Regicide

Although the Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit leads to play that is "objectively" even, Black's King often suffers the consequences of a defender's mis-step.

Clydeco - chaparov
standard, FICS, 2012

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 

The Blackburne Shilling Gambit.

4.Bxf7+

The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6 6.c3 Kxe5 7.cxd4+ Ke6 

Black wisely decides not to feast upon any pawns. He has had a couple uncomfortable past experiences: 7...Kxe4 8.Qg4+ Kd5 9.Nc3+ Kc6 10.d5+ Kd6 (10...Kb6 11.0-0 Nf6 12.Qd4+ Bc5 13.Na4+ Ka6 14.Nxc5+ Kb5 15.a4+ Ka5 16.d3 b5 17.b4+ Kb6 18.a5 checkmate, Dropshot - chaparov, standard, FICS, 2011)11.d4 Ke7 12.Bg5+ Nf6 13.0-0-0 Kf7 14.Qf4 h6 15.Bxf6 Qxf6 16.Qxc7 Bd6 17.Qc4 b5 18.Nxb5 Ba6 19.Nxd6+ Qxd6 20.Qb3 Rhc8+ 21.Kb1 Bc4 22.Qf3+ Kg8 23.Rhe1 Bxd5 24.Qh5 Bf7 25.Qa5 Qxh2 26.g4 Qxf2 27.g5 Qc2+ 28.Ka1 h5 29.Rf1 Bg6 30.Qd5+ Kh7 31.Qxd7 Rf8 32.Rh1 Rf2 33.Qb7 Re8 34.d5 Ree2 35.Rb1 Qa4 36.Qc6 Bxb1 37.Rxh5+ Kg8 38.Qxa4 Bxa2 39.Qe8+ Rf8 40.Kxa2 Rexe8 41.d6 Rd8 42.g6 Rf5 43.Rxf5 Rxd6 44.Rf7 Rxg6 45.Rxa7 Kh7 46.Ra3 Kh6 47.Rh3+ Kg5 48.b4 Kf5 49.Rf3+ Ke4 50.Rf8 Rb6 51.Kb3 g5 52.Ka4 g4 53.Ka5 Rb7 54.Rg8 g3 55.b5 Kf4 56.Ka6 Rf7 57.b6 Kf3 58.b7 g2 59.b8Q Rf6+ 60.Ka7 Rf7+ 61.Ka8 Kf2 62.Qh2 Kf1 63.Rxg2 Ke1 64.Kb8 Rf8+ 65.Kc7 Rf7+ 66.Kd8 Rf8+ 67.Ke7 Rf1 68.Qe5+ Kd1 69.Qa1 checkmate, Truntin - chaparov, blitz, FICS, 2012.

8.Nc3 Bb4

A casual move that brings much misfortune.

Previously played: 8...Kf7 9.Qh5+ (9.Qb3+ Ke8 10.d3 c6 11.0-0 d6 12.Bf4 Qf6 13.Ne2 Qe6 14.d5 cxd5 15.Nd4 Qf6 16.Qb5+ Kf7 17.Qxd5+ Kg6 18.e5 Qxf4 19.Ne6 Bxe6 20.Qxe6+ Kh5 21.Rae1 Black forfeited on time, papernoose - nuum, FICS, 2004) g6 10.Qf3+ Qf6 11.Qd3 Bg7 12.e5 Qa6 13.Qf3+ Ke8 14.d3 Ne7 15.0-0 Rf8 16.Qh3 h5 17.Qg3 d6 18.Bg5 dxe5 19.Bxe7 Kxe7 20.Nd5+ Kd8 21.dxe5 Bf5 22.e6 Qd6 23.e7+ Ke8 24.exf8Q+ Bxf8 25.Nxc7+ Kd7 26.Nxa8 Qxg3 27.fxg3 Bc5+ 28.d4 Bxd4+ 29.Kh1 Bxb2 30.Rab1 Bxb1 31.Rxb1 Ba3 32.Rxb7+ Kc6 33.Rxa7 Bc5 34.Rg7 Kb5 35.Rxg6 h4 36.gxh4 Kc4 37.Rg5 Be3 38.Rg3 Bf4 39.Rg4 Kd5 40.Rxf4 Kc6 41.h5 Kd6 42.h6 Ke6 43.h7 Ke5 44.Rf7 Ke6 45.h8Q Kxf7 46.g4 Ke6 47.g5 Kf7 White ran out of time and Black had no material to mate, draw, Randompl - Steftcho, FICS, 2012

9.Qb3+ 

The obvious move for White, but is there more for him than just a piece? He decides to find out.

9...Kf6 10.Nd5+ Kg6 11.Nf4+ Kg5

Where the King wanders matters: 11...Kf6 was necessary to keep Black's losses to only the Bishop on b4. Now the King himself is lost.

12.Qf7 Qf6 13.Qd5+ Kxf4 14.Ke2 Qg6 15.d3+ Kg4 16.h3+ Kh4 17.g3+ Qxg3 18.fxg3+ Kxg3 19.Qg5 checkmate

The Database - Updated

Although it still needs a bit of polishing, The Database has been updated through February 2013.

The Database is a free PGN database of  nearly 29,000 Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 4.Bxf7+), and Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.0-0/4.Nc3/4.d3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+) games; as well as games following the so-far-unnamed order 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Na5 4.Bxf7+. 

A good number of the games in The Database are either Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambits (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+) or Semi-Italian Four Knight Jerome Gambits (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.0-0/4.Nc3 Nf6 5.Nc3 / 5.0-0 Bc5 6.Bxf7+)

If you are interested, email me at richardfkennedy@hotmail.com.

What will it take?

Playing over Bill Wall's latest Jerome Gambit, I broke out in song...*

I mean, it's tough to beat Mr. Wall. 

Okay, sometimes he gives an opponent a chance by giving "Jerome Gambit odds". 

And what if, on top of that, he had a terrible mouse slip?

And then - he wins the game, anyhow?

I mean, what does it take?

Wall,B - Guest2208830
PlayChess.com, 2013

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 7.Qf5+? 

The mouse slip, although it is not a "TN", as The Database contains Bogsnes - exactemente, blitz, FICS, 2011 (0-1, 7) . Of course, the correct move is 7.Qxe5

7...Qf6 8.Nc3 Qxf5 9.exf5 Nf6 10.d3 d5 11.Bg5 c6 12.O-O-O Bxf5

Black captures the wrong pawn (he should have played 12...Bxf2) but his position still looks great. It simply isn't the right time to revert to choosing "second (or third, or fourth) best" moves.

13.d4 Bxd4 14.Rxd4 Nf7 15.Be3 a6 16.Rb4 b5 17.Rf4 Be6 18.Re1 

Threatening 19.Bc5+ and 20.Rxe6 

18...Re8 19.Rf3 Ke7 20.Bd4 Ng5 21.Rg3 Nge4  

22.Rxg7+ Kd6 23.f3 Nxc3 24.Be5+ Kc5 25.Bxf6 Nxa2+ 26.Kb1 Nb4 27.Re7 Rxe7 28. Bxe7+ Kc4 

It will not take much more... for White to score the point.

 29.Rxe6 c5 30.Bf6

Threatening 31.b3 mate

30...d4 31. Bxh8 Black resigned

*Mister Bill

(based on "Mister Blue", words and music by Tom Paxton deranged by Rick Kennedy)

Good morning Mister Bill, we've gathered quite a fill.
The evidence is clear, that you've been scheming.
You like to steal a point and terrorize the joint.
You like to brutalize our chessic dreaming.
What will it take, to whip you into line?
An offered piece?
A fumbled Knight?
It can be arranged.
It can be arranged.

Step softly Mister Bill, we know that danger is a thrill.
We know just where your mad attack will take you.
You've got a loss to fill, and fulfill it, yes, you will.
You'll learn to turn your King, or we'll soon make you.
Oh, what will it take, to whip you into line?
A bad mouse-slip?
A case of shaken nerves?
It can be arranged.
It can be arranged.

Be careful Mister Bill this phase that you're in, still,
Can lead you nowhere else, but to disaster.
Excuse us while we grin, you've worn our patience thin.
It's time to show you just who is your master.
What will it take, to whip you into -- What?
You threaten mate?
Please take my Rook?
It can be arranged.
It can be arranged.

Don't worry Mister Bill, you're in for one more thrill.
Just think of it as lightning and thunder.
But can we think again, oh, did we think again,
Or have we just performed a foolish blunder?
What did it take, to trip and take a fall?
A grevious pride?
A swelled-up head?
It seems it was arranged.
It seems it was arranged.

Do Not Get Caught With This

There is an interesting discussion on the Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 4.Bxf7+) at Caissa's Web, starting off with the suggestion Do not get caught with this...

Slimmest of Margins

In the following Jerome Gambit game, my client responded with a defense that is usually handled well by White (68% across 75 games in The Database; 86% for me in 7 games), although the attacker has the slimmest of margins to play with.

I took up the challenge and ground my opponent down, although the game ended in severe time trouble for both of us.

perrypawnpusher - Dubnobase
blitz, FICS, 2013

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 

7.Qxe5 Bxf2+ 8.Kxf2 Qf6+ 9.Qxf6+ Nxf6 

In a bit of psychological judo, Black has returned the sacrificed material, with interest. True, he no longer has a "won game," but he puts forth to White the proposition: win with the extra pawn, not a bashi-bazouk attack.

Fair enough.

10.Nc3 Rf8 11.Rf1 Kg7 12.Kg1 d6 13.d3 Bd7

14.Bg5 Ng4 15.h3 Ne5 16.Rxf8 Rxf8 17.Rf1 a5

Black takes it too easy, and drops the exchange.

18.Bh6+ Kxh6 19.Rxf8 Nc6 20.Nb5 Nb4 21.Nxc7 Nxc2 22.Nd5 Ne1 23.d4 Nc2 24.e5 dxe5 25.dxe5 Be6 

26.Nf6 Bxa2 27.Rh8 Nd4 28.Rxh7+ Kg5 29.Rxb7 Nc6 30.Ng4 a4 31.Kf2 Bb3 

Absent the clock, the position is promising for White.

32.Ke3 Kf5 33.Rb5 Ke6 34.g3 Ne7 35.h4 Nf5+ 36.Kf4 Nd4 37.Rb6+ Kf7 38.Ke4 Ne6 

39.Ne3 Nc5+ 40.Kd4 Ne6+ 41.Kd3 Nc5+ 42.Ke2 Ne4 43.Kf3 Nc5 44.g4 Nd3 45.e6+ Ke7 

Both my opponent and I missed the fact that the e-pawn could be captured. We did not have much time to move, less time to think. I concentrated on avoiding blunders.

46.h5 gxh5 47.gxh5 Nxb2 48.Kf4 Nd3+ 49.Kg5 Black forfeited on time

With enough time, Black could play 49...Bxe6, but after 50.h6 the Rook pawn will not be stopped: a) 50...Bg8 51.Rb7+ Ke8 52.Rg7 chasing the Bishop away and allowing the pawn to Queen; b) 50...Ne5 51.Nf5+ Kd7 52.h7 Nf7+ 53.Kf6 and Black's Knight can not hold up the pawn for long; or c) 50...Ne5 51.Nf5+ Bxf5 52.Kxf5 Nf7 53.h7 and again the pawn will get through. 

Complicated

In the third round of the Chess.com Italian Game Thematic tournament I was only able to play one Jerome Gambit. It turned out to be a complicated affair, but I was able to bring home the point.

perrypawnpusher - wuolong
Italian Game Thematic
Chess.com, 2013

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 Bxd4 

My opponent was not going to let me use anything that I had learned from watching Philidor1792 explore the 7...Bd6 line.

8.Qxd4 d6 9.Bg5 h6 

An earlier game of mine had continued 9...Nc6 10.Qd3 Re8 11.0-0 Kg8, perrypawnpusher - Philidork, blitz, FICS,2010 (1-0,17).

I planned to castle Queenside this time, an idea that I got from  Wall, Bill - Stayshot, Chess.com, 2010, which somehow has not made its way onto this blog until now (although it is in The Database): 9...Rf8 10.0-0-0 c6 11.f4 Ng6 12.e5 h6 13.exf6 hxg5 14.fxg5 gxf6 15.Ne4 fxg5 16.Rhf1+ Kg8 17.Nf6+ Kh8 18.Ne8+ Kg8 19.Qg7 checkmate

It turns out that Alonzo Wheeler Jerome played 0-0-0 in various Jerome Gambit lines, the first being Jerome - Brownson, Iowa, 1875 (1-0, 43). It does not look like that game has made it to this blog, either: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Qf6 9.fxe5+ Qxe5 10.Qf3 Nf6 11.d3 Ke7 12.Nc3 d6 13.Bf4 Qe6 14.0-0-0 Qg4 15.Qf1 g5 16.Bg3 Be3+ 17.Kb1 Bf4 18.Bf2 c5 19.h3 Qh5 20.h4 Be6 21.hxg5 Qxg5 22.Bh4 Qg4 23.Nd5+ Bxd5 24.exd5 Rae8 25.d4 Bg5 26.Bxg5 Qxg5 27.dxc5 dxc5 28.Qb5 b6 29.d6+ Kf7 30.Rhf1 Kg7 31.Qc6 Rhf8 32.a3 Rd8 33.g4 Nxg4 34.Qc7+ Kg8 35.Rxf8+ Rxf8 36.Qxa7 Qd8 37.Qa4 Ne5 38.Qe4 Ng6 39.Qe6+ Rf7 40.d7 Nf8 41.Qe8 Qxd7 42.Rxd7 Rxd7 43.Qb8 Black resigned

10.Bh4 Be6 11.O-O-O Qe7 12.f4 Nc6 13.Qe3 Qf8 

Black takes his Queen off of the d8-h4 diagonal, while keeping it on the a3-f8 diagonal. It is not a bad move, but it got me thinking that it was time to advance in the center.

White has three choices: f4-f5; Bxf6 followed by f4-f5; or e4-e5.

14.e5 Ng4

I expected this Knight challenge, as neither my opponent nor I thought that 14...dxe5 was playable. It turns out that Black can respond either 15.Qb4 or 15.Ng4 with a slight edge.

Still, I had prepared a surprise for my opponent.

15.Qe4 dxe5 

Perhaps expecting 16.fxe5, which is well-met by 16...Qb4, when White will simply be worse after the exchange of Queens, or will not have enough of an attack after 17.Rf1+ Kg8.

16.f5

Now, two of Black's pieces are hanging, and White will be better.

Black resigned, which may have been in response to his surprise, or frustration with his failed plan. 

Yet, after the necessary 16...Kg8, and the reasonable 17.fxe6, he could have tried 17...Qf4+, 18.Kb1 Qxe4 19.Nxe4 Re8 as White's advanced passed pawn on e6 will not prove very strong. In fact, it might be best for White to trade it off directly with 20.Rc7 Rxe6 21.Rxc7, when Black will have his own passed pawn on e5, even if he subsequently loses another pawn (say, the one at b7). White might have an edge, but not a large one...

A Gimme

One nice thing about the Jerome Gambit is that your opponent can make what at first quick glance might appear to be a reasonable move - and wind up giving the game to you.

Whether you consider the following game a "gift" or a "grab", it seems to be win number 201 for Bill Wall in The Database.  

Wall,B - Guest876397
playchess.com, 2013

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 Nf6? 

Develop  a third piece, attack the Queen. What's the problem?

8.Qxe5+ Kf7 9.Qxc5 Nxe4?

Making things even worse.

10.Qd5+ 

Here Black, about to be down a piece and a pawn, resigned in Wall, B - Meinherr, Chess.com, 2010

10...Kf8 11.Qxe4 Qh4+

Or 11...d5 as in Wall, B - Dani, Chess.com,  2010 (1-0, 20).

12.g3 Qg4 

13.b3 c6 14.Ba3+ Kf7

Threatening ...Re8

15.Qe7+ Kg6

Already: 15...Kg8?? 16.Qf8 checkmate

16.Qd6+ Kf7 17.Nc3 Re8+ 18.Kf2 b5 

 19.Rae1 Re6 20.Rxe6 Qxe6 21.Qf8+ Kg6 22.g4 

Threatening 23.f5

22...Qf6  23.Qe8+ Qf7

Or 23...Kh6 24.Qh5 checkmate

24.f5+ Black resigned

Black loses his Queen with 24...Kh6 or 24...Kg5; or falls to 24...Kf6 Ne4 checkmate.