Bill Wall passes along another Jerome Gambit endgame. I merely touched upon this battle 3 years ago in "A Working Class, Impatient Move" - it is time to give it a closer look.
Wall,B - Firewine
Chess.com, 2010
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8
7.Qxe5 Bd6
As I wrote in "The Gentleman or the Tireder?" two and a half years ago, "This move is better than it looks at first glance, and forces White's Queen to abandon the center or abandon the board."
8.Qa5
This was new at the time, although Bill played it later in Wall,B - Guest2591977, PlayChess.com, 2012 (1-0, 22).
8...Qf6
Guest2591977 continued with 8...Ne7.
9.Nc3 Ne7 10.d3 h6 11.0-0 b6 12.Qa4 c6
Bill suggests 12...Be5 13.Bd2 Qc6 as an alternative.
13.Be3 Bc5
It is not clear that opposing White's Bishop in this way is helpful, for as long as Black's King and Queen are on the same file, initiating and exchange is out of the question.
14.e5 Qg6 15.Ne4 d6 16.Nxd6
Bill now prefers 16.exd6 Bxd6 17.Bxb6.
16...Bh3
Threatening 17...Qxg2 mate, but this is readily met.
17.Qe4 Qxe4 18.dxe4 Be6 19.Bxc5 bxc5
Here we have an interesting Jerome Gambit endgame. White, still with all his original pawns, has compensation for his sacrificed piece. In fact, with his Rook on the same file as Black's King, he has a bit of initiative.
20.f4 Nc8 21.f5 Bd7
Bill points out that the Bishop belongs on the other diagonal, as in 21...Bf7 22.e6? Nxd6 23.exf7 Nxe4 24.Rae1 Nf6 25.Re5 Kxf7 26.Rxc5 Rac8 when Black is looking a bit better (at least White's pawns are not a dynamic threat).
22.Nb7 Ke7
Giving up a pawn. It might not have seemed as important as activating his pieces.
23.Nxc5
23...Rf8
This loses the bishop.
24.f6+ gxf6 25.exf6+ Rxf6 26.Rxf6 Kxf6 27.Nxd7+
White is now 3 pawns up.
27...Ke6 28.Nc5+ Ke5 29.Re1 Nd6 30.Nd3+ Kd4
Or 30...Ke6 31.e5 Nf5 32.g4 Nd4 33.Rf1 Nxc2 34.Rf6+ Kd5 35.Rxh6
31.e5 Ne4 32.e6 Re8 33.e7
Better, notes Bill, is 33.Nf4 Ke5 34.g3
33...Rxe7 34.Nf2 Re5 35.Nxe4
As planned, but Bill points out that better was 35.c3+! Kd5 36.c4+ Kd4 37.Rd1+ Kxc4 38.b3+ Kc3 39.Rd3+ Kb2 40.Re3 Kxa2 41.Nxe4
35...Rxe4 36.Rxe4+ Kxe4 37.Kf2 Kd4
Black should go for opposition of kings, but White has the extra tempo to win.
38.g4 c5 39.Kf3 Ke5 40.h4 a5
Better was 40...a6. Black's problem is that his King can't cover both sides of the board.
41.a4 c4 42.c3 Kf6 43.Ke4 Ke6 44.Kd4 Kf6 45.Kxc4 Ke5 46.b4 axb4 47.cxb4 Kf4 48.b5 Kxg4 49.a5 Kxh4 50.a6 Black resigned
5-minute chess means that each side has 300 seconds to win the game, or lose on time. In a 30-move game, that means about 10 seconds of thought a move. Under such conditions, the chess can become rather daffy.
Wall,B - Guest2591977
playchess.com, 2012
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 7.Qxe5 Bd6
Playable, although more defenders prefer the simpler 7...d6 as it allows for easier development of the light-squared Bishop.
8.Qa5
A new move Bill introduced a while back.
8...Ne7
Or 8...Qf6 as in billwall - firewine, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 53)
9.d4 Nc6 10.Qf5+ Ke8
An indication that Black might be unfamiliar with the Jerome Gambit, as 10...Qf6 would seem to be the safest idea here.
11.d5 Nd4 12.Qh5+ g6 13.Qd1
Half of White's moves have been with his Queen, yet the game is about equal.
13...Qh4
Not a good time to follow the leader.
14.Qxd4 Rf8 15.Nc3 c5 16.dxc6 dxc6 17.Be3 Bc7 18.0-0-0 Bg4 19.f3 Rd8 20.Nd5
The tactics heat up.
20...Bb6
Taking the Knight leads to exchanges: 20...cxd5 21.exd5 Kf7 22.Qxg4 Qxg4 23.fxg4.
21.Qe5+ Kf7 22.Bg5 Black resigned
Except for a few slips, my opponent consistently outplayed me in the following game, which is especially notable given that he used up much of his initial 2 minutes quickly and played the large majority of his remaining moves on each 12-second increment.
Just when he reached a "won" endgame, he offered me a draw. Was he simply tired from playing so long on the knife's edge of time? Or had he seen what was to come, but in a sporting way rewarded my resistance with a half-point?
perrypawnpusher - dogofthesouth
blitz 2 12, FICS, 2010
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8
7.Qxe5 Bd6
This move is better than it looks at first glance, and forces White's Queen to abandon the center or abandon the board.
8.Qf5+
Also seen has been 8.Qc3, in perrypawnpusher - Lark, blitz, FICS, 2009 (1-0, 30); 8.Qa5, in billwall - firewine, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 53); and 8.Qh5 in blackburne - Whiterose, ChessWorld, 2004 (1-0, 11).
8...Qf6 9.Qxf6+ Nxf6 10.Nc3
I was not happy exchanging Queens, but sometimes it has to happen. I continued to play confidently and quickly, and a moment of uncertainty on behalf of my opponent (plus his use of time) was my reward.
Also played was 10.d3, in perrypawnpusher - LeiCar, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 34).
10...Be5 11.0-0 Bxc3 12.bxc3 d6
The pawn on e4 was free for the taking. I should have protected it with 11.d3. My opponent, however, was suspicious and gave me time to recover.
13.d3 h6
Louis Marin ground down his opponent after 13...Kf7, mrjoker - PhlebasP, ICC, 2008 (1-0, 34).
14.f4 Ke7 15.Ba3 Bd7 16.e5 Nd5 17.c4 Ne3 18.Rf2 Bc6
Black's last move (instead of 18...c5, blocking the a3-f8 diagonal) is part of his plan to put pressure on g2, but proves to be inaccurate and allows White to pull even.
19.Re1 Nxg2 20.Rxg2 Bxg2 21.exd6+ Kf7 22.Re7+ Kg6 23.Kxg2 cxd6
Black is up the exchange for a pawn (soon two), but with the proper follow-up White can now develop winning chances.
24.Re6+
This is not the right way, however. After 24.Bxd6, White's Rook can threaten Black's pawns at b7 and g7 (especially after Be5). When one of them falls, three pawns would be great compensation for the exchange.
24...Kf5 25.Rxd6 Rad8 26.Rxd8 Rxd8
Over the next 30 moves White's compensation falls, like autumn leaves from a tree. My opponent's play is not always the most accurate, but, given his time constraints, he did well; and certainly better than I did
27.Kf3 Rd7 28.Bb2 b6 29.Be5 Re7 30.c3 g5 31.d4 gxf4 32.Bxf4 h5 33.Be3 Re4 34.c5 bxc5 35.dxc5 a5
Black could have saved himself a lot of trouble by playing 25...Ra4 here. His a-pawn would then Queen, while my forward c-pawn would not.
36.Bd4 Rg4 37.c6 Rg8 38.c7 a4 39.a3 Re8 40.c4 Ke6 41.Kg3 Kf5 42.h4 Ke4 43.Bb6 Rc8
44.Ba5 Kd4 45.Kf4 Kxc4 46.Kg5 Kb3 47.Bb4
White had a clearer chance to play for the draw here with 47.Kf6: 47...Kxa3 48.Ke7 Kb3 49.Kd7 a3 50.Bb6 Rg8 51.c8/Q Rxc8 52.Kxc8 a2 53.Bd4 Kc4! Black can now run his King over to attack White's h-pawn, causing the Bishop to protect it; play ...a2-a1/Q, forcing the Bishop to capture the Queen and un-protect the h-pawn; and capture the h-pawn; but the Bishop will stop the final Black pawn from Queening.
I was thinking, instead, that getting another Black pawn off of the board was the key to my survival. It might have been, but not the way that I played it.
47...Rxc7 48.Kxh5 Kc4
It is possible that 48...Rb7 is stronger, as it implements the threat of capturing White's Bishop and thus freeing Black's a-pawn to advance and Queen. White would have to try something like 49.Bf8. I am not sure how much more Black could achieve by chasing the Bishop here and there.
49.Kg6 Kd5 50.h5 Rc6+ 51.Kg5 Ke6
White must now play 52.Kg6 to keep Black's King away from the h-pawn and maintain drawing chances.
52.h6 Kf7 53.Kh5 Kg8 54.Be7 Kh7
Now the h-pawn is doomed, and with it, quite probably, my game.
55.Bf8 Rc3 56.Kg5 Rf3 57.Bb4 Rg3+ 58.Kh5 Rh3+ 59.Kg5 Rg3+
At this point my opponent offered a Draw, and with a sense of relief I accepted.
The question in my mind was "Didn't Black have a win after 59...Rxh6"?
It turns out that the people who have created Rybka have a website (http://chessok.com/?page_id=361) where there is a 6-man 60.Kf5 Rh5+ 61.Ke4 Rh4+ 62.Kd3 Rg4 63.Bc5 Kg8 64.Bd6 Kf7 65.Bb4 Rh4 66.Bc5 Ke6 67.Bf8 Rh8 68.Bc5 Kd5 69.Bb4 Rh3+ 70.Kc2 Rg3 71.Be7 Rf3 72.Bb4 Kc4 73.Bd6 Rf2+ 74.Kb1 Kb3 75.Kc1 Rc2+ 76.Kd1 Rc8 77.Be7 Re8 78.Bb4 Kb2 79.Bc5 Rd8+ 80.Ke2 Kb3 81.Ke3 Rc8 82.Bb4 Rb8 83.Bc5 Kc4 84.Bd6 Re8+ 85.Kf2 Re6 86.Bb4 Rb6 87.Be7 Rb7 88.Bd6 Kd5 89.Bf4 Rb3 90.Bc1 Rc3 91.Bg5 Rxa3 92.Be7 Rd3 93.Bf6 a3 94.Ba1 Rd1 95.Bc3 Kc4 96.Bf6 a2 97.Ke3 Rd3+ 98.Ke4 Rc3 99.Bg7 a1Q 100.Bxc3 Qxc3 101.Kf5 Qd4 102.Kg6 Qe5 103.Kh7 Qg3 104.Kh8 Kd5 105.Kh7 Ke6 106.Kh8 Kf7 107.Kh7 Qh4#
Whew! That line is very complicated and possibly not worth the effort finding in a casual blitz game. In all fairness, though, White would be more likely to err and lose while Black would be risking very little.
Bobby Fischer played successfully with and against the Sicilian Najdorf variation, referring to 5...a6 as "a high class waiting move."
In contrast, in the Jerome Gambit's (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), Jerome Defense, Black's 7...Bd6 can be considered "a working class, impatient move" – but one that both White and Black should become more familiar with.
perrypawnpusher - LeiCar
blitz FICS, 2010
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8
Alonzo Wheeler Jerome mentioned this move in his 1874 analysis of the Jerome Gambit in the Dubuque Chess Journal. He later successfully played the defense in two correspondence games against Daniel Jaeger in 1880.
7.Qxe5 Bd6
In the updated New Year's Database, White has scored 45% in 243 games with this position.
I like this move. It looks like the kind of "ugly" move that Nimzovich and Tarrasch would have argued about. It's primative, it's raw, it's... hey, what should White do in response??
8.Qf5+
Previously I tried 8.Qc3 as in 8...Nf6 9.d3 Qe7 10.Bg5 h6 11.Bh4 Bc5 12.0-0 d6 13.d4 g5 14.dxc5 gxh4 15.cxd6 Qxd6 16.Nd2 Rg8 17.f4 Bh3 18.Qxh3 Qxd2 19.Rf2 Qd4 20.Qf5 Qxb2 21.Re1 Qb6 22.e5 Rg7 23.exf6 Rf7 24.Re6 Qb1+ 25.Rf1 Qxa2 26.Rfe1 Qb2 27.Qg6 Qd4+ 28.Kh1 Qxf4 29.Re7 Rxe7 30.fxe7, checkmate, perrypawnpusher - Lark, blitz FICS, 2009;
while Bill Wall ground his opponent down with 8.Qa5 Qf6 9.Nc3 Ne7 10.d3 h6 11.0-0 b6 12.Qa4 c6 13.Be3 Bc5 14.e5 Qg6 15.Ne4 d6 16.Nxd6 Bh3 17.Qe4 Qxe4 18.dxe4 Be6 19.Bxc5 bxc5 20.f4 Nc8 21.f5 Bd7 22.Nb7 Ke7 23.Nxc5 Rf8 24.f6+ gxf6 25.exf6+ Rxf6 26.Rxf6 Kxf6 27.Nxd7+ Ke6 28.Nc5+ Ke5 29.Re1 Nd6 30.Nd3+ Kd4 31.e5 Ne4 32.e6 Re8 33.e7 Rxe7 34.Nf2 Re5 35.Nxe4 Rxe4 36.Rxe4+ Kxe4 37.Kf2 Kd4 38.g4 c5 39.Kf3 Ke5 40.h4 a5 41.a4 c4 42.c3 Kf6 43.Ke4 Ke6 44.Kd4 Kf6 45.Kxc4 Ke5 46.b4 axb4 47.cxb4 Kf4 48.b5 Kxg4 49.a5 Kxh4 50.a6 Kg4 51.a7 h5 52.a8Q h4 53.b6, Black resigned, billwall - firewine, Chess.com 2010;
and Pete Banks scored a quick win with 8.Qh5 Nf6 9.Qf3 Kg8 10.d4 Kf7 11.e5 Black resigned, blackburne - Whiterose, ChessWorld, 2004
Deep Rybka, working in IDeA mode in Aquarium, rates a handful of moves about the same, showing a slight preference for 8.Qb5.
8...Qf6 9.Qxf6+ Nxf6
I have been convinced by better players than myself not to fear the Jerome Gambit end game, although I would still like to find a way to keep my Queen on the board.
10.d3
Or 10.Nc3 Be5 11.d3 Bxc3+ 12.bxc3 d6 13.0-0 Kf7 14.f4 Rf8 15.h3 Kg8 16.g4 Bd7 17.Kh2 Rae8 18.Ba3 Ba4 19.Rf2 Nd7 20.Re1 Ne5 21.Ref1 Nf7 22.Kg3 h6 23.h4 c5 24.Re1 b6 25.c4 a6 26.Bb2 b5 27.cxb5 axb5 28.g5 hxg5 29.hxg5 b4 30.Rh1 Nd8 31.f5 Nc6 32.g6 Ne5 33.Bxe5 Rxe5 34.Rfh2 Black resigned, mrjoker - PhlebasP, ICC, 2008.
10...Bc5
Another Jerome Gambit Gemeinde member with 214 games in the New Year's Database (scoring 52% over all) faced, instead, 10...b6 11.0-0 Bb7 12.f4 Bc5+ 13.Kh1 Ke7 14.c3 d5 15.b4 Bd6 16.e5 Bxb4 17.exf6+ Kxf6 18.cxb4 Rhe8 19.Bb2+ Kf7 20.Na3 Re2 21.Be5 Re8 22.d4 c5 23.bxc5 bxc5 24.Nb5 cxd4 25.Nd6+ Kf8 26.Nxe8 Kxe8 27.Bxd4 Ba6 28.Rfe1 Rxe1+ 29.Rxe1+ Kd7 Black resigned, UNPREDICTABLE - dameyune, FICS, 2009.
11.Nc3 Ng4 12.0-0 d6 13.h3 Ne5
Black is working on finding a plan.
14.Bf4 Kf7 15.Nd5 Bb6 16.Nxb6 axb6
17.Be3 Rf8 18.f4 Nc6 19.c3 Kg8 20.d4 Ne7
White is mobilizing his "Jerome Pawns." Black still has the advantage, though.
21.f5 c6 22.Bg5 Rf7 23.Bxe7
A thoughtless move. Instead, 23.g4 was thematic and led to an almost-equal game.
23...Rxe7 24.Rf4 Bd7 25.g4 Rf8 26.Re1
26...g5
Taking a shorter step – 26...g6 – seemed more prudent to me, but Rybka let the text move go by without comment.
27.Rff1 c5 28.e5 dxe5 29.dxe5 Rfe8
The game seems in balance.
30.e6 Bc6
Of course, Black could have returned his piece for the two pawns (30...Bxe6 etc), but LeiCar was looking for more than an equal game.
Unfortunately for him, that was my best offer.
31.f6
As the villains say in many Scooby Doo episodes ...and I would have gotten away with it too, if it weren't for you meddling pawns, er, kids...
31...Rxe6 32.f7+ Kf8
This allows White's pawn to capture, promote and check. The alternative, 32...Kg7, would have allowd Black to capture the passer and would have cost only the exchange, but Black's position would have been poor after 33.Rxe6 Rf8 34.Rf5 Rxf7 35.Rxg5+ Kh8, for example, with 36.Rd6 Re7 37.Rd8+ Be8
analysis diagram
33.fxe8Q+ Kxe8 34.Rxe6+ Black resigned
