Do YOU Remember?

The Thursday, July 11, 2013 post on Sean Press' chessexpress blog (which we have mentioned before) starts

Is chess this simple?

In one of my opening books (I cannot remember which) there was a comment attached to the variation 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+? "Chess is not that simple."

Can any reader identify the opening book to which Mr. Press refers?

Jerome vs Lasker, or Another DEJG!

Golly, I was minding my own business, calmly defending against an Evans Gambit (I like the Lasker Defense) in the new Italian Game tournament at Chess.com, when suddenly I was Jeromed!

majimba - perrypawnpusher
Chess.com Italian Game tournament, 2015

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4

The Evans Gambit.

4...Bxb4 5.c3 Ba5 6.0-0 d6 7.d4 Bb6

8.dxe5 dxe5 9.Bxf7+

Kapow! A Delayed Evans Jerome Gambit!

Where did my opponent get the idea? If I had to guess, I would say it could have been from an old post at Chess.com by someone called skiingisfun69 (I have edited lightly for clarity):

...Only played in one grandmaster game that I could find. Is this a mistake? If so, how? It appears that no matter what Black does, his position is completely losing...
I just played this on Yahoo chess against a friend, 7 minute / 7 second increments...I was very surprised to find out we had played grandmaster chess up until move 8. I had no idea there was such a thing as the Evans Gambit - I assumed my pawn sacrifice on b4 was no longer a standard line.
On move 9 in my game I played Bxf7+. Is this move a mistake? According to the Chess.com database, it was only played in one game. Grandmasters usually choose 9.Qb3 or 9.Qxd8. How are these moves better than 9.Bxf7+? I only found one game where 9.Bxf7+ was played http://www.chess.com/games/view.html?id=144868. White won quickly.
It appears to me that no matter what Black does, his position is clearly losing. If he doesn't take the bishop his position is losing. When I then offer the knight, if it he takes it he's simply down a queen for two minor pieces - losing. If he doesn't take it, he just loses.

What a discovery! Who wouldn't want to try out 9.Bxf7+?

9...Kxf7 10.Nxe5+ Ke8!

Not according to White's plan.

Painful for Black is 10...Ke6: 11.Qg4+ Kxe5 12.Bf4+ (12.Qf4+ Ke6 13.Qf5+ Ke7 14.Ba3+ Nb4 15.Bxb4+ c5 16.Bxc5+ Bxc5 17.Qxc5+ Kf7 18.Na3 Nf6 19.Nb5 Qe7 20.Nd6+ Kg6 21.e5 Rd8 22.Qe3 Ng8 23.Qd3+ Kh6 24.Nf7+ Qxf7 25.Qxd8 Qe6 26.Qh4+ Kg6 27.f4 Qb6+ 28.Kh1 h6 29.f5+ Kh7 30.Qe7 Black resigned, Wilson,P - Wilson,J, correspondence, 1921) 12...Kxe4 13.Re1+ Kd3 (13...Kd5 14.Qd1+ Nd4 15.Re5+ Kc4 16.Na3+ Black resigned, Ford,E - Vorrath,A, Manhattan Chess Club Handicap Tournament, New York, 1891) 14.Qe2 checkmate, skiingisfun69 - NN, 7 7 blitz, Yahoo Chess, 2008;

or 10...Kf8: 11.Ba3+ Nge7 12.Qf3+ Black resigned, Eckl,J - Schoenewald, correspondence, 1967.

But I was out to disappoint my opponent.

11.Qh5+ g6 

12.Nxg6

Actually, better is 12.Nxc6 gxh5 13.Nxd8 Kxd8-+ 14.Bg5+ (14.Nd2 Nf6 15.e5 Ng4 16.Nc4 Be6 17.Nxb6 axb6 18.Bg5+ Kd7 19.a3 Ra5 20.f4 Rha8 21.f5 Bc4 22.e6+ Ke8 23.Rf4 Bd3 24.h3 Ne3 25.Rf3 Bxf5 26.Rxe3 Rxa3 27.Rxa3 Rxa3 28.e7 b5 29.Re5 Bd7 30.Re4 Ra1+ 31.Kf2 Ra2+ 32.Kg3 Bc6 33.Rf4 Rxg2+ 34.Kh4 Re2 35.Rf8+ Kd7 36.Rd8+ Ke6 37.e8Q+ Black resigned, Philidor 1792 - guest343, www.bereg.ru, 2013) 14...Ne7 15.Nd2 Rg8 16.Bh4 Bh3 17.Bg3 h4 White resigned, Girard - Corbat, IECC TH-T email 2000.

You might have noticed in the paragraph above that one of the games was played by Jerome Gambit Gemeinde member Philidor 1792. That is one reason to why majimba's Bishop sac wasn't a surprise to me.

Longtime Readers may remember that there were 4 posts to this blog on the "Delayed Evans Jerome Gambit" in October and November of 2013. That is another reason I was not fooled.

12...Nf6 13.Bg5

Overlooking my reply.

A stronger alternative, still giving Black the advantage, is 13.Qh6: 13...Rg8 14.Nh4 (14.Nf4 Ne5 15.Nd5 Rg6 16.Nxf6+ Qxf6 17.Qxh7 Bg4 18.Be3 Rd8 19.Nd2 Rd7 White resigned, Kurpnieks,V - Kovacs,A, LSS email, 2008) 14...Ne5 15.g3 Neg4 16.Qf4 Nh5 17.Qf3 Qxh4 White resigned, Kopel - Grocescu, correspondence, 1989.

13...Nxh5 14.Bxd8 Rg8

Black will remain two pieces up.

15.Nh4 Kxd8 16.Nd2 Be6 17.Rfd1 Ke7 18.a3 Rad8 19.Nhf3 Nf4 20.g3 Nh3+ White resigned

(My apologies to the Gemeinde, but a true Jerome Gambit player must know how to play against the gambit, too.)

Appearance and Reality

In the following game, Black leaps upon what he considers an error by White, only to find that he has attacked thin air, while, on the other side of the board, he allows a deadly attack!


Wall,B - Guest1468045 
PlayChess.com, 02.04.2015

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qxc5 d6 8.Qc3

A similar position including the "nudge", after 7.Qd5+ Kf8 8.Qxc5+ d6 9.Qc3 was seen in Wall,B - Boris, SparkChess.com, 2012 (1-0, 32),  Wall,B -Guest4149739, PlayChess.com, 2013 (1-0, 30) and Wall,B - Guest428245, PlayChess.com, 2014 (1-0, 20). 


The alternative, 8.Qd5+, looking for mischief, was seen in Wall,B-Guest4395, Microsoft Internet Gaming Zone, 2001 (1-0, 18);  Wall,B - Seven11, Chess.com, 2008 (1-0, 51); Wall,B - Chung,J, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 25);  Wall, Bill - CheckMe, www.Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 23); and Wall, Bill - Guest249301, playchess.com, 2013 (1-0, 30).

8...Nf6 9.d3 Re8 

10.0-0 h6 11.f4 Kg8 12.Nd2 c6 

Houdini rates Black about a half point better here; while Stockfish sees Black as maybe nine-tenths of a pawn better. That's plenty for White to work with.

13.b4!? 

Bill and I have exchanged emails about this move. I like it - a lot. It reminds me both of the comment attributed to Bobby Fischer - "I don't believe in psychology, I believe in strong moves" - and one by Nimzovich - that a particular move was strong, because it appeared weak...

Notice how Black jumps all over the move. Notice how Black loses.

13...Qb6+ 14.Kh1 Ng4 15.Bb2 Re7 

As Bill points out, Black pauses for some defense: not 15...Nf2+? 16.Rxf2 Qxf2?? 17.Qxg7#

16.d4

Likewise, avoiding 16.Qc4+? Be6 17.Qd4 Ne3.

16...a5 

Here we go again: attacking the White b-pawn.

17.Qg3 

Which White abandons!

17...Qxb4

Black has the pawn in the bag, and forks two of White's pieces. What's not to like?

18.Bc3

Bill was aware of 18.f5? Qxb2 19.Qxg4 Qxd4 20.Qxg6 Qxd2.

18...Qb5 19.f5 

We will come back to this position.

19...Bxf5 

This looks like the beginning of panic. Black's Knights are at risk.

20.Rxf5 N4e5 21.dxe5 Nxe5 22.Raf1 Rae8

Collapse.

23.Bxe5 dxe5 24.Qg6 Qe2 25.Rf7 Rxf7 26.Rxf7 Qe1+ 27.Nf1 Re7 28.Qxg7 checkmate

Going back to the diagram after White's 19th move let's ask: What would have happened if Black had admitted that his "advantage" had evaporated, that his "right to attack" had therefore disappeared, and he had retreated with 19...Nf6?

As I had emailed Bill

Funny how 19...Nf6, admitting Black's mistake, would have mostly set things to rights.. : 20.Qxg6 Qxb4 21.e5 Nd5 22.Nb3 a4 23.f5! Bxf5 24.Rxf5 axb3 25.c3! Nxc3 26.exd6 Re2 27.d7! Nd5 28.Raf1 Re1! 29.axb3 Ne3 30.Bc3! Qxc3 31.Rf7 Rxf1+ 32.Rxf1 Nxf1 (what else?) 33.Qe8+ Rxe8 34.dxe8/Q+ Kh7 35.Qe4+ and it was a draw, after all... But even in this line White has almost all of the fun! 

Tourneys! We Have Tourneys!

I will be moving through, after all, to the third round of the Chess.com Italian Game tournament. More chances to play the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) should occur. I will share them, good, bad and ugly...

In the meantime, a 28-player Italian Game tournament has started, also at Chess.com. I am in one of four 7-player groups, and in my first 6 games I have black in 5 of them. Alas, the one game with the white pieces I have been unable to finagle a Jerome Gambit. (I am again exploring the opening line suggested by chessfriend Yury Bukayev.)

For the time being - until at least one game is completed - I will be Jerome-less in this tournament.

The Long Grind

Here is another "day in the life of the Jerome Gambit" that turns into a long grind - and a win for White. The "Jerome pawns" prove strong - or at least easier to play.

ZahariSokolov - emranhamid 
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 Nc6 

Another solution for Black to the "Ups and Downs".

9.Qd5+ 

For the record, 9.e5+ shouldn't work, but did in Superpippo - MattMeister, FICS, 2002 (1-0, 60) and Ghandybh - ishahir, Chess.com 2009, (1-0, 17).

9...Ke7 10.Qxc5+ d6 11.Qg5+ 

Or 11.Qe3 as in  perrypawnpusher - trombose, blitz, FICS, 20013, (1-0, 31).

11...Kf8 12.Qxd8+ Nxd8 13.f5 Nf6 14.d3 h6 15.Nc3 a6 16.Be3 Nc6 17.O-O-O Kf7 18.h3 Re8 19.g4 Ne5 20.g5 hxg5 21.Bxg5 Nh7 22.h4 Bd7 23.Nd5 c6 

Black has been lulled into passivity - and error.

24.Nc7 Rac8 25.Nxe8 Rxe8 26.Bf4 Kf6 27.Rdg1 Kf7 28.Bxe5 dxe5 29.Rg6 Nf6 30.Rhg1 Rg8 31.Kd2 Nh5 32.R1g5 Nf4 33.Rd6 Ke7 34.Rxd7+ 

It was not necessary to return the exchange at this time.

34...Kxd7 35.f6 g6 36.Rxe5 Rf8 37.Re7+ Kd6 38.e5+ Kd5 39.c4+ Kd4 40.Rd7+ Kxe5 41.f7 Ke6 42.Rxb7 Rxf7 43.Rb6 Rd7 44.Rxc6+ Rd6 45.Rxd6+ Kxd6 46.d4 Kc6 

White has played his advantage into a position where he is worse - but that assessment is based upon Black's ability to show that his Knight is more than equal to three pawns. (The Black Knight should attack and win the h-pawn.)

47.b3 a5 48.a3 Ne6 49.Ke3 Kd6 50.Ke4 Nf8 51.b4 axb4 52.axb4 Nd7 53.b5 Nf6+ 54.Kf4 Ke6 55.Kg5 Kf7 56.b6 Ne4+ 57.Kf4 Nd6 58.c5 Nc8 59.b7 Black resigned

A Surprising New Defense Against the Jerome Gambit

This blog has been very honest: the Jerome Gambit is a refuted opening. You can find the refutations among the 2,025 posts so far. There are Jerome Gambit wins and Jerome Gambit losses.

Do we really need another refutation?

Apparently the answer is "yes".

ZahariSokolov - emranhamid
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 

There are 213 games with this position in The Database. While 8...Qf6 here is routine, and 8...Qh5+ exotic, I looked at one response by Black, 8...Nc4, in the previous post.
Here comes a shocker.

8...Kc6!?

There are only 3 games with this line in The Database.

Can Black's King simply walk away from his Knight like that??

The remainder of the game suggests that he can.

9.Qxe5 Nf6 10.d4 d6 11.d5+ Kb6 12.Qc3 Nxe4

Instead, 12...a5 13.a3 Nxe4 14.Qb3+ Ka6 15.Be3 Qh4+ 16.g3 Nxg3 17.Qd3+ b5 18.a4 Re8 19.Qxb5+ Ka7 20.Qxe8 Ne4+ 21.Kd1 Bg4+ 22.Kc1 Bxe3+ 23.Nd2 White resigned, was seen in VMACforever - Sillycon, FICS, 2013; while

12...Qe8 13.Qb3+ Ka6 14.Nc3 Nxe4 15.Qc4+ b5 16.Qxe4 Qxe4+ 17.Nxe4 Re8 was seen in NN - NN, 2012. )

13.Qb3+ Ka5 14.Bd2+

Worthy of a swindle was 14.Be3, as 14...Bxe3? would allow a draw by repetition starting with 15.Qa3+. 

14...Nxd2 15.Nxd2 Qh4+ 16.g3 Re8+ 17.Kd1 Qh5+ 18.Kc1 b6 19.a4 Ka6

The King continues his escape.

20.Qc4+ Kb7 21.a5 Qxh2 22.Rxh2 Re1 checkmate

Ups and Downs

I enjoy playing over ZahariSokolov's games because so many of them go right to critical or interesting positions in the Jerome Gambit, allowing him (and us) to experience the excitement of battle, with all of its ups and downs.

ZahariSokolov - Yrusia
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

8...Nc4

Bypassing the solid and good 8...Qf6 and the wild and good 8...Qh5+. It is helpful for the Jerome Gambit player to have enough knowledge about the opening to know that Black's move calls for "punishment".

9.Qd5+ Ke7 10.Qxc4 

The text is good enough for an equal position. The other capture, according to The Database, works out better:

10.Qxc5+ Nd6 (10...Kf7 11.Qxc4+ Kf8 12.d4 d6 13.O-O Nf6 14.Nc3 Qe7 15.e5 dxe5 16.fxe5 Be6 17.d5 Bg4 18.Bg5 h6 19.exf6 Black resigned, Petasluk - Comi, FICS, 2006) 11.e5 Nf6 (11...b6 12. exd6+ cxd6 13.Qe3+ Kf8 14.O-O Bb7 15.g3 Nf6 16.Qe2 Kf7 17.Nc3 Re8 18.Qf2 Ng4 19.Qd4 h5 20.Qxd6 h4 21.d3 hxg3 22.hxg3 Re6 23.Qd4 Rh6 24.f5 Rh1 checkmate, UNPREDICTABLE - ennuitois, blitz, FICS, 2009) 12.O-O Qg8 13.Nc3 g5 14.exf6+ Kxf6 15.fxg5+ Kg7 16.Qe5+ Kg6 17.Qf6+ Kh5 18.Qh6+ Kg4 19.h3+ Kg3 20.Ne2 checkmate, Kennedy - Chess Challenger 7, 2008. 

10...d6 

11.f5 

Instead, 11.d4 led to another adventure:  11...Be6 12.Qd3 Bb6 13.f5 Bf7 14.c3 Kd7 15.Nd2 Qh4+ 16.g3 Qg4 17.Qf3 Qxf3 18.Nxf3 Nf6 19.Nd2 Rae8 20.O-O Nxe4 21.Nxe4 Rxe4 22.Bf4 Rhe8 23.Rf2 Re2 24.Rb1 Rxf2 25.Kxf2 Bc4 26.Be3 c5 27.b3 Bd3 28.Rd1 Bxf5 29.dxc5 Bc7 30.cxd6 Bxd6 31.Bxa7 Kc6 32.Be3 Bc5 33.Bxc5 Kxc5 34.Rd2 Rf8 35.Ke3 Bg6 36.c4 Re8+ 37.Kf4 Kc6 38.Kf3 Re6 39.Kf2 Rd6 40.Rb2 Rd3 41.b4 b5 42.c5 Bf7 43.Ke2 Ra3 44.Kf2 Rxa2 45.Rxa2 Bxa2 46.Ke3 Kd5 47.Kd3 g6 48.Kc3 Bc4 49.Kd2 g5 50.Ke3 Ke5 51.h3 Be6 52.h4 gxh4 53.gxh4 Kf5 54.Kd4 Kg4 55.Ke5 Bf5 56.c6 Black forfeited on time, UNPREDICTABLE - LucioF, FICS 2010 

11...Nf6 12.d3

A center pawn push is probably premature, although it leads to interesting play, something like Houdini vs Nimzovich:  12.e5!? Re8! 13.d4 (13.exf6+?! Kf8+ 14.Kd1 Qxf6 advantage to Black; or 13.e6 b5!? 14.Qe2 [14.Qxb5 g6!? 15.c3 gxf5 16.d4 Bb6 17.Qxf5 Bxe6 18.Qd3 advantage to Black] 14... g6!? advantage to Black) 13...b5!? 14.Qc3 Kf8 15.O-O Bb6 16.e6!? (16.exf6 Qxf6 advantage to Black) 16...Bb7 17.a4 bxa4 18.Rxa4 c5 19.d5 c4+ 20.Kh1 Rc8 21.Bg5 Bxd5 22.Qd2 Bc6 23.Ra3 Kg8 24.Qe2 d5 25.Nd2 Bc5 26.Rh3 Rb8 27.Qe5 Qe7 advantage to Black

12...Bd7 13.Nc3

Again, 13.e5!? Re8 14.d4 Kf8 15.e6 b5!? edge to Black

13...Bc6 

Black has the extra piece and better development, although with an exposed King. White has the "Jerome pawn" wall, maintains rough equality.

14.Nd5+

Forcing the issue, while 14.d4!? would keep things equal.

From here on out, inaccuracies control the outcome of the game.

14...Kd7 

Instead, 14...Bxd5 15.exd5 Re8! planning to castle-by-hand and attack, was the way to go.

15.Nb4

Probably 15.Nf4 intending 16.Ne6 was better. Of course, that is easier to see from the sidelines.

15...Ng4 

Planning a Kingside attack, but overlooking something. 

16.Qe6 checkmate