Jerome Gambit: Beware

The following game is reminiscent of the post "Jerome Gambit: Beware the e-file" - you have been warned.

M_Nekemievich_Tal - NirmitPitroda

3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2021

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Qe7 

10.Nc3 Nf6 11.d3 

Also played: 11.O-O Be6 12.f4 Bc4 13.d3 Ba6 14.f5 Ne5 15.Qg3 h6 16.Bf4 Kd7 17.d4 Nc4 18.e5 dxe5 19.dxe5 Nh5 20.e6+ Kc8 21.Qf3 Nxf4 22.Qxf4 Nd6 23.Nd5 Qg5 24.Qa4 Bxf1 25.Qd7+ Kb8 26.Qxc7 checkmate, M_Nekemievich_Tal-merida6, blitz, lichess.org, 2022. 

11...Bd7 12.O-O Bc6 13.f4 

Black's extra piece slightly outweighs White's two extra pawns, despite the riskier placement of his King.

13...Kd7 14.Qh3+ Ke8 

Returning home, but d8 was a bit safer, as will be seen.

15.Bd2 d5 

In many lines, ...d5 is effective for Black, but here it allows the opening of the e-file, with his Queen and King on the same file. Disaster follows.

16.exd5 Nxd5 17.Nxd5 Bxd5 18.Rfe1 Be6 19.Rxe6 

Black resigned

After 19...Qxe6, 20.Re1 wins the Queen.

Jerome Gambit: Objective vs Subjective

The following game got me thinking about something I wrote in "Blackburne Shilling JeromeGambit: Objective and Subjective"

When putting together a Jerome Gambit repertoire, it is useful to have access to both "objective" evaluations - say, from a computer chess engine - and "subjective" evaluations - as from a collection of games that can tell you how successful a line has been. Often a move that is not "objectively" best may score very well in actual play. 

angelcamina - LechstergFelix3

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 

The Blackburne Shilling Gambit.

4.Bxf7+

The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit. 

White has calmer and more sober responses in 4.0-0, 4.Nxd4, and 4.d3, but the Bishop sacrifice is more Jerome-ish.

To be fair, I have not found any games with Alonzo Wheeler Jerome playing this line. 

I also have not found any games with Joseph Henry Blackburne playing his "shilling gambit," either.

See "Jerome Gambit: Blackburne Shilling / Kostic Jerome Gambit (Parts 1 & 2)".

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6 

An overview of angelcamina's games with the gambit can be found at "Jerome Gambit: No One Ever Won A Game By Resigning"  

It can be said that Stockfish 16.1, at 31 ply, evaluates the alternative 5...Ke8 as strong as 5...Ke6.

6.Qh5

angelcamina is 11 - 14 -1 in games with this position. Given that the computer rates Black as being 3 1/3 pawns better (30 ply), that is a decent result.

Also seen here is 6.c3. Play might continue 6...Nc6 (6...Kxe5 7.cxd4+ Ke6) 7.d4 Nxe5 8.dxe5 Kf7 (8...Kxe5 9.Qd5+ Kf6 10.Bg5+ Kg6 11.Qf5+ Kh5 12.g4#) 9.e6+ Ke8 (9...Kxe6 10.Qd5+ Ke7 11.Bg5+ Nf6 12.e5) 10.Qh5+ as in the twin games wolfpack123 - chessgeekdavidb, GameKnot.com 2006 and wolfpack123 - dbohm, GameKnot.com 2006 (1-0, 34).

6...Nf6 7.Qf7+ Kd6 

Black turns down the offer of a piece that he could have had with 7...Kxe5. With the clock ticking, quick decisions have to be made.

8.Nc4+ Kc5

8...Kc6 

If Black's King looks like he is in danger, that is because he is. He can survive his perilous position, but it will take care.

9.b4+ 

Throw another log on the fire.

9...Kxb4 

Skeptical. He figures he can give back a piece and survive.

10.c3+ Kb5 11.cxd4 

11...c6  

An escape hatch, if Black's King can reach it.

12.Nba3+ Ka6 13.O-O b5 

Probably better was 13...d5.

14.Ne3 Kb7 

White is now a pawn ahead, and Black has castled-by-hand, but the biggest disparity is the first player's lead in development.

15.e5 Nd5 

Stockfish 16.1 suggests the unpalatable 15...Ne8, instead.

16.Nxd5 cxd5 17.Qxd5+ Kb8 

18.d3 Bb7 19.Qxb5 Qg5

Time slip? Mouse slip? It is now essentially Game Over.

20.Bxg5 h6 21.Bf4 

Setting up a discovered check, showing that angelcamina always has tactics in mind. Still, 21.Rab1 would put Black out of his misery quicker.

21...g5 22.Bg3 Bg7 23.e6+ Kc8 24.e7 Black resigned

Checkmate in 3 is threatened.

Jerome Gambit: White Declines

I am familiar with a number of lines in the Jerome Gambit where Black declines a sacrificed piece, e.g. 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kf8, or, further, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Kf8.

In both cases mentioned, the computer would indicate that "declined" is not as strong as "accepted", but psychological factors - e.g. the sacrificer's possible disappointment - also come into play.

Occasionally Black returns the favor, by giving back some material.

I recently tripped over a line where White declines a sacrifice (counter-sacrifice?), much to his dismay.

The time control may have been a factor, but the ending may have come as a surprise.

nsmanoj - goingtowinliketal

3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5

And now the most popular responses for Black are 7...d6, Blackburne's defense, and 7...Qe7, Whistler's defense, in both case sacrificing the Rook for strong counterplay.

7...d6

Blackburne, it is.

8.Qxh8 

White is happy to take the Rook - and, if he is up on theory, he and his Queen will escape with at least a draw.

8...Bxf2+

This is a departure from Joseph Henry Blackburn's idea.

Black intends to answer 9.Kxf2 with 9...Qf6+ 10.Qxf6+ Nxf6 and, as I noted back in 2011 in "Short and Unbecoming"

At the cost of exchanging a won game for one in which he is a pawn down, Black has reached a Queenless middlegame that is not what every Jerome Gambiteer wishes for.

9.Kd1 

nsmanoj has played games where Black has declined sacrifices - Why not White?

(Please remember that this was a 3-minute blitz game - although both players were rated above 2000.)

9...Bg4 checkmate

Ouch.

Jerome Gambit: Wandering Again

                                  

The following game suggests that if you are going to wander, it is best to wander in a productive direction.

Alas, I did not.

perrypawnpusher - SerhilTiutiunnyk

Italian Game, Chess.com, 2024

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

7.Qd5+ Kf8 8.Qxc5+ d6 9.Qe3 Nf6 10.Nc3 

After the game, Stockfish 16.1 recommnded 10.h4!?, something I would never have thought of, but which has the feel of the kind of a move that a master may play. Indeed, checking The Database, it does have one example of a game with 10.h4, played online, and White is rated almost 2250. (It ended as a draw in 49 moves.)

I have played 10.O-O here, in perrypawnpusher - hogmaster, Jerome Gambit 3 thematic, ChessWorld.net 2008 (1-0, 37),  perrypawnpusher - Mences, blitz, FICS, 2009 (38), and perrypawnpusher - DysonLin, blitz, FICS, 2009 (23).

10...Kf7 

A bit better than 10...c6 as found in perrypawnpusher - joejox, blitz, FICS, 2009 (1/2 - 1/2, 27) and perrypawnpusher - andrecoenen, blitz, FICS, 2010  (1-0, 25).

11.O-O Rf8 12.f4 Kg8 13.d4 c6 

Black avoids the frisky 13...Ng4 of perrypawnpusher - kertt1, Chess.com, 2024 (1-0, 57). 

14.f5 Nh8 15.Qf3 

Moving the Queen to d3, instead, was better; and moving a pawn to h3 was better, still.

15...Bd7 

Patient.

16.Bg5 

It wasn't necessary to pin the Knight, and the other Knight could now come out from retirement to help, with tempo, with 16...Nf7.

Instead, 16.e5 Ne8 17.Qd3 Nc7 18.Be3 Bc8 would have kept the game even.

16...Qb6 

Just as good as 16...Nf7.

17.Qd3 Rae8 18.Kh1 Bc8 19.Rae1 Nf7 

20.Bxf6 gxf6 21.Rf4 

Losing the thread of the game. Instead, re-deploying the Knight with Nc3-e2-f4-h5 was a positive idea.

Now, however, my pieces wander until I call them back to the sidelines.

21...Kh8 22.Rd1 Rg8 23.Qh3 Rg7 24.Qh4 Qxb2 25.Rf3 Qxc2 White resigned

Nice game by SerhilTiutiunnyk!

Jerome Gambit: "Jerome Pawns" Doing Work

 

Following the previous two blog posts, I would like to again mention a TikTok video "Jerome gambit against li" by  uisloth, where another Jerome Gambit game can be found.

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

7.f4 Qf6 8. Rf1 g6 9. Qh3+ Ng4 10. Qxg4+ Kf7

 11.f5 d6 12.Nc3 gxf5 13.exf5 Nh6 

Hitting the White f-pawn for a third time, while it is only defended twice. Overlooking something, though.

14.Qh5+ Kg7 15.Ne4 Qe5 

Now the "Jerome pawns" begin to have their way.

16.f6+ Kg8 17.f7+ Kg7 18.Qxh6+ 

Nice

18...Kxh6 19.d4+ Kg7 20.dxe5 Rf8 21.Rf6 Rxf7 22.Bh6+ Kg8 

23.e6 

Here comes another one.

23...Bxe6 24.Rxe6 Bg1 

The action has slowed. White is up a piece.

25.O-O-O Bxh2 26.g3 

Keeping the enemy Bishop contained.

26...d5 27.Rxd5 Rf1+ 28.Kd2 Rf7 29.Rde5 Rf1 

White now has a checkmate in no more than 10 moves. Black does not last that long.

30.Re7 Rd8+ 31.Ke2 Rdf8 32.Rg5+ Kh8 33.Bg7+ Kg8 34.Be5 checkmate

I did not have this game in The Database, but I do, now.

Bad Jerome Gambit

I mentioned in the previous post that in visitng the online video site TikTok, I discovered some videos by uisloth featuring the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+).

Here is the game from  "Bad jerome gambit".

Bad for who? is the question.

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

7.Qd5+ Kf8 8.Qxc5+ d6 9.Qe3 Nf6 

10.f4 Ng4 11.Qg3 Qe7 12.Nc3 Ke8 13.d4 Rf8 

Here we have the "Jerome pawns" vs Black's extra piece on g4. White needs to get his King to safety before proceeding.

14.f5 Bxf5 15.0–0 

Better late than never.

15...Bxe4 

Hanging the Knight.

16.Rxf8+ Kxf8 17.Qxg4 Bxc2 

White probably has enough activity to compensate for his lost pawn.

18.Bg5 Qe8 19.Rf1+ Kg8 20.Nd5 Qc6 

Missing 21.Ne7+ Nxe7 22.Bh6! Nf5 (22...g6 23.Qe6+ Kh8 24.Qf6+ Kg8 25.Qg7#) 23.Rxf5 Qd7 24.Rf8+ Rxf8 25.Qxd7 when White would win Black's Queen.

21.Qe6+ 

Missing 21.Ne7+, too.

21...Kh8 22.Rf6 Re8 

Of course, the Rook can not be taken.

23.Qf7 Bd3 

Hmmm... I thought 22.Rf6 might have been a mouse slip for the stronger 22.Rf7, and here, likewise, 23...Bd3 does not make as much sense as 23...Be4. If this is a real game, the clock may be the villain.

24.Nb4 

Yikes! Going for the fork of Rook and Queen, of course, but he needed to advance his h-pawn a step or two.

24...Qe4 

Missing 24...Re1+, when 25.Kf2 would lead to mate (25...Re2+ 26.Kg1 Qxg2#) while the stronger 24.Rf1 would still lead to 24...Bxf1 25.Nxc6 Bc4+ 26.Kf2 Rf1+ 27.Kg3 Rxf7 28.Nxa7 Bxa2 and Black would have an extra Rook.

Now White finishes up.

25.Nxd3 Qxd3 26.Qxe8+ Nf8 27.Rxf8 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: One of A Million Traps

Wandering around the online video site TikTok, I discovered some videos by uisloth, including a few featuring the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+)

The shortest line given in a video - "One of a million traps in the jerome gambit" - was 

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Qh5+ Ng6 

6.Qd5+ Kf6 7.d4 Bb6 8.Bg5 checkmate.

Well, well, well...

I was quite surprised to find only one game example in The Database.