Not Funny

One reason to play the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) is that you might cause your opponent to break out laughing. Who doesn't need a good laugh these days?

In the following game, though, Black is probably not even over his giggles before he realizes that he has a worse – not winning – game.

Not funny!

jfhumphrey - sniktawiii
blitz, FICS, 2011

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4

A line that we have seen that jfhumphrey likes (see "Danger? He laughs at danger!").

6...Bd6

A more active alternative touched upon recently was 6...Bb4+; and of course there were always the straight-forward 6...Bxd4 and the scary 6...Qh4.

Black, rated about a couple hundred points higher than his opponent, covers his surprise at facing the Jerome Gambit by borrowing the Bishop move from the "fork trick".

7.dxe5 Bxe5

Not the best response, but who would think up Rybka 3's suggestion of 7...Bb4+ 8.c3 Bf8 and a roughly even game? 

8.Qd5+

Best.

At this point Black resigned in jfhumphrey - stefanomnn, blitz, FICS, 2010.

White has had experience with the alternative 8.Qh5+ as well, in jfhumphrey - jrhicksdotnet, blitz, FICS, 2008 (1-0, 14) and jfhumphrey - biryuk, blitz, FICS, 2010 (0-1, 65).

8...Kf6 9.f4 d6 10.fxe5+ Black resigned

Black is only down a pawn, but the fun seems to have gone out of the game.

Chess Brawl

When Black plays a new attacking idea in an old defense, it shouldn't work, but it does. White shouldn't have any chance to escape from the ensuing fury, but he does. Black should then perish in the counter-attack, but he doesn't. We're talking serious chess brawl.


GeniusPawn - pulsefrequency
blitz, FICS, 2011

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.0-0

Facing the Two Knights Defence, White offers his opponent the chance to play the Boden Kieseritzky Gambit with 4...Nxe4 5.Nc3 Nxc3 6.dxc3, etc. The Database has games with GeniusPawn playing this line, going back to 2000.

4...Bc5

Black declines, but then faces a Jerome-ish response. 

5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5

This unusual position has only occurred 4 times in The Database, a collection of over 24,500 games.

It is as if White were playing Alonzo Wheeler Jerome's original intention, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5 and then decided, before playing 6.d4 and risking 6...Qh4 (see "Danger? He laughs at danger!"), that he would first 0-0, allowing Black to insert ...Nf6... 

7.d4 h5

An astonishing idea, a Theoretical Novelty that is so brash, so bold, so confident – that it seems cruel for White to have to point out that it is also so wrong.

8.dxe5 Ng4 9.Qd5+ Kg6 10.Qxc5

White has recovered his two sacrificed pieces and remains a couple of pawns ahead.

What was Black thinking? Keep reading.

10...b6 11.Qd5 Ba6 12.Rd1

Allowing the attacked Rook to escape, with additional pressure down the d-file.

Oh, and also giving Black a crushing game. (Necessary was the block 12.c4)

12...Qh4 13.c4 Qxf2+ 14.Kh1 Qh4

This is good enough for a clear advantage, but 14...Raf8 would have added a handy new attacking piece, when the end of the game would already be near.

15.h3

This allows a mate, but 15.Bf4 Nf2+ was a pretty grim alternative. You just know that Black's h-pawn is also going to advance further and open up White's Kingside... 

15...Qg3 16.Kg1 Qh2+ 17.Kf1 Qh1+

Tossing the Queen's Rook into the attack would have continued the mating attack; but Black is still much better here.

As always, the risk of making too many "second best" moves is that your opponent might stay in the game long enough for you to find a "last best" move. 

18.Ke2 Qxg2+ 19.Kd3 Bxc4+

Here it is.

Would you be surprised if I told you that 19...Raf8 was still the best move?

20.Kxc4 Qc2+

The problem is that Black is attacking with one piece (even if it is the Queen) and if White develops enough while defending, the advantage will shift to the first player.

21.Nc3 b5+

Desperately seeking to open lines to add his Rooks to the attack. 

22.Qxb5 c6 23.Rd6+ Kh7

What we have here is a great big mess, but it is a mess that favors White (who has an extra piece).

Unfortunately, the defense that White chooses has a hole in it (he needed to play 24.Qc5).

24.Qb3 Nxe5+

The one move that saves Black's hide.

25.Kc5 Qf2+ 26.Rd4 d6+ 27.Kxd6 Qxd4+ 28.Ke6 Rae8+

Go Rook!

29.Kf5 Rhf8+ 30.Kg5 Qg1+ 31.Kh4 Nf3+ 32.Kxh5 Qg6 checkmate

Wow!

SNAFU

Here is my worst loss with the Jerome Gambit, ever. To someone rated more than 300 points below me. I was going to "overlook" it, but that did not seem quite honest.

As you might expect, there was something very strange about the game.


perrypawnpusher  - anandh
blitz, FICS, 2011

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

The Italian Four Knights Game.

5.Bxf7+

The Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 

7...Bxd4 8.Qxd4 Nc6 9.Qd3 Ng4

10.Bf4

Anticipating ...Qh4, protecting h2, and allowing the possibility of 0-0-0 – but when I played the move, something didn't look right.

I realized that my clock had stopped, and so had my opponent's. I was using the BabasChess software to connect to FICS, and that kind of a thing had never happened before.

I watched nothing happen on the screen for a while, then, foolishly, to see what would happen, I tried to move one of my opponent's pieces (nothing) and then one of mine (nothing).

Of course, the software took my attempt to move one of my pieces as a pre-move, and when everything unfroze, BabasChess executed my move right after my opponent's. Therefore

10...Nge5 11.Bg3 Nxd3+ White resigned

Like I said, I was going to just "forget" about the game and leave it out of The Database, but when I played through the FICS games from August, 2011 – provided, again, by the indefatigueable Jerome Gambit Gemiende member Welton Vaz – I encountered the following pair of miniatures

bogsnes - exactement
blitz, FICS, 2011

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 7.Qf5+ Qf6 White resigned

White's 7th move was clearly a mouse-slip for the intended 7.Qxe5.

thehallmessenger - Gigabyterules
standard, FICS, 2011

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nd4 Bxd4 White resigned

White's 5th move was clearly a mouse-slip for the intended 5.Nxe5.

I decided that if I was going to include bogsnes' and thehallmessenger's slips, I should include mine as well.

Danger? He laughs at danger!

You have to be brave – or have a good sense of humor – to play the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc3 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) on a regular basis. Jerome Gambit Gemeinde member jfhumphrey appears to have both, as the following game illustrates.



jfhumphrey - salla
blitz, FICS, 2011

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4

This was originally Alonzo Wheeler Jerome's choice over 6.Qh5+.

The Database contains 72 Jerome Gambit games by jfhumphrey, and he has preferred 6.d4 over 6.Qh5+ all times but once.

6...Qh4

As abrupt as getting a pie in the face and at least as old as Sorensen, S.A. - X, Denmark, 1888.

The move usually means that Black knows something about facing the Jerome Gambit, but I can find no earlier examples of salla playing the move against (or even facing) 6.d4. You don't think *gulp* that he might be reading this blog??

7.dxc5

On revient toujours a son premier amour.

All 7 times jfhumphrey has faced 6...Qh4, he has played this move. (Those less romantically inclined might prefer 7.0-0.)

7...Qxe4+ 8.Be3 Nf6

Development is good, but perhaps Black is uneasy at White's resistance; for whatever reason, he passes up 8...Qxg2.

9.0-0 d5 10.Nc3 Qg6 11.Nxd5

Ice water in his veins.

11...Bh3

A telling blow – but for White.

12.Nf4 Bg4

Black squirms, but this tactic will not save him.

13.Nxg6 Bxd1 14.Nxh8+ Rxh8 15.Raxd1 Re8 16.Bd4 Black resigned

The smoke has cleared, and White is up the exchange and two pawns.

And then, what?

In the following game, Bill Wall's opponent plays one of the I-don't-know-how-many refutations of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+). Then, it is as if he looked up in surprise, wondering What? Are you still here?

Wall,B - Marani,G
Chess.com, 2011

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+

This check is the start of a rather nasty refutation of the Jerome, involving a Queen sacrifice and all sorts of tactics. Luckily for the Gemeinde, it is largely unknown outside of this blog.

The earliest example I have seen was in a humorously annotated game of "telephone chess" in the American Chess Magazine of June, 1899.

It should be noted that ...Qf6, without the check on White's King, was suggested by Alonzo Wheeler Jerome in his first article on the gambit, "New Chess Opening" in the April 1874 issue of the Dubuque Chess Journal.

9.g3 Qf6

Continuing in the funny vein, the first example I have seen of this Queen retreat was in a game played by a computer against Jack Young (of "Bozo's Chess Emporium" fame), mentioned in his "Meet Jerome" article in Randspringer #6, 1990 - 1991. It "defused the attack."

10.Qh5 g6

I can imagine Black looking up and saying, to White and his Queen, "Are you still here? Begone!" 

11.Qe2

The Queen retreats, properly admonished.

It turns out that Black must lose a piece, anyhow. He decides to do so by tip-toeing his King away.

11...Ke7 12.fxe5 Qxe5 13.c3 Qe6 14.d4 Bb6

White has only a pawn for his sacrificed piece, but he has some compensation in Black's unsafe King and lagging development, as well as in White's pawn center.

If Black is feeling annoyed, that would be compensation, too.

15.Bg5+ Ke8 16.0-0 h6 17.Qf2

Here is another indication that things are not going as Black has planned. The Bishop does not have to retreat, as White is threatening 18.Qf8 mate.

17...Ne7 18.Bxh6 d5

The Bishop can not be captured for the same reason.

19.Nd2 dxe4

Of course, 19...Rxh6 loses the Rook to 20.Qf8+ Kd7 21.Qxh6.

It turns out that Black's only chance to hold onto his edge in the game was 19...Qg8, not the easiest move to find.

20.Nxe4!

It is great to be able to play this kind of move.

20.Qxe4?? 21.Qf7+ Kd7 22.Rae1 Qd5 23.Rxe7+ Kc6 24.Rf6+ Kb5 25.Qxd5+ Ka6 26.Qc4+ Ka5 27.Qb4+ Ka6 28.Qa4 checkmate

Zombie Walk

If you want to take the fun out of someone playing the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) against you, you can always count on... The Zombie Walk. That's not the official name of any of the Jerome variations, it's just a way of making the game a boring win. For White. 

perrypawnpusher - Mences
blitz, FICS, 1011

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6

In our earlier two games, my opponent had played 6...Ng6: perrypawnpusher - Mences, blitz, FICS, 2009 (1-0, 38) and perrypawnpusher - Mences, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 19).

Now we have the exciting possibilities of 7.Qxe5 d6, the Blackburne Defense, and 7.Qxe5 Qe7, the Whistler Defense. Which will it be??

7.Qxe5 Bxf2+8.Kxf2 Qf6+ 9.Qxf6+ Nxf6

Braaaiiinnnnssss...

As I pointed out as recently as last month (see "Short and Unbecoming")
Hmm...

At the cost of exchanging a won game for one in which he is a pawn down, Black has reached a Queenless middlegame that is not what every Jerome Gambiteer wishes for.

I have previously described such a game with the perky title "Nothing Happened".


So, here we go as I zombie-walk through almost another 40 moves.


I guess, if I use my imagination, I can pretend that I am Capablanca or Rubinstein exercising my "technique".


10.Nc3 d6 11.d4 Rf8 12.Rf1 Kg7 13.Kg1 Bd7

14.Bg5 Ng4 15.h3 Nf6 16.Bxf6+

Silly, but it moves things along.

16...Rxf6 17.Rxf6 Kxf6 18.Rf1+ Kg7 19.Nd5 Rc8 20.c4 c6 21.Nc3 Re8

22.b3 g5 23.Kh2 h5 24.g3 h4 25.g4 b5 26.Re1 bxc4 27.bxc4 Rf8 28.Kg2 Rb8 29.Rb1 Re8

For excitement, you can decide after 29...Rxb1 30.Nxb1 c5 if White should play 31.dxc5 or 31.e5.

30.Rb7 Re7 31.Rxa7 Kf6 32.Ra8 Kg7 33.a4 Be6 34.d5 cxd5 35. cxd5 Bf7

36.Rc8 Rb7 37.Nb5 Rb6 38.Rc6 Rxc6

After this, one of the zombies, er, pawns, has to promote.

39.dxc6 d5 40.c7 Be6 41.Nd6 dxe4 42.c8=Q Bxc8 43.Nxc8 Kf6 44.a5 Ke5 45.a6 e3 46. a7 e2 47. Kf2 e1=Q+ 48. Kxe1 Black resigned

 

Sunday Book Review: Bullet Chess

Bullet Chess
One Minute to Mate

Hikaru Nakamura and Bruce Harper
Foreword by Yasser Seirawan
Russell Enterprises, Inc. (2009)
softcover, 247pages
figurine algebraic notation


When you have 60 seconds to either win your game or lose on time, you have to be fast. You have to think fast, you have to move fast, you have to recover fast.

Albert Einstein (who, as far as I know, never played bullet chess) argued that as objects go faster and faster, approaching the speed of light, things change. So, too, in bullet. For example, players

must accept that time (on the clock) is every bit as important (and sometimes more important) than the position on the board. As we shall see, it can be worthwhile to trade even a significant amount of material for an advantage of a few seconds on the clock.

Have no fear, though, the GM and the FM have covered all the squares in this, the first complete book on bullet chess.

Foreword
Introduction
Chapter 1: What is Bullet Chess?
Chapter 2: Why Bullet Is Fun
Chapter 3: Time
Chapter 4: Pre-moving and Other Creatures
Chapter 5: Pre-moving Blunders
Chapter 6: Choosing Your Openings
Chapter 7: Winning in the Opening
Chapter 8: Bullet Openings
Chapter 9: The Initiative
Chapter 10: Strategic Focus
Chapter 11: Tactics
Chapter 12: Simplification
Chapter 13: Bullet Endings
Chapter 14: Common Mistakes
Chapter 15: Mental Errors
Chapter 16: Psych Outs
Chapter 17: Falling Apart
Chapter 18: Knowing When to Stop
Chapter 19: Lessons from Bullet
Chapter 20: Bullet Principles

Bullet chess came of age with the rise of internet playing sites. While it has always been possible to play super-quick games with an actual board and set of pieces, there is always the untidy chaos of hands and pieces flying all over the place... The computer interface connecting you to the Internet Chess Club or the Free Internet Chess Server or wherever takes care of all that.

Why play bullet? Because it's fun, the authors argue. And you can play a whole lot in a short amount of time. And it can be addictive (see Chapter 18).

Grandmaster Nakamura is a whiz at bullet, and his games (many included in Bullet Chess) are exceptional examples of this chess variant. Some places, like ICC, he owns bullet.

FIDE Master Bruce Harper's comfortable and thoughtful writing style (which was showcased so well in his remarkable three volume set covering the games of GM Duncan Suttles, Chess on the Edge) is apparent throughout Bullet Chess. 

If you must play bullet, the chapters on using the software's/site's "pre-move" function is essential, as is everything that Nakamura and Harper have to say about bullet openings (they are often not your father's chess openings).

Russell Enterprises, Inc., has done a good job assembling the book, with a pleasant layout and effective use of space, diagrams and text. I found few typos/dypos. A whole lot of bullet fits into almost 250 pages.

I admit that my thinking is a bit too slow to enjoy (or even survive) bullet chess, but there is an aspect that I still find utterly fascinating, and which drove me to pick up Bullet Chess in the first place

It is important to realize that bullet chess is not really about "truth," to the extent that some chess players use the term to refer to the objectively best moves, but rather whatever works. Bullet chess won't often help you in your search for "chess truth," although it will certainly help you learn how to play chess more quickly! But bullet chess will teach you a lot about chess psychology, as there is always a reason  that any particular move is played it may not be a good reason, and it may not have much to do with the actual position, but there is always a reason. In this book, we explore the reasons why players do what they do when they are short of time, especially when it comes to making mistakes.

Among many things, Bullet Chess is a fascinating study of errors in thinking, which has been a theme running through my clinical practice for over 3 decades, and which is a core concept in understanding outlaw openings such as the Jerome Gambit.