Saturday, December 19, 2020

Jerome Gambit: More Pawns



Sometimes the attacker with the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) rains pawns down on the enemy position.


Wall, Bill - XGZD

FICS, 2020

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 


4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 


7.f4 Nf6 

This always looks like a good move: three pieces against the Queen! But it is not. It returns two pieces, leaving White simply two pawns ahead. The Database has 75 games with this position. White scores 77%.

8.Qxe5+ Kf7 9.Qxc5 Qe7 10.Qxe7+ Kxe7 


The attraction for Black to exchange Queens is understandable, as he doesn't want his displaced King to become a victim of an attack. Yet, in doing so, he simplifies White's task. True, it may take more time to convert the win, but it is less complicated.

11.Nc3 c6 12.d4 Rf8 13.g4 


The "Jerome pawns" plan to over-run the enemy. White sees 13...Nxg4 as a dangerous waste of time and a move that can be ignored or answered by Rg1, immediately or some time later. 

13...h6 14.h4 d6 

The proper counter was 14...d5, hitting the center and pressuring the wing pawns.

15.g5 hxg5 16.hxg5 Ne8 


White's uncastled King is safe, in part because of the earlier exchange of Queens.

Now White combines pawn moves with Kingside pressure. 

17.f5 Bd7 18.d5 c5 19.Bf4 a6 20.Rh7 


20...Bxf5 

Hoping to slow things down by returning the sacrificed material.

21.exf5 Rxf5 22.Bg3 Rxg5 

A slip.

23.Bh4 Black resigned


The Rook will be lost.

Friday, December 18, 2020

Jerome Gambit: Piano Piano



The first round of the "Piano Piano" tournament at Chess.com has started, and I will be facing in my group: Bossferreira, DaniyarManat, dmarkg, frogonatwig, PasayDefence, Roland_Bollinger, ShakthiTheGreat, sincondrosis, and ZlikoM.

Of course, I will try for as many Jerome Gambits (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7) as I can. I will share them, win, lose or draw.

I wish best chess for my opponents, as well.

Thursday, December 17, 2020

Jerome Gambit: The "Jerome pawns" Will Win the Day



The following Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game is a good example of the suggestion that if you take good care of your pawns, they will take good care of you. White's "Jerome pawns" are happy to show their appreciation.


Wall, Bill - Guest1713462

PlayChess.com, 2020


1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 


4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 d6 


Black takes a reasonable position: rather than choose to move (and save) a piece, he opens a line for development, and lets White choose.

7.dxc5 Nf6 8.cxd6 Qxd6 9.Qxd6 cxd6 


White has 2 pawns for his sacrificed piece. The pawn at d6 is a target.

10.Nc3 Be6 11.Be3 a6 12.O-O-O Rhd8 


13.f4 Nc4 14.Bd4 d5  

The central break that often signals success for Black - but not this time. White does not have to exchange off his "Jerome pawn".

15.f5 Bc8 16.e5 


16...Ne4 17.e6+ Ke7 

A slip.

18.Bxg7 Nxc3 19.Bxc3 b5 


Black has a piece for 3 pawns, and a well-supported Knight outpost, but the "Jerome pawns" will win the day.

20.g4 Ne3 21.f6+ Kxe6 22.Rhe1 d4 23.Bxd4 Rxd4 24.Rxd4 Kxf6 25.Rxe3 Black resigned


Down the exchange and two pawns, without counterplay - except for the glorious a8-h1 diagonal for his Bishop - is discouraging enough for Black.


Wednesday, December 16, 2020

Jerome Gambit: Defending Requires Attention


I have said this many times before, but it bears repeating: even if the Jerome Gambit (
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) is a refuted opening, it will still take some effort by Black to convert the win - starting with playing attention to what is going on. Otherwise, the exhuberant thought "This game will be over quickly!" will have a different outcome than the defender expects.


Wall,Bill - NN,

lichess.org, 2020

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 


4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 


6...Bd6 

Sometimes the simplest answer is the best: 6...Bxd4

7.dxe5 Bxe5 


Instead of this move, the computers recommend 7...Bb4+, followed by a retreat to e7 or f8, but not this: 8.c3 Ba5  9.Qd5+ Ke8 10.Qxa5 1-0 Wall, Bill - Guest1227654, PlayChess.com, 2017. 

Bill has over 20 wins, and no losses, against the text move.

8.Qd5+ 

Yes, Bill has played 8.Qh5+, too.

8...Kf6 9.f4 c6 


When in doubt, attack the enemy Queen.

Recently: 9...Bd6 10.Qg5+ Kf7 11.Qxd8 1-0, Wall, Bill - NN, lichess.org, 2020

Probably development with 9...Ne7 was best. 

10.fxe5+ 

Better than the capture with the Queen. It opens the f-file for White's Rook (after 0-0) and restrains Black's d-pawn.

10...Kg6 11.Qd6+ Kf7 12.O-O+ Ke8 13.Qf8 checkmate



Tuesday, December 15, 2020

Jerome Gambit: Don't Confuse Yourself



In the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) there are opportunities for both players to enter into complications - although, admittedly, White starts first with his sacrifices. Experience has shown that the more experienced and cooler head most often exits from the complications successfully. Still, it is best not to stir things up, unless you know what you are doing. Otherwise, you might just confuse yourself, as we see in the following game.


Wall, Bill - Guest1692544

PlayChess.com, 2020


1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 


4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Qh4+ 


A exciting move - or maybe not. Some defenders make this check, then quietly return their Queen to f6, happy to have loosened White's Kingside a bit.

9.g3 Nf3+ 

The wild "His Nibs" variation. Both players need to know what they are doing to come out okay.

10.Kd1 

The Database has 26 games with this line, with White scoring 65%. On the other hand, there are 19 games with 10.Kf1, with White scoring 74%. For the record, Stockfish 1l prefers 10.Kf1. In either case, though, the computer still sees Black as better.

10...Qe7 

Back home from the adventure.

11.Qd5 checkmate


Ooops.


Monday, December 14, 2020

Jerome Gambit: Another Great Debate



In the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), White often finds himself with one, two, or even three extra pawns for the piece that he exchanges.

I suspect that stronger players and chess computer engines would prefer to have the piece, and would see the pawns as targets, especially in the middle game.

On the other hand, I think many club players would prefer the pawns, especially in the middle game - where the "Jerome pawns" can advance ahead of an attack - or in the endgame - where the clock is ticking, and it can be easier to "push a pawn" than position a piece.

The following game is worth playing over several times, to see how White champions the pawns, and how they lead him on to victory.

 

Wall, Bill - Guest1590349

PlayChess.com, 2020

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 Nf6 


Bill is 9 - 0 from this standard position, which goes back at least as far as Charlick - Mann, corresponcence, Australia, 1881 (1-0, 72); and is as recent as

Cricket334 - zare13, 3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020: 10.d4 Rf8 11.O-O
8Kf7 12.Qb3+ Be6 13.d5 Nxd5 14.exd5 Nf415.dxe6+ Ke7 16.Bxf4 Rxf4 17.Qg3 Qf8 18.Nc3 Kxe6 19.Rfe1+ Kd7 20.Qh3+ Kd8 21.Qg3 c6 22.Qg5+ Rf6 23.Rad1 Kc7 24.f3 h6 25.Qg3 Rd8 26.Nb5+ cxb5 27.Qf2 Re8 28.Rxe8 Qxe8 29.Qxa7 Qc6 30.Re1 Rf7 31.Qa5+ Kb8 32.Qd8+ Ka7 33.Re8 Qc5+ 34.Kf1 Qc4+ 35.Kf2 Qd4+ 36.Kg3 Rxf3+ 37.Kxf3 Qf6+ 38.Qxf6 gxf6 39.Re6 d5 40.Rxf6 b6 41.Rxh6 Black resigned; and

Balazs, Ladislav - Cedzo, Adam, SVK-ch rapid, Slovakia, 2020: 10.O-O Ng4 11.Qc3 Qe7 12.d4 Rf8 13.f4 Nxh2 14.Kxh2 Qh4+ 15.Kg1 Nxf4 16.Bxf4 Rxf4 17.Nd2 Rg4 18.Qf3 Qe7 19.Rae1 Be6 20.d5 Bd7 21.e5 Kd8 22.e6 Bb5 23.Qxg4 Bxf1 24.Rxf1 c6 25.Rf7 Qe8 26.Qg3 Black resigned

Bill has previously played 10.d4, 10.0-0 and 10.f3, but decides to experiment in this game. 

10.b3 Kf7 11.O-O Re8 12.d3 d5 13.f3 dxe4 14.fxe4 Qd6 15.Bb2 Kg8 


Black and White both have made progress. Black has castled-by-hand and executed the pawn break ...d5, opening lines for development. White has maintained his solid, if constrained, pawn center and placed his Bishop on the open diagonal, pointing at the Knight at f6, which is also under pressure from his Rook at f1.

Stockfish 11 gives Black an advantage - less than a pawn - consistent with having a piece for two pawns.

16.h3 Nd5 

Taking advantage of the pin on the e-pawn to attack the Queen, but nothing comes of it. It was probably better to just develop with 16...Be6

17.Qd4 Nf6 18.Qe3 Nd5 19.Qd4 Nf6 20.Qxd6 cxd6 21.Bxf6 gxf6 22.Rxf6 Re6 


White has created weaknesses in his opponent's position. Stockfish 11 still gives Black a small advantage, but I think many Jerome Gambit players would be comfortable with 3 pawns vs the piece. It is good to watch Bill work with what he has.

23.Rf3 Bd7 24.Nd2 Rf8 25.Raf1 Rxf3 26.Rxf3 Kg7 27.Kf2 Rf6 


Black is happy to pin the enemy Rook to the King, allowing another exchange (When ahead in material, exchange pieces). He underestimates the activity of the enemy Knight.

28.Nc4 d5 

Getting to play ...d5 twice in a double e-pawn game had to feel great. Fearing the loss of his pawn, Black gives it up, hoping to disrupt White's pawn structure.

29.exd5 b5 30.Nd2 


30...Ne5

Misjudging the position. His Rook is worth preserving, to provide counterplay on the Queen's wing, e.g. 30...Ra6 31.a4 bxa4 32.bxa4 Rxa4 33.c4 Ra2 34. Ke3 a5. With a passed a-pawn, if his King can blockade White's central pawn mass, he might be able to control things to keep the game even.

31.Rxf6 Kxf6 32. d4 Ng6 33. c4 bxc4 34. bxc4 Ne7 


An ideal Jerome Gambit endgame - for White.

35.Ne4+ Kf5 36.Ke3 Nc8 37.g4+ Kg6 38.c5 Kf7 


Can we take a moment to remember the "Killer Shrews"?

39.d6 Ke6 40.Ng5+ Kd5 41.Nxh7 a5 42.Nf6+ Ke6 43.Nxd7 Kxd7 44.g5 Black resigned




Sunday, December 13, 2020

Jerome Gambit: Skyrocketing



GM Aman Hambleton's video on the Jerome Gambit (approaching a half million views) has had a gigantic effect on the popularity of the opening. Many players have written to me to share a link to the video, and to say that it had inspired them to play the Jerome. It is humorous and educational and well worth the watch.

A recent post on Reddit by u/hold_my_fish gave data to show how the popularity of playing 3 0 Jerome Gambit games at lichess.org had skyrocketed, since the video.


Many thanks to GM Hambleton and u/hold_my_fish.