I was thumbing through the awesome-looking and greatly-titled 1.d4 – Beat the Guerrillas! A Powerful Repertoire Against Annoying Black Sidelines by Valeri Bronznik when my eyes were drawn to his chapter on the Marshall Defense to 1.d4, that is 1...d5 2.c4 Nf6.
I always get a smile when a "real" chess writer (especially a professional, titled player) makes reference to one of my games (it has happened in Blackmar Diemer Gambit and Latvian Gambit books) or some of my analysis.
His favorable reference to my article "Alexander Alekhine and Marshall’s 1 d4 d5 2 c4 Nf6!?" in Kaissiber #27 (it appeared in both the German language and Italian language editions; and later on in English, online) was an early Christmas present for me.
In this final tale (for the time being) of the "large centre" in the Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit, we see Филидор1792 take on a computer program (a version of Crafty) and battle it successfully, right down to the very end...
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nc3 Nc6 4.Bc4 Bc5 5.Bxf7+
5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 Bd6 8.f4
The "big centre."
8...Neg4 9.e5 Bb4 10.0-0 Bxc3 11.bxc3 Nxh2 12.Kxh2 Nd5
Black has had to give up his wandering Knight, but he remains a piece ahead.
Those who play the Jerome Gambit, however, can see the building blocks of possible future success: an army of pawns to oppose the Knight, Black's uneasy King, and the attacking possibilities for White's Queen and Rooks.
13.Qh5+ g6 14.Qh6 Qg8 15.f5 Ke8 16.f6 Qf7 17.Qg7 Rf8
The "Jerome pawn" chain looks like so much fun, even White's Queen has joined in. But it would be too dangerous for Black to exchange Her Majesty off.
18.c4 Nb6 19.c5 Nc4 20.Rf3 Rg8 21.Bh6 d5
If White were playing a human opponent, I would have written something like It came as something of a surprise that Black could not now play 21...Rxg7 without disadvantage. (I suppose that something "over the horizon" could be a "surprise" to a computer.)
22.exd6 Rxg7 23.Re1+ Kd8 24.fxg7 Bf5 25.Re7 Qxe7 26.g8Q+ Kd7
Филидор1792 is trading tactical blow for tactical blow with Crafty.
His next move, however, allows the computer a chance to draw, while the complicated piece sacrifice (or exchange?) that would come after 27.Qxc4 Qh4+ 28.Kg1 would show his advantage, i.e. 28...Qxh6 29.Qf7+ Kc6 30.Qxc7+ Kd5 31.Qxb7+, but only if he continues to resist capturing the Rook, as 31...Kxd4 32.Qxa8 would allow 32...Qc1+ 33.Kh2 Qh6+ 34.Rh3 Bxh3 and capturing the Black Bishop would allow a perpetual.
The trick for White would be to leave the enemy Rook alone and focus on the enemy King and the remaining "Jerome pawns" with 32.Qb2+.
27.Qxa8 Qh4+ 28.Kg1 Qxd4+ 29.Rf2 Qxc5
This seems greedy to me. Black should be happy to continue checking and score the draw.
30.dxc7 Kxc7 31.Qh8 Kb6 32.c3 Ka6 33.Bg7 Qe7 34.Bd4 Na5 35.Qg8 Be6 36.Qb8 Nc6 37.Qg3 Bc4 38.Rf6 Qe4 39.a3 b6 40.Rf4 Qe2 41.Qh4 Qd2
The game has continued like an epic sword fight in a Douglas Fairbanks movie.
Black's extra pawn may or may not be enough compensation for the lost exchange, and the presence of opposite-colored Bishops makes the position even murkier.
Now White sees a chance to win a pawn and rid the board of the pesky prelates, but he is done in by a Crafty zwischenzug.
42.Bxb6
So that after 42...axb6 43.Rxc4 eases White's task a bit.
Black's response, however, distracts White's Queen, and the tactic fails.
42...g5 43.Qxg5 Kxb6 White resigned
It has to be discouraging to drop a piece for a pawn after all that hard work, and I do not know how much "time" was a factor in the game at this point, but I wonder how "easy" Crafty would have found it to make progress with two pieces vs a Rook and a pawn.
Certainly Black's Bishop can help hold his h-pawn, and the nearness of his King, Knight and Bishop to White's Queenside pawns make White's defense more difficult.
Still, after, say, 44.Qh4 Bd3 45.Qf2+ Qxf2+ 46.Kxf2, it would have been interesting to see this very enjoyable game continue...
Some more wisdom from Филидор1792:
I decided to analyse my idea a bit deeper and would like to share with you the results. Of course it is not sound, but idea of a broad centre is very useful. It works like a tempi generator. If Black understands that he has to give back at least one piece (on f6 for example), he easily gets a better game, but if he tries to save them all, White is winning...
Then I realised that since White is not in a hurry to win back material, he doesn't have to play f4 at once (and close his bishop on c1), but better he should develop Bishop on g5 and only then play f4. I checked this idea and it works. It is much more dangerous than the previous one.
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+
5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 Bd6 8.Bg5
According to The Database, this is a TN.
8...Re8 9.f4 Nc6 10.e5 Bf8 11.0-0 d6
12.exf6 gxf6 13.Qh5+ Kg8 14.d5
A bit sharper was 14.Bxf6, as if 14...Qxf6 White would have 15.Qxe8
14...fxg5 15.dxc6 Be7
Black reinforces his pawn on g5, but it is the f-file that is the issue. Now 16.fxg5 would give White the advantage.
16.Nd5 Be6 17.cxb7 Rb8 18.Nxe7+ Qxe7 19.fxg5 Rxb7
20.Rae1 Qd7 21.g6
This gives White an entrance into the position.
21...h6 22.Rf7 Bxf7 23.gxf7+ Qxf7 24.Rxe8+ Kg7 25.Qg4+ Kh7 26.Qe4+ Qg6 27.Rh8+ Black resigned
With thanks to our Russian correspondent Филидор1792 (Philidor 1792), another of the tales of the "large centre" marches on!
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Nc3 Nf6 5.Bxf7+
5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 Bd6 8.f4
The "large centre" reappears.
8...Nc6 9.e5 Re8 10.0-0 Bb4 11.d5 Bxc3 12.bxc3 Nxe5 13.fxe5 Rxe5
Black has exchanged some pieces and remains a piece ahead.
White decides to toss a pawn to delay his opponent's Queenside development, while he sets his sights on the enemy King.
14.d6 cxd6 15.Bf4 Re6 16.Bg5 Qb6+ 17.Kh1 Kg8 18.Bxf6 Rxf6 19.Rxf6 gxf6 20.Qg4+ Kf8 21.Rf1 d5
22.Qf5 Kg7 23.Qg4+ Kf7 24.Qh5+ Kg7 25.Qg4+ Kf7 26.Qh5+ Ke7 27.Qxh7+ Kd8
28.Qg8+ Kc7 29.Qxd5 Qc6 30.Qd4 b6 31.Rxf6 Qb5 32.Qd6+ Kb7 33.h4
Black has given back three pawns, and here, facing an advancing passer, he lost on time.
In another Jerome Gambit game from Филидор1792 (Philidor 1792; see "Attitude" and "Where Do Ideas Come From?" Part 1 and Part 2)) we see the further exploration of the "big centre" in a rough-and-tumble game where Black defends routinely and White misses a chance to take advantage. The second player then finishes decisively.
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Nc3 Nf6 5.Bxf7+
The Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.
5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 Bd6 8.f4
The "big centre" position.
8...Nc6 9.e5 Re8
As in yesterday's game.
10.0-0 Bb4 11.d5 Bxc3 12.dxc6 Bb4 13.exf6 Qxf6
14.cxb7
Possibly underestimating the fork that he would have after the other capture, 14.cxd7, which would win a piece and give White a small edge.
The text leaves White with two pawns for his sacrificed piece, and allows him to fork Black's two Bishops; but there is a way for the defender to slip out and then counterattack.
14...Bxb7 15.Qxd7+ Re7 16.Qb5 Qb6+ 17.Qxb6 axb6 18.c3 Bc5+ 19.Kh1 Re2 White resigned
Филидор1792 (see "Attitude" and "Where Do Ideas Come From?") has sent me further Jerome Gambit games and ideas.
In "Attitude" I pointed out that "Feeling confident, even when playing a bluff, is essential."
Филидор1792 added "Of course it is important to feel confidence when bluffing, but more important is (I think you know this very well) to make others think you are bluffing, when in fact you are not."
How many times have our opponents looked at our Jerome Gambits and thought "There is nothing to this!" only to resign a dozen or two dozen moves later?
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Nc3 Nf6 5.Bxf7+
The Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.
5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 Bd6 8.f4
8...Nc6 9.e5 Re8
Differing from the previous game's 9...Bb4.
10.0-0 Bb4 11.d5 Nxe5 12.fxe5 Rxe5
Black has deftly returned a piece for two pawns, but he still has an extra one. White must continue to play with force.
13.Bf4 Re8 14.d6 cxd6 15.Nd5 Bc5+ 16.Kh1 Re6 17.Bg5 b6 18.Nxf6 gxf6 19.Rxf6+ Rxf6 20.Bxf6 Qxf6 21.Qd5+ Ke7 22.Qxa8
22...Ba6
Black is eager to show that his two Bishops and open lines are stronger than White's Rook. Unfortunately for him, the move he chooses shows just the opposite.
23.Re1+ Kf7 24.Qe8+ Kg7 25.Re7+ Kh6 26.Rf7 Qd4 27.Qf8+ Kg6 28.Qg8+ Kh6 29.Rxh7 checkmate
A baker's dozen games (about 6% of the total) remain to be completed in the ChessWorld Jerome Gambit Thematic Tournament.
While AsceticKingK9 has taken first place, and a number of other finishing positions have been determined, martind1991 still can place anywhere from 8th to 15th place, depending how his games finish up.
For the time being, at least, Haroldlee123 has pulled off the two top upsets, beating players rated 411 and 329 points above him.
