This is my yacht, ‘The Jerome Gambit’ (St Jerome is the patron saint of lost causes.)
I have recently crewed it with little ducks. (see the blog about the Duck getting married.)
It sails on a regular basis on a large boating pond in Edinburgh.
It was made in 1927 the same year Alekhine beat Capablanca and for a while I did
consider calling it ‘Alekhine.’ I bought it at a car boot sale for £5.00 from an elderly
gentleman who said it was his when he was a boy. It was a right tangled up mess
when I got it but I have restored it and kept my promise to the old lad that I’d sail it.
Pauliewalnuts - Welshman RHP 2021
(in case you have not guessed it, Black took the Queen.)
FEN
N6r/4kpbp/2Qpn1p1/2p5/2P2p1P/8/PPKB1q2/4RB2 b - - 0 26
[FEN "N6r/4kpbp/2Qpn1p1/2p5/2P2p1P/8/PPKB1q2/4RB2 b - - 0 26"] 26... Kf6 {Black unpins the e6 Knight and now threatens Nd4+} 27. Nb6 {Best here was to play Kc1 unpinning the d2 Bishop.} 27... Nd4+ {The Knight Fork Black was playing for.} 28. Kc1 {Now Qxe1+ and then Nxc6 and Black is doing OK.} 28... Nxc6 {Understandable, here comes a checkmate pattern you do not see everyday.} 29. Nd5+ {Nd7+ comes to the same finish.} 29... Kf5 30. Bh3 {Checkmate.}
White to play.
1.Nh5+ Rxh5 2.Rxg6+ Kxg6 3.Re6 mate.
I wondered what Red Hot Pawn goodies would appear with a search on
Rook takes Knight check and then a Rook giving mate all in three moves.
This tried and trusted method is what I have using since I started this blog
back in 2010. Since then I have come across and rescued from obscurity
some really amazing games. (though what amazes me and brings others to
tears is a matter of conjecture.) The second game after the above search,
jezy - Andrew Diniz makes it all worthwhile, but first we shall look at...
Alekhines Knight RHP - oishi RHP 2007
FEN
1r3r1k/2q2ppn/p7/1pp1PN1Q/8/P5P1/1P3PK1/3RR3 w - - 0 1
[FEN "1r3r1k/2q2ppn/p7/1pp1PN1Q/8/P5P1/1P3PK1/3RR3 w - - 0 1"]
1. Rh1 {Black saw this coming and relied on this defence...} 1... Qc6+ 2. f3 Qg6 {Here white could played 3.Qxh7+ Qxh7 4.Rxh7+ Kxh7 5.Rh1+ and mate in 3 moves.} 3. Qxg6 {With this Black would have thought the attack was over.} 3... fxg6 4. Ne7 {Cutting off the Black King's flight squares.} 4... Rfe8 {4...Rf5 5.Nxg6+ Kg8 6. Ne7+ and Nxf5 wins a whole Rook.} 5. Rxh7+ Kxh7 6. Rh1 {Checkmate.}
And next we have this pearl of creativity. I often get a message saying how much
people enjoy this blog. I have to tell you the pleasure is all mine. I love this place.
Black speculates with a Knight sac but gets carried away chasing a pretty variation
which results in Black losing their Queen. This of course is a mere flesh wound to an
Red Hot Pawn player. White trying to chop wood in a won position walks into a mate.
There are a lot RHP games that have gone this way. This one is quite pleasing.
jezy - Andrew Diniz RHP 2006
FEN
2krr3/pppq1ppp/2nb1n2/3pp3/6P1/2PPPQ1P/PP1N1PB1/R1B2RK1 w - - 0 11
[FEN "2krr3/pppq1ppp/2nb1n2/3pp3/6P1/2PPPQ1P/PP1N1PB1/R1B2RK1 w - - 0 11"] 11. g5 {Black kicks it off by leaving the f6 Knight under attack.} 11... Rg8 {Hoping to create a mating attack down the open g-file.} 12. h4 {White could have taken the Knight though it does look risky.} 12... e4 {White now goes into full retreat. there is nothing wrong with dxe4.} 13. Qe2 Ne5 14. d4 Ng6 {White decides now it is safe to take the f6 Knight...} 15. gxf6 Nxh4 {...and Black has the making of a serious kingside attack.} 16. f4 gxf6 17. Rf2 {Black can now play Qh3 with Bxf4 and e4-e3 ideas.} 17... Rg3 {Plan A was always going to be to double Rooks on the open g-file.} 18. Nf1 Nf3+ {This looked so tempting but there is a slight flaw.} 19. Kh1 {It is a pity Qh3 + Bxh3 is also a check. That is a cute mate with Rg1.} 19... Qh3+ {OOPS! Black has missed the Queen sac is a check.} 20. Bxh3+ {If this was not a check then Rg1 mate....but it's a check.} 20... Rxh3+ 21. Nh2 {Now what? Back to Plan A.} 21... Rg8 {White is easily winning this. All they have to do is hold the g1 square. Bd2.} 22. Rg2 {OOPS! It’s White's turn to blunder.} 22... Rxh2+ 23. Rxh2 {Only move.} 23... Rg1# {Checkmate. Wonderful.}
Last blog we were looking at Anand - Mamedyarov 2022 when Anand
left the Queen sac Qxf3+ and Nh4 checkmate on the board and resigned
before Mamedyarov could play it. Here is a reminder of the position
I was looking for and found some RHP examples with the same idea.
I also did a mirror search (Black playing QxNf6+) and found this one.
PXPEP - KellyJay RHP 2014 (White to play)
It contains an instructive moment concerning gaining an important tempo
FEN
4q3/p5kr/1p2pnp1/3pNpQ1/3P1P2/1P2P3/P1PK4/7R w - - 0 35
[FEN "4q3/p5kr/1p2pnp1/3pNpQ1/3P1P2/1P2P3/P1PK4/7R w - - 0 35"]
35. Qxf6+ Kxf6 36. Rxh7 {The Hook Mate (Rf7) means the Black Queen cannot stray from holding f7.} 36... g5 37. Rxa7 {This move hoping to create an outside passed pawn should have drawn.} 37... g4 38. Rf7+ Qxf7 39. Nxf7 Kxf7 40. c4 dxc4 41. bxc4 Ke7 {And because White allowed Black a passed g-pawn this is drawn.} 42. Ke2 Kd6 43. Kf2 Kc6 44. Kg3 b5 45. c5 b4 46. e4 Kb5 47. exf5 exf5 {The White King cannot help the c-pawn it has to hold the g-pawn.} 48. Kf2 {Black now blundered with Kc4 when. Kc6 would hold the draw.} 48... Kc4 49. c6 {The c-pawn cannot be caught.}
Now we see how White could have won it legitimately. He buys an important tempo.
PXPEP - KellyJay RHP 2014 (part 2)
FEN
4q3/p5kr/1p2pnp1/3pNpQ1/3P1P2/1P2P3/P1PK4/7R w - - 0 1
[FEN "4q3/p5kr/1p2pnp1/3pNpQ1/3P1P2/1P2P3/P1PK4/7R w - - 0 1"]
1. Qxf6+ Kxf6 2. Rxh7 g5 {Now not Rxa7 as in the game but...} 3. Rf7+ Qxf7 {Only move.} 4. fxg5+ {An important tempo gainer.} 4... Kg7 5. Nxf7 Kxf7 {If White never played 4.fxg5+ it would be Black's move here.} 6. c4 {White will create two passed pawns. The Black King cannot both catch of them.} 6... dxc4 {It does not matter what Black tries here, all move lose.} 7. bxc4 {And you can see that a new passed pawn is going to appear after White plays c5.} 7... Ke7 8. c5 Kd7 9. g6 bxc5 10. dxc5 {One of the pawns will promote.}
And of course I cannot mention the Jerome Gambit without showing one.
zapiroimihai - DeltaSquare RHP 2018
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 {White has developed so attack.} 4. Bxf7+ Kxf7 5. Nxe5+ Nxe5 6. Qh5+ {6.Ng6 is OK but players love hanging onto material.} 6... Ke6 7. Qf5+ Kd6 8. Nc3 Qf6 9. Qh5 Qxf2+ {Black has a stonking attack and is still two pieces up.} 10. Kd1 Nf6 11. Qg5 g6 {Played to swap off the Queens.} 12. Ne2 h6 13. Qg3 {Only move, this why Black played 12...h6.} 13... Nxe4 {But Black does not swap the Queens.} 14. Qb3 Rf8 {Threatening Qf1+ and mate next move.} 15. c3 {Luft.} 15... Nd3 16. c4 Qxg2 {Black is totally relaxed and throws away a piece but no harm done.} 17. Qxd3+ Kc6 18. Qd5+ Kb6 {19.b4 would win another piece but Black would still be winning.} 19. Nd4 Qxh1+ 20. Kc2 {Now 20...c6 and it's nearly over.} 20... Bxd4 {OOPS!} 21. Qb5 {Checkmate.}
