It is nice to surprise your opponent with the Jerome Gambit.
Sometimes, though, that opponent is not only not surprised, he has prepared a special reception. Then, the attacker has to rely upon his knowledge of the Jerome, plus his own skills, to make sure that the game turns out right.
Wall, Bill - Guest2773994
PlayChess.com, 2018
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bxd4 7.Qxd4 d6
8.Qd5+
White is willing to go after the b-pawn - and Black encourages him to do so.
8...Be6 9.Qxb7 Nf6 10.Nc3 Bc4
A tricky move that appears to be a novelty, according to The Database. Black does not want his opponent to castle. He also limits White's Queen's retreat squares. Previously, Bill has seen 10...Qe7, 10...Qd7, 10...Re8 and 10...Rf8.
11.b3 Rb8 12.Qxa7 Nd3+
Wow.
Black seems to have a low opinion of the Jerome Gambit, or his opponent, or both. This is a very optimistic sacrifice of a piece - but, in all fairness, Black does have an "extra" one to give back.
13.cxd3 Bxd3
White's King is still in the center, Black's pieces attack the pawn at e4, and Black's Rook and Queen are ready to swing over to the e-file.
14.Bg5 Qe7 15.Rc1 Rhe8 16.f3
Black's attack is beginning to look a bit scary, although the computers are not impreseed. Unfortunately, Black's next move appears to overlook the pin on his Knight.
16...d5
Now White strikes quickly.
17.Nxd5 Qe5 18.Rxc7+ Kg8 19.Rxg7+ Kh8 20.Bxf6 Black Resigned
There is an old saying (more of a warning): If you keep on heading in the direction you're going - you'll get there.
The following game shows Black taking an interesting step toward the unknown - but he does not continue. As a result, the game ends pretty much as expected.
Wall, Bill - Guest2781227
PlayChess.com, 2018
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8
Black decides that the gift of one piece is enough, thank you very much. This is not a "refutation" of the Jerome Gambit, but it is the kind of move that can set White to thinking, if he is not familiar with it.
6.Nxc6 dxc6
The recommended move, instead, is the wild 6...Qh4!? which would lead to a complicated game where White might have a small edge. Not surprisingly, The Database still has no game examples.
The problem with the "normal" text is that it allows the first player to just go about his business.
7.Qh5+ g6 8.Qxc5 Qd6
An exchange of Queens might break White's attack, and straighten out Black's Queenside pawns, but it would simply leave him down a couple pawns. Still, Bill is not interested in helping out.
9.Qc3 Qf6 10.d4 Qe6 11.O-O Nf6
If this game were a scary movie, this is about where the ominous background music would begin.
The e-file and the a1-h8 diagonal have problems for Black, and resolving those issues will open up other points of danger.
12.d5 cxd5 13.exd5 Qd6 14.Re1+ Kf7 15. Bg5 Bf5 16.Bxf6 Qxf6 17.Qxc7+ Kf8 18.Qxb7 Black resigned
White is 4 pawns up. Black's King remains at risk. The direction that the game will take is clear.
Round 3 has started in the Chess.com "Italian Battleground" tournament, and I will be battling with docfb, 275Jukka,warwar, Abhishek29 and XristosGikas.
In my first 5 (concurrent) games, I have the black pieces 4 times, and in my 1 game with White, I am playing a Hungarian Defense - so, no Jerome Gambit so far.
In Round 1, I scored with the Jerome against Abhishek29, and in Round 2 I did the same against warwar. It will be interesting to see if they let me play my refuted opening again - and, if so, what improvements they have come up with.
In Round 2, docfb played a Two Knights Defense, and beat me. I wonder if he will be satisfied to repeat, or if he will go with the easy win against the Jerome.
As for 275Jukka, we have not played before, but he went for the Hungarian Defense 3...Be7 right away. He must have a really good track record with the Hungarian, to turn down the offer of two pieces that allowing the Jerome Gambit would have achieved.
XristosGikas is new to me, as well, so perhaps he will oblige me and "blunder" into a win after 4 moves...
As I have explored the history, games, and analysis of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), I have also looked for earlier opening examples that might have inspired Alonzo Wheeler Jerome to create and share his opening. This blog has many examples of possible Jerome Gambit instigators.
In this post I want to share some lines that most likely were not precursors of the Jerome. Purists can move on to the next blog post. Those who like fun chess - well, stick around.
For Christmas, my wife gave me Tim Sawyer's book Queens Knight 1.Nc3 & 1...Nc6 Second Edition Chess Opening Games (2018). I am familiar with Tim's work on the Blackmar Diemer Gambit (1.d4 d5 2.e4) but I see, of late, he has expanded to coverage of a whole range of openings.
Early on in the book, I encountered
The game Laird vs Bullockus began 1.Nc3 e5 2.Nf3 Bc5 3.Nxe5. What can Black do? The answer is a bishop sacrifice 3...Bxf2+! 4.Kxf2 Qh4+ and the Black queen will regain the piece on e5.
This was a postal game between two California players. Scott W. Laird was a master in correspondence and in tournament play.
Dr. Theodore Bullockus was an international arbiter and longtime postal chess player. His peak ICCF rating was 2299.
Ted Bolluckus was a teammate of mine in the Correspondence Olympiad. We represented the USA in the 1980s.
The Queens Knight Attack opening line is actually the reverse of an Alekhine Defence variation. Ted Bullockus was an expert in the Alekhine. In fact he influenced me to study it for many years.
The Alekhine line goes 1.e4 Nf6 2.Bc4 Nxe4 3.Bxf7+ Kxf7 4.Qh5+ when White regains the piece on e4 with equal chances. In the Queens Knight Attack White has the added useful move 1.Nc3.
1.Nc3 e5 2.Nf3 Bc5 3.Nxe5 Bxf2+ 4.Kxf2 Qh4+ 5.g3 Qd4+ 6.e3 Qxe5 7.Qf3 Nf6 8.d4 Qe7 9.e4 d6 10.h3 0-0 11.Bc4 Nc6 12.Be3 Re8 13.a3 Kh8 14.Bd3 Be6 15.g4 Nd7 16.d5 Black resigned
Enjoyable, if not successful chess - this time.
