Jerome Gambit: Descent Into Rubble

The latest game from Cliff Hardy is a wild affair, concluding with a mad dash to the finish line - er, time control. 

In a 1-minute, no increment, bullet game, you can win, even if your opponent has a forced checkmate - if his flag falls. Just another reason for an opponent to hate the Jerome Gambit.  

I have added some diagrams and a comment or two, in blue; otherwise, the notes are by Cliff. 

Here is a bullet Jerome Gambit game I played today, which most certainly has several errors in it!

Cliff Hardy (2400) - NN (2391)
1 0, Lichess, 2019

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 

7.Qxe5 Qe7 8.Qf4+

I successfully remembered that taking the rook here is inferior (I think!).

Black is playing Whistler's Defense with 6...g6 and 7...Qe7. Taking the Rook at h8 is complicated, but "theoretically" dangerous for White, although The Database shows a score of over 50% in about 50 games. Check out the earlier post, "Bop!" - Rick

8...Kg7 9.d3 Nf6 10.0-0 Rf8 

Black has effectively castled-by-hand. Given enough time, he will continue to figure things out. Unfortunately, he will not have enough time. - Rick

11.Nc3 d6?!

Stockfish prefers the hard-to-see 11...d5! -++ e.g. 12.exd5?/e5? Ng4! 13.Qg5 Bxf2+.

12.Qh4 Bd4? =+

Missing White's threat - 12...h5 13.Na4 -++ would still have been strong for Black.

13.Bh6+ Kg8 14.Bxf8 Qxf8 15.Kh1 Be6?! =

The perennial inaccuracy for Black in the Jerome Gambit - this bishop move tends to run headlong into White's pawn push f2-f4-f5. Better would have been 15...Qg7 16. f4 Bd7, with a slight advantage for Black. 

16.f4 Re8 17.Nd1? =+

17.Ne2 would have been better, though I had missed that 17...Bxb2? could then have been met by 18.Rab1.

17...Ng4 18.h3 Ne3 19.Nxe3 Bxe3 20.Rf3 Bd4 

21.c3 Bg7 22.Raf1 Qe7??

22...Qf6 23.Qf2 =+

23.Qg3??

Missing the typical Jerome Gambit tactic of utilising the f-pawn with 23.Qxe7 Rxe7 24.f5 gxf5 25.exf5 Bxa2 26.f6! ++-, forking the rook and bishop.

23...Bxa2 24.f5 Bf7??

The Jerome Gambit f-pawn strikes again! Blockading it with 24...gxf5 25.exf5 Qf6 would have left Black with a clear advantage.

25.f6 Bxf6 26.Rxf6 Be6 

27.Qf4 Kg7 28.Qf2 Bg8?

The interference tactic 28...Bf5! would have been better here, though after 29.Rxf5 gxf5 30.exf5 Rf8 31.Qxa7, White would still have had a winning advantage.

29.Rf3 Qe5 30.Qxa7 Qb5 

31.Qd4+ Kh6 32.Qf6 Re5 

33.Qh4+ Kg7 34.Qf6+ Kh6 35.Rf4 Rh5? 

36.Rh4?

Black made the mistake of allowing White to mate in 2 moves with 36.Qf8+ Kg5 37.Rg4 (which White obviously missed!), though Black's position was lost in any case.

 36...Rxh4 37.Qf8+?

The game now descends into rubble. With White having 2.4 seconds left on the clock and Black having double that (exactly 4.8 seconds left), we both started to throw down any move we could think of! Clearly, 37.Qxh4+ would have been a much better move to play (though even after 37.Qf8+?, White still has a winning position).

37...Kg5 38.Qf3 Rg4?? 39.Qg3?? Rxg3 40.Kh2 Qe5 41.Rf5+ and White cheekily won on time.

Jerome Gambit: Across the Board

The following Jerome Gambit game features play alternating different sides of the board. It is a long journey for White - but he comes out ahead, in the end, when Black can not keep up (the story of many defenders). 

Wall, Bill - GuestYKQX
FICS, 2019

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

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

Bill has had this position about 80 times.

8.Nc3 Nf6 9.Bg5 Re8 10.O-O-O Kg8 

Black has castled-by-hand, Kingside. White's King has castled Queenside. This dynamic will play out.

11.f4 Nc6 12.Qa4 

Her Majesty has ideas about how she can influence the enemy King, from afar. Also, there may be a b-pawn available, soon. According to The Database, this is a new move.

12...Qe7 13.Nd5 Qf7 14.Bxf6 gxf6 15.Qb3 Be6 

The eternal question arises in the Jerome Gambit as well: Does one who grabs the b-pawn sleep in the gutter? Bill decides to find out.

16.Qxb7 Bxd5 17.exd5 Ne7 18.Rhe1 Rec8 

White has 2 pawns for his sacrificed piece, but he still has a lot of work to do.

19.Qb3 Nf5 20.Qd3 Ng7 21.g4 

Back to the Kingside.

21...Re8 22.Rg1 Re7 23.h4 Rae8 24.h5 Re3 

Black's dynamic counterplay keeps him better - for now.

25.Qa6 f5 26.h6 fxg4

Opening lines against your own King can not be wise.

27.Rxg4 Qf8 

A slip. Time?

28.Rxg7+ Kh8 29.Qxa7 Qxf4 30.Kb1 Re1 31.Rg1 Rxd1+ 32.Rxd1 Qxh6 33.a4 

The a-pawn advances. It has an advantage over Black's h-pawn, which is blocked, for now.

Also, Black's King is vulnerable. Ultimately, that makes the difference.

33...Rc8 34.a5 Qh5 35.Qd4+ Kg8 36.Rg1+ Kf8 37.Qg7+ Ke8 38.Qg8+ Kd7 39.Rg7+ Black resigned

Jerome Gambit: Knight Errant

The Jerome Gambit is most known for the Bishop sacrificed at f7, and the active role the Queen plays. In the following game, however, a Knight stars. At first it seems to be making a transparent threat, but it quickly overwhelms the defender's game.

Wall, Bill - Anonymous
lichess.org, 2019

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

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

8.O-O Nf6 9.Bf4 Qe7 10. f3 Rf8 11. Nc3 Kg8 

Black has castled-by-hand. He has the advantage in this middlegame, but he must make good use of his opportunities.

12.Rad1 Nc6 13.Qd2 a6 14.Rfe1 Qf7 15.b3 Ne7 16.Ne2 Ng6 17.Be3 Nd7 18.c4 Nde5 

White has developed quickly and has strong pressure on the pawn at d6. He will be able to take over the game, if his opponent slips. He starts with the "Jerome pawns".

19.f4 Nc6 20.f5 Nge5 21.Nf4 Ng4 22.Nd5 Nxe3 23.Rxe3 Ne5

24.Rg3 Kh8 25.c5 dxc5 26.Qc3 Nd7 27.Nxc7 

White's Knight threatens the Rook at a8 - and even more. Black should counter with 27...Nf6!?, with his own threat to win the exchange (after ...Nxe4), but he underestimates the danger and replies routinely.

27...Rb8 28.Ne6

The Knight threatens the Rook at f8, the pawn at g7 - and even more.

28...Rg8 29.Ng5 Qe7 30.Nxh7 Re8 

Of course, if 30...Kxh7, then 31.Rh3+ Qh4 32.Rxh4 checkmate

31.Ng5 Nf8 32.Qf3 Kg8 33.Qh5 Bxf5 34.exf5 Black resigned

White's pressure on the Kingside will win material, as Black defends, first, attacks on his King, and then, deals with the advancing "Jerome pawns".

Jerome Gambit: Giving the Piece Back Only Begrudgingly

In some Jerome Gambit games, Black returns a sacrificed piece forthwith, as part of his "scientific" defense. In other games, he resists and resists, giving the piece back only very begrudgingly.

Witness the following game. 

Wall, Bill - Piedras
ChessTempo.com, 2019

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Be6

This move, combined with the placement of the Knight on g6, calls out the advance of White's f-pawn. It is interesting to watch Black wriggle and jiggle and try to have his pieces escape.

10.f4 d5 11.f5 d4 12.Qd3 Nf4 13.Qf1 Qh4+ 14.g3 Qh3 15.gxf4 Qxf1+ 16.Kxf1 

Black has returned the sacrificed piece, and is down a pawn.

16...Bc4+ 17.d3 Ba6 

Calmness returns - but only briefly. 

18.Rg1 Kf7 19.Nd2 Nf6 20.b4 b6 21.Bb2 c5 22.bxc5 bxc5 23.e5 Nd5 

The "Jerome pawns" are on the march. When the Rooks join in, it will be the end of Black's King.

24.e6+ Kf6 25.Ne4+ Ke7 26.Rxg7+ Kf8 27.Rf7+ Kg8 28.Kf2 Black resigned