Jerome Gambit: Winning is Not Annoying

Chessfriend Vlasta Fejfar of the Czech Republic has faced the "annoying defense" to the Jerome Gambit a number of times. In the following game, his most recent, he comes away with the whole point.

Vlastous - Idalgit
Internet, 2017

 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 d6 

This is also called the "silicon defense" because it is the choice of many computer chess programs. Black returns a piece and takes a lot of the action out of the position.

8.fxe5 dxe5 9.Qh3+ Kf7 

The text is about equal to 9...Ke7 which was seen in Fejfar,V -Goc,P, 2015 (1/2 - 1/2, 70),  Fejfar,V - Chvojka, correspondence, 2016 (0-1, 32) and Vlastous - irinat, Chessmaniac, 2016 (0-1, 38). 

10.Qh5+ Ke6 11.Qe2 

Stockfish 8 gives the practical suggestion 11.Qh3+ hoping for a draw by repetition. 

11...Qd6

Instead, 11...Ke7 was successful for Black in Wall,B - Alfil engine, Palm Bay, FL 2015 (0-1, 23); while 11...Nf6 was seen in Shredder 8 - RevvedUp, blitz 2 12, 2006 (1-0, 25) and RevvedUp - Yace Paderborn, blitz2 12, 2006 (0-1, 14).

12.Nc3 c6 13.Na4 Nf6 

A tactical slip that drops a piece. Black may have unconsciously decided that his opponent has finished moving his Queen.

14.Qc4+ Ke7 15.Nxc5 b6 16.Nd3 a5 17.Qc3 Ke6 

 

18.Qb3+ Black resigned

Perhaps a bit soon, but Black sees he will lose the b-pawn, and White's Queen will escape any danger, so the game may have lost its interest.

Lacking Any Insight

I have been sharing games (starting with "Irrational") where Bill Wall has given various chess-playing computer programs "Jerome Gambit odds" - and won.

There were some losses, however.

Curiously, while I have been wordy and full of "insight" in presenting Bill's wins, I am at a loss for many words concerning the following game. As the "Talking Fritz" program might have said, "Q.E.D."

Wall, Bill - Alfil engine
Palm Bay, FL, 2015

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 d6

The computer favorite.

8.fxe5 dxe5 9.Qe2 Ke7

Alfil's move is a small improvement over 9...Nf6 which was played 10 years ago in two human vs computer games, Shredder 8 - RevvedUp, blitz 2 12, 2006 (1-0, 25) and RevvedUp - Yace Paderborn, blitz, 2 12, 2006 (0-1, 14), 

10.Nc3 Nf6 11.d3 Bg4 12.Qd2 Qd4

13.Nb5 Qd7 14.b4 Bb6 15.a4 Rhf8 16.Nc3 Rad8 17.h3 Be6 18.Ba3 Qd4

19.O-O-O Nxe4 20.dxe4 Qxd2+ 21.Rxd2 Be3 White resigned