1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ ...and related lines
(risky/nonrisky lines, tactics & psychology for fast, exciting play)
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Jerome Gambit: Drilling Down (22)
Here we have another Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) where the human makes a bit of a monkey out of the computer, by again taking advantage of its willingness to draw when in a worse position.
The line played is worth a look: if Crafty 19.19 takes a draw with the White pieces, is that good or bad for Jerome players? Or does it just put the kabosh on the 7...d6 variation?
Crafty 19.19 - RevvedUp
blitz 2 12, 2006
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6
7.f4 d6
This line goes back to D'Aumiller - A.P., Livorno, 1878 (see "Bright Ideas From Silicon" and "My Jerome Gambit Database"), and has been popular with computers at least since the Fisher-Kirshner - Knightstalker match of 1993 (see "A Few Words With... Micah Fisher-Kirshner"). Black returns a piece, keeping an advantage. However, White panics and immediately seeks to split the point by repeating the position; and Black, rated 1,000 points lower, is quite willing to oblige.
8.fxe5 dxe5 9.Qh3+ Kd6 10.Qd3+ Ke7 11.Qg3 Kd6 12.Qd3+ Ke7 13.Qg3 Kd6 14.Qd3+ Draw
I am reminded of Geoff Chandler's humorous comment about his Jerome Gambit game (see "Stuff happens...") that the Jerome Gambit is a forced draw...
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Jerome Gambit: Drilling Down (21)
blitz 2 12, 2006
All in all, a rather serious black eye for the Jerome Gambit. Clearly, 10.Qf8+ TN is not the remedy to 8...Qf6.
Friday, January 23, 2009
A Personal Loss
I met Calvin (via email) when I reviewed his book for the Chessville web site.
Of Chess Kings Volume One, subtitled History, Politics, and the Fine Art of Mythmaking in Chess my review noted
Olson, a chess teacher, Correspondence Chess Master and historian, is a good choice to tackle this topic. He is well-read on the topic, having a personal chess library of over 3,000 volumes. His chess writings have been published (School Mates, Gambit) and he has edited a chess newsletter (The Orange Knight). Incidentally, he has served as proofreader for chess books (including several for Random House). The Chess Kings Volume One is the result of 30 years of studying chess, followed by 10 years of research and writing.
It was not surprising that The Chess Kings received the the Perry PawnPusher Awards Was There Chess Before Fischer? Award.
Calvin was amused to receive the award, and we both smiled when his publisher, Trafford, mentioned it on its site.
According to Calvin's wife, Gail, he was working on the last chapter of Volume II the day he died. John Watson has agreed to finish the last chapter using Calvin's notes and intent. As she noted
I hope that this volume is available soon so that others can appreciate his talent and what he wanted to give back to chess for all the years of pleasure that it gave him.
To which I can only add: Amen.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Having some merit to be worthy of attention...
A quote from the Internet, rec.games.chess.misc, from 1999:
[on the topic "Very daring line of the Latvian... The Corkscrew Countergambit"]
An opening or a variation which has a name is one which is recognized as good or having some merit to be worthy of attention. Even the Jerome Gambit, which is probably the worst recognized gambit in all of chess, does offer some reasons for analysis. However, this sequence of moves you give here is simply a blunder with no redeaming social value. Sam Sloan
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Don't get me started...
chessmetrics.com, sometimes interesting to check for historical purposes, rates Gunsberg as #3 in the world for 1890 and 1891 based on his performances.
He had some pretty nice tournament results, such as
- 1st place DSB Kongress in 1885, ahead of players like Blackburne, Tarrasch, Mackenzie, and Bird
- 2nd place USA Congress in 1889, behind the tied Miksa Weiss and Tchigorin, and ahead of Burn, Blackburne, Max Judd (probably the best player in the USA at that time), Bird, Showalter
- Tied 2nd place London 1900, and lone 2nd place at London 1904
His match results were also notable, such as:
- Victory over Blackburne in 1887 (7/12 to 5/12)
- Drawing with the peak-form Tchigorin in 1890! (11.5/23) This just after Tchigorin`s World Championship match
- Losing the 3rd FIDE-recognised World Championship match to Steinitz in 1890, by 2 games (8.5/19)
Of course,I had to ask if anyone knew if Gunsberg, an openings explorer in his own right, had ever played the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+).
After receiving the obligatory put-down that the opening was "considered unsound by all reputable theoreticians" I started my typical yammering on my favorite opening in response.
George,
Thank you for your comments and the information on the Jerome Gambit! It's a topic I can really get lost in..
> The Jerome Gambit, considered unsound by all reputable theoreticians,
G.H.D. Gossip, in his "Theory of the Chess Openings," 2nd ed, 1879, wrote "the Gambit, which although unsound, affords some highly instructive analysis for less practised players."
William Cook, in his "Synopsis of the Chess Openings," 3rd ed, 1882, wrote that "the Jerome Gambit, which, although unsound, affords some highly instructive analysis."
The "American Supplement to the 'Synopsis,' containing American Inventions In the Chess Openings Together With Fresh Analysis in the Openings Since 1882; Also A List of Chess Clubs in the United States and Canada" edited by J.W. Miller, noted "The 'Jerome Gambit,' 4.BxPch, involves an unsound sacrifice; but it is not an attack to be trifled with. The defense requires study, and is somewhat difficult."
(One book reviewer suggested that the offense required study, too; and that the game was even more difficult for White than for Black!)
Of course, Raymond Keene had the (almost) last word in his "The Complete Book of Gambits" 1992 - "This is totally unsound and should never be tried!"
> first appeared in the American Chess Journal in 1876, according to The Oxford Companion to Chess.
To the best of my knowledge, the first appearance of the Jerome Gambit was in the Dubuque Chess Journal for April 1874, in a small article titled "New Chess Opening." (Yes, I've shared this information with Mr. Whyld, and he has been quite pleasant and supportive in my Jerome Gambit researches.)
>It was recommended by Alonzo Wheeler Jerome of Paxton,Illinois. Jerome was born on 8 March 1834 in Four Mile Point, New York, and died on 22 March 1902 in Springfield, Illinois. His obituary appeared in the 23 March 1902 edition of the Illinois State Journal - page 6, column 3.I have a copy of the obituary - it is short, about a half-dozen sentences. In light of such a paltry send-off, I can understand why some people would want to write their own death notices.
> The Jerome Gambit (1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. Bxf7+?) cannot be recommended for serious chess since Black gains the advantage after 4...Kxf7 5. > Nxe5+ Nxe5 6. Qh5+ Kf8 7. Qxe5 d6.There are several refutations of the Jerome Gambit.
The 6...Kf8 line was first given by Jerome, himself, in the July 1874 Dubuque Chess Journal. It has shown up in such fine places as Harding's "Counter Gambits" 1974, ECO "C" 1st ed, 1974, "Batsford Chess Openings," 1st ed, 1982 and "Enciclopedia Dei Gambietti," 1998. Sorensen, in his May 1877 article in Nordisk Skaktidende, "Chess Theory for Beginners," (subsequently translated in Chess Players' Chronicle of August of the same year) recommended 5...Kf8. Of course, 6...Ke3 is also playable.
Jerome, himself, kept things in perspective. The Pittsburg Telegraph, June 8, 1881, wrote "A letter received from Mr. A. W. Jerome calls attention to the fact that he does not claim the Jerome Gambit to be analytically sound, but only that over the board it is sound enough to afford a vast amount of amusement."
Others joined in the jocularity. The Cincinnati Commercial Gazette, in its May 7, 1879 review of Gossip's "Theory" noted "...The Jerome Gambit, which high-toned players sometimes affect to despise because it is radically unsound finds a place, and to this it is certainly entitled. As this opening is not in any Manual, to our knowledge, we transfer it to our columns, with the exception of a few minor variations, and we believe our readers will thank us for so doing."
In a March 13, 1880 review of the 6th ed of the Handbuch, the same author" complained" again: "We are somewhat disappointed that the 'Thorold Variation' of the 'Allgaier Gambit' should be dismissed with only a casual note in the appendix, and that the "Jerome Gambit" should be utterly (even if deservedly) ignored."
Enough. I'll close with a comment from Lasker, in his Chess Magazine, in reply to a correspondent "Ichabodf: - No; the Jerome gambit is not named after St. Jerome. His penances, if he did any, were in atonement of rather minor transgressions compared with the gambit."
Rick Kennedy
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
The next best thing...
A few posts ago (see "London calling... Seven Months of Blog") I asked readers to suggest "another totally obscure and disreputable tactical opening line or gambit that I could go digging for information about, while I'm researching the Jerome Gambit."
Jerome Gambit Gemeinde member Pete Banks ("blackburne"), in a Comment, suggested 1.h4, a move with which he has had some success, following his own idea of 2. g3, 3.Nh3, 4.Bg2, and 5.0-0.
So I did a little research.
Althought Tim Harding, in his Dynamic White Openings (1989), calls 1.h4 "The most despised of openings, not even worthy of a name," it has sometimes been called the Deprès Opening, according the Oxford Companion to Chess (1984).
More often, though, 1.h4 goes by the name of the Kadas Opening. Eric Schiller, in his Unorthodox Chess Openings (1998, 2002), writes
He is referring to Hugh E. Myers, who in his Exploring the Chess Openings (1978) had this to sayThe Hungarian player Kadas has the dubious distinction of being perhaps the greatest living exponent of 1.h4, a move even Myers, a true fan of bizarre openings, considers poor.
If there were an election for the worst possible first move, 1.P-KR4 would have excellent winning chances.
Grandmaster Bent Larsen, in the Encyclopedia of Chess Openings, Volume A (1979), gave "1.h4? e5 =/+"
So Kadas' Opening would seem to meet the criteria set above for "disreputable" – even if it receives more complete and respectful treatment in Stefan Bücker's Groteske Schacheröffnungen (1990).
Do readers have other suggestions?
Monday, January 19, 2009
Jerome Gambit: Drilling Down (20)
The following Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game is a humorous miniature, where RevvedUp finds just the proper threat to cause Yace Paderborn to panic and yield the draw. Human totally out-foxes computer.
Yace Paderborn - RevvedUp blitz 2 12, 2006
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6
7.Qxc5
No "nudging" check of the King this time.
7...d6 8.Qd5+ Kf8
9.d3 Nf6 10.Qb3 b6 11.0-0 Qe7
White has reached a reasonable Jerome Gambit position where he has two pawns for his sacrificed piece. No doubt Yace Paderborn sees itself as being about a pawn behind in the game. This would hardly trouble a human gambiteer, but when the computer spots an escape from this situation – to a draw – it takes it.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Jerome Gambit: Drilling Down (19)
Our human chess investigator takes on his last computer opponent for this round of play with the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+).
RevvedUp - Yace Paderborn blitz 2 12, 20061.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6
7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Qh4
We saw this move played first, only with Black's King on f8, by Shredder 8 (see "Jerome Gambit: Drilling Down (17)").
10.0-0 Nf6 11.Nc3 Ng4 12.Qg3 Qxg3 13.hxg3 Be6
Again reaching a position that is objectively better for Black, but which is the kind that RevvedUp likes to play against computers.
14.f4 Bf7 15.d3 Kd7 16.Bd2 Ne7 17.Rae1 Rhf8 18.a3 Rae8 19.Nd1 Bh5 20.Ne3 Kc8
Yace Paderborn has effectively castled-by-hand.
21.Nxg4 Bxg4 22.Kf2 Nc6
The White King is safe in his fortress – for now.
23.Bc3 Rf7 24.Rh1 h6 25.Rh4 h5 26.Rhh1 Ne7 27.Rc1 Kb8 28.b3 Nc6 29.Bb2 g5 30.Ke3 d5
In past games RevvedUp has done well in closed positions, especially when he can "threaten" a draw by repition of position; it is not a good sign for him that Yace Paderborn wants to rip things open.
31.Rhf1 dxe4 32.dxe4 Rfe7 33.e5 Rf7 34.c4 Rd8
Invasion on the d-file will spell the end for White.
35.Rc2 Rfd7 36.Rff2 gxf4+ 37.gxf4 Ne7 38.Bc3 Rd3+ 39.Ke4 Bf5 checkmate
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Chess Improvement
The winner of a chess game is the player that makes fewer wrong moves then his opponent.
In this issue I will present my game played recently on Playchess.com. I didn't play rated game for a long time so I decided to play against weaker opponent. As you'll see I played so badly for my rating but the game was decided by greater number of errors my opponent did.
[Event "Rated game, 30m + 0s"]
[Site "Main Playing Hall"]
[Date "2006.08.18"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ciprian"]
[Black "Ibarix"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C50"]
[WhiteElo "1478"]
[Annotator "Fritz 9 (60s)"]
[PlyCount "152"]
[EventDate "2006.08.18"]
{C50: Hungarian Defence and Giuoco Pianissimo}
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5
In earlier posts I said I don't quite know openings. I recently started to study ideas for some openings (Giuoco Piano). It's incredible that I'm quite strong player but have no clue about basic ideas in most of the openings. So I took advice from some of the internet sites and began with Giuoco Piano just as junior players start with it in their chess lives. After these moves white developed 2 pieces, took some share of the center with e4 and cleared way for a short castle. White bishop is eyeing the f7 square which is the weakest point at the start of the game just as white's f2. Why? Because at the beginning it's defended only once - by the king. The main point for black's good chances is central break d5 and Nf6. White has several possibilities in this position.
1. b4 - the Evans gambit
2. c3 - preparing for d4 thrust or playing Modern Italian c3, d3 and after that d4 maybe
3. d3 - leading either to Giuoco Pianissimo after white's Nc3, 0-0 and black's d6, Nf6 and 0-0 or Modern Italian
4. d4 immediately, the Italian Gambit
5. 0-0 weak line according to some authors
6. (read misc. instead of six because this is not quite the option for white) Bxf7+ ??????? Jerome gambit, it doesn't work, don't ever play it...
[The emphasis placed on the last line is mine - RK. You have been warned!]
Friday, January 16, 2009
Thoughts About AWJ
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Hamppe - Meitner Revealed
I highly recommend you check out "The Hamppe - Meitner Motif", and the Kenilworthian site itself as a treasure trove of articles covering a whole host of topics.
Wonderful work, Mike, as ever!
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Firsts
An exchange of emails with Jerome Gambit Gemeinde member Pete Banks ("blackburne"):
Not sure if I mentioned this, but one of my Internet wins with the Jerome is in Gary Lane's book The Greatest Ever Chess Tricks and Traps .
Pete
Hi Pete,
I've got dibs on the review copy of Gary's book when it shows up at Chessville, so I'll be able to see your game in print with my own eyes. Congratulations all over again!
As for the first publication of a complete Jerome Gambit game in book form, I think your game is a rare item, but not the first.
Andres Clemente Vazquez included three Jerome Gambits from his second match with William Carrington in his book Algunas Partidas de Ajedrez (1876); and he shared his game against L. Giraudy in the 2nd & 3rd editions of his Analisis del juego de ajedres: libro a propositio para que pueda aprender dicho juego, el que lo ignore del todo, in necesidad de maestro (1885, 1889). (Not in the 1st edition, mind you: it was published in 1874, the first year that the Jerome Gambit saw print.)
Of course, the infamous game Amateur - Blackburne, London 1885, appeared in Mr. Blackburne's Games at Chess (1899), and thereafter in numerous books, including Handbuch des Schachspiels - 8th ed (1916); Du Mont's 200 Miniature Games of Chess (1942); Chernev and Harkness' An Invitation to Chess A Picture Guide to the Royal Game (1945); and Wenman's Master Chess Play (1951).
More recently, Eric Schiller has included Amateur -Blackburne in his Unorthodox Chess Openings (1998, 2002) and Gambit Chess Openings (2002); and, with John Watson, his Survive and Beat Annoying Chess Openings (2003).
Hope that isn't rain on your parade -- your game appears to be the first game from this century and the past one to appear in book form, as far as I know. Good enough?
Best wishes,
Rick
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Jerome Gambit: Drilling Down (18)
RevvedUp challenges Shredder 8 with its own defensive idea; yet, in the end, the silicon beast outplays him. This game is less about Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) theory and more about how a stronger opponent gives "Jerome Gambit odds" and then gradually outplays his opposition.
Shredder 8 - RevvedUp
2 12, 2006
Familiar ground.
7.Qd5+ Kf8 8.Qxc5+ d6 9.Qe3 Qh4
RevvedUp tries out Shredder 8's innovation (see "Jerome Gambit: Drilling Down (17)").
10.Nc3 c6 11.d3 Nf6 12.Qd4
A real computer-style move: Shredder 8 sees that his opponent's formation leaves the d-pawn unprotected. In this position RevvedUp likely would have chosen 12.Qg5 to exchange Queens.
12...Ke7 13.h3 Qh5 14.0-0 Qc5
Again, RevvedUp would like to head toward the endgame. For this 14...Qe5 was also a possibility. Shredder 8 should now swap Queens.
15.Qa4 Re8
This is a solid move. Black would have gotten his wish after 15...b5 16.Qa5 Qb6 17.Qxb6 axb6 which is probably the stronger line.
16.Be3 Qe5
Provoking the pawns.
17.f4 Qe6
Better: 17...Qh5
18.f5 Qf7 19.fxg6 Qxg6
RevvedUp has returned the piece, a standard strategy for Black, but White's position is too strong.
20.Rf3 h6 21.Raf1 Be6 22.Qb4 b6 23.e5 Nd5 24.Qxd6 checkmate
Ouch!
Monday, January 12, 2009
Jerome Gambit: Drilling Down (17)
RevvedUp - Shredder 8
blitz 2 12, 2006
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6
7.Qd5+ Kf8 8.Qxc5+ d6 9.Qe3 Qh4 TN
This thematic move almost always carries strong counterplay with it.
10.0-0 Nf6 11.d3
Or 11.f3 followed by d4.
11...Kf7 12.Qg5 Qxg5
RevvedUp is always willing to play the endgame, an area generally considered a weakness for computers.
13.Bxg5 Bd7 14.Nc3 Rhf8 15.h3 Nh5 16.Rae1 Nhf4 17.Kh2
Covering the possible sac at h3.
17...h6 18.Bxf4 Nxf4 19.Ne2 Ke7 20.Nxf4 Rxf4 21.f3 Raf8
RevvedUp has established a solid position that he quietly defends, waiting for Shredder 8 to either make a series of small errors that can be taken advantage of – or yield a draw by repetition.
22.Rf2 Ke6 23.Ree2 h5 24.Kg1 h4 25.Kf1 Ke5 26.Kg1 Ke6 27.Kf1 Ke5 28.Kg1 Be6 29.a3 Re8 30.Kf1 Ref8 31.Ke1 Bd7
32.Kd2 c5 33.c3 Ke6 34.Ke3 Bb5 35.Kd2 a5 36.Kc2 b6 37.Kd2 Ba4 38.Kc1 b5 39.Kd2 Bb3 40.Ke3 R8f6 41.Rd2 Rf8 42.Ke2 R8f7 43.Ke3 a4 44.Rfe2 R4f6 45.Rf2 Rf4 46.Rfe2 Rf8
White is still holding his fortress. Black decides to break in the center.
47.Rf2 d5 48.Rfe2 dxe4 49.dxe4 Ke7 50.Re1 Ke6 51.Rf1
You have to wonder what Shredder 8 would have done with 51.Ree2.
51...Ke7 52.Re1 Ke6 53.Rf1 Ke5 54.Re1 R4f7 55.Ree2 Be6 56.Rf2 Rf4 57.Rde2 Bd7 58.Rd2 Bc6 59.Rde2 R4f7 60.Rd2 Bb7
It's easy to get the feeling that if Shredder 8 continues to play, eventually it will stumble over the right lines. I think average club players would have split the point by now.
61.Rde2 Rd7 62.Rd2 Rfd8 63.Rxd7 Rxd7 64.Rd2
Understandably wanting to reduce the number of pieces further, but ultimately not a good idea: Black's King gets to infiltrate the Kingside. The tireless Shredder 8 has won down the valiant human.
64...Rxd2 65.Kxd2 Kf4 66.Ke2 Bc8 67.Kf2 Be6 68.Kf1 Kg3 69.Kg1 Bc4 70.Kh1 Bf1 71.Kg1 Bxg2 White resigns
Sunday, January 11, 2009
The Westminster Papers
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS
CHESS
H.W.P. (Vermont, U.S., A.) -- We shall be most happy to receive some games fairly well played, in which the Jerome Double Gambit was adopted. They will be handed to our annotator in due course, and will analyse them in an unprejudiced and impartial manner.
The March and April issues which complete Volume XI have no further reference to Jerome's Gambit – and this is unfortunate, as they were the last issues of The Westminster Papers to be published.
Graphic by Jeff Bucchino, wizardofdraws
Saturday, January 10, 2009
London Calling... Seven Months of Blog
Dear Jerome Gambit Gemeinde,
Another month has passed, this blog has reached 215 consecutive daily posts, and different outrageous lines of play continue to pop up here.
Beside obscure lines in the Giuoco Piano (see "Don't make me go Jerome all over you..."), the Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit (see "Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit", "Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit 2", "Blackburne Shilling Gambit: The Trapper Trapped? (Part I)" and "Blackburne Shilling Gambit: The Trapper Trapped? (Part II)") and the Abrahams Jerome Gambit (see "'Tis A Puzzlement...", "The Abrahams Jerome Gambit (Part I)" and "The Abrahams Jerome Gambit (Part II)") there's even been a couple of Evans Jerome Gambits (see "Evans Jerome Gambit" and "Hoist by my own petard...").
Throughout 2009 I will continue to add games, analysis and history on these lines.
I also got wondering the other day: is there another totally obscure and disreputable tactical opening line or gambit that I could go digging for information about, while I'm researching the Jerome Gambit?? Certainly 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d5 and 1.d4 e5 would meet criteria – except the Elephant and Englund Gambits have been lifted out of obscurity by modern analysis and games.
Readers and members of the Jerome Gambit Gemeinde are encouraged to make suggestions in the "comments".
Best wishes,
Rick Kennedy ("perrypawnpusher")
p.s. Visitors to this site have come from 73 different countries, and from 49 of the 50 states & Washington DC.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Hip' Kat
From a recent email from Garry Gifford, editor of the Unorthodox Openings Newsletter and one of the authors (along with Davide Rozzoni and Bill Wall) of the new Winning with the Krazy Kat and Old Hippo (see my review of the book at Chessville) -
...On a related note, last Saturday I played in Martin Frere Hillyer's first Thomas Frere Chess Memorial tournament (an unrated unadvertised invitational event) . [See my review of Hillyer's impressive Thomas Frère and the Brotherhood of Chess: A History of 19th Century Chess in New York City - RK]
In round 4 I drew with a guy and had to play a 5 minute tie-break game to see who would get the "gold" and who would get the "silver." These were not real gold and real silver, of course, just colored metal to resemble the actual.
So, having black and facing a very booked up player (who was also great at speed chess), I played the Krazy Kat. This was for the Gold, so you can see I take the Kat seriously (also a crowd was watching). Sure enough, my plan was a good one.
White was taking a great deal of time in the opening and early middle game and I could move at the speed of a crazy cat. But perhaps I moved too fast. In the middle game my opponent calculated a way to exchange pawns, pin a knight, gang up on it, and win it. And he did.
But at the cost of much time. I had 1 minute and 14 seconds showing on the clock. He had 6 seconds. "Avoid getting mated and the Gold is yours," said my inner self. And so I toughned up the defense while making some threats of my own with queen and rooks on open files. And 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 1... Black won on time.
Phew! So, I owe the gold to the Krazy Kat.
(By the way, the English Chess Forum has some interesting posts on the Hippopotamus and its creator. And Chess.com has a nice discussion on the Krazy Kat started by author Bill Wall - RK)