The other day I woke up too early, and said to myself, "Let's have a chess game, and then a cup of coffee."
Wrong.
I needed the coffee first.
perrypawnpusher - igisr
blitz, FICS, 2015
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6
The Semi-Italian Opening.
4.0-0 Bc5 5.Bxf7+
The Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit.
5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.Qh5+ Ng6 8.Qd5+ Ke7
I have played games where Black has chosen 8...Ke8, 8...Kf8 and even 8...Kf6, but the text move was new to me. (There is only one game example in The Database.)
There is something significant about the placement of the Black King, but in the morning mental fog, it eluded me.
9.Qxc5+ d6 10.Qe3 Nf6 11.f4 Re8
Instead, the game mrddblack - ammagamma (1-0, 32), continued 11...Rf8.
12.f5 Ne5 13.d4 Nc4
Routine, but probably better was 13...Nc6.
14.Qd3 b5 15.Nc3
After the game, Stockfish recommended the straight-forward 15.b3 Nb6 16.e5 dxe5 17.dxe5 Qxd3 18.exf6+ Kxf6 19.cxd3 with a slight advantage for White.
The text move is not "wrong", but it reflects the fact that I believed that e4-e5 was not currently playable because it allowed the exchange of Queens - missing, as Stockfish showed, that White can use the zwischenzug exf6+ after ...Qxd3 to regain his sacrificed piece.
15...a6 16.b3 Nb6 17.Ba3
Hoping that the pin on Black's d6 pawn will allow White's e-pawn to advance, but this is cloudy thinking, and easily evaded. Better was the simple 17.e5 dxe5 18.dxe5 Qxd3 19.exf6+ Kxf6 20.cxd3 as we have seen.
17...Kf7 18.Rae1
A standard move in this kind of position, but I could not escape the feeling that I had missed something...
18...Bb7 19.Bb2 b4
White's pawn center is now crumbling under the pressure of Black's pieces (and the b-pawn), but I was confident that I had everything under control.
20.Qc4+ Nxc4
Or not. White resigned.
I had a cup of coffee while I did the post mortem.
I received another interesting game from Dave Black, who commented on how "Sometimes games just seem to flow. In this game i just seemed to make natural moves, looking to stay as active
as I could and that was enough."
It is hard to argue with him: smooth sailing.
mrddblack - ammagamma
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6
The Semi-Italian Opening.
4.0-0 Bc5 5.Bxf7+
The Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit.
5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.Qh5+ Ng6 8.Qd5+ Ke7
I was amazed to see that in over 3,700 Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit games in The Database, this was the first with 8...Ke7.
The move itself is not "bad", but it might indicate a casual approach to defense, depending on what Black's plans are. As the game goes, the second player wants to castle-by-hand, and his King is not slowed by the text (in comparison with the more often played 8...Ke8).
Now Black secures his King while White mobilizes his "Jerome pawns".
9.Qxc5+ d6 10.Qe3 Nf6 11.f4 Rf8 12.Nc3 Kf7 13.f5 Ne5 14.d4 Nc4 15.Qd3 Nb6
The position is about equal. I doubt that Dave used much time in reaching it, it is so "Jerome-ish".
16.Bf4 Nh5 17.Ne2 Nxf4 18.Nxf4 Bd7 19.Rae1 Kg8
20.Ng6 Rf7 21.e5 dxe5 22.dxe5 Qg5
Black reaches for more, but obtains less. He was counting on the threat to g2, but overlooked that White will have a move with an attention-demanding check.
23.e6 Bc6 24.exf7+
The proof that ...Bc6 should have come a move earlier.
24...Kxf7 25.Qg3 Qxg3 26.hxg3
White is up the exchange, plus two annoying "Jerome pawns."
26...Nd5 27.Ne5+ Kf6 28.Nxc6 bxc6 29.Re6+ Kg5
Black avoids the long, uphill struggle that would come after 29...Kf7 30.Rxc6 by falling into a mating net.
30.Rg6+ Kh5 31.Kf2 Rf8 32.Rh1 checkmate
Eight pawns. Two Rooks. Two Knights. Two Bishops. A King and a Queen. We all start out a chess game with the same number of chessmen. However, as the following game by Dave Black shows, being familiar with and playing the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) can give the first player an edge in thinking time; and with the clock as White's "seventeenth man" that can tip the advantage in his favor.
mrddblack - gradivus
blitz, 1011
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Kf8
Declining the second piece is a reasonable and time-honored defensive plan.
6.Qh5
The Banks Variation, after Pete Banks ("blackburne") of the Jerome Gambit Gemeinde. In this game Black decides to transition back to main lines.
6...Nxe5 7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qg3 Qf6
9.0-0 Ne7 10.c3 Qg6 11.Qf3+ Ke8 12.d4 Bb6 13.Nd2 Rf8 14.Qe2 Bd7
15.f4 Qg4 16.Qe3 Kd8 17.Nc4 h6 18.e5 d5 19.Nxb6 axb6 20.a3 Bb5
Black still has his extra piece, and, hence the advantage. White hopes to get his "Jerome pawns" running to balance things out.
21.Rf3 Nf5 22.Qf2 Kd7 23.Bd2 Rae8 24.h3 Qg6 25.g4 Ne7 26.f5 Qh7 27.e6+ Kc8 28.Bf4 Ng8
Black has stopped the progress of White's "Jerome pawns" at the cost of stifling his Queen and Knight. White decides to open a second front, which has the eventual result of lifting the semi-blockade.
29.a4 Ba6 30.b4 Bc4 31.a5 bxa5 32.Rxa5 b6 33.Ra3 Kb7 34.Qe1 Ra8 35.Rxa8 Rxa8 36.Qe5 Rc8 37.Rf2 Nf6 38.Qe1 Qh8 39.Qa1 Qe8 40.Be5 Ra8 41.Qb2 Qa4
42.Kg2 Qa1 43.Qxa1 Rxa1 44.Kg3
He might have tried 44.Bxf6 gxf6 first.
44...Bb5 45.h4 Ra3
Black needed to keep the pressure on with 45...Rg1+. This may have been the result of increasing time pressure.
46.Rf3 Ne4+
This looks forward-going, always attractive when time is short, but it turns the advantage over to White. Better: 46...Ra1
47.Kf4
Here, with White better (the "Jerome pawns" are about to become unbound), his "seventeenth man" checked in: Black lost on time
It is always great to hear from people who have visited this site – doubly so when someone gives the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) a try and then is willing to share the results.
Is that me in the picture to the left, sharing some analysis?*
Inspired by your great website i decided to launch myself into the Jerome gambits alternate universe with this game of blitz. A few classic Jerome motifs i've picked up from your site crop up here. The "nudge", the Jerome pawns... Just remember it's all your fault from here in.. :)
mrddblack - afghanguy
blitz GameKnot, 2010
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6
7.Qd5+
The "nudge".
7...Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Nf6
A standard Jerome Gambit position. Black is better, and his prospects would be awesome if he could castle next move. This last factor, however – Black's King stuck in the middle – often combines with a few other tasty ingredients.
10.f4 Ng4
Harassing the Queen can sometimes seem irresistable. Other continuations include:
10...Kf7 11.0-0 Rf8 12.Qb3+ Be6 13.Qxb7 Ne7 14.f5 Bd7 15.Qb3+ Ke8 16.Nc3 c6 17.Kh1 Qb6 18.Qa3 c5 19.d3 Bc6 20.Bf4 Kd7 21.b3 Ng4 22.Qc1 Ne5 23.Bxe5 dxe5 24.Qg5 Rg8 25.a3 a5 26.Qg3 Qc7 27.Qh3 Rh8 28.f6+ Kd6 29.fxg7 Rhg8 30.Rf6 checkmate, Fritz 8 - RevvedUp, 2006; and
10...Rf8 11.0-0 Kd7 12.Nc3 b6 13.d4 c6 14.f5 Ne7 15.e5 dxe5 16.dxe5 Nfd5 17.e6+ Kc7 18.Qe5+ Kb7 19.Qxg7 Nf6 20.Bg5 Nfg8 21.f6 Qd4+ 22.Kh1 Rxf6 23.Bxf6 Nxf6 24.Qxe7+ Nd7 25.exd7 Qxd7 26.Qxd7+ Bxd7 27.Rf7 Kc7 28.Rd1 Rd8 29.Ne4 Kc8 30.Nf6 Be6 31.Rxd8+ Kxd8 32.Rxa7 Bf5 33.Nxh7 Bxc2 34.h4 Ke8 35.h5 Bxh7 36.Rxh7 Kf8 37.h6 Kg8 38.Rb7 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - blackburne, JG3 thematic, Chessworld 2008.
11.Qf3 Bd7
An earlier game continued: 11...Rf8 12.d4 Qh4+ 13.g3 Qh3 14.Qe2 Nf6 15.Nc3 Bg4 16.Qf2 b5 17.e5 dxe5 18.dxe5 Nh5 19.Nxb5 Rf7 20.Nxa7 Nxe5 21.Qe3 Bf3 22.Qxe5+ Re7 23.Rf1 Rxe5+ 24.fxe5 Qg2 25.Rxf3 Qxf3 26.Nb5 Qh1+ 27.Kf2 Qxh2+ 28.Ke3 Qxg3+ 29.Kd4 Rd8+ White resigned, guest4578 - guest7450. ICC, 2004
12.h3 Nh6
13.d4 Qh4+ 14.g3 Qe7 15.Nc3 c6 16.Bd2 Nf7
White's pawns hold a lot of promise in a roughly balanced position.
17.0-0-0 b5
Black envisions opposite-side pawn storms. He will need something to distract his opponent.
18.f5 Nf8
Rybka suggests as a stronger defense: 18...Qf6 19.Qe3 Ne7
19.g4 b4 20.Na4 c5
Consistent play against the Knight and White's King's position. However, White has a number of tactical shots at his disposal.
21.b3
As an example of how tactical a Jerome Gambit game can get, look at the (stronger) alternative 21.e5. The opened a8-h1 diagonal forces Black to play 21...d5 (if 21...Bxa4 22.exd6 Qxd6 23.Rhe1+ Kd7 24.Qxa8) when after 22.f6 gxf6 23.exf6 Qd6 White continues to pile on the pressure with 24.Rde1+ Kd8 25.Nxc5 (with Re7 coming up).
analysis diagram
21...Bxa4
Black would have done better to ignore the Knight and play 21...Bc6, covering the diagonal.
22.bxa4
Rybka's take on the position is quite extraordinary: apparently White doesn't need to racapture: 22.e5 Rb8 23.exd6 Qb7 24.Rhe1+ Kd8 25.Qf2 Nd7 26.dxc5 Bc6 27.Re7 Nfe5 28.Qh4 Kc8 29.Qxh7 Rd8 30.Qxg7 Nf3 31.Be3 Qa6 32.f6 Qxa2 33.f7 with an edge. Oh, those Jerome pawns!
analysis diagram
22...cxd4
Very dangerous.
23.e5 Nxe5
24.Qxa8+ Kf7 25.Bxb4
White is ahead the exchange and some pawns – and his attack continues.
25...d3 26.Qd5+ Ke8
27.cxd3 Qc7+ 28.Kb1 Kd7
29.Rc1
Black resigned. He could have played long enough to win a piece with 29...Qb8, but after 30.Rhe1 Qb4+ 31.Ka1 he will soon see his Knight on e5 expire, followed by his King.
Quite an exciting first Jerome Gambit for mrddblack!
*Oh, no, wait, that's Fagin, from Charles Dickens' novel Oliver Twist, equally subverting others.
