Scotch Game (Intermezzo Variation), Hungarian Defence & Jerome-ish Blows
(by Yury V. Bukayev)
This month the website “Bruno’s Chess Problem of the Day” (“Bruno’s Chess Articles”) has published my new analytical opening article ‘Scotch game (Intermezzo variation), Hungarian: bomb!’, where I have considered the new and the very strong defences (as a result of theoretical novelties) against the Lasker attack in the Intermezzo variation of the Scotch game, the Classical variation, (C45) and against 5.dxe5 in the Hungarian defence (C50).
Readers of Rick Kennedy’s blog know that the great maestro World Champion Emanuel Lasker has played the Jerome gambit game in his simultaneous exhibition in the beginning of the 20th century. It is clear, it was a serious game, although, probably, it was a game, where 4.Bxf7+ was a handicap. Dr. Lasker’s simultaneous exhibition games of those years, probably, can show us much more interesting and valuable, than we could expect earlier. One of such examples is a game Lasker – Smythe of the simultaneous exhibition in USA, 1901, where the new attack of the Intermezzo variation (the Classical variation 4…Bc5 of the Scotch game) was played:
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 (it can be noted that the sequence of moves in that game was other: 2.d4 exd4 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.Nxd4) 4…Bc5 5.Nxc6 Qf6 6.Qf3 (it’s Dr. Lasker’s novelty) 6…Qxc6 7.Nc3!.
Dr. Lasker’s opponent wasn’t a weak player, he could make a draw in this game, and his response – 7…Ne7 – has got the best theoretical reputation. The World Champion has played 8.Bg5, and the best continuation of the attack – 8.Bb5! – was found later. IM Vladimir L. Barsky in his book “The Scotch Game for White” (Saint Petersburg, 2010) writes (p.81) that the position on c6 of Black’s Queen, after 7.Nc3!, isn’t very good, and he indicates the whole main theoretical line (p.82-83): 8…Qe6 9.0-0 0-0 10.Qd3 a6 11.Bc4 etc., with White’s advantage.
In contrast with it, I prove first in this my article on “Bruno’s Chess Articles” that after 7…a6! Black’s position (including the position on c6 of Black’s Queen) is very good. Thus, the plan Bf1-b5-c4 is impossible here. What can happen, if White tries to make Bf1-c4 directly? My article shows that Black can respond by the Jerome-ish blow …Bxf2+!. And then …Qxc4 with his large advantage.
Finally, here is my new present for lovers of Jerome gambit’s risky (handicap) relatives. Thus, after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Be7 4.d4 d6 5.dxe5 dxe5 6.Bd5 Qd7! AN 7.Ng5 Nd8! = (please, look at the Paragraph 2 of my article on “Bruno’s Chess Articles”) White can play also the new risky line 8.Nxf7? Nxf7 9.Bxf7+ Kxf7 10.Qh5+ with the most “romantic” possibility of 10…Kf6? 11.f4.
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