Walking Through A Junkyard

Giving "Jerome Gambit odds" can feel like a walk through a junkyard. You pass wreck after wreck and your only hope is that you will find something to get you out of there.

perrypawnpusher - Jantra
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

8.Qf5+

The computer-recommended follow-up is 8.Qh3+ Ke7 9.Qc3 d6 10.d4 Bxd4 11.Qxd4 Nf6 12.Nc3 although this leads to a position that is almost identical to a position from the Semi-Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit: Black's King is on e7 instead of f7, and it is his move instead of White's.

Amusingly, at this point, until about a depth of 12 moves, Fritz8 recommends the next two moves for Black to be ...Re8 and ...Kf7, which would be identical to the Semi-Italian Four Knight's Jerome Gambit, except that the recommended move for White in the interim is Bf4, not f2-f4.

8...Kd6 9.d4

Moving the pawn directly seems better than preparing for it, as in prettyhip1 - cubs0_0, GameKnot.com, 2007: 9.Rd1 Ne7 10.Qh5 g6 11.Qh3 Bd4 12.Qa3+ Bc5 13.b4 Bd4 14.c3 Bxf2+ 15.Kxf2 Rf8+ 16.Ke3 White resigned.

9...Bxd4

The right idea. Problems came with

9...Qf6 10.dxe5+ Qxe5 11.Rd1+ (11.Bf4 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - joejox, blitz, FICS, 2009) 11...Bd4 12.Qf8+ Ke6 13.Qe8+ Kf6 14.Qf8+ Ke6 15.Qe8+ Kf6 Game drawn by mutual agreement, perrypawnpusher - Joyus, blitz, FICS, 2007; and

9...Ne7 10.Qxe5+ Kc6 11.Qxc5 checkmate, perrypawnpusher - GabrielH, blitz, FICS, 2010 & perrypawnpusher - StockholmMoskva, blitz, FICS, 2010.

10.Rd1 c5

Black did better with 10...Ke7 11.Rxd4 d6 after which only an endgame swindle saved me in perrypawnpusher - richardachatz, blitz, FICS, 2010 (½-½, 71). Although the text is still good for the second player, richardachatz' King move "abandoning" the Bishop on d4 is also to be considered.

11.c3 Ne7

This is okay, but again 11...Ke7 could be considered.

12.Qh3

I was surprised, but also amused, to be a dozen moves into this offbeat line (rightly or wrongly) and still be in "book". It is sometimes very helpful to review and analyze games for this blog! 

This Queen retreat is comparable with the others that I had played previously:

12.Qh5 Qe8 (12...Kc7 13.cxd4 cxd4 14.Qxe5+ d6 15.Qxd4 Nc6 16.Qxg7+ Bd7 17.Bf4 Rg8 18.Qxh6 Qe7 19.Bxd6+ Qxd6 20.Qxd6+ Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - Lakritzl, blitz, FICS, 2009) 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, FICS, 2010;

12.Qf4 Qf8 13.cxd4 Qxf4 14.Bxf4 cxd4 15.Rxd4+ Kc5 16.Bxe5 Nc6 17.Rd5+ Kb6 18.Na3 Nxe5 19.Rxe5 d6 20.Re7 Bg4 21.f3 Bh5 22.Rc1 Rhe8 23.Rcc7 Rxe7 24.Rxe7 Rc8 25.Rxg7 Rc1+ 26.Kf2 Ra1 27.Rh7 Rxa2 28.Kg3 a5 29.Rxh6 Bf7 30.Rxd6+ Kc5 31.Rd2 b5 32.Kf2 b4 33.Nb1 Ra1 34.Rc2+ Kd4 35.Rd2+ Kc5 36.Rc2+ Kd4 37.Nd2 Kd3 38.Rc7 Kxd2 39.Rxf7 Kc2 40.e5 b3 41.e6 Kxb2 42.e7 Kc1 43.e8Q Ra2+ 44.Kg3 b2 45.Rc7+ Kb1 46.Qe1 checkmate, perrypawnpusher - Xasquete, blitz, FICS, 2010.

12...Kc7

The text is an improvement on 12...Qb6 13.cxd4 cxd4 14.Qa3+ Ke6 15.f4 N5c6 16.f5+ Kf7 17.Nd2 Re8 18.Nc4 Qc7 19.Nd6+ Kf8 20.Nxe8 Kxe8 21.Qf3 Ne5 22.Qg3 Kf8 23.Bf4 d6 24.Rac1 Qa5 25.f6 N7g6 26.Bxe5 Qxe5 27.Qxg6 Be6 28.Qxg7+ Ke8 29.Qe7 checkmate, joev6225 - liverpool, GameKnot.com, 2006.

13.cxd4 cxd4

Black is still better, despite his shaky King, because of his extra piece.

Leading only to equality was 13...d6, although things quickly deteriorated: 14.Qc3 Nd7 15.dxc5 Nxc5 16.Bf4 b6 17.b4 Kc6 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - tuffmom, blitz, FICS, 2010

14.Rxd4 N7c6 15.Qc3 Qf6

16.f4

Thematic, but wrong, as it should lose the exchange. I should have retreated the Rook first.

16...Nf7

My opponent missed 16...Nf3+ 17.Qxf3 Qxd4+ trading his Knight for my Rook. I think he was getting tired of all the attention that I was paying to his King.

17.e5 Qe7 18.b4 d6

Deciding to return the gambitted piece at precisely the point where his King might have begun to feel relief with 18...Kb8.

19.b5 dxe5 20.fxe5

20...Nfxe5

An unfortunate slip. After the game Rybka gave 20...Rd8 21.bxc6 Rxd4 22.Qxd4 Qd8 23.Qc3 bxc6 24.Nd2 Be6 25.Bb2 Qd5 26.Nb3 Rb8 27.Rc1 Rb6 and White is only a bit better (King safety)

analysis diagram





21.bxc6 Nxc6 22.Bf4+ Kb6 23.Qb3+ Ka6 24.Ra4+ Na5 25.Qc4+ b5 26.Qc6 checkmate

How odd that three Rooks, a Bishop and a Knight look on, uninvolved...

Getting Away With Something

The following game is yet another example of why I have taken a vacation from the Jerome Gambit (see "Busted") for a while, to analyze, study, and steady my nerves. It reminds me of the saying that "getting away with something is not the same thing as having permission to do it."

perrypawnpusher  - anomis
blitz, FICS, 2010

This position arose from a Semi-Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit where my opponent had defended well, and only his approaching time trouble had allowed me to snatch back the gambitted piece.

A draw would be a reasonable outcome here, and I thought that was my opponent's intention when he began a series of checks.

30...Qe1+ 31.Kg2 Qe6 32.a3 Qd5+ 33.Kg1 Qd4+ 34.Qf2 Qd1+ 35.Kg2 Qd5+ 36.Qf3 Qc5 37.Qf2 Qd5+ 38.Qf3 Qd2+ 39.Qf2 Qa5 40.Qd2

An unbelieveable unforced error. Time was not that short.

I was aiming my mouse toward the Resign button when anomis continued the checks.

40...Qd5+ 41.Qxd5+ cxd5

A miracle! White is no longer losing: he is winning.

42.Kf3 Kf7 43.Ke3 Ke6 44.Kd4 g6 45.b4 a6 46.a4 Kd6 47.b5 axb5 48.axb5 h5 49.g5 h4 50.b6 Kc6 51.b7 Kxb7 52.Kxd5 Kc7 53.Ke6 Kc6 54.Kf6 Kd5 55.Kxg6 Ke4 56.Kf7 Kf4 57.g6 Kg3 58.g7 Kxh3 59.g8Q Black resigned

I think that my opponent should have played on for a few moves, at least to see if I had one more blunder in me. It would have been a sweet swindle for him to have continued: 59...Kh2 60.Kf6 Kh1 61. Kf5 h3 62.Kf4 h2 63.Kf3

analysis diagram







Here it would be "mate in 1" for White if it were his turn to move, but as it is Black's turn, it is stalemate.

A New Link

At the request of Yury V. Bukayev,  I've added a new link, one that will take readers to "Bruno's Chess Problem of the Day", a site that has much more than just chess problems. As it says on the site

Welcome on Bruno's Chess Problem of The Day. As its name indicates it, you will find here, every day, a new chess problem. You will find also a big chess problems archive, chess articles (including ones with theoretical opening discoveries), chess news, banks of ChessMasters games in PGN (sorted by opening and by player's name) and of course The chess directory.

I have referred to some of the opening analysis in an earlier post here (see "Jerome Gambit vs Two Knights Defense (Part 3)") and I think that readers will be interested in a number of the Chess Articles along with the rest of the content of the site.

The Perfect Defense to the Jerome Gambit

The other day I ran across a game showcasing the "perfect" defense to the Jerome Gambit, at least from Black's point of view:



papaleo - psychotic
blitz, FICS, 2006

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7

White resigned.

This appears to be a significant improvement upon Brescak - Hefti, EU-ch U10 Girls, 1998, which progressed only as far as 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+

and had a different outcome: Draw agreed.

Capturing the Bishop, it appears, is an essential part of the "psychotic defense."

Trust, But Verify

"Intuition" has its place in chess, as long as it doesn't totally replace analysis. How many times have we read that a chess master looked briefly at a position on the board and then commented "The Knight obviously must go here"?

For club players, there is a saying to apply to their own intuition: Trust, but verify.

perrypawnpusher  - hudders
blitz, FICS, 2010

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bc5

The Italian Four Knights Game.

5.Bxf7+

The Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.

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

7...Re8

A reasonable alternative to 7...Bd6; both keep Black's advantage.

8.dxc5

The correct capture, although the alternative has been seen: 8.dxe5 Nxe4 (8...Rxe5 9.Bf4 Re7 10.e5 d6 11.Nd5 Nxd5 12.Qxd5+ Be6 13.Qf3 Kg8 14.0-0-0 Bxa2 15.b3 Rf7 16.e6 Rf6 17.Rhe1 Qe7 18.Qd5 c6 19.Qc4 b5 20.Qe4 d5 21.Qe5 Re8 22.Qb2 Rxe6 23.Be3 Bxe3+ 24.fxe3 Rxe3 25.Rf1 Qg5 26.Qxa2 Rxb3+ 27.Rd2 Rbe3 28.h4 Black forfeited on time, yorgos - Castled, FICS, 2009) 9.Qd5+ Kf8 10.Nxe4 d6 11.Nxc5 Rxe5+ 12.Qxe5 dxe5 13.Be3 Kg8 14.0-0 b6 15.Rad1 Qe8 16.Ne4 Bf5 17.f3 Qc6 18.Nc3 Bxc2 19.Rc1 Bd3 20.Rfd1 Be2 21.Nxe2 Qa4 22.Nc3 Qb4 23.b3 Qa3 24.Rc2 Qb4 25.Nd5 Qf8 26.Rxc7 Rc8 27.Ne7+ Kh8 28.Rxc8 Qxc8 29.Nxc8 e4 30.Rd8 checkmate, ljar - pyronaut, FICS, 2005.

8...Nc6

Three playable alternatives:

8...Nc4 9.0-0 Nxe4 10.Qd5+ Kf8 11.Nxe4 Ne5 12.Bg5 c6 13.Qd6+ Re7 14.Bxe7+ Qxe7 15.Qxe7+ Kxe7 16.Nd6 b5 17.Rfe1 Ke6 18.f4 Kd5 19.Rxe5+ Kd4 20.Rd1 checkmate, theep - peteplumber, FICS,2000;

8...Qe7 9.0-0 Qxc5 10.Be3 Qe7 11.Nd5 Nxd5 12.Qxd5+ Kf8 13.f4 Ng6 14.f5 c6 15.Qb3 Ne5 16.f6 gxf6 17.Bh6+ Qg7 18.Bxg7+ Kxg7 19.Qg3+ Black resigned, ARUJ - cippolippo,FICS, 2009;

8...Kg8 9.Bf4 d6 10.Nb5 a6 11.Nd4 dxc5 12.Nb3 Qxd1+ 13.Rxd1 Nxe4 14.0-0 Ng6 15.Bxc7 Bf5 16.Rd5 Be6 17.Rd3 c4 18.Re3 cxb3 19.axb3 Rac8 20.Ba5 Rxc2 21.b4 Nd2 22.Rd1 Rxb2 23.b5 axb5 24.Bxd2 Kf7 25.Rf3+ Kg8 26.Rc3 Bg4 27.f3 Bd7 28.Rc7 Ne5 29.Rxb7 Nc4 30.Rxd7 Nxd2 31.R7xd2 Rxd2 32.Rxd2 Re1+ 33.Kf2 Rc1 34.g4 b4 35.Rb2 Rc4 36.Ke2 h6 37.Kd2 g5 38.Kd3 Rf4 39.Ke3 Rf8 40.Rxb4 Kg7 41.Rb5 Re8+ 42.Kd4 Re2 43.Rb3 Rxh2 44.Ke4 Re2+ 45.Re3 Rb2 46.f4 gxf4 47.Kxf4 Rb4+ 48.Kg3 h5 49.g5 Rg4+ 50.Kh3 Kg6 51.Re5 Black resigned, yorgos - foti, FICS, 2009.

9.0-0 Kg8 10.Bg5 Re5

This double attack (pawn at c5, Bishop at g5) is superficially attractive, but it is an example of sending a Rook to do a pawn's job. Better was 10...d6

11.f4 Rxg5

A panic reaction.

Black had to continue as planned with the lesser capture, 11...Rxc5, and realize that after 12.e5 it was time to give the piece back with 12...Nxe5 13.fxe5 Rxe5, preparing to defend the pawn-down game.

White can stir things up, however, after 11...Rxc5 12.e5 Nxe5 by playing 13.Ne4!? instead of capturing at e5. After 13...Neg4 14.Bxf6 Nxf6 15.Nxc5 White has won the exchange.

analysis diagram





The text move, instead, gives up the exchange but leaves the Knight at f6 still in danger.

12.fxg5 Ne8

The only safe place for the Knight, but it leaves Black's King at risk.

13.Qd5+

Black resigned, as mate follows

Quick Reaction

There is an old saying: Act in haste, repent at leisure.

My opponent in the following game was working his way through a theoretical opening line when he blocked a check with the first piece that came to mind. That proved to be his undoing.


perrypawnpusher  - grunf
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...Bd6 9.dxe5 Bxe5

The recommended defense, although I rarely see it as my opponents generally prefer 8...Bxd4.

10.f4

I played this move even though Black's response is correct and gives him the advantage, because I was willing to take my chances in the complicated positon that would arise.

10...Bxc3

More to the point than 10...Bxf4 11.Rxf4 Re8 12.Qd5+ Re6 13.e5 c6 14.Qd4 Kg8 15.exf6 gxf6 16.Rg4+ Kh7 17.Qd3+ Kh8 18.Bxh6 Re7 19.Qg6 d6 20.Bg7+ Kg8 21.Bxf6+ Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - KnightRoyal, blitz, FICS, 2010

11.bxc3 Re8

I've also seen 11...Rf8 12.e5 Ne4 13.Qd5+ Ke8 14.Qxe4 c6 15.Ba3 Rf7 16.f5 Qa5 17.e6 dxe6 18.Bb4 Qb6+ 19.Kh1 c5 20.fxe6 Rxf1+ 21.Rxf1 cxb4 22.Qg6+ Ke7 23.Rf7+ Kd6 24.e7+ Be6 25.Rxg7 Qe3 26.h3 Qe1+ 27.Kh2 Qe5+ 28.Kh1 Qe1+ 29.Kh2 Qe5+ 30.Kh1 Qe1+ 31.Kh2 Qe5+ drawn perrypawnpusher - drandika, blitz, FICS, 2010

12.e5 Nh7

Taking a longer view of things, it was probably time to return the piece with 12...d6 13.exf6 Qxf6 when Black still had an edge.

13.Qd5+ Re6

Blitz reflex, but not good.


14.f5 c6 15.fxe6+ Black resigned

Mate is forced.

Over/Under

I have to wonder exactly what an OverwiseMan would think about playing against an under-wise chess opening like the Jerome Gambit...


perrypawnpusher - OverwiseMan
blitz, FICS, 2010

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

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

Earlier my opponent had tried 6...Ke6 against me in perrypawnpusher - OverwiseMan, blitz, FICS, 2010.

7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Be6

Or 9...N8e7 as in perrypawnpusher - OverwiseMan, blitz, FICS, 2010.

10.0-0 Qf6

11.f4 Nh4

"Out of the frying pan and into the fire."

Instead, Wall,B - Parsom, Chess.com, 2010, continued 11...N6e7 12.d4 Bc4 13.Re1 Kd7 14.Na3 Ba6 15.b4 b6 16.c4 Re8 17.e5 dxe5 18.dxe5 Qe6 19.Qf3 Bxc4 20.Nxc4 Qxc4 21.e6+ Kd6 22.Bb2 Nc6 23.Rad1+ Ke7 24.Rd7+ Kf8 25.Bxg7 checkmate 

12.f5 Bd7 13.g3 Bxf5

Giving back the sacrificed piece seems like a reasonable idea, but Black should use the stranded Knight for that purpose, not the Bishop. Now he loses both.

14.exf5+ Kd7 15.gxh4 Re8

16.Qf4 g5 17.hxg5 Qe7 18.Nc3 h6 19.f6 Nxf6

Hoping that the opened line against White's King will give him counterplay.

20.gxf6 Rhg8+ 21.Kh1 Qe1

Black's idea: now if 22.Rxe1? Rxe1+ 23.Qf1 Rxf1 checkmate!

22.f7 Rg4 23.fxe8Q+ Kxe8 24.Rxe1+ Black resigned