I recently received 3 interesting and original games from "shugart" who plays online at FICS. In return, I was able to send him the latest version of The Database, which has been updated with FICS games through February 2016. The following game features a line that shugart has shown a liking for. shugart - javannanda FICS, 2016 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6
7.Qd5+ "The nudge", a sign that the player may be familiar with the games and analysis of this blog. 7...Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qb5+
The game has reached the same position reached in shugart - transitman, lightning, FICS, 2013 (1-0, 29), and others, although in the earlier game Black's Queen was at e8. 14.f4 Qc4 15.d3 Qc5 16.d4 Qh5 17.e5 dxe5 18.fxe5 Kg8
White now puts a bit too much faith in his "Jerome pawns" with his next move - although things turn out fine in the end. 19.exf6 Rxe3 20.f7+ Kf8 21.Bxe3 c6 22.d5 Bg4
Not the best defense. 23.Bc5+ Ne7 24.Rae1 cxd5 25.Bxe7 checkmate
It feels somewhat strange to urge caution in a chess opening that is known to be refuted - if the "best" lines still lose, what can be said of the "lesser lines"? Much seems to turn on "psychology", where the "best" move might be the most obscure or unclear or unsettling move - regardless of its "objective" worth - one that gives the opponent the greatest chance to go wrong. So many times, the opponent takes that chance. It is worth examining the play of HauntedKnight's games (as we have done before; see "Familiar Territory"), below, for ideas on how to pursue the attack. HauntedKnight - blocbloc FICS, 2016 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4
This move was, at first, Alonzo Wheeler Jerome's favorite response, although he later turned to 6.Qh5+. 6...Qh4 This is Black's sharpest response. 7.dxc5 HauntedKnight has over 400 games in The Database, and he has scored 50%+ in them, so it feels a bit presumptious to suggest that he play the "better" move, 7.0-0, like he did previously: 7.O-O Ng4 8.h3 Bb6 9.hxg4 Nf6 10.g5 Ng4 11.Qf3+ Kg8 12.Qh3 Qxh3 13.gxh3 Bxd4 14.hxg4 d6 15.c3 Bb6 16.Kg2 Bxg4 17.f3 Bh5 18.Nd2 h6 19.Nc4 Bf7 20.Nxb6 axb6 21.gxh6 gxh6 22.Kf2 Kh7 23.Rh1 h5 24.Be3 Rhg8 25.b3 Rg7 26.Ke2 Rg2+ 27.Kd3 Raxa2 28.Rab1 Rh2 29.Rhg1 h4 30.Rg4 h3 31.Rh4+ Kg8 32.Bd4 Kf8 33.Rh8+ Ke7 34.Rh7 c5 35.Bh8 Ke8 36.Bf6 Rhd2+ 37.Ke3 h2 38.Rh1 Rg2 39.b4 cxb4 40.cxb4 Rae2+ 41.Kf4 d5 42.Rh8+ Kd7 43.exd5 Bxd5 44.Rh7+ Kc6 45.Bd4 Rd2 46.Rh6+ Kb5 47.Rxb6+ Kc4 48.Bc5 Rg1 49.Rxh2 Rxh2 50.Rxb7 Rh4+ 51.Ke5 Rh5+ 52.Kd6 Rg6+ 53.Kc7 Rh7+ 54.Kb8 Rxb7+ 55.Kc8 Rg8+ 56.Bf8 Rxf8 checkmate, HauntedKnight - scarlattibach, FICS, 2012. 7...Qxe4+ 8.Kf1
This is an odd idea, instead of continuing the attack with 18...Bb7. Perhaps Black miscalculated something. This is the kind of opportunity many Jerome Gambit players expect and enjoy. 19.Kg1 Nfg4 20.Qd2 White should have continued to recover the piece with 20.Nf1 Qg5 21.Nxh2 Nxh2 22.Rxh2 20...Bb7 21.Qf4+ Still available was 21.Nf1. 21...Kg8 22.Rxh2 A final oversight. 22...Qxh2+ White resigned
The following quick game shows the risks of playing "thematically" instead of "concretely" - as in, not what your opening suggests, but what is actually on the board. Wall, Bill - Guest3846778 PlayChess.com, 2016 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 The Blackburne Shilling Gambit. 4.Bxf7+
The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit. 4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6 6.c3 Qg5
I can imagine Bill thinking: "I'm playing the Jerome Gambit. What are you playing??" His opponent makes the thematic attacking move in the BSG, but he should have stayed in the main lines with 6...Kxe5. I was surprised to find 52 games in The Database with this position, with White scoring 61%. Only 39 games feature White's next move, which bumps the scoring up to 65%. Sadly, 37 games feature Black's terminal response - and White still scores only 64%. This game shows the way to a full 100%. 7.cxd4 Qxg2 As intended, but allowing checkmate. 8.Qb3+ Kd6 9.Qd5+ Ke7 10.Qf7+ Kd6 11.Nc4+ Kc6 12.Qd5 checkmate
I have been away from the Jerome Gambit (see"Reliable") long enough that Bill Wall questioned if I had given it up. Not so, not so. That doesn't mean that all of my new games are gems - although the following one brought a smilt to my face. perrypawnpusher - grosshirn 2 19 blitz, FICS, 2016 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
If Black believes that White is making it up as he goes along, the defender is not likely to pay attention close enough to avoid stepping in a small trap.
13.fxg6+
Black resigned. I think my opponent was unhappy at having slipped. His position isn't "objectively" all that bad after 13...Kg8 14.gxh7+ Kh8! (14...Kxh7 15.Qd3 will win the exchange) 15.Qf2!? (15.Qd3 Bd7! 16.Rxf6? Qxf6 17.Qxe4 Re8!) and White will have to be happy to be just a pawn up (the White pawn at h7 is doomed) while lagging in development.
In the following game, Black defends well against the initial gambit, and then a further couple of sacrifices. Things are not easy for him, but he is well on his way to a full point when he makes a small slip... LeAlv96 - HydraxDev 3 2 blitz, lichess.org, 2016 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 The Blackburne Shilling Gambit. 4.Bxf7+
White's extra offer of a piece, 6.Qg4+, offers additional risk to both players. Black can take the Knight and live, but he must be careful. So far he is defending well in an uncomfortable position. 8.e5+ Ke7 9.f5 Nxc2+ Not as effective is9...Nc6, which appeared in the up-and-down game JordanKwiatek - FrankBono, FICS, 2007:10.d4 h6 11.O-O d6 12.Nc3 dxe5 13.Qh4+ Ke8 14.Bg5 Qxg5 15.Qxg5 hxg5 16.dxe5 Bc5+White resigned. 10.Kd1 Nxa1 11.d4
White would improve with 11.Qh4+!? Nf6 12.exf6+ gxf6 13.Re1+ Kd6 although the position would still be better for Black. 11...Ke8 Black also struggled after 11...d5, i.e. 12.Bg5+ Nf6 13.exf6+ gxf6 14.Re1+ Kd6 15.Bf4+ Kc6 16.Re3 Bd6 17.Rc3+ Kd7 18.Bxd6 cxd6 19.Nd2 Qg8 20.Qh3 Qg5 21.Nf3 Qf4 22.Qh5 Qe4 23.Qf7+ Qe7 24.Rc7+ Kxc7 25.Qxe7+ Kb6 26.Qxd6+ Kb5 27.Qxd5+ Kb6 28.Qc5+ Ka6 29.b4 b6 30.b5+ Kb7 31.Qc6+ Kb8 32.d5 Bxf5 33.d6 Rc8 34.Qd5 Rc5 35.Qg8+ Kb7 36.Qxh7+ Kc8 37.Qg8+ Kb7 38.Qf7+ Kc8 39.Qe8+ Kb7 40.Qe7+ Kb8 41.Nd4 Bc2+ 42.Ke1 Bf5 43.Nc6+ Kc8 44.Qd8+ Kb7 45.Qc7checkmate, GOH - boggus, FICS, 2004. Black's best defense is 11...Kf7. The difference between the two retreat squares (i.e. at f7 the Black King can protect a pawn at g6) quickly becomes apparent. 12.Qh5+g6 13.fxg6 hxg6
I found the following Jerome Gambit game on a Reddit sub, with a heading about playing drunk or stoned. Whether that would help White's play or not, I do not know; perhaps it would ease the pain of losing? Readers can decide. The game certainly is exciting, regardless. ohhiwrigley - anonymous posted on reddit, 2016 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf6 Returning the two sacrificed pieces. 7.Qf5+ Ke7 8.Qxe5+ Kf8 9.Qxc5+ d6 10.Qd4
White continues to play creatively. This position is not in The Database. 10...Qg5 11.O-O This offers Black the opportunity of 11...Bh3, which he overlooks, tossing away a pawn, instead. Was this a high-speed blitz game? 11...c5 12.Qxd6+ Ne7 13.d3 Qh5 14.Qf4+ Ke8 15.Qg3 Rf8
Unwittingly setting up a trap that White falls into. 16.Qxg7 Ng6 Instead, Black had 16...Rg8 which could be followed up by 17...Bh3, with an attack that wins material. 17.Bh6 Bg4 18.Qxb7 Be2 19.Qc6+ Certainly playable was 19.Qxa8+. 19...Kf7 20.Bxf8 Bxf1 21.Bxc5 Nf4 22.Qxa8 Bxg2
White can now win another piece with 23.Qf8+ followed by 24.Qxf4, but he makes the very prudent decision - given Black's pieces clustered around his King - to be happy to have an extra exchange (after 23...Qxc5) and 5 more pawns, and to focus on development. 23.Nc3 Nh3+ This looks scary at first glance, but is actually just a fancy way to lose more material. (Again, time trouble suggests itself.) Still, what choice does Black have, other than to complicate things and hope? 24.Kxg2 Qg4+ 25.Kf1 Qg1+ 26.Ke2 Nf4+ 27.Ke3 Qg5
Give Black credit, he keeps on fighting, looking for chances. 28.Qxa7+ Kg6 29.Bd4 Nd5+ 30.Ke2 Qg4+ 31.f3 Qg2+ 32.Kd1 Qxf3+
33.Kc1 Ne3 34.Qg7+ The move that White has been angling for. Now it is all over for Black. 34...Kh5 35.Qxh7+ Kg4 36.h3+ Kg3 37.Be5+ Kf2 38.Qh4+ Kf1 39.Kd2+ Kg2 40.Qg5+ Kf2 41.Nd1+ Kf1 42.Nxe3+ Kf2 43.Rf1 checkmate
