Protect Which Pawn?

Here we have another human vs computer game (see "Irrational"), one which turns, curiously, on computer "psychology" and a subtle anti-computer strategy. Again, it is the human who applies brutal tactical force to close out the game.

Wall, Bill - Comet B50 engine
Palm Bay, FL, 2015

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

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

Ah, yes, back to the "annoying" or "silicon" defense.

Black will soon be challenged to decide which pawn(s) it wants to protect, and which one(s) it wants to let go. This is something White can take advantage of, if he pushes it.

8.fxe5 dxe5 9.Qh3+ Ke7 

Ten years ago this position proved uneasy for the computer playing the Jerome Gambit, and it quickly decided to save half a point: 9...Kd6 10.Qd3+ Ke7 11.Qg3 Kd6 12.Qd3+ Ke7 13.Qg3 Kd6 14.Qd3+ drawn, Crafty 19.19 - RevvedUp, blitz 2 12, 2006. 

10.Qg3 Kd6 11.Qd3+ Bd4 

Again, here, in the human - computer supermatch played a decade ago, the computer, with the Jerome Gambit, decided to bail out: 11...Ke7 12.Qg3 Ke6 13.Qh3+ Kf7 14.Qh5+ Ke6 15.Qh3+ drawn, Hiarcs 8 - RevvedUp, blitz 2 12, 2006).

Upon reflection, the g7 pawn is probably more valuable than the e5 pawn, despite the Comet B50's evaluations and calculations, and ...Kd6 is not Black's strongest continuation. Here it will cost a piece.

(On the other hand, most computers opening with the Jerome Gambit as White would probably love to offer and receive a draw after four moves!)

12.c3 Qg5

Comet B50 goes for wild tactics. It is interesting to recall two historical games that showed the computer (in this case, an early version of Fritz) solidly surrendering the piece: 12...c5 13.cxd4 cxd4 14.b3 Kc7 (14...Nf6 15.Ba3+ Kc7 16.Qg3 Re8 17.Qxg7+ Kb8 18.d3 Qa5+ 19.b4 Qb6 20.O-O Re6 21.Nd2 Qd8 22.Nc4 Qg8 23.Qxg8 Nxg8 24.Rf5 Ne7 25.Rxe5 Rxe5 26.Nxe5 Ng6 27.Nf3 Nf4 28.b5 Kc7 29.Ne5 Ng6 30.Nxg6 hxg6 31.Bc5 Bd7 32.a4 Re8 33.Bxd4 a6 34.bxa6 bxa6 35.a5 Kd6 36.Bb6 Bc6 37.Ba7 Bb5 38.Rd1 Ke5 39.Kf2 Ra8 40.Bb6 Ba4 41.Ra1 Bc6 42.Ke3 Re8 43.d4+ Kd6 44.e5+ Kd7 45.g3 Rf8 46.Rd1 Ke6 47.Rd3 Rf1 48.Rc3 Rf3+ 49.Kd2 Rxc3 50.Kxc3 Kd5 51.h4 Ke4 52.Kc4 Bb5+ 53.Kc5 Kf3 54.d5 Kxg3 55.e6 Kxh4 56.d6 Kg5 57.d7 Kf5 58.d8=Q Kxe6 59.Qg8+ Kf5 60.Qd5+ Kf6 61.Kd6 Kg7 62.Qxb5 axb5 63.a6 b4 64.a7 g5 65.a8=Q g4 66.Qe4 g3 67.Qxb4 Kf7 68.Qf4+ Kg6 69.Qg4+ Kh6 70.Qg8 Kh5 71.Bd8 Kh6 72.Qg5+ Kh7 73.Bf6 g2 74.Qg7 checkmate, Fisher-Kirshner,M - Knight Stalker, Fremont, CA, 1993) 15.Qc4+ Kb8 16.Ba3 Qh4+ 17.Kd1 Qh6 18.Qd5 Bg4+ 19.Ke1 Qh4+ 20.g3 Qg5 21.Bd6+ Kc8 22.Qf7 Bd7 23.Na3 Kd8 24.Rc1 Ne7 25.Rf1 Rc8 26.Rxc8+ Nxc8 27.Nc4 Re8 28.Bb4 Qh6 29.Na5 b6 30.Nc4 Bc6 31.d3 Qc1+ 32.Kf2 Qc2+ 33.Kg1 Qxd3 34.Nd6 Qe3+ 35.Rf2 Nxd6 36.Bxd6 Bd7 37.Kg2 Qxe4+ 38.Kf1 Bh3+ 39.Rg2 Qxg2+ 40.Ke1 Qh1+ 41.Kd2 Qxh2+ 42.Ke1 Qxg3+ 43.Kd2 Qc3+ 44.Ke2 d3+ 45.Kf2 Qb2+ 46.Kg3 Qg2+ 47.Kh4 Qg4 checkmate, Fisher-Kirshner,M - Knight Stalker, Fremont, CA, 1993. 

13.cxd4 Qxg2 14.dxe5+ 

14...Kxe5

The King would be relatively safer on e7. 

15.Qd5+ Kf6

The Queen is now lost, but otherwise Black loses her and his King: 15...Kf4 16.d4+ Kf3 17.Nd2+ Kg4 18.h3+ Qxh3 19.Rxh3 Kxh3 20.Qh5+ Kg2 21.Qf3+ Kh2 22.Nf1+ Kg1 23.Be3 checkmate.

analysis diagram






16.e5+ Black resigned

Irrational

The idea of playing the Jerome Gambit against a computer chess engine seems almost as irrational as the Jerome Gambit itself. How is it possible to give the silicon beast a couple of pieces and expect to survive? One doesn't give the computer "Jerome Gambit odds"!

Still, four years ago, I noted on this blog

It was not long after I began looking into the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) that I noticed one chess match kept turning up in the databases: in 1993, between the human Micah Fischer-Kirshner and the chess-playing program KnightStalker, an early version of Fritz. As luck would have it, I was able to interview Micah about his experience for this blog. 

The Jerome Gambit seemed a natural for matches, especially ones involving computers. Jeroen_61 of the Netherlands ran one with Hiarcs, Junior 7, Shredder Paderdorn (6.02) and Fritz 7. 

I tried a few myself, notably a Fritz8 vs Fritz5 encounter and a Delphi vs Wealk Delphi contest. Each attempt had its shortcomings. (Perhaps you read about them here.) 

The mysterious "perfesser" played an introductory 4-game match with the Talking LCD Chess Gadget. Like the Jerome Gambit itself, it was good for some chuckles. 

Topping all efforts so far, "RevvedUp" and his trusted companions Hiarcs 8, Shredder 8, Yace Paderborn, Crafty 19.19 and Fritz 8 explored the Jerome Gambit in a 30-game encounter. It was simply war.

There is also the earlier summary of Randy Tipton's computer vs computer games, and the more recent adventures of "Ionman vs the Bots".

So, when I noticed that the new group of Bill Wall games had some of him playing the Jerome Gambit against some engines, I had to check them out.

The following game is very interesting. The human's flurry of tactics to finish off the game is impressive. 

Wall, Bill - Abrok chess engine
Palm Bay, Florida, 2015

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 Qf6

A mild surprise. Computers tend to delight in "the annoying defense" 7...d6.

8.Rf1 g6 9.Qh3+

Bill has a couple of cautions here: 9.fxe5? Qxf1+ 10.Kxf1 gxh5 and 9.Qd1? Qh4+ 10.g3 Qxh2 11.fxe5 Qxg3+ 12.Rf2 Qxf2 checkmate.

9...Ke7

Bill has been here before:

9...Ng4 10.Qxg4+ Ke7 11.Nc3 d5 (11...d6 12.Nd5+ Kd8 13.Nxf6 Bxg4 14.Nxg4 h5 15.Nf2 Kd7 16.Nh3 Re8 17.d3 Nf6 18.Ng5 Ng4 19.h3 Nh2 20.Rh1 Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest3164644, PlayChess.com, 2013) 12.Nxd5+ Black resigned, Wall,B - Betarsolta, PlayChess.com, 2015; also

9...Kf7 10.fxe5 Qxf1+ 11.Kxf1 d6 12.Qc3 Black resigned, Wall,B  - Guest1690223, PlayChess.com, 2012; and

9...Ke7 10.Nc3 c6 d6 (10...c6 11.fxe5 Qxe5 12.d3 Nf6 13.Qh4 Bd4 14.Bg5 Bxc3+ 15.bxc3 Qxc3+ 16.Ke2 Qxc2+ 17.Bd2 Qb2 18.Rxf6 Qxf6 19.Bg5 Rf8 20.Bxf6+ Rxf6 21.e5 Black resigned, Wall,B - XCCY, FICS, 2011) 11.Nd5+ Kd8 12.Qg3 Qe6 13.fxe5 dxe5 14.d4 Ne7 15.dxc5 Nxd5 16.Bg5+ Ke8 17.exd5 Qxd5 18.Rf2 Be6 19.Rd2 Qxc5 20.0-0-0 Rf8 21.Qh4 h5 22.Bh6 Rf5 23.Rd8+ Rxd8 24.Rxd8+ Kf7 25.Rf8+ Qxf8 26.Bxf8 Kxf8 27.Qd8+ Kg7 28.Qxc7+ Kh6 29.h4 Rf1+ 30.Kd2 Rf2+ 31.Ke3 Rf5 32.Qd8 a6 33.Qh8 checkmate, Wall,B - Aburasian, Chess.com, 2010. 

10.Nc3 Kd8 

This is a small slip.

It must be noted that in a Jerome Gambit computer vs computer tournament over a decade ago, Hiarcs 9 chose 10...Kd8 three times:

Junior 7 - Hiarcs 9
Jerome Gambit, The Jeroen Experience, 2003
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 Qf6 8.Rf1 g6 9.Qh3+ Ke7 10.Nc3 Kd8 11.fxe5 (11.Nd5 d6 12.Qc3 Qh4+ 13.g3 Qxh2 14.fxe5 Bg4 15.Qd3 Ne7 16.Nf4 Nc6 17.Ne6+ Bxe6 18.exd6 Ne5 19.Qe2 Qxg3+ White resigned, Fritz 8 - Hiarcs 9, The Jeroen Experience, 2003) 11...Qxe5 12.d4 (12.d3 Bb4 13.Qh4+ Ne7 14.Bd2 d5 15.0-0-0 d4 16.Bf4 Qe6 17.Nd5 Bd6 18.Bxd6 cxd6 19.Rf6 Qe5 20.Nxe7 g5 21.Qh6 Qxe7 22.Rxd6+ Bd7 23.Rxd4 Kc7 24.Rc4+ Bc6 25.Qh3 b5 26.Rc3 Kb7 27.d4 Bxe4 28.Re1 Rad8 29.Qd3 Rhe8 30.Qxb5+ Ka8 31.Rce3 Qd6 32.Rxe4 Rxe4 33.Rxe4 Qxh2 34.Qf1 h5 35.c3 g4 36.Qe2 Rc8 37.Re8 Rxe8 38.Qxe8+ Kb7 39.Qe4+ Kb6 40.c4 Qg1+ 41.Kd2 Qf2+ 42.Kc3 Qg3+ 43.Kb4 Qf2 44.Qe6+ Kc7 45.Qe7+ Kc8 46.Kc5 Qxb2 47.Qe8+ Kc7 48.Qc6+ Kb8 49.a4 Qb6+ 50.Qxb6+ axb6+ 51.Kd5 h4 52.Ke4 Kc7 53.Kf4 h3 54.gxh3 gxh3 55.Kg3 h2 56.Kxh2 Kd7 57.Kg3 Kc7 58.Kf4 Kc6 59.Ke5 Kc7 60.Ke6 Kb7 61.d5 Kc8 62.Ke7 Kc7 63.d6+ Black resigned, Fritz 5.32 - Hiarcs 9, The Jeroen Experience, 2003) 12...Bxd4 13.Rf8+ Ke7 14.Qf3 g5 15.Rf5 Bxc3+ 16.bxc3 Qg7 17.Rxg5 Qf6 18.Bf4 d6 19.e5 dxe5 20.Qe3 h6 21.Bxe5 Qxg5 22.Bf4+ Kf7 23.Bxg5 hxg5 24.Qxg5 Nf6 25.0-0-0 Rh5 26.Qf4 Rc5 27.Rf1 Rf5 28.Qxc7+ Kg6 29.Re1 b6 30.h4 Rc5 31.Qg3+ Kf7 32.Qd6 Bg4 33.Re7+ Kg6 34.Qd3+ Rf5 35.c4 Rh8 36.Qg3 Rc5 37.Re6 Kg7 38.Rxf6 Kxf6 39.Qxg4 Rhc8 40.Qd4+ Ke6 41.Qe4+ Kf6 42.Qf3+ Ke6 43.g4 Rxc4 44.Qf5+ Ke7 45.g5 R4c5 46.Qe4+ Kd6 47.Kb2 b5 48.g6 Rc4 49.Qf5 R4c5 50.Qf6+ Kd7 51.g7 Rxc2+ 52.Kb3 R2c4 53.g8R Rxg8 54.Qf7+ Kd6 55.Qxg8 a6 56.Qxc4 bxc4+ 57.Kxc4 Ke5 58.Kb4 Kf4 59.a4 Kg4 60.Ka5 Kxh4 61.Kxa6 Kg3 62.Kb5 Kf4 63.a5 Ke5 64.a6 Kd6 65.a7 Ke5 66.Kc5 Ke4 67.a8Q+ Ke3 68.Qd5 Ke2 69.Kd4 Kf2 70.Qe4 Kf1 71.Ke3 Kg1 72.Kf3 Kh1 73.Qc2 Kg1 74.Qg2 checkmate

11.fxe5 Qxe5

This mistake costs the game. Black had to overprotect f8 with 11...Qg7.

12.d4 

The move that the computer either overlooked or incorrectly evaluated.

12...Bxd4 13.Rf8+ Ke7 14.Qf3 Qc5 15.Nd5+ Kd6 16.c3 Bg7 17.Be3 Qc4 

18.e5+ 

If the computer could groan, it would.

18...Bxe5 19.Rd1 Bg7 20.Nb6+ Black resigned

Hey! Wait! Oh, Never Mind...

I've probably spent way too much time fussing about a comment by Fat Lady at redhotpawn.com, referring to a chess game where Alexander Alekhine reportedly defended against a Jerome Gambit - see "Much Ado About... Nothing" - no doubt it is as much an "urban legend" as the CIA killing Marilyn Monroe or Elvis Presley being in a witness protection program.

The other day I ran into a simultaneous exhibition game by Alekhine, however, and I wondered: could Fat Lady have been thinking about a "reversed" Jerome?? Here we go again...

Alexander Alekhine - Alfred Berman
New York 1 of 26, 1924

1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Bc5 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.Nxe5 Bxf2+ 

This is reminiscent of an offshoot of the "Blanel Gambit" in the Vienna or Bishop Opening, only reversed. For reference:

Max Kuerschner - Siegbert Tarrasch

Nuremberg, 1889 

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.Nc3 Nxe4 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe4 d5 6.Qf3+ (6.Qh5+ Kg8 7.Qe2 h6 8.Ng3 Nc6 9.d3 Nd4 10.Qd1 Bc5 11.Be3 Kh7 12.c3 Re8 13.h3 Qh4 14.N1e2 Nxe2 15.Qxe2 d4 16.Bd2 Bd7 17.Ne4 Bf8 18.0-0-0 Re6 19.Kb1 Ra6 20.Bc1 Be6 21.a3 b5 22.f3 Rb8 23.g4 Qd8 24.g5 Qd5 25.Kc2 dxc3 26.Nxc3 Qb3+ 27.Kd2 b4 28.axb4 Bxb4 29.Qxe5 Ra2 30.gxh6 Rxb2+ 31.Bxb2 Qxb2+ 32.Ke3 Bxc3 33.Qe4+ g6 34.Qxe6 Bd4+ 35.Kf4 Rf8+ 36.Kg5 Qg2+ 37.Qg4 Rf5+ White resigned, Max Kuerschner - Siegbert Tarrasch, Nurnberg, 1889) 6...Kg8 7.Ne2 (7.Ng5 Qd7 8.Ne2 h6 9.Nh3 Bc5 10.Nc3 c6 11.Qe2 Qe7 12.d3 Kh7 13.Na4 Bd6 14.Bd2 Qh4 15.Nc3 Rf8 16.Ng1 Bg4 17.Qe3 Nd7 18.Qg3 Qxg3 19.hxg3 Rae8 20.f3 e4 21.dxe4 Bxg3+ 22.Kd1 dxe4 23.Nxe4 Rxe4 24.Nh3 Bxf3+ 25.gxf3 Rh4 26.Ke2 Be5 27.f4 Bc7 28.Rag1 Nf6 29.Be1 Rh5 30.Bc3 Re8+ 31.Kf1 Rf5 32.Rg2 Bxf4 33.Rf2 Nd5 34.Bd4 Ref8 35.c4 Be3 36.Bxe3 Nxe3+ 37.Ke2 Rxf2+ 38.Nxf2 Nxc4 39.Rc1 Ne5 40.Rc3 g5 41.Re3 Rxf2+ White resigned, Jacques Mieses - Richard Teichmann, match, London, 1895) 7...Be6 8.N4g3 (8.Qb3 Nc6 9.N4g3 Rb8 10.c3 Qf6 11.0-0 h5 12.Re1 h4 13.Nf1 h3 14.Neg3 hxg2 15.Kxg2 Bc5 16.d4 Rf8 17.Qc2 Qf3+ 18.Kg1 Bh3 19.Ne3 exd4 20.cxd4 Nxd4 21.Qd2 Qxg3+ 22.fxg3 Nf3+ 23.Kh1 Nxd2 24.Bxd2 Rf2 25.Rad1 Rh5 26.Bc1 c6 27.Kg1 Rg2+ 28.Kh1 Rf2 29.Kg1 Rg2+ 30.Kh1 Rf2 31.Kg1 Rf3 32.Kh1 Rf2 33.Kg1 Rf4 34.Kh1 Rf2 35.Kg1 Rg2+ 36.Kh1 Rf2 37.Kg1 Rg2+ 38.Kh1 Rf2 39.Kg1 Rf3 40.Kh1 Rf2 41.Kg1 Rhf5 42.a3 Rg2+ 43.Kh1 Rff2 44.Nf1 Rg1+ 45.Kxg1 Rxf1 checkmate, James Mason - Georg Marco, Leipzig GER, 1894) 8...Nc6 9.a3 Qd7 10.h3 Bc5 11.0-0 h5 12.Nh1 Rf8 13.Qg3 h4 14.Qh2 e4 15.d3 Bd6 16.Bf4 Rxf4 17.Nxf4 g5 White resigned.

5.Kxf2 Nxe5 6.d4 Ng6 

Or 6...Qf6+ 7.Kg1 Ng4 (7...Ng6 8.Bc4 c6 9.h3 d6 10.Kh2 Be6 11.Rf1 Qd8 12.Bxe6 fxe6 13.Qg4 Qe7 14.Bg5 Nf6 15.Bxf6 gxf6 16.d5 Kd7 17.Rad1 Rhg8 18.dxe6+ Qxe6 19.Rxf6 Qxg4 20.Rfxd6+ Kc7 21.hxg4 Ne5 22.Kh3 Rg7 23.Rf6 Nxg4 24.Rf4 Rag8 25.Rd2 Ne3 26.g4 Nxg4 27.Rg2 Ne3 28.Rxg7+ Rxg7 29.Rf2 Kd6 30.Re2 Nc4 31.b3 Ne5 32.Nd1 Kc5 33.Ne3 Nf3 34.Rg2 Rxg2 35.Kxg2 Ng5 36.e5 Kd4 37.Ng4 h5 38.Nf6 Kxe5 39.Nxh5 Kd4 40.c4 Kc3 41.Kg3 Kb2 42.Kf4 Ne6+ 43.Ke5 Nc5 44.Kd6 Na6 45.b4 Nxb4 46.Kc7 b6 47.Kb7 Nxa2 48.Kxa7 b5 49.cxb5 cxb5 50.Kb6 b4 51.Nf4 draw, Jose Raul Capablanca - S Rakowitz, Manhattan CC, New York, 1922) 8.Qd2 Ne7 9.h3 Nh6 10.Qf2 Qg6 11.Nb5 0-0 12.Nxc7 Rb8 13.Nb5 f5 14.e5 d5 15.exd6 Nd5 16.Bc4 Be6 17.Nc7 Nxc7 18.dxc7 Rbc8 19.Bxe6+ Qxe6 20.Bf4 Nf7 21.Kh2 Qb6 22.Rhe1 g5 23.Be5 Nxe5 24.Rxe5 Qxc7 25.c3 g4 26.hxg4 fxg4 27.Qh4 Kh8 28.Kg1 Qb6 29.Rae1 Qxb2 30.Re7 Qc2 31.R1e4 Qc1+ 32.Kh2 h6 33.Re3 Rc6 34.Qxg4 Rg8 35.Re8 Black resigned, Louis Paulsen - Adolf Anderssen, Baden-Baden 1870; or 

6...Qh4+ 7.g3 Qf6+ 8.Kg2 Ng6 9.Bc4 Qd8 10.Rf1 f6 11.e5 b5 12.Nxb5 Bb7+ 13.Kg1 d6 14.exd6 cxd6 15.Qh5 Qe7 16.Bf4 0-0-0 17.Rae1 Qf8 18.Be6+ Kb8 And White announced mate in three moves, Samuel Rosenthal - Robert, Paris, 1874; or

6...Nc6 7.Be3 d6 8.Be2 Nf6 9.Rf1 0-0 10.Kg1 h6 11.Qe1 Re8 12.Qg3 Kh8 13.Rf2 Qe7 14.Bd3 Ng4 15.Nd5 Qd7 16.Rf4 Nd8 17.Rxg4 Qxg4 18.Nxc7 Qd7 19.Nxa8 b6 20.d5 Bb7 21.Bd4 f6 22.Qg6 Bxa8 23.e5 Kg8 24.Qh7+ Kf8 25.exf6 Ne6 26.dxe6 1-0 Black resigned, Jose Raul Capablanca - Hermann Liebenstein, New York, 1913. 

7.Bc4

Or 7.Kg1 N8e7 8.h4 h6 9.h5 Nf8 10.Bc4 d6 11.Qf3 Be6 12.d5 Bd7 13.Be3 Nh7 14.Qg3 Rg8 15.Rf1 Nf6 16.Qf4 Rf8 17.Bd4 Neg8 18.e5 dxe5 19.Bxe5 Qe7 20.d6, Black resigned, Arthur Skipworth - Charles Edward Ranken, Malvern, ENG, 1871. 

7...d6 8.Rf1 Be6

Or 8...N8e7 9.Kg1 0-0 10.Qh5 c6 11.Bg5 b5 12.Bb3 a5 13.a3 Ra7 14.d5 Qb6+ 15.Kh1 c5 16.a4 c4 17.Ba2 f6 18.Bd2 bxa4 19.Bxc4 Ne5 20.Be2 Bd7 21.Nxa4 Qd4 22.Bc3 Qxe4 23.Bf3 Nxf3 24.Qxf3 Qxc2 25.Nb6 Bb5 26.Rf2 Qg6 27.Re1 Nc8 28.Nxc8 Rxc8 29.Qe3 Qf7 30.Qb6 Ba6 31.Qxd6 a4 32.Rf3 Bb5 33.Re6 Bd7 34.Rexf6 gxf6 35.Rg3+ Kh8 36.Qxf6+ Black resigned, Samuel Rosenthal - Dermenon, Paris, 1874; or

8...Qh4+ 9.Kg1 Nf6 10.g3 Qh3 11.Bg5 Bg4 12.Qd2 0-0-0 13.Rxf6 gxf6 14.Bxf6 Rdg8 15.Bf1 Qh5 16.Bg2 Re8 17.Bxh8 Rxh8 18.Rf1 Ne7 19.Qf4 f5 20.exf5 Bxf5 21.Nd5 Nxd5 22.Qxf5+ Qxf5 23.Rxf5 Nb4 24.c3 Nc6 25.Bxc6 bxc6 26.Rf7 a5 27.Kf2 Kb7 28.g4 a4 29.Kg3 a3 30.bxa3 Ra8 31.Rxh7 Rxa3 32.g5 Rxc3+ 33.Kf4 Rc4 34.g6 Rxd4+ 35.Kf5 Rd1 36.h4 Re1 37.g7 Black resigned, George Henry Mackenzie - James Glover Grundy, New York, 1880. 

9.Bd3

Or 9.d5 Bd7 10.Kg1 Ne5 11.Bb3 Ne7 12.Bf4 N7g6 13.Bg3 Qg5 14.Qd4 0-0 15.Ne2 h5 16.Bf4 Nxf4 17.Nxf4 Qh6 18.Rae1 a6 19.h3 Rae8 20.c4 g5 21.Nd3 g4 22.Re3 Nxd3 23.Rxd3 f5 24.exf5 Bxf5 25.Rc3 Re2 26.Rf2 Rxf2 27.Qxf2 gxh3 28.Qh4 Bg4 29.gxh3 Qf4 30.Qe1 Bf3 31.Rc2 Rf7 32.Qe6 Kh7 33.Rg2 Bxg2 34.Bc2+ Kg7 35.Qg6+ Kf8 White resigned, Louis Paulsen - Simon Winawer, Leipzig GER, 1877; or

9.Be2 N8e7 10.Kg1 d5 11.exd5 Nxd5 12.Ne4 Nb6 13.Bg5 Qc8 14.Nc5 0-0 15.Bd3 f6 16.Bd2 c6 17.Qe1 Bf7 18.b3 Qg4 19.Qf2 Rab8 20.Rae1 Rfe8 21.Bf5 Qh4 22.g3 Qh5 23.Rxe8+ Rxe8 24.g4 Qh3 25.Nxb7 Nh4 26.Qg3 Qxg3+ 27.hxg3 Nxf5 28.gxf5 Re4 29.c3 h5 30.Rf4 Re2 31.Rf2 Re4 32.Rh2 g5 33.Nd6 Rg4 34.Kf2 h4 35.gxh4 gxh4 36.Nxf7 Kxf7 37.Rg2 Re4 38.Kf3 Re8 39.Rh2 Rh8 40.c4 Nc8 41.Bb4 Rh5 42.Kg4 Rg5+ 43.Kxh4 Rxf5 44.Kg4 Rg5+ 45.Kf4 Rg7 46.Rh5 Nb6 47.Rc5 Rg2 48.Rxc6 Rf2+ 49.Ke3 Rxa2 50.d5 Nd7 51.Rc7 Ke8 52.Bd6 Rb2 53.b4 Nb6 54.Kd3 Rb3+ 55.Kd4 Rh3 56.Kc5 Rc3 57.Kb5 Kd8 58.Rc6 Kd7 59.Bb8 f5 60.Bxa7 Nc8 61.Bc5 Rh3 62.Rf6 Black resigned, Berthold Englisch - Simon Winawer, Paris, 1878; or 

9.Bxe6 fxe6 10.Kg1 Nf6 11.Bg5 0-0 12.Qd3 Qd7 13.Bxf6 Rxf6 14.Rxf6 gxf6 15.Rf1 Rf8 16.Qb5 c6 17.Qb3 d5 18.exd5 cxd5 19.Ne2 Kg7 20.c3 e5 21.Ng3 Ne7 22.Nh5+ Kg6 23.Qc2+ e4 24.Qe2 f5 25.g4 h6 26.gxf5+ Rxf5 27.Qg4+ Rg5 28.Rf6+ Kh7 29.Rf7+ Kh8 30.Rf8+ Ng8 31.Qxg5 hxg5 32.Rxg8+ Black resigned, Jose Raul Capablanca - Randolph, New York, 1912. 

9...Qf6+ 10.Kg1 Qxd4+ 11.Kh1 c6 12.Qe2 Nf6 13.Be3 Qe5

14.h3 h5 15.Bg1 Ke7 16.Bh2 Qg5 17.Rad1 Ne5 18.Bf4 Qg6 19.Qe1 Ne8 20.Ne2

Surprisingly, White misses a chance to play 20.Bxe5 dxe5 21.Nd5!? with an attack.

20...f6 21.Nd4 Rd8 

22.Qb4 Rd7 23.Bxe5 fxe5 24.Nf5+ Bxf5 25.exf5 Qf6 26.Bc4 b5 27.Be6 Rb7 28.c4 c5 29.Qa5 Nc7 

30.Rxd6 

That's more like it. Taking the Rook with 30...Kxd6 allows White's Queen to penetrate the enemy position after 31.Qd2+.

30...Na8

Now Black's position collapses as White's pieces pour in.

31.Rfd1 Nb6 32.Qxb5 Rc7 33.Rd7+ Nxd7 34.Rxd7+ Rxd7 35.Qxd7+ Kf8 36.Qc8+ Ke7 37.Qxc5+ Ke8 38.Qc6+ Kf8 39.Qc8+ Ke7 40.Qxh8 

40...Qg5 41.f6+

Cute. (41.Qa8 was stronger.)

41...Qxf6 42.Qxh5 

Playing to the crowd? More solid was 42.Bd5.

42...Qf1+ 43.Kh2 Qf4+ 44.Kg1 Qc1+ 45.Kf2 Qxb2+ 46.Kg3 Qc3+ 47.Kh2 Kxe6 

48.Qe8+ Kf6 49.Qf8+ Kg6 50.c5 e4 51.Qe8+ Kf5 52.Qf7+ Kg5 53.h4+ Kg4 54.Qg6+ Kf4 55.Qg5 checkmate

Interesting game.

Then, I realized that Fat Lady said "Alekhine played Ke6 and then held onto both pieces", which doesn't sound like a reversed Jerome Gambit, at all. Bummer.

I don't know, maybe he was mis-remembering the internet contest blackburne - AAlekhine, Chessworld, 2007!

The Long and the Short of It

Bill Wall has collected his games into one file - not quite 45,000 matches, an impressive number. Of course, there are many Jerome Gambit (and related) games in there, some of which are new to me, and which I will be sharing in future posts. Of particular interest are some games against computer chess engines - always risky affairs.

For now, the following quick game revisits a line last looked at in "One Thing Leads To Another".

Wall,B - Sanket
Chess.com, 2015

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 

The Blackburne Shilling Gambit.

4.Bxf7+ 

The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke7 

6.Nc3 Nf6 7.Nf3 

This position is still quite rare in The Database - two games.

7...Nc6 

Or 7...Nxf3+ 8.Qxf3 d6 9.d4 Bg4 10.Qf4 Bh5 11.e5 dxe5 12.dxe5 Nd5 13.Qh4+ Nf6 14.exf6+ gxf6 15.Qxh5 Black resigned, Wall,B  -Chrissti, PlayChess.com, 2015. 

8.e5 Ng8 9.d4 h6 10.d5 Nb4 11.a3 Black resigned

No surprise: Losing the Knight on b4 is only part of the problem for the defender; the more that you look at the position, the greater the danger to Black's King grows.

Climbing Sněžka

Chessfriend Vlasta Fejfar sent a recent Jerome Gambit that he played. I am not sure if it is a correspondence game, like the previous three we have examined - see "Correspondence Play (Part 1)", "Correspondence Play (Part 2)" and "Correspondence Play (Part 3)" - but it is a long and difficult affair, showing the persistence and energy that sometimes is required of the gambiteer when his inital attack is warded off. His (expected) half-point is well-earned.

I have added some game references to assist the next Jerome Gambiteer who embarks on the journey.

Fejfar, Vlastimil - Goc, Pavel
2015

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

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

Ah, yes, the "annoying defense". Black gives back a piece and snuffs out much of White's attacking play. Well, Vlasta has faced this before!

8.fxe5 dxe5 9.Qh3+ Ke7

Interesting. Fejfar,V - Pressl, corr Czech Republic, 2015 (1/2-1/2, 15) and Fejfar,V - Kyzlink, corr Czech Republic, 2015 (1-0, 22) continued 9...Kd6.

At 25 ply, Stockfish 6 shows the tiniest preference for 9...Ke7 over 9...Kd6, but likes 9...Kf7 best of all.

10.Qg3 Kf7 11.Qxe5

Also seen: 11.Rf1+ Nf6 12.Qxe5 Bb4 13.Qh5+ g6 14.Qf3 Re8 15.c3 Bf8 16.d4 Kg7 17.Bg5 Be7 18.e5 Ng4 19.Bxe7 Rxe7 20.h3 Nh6 21.Qf6+ Kg8 22.Qf4 Nf7 23.Nd2 c5 24.Ne4 cxd4 25.cxd4 Bf5 26.Nc3 Qb6 27.0-0-0 Rc8 28.g4 Bd7 29.Rd2 Qe6 30.Kb1 b5 31.Ne4 Kg7 32.Re2 Bc6 33.Nc5 drawn, Philidor1792 - NN, friendly match without time control, 2012. 

11...Bd4 

A number of games where Philidor1792 faced 11...Qh4+ can be found in the "Philidor1792 vs The Annoying Defense (Part 2)" post.

For 11...Qd6 see Wall,B - Qi,H, Chess.com, 2011 (1-0, 14); for 11...b6 see Wall,B - Redom,T, Chess.com, 2010, (1/2-1/2, 59). 

12.Rf1+

An alternate is 12.Qh5+:  12...g6 13.Qf3+ Nf6 14.d3 Bg4 15.Qf4 Qd6 16.Qxd6 cxd6 17.Nd2 (17.c3 Bc5 18.Rf1 h6 19.d4 Bb6 20.h3 Be6 21.e5 dxe5 22.dxe5 Bf5 23.g4 Rae8 24.Kd1 Rxe5 25.gxf5 Rxf5 26.Rxf5 gxf5 27.Kc2 Kg6 28.Nd2 Re8 29.Nf3 Re4 30.Bd2 a6 31.Rf1 Bc5 32.b4 Ba7 33.Kd3 b5 34.a4 bxa4 35.c4 Nh5 36.Ra1 Nf4+ 37.Bxf4 Rxf4 38.Nd2 Bf2 39.Rxa4 Be1 40.Rxa6+ Kg5 41.c5 Bxd2 42.b5 Bb4 43.c6 Rh4 44.c7 Rxh3+ 45.Kd4 Bc3+ 46.Kd5 Rd3+ 47.Ke6 Re3+ 48.Kf7 Bf6 49.Rxf6 Black resigned, Wall,B - Harshini,A, chess-db, 2015) 17...Rac8 18.c3 Bb6 19.Rf1 Rhe8 20.h3 Bd7 21.Nc4 Rxc4 22.dxc4 Rxe4+ 23.Kd1 Rxc4 24.Bg5 Bd8 25.g4 h5 26.Bxf6 Bxf6 27.g5 Bf5 28.gxf6 Bxh3 29.Rf2 Bf5 30.Rd2 Rc6 31.Ke2 Kxf6 32.Ke3 Ke7 33.Re1 Rc5 34.Kf4+ Be6 35.Rde2 Rf5+ 36.Kg3 Rf6 37.Kh4 Kf7 38.Re4 a5 39.b3 Ke7 40.c4 b6 41.Kg5 Kf7 42.R1e2 Rf5+ 43.Kh6 Rf6 44.R2e3 Ke7 45.a3 Kf7 46.a4 Ke7 47.Rd4 Kd7 48.Kg7 Ke7 49.Rh4 g5 50.Rxh5 Rf7+ 51.Kg6 g4 52.Rh4 Rf6+ 53.Kg5 Rf7 54.Rh6 Rf5+ 55.Kxg4 Rf6+ 56.Kg5 Rf5+ 57.Kh4 Rf4+ 58.Kg3 Rf6 59.Rxf6 Kxf6 60.Kf4 Bd7 61.Ke4 Bc6+ 62.Kd4 Kf7 63.Rh3 Kg6 64.Rh8 Kf7 65.Rb8 b5 66.axb5 Bf3 67.b6 Ke6 68.b7 Kd7 69.Rd8+ Kxd8 70.b8Q+ Black resigned, Wall,B - Alibak, chess-db, 2015. 

12...Nf6 13.Qh5+ Kg8 14.Qe2

Aha! A human being improves upon 14.Qg5 of Fritz 5.32 - Junior 7, The Jeroen Experience, 2003 (0-1, 32). Still, White has to be careful, with his King in the middle of the board, and with Black having much better piece development. 

14...Be6 15.c3 Be5 16.g3 c5 17.d3 Qd6

18.Bf4 Bg4 19.Qe3 Bh3 20.Rf3 Bg4 21.Rf1

White is willing to repeat the position and agree on a draw. 

21...Re8 22.Nd2 Bxf4 23.gxf4 b5

More worry for White. He holds on to the fact that Black's second Rook is still blocked out of play.

24.e5 Nd5 25.Qg3 Qg6 26.Ne4 c4 27.Kd2 Bf5 28.Nd6 Rd8 

29.dxc4

Bold. I would have chosen the more solid 29.d4, but then Black would probably play 29...b4!?

29...bxc4 30.Rae1 Qxg3 31.hxg3 Ne7 32.Ke3 Bd3 33.Rg1 Nf5+ 34.Nxf5 Bxf5

The piece exchanges have reduced the danger to White's King (who is well-placed to support the "Jerome pawns") but Black still believes he can make something out of his piece vs 2 pawns advantage.

35.Rd1 Kf7 36.Rd4 h5 37.Rgd1 Rc8 38.Rh1 g6 39.Rh2 Ke7

The game has taken on an oddly closed nature. That does not last long, however.

40.a4 Rc6 41.Rd5 Be6 42.Rb5 Rc7 43.Rd2 h4 44.gxh4 Rxh4 45.Rd4 Rh3+ 46.Kf2 Rd3 47.a5 Rxd4 48.cxd4 Bd7 49.Rb8 Ke6 50.Ke3 Kd5 

Black continues to push his small endgame advantage.

51.a6 c3 52.bxc3 Rxc3+ 53.Kf2 Bc8 54.Ra8 Rc7 55.Ke3 Rc3+ 56.Kf2 Kxd4 57.Rxa7 Ke4 58.Rg7 Kf5 

Black does not want to trade off his last pawn (i.e. 58...Bxa6 59.Rxg6) but I think he misjudges the resulting reduced endgame.

59.a7 Ra3 60.Rf7+ Kg4 61.Rf8 Bb7 62.e6 Rxa7 63.e7 Bc6 64.e8Q Bxe8 65.Rxe8 Kxf4

66.Rf8+ Kg4 67.Rc8 g5 68.Rc3 Kh4 69.Kg1 Ra2 70.Rb3 g4

At this point the game was turned over to a referee for ajudication.

I am pretty sure that anyone familiar with Philidor's position will see that the game is drawn. Failing that, consulting the online Nalimov tablebases will also show that the point should be split.

Excelsior!

Old News

The American Chess Journal for December 1876 (page 119) under its "Chess News And Notes" mentioned

In a letter recently received from Max Judd, the well-known St. Louis champion, in referring to the article in November JOURNAL concerning "Jerome's Double Opening," he remarks: " What you say about the Jerome Gambit is just so. In an off-hand game you can try many other sacrifices which might succeed, but I know of no gambit wherin a piece can be safely sacrificed, and it is a question whether even a pawn can be safely given up."

History Clouded

In Mr. Blackburne's Games at Chess (1899), the notorious Jerome Gambit game Amateur - Blackburne was given as "played at Simpson's Divan about 1880."

I have questioned the date that Blackburne gave - See "Flaws (Part I)" - as the August 15, 1885 issue of the Brooklyn Chess Chronicle (J.B. and E.M. Munoz, editors) presented the game as having been "played some months ago" which would suggest that it was played during 1885, but not likely in July or August of that year.

It now looks like I will have to back off from my correction, and add even more uncertainty to the date of the game.

Tim Harding's Joseph Henry Blackburne A Chess Biography (2015) - which, as I have noted, does not give Amateur - Blackburne - shows that the British master left for Australia in December 1884, and spent the first half of 1885 "Down Under". A return home was short-lived, as there was an important tournament to participate in

Blackburne and son apparently disembarked at Plymouth on 4 July. As the ship was only docked at Gravesend on the fifth, they must have come up to London by express train. Every day counted, the first round in Hamsburg being on 12 July. After less than a week in England, Blackburne was off on his travels again. 

The Hamburg tournament ended July 27, wherupon Blackburne went to Hereford for the Counties Chess Association Masters tournament, which started August 3.

The events of 1885, therefore, do not appear consistent with the Brooklyn Chess Chronicle admittedly casual dating.

It is possible to extend Munoz and Munoz's "some months" further back in time and look for Amateur - Blackburne in 1884, although there are difficulties in this, too. Harding notes

Blackburne's mid-career health breakdown began before Christmas 1883 when he was forced to cancel all his engagements.

In an age "long before antibiotics or even aspirin and other effective medicines", Blackburne was quite ill.

In late April or early May [1884] he resumed playing at the [Simpson's] Divan; some casual games are preserved from that period...

However, his participation in Simpson's handicap tournament in the spring was affected by his "unfortunate illness" and it is worth noting

[T]he Morning Post, 30 June 1884, said that Blackburne's illness had "left him in a weak state of health, and has prevented him for several months from pursuing his avocation."

Although he travelled to Glasgow the last week in July 1884, it does not appear that his full health returned before his trip to Australia.

Unless I guess "late April or early May" 1884 (above), then "about 1880" (from Blackburne's book) will be as "precise" as I will be able to date Amateur - Blackburne, until another chess column, magazine, or book reference surfaces; especially if we recall the uncertainties mentioned by Brazilian chess master Hindemburg Melão, Jr. in his article for the online chess site, SuperAjedrez,

...Some sources indicate year of the game as 1868, others indicate 1888, and others indicate 1880. Some sources affirm that it was played in Manchester, others in London. Normally the name of the adversary is not given, having only "NN" or "Amateur", but in at least one source "Millner" is indicated as the name. Also it is not known if it was an individual game or part of a simultaneous display... [T]he game deserves to be cited as one of most beautiful pearls of blindfold Chess...