???????
I wanted to share another game by TOMMYFOOKINSHELBY (see "Jerome Gambit: Smash Finish") because it answers an unasked question or two...
TOMMYFOOKINSHELBY - Fafa05
5 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2020
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6
The Two Knights Defense, often a stumbling block on the way to the Jerome Gambit, although White has options; see, for example, "Jerome Gambit vs Two Knights Defense", parts 1, 2, 3 and 4.
4.Bxf7+
This line doesn't have a name, as far as I know, but it might as well be "the impatient Jerome Gambit". The earliest game that I have with it in The Database is from 2001, but it has to be much older than that. My research is lacking here.
Philidor1792, who has contributed much to this blog, explained his approach to the line in "What's Going On Here?"
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Ng6
Or
6...Nc6 as in Philidor 1792 - guest1334, Bereg.ru, 2014 (1-0, 20), You [Philidor 1792] - Stranger, Chess-Samara.ru, 2014 (1-0, 18), Philidor 1792 - guest3018, Bereg.ru 2014 (1/2 - 1/2, 24), and Philidor 1792 - guest345, Bereg.ru, 2014 (1-0, 15); or
6...Nc4 as in You - Stranger, Chess-Samara.ru, 2014 (1-0, 26); or
6...Neg4 as in Philidor1792 - Stranger, Chess-Samara.ru, 2014 (1-0, 27); or
6...Qe7 as in Philidor 1792 - Juppzupp, PlayChessBase.com, 2014 (1-0, 24).
7.e5 Ne8
Black has also tried
7...Qe8 in Philidor 1792 - Guest10161477, PlayChess.com, 2014 (1-0, 29);
7...Nd5 in You - Stranger, Chess-Samara.ru, 2014 (1-0, 16) and You - Stranger, Chess-Samara.ru, 2014 (1-0, 17), as well as Philidor 1792 - Guest838140, PlayChess.com, 2014 (1-0, 28);
7...d5 in Philidor 1792 - guest5, Bereg.ru 2014 (1-0, 42);
7...Qe7 in Philidor 1792 - guest1278, Bereg.ru 2014 (1-0, 29); and
7...d6 in Philidor1792 - Guest805466, PlayChessBase.com 2014 (1-0, 62).
8.Qf3+ Kg8
For some reason, Black preferred
8...Nf6 in Philidor 1792 - CrinjuChess, PlayChess.com 2014 (1-0, 46), Philidor 1792 Sauron2005, PlayChess.com 2014 (1-0, 25), and Philidor 1792 Ppion, PlayChess.com 2014 (1-0, 36); and
8...Ke7 in Philidor1792 - Guest691264, PlayChessbase.com 2014 (1-0, 14)
9.Qd5 checkmate
Oh. Right. Nice work, TOMMY.
I just received another Jerome Gambit game played on the internet by Vlasta Fejfar ("vlastous"). The following game show the need for patience in certain lines of that wild, crazy attack. A certain amount of sitzfleisch helps, too. After a period of calm, White suddenly activates his Rooks, and Black does not react well to the danger.
[By the way, this is post #2,500 on this blog. As Mortimer Snerd - or Edgar Bergen - said, "Who'd a thunk it?"]
vlastous - Nyanyiwa
internet, 2017
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qf4+ Qf6
The defense 6...Kf8 is solid and sensible. It can lead to a position where the Queens come off the board before a dozen moves have been played. "Objectively" Black's extra piece is worth more than White's two extra pawns, but in the rough-and-tumble of club play - especially when the first player has knowledge or experience of such lines - there is play to be had for the gambiteer.
9.d3 Qxf4 10.Bxf4 Nf6 11.Nc3
White has his two "Jerome pawns". Black's extra piece gives him the "two bishops" which are helpful in open positions.
From a psychological point of view, White should consider keeping the game closed, developing his pieces, increasing his control of space - but, otherwise, acting as if Black is the attacker, and letting him make the first mistake.
Other ideas:
11.c3 Bb6 (11...h6 12.Nd2 g5 13.Bg3 Nh5 14.d4 Bb6 15.Nc4 Nxg3 16.hxg3 Kg7 17.f3 Be6 18.Nxb6 axb6 19.a3 h5 20.Kf2 h4 21.gxh4 Rxh4 22.Rxh4 gxh4 23.Rh1 Rh8 24.f4 Bg4 25.f5 Kf6 26.Ke3 d5 27.Kf4 Be2 28.e5+ Kg7 29.g4 hxg3 30.Rxh8 g2 31.Rh3 g1=Q 32.Rg3+ Qxg3+ 33.Kxg3 Kh6 34.Kf4 Bh5 35.e6 Kg7 36. Ke5 c6 37.f6+ Kg6 38.f7 Kg7 39.Kd6 Bg6 40.Ke7 Black resigned, Philidor1792 - guest2052, Internet, 2012) 12.Nd2 Bd7 13.Nc4 Kf7 14.Nxb6 axb6 15.f3 Rhe8 16.Kf2 b5 17.a3 Be6 18.Ke3 Rad8 19.d4 Bb3 20.Kd2 h6 21.Rae1 g5 22.Be3 Nh5 23.g3 Kg6 24.Re2 Rf8 25.Rf2 Rf7 26.f4 gxf4 27.gxf4 Rdf8 28.Rg1+ Kh7 29.f5 Rg8 30.Rxg8 Kxg8 31.Bxh6 Nf6 32.Rf4 Rh7 33.Bg5 Rxh2+ 34.Ke3 Kf7 35.Rh4 Rxh4 36.Bxh4 c6 37.Kf4 Bc2 38.e5 Nd5+ 39.Kg5 dxe5 40.dxe5 Nc7 41.Bg3 Bd3 42.e6+ Nxe6+ 43.fxe6+ Kxe6 44.Kf4 Kd5 45.Ke3 Bf1 46.Kd2 Kc4 47.Kc1 Kb3 48.Bf2 drawn, Philidor 1792 - guest2498, bereg.ru 2014;
11.O-O Kf7 (11...Bg4 12.Nc3 Bd4 13.Be3 Bxc3 14.bxc3 b6 15.f3 Be6 16.d4 Re8 17.Bf4 Nh5 18.Be3 Kf7 19.Rfb1 Rhf8 20.Bc1 Kg6 21.d5 Bd7 22.Bd2 c6 23.c4 Nf4 24.Kh1 h6 25.Rb3 Rc8 26.g3 Ne2 27.Rd3 c5 28.c3 b5 29.Re3 bxc4 30.Rxe2 Rxf3 31.e5 dxe5 32.Bxh6 gxh6 33.Rxe5 Rxc3 34.Re7 Rd8 35.Kg1 Rc2 36.Rb1 Rxa2 37.Rb7 c3 38.Rb1 c2 39.Rbe1 Bh3 40.R7e5 c4 41.Rc1 Rb8 42.Re2 Rbb2 43.Kf2 a5 44.d6 Kf6 45.Kf3 c3 46.Ke3 Bf5 47.Kd4 Rb3 48.d7 Ra4+ 49.Kc5 Bxd7 50.Rcxc2 Rb5+ 51.Kd6 Rd4+ 52.Kc7 Rd3 53.Ra2 Bg4 54.Re4 Rd2 55.Rf4+ Kg5 56.Raa4 Bh3 57.Rf8 c2 58.Rc4 Rxh2 59.Rg8+ Kf6 60.Rf8+ Kg7 61.Rf3 Be6 62.Rcc3 Re2 63.Kd6 Rb6+ 64.Kc5 Rb1 65.Kd4 Rd1+ 66.Kc5 Re5+ 67.Kc6 Bd5+ 68.Kd6 Re6+ 69.Kd7 Rc6 70.Rfe3 Kf6 71.Rxc2 Bf3+ 72.Rd2 Rxd2+ 73.Rd3 Rxd3+ 74.Ke8 Rc8 checkmate, GNUChess - GNUChess, OS-RGCX-182777, 2003) 12.Nc3 Bd7 13.Be3 Bxe3 14.fxe3 Ke7 15.Rf3 Rhf8 16.Raf1 c6 17.d4 Ng4 18.Rxf8 Rxf8 19.Rxf8 Kxf8 20.Nd1 Be8 21.h3 Nf6 22.Nc3 Bg6 23.e5 dxe5 24.dxe5 Ne4 25.Ne2 Ke7 26.Nf4 Bf7 27.b3 g5 28.Nd3 c5 29.g4 c4 30.Nb2 cxb3 31.axb3 Ke6 32.Nd3 Kd5 33.Kf1 Nc5 34.c4+ Kc6 35.Ke2 Nxb3 36.Nb2 Nc5 37.Kf3 a5 38.e4 a4 White resigned, blackburne - Argento1960, ChessWorld.net, 2004; and
11.Be3 Bb4+ 12.Bd2 Bxd2+ 13.Nxd2 Kg8 14.O-O-O c5 15.Nc4 Ne8 16.Ne3 Be6 17.h4 Nf6 18.h5 b5 19.h6 g5 20.f3 Kf7 21.d4 b4 22.Rhe1 Rhe8 23.g3 Ke7 24.d5 Bd7 25.e5 dxe5 26.Nc4 Nh5 27.g4 Bb5 28.d6+ Kd8 29.d7 Rf8 30.Nd6 Bc6 31.gxh5 Bxf3 32.Rd3 e4 33.Rd5 Kxd7 34.Nxe4+ Kc6 35.Rxc5+ Kb6 36.Rc4 Rae8 37.Rxb4+ Ka5 38.a3 Rf4 39.Nxg5 Rxe1+ 40.Kd2 Re2+ 41.Kd3 Rxb4 42.axb4+ Kxb4 43.Nxf3 Re6 44.c3+ Ka5 45.b4+ Ka4 46.b5 Rxh6 47.c4 Rxh5 48.Nd2 Kb4 49.Nf1 Rh3+ 50.Ne3 Rxe3+ 51.Kxe3 Kxc4 52.b6 axb6 53.Ke4 b5 54.Kf4 b4 55.Kg5 b3 56.Kh6 b2 57.Kxh7 b1=Q+ 58.Kh6 Qf5 59.Kg7 Qg5+ 60.Kf8 Kc5 61.Ke8 Qg7 62.Kd8 Kd6 63.Ke8 Qg8 checkmate, GNUChess - GNUChess, OS-RGCX-182777, 2003.
11...a6 12. f3 Kf7
Things quickly went south for Black after 12...Be6 13.Bg3 g5 14.e5 dxe5 15.Bxe5 Kf7 16.Bxf6 Kxf6 17.Ne4+ Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest2651667, PlayChess.com, 2015.
13.Bg3 Re8 14.Bf2 Bb4 15.a3 Bxc3+ 16.bxc3 b6
Black has surrendered the Bishop pair to injure White's pawn structure. He still has a long way to go to collect more than a half point, however. In the meantime, White startssome action on the Kingside.
17.Kd2 Bd7 18.g4 h6 19.h4 d5 20.g5 hxg5 21.hxg5 Ng8
White is ready for some action on the Kingside, starting with a surprise.
22.g6+ Kxg6
Immediately, Black slips. He would have done better side-stepping the pawn with 22...Ke6, but he misses White's plan (perhaps because White has been so "quiet" with his play. The capture allows White a useful gain of tempo in response.
23.Rag1+ Kf7 24.Rh7 Ke7
You can see the rest of the game from here. Whites Rooks spring to life.
25.Rgxg7+ Kd6 26.Rxd7+ Kc6 27.Rxc7+ Kb5 28.exd5 Nf6
Black is suddenly 4 pawns down, 3 of them passed, but he hopes to use this Knight fork to win one back. Alas he slips.
29.Rh6 Nxd5 30.c4+ Black resigned
In the following game it is likely that White was expecting an exciting, quick blitz game with a dangerous attack; but he probably didn't expect to be on the receiving end of the aggression.
Philidor1792 again shows that lessons from the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) can be applied elsewhere, even on defense.
guest211 - Philidor1792
blitz 3 0, www.bereg.ru, 2016
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bb6 5.a4 Nf6
Varying from 5...f5 in guest443 - Philidor1792, blitz 3 0, www.bereg.ru, 2016.
6.a5 Bxf2+
Philidor1792 faced this last year: Philidor 1792 - guest234blitz, 3 0, www.bereg.ru, 2015 (0-1, 19)
7.Kxf2 Nxe4+ 8.Kg1 d5 9.Bb3 Qd6
10.d3 Nf6 11.Bg5 Qxb4 12.Bxf6 gxf6 13.Nbd2 Rg8
14.h3 Be6 15.Kh2 Qf4+ 16.Kg1 O-O-O
17.Qe2 f5 18.a6 b6 19.Ba4 Nd4 20.Qxe5 Nxf3+ 21.Nxf3 Qxf3 22.Rh2 f4 23.Kh1 Qf2 24.Bc6 Bxh3 25.gxh3 Qf3+ 26.Rg2 Qxg2 checkmate
In earlier posts we have seen Philidor1792 take some ideas from the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) and stir things up with Bxf2+ in other openings on several occasions. The connection between the Jerome and the Evans Gambit has been made - but in the following game we see Black using Jerome ideas for the defense...
guest443 - Philidor1792
blitz 3 0, www.bereg.ru, 2016
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bb6
The Evans Gambit Declined.
5.a4 f5
6.a5
There is only one good response to Black's pawn strike, and it is the solid 6.d3 but White is not thinking about "solid".
6...Bxf2+
Stockfish 7's first choice, and the only move that leads to Black's advantage. This has to come as a shock to White - and in a 3-minute game!
7.Kxf2 fxe4 8.Ne1
White's best choice was to borrow a defensive idea from Black in the Jerome Gambit - castling-by-hand - and try 8.Rf1 exf3 9.Kg1 fxg2 10.Bf7+ but the second player would still have the advantage.
8...Qh4+
The "Jerome Queen"!
9.Kg1 e3 10.Qe2 Qd4 11.c3 exd2+ 12.cxd4 dxc1=Q 13.dxe5 Nxb4
14.Qh5+
Now it is White's Queen's turn, but nothing comes of it.
14...g6 15.Qe2 Nc2 16.Qxc2 Qxe1+ 17.Bf1 Qxe5 18.Ra4 Nf6 19.Nc3 Qc5+ 20.Qf2 Qxc3 White resigned
I recently received an email from Philidor 1792 who shared a game of his where his Evans Gambit Declined was met with a Jerome Gambit-style defense. The game became quite complicated, although our hero won in the end. (Ask not for whom the chess clock flags, it flags for thee...)
Philidor 1792 - guest234
blitz, 3 0, www.bereg.ru, 2015
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4
The Evans Gambit. Black declines the pawn.
4...Bb6 5.a4 Nf6
This is risky, but perhaps Black had already planned his sacrifice.
6.a5 Bxf2+
In the only similar game that I have seen, Black avoided the sacrifice: 6...Bd4 7.Nxd4 Nxd4 8.Nc3 O-O 9.d3 h6 10.Ne2 Ne6 11.f4 exf4 12.Nxf4 Nxf4 13.Bxf4 c6 14 Be3 d5 15.Bb3 Bg4 16.Qd2 Re8 17.exd5 cxd5 18.O-O d4 19.Bf2 Be6 20.Bxe6 Rxe6 21.Qf4 Rd6 22.Bg3 Nh5 23.Qxd6 Qxd6 24.Bxd6 Rd8 25.Bc5 Rb8 26.Bxa7 Ra8 27.Bxd4 Rc8 28.c3 Rd8 29.Rf5 g5 30.Rb5 Nf4 31.Rxb7 Nxd3 32.a6 f5 33.a7 Nf4 34.a8=Q Ne2+ 35.Kf1 Rf8 36.Bc5 Ng3+ 37.hxg3 Rxa8 38.Rxa8 checkmate, Ian Rodrigo Sanchez Su - Enzo Quesada, IRT SANTISIMO NOMBRE DE JESUS 2015 -III.
7.Kxf2 Nxe4+ 8.Kg1 d5 9.Bb3 Qd6 10.d3 Nf6 11.c3 O-O
Black has two pawns for his sacrificed piece, plus a solid pawn center, good development and a safe King. While Stockfish 6 rates White as about 1/2 a pawn better, the first player's uncertain King and locked in Rook make things anything but easy.
12.b5
Choosing the Queenside to battle. Otherwise, 12.Bg5.
12...Nxa5 13.Ba3
The computer gives a couple alternative lines: 13.Rxa5 Qb6+ 14.d4 Qxa5 15.dxe5 Qb6+ 16.Nd4 Nd7 17.Bf4 c6 18.bxc6 bxc6; or 13.Bc2 Qb6+ 14.d4 Re8 15.h3 e4 16.Ne5 Rxe5 17.Rxa5 Bd7 18.Ra3 Rf5.
13...Qb6+ 14.Kf1 Ng4
Things are becoming uncomfortable for White - but, remember, he is a master of the 3 0 blitz game, and, as the Rolling Stones sang, "Time is on my side."
15.Qe2 Nxb3 16.Ra2 Ne3+ 17.Ke1 e4 18.Nd4 Nxd4 19.cxd4 Qxd4 White won on time
Knowing a lot about the Jerome Gambit, Bill Wall can fight against it, when he has to. How strange: he makes it look easy with the White pieces, and he makes it look easy with the Black pieces!
Bhutti - Wall,B
Chess.com, 2011
1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Bxf7+
The Abrahams Jerome Gambit. Plucky to play it against Bill Wall.
3...Kxf7 4.Qh5+ Kf8 5.Qxe5 d6 6.Qg3
A couple of additions to The Database: 6.Qf4+ Qf6 (6...Nf6 7.d3 Nc6 8.Nc3 Nd4 9.Kd2 Be6 10.a3 Bb3 11.Nf3 Nxc2 12.Rb1 Bxf2 13.Ng5 Be3+ White resigned, Stevens,J - Wall,B, Internet, 2001) 7.d3 Nc6 8.Nf3 Nd4 9.Qxf6+ Nxf6 10.Nxd4 Bxd4 11.Nc3 Bxc3+ 12.bxc3 Bd7 13.Rb1 Bc6 14.Bg5 Kf7 15.0-0 Rhe8 16.f3 Rab8 17.Rb3 Re5 18.Be3 a6 19.Rfb1 Rb5 20.Bd4 Rxb3 21.cxb3 Re8 22.c4 h6 23.Kf2 Nh5 24.Ke3 g5 25.b4 Nf4 26.g3 Ne6 27.f4 Nxd4 28.Kxd4 gxf4 29.gxf4 Kf6 30.Rg1 Re7 31.c5 dxc5+ 32.bxc5 Rd7+ 33.Ke3 h5 34.d4 Re7 35.e5+ Kf5 36.Rg5+ Ke6 37.f5+ Kd5 38.Rxh5 Bb5 39.e6 Bd7 40.f6+ Kxe6 41.fxe7 Kxe7 42.d5 Be8 43.Rh7+ Kd8 44.Kf4 Bb5 45.Ke5 a5 46.Ke6 Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest3119, Internet, 2005.
6...Nc6
Another defense was 6...Qf6, seen in Philidor 1792 - guest321, www.lichess.org, 2014 (1-0, 26).
7.c3 Nf6 8.d3 Bd7
Or 8...Kf7 as in Philidor 1792-guest543, www.bereg.ru, 2014 (½-½, 42).
9.Bg5 d5
Tricky - but it works.
10.e5 Qe8 11.d4 Ne4 12.Qf3+ Kg8 13.Bf4
Best to steer clear of 13.dxc5 Nxe5 14.Qe3 Ng4 15.Qe2 Nexf2, etc.
13...Nxd4 14.cxd4 Bxd4 15.Nc3 Bxe5 16.Bxe5 Qxe5 17.Nxe4 Bf5
18.Ne2 Bxe4 19.Qg4 h5 20.Qh3 Qxb2 21.Rc1 Re8
White resigned
Sometimes when we play the Jerome Gambit, our opponents get to thinking - and thinking - and thinking. Still, at some point they have to get back to playing - or time will catch them out. (As Samantha Smith says "Tick... tick... tick... BOOM!")
Philidor 1792 - NN
bereg.ru , 2015
1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Bxf7+
The Abrahams Jerome Gambit.
3...Kxf7 4.Qh5+ Kf8 5.Nf3 Nf6 6.Qh4 d6 7.c3 Black forfeited on time
Two ideas from games from The Database that continued: 7...h6 (7...Bg4 8.Ng5 h6 9.d3 Ke7 10.Nh3 Bxh3 11.Qxh3 Qd7 12.Qg3 Qg4 13.Be3 Qxg3 14.hxg3 Bxe3 15.fxe3 Nc6 16.Na3 a6 17.0-0-0 Rhf8 18.Rh4 Nd8 19.d4 Ne6 20.dxe5 dxe5 21.Nc4 Nd7 22.Rg4 Rf2 23.Rd2 Rxd2 24.Nxd2 Nf6 25.Rh4 Rf8 26.Kc2 Nh7 27.Nc4 Rf2+ 28.Kb3 Rxg2 29.Nxe5 Rxg3 30.a4 Rxe3 31.Nc4 Rf3 32.e5 Rf4 33.Rxf4 Nxf4 34.Ne3 h5 35.Nf5+ Kf7 36.Kc4 g6 37.Ng3 g5 38.Kd4 h4 39.Nh1 Ke6 40.Ke4 Ne2 41.Kf3 Nc1 42.b4 Na2 43.b5 axb5 44.axb5 Nxc3 45.b6 cxb6 46.Nf2 b5 47.Nd3 Nd5 48.Nc5+ Kxe5 49.Nxb7 b4 50.Na5 Nhf6 51.Nc4+ Kd4 52.Nd2 Kd3 53.Nb3 Kc3 54.Na5 b3 55.Nxb3 Kxb3 56.Kg2 Kc3 White resigned, stemplarv - theophraste, FICS, 2009) 8.d4 exd4 9.cxd4 Bb4+ 10.Nc3 Bxc3+ 11.bxc3 g5 12.Qg3 Nxe4 13.Bxg5 hxg5 White resigned, alxaraya - hyperspace, FICS, 2014
