Hung Over

I lose chess games every day, but I hate losing Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) style games.

perrypawnpusher - HRoark
blitz FICS, 2010

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6

The Semi-Italian Opening. We're on speaking terms – barely. Or should I say "bear-ly"?

4.0-0 Nf6 5.Nc3 Bc5 6.Bxf7+

The Semi-Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.

6...Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ Nxe5 8.d4

8...Bxd4 9.Qxd4 d6

10.f4

I like this move, but a couple of games have gone differently: 10.0-0 c5 11.Qd1 b5 12.Nxb5 Ba6 13.a4 Nxe4 14.Qd5+ Ke7 15.Qxe4 Bxb5 16.axb5 Qb6 17.Be3 Qxb5 18.f4 Qxb2 19.fxe5 Qxe5 20.Qxe5+ dxe5 21.Bxc5+ Ke6 22.Rxa7 Rac8 23.Ra6+ Kd5 24.Bf2 Rxc2 25.Ra5+ Ke6 26.Re1 Rd8 27.Raxe5+ Kf6 28.Re6+ Kf7 29.h3 Rcd2 30.Re7+ Kg6 31.Bh4 Kh7 32.Bf6 Rg8 33.Bh4 Kh8 34.Re8 Rxe8 35.Rxe8+ Kh7 36.Kh2 Rd4 37.Bg3 h5 38.Re7 Kh6 39.Be5 Ra4 40.Bxg7+ Kg5 41.Bf8 Ra5 42.Rg7+ Kf6 43.Rg3 Black resigned, benaval - Castled, FICS 2006;

and 10.Nd5 Nxd5 11.Qxd5+ Be6 12.Qxb7 Re8 13.f4 Ng4 14.f5 Bd7 15.Qd5+ Kf8 16.f6 Nxf6 17.Qc4 Be6 18.Qb4 Kg8 19.Qc3 Nxe4 20.Qe3 Nf6 21.Qg3 g5 22.b3 Kh7 23.Bb2 Ne4 24.Qd3 d5 25.c4 c6 26.Qd4 Re7 27.Ba3 Rf7 28.Rxf7+ Bxf7 29.Bb2 Qg8 30.Rf1 Rf8 31.h4 dxc4 32.Qe5 Ng3 33.Rf6 cxb3 34.a3 Nh5 35.Qe4+ Bg6 36.Qe7+ Rf7 37.Qd6 Nxf6 38.Bxf6 Rxf6 39.Qxf6 Qg7 40.Qxc6 Qa1+ 41.Kh2 gxh4 42.Qb7+ Qg7 43.Qxb3 h3 44.Kxh3 Qe5 45.a4 Bf5+ 46.g4 Bxg4+ 47.Kxg4 Qg7+ 48.Kf3 Qg6 49.Ke3 Black resigned, yorgos - ambaradann, FICS, 2009.

10...Nc6 11.Qd3

In going over my game with HRoark afterward, I discovered the odd alternative move 11.Qd1 from the odd game ontocaustic - defjavid, FICS, 2009: 11...Bg4 12.Qd3 Nb4 13.Qc4+ Kf8 14.Qxb4 Qe7 15.e5 Nh5 16.f5 Qe6 17.fxe6+ Black resigned.

I was happy to have that game in mind the next time that I played the Semi-Italian Four Knights variation of the Jerome Gambit.

11...Be6 12.Bd2

Focusing upon development of my pieces, and avoiding 12.f5 – the move that Rybka, after the game, suggested that I should have made. Then White would be only a pawn and a quarter worse after 12...Bd7 13.Qc4+ Kf8.

analysis diagram







Rybka may be right, but Black's Knight easily hops to e5 to help blocade White's "Jerome pawns" and it will take a lot of good moves by the first player to keep from falling further behind.

12...Nb4

The computer preferred: 12...Re8 13.f5 Bd7 14.Nd5 b5 15.Rae1 Ne5 16.Qb3 Kf8 17.Nf4 Qe7 18.Ng6+ Nxg6, when Black's advantage would be clear.

analysis diagram







13.Qg3

The game is complex enough that inaccuracies by Black might keep him from speedily increasing his advantage, but his his King is safe, and White is not in a position to force concessions.

13...Nxc2 14.Rac1 Nd4 15.f5 Bd7 16.Qg6+

It would be nice if this led to something.

16...Kg8 17.Be3 Be8 18.Qg3 Nc6

19.Bf4 Nh5 20.Qe3 Nxf4 21.Rxf4 Qg5

22.Qf2 Ne5 23.h4

A hint of desperation by White.

23...Qh5 24.Rd1 a5 25.f6

Simply searching for something that will work. This won't. 

25...Ng4 26.Qg3 Qc5+ 27.Kh1 h5

The position remains complicated and clearly in Black's favor. HRoark continues to outplay me.

28.Rxg4

Another desperate move. This was a blitz game, so all sorts of strange things were possible...

28...hxg4 29.Qxg4

The White pawn on f6 still looks troublesome, but White was a Rook behind at this point.

29...Rh7 30.Rd5 Qf2 31.h5 Qf1+ 32.Kh2 Qxf6

It was time for the gentlemanly "Good game!"

I played on, looking for a miracle. My opponent was pretty much a step ahead of me the whole time.

33.Rf5 Qd4 34.Qf3 Bd7 35.Rd5 Qf6 36.Qxf6 gxf6 37.Kg3 Rg7+ 38.Kf3 Bg4+ 39.Kf4 Be6 40.Rd2 Rg5 White resigned

Hats off to HRoark, for a well-played game!

I could only hope that I had learned something... and it turned out that I had.

(Un)Seen Before (sort of)

I was surprised to meet my opponent so soon after out last game (see "More Than Meets the Eye") but he didn't seem surprised to see my Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) again.

Although udofink had played a workable defense the first time, he switched up on me for our second game.

Unfortunately, he wandered into what I've casually referred to as an "optical illusion" – Bill Wall correctly does not include this "name" in his "Jerome Gambit Nomenclature" – that I've posted about before: see "Optical Illusion (I)" and "Optical Illusion (II)".

perrypawnpusher - udofink
blitz 10 0, FICS, 2010

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

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

The earlier perrypawnpusher  - udofink,  blitz FICS, 2010 continued 6...Ng6 7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Be6 10.f4 Qh4+ 11.g3 Qg4 12.f5 Bf7 13.fxg6 Bxg6 14.d3 Kd7 15.0-0 Nf6 16.Nc3 c6 17.Qf4 Qe6 18.Bd2 Rhf8 19.Qg5 Rf7 20.Rae1 Raf8 21.e5 dxe5 22.Qxe5 Qh3 23.Bf4 Ne8 24.Qd4+ Kc8 25.Qxa7 Nd6 26.Qa8+ Kd7 27.Qa3 Nc8 28.Qc5 b6 29.Qd4+ Black resigned

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Qf6

Racing the Queen to the Black King's defense, a wise idea mentioned as early as in Alonzo Wheeler Jerome's analysis ("New Chess Opening") in the April 1874 issue of the Dubuque Chess Journal. Black gives back a piece, but he adds to his development and threatens a Queen trade, which could break White's attack.

9.fxe5+ Qxe5 10.Qf3 Nf6 11.d3

From the Dubuque Chess Journal

compelling either K or Q to move as White threatens Bf4; or Black can play ...g5

Or at least you would think so.

Over the years Jerome faced 11...Ke7 (Amateur, Brownson, Kinnieu, Pane and Shinkman) and 11...Kc6 (Neufville and Charles).

This is the sixth time that I have reached this position, having seen 11...Ke7, 11...Bd4, 11...Re8, 11...Bb4+ and

11...Rf8 

12.Bf4 Black resigned

I can't explain Black's oversight, except to guess that it had to do with the time limit or that he was facing an opening that was so terrible that it didn't require all of his attention. 

Maybe he just didn't see my move.

Pie Fight

I discovered the following game while preparing yesterday's blog post (see "My work is not nearly over..."), and for some reason it reminded me of a pie fight. I had originally planned on imbedding a Three Stooges video, but I decided at the last moment to go with a Laurel and Hardy still photograph.

Funny?? Absolutely!

But... is it chess?

GOH - crazymaniac
lightning game, FICS, 2004

Okay, from the first move this game is going to be unusual, because the time limit is "lightning" – traditionally, one minute for each side per game.

At FICS, lightning time limits can stray a bit from "1 0": there can be small increments per move, for example; but generally games that consume less than three minutes per side (however achieved) are considered to be of this faster-than-blitz variety.

By the way, there's a cool resource on "Psychology of lightning chess" at Olimpbase.

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4

The Blackburne Shilling Gambit. White is supposed to grab the pawn with 4.Nxe5 and then suffer untold horrors after 4...Qg5.

4.Bxf7+

But, of course. A guiding rule in lightning chess is: don't waste time thinking, attack!

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6

6.c4

As I mentioned before, 6.c3 is the "correct" move at more reasonable time limits.

Of course, White might have meant to play that move here (he played 6.c3 forty three times previously), but maybe this time he made a mouse-slip and pushed the pawn too far... 

6...Kxe5 7.f4+

7...Kxe4

Capture first; think later. 

8.Nc3+

8...Kxf4

Burp!

Rybka suggests that after 8...Kf5 9.Qh5+ Ke6 10.0-0 d6 11.Qd5+ Kd7 12.Qxd4 White would have regained some material, but Black would still be better.

analysis diagram





9.d3+

Black's King is a long way from home, even if he has picked up a couple of pie(ce)s in his journey.

White's game would have been even stronger after 9.Qh5.

9...Kf5 10.0-0+ Ke6

11.Qg4+ Kd6 12.Qxd4+ Ke7

13.Re1+

Of course, there was always the alternative 13.Qe5 checkmate.

13...Kf7 14.Qd5+ Kf6

Black could hang on longer with 14...Kg6.

15.Bg5+ Kg6 16.Bxd8 Black resigned.

My work is not nearly over...

Getting the word out on how to play the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) and related openings – with the black and white pieces – is a fun, but seemingly full-time job. As the following recent game shows, there is still a lot of the "basics" to teach and spread around.

vsvor - MULENGA

FICS, 2010

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4

The Blackburne Shilling Gambit. Timely.

4.Bxf7+

The updated New Year's Database shows 2,349 games with this position, with White scoring 56%.

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6

6.f4

The move recommended around these parts is 6.c3, which leads to an even game where White has chances. (For the record, in 180 games in the Database, White scored 57%.)

The text move shows up in 163 games in the Database, with White scoring 47%.

6...Nf6

When White has played f2-f4 before castling, it is always a good idea to check out the possibilites associated with a Black Queen check; here, 6...Qh4+. After 7.g3 Qh3, the White may have nothing better than the retro 8.Nf3 Nxf3+ 9.Qxf3, which keeps Black's advantage alive.

Of course,  you can always go your own way with 6.c4, as one Jerome Gambit Gemeinde member did: 6...Kxe5 7.f4+ Kxe4 8.Nc3+ Kxf4 9.d3+ Kf5 10.0-0+ Ke6 11.Qg4+ Kd6 12.Qxd4+ Ke7 13.Re1+ Kf7 14.Qd5+ Kf6 15.Bg5+ Kg6 16.Bxd8 Black resigned, GOH - crazymaniac, FICS, 2004. This game is worth a blog post of its own.

analysis diagram







7.d3

A bit better was the thematic 7.c3.

7...Bc5

Someday Black will play 7...d6, and his opponent will get immediate induction into the Jerome Gambit Gemeinde by playing 8.f5+, enticing Black to take another piece with 8...Kxe5. 

8...d6 9.f5+

Ah, yes, what a difference a delay makes... There is little danger in taking the Knight, now.

9...Ke7

By being careful, Black limits his risks – and his gains.

10.Ng4 Nxg4 11.Qxg4 Qf8 12.Bg5+

Here we have an interesting position.

Black will no doubt place his King on the unstable-looking d7 (12...Kd7), after which White might as well castle Queenside (13.0-0-0), leaving Black with an edge, as nothing (except some uneasy feelings for the defender) will come from advancing the f-pawn with discovered check (13.f6+)...

Actually, Black resigned. As this was a "standard" game at FICS, it is not likely that the second player over-stepped his time limit in 11 moves.

It'll take me some more work to explain that.

Chandler Cornered and the Blackburne Shilling Gambit

If you are not visiting Geoff Chandler's Chandler Cornered website on a regular basis, then you are taking life and chess way too seriously.* Follow the link above, or the link that this blog provides, and go visit Geoff as soon as you can. (I won't mind if you leave this post and go there. Really.)

Recently, Geoff posted on the Blackburne Shilling Gambit – here and here –  typical great stuff. Check it out. You'll leave smiling. 



* a few of my posts that point out his good senses of chess and humor are"Mars Attacks!", "Queened! and Rooked!", "Whodunnit??", "Blunder Table" and "Hitler vs Lenin in Chess".

A Working Class, Impatient Move

Bobby Fischer played successfully with and against the Sicilian Najdorf variation, referring to 5...a6 as "a high class waiting move."

In contrast, in the Jerome Gambit's (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), Jerome Defense, Black's 7...Bd6 can be considered "a working class, impatient move" – but one that both White and Black should become more familiar with.

perrypawnpusher - LeiCar
blitz FICS, 2010

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8

Alonzo Wheeler Jerome mentioned this move in his 1874 analysis of the Jerome Gambit in the Dubuque Chess Journal. He later successfully played the defense in two correspondence games against Daniel Jaeger in 1880.

7.Qxe5 Bd6

In the updated New Year's Database, White has scored 45% in 243 games with this position.

I like this move. It looks like the kind of "ugly" move that Nimzovich and Tarrasch would have argued about. It's primative, it's raw, it's... hey, what should White do in response??

8.Qf5+

Previously I tried 8.Qc3  as in 8...Nf6 9.d3 Qe7 10.Bg5 h6 11.Bh4 Bc5 12.0-0 d6 13.d4 g5 14.dxc5 gxh4 15.cxd6 Qxd6 16.Nd2 Rg8 17.f4 Bh3 18.Qxh3 Qxd2 19.Rf2 Qd4 20.Qf5 Qxb2 21.Re1 Qb6 22.e5 Rg7 23.exf6 Rf7 24.Re6 Qb1+ 25.Rf1 Qxa2 26.Rfe1 Qb2 27.Qg6 Qd4+ 28.Kh1 Qxf4 29.Re7 Rxe7 30.fxe7, checkmate, perrypawnpusher - Lark, blitz FICS, 2009;

while Bill Wall ground his opponent down with 8.Qa5 Qf6 9.Nc3 Ne7 10.d3 h6 11.0-0 b6 12.Qa4 c6 13.Be3 Bc5 14.e5 Qg6 15.Ne4 d6 16.Nxd6 Bh3 17.Qe4 Qxe4 18.dxe4 Be6 19.Bxc5 bxc5 20.f4 Nc8 21.f5 Bd7 22.Nb7 Ke7 23.Nxc5 Rf8 24.f6+ gxf6 25.exf6+ Rxf6 26.Rxf6 Kxf6 27.Nxd7+ Ke6 28.Nc5+ Ke5 29.Re1 Nd6 30.Nd3+ Kd4 31.e5 Ne4 32.e6 Re8 33.e7 Rxe7 34.Nf2 Re5 35.Nxe4 Rxe4 36.Rxe4+ Kxe4 37.Kf2 Kd4 38.g4 c5 39.Kf3 Ke5 40.h4 a5 41.a4 c4 42.c3 Kf6 43.Ke4 Ke6 44.Kd4 Kf6 45.Kxc4 Ke5 46.b4 axb4 47.cxb4 Kf4 48.b5 Kxg4 49.a5 Kxh4 50.a6 Kg4 51.a7 h5 52.a8Q h4 53.b6, Black resigned, billwall - firewine, Chess.com 2010;

and Pete Banks scored a quick win with 8.Qh5 Nf6 9.Qf3 Kg8 10.d4 Kf7 11.e5 Black resigned, blackburne - Whiterose, ChessWorld, 2004

Deep Rybka, working in IDeA mode in Aquarium, rates a handful of moves about the same, showing a slight preference for 8.Qb5.

8...Qf6 9.Qxf6+ Nxf6

I have been convinced by better players than myself not to fear the Jerome Gambit end game, although I would still like to find a way to keep my Queen on the board.

10.d3

Or 10.Nc3 Be5 11.d3 Bxc3+ 12.bxc3 d6 13.0-0 Kf7 14.f4 Rf8 15.h3 Kg8 16.g4 Bd7 17.Kh2 Rae8 18.Ba3 Ba4 19.Rf2 Nd7 20.Re1 Ne5 21.Ref1 Nf7 22.Kg3 h6 23.h4 c5 24.Re1 b6 25.c4 a6 26.Bb2 b5 27.cxb5 axb5 28.g5 hxg5 29.hxg5 b4 30.Rh1 Nd8 31.f5 Nc6 32.g6 Ne5 33.Bxe5 Rxe5 34.Rfh2 Black resigned, mrjoker - PhlebasP, ICC, 2008.

10...Bc5

Another Jerome Gambit Gemeinde member with 214 games in the New Year's Database (scoring 52% over all) faced, instead, 10...b6 11.0-0 Bb7 12.f4 Bc5+ 13.Kh1 Ke7 14.c3 d5 15.b4 Bd6 16.e5 Bxb4 17.exf6+ Kxf6 18.cxb4 Rhe8 19.Bb2+ Kf7 20.Na3 Re2 21.Be5 Re8 22.d4 c5 23.bxc5 bxc5 24.Nb5 cxd4 25.Nd6+ Kf8 26.Nxe8 Kxe8 27.Bxd4 Ba6 28.Rfe1 Rxe1+ 29.Rxe1+ Kd7 Black resigned, UNPREDICTABLE - dameyune, FICS, 2009.

11.Nc3 Ng4 12.0-0 d6 13.h3 Ne5

Black is working on finding a plan.

14.Bf4 Kf7 15.Nd5 Bb6 16.Nxb6 axb6

17.Be3 Rf8 18.f4 Nc6 19.c3 Kg8 20.d4 Ne7

White is mobilizing his "Jerome Pawns." Black still has the advantage, though.

21.f5 c6 22.Bg5 Rf7 23.Bxe7

A thoughtless move. Instead, 23.g4 was thematic and led to an almost-equal game.

23...Rxe7 24.Rf4 Bd7 25.g4 Rf8 26.Re1

26...g5

Taking a shorter step – 26...g6 – seemed more prudent to me, but Rybka let the text move go by without comment.

27.Rff1 c5 28.e5 dxe5 29.dxe5 Rfe8

The game seems in balance.

30.e6 Bc6

Of course, Black could have returned his piece for the two pawns (30...Bxe6 etc), but LeiCar was looking for more than an equal game.

Unfortunately for him, that was my best offer.

31.f6

As the villains say in many Scooby Doo episodes ...and I would have gotten away with it too, if it weren't for you meddling pawns, er, kids...

31...Rxe6 32.f7+ Kf8

This allows White's pawn to capture, promote and check. The alternative, 32...Kg7, would have allowd Black to capture the passer and would have cost only the exchange, but Black's position would have been poor after 33.Rxe6 Rf8 34.Rf5 Rxf7 35.Rxg5+ Kh8, for example, with 36.Rd6 Re7 37.Rd8+ Be8

analysis diagram






33.fxe8Q+ Kxe8 34.Rxe6+ Black resigned