Jerome Gambit: Time Management

 

I continue to be impressed at how angelcamina at lichess.org regularly turns Jerome Gambit games into 1-minute wins.

The following game is another example, where he averages a little more than one second per move thinking time, but stays ahead of his opponent and brings home the full point.

angelcamina - adrenalin87

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 

7.Qd5+ Kf8 8.Qxc5+ d6 9.Qc4 Qe7 

We saw 9...Nf6 in yesterday's game.

10.Nc3

He castled first in angelcamina - Jigsaw71, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2021:  10.O-O Nf6 11.Nc3 Be6 12.Qb4 Kf7 13.f4 Bd7 14.d4 Rhf8 15.f5 Nh4 16.Qc4+ Ke8 17.Bg5 Nxf5 18.exf5 c6 19.Rae1 d5 20.Rxe7+ Black resigned, 

10...Be6 11.Qb4 

Or 11.Qa4 Nf6 12.O-O c6 13.f4 Bg4 14.h3 Bh5 15.g4 Nxg4 16.hxg4 Bxg4 17.f5 Ne5 18.d4 Qh4 19.Bf4 Nf3+ 20.Kg2 Qh3+ 21.Kf2 g5 22.fxg6 hxg6 23.Rh1 Qxh1 24.Rxh1 Rxh1 25.e5 d5 26.Qb4+ Kg8 27.Qe7 Rf8 28.Ne2 Nxd4 29.Nxd4 Rxf4+ Black won on time, angelcamina - Anatoliy-64, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2022. 

11...Rb8 

Black's Rook takes on the menial task of guarding the b-pawn, while White's Queen remains a bit out of play.

12.O-O Nf6 13.f4 Bd7 14.f5 Ne5 15.d4 Nc6 16.Qc4 

White's "Jerome pawns" are coming to life.

16...h5 17.Bg5 h4 18.Rae1 Re8 19.e5 

Possibly an oversight, but likely premature. 19.Nd5, taking advantage of the pin on the Knight at f6 and the placement of Black's Queen, looks more in tune with the position.

19...dxe5 20.dxe5 Nxe5 21.Qf4 Kf7 22.Nd5 

Now, however, the move has tactical issues.

22...Nxd5 23.Bxe7 Nxf4 24.Rxe5 Rxe7 25.Rxe7+ Kxe7 26.Rxf4 Rf8 

Okay, Black is ahead materially, a piece for a pawn; but how is he doing on the clock? Can White keep him busy until time runs out?

27.f6+ Rxf6 28.Rxh4 Rh6 29.Re4+ Be6 30.Rb4 b6 31.b3 a5 32.Re4 Kd6 33.g3 Rf6 34.Rd4+ Bd5 

A slip that White can take advantage of - but will the simplified position make it easier for Black to defend, despite the loss of material?

35.c4 Re6 36.cxd5 Re5 37.Kf2 Rxd5 38.Rxd5+ Kxd5 

The position is even.

39.Ke3 Kc5 

Taking a step too far from the Kingside. White's pawns there can now advance, which will cause Black's King to scurry over there, which will allow White's King to capture material on the Queenside...

40.Kd3 

Winning chances lay with 40.h4 - and the clock.

40...Kb4 41.Kc2 a4 42.bxa4 Kxa4 

The position is equal. White has an interesting drawing play that includes allowing Black to promote a pawn first: 43.h4 Ka3 44.g4 Kxa2 45.Kc3 Ka3 46.h5 b5 47.g5 b4+ 48.Kc2 Ka2 49.h6 b3+ 50.Kc3 gxh6 51.g6 b2 52.g7 b1/Q 53.g8/Q+ Ka1 54.Qa8+ Qa2 55.Qh1+ Qb1 56.Qa8+ etc draw

43.g4 Kb5 

For the record, 43...g5 would have led to a complicated Queen plus pawns vs Queen plus pawns endgame where time would also be an issue: 44.h4 gxh4 45.g5 h3 45.g6 h2 46.g7 h1/Q 47.g8/Q.

The game continues to be even on the board, but not on the clock.

44.h4 Kc6 45.g5 Kd6 46.Kd3 Ke6 47.Ke4 Kf7 48.Kf5 g6+ 49.Ke5 Ke7 50.Kd5 Kd7 51.Ke5 Ke7 52.Kd5 White won on time

Jerome Gambit: The Temporal Finish Line

When you play the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) in a bullet game, you can win with a devastating attack - or you can cause your opponent so many problems that he takes up so much time calculating that he doesn't make it over the temporal finish line, and loses on time.

It is like that old joke about the large carnivorous beast, which, in this case, is the clock. Can you out-run your opponent?

angelcamina - Javier_Electrico

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 

7.Qd5+ Kf8 8.Qxc5+ d6 9.Qc4 Nf6 

White has two pawns for his sacrificed piece. His King is safer. 

Development can be an issue for a few moves, but then the players need to execute a plan.

10.Nc3 c6 11.O-O Qe7 12.d3 Be6 

Black will target the enemy Queen. 

13.Qb4 a5 14.Qb6 Ra6 15.Qe3 Ng4 16.Qg3 h5 17.f4  

A complicated, but balanced position.

The clock now begins to seriously affect play.

17...Ke8 

Too many of his pieces are at risk, and this does not help.

18.h3 Nf6 19.f5 

Or 19.Qxg6+. 

19...Ne5 20.fxe6 h4 

21.Qg6+

A slip neither player noticed.

21...Kd8 22.Qf5 Kc7 23.Bf4 g6 24.Qg5 Rf8 25.Bxe5 dxe5 26.Qxe5+ 

White is back to calling the tune. The Queen will have her say.

26...Kb6 27.Na4+ Ka7 28.Qd4+ b6 29.c4 White won on time

White is better: he has more material, he has central "Jerome pawns", he has two active Rooks (compared to Black's blocked-in rook at a6).

Jerome Gambit: Another Strange and Shocking Opening

I was wandering the internet the other day, when I came upon a rather outrageous and totally unsound gambit that made me think, of course, of my favorite, the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+). 

The line comes out of the Scotch Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 with 4.Ng5!?.

What?

Of course, Black tried to shoo the pesky Knight away with 4...h6, only to experience 5.Nxf7 - White throwing a piece away, but checkmating before a dozen moves have passed.

Very strange. Very shocking.

I wanted to learn more about the line - for historical purposes, of course.

I found some some light (and light hearted) analysis by Chess Domatio at "Getting Out of the Trap#1: Scotch Gambit Trap" and at two sites by Grandmaster Igor Smirnev, "The Best Chess Opening against 1...e5 | Scotch Gambit Traps" and "Deadly Chess TRAP to Win in 7 Moves! [Works up to 2200 ELO".

The earliest game example with 4.Ng5 that I could find was Johnston, A. - Hosmer, H., 2nd American Chess Congress 1871: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Ng5 Nh6 5.Bc4 Bc5 6.Qh5 Qf6 7.O-O d6 8.h3 Ne5 9.Bb3 Qg6 10.Qh4 f6 11.f4 fxg5 12.fxg5 Nhf7 13.Kh2 Be6 14.Ba4+ Nd7 15.c3 Bc4 16.Rf5 O-O-O 17.Bd1 Nfe5 18.b3 Bd3 19.Bb2 dxc3 20.Nxc3 c6 21.a3 Rdf8 22.b4 Bb6 23.Bg4 Nxg4+ 24.hxg4 Bc7 25.Qf2 d5+ 26.Kh1 dxe4 27.Qxa7 Rxf5 28.gxf5 Qh5+ White resigned

I verified the moves by consulting The Book of the Second American Chess Congress, Cleveland, Ohio, December 1871, by Max Judd (Dubuque, Iowa, 1871).

It is interesting that Johnston played a more mainline variation in the same tournament, Johnston, A.  - Smith, HD, 2nd American Chess Congress 1871: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Bc4 Bc5 5.Ng5 (Sarratt Attack, at least as old as Sarratt - NN, London, 1818) Nh6 6.Qh5 O-O 7.Bxf7+ Rxf7 8.Nxf7 Nxf7 9.Qxc5 d6 10.Qc4 Qe7 11.Qe2 Nfe5 12.O-O Be6 13.Na3 Rf8 14.f4 Bg4 15.Qb5 Ng6 16.Qxb7 Qxe4 17.Qb3+ Kh8 18.Qg3 Bf5 19.Qf3 Qe8 20.Bd2 Be4 21.Qg3 Nce7 22.Rae1 d5 23.f5 Nxf5 24.Qxc7 Ngh4 25.Rf2 Qg6 26.Qg3 Qe8 27.Qh3 h6 28.g4 Qg6 29.Rxe4 dxe4 30.Kh1 e3 31.Rxf5 Nxf5 32.gxf5 Qc6+ 33.Kg1 exd2 34.Qd3 Rxf5 35.Qxd2 Qg6+ White resigned

Was 5.Ng5 against Hosmer a fingerfehler?

Why mention an opening from a game over 150 years ago, that White lost, and that nobody plays these days?

It is an interesting coincidence that Johnston was at one time a member of the Cincinnati Chess Club, as was S. A. Charles, who wrote opening analyses, first for the Cincinnati Commercial Gazette, then later for the Pittsburgh Telegraph, including an examination of the Jerome Gambit; and J.W. Miller, who published Cook's Synopsis of Chess Openings A Tabular Analysis by William Cook, With American Inventions in the Openings and Fresh Analysis since 1882, which also contained analysis of the Jerome Gambit.

Besides, it is not quite accurate that nobody today plays 5.Ng5!? In fact, lichess.org has 869,324 (!) games with that move, with White scoring a decent 56%. Also, the site has 260,399 games with 5.Ng5!? h6 6.Nxf7!?, with White scoring an impressive 73%.

Something to consider in your next blitz game, if you decide to bypass the Jerome...

Jerome Gambit: First The Idea Arrives...

When I am playing blitz, I noticed that first an idea for a move arrives, then I evaluate it.

Only, sometimes I don't evaluate, I just play the move, because it feels right.

That is certainly a time-saving practice that I sometimes get away with, and sometimes not. I can not recommend it to others.

Think first, then evaluate, then play the move.

 

perrypawnpusher - GuestHTXV

5 5 blitz, FICS, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

7.Qd5+ Kf8 

For 7...Ke8, see perrypawnpusher - Lark, 2 12 blitz, FICS, 2009 (1-0, 59)

8.Qxc5+ Qe7 9.Qe3 

9.Qxc7 is too dangerous for White because of 9...Qxe4+. It certainly did not feel right.

9...Nf6

Or 9...d5 as seen in perrypawnpusher - marbleschess, 10 0 blitz, FICS, 2009 (1-0, 26) 

10.Nc3 

10.d3 was played in perrypawnpusher - hogmaster, Jerome Gambit 3 thematic tournament, ChessWorld.net 2008 (1-0, 37) and perrypawnpusher - pfink, 10 0 blitz, FICS, 2009 (1-0, 25) 

10...c6

Stronger was 10...d5 as in perrypawnpusher - jjdd57, Piano Piano tournement, Chess.com, 2021 (1-0, 56). 

11.d4 Kf7 

Preparing to castle-by-hand.

12.O-O Rf8 13.f4 Kg8 

What do you think?

White has two pawns for a piece, and a strong pawn center. I was happy with my position. After the game, Stockfish rated White a little less than a pawn better. 

14.f5 Nh8 15.e5 Nd5 

I expected the consistent defensive move 15...Ne8.

In the post mortem Stockfish 15.1 suggested 15...d5 with an edge to White.

16.Qg3 

I did not want to spend a move on 16.Nxd5 and I was not stressed by the idea of Black exchanging Knights on c3 (his best response). I did know where I wanted my Queen to go.

16...Nf7 

Activating the cornered Knight - a good idea in the abstract, but flawed in this particular case.

17.f6 

The proper response. 

17...Nxf6 

Giving back some of the sacrificed material, but it is too late.

18.exf6 g6

Protecting against mate at g7, but costing the Queen. ("Best" was giving up Her Majesty with 18...Qxf6)

19.fxe7 

Here my opponent had about 5 1/2 minutes left on his clock, and he let it run. I figured he preferred to lose on time instead of resigning. However, when about half of the time had run off, he disconected, which led to a forfeit.

Lei Tingjie Has Beaten Ju Wenjun in Game 5 of the Women’s World Chess Championship Match with the Italian Game

Lei Tingjie Has Beaten Ju Wenjun in Game 5 of the Women’s World Chess Championship Match with the Italian Game 

 (by Yury V. Bukayev) 

 

Let’s analyse the early opening stage of the today’s main chess game GM Lei Tingjie – GM Ju Wenjun (Game 5: https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=2537229 ): 

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 

This sequence is very popular among top chess players in the modern time, but I don’t recommend both 4.d3?! and 4…Bc5?!, if you want to make the best move. Thus, after 4…Be7! White doesn’t have an advantage. 

5.0-0 

I don’t recommend to play 5.0-0?!, I recommend to play 5.Nc3!, and White gets an advantage (here are my old analytical researches on it, by transposition of moves: https://chessproblem.my-free-games.com/chess/games/ChessArticle.php?art=C50A , https://chessproblem.my-free-games.com/chess/games/ChessArticle.php?art=C50B ). 

5…d6 6.c3 a5 7.Bb3 

I don’t recommend to play 7.Bb3?!, to play both 6…a5?! and 6…a6?!. Thus, after 7.d4! AN White gets an advantage (here is my old analytical research on it after 6…a6, by transposition of moves: https://chessproblem.my-free-games.com/chess/games/ChessArticle.php?art=C54A , the situation after 6…a5 is analogous to it). 

It maybe, Ms. Lei Tingjie has known about my idea 7.d4!, but reminisced Game 3 of this Match (the Anti-Berlin system of the Spanish Opening), where she blundered a pawn on e4 after her move d3-d4, after her mistaken play. In Game 3 I recommend the way 8.Ba4! AN with the continuation 9.Qe2!, 10.0-0-0! (the same is also good after 8.Bc4!? AN), analogously to my old analytical research ( https://chessproblem.my-free-games.com/chess/games/ChessArticle.php?art=C54B ), instead of her way 8.Bxc6 bxc6 9.d4. Of course, the position of that game differs a lot, but this psychology could work today. 

And let me finish this research. I can’t exclude that the way 3…Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 was chosen by the Women’s World Champion instead of 3…Bc5 to prevent some sharp systems including strong and other systems which can be found on this famous blog. I would recommend the Women's World Champion Ms. Ju Wenjun to not be sad and to choose more strong and more aggressive opening systems in this Match further, although the result of Game 5 wasn’t a consequence of its early opening stage. 

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.] 

Jerome Gambit: What Is Black Up To?

The Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) can lead to unexpected play by both sides, especially in blitz games.

In the following game, I repeatedly had do ask myself, What is Black up to? 

Of course, the second player had the last laugh in this game, when I finally had to ask myself, What is White up to?

driver62 - fany541

3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bb4+ 

What is Black up to? By playing aggressively he gives White more to think about than the routine 6...Bxd4 or the theoretical 6...Qh4.

7.c3 Bxc3+ 

This is a bit over the top, however: 7...Ng6 and 7...Qh4 would have kept Black's advantage.

8.Nxc3 Nc4 

Again, what is Black up to? He had Knight retreats to c6 or g6 instead.

Perhaps he was thinking about the creative possibility 9.Qb3 d5 10.Nxd5 Be6 11.Qxc4 (better 11.Nf4) c6 which would have been good for him.

9.O-O 

Not going in for adventure. A sharper alternative was 9.Qh5+ Kf8 10.Qc5+ Nd6 11.e5 b6 12.Qa3 as in Wall,B - Guest3440, chesstempo.com, 2018 (1-0, 21). 

9...d6 10.Qe2 

Despite the warning in the note to Black's 8th move, 10.Qb3 would have been good for White, but with complications, e.g. 10...b5 11.Nxb5 d5 12.Qf3+ Nf6 13.e5 c6 14.Nc3 Qe7 15.Re1 Re8 16.b3 Nxe5 17.dxe5 Kg8 18.h3 Qf7 19.Ba3 Nh5 20.Qxf7+ Kxf7. 

White goes after the enemy Knight a different way.

10...Qh4

Again: What is Black up to?

11.Qxc4+ Be6 12.d5 Bd7 13.f4 Rc8 

White now has the initiative and the advantage.

14.f5 

Locking in the enemy Bishop and making way for his own.

14...Ke8 15.Bf4 Nf6 

Now 16.e5 looks crushing.

16.Bxd6 

My guess is that this is based on an oversight which is revealed in White's next move.

16...cxd6 17.Qxc8+ 

If you don't see (or remember) the Bishop on d7, then this move logically follows the last. 

17...Bxc8 18.Nb5 Kd7 19.Rad1 Ng4 White resigned 

A reminder that anything can happen in a 3-minute game.

Jerome Gambit: While I Was Busy on the Computer This Morning...

 

While I was busy on the computer this morning, I decided to put all that work in the background and play a quick game online at FICS (Free Internet Chess Server).

I challenged a relatively weak computer program, Rusalka. Our game reminded me that nowadays the problem is not how to make a chess program smart, but, rather, how to make a smart computer dumber, so that humans have a chance against them. See "Jerome Gambit: Artificial Wha?".

perrypawnpusher - rusalka (c)

2 12 blitz, FICS, 2023

1.e4 Nf6 2.Nc3 e5 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.Bc4 Bc5 5.Bxf7+ 

The Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.

5...Kxf7 6. Nxe5+ Nxe5 7. d4 Bd6

The Database has 83 games with this position. White scores 45%. Looking at my own games, I have scored 50% in 4 tries. This is all in light of the computers' evaluation of the position as being about  4 1/2 pawns better for Black. (What would International Master Erik Kislik think?)

8. dxe5 Bxe5 9.O-O 

This move (new for me) was only Stockfish's second choice (30 ply), as I found out after the game.

Stockfish 15's top choice in post-game analysis was 9.Ne2 which I had played in perrypawnpusher - LttlePrince, Italian Game Classic, Chess.com, 2020 (0-1, 29) and perrypawnpusher - andrewLLL, Italian Game Battlefield, Chess.com, 2020}(1-0, 18). 

The computer's third choice was 9.f4, which I had played in perrypawnpusher - joseluislopez, 10 3 blitz, FICS, 2012 (0-1,55).

The computer's fourth choice was 9.Bg5, which I had played in perrypawnpusher - lixuanxuan, 14 0 blitz, FICS, San Jose, California US 2014 (1-0, 22). 

9...Bxc3 10.bxc3 Nxe4 

Ouch. A painful oversight. Yet, a look at The Database shows 8 previous games with this mistake, with White scoring only 63%.

By comparison, lichess.org has 19 games, with White also scoring 63%

(See this post's final comment, below.)  

11.Qd5+ Kf8 12.Qxe4 d5 13.Ba3+ Kf7 14.Qf4+ Kg8 15.Rad1 

I admit that I was hoping to be able to next play the cheapo 16.Rxd5 Qxd5 17.Qxf8#.

Instead, 15.Rae1 with the plan 16.Re7 was more logical. 

15...c6 

Stockfish 15.1 prefers the defensive 15...Qf6 instead, but its followup for White is nothing that I would have found: 16.Qxc7 h6 17.c4 Qc3 18.Rd3 Qxc4 19.Qe5 Qe4 20.Qa1 Bf5 21.Bb2 Rh7 22.Re1 Qc4 23.Rc3 Qb4 24.Rb3 Qc5 25.Ba3 Qc6 26.Qd4 Rc8 27.Rbe3 Material is even, but White is better.

16.c4 

Still looking for that cheapo. Still 16.Rfe1 with the idea of 17. Re7 was best.

16...Qa5 

Ouch. Best was 16...Qf6 17.Qxf6 gxf6 18.cxd5 cxd5 19.Rfe1!? when any hope that the Bishops-of-opposite-colors ending which is approaching might hold a draw would be too much fantasy.

17.Qf8 checkmate

Some information about rusalka that I gathered from the FICS website

According to east-Slavic folklore, a Rusalka is a water spirit or water nymph. Rusalkas appear as beautiful young women who try to lure men into the water, where they will drown them.

Phalanx XXV, easy level 80, nodes per second limit = 260, CPU ARMv7 4-core 1.5 GHz with 2GB RAM running Lubuntu

easy levels are hardware/cpu load independent

i try to emulate human-like blunders