Jerome Gambit: Nudged by A Jerome Enthusiast

A long time ago - almost a dozen years - I posted on this blog that "My Head is Spinning" as I had learned that Laszlo Orban's Schach Eröffnungen Das Königsbauerspiel als Schlüssel zu erfolgreichen Eröffnungssystemen erschienen, had been reprinted in honor of his 100th birthday.

At the time I simply noted that it had the Jerome Gambit in it.

Last year I was nudged by A Jerome Enthusiast to finally take a look at what Orban had included in his book. I found a game (with another imbedded) with notes (which I have worked to translate from German).

De Visser - Frankel

Holland

The author did not identify the players further, which is unfortunate. A W. M. de Visser and a Max Frankel were members of the Manhattan Chess Club in the 1880s, but the given location of the game seems to rule them out. 

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+?!

Orban notes that while the opening is unsound, if Black is greedy or stingy, he can easily stumble.

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 

The assessment: White wins one piece back without effort, and for the second he can get pawns for compensation, but if the Queen is played out too early his development will lag.

6.Qh5+ 

Here he mentions the game Tonetti - Ruggieri, Rome 1890 [sic]

6...Ng6 7.Qxc5? 

Orban is quick to note that 7.Qd5+ is more precise, driving the King back, in order to delay the development of Black's Rook at h8

7...d6! 8.Qb4 Nf6 9.O-O Rf8 10.Qb3+ Be6 11.Qxb7 

White has 3 pawns for the piece, which is sufficient material compensation, but the defender has built up a good position.

11...Kg8 12.f4 Bg4 13.Nc3 Qd7! 14.Qa6 Ne7 15.d4 d5 16.e5 Ne4 17.Qd3 Nxc3! 

18.bxc3 Bf5 19.Qd2 Be4! 

20.c4 c6 21.cxd5 cxd5 22.c4 Nf5! 23.Bb2 Qc6 24.g4? 

24.c5! was necessary.

24....Nh4 25.Rac1 Qg6! 

Orban laments that if White's pawn were still on g2, he would have a sufficient defense with 26...g3, but now his position collapses like a house of cards. He points out that most games are lost due to incorrect pawn moves.

26.Rc3 Nf3+!! 27.Rfxf3 Qxg4+ 28.Kf1 

If 28.Rg3 then 28...Qx4.

28...Rxf4 29.Rxf4 Qxf4+!

30.Qf2 

Or 30.Qxf4 Rf8! which would be the lesser of two evils.

31.Ke1 Rf8 32.Qg3 Qf5 33.Re3 Qf1+ 34.Kd2 Rf2+ 35.Kc3 Qxc4 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: Piano Piano Update Update Update

 

Although there are still games to be completed in Round 1 of the Chess.com "Piano Piano" tournament, it is possible to identify almost all of the players from each group that will move on to Round 2.

As the starting position will again be 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5, I will continue to have my opportunities to play the Jerome Gambit.

  

Group 1

TheSadKnight1, jan-por, YellowRam

Group 2

Crazyswimmerman, Kyleriz, Black_Bull

Group 3

thejamch, Alfil_7, Escaqueitor

Group 4

jjdd57, acasimon1987

     Either vs33 or uhuru

Group 5

schoollibrarian, Kugich, MickeyDelaware

Group 6

perrypawnpusher, ZlikoM1, PasayDefence

Jerome Gambit: Assessment

 

The Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) is a very active opening that involves the sacrifice of a piece or two. What does the player of the White pieces risk? What does he receive in return?

Those questions have been raised and answered on this blog many times.

A bit of perspective can be found in IM Gary Lane's enjoyable book The Greatest Ever Chess Tricks and Traps (2008), where he presents a system to assess the openings he looks at - including the Jerome Gambit.  

At the end of the majority of opening tricks I have added a ratings chart. This is just a fun way of assessing the trick with marks out of ten.

Surprise value. An indication of how surprised an opponent will be to see the trap on the board. A surprise value of 8/10, for example, means that the opponent will be very surprised; while a rating of 5/10 implies that he might have seen it before so it will work occasionally

Risk. The amount of risk involved in playing the opening that contains the trick. A mark of 5/10 indicates it is a solid continuation in any case, but something like 8/10 will mean that a pawn or even a piece has been sacrificed.

Chance of success. The chance of a trick working in the game. This is a difficult one because it depends upon the level of your opponent. Therefore I made a judgement from my tournament experience by watching and coaching other players. 5/10 indicates an average chance, i.e. sometimes it will work and sometimes it won't; wheras a mark of 6/10 would mean that there is an above average chance of it working. A mark of 10/10 means that someone should resign quickly.

Reward. What you should expect to gain if the trick works. A mark of 6/10 roughly indicates a pawn has been won. With 8/10 the reward would be a piece, while with 10/10 it is checkmate.

It is just a bit of fun and certainly not a scientific report... 

How does the Jerome Gambit grade according to IM Lane's system?

Surprise value 10/10

Risk 10/10

Chance of success 2/10

Reward 3/10

Jerome Gambit: Part of the Future

Vist the Delancey UK Schools' Chess Challenge website and make your way to the Hall of Fame page, and you will learn about over a couple dozen young chess players, including

Kenneth Hobson

UKCC 2020 Variant Championship 1st U12, Terafinal 2nd U12

Age Group: U11

ECF grade (Jan 20): 150

School: Windmill Primary School

Favourite Opening: The Jerome gambit

Favourite Player: Mikhaïl Tal

Hobbies: Football, cricket, French horn

Other Comments: I love playing variant chess and also playing for Ojays in the fortnightly team battles online.

 

 Certainly looks like a champion!

Jeome Gambit: Slip

My opponent in the following Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game played well, until a few tactical slips did him in. I can not blame the time control - one move per day - but perhaps the "outside world" provided some unfortunate distractions.

perrypawnpusher - NN

Chess.com, 2021

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Qe7 

Here it comes again, Whistler's Defense. It is strong and offers Black serious attacking chances if White gets greedy with 8.Qxh8.

8.Qf4+ Qf6

Or 8... Kg7 as in perrypawnpusher - tmarkst, blitz, FICS, 2009 (1-0, 43).

9.Qg3 d5 

According to The Database, this is a novelty. 

I have seen 9...Ne7 in perrypawnpusher - Yaku, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1/2-1/2, 26); 9...d6 in perrypawnpusher - alvarzr, blitz, FICS, 2014 (1-0, 49); 9...Kg7 in perrypawnpusher-Tacotopia, Chess.com, 2020 (1/2-1/2, 61); and 9...Qe6 in perrypawnpusher - NN, Chess.com 2021 (1-0, 32).

10.Qxc7+ 

I was willng to take my chances in a Queenless middlegame with 3 pawns for a piece.

10...Qe7 11.Qxe7+ Nxe7 12.Nc3 Re8 13.d3 dxe4 14.Nxe4 Nf5 15.O-O 

After the game Stockfish 13 recommended 15.Bd2 Bd7 16.O-O-O.

It is clear that in either case that Black's extra piece (vs my 3 extra pawns) is useful, his two Bishops are dangerous, and his King is more developed than in danger.

15...Bb4 

Perhaps to keep a White Rook off of e1, or to provoke c2-c3, possibly weakening the pawn at d3. In any event, this was not the best retreat.

16.c3 Bd6 

A tactical slip 

17.g4 Rxe4 18.dxe4 Nh4 19.f3 Bc5+ 20. Kh1 Be6 

21.Bg5 Bc4 

Puzzling. I had expected 21...Be7 when 22.Bxe7 Kxe7 23.h3 is pretty level, even after 23...Rf8 24.Rad1 Rxf3 25.Rxf3 Nxf3+ 27.Kg2 

22.Bxh4 Bxf1 23.Rxf1 Re8 

Black hopes to hold back the "Jerome pawns" but he will not succeed.

24.Bf2 Bxf2 25.Rxf2 b5 26.Rd2 Kg8 27.Kg2 a5 28.a3 Re5 29.Rd5 Rxd5 30.exd5 Kf7 31.f4 Kf6 32.Kf3

Black resigned

Jerome Gambit: Cast A Scary Shadow

Sometimes facing the Jerome gambit can be scary. White is attacking in a frenzied manner, and it is easy to see danger everywhere - real and imagined. Larger than life.

In the following game I unleashed the "Jerome pawns" and my opponent was suitibly impressed and somewhat intimidated. You might want to consider if you think his resignation was premature, however.

 

perrypawnpusher - JohnGHughes

10 0 blitz, FICS, 2021

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 

The Semi-Italian Opening.

4.O-O Bc5 5.Bxf7+

The Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit. White could also have used 4.Nc3 as a tempo move, waiting for 4...Bc5.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 

Even if my current blitz play is rusty, I felt reassured that I have been here before. The Database shows my record as 47 - 5 - 4, scoring 88%.

7.d4 

The question here was how much the "extra" moves (0-0, ...h6) have changed the regular Jerome Gambit position.

I usually have played 7.Qh5+. In fact, before this game I was only 1 - 1 with 7.d4. Stockfish 13 shows a slight preference (about 1/2 a pawn) for the Queen move. 

7...Qf6 

Often the Black Queen comes to f6 in the Jerome. This move also avoids spending time deciding which minor piece to save - White can decide.

That said, Black would have done better with the straight-forward 7...Bxd4. 

8.dxc5 Ne7 9.Nc3 

What is going on here? 

Black has kept up with his development, and he should consider castling-by-hand with ...Rf8 and ...Kg8. He needs to liberate his Bishop and the Rook that it locks in.

White can bring his Knight to d5, if allowed. He can play for f2-f4, and enjoy the threats of his Rook on f1 against the enemy Queen and King on the f-file.

9...c6 

This keeps White's Knight off of d5, at the cost of delaying his development. Compare this with 9...d5 opening the diagonal for the Bishop. According to Stockfish 13, after 10.cxd6 cxd6 11.f4 N5c6 12.Nb5 (attacking the d-pawn) Rd8 13.c4 Be6 14.Nxd6+ Kg8 15.c5 Nc8 16.Rf2 Nxd6 17.cxd6 Rd7 18.Be3 Rad8 19.e5 Qg6 20.Qf3 Rf8 21.Qg3 Qxg3 22.hxg3 Re8 Black is better - you can see White has 3 pawns for his sacrificed piece, but the pawns are blockaded.

10.f4 Nc4 11.e5 Qf5 

White's pawns hold back Black's d-pawn, which blocks the Bishop, which hems in the Rook... Plus, there is that f-file.

12.g4 Qg6 13.f5 Nxf5 

Giving back a piece for a pawn or two is a reasonable idea.

14.Rxf5+ 

After the game Stockfish criticized this move as hurried. White would do better with the casual 14.Kh1 which unpins his g-pawn and allows a better recapture, i.e. 14...d5 (has to be played) 15.exd6 Kg8 16.gxf5 Bxf5. White would be up a pawn, and his passer at d6 would need to be watched.

Here Black resigned.

What would have happened, though, if he had played 14...Kg8 ? White would probably have to reinforce his g-pawn with 15.h3, and worry about a possible future ...h6-h5. That would give Black time for the hearty 15...d5, when White's Rook would have to shuffle over to h5. After Komodo 11's suggested 16.Rh5 Qe6 17.Qd4 b6 18.cxb6 axb6 19.b3 g6 20.Rxh6 Rxh6 21.Bxh6 Qxe5 the position would be quite a mess, White would be up a pawn up, but anything could happen in a blitz game.

analysis diagram

Every Gambit Refuted: Jerome Gambit

The Chess.com website is a great place to play chess.

It also has a "Learn" area, under which can be found various "Lessons" which include GM Eugene Perelshteyn's "Every Gambit Refuted" series of challenges.

Of course you can find "Every Gambit Refuted: Jerome Gambit"

Have you ever faced the Jerome Gambit? This little-known attacking idea has gone viral in the last year and GM Eugene Perelshteyn is here to put it to bed with a clear refutation.

If you play the Jerome Gambit or face the Jerome Gambit, it is worth taking about 15 minutes to try your tactical skills on this one.