Sunday, January 31, 2010

Shillings: One Found, Two Lost (Part 1)


Sometime back I contacted Edward Winter, of "Chess Notes" and Chess History fame, with some questions about the origin and naming of the Blackburne Shilling Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4). He posted my query, and recently presented some relevant information. 

3786. Blackburne Shilling Gambit

From Rick Kennedy (Columbus, OH, USA):

‘The opening 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bc4 Nd4 has been called the Blackburne Shilling Gambit, in recognition, apparently, of J.H. Blackburne’s use of it to win small stakes from players. However, I have yet to find a single game with it played by Blackburne. In fact, the earliest game uncovered was played in New Zealand in 1911. How did Blackburne’s name become attached to the variation? Indeed, when did it become attached?
Steinitz’s Modern Chess Instructor has a note on the line, but does not refer to Blackburne. Mr Blackburne’s Games at Chess makes no mention of it. Nor does Freeborough and Ranken’s Chess Openings Ancient and Modern attribute the line (given in a footnote) to anyone. E.E. Cunnington’s books (one on traps, one on openings for beginners), which were published in London shortly after the turn of the century, give the moves but do not name Blackburne.
One clue may be that the first edition of Hooper and Whyld’s Oxford Companion to Chess (1984) does not call the line by name, but the second edition (1992) calls it the Blackburne Shilling Gambit. Did the co-authors discover some historical information during that eight-year period?’

6470. Blackburne Shilling Gambit (C.N. 3786)

From page 429 of the December 1897 American Chess Magazine:

"All chess life seems to be with America," writes an esteemed and particularly well-posted English correspondent. "A great change has come over English chess. The 'old masters' are dying out. The new-born strength of amateurs has slaughtered them. They have no prestige. Names once of weight are now spoken of with contempt. No new professionals are coming in – no new Blackburnes or Birds. The 'nimble shilling,' for which the old professionals played at the Divan, is now too hardly earned. The country joskins know the openings and the principles, and instead of Bird's giving a Queen and winning twenty games in an hours, as I have seen ('hoc egomet oculis mei vidi'), he plays on even terms, and of five games wins only the odd one and a shilling. The ancient 'Shilling Gambit' is no longer a thing of dread. Young men from Birmingham walk into the Divan without awe and speak of giving odds. And the late H. Macaulay of this city (now Birmingham) actually conceded the Knight to a master who played and won a prize in the Manchester International, and Macaulay, giving the odds, won a majority of the games." - New Orleans Times-Democrat.






Saturday, January 30, 2010

Like a Wall Falling on You

Bill Wall's adventures with the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) and other Jerome-ish openings continue with two short games that probably left his opponents stunned.
Hi Rick,
Got the file [New Year's Database] and unzipped it. Looks great. Here is what I played this evening
Wall - Surr
Chess.com, 2010

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



The Semi-Italian Opening.

I like to castle here, but Bill preferred developing another piece.

4.Nc3 Nd4



Uh-oh... Playing the Blackburne Shilling Gambit a move down? That's just asking for the Improved Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit!

5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Ke8



In all fairness, Rybka suggests that the game is equal after 6...Ke6 7.f4 Nf6 8.Ne2 Nxe2 9.Qxe2 Rg8 10.0-0 Ke7 11.d4 Qe8 12.Qc4 Kd8 13.f5 – but would you want to play Black?






analysis diagram





After the text move, Black doesn't have to either.

7.Qh5+ Ke7 8.Qf7+ Kd6 9.Nc4+ Kc5 10.b4+ Kxb4 11.Ba3 checkmate




A couple of days later Bill played this one.

Wall,B - GuestDLNJ
blitz 15 0, FICS, 2010

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 a6



4.Bxf7+

An earlier game saw Bill be a bit more patient – until he was provoked past his limit: 4.Nc3 b5 5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.Qh5+ g6 8.Qxe5 Bg7 9.Qd5+ Ke8 10.Qxa8 Black resigned, Wall,B -Dinghy, Internet, 1998

4...Kxf7 5.0-0 h6



6.Nc3 Nd4


Again, I cannot see the attraction of this kind of move. Certainly simple development will keep Black's advantage. (For 6...Nf6 see perrypawnpusher - EAB, blitz FICS, 2010.)

7.Nxe5+ Ke8


If instead 7...Kf6 then 8.Qh5 and if 8...Nxc2 then 9.Qf5+ Ke7 10.Ng6+ Ke8 11.Qxf8 checkmate; or 7...Ke6 8.Ng6.

The text allows mate.

8.Qh5+ Ke7 9.Qf7+ Kd6 10.Nc4+ Kc6

Or 10...Kc5 11.Qd5+ Kb4 12.a3 checkmate






analysis diagram





11.Qd5 checkmate


Friday, January 29, 2010

Counter-counter-attack


When facing the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) Black has a number of strategies that he can follow. Often "counter-attack" is a very good plan. However, as in the following game, such aggression must come only when it cannot be ignored or counter-manded.

perrypawnpusher - andrecoenen
blitz 10 0, FICS, 2010

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



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



7.Qxe5 Nf6


This should probably be called the Carrington variation, after William Carrington who played the move in his second match against Mexican champion Andres Clemente Vazquez in 1876. Vazquez won both matches handily (and all three of his Jerome Gambits).

8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Re8



Black could simply have played 9...Nxe4, regaining a pawn, as 10.Qxe4 loses directly to 10...Re8.

10.d3 d5 11.f3



Two pawns are worth a little inconvenience.

11...dxe4 12.fxe4 Ng4



This is playing with fire, although I am sure that it was tempting to harass White's only developed piece. Safer was 12...Kg8. 

13.Qf3+

It took me a while to understand Fritz8's suggestion of 13.Qg3, made after the game. It anticipates a Black ...Qd8-d6, allowing the Queens to be exchanged on d6 rather than on g3 (the latter would give White doubled isolated pawns). It also prevents ...Qd6-h4.

13...Kg7 14.0-0 Qh4



Black is quick to counter-attack, although I agree with Fritz8's suggestion of 14...Qd4+ 15.Kh1 Be6 16.Bd2 Kg8 17.Bc3 Qd6  when White plays 18.Qg3 Qxg3 19.hxg3. 





analysis diagram






The first player still has his two pawns plus, but his advantage is not as great as with the text.

15.Qf7+ Black resigned



Black will loose a Rook and then be checkmated.

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Swat the fly, but use common sense

Lately I have been given some help in my pledge (see "I am pond scum" and "Haunted by the Jerome Gambit") to stay away from the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) – at least until I can play it without embarassing myself (too much). One recent opponent avoided 3...Bc5 by playing 3...Qf6. (I mated him in 21 moves, but I really appreciated the thought.)

It hasn't been easy.

For example, there is the following game, where my opponent's avoidance of anything Jerome was matched by my unrepressed impatience to make everything Jerome-ish...

perrypawnpusher - tiyiti
Chess.com, 2010

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6

Good: no Jerome Gambit today.

3.Bc4 h6

Don't tease me.

4. O-O f6


5.Nxe5

No, no, no, no, no...

It seems that I can resist anything but temptation.

5...dxe5 6.Qh5+ Kd7



Actually, the Knight sac is playable, as Rybka pointed out after the game: 7.d4 exd4 8.Rd1 Bd6 9.Qg4+ Kc6 10.Qxg7 Ne7 11.Qxf6 Qf8 12.Qxd4 Bc5 and White has a slight edge.






Analysis diagram





7.Qf7+

This is a slip. I had looked at 7...Be7 as a response, when White is clearly better after 8.Qxg7.

What I had missed was 7...Qe7. This move locks up Black's Bishop and Knight, but it does chase away White's Queen, and after 8.Qh5 it is not clear how White is to continue.

It is true that Black's King is stuck in the center, and this will give White chances against it; but if the first player doesn't find something sharp, his trade of a pawn for a piece will turn out poorly.

7...Ne7



Fine. Enough silliness for the day.

8. Qe6+ Ke8 9. Qf7+ Kd7 drawn







Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Back to the Wall

Truth be told, not all of Bill Wall's early efforts involving the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) and Jerome-ish openings saw him on the side of the angels.


Nilsen,E - Wall
Taylorsville, NC, 1978

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Qe2



Without the Knights developed, the idea behind this Queen placement is at least as old as Greco. Here, White will soon transpose into one of the "modern Jerome Gambit" lines, as explored in "Home Cooking" and "Adolf Albin Plays the Jerome Gambit (Part 1)" and (Part 2).

4...Nf6 5.Bxf7+ Kxf7



This position can be reached by the move order 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Qe2 Nf6

6.Qc4+ d5 7.Qxc5 Nxe4



8.Qb5

Or 8.Qe3 Re8 9.0-0 (9.d3 Nf6 10.0-0 Bg4 11.Ng5+ Kg8 12.h3 Bh5 13.f4 h6 14.Nf3 d4 15.Qf2 e4 16.dxe4 Nxe4 17.Qh4 Qxh4 18.Nxh4 Ng3 19.Rf2 White resigned, Mahmoud - Wahls, Novi Sad Ol, (men) 1990) 9...Kg8 10.c4 Nf6 11.cxd5 Nxd5 12.Qe4 Nf6 13.Qa4 e4 14.Ne1 Nd4 15.Nc3 a6 16.Nc2 c5 17.Ne3 Be6 18.Qd1 Bf7 19.Kh1 Bh5 20.f3 exf3 21.gxf3 Qd7 22.Kg2 Re5 23.h4 Rf8 24.d3 Ne8 25.Ng4 Ref5 26.f4 Nf6 27.Nxf6+ R8xf6 28.Qd2 Rg6+ 29.Kf2 Rf8 30.Ke1 Qh3 31.Ne4 Rg2 White resigned, Albin - Schlechter, Trebitsch Memorial Tournament, Vienna 1914.

8...a6 9.Qd3 Nxf2



10.Qc3

White needed to take the piece and allow the fork: 10.Kxf2 e4 11.Qc3 exf3 12.Qxf3+ Kg8 with only a small disadvantage.

10...Nxh1 11.Nxe5+



White's counter, but he has overlooked something.

11...Nxe5 12.Qxe5 Re8  White resigned.







Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Haunted by the Jerome Gambit


Even when I'm supposed to be taking a break from the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) – see "I am pond scum" – I keep wandering into the opening. Even when I can't – the Jerome Gambit haunts my games...

perrypawnpusher - EAB
blitz 10 0, FICS, 2010

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 a6



Maybe he'll play ...Bc5 next move...

4.0-0 h6



Come on, this is teasing...(I'm pretty sure that Bill Wall would sac his Bishop now, anyway.)

5.Nc3  Nf6

Rats.

6.d3 Bc5



Too late?

Actually, my database has 4 games that match the position after 7.Bxf7+ Kxf7 Discouragingly, White won 1 of the games and lost 3.

I resigned myself to an ordinary game.

7.Be3 Qe7 8.Nd5 Nxd5 9.Bxd5


Ach, says the Analyst, Ziss is merely a reaction-formation around zee unconscious wish to play Bxf7!

9...Nb4

Instead, 9...0-0 keeps the game even.

10.Bb3



Vatt? Not 10.Nxe5? Interesting...

10...Bxe3 11.fxe3 Qc5



Black should have castled and kept the game in balance.

12.Bxf7+

That's all I can stands, I can't stands no more... (Okay, Popeye the Sailor Man used to say that.)

12...Kxf7


13.Nxe5+ Ke7

Or 13...Kg8 14.Qh5 for the full Jerome effect.

14.Ng6+ Kd6 15.d4 Qg5



Those almost look like "Jerome pawns" out there.

16.e5+

Virtually irresistible, but 16.Qd2 was even stronger. 

16...Kd5

After the game, Rybka suggested instead 16...Kc6 17.Qe2 d5 18.Nxh8 Kb6 19.Qd2 when Black's King has found some refuge, but White is ahead the exchange and two pawns.

17.Qf3+ Kc4


The tactically skilled Reader is urged to "find the checkmate" in this position.

18.b3+

Find the mate? It was 18.Qe2+ Kd5 19.e4+ Kxd4 20.c3+ Kc5 21.cxb4+ Kxb4 22.a3+ Ka5 23.b4+ Kb6 24.Qf2+ Qe3 25.Qxe3+ Kb5 26.a4+ Kxb4 27.Qd4+ Kb3 28.Rab1+ Kc2 29.Rfc1.

At least that's what Rybka told me after the game.





analysis diagram






18...Kb5 19.c4+ Kb6 20.Nxh8



Okay, I missed the checkmate, but I have two pawns for the exchange and my position is easier to play. 

20...d6 21.exd6 c6



Black's last two moves have not helped him. White does not have to go after the King any more; he has other threats.

22.Nf7 Qg6 23.e4 Bd7



24.Ne5 h5

Mercifully ending the game. 

25.Nxg6 Black resigned