Jerome Gambit: In the Comments

Yury V. Bukayev, chessfriend and regular contributor to this blog, pointed out that the YouTube video by Canadian Grandmaster Aman Hambleton on the Evans Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4),  "Use THIS Gambit to Surprise Low Elo Players! | Slowbrah Ep. 10", has a number of viewer comments referencing the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+).

Grandmaster Hambleton has a series of educational videos (the above one is episode #10) on YouTube, and he takes time (i.e. Slowbrah) to effectively explain what is going on in the games he plays, as they unfold. They are well worth a look.

By the way, Grandmaster Hambleton is no stranger to the Jerome Gambit, himself. A couple of relevant blog posts: "Grandmaster Hambleton in Nathan Phillips Square" and the much earlier "Jerome Gambit: All In Good Fun"

Jerome Gambit: Blitz Happens

I want to take a moment to update a comprehensive post from 2 1/2 years ago, "Jerome Gambit: Chess Is An Easy Game, After All".

Chiesadision - FrankyRivers

3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Kf8 6.Qh5 Nf6 7.Qf7 checkmate

Ouch.

Even though Black was rated only a few points shy of 2400, this was a 3-minute game, and, as we all know, blitz happens...

Jerome Gambit: Should Be Over Quickly, Right?

Wandering the internet, I came upon a video of an interesting Jerome Gambit game. I recorded the moves.

The game was a clear case of crime as punishment.

With a very surprising (for me) move at the end.

PlanB31304 - theNimbus1729

3 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

The Jerome Gambit. A "refuted" opening.

Black appears to be rated almost 500 points higher.

Should be over quickly, right?

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

7.Qxc5 

Some humans (and computers) prefer the "nudge" 7.Qd5+ first.

7...d6 8.Qc4+ Kf8

It has to be said: sometimes ...d5 is the right move for Black, sometimes it is not. In this position, it is.

9.O-O Nf6 10.Nc3 Ne5 

Never miss an opportunity to threaten the enemy Queen - watchwords of many Jerome Gambit defenders.

11.Qe2 Nfg4 

Past World Champion Steinitz believed that if you have the advantage, you have not only a right to attack, but also a duty to attack, otherwise there is the risk of losing the advantage.

Maybe not quite in this manner, however.

12.d4 Qh4 13.Bf4 

White combines defense with development.

He also could have played 13.h3.

13...g5

All in.

Remember, this was a 3-minute blitz game, and often such naked agression is successful.

Not this time. Black's forces are driven back.

14.Bg3 Qh5 15.f3 Nf6 16.dxe5 dxe5 17.Bxe5 Kg7 

Stepping into it.

18.Nd5 Rf8 19.Nxf6 Rxf6 20.Bxf6+ 

20...Kf7 

Looks like a finger slip for 20...Kxf6. 

21.e5 Bf5 22.Qc4+ Be6 

Checkmate now will come.

23.Qxc7+ Kg6 24.Qg7+ Kf5 25.g4+ Qxg4+ 26.fxg4+ Kxg4 27.Qxg5+ Kh3 28.Rf3+ 

At this point in the video, a Black Knight suddenly appeared on the g3 square, blocking the check!

28... place Black Knight at g3

Aha! This was a bughouse game!

From Wikipedia

Bughouse chess... is a popular chess variant played on two chessboards by four players in teams of two. Normal chess rules apply, except that captured pieces on one board are passed on to the teammate on the other board, who then has the option of putting these pieces on their board.

However, White still continued

29.Qxg3 checkmate

Think And Play Chess

 

For a very nice and well-presented introduction to the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) check out the YouTube video "Jerome Gambit Variation of the Italian Game || Chess", presented by Think And Play Chess.

You might want to check out the video and visit the Think And Play Chess website to review and enjoy their 124 videos on a variety of chess topics and openings. 

Jerome Gambit: The Human Move (Part 5)

 

[continued from the previous post]

Here we have a final look at a couple of Jerome Gambit games played by maia, a computer chess program designed to play in a human-like manner.

The researchers hope to learn more about the process of human error - arguably one of the backbones of Jerome Gambit play.

drhicks1 - maia1

5 8 blitz, lichess.org, 2021

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qxh8 Qh4 

9.O-O Qxe4 10.Qxh7+ Kf8 11.d3 Qe2 12.Nc3 Qxc2 13.Bh6+ Nxh6 14.Qxh6+ Kf7 15.Rab1 Qxd3 16.Rfd1 Qf5 17.Qh4 Be6 18.Qh7+ Kf6 19.Rf1 Re8 20.Qxc7 Re7 21.Qd8 Kf7 22.Nb5 a6 23.Nxd6+ Bxd6 24.Qxd6 Rd7 25.Qb4 Bxa2 26.Rbd1 Rxd1 27.Rxd1 Qc2 28.Qxb7+ Kf6 29.Qxa6+ Be6 30.Qd3 Qxb2 31.Rd2 Qc1+ 32.Rd1 Qf4 33.Qd4+ Qxd4 34.Rxd4 Ke5 35.Rd8 g5 36.Re8 g4 37.h3 gxh3 38.gxh3 Kf5 39.h4 Kg4 40.Rxe6 Kxh4 41.Rg6 Kh5 42.Rg8 Kh6 43.Kg2 Kh7 44.Rg3 Kh6 45.Kf3 Kh5 46.Kf4 Kh4 47.Rg1 Kh3 48.Rg8 Kh2 49.Kf3 Kh3 50.Rh8 checkmate

su6ar - maia9

3 2 blitz, lichess.org, 2021

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Nf6 10.O-O Qe7 11.Re1 Ng4 12.Qg3 Rf8 13.Re2 Nf4 14.Re1 Nh5 15.Qc3 Nxf2 16.d3 Qh4 White resigns

Jerome Gambit: The Human Move (Part 4)

[continued from the previous post]

We have been looking at the chess computer program Maia Chess, starting with an earlier post, where 

I wondered: If its goal is "to play the human move - not necessarily the best move", and if the project wishes to "begin to algorithmically capture what kinds of mistakes players at specific skill levels make" - has it ever attempted the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+)?

After considering play with the White pieces, discussion has turned in the last couple of posts to maia as a defender against the Jerome Gambit.

One handicap that the program seems to have, is its preference for an all-too-human line in defending in the Blackburne defense to the Jerome Gambit.

It is almost as if there were some anxiety in the play.

A couple of examples: 

gawrbage - maia1

10 0 rapid, lichess.org, 2021

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qxh8 Qf6 

Black counters the danger along the a1-h8 diagonal.

White will exchange Queens and rely on his extra material to win.

9.Qxh7+ Qg7 10.Qxg7+ Kxg7 11.O-O Nf6 12.c3 Nxe4 13.d4 Bb6 14.Nd2 Nxd2 15.Bxd2 Bf5 16.Rae1 Rh8 17.Re3 c5 18.Rfe1 cxd4 19.Re7+ Kf6 20.h4 dxc3 21.Bg5 checkmate

BIBI31 - maia1

10 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2021

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qxh8 Qf6 

Again, White will exchange Queens and rely on his extra material to win.

9.Qxf6+ Nxf6 10.d3 Ng4 11.Be3 Bxe3 12.fxe3 Nxe3 13.Kd2 Nxg2 14.Nc3 Nf4 15.Raf1 g5 16.Nd5 Kg6 17.Nxf4+ gxf4 18.Rxf4 Be6 19.Rg1+ Kh6 20.Rh4 checkmate

[to be continued]

Jerome Gambit: The Human Move (Part 3)

 

                                    [continued from the previous post]

Looking further as to how the computer program maia fared in defending against the Jerome Gambit 

It scored 21 - 43 - 8 (35%) using the Blackburne defense 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 d6. Apparently it was not not able to overcome the loss of the Rook after 8.Qxh8 (a complicated variation, ultimately evaluated as even), overall underperforming its rating by 130 points;

It scored 19 - 18 - 2 (51%) using the 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 defense, outperforming its rating by 50 points

We will look at some representative games in these main Jerome Gambit lines, but first will turn to the fact that maia faced 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.d4 once and 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.0-0 once. 

The games

ZeR007 - maia9

10 2 rapid, lichess.org, 2021

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bxd4 7.Qxd4 d6 8.f4 Nc6 9.Qc4+ Be6 White resigned

That was quick.

Stockfish 15.1 rates Black as about 3 1/2 pawns better. 

The Database shows White scoring 2 - 10 from this position.

Vquach4310 - maia1

14 17 classical, lichess.org, 2022

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.O-O Passive Nf6 7.c3 d6 8.d4 Nc6 9.dxc5 Nxe4 10.cxd6 Nxd6 11.h4 Qf6 12.Qh5+ g6 13.Qd5+ Be6 14.Qa5 Nxa5 White resigned

White hung his Queen in an already worse position.

                                                       [to be continued]