In the following game the computer was meandering its way toward victory, when suddenly it made an odd move, losing half a point. Machines don't blink, do they?
Wall, Bill - Bison 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
The "silicon" (i.e. popular with computers) or "annoying" defense.
8.fxe5 dxe5 9.Qh3+ Kf7
For Bill's experience with 9...Ke7 (which Stockfish 7, at 30 ply, sees as equivalent) see Wall,B - Redom,T, Chess.com, 2010 (1/2-1/2, 59), Wall,B - Qi,H, Chess.com, 2011 (1-0, 14), Wall,B - ubluk, Chess.com, 2012 (1-0, 35) and Wall, B - Guest3551214, 2013 (0-1, 35.)
10.Qh5+ g6
About 1/2 pawn better than 10...Kf8 (in Stockfish 7's evaluation) as in Wall,B - Guest1839713, PlayChess.com, 2013, (1-0, 25).
11.Qxe5
11...Bd4 12.Rf1+ Nf6 13.Qf4 Rf8
13...Re8 was seen in Wall,B - Guest3789034, PlayChess.com, 2013, (0-1,35)
14.c3 Bb6 15.d4 Qe7 16.Qh4 Kg8
Black has castled-by-hand, leaving White with the insecure King. Although Bison has a piece for two pawns, Stockfish 7 sees it as only about 2/3 of a pawn ahead. Bill Wall is creeping up on the computer!
17.Bh6 Rf7 18.Nd2 Qe6 19.Rf4 Bd7 20.Nf3
Or 20...0-0-0!?.
20...Nh5 21.Rxf7 Qxf7 22.Ne5 Qe6 23.Nxd7 Qxd7 24.O-O-O Qf7
25.e5
Bill tests the computer's willingness to pawn-grab, a traditional silicon weakness: 25...Qxa2?! 26.d5!? Re8 27.Qg4!? which looks unclear. The computer declines.
25...c6 26.g4 Ng7 27.b3 Rf8 28.Kb2 Bd8 29.Qh3 Be7 30.Qg2 g5
Black's pieces are finally cooperating, and his advantage is clear.
31.Rd2 a5 32.a4 Qe6 33.Bxg7 Kxg7 34.h3 Rf4
White is battening down the hatches.
35. Rd3 Qf7 36.Qc2 h6 37.Rd2 Rf3 38.Rd3 Rxd3 39.Qxd3 Qf2+ 40.Kc1 Ba3+ 41.Kd1 Qg1+ 42.Ke2 Qh2+ 43.Kf1 Be7
It is not clear what, if anything, Black has gained with its checks, but it probably has not lost anything, either.
44.Qe3 Qb2 45.c4 b6 46.Kg1 Qa2 47.Kh1 Qc2 48.Kg1 Bd8
Bill refuses to crack under pressure. Can the computer find anything to make progress?
49.e6 Qd1+ 50.Kf2 Be7 51.Qe5+ Bf6
This is not Black's best defense - in fact, it leads to an equal game - and it is not clear what the computer missed.
52.Qc7+ Kh8 53.Qc8+ Kh7 54.Qd7+ Bg7 55.c5
White riskily tries for more than the draw by repetition, which he could have forced the computer to find after 55.Kg2, especially after the dangerous 55...Qxb3 56.e7.
55...Qxd4+
An accurate evaluation of the winning response 55...bxc5!? 56.dxc5 Qxd7 57.exd7 Bf6 was probably over both the computer's and the human's horizon.
Now the combatants cooperate to split the point.
56.Ke2 Qe4+ 57.Kd2 Qg2+ 58.Ke1 Qg3+ 59.Ke2 Qe5+ 60.Kd1 Qa1+ 61.Ke2 Qb2+ 62.Kf1 Qxb3 63.e7 Qxh3+ 64.Kf2 Qh2+ 65.Kf3 Qf4+ 66.Kg2 Qe4+ 67.Kf1 drawn
Wow!
I have been sharing games (starting with "Irrational") where Bill Wall has given various chess-playing computer programs "Jerome Gambit odds" - and won.
There were some losses, however.
Curiously, while I have been wordy and full of "insight" in presenting Bill's wins, I am at a loss for many words concerning the following game. As the "Talking Fritz" program might have said, "Q.E.D."
Wall, Bill - Alfil 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
The computer favorite.
8.fxe5 dxe5 9.Qe2 Ke7
Alfil's move is a small improvement over 9...Nf6 which was played 10 years ago in two human vs computer games, Shredder 8 - RevvedUp, blitz 2 12, 2006 (1-0, 25) and RevvedUp - Yace Paderborn, blitz, 2 12, 2006 (0-1, 14),
10.Nc3 Nf6 11.d3 Bg4 12.Qd2 Qd4
13.Nb5 Qd7 14.b4 Bb6 15.a4 Rhf8 16.Nc3 Rad8 17.h3 Be6 18.Ba3 Qd4
19.O-O-O Nxe4 20.dxe4 Qxd2+ 21.Rxd2 Be3 White resigned
IM John Watson and NM Eric Schiller's new Taming Wild Chess Openings
Good, Bad, and Ugly (New In Chess, 2015) is a revised and expanded print version of their 2014 same-titled EPlus ebook; which, in turn was an updated version of their Big Book of Busts (Hypermodern Press,1995).
Alas, call the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bx5 4.Bxf7+) "good", "bad" or "ugly" - it does not appear "wild" enough or in need of "taming" as it does not appear in Taming Wild Chess Openings.
One can certainly make the case that the Jerome Gambit is "annoying," however, so it is not suprising to find it in the authors' earlier Survive and Beat Annoying Chess Openings The Open Games (Cardoza, 2003),
As the Jerome can be thought of as both "unorthodox" and a gambit, it is understandably found in Schiller's Unorthodox Chess Openings (Cardoza, 1998, 2002) and his Gambit Chess Openings (Cardoza, 2002).
Is the pawn that White gets in return for his piece in the "annoying defense" variation of the Jerome Gambit enough for equality? "Objective" modern theory would say no, but you could not tell that from the following game by Bill Wall.
Wall,B - Alaric 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
The "annoying" or "silicon" defense. It limits White's attack, but it also limits Black's counterplay.
8.fxe5 dxe5 9.Nc3
For variety. The only game in The Database with this move was played by Bill's brother.
9...Nf6
Or 9...g6 as in Wall,S - Guest648596, PlayChess.com, 2013 (1-0,57).
10.Qe2 Ke7 11.Na4 Qd4 12.Nxc5 Qxc5 13.d3 Bg4 14.Be3 Qb4+ 15.Qd2 Qxd2+ 16.Kxd2 Rhd8
The "Theory of Infinite Resistance" suggests that if White makes no further concessions, he can hold on.
17.h3 Be6 18.Bc5+ Kd7 19.Ke3 Nh5 20.Rhf1 Nf4 21.Rf2 g5 22.Bb4 Rg8 23.Bc3 Kd6
A plan for Black to convert his advantage appears to be byond the computer's horizon. On the other hand, White has plans for his "Jerome pawn".
24.b4 a6 25.a4 Rg6 26.Bb2 Rag8 27.c4 Bd7 28.d4 exd4+ 29.Bxd4 a5 30.b5 c5 31.Bc3 Ke7 32.Bxa5 b6 33.Bc3 Rd6 34.Rd2 Rxd2 35.Kxd2 Rd8 36.Kc1 Nxg2
The exchange of pawns on opposite wings has given White an opportunity. It appears that the Manhattan Chess Club epigram, mentioned by Irving Chernev in Capablanca's Best Chess Endings - "Black passed pawns travel faster than White" - will not rule the day in this game.
37.a5 bxa5 38.Rxa5 Bxh3 39.Ra7+ Bd7 40.Be5 Rf8 41.b6 Nf4 42.Kd2 Ke6 43.Bc7 Bc6 44.b7 Bxb7 45.Rxb7 h5
Black's passers look dangerous, but Bill has things under control, especially since he has recovered his sacrificed piece.
46.Rb6+ Kd7 47.Bd6 Re8 48.Ke3 Ne6 49.Bh2 h4 50.Rb7+ Kc6 51.Rh7 Kb6 52.Bd6 Ka5 53.Kd3 Kb4 54.Rb7+ Ka4 55.Ra7+ Kb3 56.Rb7+ Ka2 57.Be5 Rd8+ 58.Kc2
The Black King's travels have resulted in nothing.
58...Ra8 59.Bc3 Nd4+ 60.Bxd4 cxd4 61.Rg7 Ra3 62.Rxg5 h3 63.Rh5 Rc3+ 64.Kd2 Re3 drawn
The second round of the Chess.com Italian Game Tournament has concluded. After racing to the top of my group, I had to wait while one player, then another, also finished their games and overtook me. I was able to take third place on a tie-break (thanks, in part, to "My Bodygurard!?"), even though my record against the fourth place finisher was only a draw and a loss; and I will advance to the next round. (Will I finally play a Jerome Gambit there??)
This seems likely to balance out what will happen in the Chess.com Giuoco Piano Tournament, where the last game is almost over (there is a mate in one), and the expected winner will vault into a tie for first place in the group with me. I have a win and a draw against him, but his tie-break points will be better than mine; and only one of us will advance to the next round.
In complicated chess positions, the cooler head is likely to prevail. In the following human vs computer Jerome Gambit game, the real head outplays the virtual one.
Wall, Bill - Asterisk 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
Qf6
8.Rf1 Ne7
A novelty according to The Database, but not the best move.
9.Qh3+ Kd6 10.d4
Very Jerome-ish. Go pawns!
10...Nd3+ 11.cxd3 Qxd4 12.Nd2 Bb4 13.Ke2 Bxd2 14.Bxd2 Qxb2
The computer's taste for pawns leads it to poison.
15.e5+ Kd5 16.Rab1 Qxa2 17.Ra1 Qb2 18.Rfb1 Qc2 19.Rc1 Qb2 20.Ra5+ b5 21.Rxc7 Nc6 22.Rxd7+
Notice how little help Black's Rooks and Bishop provide. They will soon leap to action, too late.
22...Kc5
Alas for Asterisk, after 22...Bxd7 checkmate will follow: 23.Qxd7+ Kc5 24.Qd6+ Kb6 25.Ra6+ Kb7 26.Qd7+ Kb8
27.Rxc6 Qxd2+ 28.Kxd2 b4 29.Qc7#
23.Qe3+ Nd4+ 24.Rxd4 Bg4+ 25.Kf2 Qxd4 26.Rxb5+ Kxb5 27.Qxd4
Black has two Rooks for his Queen, but his King remains unsafe - and there is still the matter of the "Jerome pawns"!
27...Rad8 28.Qc4+ Kb6 29.Be3+ Kb7 30.Qb5+ Ka8 31.Qc6+ Kb8 32.e6 h6 33.Qb5+ Kc7 34.Qc5+ Kb7 35.Qxa7+ Kc6 36.Qc5+ Kb7 37.Qb6+ Kc8 38.Qa6+ Kc7 39.Bb6+ Black resigned
To beat a human being a chess program does not have to make a great move every time, it only has to make good move after good move after good move. By way of contrast, if it makes a lesser move followed by a lesser move followed by a lesser move - it risks defeat, as the following Jerome Gambit game shows.
Wall, Bill - AnMon 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
Once again the "annoying" or "silicon" defense. (A favorite among computer engines, it works well for humans, too.)
8.fxe5 dxe5 9.Qh3+ Kd6
Black's King goes directly to d6, instead of 9...Ke7 10.Qg3 Kd6 as in Wall, Bill - Comet B50 engine, Palm Bay, FL, 2015 (1-0, 16). The saved tempo improves Black's position.
10.Qg3 Nf6
The right idea: development is key for Black, and taking the g-pawn would be dangerous for White.
11.Nc3 a6 12.Rf1 Be6 13.Ne2 Nh5 14.Qf3 Qh4+ 15.g3 Qh3
White now offers a pawn which Black would do well to decline, but computers are known to be grabby. It is a small slip, but small slips add up...
16.d4 exd4 17.Qd3 Qxh2 18.Nxd4 Bxd4 19.Qxd4+ Kc6
Black has to be careful; there is a way to King safety through this messy position,
but one error can be fatal. This was the whole idea behind White giving up the h-pawn.
20.Qc3+ Kd7 21.Bf4 Ke8 22.O-O-O
Whew, says the human.
22...Nxf4 23.gxf4 Rg8
If White has not equalized, he is pretty close. In the meantime, he has his familiar "Jerome pawns" in play against Black's extra piece. The protected, passed pawn at h7 does not get a chance to play a part in the game.
24.f5 Bf7 25.e5 Qh6+ 26.Kb1 Qc6 27.Qh3 Bd5 28.e6
h6 29.Qh5+ Ke7 30.Rfe1 Raf8
AnMon is not familiar with this blog, or it would be feeling an eerie sense of deja vu.
31.f6+ Rxf6 32.Rxd5 Rxe6 33.Rxe6+ Kxe6
Black's King is too exposed.
34.Qf5+ Ke7 35.Qe5+ Kf7 36.Qf4+ Ke7 37.Qe4+ Kf7 38.Rf5+ Kg6 39.Qd3 Rd8 40.Rd5+ Kf7 41.Rxd8 Qh1+ 42.Qd1 Black resigned
