The Somnambulists

 My opponent and I were obviously up past our bedtimes when we played the following game. It is as if we were sleep-walking... The checkmate that Black falls into is quite a nightmare, however.

perrypawnpusher - robertpthom

blitz, FICS, 2010

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

The Blackburne Shilling Gambit.

4.Bxf7+

The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8

6.Qh5+ g6 7.Nxg6 Nxc2+

Very tempting, but as we have seen before 7...hxg6 8.Qxg6+ Ke7 9.Qg5+ Nf6 10.Qc5+ Kf7 11.Qxd4 d5 is better and leads to equality.

8.Kd1 Nxa1

During the game I knew that this was the wrong move, (8...hxg6 was still best) but I could not clear my head as to why.

9.Nxh8+ Ke7

The updated New Year's Database has 37 games with this position, not counting the current game. White scored 31 wins, 1 draw, and 5 losses – even though the position is White to move and mate in 1.

10.Qf7+

Missing, of course, 10.Qe5 mate. Amazingly, of the above 37 games in the database, only 4 ended with this winning move, including perrypawnpusher - mbranimir, blitz, FICS, 2009. Ouch!

It's not like it's rocket surgery...

10...Kd6 11.Qd5+ Ke7 12.Qxg8

Again, instead, there was 12.Qe5 mate.

Hats off to jtapia, who found the move in his game against jmercado, FICS, 2007. Eight of us did not, although Ronels played 12.Qg5+ Nf6 13.Qe5 mate against sarosha, FICS, 2010. 

White is still better, of course, but as long as the game continues there is opportunity for error.

12...Bh6

This offer to safeguard the King by exchanging Queens eliminates the danger of an early checkmate, but it drops a piece and turns the game into a technical win for White. 

13.Qxd8+

Even stronger was 13.Qxh7+ Ke6 14.d4, but I was comfortable with the Queens off of the board.

13...Kxd8 14.Nf7+ Ke7 15.Nxh6 d6

16.b3 Kf6 17.h3 Be6 18.Ng4+ Kg6 19.Bb2 Nxb3 20.axb3 Bxb3+

Black's connected passed pawns on the Queenside do not make up for being down two Knights.

21.Ke2 Bc4+ 22.d3 Bb5 23.f4 Rf8 24.f5+ Kg5

Black wants his King active, but he compounds his difficulties by walking into a mating net. 

25.Bc1+ Kh4 26.Nc3

This move is, of course, okay, but 26.Bf4 starts a mate-in-eleven. 

26...Bd7 27.Nd5 c6 28.Nf4

Closing the net around the Black King, although 28.g3+ led more directly to checkmate. 

28...d5 29.Kf3 dxe4+ 30.dxe4 b5 31.g3+ Kg5 32.h4 checkmate

The Knucklehead Gambit

After my two-part article on the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) in the United States Chess Federation's Chess Life for Kids (see " 'The Worst Chess Opening Ever' Warning or Menace??") I am writing an article titled "The Knucklehead Gambit", based on what I have learned about the Busch-Gass Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Bc5.

I was pleased to learn that last winter Chess.com held a Busch-Gass Gambit Thematic chess tournament (winner: Karpikicks) and even more pleased that links were given to three posts on this blog that referred to the gambit: "Worth A Second Look... (Part 1)" "(Part 2)" and "(Part 3)". 

To fill out the list, here are several others: "Danke!", "Busch-Gass Gambit" and "Busch-Gass Pass".

Adjudication!?

The other day I was collecting some more Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) and Jerome-ish games from the FICS database when I ran across the following game that raised my eyebrows.


Anon - Anon
blitz, FICS, 2010

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Black wins by adjudication 0-1

By adjudication, huh? I've posted about this before, when it was a problem (see "A Sneaky Way to Defeat the Jerome Gambit") and when it was no longer a problem (see "Fool me once...").

I messaged both players, looking for an explanation.

The player of the Black pieces, the winner of the game, responded. He said that his internet connection had broken, but when he reconnected, his opponent did not accept many requests for continuing the game. It was then that he asked for adjudication and received the point. (After all, from a purely materialistic point of view, White is down a couple of pieces.)

So, it turned out that the player of the White pieces – actually, a member of the Jerome Gambit Gemeinde, with over 20 games in the updated New Year's Database – apparently had brought the loss upon his own head (I have not heard back from him yet).

Not a happy situation, but not as unjust as I had first feared.

graphic by Jeff Bucchino, the Wizard of Draws

One Slip

It is true that the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) has a number of refutations, but it is necessary for Black to chose one and play it. Treating the opening as toothless can lead to unhappy surprises and poor outcomes.

calchess - Baron wd von Blanc
Jerome Gambit Thematic Tournament, ChessWorld, 2010

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nc3 Nf6

Here we see the link betwen the "modern" variations of the Jerome Gambit (those without 5.Nxe5) and the Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit, which reaches the same position from a different move order: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+ Kxf7.

In this game, in "modern" fashion, White does not follow with the usual Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit 6.Nxe5.

6.a3 d5

Thematic and good.

7.exd5 Nxd5 8.Ne4 Bb6

Black is doing well: he has an extra piece and he has the better development. It should take him a couple of moves to castle-by-hand, and then he will be comfortable as well.

Instead, he is lulled by White's calm play, and his next move gives up the advantage.

9.0-0 Bg4

10.Nfg5+ Kg8 11.Qxg4 Nf6

And this "defensive" move loses the game.

12.Qe6+ Kf8 13.Qf7 checkmate

THIS is why I play the Jerome Gambit

The opportunity for an attack on the enemy King is one reason to play the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+). In the following game, it takes only one poor choice, on move 10, for Black to turn the game over to White, and set that attack in motion.

perrypawnpusher - KnightRoyal
blitz, FICS, 2010

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

The Semi-Italian Opening.

4.0-0 Nf6 5.Nc3 Bc5 6.Bxf7+

The Semi-Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.

6...Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ Nxe5 8.d4 Bd6

An interesting defense. More often seen is 8...Bxd4.

9.dxe5 Bxe5 10.f4

This is a risky idea, as Black can respond 10...Bxc3 and the game can become very tricky, as Rybka indicated after the game: 11.bxc3 Qf8!? 12.e5 Qc5+ 13.Kh1 Ne4 14.f5 Kg8 15.f6 Nf2+ 16.Rxf2 Qxf2 17.Qd5+ Kh7 18.Qd3+ g6 19.Bxh6 Qf5 20.Qe3 Kg8 21.Bg7 Rh7 22.Qd4 Rxg7 23.fxg7 when Black has the advantage.

analysis diagram







10...Bxf4

Black returns the piece, but in a way that lets White grab the advantge.

11.Rxf4 Re8

Thinking of counter-attack, but the prudent 11...d6 was essential.

12.Qd5+ Re6 13.e5 c6 14.Qd4 Kg8

15.exf6 gxf6 16.Rg4+ Kh7

Now mate is inevitable, although 16...Kf7 17.Bxh6 did not hold any happiness, either.

17.Qd3+ Kh8 18.Bxh6

A bit faster was 18.Qg6.

18...Re7 19.Qg6 d6 20.Bg7+ Kg8 21.Bxf6+ Black resigned

Tournament Numbers

In the current Jerome Gambit Thematic Tournament at ChessWorld, Daves111 continues to lead the pack with 17 wins out of 18 games, with 6 more games to finish.

In second place is DREWBEAR 63 with 14 wins in 16 games, followed by blackburne with 12 wins in 19 games.

Off the pace, but only because they have completed fewer games, are stampyshortlegs at 7 wins in 10 games and Crusader Rabbit with 6 wins in 10 games.

TWODOGS, at 4 wins in 4 games, and CheckmateKingTwo, with 2 wins in 2 games, continue as dark horses.

So far in this tournament the Jerome Gambit has scored 40% in 89 completed games.

This can be compared with data drawn from the updated New Year's Database, where 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ has scored 44% in 5,628 games. For the record, in the same database the Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 4.Bxf7+, has scored 56% in 2,472 games; and the Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 and 5.Bxf7+ has scored 57% in 3,106 games. 

Confundus!

My first Jerome Gambit with AirmanLeonidas (see "Stupefy!") was unusual enough that I thought another one was in order. When I had the chance, I challenged him.

perrypawnpusher - AirmanLeonidas
blitz, FICS, 2010

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

The Semi-Italian Opening.

4.0-0 Nf6 5.Nc3 Bc5

The Semi-Italian Four Knights Game.

6.Bxf7+

The Semi-Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.

6...Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ Nxe5 8.d4

8...Nf3+

A very creative response, apart from the normal 8...Bxd4 9.Qxd4 d6, and one that I've not seen before. I felt as if I'd been hit by a Confundus spell...

9.gxf3

Going with the "Jerome pawns," but not the best. After the game Rybka suggested: 9.Qxf3, since if 9...Bxd4 White can regain the pawn with 10.Nb5 Be5 11.Qb3+ d5 12.f4 Bd6 13.Nxd6+ Qxd6 14.e5 Qb6+ 15.Qxb6 axb6 16.exf6 gxf6 when Black may have a small edge if he can use his open lines.

analysis diagram






9...Bb4 10.Qd3 Bxc3 11.bxc3

Now I had more centralized pawns to play with.

11...Rf8 12.e5 Nh7

Thoughtless (Confundus!?); better was 12...Ne8. Now Black's game spirals quickly downward.

13.Qxh7 d6

14.Bxh6 Ke8 15.Qxg7

Good enough. Very strong was 15.Rae1

15...Rf7 16.Qg6

Again, good enough. Stronger was 16.Qg8+.

16...Bf5 17.Qg8+ Ke7 18.Bg5+ Black resigned