Jerome Gambit Video By Top GM Nakamura & New Analysis

When I mentioned in an earlier post a video by Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura on the Jerome Gambit, I neglected to give the title, "How to win with the Jerome gambit". Yury V. Bukayev let me know about this error, and I have made the correction. GM Nakamura shows here not only his won games. Thus, in the middle of his video (please, see it since 38:27 till 40:40) he shows his game as Black with the very strong opponent (Mrkooshaj - GMHikaruOnTwitch, 3 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2021), where his opponent has surprised him, probably:

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Qf6 9.fxe5+ Qxe5 10.Qxe5+ Kxe5 11.b4 Bd4 12.c3 Bb6 13.d4+ Kxe4 14.O-O Nf6 15.Bg5 d6 16.Nd2+ Kd3 17.Rf3+ .

Yury also pointed out that at the end of this game there was an interesting alternative (not mentioned on the video):

Here Black played 17...Kc2 and resigned after 18.Nc4, as he is helpless against the threat of Rc1 checkmate, e.g. 18...Bxd4+ 19.cxd4 Be6 20.Rc1#

Had Black played 17...Ke2, Yury noted that 18.Nf1 would have been the best response, leading to the most rapid checkmate, with either Ng3 or Re3, and that can only be briefly put off, e.g. 18...Bxd4+ 19.cxd4 Be6 20.Ng3# (or 20.Re3#).

Jerome Gambit: Secret No More

 Jerome Gambit Secrets continue to be revealed. Most recently, I had to cross #13 off the list, as it was not longer secret. This one was on behalf of the defender, and to White I can only say with a smile "Don't say I didn't warn you"

Mstrvampire - S__one

10 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2021

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 

I used to routinely say that this move leads to either the Blackburne or the Whistler defense. However, these days I need to add the possibility of the Counter-Jerome Gambit.

7.Qxe5 Bxf2+ 

The idea is to meet 8.Kxf2 with 8...Qf6+ and exchange of Queens, neutralizing the large part of White's planned attack - at the cost of a pawn. The psychological impact is twofold, as White might become frustrated with the work ahead of him in a Queenless middlegame; and Black gets to return the "favor" of displacing the enemy King, who can no longer castle. 

8.Kd1

This has almost a playground feel to it. Black offers If you are going to sacrifice a piece to kick my King, then I will sacrifice a piece to kick your King. White responds But I don't have to take your piece.

It is worth pointing out that the Counter-Jerome Gambit is slightly better for White, with little risk. White should capture the Bishop.

In an earlier game, TacticalRain - sriramv, Internet, 2020 (1-0, 21), Black responded to 8.Kd1 with 8...Qf6, anyhow. I pointed out

[T]he real danger came from 8...Qh4, threatening 9...Qg4 mate! This is not an idle threat - for example, if White guards the g4 square with 9.h3, then 9...d6 both attacks White's Queen and threatens 10...Bg4+ 11.hxg4 Qxg4 mate.

White can answer 8...Qh4 with 9.c3, creating an escape outlet for his King, but the situation remains dire: 9...Nf6 10.d3 Qg4+ 11.Kc2 Qxg2 12.Nd2 Qxh1, although White can recover a piece with 13.Qf4 followed by e4-e5. He can improve the line by checking the enemy King a bit, first: 9.Qd5+ Kg7 10.Qe5+ Nf6+ 11.Qe7+ Kg8 12.c3, because now 12...Qg4+ 13.Kc2 Qxg2 would lead to 14.Qxf6 Qxh1 15.Qd8+ Kf7 16.Qxh8 Qxh2 when Black would have only a small edge. However, instead of hunting material, Black improves with 12...b6 and 13...Ba6, or 12...d5 and is still better.

8...Qh4 9.Rf1 Qg4 checkmate

Ow.

Jerome Gambit: Secrets Update

It is time to update my "Secrets" series.

As I wrote in "Jerome Gambit: Shhhh! It's A Secret"

About 3 years ago I started a series of occasional posts presenting "Jerome Gambit Secrets" - moves or lines of play that were good, but were overlooked or rarely played.

To date, I have presented 15 of them.

Secret #2 is no loger officially a "secret". I do not know if that is because the player was aware of this blog, or if his creativity happened to parallel my discovery. Either way, the defender got the drop on the attacker, and in the end he was able to deliver checkmate.

SergioQuinonez - leonardodavichi

10 0 blitz, lichess.org, 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. How does the position compare to the regular Jerome Gambit? The computer still favors Black, but it increases White's assessment about a 1/2 pawn.

5... Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.Qh5+ g6 8.Qxe5 

As I noted

Here we have a position from perrypawnpusher - islanderchess, 10 0 blitz, FICS, 2008 (1-0, 46). In fact, there are 10 games with this position in The Database - all played by me - and White has won every time.

However, if you play this line with White, it is important that you not become overconfident. As far back as December 2, 2008 on this blog, I recommended that Black play the retrograde 8...Bf8!?, as then the Rook in the corner is off limits: 9.Qxh8? Bg7 10.Qh7 Nf6 and the White Queen is lost.

Currently there are 12 games with this position, and White has scored 11-1, the loss coming in a 3-minute blitz game when he accidentally hung his Queen.

8...Bf8 

This is a strange-looking move, and it should have raised White's suspicions. 

9.Qxh8 

The temptation was too great.

9...Bg7 10.Qh7 Nf6 

The Queen will be lost. White will get a Rook and a Bishop for Her Majesty, but it must be remembered that White sacrificed material earlier.

11.Qxg7+ Kxg7 

White has only a Rook and two pawns for his Queen.

However, like a good Jerome Gambit player, he continues to fight.

12.e5 Ng4 13.d4 Qh4 14.h3 d6 15.hxg4 Bxg4 16.Bf4 dxe5 17.Bxe5+ Kh7 

 White now has a Rook, a Knight and a pawn for his Queen. Things are about even. But "even" does not mean "drawn", and the position is not easy.

18.c3 Rf8 19.Nd2 

Stockfish 14.1 doesn't like this move, and prefers 19.f3 with a complicated followup, 19...Qg5 20.f4 Qf5 21.Nd2 Qc2 22.Rf2 g5 23.Nf1 Qe4 24.Bxc7 gxf4 25.Bd6 Rf6 26.Be5 Rf7 27.Nd2 Qg6 28.Raf1 f3 29.Kh2 Qh5+ 30.Kg1 and a likely draw by repetition. That's pretty complicated, though.  

19...Be2 

This is the move that Stockfish was worried about. It wins the exchange, as White's Rook can not move, due to the attack on f2.

20.Nf3 

Instead, 20.Bxc7 Bxf1 21.Rxf1 leaves White with only a couple of pieces and a couple of pawns for his Queen. I suppose if White's d-pawn can advance, it would help, but otherwise he does not have enough compensation.

20...Bxf3 

Even stronger was 20...Rxf3.

21.gxf3 

More help could be found in 21.Bg3 first. 

21...Rxf3 22.Bg3 Qg5 23.Kh2 h5 

Adding to the attack.

24.Rg1 h4 25.Bxh4 Qxh4+ 26.Kg2 Qh3 checkmate.

Jerome Gambit: Almost

In the following Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game, White faces a defense that almost works. Given enough time, Black can pull things together, but his opponent moves quickly and gains an advantage. The game ends, perhaps with Black realizing that there are other games to play, with more opportunities elsewhere.

 

Atti0130 - tigrotto

5 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2021

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Bf8  

This is an idea that almost works. It is not clear if the move is an oversight, or if Black mis-remembers a "secret" recommendation (see tomorrow's post).

8.Qxh8

Sure, why not?

The only other example that I found in The Database continued: 8.d3 Qf6 9. Qxf6+ Nxf6 10. Nc3 Bg7 11. Nd5 Nxd5 12. exd5 Re8+ 13. Be3 Ke7 14. O-O-O Kd6 15. Rde1 Kxd5 16. c4+ Kc6 17. d4 d5 18. cxd5+ Kxd5 19. b4 Bf5 20.Kb2 Rad8 21. Kc3 Kc6 22. Kc4 Be6+ 23. Kd3 Kb5 24. Kc3 Bf8 25. Kd2 Bxb4+ 26. Kd1 Bxe1 27. Rxe1 Kc4 28. Kd2 Rxd4+ 29. Bxd4 Kxd4 30. f3 a5 31. Rd1 b5 32. Kc2+ Ke5 33. Re1+ Kf4 34. g3+ Kxf3 35. Rf1+ Kg2 36. Rd1 Kxh2 37. Rd2+ Kxg3 38. Rd3+ Kh4 39. Rd1 g5 40. Rh1+ Kg4 41. Rxh7 Bf5+ 42. Kc3 Bxh7 43. Kb3 Kf5 44. Kc3 g4 45.Kd2 g3 White resigned, Tiny25 - volkan19058, lichess.org, 2021. 

8...Bg7 9.Qxh7 Nf6 10.Qh4 

White's Queen has escaped. Black has the open h-file as compensation, but it is not enough.

10...Qe7 11.d3 d6 12.O-O Be6 13.Nc3 Rh8 14.Qg5 Bh6 15.Qg3 Nh5 16.Qf3+ Black resigned

Black is down the exchange and three pawns.

After White exchanges Bishops, he can look forward to steadily taking advantage of his extra material. If the clock is not an issue, his chances look good. 

Jerome Gambit: Borrowed Some More

A few posts ago, I pointed out

I suppose if I asked club players why they "borrow" the Bishop sacrifice from the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) they would say "Because that's where the fun is."

The following game, a Bishop's Opening, shows how borrowing the Bishop sacrifice from the Jerome Gambit can be shocking - and successful.

The impact of a surprise can be doubled in bullet play.

DrSoberHead - moritzbernold

1 0 bullet, Chess.com, 2021

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6 

Bishop's Opening, Berlin Defense.

3.Bxf7+ Kxf7

4.f4

White wants to open the f-file.

4...exf4 5.Nh3 Nxe4 

Rule of thumb in bullet: When you see nothing better, grab material.

6.Rf1 

As planned, although he could have "borrowed" 6.Qh5+, as well, which would have been stronger.

6...Kg8 7.Rxf4 Nd6 

Playable, but it delays development: Knight blocks pawn which (along with the other Knight) hems in Bishop which blocks Rook. Seriously borrowed from the Jerome Gambit.

8.Qh5 Nb5 

This looks like a "mouse slip", but for what other move, I am not sure. Could he have considered - but then rejected at the last moment - the defensive 8...Nf7?

9.Qf7 checkmate

Reminds me of the lament of an old chess buddy of mine, who too often had to say "I was winning, right up to the point that you checkmated me."

Jerome Gambit: How Do Games End?

 

Occasionally, I sift through Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) games in The Database to find final positions that are interesting.

I would like to share a few.

Rooking4Love - vher, 10 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2021

White appears to be at great risk of losing. In fact Black now has a checkmate in 4, 27...Bg4+ 28.Kg2 Qh3+ 29.Kg1 Bxf3 30.Bc5 Qh1#. Black's only problem? He ran out of time. 

I have said it many times: Often Black can "solve" the Jerome Gambit if he has enough time; but often he does not have enough time. 

TheGreatZe - Gzaborey, 3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2021

To balance things out after that first example, I can share this blitz game where White, indeed, would have been happy to see his opponent's flag fall - but he was not fortunate this time around, losing in 84 moves.

TheGreatZe - djoer6, 3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2021

If it were Black's move, he could checkmate in 2 with ...b2+ followed by ...b1/Q#. Alas, it is White's move, which  means that it is stalemate and a draw.

Those Jerome Gambit players have all the luck.

Wolfpack1051 - deepme_987, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2021

Here, the clock is once again on White's side, but he can only gain a draw when his opponent's time runs out, as he does not have sufficient mating material.

Wolfpack1051 - d_challenger, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2021 

Again, one of the skills of the successful bullet player is to stay ahead of his opponent on the clock, so that even if things become troublesome on the board - he wins. Or, in this case, again, he draws, because he does not have sufficient mating material.

Jerome Gambit: That's Where The Fun Is

 

When he was asked why he robbed banks, Willie Sutton said, “Because that's where the money is.”

I suppose if I asked club players why they "borrow" the Bishop sacrifice from the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) they would say "Because that's where the fun is."

The following game is a good example, as Black quickly is relieved of a full point.

Guest1008137605 - Guest9071308852

10 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2021

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 

The Petroff or Russian Defense.

3.Bc4 

The Italian variation of the Petroff.

3...Nxe4 4.Bxf7+ 

This line shows up in The Database about 100 times, with White scoring 40%. A good place to learn more about it is an earlier post, "Jerome Gambit: Two Outstanding Marks of the Jerome Gambit".

White could also consider the Boden-Kieseritzky Gambit with 3.Nc3.

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke7 

The proper response was 5...Kg8, seen as early as in R.W. - H., Leipzig,1874. White now has clear compensation for his sacrificed piece.

6.Qe2 Nf6

Again, had Black thought of 6...d6 (a thematic Petroff move) 7.Nf3 Kf7, he could have surrendered his Knight to 8.Qxe4 Qe7, when he would have simply been a pawn down.

The Bishop sacrifice seems to have distracted the defender.

7.Nc6+ Kf7 8.Nxd8+ Black resigned

Nicely and quickly done.