Clearly Unclear

The updated New Year's Database holds 2,375 examples of the Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 4.Bxf7+) but the opening remains clearly unclear in many lines.

What is clear is the bare-knuckled brawling that can show up in game after game. (Please note the efforts of GOH, as well as SotoG.)

SotoG - njkiller
blitz FICS, 2001

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4

The so-called Blackburne Shilling Gambit.

4.Bxf7+

The choice of the Jerome Gambit Gemeinde because it avoids the trappy 4.Nxe5?! Qg5!? and gives Black more to think about. Of course, 4.Nxd4, 4.0-0 and 4.c3 were good replies as well.

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6

A spirited reply. The other main response is 5...Ke8.

6.c3

Best.

6...Nc6

Serious complications follow 6...Kxe5 7.cxd4+ Kxd4, so this alternative, which appears simpler, makes a lot of sense.

There are only 50 games (2% of the BSG total) in the New Year's Database with 6...Nc6.

7.Qg4+

Here SotoG keeps the play very sharp, offering a second piece to keep Black's King in danger.

A calmer follow-up (although the game had its explosive moments) is 7.d4, which SotoG had played a year earlier: 7...Nxe5 8.dxe5 d5 9.Qg4+ Kf7 10.Qh5+ g6 11.Qf3+ Kg7 12.exd5 Bc5 13.Bf4 Ne7 14.c4 Rf8 15.Qg3 Nf5 16.Qd3 Qh4 17.g3 Bxf2+ 18.Kxf2 Nxg3 19.hxg3 Qxh1 20.e6 b6 21.Qf3 Kg8 22.Qxh1 Black resigned, SotoG - Ludek, blitz FICS, 2000

Rybka (blunder check, 5 minutes per move) suggests: 7.d4 Nxe5 8.dxe5 as well, continuing 8...Kf7 9.e6+ Ke8 10.Qh5+ g6 11.exd7+ Qxd7 12.Qe5+ Kf7 13.Qxh8 Nf6 14.Nd2 Bg7 15.Nf3 Bxh8 16.Ne5+ Ke6 17.Nxd7 Nxd7 18.Be3 b6 19.0-0-0 – absolutely out-of-this-world play for both Black and White...

7...Kxe5

Taking the bait.

A couple of responses by Black are just plain bad: 7...Kd6 (8.Nf7+ Ke7 9.Nxd8) and 7...Kf6 (8.Qf5+ Ke7 9.Qf7+ Kd6 10.Nc4+ Kc5 11.Qd5 checkmate).

Other games continued 7...Ke7 8.d4 (8.Nf3 Nf6 9.Qh4 d6 10.d4 h6 11.0-0 Bg4 12.e5 Bxf3 13.exf6+ gxf6 14.Re1+ Kf7 15.gxf3 Qd7 16.Qh5+ Kg7 17.Kh1 Rh7 18.Rg1+ Kh8 19.Nd2 Re8 20.Ne4 Bg7 21.Be3 Ne7 22.Qf7 Rf8 23.Qh5 Nf5 24.Rae1 Qf7 25.Qxf5 Black resigned, GOH - XePa, FICS 2006) 8...Nxe5 9.dxe5 (9.Bg5+ Ke8 10.dxe5 Be7 11.f4 Bxg5 12.fxg5 Qe7 13.0-0 Qxe5 14.g6 Nf6 15.Rxf6 Qxf6 16.gxh7 Rxh7 17.Nd2 Qh4 18.Qg6+ Kd8 19.Nf3 Black resigned, DaniMP - ahdtjs, FICS, 2009) 9...d6 10.Bg5+ Ke8 11.Bxd8 Bxg4 12.Bxc7 dxe5 13.Bxe5 Nf6 14.0-0 Kf7 15.Nd2 Bc5 16.Kh1 Rhe8 17.Bxf6 gxf6 18.f4 Be3 19.Nc4 Rxe4 20.Nd6+ Kg6 21.Nxe4 f5 22.h3 Bxh3 23.gxh3 fxe4 24.Rfe1 Kf5 25.Rxe3 Kxf4 26.Rae1 Re8 27.Kh2 h5 28.h4 b6 29.Kh3 a5 30.b3 b5 31.a3 Re7 32.c4 bxc4 33.bxc4 Re5 34.c5 Rxc5 35.Rxe4+ Kf5 36.R1e3 Rd5 37.a4 Rc5 38.Re7 Kf4 39.R7e4+ Kf5 40.Kg3 Rd5 41.Rf4+ Kg6 42.Re6+ Kg7 43.Rfe4 Kf7 44.Re7+ Kf6 45.R7e6+ Kf5 46.Kf3 Rd3+ 47.Re3 Rd5 48.R6e4 Kg6 49.Rf4 Kh7 50.Re7+ Kg6 51.Re6+ Kg7 52.Rfe4 Kf7 53.Ke3 Rd1 54.Re7+ Kf6 55.R4e6+ Kf5 56.Re5+ Kf6 57.Rxh5 Kxe7 58.Re5+ Kd6 59.Re4 Ra1 60.Kf4 Kc5 61.Rd4 Kxd4 62.Kf5 Rxa4 63.h5 Ke3 64.Kg6 Rh4 65.h6 Rxh6+ 66.Kxh6 a4 67.Kg5 a3 68.Kf5 a2 69.Ke6 a1Q 70.Kd5 Qb2 71.Kd6 Kd4 72.Ke6 Qb4 73.Kf5 Draw, GOH - Mazetov, FICS, 2003.

Clearly fortune favors the bold.

8.d4+

In GOH - kremba, FICS 2006, White needed some assistance after the less accurate 8.f4+, since 8...Kd6 9.Na3 Nf6 10.e5+ was still good for Black. Luckily for GOH, the second player decided to return a piece (a typical anti-Jerome strategy) with 10...Nxe5 (10...Ke7 was stronger) 11.fxe5+ when 12.Nc4+ would have been equal. Instead, after 12.Qd4+ Ke6 13.0-0 d5 14.d3 c5 15.Re1+ White needed a bit more help 15...Kd6 (15...Kf7 was much better)16.Bf4+ Kc6 17.Qa4+ and Black resigned.

8...Kd6

Of course, 8...Kf6 was punished immediately by 9.Bg5+ in another GOH - kremba, FICS 2006.

9.Bf4+

This looks like a very reasonable development of a piece with tempo, but probably stronger was 9.e5+ Ke7 10.Bg5+. Black would still be better, but in such a wild position, the more comfortable player would likely survive.

9...Ke7

Black chose to return a piece with 9...Ne5 10.Bxe5+ Kc6  in stretto - kremba, FICS 2007, leading to an even game in which both players later faltered, White more decisively: 11.d5+ Kb6 12.Na3 Bxa3 13.bxa3 a6 14.Rb1+ Ka7 15.Bd4+ b6 16.0-0 Nf6 17.c4 Nxg4 18.c5 Rb8 19.a4 a5 20.Rb5 d6 21.c6 Ba6 22.Rxa5 Ne5 23.Rb1 Nc4 24.Rxa6+ Kxa6 25.Rc1 Na5 26.Rb1 h5 27.Rb5 h4 28.h3 g5 29.e5 dxe5 30.Bxe5 Re8 31.Bc3 Qd6 32.Bb2 Re1 checkmate

10.Bg5+

This is sharper than a couple of alternatives: 10.Qh4+ Nf6 11.e5 h6 12.exf6+ gxf6 13.0-0 d6 14.Re1+ Kf7 15.Qh5+ Kg7 16.Re3 Ne7 17.Rg3+ Kh7 18.Qf7+ Black resigned, GOH - brigante, FICS, 2001; and

10.e5 d6 11.exd6+ cxd6 12.Qe2+ Kf7 13.0-0 Nf6 14.Nd2 Be7 15.Rfe1 Re8 16.Qc4+ d5 17.Qd3 Kg8 18.Nf3 Bg4 19.Ng5 h6 20.Ne6 Bxe6 21.Rxe6 Bf8 22.Rae1 Qd7 23.Rxe8 Rxe8 24.Be3 Ng4 25.h3 Nxe3 26.fxe3 Qe6 27.a3 a6 28.b4 Qe4 29.Qd2 Bd6 30.a4 Rf8 31.b5 axb5 32.axb5 Na5 33.Qa2 b6 34.Re2 Qh4 35.Qxd5+ Kh8 36.Qxd6 Qf6 37.Qxf6 Rxf6 38.e4 Kg8 39.Rc2 Nc4 40.Re2 Kf8 41.g4 Ke7 42.Kg2 Ke6 43.Rf2 Ne3+ 44.Kg3 Rxf2 45.Kxf2 Nd1+ 46.Kf3 Nxc3 47.d5+ Ke5 48.Ke3 Nxb5 49.h4 Nd6 50.g5 hxg5 51.hxg5 g6 52.Kd3 Nxe4 53.Kc4 Nxg5 White resigned, tyrelcorp - Mazetov, FICS, 2004.

10...Nf6 11.e5

Less effective (but White pushed on to victory, anyhow) was: 11.Bxf6+ gxf6 12.e5 Kf7 13.f4 d6 14.Qh5+ Kg8 15.0-0 Bg7 16.Nd2 Be6 17.Ne4 Qe8 18.Qh4 d5 19.exf6 dxe4 20.fxg7 Kxg7 21.f5 Bc4 22.f6+ Kf8 23.Qh6+ Kf7 24.Qg7+ Ke6 25.Rfe1 Bd5 26.c4 Qf7 27.cxd5+ Black resigned, GOH - Sali, FICS, 2005.

11...Kf7

Black's King steps aside and gives the piece back. Remember, Black is two pieces up, so he can afford to do this, if, in the process, he safeguards his monarch.

Another way was 11...d5 12.exf6+ (12.Qh5 was necessary) gxf6 13.0-0 Bxg4 14.Re1+ Kf7 White resigns. 0-1 GOH - Jorma, FICS 2007

12.exf6 gxf6 13.Qf3

Keeping the pin.

More challenging was 13.Qh5+ as after 13...Ke6 (13...Kg8 kept Black's advantage) the game was equal, although White lost after a struggle: 14.Bf4 d6 15.0-0 Ne7 16.Na3 a6 17.Rae1+ Kd7 18.Nc4 b5 19.Na5 c6 20.b4 Nd5 21.Bd2 Be7 22.c4 bxc4 23.Nxc4 Qe8 24.Qh3+ Kc7 25.Qa3 Kb8 26.b5 axb5 27.Na5 Qd7 28.Qc1 Bb7 29.Nxb7 Kxb7 30.Rxe7 Qxe7 31.Qb2 Rhe8 32.Re1 Qd7 33.Rxe8 Qxe8 34.g3 Qe2 35.Be3 Qxb2 36.Kg2 Nxe3+ 37.Kf3 White resigned, GOH - Sali, FICS, 2005.

13...Qe7+ 14.Kd1

Feisty! Of course White wants to add his Rook to the attack, although 14.Be3 was safer. Jerome Gambit players don't always go for "safer". 

14...Bg7 15.Re1 Qd6

This breaks one of the pins on the f-pawn, but makes Black vulnerable to an attack on the 8th rank: 16.Qh5+ Kg8 17.Re8+ winning the Queen.

Safer was the patient 15...Qd8.

16.Na3

Developing, but missing the opportunity mentioned above.

16...Kg6

Black definitely wants out of that pin, but Rybka shows that patience was still needed: 16...Ne7 17.Nc4 Qa6 18.Ne5+ Kf8 19.Ng4 Qc6 20.Qe2 Qe6 21.Nxf6 Qxe2+ 22.Rxe2 Kf7 23.Nxd7 Ng6 24.Nc5 b6 25.Ne4 Ba6 26.Rd2 h6 27.Be3 when Black is still better – although the position is still playable for the Jerome Gambiteer.

analysis diagram







17.Bf4 Qf8

Things remain murky to the end.

Again, Rybka tries to give some light, and, of course, play continues to revolve around pins: 17...Ne5 18.Qe4+ f5 19.Qc2 Qd5 20.Bxe5 Re8 21.f4 d6 22.Bxg7 Rxe1+ 23.Kxe1 Kxg7 and White has a small advantage.

analysis diagram







18.Qg4+

18...Kf7 19.Qh5+ Kg8 20.Re8

Winning the Queen in a manner similar to that of the note to move 15. Thus, White collects the full point – the goal of the game – but given a few more minutes of thinking time I'd like to think that SotoG would have found the mate (again, based on pins) after the pretty 20.Qd5+ Qf7 21.Re8+ Bf8 22.Bh6. 

analysis diagram







20...d6 21.Qd5+ Black resigned

Influence

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.

Data Gathering

The early post "My Jerome Gambit Database" from June 28, 2008, mentioned that I had on hand "over 950 games" – at that time, a startlingly high number for me, especially since trips to the online databases at ChessBase and ChessLab websites turned up so few games.

Currently, the updated New Year's Database contains about 18,000 Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 4.Bxf7+), and Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.0-0/4.Nc3/4.d3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+) games.

What a difference two years make!

Suddenly...Poof!

Let's go over that mental checklist (see yesterday's "I think I have a win, but it will take time...") for playing the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) again: surprse, inattention, over-confidence, shallow analysis and a well-timed unfortunate blunder...

I was doing fine until that last one.

perrypawnpusher - tschup
blitz FICS, 2010

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 a6

Wow. Didn't Karpov play something like this in his match against Korchnoi in 1981? (Actually, he played it on move 5 in one game and move 6 in another. Oh, well.)

4.0-0 h6

Okay.

5.Nc3

From a practical point of view, White might do best to head toward a Scotch Game or Gambit with 5.d4, counting on the tempos gained by Black's Rook pawn moves.

5...Nf6

A few years ago, my patience was rewarded – with a delayed Jerome Gambit – after 5...Bc5 6.Bxf7+ Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ Nxe5 8.Qh5+ Ke6 9.Qf5+ Kd6 10.d4 Bxd4 11.Rd1 c5 12.Ne2 Kc7 13.Nxd4 d6 14.Ne6+ Bxe6 15.Qxe6 Nf6 16.Bf4 Re8 17.Qb3 Nxe4 18.Bxe5 Rxe5 19.Qf7+ Qd7 20.Qf3 Qf5 21.Qxf5 Rxf5 22.f3 Ng5 23.Re1 Kd7 24.Rad1 Re8 25.Rxe8 Kxe8 26.Rxd6 Re5 27.Kf2 Ke7 28.Rb6 Rf5 29.Rxb7+ Kf6 30.Rb6+ Kf7 31.Rxa6 Ne4+ 32.Ke3 Nd6 33.Rxd6 Ke7 34.Rd3 Rh5 35.h3 Re5+ 36.Kf2 g5 37.Re3 Rxe3 38.Kxe3 Kd6 39.Ke4 c4 40.Kd4 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - angelosgoulianos, blitz FICS, 2007.

6.d3 Bc5

Finally! He plays it after I've already played d2-d3...

Wait a minute. If he's "wasted" two moves, can't I afford to "waste" one move myself?

Sure, why not??

7.Bxf7+

Ahhh, that feels better...

I suppose that this is a Delayed Semi-Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.

7...Kxf7 8.Nxe5+ Nxe5 9.d4

9...d6

Reminiscent of my game against FrankMCMLVII.

10.dxc5 Bg4

Okay, this guy is definitely playing with my head. The text move is good for Black, but the simple 10...dxc5 was even better.

11.f3 Bh5 12.g4 Nexg4

Not unexpected, but after the game Rybka preferred 12...Bg6, suggesting further 13.f4 Nexg4 14.cxd6 Qxd6 15.Qxd6 cxd6 16.h3 Nxe4 17.Nxe4 Bxe4 18.hxg4 h5 19.g5 Bxc2 with Black better by a pawn.

analysis diagram







13.fxg4 Bg6

14.g5 hxg5 15.Bxg5

I did not see it at the time, but White is better here, especially if he can get in Qd1-d5+, something that Black prevents with his next move.

15...dxc5 16.Qf3

After the game Rybka recommended 16.e5 Qd4+ 17.Qxd4 cxd4 18.Nd5 which wins a piece for White.

16...Qd4+ 17.Kh1 Qe5

Black's centralized Queen now gives him counter-chances and equality.

18.Bxf6

Wow! Speaking of "a well-timed unfortunate blunder..."

The position would wind down after 18.Bf4 Qxe4 19.Nxe4 Bxe4 20.Qxe4 Nxe4 21.Bxc7+ Nf6

analysis diagram







18...Qxh2 checkmate