BSJG: Explore and Move On

It is fun to play through games sent to me by readers, or discovered in The Database, and see what is new in the main lines of the Jerome Gambit and related openings. Occasionally, I also find explorations off of the beaten path, like the following 3-minute game, which contains an additional lesson: White is successful in his first outing with a line, but, when Black finds a more solid defense, it is probably time to move on to the next exploration... 

SorryYouLose - adina
3 0 blitz, FICS, 2019

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nc6 3.Nf3 Nd4 

The Blackburne Shilling Gambit.

4.Bxf7+ 

The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.

4...Kxf7 5.c3 

What is this? The move is not entirely new - there are 35 examples in The Database, with White scoring 40 % - but it seems like it would be more at home after 5.Nxe5+ Ke6, or in the main line (non-Jerome) Blackburne Shilling Gambit, i.e. 4.c3.

Still, the move has an immediate effect in disturbing Black.

5...Ne6 

Not too long after this game, SorryYouLose encountered a couple of opponents at FICS who played the much more direct (and stronger) 5...Nxf3+, and the results favored the defender: SorryYouLose - Patzerarschloch, blitz, FICS, 2019 (0-1, 13) and SorryYouLose - pugachevsky, blitz, FICS, 2019 (0-1, 12).

The text move is a novelty, according to The Database. It gives White another chance to grab the pawn at e5, leaving Black with only a small edge.

6.d4 exd4 7.cxd4 Nf6 

White has sacrificed a piece for a pawn. In return, he has a full pawn center facing an uneasy enemy King.  

8.d5 Bb4+ 9.Bd2 Bxd2+ 

10.Nbxd2 

With this capture, White protected his e-pawn. He overlooked the stronger 10.Qxd2, which is not troubled by 10...Nxe4, as 11.dxe6+ would win back the sacrificed piece and give time for the Queen to excape the Knight on e4's attack. Instead of grabbing the pawn, Black would do better, after 10.Qxd2, to move his attacked Knight to either c5 or f8, maintaining a small advantage.

These things happen in 3-minute blitz games.

10...Nc5 11.Ng5+ Kg8 12.e5 

"Jerome pawns" want to be pushed. 

12...Nxd5 13.Nde4 

13...Nxe4 

A slip. Black would be okay now, after 14.Nxe4, but White has something better.

14.Qxd5+ Kf8 15.Qf7 checkmate

Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit: Huh?

On the surface, the following Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit is clear enough: White plays a recommended 8th move and checkmates his opponent on move 13. Yet, a peek at the notes - at what could have been played - is a bit head-spinning. The game turns out to have been a suspension bridge over churning, raging waters. 

foko - borodin
FICS, 2019

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 

The Blackburne Shilling Gambit.

4.Bxf7+

The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6 6.c3 

Probably the strongest continuation for White.

6...Kxe5 7.cxd4+ Kxd4 

Black's pawn capture is risky; he would do better to head to safety with 7...Ke6. Still, with the move Black throws down the gauntlet: Can you punish me for this pawn grab?

8.Qb3

White has tried 8.d3 (see here, here, here and here), as well as 8.Nc3. I have recommended 8.Qb3, but it had remained unplayed - until it was seen 3 times in The Database in 2019.

Although Black's King looks vulnerable, play can become complicated, and White needs to realize that often his Queen has to go to f7 to help tighten a checkmating net. Earlier in the year, foko had played 8.Qb3 against sabishii in a standard FICS game, and after many changes of fortune, Black finally won in 55 moves.

I have to admit, I would probably play 8.d3 the next time I faced this line.

8...Ke5 9.Qd5+ 

Stockfish 10 likes 9.Qf7, while Komodo 10 likes 9.d4+ Kf6 (9...Kxd4 10.Qd5#; 9...Kxe4 10.Qf3+ Kxd4 11.Qf5 d5 12.Be3+ Kc4 13.Na3+ Kb4 14.Qd3 Qe8 15.Qc3+ Ka4 16.b3+ Kxa3 17.Qa5+ Kb2 18.Rb1+ Kxb1 19.Kd2+ Kb2 20.Bd4#) 10.Qf3+. Both agree that the text gives Black a slight edge.

9...Kf6 

10.d4 

More solid was 10.d3.

Leading to wacky complications - not a quick draw by repetition - is 10.Qf5+, e.g. 10...Ke7 11.Qe5+ Kf7 12.Qd5+ Ke8 13.Qh5+ g6 14.Qe5+ Qe7 15.Qxh8 Qxe4+ 16.Kd1 Qxg2 17.Re1+ Kf7 18.Qxh7+ Bg7 19.Qh4 Qf3+ 20.Kc2 Qc6+ 21.Nc3 d5 22.Qb4 Be6 and perhaps Black has an edge...

10...Qe8 

This clears things up. Black could have lurched ahead with 10...Ne7.

11.Bg5+ Kg6 12.Qf5+ Kh5 13.g4 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: The Little Things Add Up

Sometimes the Jerome Gambit results in a tactical explosion that clearly wins the game. Other times, as in the following encounter, it leads to positions where an observer might muse "Sure, okay, but that's just a little thing, right, how can it lead to a loss?" The little things add up.

Wall, Bill - Guest7121133
PlayChess.com, 2020

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Nf6

Bill is 8 - 0 from this standard position, which goes back at least as far as Charlick - Mann, corresponcence, Australia, 1881 (1-0, 72). The Database has 196 games with this position, with White scoring 71%.

10.d4 Rf8 11.O-O Rf7

It probably would have been more prudent for Black to have castled-by-hand with 11...Kf7 and 12...Kg8.

12.Nc3 Bd7 13.f4 Ng4 

After White's Queen has made so many early moves - Qh5, Qd5, Qxc5, Qe3 - it might seem logical to "punish" her for those misdeeds; but, by wasting a tempo here and there, Black seems to actually reward such sallying.

14.Qe2 a6

This looks like a waste of time. It is enjoyable to see the recommendation of Komodo 10 (26 ply): 14...Qf6 15.Qd3 Qh4 16.h3 Nf6 17.f5 Ne7 18.Bd2 Kf8 19.Rf4 Qg5 20.Rf2 Qh4 21.Rf4, etc, draw. I have pointed out before that computer engines seem to think so little of White's play in the Jerome Gambit that they grab a chance for the first player to force a draw by repetition, salvaging a half point, whenever possible. I doubt that Bill would have gone along with such a plan.

15.f5 Qh4 16.h3 

The Knight must retreat, and Black must surrender a piece. He would do it best with the straight forward 16...Nf6 17.fxg6 hxg6, with advantage to White.

16...Nh6 

This gives White too much along the f-file.

17.fxg6 Rxf1+ 18.Qxf1 b5 19.Bxh6 Black resigned

Jerome Gambit: Making It Look Easy

The following bullet game makes the Jerome Gambit look so easy... like a pleasant day in the sunshine. It is easy to see why angelcamina keeps coming back to the Jerome...

angelcamina - PMLJ
1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2020

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.Qe3 Qe7 

10.O-O Nf6 11.Nc3 Bd7 12.f4 Bc6 13.d4 

Think quick: as Black, do you want to grab a pawn, or do you want to edge your King out of the line of fire?

13...Kg8 14.e5 Nd5 15.Nxd5 Bxd5 16.b3 h6 17.c4 Bf7 18.f5 

Those pawns!

18...Nf8 19.Bb2 dxe5 20.dxe5 Re8 21.Qg3 Nd7 22.Rae1 

22...Kh7 23.e6 Bxe6 

Hoping that returning some material will help. It won't.

24.fxe6 

This is fine, and winning. More cruel was 24.Qg6+ Kg8 25.Rxe6.

24...Nf6 25.Qd3+ Kg8 26.Qg6 Rd8 27.Bxf6
Black resigned

Jerome Gambit: Down the Rabbit Hole, Again (Part 5)

[continued from the previous post]

Robey, James - Steinitz, William
London, 1865

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 

The Evans Gambit, again. This time, it is accepted.

4...Bxb4 5.c3 Bc5 6.O-O d6 7.d4 exd4 8.cxd4 Bb6

A position seen multiple times in the Labourdonnais - McDonnell match, as well as in the games of Andersson, Morphy, Staunton - and many others.

9.Nc3 Na5 10.e5 

This move may have been a novelty at the time, although not a strong one - 10.Bd3 was the usual response of the day. Robey seems to have been attracted by the idea of opening up the center while his opponent's King was still in place.

10...dxe5 

Careless. There was nothing wrong with 10...Nxc4 11.Qa4+ c6 12.Qxc4 d5 13.Qd3 Ne7, with a slight advantage for Black.

11.Bxf7+

This is going to hurt.

11...Kf8

Sad necessity. Capturing the Bishop allows 12.Nxe5+ and checkmate will follow.

12.Ba3+ Ne7 13.Nxe5 

13...Qxd4 14.Qh5 Qxc3 

Black grabs a piece and threatens another. He might as well - there is little else to do other than wait for checkmate.

15.Rad1 c5 16.Rd3 

White settles for winning Black's Queen. For now.

16...Qxd3 17.Nxd3 g6 18.Qf3 Kg7 

Diving into danger, but nothing was going to save his game.

19.Bb2+ Kh6 20.Qf6 Nf5 21.Bc1+ Ne3 22.Bxe3+ Kh5 23.Qg5 checkmate

Verdict: Although the game began as a clear Evans Gambit, it is quite possible that A. G. Johnson, in his Oregon Daily Journal claim, might have been so mesmerized by 11.Bxf7+ that he decided to refer to the game as a Jerome Gambit, anyhow.  Of course, describing Steinitz as being "in the zenith of his career as world's champion" would have been an error, as Steinitz had not yet ascended to the throne, by defeating Adolf Anderssen in match play.

Jerome Gambit: Down the Rabbit Hole, Again (Part 4)

[continued from the previous post]

Deacon, Frederic - Steinitz, William
match, London,1862

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 

The Evans Gambit.

4...Bb6

Declined.

5.b5

While not popular in modern play, this move is, nonetheless, quite direct, and leads to a tactical melee.

5...Na5 6.Nxe5 

There is at least a slight similarity to the play after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 (hoping for the Jerome Gambit) Na5 4.Nxe5 (the "serious" recommendation, instead of Jerome-izing the game with 4.Bxf7+).

6...Bd4

This looks like Steinitz's invention. Opening books at the time recommended either 6...Qf6 or 6...Nh6, when Black might (or might not) have an edge. Today, Komodo 10 shows a preference (32 ply deep) for the Blackburne Shilling Gambit-ish 6...Qg5.

7.Bxf7+ 

Stronger was 7.Nxf7. Now Black slowly outplays his opponent.

7...Kf8 8.Ba3+ d6 9.Bxg8 Kxg8 10.c3 Bxe5 11.d4 Bf6

Black has a piece for two pawns, and can continue to pull his game together.

12.Nd2 Be6 13.Qe2 Qe8 14.O-O Qf7 

15.d5 Bd7 16.Rac1 Re8 17.Qd3 b6 18.f4 Nb7 19.Nf3 h6

Komodo doesn't like this last move, suggesting that it can be answered by 20.e5, with advantage to White. It is fine with 19...Qg6 20.Rce1 h6, (advantage Black) which the game transposes into. 

20.Rce1 Qg6 21.f5 Qf7 22.g4 Kh7 23.h4 g5 24.hxg5 Bxg5 

Taking the Bishop off of the a1-h8 diagonal is a mistake, as White immediatly shows. 

25.e5 Qg8

This does not stop the pawns from advancing, "Jerome pawn" style, as part of a mating attack.

26.e6 Bc8 27.f6+ Qg6 28.Nxg5+ hxg5 29.Rf5 Nd8 30.Re2 Nf7 31.Rxg5 Rhg8 32.Rh2+ Nh6 33.Rgh5 Kh8 34.Rxh6+ Qxh6 35.Rxh6 checkmate

Verdict: interesting game, snappy conclusion - but, all told, not likely to be mistaken as a Jerome Gambit game.

[to be continued]

Jerome Gambit: Down the Rabbit Hole, Again (Part 3)

[continued from the previous post]

Foolishly chasing A. G. Johnson's claim, in The Oregon Daily Journal, that Wilhelm Steinitz "in the zenith of his career as world's champion succumbed in his first attempt to defend the [Jerome] gambit", I searched through ChessBase's Big Database for any possibly relevant Steinitz game. I turned up a couple of games that appeared to be distant relations to the Jerome Gambit - and immediately tumbled upon a dissertation by Steinitz on one of his opponents, in, among others, Deacon - Steinitz, match game, London, 1863. Planning, also, to share the other discovery, Robey - Steinitz, London, 1865, I tripped over the following anecdote, concerning both Deacon and Robey, from George Alcock MacDonnell's The Knights and Kings of Chess (Horace Cox, 1894).

The following incident in his game with Mr. F. Deacon (at that time reputed to be one of the strongest players in England) is, I think, not unworthy of record. In the course of the fight, which took place at St. James's Hall, Mr. Deacon left the table, and sought out his friend, the late Mr. Staunton. Finding that gentleman surrounded by a host of admirers— myself included—he invited all of us to come and witness the grand finale with which he was going to crown his victory over James Roby. We at once accepted the invitation, and crowded round his board. "You see," said Deacon, in a whisper, to Staunton, "he must take the pawn or the bishop; if he takes the pawn I sacrifice the exchange and mate in four; and if he takes the bishop I sacrifice the queen, the queen, sir, and mate in seven." "Indeed," muttered the British autocrat. 

Scarce had this little scene been enacted when Roby looked up from the board, on which he had been gazing for a long time, and surveying the increased concourse of spectators, smilingly looked at Deacon, who was standing opposite to him, and exclaimed, "Won't you take your seat, Mr. Deacon?" The polite Deacon at once sat down. 

"It's mate in five," said Roby, still looking at his opponent. "No," replied Deacon; "if you make the best move I cannot mate you in less than seven."  

"It's mate in five," rejoined the hardhearted Roby. "It is I who give the mate, not you." Then followed rapidly a series of brilliant moves, and in two minutes Roby arose from the table triumphant, leaving his opponent to sit on there, utterly amazed and chapfallen.

Another fine chess story! Dr. Tim Harding, in his British Chess Literature to 1914: A Handbook for Historians (McFarland, 2018), dates its first appearance to MacDonnell's chess column in the February 20, 1866 issue of the Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News, and, in considering Deacon - Robey, B.C.A. Grand Tournament, London, 1862, suggested that "the facts somewhat spoil the story". Nonetheless...

Oh? The chess games? The not-quite Jerome Gambit games that A. G. Johnson was probably not referring to? That will have to wait until the next blog post...

[to be continued]