Jerome Gambit: One Last Bot (Part 1)

One more Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game against a bot, this time played online at SparkChess.com.

The line features a go-for-the-throat response by Black.

perrypawnpusher - Claire bot

Spark Chess, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Qh4+ 

Black counter-attacks.

As I mentioned in the post "Jerome Gambit Tournament: Chapter II", what we have here is

An interesting line that I refer to as "His Nib's Defense," which made its first appearance in the American Chess Magazine of June 1899 in a comical article lampooning a new pastime, chess by phone. 

9.g3 Nf3+ 

This move surprised me, especially played by a bot. There is no way that it could be in Claire bot's opening book, is there?

Stockfish 15.1 likes the Knight check, assessing that (at 31 ply) Black is almost 3 pawns better.

Practical results, however, show a different story.

There are 206 games with this position in The Database, with White scoring 57%.

For that matter, The Database has 25 of my games with this position, and I have scored 88%.

Verdict: It's complicated, and familiarity helps.

10.Kf1 

Stockfish 16, at 46 ply, prefers 10.Kd1 over 10.Kf1 by .17 of a pawn: not much. 

Consulting The Database again, there are 128 games with 10.Kd1, with White scoring 63%.

This compares with 43 games with 10.Kf1, with White scoring 71%.

So, despite the computer's assessment of winning for Black, in practical online club level play, White does well with either 10.Kd1 or 10.Kf1; a bit better with 10.Kf1.

I have played 7 games with 10.Kd1 and won them all, including 3 games with the "Buyer's Regret variation", 10...Qe7 11.Qd5# ; while playing 18 games with 10.Kf1, scoring 83%. 

Again: It's complicated, and familiarity helps.

10...Nxh2+

Another surprise.

I had expected 10...Qf6, as in perrypawnpusher - james042665, Chess.com, 2008 (0-1, 18); perrypawnpusher - HarlemKnight, 6 13 blitz, FICS, 2014 (0-1, 24); and perrypawnpusher - vasbur, Chess.com, 2018 (1-0, 34). 

I wouldn't have been totally put off to see 10...Qh6 as in perrypawnpusher - Temmo, Jerome Gambit 3 thematic tournament, ChessWorld.net, 2008 (0-1, 43). 

11.Kg2 

Despite all the attention that it has attracted, White's King is the safer one.

In the meantime, Black stands to lose his advanced Knight or his developed Bishop, and his King is sitting uneasy.  

Still, at 35 ply, Stockfish 15.1 still sees Black as about 9/10 of a pawn better.

[to be continued]

Jerome Gambit: Bots Fall Down

It has been fun playing the Jerome Gambit against various online bots, but I think I have gotten into a bad habit: hang in there, even in worse positions, until the bot makes an error, and then take (winning) advantage of that slip.

So, for the record, I am going to present 3 games, again, all wins, all bare scores.

And then I am going to take a break from bots - after the next post, that is.

perrypawnpusher - xQc bot

Chess.com, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 Qe7 9.Qe3 a6 10.d4 Nf6 11.Nc3 h6 12.O-O Rh7 13.f4 c6 14.f5 Nf8 15.e5 Nd5 16.Qf3 Nxc3 17.bxc3 Kf7 18.f6 Qe8 19.fxg7+ Kxg7 20.Qf6+ Kg8 21.Bxh6 Rxh6 22.Qxh6 Ng6 23.Rf6 Nf8 24.Qg5+ Ng6 25.Rxg6+ Kf8 26.Rf1+ Qf7 27.Rg8 checkmate

perrypawnpusher - Ludwig bot

Chess.com, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Qf6 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 d5 10.exd5 Bd7 11.O-O Ne7 12.Nc3 Bf5 13.d3 Nxd5 14.Nxd5 Qd8 15.Qf3 b5 16.Re1 c6 17.Nc3 Qh4 18.Qxc6 Rae8 19.Be3 Rxe3 20.fxe3 Rf8 21.Qxb5 a6 22.Qd5+ Kg7 23.e4 Bg4 24.Rf1 Qe7 25.Rxf8 Qxf8 26.Rf1 Qe7 27.Qd4+ Kg8 28.e5 Be6 29.Qd6 Qe8 30.d4 Bc4 31.Rf6 Qa8 32.Qe7 Qc8 33.e6 Bxe6 34.Rxe6 Qf8 35.Qxf8+ Kxf8 36.d5 Kf7 37.Ne4 a5 38.Ng5+ Kg7 39.c4 h5 40.d6 a4 41.d7 Kh6 42.h4 a3 43.d8=Q Kg7 44.Qe7+ Kg8 45.Qf7+ Kh8 46.Qh7 checkmate

perrypawnpusher - Sven bot

Chess.com iPhone, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 7.Qxe5 Nf6 8.Qxc5+ d6 9.Qe3 a6 10.d4 Kg8 11.O-O Qd7 12.f4 g6 13.e5 Nd5 14.Qd3 Qg4 15.c4 Ne7 16.Nc3 c5 17.dxc5 Bf5 18.Qxd6 Bd3 19.Qxd3 Rc8 20.b4 Qe6 21.Bb2 Nf5 22.Qd5 Qxd5 23.cxd5 Rb8 24.e6 g5 25.d6 g4 26.e7 Nxd6 27.cxd6 Kf7 28.Ne4 Rhc8 29.Rac1 Rxc1 30.Rxc1 h6 31.d7 Kxe7 32.Rc8 Kxd7 33.Rxb8 b5 34.f5 Ke7 35.f6+ Kd7 36.f7 g3 37.f8=Q gxh2+ 38.Kxh2 Ke6 39.Qf6+ Kd5 40.Rc8 Kxe4 41.Re8+ Kd3 42.Qc3 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: Why? Why Not?

After 7 moves in the following game, you might ask "Why play the Jerome Gambit?"

After 7 more moves, however, you migh catch yourself saying "Why not play the Jerome Gambit?"

angelcamina - mrsgaga77

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 

7.Qxe5 Qe7 

This idea is as old as Jaeger - Jerome, correspondence, 1880 (0-1, 14) and Jaeger - Jerome, correpondence, 1880 (0-1, 40).

Yes, Alonzo Wheeler Jerome introduced an effective defense against his own opening attack. 

8.Qf4+ Nf6 9.e5 

The pawn is pinned - for now.

9...Kg8 

9...d6 was seen in angelcamina - IbragimMakiev, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2020 (1-0, 40);  angelcamina - aa0073341, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2022 (0-1, 42); and angelcamina - chess9656, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2023 (1-0, 26).

10.O-O Ne8 11.Qc4+ Kf8 12.d4 Bb6 13.f4 

The White Queen and the "Jerome pawns" are doing quite well for themselves.

For the moment, Stockfish 15.1 still gives Black about a 1 1/2 pawn advantage, but that is about to change - this is a bullet game, after all.

13...d6 14.Nc3 dxe5

A major mistake. Possibly, Black only expected the d-pawn to recapture. Now his game blows up. Watch.

15.fxe5+ Nf6 16.exf6 gxf6 

17.Bh6+ Ke8 18.Rae1 

18...Be6 19.Rxe6 Qxe6 20.Qxe6+ Kd8 

21.Qxf6+ Kc8 22.Qxh8+ Kd7 23.Rf7+ Kc6 24.Qf6 checkmate

Excellent!

Jerome Gambit: Intimidation Bot (Part 3)

 

[continued from the previous post]

Continuing to look at the rematch with the Chess.com bot Chidobe Awuzie (based on "the Nigerian star cornerback for the Cincinnati Bengals and winner of the inaugural BlitzChamps tournament") proved to be a much harder game this time around.

Comments by the Chidobe Awuzie bot are in orange.

perrypawnpusher - Chidobe Awuzie bot

rematch, Chess.com, 2023

One of the reasons that the Jerome Gambit succeeds in club play is that it creates situations that the defender is uncomfortable or not fully knowledgeable to deal with. Generally, club players attack better than they defend.

In the current game, one weakness of the bot is that it does not fully "understand" endgame play - at least not as much as I do. 

27.Na4 Rd4 28.Nxb6 Rb4 29.Nd7 Rxb2 30.e6 c5 

The Chidobe Awuzie bot has nothing to say about the sudden shift in assessment of the position: equal.

31.e7 Nxe7 32.Rxe7+ Kg8 33.Nf6+ Kf8 34.Rxh7 Rxc2 35. Ra7 Bb5 36.Rxa5 Bc6 

Black's active pieces balance White's extra pawn - for now.

37.Kf1 Kg7 38.Ng4 c4 39.Ne3 Rb2 40.Rc5 Ba8 

41.Rxc4 Rb1+

Get back in the film room and work on your defense youngin. 

I think the bot can hold after 41...Rxa2 42.Nf5+ Kf7 43.Nh4 as its pieces pressure White's fortress and it's King is well placed to impede the pawns' advance. 

42.Kf2 Rb2+ 43.Rc2 Rb4 44.Rc7+ Kh8

This move gives up the Bishop and the game. Avoiding this, it is hard to see how White makes progress. 

45.Rc8+ Kg7 46.Rxa8 

46...Rb5 47.a4 Rb2+ 48.Kf3 Rb4 49.a5 Rb5 50.a6 Kf7 51.a7 Ra5 52.Nc4 Ra1 53. Ne5+ Kg7 54. Nc6 

The passer will cost Black his Rook.

54...Ra3+ 55.Kg4 Ra1 56.Rb8 Rxa7 57.Nxa7 Kh6 58.Rb5 Kg7 59.Rb6 Kf7 60.Kf5 Kf8 61.Rb7 Kg8 62.Kf6 Kh8 63.Kg6 Kg8 64.Rb8 checkmate

I let you win, you were boring me. Let's go again, I'll play for real now.

Jerome Gambit: Intimidation Bot (Part 2)

[continued from the previous post]

A rematch with the Chess.com bot Chidobe Awuzie (based on "the Nigerian star cornerback for the Cincinnati Bengals and winner of the inaugural BlitzChamps tournament") proved to be a much harder game this time around.

It makes me wonder what would happen if I played the bots Coach Mae, Larry Fitzgerald, Antonio, Deadlost and Grandpa Gambit again. (Trust me, I know exactly what would happen if I played the bot Mittens again.)

Comments by the Chidobe Awuzie bot are in orange.

perrypawnpusher - Chidobe Awuzie bot

rematch, Chess.com, 2023

1.e4

E4 is E-Z money. I can do this in my sleep.

Uh, that's what you said last time. You didn't last 10 moves.

1...e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

Chai! I watched film & predicted this capture. How glorious.

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+

Check, Shmeck. I ain't scared of you lol

Again.

5...Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Kf7 

Preparing to castle-by-hand. Okay, I am impressed.

10.O-O c6 

A modest move, but the real Chidobe Awuzie plays defense, doesn't he?

11.d4 a5 

Strange. But, then, again, so is the Jerome Gambit. And Stockfish still sees Black as better after the move.

12.f4 

Preparing the "Jerome pawns" for action.

12...N8e7 13.f5 Nf8 14.e5 

14...b6 

Planning to put the Bishop on a6. An equal position comes about after 14...Bxf5 15.g4 dxe5 16.dxe5 g6 17.gxf5 Nxf5 18.Qb3+ Ne6 19.Qxb7+ Qe7 20.Qxe7+ Kxe7.  

15.f6 

To open lines against the enemy King. The proper move sequence, however, is 15.e6+ Kg8 16.f6. 

15...Nf5 16.Qf2 dxe5 17.dxe5 Ng6 18.fxg7 Kxg7 

Well, here's another nice mess you've gotten me into! 

19.Bf4 Ba6 20.Re1 Re8 21.Nc3 Qh4 22.Qxh4 

Bet money you still don't win. 

22...Nfxh4 

Easier than intercepting Aaron Rodgers. 

23.Bg3 Nf5 24.Rad1 Nxg3 25.hxg3 Rad8 26.Rxd8 Rxd8 

White's two extra pawns (even the passed one) are no match for Black's extra Bishop. Only the ghost of the Jerome Gambit is still apparent.

[to be continued]

Jerome Gambit: Intimidation Bot (Part 1)

A couple hour drive down the interstate takes me to the home of the National Football League Cincinnati Bengals. Naturally, when I was looking for another bot at Chess.com to play, I was drawn to the Chidobe Awuzie bot. As the site notes

Chidobe Awuzie is the Nigerian star cornerback for the Cincinnati Bengals and winner of the inaugural BlitzChamps tournament. 

Despite the ongoing trash talk, I was not troubled by our game, a Noa Gambit. In fact, things ended quickly with embarassing ease.

Comments by the bot are in orange.

perrypawnpusher - Chidobe Awuzie bot

Chess.com, 2023

1.e4 

E4 is E-Z money. I can do this in my sleep. 

1...e5 

Don't listen to any trash talk from Joe Burrow. I crush him all day every day. [Burrow is the Cincinnati quarterback - Rick]

2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Nxe4 

Chai! I watched film & predicted this capture. How glorious.

5.Bxf7+ 

Not too long ago, in the post "Against the Knights", I pointed out that this was

The Noa Gambit, otherwise known as the Monck Gambit, otherwise known as the Open Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit. White gets his sacrifice, after all.

Check, Shmeck. I ain't scared of you lol

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe4 b5 

This odd move turns Black's advantage into one for White.

7.Nfg5+ Kg8 8.Qf3 

8...h5 

Necessary was 8...Qe8, although 9.Qb3+ then simplifies things: 9...d5 10.Qxd5+ Be6 11.Qxe6+ Qxe6 12.Nxe6 and White is ahead a piece and a pawn.

9.Qf7 checkmate 

I let you win, you were boring me. Let's go again, I'll play for real now.

Of course, I took the Chidobe Awuzie bot at its word, and offered another game. This time I got a Jerome Gambit - and more than I bargained for.

[to be continued]

Jerome Gambit: In Four Diagrams

My latest Jerome Gambit game against a Chess.com bot was a draw that ran 95 moves. I don't think I am going to bore you with the details.

Except, I did say that I would share all of my Jeromes, didn't I?

Oh well, okay, I will put the naked game at the foot of this post.

But the whole story can be told in 4 diagrams.

perrypawnpusher - Isabel bot

Chess.com, 2023

White to move

After 22 moves, I was better, being up a pawn and having a better pawn structure. An atypical Jerome Gambit position, but you can't have everything.

Black to move

39 moves in, however, I have mangled my chances with the White pieces, and am clearly lost.

Can you see my one possible saving factor?

White to move

After 44 moves it is clear that I know something that Isabel bot does not - the effect of Bishops-of-opposite-colors on a pawn endgame.

The position is drawn.

Instead of making my 95th move, I claimed a draw. 

Sort of.

It turns out that in my game vs a bot, there was no option to do that. No button to push.

Nor did the bot acknowledge that the position was drawn.

We could still be playing, as far as it was concerned.

But, really: drawn.

I probably should feel bad about weasling out of a loss against a poor, innocent bot - but I don't. I've relied on opposite-colored Bishops before to escape my just desserts.

Readers might want to do the same, some day.

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Nc4 9.Qd5+ Ke7 10.Qxc5+ Nd6 11.e5 Qf8 12.O-O Kf7 13.exd6 Qxd6 14.Qxd6 cxd6 15.Nc3 Nf6 16.d4 Re8 17.Bd2 Ne4 18.Nxe4 Rxe4 19.c3 Re2 20.Rf2 Rxf2 21.Kxf2 h5 22.d5 Kf6 23.c4 b5 24.b3 bxc4 25.bxc4 Kf5 26.Kf3 Ba6 27.Rc1 Rc8 28.g3 Bxc4 29.Kf2 Rc5 30.h3 Bxa2 31.Rxc5 dxc5 32.Bc3 g6 33.Ke3 Bxd5 34.Kd3 h4 35.gxh4 Kxf4 36.Bf6 Kf5 37.Bg5 a5 38.Kc3 Be4 39.Kc4 d6 40.Kb5 Ke6 41.Kxa5 d5 42.Ka4 c4 43.Kb4 Bf5 44.Kc3 Ke5 45.Bh6 Ke4 46.Bg7 Ke3 47.Bd4+ Ke4 48.Bf6 Bc8 49.Bd4 Bxh3 50.Bf6 Bg4 51.Bd4 Bd1 52.Bf6 Bh5 53.Bd4 g5 54.hxg5 Bg6 55.Bf6 Bf5 56.Bd4 Be6 57.Bf6 Bf7 58.Bd4 Be6 59.Bf6 Bf7 60.Bd4 Bh5 61.Bf6 Ke3 62.Bd4+ Ke4 63.Bf6 Bg4 64.Bd4 Bh3 65.Bf6 Be6 66.Bd4 Kf5 67.Bf6 Kg6 68.Bd8 Bf7 69.Kd4 Kf5 70.Bf6 Be6 71.Bd8 Bf7 72.Bf6 c3 73.Kxc3 Ke4 74.Bd4 Kf4 75.Bf6 Be6 76.Bd4 Bf5 77.Bf6 Ke4 78.Bd4 Bg6 79.Bf6 Kf3 80.Kd4 Kg4 81.Bd8 Be8 82.Bf6 Bf7 83.Bd8 Kh5 84.Bf6 Be8 85.Bd8 Bf7 86.Bf6 Bg6 87.Kxd5 Bc2 88.Ke6 Bb3+ 89.Ke7 Bd1 90.Kf8 Bf3 91.Kg7 Bd5 92.Kh7 Be6 93.g6 Bf5 94.Kg7 Bxg6 95.Be7 Bh7 draw