The Jerome Gambit: Jerome Gambit: A Certain Amount of Bravery

Friday, September 25, 2020

Jerome Gambit: A Certain Amount of Bravery

Playing the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ ) requires a certain amount of bravery. White sacrifices a couple of pieces for an attack, and this may lead to an overwhelming game - or a difficult loss. In the meantime, Black can defend quietly and stubbornly, or wildly - or he can offer to return some of the sacrificed material, after he has poisoned it.

The following game is a good example of White going into complications that best requires previous study. However, the time control for the game is 1 minute, no increment, and in such an environment players can take risks knowing that attempts at refutation will cost the opponent too much time, or a shortage of time will keep the opponent from analyzing deeply. It's a risky strategy, but so is playing the Jerome Gambit.

And, what if Black knows the proper defense and counter attack? Well, then, it is best that he remember it accurately, or it will all be for naught...

Anonymous - Anonymous

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2020

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6

Usually the start of either Blackburne's Defense or Whistler's Defense.

7.Qxe5 d6

Blackburne's, it is. (Whistler played 7...Qe7.)

8.Qxh8 Qh4

This was Henry Joseph Blackburne's idea, and he eventually produced the most well known Jerome Gambit game, Amateur - Blackburne, London, 1884, a crushing, sacrificial win for Black. Further play and analysis, however, showed that White had at least a draw, if not an advantage, amidst the complications. (The Database, for example, has 277 game examples, with White scoring 55%.)

Recent games have shown Black varying from Blackburne's plan, to their misfortune

8...Qf6 9.Qxh7+ Ke8 10.Qxg8+ Kd7 11.O-O Kc6 12.Nc3 Qg5 13.d3 Qe5 14.Qd5+ Qxd5 15.exd5+ Kd7 16.Be3 c6 17.dxc6+ bxc6 18.Bxc5 dxc5 19.Rfe1 Bb7 20.a3 Rg8 21.g3 g5 22.Re5 g4 23.Rxc5 Kd6 24.Ra5 a6 25.b4 c5 26.bxc5+ Kc6 27.Rb1 Bc8 28.Rb8 Kd7 29.Rxa6 Bxa6 30.Rxg8 Black resigned, Papilloma - Waruna78, 5 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020;

8...Bg4 9.Qc3 Qe7 10.f3 Be6 11.d4 Bb6 12.O-O c5 13.d5 Bd7 14.Nd2 Rc8 15.Nc4 Nf6 16.Nxb6 axb6 17.Be3 Bb5 18.Rfe1 Bd7 19.Bg5 Black resigned, Anonymous -Anonymous, 3 2 blitz, lichess.org, 2020; and

8...Ke6 9.Qxh7 Nf6 10.Qxg6 Bb4 11.c3 d5 12.cxb4 Black resigned, cian_hudder - Lalo_Musayeva, 10 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2020.

9.O-O

As I have posted, before, about a main alternative

Munoz and Munoz, in their notes to Amateur - Blackburne, London, 1885, in the Brooklyn Chess Chronicle, suggested "He should have attempted to free his pieces by P to Q4 [9.d4] before castling."

The move 9.d4 received a good look in "Updating the Jerome Gambit (Part 1)", including references to L. Elliot Fletcher’s energetic Gambit’s Accepted (1954), an internet article on Amateur - Blackburne (at www.superajedrez.com) by Brazil's Hindemburg Melao, and some musings and analysis from Bruce Pandolfini, in his 1989 Chess Openings: Traps & Zaps !

9...Nf6 10.Nc3

The Knight looks like it is heading to d5, to hit the enemy Knight and secure the release of his Queen.

Here, though, it is useful to know the recommended 10.Qd8 Bb6 11.e5 dxe5 12.Qd3, and Her Majesty has escaped, with a slight advantage.

10...Ng4

The proper way to bring the pain.

11.h3

Now, how did that Blackburne game go? Did he capture with the Bishop or the Knight?

11...Nxf2

Bummer. After 11...Bxf2+ 12.Kh1 Bf5, instead, White would lose his Queen.

Talk about complications. White now has the rescue move 12.e5, when 12...dxe5 13.Qxe5 would not only free his Queen, it would allow White to force a draw by repetition, checking the enemy King - unless Black answered with 13...Bf5, when Black would be able to split the point after 14.Qxc5 Nxh3+! and he can repeat the position with checks. Of course, after 12.e5 Bf5 13.Qf6+ Qxf6 14.exf6 would lead to an even game, although Stockfish 11 suggests that White may have an edge, unless Black tries 14...Nxh3+ 15.Kh2 Nf2+...

But, wait! White has another, better move.

12.d4

Ah, yes. (See the note to White's 9th move.)

What exactly can Black do, now?

For starters, he has the delightful 12...Bf5, which puts a third and fourth piece en prise, and almost works, except for 13.Rxf2, when it turns out that White can afford to give up his Queen: 13...Rxh8 14.dxc5 and White will gather in the Bishop at f5, as well, giving him a Rook and two pieces for the enemy Queen.

Instead, 12...Bxh3 looks equally Blackburnian, but 13.Bg5! is a complete answer.

The fortunes of the players has reversed, and White is now clearly better.

12...Bxd4

This allows the escape of White' Queen and the end of Black's tactical surprises.

13.Qxd4 Kg8 14.Qxf2 Qe7