Two Endgames

I recently played two endgames that had the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) style imbalance of a piece vs two pawns. Both taught me something about what chances I would have, should my games last until there were only a few pieces on the board. Advantage: piece.

This position is from perrypawnpusher - zulugodetia, blitz, FICS, 2011. Although I had the White pieces, it was not a Jerome Gambit (notice Black's f-pawn). I had just exchanged Queens, being pleased to have the extra piece, not the extra pawns.

34.Nf2 f5

Black would do better to start his h-pawn running. White's plan would be to use his King to stop the Kingside pawns while using his Knight to nab a couple of Queenside pawns. Once White's Queenside pawns can take care of themselves, then the Knight will travel to the Kingside to capture those pawns. Then: back to the Queenside to promote a pawn...

35.Nd3 h5 36.Ke2 Kf7 37.Nxc5 Kf6 38.Nd7+

A change of plans. Simpler would have been 38.Nb7, planning to grab Black's a-pawn; as the Knight can still get back in time to help his King.

38...Ke6 39.Ne5 g5 40.fxg5

Yes, the Knight is expendable. That is why it came back instead of grabbing another Queenside pawn.

40...Kxe5 41.Kf3 h4 42.g6 Kf6 43.c5

43...h3 44.Kg3 f4+

A great try at a swindle: now 45.Kxf4?? loses to 45...h2 and Black Queens a pawn.

45.Kxh3 f3 46.Kg3 f2 47.Kxf2 Black resigned

The g-pawn cannot be captured without allowing the c-pawn to promote.

 

This position is from perrypawnpusher - Cibola, blitz, FICS, 2011, a Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit.

In some time trouble, I decided on the simple (if not best) plan of exchanging my Bishop and weak Queenside pawns for Black's Knight and Kingside pawn, leaving me with two connected passed pawns in a Rook endgame...

34...Nxc3 35.Ra6+ d5 36.Rxh6??

Simply reversing my planned moves. After 36.Bxc3 Rxc3 37.Rxh6 Black can clean up the Queenside with 37...Rxc2+ 38.Kf3 Rxa2 but my two passed pawns on the Kingside will eventually decide the game in my favor.

36...Kxd4

Ooops...

In contrast to my game against zulugodetia, above, White has the extra pawns against Black's extra piece.

Perhaps a master could convert the win for either side, but I could only see a draw. My opponent eventually agreed.

37.Rh4+ Kd5 38.Rh5+ Kc4 39.Rh4+ Kb5 40.Ke3 Nxa2 41.Kd2 Nb4 42.c3 Nc6 43.Re4 Rd8+ 44.Kc2 Rg8 45.Re2 Kb6 46.Kb3 Na5+ 47.Kb4 Rg4+ 48.Ka3 Rc4 49.Re6+ Nc6 50.Kb3 Rg4 51.Re2 Na5+ 52.Kb2Nc4+ 53.Kb3 Na5+ 54.Kb2 Nc4+ 55.Kb3 Na5+ 56.Kb2 Nc4+ 57.Kb3 Na5+ Game drawn by repetition

No Getting Around This Wall

Here is the latest Jerome Gambit game from Bill Wall. It is another example of an opponent deciding, if you want me to play that, I won't! As usual, this means that Black exchanges a theoretically won game for one where he is immediately worse...

 Wall,B - Buster
Chess.com, 2011

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

4...Kf8


Declining the Bishop. Buster has already shown in an earlier game against the same opponent (see "The Anti-Bill Wall Gambit") that he has his own ideas about the Jerome Gambit, and they do not include cooperating with White's plans.

5.Qe2

A move that Richard Moody, with his interest in early Queen creeper moves, would fully enjoy.

5...Qf6

The only other example that I have with 4...Kf8 5.Qe2 in The Database continued: 5...d6 6.Nc3 Bg4 7.Bd5 Nd4 8.Qd1 c6 9.0-0 Bxf3 10.gxf3 Qh4 11.d3 Nf6 12.Bxc6 bxc6 13.a3 Kf7 14.b4 Bb6 15.Na4 Qh3 16.c3 Nxf3+ 17.Kh1 Qxh2 checkmate, hinders - pvm, FICS, 2001.

6.Bb3 Nd4

Black has only a tempo (and a misplaced King) for his lost pawn. The text does not look like an efficient use of that "compensation".

7.Nxd4 Bxd4 8.0-0 d6 9.c3 Bb6 10.d3

10...Ke7

Black appears nervous about having his King and Queen on the same file as White's Rook, but expending a tempo to put his monarch further into the center only encourages White to offer a pawn to open lines of attack.

11.d4 Nh6

Black wants no part of something like the pawn grab 11...exd4 12.cxd4 Bxd4 13.Nc3 which could only go horribly wrong after a second helping of pawn: 13...Bxc3 14.bxc3 Qxc3 15.Bb2 and White's position looks like a Danish Gambiteer's dream. 

12.dxe5 Qxe5

Keeping the d-file closed at the cost of having his Kingside pawns broken up.

13.Bxh6 gxh6

14.Nd2 h5 15.Nc4 Bg4 16.Qd3 Qc5 17.e5

17...Raf8

Black's pieces are developed, with pressure on the White King, but it is too late.

18.exd6+ cxd6 19.Rae1+ Kd8 20.Nxd6

This is more than just another pawn captured: it is another line opened against the enemy King.

20...Kc7 21.Re7+ Kb8 22.Rxb7+ Ka8 23.Qe4 Rxf2 24.Rxb6+ Black resigned

The Equalizing Injustice of Chess

Blitz. You can play a refuted opening against an opponent who has out-prepared you. You can make tactical mistakes and fall even further behind in material. You can be a move or two away from being summarily executed. And then you can win.

It's not fair.
 

perrypawnpusher  - dkahnd
blitz, FICS, 2011

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

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

I was pretty sure that I had played my opponent before, but after the game I consulted The Database and found that this was our fourth matchup.

Last year dkahnd had chosen 6...Kf8 against me in perrypawnpusher - dkahnd, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 20).

7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Nf6

dkahnd was taking his time on his moves. He was not going to do anything silly.

10.0-0 Rf8 11.f4 Ng4

Or 11...Rf7 12.f5 Ne5 13.d4 Neg4 as in perrypawnpusher - dkahnd, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 30).

12.Qg3 h5

Varying from 12...Qf6 as in perrypawnpusher - dkahnd, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 37)


I had expected 12...Qh4 like perrypawnpusher - MRBarupal, blitz, FICS, 2010 (0-1, 47).

It appears that in the current game, ...Rh8-f8 was not a preparation for castling-by-hand but a move in support of a Kingside attack!

13.h3

Fritz10 sees this as a tiny improvement over 13.d4, but it would have been nice to be able to answer 13...h4 with 14.Qd3 as I did in perrypawnpusher - lorecai, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 47).

My opponent continued to play slowly, seriously and strongly. 

13...h4 14.Qb3

I had no idea how terrible this move was at the time. Of course, I had no idea how terrible my position had become, too.

After the game Rybka 3 recommended 14.Qe1, when White is barely able to survive Black's attack: 14...Nxf4 15.d4 (instead, 15.hxg4 can be answered by 15...Qf6 and 16...Nxg2) Qf6 16.e5 Nxh3+ (As someone once said: I'm up a piece? Great! Then I have two that I can sacrifice!) 17.gxh3 Qxf1+ 18.Qxf1 Rxf1+ 19.Kxf1 Nh6 20.Kg2 dxe5 21.dxe5 Bd7 22.Nc3 Bc6+ 23.Kf2 Ke7 24.Bxh6 Rf8+ 25.Ke2 gxh6 26.Rg1 Rf3 27.Rg7+ Kf8 28.Rxc7 Rxh3 29.Rh7 Rg3 30.Rxh6 h3.

analysis diagram





With luck, White might be able to grovel himself to a draw... Or not.

14...Nxf4 15.hxg4

Overlooking Black's response. Actually, for a move, Black overlooked his response, too.

15...Bxg4

This is good. As Black discovers a move later, ...Ne2+ is even better.

16.d4

I was still pretty clueless, but Rybka 3 later showed a tortuous route to completing my development: 16.Kh2 Be6 17.Qf3 h3 18.g3 Ng6 19.Qe2 Ne5 20.Rxf8+ Kxf8 21.d4 Bg4 22.Qf2+ Nf3+ 23.Kh1 Kg8 24.Be3 Qe7 25.Nc3 Rf8

analysis diagram







Gruesome, Black is still better. As if I could think as strong or as quick as a computer, anyhow...

16...Ne2+ 17.Kh2 Rxf1

I was now down a Rook. Could my Queenside look any more ridiculous?

My only "hope", such as it was, as my opponent prepared to wrap up the game, was that he had used up a lot of time and was now playing on the increments.

18.Qg8+ Rf8 19.Qxg7 Be6 20.Bg5 Qd7 21.Qg6+ Bf7 22.Qf6

Certainly not the objectively best move, but when your only chance left is an opponent's time error, you go for concrete threats. 

22...Ng3 23.Nc3 Qg4

Zeitnot.

24.Qe7 checkmate

Whew! This game is going to get a lot of in-depth study from me before I try the Jerome Gambit again!

Greed Is Not Good

In a simple Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit game, Black realizes that just as his counter-attack relies on his opponent's greed for success, his own play crashes when he starts looking for "too much."


Ghandy - marlbo
blitz, FICS, 2011

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

The Blackburne Shilling Gambit. White can safely play 4.Nxd4, 4.c3, 4.d3 or 4.0-0 with advantage. He just has to stay away from the complications that come with the greedy 4.Nxe5.

4.Bxf7+

The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit. At best White should only get an even game out of it, but he gets a game where he is attacking, not Black.

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6 6.Qh5

Recommended as best is 6.c3 (see "Crime and Punisher", "Read This Blog" and "Scared to Death" for starters), but the text can stir up some trouble, especially if Black is greedy.

6...Nxc2+

Going after the big fat Rook at a1. Instead, 6...Nf6 led to a complicated, but better game for Black.

7.Kf1 Nxa1

This seems simple and consistent enough, but 7...Nf6 or 7...g6 were the right way to go. In blitz, though, it can be tempting to grab material and then sort it all out later.

8.Qf5+ Kd6

Already Black has to avoid 8...Ke7 9.Qf7+ Kd6 10.Nc4+ Kc5 11.Qd5+ Kb4 12.a3+ Kb3 13.Ne3+Ka4 14.Nc3 checkmate. This kind of finish should be familiar to those who have read "Instant Victory" and "Instant Victory Redux".

9.Nf7+ Black resigned

Black is losing his Queen, and after 9...Ke7 10.Nxd8 Nf6 (not 10...Kxd8 11.Qxf8 checkmate) 11.e5 Kxd8 12.exf6 Black has only a Bishop and a Rook in exchange – and the safety of his Knight on a1 is not assured yet, to boot.

A Day in the Life of the Jerome Gambit

After the quite unusual checkmate that ended niddrieboy's Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game at Chess.com (see "Jerome Pawns Triumphant"), I thought it might be fun to walk through one of his games that readily illustrates the highs and lows, attractions and pitfalls of that offbeat opening.

niddrieboy - paul_kowtun
Chess.com, 2010

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

As Max said in Where the Wild Things Are, "Let the rumpus begin!"

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

The Jerome Variation (see "Jerome Gambit Nomenclature").

7.Qxe5 Qe7 8.Qf4+ Nf6 9.e5

In two 1880 correspondence games against Daniel Jaeger, Alonzo Wheeler Jerome, playing the Black pieces against "his" gambit, continued 9.Nc3 c6 10.d3 d6 11.h3 h6, winning both.

It should be remembered that Jerome did not believe that the gambit won by force, only that it was

a pleasant variation of the Giuoco Piano, which may win or lose according to the skill of the players, but which is capable of affording many new positions and opportunities for heavy blows unexpectedly.

9...Ke8

This looks like Black's original plan was to make room for his Rook at f8, facing off with the White Queen – an idea he subsequently discarded. He would have done well simply to have attacked and won the e-pawn with 9...d6 10.d4 dxe5 11.dxe5 Bd6 12.0-0 Bxe5 when White's pawn and Black's displaced King are not sufficient compensation for White's sacrificed piece.

The second player's judgement is being clouded by the unusual play, something that Jerome Gambiteers love to see.

10.d4 Nd5 11.Qe4 Nf6 12.Qd3 Bb6 13.0-0 Ng8

Black's Knight retires from the field out of either frustration or confusion.

14.c3

Bolstering his center. He might even have tried the aggressive 14.c4.

14...Qf7 15.Be3 d6 16.exd6 Nf6 17.dxc7 Bxc7

Black has cleared his head and decided that it was worth a pawn to get his pieces, especially the Bishop pair, more active. He still has to be careful about his King (that is why 17.Re1 was probably better than 17.dxc7) but dynamic play will give him plenty of chances.

18.Re1 Kd8 19.Bg5 Qh5 20.Bxf6+ gxf6 21.h3

White can see danger ahead, with the two Black Bishops and the White Queen pointed at his Kingside. He may have chosen the text instead of 21.g3 because he could visualize the Black Queen moving (perhaps to g6) and then the Black h-pawn advancing h7-h5-h4, opening up the h-file for the Black Rook...

Nonetheless, Rybka recommends 21.g3 to keep the game in balance.

21...Rg8 22.Re3

Instead, Rybka suggests that both players head toward the endgame, White because it is safer than the middle game and Black because the two Bishops continue to give him the advantage: 22.Kf1 Bf5 23.Qc4 Qg5 24.Qd5+ Kc8 25.Qf3 Qf4 26.Nd2 Qxf3 27.Nxf3 Kd7 28.Rad1 Rae8 29.Rxe8 Rxe8 30.Re1 Bd3+ 31.Kg1 Rxe1+ 32.Nxe1 Be4.

analysis diagram








By simple count, White has 3 pawns for his sacrificed piece, but both Rybka 3 and Fritz 10 value Black's position as being over a pawn ahead. Would niddrieboy have been safer to have chosen this line? Probably.

22...Bf5 23.Qe2

White might have been asking himself How did I ever get into this miserable position?

23...Qg6

As often happens in Jerome Gambit games, Black chooses a good move – and overlooks a great move.

With 23...Rxg2+ he could have smashed White's King's fortress and at the very least created a nasty cramp on White's position with 23.Kf1 Qxe2+ 24.Kxe2 Rg1. If White fell for the Rook with 23.Kxg2 he would face 23...Bxh3 and then he could give up his Queen with 24.Rxh3 Qxe2; be checkmated with 24.Kh1 Be4 25.f4 (ouch!) Rxe2+ 26.Kg1 Qg6+ 27.Rg3 Qxg3+ 28.Kf1 Qg2#; or simply suffer until death with 24.Kg1 Qg5+ 25.Rg3 Bxg3 26.fxg3 Qxg3+, etc.

24.Qf3

White opens his eyes cautiously... I'm still alive! If only I had a magic trick to keep me in the game...

24...Bxb1

Winning a piece and going two pieces up. It's not like Black overlooked 23...Rxg2+ for nothing...

25.Qd5+

When everything is going wrong in the Jerome Gambit, White can turn over his King and think about another game – or he can hang on, giving ground slowly, waiting for any kind of a chance to recover.

Like, for example, 25.Qxb7, instead of the text. After that move White has a draw through repetition by checking Black's King. Of course, the second player can escape this by giving back material (a Bishop with 25...Be4 or a Rook with 25...Qxg2+) but that gives White at least equality, and probably an edge.

25...Kc8 26.Re7

We fight! White's pieces cry. Against a computer, this would be folly, but against a human, even "objectively" won games have to be played out.

26...Bf5

A more effective way out of White's pressure was 26...Rd8 27.Qc4 Rd7 28.Qe6 first, then 28...Bf5.

27.Qf3

It might have been time for the gutsy 27.g4, although Black can give his extra piece back with 27...Bxg4 28.hxg4 Qxg4+ and it will be a battle to see who can checkmate who first.

Now White is in for a bit of suffering.

27...Bd7 28.d5 Bd6 29.Re4 b6 30.Rae1 Be5 31.R1e2 Kb7

Sanctuary!

32.c4 Raf8 33.R2e3 Bd6 34.Rb3 Bxh3 35.Re7+

No doubt this move was seen as a pesky fly that just needed to be swatted away. Clearly Black is about to crush White's Kingside like an eggshell...

35...Bxe7 36.d6+ Kc8

Shooo, fly!

It is true that with 36...Kb8 37.dxe7 Black would have to return a Bishop – but, after all, he had received a Rook for it, so that was no problem. Things can be tied up with 37...Qxg2+ 38.Qxg2 Rxg2+ 39.Kf1 Rg7+ 40.Rxh3 Rxe7 and Black sails off into the sunset with an extra Rook.

Does it make a difference that he played 36...Kc8, instead?

It turns out the answer is YES!


Surprisingly enough, White now has a forced checkmate.

37.Qa8+ Kd7 38.Qb7+

At first glance, it would hardly seem to matter if White checked from b7, or captured a pawn, checking from a7.

It turns out, though, that Black's King can now find a hole in the mating net, one that would have remained closed if White could have played Qxb6+ on his next move. That capture and check would only be reasonable if the pawn on b6 were not supported by the pawn at a7...

After 38.Qxa7+ Kxd6 39.Qxb6+ Kd7 40.Qc5+ Black's King will not escape to the Kingside, and as soon as White's Rook joins the check-fest it will be checkmate.

Alternately, after 38.Qxa7+ Ke6 White's Queen and Rook are deadly on the other side of the board: 39.Qxe7+ Kf5 40.Rf3+ Kg4 41.Qe6+ (more tap-dancing on the light squares) f5 42.Rg3+ and Black's King is doomed.

So, 35.Re7+ was part of a great swindle befitting the Jerome Gambit – but it didn't quite come off. As Maxwell Smart used to say, Missed by that much...

38...Kxd6 39.Rxh3 Qxg2+

White wound up getting the other of the two Bishops for his Rook, but Black now liquidates the situation, showing that even after giving back a Rook, he still holds the advantage.

What is it about the Jerome Gambit that makes its opponents act that way?

40.Qxg2 Rxg2+ 41.Kxg2 Kc5 42.Rxh7 Re8

43.b3

Again, niddrieboy decides to hang on.

This might seem odd to those who glance at the position and think "Up a piece in an edgame? Won for Black." However, the Jerome Gambit player asks himself "Suppose the pawns all come off the board – how hard would it be for Black to win the R + B vs R endgame? How much time does he have on the clock, anyway?"

In this regard, this Rybka-inspired line is interesting: 43.Kf3 Kxc4 44.Rh4+ Kd5 45.Re4 f5 46.Re3 Kd6 47.Kf4 Kd7 48.b3 Bd6+ 49.Kxf5 Rf8+ 50.Ke4 Rxf2 51.a4 Rf4+ 52.Kd5 Rf5+ 53.Kc4 Kc6 54.Re4 a6 55.Re3 Rf4+ 56.Kc3 Bc5 57.Rh3 Bd4+ 58.Kc4 b5+ 59.axb5 axb5+ 60.Kd3 Kc5

analysis diagram





Only a pair of pawns to go... How much time does Black have on the clock??

43...Kb4 44.Rh3 Ka3 45.Kf1 Kxa2

This is beginning to look not-so-good.

46.f4 Rd8 47.Ke2 a5 48.Re3 Bc5 49.Rf3 f5 50.Ke1 Rd4 51.Ke2 Ka3 52.Re3 Rd8 53.Rf3 Kb4 54.Rh3 Re8+ 55.Kd2 Re4 56.Rf3

56...a4 57.Kc2 a3 58.Kb1 Re2 59.Rh3 Bd4 60.Rd3 a2+ White resigned

"White had his chances" – a pretty good footnote to someone playing a "refuted" opening.