Even in the Most Respectable of Settings

These days, the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), or one of its relatives, seems to show up all over the place, even in the most respectable of settings.

For example, consider the analysis of the Giuoco Piano from Yury V. Bukayev, at the Bruno's Chess Problem of the Day site, with a new, in-depth look at  1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d3 d6 6.Bg5!?

There is a lot to look at in the article, and I recommend it to those who play, or play against, the Giuoco Piano.

As a side note, the author took time to point out to me the following line, which he referred to (after 6...Bd7) as "the Jerome-Jerome exchange": 7.Nbd2 Na5 8.Bxf7+ Kxf7 9.b4 Bxf2+ 10.Kxf2 Nc6, an extremely rare tactical combination, he mentioned.

(I suspect that the "Jerome-Jerome exchange" may be rare in serious or well-played chess, but I cannot help mentioning that there are about 550 games in The Database with Bxf7+ for White and ...Bxf2+ for Black. Still that is only about 2% of the games in The Database, so I guess that is pretty rare, even among Jerome Gambits.)

Contempt?!

If two chess players are equally matched and have fought hard in a game against each other, a draw might be a reasonable outcome.

If opponents in a game differ greatly in their strengths, the weaker player might be quite satisfied to split the point, while the stronger player might be unwilling to do so, except as a last resort.

Chess-playing programs have to take this into account: given that most of their opponents will be weaker than them, how ready should they be to accept a draw? It would be the height of absurdity if a human could open a game, for example, with 1.e4 and an offer of a draw – and the computer, seeing itself as worse off (even slightly, Black's fate) would agree to cease hostilities...

Programming a level of resistance to accepting draws is called setting its "contempt" level. Set it high enough, and the computer will play on, down a Rook or a Queen. That's contempt!

Recently I found myself away from home, staying in a hotel. While checking my email on the available computer, I noticed that it had the Chess Titans program. Time, I thought, for a quick Jerome Gambit game!

I've posted a Chess Titans game in the past (see "Artificial Ignorance" Parts 1 and 2) and the silicon beast appeared to be the perfect foil for such an offbeat gambit.

Kennedy - Chess Titans
casual game, 2011

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+

The Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5 Nxe5 7.d4 Bb4

See "Casually" for my most recent game against this line, or  "Coffee Break" for a fuller treatment. As the titles suggest, Black's defense is not the most strenuous.

8.dxe5 Bxc3+ 9.bxc3 Nxe4 10.Qd5+

10...Kg6 11.Qxe4+ Kf7

White has recovered his sacrificed material, but his pawn advantage is almost meaningless. He has to use the open lines against Black's King.

12.Qd5+

Hoping to drive the King back.

12...Kg6 13.Qe4+

At this point I was not interested in forcing a draw by a three-fold repetition of position; I was simply curious as to how the computer would see things.

13...Kh5

Wow, no draw now!

That's serious contempt.

14.Qf5+ Kh4 15.g3 checkmate

Sunday Tournament Update

There is an old caution that If you strike the King, you must kill him. Anything less than a terminal blow will allow the monarch to strike back...

Two weeks ago I reported that the player leading the ChessWorld Jerome Gambit Thematic Tournament, AsceticKingK9, had suffered his first and only loss, on time; and that in his remaining two games, he was past the time limit, so his opponent could claim wins there, too.

A look at the ChessWorld site today indicates that AsceticKingK9 is back at the board and playing, again, giving the possibility of him finishing the tournament with 27 points in 28 games. 

Second place has already been wrapped up by mckenna215, with 23.5 points in 28 games.

Rikiki00 continues to creep forward in the race for third, fourth and fifth place, now having 17.5 points in 25 games. He is hoping to bypass Knight32 with 18.5 points out of 28 games and Braken  with 18.5 points out of 27 games. 

Patient Development

Here is an interesting game from the Chess.com "Kentucky Opening" (Jerome Gambit 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) tournament mentioned a couple of days ago. It shows that White's patient development, with a little bit of help from Black, can yield acceptable results.



 Topper76- mrdenetop
Chess.com, 2011

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 Qf6

One of many reasonable ways to meet the Jerome Gambit, based on the idea of returning one of the two sacrificed pieces.

8.Rf1 g6 9.Qh3+ Ke7 10.Nc3

Houdini sees as a bit better, still leading to an advantage for Black, a slightly different move order: 10.fxe5 Qxe5 11.Qf3 Nf6 12.Nc3 c6 13.Ne2 Rf8 14.d4 Bxd4 15.Bf4 Qxe4 16.Qxe4+ Nxe4 17.Nxd4 g5 18.Be3 Rxf1+ 19.Kxf1 d5

10...c6 11.fxe5 Qxe5 12.d3

A bit stronger, according to Houdini, was the interesting 12.d4, i.e. 12...Bxd4 13.Bf4 Qe6 14.Qf3 Bg7 15.0-0-0 Ke8 when Black is still for choice.

The basis of hope for White is clearly seen after the text, though, in Black's lagging development and centralized King.

12...d5 13.Qh4+ Ke8 14.Bf4 Qe6 15.0-0-0 d4 16.Qf2 b5 17.Kb1 Bb6

Small inexactitudes on Black's part have brought the game to about even. The second player must be careful, as he is still undeveloped and his King is still at risk. 

18.Ne2 c5

Houdini takes a long look at a way for Black to keep the game even: 18...Nf6 19.h3 Nd7 20.Nxd4 Qf7 21.e5 Qd5 22.Be3 Bxd4 23.Bxd4 Qe6 24.Be3 Bb7 25.Rde1 Rf8 26.Qh4 Rxf1 27.Rxf1 h5 28.g4 c5 29.gxh5 gxh5 30.Qxh5+ Kd8 31.Rf7 Bd5 32.Bg5+ Kc7 33.Re7 Bxa2+ 34.Kc1

19.Bg5 Ne7 20.Nf4 Qf7

Black's extra material does him no good, parked in the garage.

21.Qe2 Qg7 22.Nd5 Bd8

A final (un-developing) slip.

23.Nf6+ Black resigned

A Look At A Rare Beast

The Jerome Gambit is not a drawish opening. Only 3% of the Jerome Gambit games in The Database are draws. Only 3 of the completed games in the current ChessWorld Jerome Gambit Thematic Tournament have been drawn. It would seem, therefore, that splitting the point would be difficult, but the following game argues against that: White sacrifices a piece, Black gives it back, they draw. Q.E.D.

Rikiki00 - shm19cs
ChessWorld, Jerome Gambit Thematic Tournament, 2011

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

4...Kxf7 5.d3

One of the "modern" (non 5.Nxe5) Jerome Gambit lines.

5...h6 6.0-0 d6 7.Nc3 Bg4 8.h3 Bh5 9.Be3 Nd4 10.Bxd4 Bxd4 11.Nxe5+ Bxe5 12.Qxh5+

White has grabbed a second pawn as partial compensation for his sacrificed piece.

12...g6 13.Qf3+ Kg7 14.Rad1 c5 15.Nd5 Qd7 16.c3 Rf8 17.Qe3 Nf6 18.Nxf6 Rxf6

A slip that forces Black to return the piece.

19.f4 Rhf8 20.fxe5 Rxf1+ 21.Rxf1 Rxf1+ 22.Kxf1 dxe5

White's extra pawn does not mean a lot.

23.Ke2 b6 24.Qf3 a5 25.Qg3 Qe6 26.b3 b5 27.Ke3 Qd6 28.Qg4 b4 29.cxb4 axb4 30.Qe2 Qd4+ 31.Kf3 Kf6 32.Qc2 draw

My Old Kentucky... Opening

Anyone familiar with the Kentucky Derby horse race has heard Stephen Foster's "My Old Kentucky Home", its official song.

Many chess players familiar with the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) know that it was referred to by Joseph Henry Blackburne as "The Kentucky Opening".

Blackburne's reference is a bit obscure, but less so since the advent of this blog: see "The Kentucky Opening" parts 1, 2, 3, 4 and "The Kentucky / Danvers Opening".

In any event, I recently stumbled upon a Kentucky Opening /Jerome Gambit tournament played at Chess.com. The tournament is interesting in a number of respects, not the least of which is the winner, GazzaT, was rated 2468.

So, in addition to monthly samplings from FICS, and the games from the ongoing ChessWorld Jerome Gambit Thematic Tournament, I now have Chess.com games to share with readers!

That is a lot to be thankful for.

One More Thing...

As an addendum to yesterday's post (see "Do Not Wander Too Far From Home"), when considering a risky line (for Black) in the Jerome-ized Italian Gambit, White, too, must make the right move.

augmented - MAHG
standard, FICS, 2011

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

4...Kxf7 5.d4 Nxd4 6.Nxe5+ Ke6

The same adventurous stroll as in Darrenshome - WildErmine, blitz, FICS, 2006.

7.Bf4

The direct route to the finish line is 7.Qg4+, as we saw yesterday.

7...d6

Instead, backing the King away with 7...Ke7, or preparing for that move with 7...Nf6, each let Black keep his advantage.

Now White can checkmate.

8.Qg4+ Ke7

8...Kf6 9.Bg5+ Kxe5 10.f4+ Kxe4 11.Nc3+ Ke3 12.f5+ Qxg5 13.Qxg5#

9.Qxg7+ Ke8 10.Qf7 checkmate