A GM Faces the BSJG: Not Quite (Part 3)

[continued from previous post]

We continue to examine how a future GM handles the Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.

Nater, Carl - Rogers, Ian
Begonia op 09th, Ballarat, 1975

Black has two pieces for a Rook and three pawns.

9.Na3 d5 10.c3 Qe7 11.O-O 

Bringing the King to safety, although 11.d3 was a bit better.

11...Ne2+ 12.Kh1 Nh5 

White's Queen is stalemated. Nater launches a rescue mission.

13.d4 Be6 14.exd5 

Instead, Komodo 10 prefers some tactics: 14.Re1 Nxc1 15.exd5 Nf4 16.Raxc1 Qg5 17.Rxe6+ Nxe6 18.Re1 Qxd5, siding with White's three pawns versus Black's extra piece.

14...Bxd5 15.Qe5 Qxe5 16.dxe5 Bxa3 17.bxa3 Kf7 

18.Be3 Rh8 19.Rfe1 Bc4 20.Rab1 b6 21.Rb4 Bd3

22.c4 c5 23.Rb2 Nhf4 24.Bxf4 

This helps Black untangle his jumbled up pieces. The computer recommends, instead, 24.Rd2 Rd8, when it is tempting to suggest wholesale exchanges: 25.Rxd3 Rxd3 26.g3 Nd4 27.Bxf4 Rxa3 28.Be3 Rxa2 29.Bxd4 cxd4 30.Rd1 Rxf2 31.Rxd4 Rc2 32.Rd7+ Ke6 33.Rxa7 Rxc4 34.Rg7 and the game should be drawn.

24...Nxf4 25.g3 Ne6 26.Rc1 

He might have done better to protect his passed pawn with 26.f4. The game is beginning to slip away.

26...Nd4 27.Rc3 Be4+ 28.Kg1 Nf3+ 29.Rxf3+ 

A decision that will be understandable to many Jerome Gambit players: White goes with the extra pawns against the extra piece.

In club play, the pawns probably have a practical advantage; but a strong player can use the extra piece to show that he has many targets to attack, that the game is his. 

29...Bxf3 30.Rb3 Be2 31.Rc3 Rd8 

The pieces start to dominate, for example, 32.f4 Rd4 and one pawn will quickly fall.

32.e6+

A trick that Rogers does not fall for: 32...Kxe6 33.Re3+, winning the Bishop.

 32...Ke7 33.Rc2 Bf3 

All of a sudden, threatening checkmate.

34.Rc1 Rd1+ 35.Rxd1 Bxd1 

Again, at first glance, I (a middling club player) would be inclined to take White, here - but Komodo 10 tells the real story, rating Black as more than a Rook ahead.

Rogers' hungry Bishop now cleans up the hapless pawns.

36.f4 Be2 37.Kf2 Bxc4 38.Ke3 Bxe6 39.Kf3 b5 40.g4 c4 41.f5 gxf5 42.gxf5 Bxf5 43.Ke3 Bb1 44.Kd4 Bxa2 45.Kc3 a5 46.a4 b4+ White resigned

Hats off to Carl Nater, for his early play of the Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit. I hope to hear from him about the game, and his use of 4.Bxf7+.

Hats off, too, to Ian Rogers, future Grandmaster, for the chess lesson: he was surprised in his own trappy opening, but settled himself down and steadily outplayed his opponent.

[to be continued]

A GM Faces the BSJG: Not Quite (Part 2)

[continued from previous post]

In the previous post, I mused

Last year, on this blog, I had a lot of fun looking at the idea of a Grandmaster playing or facing the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), online or over-the-board... "A GM Faces the Jerome Gambit (Part 1 and Part 2) and "Jerome Gambit: More GMs? (Part 1 and Part 2)"... 

The other day I started wondering: Did any GMs play or face the Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 4.Bxf7+)? That search would be a different kind of task, as the game would have to feature either a rare example of a GM playing the BSG, or, even less likely, a GM playing the BSJG. But my curiosity was piqued... 

A search of The Database did not turn up any games with a player (of either color) rated 2500...

So, I next turned to my ChessBase "Big Database" (almost 6,5000,000 games), and did a search for the starting position of the Blackburne Shilling Gambit, below.

I was shocked to find 12 games where at least one of the players was rated 2500!

Closer examination, however, showed that all of the examples came from the Bird Variation of Ruy Lopez: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nd4 4.Bc4.

Still searching, however, I checked the online ChessBase Live Database, looking for 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 4.Bxf7+ games, and I came upon one with Ian Rogers playing Black.

Ian Rogers! I knew that name: Australian GM! Amazing!

Well, not quite. The game was played in 1975, a few months before Rogers turned 15, five years before he became an International Master, and ten years before he became a Grandmaster.

Let's look at the game, anyhow, as it is quite educational. 

Nater, Carl - Rogers, Ian
Begonia op 09th, Ballarat, 1975

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 

Rogers, the teenager, is feeling frisky. I don't know much about his opponent, Carl Nater (age 35 at the time of the game), but a check on the FIDE website indicates that he had a rating of 1378, so, perhaps Black wished for a quick, trappy win.

Carl Nater, 80, at the 2018 Begonia tournament. He later played at the Victorian Country Championships in 2019. Recent word from GM Rogers is that Nater is still playing chess.

4.Bxf7+ 

This is the earliest game that I have with the Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit, predating - by 20 years - Melao Jr, H. - Danilo, Centro Cultural, 1996: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6 6.c3 Kxe5 7.cxd4+ Kxe4 8.Qh5 Kxd4 9.d3 Bb4+ 10.Nc3 Bxc3+ 11.bxc3+ Kxc3 12.Qc5+ Kxd3 13.Qd5+ Kc3 14.Bd2+ Kb2 15.Qb3+ Kxa1 16.O-O#

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8

The Database has 2,585 games with position, with White scoring 58%.

6.Qh5+ g6

If 6...Ke7, White would have a checkmate in 5, starting with 7.Qf7+.

7.Nxg6 hxg6 8.Qxh8 Nf6 

Nater opted to capture the Rook, instead of the g-pawn (with check), relying on the gain of material. 

Rogers skipped the wild 8...Nxc2+ 9.Kd1 Nxa1 10.Qxg8 Qg5 which might have given him an edge, opting, instead, for reasonable development.

Komodo 10 now sees the position as about even, with Black's piece balancing out White's 3 extra pawns. Black has a lead in development, but his King will be unable to castle.

[to be continued]

A GM Faces the BSJG: Not Quite (Part 1)

Last year, on this blog, I had a lot of fun looking at the idea of a Grandmaster playing or facing the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), online or over-the-board. You might enjoy bouncing back to "A GM Faces the Jerome Gambit (Part 1 and Part 2) and "Jerome Gambit: More GMs? (Part 1 and Part 2)".

In summary, checking The Database, I found some online games with a GM-level player (2500 or above, according to the site's rating scales), but they featured either computers, human players with a lower FIDE rating, or human players whose FIDE rating I could not confirm.

I was left with 2 online games that matched my criteria: ChessCoachUA - PArnaudov, 3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2017 (1-0, 39) and Cliff Hardy - Yasser Quesada Perez, lichess, 1 0, 2019 (0-1, 54).

The other day I started wondering: Did any GMs play or face the Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 4.Bxf7+)? That search would be a different kind of task, as the game would have to feature either a rare example of a GM playing the BSG, or, even less likely, a GM playing the BSJG. But my curiosity was piqued...

A search of The Database did not turn up any games with a player (of either color) rated 2500. In fact, there was only one game with a player rated above 2300 - but it was an interesting enough game. White is rated 2386 on the site. 

ivan767 - SanChess2005
7 2 blitz, lichess.org, 2016

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 

The Blackburne Shilling Gambit.

4.Bxf7+ 

The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.

4...Ke7 

The surprises continue: Black plays the BSG, White "Jerome-izes" it, Black declines the gambit. (SanChess2005 has played this move at least once before, in a frantic 0 minutes, 1 second increment bullet game - see "Faster Than A Speeding Neuron".)

The Database has 755 games with 4...Ke7, with White scoring 70%.

For some thoughts on the BSJG declined, see "Idées Fixes et Manqués".

5.Bc4

White is happy with the pawn he has won, and with the fact that Black will not be able to castle; so he withdraws his Bishop.

5...Ke8

Black unblocks the d8-h4 diagonal, putting the main tactical theme of the Blackburne Shilling Gambit back into play. I have called this a kind of "Jedi mind trick".

6.Nxe5

White relaxes too soon. He could have remained safely a piece up by playing 6.Nxd4 Qh4 (if 6...exd4, 7.Qh5+) 7.Nf3 Qxe4+ 8.Be2. 

6...Qg5 

Compare this position with one in the main line of the BSG:

analysis diagram






7.O-O Qxe5 8.c3 

8...Nb5

Retreating the Knight to c6 would maintain Black's piece-for-two-pawns material advantage, although White would be somewhat better after 9.d4, because of his better pawn center and Black's less safe King.

9.d4 Qe7 10.Bxb5 c6 11.Bc4 b5 12.Bb3 Nf6 13.e5 Nd5 14.Nd2 Qg5 

White is better, but he has some work to do.

15.Ne4 Qg6 16.Re1 Bb7 17.Nd6+ Bxd6 18.exd6+ Kd8 19.Bxd5 cxd5 20.Bf4 Rf8 21.Be5 Qf5

22.a4

White wants to open a line for his Rook, and he is not afraid to offer his f2 pawn.

23...Qxf2+ 23.Kh1 Qxb2 24.Rb1 Qxc3 

All of this moving of the Queen is risky - in fact, White now has a checkmate in 11 moves, although it is hard to find in this complicated position, especially in blitz.

25.Rxb5 

Even stronger was 25.Bxg7, because Black's Rook cannot move.

25...Ba6 26.Rc5 

This saves his Rook but lets much of the energy escape from the position. White should go after the enemy Queen, but by playing 26.Rf1 Re8 27.Rf3, not the text. Once the Black Queen is moved away from covering the e1 square, White's Queen can go there - and then on to h5, with checkmate threats.

26...Qd3 27.Qxd3 Bxd3 28.Bxg7 Rf7 

White is a pawn up.

29.Bh6 Bc4 

Instead, after 29...Rf1+ 30.Rxf1 Bxf1 White will have to work for the point. 

30.Bg5+ Black resigned

It is checkmate in 3 more moves.

[to be continued]

Jerome Gambit: Nothing Very Exciting Happens - Until

In the following game, nothing very exciting happens after the initial sacrifices - until the defender damages his own defenses, at which point the game is over.


Wall, Bill - Guest1735790
PlayChess.com, 2020

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qd5+ Kf8 8.Qxc5+ d6 9.Qe3 Nf6 

The game has reached a routine position that has been seen many times before. White has some standard moves and ideas at his fingertips. Black is objectively better, but he has to assemble a plan.

10.d3 Be6 

This move is okay, but it calls out White's f-pawn.

11.f4 Bf7 12.O-O Qe7 

Likewise, this move is a siren call to White's Knight.

13.Nc3 c6 

14.Bd2 Re8 

With his pieces massed in the center, Black believes that chasing after the a-pawn would be a distraction; yet, his opponent decides to grab it.

15.Qxa7 b5 

This loosens the Queenside a bit. Komodo 10 recommended the routine 15...Kg8 16.Rae1 h6 17.b3 Kh7 with a balanced game.

16.Qb6 Qd7 17.f5 Ne7 

18.Bf4 Nh5 19.Bg5 h6 20.Bd2 Nf6 

Back to where things were. Black can still consider "castling" his King to h7.

21.a4 

Switching the focus to the Queenside. Getting the Rook into the game would allow greater pressure on Black.

21...bxa4 22.Rxa4 

22...g6 

This is a slip, forgetting about the dangers of the f-file.

23.fxg6 Black resigned

White will win material, and he will have an attack on the enemy King.

Jerome Gambit: More Home Remedy

I enjoy the many ways that defenders cope with the Jerome Gambit. Some solutions are quite creative, and open a window into the minds of their creators.

angelcamina - ShadowKnight314
1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2020

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Bxf2+ 

Many Jerome Gambiteers have faced this home brew, including: annicks, blackburne, chessmanjeff, fehim, Gandybh, mrjoker, perrypawnpusher, Petasluk, shugart, Superpippo, UNPREDICTABLE, Wall and ZahariSokolov.

8.Kxf2 Qf6+ 9.Qxf6+ Nxf6 

Black forced the exchange of Queens, taking the energy out of White's brash attack. However, the price is steep: he surrendered a "won" game for one a pawn down. Nonetheless, it can almost be considered a psychological counter-gambit, as White now has to come up with a whole new, quieter, game plan.

It is often easier to play quickly when you are ahead in material, and this becomes a factor in the game.

10.d3 d6 11.Rf1 Kg7 12.b3 Bg4 13.Bb2 Rhf8 14.Kg3 Bd7 15.Nd2 Kg8 

Ooops! The time control is 1 minute, no increment, and this slip is going to make Black's chances shrink further.

16.Rxf6 Rxf6 17.Bxf6 Rf8 18.Bd4 c5 19.Bc3 b5 20.Rf1 Re8 

21.Ba5 b4 22.Bc7 Re6 23.Nc4 Bb5 24.Nxd6 a6 25.Nxb5 axb5 

26.e5 c4 27.dxc4 bxc4 28.bxc4 Rc6 29.Bd6 Rxc4 30.Rf2 Rc3+ 31.Kf4 Rc4+ 32.Ke3 Black lost on time

Jerome Gambit: In Bullet, Almost Everything Is Playable

In the following bullet game - time control of one minute, no increment - Jerome Gambit veteran angelcamina plays a variation that has a brutal refutation; but his opponent does not reply sharply enough. The game dances on a knife's edge, and then White breaks through. It is fascinating to watch the thinking at an extremely rapid rate.

angelcamina - Marlon_Romano
1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2020

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Qe7 

This is Whistler's Defense, which is relatively less complicated, but more dangerous, than Blackburne's Defense (7...d6). The Rook should not now be taken. That being said, the game remains quite complicated.

8.Qxh8 

Wow. angelcamina has been here before, and should know the risks. Maybe he does. Maybe he likes the chaos.

8...Nf6 

Black locks in White's Queen. This is a theme that can be found in Blackburne's Defense; it will be followed by developing Black's light-squared Bishop, attacking the White Queen with the remaining Rook.

Perhaps Marlon_Romano is familiar with Blackburne's Defense to the Jerome Gambit, but he seems less familiar with Whistler's Defense, which requires 8...Qxe4+ to start a ferocious attack on White's King. An earlier example is angelcamina - ssez222, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2018 - yes, even against the virulent counter-attack, angelcamina succeeded.

9.O-O 

White realizes that he needs to safeguard his King, and this move leads to a relatively even game; but he could have combined defense with offense with the move 9.d3. He immediately shows an awareness of this.

9...b6 

Getting ready to uncover the Rook to attack the Queen.

10.e5 Qxe5 11.d4 Bxd4 

Opening the c1-h6 diagonal for the Bishop in an attack that rescues the Queen.

12.c3

A temporary slip. White quickly turns back to attack.

12...Bc5 

Taking the Bishop out of danger, and preparing to reposition it; but, likewise, a slip. 12...Bb7 was the consistent move.

13.Bh6 

Now the game is in balance: 13...Bb7 14.Qg7+ Ke6 15.Nd2 Bf8 16.Qxf8+ Rxf8 17.Rae1 Re8 18.Rxe5+ Kxe5 looks even.

13...Bd6 

The checkmate threat is not enough.

14.Qg7+ Ke6 15.f4 Qc5+ 

White is up the exchange. His attack rolls on.

16.Kh1 Ba6 17.Re1+ Kf5 

18.h3 Qf2 19.g4+ Black resigned