Jerome Gambit: Clobbering Time

Here is another Cliff Hardy game, a bit of magic in a minute (with no increment).

Wow.

Notes are by Cliff.

Cliff Hardy - NN

1 0, lichess.org, 2018

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6

7.Qd5+ Kf8 8.Qxc5+ Qe7 9.Qe3

Another interesing juncture. I have a feeling Vlahov likes 9.Qxe7+ here (why not have 6 White checks in a row instead of just 5?) and the 2 moves are fairly close to each other in how strong they are. But I think I prefer to keep the queens on, partly as Black's pieces restrict him and can tend to get in each other's way.

9...d6

Black has a slight advantage with this move but Stockfish claims that 9...d5! gives Black a winning advantage.

10.0-0 Nf6 11.Nc3 c6 12.f4 Bd7?

A bit innocuous - 12...d5! 13.d3 would have kept a slight advantage for Black.

13.f5?!

Pushing the Jerome pawns too early can be a mistake as it can make Black's defensive task easier if he blockades them correctly. 13.d4! would have kept a comfortable advantage for White and if then 13...Re8, White ignores the attack on the e-pawn with 14.f5! Nh4 15.Qf4, when the White attack continues to roll along nicely.

13...Ne5 14.d4 Nc4?

Surprisingly a big error. After this, White was building up a big initiative but after 14...Nf7!, Black would have retained a slight advantage as he would have then been well placed to hold up the Jerome pawns from advancing.

15.Qd3 Nb6

The knight on c4 retards White from playing e5, so Black must strive to not retreat from there. After 15...b5 16.b3 though, White is still poised to blast through the centre.

16.Bg5 Re8 17.Rae1 

White is ready to start clobbering.

17...Qf7 18.e5 dxe5?!

Makes things worse but Black is losing anyway.

19.dxe5 Nfd5 20.e6 Black resigned.

Stockfish surprisingly rates this as highly as +8.4 for White and I must admit I don't really quite understand it, though White has a clear development advantage and will have a material advantage as well after he captures on d7.

Jerome Gambit: Another Cliff Hardy Blindfold Game

Strong players usually play strong chess, even when playing at fast time controls - or without sight of the board. Especially, too, when they play unusual openings, such as the Jerome Gambit.

Here is a game from Australia's Cliff Hardy, with his own, very educational, notes.

Enjoy!

A couple of recent Jerome Gambits I thought were interesting though they were a bit one-sided and unfortunately, I wasn't playing sensible normal games again - one game I play blindfolded and the other is a lightning game.

Cliff Hardy (blindfolded) - NN

10 0, lichess.org, 2018

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6

A strong but risky defence.

7.Qf5+

My preferred move but don't know how you feel about this or 7.f4.

7...Kd6 8.f4 Ne7??

Now White has a winning advantage but 8...Qf6 is one way of keeping a very strong position for Black.

9.Qxe5+ Kc6 10.Nc3??

Doesn't look like a blunder but Stockfish claims this gives Black a winning advantage. It likes 10.Qc3!, intending 11.b4 or 11.d4, with a strong attack. 10.d4? is also surprisingly a blunder, after 10...d6, with a winning position for Black.

10...Rf8??

Now White has a winning advantage again. After 10...d6 11.Qh5 b6!, Black has a winning advantage, as his king can escape by b7 if necessary.

11.d4 d6 12.Qh5 Bxd4??

Unfortunately without having created an escape square with ...b6, this move now loses rather abruptly. However, against 12...g6 White has 13.Qe2! (threatening the checkmate that happened in the game), with a winning advantage anyway.

13.Qb5 mate

Jerome Gambit: An Old Friend

The following Jerome Gambit game has an old "friend" - a defensive counter-attacking move that falls to a simple shot by the attacker. It is always good to have this idea in mind, as it can lead to instant happiness.

Wall, Bill - Guest901255
PlayChess.com, 2017

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6

The Semi-Italian opening.

4.O-O Nf6 5.Nc3 Bc5 6.Bxf7+ 

The Semi-Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.

This is a familiar opening; The Database says Bill is 23 - 0 against it.

6...Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ Nxe5 8.d4 Bxd4 9.Qxd4 d6 

A familiar placement of pieces. White hopes to make use of the tempo granted by Black's ...h6.

10.f4 Nc6 11.Qd3 Rf8 12.Bd2 Kg8 13.Rae1 Bd7 14.Rf3 Nb4 

An old friend: Why not harass the enemy Queen? (Black would do better to continue with 14...Be6.)

15.Qc4+ 

Oh, yeah, that's right...

15...d5 16.Qxb4 dxe4 17.Nxe4 Nxe4 18.Qxe4 Bc6 19.Qe6+ Kh8

White has recovered his sacrificed piece and is a pawn up, with better development. The Bishops-of-opposite-colors whisper of the possibility of a drawn endgame, but they offer interesting tactical ideas in the middle game.

20.Rd3 Qf6 21.Qxf6 Rxf6 22.Re7 

It is clear that g7 is going to come under attack.

22...Rc8

Challenging White's Rook with 22...Re8 would lead to 23.Rxe8+ Bxe8 but also 24.Rd8, but that was the right way to go. 

23.Rg3 Bd5 24.Rgxg7 Be4 25.Bc3 Black resigned

White has an attack that will lead to checkmate. The best defense, 25...Rg8, has an air of futility after 26.Bxf6.