I was able to dash off the following game at work the other day - a light-hearted thing (another bagatelle) played in a few minutes; but the final position brought a smile to my face.
perrypawnpusher - anonymous
casual over-the-board game, 2014
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 h6
Wow! Okay...
I think I've seen this kind of defense in the Myers Openings Bulletin and in a couple of books by Gunderam. The idea is 3.Nxe5 Qe7 4.d4 d6 5.Nf3 Qxe4+ 6.Be7 and White is doing fine - but he is playing his opponent's game.
I didn't realize how much I wanted to play my type of game, instead.
3.Bc4 Nc6 4.Bxf7+
Yipes! Where did that come from? I usually respond in the Semi-Italian Opening with either 4.0-0 or 4.Nc3, waiting for 4...Bc5 and the chance to play 5.Bxf7+, the Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit. Must have been that wish to play my kind of game.
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6
The other time that I jumped the gun with 4.Bxf7+, I met 6...Ke6 here, instead, in perrypawnpusher - marapr, blitz, FICS, 2007 (1-0, 27).
7.0-0 d6 8.f4 d5
Last move or this, ...Nf6 was the proper move, although White proved to be very fortunate in playing against it in Vuquoclong - gabrielisaac, FICS, 2013 (1-0, 27).
9.f5 Qg5 10.fxg6+
10...Ke6
The proper retreat is essential here - on this move, to e8, or, on the next move, to d6. Instead, Black's King is overly courageous.
11.Qh3+ Ke5 12.Qc3+
I had a funny idea here, but surely better was 12.d4+ Kd6 13.e5+.
12...d4 13.Qa5+ Kxe4 14.d3 checkmate.
Ah, yes, another birthday has escaped me (I usually overlook my twin brother's birthday, too) - on June 10th of this year, this blog became 6 years old!
On top of that, about the end of July of this year, this blog will see its 1,900th post.
The Database, too, a free collection of Jerome Gambit and Jerome-related games, has grown to over 30,000 games.
Not bad, all-in-all, for a site devoted to "the worst chess opening ever".
Of course, little of this would be possible without the support of many Readers, world-wide, to whom I express my heart-felt thanks.
Surprises, laughs, and not a few groans lie ahead as we dash into Year 7. Feel free to come along!
Starting out with a calm defense, the following game becomes more dynamic - and as the clock ticks down, play becomes more frantic...
Philidor1792 - Guest616259
PlayChessBase.com, 2014
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 d6
The Hungarian Defense. Here, most Jerome Gambiteers would sigh and mumble "Maybe next game..." But not Philidor1792.
4.Bxf7+
We have seen this kind of a thing in "Philidor vs the Philidor".
4...Kxf7 5.c4
Now, Black has to figure out what to do, how to arrange his defense. It is not unusual to see him protect the g5 square against incursion, but this will come back to haunt him.
5...h6 6.d3 Nf6 7.Be3 Be7 8.Nc3 Rf8 9.Qb3 Na5 10.Qa4 c6 11.Qc2 b6 12.O-O Kg8
Except for his offside Knight, Black does not seem to have suffered
from the gambit - but, too soon, he relaxes.
13.Rac1 Bb7 14.b4 d5 15.bxa5 dxe4
Surrendering the advantage. Instead he had 15...d4 16.Bd2 dxc3 17.Bxc3 Nd7 18.Nxe5 Nxe5 19.Bxe5 c5.
16.dxe4 b5 17.cxb5 cxb5 18.Qb3+ Kh8 19.Nxe5 Kh7 20.Qxb5 Bxe4 21.Rfd1
Possibly better was 21.Nxe4 Nxe4 22.Qb1 Qd5 and now the acrobatic 23.Rc4!?.
21...Qe8 22.Qxe8 Rfxe8 23.Nxe4 Nxe4 24.Rd7 Bf6 25.Nf3 a6 26.h3 Rab8 27.Kf1 Nc3
28.Bd4 Bxd4 29.Nxd4 Nxa2 30.Rcc7 Rg8
Time is so short that both players miss 30...Rb1+ 31.Rc1 Rxc1#
31.Ne6 Kg6 32.Nxg7 Rb2 33.Rd6+ Black resigned
In the following blitz game Philidor1792 shows his typical creativity, aggression and persistence in whipping up an interesting attack. Resistance is strong, however, and this time White does not win the day.
Philidor1792 - Guest292640
5 0, PlayChessbase.com, 2014
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6
The Two Knights Defense, avoiding the Evans Gambit and lesser gambits like the Jerome.
4.b4
Philidor1792 wishes to have his gambit anyway!
This move makes me wonder why we haven't seen this gambit against the Hungarian Defense, i.e. 3...Be7 4.b4!? as if the pawn is captured, the game becomes and Evans Gambit after all.
In the text, White enters an Evans Gambit a move down, as Black's Bishop comes to b4 in one move, not the usual two. Philidor1792 doesn't fret over such trivialities.
4...Bxb4 5.c3 Be7 6.Bxf7+
Adding a dash of Jerome...
6...Kxf7 7.Nxe5+
...and a splash of the Halloween Gambit, to top it off.
7...Nxe5 8.d4 Nc6
9.e5 Ng8 10.f4 d5 11.f5 Bh4+ 12.g3 Bg5 13.Qh5+ g6
14.Qxg5
White is not afraid to enter an endgame with the pawns against Black's extra piece, but in this instance he might have had better chances (compared to the game) after 14.fxg6+!? Kg7 15.Bxg5 Qe8 16.0–0 hxg6 17.Bf6+ Nxf6 18.exf6+ Kf7 19.Qxd5+, although Black would still be objectively ahead.
14...Qxg5 15.Bxg5 Bxf5 16.0-0 Ke6 17.Nd2 h6 18.Be3 Nge7
19.Nb3 b6 20.a4
Looking for open lines and play on the Queenside.
20...Raf8 21.a5 Bc2 22.Nd2 Nf5 23.Bf2 Bd3 24.Rfc1 Rf7 25.axb6 axb6 26.g4 Nfe7
27.Be3 h5
Looking for open lines and play on the Kingside.
28.h3 hxg4 29.hxg4 Rh4 30.Kg2 Rxg4+ 31.Kh3 Re4 32.Re1 Rh7+ 33.Kg3 Nf5+ 34.Kf3 Rh3+ 35.Kg2 Rhxe3 36.Nxe4 Bxe4+ 37.Kf2 Rxc3 38.Rg1 Nfxd4 39.Ra8 Nxe5 40.Re8+ Kf6 41.Rc8 b5 White resigned
Alas, no victory today for the Evans / Jerome / Halloween pawns.
I know, I know, it baffles me, too, but some players continue to underestimate the Jerome Gambit - to their own discomfort and demise. While some people would never play the Jerome Gambit, they can be at risk against someone who plays it, and plays it, and plays it...
Wall,B - Guest1872464
PlayChess.com, 2014
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+ Kxf7
The Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit, which can also be reached from the regular Jerome move order: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nc3 Nf6.
6.Qe2
A favorite move of Bill, and an idea as old as Ruy Lopez, who proposed it in the Bishop's Opening - 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Qe2 - in 1561.
Black overlooks the move's intention, and suddenly White is OK.
6...Rf8?!
More solid for Black was 6...d6 7.Qc4+ (7.0-0, Wall,B - Darkmoonstone, Chess.com, 2011, [1-0, 29]) as in Wall,B - Guest1459913, PlayChess.com, 2013 (1-0, 38); or
6...h6 7.Qc4+ as in Wall,B - DarkKnight, Cocoa Beach, FL 2012 (1-0, 23); or the direct
6...d5 as in Wall,B - Samvazpr, Chess.com, 2010 (0-1, 25).
7.Qc4+ d5
Black tried 7...Ke8 in Wall,B - Roberts,C, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0,17) and Wall,B - Hamilton,E, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 22).
8.Qxc5 dxe4
Or 8...d4 as in Wall,B - NFNZ, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 15).
9.Nxe5+ Nxe5 10.Qxe5 Re8 11.Qf4 Kg8 12.0-0 c6
13.b3 Bg4
An aggressive and thought-out move, but Bill suggests instead 13...Be6.
14.Bb2 Bh5 15.Rae1
Threatening 16.Nxe4.
15...Bg6 16.Qg5 Nd5 17.Qg3 Rc8?
Alternatives: 17...Nb4 18.Nxe4 Nxc2 19.Qc3 Qd4; or 17...Qd7.
18.Nxe4 Qd7
Not 18...Bxe4?? 19.Qxg7#.
19.Nd6 Rxe1 20.Rxe1 Rf8 21.d3 Nb4 22.a3 Nxc2?
Black cuts his material imbalance to one pawn, at the risk of trapping his Knight. More solid was 22...Nd5.
23.Re2 Bxd3?
Black might have tried 23...Rd8 as after 24.Rxc2? (correct would be 24.Qe5) 24...Qxd6 25.Qxd6 Rxd6 26.Rd2 Rxd3 the game would be even.
24.Qxd3 Rd8 25.Qc4+ Kh8 26.Rd2
An alternative was 26.Qf7 Qxf7 27.Nxf7+ Kg8 28.Nxd8.
26...Qe7 27.Nf7+ Kg8 28.Rxd8+ Qxd8 29.Nxd8+ Kh8 30.Qf7 Black resigned
Mate is unavoidable.
After my previous post to this blog, I was surprised to discover that my query at TimeForChess - see "The Jerome Gambit is Going to Drive Me... (Part 1)" - drew quick responses.
First, my post:
Looking for more information about an old post by fat lady:
08 May '06 16:54I think the Halloween Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nxe5) is quite playable way beyond 1600.
An opening which is much worse, but still better than the one which started this thread, is 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7 Kxf7 5.Nxe5. I played through a game of Alekhine's once where an amateur tried this against him. Alekhine tried sucessfully to hang onto both the pieces.
WHO can tell me ANYTHING about the game????
Thanks.
Perrypawnpusher
First response:
I suspect that Fat Lady, who was one of the finest posters ever to grace this forum, might have been misremembering this game of Blackburne's: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qxh8 Qh4 9.0-0 Nf6 10.c3 Ng4 11.h3 Bxf2+ 12.Kh1 Bf5 13.Qxa8 Qxh3 14.gxh3 Be4#
Data Fly
Second response:
Mr. Fine-poster also seems to have mis-remembered black trying to hold on to any pieces, let alone both of them
BigDoggProblem
But I was most impressed by a return message from Fat Lady,
Hi Perry,
I will have a think and get back to you. My memory of it is that Alekhine played Ke6 and then held onto both pieces, rather than saccing his rooks as per the Blackburne game from 1880. I've got quite a lot of old chess books and magazines and maybe the Alekhine game came from one of them (I certainly can't find it online anywhere). I feel sure it was Alekhine because he is, and always has been, my favourite player.
Best wishes,
Oh, no, my expectations are soaring again!
Is this going to be "the real thing", or another disappointment??
Stay tuned.
Occasionally, I like to turn to the internet to search for "Jerome Gambit" or "1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+", just to see if something new or old turns up. Mostly, I find links to this blog (of course) but occasionally I find games or analysis or comments that are worth sharing. For a recent example, see "Evergreen?"
Sometimes, however, I find references that drive me to distraction. For example, there was the poster, years ago, who referred to the above series of moves as the "Salvio Gambit"...
And I don't know how many times I have been excited to see someone post that the Jerome Gambit is their "favorite" opening - only to contact that person and learn that he or she has not saved any of their games...
Recently, I encountered an old post by fat lady at the TimeForChess website.
08 May '06An opening which is much worse [than the Halloween Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nxe5) ], but still better than the one which started this thread, is 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7 Kxf7 5.Nxe5. I played through a game of Alekhine's once where an amateur tried this against him. Alekhine tried sucessfully to hang onto both the pieces.
Really?
Alekhine playing 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 - my guess as to what was referred to in the "hang[ing] onto both the pieces" line.
Show me the game!
Give me a reference!
An opponent!
A date!
A location!
Anything...
That would be awesome!
I'm afraid that it's not going to happen, though...
Alekhine??
Anyhow, I've posted on the site's forum, and have emailed fat lady. I'm not holding my breath, though waiting for a response.
I don't expect to learn anything more.
Still... I looked in Alekhine's My Best Games of Chess; The Games of Alekhine by Caparrós and Lahde' and Alexander Alekhine's Chess Games, 1902-1946, by Skinner, Alekhine and Verhoeven - just in case.
Sometimes my devotion to the Jerome Gambit truly drives me to distraction.
