1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ ...and related lines
(risky/nonrisky lines, tactics & psychology for fast, exciting play)
Monday, August 26, 2013
Fight Back!
In the following game my opponent was not intimidated by the Jerome Gambit - in fact, he fought back ferociously. The game was a bit of a street brawl for a while, but, in the end, the "Jerome pawns" saved the day for me.
perrypawnpusher - truxtrux
blitz, FICS, 2013
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6
The Semi-Italian Opening.
4.0-0 Nf6 5.Nc3 Bc5
The Semi-Italian Four Knights Game.
6.Bxf7+
The Semi-Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.
6...Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ Nxe5 8.d4 Nf3+
9.gxf3
When I played my move, I kept thinking that I ought to be able to play 9.Qxf3, but I wasn't sure why. Later, I looked the move up, and, sure enough, it had done well for me (if 9...Bxd4 then 10.Nb5) in AlonzoJerome - HenryV, blitz, ICC, 2011 (1-0, 33) and perrypawnpusher - TijsH, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 37).
9...Bb6
A bit stronger is 9...Bb4, althought I did okay against it in perrypawnpusher - AirmanLeonidas, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 18).
10.f4
After the game Houdini preferred 10.e5 Nh7 11.d5 Re8 12.f4 Kg8, with Black a bit better (King has castled-by-hand, has a piece for two pawns).
10...d5 11.e5 Bh3
There is no question what is on Black's mind.
12.Re1
After the game, Houdini showed a preference for 12.exf6 Bxf1 13.fxg7 Rg8 14.Qh5+ (I had not thought of this in my calculations; it prevents ...Qh4) Kxg7 15.Kxf1 Bxd4, still with an edge for Black.
12...Ng4 13.Qf3 Qh4 14.Be3
A bit better is 14.Qxd5+ first. For this reason, Black should play ...c6.
14...Nxe3 15.fxe3 g5
Too brash, but very understandable: Black intends to wipe my King off of the board.
16.f5
Taking the pawn (with discovered check) was stronger, but I was shaking in my boots and wanted the position as closed as possible.
16...g4 17.Qf4
Instead, 17.Qxd5+ Kf8 18.Qe4 likely would give White the slightly better game, due to the imposing "Jerome pawns".
17...Rhg8 18.e6+ Kf6
This gives White too much help. After 18...Kf8 19.Nxd5 I would have had only a small advantage.
19.Qe5+ Kg5 20.Qf4+
Nerves, and an eye on the clock. Instead, 20.Nxd5 Raf8 21.f6+ Kg6 22.e7 Rxf6 23.e8Q+ Rxe8 24.Qxe8+ and White benefits from the curious situation of Black's King and Queen, e.g. 25...Kg7 26.Qe7+ Kg6 27.Nf4+ as Houdini later pointed out.
20...Kh5 21.Ne2 g3 22.Nxg3+ Rxg3+ 23.hxg3 Qxf4 24.gxf4 Rg8+
Black has two Bishops (and the initiative) for for a Rook and 3 pawns, but probably 24...Bxf5 was the way to go.
25.Kh2
Wrong way, this only draws. Instead, 25.Kf2 Bxf5 26.e7 Re8 27.Rg1 Be4 28.Rg7 looks like the way to advantage for White.
Both of us were looking at our clocks now, however.
25...Kh4
This gave me the time to infiltrate my Rook into Black's position, and the game shifted permanently.
After 25...Bxf5 26.Rg1 Re8 27.Rg3 Rxe6 28.Rh1 Be4 29.Rhg1 Bf5 30.Kg2 Be4+ 31.Kf2 Kh4 32.Rg4+ Kh5 33.R4g3 Houdini could not find a way for White to make progress.
26.Rg1 Rxg1 27.Rxg1 Bxf5 28.e7 Bd7 29.Rg8
29...c6 30.e8Q Bxe8 31.Rxe8
White is up only the exchange and a pawn, but Black has too many weaknesses, and the rest of the game, albeit, played short of time, is not hard to understand.
31...c5 32.c3 cxd4 33.cxd4 Bc7 34.Re7 Bd6 35.Rxb7 h5 36.Rxa7 Kg4 37.Rd7 Bb8 38.Rxd5 h4 39.a4 h3 40.a5 Kf3 41.Kxh3 Kxe3 42.a6 Kxf4 43.Ra5 Ke4 44.a7 Bxa7 45.Rxa7 Kxd4
46.Rb7 Kc5 47.Kg3 Kc6 48.Rb3 Kc5 49.Rf3 Kc4 50.Kf2 Kd4 51.Ke2 Ke4 52.Rh3 Kd4 53.Kd2 Kc4 54.b3+ Kb4 55.Kc2 Ka5 56.Rh4 Kb5 57.Kc3 Kc5 58.b4+ Kb5 59.Rh5+ Ka4 60.Kc4
Yes, 60.Ra5 would have been checkmate.
60...Ka3 61.b5 Ka4 62.b6 Ka3 63.b7 Kb2 64.b8Q+ Kc1 65.Rh2
At this point my opponent had more than 3 minutes on his clock, but he elected to forfeits on time.
Hats off to truxtrux for a fighting game!
Saturday, August 24, 2013
Swan Song
Having reached an advantageous position in my game against MarkHundleby1 (defending against an Evans Gambit) in the Italian Game tournament at Chess.com - only to drop a rook in a one-move blunder - I find myself in a two-way battle for last place in the fourth and final round. Still, if I win our remaining game, I can take 3rd place - not a terrible outcome, as my rating is 3rd highest among the players.
So, of course, the Jerome Gambit is in order, as I have the white pieces.
Curiously enough, after 11 moves our game resembles my battle against Navarrra from a couple of years ago - although dedicated Readers who wish to see that particular skirmish will be frustrated by the fact that most of my references to the game erroniously link to an earlier (by two weeks), different game with the same opponent. (Note to self: please fix.)
My most accurate reference to the relevant Navarrra game can be found in "Done In By Greed":
[Hmmm, I don't think that I have posted this game yet - RK]
Thursday, August 22, 2013
Quick Update on Another Update
A few months ago (see "Take your chance when you get it...") I took at look at recent play in Whistler's Defense to the Jerome Gambit - 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Qe7!?.
With the new batch of games in the Database (see "Updating") I wondered what, if anything, was new. I found two games that reminded me of the old adage "It isn't a blunder until it's refuted".
Here is a quick look.
IagainstI - kingphilippineda,
blitz, FICS, 2013
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Qe7
8.Qxh8 Qxe4+ 9.Kf1 Qc4+
Instead, markinchrist - Gurucool, blitz, FICS, 2013, continued
9...Qxc2 10.Qxh7+ Kf6 11.Qh4+ Kg7 12.Nc3 Qd3+ 13.Kg1 d6 14.g3 (throwing away the advantage; 14.b3 followed by 15.Bb2 keeps it) Bd7 15.b4 (the idea here doesn't work) Bd4 16.Bb2 Bc6 17.Na4 Bxb2 18.Nxb2 Qf3 19.Qd4+ Nf6 20.Kf1 Qxh1+ here Black forfeited by disconnection in a winning position
10.d3 Qxc2
White pursues the wrong goal, gaining material instead of attacking White's King - and protecting his own.
11.Qxh7+ Kf8 12.Bh6+ Nxh6 13.Qxh6+ Kf7 14.Qf4+ Ke8 15.Nd2 Qxd3+ 16.Kg1 Bd6 17.Re1+ Kd8 Black resigned
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Updating
Yesterday's post reminded me that The Database only has FICS games through February of this year, so last night I downloaded Jerome Gambit and Jerome-ish games through July 2013.
It will take a while to vet the collection, as I like to be sure I catch all the transpositions, and am always on the lookout for strange moves - so I tend to play over each game.
New games will appear periodically, and I will make the updated Database available as soon as possible.
Sunday, August 18, 2013
Better Than Even
I have been playing over the FICS games of chessmanjeff that appear in The Database in 2012 and 2013. In 33 games - there must be more by now, as The Database is current mostly through February 2013 - his score is a bit better than even, which is pretty good for a disreputable opening with many refutations. I was drawn to two draws that ended thusly:
![]() |
chessmanjeff - flexomat, blitz, FICS, 2013 |
![]() |
chessmanjeff - gniKssehC, blitz, FICS, 2013 |
In the first, Black ran out of time and White had no material to mate. In the second, White ran out of time and Black had no material to mate. The "equalizing injustice of chess" and all that.
Somehow, it was encouraging to see the following position - familiar to everyone in the Jerome Gambit Gemeinde, but apparently not to all defenders - with Black, to move, resigning.
![]() |
chessmanjeff - xxNexus, blitz, FICS, 2013 |
Friday, August 16, 2013
Chess Marches On (Again)
I was wandering through The Database again, enjoying how the theory of the Jerome Gambit and its relatives has developed over the years, when I ran into the following position from dusanmunja - valud, blitz, FICS, 2013
It had again been reached through a nameless opening variation that had been Jerome-ized: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Na5 4.Bxf7+ (or 4.Nxe5) Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8 6.Qh5+ Ke7 7.Ng6+ Kf6
A search of The Database showed that this position had been reached twice before, both leading to wins for White.
First was JakartaGuy - SwoopingCrane, standard, FICS, 2005 which continued 8.Nxh8 g5 9.d4 h6 10.Qf3+ Kg7 11.Ng6 d5 12.Ne5 Nf6 13.Nc3 Bb4 14.0-0 Bxc3 15.bxc3 dxe4 16.Qe3 Qd6 17.f3 c5 18.fxe4 cxd4 19.cxd4 Nc6 20.Nxc6 bxc6 21.e5 Qd5 22.exf6+ Kf7 23.Qe7+ Kg8 24.Qg7 checkmate
The second was chessforce - bbrom, blitz, FICS, 2010, which concluded more swiftly 8.Nxh8 g6 9.Qxa5 Black resigned
Of course, dusanmunja, in this year's game, was able to improve upon the play of both of his predecessors (Chess marches on!) by playing 8.Qf5 checkmate.
8.Qf5# 1-0
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
Stuck in the Middle
White's attack on Black's King is a standard theme in the Jerome Gambit. Sometimes it is deadly to be stuck in the middle.
Wall, Bill - Schichua, Stephen
FICS, 2013
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8
7.Qxe5 d6
Bill has faced the Jerome Defense to the Jerome Gambit, 7... Qe7, a couple of times: Wall,B - Guest340293, PlayChess.com, 2012 (1-0, 41) and Wall,B - Josti, PlayChess.com, 2013 (1-0, 26).
8.Qg3 Qf6 9.d3
Or 9.O-O as in Wall,B - GuestZCLK, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 15), or
9.Nc3 a6 10.Nd5 Qf7 11.d4 Bxd4 12.Bf4 Bxb2 13.Rb1 Ba3 14.Qxa3 Nf6 15.Nxc7 Nxe4 16.Bxd6+ Kg8 17.O-O Black resigned, Wall,B - GoldCoinCollector, Chess.com, 2010.
9...h6 10.O-O Ne7
11.Nc3 Bd4 12.Nb5
Threatening 13.Nxc7.
13...Bb6
Or, Bill notes, 12...Be5 13.f4 Bd4+ 14.Be3 Bxe3+ 15.Qxe3 Qxb2 16. Nxc7.
13.Be3 c5 14.Nxd6 Qxb2
Black is counting on his Queen to provide counterplay, but it can be risky to leave the King stuck in the middle of the board.
15.f4 c4
White can handle the tactical skirmish 15...Qxc2 16.f5 Qxd3 17.Rad1 Qxe3+ 18.Qxe3 c4 19.Rd4
16.Nxc4 Qxc2 17.Bxb6 axb6 18.f5
The three central "Jerome pawns" give White the advantage.
18...b5 19.f6
White presses his attack.
19...gxf6
Of course, if 19...bxc4 then 20.Qxg7+ Ke8 21.Qxe7 checkmate.
20.Rxf6+ Ke8 21.Nd6+ Kd8 22. Nf7+ Black resigned
After 22...Ke8 (22...Kd7 23.Qd6+ Ke8 24.Qd8#) 23.Nxh8 Qc5+ 24.Kh1 Black has the swindle 24...Rxa2, but after 25. Raf1 (25. Rxa2? Qc1+ winning for Black) White is firmly in control with a strong attack.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)