One More? Why Not?

Chess.com has started a new 12-player "Giuoco Piano" tournament (3 groups of 4 players each) and I thought, "Why Not?" A third ongoing Italian Game tournament for me?

I immediately got to start a couple of Jerome Gambits, so we'll see how they turn out.

The first game is racing along the lines of a refutation that has many blog posts here, all saying that White is lost, White is lost...

The second game is following, step-by-step, a recent loss of mine from a Chess.com Italian Game tournament.

All of which may have Readers wondering about an earlier post of mine, "Do I Share Everything? No.".

We'll see.

Rybka Plays the Jerome Gambit

Here is the game from the Kasparovchess forum mentioned by Philidor1792 in the previous post, with Rybka matched against a player from the site.

Rybka - Mustitz
10 5 casual game, 2010

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

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

I have nicknamed this line "the annoying defense" as Black gives back a piece and drains the position of much of its dynamism.

It is ironic that White, a computer in this game, must face a variation very popular with computer defenders.

8.fxe5 dxe5 9.Qh3+ Kf7 10.Qh5+  Ke6 11.Qh3+ Kf7 12.Qh5+ g6

Rybka would be content with a draw by repetition. Mustitz would not.

13.Qxe5 Qe7 

This move is new to The Database.

14.Qxe7+ Nxe7 15.c3 Nc6 16.d4 Nxd4 

17.cxd4 Bxd4 18.Nc3 Re8 19.Bd2 Bxc3 20.O-O+ Kg8 21.Bxc3 Rxe4 

This is an interesting position for both sides. White can be "happy" it is only a pawn down in a Jerome Gambit, while Black can be pleased to still be a pawn ahead. Certainly the signs of a possible draw via Bishops-of-opposite colors are present.

22.Rae1 Bf5 23.Rxe4 Bxe4 24.Rd1 Bf5 25.h3 Re8 26.Kf2 Be6 27.b3 Kf7 28.g4 c6 29.Kg3 Bd5 30.Rf1+ Ke7 31.Re1+ Kd7 32.Rxe8 Kxe8 

33.Kf4 h5 34.Kg5 hxg4 35.hxg4 Be4 36.Be5 Kd7 37.b4 Ke6 38.Bb8 a6 39.Bc7 Kd5 40.Kf4 Bb1 41.a4 Kc4 42.Bd6 b6 43.a5 bxa5 44.bxa5 Kd4 45.Be5+ Kd3 46.Bd6 Kd4 47.Be5+ Kd5 48.Bc3 c5 49.Be1 Kd4 50.Bf2+ Kc4 51.Ke5 Kd3 52.Bxc5 Kc4 53.Bf2 Drawn

Opening Traps by GM Ferzbery

Chessfriend and Jerome Gambit advocate Philidor1792 quickly came to my rescue concerning the book mentioned in my previous post (see "Italian Party Stunt") - Opening Traps by GM Ferzbery [Boris Vainstein] (1990). Look at his hard work.

Hi, Rick,

I read in your blog about Vainstein's book in Russian. Here is a translation of a section about Jerome gambit from this book (not sure about the quality of translation, but it should be better than Google). In an attachment you can find the book itself as well as a Jerome gambit game from Kasparovchess forum:

The book is written in a form of dialog between a chess teacher (Vainstein) and his students: p.32

-          Couldn’t white play “fortissimo” here? – asked Sergej

-          How?

-          Look:  4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5

-          So what did you get for the piece? – asked Nikolaj

-          Two pawns and three checks – More than enough compensation. And by the way I’m attacking the bishop and rook now! What are you going to do?

-          That’s really a question?  - thought Nikolaj. Did Sergej really invent a new “fortissimo”?

-          This was already refuted by English chess master Joseph Blackburne many years ago:  7. Qxe5 d6  8.Qxh8 Qh4 9.0-0 Nf6 10.c3 Ng4 11.h3 Bxf2+ 12.Kh1 Bf5! 13.Qxa8 Qxh3+! 14.gxh3 Bxe4#. In the final position black has only three light pieces, while white – a queen, two rooks and two pieces.

-          Beautiful - Sergej said, - but you and even Joseph Blackburne did not persuade me. First of all white doesn’t have to take 8.Qxh8, it can play 8.Qd5+ giving one more check and probably take the b7 pawn then.  So for a piece it will get three pawns and four checks.

-          Probably this is not enough too. After 9...Rb8 and 10...Qh4 we will get pretty much the same as in the Blackburne’s game. (Why not 11.Qe2? – Philidor1792).

-          Ok, but what about 10.c3? It looks as if one tried to fry an egg on fire in his house. Generally I must check all this.

-          There’s nothing to check here. – said Nikolaj sharply. One can’t suddenly sacrifice two pieces in the very beginning of the game. Black doesn’t violate any opening principles after all.

-          No, I must examine this myself. Remember, what Capablaca said!

***

Then I thought - said Sergej Viktorovitch - probably two-piece sacrifice is not good, but it’s also unfair to punish white so sharply – mate in 14 moves! Today I can suggest 9.d4! for white. Black got one pawn and one check back 9...Qxe4+, but what to do after 10.Be3! If black takes another pawn 10...Qxg2, white queen goes free 11.Qh7+ and here white shouldn’t lose. And if Blackburne closes the cage 10...Nf6, white shouldn’t be greedy and take the bishop 11.dc because of 11...Qxg2 12.Rf1 Bh3! 13.Qxa8 Qxf1+ and 14 ...Ne4#

But rather play simply and effectively 11.Nd2 Qxg2 12.0-0-0! and after the bishop retreats - play 13.Bh6 after  which Blackburne won’t survive.

However he could win if he played without too much beauty and instead of 6...g6? simply protected his king by 6...Ng6! 7.Qxc5 d6. And now black has a piece for two pawns and good chances for a win. Though black should be aware of two dangerous white central pawns...

Conclusion is: there weren’t any reasons to sacrifice two pieces but still sometimes it’s worth making a trap for the sake of beauty. Blackburne’s opponent didn’t find a right way to defend. The result was a wonderful combination with two rooks and queen sacrifice.

Philidor1792

The Italian Party Stunt

With the help of Google.com, I recently stumbled over a discussion of the Jerome Gambit, and the game Amateur - Blackburne, London, 1885, at KasparovChess.

Not familiar with the Russian language, I took advantage of Google's offer to translate the internet site's pages, and had several good laughs - starting with the title of the discussion in the forum, "The Italian Party Stunt 4.Sf7+". Indeed!

The site has an English translation, which has to be better than Google's. (I know, I know, "party" means "game", but it's hard not to laugh - there and elsewhere - anyhow.)

Of additional interest in the forum is the comment: 
В той же книге Вайнштейна "Ловушки ферзьбери"было доказано,что в этой позиции Белые играют 10.д4!(а не 10.с3?)и отбивают атаку.

This seems to refer to a book on traps by Weinstein - with an analytical suggestion for the Jerome Gambit / Blackburne game. Can anyone (other than Google) help with the translation of this Russian comment to English? Is any Reader familiar with the referred-to book? Is it an early work by Kasparov?

The suggestion of 10.d4 (!) is interesting in light of the earlier (5 1/2 years ago) discussion in "A Question of Theory and Practice" and "Sources".

I'll Do The Thin'in' Around Here...

As a child I enjoyed watching Saturday morning cartoons, including the comic adventures of Hanna-Barbera's Quick Draw McGraw, the western sheriff who sometimes could get caught up in his own ideas, proclaiming "I'll do the thin'in' [thinking] around here... And don't. you. forget. it."

In the following game, White inadvertently follows Quick Draw, by responding to Black's "psychological" riposte -- You want me to take the Bishop?? So - I won't take the Bishop! -- by dropping his guard, as if to remind his opponent I'll do the attackin' around here... And don't. you. forget. it.

Disaster follows.

bereakatze - pawnstarrr
blitz, FICS, 2015

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Bxf7+ 

The Abrahams Jerome Gambit, which we have been looking at on this blog lately.

3...Kf8

The Abrahams Jerome Gambit Declined, which "objectively" turns Black's better game into a better game for White - especially after 4.Bc4 or 4.Bb3.

The Database has 432 games with this move,  in which White has scored 64%. That number is surprisingly low, but perhaps that is because White doesn't always play "objective" chess, but insists that Black take the piece by leaving it en prise. (It is interesting to note that The Database shows that against ...Kf8 in the regular Jerome Gambit Declined, White has scored only 58%.) 

4.d3 Qf6 5.Bb3

The Database has a couple of alternative games, one a warning to White and one a caution to Black: 
5.c3 Qxf2 checkmate, clocked - wileyone, FICS, 2009; and 

5.Qf3 Qxf7 6.Qxf7+ Kxf7 7.Nf3 Nf6 8.Nxe5+ Ke7 9.0-0 d6 10.Nc4 Nbd7 11.Bg5 h6 12.Bh4 g5 13.Bg3 b6 14.Kh1 Bb7 15.f4 gxf4 16.Bxf4 h5 17.Nbd2 Rag8 18.Nf3 c6 19.Nh4 d5 20.Ne5 Nxe5 21.Bxe5 Rf8 22.Ng6+ Kf7 23.Nxh8+ Black ran out of time, greatbigdave - lucluc, FICS, 2001. 

5...Qxf2 checkmate

Kabong!

Visit From An Old Friend

Black's tactical oversight on move 12 is like a visit from an old friend. (As the Beatles sang, "I get by with a little help from my friends.") It is an interesting variation on the old "optical illusion" which has garnered me a few points.

perrypawnpusher - johnEjohnE
blitz, FICS, 2015

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 a6 

Okay, no Jerome Gambit - yet. Patience.

4.O-O 

Here Bill Wall jumped the gun with 4.Bxf7+ and earned a quick victory in Wall,B - GuestDLNJ, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 11). 

A Scotch variation was seen with 4.d4 exd4 5.Nxd4 Bc5 6.Bxf7+ Kxf7 7.Qh5+ Black resigned, Melenos - Rocangus, FICS, 2010. 

4... Nf6 

Stubborn. After 4... Bc5 I played 5. Bxf7+ in perrypawnpusher - Tlslevens, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 28). 

5. Nc3

I could have played 5.Ng5, as in the Two Knights Defense,  5...d5 6.exd5 Na5 7.d3 etc., but I was still angling for a Jerome Gambit.

5... Bc5 6. Bxf7+ 

At last. A Delayed Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.

6...Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ Nxe5 8.d4 Nf3+ 

A bright idea, similar to the move by AirmanLeonidas, when he had advanced h7-h7 instead of this game's a7-a6.

The equally interesting 8... Qe7 was seen in Wall,B - Pawndering, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 16). 

9. gxf3 

Writing about my game against AirmanLeonidas, I commented about the pawn capture vs the Queen capture

Going with the "Jerome pawns," but not the best. After the game Rybka suggested: 9.Qxf3, since if 9...Bxd4 White can regain the pawn with 10.Nb5 Be5 11.Qb3+ d5 12.f4 Bd6 13.Nxd6+ Qxd6 14.e5 Qb6+ 15.Qxb6 axb6 16.exf6 gxf6 when Black may have a small edge if he can use his open lines.

However, in the current game, the helpful 10.Nb5 is not playable, due to Black's pawn on a6.

Still, a long-time Jerome Gambiteer once went with the Queen capture: 9.Qxf3 Bxd4 10.Nd5 c6 11.Nxf6 Qxf6 12.Qb3+ Qe6 13.c4 Re8 14.Be3 Qxe4 15.c5+ Re6 16.Rae1 Ke7 17.Bxd4 Qxd4 18.Rxe6+ dxe6 19.Qc2 g6 20.b4 Black forfeited on time, jfhumphrey - spince, FICS, 2013.

9...Bb4 10.Bg5 h6 11.Bh4 d6 12.Qd3

Black misunderstands the reason for this move, and overlooks my response. It's blitz. It happens.

12...Rf8 13.Qc4+ Be6 14.Qxb4 Bh3 

Black's pressure on White's King does not compensate for being behind two pawns, with the smaller center. He appears to have been shaken by falling for the cheap tactic.

15.Rfe1 Kg8 16.e5 dxe5 17.dxe5 Qe8 18.exf6 Qf7

Here Black forfeited by disconnection.

After 19.fxg7 Qxg7+ 20.Bg3 White would clearly be better.

More and More About What We Know So Little

In the last few days I have added over 10,000 Abrahams Jerome Gambit games (1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Bxf7+), which we have been discussing recently, to The Database, pushing it almost to 51,000 games, total. (I can probably add another 10,000 Abrahams JG games to bring things up-to-date with play at FICS.)

Reviewing my email files, I note that in the past I have discussed the opening with the always-impressive IM/PhD Tim Harding (whose 1973 Bishop's Opening is a classic, whose articles for chesscafe.com  helped answer the question "What Exactly Is the Bishop's Opening?", and whose biography of Joseph Henry Blackburne many await from McFarland) and with Michael Goeller, who maintains an excellent online resource on the Bishop's Opening; and neither was familiar with the early Bishop sacrifice.

That pretty much makes three of us.

I have recently contacted IM Gary Lane, a long-time friend of this blog, who has written Winning With the Bishop's Opening (1993) and The Bishop's Opening Explained (2005). While he is not familiar with the Abrahams Jerome Gambit, either, he is willing to take a look at it with his readers in his next month's "Opening Lanes" column at ChessCafe.com. 

I hope to learn more - much more. I need to. It is ridiculous that the "oldest" over-the-board game example of this line in The Database is a 2003 game:

Kuckuck,D - Loesche,N 
EU-ch U08 Germany, 2003

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Bxf7+ Kxf7 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.0-0 Nxe4 6.Nxe5+ Kf8 7.Re1 Bb4 8.Rxe4 b6 9.Rxb4 Bb7 10.c4 Ke7 11.d3 h5 12.f3 g5 13.f4 gxf4 14.Bxf4 d6 15.Bg3 h4 16.Bf2 b5 17.Rb3 Rh7 18.Nd2 Qd7 19.Ne4 Nc6 Black resigned

The "oldest" online game example in The Database is only from 1999.

ChessNinja  - Leebros
FICS,1999

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Bxf7+ Kxf7 4.Qh5+ Kf8 5.Qxe5 Qe7 6.Qf5+ Nf6 7.e5 d6 8.Qxc8+ Kf7 9.Qxh8 Nc6 10.Qxa8 Qxe5+ 11.Ne2 Nd4 12.Nbc3 Ng4 13.Qxb7 Nxc2+ 14.Kf1 Nxh2+ 15.Rxh2 Qxh2 16.Qxc7+ Kg6 17.Rb1 Qh1+ 18.Ng1 Ne1 19.Kxe1 Qxg1+ 20.Ke2 Qxf2+ 21.Kd1 Black ran out of time