Slippery Slope

De Arman's 1893 Guide to the Chess Openings notes "The Jerome Gambit... is of course strictly unsound, as the sacrifice of a piece thus early in the game must ever be..." but, nonetheless, calls it "a very hazardous but interesting attack." True, an unfortunate slip early on can take Black down a slippery slope.

perrypawnpusher - louarn
blitz, FICS, 2010

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

Transposing, at last, to the Semi-Italian Four Knights Game.

6.Bxf7+ Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ Nxe5 8.d4

8...Bxd4

Our earlier game continued 8...Re8 9.dxc5 d6 10.cxd6 Qxd6 11.Qe2 Bg4 12.f3 Bh5 perrypawnpusher - louarn, blitz, FICS, 2010. After an exchange of errors I escaped into a won endgame (1-0, 49).

9.Qxd4 Qe7 10.f4 c5

A slip: I attack Black's Knight with a pawn (more effective than with a Bishop, as in perrypawnpusher - philippeemuuma, blitz, FICS, 2010, 1-0, 28) so he reflexively attacks a bigger piece, my Queen.

The correct move, as in perrypawnpusher - kinghh, blitz, FICS, 2010, was 10...Nc6, (1-0, 31)

11.Qxe5 Qxe5

Worse than 11...Re8, as seen in perrypawnpusher - jaymen, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 40)

12.fxe5 Ke6

There's no stopping the slide now, although 12...b6 13.exf6 g5 would have slowed it a bit.

13.exf6 Rf8 14.fxg7 Rg8

15.Bxh6 d6 16.Rf8 Bd7 17.Raf1 Ke5

18.Rxa8 Rxa8 19.Rf8 Rxf8 20.gxf8Q Be6 21.Bg7 checkmate

 

Tuff

When some of my opponents see the Jerome Gambit for a second time, they are just as surprised as the first. Others are much more prepared.

perrypawnpusher  - tuffmom
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+ Ke6

This is Black's strongest reply, although I do not see it as often as 7...Ng6.

My opponent and I had played this line before. I had embarassed myself by leaving my Queen en prise, and my opponent had done likewise by failing to capture it.

I was interested to learn that over the years tuffmom had also played several games with White that included the Bishop sacrifice at f7, coming out of the move order 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.d3 Nf6 5.Bxf7+.

8.Qf5+ Kd6 9.d4 Bxd4 10.Rd1 c5 11.c3 Ne7

tuffmom was playing moves quickly, and once again I suspected that my opponent was neither surprised nor unprepared.

12.Qh3

Our first game continued 12.Qh5 Qe8 13.cxd4?? cxd4?? 14.Rxd4+ Kc7 15.Qxe5+ Kd8 16.Nc3 Nc6 17.Qxe8+ Rxe8 18.Rd6 b6 19.Bf4 Bb7 20.Rad1 Re7 21.e5 Nxe5 22.Bxe5 Rxe5 23.Rxd7+ Ke8 24.Rxb7 Rd8 25.Rxd8+ Kxd8 26.Kf1 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - tuffmom, blitz, FICS, 2010.

12...Kc7 13.cxd4 d6

Striking back with an attack on my Queen.

The difference between 12.Qh5, which I played in our last game, and 12.Qh3, which I played this game, is that the former looks more active and aggressive, while the latter looks like a sad retreat.

Had tuffmom realized that I was moving my Queen quickly back to where the action is (the result of my own analysis of our game), perhaps the stronger 13...cxd4 would have been played, keeping Black's advantage. 

14.Qc3 Nd7

It was hard to see until after the game (with Rybka's help), that this logical move – protecting the c-pawn and protecting the Queen against a Rook attack along the d-file – was not as strong as abandoning the c-pawn and leaving the d-file un-blocked: 14...Nf7 15.dxc5 Nc6 16.cxd6+ Kb8.

analysis diagram







After 17.Qxg7 White will have 4 pawns for his sacrificed piece, and his "Jerome pawns" will be epecially dangerous. Black will have chances, however, if he can mobilize along the open lines leading toward White's King.

15.dxc5 Nxc5 16.Bf4 b6 17.b4 Kc6 Black resigned

Black is losing a Knight, and will lose a Queen for a Rook and Bishop with Rxd6+. The resulting Q+P vs R+B matchup will favor White.

Wasteland

I did not recognize my opponent's name until after I had challenged him to this game. In two previous games I had not treated him kindly. I do not think that I will bother him any more in the future.

perrypawnpusher - Abatwa
blitz, FICS, 2010

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6

The Two Knights Defense.

Previously my opponent had tried the Blackburne Schilling Gambit: 3...Nd4 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6 6.c3 Nc6 7.d4 Nce7 8.Qg4+ Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - Abatwa, blitz, FICS, 2010.

4.Nc3

As I played this move, I wondered to myself if Abatwa had read my blog recently (see "Jerome Gambit vs Two Knights Defense Part 3 and Part 4" ).

4...Bc5

The Italian Four Knights Game.

5.Bxf7+

The Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 Bb4

Black has scored only 33% in this line in the games in the updated New Year's Database, and my games have been a wasteland for the second player. Best is 7...Bd6 8.dxd5 Bxe5.

Previously my opponent had played the intriguing 7...Rf8, although he did not follow up the move strongly: 8.dxe5 Ne8 9.Qd5+ Ke7 10.Bg5+ Nf6 11.exf6+ gxf6 12.Qxc5+ d6 13.Nd5+ Kd7 14.Qd4 fxg5 15.Qg7+ Kc6 16.Qc3+ Kd7 17.0-0-0 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - Abatwa, blitz, FICS, 2010.

8.dxe5 Nxe4

Alternately: 8...Bxc3+ 9.bxc3 Nxe4 10.Qd5+ (here Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - ohforgetit, blitz, FICS, 2010) 10...Kf8 11.Qxe4 d6 12.0-0 dxe5 13.Qxe5 Qe7 14.Bf4 Qxe5 15.Bxe5 c6 16.Rad1 Bf5 17.Rd2 Kf7 18.Rfd1 Rhe8 19.f4 Re6 20.Rd8 Rxd8 21.Rxd8 Re7 22.Rd2 g5 23.g3 gxf4 24.gxf4 Be6 25.a3 Bc4 26.Kf2 b5 27.Ke3 a5 28.Rd6 Bd5 29.Rh6 Kg8 30.Kd4 a4 31.Kc5 Be4 32.Rxc6 Bxc6 33.Kxc6 Re6+ 34.Kxb5 Rh6 35.c4 Kf7 36.c5 Ke6 37.c6 Ke7 38.Kb6 Kd8 39.Kb7 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - obmanovich, blitz, FICS, 2010

9.Qd5+

And here Black resigned in perrypawnpusher - kezientz, blitz, FICS, 2010

9...Kf8

Or 9...Ke8 10.Qxe4 Rf8 11.Qxb4 b6 12.Qe4 Rb8 13.Qxh7 Qe7 14.Qh5+ Kd8 15.Bg5 Rf6 16.Bxf6 gxf6 17.Qh8+ Qe8 18.Qxf6+ Qe7 19.0-0 Bb7 20.Qh8+ Qe8 21.Qxe8+ Kxe8 22.f4 Ke7 23.f5 Rg8 24.g3 a5 25.Rad1 c5 26.Nd5+ Kf7 27.Nxb6 Ke8 28.Nxd7 Kf7 29.Nxc5 Bc6 30.e6+ Ke7 31.f6+ Kf8 32.Rd8+ Be8 33.Nd7 checkmate, perrypawnpusher - Gibarian, blitz, FICS, 2010

10.Qxe4 Qe7

White is a pawn ahead, but Black's next move will diminish it to an isolated, doubled one. Still, this is better than a few moves ago, when I was down two pieces, and such a change in fortunes often causes me to suddenly go meek and mild...

11.0-0 Bxc3 12.bxc3 d6

13.Ba3 c5

Throwing some material on the deadly diagonal to block the Bishop. Black's best chance was to have his King to flee to f7, although after a Queen check he would lose the d6 pawn.

14.Qf4+ Ke8

It all goes to pieces quickly now. The Queen needed to leap in front of His Majesty, but my opponent probably did not want the exchange of pieces and subsequent two-pawn-down endgame, even if he did have slight prospects with the Bishops-of-opposite-colors.

15.exd6 Qd7 16.Rfe1+ Kd8 17.Qg5+ Black resigned

Overlooking

Chess can be so unfair. Overlook something when you attack, and you lose your advantage. Overlook something when you are defending, however, and you lose your game.

perrypawnpusher  - richardachatz
blitz, FICS, 2010

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

The Semi-Italian Opening.

4.0-0 Nf6

An earlier game between us had continued 4...Bc5 5.Bxf7+ and I had been fortunate to pull off an endgame swindle for a draw in 71 moves.

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...Ng6

One of those reasonable moves that White can expect his opponent to play, even if there are no examples (until now) in the updated New Year's Database.

9.dxc5 Re8 10.Re1

If White is feeling "lucky" he could play 10.f4 directly, as 10...Nxe4 11.Nxe4 Rxe4 falls to 12.Qd5+ Re6 13.f5.

10...Kg8 11.f4 Qe7 12.e5

After the game Rybka pointed out that the e-pawn was still indirectly protected after 12.Be3, the move it preferred. After 12...d6 (if 12...Nxe4 comes 13.Nxe4 Qxe4 14.Bf2 winning Black's Queen for a Rook) 13.cxd6 Qxd6 14.e5 Qxd1 15.Raxd1 White would have only a small disadvantage.

12...Qxc5+

Planning to complicate things, but this backfires as he has overlooked White's responses. Pressure with 12...d6 against White's pinned e-pawn  was indicated.

13.Be3 Qb4 14.exf6 Qxb2 15.Nd5 Re4

Things have quickly gone from better to worse for Black, something that White could have demonstrated now with 16.Qd3, creating an X-ray attack through the Rook to the Knight on g6 and threatening checkmate in a way that only 16...Qf6 (losing the Queen) would prevent. Ouch!

16.fxg7

What's that old adage about, when you see a good move, sit on your hands and try to find a better one? 

16...Rc4

Black is still "complicating" things with his double attack on the pawn at c2, but he is still vulnerable to the move 17.Qd3, forking Rook and Knight.

Instead, I played what I hought was a great, killer move, but which was actually an error in "chess vision".

17.Ne7+

Planning, after 17...Nxe7, to fork King and Rook with 18.Qd5+, "overlooking" (in my mind's eye) that the d5 square would be protected by the Black Knight!

17...Kxg7

Lucky for me, my opponent also thought that I had played a good move. Rybka is reassuring that after 17...Nxe7 18.c3 the game is even, but I am very skeptical about that. 

18.Nxg6 Kxg6 19.Qd3+

Finally!

19...Kh5 20.Qf5+ Black resigned

Mate comes quickly.

Jerome Gambit vs Two Knights Defense (Part 4)

Still another way for the Jerome Gambiteer to face the Two Knights Defense (see "Jerome Gambit vs Two Knights Defense Part 1", "Part 2" and "Part 3"), besides playing the main lines, opting for 4.Qe2 or playing for a transition to the Italian Four Knights Game with 4.Nc3 is 4.0-0.

So we have 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.0-0, which has more going for it than is generally realized.

International Master Tim Harding, writing in his "Kibitzer" column at ChessCafe, noted 

4 0-0 is not a move you will see played by experienced players; it is simply not direct enough.

International Master Jan Pinski, in Italian Game and Evans Gambit, was even more dismissive

4.0-0 is completely toothless, and Black can do as he pleases.

Perhaps the second player will be so lulled by the move that he will play 4...Bc5, when 5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 transforms the game into a "modern" Jerome Gambit variation (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.0-0 Nf6)? In this line, the updated New Year's Database has 548 games. White scores 39%.

What if, after 4.0-0, Black plays 4...Nxe4? Probably White can get an even game with 5.d3, but the move he should really look at is 5.Nc3!?, offering the Boden-Kieseritzky Gambit – a strategy that has worked well for me. The same idea should occur after 4.Nc3 (from yesterday's post) Nxe4 5.0-0.

The Boden-Kieseritzky Gambit is not well-known at the club level. In addition, it gives White a line to play against the Petroff Defense (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bc4 Nxe4 4.Nc3).

The one "downside" I would say that the B-KG has is that it is so much fun, some players might give up the Jerome Gambit and start playing it!

Here are a few B-KG resources to get started:

http://www.chesscafe.com/text/kibitz145.pdf
http://www.chesscafe.com/text/lane38.pdf
http://www.mjae.com/boden-kieseritzky.html
http://jeanpaul.garnier.free.fr/htm/A2Ten.htm

Jerome Gambit vs Two Knights Defense (Part 3)

Another way for the Jerome Gambiteer to face the Two Knights Defense (see "Jerome Gambit vs Two Knights Defense Part 1" and "Part 2"), besides playing the main lines or opting for 4.Qe2 is to play for a transition to the Italian Four Knights Game, and, thus, the Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.

So: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 (hoping for 4...Bc5).

The updated New Year's Database has over 900 games with this position, with White scoring 41%. (By contrast, the Database includes 21 of my games and 21 of Bill Wall's games. We each scored 90%. As they say: your mileage may vary.)

Of course, Black does not have to play 4...Bc5; in fact, the recommended move is 4...Nxe4, planning what Hans Kmoch called "the Fork Trick": 5.Nxe4 d5, winning back a piece.

By the way, after 4...Nxe4 White does not have to recapture immediately, but instead can try the Jerome-ish 4.Bxf7+, although after 5.Kxf7 Nxe4 6.d5 Neg5+ 7.Kg8 Black's King has found safety (and he has the intimidating pawns).

The problem for White here is not so much that his position is worse than in regular Jerome Gambit lines – objectively, it is far better – but that the Fork Trick is standard fare for players learning about openings, whereas the Jerome Gambit is far less known or understood. The chance of surprising Black is less. (Still, this line remains a "project" for further analysis.)

Recommended for White after 4...Nxe4 5.Nxe4 d5 is 6.Bd3 dxe4 7.Bxe4 Bd6.

It is worth examining Y. Bukayev's article on this line, as he sees White as standing slightly better after 8.Bxc6+.

None of this seems as much fun as the Jerome Gambit proper, though, does it?

Tomorrow's post takes a look at 4.0-0, and in the process shows one way to redeem 4.Nc3 as well.

Jerome Gambit vs Two Knights Defense (Part 2)

Readers of this blog may remember that in the 2009 ChessWorld Jerome Gambit Thematic Tournament, GladToMateYou played 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Qe2 fourteen times, winning eight of those games (see "Home Cooking").

Five of those games (GladToMateYou won four of them) continued with 5...Nf6, transposing to a Jerome Gambit / Two Knights Defense line that can arise from the play mentioned in yesterday's post: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Qe2, which can be followed by 4...Bc5 5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.Qc4+ and 7.Qxc5. 

The earliest game that I have in my database with 4.Qe2 meeting the Two Knights is Bird - Chigorin, Sixth American Chess Congress, New York, 1889 (although the related 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Qe2 probably goes all the way back to Ruy Lopez), about which Wilhelm Steinitz briefly wrote, in the tournament book, "Not as strong as the authorized move Ng5".

The earliest game in my database with 4.Qe2 Bc5 5.Bxf7+ as mentioned previously (see "Adolf Albin Plays the Jerome Gambit (Part 1)" and "(Part 2)"), is Albin - Schlechter, Trebitsch Memorial Tournament, Vienna, 1914.

The line has surprise value, and, as NiceToMateYou showed, some practical use in club play, but Black has resources (if he can find them) in 6...Kxf7 7.Qc4+ d5! 8.Qxc5 Nxe4! when after 9.Qe3 Re8 Black is somewhat better, and White is scrambling for playable ideas.

Still, none of this dissuaded Bill Wall from playing and winning with the opening this year:

Wall,B - Asesino
Chess.com, 2010

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

4...Kxf7 5.Qe2 Nf6 6.Qc4+ d5 7.Qxc5 dxe4

8.Nxe5+ Nxe5 9.Qxe5 Re8 10.Qb5 Qd4 11.0-0 c6 12.Qb3+ Nd5

White has already achieved an edge in the game.

13.Nc3 Be6 14.Qxb7+ Ne7 15.Re1 Bd5 16.b3 Kg8 17.Bb2 Rf8

For the illusion of an attack, Black surrenders a piece.

18.Qxe7 Qxf2+ 19.Kh1 Rae8 20.Qg5 e3 21.Nxd5 exd2 22.Qxg7 checkmate