Jerome Gambit: Difficult to Figure Out

The Jerome Gambit can be a difficult opening for the defender to figure out. Good moves can look bad, and bad moves can look good. The following game is an example.

Wall, Bill - MLHZ
FICS, 2019

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Kf8 

6.Nf3 

A rare move - The Database has only 1 other example - but Bill likes to experiment...

6...Qe7 7.O-O d6 

The e-pawn can be taken, but Black is suspicious.

8.d3 Nf6 9.Nc3 Kf7 

Black begins the process of castling-by-hand.

10.Nd5 Nxd5 11.exd5 Nd8 

Overly careful. The Knight should go to d4.

12.Re1 Qd7 13.Ng5+ Kg6 14.Re4 h6 15.Rh4

15...Qf5 

Coming to the rescue, but falling into a tactical trap.

16.Qh5+ Kf6 17.Rf4 Black resigned

Oh, my!

Jerome Gambit: Sacrifice/Blunder?

A Jerome Gambit win, and some handy endgame play in another game, will allow me to move on to the 3rd round of play in both the "Italian Game Classic" and "Italian Game Battlegrounds" tournaments at Chess.com. There will be a bit of a wait, however, until I can play a few more Jerome Gambits, as each tournament has a number of games to complete before the round is finished.

The turning point in the following game reminds me of the light-hearted comment about giving up material: if it succeeds, it's a "sacrifice", if it fails, it's a "blunder". I would love to say that my chess has matured to the point where I made an intuitive sacrifice, but I have to admit that it was more of a fortunate oversight.

perrypawnpusher - mallack
Italian Game Battlegrounds, Chess.com, 2019

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

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

The Jerome Defense, first suggested by Alonzo Wheeler Jerome in an article in the Dubuque Chess Journal of July, 1874, and seen, initially, in Jaeger - Jerome, correspondence, 1880 (1-0, 40).

The Database has 665 game examples, with White scoring 50%. My own experience is a bit better: in 36 games, I scored 79%. (That probably reflects experience with the line.)

7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qg3 

As I noted in an earlier post

I experimented with Jerome's 8.Qf4+ in perrypawnpusher - Capt. Mandrake, Jerome Gambit 3 thematic tournament, ChessWorld.com, 2008 (1-0, 9) and perrypawnpusher - LeeBradbury, "Italian Game" Thematic, Chess.com, 2012 (1-0, 36).
I also tried 8.Qc3 in perrypawnpusher - Raankh, blitz, FICS, 2009 (0-1, 22).
There is not much difference in the strength between these two moves and the text, or even 8.Qh5, if Stockfish 9 is to be believed.

8...Nf6 9.Nc3 

I am not sure why I chose the text move over 9.d3. Before this game, I was 3 - 1 with 9.Nc3 and 5 - 1 with 9.d3. The two lines sometimes transpose, and 9.d3 brings White one step closer to resolving the issue of Black's annoying dark square Bishop, so, perhaps it should be played first.

9...Be6 

This was also played by Abhishek29 against me earlier this year. The move is good, and preserves Black's advantage, although it has the slight taint of placing the Bishop (possibly) in a place where an advancing White f-pawn might hit it.

10.O-O g6 

This move, a novelty, according to The Database, does several things. It resists a possible f2-f4-f5 by White; it protects the Black g-pawn from White's Queen, and it gives the Black King a place to step out of the way, to castle-by-hand and allow his Rook to get into play.

11.d3 Kg7 12.Na4 

Seriously?!

I was going to try this move, after the trials of my game against warwar, in the 3rd round of the Italian Battleground tournament (at Chess.com) earlier this year? Sure, the positions are not the same, but warwar did not meekly retreat his Bishop to b6, he brought it to d4, then e5 - and then threw in ...Nh5 for good measure. It was a messy game, even if I did weasel out a win.

Then, there was the additional anxiety related to my game against Abhishek29, when he did retreat the Bishop, and I was able to exchange it off.

Certainly, it was a time for in-depth concrete analysis - so, of course, I crossed my fingers for luck and just made the Knight move...

12...Bb6

Whew!

After the game, Stockfish 10 pointed out that 12...Bd4 13.c3 Be5 14.f4 would be hit by 14...Nh5. In fact, 13...Nh5 would have been good for Black, too. Yikes.

13.Nxb6 axb6 14.f4 Rxa2 

This took me by surprise. It should not have - in a similar position against Abhishek29, I had prevented the capture by playing a2-a3. But, is the loss of the pawn a big deal, any way? It turns out, it is not. This is the sacrifice/blunder of material that I referred to in the introduction to this game.

15.Rxa2 Bxa2 16.b3 

Black's Bishop has left his King, and is trapped. It is vulnerable to capture in a couple of moves, which explains Black's next choice.

16...Qa8 

In for a penny, in for a pound.

Black has grabbed the pawn, and now feels the need to protect the locked-in Bishop, even at the cost of removing another defender from the Kingside.

17.Bb2

This move reminded me of a booklet on the 2.b3 Sicilian that I bought in 1977, from Ron's Postal Chess Club, of all places. At the time, I was advancing the b-pawn one step against 1...c5 if I was feeling conservative, or two steps (the wing gambit) if I was feeling rowdy; and I even tried 2.b3 against the French and Caro Kann defenses. Nowadays you can find Sabotaging the Sicilian, French & Caro-Kann with 2.b3 by Jerzy Konikowski and Marek Soszynski.

Oh - back to the game. White's attack is about to come together.

17...Rf8 18.f5 

18...Qa5 19.fxg6 hxg6 20.Qf4 g5 21.Bxf6+ 

After the game, Stockfish 10 preferred 21...Qg4. I wanted my piece back, right away.

21...Kg8 22.Qg4 Qd2 

Black's Queen cannot save the day.

23.Bxg5 Black resigned

You probably saw the cute checkmate, instead, with 23.Qe6+ Kh7 24.Qe7 Rf7 25.Qxf7+ Kh6 26.Qg7+ Kh5 27.Qh7+ Kg4 28.Qh3#.

Please note the stranded Bishop on a2.

Jerome Gambit: Merry Christmas!

Here is my latest letter from Cliff Hardy - a Jerome Gambit game (time limit: bullet, one minute, no increment - in this game, about a second per move.) with a timely Christmas motif! I have added some diagrams, but the commentary is all his - Rick

Merry Christmas, Rick!

This game intrigued me as Black was unusual in being able to find the excellent 11...Kc6! move in this variation. Unfortunately, he was forced soon after that to become really generous this Christmas, as the presents began to be handed out...

Cliff Hardy (2286) - NN (2532)

1 0, Lichess, 2019

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ 

If you expect to receive presents, you should give some first!

5...Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Qf6 9.fxe5+ Qxe5 10.Qf3 Nf6 

11.d3 Kc6!

Very rare for someone to find this risky-looking but pugnacious move - and in bullet too!

12.Nc3

I'm never quite sure in this variation whether to play c3 or Nc3.

12...d5 13.Bf4 dxe4 14.dxe4 Qe6??

Black gives a Christmas present! 14...Qh5! -++, intending 15.e5+ Qxf3 16.gxf3 Nh5, would have been very strong for him.

15.0-0-0?? =

It's Christmas time and White proves to be very charitable! I didn't realise that 15.e5+ Nd5 ++- doesn't really hang in for Black e.g. 16.0-0-0 Rd8 17.Nxd5 Rxd5 18.c4, when the pinned Black rook will require wrapping paper and a gift tag.

15...a6?? ++- 

You know that moment at Christmas when you graciously refuse a Christmas present but the giver continually thrusts it upon you? A complex game would have arisen after 15...Qg4! 16.Qf1! (threatening checkmate in one with 17.Qb5#) 16...b6 =, when Black's exposed king compensates for White's sacrificed bishop.

16. e5+ Kb6 17. exf6 Qxf6??

Another present for me? Why, thank you! Stockfish rated the position before this move as lost for Black anyway, due to his exposed king, but I admit it all looked very unclear to me! Now though, it was fairly easy to take out the win and the rest of the game was uneventful.

18.Nd5+ Ka7 19.Nxf6 gxf6 20.Qc3 Bb6 

21.Be3 Bg4 22.Bxb6+ cxb6 23.Rd6 Bf5 24.Qxf6 Rhf8 25.Qd4 Rac8 26.Qxb6+ Ka8 27.c3 Be4 28.Rhd1 Bxg2 29.Rd8 Kb8 30.Rxf8 Rxf8 31.Rd8+ Rxd8 32.Qxd8+ Ka7 

33.Qd4+ Kb8 34.Qg7 Bc6 35.Qxh7 Ka7 36.Qh8 a5 37.h4 Kb6 38.Qd4+ Kb5 39.h5 a4 40.h6 a3 41.b3 Ka6 42.c4 Be4 43.h7 Bxh7 44.Qd5 Ka7 45.Qb5 Bg8 46.Qa5+ Kb8 47.Qd8+ Ka7 48.Qxg8 Kb6 

49.c5+ Kxc5 50.Qc4+ Kb6 51.Qa4 Kc5 52.Qxa3+ Kd4 53.Qa4+ Kc5 54.Qc4+ Kb6 55.b4 Ka7 56.Qc5+ Kb8 57.Qb5 Ka7 58.a4 b6 59.a5 Kb7 60.Qxb6+ Kc8 61.a6 Kd7 62.Qb7+ Ke8 63.a7 Kd8 64.a8=Q checkmate

Jerome Gambit: Themes

The following game is chock full of Jerome Gambit moves and themes. It is an enjoyable argument for adding that "refuted" opening to your repertoire, if only for light entertainment.

Wall, Bill - Guest2047860
PlayChess.com, 2019

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 

What to do about the pawn fork? The simplest idea is 6...Bxd4, giving back a piece for a pawn. Black opts for something a bit more complicated.

6...Bb4+ 7.c3

Now, what?

Well, The Database suggests 7...Qh4!?, which has 13 wins for Black, against 2 losses, although it is fair to point out that those 2 wins for White were by Bill Wall.

Or, the Knight can retreat with either 7...Nb6 or 7...Nc6, giving up the Bishop.

Or the Bishop can retreat with 7...Be7, giving up the Knight.

With an imaginary smile on its face, Stockfish 10 suggests that even 7...Bc5 leads to Black's advantage.

7...Bxc3+ 

Giving up the piece for a pawn, after all, leading to a position where he has an edge.

8.Nxc3 

8...Ng6 9.O-O c6 

Black senses that Winter is coming, and takes early steps to limit White's developing pawn center.

It is interesting to note that The Database has no examples of either 9...d5 or 9...h5, Stockfish 10's recommendations. Maybe, I should give the alternative title of "Jerome Gambit Secrets #11" to today's post?

Jerome Gambit theory continues to expand and evolve. You, too, can add to it. 

10.f4 d6 

White goes through his checklist: pawn center, Rook on f-file, enemy King on f-file, actual enemy piece to kick with a pawn, possible pawn break in the center... 

11.f5 N6e7 12.Bg5 

Another thematic Jerome Gambit move, although it is usually aimed at a Knight at f6, not e7. In fact, Komodo 10 now suggests that Black "remedy" this situation with 12...Nf6, with an even game.

12...h6

It is natural to challenge a pin immediately, but, in this case, this is a mistake - encouraging another thematic Jerome Gambit move.

13.Qh5+ Kf8 14.f6 

The hits just keep on coming.

14...g6 

Leading to a delightful ending, but the stronger defense, 14...Nxf6, falls to 15.Bxf6, and White's heavy pieces will win the day.

15.fxe7+ Ke8 16.exd8=Q checkmate