Delayed Evans Jerome Gambit (Part 1)

Chessfriend Philidor 1792 is back with another set of Jerome Gambit / Evans Gambit hybrids - this time, a delayed one.

Played at 3 0, the following game is an earth-shattering example of how time - not the rapid development of pieces, but the number of minutes or seconds left on the clock - can be a critical factor in blitz success.

As the guy in the picture above says, "Hulk smash!"

Philidor 1792 - guest343
blitz 3 0, www.bereg.ru, 2013

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 

The Evans Gambit.

4...Bxb4 5.c3 Ba5 6.0-0 Nf6 7.d4 d6 8.Bxf7+ 

The Delayed Evans Jerome Gambit.

Sure, Houdini can poke holes in it. Sure, you could take it down, given three minutes a move. But - how about three minutes a game??

8...Kxf7 9.Ng5+ Ke8 10.f4 exd4 11.cxd4 Bb6 12.Bb2 h6 13.e5

The name of the game is "attack or go home."

13...dxe5 14.fxe5 Nxe5 15.Rxf6 

Hulk not want to exchange Queens after 15.dxe5.

15...gxf6 16.Qh5+ 

16...Kd7 17.Ne4 Nc6 18.Qf7+ Qe7 19.Qd5+ Ke8 20.Nbd2 Be6 21.Qh5+ Bf7 22.Qf3 Nxd4 23.Nxf6+ Kf8 24.Qxb7

24...Ne2+ 25.Kh1 Rd8 26.Nde4 Qe6 27.Rf1 and here Black's flag fell.

Wow. Ask not for whom the chess clock tolls, it tolls for thee...

Curse You, Red Baron!

Yes, Snoopy, we know how you feel...

Wall,B - Guest3789034 
PlayChess.com, 2013


1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 d6 

Again.

The so-called "annoying defense" (see "Philidor1792 vs the Annoying Defense" Parts 1, 2 and 3; "Further Exploration" and "Theory from the Thematic Tournament" Parts 3 and 4), the refutation choice of most computers, which has even given Bill trouble from time to time.

8.fxe5 dxe5 9.Qh3+ Kf7 g6 11.Qxe5 Bd4 

12.Rf1+ Nf6 13.Qf4

Threatening 14.e5.

13...Re8 14.d3 Kg8 15.Nc3 Be5 16.Qh4 

Threatening 17.Bg5. 

16...Qd6 17.Bd2 

Bill suggests, instead, 17.Bf4 Bxc3+ 18.bxc3 Qc6 19.Kd2 Nxe4+ 20.dxe4 Qxe4. 

17...Ng4 18.0-0-0 Bxh2 

19.Rh1

A suggestion from Bill: 19.Rf7 Kxf7 20.Qxh7+ Ke6 21.Qxg6+ Kd7 22.Qxg4+ which is very unclear; although advancing the center "Jerome pawns" from here might give White equal chances.

19...Rf8 20.d4 Qg3 21.Qe7 Qxg2 22.Nd5 Rf7 23.Qe8+ Kg7 24.Rde1 

24...h5 25.Ne7 Be6 26.Qxa8 Rf2 27.Qe8 

27...Bf7! 

Precise to the end. Not 27...Rxd2? 28.Qxg6+ Kf8 29.Qxe6 Rxc2+ 30.Kb1 Rxb2+ 31.Ka1; and spoiling things would be 27...Nf6?! 28.Rxh2 Nxe8 29.Rxg2 Rxg2 30.d5. 

28.Qa4 Rxd2 29.d5 Re2 30.Qc4 Rxe1+ 31.Rxe1 Ne5 32.Qb4 Nf3 33.Rd1 Qe2 34.Rh1 Qe3+ 35.Kb1 Bd6 White resigned

The Most Important Jerome-ish Win in History

I am always learning something new from Yury V. Bukayev (Букаев Юрий Вячеславович). The other day he emailed me, pointing out that, "based on the importance of the win for tournament places, the importance of the tournament and the fame of both participiants of this game, it maybe, makes this win THE MOST IMPORTANT JEROME-ISH WIN IN HISTORY."

It is quite possible that if either player were alive today, one or the other might punch me in the nose for publishing this encounter on this blog - but, hey, Jerome Gambit players are imaginative and brave, right?

Robert James Fischer - Samuel Reshevsky
US Championship 1958/59 New York USA (6), 12.1958

1.e4 c5 

Okay, okay, it's a Sicilian Defense. Work with me.

2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6 5.Be3 Nf6 6.Nc3 Bg7 7.Bc4 0-0 

Yes, it's an Accelerated Dragon. Time for a little imagination.

8.Bb3 

Earlier in the year, at Portoroz, Fischer had continued against Oscar Panno 8.f3 Qb6 9.Bb3 Nxe4 10.Nd5 Qa5+ 11.c3 Nc5 12.Nxc6 dxc6 13.Nxe7+ Kh8 14.Nxc8 Raxc8 15.O-O Rcd8 16.Qc2 Qb5 17.Rfd1 Kg8 18.Rxd8 Rxd8 19.Rd1 Re8 20.Bf2 a5 21.Bxc5 with a draw.

8...Na5 

Frank Brady's Profile of a Prodigy states

'When Reshevsky played 8...Na5 the whispers in the tournament room at the Marshall Chess Club grew to a barely suppressed uproar. The move [from Bastrikov,Georgy - Shamkovich, Leonid, Sochi, 1958] had been analyzed just a few weeks earlier in Shakmatny Byulletin and many of the stronger players in the club were thoroughly familiar with it.'

9.e5 Ne8 10.Bxf7+ 

You have to love that Bishop sac!

10...Kxf7 11.Ne6 

What is Black to do? If he captures the Knight with his King, he will get checkmated, starting with 12.Qd5+. If he resigns, he will be humiliated - Fischer was a young teenager at the time, Reshevsky was United States champion several times over.

Instead, the former child prodigy dragged his feet for another 30 moves before resigning.

11...dxe6 12.Qxd8 Nc6 13.Qd2 Bxe5 14.0-0 Nd6 15.Bf4 Nc4 16.Qe2 Bxf4 17.Qxc4 Kg7 18.Ne4 Bc7 19.Nc5 Rf6 20.c3 e5 21.Rad1 Nd8 22.Nd7 Rc6 23.Qh4 Re6 24.Nc5 Rf6 25.Ne4 Rf4 26.Qxe7+ Rf7 27.Qa3 Nc6 28.Nd6 Bxd6 29.Rxd6 Bf5 30.b4 Rff8 31.b5 Nd8 32.Rd5 Nf7 33.Rc5 a6 34.b6 Be4 35.Re1 Bc6 36.Rxc6 bxc6 37.b7 Rab8 38.Qxa6 Nd8 39.Rb1 Rf7 40.h3 Rfxb7 41.Rxb7+ Rxb7 42.Qa8 1-0

Trust Me - I Know What I'm Doing...

The following game is a Jerome Gambit. It was played at blitz speed. My opponent appeared to be a bit unfamiliar with the line - giving me credit for some "sacrifices" that probably were "blunders".

perrypawnpusher - oopsaqueen
blitz, FICS, 2013

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 

The Semi-Italian Opening.

4.0-0 Bc5 5.Bxf7+ 

The Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.Qh5+ Ng6 

My opponent, oopsaqueen, has a pleasant 5-1 record on FICS defending an "accelerated Jerome Gambit" against the Semi-Italian Opening - 4.Bxf7+, etc. 

However, he does not appear (according to The Database) to have faced the "normal" Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit, and in this game chooses a move (still okay for Black) that is weaker than 7...Ke6, 7...Ke8 or 7...g6. 

8.Qd5+ Kf8 9.Qxc5+ d6 10.Qe3 Nf6 

Black chose the alternative, 10...N8e7, in perrypawnpusher - pascalwilliams, blitz 3 0, FICS, 2007 (½-½, 32). 

11.f4 

The more sedate 11.f3 was seen in Wall,B - LC, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 20). 

11...Kg8 12.f5 Ne5 13.d4 Nf7 14.e5 

Thematic, but premature in this situation. White would have done better to complete his development with 14.Nc3 Qe7 15.Bd2 Bd7 16.Rae1 Re8. 

14...dxe5 15.dxe5 Nd5 

Here 15...Ng4 16.Qe4 Ngxe5 would have punished my rashness. 

16.Qb3

Simply dropping a pawn, instead of the necessary 16.Qe2.

16...c6 17.Nc3 

Here 17.e6 would have saved the e-pawn. Luckily for me, my opponent figured that I knew what I was doing.  

17...Kh7 18.Nxd5 Qxd5 19.Qxd5 cxd5 20.e6 Ne5 

By dint of good fortune, I have just about evened the game.

21.Bf4 Nc6 22.Rad1 Re8 23.Rxd5 Bxe6 24.fxe6 Rxe6

In another example of "Scientific Progress Goes Boink" (see "After the Refutation: Play On!"), my opponent has returned his extra piece for a couple of pawns, leaving him with a much freer game, but a pawn down.

25.c3 Rae8 26.Rfd1 a6 27.Rd7 Re1+ 28.Rxe1 Rxe1+ 29.Kf2 Ra1

30.Rxb7 Rxa2 31.Rb6 Ne7 32.c4 a5 33.Bd2 a4 34.Bc3 a3

35.Kf3 axb2 36.Bxb2 Nf5 37.Rb7 Ra5 

Stopping the advance of White's c-pawn, but missing the threat.

38.g4 Nd6 39.Rxg7+ Kh8 Black resigned

White will win a Rook with 40.Ra7+.

Move Along, Move Along, There's Nothing Here To Look At...

It's been a while - well over a year - since I've played a Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit, and I knew that I was a bit rusty (and a lot forgetful), but I had no idea I had such a horrible game in me - until I played the following. To be fair, my opponent wasn't on his best game, either.

You would do just as well to check out the first six moves, then move along. 

perrypawnpusher - michon
blitz, FICS, 2013

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 

The Blackburne Shilling Gambit. Black is just dying for White to play 4.Nxe5, so he can counter-attack with 4...Qg5!?

4.Bxf7+ 

The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit. Of course, White can also play 4.Nxd4, 4.0-0, 4.d3 or 4.c3.

4...Ke7 

The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit, Declined; more of a psychological ploy than a move sustained by analysis. I have likened it to a "Jedi Mind Trick".

There are 451 games in The Database with this move, and, not surprisingly, White wins 70%. 

5.Bxg8 

5.Bc4 was seen in perrypawnpusher - PlatinumKnight, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 9); perrypawnpusher - zadox, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 14); and perrypawnpusher - vlas, blitz, FICS, 2010, (1-0, 84).

5.Bb3 was seen in perrypawnpusher - Roetman, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 12). 

5...Rxg8 

Or 5...Nxf3+ as in perrypawnpusher - zadox, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 49); and perrypawnpusher - zimmernazl, blitz, FICS, 2012 (1-0, 30).

Or 5...Ke8 as in perrypawnpusher - zadox, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 29). 

6.Nxe5 

And, seriously, folks, the following moves are for historical (not hysterical) purposes only. Feel free to ignore them. (You can find them in The Database.)

6...Kd6 c5 8.Nxd4 cxd4 9.Qh5 h6 10.Qd5+ Kc7 11.Qxg8 Qe7 12.Qc4+ Kd8 13.Qxd4 d6 14.Nc3 g5 15.Nd5 Qe8 16.Qf6+ Be7 17.Qxe7+ Qxe7 18.Nxe7 Kxe7 19.d4 Bg4 20.f3 Bh5 21.Be3 Re8 22.0-0 Kd7 23.c4 Kc7 24.c5 g4 25.cxd6+ Kxd6 26.Bf4+ Kd7 27.Rac1 gxf3 28.Rc7+ Kd8 29.gxf3 Bf7 30.Bxh6 Bxa2 31.Rxb7 Bc4 32.Rb8+ Kd7 33.Rxe8 Kxe8 34.Rc1 Be2 35.Kf2 Kf7 36.Rc7+ Kg6 37.Be3 Bb5 38.Rxa7 Kh5 39.Ra5 Kh4 40.Rxb5 Kh3 41.Rh5 checkmate

And Another (Evans-Jerome Gambit)

Three minutes is equal to 180 seconds, which means in a 3-minute game of 36 moves, each player has an average of 5 seconds to decide on a move. Facing the Evans-Jerome Gambit, that can be a lot of pressure.

Philidor 1792 - guest23
blitz 3 0, www.bereg.ru, 2013

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 

The Evans Gambit.

4...Bxb4 5.c3 Ba5 6.Bxf7+ 

The Evans-Jerome Gambit.

6...Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ Nxe5 8.Qh5+ Ng6 9.Qd5+ Ke8 10.Qxa5 

The similarity with the Jerome Gambit is clear (even the "nudge" on move 9), although it looks like the Queen, in capturing Black's Bishop, has slid to the edge of the board.

10...Qe7 11.d3 d6 12.0-0 Ne5 

It looks like Black is asking for trouble, but he is only bringing his Knight back to the Queenside to deal with the enemy Queen.

13.f4 Nc6 14.Qb5 Nf6 15.f5 a6 16.Qb3 Ne5 17.c4 Rf8 18.Bg5 Rb8 19.Nd2 Bd7 

20.Nf3 b5 21.a4 Kf7 

Running to safety.

22.axb5 axb5 23.cxb5+ Ke8 24.Nd4 c5 25.Ne6 Bxe6 26.fxe6 Qb7 27.Rfb1 Nc6 

Coming back again to "rescue" the Queenside. 

28.Bxf6 Rxf6 29.Qd5 

Instead, 29.bxc6!? was the move White was looking for.

29...Nd4 30.Qxd6 Nxb5 31.Qxc5 Rxe6 

32.d4 Rxe4 33.Ra5 Re2 34.d5 Qe7 35.Qxe7+ Kxe7
36.Raxb5 Rxb5 37.Rxb5 Rd2 

The endgame is now drawn, despite White's extra pawn.

38.Rb7+ Kf6 39.Rb5 Ke5 40.Rb7 Kf6 41.Rb5 g6 42.h3 h5 43.Kh2 h4 44.Rb4 g5 45.Rb5 Kg6 46.Rb6+ Kf5 47.d6 Ke6 48.Rb5 Kf6 49.Rb6 Ke6 50.d7+ Kxd7 51.Rg6 Rd5 52.g3 hxg3+ 53.Kxg3 Ke7 54.Kg4 Kf7 55.Rxg5 Rxg5+ 56.Kxg5 Kg7 57.h4 Kh7 58.h5 Kg7 59.h6+ Kh7 60.Kh5 Kh8 61.Kg6 Kg8 62.h7+ Kh8 63.Kh6 Draw

Another Evans-Jerome Gambit

Here comes some more Evans Gambit plus Jerome Gambit aggression, faster than a speeding bullet...

Philidor 1792 - guest1209

blitz 3 0, www.bereg.ru, 2013

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 

The Evans Gambit.

4...Bxb4 5.c3 Ba5 6.Bxf7+ 

The Evans-Jerome Gambit, a Philidor 1792 specialty.

6...Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ Nxe5 8.Qh5+ Kf8 9.Qxe5 Bb6 

10.d4 Qe7 11.Qf4+ Nf6 12.Ba3 d6 13.Nd2 Bd7 14.0-0 Re8

Black's last move is probably not best.

15.e5 g5 16.exf6 gxf4 17.fxe7+ Rxe7 18.Rfe1 Ba5 19.Rxe7 Kxe7 20.Re1+ Kf6 

The good news for White is that he has equalized. The good news for Black is that he has not been over-run by an attack.

21.Bb2 Re8 22.Rxe8 Bxe8 23.Nc4 Bb6 24.Nxb6 axb6 25.Bc1 Kf5 26.Kf1 Bb5+ 27.Ke1 Bc4 28.a3 

Most of the excitement has gone out of the game, and here the players agreed to a Draw.