Jerome Gambit : Chimera

Working through recent games in The Database I came across a game that was a combination of the Bishop Opening, Petroff Defense and Jerome Gambit.

I checked out this blog, and did not find much coverage. Most of it was in "Jerome Gambit: Speedrunning Tricks" with a note referring to blitz games played by Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura against online club players.

For bonus material, if you are interested in the Jerome-ish 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+, there is a game each in 

"Speedrunning to 3000 With Tricks Only"

"Tricks that work on 1000 rated players"

Checking YouTube.com, I found a game with the line, put to music.

It seems that almost everything that the Jerome Gambit touches turns to strangeness.

mbokhari - Khojah15

10 5 blitz, lichess.org, 2022

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Bxf7+ 

Although I have not paid much attention to this line, a check of The Database shows 426 games, with White scoring 60%.

I also noticed that The Database has 176 games with this line by mbokhari, where he scores 70%.

Those are some pretty wild numbers.

For comparison, there are 15,110 games with this position at lichess.org, where White scores 54%. Still, quite decent for a Jerome relative.

4...Ke7 

Declining the piece sacrifice is more psychology than solid chess assessment: Black simply does not want to play White's line.

The Database has 11 games with 4...Ke7, and it must be noted that White wins 91%

By comparison, lichess.org 140 games, where White wins 57%.

It is good to play a line where, when your opponent avoids what you want, your chances improve.

5.O-O 

Alternatives that mbokhari has explored:

5.Nxe5 Bxf2+ 6.Kxf2 Nxe4+ 7.Kg1 d5 8.d3 Nf6 9.Bg5 Kf8 10.Nc3 c6 11.h3 Qb6+ 12.d4 c5 13.Na4 Qd6 14.Nxc5 Nc6 15.Bxf6 gxf6 16.Nxc6 bxc6 17.Bh5 Rg8 18.Qd2 Rb8 19.Qh6+ Rg7 20.Rf1 Qg3 21.Qxf6+ Kg8 22.Qd8 checkmate, mbokhari - Khojah15, 3 2 blitz, lichess.org, 2020; 

5.Bb3 Bxf2+ 6.Kxf2 Nxe4+ 7.Kg1 d6 8.d3 Nc5 9.Bg5+ Kd7 10.Bxd8 Kxd8 11.Nc3 Nxb3 12.axb3 Bg4 13.Ne4 Bxf3 14.Qxf3 Nd7 15.Ng5 Rf8 16.Ne6+ Ke7 17.Nxf8 Black resigned, mbokhari - Khojah15, 5 5 blitz, lichess.org, 2020; 

5.d3 Bxf2+ 6.Kxf2 Ng4+ 7.Kg1 Kxf7 8.Ng5+ Ke8 9.Qxg4 d5 10.Qf3 dxe4 11.Qf7 checkmate, mbokhari - Khojah15, 10 5 blitz, lichess.org, 2021; and 

5.h3 Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Ke8 7.d4 Bd6 8.f4 Bxe5 9.fxe5 Nxe4 10.O-O d5 11.Nc3 Ng3 12.Rf3 Qh4 13.Nxd5 Bg4 14.Nxc7+ Kd8 15.Nxa8 Bxf3 16.Qxf3 Nd7 17.Bf4 Black resigned, mbokhari - Bermuda2020, 3 2 blitz, lichess.org, 2022. 

Of course, it was also okay to just withdraw the Bishop with 5.Bb3 when White would be better.

5...Nxe4 

Black continues his strategy; capturing the Bishop was still the strongest move.

6.d3 

White has also played 6.Nxe5 Bxf2+ 7.Rxf2 Nxf2 8.Kxf2 Kf8 9.Kg1 d6 10.Qf3 Ke7 11.d4 dxe5 12.Bg5+ Kd6 13.Bxd8 Rxd8 14.dxe5+ Kxe5 15.Nc3 Rf8 16.Re1+ Kd6 17.Qd5 checkmate, mbokhari - Khojah15, lichess.org, 2021.

The note to White's 5th move remains relevant.

6...Bxf2+ 

Wild. You can kind of tell that this is a blitz game, right?

7.Rxf2 

I was shocked to see that Stockfish 15 saw 7.Kh1 as the strongest reply, suggesting that the text move squanders most of White's advantage. The idea is that after the forces retreat with 7...Nf6 8.Bb3 Bb6 the important point is that Black's King is very vulnerable.

7...Nxf2 8.Bg5+ 

White improves on 8.Kxf2 d6 (8...Rf8 9.Bg5+ Kxf7 10.Bxd8 Kg8 11.Bxc7 Nc6 12.Bd6 b6 13.Bxf8 Kxf8 14.Ng5 Kg8 15.Qf3 Nd8 16.Qd5+ Kf8 17.Qxa8 Black resigned, mbokhari - yerbarrett, lichess.org, 2021) 9.Bg5+ Kf8 10.Bxd8 Kxf7 11.Ng5+ Ke8 12.Bxc7 Nc6 13.Bxd6 Rf8+ 14.Bxf8 Bg4 15.Qxg4 Nd4 16.Qd1 Ne2 17.Qxe2 Rd8 18.Qxe5+ Kxf8 19.Ne6+ Kf7 20.Nxd8+ Black resigned, mbokhari - Khojah15, lichess.org, 2020.

8...Kxf7 

Finally.

9.Bxd8 

The move calls out to be played - but is actually a mistake. White can scramble to a small advantage (according to the computer) with 9.Nxe5+ Kg8 10.Qh5 Qf8 11.Nc3 h6 12.Bh4 Nc6 13.Ng6 Qe8 14.Qd5+ Kh7 15.Nxh8 d6 16.Bxf2 Be6 17.Qe4+ Kxh8 18.Re1 Bf7 19.Qxe8+ Rxe8 20.Rxe8+ Bxe8 21.Nb5 Nb4 22.Nxc7 Bd7 23.a3 Nxc2 24.Bxa7 Ne1. Whew! That is a lot to look at in a blitz game.

Fortunately for White, the complications and the clock begin to wear away at Black's advantage.

9...Nxd1 10. Nxe5+ Ke8 11.Bxc7 Nxb2 12.Nc3 Na6 

13.Bd6 

Blocking the pawn that blocks the Bishop that hems in the Rook... A very Jerome-ish idea.

13...g6 

Despite the fact that the Queens are off the board, his leads to checkmate.

It is funny how often Stockfish 15 shows its disdain for the Jerome Gambit by suggesting that the best line of play in many positions is for White to force a draw. In this case: 13...Rf8 14.Nd5 b6 15.Bxf8 Kxf8 16.Rf1+ Ke8 17.Rf7 d6 18.Re7+ Kf8 19.Rf7+ draw 

14.Re1 

This is good, but also is 14.Nd5 Kd8 15.Nf7+ Ke8 16.Nxh8 b6 17.Nf6+ Kd8 18.Nf7 checkmate. 

14...Kd8 

A slip, but there was no saving things.

15.Nf7 checkmate