A GM Faces the BSJG: Not Quite (Part 2)

[continued from previous post]

In the previous post, I mused

Last year, on this blog, I had a lot of fun looking at the idea of a Grandmaster playing or facing the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), online or over-the-board... "A GM Faces the Jerome Gambit (Part 1 and Part 2) and "Jerome Gambit: More GMs? (Part 1 and Part 2)"... 

The other day I started wondering: Did any GMs play or face the Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 4.Bxf7+)? That search would be a different kind of task, as the game would have to feature either a rare example of a GM playing the BSG, or, even less likely, a GM playing the BSJG. But my curiosity was piqued... 

A search of The Database did not turn up any games with a player (of either color) rated 2500...

So, I next turned to my ChessBase "Big Database" (almost 6,5000,000 games), and did a search for the starting position of the Blackburne Shilling Gambit, below.

I was shocked to find 12 games where at least one of the players was rated 2500!

Closer examination, however, showed that all of the examples came from the Bird Variation of Ruy Lopez: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nd4 4.Bc4.

Still searching, however, I checked the online ChessBase Live Database, looking for 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 4.Bxf7+ games, and I came upon one with Ian Rogers playing Black.

Ian Rogers! I knew that name: Australian GM! Amazing!

Well, not quite. The game was played in 1975, a few months before Rogers turned 15, five years before he became an International Master, and ten years before he became a Grandmaster.

Let's look at the game, anyhow, as it is quite educational. 

Nater, Carl - Rogers, Ian
Begonia op 09th, Ballarat, 1975

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 

Rogers, the teenager, is feeling frisky. I don't know much about his opponent, Carl Nater (age 35 at the time of the game), but a check on the FIDE website indicates that he had a rating of 1378, so, perhaps Black wished for a quick, trappy win.

Carl Nater, 80, at the 2018 Begonia tournament. He later played at the Victorian Country Championships in 2019. Recent word from GM Rogers is that Nater is still playing chess.

4.Bxf7+ 

This is the earliest game that I have with the Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit, predating - by 20 years - Melao Jr, H. - Danilo, Centro Cultural, 1996: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6 6.c3 Kxe5 7.cxd4+ Kxe4 8.Qh5 Kxd4 9.d3 Bb4+ 10.Nc3 Bxc3+ 11.bxc3+ Kxc3 12.Qc5+ Kxd3 13.Qd5+ Kc3 14.Bd2+ Kb2 15.Qb3+ Kxa1 16.O-O#

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8

The Database has 2,585 games with position, with White scoring 58%.

6.Qh5+ g6

If 6...Ke7, White would have a checkmate in 5, starting with 7.Qf7+.

7.Nxg6 hxg6 8.Qxh8 Nf6 

Nater opted to capture the Rook, instead of the g-pawn (with check), relying on the gain of material. 

Rogers skipped the wild 8...Nxc2+ 9.Kd1 Nxa1 10.Qxg8 Qg5 which might have given him an edge, opting, instead, for reasonable development.

Komodo 10 now sees the position as about even, with Black's piece balancing out White's 3 extra pawns. Black has a lead in development, but his King will be unable to castle.

[to be continued]

A GM Faces the BSJG: Not Quite (Part 1)

Last year, on this blog, I had a lot of fun looking at the idea of a Grandmaster playing or facing the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), online or over-the-board. You might enjoy bouncing back to "A GM Faces the Jerome Gambit (Part 1 and Part 2) and "Jerome Gambit: More GMs? (Part 1 and Part 2)".

In summary, checking The Database, I found some online games with a GM-level player (2500 or above, according to the site's rating scales), but they featured either computers, human players with a lower FIDE rating, or human players whose FIDE rating I could not confirm.

I was left with 2 online games that matched my criteria: ChessCoachUA - PArnaudov, 3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2017 (1-0, 39) and Cliff Hardy - Yasser Quesada Perez, lichess, 1 0, 2019 (0-1, 54).

The other day I started wondering: Did any GMs play or face the Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 4.Bxf7+)? That search would be a different kind of task, as the game would have to feature either a rare example of a GM playing the BSG, or, even less likely, a GM playing the BSJG. But my curiosity was piqued...

A search of The Database did not turn up any games with a player (of either color) rated 2500. In fact, there was only one game with a player rated above 2300 - but it was an interesting enough game. White is rated 2386 on the site. 

ivan767 - SanChess2005
7 2 blitz, lichess.org, 2016

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 

The Blackburne Shilling Gambit.

4.Bxf7+ 

The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.

4...Ke7 

The surprises continue: Black plays the BSG, White "Jerome-izes" it, Black declines the gambit. (SanChess2005 has played this move at least once before, in a frantic 0 minutes, 1 second increment bullet game - see "Faster Than A Speeding Neuron".)

The Database has 755 games with 4...Ke7, with White scoring 70%.

For some thoughts on the BSJG declined, see "Idées Fixes et Manqués".

5.Bc4

White is happy with the pawn he has won, and with the fact that Black will not be able to castle; so he withdraws his Bishop.

5...Ke8

Black unblocks the d8-h4 diagonal, putting the main tactical theme of the Blackburne Shilling Gambit back into play. I have called this a kind of "Jedi mind trick".

6.Nxe5

White relaxes too soon. He could have remained safely a piece up by playing 6.Nxd4 Qh4 (if 6...exd4, 7.Qh5+) 7.Nf3 Qxe4+ 8.Be2. 

6...Qg5 

Compare this position with one in the main line of the BSG:

analysis diagram






7.O-O Qxe5 8.c3 

8...Nb5

Retreating the Knight to c6 would maintain Black's piece-for-two-pawns material advantage, although White would be somewhat better after 9.d4, because of his better pawn center and Black's less safe King.

9.d4 Qe7 10.Bxb5 c6 11.Bc4 b5 12.Bb3 Nf6 13.e5 Nd5 14.Nd2 Qg5 

White is better, but he has some work to do.

15.Ne4 Qg6 16.Re1 Bb7 17.Nd6+ Bxd6 18.exd6+ Kd8 19.Bxd5 cxd5 20.Bf4 Rf8 21.Be5 Qf5

22.a4

White wants to open a line for his Rook, and he is not afraid to offer his f2 pawn.

23...Qxf2+ 23.Kh1 Qxb2 24.Rb1 Qxc3 

All of this moving of the Queen is risky - in fact, White now has a checkmate in 11 moves, although it is hard to find in this complicated position, especially in blitz.

25.Rxb5 

Even stronger was 25.Bxg7, because Black's Rook cannot move.

25...Ba6 26.Rc5 

This saves his Rook but lets much of the energy escape from the position. White should go after the enemy Queen, but by playing 26.Rf1 Re8 27.Rf3, not the text. Once the Black Queen is moved away from covering the e1 square, White's Queen can go there - and then on to h5, with checkmate threats.

26...Qd3 27.Qxd3 Bxd3 28.Bxg7 Rf7 

White is a pawn up.

29.Bh6 Bc4 

Instead, after 29...Rf1+ 30.Rxf1 Bxf1 White will have to work for the point. 

30.Bg5+ Black resigned

It is checkmate in 3 more moves.

[to be continued]

Jerome Gambit: Nothing Very Exciting Happens - Until

In the following game, nothing very exciting happens after the initial sacrifices - until the defender damages his own defenses, at which point the game is over.


Wall, Bill - Guest1735790
PlayChess.com, 2020

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qd5+ Kf8 8.Qxc5+ d6 9.Qe3 Nf6 

The game has reached a routine position that has been seen many times before. White has some standard moves and ideas at his fingertips. Black is objectively better, but he has to assemble a plan.

10.d3 Be6 

This move is okay, but it calls out White's f-pawn.

11.f4 Bf7 12.O-O Qe7 

Likewise, this move is a siren call to White's Knight.

13.Nc3 c6 

14.Bd2 Re8 

With his pieces massed in the center, Black believes that chasing after the a-pawn would be a distraction; yet, his opponent decides to grab it.

15.Qxa7 b5 

This loosens the Queenside a bit. Komodo 10 recommended the routine 15...Kg8 16.Rae1 h6 17.b3 Kh7 with a balanced game.

16.Qb6 Qd7 17.f5 Ne7 

18.Bf4 Nh5 19.Bg5 h6 20.Bd2 Nf6 

Back to where things were. Black can still consider "castling" his King to h7.

21.a4 

Switching the focus to the Queenside. Getting the Rook into the game would allow greater pressure on Black.

21...bxa4 22.Rxa4 

22...g6 

This is a slip, forgetting about the dangers of the f-file.

23.fxg6 Black resigned

White will win material, and he will have an attack on the enemy King.

Jerome Gambit: More Home Remedy

I enjoy the many ways that defenders cope with the Jerome Gambit. Some solutions are quite creative, and open a window into the minds of their creators.

angelcamina - ShadowKnight314
1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2020

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Bxf2+ 

Many Jerome Gambiteers have faced this home brew, including: annicks, blackburne, chessmanjeff, fehim, Gandybh, mrjoker, perrypawnpusher, Petasluk, shugart, Superpippo, UNPREDICTABLE, Wall and ZahariSokolov.

8.Kxf2 Qf6+ 9.Qxf6+ Nxf6 

Black forced the exchange of Queens, taking the energy out of White's brash attack. However, the price is steep: he surrendered a "won" game for one a pawn down. Nonetheless, it can almost be considered a psychological counter-gambit, as White now has to come up with a whole new, quieter, game plan.

It is often easier to play quickly when you are ahead in material, and this becomes a factor in the game.

10.d3 d6 11.Rf1 Kg7 12.b3 Bg4 13.Bb2 Rhf8 14.Kg3 Bd7 15.Nd2 Kg8 

Ooops! The time control is 1 minute, no increment, and this slip is going to make Black's chances shrink further.

16.Rxf6 Rxf6 17.Bxf6 Rf8 18.Bd4 c5 19.Bc3 b5 20.Rf1 Re8 

21.Ba5 b4 22.Bc7 Re6 23.Nc4 Bb5 24.Nxd6 a6 25.Nxb5 axb5 

26.e5 c4 27.dxc4 bxc4 28.bxc4 Rc6 29.Bd6 Rxc4 30.Rf2 Rc3+ 31.Kf4 Rc4+ 32.Ke3 Black lost on time

Jerome Gambit: In Bullet, Almost Everything Is Playable

In the following bullet game - time control of one minute, no increment - Jerome Gambit veteran angelcamina plays a variation that has a brutal refutation; but his opponent does not reply sharply enough. The game dances on a knife's edge, and then White breaks through. It is fascinating to watch the thinking at an extremely rapid rate.

angelcamina - Marlon_Romano
1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2020

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Qe7 

This is Whistler's Defense, which is relatively less complicated, but more dangerous, than Blackburne's Defense (7...d6). The Rook should not now be taken. That being said, the game remains quite complicated.

8.Qxh8 

Wow. angelcamina has been here before, and should know the risks. Maybe he does. Maybe he likes the chaos.

8...Nf6 

Black locks in White's Queen. This is a theme that can be found in Blackburne's Defense; it will be followed by developing Black's light-squared Bishop, attacking the White Queen with the remaining Rook.

Perhaps Marlon_Romano is familiar with Blackburne's Defense to the Jerome Gambit, but he seems less familiar with Whistler's Defense, which requires 8...Qxe4+ to start a ferocious attack on White's King. An earlier example is angelcamina - ssez222, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2018 - yes, even against the virulent counter-attack, angelcamina succeeded.

9.O-O 

White realizes that he needs to safeguard his King, and this move leads to a relatively even game; but he could have combined defense with offense with the move 9.d3. He immediately shows an awareness of this.

9...b6 

Getting ready to uncover the Rook to attack the Queen.

10.e5 Qxe5 11.d4 Bxd4 

Opening the c1-h6 diagonal for the Bishop in an attack that rescues the Queen.

12.c3

A temporary slip. White quickly turns back to attack.

12...Bc5 

Taking the Bishop out of danger, and preparing to reposition it; but, likewise, a slip. 12...Bb7 was the consistent move.

13.Bh6 

Now the game is in balance: 13...Bb7 14.Qg7+ Ke6 15.Nd2 Bf8 16.Qxf8+ Rxf8 17.Rae1 Re8 18.Rxe5+ Kxe5 looks even.

13...Bd6 

The checkmate threat is not enough.

14.Qg7+ Ke6 15.f4 Qc5+ 

White is up the exchange. His attack rolls on.

16.Kh1 Ba6 17.Re1+ Kf5 

18.h3 Qf2 19.g4+ Black resigned

Jerome Gambit: Another Recovered Game

In the previous post (see "Jerome Gambit: His Trap Was Part of My Trap") I noted that I had stumbled over another one of my blitz games that I had not yet posted on this blog. (With over 600 of my games in The Database, that seems quite possible.)

Playing over the game, it is hard to figure out why it did not appear: it is not an embarassing loss - or an interesting win, either. Play simply continues until Black errs, wherupon he resigns. 

perrypawnpusher - lixuanxuan
blitz, FICS, 2014

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

The Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 Bd6 

In the main line Jerome Gambit, retreating the Bishop this way can lead to trouble, but, in the Four Knights variation, Black has protected against annoying Queen checks from d5.

8.dxe5

Back in 2011 - 2013, Philidor1792 experimented with the extravagant 8.f4!? in blitz play, scoring 7 - 2 - 1.

8...Bxe5 9.Bg5 

Often the Bishop goes to g5 in the Jerome Gambit, to put pressure on the enemy Knight, possibly in conjunction with Nc3-d5. Previously, I had played 9.f4 in perrypawnpusher - joseluizlopez, blitz, FICS, 2012 (0-1, 55), and, just recently, I had played 9.Ne2 in perrypawnpusher - AndrewLLL, Italian Game Battlefield, Chess.com, 2020 (1-0, 18).

8...h6 10.Bh4 Qe7 

11.Nd5 Qd6 12.Bxf6 Bxf6 13.O-O c6 14.Nxf6 Qxf6 15.c3 d5

16.exd5 cxd5 17.Qxd5+ Kg6 18.Rad1 Be6 19.Qe4+ Bf5 

White has 2 pawns for his sacrificed piece, but they are on either side of the board, and whatever passers they promise to produce are a long way into the future - if ever.

20.Qe3 h5 21.Qg3+ Bg4 

A strange slip - given that the time control was 14 minutes, no increment, and he had 9 minutes left on the clock - as it allows his Bishop and Queen to be pinned to his King. I chose the Queen

22.Rd6 Black resigned

Jerome Gambit: His Trap Was Part of My Trap

The following game again brings up a topic of concern

I have previously mentioned FIDE Master Dennis Monokroussos' thoughtful website, The Chess Mind, and his down-to-earth query, Is there even a single trap for Black to fall into in the Jerome Gambit?
My response has been

With due respect to Dennis, at the club level the entire Jerome Gambit can be considered a "trap" - especially if we consider psychological aspects. Black must pay attention, even as he treasures his advantages, or they will evaporate. 

My recently-completed game against AndrewLLL, in the third round of the "Italian Game Battlefield" tournament at Chess.com, is an example of the defender setting a nefarious trap, only to discover that his trap was part of my trap...


perrypawnpusher - andrewLLL
Italian Game Battlefield, Chess.com, 2020

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

The Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit. The Database does not contain any games by Alonzo Wheeler Jerome with this line. I have played the line 60 times, scoring 74%.

 5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 Bd6

8.dxe5 Bxe5 

There is definitely something strange about this opening line of play - at least as far as I am concerned.

I recently posted a game where I now played 9.f4 -  perrypawnpusher - joseluizlopez, blitz, FICS, 2012 (0-1, 55) - that I had somehow overlooked posting 8 years ago.

In preparing for this post, I noticed that I had also not posted perrypawnpusher - lixuanxuan, blitz, FICS, 2014 (1-0, 22), where I explored 9.Bg5. I will fix that oversight soon. (The Database has 12 games with the move with White scoring 42%)

9.Ne2

After the suffering at the hands of joseluizlopez (see "Jerome Gambit: Another Historical 'Oversight' "), I made a note to try something that would keep my pawn structure intact. Little did I realize how odd the pawns would become.

9...c6 10.f4 Bc7 11.e5 Nd5 12.O-O Re8 

Black begins to castle-by-hand and is better, having a piece for a pawn.

White focuses on Blacks backward d-pawn, that blocks the light-squared Bishop, which, in turn, hems in the Rook. It is not enough compensation, but it is something to work on.

13.c4 Ne7 14.c5 b6 15.b4 a5 

My pawns are trying to gang up on the enemy d-pawn. If I only had an extra move, I could put my Bishop on b2, and then play a2-a3, with the ability to keep my pawn chain intact. Of course, I can't play 16.a3 directly, as it would fall to the simple 16...axb4. I decided to develop my Bishop and hope for the best.

16.Bb2 axb4 17.Qd4 

The attacking battery along the a1-h8 diagonal has potential. It will take a little cooperation to become dangerous, but it's not chopped liver.

In the meantime, the Queen threatens to capture the pawn at b4.

She also threatens to blunder, which Black notices quickly.

17...bxc5 

Guarding the pawn at b5, and offering the one at c5, instead. Of course, 18.Qxc5? would now be punished by 18...Bb6, pinning and winning the Queen. 

Black had stronger defensive ideas available - after the game, Komodo 10 recommended the consistent 17...Kg8, completing castling and maintaining the advantage - but I suspect that the "Negative halo effect" took hold of AndrewLLL at this point, and he figured, "If this guy is dumb enough to play the Jerome Gambit, he's probably dumb enough to hang his Queen". So he set his trap.

18.e6+ 

Black resigned

I had not worked out the attack completely, but it is clear that Black must now play 18...Kxe6, when, after 19.f5+ Nxf5 20.Qe4+ Kd6 21.Rad1+, the end would be near. After 21...Nd4, the exchange sacrifice is easy to find (the time limit for this game was 3 days per move), and, with 22.Rxd4+ cxd4 23.Qxd4+ Ke6 Black's King will not be long for the world.