Not too long ago I posted a Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit game where White missed the opportunity for an early win, as he was not familiar with (or did not figure out) a tactical series that led to checkmate. As repetition is a part of learning, here is another example of a game missing that particular "element", although White was victorious this time, anyhow.
RattyMouse - zlatanibra blitz, FICS, 2012
1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nc6 3.Nf3 Nd4
The Blackburne Shilling Gambit.
4.Bxf7+
The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8 6.Qh5+ Ke7 7.Qf7+ Kd6 8.f4
Here we go: 8.Nc4+ Kc5 9.Qd5+ Kb4 10.a3+ Ka4 11.Nc3 checkmate.
8...Qe7
Missing the defensive 8...c5
9.Nc4+
This is good, but at the "cost" of missing 9.Qd5#.
I hope that you enjoyed yesterday's game. I have brought back the same contestants for a second Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit, played on the same day. Mvskoke has played over a dozen Jerome Gambits this year, and they all are interesting.
Mvskoke - trss blitz, FICS, 2012
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Nc3 Nf6 5.Bxf7+
5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 Bxd4 8.Qxd4 d6
9.f4
More aggressive than yesterday's 9.0-0, although they could transpose.
This is a difficult move to understand. Perhaps it is a mouse slip?
13.Qxd4 c5 14.Qd1 b4 15.Nd5 Nxe4
Black should have been thinking about the vulnerability of his opponent's King, and tried 15...Bxd5 16.exd5 Re8+. Now the advantage shifts to White, and he works to increase it.
I like to consult with a computer program when I prepare games for posting on this blog. Often Rybka or Houdini point out tactical oversights. Sometimes, though, they make recommendations that are terribly esoteric, like in the following game, and I am forced to conclude, once again, that sometimes people don't think like computers...
According to Rybka, this leads to a slight edge for White. The computer recommends 14...Ne5 and a complicated follow up for a small edge for Black.
15.Nd5 Rf8 16.Qb3 Be6 17.Qg3+ Kh7
Stepping into the open is very dangerous.
Rybka's recommendation leaves Black with a Rook and two minor pieces for his Queen and a couple of pawns, which is unclear: 17...Kf7 18.Rxf6+ Qxf6 19.Nxf6 Kxf6 20.Rf1+ Ke7 21.Qg5+ Ke8 22.Rxf8+ Kxf8 23.Qf6+ Bf7 24.Qh8+ Bg8 25.h4 Re8 26.Qh6+ Ke7 27.Qg5+ Kf7 28.Qf5+ Ke7 29.h5 Be6 30.Qf4 Rg8 31.h6.
I am not surprised that Black did not see this "escape". I don't think that regular club players think that way.
Sometimes the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) will lead to a position where White, while still objectively worse, finds it easier to wage an attack, while Black struggles to put up sufficient defense. These practical chances can make the Jerome a fun opening to play.
shugart - chingching blitz, FICS, 2012
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4
This move was originally Alonzo Wheeler Jerome's preference over 6.Qh5+.
6...Bb4+ 7.c3 Bxc3+8.bxc3
Stronger is 8.Nxc3 as in blackburne - Baron wd von Blanc, heart pirate, ChessWorld JG6, 2011 (1-0, 48) and Wall,B - Caynaboos, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 26)
An interesting position. With an extra piece for a pawn, Black has to be better; but, at least at the club level, White has central control and a safer King for compensation that gives him practical chances. Add to that the fact that attacking is often easier than defending and it is not hard to see that the second player falters in this game.
Black has completed castling-by-hand and might very well feel secure, but his last move allows an interesting tactical shot.
18.Rad1
Development and protection of the central pawn mass. Instead, the pesky 18.Ng5 would show that Black's Knight at e7 is not sufficiently protected. Further, the Black Queen can get into trouble herself, as Rybka shows: 18...Qd5 19.c4!? Qxd4 20.e6!? dxe6 21.Bb2
18...Kg8 19.f4 Nd520.Qd3
It was probably okay to grab the exchange with 20.Bxf8.
20...Nxf4 21.Nf6+ Nxf6 22.Rxf4
22...Qe6
Offering the exchange one move too long. Instead, Rybka suggested wandering toward the drawish Bishops-of-opposite-colors endgame with: 22...d6 23.Rxf6 Qxa2 24.Rxf8+ Kxf8 25.Qf3+ Kg8 26.exd6 Be6 27.d5 Bd7 28.c4 Rf8 29.Qg3 cxd6 30.Bxd6 Re8 31.Rc1 Bf5 32.Qf2 Qxf2+ 33.Kxf2 a5
There is an old adage about "not counting your chickens before they are hatched", but with a King and two (connected, passed) pawns against a King in my final game of the second Chess.com "Italian Game" thematic tournament that I am playing in, I would like to consider it to be a full point scored.
That would leave me at 4 - 4 for the first round, possibly good enough for the top 10 finishers, but only third in my 5-player group (of five), from which the top two players advance.
It would probably take something strange, like the top finisher in one of the groups withdrawing (oops, someone did that), for me to have a chance at a few more Jerome Gambits...
In the following game White clearly had his chances. In fact, had he figured out or recalled a particular move (Nc4+) on several occasions, he would have brought the game to an early conclusion, in his favor. Sometimes the risks of blitz cut both ways.
COMTIBoy - elmasgrande blitz, FICS, 2012
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4
The Blackburne Shilling Gambit.
4.Bxf7+
The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit. We have seen COMTIBoy play this before.
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8 6.Qh5+ Ke7
Almost asking to be checkmated.
7.Qf7+ Kd6 8.c3
Leading to an even game. Instead, White had 8.Nc4+ Kc5 9.Qd5+ Kb4 10.a3+ Ka4 11.Nc3#,
8...Nc2+ 9.Kd1 Nxa1
Black cannot resist the bait. He could have escaped to a roughly equal game with 9...Kxe5 10.Kxc2,
10.d4
This leads to an advantage for White, but he overlooks the missing element: 10.Nc4+ Kc6 11.Qd5#.
10...Qf6 11.Qd5+
Or 11.Nc4+ Kc6 12.Qd5#.
11...Ke7 12.f4
Instead, 12.Bg5 wins the Queen.
Now Black's counter-attack crushes, as he is a minor piece and a Rook ahead.
