A Working Class, Impatient Move

Bobby Fischer played successfully with and against the Sicilian Najdorf variation, referring to 5...a6 as "a high class waiting move."

In contrast, in the Jerome Gambit's (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), Jerome Defense, Black's 7...Bd6 can be considered "a working class, impatient move" – but one that both White and Black should become more familiar with.

perrypawnpusher - LeiCar
blitz FICS, 2010

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8

Alonzo Wheeler Jerome mentioned this move in his 1874 analysis of the Jerome Gambit in the Dubuque Chess Journal. He later successfully played the defense in two correspondence games against Daniel Jaeger in 1880.

7.Qxe5 Bd6

In the updated New Year's Database, White has scored 45% in 243 games with this position.

I like this move. It looks like the kind of "ugly" move that Nimzovich and Tarrasch would have argued about. It's primative, it's raw, it's... hey, what should White do in response??

8.Qf5+

Previously I tried 8.Qc3  as in 8...Nf6 9.d3 Qe7 10.Bg5 h6 11.Bh4 Bc5 12.0-0 d6 13.d4 g5 14.dxc5 gxh4 15.cxd6 Qxd6 16.Nd2 Rg8 17.f4 Bh3 18.Qxh3 Qxd2 19.Rf2 Qd4 20.Qf5 Qxb2 21.Re1 Qb6 22.e5 Rg7 23.exf6 Rf7 24.Re6 Qb1+ 25.Rf1 Qxa2 26.Rfe1 Qb2 27.Qg6 Qd4+ 28.Kh1 Qxf4 29.Re7 Rxe7 30.fxe7, checkmate, perrypawnpusher - Lark, blitz FICS, 2009;

while Bill Wall ground his opponent down with 8.Qa5 Qf6 9.Nc3 Ne7 10.d3 h6 11.0-0 b6 12.Qa4 c6 13.Be3 Bc5 14.e5 Qg6 15.Ne4 d6 16.Nxd6 Bh3 17.Qe4 Qxe4 18.dxe4 Be6 19.Bxc5 bxc5 20.f4 Nc8 21.f5 Bd7 22.Nb7 Ke7 23.Nxc5 Rf8 24.f6+ gxf6 25.exf6+ Rxf6 26.Rxf6 Kxf6 27.Nxd7+ Ke6 28.Nc5+ Ke5 29.Re1 Nd6 30.Nd3+ Kd4 31.e5 Ne4 32.e6 Re8 33.e7 Rxe7 34.Nf2 Re5 35.Nxe4 Rxe4 36.Rxe4+ Kxe4 37.Kf2 Kd4 38.g4 c5 39.Kf3 Ke5 40.h4 a5 41.a4 c4 42.c3 Kf6 43.Ke4 Ke6 44.Kd4 Kf6 45.Kxc4 Ke5 46.b4 axb4 47.cxb4 Kf4 48.b5 Kxg4 49.a5 Kxh4 50.a6 Kg4 51.a7 h5 52.a8Q h4 53.b6, Black resigned, billwall - firewine, Chess.com 2010;

and Pete Banks scored a quick win with 8.Qh5 Nf6 9.Qf3 Kg8 10.d4 Kf7 11.e5 Black resigned, blackburne - Whiterose, ChessWorld, 2004

Deep Rybka, working in IDeA mode in Aquarium, rates a handful of moves about the same, showing a slight preference for 8.Qb5.

8...Qf6 9.Qxf6+ Nxf6

I have been convinced by better players than myself not to fear the Jerome Gambit end game, although I would still like to find a way to keep my Queen on the board.

10.d3

Or 10.Nc3 Be5 11.d3 Bxc3+ 12.bxc3 d6 13.0-0 Kf7 14.f4 Rf8 15.h3 Kg8 16.g4 Bd7 17.Kh2 Rae8 18.Ba3 Ba4 19.Rf2 Nd7 20.Re1 Ne5 21.Ref1 Nf7 22.Kg3 h6 23.h4 c5 24.Re1 b6 25.c4 a6 26.Bb2 b5 27.cxb5 axb5 28.g5 hxg5 29.hxg5 b4 30.Rh1 Nd8 31.f5 Nc6 32.g6 Ne5 33.Bxe5 Rxe5 34.Rfh2 Black resigned, mrjoker - PhlebasP, ICC, 2008.

10...Bc5

Another Jerome Gambit Gemeinde member with 214 games in the New Year's Database (scoring 52% over all) faced, instead, 10...b6 11.0-0 Bb7 12.f4 Bc5+ 13.Kh1 Ke7 14.c3 d5 15.b4 Bd6 16.e5 Bxb4 17.exf6+ Kxf6 18.cxb4 Rhe8 19.Bb2+ Kf7 20.Na3 Re2 21.Be5 Re8 22.d4 c5 23.bxc5 bxc5 24.Nb5 cxd4 25.Nd6+ Kf8 26.Nxe8 Kxe8 27.Bxd4 Ba6 28.Rfe1 Rxe1+ 29.Rxe1+ Kd7 Black resigned, UNPREDICTABLE - dameyune, FICS, 2009.

11.Nc3 Ng4 12.0-0 d6 13.h3 Ne5

Black is working on finding a plan.

14.Bf4 Kf7 15.Nd5 Bb6 16.Nxb6 axb6

17.Be3 Rf8 18.f4 Nc6 19.c3 Kg8 20.d4 Ne7

White is mobilizing his "Jerome Pawns." Black still has the advantage, though.

21.f5 c6 22.Bg5 Rf7 23.Bxe7

A thoughtless move. Instead, 23.g4 was thematic and led to an almost-equal game.

23...Rxe7 24.Rf4 Bd7 25.g4 Rf8 26.Re1

26...g5

Taking a shorter step – 26...g6 – seemed more prudent to me, but Rybka let the text move go by without comment.

27.Rff1 c5 28.e5 dxe5 29.dxe5 Rfe8

The game seems in balance.

30.e6 Bc6

Of course, Black could have returned his piece for the two pawns (30...Bxe6 etc), but LeiCar was looking for more than an equal game.

Unfortunately for him, that was my best offer.

31.f6

As the villains say in many Scooby Doo episodes ...and I would have gotten away with it too, if it weren't for you meddling pawns, er, kids...

31...Rxe6 32.f7+ Kf8

This allows White's pawn to capture, promote and check. The alternative, 32...Kg7, would have allowd Black to capture the passer and would have cost only the exchange, but Black's position would have been poor after 33.Rxe6 Rf8 34.Rf5 Rxf7 35.Rxg5+ Kh8, for example, with 36.Rd6 Re7 37.Rd8+ Be8

analysis diagram






33.fxe8Q+ Kxe8 34.Rxe6+ Black resigned