Thank you, AirmanLeonidas

Earlier this year I was surprised by a creative new idea in the Semi-Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit, and while I was lucky enough to scramble to overcome it, I later analyzed it to be ready for the next time.

This game proved to be the next time.

perrypawnpusher - TijsH
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 creative alternative to the ordinary, and probably stronger, 8...Bxd4.

9.Qxf3

My first encounter continued: 9.gxf3 Bb4 10.Qd3 Bxc3 11.bxc3 Rf8 12.e5 Nh7 13.Qxh7 d6 14.Bxh6 Ke8 15.Qxg7 Rf7 16.Qg6 Bf5 17.Qg8+ Ke7 18.Bg5+ Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - AirmanLeonidas, blitz, FICS, 2010.

9...Bxd4 10.Nb5 d6

A cavalier response, simply returning the sacrificed piece. I was prepared for 10...Be5 11.Qb3+ d5 12.f4 Bd6 13.Nxd6+ followd by 14.e5 when Black's advantage is minimal.

11.Nxd4 Bg4

After the game Rybka gave a serious alternate line of play: 11...Re8 12.Re1 c5 13.Nb5 a6 14.Nc3 b5 15.Bf4 Bb7 16.Rad1 Re6 17.Qh3 Qe7 18.f3 Re8 19.Bg3 Kg8 where Black is a pawn down, but King is safe and his development is complete.

analysis diagram







12.Qb3+ Ke7

13.f3 Bd7 14.Qxb7 Rb8 15.Qxa7 g5

Black looks to punish my pawn-grabbing on the Queenside with an attack on the Kingside, but then decides to harass my Queen, after all.

16.b3 Ra8 17.Qb7 Qb8 18.Nc6+ Bxc6 19.Qxc6 Qa7+ 20.Kh1 Rhb8

Black's heavy pieces look impressive, but my plan was to move the action back to the Kingside.

21.Bb2 Rb6 22.Qc3 Rf8 23.e5 dxe5

24.Qxe5+ Kd8 25.Rfd1+ Nd7 26.Rd3

Flashier was 26.Rxd7+  but this will do.

26...Re8 27.Qg3 Rbe6 28.Rad1

Black's last hope was a back-rank checkmate, but my Rooks cause more trouble than his do.

28...R6e7

29.Bf6 Qc5 30.Rxd7+ Kc8 31.Bxe7 Rxe7 32.Rxe7 Qxe7

33.Qe1 Qh7 34.Qe8+ Kb7 35.Qb5+ Kc8 36.Qa6+ Kb8 37.Rd8 checkmate

graphic by Jeff Bucchino, the Wizard of Draws

Whose Territory Are We Fighting On?

This game features a battle between a counter-gambit and a gambit response, in lines where frequently one side relies on the advantage of surprise to take its point.

What happens when neither player surprises the other?

perrypawnpusher - RVLY
blitz, FICS, 2010

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

The Blackburne Shilling Gambit. Some defenders play it because they hope that it will confuse their opponent. Others play it because they know that it will confuse their opponent.

4.Bxf7+

Me? I like to Jerome-ize the opening, offering my own gambit and my own surprise.

RVLY responded quickly to this move, however, so I wasn't too surprised to learn after the game that he has played against it before: he has 35 games with this line in the updated New Year's Database, (not counting this one).

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Kf6

At this point I began to suspect that someone had been reading this blog... specifically the recent "BSG: Later on in the Discussion" where I mentioned that this rare choice led to an even game. Of course, I did not know at the time that RVLY had played this move in 9 previous games. (Me? None.)

6.c3

I had recommended the retreat 6.Nf3 in the above post, but here I decided instead to offer a transposition to the 5...Ke6 line – which I later learned RVLY had also played, over a dozen times. (Me, five times.)

6...Kxe5 7.cxd4+ Kxd4

I was happy to reach this position, as White has good attacking chances for his sacrificed piece.

Safer was not taking the d-pawn, but preparing a retreat with 7...Ke6 as in richiehill - RVLY, FICS, 2009: 8.Nc3 c6 9.e5 Ne7 10.d3 Kf7 11.Qf3+ Kg8 12.0-0 d5 13.exd6 Qxd6 14.Re1 Qf6 15.Qg3 Qxd4 16.Be3 Qf6 17.Rad1 Nf5 18.Qc7 Qf7 19.Qa5 Nxe3 20.Rxe3 b6 21.Qe5 Bb7 22.Rf3 Qe7 23.Qd4 Qd6?? 24.Qc4+ Black resigned.

8.d3

Best.

White got away with 8.Qh5 c6 9.d3 d5 10.Be3+ Kxd3 11.Qe2+ Kxe4 12.Bg5+ Black resigned in kocanda - RVLY, FICS, 2008.

Also playable: 8.Nc3 Qg5 (8...c6 9.d3 Bb4 10.Qh5 Nf6 11.Be3+ Kxd3 12.Qe2 checkmate, billwall - apollyon2010, Chess.com 2010) 9.0-0 Ke5 10.f4+ Qxf4 11.Rxf4 Kxf4 12.Qf3+ Ke5 13.Qf5+ Kd4 14.Qd5, checkmate, perrypawnpusher - PunisherABD, blitz, FICS, 2009.

8...Nf6

This move is designed to keep White's Queen off of h5 (see richiehill - RVLY, FICS, 2009, above). The value of this is seen in a game where Black chose to evacuate his King first: 8...Ke5 9.Qh5+ Ke6 10.Qf5+ Ke7 11.Bg5+ Nf6 12.e5 Ke8 13.exf6 Kf7 14.fxg7+ Kxg7 15.Bxd8 Kg8 16.Bf6 Bg7 17.Qg5 Kf7 18.Qxg7+ Ke6 19.Qxh8 b6 20.0-0 Bb7 21.Re1+ Kd6 22.Be5+ Kc6 23.Qf6+ d6 24.Na3 Re8 25.Rac1+ Kd7 26.Qf5+ Kd8 27.Bf6+ Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - PunisherABD, blitz, FICS, 2009.

After Black's move there are still ways to attack his King – I just didn't remember any of them.

9.Be3+

Right piece, wrong square.

With 9.Bf4, White has cut off escape to the Kingside, and Black has to tread warily.

After the game Rybka recommended 9...Bb4+ 10.Nd2 Kc5 11.Qb3 a5 12.Rc1+ Kb6 13.a3 Ka7 14.axb4 d6 15.0-0 Kb8 when White has recovered his piece, and Black's King has bizarrely castled-by-hand on the Queenside; although White is better.

9...Kc5 is not an improvement, e.g. 10.Nc3 b5 11.Qb3 a612.Nd5 Nxd5 13.Qxd5+ Kb6 14.Qxa8 when White is better.

Still, the position is quite messy, and confusion often favors the attacker.

9...Ke5 10.f4+ Ke6 11.Nc3 d6 12.0-0

Wisely giving up on finding a "forced win," hoping that better development and Black's uneasy King will be worth the sacrificed piece after all.

12...g6

Keeping White's Queen off of h5, should he evict the Black Knight with e4-e5. Still, the strategic retreat 12...Kf7 was safer.

13.e5 Ne8 14.Qg4+ Kf7 15.f5 Kg7

16.f6+

This is not right, and hands Black the advantage.

After the game Fritz 8 suggested the very understandable 16.Bg5 Be7 17.Bxe7 Qxe7 18.f6+ Nxf6 19.exf6+ Qxf6 with an edge to White.

Rybka preferred the quiet, but perhaps more powerful 16.e6 Nf6 17.Bd4 c5 18.Bxf6+ Qxf6 19.Ne4 h5 20.Qg3 Qd4+ 21.Kh1 Rh6 when White's f-pawn finally advances with 22.f6+.

You can see that the position was still complicated.

16...Kf7 17.Qc4+

I was floundering here – for example, Black's natural response to this check caught me by surprise...

17...Be6 18.Qf4 dxe5 19.Qxe5 Bd6

20.Qb5 b6 21.Ne4 Qd7

Necessary was 21...h6

22.Ng5+ Kf8 23.Nxe6+ Qxe6 24.Bh6+

This impatient move doesn't lead to much. White would have a clear advantage after 24.Rae1.

24...Kf7 25.Rae1 Qc8

Surrendering.

I had expected 25...c6, which I was going to answer with 26.Qg5. Black could not then afford to capture the a-pawn with 26...Qxa2, as this move would well-answered by 27.Qe3. The Bishop check 26...Bc5+ would be met with 27.d4!?, as 27...Bxd4+ would draw the piece away from its protection of the e7 square.

Best for Black was 25...c6 26.Qg5 Qd5 in an unclear position where White probably has an edge.

26.Qd5+ Black resigned

The Invisible Knight

I have played my opponent three times before, scoring a win and two draws. The Jerome Gambit is neither new nor scary for him. Yet this game was strange...

perrypawnpusher - frencheng
blitz, FICS, 2010

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

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

Earlier games: 6...Kf8 7.Qxe5 Qe7 (7...d6 8.Qg3 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, perrypawnpusher - frencheng, blitz, FICS, San Jose, California US 2010) 8.Qf4+ Nf6 9.d3 d6 10.0-0 Kf7 11.Nc3 Rf8 12.Nd5 Qd8 13.Bd2 Kg8 14.Qg3 Nxd5 15.exd5 Qf6 16.Bc3 Bd4 17.Rae1 Bxc3 18.bxc3 b6 19.c4 Bb7 20.Re6 Qc3 21.Re7 Rac8 22.Rfe1 Qf6 23.R1e6 Qd4 24.Re4 Qf6 25.R4e6 Qd4 26.Re4 Qf6 27.R4e6 Qd4 28.Re4 Qf6 29.R4e6 Qd4 30.Re4 Qf6 31.R4e6 Qd4, Game drawn by repetition, perrypawnpusher - frencheng, blitz, FICS, 2010) ;

6...Ng6 7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 Qe7 9.Qe3 Nf6 10.Nc3 Kf7 11.0-0 Rf8 12.f4 d5 13.e5 Nh5 14.h3 Nxe5 15.fxe5+ Kg8 16.g4 Rxf1+ 17.Kxf1 Bxg4 18.hxg4 Rf8+ 19.Kg2 Qd7 20.gxh5 d4 21.Qg5 Qc6+ 22.Kg1 dxc3 23.bxc3 Qf3 24.Qg2 Qxh5 25.d4 Qd1+ 26.Kh2 Qh5+ 27.Kg1 Qd1+ 28.Kh2 Qh5+ 29.Kg3 Qg6+ 30.Kh2 Qh5+ 31.Kg1 Qd1+ 32.Kh2 Qh5+ 33.Kg1 Qd1+ 34.Kh2 Game drawn by repetition, perrypawnpusher - frencheng, blitz, FICS, 2010.

7.Qxe5 Qf6

This doesn't work, though. Black had 7...d6, the Blackburne Defense, or 7...Qe7, the Whistler Defense, as his alternatives.

8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3

After the game Rybka pointed out 9.Qxc7+ Qe7 10.Qxe7+ Nxe7.

9...Ne7 10.0-0 Re8 11.Nc3 Nd5

This is strange, as if my opponent were simply relying on my e4 pawn being "pinned". This kind of stuff happens in blitz.

12.Nxd5 Qd8 13.f4 c6 14.Nc3 d5 15.Qd4 Rxe4

Here it is again. Either frencheng is having a tough game – or my Knight is invisible!?

16.Nxe4 Bf5 17.Ng5+ Kg8 18.Qe5 Qe8 19.d3 Rd8 20.Bd2 b5 21.Bc3 Qxe5 22.Bxe5 h6 23.Nf3 Black resigned

Stand up! Fight back!

In the following game I was giving "Jerome Gambit odds" to a player rated a couple hundred points lower.

I was impressed by how well he was able to stand up to my "bullying" – for about a dozen moves, anyhow. Unfortunately, he became over-confident and fell apart.

 perrypawnpusher - stcamillis
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

So far, so good.

10.0-0 Kf7 11.f4 Re8 12.d3

Or 12.f5 Ne5 13.d4 Neg4 14.Qb3+ Kf8 15.h3 Rxe4 16.hxg4 Rxg4 17.Qf3 c6 18.Nc3 d5 19.Bf4 Kg8 20.Be5 h5 21.Rae1 Bd7 22.Re3 Qb6 23.b3 Rf8 24.Na4 Qb4 25.Nc5 Bc8 26.c3 Qb6 27.Bxf6 gxf6 28.Qh3 Rg5 29.Ne6 Bxe6 30.fxe6 Qc7 31.e7 Re8 32.Qe6+ Kh8 33.Qxf6+ Rg7 34.Qf8+ Black resigned, Vazquez - Carringtonm Mexico, 2nd match, 1876.

12...Kg8 13.Nc3

More solid than 13.f5 Ne5 14.Nc3 c6 15.d4 Nc4 16.Qf3 Qb6 17.Qd3 d5 18.e5 Nd7 19.b3 Ncxe5 20.Qd1 Nf7 21.Na4 Qd8 22.Qh5 Nf6 23.Qh4 Ne4 24.Qg4 b5 25.Nc5 Nxc5 26.dxc5 Qf6 27.Bd2 Re4 28.Qf3 Ne5 29.Qh3 Ba6 30.Bc3 Re8 31.Rae1 b4 32.Rxe4 dxe4 33.Bxe5 Qxe5 34.Re1 Qf6 35.g4 Bc8 36.Qe3 Qh4 37.h3 Qf6 38.Kg2 Qe5 39.h4 Qd5 40.Kg3 a5 41.Re2 Qf7 42.Qd4 g6 43.Rxe4 Rxe4 44.Qxe4 gxf5 45.gxf5 Bxf5 46.Qxc6 Qg7+ 47.Kh2 Qe5+ 48.Kg1 Qg3+ 49.Qg2 Qxg2+ 50.Kxg2 Bxc2 51.Kf3 Kf7 52.Kf4 Ke6 53.c6 Kd6 54.c7 Kxc7 55.Ke5 Bb1 56.Kd5 Bxa2 57.Kc4 Kc6 58.h5 Bb1 59.h6 Bc2 White resigned, perrypawnpusher - Nadante, blitz, FICS, 2010.

13...Bd7 14.f5 Ng4

With his King castled-by-hand and with a lead in development, my opponent decides to harass my impudent Queen. It will cost him a piece, but it should not cost him the game.

15.Qg3 N6e5 16.d4

Typical Knights vs "Jerome pawns" action.

Now, after 16...Nf6 17.dxe5 Rxe5 18.Bf4 Re7 19.Bg5 Qf8 20.Nd5 Nxd5 21.exd5 Rf7 White is a long way from triumph.

16...Nxh2 17.Qxh2 Ng4 18.Qg3

White is a pawn ahead, and his pawn center promises trouble for his opponent. Black, however, continues to target White's Queen – without enough forethought in this case...

18...Qg5 and Black resigned

Chandler on the Loose

When honorary Jerome Gambit Gemeinde member Geoff Chandler (yes, he has played the Jerome!) finished his postings at Chandler Cornered, (see "Chandler Unbound") he left a gap in chess commentary that was almost impossible to fill. 

(See "Mars Attacks!", "Whodunnit??", and "Hitler vs Lenin in Chess?!" for a few examples.)

So it was with great excitement that I noticed recently that Chessville now has Chandler on the Loose; and, furthermore, the folks at C'ville point out that at the Red Hot Pawn site, Geoff has been blogging at The Planet Greenpawn.

Wonderful!

(By the way, observe closely the drawing of Chandler, above. See the tiniest indication of a white square at the right of the chessboard in front of Geoff? Aha! See, the illustration does follow the rule of "white on the right" when it comes to setting up the board. Of course, if you count all of the squares, from right to left, there are nine, including "white on the left" too!) 

Refutation?!

This game is an example of the aphorism (that I just made up): It's not good enough to play an opening's refutation - you have to actually refute the opening.


perrypawnpusher  - louarn
blitz, FICS,2010

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nc3 Nc6 4.Bc4 h6 5.0-0 Bc5

The Semi-Italian Four Knights Game.

6.Bxf7+

The Semi-Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.

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

8...Re8

Preparing to castle-by-hand and putting the rook on a file where it hits White's center.

9.dxc5 d6

A bit better than 9...b6 10.cxb6 axb6 11.f4 Ba6 12.fxe5 Rxe5 13.Re1 c6 14.Bf4 Rc5 15.e5 Nd5 16.Nxd5 Rxd5 17.Qh5+ Kg8 18.Rad1 b5 19.Rxd5 cxd5 20.g4 Qb6+ 21.Be3 Qe6 22.Qf5 Rf8 23.Qxe6+ dxe6 24.Rf1 Rxf1+ 25.Kxf1 b4+ 26.Ke1 Kf7 27.Kd2 Kg6 28.a3 bxa3 29.bxa3 h5 30.gxh5+ Kxh5 31.Bf4 g5 32.Bg3 Kg4 33.Ke3 Kf5 34.Kd4 Bc4 35.a4 g4 36.a5 Ba6 37.c3 Bc4 38.Ke3 Ba6 39.Kd4 Bc4 40.Ke3 Ba6 41.Kd4 Bc4 42.Ke3 drawn, perrypawnpusher - catri, blitz, FICS, 2010

10.cxd6 Qxd6 11.Qe2

After the game Rybka preferred 11.Qxd6 with play against the pawn at d6.

11...Bg4

An annoying move, but I underestimated its impact.

12.f3 Bh5 13.Bf4 Kg8

Black's King is safe, almost all of his pieces are developed, and he is close to having refuted White's opening.

14.Rad1 Qe6 15.g4

Overly energetic. Best was something passive like 15.Qf2, when Black still has an edge but White hasn't destroyed his chances.

15...Nxf3+

This is a good time to "return" the extra piece, as the move destroys White's King's shelter and the proper followup leaves Black ahead the exchange, with a better position.

Clearly, this variation needs work.

16.Qxf3 Qxg4+

Wanting to blunt White's "attack," Black decides to exchange Queens and makes the wrong recapture. After 16...Bxg4 17.Qd3 Bxd1 18.Nxd1 Black is clearly better. 

17.Qxg4 Bxg4

Black's advantage is now minimal.

18.Rde1 Rad8 19.Bxh6 gxh6 20.Rxf6

Despite White's extra (passed) pawn, he is only slightly better here. Black has a Bishop against White's Knight, and the passer is a long way from being promoted.

Still, I was optimistic, as I was pretty sure that I knew what my opponent would play next...

20...Rd2

Understandable oversight: Black wants to make up for the pawn lost by showing that his pieces can be active and infiltrate White's position.

21.Rg6+ Kh7 22.Rxg4 Rxc2 23.Rg2 Rxg2+ 24.Kxg2 Rg8+

The game is only half over, but the end is in sight.

25.Kf3 c5 26.e5 b6 27.e6 Re8 28.Kf4 Kg6 29.e7 Kf6 30.Nd5+ Kf7

31.Kf5 b5 32.Re6 a5 33.Rxh6 c4 34.Rf6+ Kg7 35.Rb6

35...b4 36.Rb5 Kf7 37.Rxa5 c3 38.bxc3 bxc3 39.Rc5 Ra8

40.Rxc3 Rxa2 41.Re3 Rf2+ 42.Kg4 Ke8

43.Rf3 Rd2 44.Rf8+ Kd7 45.e8Q+ Kd6 46.Qd8+ Ke5 47.Re8+ Kd4 48.Nf4+ Kc3 49.Qxd2+

The simplest.

Here Black had about 5 1/2 minutes on his clock, and he let it run until he lost on time.

At the Top

The other day I was looking through the updated New Year's Database, checking out higher-rated players who had used the Jerome Gambit. I discovered vladx, playing on FICS and rated in the 2200s, who had some games from 2005-2007.

Of course, when I investigated further, I wasn't surprised to read

This is a computer account: Vlad Tepes @ Winboard 4.2.7 engine Vlad Tepes III 0.2 (Vlad the Impaler a.k.a. Dracula) written in C/C++ running on: Intel 2.0 Ghz Windows XP 64 Mb hash table written by: Henk Fennema, the Netherlands If you notice any bugs or malbehaviour please send a message to Urugxunil

I did actually find a Jerome Gambit game between two players rated 2500+, but it was a "lightning" game, which at FICS could mean 3 0 (or less)

BlackDemon (2563) - wkw (2662)
rated lightning match, FICS 2009

1.e4 Nc6 2.Nf3 e5 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.0-0 Nf6 6.d3 Rf8 7.Be3 Bxe3 8.fxe3 d5 9.exd5 Nxd5 10.Nxe5+ Kg8 11.Rxf8+ Qxf8 12.Nxc6 Qc5 13.Qe2 bxc6 14.d4 Bg4 15.dxc5 Bxe2 16.Nd2 Bh5 17.e4 Nb4 18.c3 Nd3 19.b4 a5 20.a4 axb4 21.cxb4 Nxb4 22.a5 Nd3 23.a6 Ra7 24.Nb3 Bf7 25.Rd1 Bxb3 26.Rxd3 Be6 27.Rd8+ Kf7 28.Rb8 Rxa6 29.Rb7 Ke7 30.Rxc7+ Bd7 31.Kf2 Ra5 32.g3 Rxc5 33.Ke3 Ra5 34.Rb7 Ra2 35.h3 Ra3+ 36.Kf4 c5 37.h4 c4 38.Ke5 Rd3 39.Ra7 c3 40.Rc7 Kd8 41.Rc4 Bb5 42.Rc5 Ba4 43.Ke6 c2 44.Kf7 Rd7+ 45.Ke6 Rc7 46.Rxc2 Bxc2 47.Kd5 Rd7+ 48.Ke5 Re7+ 49.Kf4 Rxe4+ 50.Kf3 Ke7 51.Kf2 Kf6 52.Kg2 Kf5 53.Kf2 Kg4 54.Kg2 Re2+ 55.Kf1 Bd3 56.h5 Kxg3 57.h6 Re3+ 58.Kg1 Re1 checkmate