Of Such Little Things...

Of such little things, it seems, victories are made.

In the following game the players quickly reach a Queenless middle game, with Black holding the extra piece while White has two extra pawns. Both have to decide their strategies - but, in the meantime, a small tactical "pothole" crashes the second player in short order.

Wall, Bill - Guest2651667
PlayChess.com, 2015

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 7.Qxe5
d6 8.Qf4+ Qf6 9.d3 Qxf4 10.Bxf4 Nf6 

Bill Wall, like Philidor 1792 (to name another in the Jerome Gambit Gemeinde) is comfortable playing without Her Majesty.

11.Nc3 

Other games in The Database have seen 11.h3, 11.c3, 11.O-O, and 11.Be3.

11...a6 12.f3 

Bill is not in a hurry - yet. He can afford to see what else his opponent has on his mind.

12...Be6 13.Bg3 g5 14.e5 

Breaking in the center makes sense now that Black has further weakened his King with another pawn move (11...a6, 13...g5). The move also contains a trap that the second player immediately falls into.

14...dxe5

Better was 14...Nd5. 

15.Bxe5 Kf7

It all looks so routine and uneventful, but 15...Be7 was the proper defense. White could then snatch a pawn with 16.Ne4 (i.e. 16...Kg7 17.Nxg5) but Black might still have a small edge.

Now a simple combination decides.

16.Bxf6 Kxf6 17.Ne4+ Black resigned

After 18.Nxc5 White will have recovered his sacrificed piece and be a couple of pawns up; not something Black wanted to continue against.

What's The Problem?

This blog has not been shy about sharing the various "refutations" of the Jerome Gambit. White losses have been presented with Black losses.

The following game features Bill Wall, who has scored 95% with various Jerome variations - facing the Gambit.

Black wins so easily, one has to ask "What's the problem?"


Guest4027007 - Wall,B
PlayChess.com, 2012

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.d3 Nf6 5.Bxf7+

White transposes into one of the "modern" Jerome Gambit variations which does not feature Nxe5+. Recent blog posts have shown Bill winning in this manner.

5...Kxf7 6.Ng5+

This is not the preferred way to continue the attack.

A check of The Database shows that Bill has scored:

8-0 with 6.0-0;
3-0 with 6.Nc3; 
2-0 with 6.Be3; and
0-1 with 6.c3 (looks like a fluke).

6...Kg8 7.0-0

For the record, Guest1053350 - Wall,B, PlayChess.com, 2014 continued 7.c3 h6 8.Qb3+ d5 9.exd5 Na5 10.Qb5 Qxd5 White resigned. 

7...h6 

Black has a piece for a pawn. All he has to do is swap pieces and enjoy a winning endgame. Bill makes it look easy.

8.Nf3 d5 9.Nc3 dxe4 10.Nxe4 Nxe4 11.dxe4 Qxd1 12.Rxd1 Bg4 13.c3 Rf8 14.Rd3 Bxf3 15.Rxf3 Rxf3 16.gxf3 Kf7 17.Be3 Bxe3 18.fxe3 Rd8

See?

19.Rc1 Rd2 20.Rb1 Na5 21.h3 Nc4 22.f4 Rxb2 23.Rxb2 Nxb2 24.f5 Nd1 White resigned

All Over But the Annotations

The following Jerome Gambit game was over so quickly, it only seems fair to continue with some "what if?" annotations - from earlier Bill Wall games.

Wall,B - Guest2892618
PlayChess.com, 2015

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

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

Black needed to either move his King to a safer square - 6...Ke6 - or block the check with 6...Ng6 or 6...g6. 

7.Qf5+ Ke7 8.Qxe5+ Black resigned

Of course, Black could have continued with 8...Kf8 

(Instead, Wall, B - Guest1468523, PlayChess.com, 2013, continued: 8...Kf7 9.Qxc5 d6 10.Qd5+ Ke7 11.0-0 Nf6 12.Qg5 h6 13.Qxg7+ Ke6 14.d4 Black resigned.)

9.Qxc5+ d6 

(Or 9...Ne7 10.0-0 d6 11.Qe3 Be6 12.f4 Qd7 13.f5 Bf7 14.g4 Re8 15.d4 Bc4 16.Rf2 g6 17.Qc3 b5 18.b3 Bf7 19.Bh6+ Kg8 20.d5 Nxf5 21.gxf5 Re5 22.Nd2 gxf5 23.Qg3+ Bg6 24.exf5 Rxf5 25.Rxf5 Qxf5 26.Rf1 Qxc2 27.Rf8 checkmate,  Wall,B - SMNN, FICS, 2013.) 

10.Qb5 c6 

(Or 10...Nf6 11.d3 Bd7 12.Qxb7 h5 13.Nc3 h4 14.Nd5 Nxd5 15.Qxd5 h3 16.gxh3 Rxh3 17.Bg5 Qe8 18.f4 Rb8 19.0-0-0 Be6 20.Qd4 Bxa2 21.Qxa7 Be6 22.Qxc7 g6 23.f5 Black resigned, Wall,B - KSPF, FICS, 2011) 

11.Qc4 Nf6 12.0-0 b5 13.Qxc6 Be6 14.Qxb5 Rc8 15.d3 Rxc2 16.Nc3 Ng4 17.Qa4 Qh4 18.h3 Rxf2 19.Qxa7 Rxf1+ 20.Kxf1 Qf2+ 21.Qxf2+  Black resigned, Wall, Bill - Guest733407, PlayChess.com, 2014.

Never Send A Pawn to Do A Job...

I don't know if anyone ever opined "Never send a pawn to do a job a piece could do..." but the exact opposite is true in the following game. Bill Wall's 11th move improvement over an earlier game he played leads to an even faster win.

Wall,B - FJBS
FICS, 2015

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bb4+

As befits the wackiness of the Jerome Gambit, this idea was seen in a game played 10 years earlier in a Jerome Gambit thematic tournament featuring two double-forfeits.

7.c3 Bxc3+

Bill has also faced 7...Be7 8.dxe5 Nh6 9.Qf3+ Ke6 10.Bxh6 gxh6 11.Qf5 checkmate, Wall,B - ChrSav, FICS, 2010.

An interesting idea: 7...Qh4 instead.

8.Nxc3

Stronger than 8.bxc3, as in HauntedKnight - OneNoTrump
blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 10) and shugart - chingching
blitz, FICS, 2012 (1-0, 25).


8...Ng6 

Or 8...Nc6 9.d5 (9.0-0 Qf6 10.e5 Qg6 11.Qf3+ Ke8 12.Nb5 Kd8 13.Qf8+ Qe8 14.Qxe8+ Kxe8 15.Nxc7+ Ke7 16.Nxa8 Nxd4 17.Bg5+ Ke6 18.Nc7+ Kxe5 19.Rae1+ Kd6 20.Bf4+ Kc6 21.Rc1+ Kb6 22.Nd5+ Kb5 23.Rxc8 Ne6 24.a4+ Kxa4 25.Ra1+ Kb3 26.Be5 Black resigned, Wall,B - Caynaboos, FICS, 2011) 9...Ne5 10.f4 Ng6 11.h4 Nxh4 12.Qh5+ g6 13.Qxh4 Qxh4+ 14.Rxh4 Nf6 15.e5 Ne8 16.Be3 c6 17.0-0-0 d6 18.e6+ Ke7 19.g4 Nf6 20.f5 gxf5 21.gxf5 cxd5 22.Bg5 a6 23.Nxd5+ Kf8 24.Bxf6 Rg8 25.Rxh7 b5 26.Be7+ Ke8 27.Nf6 checkmate, Wall,B - ChessFlower, PlayChess.com, 2012. 

9.0-0 Nf6

9...d6 was AsceticKingK9 - Luke Warm, Jerome Gambit Thematic Tournament, ChessWorld, 2011 (1-0, 16). Beware the "Jerome pawns"!

10.e5 Ne8 11.f4

This addition to the pawn chain is an improvement over 11.Qf3+ (but still: 11...Kg8 12.Qd5+ Kf8 13.Be3 a6 14.Rae1 c6 15.Qb3 d5 16.f4 Kg8 17.f5 Nh4 18.Qc2 g6 19.f6 Be6? (19...Kf7 20.Na4) 20.Bg5 Qb6 21.Bxh4 Qxd4+ 22.Bf2 Qf4 23.Ne2 Qc4 24.Qd2 Qxa2 25.Nd4 Bf5 26.Nxf5 gxf5 27.Qg5+ Kf7 28.e6+ Kf8 29.Bc5+ Nd6 30.Bxd6+ Ke8 31.f7 checkmate, Wall,B - Boris, SparkChess.com 2012) 

11...Rf8

Planning to castle-by-hand.

12.f5 Ne7

For better or worse Black had to continue with 12...Kg8, returning the piece.

13.Qb3+ d5 14.exd6+ Black resigned

White will deliver checkmate in a couple of moves.

One Thing Leads to Another

Good moves often are followed by good moves; questionable moves too often are followed by further questionable moves; as the following Bill Wall game illustrates.

Wall, Bill - Chrissti
PlayChess.com, 2015

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 4.Bxf7+

The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke7 

Compared to the BSJG Declined, most recently discussed in "Bleak Future", e7 is an acceptable place for Black's King once the sacrificed piece has been collected. Even though 5...Ke7 is relatively rare compared to 5...Ke8 and 5...Ke6, the move has received attention on this blog. See "Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit 2" and "My Turn Again" for an introduction.

6.Nc3 Nf6 7.Nf3

Oddly enough, this is the only game in The Database to contain this reasonable move.

7...Nxf3+ 8.Qxf3 d6 9.d4 Bg4 10.Qf4 Bh5 

Bill points out that 10...Be6 was a better retreat. Suddenly Black's game becomes difficult. Blast those "Jerome pawns"!

11.e5 dxe5 12.dxe5 Nd5 13.Qh4+ Nf6

The King retreat 13...Ke8 would cost only one piece; the text costs two.

14.exf6+ gxf6 15.Qxh5 Black resigned

Bleak Future

From "Jedi Mind Tricks"  to "Don't, Here" this blog has questioned the wisdom of declining the Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit. So, when I came across a game by Bill Wall, there wasn't much to say, just share the game with Readers.

Wall, Bill -YNZP
FICS, 2013

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 

The Blackburne Shilling Gambit.

4.Bxf7+

The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.

4...Ke7

Black not only declines the piece, he has his King step in the way of his Queen, preventing, at least for now, her standard BSG sally ...Qg4.

5.Bb3

White simply retires his Bishop. (5.Bxg8 works, too. 5.Nxe5 is needlessly complicating.) He can figure the rest out as the game progresses. Black's future is bleak.

5...Nf6 6.Nxd4 exd4 7. e5 Ne4

Stockfish 6 suggests instead 7...Qe8 8.exf6+ Kd8+ 9.Qe2 Qxe2+ 10.Kxe2 but that is hardly full of joy.

 8.d3 Nxf2

It turns out that the Knight has nowhere safe to go, and it would have to stay on e4 to protect g5 from Bg5+.

9.Qf3 Black resigned

White's threat of checkmate would prompt Black to play 9...d5, but after 10.exd6+ the defender would have the choice of losing his Queen after 10...Qxd6 11.Bg5+ Qf6 (everything else allows a quick mate) or 10...Kd7 11.Qf5+ Kc6 12.Ba4+ and the King will not survive very long.

Led Astray?

When it comes to the Jerome Gambit, Bill Wall may not have seen it all - but he has seen a whole lot of it. So, while it would seem to be a good idea to take him into a side line, finding a place he hasn't been to before can be a bit of a challenge.

Wall, Bill - DYQH
FICS, 2013

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

The Semi-Italian Opening.

4.O-O Bc5 5.Bxf7+

The Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 Bxd4 8.Qxd4 Qf6 9.Be3

Note, 9.f4 allows 9...Nf3+ 10.Rxf3 Qxd4+ winning White's Queen.

9...Nc6

We have come far enough in the game to note that the current game is the only one in The Database to contain this move. Has Black succeeded in leading White astray?

Perhaps not.

There is a game with a similar, alternative move for Black in The Database: 9... Ne7 10. Nc3 Rf8 11. Nb5 c6 12. Nc7 Rb8 13. f4 Nf3+ 14. Rxf3 Qxd4 15. Bxd4 Kg8 16.Bxa7 Black resigned, Wall,B - Foman, Chess.com, 2010. 

10.Qd3 Qxb2

Black's Queen gobbles a poisoned pawn.

11.Nc3 Nb4 

This attack on White's Queen will actually doom the Knight and put Black's Queen at risk. Better was the developing 11...Nf6. 

12.Qc4+ Ke8 13.Rab1 Qxc2 14.Rxb4 Nf6 15.Rc1 Black resigned

Games! We got games!

Along with the game Bill Wall sent (see "Strike First!") recently came the (somewhat abridged) note

Oh, I have all my games up to a few weeks ago on my chess page at http://billwall.phpwebhosting.com/ which may have more Jerome Gambits in it that you may not have seen... It is under the collections column called Bill Wall 1969-2015... Something like 43,800 games so far.

Chess players who enjoy unorthodox chess openings, take note!

In addition, here is a short win by Bill, from about 60 new-to-me games I found in his collection.

Wall, Bill - Kaefer
PlayChess.com, 2013

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+

The Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.

5...Kxf7 6.Qe2 

An favorite line of Bill's, We took a look at this in "Cat-and-Mouse", "Waiting... Pouncing!",  "Something Had to Happen" and "The What?".

6...d6 7.O-O Rf8 8.Qc4+ Be6 

The kind of quick reaction that occurs in blitz, and gets punished, appropriately.

9.Ng5+

Discussed in "Recurring Theme". No doubt played in a nano-second by Bill.

9...Kg6

Or 9...Ke7 10.Qxe6 checkmate, hinders - Devotion, FICS, 2001. hinders played over 30 6.Qe2 games on FICS in 2000 - 2002.

10.Nxe6 

Thinking back upon the post "Wrong Piece - Oh, Never Mind!"  I had to chuckle at the other piece capture, 10.Qxe6. Black should respond with ...Nd4, but, instead played 10...Kxg5 in linders - Lader, FICS, 2000, when the following unfolded 11.d4+ (instead, he had 11.Qf5+ Kh6 12.d4+ g5 13.Qxg5#) 11...Kg6 12.dxc5 Nd4 13. Qh3 dxc5 14. Qg3+ Kf7 15. Qxe5 Re8 16.Nb5? b6? 17.Qg3? Ne2+ White resigned 

10...Bxf2+

Black throws in the towel (and a few pieces). He could have continued to fight, as in an earlier game: 10...Qe7 11.d3 Rfe8 12.Ng5 h6 13.Nf3 Kh7 14.Nh4 Qe6 15.Qb5 Bb6 16.Na4 Nd4 17.Qb4 Nxc2 18.Qd2 Nxa1 19.Qe2 Bd4 20.Qf3 Qg4 21.Qd1 Qxh4 22.g3 Qh3 23.Qf3 Nc2 24.Bd2 Bb6 25.Nc3 Nd4 26.Qd1 Ng4 27.Qxg4 Qxg4 28.h3 Qxh3 29.Nd5 Ne2 checkmate, hinders - Matheusaum, FICS, 2001.

11.Rxf2 Nxe4 12.Nxf8+ Qxf8 13.Qxe4+ Black resigned

Strike First!

Blitz games tend to be less strategic subtleties and more tactical tricks and turns. If you are planning on checkmating someone, it is best to be sure that he can't do the same to you, sooner.


Wall,B - Mydrik,M
PlayChess.com, 2015

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 

Black would like to take a detour into the Two Knights Defense. One way for White to hold out for a Jerome Gambit is now 4.Nc3, planning on meeting 4...Bc5 with 5.Bxf7+. Bill tries something else.

4.0-0

It is worth taking a minute to go back to the post "Jerome Gambit vs Two Knights Defense (Part 4)"

4...Bc5 5.Bxf7+ 

5...Kxf7

White has transposed to a "modern" variation of the Jerome Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.0-0 Nf6. Bill has 11 examples in The Database, all wins. He decides to throw Nxe5+ in, anyhow.

6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 

It is the pawns (White has two extra) vs the pieces (Black, temporarily, has two more), a typical Jerome Gambit imbalance. Bean counters look elsewhere.

7...Nxe4

Black probably would have done better with 7...Bxd4. 

8.Qh5+ Ng6 9.Qd5+ 

Bill stays true to his Jerome Gambit roots and "nudges" the enemy King to the back row. 

9...Kf8 10.dxc5 Nf6 11.Qd4 d5 12.Nc3

12...c6 13.Bg5 Kf7 14.Rae1 Rf8 15.Re2 Kg8 

Black has castled-by-hand, a practical decision in light of White's lead in development. 

16.Rfe1 Bf5 17.f3 Qd7 18.g4 Nxg4 

Black believes his return of the extra piece is exactly what he needs to press the attack. He is almost right here, but the correct move, leading to a complicated position, was 18...Ne4!.

Now White grabs the initiative.

19.fxg4 Bxg4 20.Re7 

This had to come as a surprise.

20...Nxe7 21.Rxe7 

Best for the defense now is 21...Rf7, when, after 22.Rxd7 Rxd7 White would have the advantage of a Queen and Knight against two Rooks and a pawn, but there would be plenty of play left in the game.

Instead, Black threatens mate - and receives it in turn.

21...Qf5 22.Qxg7 checkmate

"Reality" vs "the Book"

Working on the previous blog post, I noticed that the defender (counter-attacker) had played that variation a few years earlier. The game was interesting enough to share, especially since the defender seemed conversant in Jerome Gambit strategies.. Again, however, "reality" outplayed "the book".

iconsisonline - atizzle
blitz, FICS, 2010

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Qh4 

7.O-O

This is stronger than 7.dxc5 of Sutarsa - atizzle, blitz, FICS, 2014 (1-0, 19).

7...Ng4 8.h3 Bd6 9.e5 Bxe5

Following Sorensen - NN, Denmark, 1888, pragmatically returning the extra piece for a pawn (or two). Alternatives:

9...Nxf2 10.Rxf2+ Nf6 11.Rf4 Qg3 12.Rf3 Qg6 13.exd6 cxd6 14.c3 b6 15.Qb3+ Ke7 16.Re3+ Kd8 17.Na3 Bb7 18.Re2 Nh5 19.Nb5 Ng3 20.Rf2 Ne4 21.Re2 Rf8 22.Be3 Ng3 23.Rd2 Qe4 24.Re1 Rf3 25.Bg5+ Black resigned, Darthballz - Leftang, blitz, FICS, 2011; and

9...Nxe5 10.dxe5 Bxe5 11.f4 (11.Qd5+ Kf8 12.Qxe5 d6 13.Bg5 Qxf2+ 14.Rxf2+ Black resigned, ndrwgn - balahap, standard, FICS, 2013) Bd6 12.Qd5+ Kf8 13.Nd2 Nf6 14.Qd3 b6 15.Ne4 Bb7 16.Nxd6 cxd6 17.Qxd6+ Kf7 18.Qd3 Rhe8 19.Bd2 Kg8 20.f5 Nh5 21.Bc3 Nf4 22.Qc4+ Kh8 23.Rxf4 Qh6 24.Rg4 Rg8 25.f6 g6 26.f7+ Rg7 27.Qb4 d5 28.f8Q+ Rxf8 29.Qxf8 checkmate, Darthnik - aufdermaur, blitz, FICS, 2011

Black's best defense seems to be 9... Be7 10.hxg4 d6. 

10.dxe5 N4h6

Sorensen's opponent tried 10...Nxe5, which is playable, if risky, after 11.Qd5+ Kf6. 

11.Nc3 Ne7 12.Re1 Rf8 

Again, Black shows his understanding of the "big issues" in the defense, as he prepares to castle-by-hand.

Unfortunately, the move allows his Queen to be trapped.

White follows up quickly.

13.Re4 Qxe4 14.Nxe4 Kg8 15.Bxh6 gxh6 16.Nf6+ Kh8 17.Qd3 Ng6 18.Qc3 c6 19.Nh5 Rf5 20.e6+ Ne5 21.e7 Black resigned