Friday, August 22, 2008

Long ago, and far away...

St. Louis Daily Globe-Democrat
Sunday, September 11, 1881
Mackenzie's chess column



[diagrams added, notation changed to algebraic]


...The Australian game which we print to-day is somewhat lengthy, but it is full of interesting points, and is well worth playing over, were it only from the fact that it is the only partie on record, we believe, in which the Jerome gambit is adopted in a correspondence game...

Chess in Australia
We are indebted to the Adelaide Observer for the subjoined interesting game. It was played recently by correspondence between Messrs. Charlick and Mann, two of the leading amateurs in Australia.

The Adelaide Observer
Saturday, May 28, 1881

CHESS IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA
(From the Melbourne Leader.)

The following fine game is one of those in the closely contested match by correspondence to which we lately referred, between Messrs. Charlick and Mann. The time occupied in playing it was six months. It abounds in interesting and difficult positions. Another game has since been finished ending in a draw, making the score - Charlick 4, Mann 3, drawn 6.

[Since, Mr. Mann has won a game, making the score perfectly even. - Mackenzie]

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



This ingenious sacrifice was invented by Mr. Jerome, an American player, in 1874, and, unless correctly answered, yields a strong attack. It seems rather rash to venture on it in a correspondence game - Mackenzie

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5

5...Kf8 is, we think, better - Mackenzie

6.Qh5+ Ng6

6...Ke6 is preferable - Mackenzie

7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 


The authorities give 9.Qc3 but White prefers the text move - Mackenzie

9...Nf6 10.d4 Qe7



10...Kf7 is surely stronger, bringing his R in to immediate action, and threatening to take KP with Kt - Mackenzie

11.0-0 Ng4

This only assists White in developing his game by driving back the Kt presently; 11...b6 seems the best method of getting his forces into action - Mackenzie

12.Qe2 Qh4 13.h3 Nf6 14.f4


White has now a most formidable attack - Mackenzie

14...Nh5 15.Qf2 Qxf2+ 16.Rxf2 Rf8 17.f5 Ne7 18.c4 c6


Again we should have preferred 18...b6 - Mackenzie

19.g4 Nf6 20.Nc3 d5 21.e5


White's pawns now look quite irresistable - Mackenzie

21...Nd7 22.cxd5 Nxd5 23.Ne4 N7b6 24.b3 a5 25.e6 

This, we believe, is premature. 25.Bg5 is a very strong move - Mackenzie

25...h6 26.Bb2 Ke7 27.Re1 Ra7


Black's game is so cramped that defeat is inevitable - Mackenzie

28.Nc5


White might also have obtained a fine game by advancing the KRP here - Mackenzie

28...Na8 29.Nd3 b5 30.Ne5 Kd6 31.Rc1 Ra6 32.Rc5 Bb7 33.Rfc2 Rc8 34.Bc1 a4 35.b4

Very well played - Mackenzie

35...a3

Had he taken P with Kt, White would have gained a winning position by 35...Nxb4 36.Bf4 - Mackenzie

36.Bd2 Nab6 37.Be1 Na4

Mackenzie passes over this move without comment, but Rybka suggests that it is a serious error, suggesting that instead 37...Nc4 38.Nxc4+ bxc4 39.R2xc4 Raa8 40.Rc1 g6 41.Bh4 Ra4 42.Rb1 Rg8 43.Bg3+ led to an even game.

38.Bg3

Likewise, Rybka suggests that this gives Black a slight edge, preferring 38.Ng6 Nf4 39.Bg3 Kc7 40.Rxb5 Kb8 41.Bxf4+ Ka7 42.Ra5 Nb2 43.Ne7 Re8 44.Nxc6+ and White is winning.

38...Ke7 39.Nd7 Nxc5 40.dxc5 Rg8 41.Bd6+ Ke8 42.Rd2 Ra4


This, we believe, is his best play; had he moved 42...Nf6 White could have replied with 43.Be5 forcing the game in a few moves.; If 42...Nxb4 White wins off-hand by 43.f6 - Mackenzie

43.Rxd5

Well played, obtaining a winning position, through it still requires great care to bring about that result - Mackenzie

43...cxd5 44.f6 gxf6 45.Nxf6+ Kd8 46.e7+

Rybka prefers capturing the Rook.

46...Kc8 47.Nxg8 Bc6 48.Nf6


Rybka sees this as a serious error, leading to an advantage for Black, preferring 48.Nxh6 Rxb4 49.g5 Rb1+ 50.Kf2 Rb2+ 51.Kg3 Be8 52.c6 Rxa2 53.Nf5 Bxc6 54.g6 d4 with a roughly equal game.

48...Rxb4 49.e8Q+ Bxe8 50.Nxe8 Rb1+ 51.Kf2 Rb2+ 52.Kf3 Rxa2 53.Nc7
White is in a bad way, and it is only Black's next two inaccurate moves that bring the game back in his favor.

53...b4 54.Nxd5 b3



55.c6 Rc2



(must) - Mackenzie

56.Bxa3 Ra2 57.Bd6 Rc2 58.Be5 b2 59.Nb6+ Kd8 60.c7+ Rxc7 61.Bxb2 Rc5 62.Bd4 Rb5 63.Nc4 Ke7


64.h4 Ke6 65.Ke4 Rb1 66.Ne3 Kf7 67.h5 Kg8

68.Nf5 Kh7 69.Be3 Re1 70.Nxh6 Rxe3+

71.Kxe3 Kxh6 72.Kf4 1-0

The whole of the end game has been played by White with the greatest precision - Mackenzie. 

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit

I have a habit of giving the "Jerome Gambit treatment" to related openings, if I think I can get away with it (see "Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit" and "Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit 2").


Take the "semi-Italian" opening, as referred to by Euwe, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6, and played at times by GM Pavel Blatny (and many nervous club players who fear Nf3-g5).

perrypawnpusher - bergeruw
blitz game FICS, 2007

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


4.0-0

One early morning on FICS I was in such a hurry to Jerome-ize this opening that I fired off 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Qf5+ Ke7 8.Qxe5+ Kf7 only to realize (of course) that there was no enemy Bishop on c5 to pick up! So I had to weasel my way out: 9.Qd5+ Ke8 10.0-0 c6 11.Qd4 c5 12.Qc3 d6 13.f4 Be7 14.d4 b5 15.dxc5 dxc5 16.Qxg7 Bf6 17.Qg6+ Ke7 18.Nc3 Bb7 19.e5 Qd4+ 20.Kh1 Bh4 21.Qg7+ Ke8 22.Qxh8 Kf7 23.Qh7+ Kf8 24.Qf5+ Bf6 25.exf6 Nxf6 26.Nxb5 Be4 27.Nxd4 Black resigns, perrypawnpusher - marapr, FICS, 2007


4...Bc5 5.Bxf7+

I think that adding 0-0 to the regular Jerome Gambit line is more helpful to White than adding ...h6 is to Black. In any case, the game is no longer the quiet affair hoped for by the second player.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.Qh5+ Kf6

Black moved his King, instead, to e6 in a humorous gamelet of mine, where both sides were plagued by nerves from the onset, and I foolishly forced a draw in a won position: 7...Ke6 8.Qf5+ Kd6 9.d4 Qf6 10.dxe5+ Qxe5 11.Rd1+ Bd4 12.Qf8+ Ke6 13.Qe8+ Kf6 14.Qf8+ Ke6 15.Qe8+ Kf6 Game drawn by mutual agreement.. perrypawnpusher - Joyus, blitz game, FICS, 2007

Black can, as an alternative, block the check: 7...Ng6 8.Qd5+ ( 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qc4+ Be6 10.Qe2 Nf6 11.f4 Re8 12.f5 Bxf5 13.Rxf5 d5 14.e5 Qd7 15.Qh5 c6 16.Nc3 Qc7 17.d4 c5 18.Nxd5 Qd8 19.exf6 gxf6 20.Rxf6+ Qxf6 21.Nxf6 Black lost on time in a busted position, abhailey - cumelen, net-chess.com 2008) 8...Kf8 9.Qxc5+ d6 10.Qe3 N8e7 11.d4 Kg8 12.Nc3 Kh7 13.f4 Rf8 14.f5 Nh8 15.g4 Kg8 16.g5 hxg5 17.Qxg5 Nf7 18.Qg3 Nc6 19.f6 g5 20.Bxg5 Nxg5 21.Qxg5+ Kf7 22.Qg7+ Ke6 23.d5+ Ke5 24.Qg3+ Kd4 25.Qd3+ Ke5 26.Qg3+ Kd4 27.Qd3+ Ke5 28.Qg3+ Kd4 29.Qd3+ Ke5 30.Qg3+ Kd4 31.Qd3+ Ke5 32.Qg3+ Kd4 in time trouble, with a winning position, I forced the draw, perrypawnpusher - pascalwilliams, blitz game, FICS 2007

8.Qf5+ Ke7 9.Qxe5+ Kf7 10.Qd5+ Kf6



11.e5+ Kg6 12.Qxc5 d6 13.exd6 Qxd6 14.Qxd6+ cxd6



Black is simply two pawns down, and his King's increased activity is not sufficient compensation.
15.Nc3 Bf5 16.d3 Rc8 17.Be3 a6 18.Bd4 Nf6 19.Rae1 Rhe8 20.f3 Kh7 21.Bxf6 gxf6 22.Rxe8 Rxe8 23.Kf2 Kg6 24.Re1 Rc8

A further ten moves has not improved Black's lot.

25.Re7 Rb8 26.Ne4 Bxe4 27.fxe4 b5 28.Rd7 Rb6 29.c3 b4 30.c4 b3 31.a3 f5 Black resigns

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Jerome Gambit Tournament: Chapter XII


Once more, the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), once more the Black pieces -- once more a victory for the second player.


Kevin the fruitbat - perrypawnpusher JG3 thematic www.chessworld.net, 2008
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.c3



This move was played by Plejade (see "Les Femmes des Echecs...& the Jerome Gambit") at ChessWorld a couple of times in 2003. It has also been played by viejoasquerosos at redhotpawn.com, who has always been willing to sac his Bishop at f7 (or f2) almost as soon as the opportunity arrives, regardless of the opening.
5...Nf6

A couple of alternatives were played in Kevin's other games in the tournament:
5...d6 6.d4 exd4 7.cxd4 Bb4+ 8.Nc3 Bg4 9.h3 Bh5 10.0-0 Nf6 11.Qd3 Re8 12.Re1 Kg8 13.Bg5 Bxf3 14.Qxf3 Rf8 15.Qg3 Nxd4 16.Rac1 c6 17.e5 dxe5 18.Bh6 Nh5 19.Qg4 Qe8 20.Be3 Bc5 21.Na4 b6 22.Nxc5 bxc5 23.Rxc5 Qf7 24.b3 Nf5 25.Qe4 Nxe3 26.Qxe3 Nf4 27.Rxe5 Qg6 28.g4 Nd3 29.Re6 Qf7 30.Qxd3 Qxf2+ 31.Kh1 Rf3 32.Re8+ Rxe8 33.Qc4+ Kf8 34.Rxe8+ Kxe8 35.Qxc6+ Kf8 36.Qd6+ 0-1 Kevin the fruitbat - Sir Osis of the Liver, JG3 thematic, www.chessworld.net 20085...Qf6 6.0-0 Nge7 7.b4 Bb6 8.d3 h6 9.Qe1 d6 10.b5 Nd8 11.c4 Ng6 12.Be3 Rf8 13.a4 Nf4 14.Qd2 Qg6 15.Nh4 Qg5 16.Nf5 Qxg2# 0-1 Kevin the fruitbat - Temmo, JG3 thematic, www.chessworld.net 2008
6.Qb3+

Or 6.d4 exd4 7.Qb3+ Kf8 8.Ng5 Qe7 9.f3 h6 10.Nh3 d5 11.Nf2 dxe4 12.fxe4 Nxe4 13.Rf1 Ng3+ 14.Kd1 Qe2# 0-1 Kevin the fruitbat - drewbear, JG3 thematic www.chessworld.net 2008

6...d5 7.d3

Gary_Seven played 7.exd5 in our game -- see."Jerome Gambit Tournament: Chapter VI".
7...Bb6 8.Nbd2 Rf8 9.h3 Kg8


10.c4 dxc4 11.Qxc4+ Kh8 12.Nb3 Be6
An interesting move, made doubly so by the fact that I had overlooked that the Bishop was unprotected.

13.Qxe6

The piece turns out to be poisoned
13...Qxd3 14.Nxe5


14...Qxe4+

Blandly looking for the peace and quiet of the endgame, but missing the mate: 14...Bxf2+ 15.Kxf2 Ng4+ 16.Ke1 Qxe4+ 17.Kd1 Nf2+ 18.Kd2 Rad8+ 19.Qd5 Rxd5+ 20.Nd4 Rxd4+ 21.Kc3 Rc4+ 22.Kb3 Qc2+ 23.Ka3 Ra4, which shouldn't have been too hard to find.

15.Be3 Qxe5 16.Qxe5 Nxe5 17.0-0 Bxe3 18.fxe3 Nc4

There is not a lot of excitement in the rest of the game, only a relentless march toward a simpler and more "won" piece-up endgame for Black.

19.Rfc1 Nxe3 20.Rxc7 Rab8 21.Re1 Ned5 22.Rc5 Rfc8 23.Ra5 a6 24.Re5 Nb4 25.Nd4 Nc6 26.Nf5 Nxe5 27.Rxe5 Re8 28.Rc5 Rbc8 29.Rxc8 Rxc8 30.Nd6 Rc7 31.Kh2 Kg8 32.Kg3 Kf8 33.Kf3 Ke7 34.Nf5+ Ke6 35.Nd4+ Ke5 36.Ke3Nd5+ 37.Kd3 Nb4+ 38.Ke3 Nxa2 39.Nf3+ Kf6 0-1

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit 2



When it comes to the Blackburne Shilling Gambit – 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4!? – White has several moves that can lead to good play: 4.Nxd4 (followed by 5.c3), 4.c3, or even simply 4.0-0.

Or there is the Jerome Gambit-ish 4.Bxf7+


Master Tim McGrew discussed the latter line in one of his "The Gambit Cartel" columns at ChessCafe, titled "A Shilling in the Mailbag".

Dennis Monokroussos sent a note...

Dennis analyzes 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+, “another fun possibility,” he writes, “when Black has to play very accurately to get even a small edge.”


His analysis runs 5...Ke7! 6.c3 d6! 7.Nc4 Nc6 8.d4 Nf6 9.0-0 Kf7. “White probably doesn't have enough for the piece,” Dennis concludes, “but White is better here than Black is after anything normal but 4.Nxe5.”


Does anybody feel like trying Black’s position after 5...Ke6 instead of Dennis’s 5...Ke7? Truly, this begins to look like a line that only a computer could love!


Believe it or not, this has been tried in a tournament game. Wieteck - Dutschke, Lahnstein, 1999 saw 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 4.Bxf7+!? Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8? Allowing the check at h5 is unwise. 6.Qh5+ (White could also consider 6.c3 Nc6 7.Qh5+ g6 when both 8.Nxc6 and 8.Nxg6 come into consideration.) 6...g6 7.Nxg6 and now Black committed suicide with 7...Qf6??, but after 7...hxg6 8.Qxg6+ Ke7 9.Qg5+! Nf6 10.Qc5+ d6 11.Qxd4


White has four (!) pawns for the bishop and Black’s king will be exposed long-term.

I cannot resist the opportunity to point out the (distant but discernable) analogy between Dennis’s second line and the Jerome Gambit 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+. The Jerome is, of course, completely unsound; it is a kind of miracle, and a tribute to Jerome’s tenacity, that it was analyzed seriously at all.

Dennis has produced a number of chess videos – which I recommend highly, for both their instructional and entertainment value – including "Master Lesson - Improvisation in the Italian Game" which has more recent analysis on the Jerome-ized Blackburne Shilling Gambit.

By the way, I took up Tim's challenge, and gave the position after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6 to the new Rybka 3.0 for a minute or two. (One of these days I'll let it run overnight.)



Rybka suggested that after 6.c3 Kxe5 7.cxd4 Ke6 8.Nc3 d5 things were about equal. Which side would be more comfortable for a person to play, though?


Black could probably eat another pawn with 7...Kxd4 (instead of 7...Ke6) but look at what might happen: 8.Nc3 (8.d3 Ke5 9.Qg4 Ne7 10.Bg5 d5 11.Qh5 Ke6 12.0-0) c6 9.d3 Kc5 10.Bf4 Kb6 11.Qb3+ Ka6 12.a4 b6 13.Nd5 cxd5 14.Qb5 Kb7 15.Qxd5 Ka6 16.0-0 Ne7 17.Qxa8 Nc6 18.a5 bxa5 19.Rfc1 Bb4 20.Rxc6 dxc6 21.Qxc6 and we have a typical drawn position... (Ha!)


All very, very complicated - a line that only a computer could love, as Tim said.

Game examples are very welcome.















Monday, August 18, 2008

Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit


A few years ago, in the wee hours of the morning, I was playing blitz chess online at the Free Internet Chess Server (FICS). I was getting batted around by a player rated below me – he was playing very well, or I was playing very poorly, or some blend of the two.
Anyhow, if "losing face" were a big issue for me I'd have been Ichabod Crane's "headless horseman" decades ago.
My sangfroid was challenged, however, when my opponent decided that I was enough of a fish that he could unleash the dreaded "Blackburne Shilling Gambit" on me.

According to Wikipedia:

The first known mention of this line was by Steinitz, who noted it in 1895 in the Addenda to his Modern Chess Instructor, Part II. The earliest game with the opening on chessgames.com is Dunlop-Hicks, New Zealand Championship 1911.
perrypawnpusher - patitolo
FICS rated blitz, FICS, 2005

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


Here I was supposed to capture the e-pawn and foolishly fall to my death: 4.Nxe5 Qg5 5.Nxf7 Qxg2 6.Rf1 Qxe4 7.Be2 Nf3 checkmate as in Muhlock - Kostic, Cologne 1912.

4.Bxf7+
Instead, I Jerome-ized the opening!

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8


Black should have looked at 5...Ke6, but I think that White still has compensation for his piece.

6.Qh5+ g6 7.Nxg6 Nf6 8.Qe5+ Qe7

I'll attribute this error to "shock and awe." It is already time to draw the curtain on the game.

9.Nxe7 Bxe7 10.Qxd4 d6 11.Nc3 Be6 12.Nd5 c5 13.Nxf6+ Bxf6 14.Qxf6 Rf8 15.Qxe6+ Kd8 16.Qxd6+ Ke8 17.d3 Rd8 18.Qe6 checkmate


Sunday, August 17, 2008

A Short Break from the Jerome Gambit


The days are running, and this weekend "Kennedy Kid" Jon will be making his way homeward after his summer stay in Bugembe, Uganda.


It appears that during his stay, working for Skills Plus, he made much more of an impact with his pool (and grant writing) skills than with his chess prowess.

My heartfelt thanks go to the Kadama family: Caesar and Lydia, Jon's homestay parents, and young Evan and Ivy, for watching over our young man.

A debt of gratitude must be expressed, as well, to Mr. Hakim Kirigwa, of Skills Plus, who was Jon's supervisor. You have taught him many things, and I thank you.

The support of the Foundation for Sustainable Development was always essential and well appreciated.

I have emailed several members of the Uganda Chess Federation, including East Africa Chess Champion Harold Wanyama, on the topic of the Jerome Gambit (especially its historical development), although I have not yet heard back from any of them.

I constantly remind myself that what is of great interest to me is often but a trifle to others.

This blog will return to more "serious" Jerome Gambit coverage tomorrow. For today, welcome home soon, Yona San; Sula Bulungi, Uganda!