More Jerome-Inspired Games (Part 4)

In the following 3-minute game, White only head-fakes toward a Jerome Gambit, but the resulting opening still features a piece-for-a-pawn sacrifice, and some foot soldiers who would not be out of place in Jerome's Double Opening.

Philidor 1792 - guest1132
3 0 blitz, www.bereg.ru, 15.12.2013

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Bb3 Be7 5.Nxe5

This unusual Two Knights Defense, possibly heading for a Delayed Jerome Gambit with 4.Bb3 - had Black played 4...Bc5 - now takes a Chicago Gambit or Halloween Gambit turn with this Knight sacrifice.

5...Nxe5 6.d4 Ng6 7.e5 Ng8 8.Qf3 f6

Instead, Houdini suggests 8...d5 9.exd6 Bf6 10.Qe2+ Kf8 11.dxc7 Qxc7.

9.Qd5 d6

An improvement over 9...Nh6 10.Bxh6 Rf8 11.Bxg7 c6 12.Qc4 d5 13.exd6 Qxd6 14.Bxf8 Black resigned, Philidor 1792-guest1063, www.bereg.ru, 2013. 

10.Qf7+ Kd7 11.e6+ 

It is tempting to get after the enemy King, although Houdini prefers letting it go in exchange for winning back a piece and turning the whole board to chaos: 11.exd6 cxd6 12.h4 Nh6 13.Bxh6 gxh6 14.h5 Nf4 15.g3 Rf8 16.Ba4+ Kc7 17.Qc4+ Kb8 18.gxf4 d5.

11...Kc6 12.Nc3 Nh6 13.Be3

Offering the Queen for a mate-in-one.

13...d5 14.Bxh6 gxh6 15.Nxd5

15...a5 16.c4 Qf8 17.h4 a4 18.Bc2 Qxf7 19.exf7 Kd6 20.h5 Nf8 21.0-0-0 Be6 

22.Rhe1 Bd8 23.Nc3 Bxf7 24.c5+ Kd7 25.Bf5+ Kc6 26.Be4+ Kd7 27.Bf5+ Draw

Before This Blog Began...

Before I started this blog (see "Welcome") I had a series of Jerome Gambit-related posts at www.chesshistory.com (under the "Puzzles and Mysteries" section) from 11/24/01 to 9/6/04. A lot of topics were explored, and some paths crossed and re-crossed, as I was finding my way in the world of "Jerome's Double Gambit".

Probably the funniest episode was my mis-guided search for the imaginary book All or Nothing! The Jerome Gambit, by Chiam Schmendrick...

Trips to the White Collection in the Cleveland Public Library helped fill in the gaps of my knowledge, as did the contribution of many chessfriends world-wide. 

Following that "debut", I started to find my "voice" in the ChessPub Forum (www.chesspub.com), a discussion forum for ChessPublishing.com, from 1/19/05 to 12/29/07. What began as a series of posts by me, responding to others, quickly became a series of posts by me, responding to me -- and I was eventually dis-invited to continue.

[Although there was a bit of a fall-off from the previous months, the number of visitors to this blog in February 2014 was the best for a February since I began posting. Welcome, again - and many thanks for visiting! - Rick] 

More Jerome-Inspired Games (Part 3)

Once again, chessfriend Philidor 1792 shows the "hidden" trap in many Jerome Gambit games - Black may be able to solve all of the problems thrown at him, but if he is incautious in his use of time, the falling flag will undo him - regardless of his advantage on the board.

Philidor 1792 - guest2044
3 0 blitz, www.bereg.ru, 2013

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nxe4 4.Bxf7+

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Kg8 6.Qf3 Nf6 7.g4 Qe8

As in Rumagoso - Godzillainchains, PlayChess.de, 2003, (0-1, 24); see Philidor 1792 - guest564, 3  0 Blitz, www.bereg.ru, 2013 (1-0, 58).

8.Qb3+ Qe6

Better 8...d5.

9.Qxe6+ dxe6 10.Nc3 c6 11.Rg1 Bd6 12.Nc4 Bxh2 13.Rg2 Bf4 14.Ne2 Nd5 15.Na5 Nd7 16.c4 Be5

Black opts to return a piece. Better might have been 16...Bc7.

17.cxd5 exd5 18.f4 Bc7 19.Nb3 Nf6 

Black's extra pawn and the two Bishops still give him the advantage.

20.g5 Ne4 21.d3 Nd6 22.Bd2 Nf5 23.O-O-O Kf7 24.g6+ hxg6 25.Rdg1 Rh6 26.Ned4 Nxd4 27.Nxd4 Bb6 28.Be3 Bxd4 29.Bxd4 Bf5 

White would like to take advantage of the Bishops-of-opposite-colors to pursue drawing chances, but with all the Rooks on the board, that would be difficult.

30.Kd2 Rah8 31.Bxa7 Ra8 32.Bd4 Rxa2 33.Kc3 Ra8 34.Re2 Re8 35.Rge1 Rxe2 36.Rxe2 Rh4 37.Be5 Rh3 38.Rd2 b6 39.Kd4 Be6 40.b4 Rh4 41.Bc7 g5 42.Rf2 g4 43.Ke5 b5 44.f5 Bd7 45.Rf4 Black lost on time.

More Jerome-Inspired Games (Part 2)

While the following game by Philidor 1792 showcases a Jerome Gambit-inspired opening, it is the better endgame play that allows the first player to take the point. Yes, even with a 3-minute time limit, endgame play is important!

Philidor 1792 - guest213
3 0 blitz, www.bereg.ru, 2013

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nxe4 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Kg8 6.Qf3 

6.0-0 was seen in Philidor 1792 - guest213, 3 0 blitz, www.bereg.ru, 2013 (1-0, 41.)

6...Nf6 7.g4 d6 8.Qb3+ d5 9.g5 Ne4 10.Nc3 Nxc3

Varying from 10...Nc5 of Philidor 1792 - guest564, 3 0 blitz, www.bereg.ru, 2013 (1-0, 56). 

11.dxc3 Be6 

Better was 11...Nc6. 

12.Qxb7 Nd7 13.Nxd7 Bd6 14.Be3 Bxd7 15.Qxd5+ Kf8 16.O-O-O

The position is about equal, White's three extra pawns balancing Black's extra piece and uneasy King.

16...Rb8 17.h4 Rb5 18.Qf3+ Ke7 19.g6 Qf8 20.Bg5+ Rxg5 21.Qxf8+ Rxf8 22.hxg5 hxg6

23.Rhe1+ Kd8 24.Rf1 Bf4+ 25.Kb1 Bxg5 26.Rd5 Be7 27.Rfd1 Bd6 28.c4 Rf7 

Instead, 28...Be6 would keep it even.

29.c5 Bf8 30.c6 Bd6 31.Rxd6 cxd6 32.Rxd6 Kc7 33.Rxd7+
Rxd7 34.cxd7 Kxd7 35.c4 Kd6 36.b4 Ke5 37.Kc2 Kf4 38.c5 Kf3 39.c6 Kxf2 40.c7 g5 41.c8=Q Black resigned

More Jerome-Inspired Games (Part 1)

Philidor 1792 - guest45
3 0 blitz, www.bereg.ru, 02.12.2013

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nxe4 4.Bxf7+ 

A good introduction to this line (games and analysis) can be found at "Jerome Gambit-Inspired Play (Part 8)".

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Kg8 6.0-0 

Varying from 6.Qf3 of Philidor 1792 - guest564, 3 0 blitz, www.bereg.ru, 2013, (1-0, 56)

6...d6 7.Nf3 

An improvement over 7.Qe2 and 7.Qf3 of earlier games (see above).

7...Bg4 8.d3 Nf6 9.h3 Bh5 10.g4 Bf7 11.Ng5 h6 12.Nxf7 Kxf7

13.c4 Nc6 14.Nc3 d5 15.cxd5 Nxd5 16.Qb3 Nce7 17.Bd2 Kg6 18.Qxb7 Rb8 19.Qxa7 Rxb2 20.Ne4 Nc6

White has snagged a pawn, and keeps pace with his opponent, making small gains when he can and hoping that Black's undeveloped dark-square Bishop and Rook will prove costly.

21.Qa4 Ne5 22.f4 Nf7 23.Rab1 Rxb1 24.Rxb1 Bd6 25.Qc6 Nf6 26.Bc3 Bxf4 27.Nxf6 gxf6 

This natural recapture was a slip (possibly due to time). Necessary was 27...Qd3, when, after 28.Qe4+ Qxe4+ 29.Nxe4 the game would be roughly equal.

28.Qe4+ Black Resigned

White's outside passed pawn gives him the advantage.

Jerome Gambit: A Battle (Part 2)

Continuing (from last post) with the game

perrypawnpusher  - vermifugo

blitz, FICS, 2014

Black's return sacrifice of a Rook has yielded him attacking chances, just as it did for J.H. Blackburne in his famous counter-attack (in a different line) against the Jerome Gambit.

12.d3

Clearly it was time to attend to the defense of my King. Not the greedy 12.Qxg6?!, as this is met by 12...Qh4+ 13.g3 Qh3 when Black's counter-attack will give him the advantage.

12...Qf6 13.Nc3 g5 

Black is trying to pry his way into White's defenses. He could have tried 13...Qd4, and after 14.Rf1 Nf6 15.Qf7 Re8 his pieces would be fearfully placed - but it is difficult to see how he will break through.

14.f5 

There certainly was no way that I was going to allow the f-file to be opened, but in playing this move I missed 14.Nd5! Qd8 (14...Qd4 15.Qxc7+ Kb5 16.Qxb7+ Bb6 17.a4+ Kc5 18.b4+ Qxb4+ 19.Nxb4 Kxb4 20.Bd2+ Kc5 21.Qd5#) 15.b4 Bd4 16.c3 Nf6 17.Qf7 Nxd5 18.Qxd5+ Kd7 with great advantage. Of course, this is what Houdini saw after the game - and I'm no Houdini. 

14...Qd4 15.Rf1 Nf6 16.Qh6? 

Focusing on safe-guarding the Queen, but overlooking the fate of my King, as Black has enough materiel focused that he can sacrifice with effect.

Best would have been 16.Qf7! with the idea of 17.Qb3 and 18.Qa4+, exchanging Queens. 

16...Bb4?

Lucky for my, my opponent wasn't Houdini, either.

Readers have probably found 16...Nxe4!, after which 17.Nxe4 Re8 leaves White only something like 18.Qe6, and after 18...Rxe6 19.fxe6 Bb4+ 20.c3 Qxd3 21.Kf2 Qxe4 22.cxb4 Bxe6 Black's Queen and Bishop dominate White's largely undeveloped Rooks and Bishop. 

analysis diagram





17.Bd2

This helps shore up White's defense. Even better was 17.Bxg5!?, not because it grabs material, but because it allows a new response to Black's e-file pressure: 17...Nxe4 (17...Bxc3+ 18.bxc3 Qxc3+ 19.Kf2 Qd4+ 20.Be3) 18.dxe4 Re8 19.Be3 and White can begin to consolidate, e.g. 19...Qxe4 20.Kf2 Bxc3 21.bxc3 Qxf5+ 22.Kg1 Qxc2 23.Rf2 Qe4 24.Re1 with advantage.

17...Bxc3

Black still had 17...Nxe4, which was stronger than the text, but which no longer led to advantage.

18.bxc3 Qe5 19.Qxg5 

White's 8 "Jerome pawns" look a little sturdier in protecting their monarch.

19...Nxe4 

This is no longer enough, but it still has to be dealt with.

20.dxe4

At this point, even 20.Qxg4 was playable, as Black cannot gain enough from his threatened discovered check.

20...Qxe4+ 21.Qe3 Qxg2 22.Rg1 Qh3

23.Qxh3

At this point I didn't even look for 23.Qe4+ Kd7 24.Rxg4, as I knew that I had enough material to win - once my King was safe.

23...Bxh3 24.0-0-0 Bxf5 

Now, only the clock is a villain.

25.Rg7 Rh8 26.Bf4 Rh3 27.Kb2 a5 28.Bg3 a4 29.Rd4 b5 30.Rf4 Be6 31.Rf6 Bd5 32.Rf4 Rh8 33.Rh4 Re8 34.Rhh7 Rc8

35.a3 Kb6 36.h4 c6 37.Bxd6 c5 38.Rg5 Bf3 Black forfeited by disconnection

White is a Rook up and has an advancing passed pawn that will cost Black a piece.

Jerome Gambit: A Battle (Part 1)

After a series of Jerome Gambit games where either my opponent or I (once, both) blundered away our Queens (I will spare Readers, but include the games in The Database), I played the following exciting adventure.

As the nursery rhyme goes (the two characters can also be found in Lewis Carroll's chess-themed Through the Looking-Glas and What Alice found There)

Tweedledum and Tweedledee
    Agreed to have a battle...  

After playing almost 500 Jerome Gambit games, I again found myself in quite a battle. 

perrypawnpusher  - vermifugo
blitz, FICS, 2014

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6

Black was looking to hold on to both extra pieces.

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 g6 

This is not Black's best play, even if it conjurs up visions of the venerable Blackburne Defense (6...g6). Yet it leads to largely unexplored territory, and play can become very uncomfortable for White if he is not careful. It is worth exploring more in depth.

9.Qxe5+ Kc6 10.Qxh8 

At this point, the game UNPREDICTABLE - zaboulef, blitz, FICS, 2010 ended with Black's resignation. 

The earliest game (of four) that I have with this variation in The Database is perrypawnpusher - spontex, blitz, FICS, 2009 (½-½, 59), where White bypassed capturing the Rook and went after the Black King, instead, with 10.Qd5+. As I noted in "The Opponent",

It was better to take the Rook, although play remains complicated, if in White's favor.

10...d6

The more aggressive 10...Qh4+ (also reminiscent of Blackburne's play in his 1885 game) was seen in Ghandybh - DVBLTTN, Online chess, 2009 (1-0, 17). As I noted,

The problem is that Black's Kingside will fall apart faster.

Best for Black seems to be 10...Qe7.

11.Qxh7

What to do?

I have found my Queen at h8, early in the game after grabbing a Rook, about 25 times, and I have always feared it getting trapped, and eventually captured (see the introductory note to this game, although they refer to different lines of play). My first thought has always been to get Her Majesty out of confined spaces!

One lesson I should have learned from a closer look at Blackburne's Defense is that White's Queen often escapes through the middle of the board (after a well-timed Qd8) - or after blocking the diagonal of Black's dark-squared Bishop with d2-d4.

In the current game, White's best was 11.d4.

Yet, that is not the end of the discussion, as Black has several possible replies, including the straight-forward 11...Bb6, seen in UNPREDICTABLE - farhadk, blitz, FICS, 2009 (1-0, 21).

What is more fun to look at is 11.d4! Bh3!?, when Black continues to play in Blackburne style. Can White actually then take the Bishop with 12.gxh3 ?  If he does, he can face, among other things, the energetic counter-attack 12...Qh4+ 13.Kd1 Nf6!? 14.Qxa8 Qh5+

Analysis diagram





Here, Black has sacrificed a couple of Rooks for a couple of pawns, but it is hard for White to escape a draw - while avoiding checkmate (remember, this is a blitz game). 

Analyze with me (and Houdini): 15.Ke1 (Not 15.Kd2 Nxe4+ 16.Kd3 Qf3+ 17.Be3 [17.Kc4 d5#] 17...Nf2+ 18.Kd2 [18.Kc4 Qe2+ 19.Kb3 Qb5+ 20.Kc3 Qb4#; 18.Kc3 Qxe3+ 19.Kc4 d5#] 18...Ne4+ 19.Kd3 draw) 15...Qh4+ 16.Ke2! (16.Kf1 Bxd4 17.Ke2 Qf2+ 18.Kd3 Qf3+ 19.Kxd4 Qxe4+ 20.Kc3 Nd5+ 21.Kd2 Qg2+ 22.Kd3 Qf3+ 23.Kd2 draw; 16.Kd2 Qf2+ 17.Kd1 [17.Kc3 Qxd4+ 18.Kb3 Qb4#; 17.Kd3 Qxd4+ 18.Ke2 Qf2+ 19.Kd1 Qf3+ 20.Kd2 Nxe4+ 21.Ke1 Bf2+ 22.Kf1 Bg3+ 23.Kg1 Qf2#; 16.Kd1 Qh5+ 17.Ke1 Qh4+ 18.Ke2 as in the main line] 17...Qf3+ 18.Ke1 [18.Kd2 Nxe4+ 19.Ke1 Qxh1+ 20.Ke2 Qg2+ 21.Kd3 Qf1+ 22.Ke3 Qe1+ 23.Kf3 Qd1+ 24.Kxe4 Qxd4+ 25.Kf3 Qf2+ 26.Kg4 Qg2+ 27.Kh4 Bf2#] 18...Qxh1+ 19.Ke2 [19.Kf2 Nxe4+ 20.Ke2 Qg2+ 21.Kd3 Qf1+ 22.Ke3 Qf2+ 23.Kd3 Qxd4+ 24.Ke2 Qf2+ 25.Kd3 Qf1+ 26.Kxe4 Qe2+ 27.Be3 Qxe3#] 19...Qxh2+ 20.Kd1 Qg1+ 21.Ke2 Qg2+ 22.Ke1 Qxe4+ 23.Kd1 Qf3+ 24.Ke1 Bxd4 25.c4 a6-+) 16...Qh5+ 17.Kd3! Qf3+ 18.Be3! Qxe4+ 19.Kd2 (Not as strong is 19.Ke2 Bxd4 20.Re1 Qxe3+ 21.Kd1 Qf3+ 22.Kc1 Qxf4+ 23.Nd2 Be3 24.Rxe3 Qxe3 25.c4 Qe1+ 26.Kc2 Qxa1 27.Qf8 Qxa2 28.Qxf6 Qa4+ 29.Kc3 Qa5+ 30.Kd3 Qh5 31.Qf3+ Qxf3+ 32.Nxf3) 19...Qg2+ (19...Qxh1? 20.Nc3!? Qxa1 21.dxc5 Qh1 22.Qxa7 Qg2+ 23.Kc1 Qh1+ 24.Nd1) 20.Kc3 Qe2 21.b4! Qxe3+ 22.Kb2 Bxd4+ 23.c3 Qe2+ 24.Kb3 Qe6+ 25.Ka3 Qe3 26.Ka4! Nd5 27.Qg8 b5+ 28.Ka3 Bxc3 29.Qa8+ Kd7 30.Qxd5 Bxa1+ 31.Qb3 and it looks like White may survive. What a mess!

All of the above suggests that White should answer 11.d4! Bh3!? with the sober 12.0-0!, when his King will be safe, and all of Black's problems - down the exchange and two pawns, unsafe King, two Bishops hanging - will remain. The computer suggests 12...Nf6 13.Qxd8 Bxd4+ 14.Kh1 Rxd8 15.gxh3 Nxe4, but what fun is there in that?

11...Bg4?! 

Development toward the enemy King, but more to the point would have been 11...Qe8! and White would have to give back a couple of pawns to free his Queen - again, while negotiating some very complex play (without Houdini's help, which I had after the game) - 12.e5 (12.d3 Nf6 13.Qh4 Nxe4!? 14.Kf1 Bf2 [14...Nf2 15.b4 g5 16.Qh7 Bg4 17.Nc3 Bxb4 18.Qg7 Nxh1 19.Rb1 a5 20.a3 Bc5 21.d4 unclear, perhaps even] 15.g3 Bc5 16.h3 g5 17.fxg5 Qf7+ 18.Bf4 Qd5 19.Rh2 Bf5 20.g4 Bg6 21.dxe4 Qxe4 22.Nd2 Qxf4+ 23.Rf2 Qe5 24.Nf3 Qxb2 25.Re1 Qxa2 26.Rfe2 b5 even, whew!) 12...dxe5 13.f5 Bxf5 14.Qh4± but White is still uncomfortable, say after 14...e4 15.b3 Rd8 (15...Qe5 16.Nc3 Nf6 17.Bb2 Ng4 18.0-0-0 Bf2 [18...Nf2 19.d4] 19.Qg5 Bd4 20.Rhf1 Nxh2 21.Rf4) 16.Bb2 Qd7! 17.Qf4 g5 18.Qe5 b6 19.b4 Bxb4 20.0-0 Bc5+ 21.Kh1. 

[to be continued]