Jerome Gambit Quizes

?

Some time back, I presented a series of Jerome Gambit Quizes on this blog, to test how well Readers understood the opening. With an explosion of attention the last few months, it seems timely to present them again, to get everyone tuned into 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+.

Ready?

Quiz #1

Quiz #2

Quiz #3

Quiz #4

Quiz #5

Quiz #6

Quiz #7

How well did you do??

Jerome Gambit Newbie?

If you are new to this blog, or new to the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) and its offshoots, you will probably pick up a lot of information simply by wandering around, moving backward and forward on the posts, choosing interesting links.

You could also challenge yourself by checking out a series of "Jerome Gambit Quizzes": 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 & 7. 

Jerome Gambit Quiz #7

This is the seventh in a series of quizzes to test the reader's understanding of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) and related openings.The answer to each quiz can be found at the end of the following day's post.

White shows some impatience going after the semi-Italian opening, sacrificing his Bishop as soon as possible: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.Bxf7+.

What do you think? What are some of the benefits of this line? What are some of the difficulties that it creates?

Answer to Quiz #6:

The main advantage of Black's idea (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6) is that it might surprise White and produce a less-than-best response.

The only move that leads to White advantage is the sharp 6.Qg4+.

After 6...Kxe5 (practically forced) 7.d4+ Bxd4 8.Bf4+ Black will lose his Queen: 8...Kf6 9.Bg5+ Kf7 10.Bxd8 but he will have compensation after 10...Bxb2 11.Qf3+ Ke8 12.Nc3 Bxa1 13.Bxc7. Black has two pieces and a Rook for a Queen and a pawn, but his King's lack of safety means more, and White has the edge.

This new line will give the defender something tricky to use against the Jerome Gambit. White must be prepared.

Jerome Gambit Quiz #6

This is the sixth in a series of quizzes to test the reader's understanding of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) and related openings.The answer to each quiz can be found at the end of the following day's post.

Black is being creative: he doesn't capture the Knight at e5 and he doesn't wait for White's Queen to chase him to e6, he goes there voluntarily.

What do you think of Black's idea? What are some of the benefits of the line? What are some of the difficulties that it creates?

Answer to Quiz #5:

White can play the Evans Gambit confidently, with every chance for an intense, fighting game ahead.

He can also try to play the Jerome Evans Gambit, as Charlick (of 1.d4 e5 notoriety) once did: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bxb4 5.c3 Bc4 6.d4 exd4 7.Bxf7+

If you play the Evans Gambit, it is probably best to stay with its stongest lines. Leave the Jerome Gambit for another day.

Jerome Gambit Quiz #5

This is the fifth in a series of quizzes to test the reader's understanding of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) and related openings.The answer to each quiz can be found at the end of the following day's post.

White looks like he is ready to play the Evans Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4) – a serious attacking opening in its own right. What can he do if his intentions suddenly turn Jerome-ish?

What do you think of such ideas? What are some of the benefits of those lines? What are some of the difficulties that they create?


Answer to Quiz #4:
White can quietly retreat his Bishop to b3, where it will be exchanged off, with an equal game; or he can retreat it to e2, with a small advantage.

He can also play à la Jerome: 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+

White has two pawns for his sacrificed piece, as well as an unsafe enemy King to play against (the off-side Knight is also bad). Black's safest move is 5...Ke7, blocking the development of his Bishop and Queen. 

The game is even, although White's center after d2-d4 (and possibly f2-f4) must be respected, and even the threat of Qd1-h5 can come into play.

This line is a playable relative of the Jerome Gambit

Jerome Gambit Quiz #4

This is the fourth in a series of quizzes to test the reader's understanding of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) and related openings.The answer to each quiz can be found at the end of the following day's post.

Black is not interested in allowing the Jerome Gambit: instead, he initiates an attack on White's Bishop immediately.

What do you think? What are some of the benefits of this line? What are some of the difficulties that it creates?

Answer to Quiz #3:
After 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Be7 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7,

White has a pawn for his sacrificed piece, and although Black's King can no longer castle, a follow-up is difficult: 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 leaves White with very little to work with.

This new line is not an improvement upon the Jerome Gambit.

Jerome Gambit Quiz #3

 This is the third in a series of quizzes to test the reader's understanding of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) and related openings.The answer to each quiz can be found at the end of the following day's post.

Here Black has not followed the Jerome Gambit line, but instead has played his King's Bishop to e7: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Be7. White wants to start an attack anyhow, and plays 4.Bxf7+, as in the Jerome Gambit proper.

What do you think? What are some of the benefits of this line? What are some of the difficulties that it creates?

Answer to Quiz #2:

Clearly White's plan is to attack: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Ng5 Nh6 5.Nxf7 Nxf7 6.Bxf7+ Kxf7.

White has a pawn for his sacrificed piece, and Black's King, having moved, can no longer castle. However, the usual initiative that comes with the Jerome Gambit (threats: Qh5+, d2-d4) is not apparent here.

This new line is not an improvement upon the Jerome Gambit.

Jerome Gambit Quiz #2

This is the second in a series of quizzes to test the reader's understanding of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) and related openings.The answer to each quiz can be found at the end of the following day's post.

Here we see that White has decided to play something new, and Black has responded with a defensive move: after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 White moved 4.Ng5 (instead of the sacrifice 4.Bxf7+) and Black played 4...Nh6.

What do you think? What are some of the benefits of this line? What are some of the difficulties that it creates?

Answer to Quiz #1:

By reversing his 4th and 5th moves, White makes his opponent's defense much easier: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Nxe5 Nxe5 5.Bxf7+ Nxf7.

White has two pawns for his two sacrificed pieces, but he has little chance to recover any more material, as a Queen check at h5 or the pawn strike d2-d4 are both ineffective, since they are not forks. In addition, Black's King has not been forced to move, and can eventually castle to safety.

This new line is not an improvement upon the Jerome Gambit.

Jerome Gambit Quiz #1

This is the first in a series of quizzes to test the reader's understanding of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) and related openings.The answer to each quiz can be found at the end of the following day's post.

Here we see that White, who is used to "throwing around pieces" in the Jerome Gambit, has decided to switch his fourth and fifth moves, playing 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Nxe5, instead of the usual 4.Bxf7+ and then 5.Nxe5.

What do you think? What are some of the benefits of this line? What are some of the difficulties it creates?