Powerful Like a Storm

When the creative and indomitable Danish Grandmaster Bent Larsen wrote "A Personal Approach to the Openings" for the wonderful How To Open A Chess Game, he began the chapter by recalling that when he was 9 he found a chess book that inspired him, even if, he admitted, the text was 20 years old and the chess ideas of the author at least three times that aged. Larsen remembered an inspiring quote  

The Jerome Gambit is powerful like a storm; nobody can tame it. Nothing shows more clearly the lack of greatness in the chess professions of today than the fact that none of them have the courage to play the Jerome Gambit...

Oh, no, wait a minute, I got that wrong: the author was writing about the King's Gambit, not the Jerome...

perrypawnpusher  - badhorsey
blitz, FICS, 2011

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf6

Shades of my game against Navarrra (see "Over").

7.Qf5+ Ke7 8.Qxe5+ Kf8

Staying out of further trouble.

9.Qxc5+ d6 10.Qe3 Nf6

White is two pawns up, with the safer King.

11.0-0 Qe7 12.Nc3 c5 13.d3 Kf7 14.b3

My opponent was using up a lot of thinking time on each move, so I decided to develop conservatively (using a formation that I borrowed from the b3 Sicilian) – to stay away from something bright, sharp, brilliant and wrong.

14...Rf8 15.Bb2 Kg8 16.Rae1 b6 17.f4 Ng4

Black has castled-by-hand, and with the exception of his Bishop (which I had expected to go to b7) his developement has progressed as well. The text move shows the irresistible temptation (which should, nonetheless, be resisted) to harass the Queen.

18.Qg3 Bd7 19.Nd5

From this point on, White's game becomes scarier and scarier (for Black).

19...Qd8 20.h3 Nf6 21.Nxf6+ Rxf6 22.Bxf6 Qxf6 23.e5 Qe6 24.f5 Qd5 25.e6 Bc6 26.f6

Those "Jerome pawns"!

26...g6 27.f7+ Kf8 28.e7+ Kg7 29.f8Q+ Rxf8 30.exf8Q checkmate

Boring

Coming to this game right after a painful loss (see "Done in by Greed") I felt comfortable, but I was in no mood to risk anything. This led to a certain level of "boring" in my play.

perrypawnpusher - Olito
blitz, FICS, 2011


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+ Ng6

This position has been good to me previously: 14 wins and 2 draws.

8.Qd5+ Ke8 9.Qxc5 d6 10.Qe3 Qf6

11.Nc3 c6 12.f4 Bd7 13.f5 Ne5

The same old dance. White has been creeping toward equality, and this gives him a boost.

14.d4 Nc4 15.Qd3 Nb6 16.Bf4 Ne7 17.Rae1 Kf7

It is understandable that Black's King no longer wants to be on the e-file, but there is too much going on on the f-file for it to be safe there, either.

After the game Rybka 3 suggested a way for Black to reach a pawn-down endgame that might have been preferrable: 17...Nbc8 18.e5 dxe5 19.Bxe5 Bxf5 20.Rxf5 Qxf5 21.Qxf5 Nxf5 22.Bxg7+ Kf7 23.Bxh8 Ncd6 24.Be5 Nc4 25.Rf1 Kg6 26.Ne2 Nxe5 27.dxe5 Re8 28.Nf4+ Kg5 29.Nd3 b6

18.g4

Protecting the f-pawn so that the e-pawn can advance. Stronger was 18.Bg3.

18...g5

This is a rash move which should have been strongly met by 19.e5, as Black has no good answer: to start, 19...dxe5 is met by 20.Bxe5.

My response, opening the f-file, returns the game almost to even.

19.fxg6+ Qxg6 20.Be5+ Ke8

Black, at least temporarily, forgets that he is a  piece up, and can afford to return some material: 20...Kg8 21.Bxh8 Qxg4+ 22.Kh1 Kxh8 followed by 23...Rg8 and his two pieces are at least a match for White's Rook and pawn.

21.Bxh8 Qxg4+ 22.Kh1 Ng6 23.Bf6

Readers with good tactical vision probably saw the strength in 23.e5, instead, as 23...dxe5 (23...Nxh8 24.exd6+ is crushing) 24.Bxe5 allowed the Bishop to return unharmed.

After the text White is up the exchange and a pawn, and my timid brain began to yell "that is enough, it is time to consolidate!" instead of the more appropriate (for the board, although perhaps not for me at the time) "Black's Queen Knight and Rook are still offside, it is time to attack!"

23...Nf4 24.Qg3 Qxg3 25.hxg3 Ne6 26.e5 d5 27.Ne2 Nc4 28.b3 Na3

White's extra pawn is now passed and protected. As soon as he takes care of that annoying enemy Knight, he can get down to the "technique" that it takes to win.

Yawn.

29.c3 Nc2 30.Rb1 Ne3 31.Rf3 Ng4 32.Nf4 Kf7 33.Nxe6 Kxe6 34.Rbf1 Be8

35.Bg7 h5 36.Kg2 Bg6 37.b4

Both my opponent and I missed a tactic here, which I finally saw at move 40.

37...b5 38.a3 a5 39.Bf8 Ra7 40.Rf6+

40...Nxf6 41.Rxf6+ Kd7 42.Rxg6 Ra8

 43.Bc5

I was still on auto-pilot, which is a pity, as 43.e6+ was a super move, since it has both mating net and pawn promotion threats.

43...Rh8 44.bxa5 h4 45.a6 h3+ 46.Kh2 Ra8 47.a7 Rh8 48.Rg7+ Ke6 49.Rb7

I had my winnning idea worked out, but sharp-eyed readers probably noticed that 49.g4 instead sets up a mating net. 

49...Kf5 50.Rb8 Rh6 51.a8Q Ke4 52.Rf8 Kd3 53.Rf6 Rh5 54.Qxc6 Kxc3 55.Qxb5 Rg5 56.Rf3+ Kd2 57.Qb2+ Ke1 58.Bb4+ Kd1 59.Rf1 checkmate

Sunday Book Review: Catalog of Chess Mistakes

Catalog of Chess Mistakes
Andy Soltis
David McKay (1979)
softcover, 213 pages
English descriptive notation

Grandmaster Andy Soltis' "Chess to Enjoy" column in the monthly Chess Life magazine has been one of the most popular features with readers for decades. Soltis writes well, and he knows what he readers want to see.

Catalog of Chess Mistakes is one of the author's older titles, written when he was still an International Master. Yet, it is worth a look (or another look) as it fits in well with several titles that I have touched on over the last few weeks: Why You Lose At Chess, Danger in Chess and Surprise in Chess.

Soltis starts right out annoying traditionalists
If you are like me, you have already started giggling.

Chess is a game of bad moves. It it, in fact, the game that most depends on error. No game has a greater variety of ways of going wrong or gives you as many opportunities – dozens on every move. Other games depend heavily on chance or on the mastery of some relatively limited skills. But a chess game is decided by the failings of one of the players.

Yet we refuse to recognize this. We like to think the game is a battle between good moves and better moves. When we win, we tell ourselves – and anyhone who will listen – that the critical difference was our fine maneuvering, our positional cunning, or our tactical ingenuity. When we lose, well, it was a stupid mistake – as if errors were an abberation, an extraordinary accident. Mistakes can only be messy, ugly, and disruptieve, we say.

Soltis is only warming up

The masters know better. They know that a well-played game is not an error-free game. There are errors of varying magnitudes, and each game is sure to hold some small mistakes. "Chess is the struggle against error," said Johanned Zukertort, one of the greatest players of the last century. Victory belongs to the player who struggles best – not just against an opponent, but against himself.

The author lays out his targets in each chapter: Tactical Errors, Mistakes with Pieces, Calculation and Miscalculation, Positioinal Errors, Strategic Errors, Your Attitude Is Your Error, Practical Mistakes and Errors with Material.

He encourages players to examine their own games, asking
1) What kind of error is it?
2) How serious would the error be if punished?
3) When was the error made?
4) What was the status of the game when you comitted the error?
5) How were your errors spaced?

Once you've developed this Error Profile you'll know, in short, what part of your game you need to work on away from the tournament hall and what to watch out for when you are at the board. Self-awareness is the name of the game.

My only concern is that it remains in English Descriptive Notation (e.g. 1.P-K4) which may be annoying to some players and incomprehensible to younger ones. Still, it's worth the effort!
Catalog of Chess Mistakes is an engaging, humorous, enjoyable book; its examples are well-drawn from games and players strong and not-so-strong; read it, and you will begin shedding some of your more memorable mistakes.

Trick or Treat / Sing Along

From Jerome Gambit Gemeinde Member Bill Wall:

Rick,


After reading your doom and gloom article, I wanted to play the same variation, but got a different one with 6...Bxd4 instead of 6...Bb4. But instead of doom and gloom, it was Trick or Treat as I tricked my opponent with some exchanges, including the Queens, and was treated with a win in 21 moves.

Wall,B - Bersekergang
blitz 10 0, FICS, 2011


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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bxd4

7.Qxd4 Qf6

As old as the unfinished correspondence game, Alonzo Jerome - D.P. Norton, 1876.

8.Qc5 Qd6

For some very odd reason, this game reminds me of the Blue Man Group music video, featuring Dave Matthews; I imagine the song referred to was titled "d6".

9.Qxd6 cxd6

10.0-0 Nf6 11.Nc3 a6 12.Rd1 Ke7 13.b3 b5 14.Ba3 Nf7 15.e5 Ne8

16.exd6+ Nexd6 17.Ne4 Bb7 18.Nxd6 Nxd6 19.Rxd6 Kd8 20.Rad1

20...Bc6

A slip, no doubt leaving Bersekergang feeling, well, blue.

21.Rxc6 Black resigned

Over

I noticed in preparing yesterday's game (see "Done in by Greed") that I had overlooked the following one. Here it is, without too much over-compensation in terms of notes and references...

perrypawnpusher - Navarrra
blitz, FICS, 2011

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

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

7.Qf5+ Ke7

Probably a shocked response, as it returns two pieces.

8.Qxe5+ Kf7

Both possible King moves are equal, but the text gives Black an opportunity to go wrong if he is careless, as opposed to playing 8...Kf8 directly.

9.Qd5+

There is, of course, nothing wrong with the direct 9.Qxc5.

9... Kg6

Here is some of that aforementioned carelessness, though. The King wanders away from home and into danger.

Instead, perrypawnpusher - Leontes, FICS, 2009 continued 10... Qe7 11. Qxe7+, when Black resigned, acknowledging the uphill fight in a Queenless middlegame, 2 pawns down.

10.Qf5+ Kh6 11.d4+ g5

12.Qxc5 d6 13.Qc3 Qe7 14.Qe3 Bf5

An oversight that does not help.

15. exf5 Qxe3+ 16. Bxe3 Nf6

With Queens off of the board, it appears that Black's King is out of danger – but at a cost.

17.h4 Kg7 18.hxg5 Nd5 19.Nc3 Nxc3 20.bxc3 Rae8

Those nasty "Jerome pawns" – all 8 of them.

21.Kd2 b5  22. f6+ Kf7 23.Rh6 a6 24.Rah1 c6 25.Rxh7+ Rxh7 26.Rxh7+ Ke6

Black resigned, in light of 27.f7 Rc7 28.Rg7 Rf8 29.g6 d5 Rg8

Done in by Greed

The following game was a tense, balanced affair, travelling through known territory for a dozen moves and on into a balanced middle game. When I went pawn-grabbing with my Queen, however, my opponent struck back hard, eventually checkmating me.

Lesson?

perrypawnpusher - ZhekaR
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 Nf6

The Database shows that mrjoker has a win, a loss, and a draw against 8...Qe7.

9.Nc3

Or 9.d3, which can traspose to the game.

9...Qe7 10.Qe3 d6

11.0-0 Be6

Black has many alternatives, including: 11...b6 as in perrypawnpusher - Navarrra, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 24) [Hmmm, I don't think that I have posted this game yet - RK]; 11...Rf8 as in mrjoker - rex3, CC, 2009 (1-0, 50), perrypawnpusher - MRBarupal, blitz, FICS, 2010 (0-1, 31), perrypawnpusher - parlance, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 20) and perrypawnpusher - chingching, blitz, FICS, 2011 (½-½, 36); 11...Ne5 as in perrypawnpusher - mikelars, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 50); and 11...Kd7 as in perrypawnpusher - parlance, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 22).

12.f4 Bc4

Earlier this year I faced 12...Kd7 in perrypawnpusher - Solaar, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 33).

13.d3 Ba6

14.Bd2 b6 15.Rae1 Kd7 16.Qh3+ Kd8 17.Nd5

Planning to use the opened e-file for my Rook, but 17.e5 was probably a better idea.

17...Nxd5 18.exd5 Qd7 19.Qg3 Qf5

The game is about even, as White has two pawns, better development, and a safer King as compensation for his sacrificed piece.

20.c4 Re8 21.Rxe8+ Kxe8 22.Re1+ Kd7 23.Qe3 Rf8 24.g3 c5 25.dxc6+

After the game Rybka 3 suggested instead 25.b4 cxb4 26.Bxb4.

25...Kxc6 26.Bc3 Rf7 27.Qe8+ Qd7 28.Qe4+ Kc7 29.Qa8

A fool's errand. That pawn on a7 will turn out to be very, very expensive.

29...Bb7

This is good enough for advantage, but 29...Nxf4 was already crushing (i.e. 30.gxf4 Qg4+, etc.).

30.Qxa7

The only chance to keep on playing lay with 30.Qe8.

30...Qc6

Again, good; but, again 30...Nxf4 was much stronger.

31.Re4 Re7 32.Bd4 Rxe4 33.dxe4 Ne7 34.b4 Nc8 35.Qa3 Qxe4 36.Qb2 Qe1 checkmated

Wow. Nice work by ZhekaR to punish my pawn-grabbing!

Gloom and Doom

Although I have occasionally been accused of having the demeanor of Mr. Rogers on muscle relaxants, I do have times when I am serious, or even downright gloomy – take the "Update: 8...Qf6" post, for example.

Here is another cautionary tale.

Teterow - geneve
lightning, FICS, 2011

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4

This move, rather than 6.Qh5+, was originally Alonzo Wheeler Jerome's preference.

6...Bb4+

This is an odd move, but it reflects an inconvenient fact, that Black has many ways of dealing with the Jerome Gambit, including choosing which piece(s) he wants to return – and in what way.

The move deserves a look, if only because it has been played by dismissive humans ("sure, why not?") and calculating computers.

7.c3 Qh4

How's that for a kick in the head? Just when you were saying to yourself, "Well, at least he didn't play 6...Qh4!?"

By the way, as long as I am mentioning 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf6+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Qh4, it is necessary to correct and update some of what I wrote in "A Pie-in-the-Face Variation" about a year and a half ago.

Today The Database contains 167 games with the 6.d4 Qh4 line. That's 26 games less than I thought that I had in November 2009, but perhaps that is a result of subsequently cleaning up my databases.

Also, 50 of the current games – about 30% of the 6.d4 Qh4 line – are now human-vs-human encounters, as opposed to only 8 (4%) in the original post. White's scoring has dropped from 50% to 29% amongst humans, which is in the right direction, but it is the ridiculously high 74% for all of the games in The Database. (Again, that is the impact of computer-vs-computer games largely selected by the source for White wins.)

8.cxb4

The dynamics of the current position are very similar to that of the position without 6...Bb4+ 7.c3. What that means is that White's best move here after 7...Qh4 has to be 8.0-0. Rybka 3, given 5 minutes per move in "blunder check" mode, further suggested 8...Nc6 9.cxb4 Qxe4 10.b5 Nce7 11.Re1 Qf5 12.Re3 Qxb5 13.Nc3 Qb6 14.Qh5+ Qg6 15.Qc5 b6 16.Qxc7 Qc6 17.Qe5 d6 18.Qg5 h6 when Black has an edge (about 3/4 of a pawn).

analysis diagram







I am not convinced that this is the best path for Black to take, however.

If I were playing the defense, after 6...Bb4+ 7.c3 Qh4 8.0-0. I would prefer the as-yet-unplayed 8...Ng4, answering 9.h3 with 9...Be7. Perhaps Rybka downgrades this line a bit because White can exchange Queens with 10.Qxg4.

Anyhow, the text move is very dangerous and Black takes charge.

8...Qxe4+ 9.Qe2

A bit better is 9.Kf1, covering the g2 pawn, but after 9...Qd3+ 10.Qe2 Qxe2+ 11.Kxe2 Nc6 Black is clearly better in an uncomplicated game. As it it, the game transposes into this line.

9...Qxe2+ 10.Kxe2 Nc6

11.Rd1 Nxb4 12.Na3 Nf6 13.Re1 Re8+ 14.Kf1 Rxe1+ 15.Kxe1 d5

16.Be3 Bf5 17.Nb5 c6 18.Nc3

A final slip. 

18...Nc2+ 19.Ke2 Nxa1 Black resigned

Looks like there is more work to be done on the 6...Bb4+ variation. With wins in The Database by Jerome Gambit Gemeinde members Darrenshome, HauntedKnight, jfhumphrey, stretto, Teterow, yorgos and, of course, Bill Wall – there is plenty of hope.