Ajedrez en Antigua‏

From an email from "Kennedy Kid" Jon, attending Spanish Academy Sevilla in Antigua, Guatemala. No word on Jon playing the Jerome Gambit, but there is hope!

...In addition, the Guatemalan Chess Federation sponsored a Chess tournament today nearby the park. I decided to participate and I did ok. I made a silly blunder my first game and subsequently lost, but I regained my pride by winning the next two. After three games they did some point calculation that I did not understand and decided that I was 6th (out of around 18) and I watched the guy who beat me play a game of speed chess in the final. The games I played were normal games where they added a timer after about 20 minutes of play. I really don´t like speed chess (each person had two minutes) as the guy who beat me was winning handily in the final match but could not get to checkmate before he ran out of time. Anyway, I played (and won) one more game for fun afterwards, ending the day 3-1...

Sense of Danger

As I mentioned in yesterday's post (Sunday Book Review) I have been reading Amatzia Avni's Danger in Chess, subtitled How to Avoid Making Blunders.

When I played through a recent Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit game that reached the following position, I thought about what Avni had written about "when the opponent plays badly in the opening."

comport - mrquestionmark
FICS, 2011

Suppose you play against someone who makes some silly moves, right from the start. He sheds material, or plays not in accordance with development rules, or he makes apparently self-destructive moves... Most chess players, when faced with such an enemy, tend to relax and expect an early success. It is a human trait to count on consistency in behaviour; if our adversary played weakly until now, so we reason, he is likely to demonstrate the same low quality in the following phases of the game as well.

This line of thought is devoid of empirical justification. Our opponent may possess poor openings knowledge, but still be a strong middlegame player. Or he may have deliberately made early provocations to lead us to think that our victory is assured.

Whatever our impression about our rival's level of play, we must stay on guard!

8.Qb3+ Kf8 9.Qf7 checkmate

Sunday Book Review: Surprise in Chess

Surprise in Chess
Amatzia Avni
Cadogan (1998)
softcover, 112 pages
figurine algebraic notation

I have a long-term interest in chess psychology (see "My Chess Psychology Bookshelf" for examples), and I have enjoyed the writings of psychologist and FIDE Master Amatzia Avni, reviewing several (Devious Chess, The Grandmaster's Mind and Practical Chess Psychology: Understanding the Human Factor) of his books.

Surprise in Chess is not a new title (in fact, its publisher, Cadogen Chess, has since morphed into Everyman Chess) but I have been reading it lately (along with its companion, Danger in Chess) to better understand the impact of the Jerome Gambit and its relatives.

Contents
Symbols
Introduction
Surprise in Chess
The Theory of Surprise
The Five Faces of Surprise in Chess
Special Cases of Chess Surprise
More About Surprise in Chess
The Way Players Experience Surprise
Summary
Assorted Surprises
Solutions
Index of Players and Composers

Avni's writing style is aimed toward the average chess player, more conversational, rather than being technical. He has a sense of humor that lifts the more serious discussions (e.g. how can a "logical" game like chess, where "information" about what is happening on the board is equally available to both players, have any surprises?). His examples of surprise help fill out the theory that he outlines.

Jerome Gambit Gemeinde members regularly surprise their opponents, and, adding insult to injury, often seem to know how the player across the board is going to respond, and even what he or she will do next... There is nothing "magical" about what is going on, only the fact that the gambiteer knows something about "The Way Players Experience Surprise".

Two quotes, amongst many, got me thinking

The last four examples provide abundant proof that chess is not always as logical, coherent and ordered as we might like to think...
In a world where pure chess weapons are in the posession of a wide public, nuances in non-chess weapons can make the difference between succcess and failure.
Surprise is such a weapon.

It is well worth the effort to pick up Surprise in Chess from the local public library, or perhaps it sits on your chess club library's shelf. The local bookstore may have a copy. It is certainly available online.
 

Too Clever (or not clever enough) for My Own Good

The following game is mostly the result of preparation and my understanding of a particular line in the Jerome Gambit: my opponent dismissed my chances and fell into a tactical shot that put me a piece ahead. Then I refused to allow him a paltry pawn in return (temporarily) – and I got clobbered! The final position is a wonderful tribute to mconst's creativity and counter-punching!

perrypawnpusher - mconst
blitz, FICS, 2011

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

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

Last year our game continued 6...Kf6, perrypawnpusher - mconst, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 42 ).

7.Qd5+ Kf8 8.Qxc5+ d6 9.Qe3 Nf6

Earlier this year my opponent was successful with the provocative 9...Ne5 in perrypawnpusher - mconst, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 25).

10.0-0 Kf7 11.f4 Re8 12.f5 Rxe4

The same oversight that bnxr made against me earlier this year. 

13.fxg6+ Kxg6

It was better to retreat with 13...Kg8, when White will only be slightly better.

14.Rxf6+ Qxf6 15.Qxe4+

I was hammering out my moves, and, except for all those Queenside pieces still parked in the garage, I was feeling fine.

15...Bf5

Now all that is necessary is for me to see that after 16.Qe3 Bxc2 White can regain the pawn with 17.Na3 Bf5 18.Nb5 and "the rest is a matter of technique".

Some piece development would help, too.

16.Qc4 Rf8

Here 16...Re8 would have been crushing. 

17.Qf1 Qd4+ 18.Qf2

Clueless as to what is coming.

18...Bd3

White resigned

Really nice. Which I could think of such stuff.

Reminds me of a cartoon I used to watch as a kid, when Quickdraw McGraw would say to his sidekick, "I'll do the thin'in' around here, BabaLouie, and don't you forget it!"

Transplant

It can sometimes be helpful to take an idea from opening and apply it to another. This kind of "transplant" must be done carefully, however, and only upon prior examination. In the following game, both Black and White were unaware that they should have rejected the transplant.

Rijndael - krispykurtis
blitz, FICS, 2011

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

The Semi-Italian Opening.

4.Nc3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+

The Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 Bd6

Black transplants an idea from the "fork trick".

After 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+ (the Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit) Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 the idea of 7...Bd6 is playable. In the current game, though, with ...h7-h6 replacing ...Nf8-g6, the idea is trouble.

8.dxe5 Bxe5

This puts the Bishop in danger, as White can follow up with 9.Qh5+ and win it. Black would do best to let the White pawn at e5 go with 8...Bb4.

9.f4

Aha! White also recognizes the transplanted "fork trick" and plays a thematic move for that line of play. The game yorgos - hartingu, FICS, 2009, continued more appropriately, 9.Qh5+ Kf8 10.Qxe5 with advantage to White (1-0, 30).

9...Bxc3+ 10.bxc3

White's compensation for his piece is a pawn, better center control, and open lines against an uneasy enemy King. It is not enough. 

Fortunately, Black continues with ordinary moves, in this case preparing to castle-by-hand.

10...Ne7 11.0-0 Re8 12.f5 Kg8

13.f6

This move appears premature at first glance, as White has only one pieced developed (his Rook) to Black's two. However, the opportunity to break open Black's King's haven should not be missed, and the unfortunate arrangement of Black's King and Rook (available to a pawn fork from f7) is encouraging. With luck, White's open lines will help in the attack.

13...gxf6

Collapsing. After the game Rybka 3 suggested 13...Ng6 14.f7+ Kh7 15.fxe8Q Qxe8 with the edge to White. Fritz 8 suggested, instead, 13...Rf8, but this is met roughly by 14.Bxh6 Rf7 (14...gxh6 15.Qg4+ and mate follows) 15.Bxg7 and then, for example, 15...Ng6 16.Qd5 and White's attack will win material.

14.Qg4+ Kh7 15.Rxf6 Rg8 16.Rxh6 checkmate

Another Day in the Life of the Jerome Gambit

Like the first "Day in the Life of the Jerome Gambit", here is a game "that readily illustrates the highs and lows, attractions and pitfalls of that offbeat opening."


perrypawnpusher - jgknight
blitz, FICS, 2011

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

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

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

10.0-0 Ng4

This move has more behind it than just being annoying. It's been played against me by Riversider, lorecai and pitrisko, but jgknight's follow-up has more potential poison.

11.Qg3 Rf8

The assessment of the position here is that Black is a bit better, but White should read his daily horoscope: As long as White guards the squares e2 and f4 and leaves the square h3 open, he should be okay.

Cryptic? Follow along.

12.h3

Uh-oh...

White should have tried 12.d3, 12.d4, 12.f4 or 12.Nc3.

12...N4e5

Instead, Black had 12...Nf4, protecting the Knight at g4 because of the awakward threatened fork at e2. After 13.Nc3, though, the follow-up 13...Nh5 shows just how bad things have gotten for White. Rybka 3 now recommends giving up the Queen with 14.Qxg4 as "best", as even the more hopeful-looking 14.Qd3 collapses after 14...Ne5, when 15.Qe3 is met by 15...Nf3+ 16.gxf3 Nf4 and White's King is in dire straits.

Oh, if only White's Queen could have escaped to h3 in respnse to 13...Nh5!

Let's continue a bit further in this "Day in the Life". Black does not take advantage of his opportunity, and soon the Jerome Gambiteer is looking pretty good.

13.f4 Nc6 14.f5 Qh4 15.Qe3 Nge5 16.d4 Nc4 17.Qd3 b5

I've seen similar c4-Knights in my games against saltos, VGxdys, parlance and pitrisko. The game is about even.

18.a4 Ba6

Tempting tactical fate.

After the game Rybka 3 suggested 18...Bxf5 19.axb5 N4e5 20.dxe5 Nxe5 21.Qe3 Qxe4 with the game still about even.

19.b3

This made the most sense to me, but Rybka much preferred 19.axb5 Bxb5 20.Nc3 Nb4 21.Qe2 c6 22.Nxb5 cxb5 23.b3 Nxc2 (23...Nb6 24.Qxb5+) 24.Qxc2 Nb6. If you saw that line of play and realized at the end that White is not merely up a pawn, but has great attacking chances (starting with 25.Qc6+), good for you!

19...N4a5 20.axb5 Nb4

Black's Knights are tripping all over each other, but my tactical sense of what is going on fails me even faster than my opponent's does.

21.Qe2 Bb7 22.Rxa5 Bxe4 23.Re1

More direct, and stronger, was 23.Rf4.

23...d5 24.Ba3 Nxc2 25.Bxf8

At first glance it looks like White is a Rook up. But, of course, Black can capture the Rook at e1. Oh, well, that still means that when the Black Knight and White Bishop come off the board, things will still be even, right? Well, not exactly...

25...Nxe1 26.Nd2 Kxf8 27.Nxe4 Qxe4 28.Qxe4 dxe4

What we have here is a messy game that computers analyze as won for Black. In other words, simply another day in the life of the Jerome Gambit...

29.Kf2 Nd3+ 30.Ke3 Re8 31.Rxa7 Nc1 32.Rxc7 Nxb3 33.b6 Na5

And, just like that (almost) White is winning (again).

Well, at least according to Rybka 3.

34.Rc5

I was looking for a draw here, and so I was paying more attention to capturing Black's pawn on e4 than I was to promoting my b-pawn.

The trick to understanding the position is to realize that Black's pieces are all tied down. His King is confined to the 8th rank. His Rook has to stay on the e-file and protect the pawn at e4. His Knight dare not wander, as White can try b6-b7 and Rc7-c8 as soon as possible.

Black can play with his pawns on the Kingside, but when those moves run out, he will be faced with trouble. In the meantime, White's d-pawn can advance as well...

So, White's best was 34.b7 simply adding to Black's misery. Rybka 3 suggests 34...Nxb7, but after 35.Rxb7 the Rook-and-pawns endgame is strongly in White's favor: extra pawn, passed d-pawn, Black's weak e-pawn.

34...Nb7 35.Re5 Rxe5

My opponent pretty much acknowledged with his play here that I would like to escape into a drawn end game, and he goes along with my play. Little did he (or I) realize that this move again gives me winning chances.

36.dxe5 Nc5

37.b7

Going along with the same plan that my opponent was going along with which was my plan... which was wrong. 

It was late in this day in the life of the Jerome Gambit, and I missed the simple 37.Kd4, nudging away Black's protecting Knight and finally allowing me to play 38.Kxe4.
37...Nxb7 38.Kxe4 Ke7

Here the "Jerome pawns" offset Black's extra Knight, and we go through the motions of exchanging everything off.

39.g4 Nc5+ 40.Kd4 Nd7 41.g5 Nf8 42.h4 g6 43.Ke4 gxf5+ 44.Kxf5 Ng6 45.h5 Nf8 46.g6 hxg6+ 47.hxg6 Nxg6 48.Kxg6 Ke6 49.Kg7 Kxe5 Neither player has mating material, Drawn

Theoretical Vision

Apparently guided by a vision of one of the more striking refutations of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) my opponent hammered out his strong 8th and 9th moves. He seemed a bit unsure about his 10th move, however, and with his 11th – the position was quite complicated – he sealed the game. 

perrypawnpusher - mikelars
blitz, FICS, 2011

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

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

perrypawnpusher - mikelars, blitz, 2010 (1-0, 26) and perrypawnpusher - mikelars, blitz, 2011 (1-0, 50) continued 6...Ng6.

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Qh4+ 9.g3 Nf3+

It is hard to imagine that my opponent got to this position from the Nibs Defense without some knowledge beforehand – it is a lot to figure out in a blitz game. Perhaps he saw my post on the line from a month earlier?

10.Kf1 Nxh2+ 11.Kg2 Nf6

Forgetting something...

12.gxh4 Black resigned

Care to bet that next time he will get it right and grab the full point? I'm thinking: YES.