Jerome Gambit: Grandpa Gambit (Part 1)

 

After defeating Deadlost (see "Jerome Gambit: Deadlost [Parts 1, 2, and 3]), a chess bot at Chess.com, I decided to challenge the Grandpa Gambit bot.

Grandpa Gambit is a lifelong chess player known to regale his opponents with a chess anecdote of his past…or two. Ready to take a trip down memory lane?

I played the Jerome Gambit, of course, and this may have offended my opponent (if such a thing were possible), as he was silent throughout the game, posting not a single remark.

perrypawnpusher - GrandpaGambitBot

Chess.com, 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 

A quick look at The Database shows that I have done well against this defensive lineup, scoring 79 - 14 - 1, that is 85%.

8...Nc4

This is an odd move. It is hard to find the idea behind it, other than escaping the attack of White's f-pawn.

If the Knight were to retreat, it should have gone to c6, i.e. 8...Nc6.

Better was a Queen move, either 8...Qh4+ 9.g3 Qf6 or 8...Qf6 directly.

Possibly the best move was 8...Kc6, simply abandoning the Knight, followed by 9.fxe5 Nh6 or 9.Qxe5 Nf6. 

Perhaps the issue was that the dangers ahead lay beyond the computer's depth of search.

9.Qd5+ Ke7 10.Qxc5+ 

At this point, Black resigned in perrypawnpusher - KanatolyAsparov, 4 16 blitz, FICS, 2011.

10...Nd6 11.e5 

White will recover his second sacrificed piece, with advantage.

11...h5

Another unusual move, reminiscent of the choice of the early dedicated chess computer game, Chess Challenger 7. As I mentioned in "Jerome Gambit: The Science of the Draw?! (Part 1)"

when it assessed its King to be safe (wherever it was) and the position balanced, couldn't "think" of what to do, and so would advance its Rook pawns...  

About 15 years ago I challenged the CC7 with the Jerome Gambit, and won in 20 moves.

12.exd6+ cxd6 

Here I was a pawn ahead, but Stockfish 15.1 (36 ply) sees White's advantage as four times that. 

The danger for me, as always, was inattention and complacency.

[to be continued]

Jerome Gambit And Professor Z

It is quite possible to look at the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) for the first time and tell yourself "This is so far out, it must be fiction!"  

About a year ago, thanks to information provided by Yury V. Bukayev, we actually looked at the intersection of the Jerome Gambit and fiction, in considering Tommaso Castellani's Italian language novel, Il professor Z e il segreto del triangolo, Un giallo matematico, (Professor Z and the secret of the triangle, a mathmatical mystery), published by Edizioni Dedalo, 2022  .

In the book, young Ivano shares his interest in the JeromeGambit  with a friend. See The Jerome Gambit and the Secret of the Triangle and Jerome Gambit, Triangle, Infinity, Hypercube. 

As an exciting large success, out of more than 300 books considered in the Premio Nazionale di Divulgazione Scientifica 2022 competition of science books for younger people, 50 titles made it to the preliminary stage, and Tommaso Castellani's Professor Z and the secret of the triangle was one of them.

Congratulazioni!

Jerome Gambit: Deadlost (Part 3)

[continued from the previous post]

perrypawnpusher - DeadlostBot

Chess.com, 2023

We continue my Jerome Gambit game (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) against Chess.com's Deadlost.

Deadlost's comments below are in red.

23.dxe5 Nd7 24.Bf4 

Is it just me or has the detached, ironic humor of the 2010s run its course? And metatextual references have lost all potency as writers increasingly recycle references to elicit immediate, and unthinking, reactions in their audiences? The Hollywoodification of art has homogenized our unique sensibilities to produce a bland, repeatable template designed to appeal to the widest audience possible. Treating irony as a universal experience, writers now present their stories as something to be mocked. And as such, audiences have developed

calloused, nihilistic perspectives which may never again accept earnest or thoughtful storytelling. Anyway... chimichanga! 

24...Rae8 25.Re1 Rhf8 26.Nc2 

Instead, 26.Nb5 might have been a bit better.

26...Bxa2 27.Nd4 Ndxe5 28.Nxc6 Nxc6 29.Qxe8 Rxe8 30.Rxe8

I think I have mentioned that despite the fact that I play sacrificial attacking openings like the Jerome Gambit, I am often drawn to exchanging down to a much simpler, winning, endgame. 

30...Bf7 31.Re1 h5 32.Bxc7 

Up the exchange and a pawn. That should be enough.

32...Bc4 33.Kf2 a6 34.Kg3 Bb3 35.Be5+ Kg6 36.Kh4 Kh6 37.Bf4+ Kg6 

38.Re8 Bd5 39.g3 Bh1 40.g4

Finally! An idea on my part.

40...Bf3 41.gxh5+ Bxh5 42.Rg8+ Kf5 43.Kxh5 Kxf4

Sigh. Play it out.

44.h4 

Yury V. Bukayev points out that 44.Rg7 would be simpler, as both of Black's pawns are vulnerable and will be captured. The Queenside action would be a good demonstration of the advantage of the exchange in the endgame, as the Rook would out-perform the Knight.

44...a5 45.Kg6 

This move blunders away the exchange, although the game is still won for me. I was getting sloppy, figuring that I had already marked up "1 - 0" on the scoreboard. Deadlost did not overlook.

45...Ne7+

I think that's called check. Let me get out my chess dictionary... yup. That's check.

46.Kf7 Nxg8 47.Kxg8

Congrats! You are the 1 millionth person to capture my knight this month. Here's your prize: my knight! 

The rest of the game requires no commentary. Even Deadlost was silent.

47...Kg4 48.Kf7 a4 49.Ke6 Kxh4 50.Kd6 Kg5 51.Kc7 Kf4 52.Kxb7 Ke3 53.Kb6 a3 54.bxa3 Kd2 55.c4 Kc3 56.c5 Kd4 57.c6 Kd5 58.c7 Kd6 59.c8=Q Ke5 60.Qd8 Ke6 61.a4 Kf7 62.Qd6 Kg7 63.a5 Kh7 64.a6 Kg8 65.Qd7 Kf8 66.a7 Kg8 67.a8=Q checkmate

Jerome Gambit: Deadlost (Part 2)

[continued from the previous post]

perrypawnpusher - DeadlostBot

Chess.com, 2023

As I mentioned in the previous post, recently I tried my hand with the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) against Deadlost, Chess.com's warped interpretation of Marvel comics' "merc with a mouth", Deadpool.

Deadlost's comments below are in red.

12.O-O

The lichess.org database contains over five billion games, compared to the 87,000 games of The Database, but each has only one example of the position that occurs after Black's 11th move: MBItaly - oktavian165, lichess.org, 2021 (0-1, 56).

Black has an edge.

12...Nb4

Typical Deadpool - I mean, Deadlost - going off on an adventure without waiting for backup, say 12...Qf6.

13.Na3

Did you know that "resign" is actually French for "automatically win"? I learned that from the Duolingo bot.

13...Qe8 

This can't be right. Stockfish 15.1 (30 ply) flips between 13...a5 and 13...Kd8. There is nothing wrong with 13...Bd7, developing, either.

14.c3 

Nice pawn move! ...What? I can say nice things too.

Fair enough, but 14.Qc3, taking advantage of the fork of the Knight and g-pawn (abandoned by the enemy Queen), was more to the point.

14...Nc6 15.d4 Nf6 16.e5 Nd5 

Instead, it was time to give material back with 16...Kd8 17.exf6 Qxe3+ 18.Bxe3 gxf6, with some hope that the Bishops-of-opposite-colors endgame can be held.

17.Qe4 Nb6 18.f5 Kf8 19.f6 

At the time I was pretty sure that 19.e6 was better, but I was getting impatient. I had forgotten the warning, "Don't be distracted when he breaks the 4th wall". 

19...Qe6 

Instead, the computer recommended messy play as the defender's best chance: 19...Qh5 20.Nb5 g6 21.e6 Bxe6 22.Qxe6 Re8 23.Qb3 Na5 24.Qa3 Nbc4 25.Qa4 c6 26.Nxd6 Nxd6 27.Bf4 Kf7 28. Bxd6 Qb5 29.Qxb5 cxb5 30.Be7 Nc4 31.Rf2 Rc8 32.Re1 Rhe8 33.h3 Nb6 34.Re5 a6 35.Kh2 with White clearly for choice.

20.fxg7+ 

Chimichanga. Mutant powers. Pop culture reference. There - are you nerds happy now?

20...Kxg7 21.Rf6 dxe5 

I was surprised to see this move, and even moreso when Stockfish 15.1 later said that it was best.

22.Rxe6 

I can regenerate queens, you know. I just need one of my little guys to touch one of your magic squares.

22...Bxe6 

Black has a Knight and a Rook for his Queen, plus (what will be) two pawns. Not enough.

Could I finish off Deadlost?

[to be continued]

Jerome Gambit: Deadlost (Part 1)

 

The online website Chess.com has a bevy of computer-based characters you can  play against.

I have shared my adventures against a couple of dog characters, buddybuckets-dog and Wishboy. Nice boys...

Recently, I tried my hand against Deadlost, Chess.com's warped interpretation of Marvel comics' "merc with a mouth", Deadpool.

The site warns "Don't be distracted when he breaks the 4th wall", and believe me, he does yammer a lot. Well, he produces text commentary regularly. I quote some below, in red.

The biggest distraction, however, was the constant appearance of the "Page Unresponsive" warning from my own computer, which meant I was battling even more to stay focused on my moves and those of my opponent.

Of course, the perfect weapon for me to brandish was the Jerome Gambit.

perrypawnpusher - DeadlostBot

Chess.com, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

Impressive bishop capture! But how does a chess bot know the exact move you just made? Do I know too much? Do I transcend virtual and physical planes with my omnipotence? Help, I'm scared.

Deadlost can keep that chatter up, but I will edit (or cut) some of the future comments - Rick

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 

I'm going to "retcon" your piece from being on the board to not being on the board (you like that lingo, comic book nerds?)

6.Qh5+

Ouch! It literally, physically hurts when you put me in check. Ouch it still hurts! Please have mercy on me!

The Jerome Gambit can have that effect on some people.

6...Ke6 

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4

Threatening my piece, huh? In comic books, we call that an "inciting incident" for a "villian arc."

8...Nc6

Stronger was 8...Qf6, or 8...Qh4+ or 8...Kc6, the sillycon defense, with the King moving, instead of the Knight, as I faced in perrypawnpusher - jonmather, Giuoco Piano tournament, Chess.com, 2021 (1-0, 33) and perrypawnpusher - alfil_7, Piano Piano, Chess.com, 2021 (0-1, 13).

9.Qd5+ 

Yury V. Bukayev has invented the following and comments: "More interesting is my 9.Nc3!? N because it is a trap. For example, after the 'natural' 9...Bb6? White gets the advantage by 10.Qf7!!"

9...Ke7

The engine says our midgame is equal. But you really shouldn't trust computers...

Deadlost is onto something. Stockfish 15.1 (30 ply) sees Black as being about 1 1/2 pawns ahead.

10.Qxc5+ d6

I'm here to chew bubblegum and capture your queen. And I'm all out of bubblegum.

11.Qe3 Qf8 

I knew that move was a mistake, but I made it anyway to be edgy and cool.

Instead, 11...Nf6 12.O-O Rf8 was seen in perrypawnpusher - trombose, 2 19 blitz, FICS, 2013  (1-0, 31).

I was pleased that the Jerome Gambit had set some problems for my opponent, but there was much more work to do.

[to be continued]

"Jerome Gambit is The Best Chess Opening"

For a very well done introduction ot the Jerome Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+, take a look at the YouTube video "Jerome Gambit is The Best Chess Opening" by "A GOOFY Chess Player", as he calls  himself.

It is the video I wish I had made - that I wish I had the skill to make.

Hats off to the creator. 

JG: The New in Its Opening Theory, in Its Psychology (Part 17) [Part 2]

 

[continued from the previous post]

[Here is Yury's Jerome Gambit game, mentioned in the previous post. I have added diagrams - Rick]

Yury_V_Bukayev - WaleraG

15 0 rapid, lichess.org, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 

7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qg3 Nf6 9.O-O 

9...Nxe4 10.Qf4+ Nf6 11.b4 Bb6 12.Bb2 c6 

13.a4 Kf7 14.Ra3 d5 15.Rf3 Rf8 16.Bxf6 gxf6 17.Qh6 

17...Rh8 18.Qh5+ Kf8 19.Qh6+ Kf7 20.Qh5+ Kf8 21.Qh6+ Kf7 

The game is a draw