 Ne3+ 70.Kf2 Ng4+ 71.Kf1 Ne3+ Game drawn by repetition

Probably a good thing: my pawn was beginning to look dangerous...

Knights

    Jerome Gambit vs those Knights.

perrypawnpusher - Riversider

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

A normal setup for the Jerome Gambit. Often the Black Knights like to kick the White Queen.

10.0-0 Ng4 11.Qg3

Better than the dangerous 11.Qe2 Qh4 12.h3 Nf4 13.Qf3 Ne5 14.Qc3 Ne2+ White resigned, mrjoker - weiran, ICC, 2008.

11...h5

Or 11...Qh4 12.Qxh4 Nxh4 as in tedhort - popasile, FICS, 2009 (1-0, 30) and Ghandy - julianaajedrez, FICS, 2009 (0-1,26)

12.h3 h4 13.Qb3

I didn't like taking the Queen away from the Kingside – but, those Knights!

13...N4e5

Black missed a dynamic attacking line that Rybka pointed out after the game: 13...Nf4!? 14.Qf3 Rf8 15.hxg4 Qg5 16.Kh2 Bxg4 17.Qe3 Kd7 18.d3 Bd1 19.Rg1 Bxc3 and Black has an edge in the resulting messy position.

analysis diagram







14.f4 Nc6 15.Nc3 Qf6 16.d3 Qd4+ 17.Kh1 Nf8

Surprisingly, this re-deployment is fatal. The Knight needed to go to e7.

18.Nd5 Kd8

Black played his move, and then Resigned, seeing that his Queen is trapped after 19.Be3.

Zombie Chess

If I am not careful and focused on my play, I tend to play "zombie chess", choosing moves with little thought or analysis, because they "look right" for the position. The result is often a shallow game that misses tactical shots, as if I were just mindlessly shuffling along.

perrypawnpusher - alekbb

blitz, FICS, 2010

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

The Semi-Italian Opening.

4.0-0 Bc5 5.Bxf7+

The Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.Qh5+ g6

8.Qxe5 Qf6

As I've mentioned, Black's best is 8...Bf8 when after 9.Qg3 (the Rook is poisoned) Ne7 10.d4 Bg7 11.d5 d6 12.Nc3 Rf8 13.Be3 Black has an edge.

Previously seen: 8...Nf6 9.Qxc5 d6 10.Qe3 as in perrypawnpusher - wadada, blitz, FICS, 2009 (1-0,19) and perrypawnpusher - islanderchess, blitz, FICS, 2008 (1-0,46); or.8...Be7 9.Qxh8 Nf6 10.Qxd8 Bxd8 as in perrypawnpusher - PravinMamania, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0,50)

9.Qxc5 d6 10.Qd5+  

I could have grabbed a pawn with 10.Qxc7+ instead.

10...Kg7 11.Nc3 Ne7 12.Qc4 c5 13.f4 Be6 14.Qe2 Rhf8 

15.d3 Qd4+ 16.Qe3

Better was 16.Be3, but, typically, I was looking toward a better endgame.

16...Qxe3+ 17.Bxe3 a6 18.Rae1 b5

19.h3 c4 20.d4 b4 21.Ne2 h5 22.c3 b3 23.a3 a5 24.Kh2 a4

Just shuffling along... After all, I have two extra pawns. A simple position means that I will win, in time. Yawn.

25.Ng1 d5 26.e5

Running the risk of a completely blockaded position.

26...Bf5 27.Nf3 Bd3 28.Rf2 Nf5 29.g4

29...Nxe3 30.Rxe3 hxg4 31.hxg4 Rh8+ 32.Kg3 Be4

33.Ng5 Rh1 34.Nxe4 dxe4 35.Rxe4 Rah8

36.Rg2

I was feeling a bit nervous about the Rooks, which I am sure was Black's idea. After the game, Rybka suggested the straight forward 36.f5 gxf5 37.Rxf5 R1h3+ 38.Kf4 Rh2 39.e6.

36...R8h3+ 37.Kf2 Rd3

He had much better with 37...Rxc3, although when the smoke clears, White will still be on top, e.g. 38.e6 Kf8 39.Re2 Rd3 40.f5 g5 41.f6 Ke8 42.d5 Rhh3 43.Re4 c3 44.bxc3 Rdf3+ 45.Kg1 Rxf6 46.Rxa4 Rfh6 47.Rb4 Rh1+ 48.Kf2 Rd1 49.Rxb3 Rxd5 50.Rg3 Rxe6 51.Re3 Rd2+ 52.Kf3 Rxe3 53.Kxe3 Rg2 54.Kf3 Rc2

analysis diagram




38.f5 Rd2+

39.Re2 Rd3 40.f6+ Kf7 41.e6+

Triumph (at long last) of the "Jerome pawns."

41...Kxf6 42.e7 Rdd1 43.e8Q Rdf1+ 44.Ke3 Rh3+ 45.Ke4 Kg5 46.Qe7+ Kh6 47.g5+ Black resigned

Against Blackburne with the Blackburne

The best-known (or half-known) defense to the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) is the Blackburne Defense, named after J.H. Blackburne in honor of his 1885 devastating counter-attack, sacrifices and checkmate.

Time has moved on, the Blackburne Defense is known to lead to a draw – but few players are aware of that. And "drawn" or not, the defense is still very dangerous for White to play against. 

So it is fun to see long-time Jerome Gambit Gemeinde member blackburne (Pete Banks) twice utilize the Blackburne Defense in the current ChessWorld tournament. As he shows, danger is just a step away for White – be forewarned! 

Luke Warm - blackburne
Jerome Gambit Thematic Tournament, ChessWorld, 2010

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

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

7.Qxe5 d6

The Blackburne Defense. 7...Qe7 is the Whistler Defense. Both involve sacrifice and sharp play.

8.Qxh8 Qh4

The key to the Blackburne Defense: attack White's King while trapping White's Queen.

9.g3

Inviting disaster.

The proper response is 9.0-0, as seen in another blackburne game in the tournament, stampyshortlegs - blackburne, Jerome Gambit Thematic Tournament, ChessWorld, 2010: 9...Nf6 10.d3. A mistake.

analysis diagram








10...Ng4. The problem with this move is that White has 32 possible responses: 31 lead to an advantage (most of them mate) for Black. However, 1 leads to a win for White. Instead, Black had the Blackburne style 10...Bh3

analysis diagram






11.Qxf6+ best (Of course not 11.Qxa8 Qg4 12.g3 Qf3 and mate is unavoidable) 11...Kxf6 12.gxh3 Qxh3 13.Nc3 Kg7

analysis diagram






And White has a Rook, Bishop and pawn for his Queen – not enough, given the placement of Black's pieces. Without the 10...Bh3 shot, Black faced collapse: 11.Bf4 Nxf2 12.Bg3 Qh6 13.Bxf2 Bf5 14.Bxc5 Rxh8 15.Bd4 Re8 16.exf5 gxf5 17.Rxf5+ Ke6 18.Rf6+ Qxf6 19.Bxf6 Kxf6 20.Nc3 c6 21.Ne4+ Ke5 22.Re1 Kd4 23.Kf2 d5 24.Nd6 Rb8 25.Re7 Kc5 26.Nxb7+ Kb6 27.Rxh7 Rxb7 28.Rxb7+ Kxb7 29.h4 Black resigned

9...Qxe4+

10.Kf1 Bh3+ White resigned

He doesn't have to worry about losing the Rook, as it will be checkmate.