Battle Again

My introduction to MRBarupal was rather ubrupt: he beat my Jerome Gambit three straight times.

Since then we had met once more, and I had scored my first win.

Today's game is my second.

perrypawnpusher - MRBarupal
blitz, FICS, 2011

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Kf8

This is Sorensen's Variation, a solid defense and a change from the games MRBarupal and I had previously played, all of which had continued 5...Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3.

6.Nxc6 dxc6

I was surprised to see that Rybka 3 prefer 6...bxc6 by the tiniest bit, even though it allows 7.d4. Alonzo Wheeler Jerome is on record as preferring 6...dxc6.

7.d3

7.0-0 as in Jerome - Brownson, Iowa, USA, 1875 (1/2-1/2, 29) is probably more accurate, as it is clear that White will be castling Kingside, but it is not totally clear (depending on Black's development) that the first player has to completely forego d2-d4.

That said, after 7.0-0 Nf6 White may respond with 8.d3 (better than 8.e5 of Norton - Hallock, corr 1877), which would simply be a transposition to this game.

7...Nf6

I have had mixed success against 7...Qf6: perrypawnpusher - fortytwooz, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 29); perrypawnpusher - Lark, FICS, 2011, (1-0, 12); and perrypawnpusher - Jore, FICS, 2011, (0-1, 16).

8.0-0 Bg4

A slower game came about after 8...h6 9.Be3 Qe7 10.d4 Bb6 11.f3 Kg8 12.Nc3 Kh7 13.Qd3 g6 in perrypawnpusher - vladchess, blitz, FICS, 2011, (½-½, 46).

9.Qe1

Black's Bishops are really annoying! It was beginning to feel like my "nemesis" was taking over the game again.

9...Qe8

Instead, 9...Qe7 was seen in Lowe - Parker, corr, 1879 (1-0, 37)

10.Be3 Bd6

10...Qe7 and 10...Bb6 are slightly better alternatives, mostly because they prove to be less complicated than the text.

11.f4 Nh5

Instead, after the game Rybka 3 suggested that it was time to return the piece for three pawns: 11...Nxe4 12.dxe4 Qxe4 13.Nc3 Qxc2

analysis diagram









Here Black is a pawn up, but the uncertain placement of his King and the open lines against it give White sufficient counterplay to call the game even.

The text allows White's "Jerome pawns" to advance with malice.

12.e5 Be7 13.f5

Black resigned

I admit that I was a bit surprised at my opponent's decision, as in the past he had shown some strong tactical chops in messy situations.

It is true that after 13...Qf7 14.Nd2 Bxf5 15.g4 g6 16.gxf5 gxf5 material is even and Black's f-pawn is hanging, but after 17.Qf2 Rg8+ 18.Kh1 Qd5+ 19.Ne4 Ng7 it still has not fallen and after 20.Qg3 Ke8 21.c4 Qf7 22.Bh6 Ne6 23.Rxf5 Rxg3 24.Rxf7 Kxf7 25.hxg3 Rd8 it doesn't look like the extra pawn for White will account for much, at least according to Rybka 3 and Fritz 8.

Perhaps events off of the chess board accounted for his need to leave.

Still Worth Knowing

Side lines are not played as often as main lines, but it can be helpful to know how to play against (and punish) certain wanderings-away, as this can be a pleasant (and often quick) way to score points.

sainik - glaucokoltz
blitz, FICS, 2011

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.c3

This move is a decent alternative to the routine 4.0-0 in the Semi-Italian opening, one that shows up in 226 games in The Database and scores 69% for White.

4...Na5

I first covered this move when it appeared against 4.0-0 in "A Line of Play Everyone Should Know About"; and later in "Bully" and "A Hot Rocket to Oblivion". Currently The Database contains only 10 games with the 4.0-0 Na5 line, but 9 of them were won by White.

For the record, the fourth move alternative 4.Nc3 Na5 shows up in 49 games in The Database, with White scoring 86%; and 4.d3 Na5 shows up in 34 games, with White scoring 71%.

As for 4.c3 Na5, as in the current game, that shows up in The Database 88 times, with White scoring 88%.

5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Ke8

Black's best defense is 6...Ke6, but after 7.Qh5 his prospects are gloomy. Two possibilites: 7...Nf6 8.Qf5+ Ke7 9.Ng6+ Kf7 10.Nxh8 Kg8 11.Qxa5 Kxh8 and Black is down two pawns (although his King is safe); and 7...g5 8.d4 Nf6 (8...Qe7 9.Qg4+ Kd6 10.Ng6 followed by 11.Qf5) 9.Qf7+ Kd6 10.Ng6 Rh7 11.e5+ Kc6 12.Qxf6+, etc.

7.Qh5+ Ke7 8.Ng6+ Kf6 9.e5+

This wins, as does 9.Qf5#.

9...Ke6 Black resigned

Nadir 2.0

I have finally played a Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) that is so bad that I will not even bother to share it with readers (something that has not happened for over 1,000 days). Far beyond the simple reversal of move orders, as in Friday's game against Cibola, it contained a flock of inexplicable errors – topped off with mouse-slip that lost the Queen... There is no need for me to take a vacation, as when "a case of the stupids" struck before, though: from now on, such games will go directly into The Database, and the time that I would have spent analyzing and preparing the disaster for posting here will be spent on either more historical research into the Jerome Gambit or on assembling information for my forthcoming book, The Worst Chess Opening Ever: The Jerome Gambit in Black and White. 

We now return you to regularly scheduled posting.

The Long and Winding Road

The following game takes its time getting where it's going. In fact, it probably could have taken even longer, if my opponent had not forseen the future and decided to stop travelling.

perrypawnpusher - VGxdys
blitz, FICS, 2011

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

The Semi-Italian Opening.

4.O-O Bc5 5.Bxf7+

The Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.Qh5+ Ng6 8.Qd5+

Interestingly, Rybka 3 (at a depth of 20 ply) sees this "nudge" as 1/2 pawn better than the immediate capture, 8.Qxc5.

8...Ke8 9.Qxc5 d6 10.Qe3 Nf6

A standard Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit position, although Black has also played 10...Qf6 in perrypawnpusher - saltos, blitz FICS 2009 (1-0, 28); 10...Ne5 in perrypawnpusher - Kotimatka, blitz FICS, 2009 (1-0, 21) and perrypawnpusher - Eferio, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 24); 10...Qe7 in perrypawnpusher - Macgregr, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 23); and 10...N8e7 in perrypawnpusher - apinheiro, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 59), perrypawnpusher - VGxdys, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 32) and perrypawnpusher - apinheiro, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 25).

11.f4

Or 11.d4 and then 12.f4 as in perrypawnpusher - KenWhitaker, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 27).

11...Kf8

Taking the King off of the dangerous e-file, if temporarily putting him on the dangerous f-file. Black's plan is to castle-by-hand, with the King ending up on h7. Instead a center strike with 11...Qe7 12.d3 d5 occurred in perrypawnpusher - LeifPetersen, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 30).

12.f5 Ne5 13.d4 Nc4

It was probably safer to play 13...Nf7, but who can resist harassing the Queen?

14.Qd3 b5

Oddly similar to our earlier game, referred to above.

15.b3 Nb6 16.Nc3 Kg8 17.Qxb5 a6 18.Qe2 Kh7

White has grabbed a Queenside pawn while Black has castled-by-hand on the Kingside. The game is about even.

19.e5 dxe5 20.dxe5 Nfd5 21.Bb2

Good enough, although with White's forces focusing on the f6 square, 21.Ne4 would have been even better.

21...Re8 22.Rad1 Qg5

This was Black's idea, attacking White's King.

25.Rd2 a5 26.Qf2 Ba6 27.Rfd1 Rad8 28.Rxd8 Rxd8 29.Rxd8 Qxd8

30.Qd4 Qg5 31.e6 Bb7 32.Qf2 Be4 33.f6 gxf6 34.Bxf6 Qc1+

The game has taken on some of the annoying aspects of the typical Jerome Gambit Bishops-of-opposite-colors endgame. Still, I was willing to exchange Queens and try my luck. Too, exchanging Queens was Black's best chance.

35.Qf1 Qe3+ 36.Kh1 Bxc2 37.e7 Bd3

A slip, which should have been punished by 38.e8/Q, winning the Bishop.

38.Qg1 Qe6 39.Bh4 Qf7

40.Qe1 Bb5 41.Qe4+ Kg7

Another slip: White can now check the King and win the Bishop.

My opponent seems to have been a bit too comfortable with his assessment of the endgame as drawish. That made two of us.

42.Qg4+ Kh7 43.Qe4+ Kg8 44.h3

A small idea, but a useful one. With the back-rank checkmate prevented, my Queen can wander more successfully, not just limiting herself to offeres to exchange or checks on the enemy King.

44...Bd7 45.Kh2 Qe8

White's e-pawn is effectively blockaded, his Queenside pawns will not produce a passer on their own, and creating one on the Kingside will expose the White King to plenty of attacks. A win for for me, if it is there, is a long way down the road.

46.Qc4+ Kh7 47.Qxc7 Black resigned

With my King safe, however, my pawns do not have to do it on their own. The Queen will soon pick off Black's a-pawn, and then White's Queenside pawns will begin to advance and assert themselves.

My opponent decided that there was no need to let things go that far.

23.Nxd5 Nxd5 24.Rxd5 Bb7

Ouch Chess

The Database has over 1,350 games by DragonTail. It would have even more if it included games where Black played ...Be7 instead of ...Bc5.

DragonTail - REDEF
blitz, FICS, 2011

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

The Semi-Italian Opening.

4.Bxf7+

Why even wait for Black to play ...Bc5?

4...Kxf7 5.d4 d6 6.dxe5 Nxe5

Played without much consideration. The Black d-pawn is pinned.

7.Nxe5+ Ke8 8.Qh5+ Black resigned

Ouch!

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