Jerome Gambit: Peeking Through the Palm

Yesterday's post was skeptical regarding the "Face palm" variation, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Ng5+.

A look at The Database, however, shows 622 games with the line, so there has to be something attractive about it.

I think that White may be counting on Black responding very quickly in a bullet or blitz game.

Jerry315 - HEM2808

10 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2021

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Ng5+ 

White threatens Black's King. Scary.

5...Qxg5 

Okay... The Database has 455 games with this position, with White scoring 16%/

6.d4 

White attacks both the Bishop and the Queen. What if Black's focus is on the center? Will he deal with the lesser of the two threats? 

Here are some game examples.

6...Nxd4 

Or 6...Bxd4 7.Bxg5 Black resigned, KAVUA - wojowhiskey, standard, FICS, 2013 7...Bxb2 (7...h6 8.Qf3+ Nf6 9.Bxf6 gxf6 10.Qh5+ Kg7 11.Nd2 Bxb2 12.Rb1 Bd4 13.Nf3 Bb6 14.Nh4 d6 15.Qg6+ Kf8 16.Qxf6+ Kg8 17.Ng6 Black resigned, SPOKLECHAT - anzali, FICS, 2020) 8.Qd5+ Kf8 9.O-O Bxa1 10.f4 Nge7 11.fxe5+ Ke8 12.Qf7+ Kd8 13.Qf8+ Rxf8 14.Rxf8 checkmate, drewski02 - dperez22, Chess.com, 2021. 

7.Bxg5 

Here White resigned in Longandsons - criton, standard, FICS, 2010 

7...Bb4+ 

Or 7...Nf6 8.Bxf6 gxf6 9.Qh5+ Kg7 10.Qd1 d5 11.exd5 Bf5 12.O-O Nxc2 13.Nc3 Nxa1 14.Qxa1 a6 15.Kh1 Rad8 16.f3 Rd6 17.g4 Bg6 18.Ne4 Bxe4 19.fxe4 h5 20.Qd1 hxg4 21.Qxg4+ Kf7 22.a3 Be3 23.Re1 Bf4 24.Re2 Rdd8 25.Qe6+ Kg7 26.Rg2+ Bg5 27.Qe7+ Kg6 28.Rc2 Rc8 29.Rxc7 Rxc7 30.Qxc7 Bf4 31.Qxb7 Rxh2+ 32.Kg1 Re2 33.Qxa6 Rxb2 34.d6 Rd2 35.Qa7 f5 36.exf5+ Kxf5 37.Qf7+ Ke4 38.d7 Ke3 39.Qb3+ Rd3 40.Qb6+ Ke2 41.Qf2+ Kd1 42.Qf1+ Kc2 43.Qe2+ Kc3 44.Qe1+ Kb2 45.Qe2+ Kc3 46.Qe1+ Kc2 47.Qe2+ Kc3 48.Qe1+ Kc2 49.Qe2+ Game drawn by repetition, chesssfire - reali, FICS, 2004;

Or 7...d6 8.c3 Ne6 9.Qf3+ Nf6 10.Bxf6 gxf6 11.Qh5+ Ke7 12.b4 Nf4 13.Qd1 Bb6 14.h3 h5 15.Nd2 Nd3+ 16.Kf1 Nxf2 17.Qc2 Nxh1 18.a4 Ng3+ 19.Ke1 a5 20.Nc4 axb4 21.Nxb6 cxb6 22.cxb4 Bd7 23.a5 bxa5 24.Rxa5 Rac8 25.Qf2 Nxe4 26.Qh4 Rc1+ 27.Ke2 Rhc8 28.Qxh5 R8c2+ 29.Ke3 Re1+ 30.Kd3 Rd2+ 31.Kc4 b5+ 32.Kb3 Be6+ 33.Ka3 Re3 checkmate, juuei - ficsserver, FICS, 2013 

8.c3 Bxc3+ 9.bxc3 Black resigned

What do you think? At the right time, against the right opponent, with the right time control - might you give it a try?

Jerome Gambit: Threats and More Threats

The following game says something about both blitz chess and the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+): Success often comes from making a series of threats, even if they can be defended, one-at-a-time.

It is particularly interesting, given the rating of the two players. Perhaps it was all just in fun. 

KarmaAkabane32 (2772) - Lordermord (2298)

3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2021

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

4...Kxf7 5.Ng5+

As I wrote in "Jerome Gambit: Developing (Part 2)"

I think I betray my skepticism of this move in calling it the "face palm variation". See "Jerome Gambit: The Face Palm Variation" and "Jerome Gambit: Return of the Face Palm Variation".

5...Kf8 

However, Black recoils from the threat. He could easily have captured the Knight with 5...Qxg5, as the "trick" behind White's threat, 6.d4, attacking both the Queen and the Bishop, can be aggressively met with 6...Qxg2 when Black would be much better.

6.Qh5

Threatening checkmate-in-one.

 6...g6 7.Nxh7+ 

I am pretty sure that the old lament is Patzer sees check, patzer gives check, not 2700 sees check, 2700 gives check, but this is a 3-minute game, and it is the Jerome Gambit.

7...Kf7

Again, the threat has its impact. Is the defender anxious, or just underestimating the move? Black would be fine after 7...Kg7, when he will then go on to win the Knight.

8.Ng5+ Kf6 

Not doing himself any favors. Komodo 12 suggests 8...Kg7 9.Qxh8+ Kxh8 10.Nf7+ Kg7 11.Nxd8 Nxd8 when Black would have an edge.

9.Qxh8+

The check makes all the difference.

9...Kxg5 10.d4+ Kg4 11.f3 checkmate

The moral of the story: threaten, threaten, threaten.

Jerome Gambit: A Complicated Position, A Slip

I have completed a game in the current "Giuoco Piano" tournament at Chess.com. As luck would have it, I was playing a Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+). Even more luck brought me the full point, as my opponent made a slip in a complicated position. That was unfortunate, as he was doing very well - until he wasn't.

Be sure to check out the notes for additional examples of bad luck.

perrypawnpusher - ycarissan

3 d/move "Giuoco Piano" Chess.com, 2021

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+ 9.g3 Nf3+ 

Here we have the wild "Nibs" variation, first seen in

an imaginary game presented in the June 1899 issue of the American Chess Magazine. In an article titled "A CHESS SCRAP" by "R.F." it is supposedly an early example of chess-by-telephone – filled with all of the difficulties that came from using a then new and unproven technology.

The computers like the variation, assessing Black's developed pieces as more important than his exposed King.

10.Kf1 

Before this game I was 11 - 3 with this move, as opposed to 6 - 0 with the alternative 10.Kd1.

It is relevant to mention a third King-move alternative, as 10.Ke2 Nd4+ leads to the loss of White's Queen. The Database has 19 games with this misfortune - or with White resigning first - but my favorite has to be a game that does not follow the script: 11.Kd3 Qe7 12.Qd5 checkmate.

10...Nd4 

Ouch.

Instead, Black could have followed perrypawnpusher - Temmo, Jerome Gambit thematic tournament, ChessWorld.net, 2008 (0-1, 43) with 10...Qh6.

Please notice that the retreat 10...Qe7 would be met by 11.Qd5+ checkmate, as in the recent game Matechess1 - akhend15, 3 2 blitz, lichess.org, 2021. The Database has 13 similar mates with White's King on d1, but only one with the King on f1.

As Dan Middlemiss pointed out, Black could also have played 10...Ne7, as in perrypawnpusher - DaniyarManat, Piano Piano tournament, Chess.com, 2020 (1-0, 29).

11.Qd5+ Black resigned

White's Queen has escaped danger, with check, giving time to capture Black's Queen.

Carlsen's Win & Handicap Gambits: The New Chess Opening Fashion

The top GM World Champion Magnus Carlsen (White) in his Game 6 against the top GM Challenger Ian Nepomniachtchi after 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 d5 3. g3 e6 4. Bg2 Be7 5. O-O O-O 6. b3 c5 7. dxc5 Bxc5 8. c4 dxc4 9. Qc2 Qe7  played  10. Nbd2?  -  not only a weak gambit, but also a handicap gambit, in fact. Of course, Black should play here 10...cxb3!, and White's compensation is too little. But the Challenger played 10...Nc6?! instead, after his enough long thinking. The result of this game is "1:0". All these facts can create the new chess opening fashion - to play handicap gambits in very serious GM - GM games.

This new chess fashion can make all modern handicap gambits (including Jerome gambit, its weak deferred and weak related lines) very popular on the grandmaster level too.

Probably, the Challenger doesn't read the blog jeromegambit.blogspot.com , because in his Game 8 (Black) against the World Champion he hasn't thought about opponent's pawn f2. Thus, after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.d4 Nxe4 4.Bd3 d5 5.Nxe5 Nd7 6.Nxd7 Bxd7 (Petrov defence, C43) Mr. Carlsen's 7.Nd2!? can be met by 7...Qh4! AN with ...0-0-0! as a part of the further plan. In any case, I suggest Mr. Nepomniachtchi to start reading this blog, because it can help him on the continuous World Chess Championship 2021 and not only on it!

I thank Mr. Carlsen for his very brave gambits on this World Championship. It maybe, he reads this blog sometimes, it maybe, he has studied a handicap gambit psychology here. In any case, this new chess fashion is an interesting fact, which can lead to a large development of theory of such "psychological" gambits in future.

Note 1: Author’s theoretical novelties-moves are marked by the symbol “AN”. 

 

 

Contact the author:  istinayubukayev@yandex.ru  or  Facebook  

 

 

© 2021 Yury V. Bukayev (Copyright © Bukayev Yury Vyacheslavovich 2021). All rights reserved.  

[A legal using of this investigation with a reference to it is permitted  

and doesn’t require author’s consent.] 

Jerome Gambit: GM Tisdall's Words Before The World Chess Championship 2021

 

Here we have a recent Grandmaster tweet.

Jonathan Tisdall

@GMjtis

Ah, so the Jerome Gambit isn't something newfangled, it's in the relic closet. Part of my probably luckily neglected early education...

Apparently, it was liked...

Denes Boros

@Gmasterg4

Читать

St. Louis-based Grandmaster. Chess Streamer. Twitch Partner. #ChessPsych, Journalist at Wch Carlsen-Karjakin Match, Hobby: Looking for the Meaning of Life

Jerome Gambit: Boogyman (Part 3)

 

[continued from the  previous post]

[We continue the analysis by Brian Wall and Tyrin Price of the capture of the Rook in Whistler's defense. My comments in blue - Rick]

9...Qxg2 

Brian Wall --Just to complete the analysis let's take a closer look at 8.Qxh8 Qxe4+ 9.Kd1. 

Tyrin analyzed 9.Kd1 Qxg2 - for no other reason than to be a complete jerk, let's look at 9...Qg4+ instead. 9...Qg4+ 10.Ke1 (10.f3 Qxg2 11.Re1 [11.Qxh7+ Kf8 12. c3 Qxh1+ 13. Kc2 Qxf3 14. b4 Be7 with an extra piece] 11...Qxf3+ 12.Re2 d5 win [or 12...Nf6 13.d4 d5 14.Bh6 Qxe2+ 15.Kxe2 Bg4+] 10...Qxg2 [10...Nf6 11.d3 {11.d4 Qxd4 12.Bh6 Qxb2 13.Qg7+ Ke6 14.Ke2 Qe5+ leaves Black up a piece (or 14...Qxa1)} 11...Qxg2 12.Rf1 d5 13.Nd2 and among multiple wins the easiest is the retreat 13...Bf8 arresting the Queen {13...b6} {13...b5} {13...Bd6} {13...Bb4} {13...Be7}] 14.c3 Bf5 15.Kd1 Re8 is one typical crush) 11.Qxh7+ (11.Rf1 d5 [11...Qe4+; 11...Nf6 are all good] 11... Kf8! 12.Rf1 Qe4+ (12...d5 13.d3 [13.d4 Bh3 14.Bh6+ Nxh6 15.Qxh6+ Kg8 16.Nd2 Re8+ 17.Kd1 Qg4+ 18.f3 Qe6] 13...Bh3 14.Bh6+ Nxh6 15.Qxh6+ Kg8 16.Kd2 (16.Nd2 Re8+ 17.Kd1 Qg4+ 18.f3 Qe6 (18...Qg1! are killers) 16...Bf8 get away from my g6-pawn so I can take your rook 13.Kd1 Qf3+ 14.Ke1 d5 and against almost anything White can try a c8-bishop move will kill, for example 15.d3 (15.d4 Bg4 16.Bh6+ Nxh6 17.Qxh6+ Kf7 18.Nc3 Re8+ 19.Kd2 Re2+! 20.Kc1 Bf5! 21.Nxe2 Qxe2 22.Qd2 Qxf1+ 23.Qd1 Qxd1+ 24.Kxd1 Bxd4 with a very easy endgame win; 15.Nc3 Bh3  [or 15...Bg4!] 16.d4 Bxd4 [or 16...Re8+ are deadly]; 15.Qxg6 Bg4! [or 15...Bf5] [or 15... Bh3!] 16.Nc3 Re8+ 17.Qxe8+ Kxe8 +12 for Black) 15...Bg4!! (or 15...Bh3!) 16.Bh6+ Nxh6 17.Qxh6+ Kf7 18.Nc3 Re8+ 19.Kd2 Re2+ 20.Kc1 Be3+ 21.fxe3 Qxf1+ 22.Nd1 Qxd1+ is a piece up ending, but 22...Rxh2 is even stronger 

10.Qxh7+ Kf8 11.Re1 d5 

And the threat of Bg4 forces White's hand 

12.c4 Qf3+ 13.Re2 

Now, if 13.Kc2 Bf5+ leads to mate

13... Bg4 14.Nc3 Re8 

and the hammer will fall when Black plays d4    

Brian Wall - Where can I find players willing to play the Jerome Gambit?? The more you look at 8.Qxh8 the more hopeless it is. If I was White I would play a different 8th move and settle for very little compensation rather than making things worse.

[Agreed.]

I don't know if Tyrin's idea is best or new but it certainly works.

[The Moral: Against Whistler's defense 7...Qe7, don't play 8.Qxh8.]