Artificial Stupidity

How do you make a computer chess program play not-so-strongly? You can limit the amount of time that it analyzes any position, or you can limit the depth to which it will analyze. Or, you can cause it to blunder every once-in-a-while... 

perrypawnpusher - MiloBot
standard game, FICS, 2010

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

My "opponent", a chess-playing program at FICS, was not rated highly, and I wanted to see how it would do against the Jerome Gambit.

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 d6

Fascinating! MiloBot is playing the Blackburne Defense! To uphold my honor and that of the Jerome Gambit, I must take the Rook!

8.Qxh8 Qh4 9.0-0 Nf6

Slam! The White Queen is locked in, just like Blackburne played! MiloBot must still be in its opening "book".

10.Qd8

The "escape clause" for White, who now has the advantage, but Black should be able to draw.

10...a5

Yipes! Suddenly Black's "brain" goes haywire.

Necessary was 10...Bb6, and after 11.e5 dxe5 White's Queen escapes with 12.Qd3. I knew the line, but I guess that MiloBot was now out of its book. 

11.Qxc7+ Ke8 12.d4 Bb4 13.c3 Ra6

If this was the "idea" behind Black's last move, then the game is largely over already...

14.cxb4

Taking the other Bishop was even better. 

14...Be6 15.Qxb7 Qg4 16.Qxa6 Bc8 17.Qxd6 Be6

18.f3 Bg8 19.Qxf6 Qxg2+

I have no idea what the computer was doing.

20.Kxg2 axb4 21.Bg5 Kd7 22.Rc1 Bc4 23.Rxc4 Ke8 24.Qe7 checkmate

Well, that was a bit of a mis-match...

Closing the Door

Thanks to a difficult loss for CheckmateKingTwo to eddie43, Daves111 was able to close the door on the one remaining rival for first place in the current ChessWorld Jerome Gambit Thematic Tournament.

A dozen games remain unfinished in the 156-game tournament.

Daves111 leads with 21 points out of 24 games and cannot now be caught.

Second place remains a battle between DREWBEAR 63 with 17.5 points out of 22 games and CheckmateKingTwo with 12 points out of 16 games.

Next are blackburne with 15 points out of 23 games and TWODOGS with 13.5 points out of 21 games.

Off the Beaten Path

This game wanders a bit from the usual Jerome Gambit move order, but I was very interested in playing Bxf7+, even if the move had to be delayed a bit.


perrypawnpusher - cinamon
blitz, FICS, 2010

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

The Semi-Italian Opening.

A delay similar to the game: 3...a6 4.0-0 h6 5.Nc3 Bc5 6.Bxf7+ Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ Nxe5 8.Qh5+ Ke6 9.Qf5+ Kd6 10.d4 Bxd4 11.Rd1 c5 12.Ne2 Kc7 13.Nxd4 d6 14.Ne6+ Bxe6 15.Qxe6 Nf6 16.Bf4 Re8 17.Qb3 Nxe4 18.Bxe5 Rxe5 19.Qf7+ Qd7 20.Qf3 Qf5 21.Qxf5 Rxf5 22.f3 Ng5 23.Re1 Kd7 24.Rad1 Re8 25.Rxe8 Kxe8 26.Rxd6 Re5 27.Kf2 Ke7 28.Rb6 Rf5 29.Rxb7+ Kf6 30.Rb6+ Kf7 31.Rxa6 Ne4+ 32.Ke3 Nd6 33.Rxd6 Ke7 34.Rd3 Rh5 35.h3 Re5+ 36.Kf2 g5 37.Re3 Rxe3 38.Kxe3 Kd6 39.Ke4 c4 40.Kd4 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - angelosgoulianos, blitz, FICS, 2007.

4.0-0 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.a3

I'm sure that 6.d4 is a better move, but I was still angling for a Jerome-ish game.

I've also tried 6.d3 Bc5 7.Be3 (7.Bxf7+ Kxf7 8.Nxe5+ Nxe5 9.d4 d6 10.dxc5 Bg4 11.f3 Bh5 12.g4 Nexg4 13.fxg4 Bg6 14.g5 hxg5 15.Bxg5 dxc5 16.Qf3 Qd4+ 17.Kh1 Qe5 18.Bxf6 Qxh2 checkmate, perrypawnpusher - tschup, blitz, FICS, 2010) 7...Qe7 8.Nd5 Nxd5 9.Bxd5 Nb4 10.Bb3 Bxe3 11.fxe3 Qc5 12.Bxf7+ Kxf7 13.Nxe5+ Ke7 14.Ng6+ Kd6 15.d4 Qg5 16.e5+ Kd5 17.Qf3+ Kc4 18.b3+ Kb5 19.c4+ Kb6 20.Nxh8 d6 21.exd6 c6 22.Nf7 Qg6 23.e4 Bd7 24.Ne5 h5 25.Nxg6 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - EAB, blitz, FICS, 2010.

6...Bc5 7.Bxf7+

Finally.

7...Kxf7 8.Nxe5+ Nxe5 9.d4 Qe7 10.dxc5 Qxc5 11.Be3 Qc4

12.f4 Neg4 13.Bd4 Re8

A bit better was 13...d6, which kept Black's edge.

14.h3 Ne3 15.Bxe3 Nxe4 16.Qd5+ Qxd5 17.Nxd5 Rf8

Black has returned the sacrificed piece and material is even, for the moment. I am able to grab a pawn, but over the next few moves miss chances to gain more. 

18.Nxc7 Rb8 19.Nd5

Much better was 19.Ba7 (or 21.Ba7).

19...Ng3 20.Rfe1 d6 21.Rad1 Be6

22.Nc3 Rbd8 23.Kh2 Nf5 24.Bb6 Rc8

25.g4 Ne7 26.Rxd6 Kg8

White has been making steady progress, but this error accelerates it. 

27.Rdxe6 Nc6 28.f5 Black resigned

Something Out of Nothing

While I struggle to appreciate the "modern" variations of the Jerome Gambit (those without 5.Nxe5+), Bill Wall continues to play them effortlessly and with repeated success.

Wall,B - KRM
Chess.com, 2010

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

4...Kxf7 5.0-0

5...Nf6 6.d3

Or 6.Qe2 Rf8 7.Qc4+ d5 8.Qxc5 Nxe4 9.Qe3 Kg8 10.d3 Nf6 11.Nxe5 Re8 12.Nxc6 bxc6 13.Qd4 Ng4 14.Nc3 Qd6 15.Bf4 Qg6 16.Bxc7 Qh5 17.Rae1 Bd7 18.Rxe8+ Rxe8 19.Qxa7 Qf7 20.Qc5 Rf8 21.b4 Rc8 22.Bg3 Re8 23.a4 Qe6 24.a5 Qf5 25.a6 Qh5 26.a7 Qg5 27.Bb8 Nf6 28.a8Q Bh3 29.g3 Qf5 30.Qaxc6 Qf3 31.Q5xd5+ Nxd5 32.Qxe8+ Qf8 33.Qxf8+ Kxf8 34.Nxd5 Black resigned,  Wall,B - DirtyCat, Chess.com, 2010.

6...Kg8

Or 6...h6 7.Be3 Be7 8.c4 d6 9.Nc3 Bg4 10.h3 Bh5 11.g4 Bg6 12.Nh4 Rf8 13.Qb3 Nxg4 14.c5+ Kf6 15.Nd5+ Kf7 16.Nxe7+ Kxe7 17.Nxg6+ Kd7 18.Nxf8+ Qxf8 19.hxg4 Rb8 20.cxd6 cxd6 21.f4 exf4 22.Rxf4 Qd8 23.Rf7+ Kc8 24.Qe6+ Black resigned, billwall - mukak, Chess.com, 2010.

7.c4

White locks down Black's freeing move ...d7-d5, and prepares some mischief on the Queenside.

7...d6 8.Be3 Bxe3 9.fxe3 Be6 10.Qb3 Na5

Black is rightly suspicious of White's Queen sally: shouldn't all the action be taking place on the Kingside? Yet he allows himself to be distracted by opportunities to harass the Queen.

11.Qa4 Nc6 12.Nc3 a5 13.Ng5 Bd7

For safety's sake, the Bishop should have retreated along the a2-g8 diagonal, 13...Bf7. Black, however, still wants to embarass the White Queen.

14.c5 Nb4 15.Qb3+

Suddenly the Queen links up with the Kingside Knight and a King is in danger.

15...d5 16.exd5 Kf8

17.d6 Qe8 18.Nce4 cxd6 19.cxd6 Qg6 20.Rac1 Ke8

There are too many avenues along which to attack Black's King. A comparison of White's active Rooks versus Black's passive ones shows one of the games imbalances.

21.Rc7 Nfd5 22.Rxd7 Kxd7 23.Qc4 Nxe3 24.Qc7+ Ke8 25.Qe7 checkmate

Squandering the Half-Point



Sometimes the "simplest" solution to a problem turns out to not be the simplest, if
it brings with it dulled senses and lazy thinking...

perrypawnpusher  - alsuarezdi
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 Re8 12.Bd2 Qe7

Alas, alsuarezdi overlooks the opportunity to throw a piece away with the devastating 12...Nb4?

13.Rae1 Kg8 14.Nd5 Qd8 15.Bc3 Nxd5 16.exd5 Rxe1 17.Rxe1 Bd7

Black has been playing solid chess, protecting his advantage, when suddenly, surprisingly, he decides to return the sacrificed piece. Certainly 17...Ne7, instead, would have kept him better.

18.dxc6 Bxc6

Another one of those Bishops-of-opposite-colors middlegames that I've been having lately.

19.Qg6

After the game Rybka suggested much stronger play: 19.Re6 Qd7 20.Rg6 Re8 21.Rxg7+ Qxg7 22.Bxg7 Kxg7

analysis diagram








19...Qf8 20.Re3 Be8

Trying to chase away my Queen before I can get my Rook to g3. Safer was 20...Qf7.

21.Qg4 c5 22.Rg3 Bb5

I don't understand this move. Certainly Black's only hope to hold on was to take advantage of the chances that his last move provided and try 22...g6.

23.Qxg7+

Once again my annoying habit of "simplifying into the endgame" ruins my winning chances in the middle game: surely 23.Qe6+ followed by 24.Rxg7+ was not that hard to find?

23...Qxg7 24.Rxg7+ Kf8 25.Rxb7 a6 26.Bg7+ Kg8 27.Bxh6 Re8

It is true that White has the better endgame: he is three connected passed pawns ahead. But I am not through "simplifying"...

28.f5 Re1+ 29.Kf2 Re2+

It is clear that Black wants this "pig" on the 2nd rank, but 29...Rf1+ 30.Kg3 Rxf5 instead would have snared one of the passers.

30.Kg3 Rxc2

Again, the tactic 30...Rxg2+ 31.Kxg2 Bc6+ 32.Kg3 Bxb7 would have snagged one of White's dangerous pawns and given Black hope for the Bishops-of-opposite-colors endgame.

31.f6 Be8 32.Rg7+ Kh8 33.Rb7

Strange. 33.f7 was the move that I had been preparing. 

33...Kg8 34.Rb8

I was beginning to lose the thread of the game, and in the process transform a +3 pawn advantage to a -1 pawn disadvantage.

34...Kf7 35.Bg7 Re2

Black can be more active than this by putting his Bishop back on c6 to threaten ...Rxg2+, which he thinks of a move later.

36.h4 Bc6 37.Rf8+ Kg6 38.h5+

Panic concerning the enemy Rook + Bishop. The advantage has been almost completely handed over to Black.

38...Kxh5 39.Rh8+ Kg6 40.Rh2 Rxb2 41.Kh4

41...Rxg2

In a bit of generosity, my opponent returns the "simplification" error and the game becomes drawn.

alsuarezdi was not happy with this turn of events and refused my draw offer. It took almost 50 more moves (and me getting ahead on the clock) to convince him that there was only a half point available now.

42.Rxg2+ Bxg2 43.Bf8 d5 44.Bxc5 Kxf6 45.Kg4 a5 46.Kf4 a4 47.a3 Ke6 48.Ke3 Ke5 49.Bd4+ Kd6 50.Kd2 Kc6 51.Kc3 Kb5 52.Be5 Bf1 53.Bd4 Bc4 54.Be3 Bb3 55.Bd4 Kc6 56.Kb4 Kd6 57.Kc3 Ke6 58.Kb4 Kf5 59.Kc3 Ke4 60.Bc5 Kf3 61.Bd4 Ke2 62.Bc5 Kd1 63.Bd4 Kc1 64.Bc5 Kb1 65.Bd4 Ka1 66.Bc5 Ka2 67.Bb4 Bc4 68.Bc5 Kb1 69.Bb4 Ka2 70.Bc5 Kb1 71.Bb4 Ka2 72.Kd4 Kb3 73.Bc5 Kb2 74.Bb4 Kb3 75.Bd6 Kb2 76.Bb4 Kb3 77.Be7 Kb2 78.Bb4 Kb3 79.Ke3 Kb2 80.Kd4 Kb3 81.Ke3 Kb2 82.Kd4 Kb3 83.Bf8 Kb2 84.Bb4 Kb3 85.Bf8 Kb2 86.Bb4 Kb3 87.Bf8 Kb2 88.Bb4 Kb3 Game drawn by repetition

Hallucinations

A positive hallucination is when you see something that is not there.

A negative hallucination is when you do not see something that is there.

That's my best explanation for the following game.

perrypawnpusher - molerat
blitz, FICS, 2010

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

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

 7.Qxe5 Qe7

Played twice by Alonzo Wheeler Jerome, defending against his own gambit, in correspondence games with Jaeger in 1888.

8.Qf4+ Qf6 9.Qg3 Bd6 10.Qe3 b6

11.Nc3 Bb7 12.d3 Bf4

Continuing to harass my Queen, Black makes an oversight, hanging the Bishop. Instead, 12...Re8 would retain Black's advantage.

13.Qe2

Negative hallucintation: simply 13.Qxf4 won a piece.

13...Bxc1 14.Rxc1 Ne7 15.0-0 d6

16.f4 Ke8 17.e5 dxe5 18.fxe5 Qe6 19.d4 Nd5 20.Qf3 Ke7 21.Qg3 Qg6 22.Qh4+ Kd7 23.Qh3+ Qe6 Black resigned

It is not clear why Black gave up: the game seems to be even,  but maybe he saw something that I didn't...