Jerome Gambit: Facing Up to 4.Bxf7+ in the Two Knights (Part 1)

 

I started this blog over 13 years ago with a focus on the Jerome Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+. The backbone of The Database is a collection of all of the Jerome games that I could gather from the online site FICS, since its beginning in 2009.

As I collected additional games and analysis to add to my posts, I began to include information on lines which included the development of all 4 Knights, or which saw an early ...h6 - or which saw a combination of both.

I added 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Bxf7+, because at least one authority labeled it the Jerome Gambit.

It seemed natural to add 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Na5 4.Bxf7+ and 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 4.Bxf7+, because of Jerome-ish themes, too.

As readers began to send me games, there were many with Bxf7+ played as reasonably (or unreasonably) as possible, e.g. 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.Bxf7+.

Although I have not gone back to the early days of FICS to search for these additional lines, I have added as many games as I can to The Database, which now contains over 69,000 games.

The other day, I noticed that I had over 500 examples of the Two Knights variation, 1.e4 d5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Bxf7+.

Although I had early experience facing this line - leobrazer - perrypawnpusher, blitz 3 0, FICS, 2009 (0-1, 48) and yorgos - perrypawnpusher, blitz 3 0 FICS, 2009 (1-0, 48) - in my blog analysis I mostly avoided it - see "Jerome Gambit vs Two Knights Defense (Part 1, 2, 3 and 4)". 

My preference in facing the Two Knights Defense was to play 4.Nc3 and hope for a transition to the Jerome Gambit Four Knights with 4...Bc5 5.Bxf7+. When faced with 4...Nxe4 in this line, I sometimes tried 5.Bxf7+ or 5.0-0 (with hopes for transition).

But I continued to be sent, and to find, Two Knights games with 4.Bxf7+. Witness the recent "Jerome Gambit: Chess Adventures of GM Hambleton (Part 1)"

The earliest game that I have found with 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Bxf7+ comes from a correspondence tournament played in 1891-92. We will look at that game tomorrow.

[to be continued]

Jerome Gambit: Another Push For the Nudge

In the 6...Ng6 variation of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) I have always been an advocate of the Queen check "nudge" 7.Qd5+ before picking up Black's Bishop at c5.

The move gives Black one more thing to think about (Where does my King go?) and drives the enemy monarch to the back rank, where it can interfere with his Rook placement.

The following game is an example of the troubles that can arise, otherwise.

Astral1119 - JJayquan

10 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2021

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qxc5

I checked with The Database, and found that this direct capture scores 49% for White, while the "nudge" check, first, 7.Qd5+, scores 67%. That's something to think about.

Also, Stockfish 14 shows a clear preference for 7.Qd5+, about 3/4 of a pawn.

7... d6 8.Qe3 Nf6 

A couple of posts ago, I referred to this as "A normal Jerome Gambit position" - with the King on e8, that is.

9.Nc3 

This is a regular developing move, designed both to protect the e -pawn and prevent 9...d5. However, it fails in the latter case, as Black can play his d-pawn forward, as seen in the earlier game RevvedUp - Crafty 19.19, 2 12 blitz, 2006 (0-1, 14).

In fact, the more modest 9.d3, and the more direct 9.f3 can also be met by 9...d5.

The problem is that White's Queen is on the same file as his King - the one that Black can move his Rook to. As I have cautioned before, "beware the e-file".

9...Re8 10. d3 d5 11.f3 

White has reinforced his e-pawn, but in the process he has overlooked something.

11...d4 12.Qd2 dxc3 13.Qxc3 Kg8 

Instead, after 13...Qd6, White eventually lost on time in Astral1119 - EliArturKarL, lichess.org, 2021, (0-1, 48) 

14.O-O  White resigned

White is down two pieces for three pawns.

Jerome Gambit: Normal Fails

One thing that makes the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) attractive for club blitz play is that many defensive moves and plans seem normal, and, therfore, reasonable; but they eventually turn out to be flawed.

The following short game is a good example. 

Astral1119 - BenTheMaster00

5 3 blitz, lichess.org, 2021

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8 

Why cooperate with White's attack, by capturing the Knight?

Indeed, this is a good response for Black, but not if he only follows normal moves.

6.Qh5+ 

The most aggressive response.

Best, but complicated, is 6.Nxc6 Qh4!?, a line that has 0 examples in The Database.

6...g6 7.Nxg6 Qf6 

This attack on White's King would work, if there were enough time. There isn't.

Instead, Black could attack the enemy Queen right away with 7...Nf6. Then, after 8.Qxc5 hxg6 9.f3 he would have an edge.

In fact, since Black is going to lose his Bishop anyhow, he could improve with 7...Bxf2+ first, followed by 8.Kxf2 Nf6, with White's Knight at g6 later to be taken. It is interesting to consult The Database, where the Bishop sacrifice scored only 17% for Black in a dozen games, despite leading to a position that is "objectively" better.

8.Nxh8+ Kd8 9.Qxc5 Qxh8 10.Qf8 checkmate

Nice.

Jerome Gambit: Busting the Pawn Center

The Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) often features a large and aggressive pawn center that White uses to show compensation for his sacrificed piece. 

In the following game, Black succeeds in dismantling the enemy pawn center, only to continue his aggression one move too much.

EdnaDrown - hechQ

10 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2021 

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

A normal Jerome Gambit position: there are 330 examples in The Database. White defends the e-pawn and works on the Queenside.

10.f3 Kf7 11.O-O Re8 12.Qb3+ Be6 13.c4 b6 14.d4 c6 

White's pawn center looks like it is almost enough...

15.f4 

Black hits back against this. White might have done better with 15.d5.

15...b5 16.Na3 bxc4 17.Nxc4 Nxe4 

Suddenly, Black decided to grab the "free" e-pawn - a risky move with his Bishop still on e6.

18.f5 Bxc4 

This almost works.

19.fxg6+  Kxg6 20.Qxc4 

The battle on the Queenside has settled down, White's pawn center has disappeared, and Black can keep things relatively balanced now by protecting his c-pawn with 20...Qd7.

Instead, he continues by setting up a disclosed check - although he overlooks something.

20...Qb6 21.Qf7 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: Thank You

 

Every month, Bill Wall sends me his new Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) games. Often they are hard-fought battles that extend the theory of the opening. Sometimes they are miniatures - often because of the assistance of the defender. (In those cases, I am sure that Bill says "Thank you".)

The following game is an example of how in the Jerome Gambit one oversight on defense can quickly turn the game into a "1 - 0" result.

Wall, Bill - Kayck

internet, 2021

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

The Database shows 961 games with this position for Bill, with him scoring 94%. Those are pretty solid numbers.

(Older skeptics who are familiar with both chess and basketball might say that It's not the shoes.)

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

So far, so good, for Black.

7.f4 g6

The defender follows the advice that if a piece of yours is attacked, you don't have to move the piece, you can attack a piece of a higher value. In this particular case, however, the advice does not apply.

The Database has 56 games with this position, with White scoring 74%. More to the point, it has 4 games played by Bill with this position, with him scoring 100%.

Instead, 7...d6 leads to the "annoying defense" which is a tougher nut for White to crack.

8.Qxe5+ Kf7 9.Qxh8 Black resigned

Black is down the exchange and a couple of pawns.

Jerome Gambit: Alert

 

I have a Google alert set up to catch instances of the use of "Jerome Gambit" on the internet.

Often I receive an alert that references this blog. No surprise.

However, occasionally I discover something new and different.

Today I was directed to something that was simply irresistable:

The Most Craziest Gambit Ever|The Jerome Gambit (The Death Cruise Part 11) • lichess.org

Jerome Gambit: Light Relaxation

 

The Master Tricks, who brought you a Jerome Gambit video on YouTube (see the recent "Jerome Gambit: Relaxing"), has another, short video, starting out 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 before transposing to the Jerome with 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.Bxf7+.

Titled "Jerome gambit । the jerome gambit । how to play the jerome gambit । jerome gambit chess । Chess", with a graphic teasing "How to checkmate in 8 moves?" the video showcases a line that harkens back to an internet blitz game from about 4 1/2 years ago (Hi, Petasluk!).

The Database has 3 blitz games with play through those first 7 moves. Twice White finds the move that checkmates; once he overlooks it, and is defeated in 12 moves.

It might be worth checking out the video to see what that move #8 is for White.

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By the way - speaking of videos - chessfriend Yury V. Bukayev pointed out a ChessBase offering "For free: Get your brand-new 60 minutes video course", featuring Grandmaster Simon Williams' video "My favorite Opening Traps".

The content is enticing:

1. Introduction
2. Traps
3. Stafford Gambit - 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 Nc6 4.Nxc6 dxc6
4. Jerome Gambit - 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5 Nxe5
5. Nakhmanson Gambit - 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d4 exd4 5.0-0 Nxe4 6.Nc3
6. Englund Gambit - 1.d4 e5 2.dxe5 Bc5/Nc6
7. Panteldalkis Countergambit - 1.e4 e5 2.f4 f5
8. Fajarowicz Gambit - 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5 3.dxe5 Ne4

Alas, the "free" offer expired on Christmas past, although ChessBase still sells the video in its offerings.

And, how often do you see a grandmaster using "My favorite" in relation to the Jerome Gambit?