Saturday, April 29, 2023

Lose Never with a Strong Deferred Jerome Gambit! (Part 4)

                                    


                          

                                     Lose Never with a Strong Deferred Jerome Gambit! (Part 4)   

  

(by Yury V. Bukayev) 

 

 

The Part 4 of this my analytical investigation is also about strong deferred Jerome gambit which is important for modern opening theory and for serious practice and which is a part of the Jerome gambit (JG), not relative gambit for it. 

 

At first let’s repeat the following thoughts from the Part 2 (September 22, 2022) of this my research: “It shouldn’t mix related (relative) lines for an opening with its deferred ones. Let’s consider the Queen’s gambit. For example, 1.Nf3 d5 2.d4 Nf6 3.c4 is one of deferred types of the Queen’s gambit (we may name it as ‘Nf3Nf6-Queen’s gambit deferred’), 1.d4 e6 2.Nf3 d5 3.c4 is the other deferred type of the Queen’s gambit (we may name it as ‘Nf3e6-Queen’s gambit deferred’) etc. Often we unite them with the “standard line” 1.d4 d5 2.c4 and name each of them as ‘the Queen’s gambit’. In contrast with them, the Catalan opening (for example) is an opening which is related to the Queen’s gambit. We never unite it with the Queen’s gambit, because the plan with Bxc4 after …dxc4 is impossible in the Catalan opening”.  

 

Let’s consider the Jerome gambit twice accepted (JGTA) analogously again. In the same part of this my research I have written about it: “Its “standard line” is 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5, and after 6.Qh5+! or 6.d4 (it’s much less strong move) White gets a sharp play, you know the modern theory of August 2022 from my publications on Rick Kennedy’s blog. If 5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 is played after 4.Nc3 (or 4.d3, or 4.0-0, or 4.c3, or any other “calm” move) 4…a6 (or 4…h6, or certain other moves: 4…a5, 4…b5, 4…Rb8), then the same White’s plans to return a part of gambit material (7.Qh5+ and 7.d4) get no additional obstacles here in comparison with the standard line. That is why 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Nc3 a6 5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 and other above lines are deferred lines of JGTA. Analogously, we may unite them with the standard line of JGTA and name each of them as ‘JGTA’. In contrast with them, if Black plays 4…Nf6 (or 4…d6, or any other move which we don’t see above), then 5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 forms only a related line for JGTA, so we may not unite it with JGTA. 

 

In my Part 3 (January 16, 2023) there was an important improvement of the Part 2: “But recently I have made a revision of this my view. Thus, if Black plays 4…Nf6, but then White makes his next “calm” move and Black makes the move 5…Nxe4 or another King’s Knight move (excluding 5…Ng4, 5…N[x]d5), then 6.Bxf7+ Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ Nxe5 form also deferred lines of JGTA. Analogously, we may unite them with the standard line of JGTA and name each of them as ‘JGTA’. Finally, a deferred line of JG is each deferred line of JGTA where the move n.Bxf7+ is made and where the further sequence of moves n…Kxf7 (n+1).Nxe5+ Nxe5 is made or can be made. For example, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 (4.0-0) 4…Nf6 5.0-0 (5.c3) 5…Nxe4! 6.Bxf7+AN is one of deferred lines of JG. Thus, after 6…Kxf7 7.Nxe5 (7.d4!?, 7.Qb3+!?) 7…Nxe5!? White can play 8.d4, 8.Qh5+, 8.Qb3+, for example: 8.Qh5+ Ng6!? 9.Qd5+ with 10.Qxe4. If you want to get it as White, then your opponent can’t prevent it. But this gambit’s force doesn’t let me say: “Lose never with it. Further, the new and extremely important line of JG, where Black and White make no very bad moves in the whole game, was considered first: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 (4.0-0) 4…Nf6 5.0-0 (5.c3) 5…Nxe4! 6.b4 AN Nxf2!? 7.Bxf7+!.  

 

Further, this line was considered again and much more deeply in my other analytical research ‘The Winning Part of the Same Jerome Gambit – 4.c3 Nf6 5.0-0 Nxe4 6.b4 Nxf2 7.Bxf7+!’ (2023, Part 1 and Part 2), where it was proved that 7.Bxf7+! leads to White’s advantage and that it is a protogambit. 

 

 

Now let’s start to consider else one new and very important line of JG: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 (4.0-0) 4…Nf6 5.0-0 (5.c3) 5…Nxe4! 6.b4 Bxf2+! AN (6...d5!) 7.Kh1!? Bb6!? (7...d5!) 8.Bxf7+!. 

 

Thus, the most strong line for Black is, probably, the following: 

 

8…Kxf7 9.Ng5+! Kg8 10.Nxe4 d5. Here the following blunders are very important 

 

I)11.d4 dxe4?? 12.Qb3+, and White wins, 

 

II)11.Qf3 h6?? 12.Qf7+ Kh7 13.Nf6+, and White wins, 

 

III)11.b5 dxe4?? 12.Qb3+, and White wins. 

 

Probably, 8.Bxf7+! is a new “protogambit”.  

 

And I should say that Bishop’s position on b6 doesn’t prevent to classify it as a new part of JG, because in the JG-line: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.0-0 Nxe4! 6.b4 Nxf2!? 7.Bxf7+! Kxf7 8.Qb3+ Ke8 9.d4 Be7! 10.Rxf2 the situation with Black’s Bishop and Knight is similar. 

 

 

Once again, the Jerome gambit (JG) isn’t 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ only, it is also a large family of deferred gambits which are the parts of JG. And its above new part is, probably, the JG which is one of the most important for practice: the probability of Black’s move 7…Bb6 in practice is enough high. 

  

 

Note: Author’s theoretical novelties-moves are marked by the symbol “AN”. 

 

 

 

Contact the author:  istinayubukayev@yandex.ru  

 

 

© 2023 Yury V. Bukayev (Copyright © Bukayev Yury Vyacheslavovich 2023). All rights reserved.  

[A legal using of this investigation with a reference to it is permitted  

and doesn’t require author’s consent.] 

 

 

 

Friday, April 28, 2023

Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit: Tactics



William Faulkner wrote, "The past is never dead. It is not even past".

The tactical cut-and-thrust of early chess masters such as Anderssen and Morphy can be found echoed in modern online blitz play.

The following game is a fun example.


mir252 - Pranep

5 3 blitz, lichess.org, 2023


1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 

The Blackburne Shilling Gambit.

4.Bxf7+ 

The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit. Of course, White has alternatives, such as 4.Nxd4, 4.c3 and 4.0-0 (as well as 4.Nxe5, which is what Black is hoping for), but the Bishop sacrifice sharpens things immediately.

The Database has 7,030 games with this move. White scores 56%

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6 

Black is not convinced that the attack is valid.

The "standard" continuation now is 6.c3, which leads to an edge for Black, but, instead, White decides to offer more material.

6.Qg4+ Kxe5 7.f4+ 


7...Kd6

Not 7...Kxe4 8.Nc3 checkmate. It could happen in blitz. 

8.e5+ Kd5 9.Nc3+ Kc6 10.f5 Nxc2+  


The a1 Rook is available, too.

11.Kd1 Nxa1

This is going too far. 

Stockfish 15.1 suggests 11...a6 12.Kxc2 Kb6 13.d3 Ka7 and Black's King has stepped away from danger, although play can continue actively.

12.Qc4+ Bc5 13.Qb5 checkmate




Thursday, April 27, 2023

Jerome Gambit: Pawns Take Their Place



In fast time controls the focus can be on pieces - their development, the tactics that they are involved in.

Only when things become quiet do the pawns take their place on the stage.

However, in the following Jeorme Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game, the pawns lead the way to checkmate. 


xb8 - muriungik

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

The lichess.org computer gives this move as an "inaccuracy", seeing 6...Ke6 as "best".

Of the 4 top moves, Stockfish 15.1 (31 ply) rates 6...Ke6 as about 1/4 of a pawn better as 6...Kf8, which Stockfish sees as about 3/4 of a pawn better than 6...g6, which is seen as about a pawn better than 6...Ng6.

The move appears to be the "people's choice", however, according to The Database: 6...Ng6  is played 45% of the time; 6...Ke6 is played 24% of the time; 6...Kf8 is played 16% of the time; and 6...g6 is played 13% of the time.

7.Qd5+ Kf8 8.Qxc5+ N8e7 9.O-O b6 10.Qc3 Bb7 


Here we have a typical Jerome Gambit position. Black is ahead in development, but will need to use some of that time to safeguard his King. White's King is already castled. The placement of White's Queen may or may not be favorable.

11.d3 Kf7 

Intending to castle-by-hand.

12.f4 Rf8 13.f5 


The "Jerome pawn" races forward to complicate things.

The computer now suggests the consistent 13...Kg8 14.fxg6 Rxf1+ 15.Kxf1 Nxg6 when White would have a small material advantage (one pawn) but his King would be the one more at risk, and his development would still lag.

13...Nh4 

Black does not want to put his Knight away with 13...Nh8, but the text puts it at risk.

14.Qe1 

This move makes perfect sense: attack the hapless enemy Knight. Yet that could more efficiently be accomplished by 14.Bg5.

Remember: this is a bullet game, each player has only 60 seconds to complete play.

14...g5 

To protect the Knight. Again, the clock affects play.

An idea of how complicated this position has gotten is in Stockfish 15.1's suggestion: 14...Nexf5 15.g4 d5 16.Nc3 dxe4 17.dxe4 Re8 18.gxf5 Bxe4 19.Qg3 Bb7 20.Rf4 Qe7 21.Rxh4 Qc5+ 22.Kf1 Ba6+ 23.Kg2 Bb7+ 24.Kf1 equal.

15.Bxg5 Nxg2 16. Kxg2 Rg8 


Threats are a large part of moves in bullet games, but in this case White has answers.

17.Qh4 h6 18.Qh5+ Kf8 19.Qxh6+ Ke8 

20.h4 Nc6 21.Kh3 Rxg5

Unfortunately necessary.

22.Qxg5 Qxg5 23.hxg5 Kf7 


White's material advantage will tell as soon as it arrives on the battlefield. In the meantime, the "Jerome pawns" are active.

24.g6+ Kf6 25.Kg4 Ne5+ 26.Kf4 d6 27.Nd2 Rg8 28.Nf3 Nc6 29.Rf2 a5 30.Rh1 Nb4 31.Rh7 Bc6 32.Rf7 checkmate