Monday, January 16, 2023

Lose Never with a Strong Deferred Jerome Gambit! (Part 3)



 Lose Never with a Strong Deferred Jerome Gambit! (Part 3)   

  

(by Yury V. Bukayev) 

 

 

The Part 3 of this my analytical investigation is also about strong deferred Jerome gambit which is important for modern opening theory and for serious practice and which is a part of the Jerome gambit (JG), not relative gambit for it. 

 

At first let’s repeat the following thoughts from the Part 2 (September 22, 2022) of this my research: It shouldn’t mix related (relative) lines for an opening with its deferred ones. Let’s consider the Queen’s gambit. For example, 1.Nf3 d5 2.d4 Nf6 3.c4 is one of deferred types of the Queen’s gambit (we may name it as ‘Nf3Nf6-Queen’s gambit deferred’), 1.d4 e6 2.Nf3 d5 3.c4 is the other deferred type of the Queen’s gambit (we may name it as ‘Nf3e6-Queen’s gambit deferred’) etc. Often we unite them with the “standard line” 1.d4 d5 2.c4 and name each of them as ‘the Queen’s gambit’. In contrast with them, the Catalan opening (for example) is an opening which is related to the Queen’s gambit. We never unite it with the Queen’s gambit, because the plan with Bxc4 after …dxc4 is impossible in the Catalan opening.  

 

Let’s consider the Jerome gambit twice accepted (JGTA) analogously. In the Part 2 of this my research I have written about it: Its “standard line” is 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5, and after 6.Qh5+! or 6.d4 (it’s much less strong move) White gets a sharp play, you know the modern theory of August 2022 from my publications on Rick Kennedy’s blog. If 5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 is played after 4.Nc3 (or 4.d3, or 4.0-0, or 4.c3, or any other “calm” move) 4…a6 (or 4…h6, or certain other moves: 4…a5, 4…b5, 4…Rb8), then the same White’s plans to return a part of gambit material (7.Qh5+ and 7.d4) get no additional obstacles here in comparison with the standard line. That is why 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Nc3 a6 5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 and other above lines are deferred lines of JGTA. Analogously, we may unite them with the standard line of JGTA and name each of them as ‘JGTA. In contrast with them, if Black plays 4…Nf6 (or 4…d6, or any other move which we don’t see above), then 5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 forms only a related line for JGTA, so we may not unite it with JGTA. 

 

But recently I have made a revision of this my view. Thus, if Black plays 4…Nf6, but then White makes his next “calm” move and Black makes the move 5…Nxe4 or another King’s Knight move (excluding 5…Ng4, 5…N[x]d5), then 6.Bxf7+ Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ Nxe5 form also deferred lines of JGTA. Analogously, we may unite them with the standard line of JGTA and name each of them as ‘JGTA’. 

 

Finally, a deferred line of JG is each deferred line of JGTA where the move n.Bxf7+ is made and where the further sequence of moves n…Kxf7 (n+1).Nxe5+ Nxe5 is made or can be made. For example, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 (4.0-0) 4…Nf6 5.0-0 (5.c3) 5…Nxe4! 6.Bxf7+AN is one of deferred lines of JG. Thus, after 6…Kxf7 7.Nxe5 (7.d4!?, 7.Qb3+!?) 7…Nxe5!? White can play 8.d4, 8.Qh5+, 8.Qb3+, for example: 8.Qh5+ Ng6!? 9.Qd5+ with 10.Qxe4. If you want to get it as White, then your opponent can’t prevent it. But this gambit’s force doesn’t let me say: “Lose never with it”  

 

Is it possible to get a deferred line of JG where Black and White make no bad moves in the whole game, where the moves n.Bxf7+ and “n…Kf8” can’t lose certainly, where an interest for important modern opening theory and for serious practice is VERY large? I have invented such new gambit, let’s consider it. 

 

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 (4.0-0) 4…Nf6 5.0-0 (5.c3) 5…Nxe4! 6.b4 AN Nxf2!? 7.Bxf7+!?. First of all, I should say that, it maybe (it depends on analysis), 6…Nxf2 is a gambit (and certainly 5.0-0 is a gambit, but it plays no role here), so 7.Bxf7+ is a counter-gambit in this case, but we know that the term “gambit” includes also counter-gambits, in fact. Further, I don’t like 5.0-0, but I think, this move is enough playable. Further, I should say that 6…d5!! also leads to a complicated fight, and it will be quite difficult for Black to choose his 6th move in practice.  

 

After 6…Nxf2!? the move 7.Bxf7+!? is White’s natural choice. Let’s consider alternatives in brief: 

 

I)7.Qb3 Nh3+! 8.Kh1 Nf2+ 9.Kg1 [9.Rxf2? Bxf2 10.Bxf7+ Kf8, and Black has a winning advantage] 9…Nh3+, ½ - ½  

 

II)7.Qe2 Nh3+! 8.Kh1 Nf2+ 9.Rxf2 [9.Kg1 Nh3+] 9…Bxf2 10.Qxf2 Qf6 with a complicated fight  

 

III)7.Rxf2 Bxf2+ 8.Kxf2 e4!? 9.Qe2 [9.Ne1 d5!, and Black stands slightly better; 9…Qf6+ 10.Kg1 Nxb4? 11.cxb4! Qxa1 12.Nc3! d5! 13.Nc2!?, and White has a large advantage]  

 

A)9…Qe7 10.Ne1, and Black stands slightly better 

 

B)9…d5! 10.Bb5 0-0! 11.Ne1 Qf6+! 12.Kg1 Nxb4. Black has a very large advantage and one extra pawn again.  

 

Let’s consider 7.Bxf7+ now: 

 

IV)7.Bxf7+ 

 

A)7…Kxf7 8.Qb3+ [Thus, opponents can play 8.Nxe5+ Nxe5, but White plays much stronger instead. Do we have the Jerome pseudogambit? Let’s answer this question after looking at the following continuation.] 8Ke8 9.bxc5 (9.d4!?, so White can regain a piece not only by the direct way) Ng4 [or 9…Ne4] with a very sharp fight, where White attacks and has enough large compensation for the material in both cases. Thus, do we have the Jerome pseudogambit? If we start to look since 7.Bxf7+ only, then yes. If we start to look since 5.0-0 and consider 5.0-0 Nxe4 6.b4 Nxf2 7.Bxf7+ as the whole system, then we may consider it as the true gambit – the (‘complex’) Jerome gambit. We can name it as ‘the Great complex Jerome gambit, 7…Kxf7 – accepted gambit, 7…Kf8 and 7…Ke7 – declined gambit.     

 

B)7…Kf8! [It’s a very strong Jerome gambit declined, we can name it also as ‘the War’s Stop Great variation’ according to the result in the point “B2” below.]  

 

B1)8.Qb3 Nh3+ [8…Bb6!?], and White can’t win 

 

B2)8.Qe2! [8.Rxf2?? Bxf2+, and Black wins] 8…Nh3+! 9.Kh1 Nf2+ 10.Kg1 Nh3+, ½ - ½  

 

Once again, the Jerome gambit (JG) isn’t 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ only, it is also a large family of deferred gambits which are the parts of JG. And its above new part is, probably, the JG which is the most important for practice: the probability of Black’s move 6…Nxf2 in practice is enough high.  

 

Thus, this research is a start of the new era of JG and of JG declined in chess opening theory and practice! 

  

 

Note: Author’s theoretical novelties-moves are marked by the symbol “AN”. 

 

 

Contact the author:  istinayubukayev@yandex.ru  

 

 

© 2023 Yury V. Bukayev (Copyright © Bukayev Yury Vyacheslavovich 2023). All rights reserved.  

[A legal using of this investigation with a reference to it is permitted  

and doesn’t require author’s consent.] 

 

 

Sunday, January 15, 2023

Jerome Gambit: I Should Have Stood In Bed



Reflecting on an unfortunate day, boxing manager Joe Jacobs got it about right when he said "I should have stood in bed".

Nobody could blame the first player in the following game for feeling the same way. 

(By the way, both players are rated over 2500 at the online playing site.)


Jzs2003 - Revan_2002

3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2022


1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 

7.O-O

Pausing to reflect? Moving too quickly (blitz game)?

This move is a novelty, according to The Database. Of course, 7.Qxe5 was the standard choice.

7...d6 

At this point warnings should be going off in White's camp, similar to this clip from the 1960s TV show "Lost in Space"

8.Kh1

White calmly prepares to play f2-f4 by unpinning the pawn.

8...Bg4 White resigned


The wayward Queen is trapped.

It is no consolation to realize that to retreat a move earlier with 8.Qd1 would not have saved Her Majesty, e.g. 8...Bg4 and the consistent 9.Qe1 would allow checkmate 9...Nf3+ 10.Kh1 Qh4 11.h3 Bxh3 12.gxf3 Bg4+ 13.Kg2 Bh3+ 14.Kg1 Qg3+ 15.Kh1 Qg2# .

While I am a bit suprised that we have not seen 7.O-O before, I suspect that after this game we may not see it again.


Saturday, January 14, 2023

Jerome Gambit: Familiar?

 


As I was playing over the moves in a pretty cool Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game highlighted in the YouTube video "Mating Attack!How to destroy it in The Brutal Jerome Gambit ! Crush your opponent and win The game!" by chessmastervijay it somehow felt familiar to me. 

That seemed kind of silly. After all, there are over 3,900 posts on this blog, and over 81,000 games in The Database. Familiar?

The names of the players were not given in the video, so that did not provide any clue.

I could have emailed chessmastervijay and asked, but I didn't want to bother him unless it was completely necessary.

After some digging I turned up the computer vs computer game Stockfish - Cramlingbot (1-0, 19), presented in the post "Jerome Gambit: Quick Checkmate", a couple of months ago. (No wonder it seemed familiar.)

Like I said, pretty cool game.


Friday, January 13, 2023

Jerome Gambit: What Is This Garbage?




Here is a link to a Jerome Gambit video by International Master Eric Rosen titled "Jerome Gambit Gone Wrong (kind of)". 

About a year and a half ago ("Jerome Gambit: Recent Videos") I posted the link, but without the title of the video, just the url.

By the way, "Jerome Gambit: What Is This Garbage?" is also the name of a light-hearted post from little over a year ago.

And if you search this blog for other examples of the word "garbage" you are likely to run into the post "Jerome Gambit: First There Is The Confusion Factor" which has this sage reflection
I am reading IM Sam Collins' Gambit Busters (Everyman Chess, 2010) with a know-your-enemy focus, and enjoyed the following, from the chapter "Escaping the Defensive Mindset"
It is well known that club players, typically, go to pieces when confronted by a gambit. Of course, for every player there are some gambit lines which they know, and perhaps their theoretical knowledge will suffice to get them to a safe position. But this won't be the case when they are confronted by an established gambit they don't know, an unusual or forgotten gambit, or where their opponent deviates from theory.  
To my mind, gambits are the situations where there is the single biggest gap between passively looking at a position at home, and facing something over the board. Skimming over an opening variation with a cup of tea, maybe Rybka muttering in the background, it all looks so straightforward - an "=" symbol (or something even more favourable), a bunch of crisp responses demonstrating the intellectual failure of our opponent's adventure. 
But at the board, things are rather different. First, there is the confusion factor...

Thursday, January 12, 2023

Jerome Gambit: Technical vs Tactical Win

 


Recently I received a note and a Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game.

Hello Rick,

I'm not a very good chess player (rating around 750) but I stumbled on the Jerome Gambit, and your website. I tried playing it in this game and managed to get my opponent to resign
I think that my correspondent was a bit modest in his assessment of his play. What do you think?

gatherercryptic - farapoker
10 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2023

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


4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 


7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qf4+ Nf6 9.O-O d5 


Black has the right idea: if now 10.exd5 then 10...Qxd5 would be good for him. 

However, as White shows, this is the first of a couple of oversights by the defender.

10.e5

The pawn advances, taking advantage of the pin on the Knight.

10...Bd6 

A delightful mistake. Black worries about the enemy pawn capturing his Knight, so he pins it.

11.exd6 

This kind of thing happens in blitz chess.

11...Qxd6 12.Qxd6+ cxd6 


White now faces a different kind of challenge.

He was ready for the wild sacrificial attacking play that often comes with the Jerome Gambit, but now he is faced with "only" an extra pawn, a safer King, and enemy doubled isolated pawns which might become targets.

13.d4 Bf5 14.Nc3 

Focusing on development. The c2 pawn is no big deal.

14...Bxc2 15.Bf4 Rd8 16.Rfe1 Kf7 17.Rac1 Be4 


18.f3 Bf5 19.Nb5 Rhe8 


A slip. Instead, the uncomfortable 19...Ne8, protecting the d-pawn but blocking the Rook at h8, was necessary, even though it allows 20.Nxa7.

Possibly Black was expecting now 20.Rxe8 Nxe8 when his defense
would be a bit easier.

20.Nxd6+ Rxd6 21.Bxd6 Rxe1+ 22.Rxe1 Black resigned


White is the exchange and a pawn ahead. The win will be a "technical" one rather than a "tactical" one, but Black seems assured that he will find it.

Wednesday, January 11, 2023

Jerome Gambit: Watch Out


An active Queen. A castled King. The enemy Queen at f6, her Knight on e5.

We have seen this before. Watch out.


pablosko - DrDibalsparo

5 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2021

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bxd4 7.Qxd4 d6 

8.Bf4 Qf6 

What is the threat? Watch out.

9.g3 Nf3+ White resigned




Tuesday, January 10, 2023

Jerome Gambit: It's the Little Things


In the following game it is fun to watch Bill's Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ ) advance bit-by-bit, as he takes advantage of the little things that add up to a win.


Wall, Bill - Orion

internet, 2022

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 


The Database has 5,504 games with this position. White scores 56%.

For comparison sake, Stockfish 15 at 30 ply assesses the best responses for Black to be, in order of strength 6...Ke6, 6...Kf8, 6...g6, and then 6...Ng6. All lead to advantage for Black.

One reason for 6...Ng6 lagging behind in the rankings is that it allows White to capture Black's Bishop at c5 - a piece that can cause trouble, starting with a pin on White's f-pawn.

7.Qd5+ Kf8 8. Qxc5+ N8e7 

9.O-O d6 10.Qe3 

Bill has also tried 10.Qc4. See Wall,B - Guesty1960624, PlayChess.com, 2013 (1-0, 30). 

10...Be6 

Black pursues development. The difficulty with this move is that it encourages White to play a move he already wants to play and plans on playing - but one which forces Black to reconsider the placement of this Bishop (because of a possible pawn fork).

11.f4 Bf7 12. d4 Qd7 

Black looks ready to answer an f-pawn advance by giving a Knight back. He might have tried returning a pawn, instead, with 12...c5 13.dxc5 dxc5 14.Qxc5 Rc8 15.Qf2 Kg8 and White's advantage would be small.  

13.f5 Nh4 

A Knight on the rim is dim. 

14.Nc3 h6 15.h3 b6 16.Qf2 g5 

17.g3 Nhxf5 18.exf5 Bc4 19.Ne2 


19...Kg7 

Okay, this is no longer a little thing. It is a big thing.

A better continuation: 19...Re8 20.b3 Bxe2 21.Qxe2 Rh7 22.Bd2 Ng8 23.Qf3 Rhe7 24.Rfe1 Rxe1+ 25.Rxe1 Nf6 26.g4 Rxe1+ 27.Bxe1 Qe8 and White's advantage has been kept in check.

20.f6+ Kh7 21.fxe7 

Reasonable follow through.

Stockfish 15 surprised me with the suggestion 21.b3, with things playing out  21...Bd5 22.c4 when Black has too much material hanging.

21...Qxe7 22.Re1 Rhf8 

23.Nc3 Qd7 24.Qg2 Rae8 25.Bd2 b5 26.Rxe8 Rxe8 27.b3 Bf7


White has the extra piece.

 28.Rf1 Bg6 29.Nd5 Be4 

Overlooking the fact that the Knight fork will come with check.

30.Nf6+


 
Forking King, Queen, Rook and Bishop!

30...Kg7 31.Nxe4 Black resigned