Going All Joseph Henry Blackburne

In the following game, HauntedKnight, a long-time Jerome Gambiteer who has almost 350 games in The Database, going back to 2004, runs into a player who wants to go all Joseph Henry Blackburne all over him.

True, yerupula gets his Queen sacrifice and nifty checkmate -- but, well, that's only part of the story.

HauntedKnight - yerupula
standard, FICS, 2014

1.e4 Nc6 2.Nf3 e5 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bxd4 7.Qxd4 d6 8.Qd5+ Be6 9.Qxb7 Nf6 

White has grabbed Black's b-pawn, at the risk of being under-developed and having his Queen offside.

10.O-O Nfg4

Black gets about moving his pieces into attacking position. Previously HauntedKnight faced 10...Qc8, with play on the Queenside, HauntedKnight - ByTheCliff, FICS, 2012 (0-1,26)

11.Nc3

It is time for White to look toward defense, as things are already turning tactical. For example, kicking the advanced Knight with 11.h3 is a good idea, although he needs to be ready for 11...Bc4!?(11...Nf6 12.f4 Ned7 has too much "retreat" in it). White should hold steady, and after 12.hxg4 Qd7 13.Qb4 Bxf1 14.Kxf1 Qxg4 15.f3 he has slowed down his opponent's harsh ideas, at least for the moment.

11...Qh4

This move is scary, but 11...Bc4!? is even scarier.

12.h3 

The truth is that Black's bold Queen advance leaves his own King at risk, allowing White to balance the situation with 12.Qxc7+ followed by the defending Bf4, exchanging Queens if possible (i.e. 12...Qe7 13.Qxe7+).

White's move in the game says "Hit me!" - and Black does.

12...Nf3+! 13.Kh1 Qxf2 

The promised Queen sacrifice -- but does it work??

Can you see why not? (Instead, 13...Nxf2+ wins without question.)

14.Rxf2

Our chessfriend will be haunted by this position for a while, once he realizes that 14.Be3! turns the tables, defending completely and giving White the better game. Check it out.

14...Nxf2 checkmate

A sweet final position.

Complexity In The Notes.

ZahariSokolov has played some very interesting Jerome Gambits at FICS lately. The following games shows off one of the aspects of the Jerome - that even the "winning" lines for Black are tricky for the second player, as are the "losing" lines for White.

So much of the complexity this time is in the notes.

ZahariSokolov - GhengusFungus
standard, FICS, 2014

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Nf3+

This rogue knight move marks the "Norton Variation", as opposed to one move later - 8...Qh4+ 9.g3 Nf3+!? - which would lead to a very sharp and complicated Queen sacrifice that wins for Black.

Nonetheless, The Database has 9 games with the Norton line, and White wins 8 of them. There are 44 games with the Queen check line, and White wins half of them.

Perhaps GhengusFungus was unfamiliar with the Queen sac, or he found the Knight move to be disturbing enough.

9. gxf3 

I was able to get away with the erroronious 9.Kf1? twice, in blitz games,  perrypawnpusher - igormsp, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 13) and perrypawnpusher - rheapennata, blitz, FICS, 2012 (1-0, 12); but long ago, at a slower pace, the Gambit's creator was not Jerome,A - Norton,D, Correspondence 1876 (0-1, 42).

9... Qh4+ 10.Kd1

Again, this is the correct square for the King, although two games in The Database show White winning after 10.Ke2? Young,J - "Chess Challenger 10" Computer, 1979 (1-0,18) and gibonacci - jschulte, GameKnot.com ,5d/move, 2007 (1-0, 48). 

10... Qe7 

In "Vortex" I wrote

White's best chance is 11.Qe5+ Kc6 12.b4!? when White can probably eke out a draw, whether or not the pawn is captured, but the play is very difficult.

That is a fair assessment of this Norton variation: a very complicated game, but a draw, with a lot of hard work by White.

Two games show White successful after 10...Ne7!?: CFBBlind -Quandary, FICS, 2001 (1-0, 18) and perrypawnpusher - sjeijk, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0,19); while White had a draw against 10...Qf2 - until he was given more in perrypawnpusher - Sir Osis of the Liver, JG3 thematic, ChessWorld.net, 2008 (1-0,19).

How did Black deal with all these complications? Apparently he relaxed too soon. 

11. Qd5 Black checkmate

Updated

I have updated The Database with games from FICS (Free Internet Chess Server) through 2014. It now contains over 39,000 games.

The basic Jerome Gambit position, after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+, appears in about 11,600 games. White scores 45%

The Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+, appears  2,300 times. White scores 38%.

Interestingly, the Semi-Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 h6 5.0-0 Bc5 6.Bxf7+, appears only 120 times, but White scores 65%. Note the "power" (or lack of) ...h6.

This is reflected in the Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.0-0 Bc5 5.Bxf7+, appearing in about 160 games, where White scores  66%. Interestingly, with 4.Nc3, in about 130 games, White scores only 54%.

The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 4.Bxf7+, appears in about 5,000 games, with White scoring 56%.

Recent examples of the Abrahams Jerome Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Bxf7+, have been added. There are a little over 2,500 examples, and White scores 50%.

Because the line continues to show up, and is worth knowing, the nameless 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Na5 4.Bxf7+  appears in The Database 2150 times, with White scoring  72%.

There is also a large selection of Jerome-ish lines, featuring, for example, an early Bxf7+ by White. Some Reversed Jerome Gambit games have been included, as well.

RHP JG Tourney Round 1 Games (4)

In the ongoing RedHotPawn.com Jerome Gambit thematic tournament, a couple of kinds of players need to be mentioned: those who join because the opening looks new and interesting or challenging or fun; and those who join because they have some knowledge of the opening, and want to test their understanding against others.

Although SeinfeldFan91 does not appear to have experience in the Jerome Gambit, according to The Database, he again shows an understanding of the opening beyond that of his experienced opponent, winning his mini-match with rigidwithfear, 2-0.

SeinfeldFan91 - rigidwithfear
Giuoco Piano Jerome gambit, RedHotPawn.com, 2014

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5 Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qxc5 d6 8.Qd5+

It is worth mentioning that Bill Wall has played this move with success on a number of occasions.

8...Be6 9.Qxb7 Nf6 10.d3 Qd7 11.Nc3 Rhb8 12.Qa6 Kg8

Finally departing from Siggus - metalshredder, standard, FICS, 2008 (1-0, 39) which had the equally playable 12...Rb6. In both cases, Black has the advantage.

13.O-O Nh4

This move and Black's next are not the best way to start the Kingside attack, as it allows the "Jerome pawns" to come to White's rescue.

14.f4 Bg4 15.f5 Nxf5 16.exf5 Bxf5 17.Qa3 Bg6

Black has returned his extra piece, and now White has a pawn edge. Now SeinfeldFan91 proceeds to outplay his opponent.

18.Bg5 Rf8 19.Bxf6 gxf6 20.Nd5 f5 21.Qc3 Qf7 22.Qc6 Rae8 23.Rf2 Rec8 24.Re1 Qg7 25.Ne7 Black resigned

Swiss Toni, Marko Krale, jecidi (Group 1), and Red House and SeinfeldFan91 (Group 2) have advanced to Round 2.

RHP JG Tourney Round 1 Games (3)

In the ongoing RedHotPawn.com Jerome Gambit thematic tournament , a couple of kinds of players need to be mentioned: those who join because the opening looks new and interesting or challenging or fun; and those who join because they have some knowledge of the opening, and want to test their understanding against others.

The following game features a player who has Jerome Gambit experience - but it was not enough to prevent his opponent from evening their mini-match (see jecidi - Red House, Giuoco Piano Jerome gambit, RedHotPawn.com, 2014).

Red House - jecidi
Giuoco Piano Jerome gambit, RedHotPawn.com, 2014

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

4...Kxf7 5.d3

A "modern" Jerome Gambit - no 5.Nxe5+. It must be said, though, that the move would be increasingly playable on White's next two moves.

5...h6 6.O-O a6 7.Nc3 Nf6 8.Na4 Ba7 9.c3 Rf8

Planning to castle-by-hand, but 9...b5 is stronger.

10.Re1 d6 11.b4 Kg8

Mission accomplished.

12.Be3 Bd7 13.d4 exd4 14.Nxd4 Nxd4 15.Bd4 Bxd4 16.cxd4 Re8

17.Nc3 c6 18.e5 dxe5 19.dxe5 Nh7 20.f4 Bf5 21.Qf3 Qd4 22.Kh1 Qxb4

The "Jerome pawns" are not adequate compensation for the sacrificed piece.

23.a3 Qe7 24.Ne4 Bxe4 25.Rxe4 Nf8 26.a4 Rad8 27.h3 Ne6 28.f5 Ng5 29.Qe2 Nxe4 30.Qxe4 Qxe5 31.Qc4 Qd5 32.Qf4 Qe5 33.Qg4 Qxa1 White resigned

Joseph Henry Blackburne A Chess Biography

It can be argued that Joseph Henry Blackburne did as much as almost any other chessplayer, besides Alonzo Wheeler Jerome himself, to inform chessplayers about the Jerome Gambit - by publishing his sacrificial crush against it. (See "Nobody Expects the Jerome Gambit!")

Now Tim Harding, author of many fine chess books (I have 20 of them, plus his CD collection of correspondence games), has completed his biography of  the swash-buckling J.H. Blackburne (with over 1,000 of his games), for McFarland. I quote from the publisher's website:

About the Book
During a career spanning more than 50 years, J.H. Blackburne (1841–1924) won the British Chess Championship and several international tournaments, at his peak becoming one of the world’s top three chess masters. A professional player who derived his livelihood from annual tours of chess clubs in England and other countries, entertaining and teaching amateur players, he astonished his contemporaries by the ease with which he played the game without sight of the chessboard. At 21, he set a world record for such exhibitions, competing against 12 club players simultaneously, and he continued to perform “blindfold” into his sixties.

This first comprehensive biography of Britain’s greatest chess player of the early 20th century presents more than 1,000 of Blackburne’s games chronologically, including all his surviving games from serious competition, annotated in varying detail. Many are masterpieces containing beautiful combinations and instructive endgame play. Blackburne’s unusual family and social background are fully explored.

About the Author(s)
Tim Harding played for Ireland at the 1984 FIDE chess olympiad in Thessaloniki, and is a Senior International Master of correspondence chess. A well-known writer on many aspects of chess, he was editor of Chess Mail magazine from 1996 to 2005. Since 1996 he has contributed the monthly articles in "The Kibitzer" series at www.chesscafe.com. He lives in Dublin, Ireland.  

Blackburne's games against other masters are interesting and educational in their own right, but his exhibition games against amateurs are scintillating mini-lessons in aggression (and downright fun to play over). Not for nothing was he nicknamed "The Black Death"!

The book will be published in the spring or summer of 2015, but is available for pre-order from either the publisher McFarland or Amazon.

I have already ordered a copy.

All's Well That Ends Well

The following game shows Philidor 1792 giving the "Jerome treatment" to the Berlin Defense of the Bishop Opening... The final position is worth bringing in a not-exactly-Jerome-Gambit line.

Philidor 1792 - guest63
3 0 blitz,www.peshka.me, 2014

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.Bxf7+

3...Kxf7 4.Qe2 d5

Alternatives:
4...d6 5.Nf3 h6 6.c3 Bg4 7.Qc4+ Ke8 8.Qb5+ Nc6 9.Qxb7 Ne7 10.Qb5+ c6 11.Qe2 g5 12.d4 Ng6 13.Nbd2 Bg7 14.O-O Kf7 15.Qc4+ d5 16.Qxc6 dxe4 17.Nxe5+ Nxe5 18.dxe5 Nd7 19.Qxe4 Bxe5 20.Qxg4 Qf6 21.Qxd7+ Kg6 22.Nf3 g4 23.Qxg4+ Kf7 24.Qh5+ Ke7 25.Nxe5 Rhf8 26.Ng6+ Black resigned, Philidor1792 - Stranger, Chess-samara.ru. 2014;

4...Bc5 5.Qc4+ d5 6.Qxc5 Na6 7.Qe3 Nxe4 8.Nf3 Qf6 9.d3 Nd6 10.Nxe5+ Kg8 11.Nc3 Nb4 12.Kd1 Be6 13.a3 Nc6 14.Re1 d4 15.Qe2 dxc3 16.Nxc6 cxb2 17.Bxb2 Qxb2 18.Qxe6+ Kf8 19.Qe7+ Kg8 20.Qe6+ Kf8 21.Qe5 Qxe5 22.Nxe5 Re8 23.Rb1 b6 24.Rb4 Re6 25.Rf4+ Ke7 26.d4 Rd8 27.d5 Nb5 28.Nc6+ Black resigned, Philidor 1792 - guest52, www.peshka.me, 2014.

4...Nc6 5.Nf3 h6 6.c3 d6 7.h3 (7.b4 a6 8.h3 g5 9.a3 Qe8 10.Bb2 Bg7 11.d3 Rf8 12.Nbd2 Kg8 13.O-O-O b5 14.d4 Bd7 15.c4 exd4 16.Nxd4 Nxd4 17.Bxd4 c5 18.Bc3 cxb4 19.axb4 Rc8 20.f3 a5 21.bxa5 b4 22.Bxb4 Be6 23.Bxd6 Qa4 24.Bxf8 Bxc4 25.Nxc4 Rxc4+ 26.Kb1 Bxf8 27.Qa2 Qb5+ 28.Ka1 Kh8 29.Rb1 Qe5+ 30.Rb2 Bg7 31.Qxc4 Nd5 32.Qc8+ Kh7 33.Qf5+ Qxf5 34.exf5 Nb4 35.Kb1 Black resigned,  Philidor 1792 - guest83, www.bereg.ru, 2014) 7...Be6 8.d4 exd4 9.cxd4 d5 10.e5 Ne4 11.O-O Be7 12.Nc3 Nxc3 13.bxc3 Rf8 14.Qb5 Rb8 15.Nh2 Kg8 16.f4 a6 17.Qb3 Na5 18.Qd1 Nc4 19.g4 g6 20.Qd3 Kg7 21.f5 gxf5 22.gxf5 Bxf5 23.Rxf5 Qd7 24.Rxf8 Rxf8 25.Ng4 Bg5 26.Bxg5 hxg5 27.Nf6 Rxf6 28.exf6+ Kxf6 29.Rf1+ Kg7 30.Qf5 Qxf5 31.Rxf5 Kg6 32.Rxd5 Nb6 33.Re5 Kf6 34.Kg2 Na4 35.c4 Nc3 36.a3 Nb1 37.a4 Nd2 38.Rc5 c6 39.d5 Nb3 40.dxc6 Nxc5 41.c7 Black resigned, Philidor 1792 - guest164, www.peshka.me, 2014

5.Nf3 Nc6 6.Nc3 Nd4 7.Nxe5+ Kg8 

Black has a piece for two pawns, but must continue to monitor the safety of his King.

8.Qd3 dxe4 9.Qc4+ Be6 10.Qa4 Qd6 11.Nc4 Nxc2+ 12. Kd1 Bxc4

This is a slip, as White will recapture with check.

13.Qxc4+ Nd5 14.Nxd5 h6 15.Nf6 checkmate

Ouch!