Jerome Gambit: A Step Not Far Enough

The following game does not last long: Black offers a Rook, White takes it, the attack that follows ends things quickly.

Closer inspection, however, suggests that when Black opened the diagonal for his killer Bishop, he chose a pawn move that was a step too short. It turns out, that could have made a difference.

Lucky for Black, it didn't. 

SunbaeFM - Konvekta2004

3 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 Qe7 

This is Whistler's defense, a complicated but strong offer of the Rook at h8. White should not accept the piece.

In the game White does grab the material, and is on the edge of the abyss when he is afforded one more chance...

8.Qxh8 Qxe4+ 9.Kd1 Qxg2 10.Qxh7+ Kf8 11.Re1 Qf3+ 

12.Re2 d6 

Black plans to develop his Bishop at g4 and bring the game to a close. This is a strong plan - but it has a fatal flaw, as played: the d-pawn should have taken two steps, i.e. 12...d5.

13.Qxg6 

In a 3-minute game it is hard to see the way out that White has been offered: 13.d3 Bg4 14.Bh6+ Nxh6 15.Qxh6+ Kf7 16.Qh7+ Kf8 17.Qh6+ Kf7 18.Qh7+ draw by repetition.

If Black's King moves forward, instead, to avoid the enemy Queen's checks, White can set off a series of moves designed to exchange down to a better endgame: 13.d3 Bg4 14.Bh6+ Nxh6 15.Qxh6+ Kf7 16.Qh7+ Kf6 17.Qe7+ Kf5 18.Nc3 Bxf2 19.Qf7+ Kg5 20.Qxf3 Bxf3 21.Ne4+ Kh6 22.Nxf2 Re8 23.Ne4 Bxe2+ 24.Kxe2 d5 25.Ke3 dxe4 26.dxe4

analysis diagram

But now

13...Bg4 White resigned

What if Black had played 12...d5 instead of 12...d6? Then White's drawing escape line mentioned in the note to move 13 would not have been available, as after 13.d3 Bg4 14.Bh6+ Nxh6 15.Qxh6+ Kf7 16.Qh7+ Kf6 then 17.Qe7+ would not have been possible because the e7 square would have been protected by Black's Bishop.

Jerome Gambit: GM vs WGM

Yury V. Bukayev recently pointed out a very interesting Jerome Gambit game between a grandmaster and a women's grandmaster.

It was an online 3-minute blitz game, and the difference in the players' ratings was about 250 points - suggestive that White was giving "Jerome Gambit odds" - but it showed both players to be familiar with the opening, which is worth some pondering...

Hambleton, Aman - Cervantes Landeiro, Thalia

3 1 blitz, Titled Tuesday, Chess.com, 2022

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

GM Hambleton is familiar with the Jerome Gambit. See "Jerome Gambit: All in Good Fun" for a link to his immensely popular YouTube video, as well as "Jerome Gambit: Chess Adventures of GM Hambleton (Parts 1 and 2)"

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qd5+ Kf8 8.Qxc5+ d6 9.Qe3 Nf6 

The players have quickly arrived at a "normal" Jerome Gambit position that appears in over 300 games in The Database, starting with Vazquez - Carrington, 2nd match, Mexico, 1876 (1-0, 34)

10.Nc3 Kf7 

Very interesting. Black prepares to castle-by-hand, a standard defensive strategy in the Jerome. 

11.O-O Re8 12.d3 Kg8 

13.Qg3 Be6 

I was going to write that WGM Cervantes Landeiro had come to the end of her opening preparation here - but what player at her level of skill prepares to face the Jerome Gambit?

It looks at first as if e6 is not the proper place for the Bishop, when there is a Knight on g6, as it calls forward White's f-pawn; but she has seen further, as the Bishop will be part of the King's defense.

14.f4 Bf7 15.f5 

Computers are notoriously unsympathetic to the Jerome Gambit; in this case both Stockfish 15 and Komodo 13.02 suggest White put his Bishop on b2 first.

15...Ne5 16.Bg5 

This direct placement of the Bishop, pressuring the Knight at f6, is a very common move.

16...Kh8 

Black prepares her defense.

17.Rae1 c5 18.Qh4 Qe7 19.Re3 Bg8 20.Ne2 h6 21.Rg3 Bh7 22.Bc1 Qf7 

White patiently develops his attack. Black responds. The game is in balance.

23.Nf4 d5 24.Ne6 Rg8 

I am impressed with the controlled (vs the typical Bashi-Bazouk style of the Jerome) attack and defense - in a 3-minute game.

25.Nxg7 

GM Hambleton probably has won scores of games with this kind of attack, offering a piece for a couple of defensive pawns. It is an echo of the opening sacrifice.

The computers suggest the slower b3, Bb2, c3 for White, putting the Bishop on the a1-h8 diagonal. 

25...Rxg7 26.Rxg7 Qxg7 27.Bxh6 

Does White have enough for his sacrifice? He has 4 extra pawns, but they are not going to be part of the following play.

27...Qf7 28.Bf4 Re8 29.Bg5 Ned7 30.Re1 dxe4 31.dxe4 Nxe4 

Returning some material to help with exchanges. She then consolidates her advantage. Forcing the exchange of Queens ends the game.

32.Bf4 Nef6 33.Rxe8+ Qxe8 34. Bg5 Qe5 35.Qf2 Qxf5 36.Qh4 Qe5 37.h3 Qd4+ White resigned

Jerome Gambit: Offer Withdrawn

It is surprising, even after more than 20 years of research and 14 years of blogging about the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) that there are lines that are new to me, or have escaped my attention.

The following game gives a peek at what I have missed.

Littleplayerparis - talha0

3 2 blitz, lichess.org, 2021

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

 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Kf8

We have been looking at this refusal of the second piece. See "Jerome Gambit: Refusing to Go along".

6.Nf3 

White withdraws his offer. This is rare - only 9 game examples in The Database. 

How to respond?

6...d6

Black has tried other ideas:

6...Qe7 7.O-O d6 8.d3 Nf6  9.Nc3 Kf7 10.Nd5 Nxd5 11.exd5 Nd8 12.Re1 Qd7 13.Ng5+ Kg6 14.Re4 h6 15.Rh4 Qf5 16.Qh5+ Kf6 17. Rf4 Black resigned, Wall,B - MLHZ, internet, 2019;

6...Nf6 7.d3 Bxf2+ 8.Kxf2 Ng4+ 9.Kg3 h5 10.Rf1 Kg8 11.h3 d5 12.Bg5 Qd6+ 13.e5 Ngxe5 14.Nxe5 Nxe5 15.Bf4 h4+ 16.Kh2 b6 17.d4 Ng4+ 18.hxg4 Qg6 19.g5 Bf5 20.c3 Be4 21.Nd2 h3 22.g3 Bg2 23.Re1 Kh7 24.Nf3 c5 25.Ne5 Qf5 26.Qg4 Qxg4 27.Nxg4 Rhe8 28.Ne5 cxd4 29.cxd4 Rac8 30.Rac1 a5 31.a4 Rb8 32.Ng4 b5 33.axb5 Rxb5 34.Rxe8 Rxb2 35.Ra1 Bf1+ 36.Kg1 Bd3 37.Re3 Rg2+ 38.Kh1 Be4 39.Rxe4 dxe4 40.Rxa5 e3 41.Nxe3 Rd2 42.d5 Rc2 43.d6 Rc3 44.Kh2 Rd3 45.Kxh3 Rxd6 46.Bxd6 Black resigned, Littleplayerparis - campingDronero-it, 10 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2022; and

6...Qf6 7.c3 h6 8.d4 Bb6 9.O-O d6 10.Be3 Bg4 11.Nbd2 Nge7 12.h3 Bh5 13.Qb3 Bf7 14.d5 Ne5 15.Bxb6 axb6 16.Nxe5 dxe5 17.Nc4 Kg8 18.Ne3 Kh7 19.Qc4 Rhc8 20.Qb4 Ng6 21.Ng4 Qg5 22.Qc4 Nf4 23.Kh2 Bh5 24.g3 Nxh3 25.Ne3 Bg4 26.Nxg4 Qxg4 27.Qd3 Ng5 28.Rh1 Rf8 29.Raf1 Rf3 30.Qd1 Raf8 31.Kg2 Nxe4 32.Rh4 Rxg3+ 33.fxg3 Qxg3+ 34.Kh1 Rxf1+ 35.Qxf1 Qxh4+ 36.Kg2 Qg3+ 37.Kh1 Nf2+ White resigned, Littleplayerparis - rimhel, 5 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2021.

Not surprisingly, the computers suggest 6...d5.

7.h3 

Keeping the enemy Bishop from g4. Does White have time for this?

Alternatives:

7.c3 Bg4 8.O-O Ne5 9.d4 Nxf3+ 10.gxf3 Bh3 11.dxc5 Bxf1 12.Qxf1 dxc5 13.Be3 b6 14.Na3 Qf6 15.Rd1 Qxf3 16.Nc4 Nf6 17.Rd2 Nxe4 18.Re2 Qg4+ 19.Kh1 h6 20.Ne5 Qf5 21.f4 Nd6 22.Qg2 Qe4 23.Qxe4 Nxe4 24.Ng6+ Kf7 25.Nxh8+ Rxh8 26.Bxc5 Nxc5 27.Re5 Re8 28.Rf5+ Kg6 White resigned, chessmanjeff - ouucch, 5 0 blitz, FICS, 2014;

7.d4 Bb6 8.h3 (8.O-O Bg4 9.c3 Nf6 10.h3 Bh5 11.g4 Bg6 12.Nbd2 h6 13.a4 Kf7 14.b4 a6 15.Qb3+ d5 16.e5 Nh7 17.a5 Ba7 18.Ba3 Re8 19.Rfe1 Ng5 20.Nxg5+ hxg5 21.Nf3 Rh8 22.Kg2 Kg8 23.Bc1 Be4 24.Rxe4 Kh7 25.Re1 Kg6 26.Bxg5 Qf8 27.Qxd5 Rxh3 28.Kxh3 Re8 29.Qe4+ Kf7 30.Qf5+ Kg8 31.Qxf8+ Rxf8 32. Kg3 Nb8 33.c4 Nc6 34.Rab1 Bxd4 35.Nxd4 Nxd4 6.Re3 Ne6 37.Be7 Rf7 38.Bc5 g5 39.Rh1 Nf4 40.e6 Black resigned, mbokhari - ziomizar, rapid, lichess.org, 2021) 8...Nf6 9.Qe2 Qe7 10.e5 dxe5 11.dxe5 Nd5 12.O-O Bf5 13.c4 Ndb4 14.Na3 Rd8 15.Re1 h6 16.Be3 Bxe3 17.Qxe3 Kg8 18.Rad1 Kh7 19.Nb5 a6 20.a3 axb5 21.axb4 Qxb4 22.cxb5 Qxb5 23.Qf4 Bg6 24.Nh4 Rhf8 25.Qg3 Bf5 26.Rxd8 Nxd8 27.Qc3 Ne6 28.Nxf5 Rxf5 29.Re3 Qc5 30.Rf3 Qxc3 31.Rxc3 Rxe5 32.b4 Kg6 33.Rg3+ Kf6 34.Rc3 Ke7 35.g3 b5 36.Rb3 c5 37.Rb1 c4 38.Kg2 Nd4 39.Ra1 Nc6 40.Ra7+ Nxa7 41.Kf3 Rd5 42.g4 Rd3+ 43.Ke4 Nc6 44.g5 Ke6 45.h4 Rd4+ 46.Ke3 h5 47.f4 Kf5 48.g6 Rxf4 49.Ke2 Rxh4 50.Kf2 Rg4 51.Ke2 Ke5  52.Kd2 Kd4 53.Ke2 Nxb4 54.Kf3 Nd5 55.Kf2 Nf6 56.Kf3 Ne4 57.Ke2 Rg3 58.Kf1 Re3 59.Kg2 Ke5 60.Kh2 Kf4 61.Kg2 c3 62.Kh2 b4 63.Kg2 c2 64.Kh2 c1=Q 65.Kg2 Qd2+ 66.Kg1 Re1 checkmate ChessCoach_UA - jpboyeras, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2017; and

7.O-O Nf6 8.Re1 Bg4 9.h3 Bh5 10.d3 Nd4 11.Nbd2 Kf7 12.c3 Nxf3+ 13.Nxf3 Rf8 14.Bg5 Kg8 15.d4 Bb6 16.Qa4 Qe8 17.Qb3+ Kh8 18.e5 dxe5 19.Nxe5 Qd8 20.g4 Be8 21.Re2 Qd5 22.Bxf6 Qxb3 23.Bxg7+ Kxg7 24.axb3 c5 25.d5 Bf7 26.c4 Bc7 27.f4 Bxe5 28.fxe5 Bg6 29.e6 Rf3 30.Rd1 Rxb3 31.d6 Rxh3 32.Kg2 Bd3 33.Red2 Black resigned farhadba - Smole, 5 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2021. 

7...Nf6 8.d3 

Unplayed ideas include 8.d4, 8.Nc3 and 8.0-0.

8...Ne5 

Exchanging pieces is one way of proceeding when you are ahead in material, or when you want to head off an attack. It also can be played quickly, an asset in a blitz game.

Also played by Littleplayerparis in another game

8...Nd4 9.Be3 Nxf3+ 10.Qxf3 Bxe3 11.fxe3  Kf7 12.d4 c6 13.Nc3 Ke8 14.O-O-O Rf8 15.Rhf1 Qe7 16.Qf4 Nd7 17.Qg3 b6 18.Rxf8+  Nxf8 19.d5 Bd7 20.dxc6 Bxc6 21.Rxd6 Bxe4 22.Nxe4 Qxe4 23.Rd4 Qe7 24.Qf3 Rd8 25.Qc6+ Kf7 26.Qf3+ Kg8 27.Rxd8 Qxd8 28.g4 Ng6 29.Qf5 Qe7 30.Qd5+ Qf7 31.c4 Qxd5 32.cxd5 Kf7 33.Kc2 Ne7 34.d6 Nc6 35.e4 Ke6 36.d7 Kxd7 37.Kd2 Ke6 38.Ke3 Ke5 39.h4 Nb4 40.a3 Nc6 41.Kf3 h6 42.Ke3 g5 43.h5 Nd4 44.a4 a5 45.Kd3 Black resigned, Littleplayerparis - Ali197509, 10 0 blitz, lichess.org. 2022. 

9.O-O Nxf3+ 10.Qxf3 Kg8 11.Be3 Bxe3 12.fxe3 Be6 

White has his compact central pawn mass, plus a safer King, as compensation for his sacrificed piece. He must patiently away his chances.

13.b3 Qd7 14.d4 Rf8 

Putting the Rook on the file that the enemy Queen occupies. As a general idea, it is effective - but in this case, there is a hitch.

15.e5 Black resigned

Black will have to surrender his Knight, as it is pinned to the Rook on f8.

However, after that the game would still be in balance, so the resignation may have been linked to clock issues, or a general sense of disappointment.

Jerome Gambit: Refusing to Go Along

It can be a lot of fun for the attacker when his opponent accepts both sacrificed pieces in the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+).

Although relatively rare, the chance that Black might not be completely greedy when it comes to material must also be taken into account.

The following casual game is a good example of White dealing with the issue.

vmyxin10 - Elazar

internet, 2022

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 

Okay, this piece is worth taking.

5.Nxe5+ Kf8 

It certainly is not necessary for the defender to capture the second sacrificed piece - he can maintain an advantage without it. There is also some psychological effect from refusing to go along with White's plans.

6.c3

White's idea is simple and logical: build a pawn center.

I was surprised to find only one other game with this line of play in The Database, chessmanjeff - RISKYRISKY, 5 0 blitz, FICS, 2018 (1-0, 37).

For that matter, I found only three games with the related 5...Nxe5 6. c3: ranran - mewantking, 1 0 lightning, FICS, 2008 (0-1, 31);  jtrochez1 - sansubari, SchemingMind.com, 2009 (1-0, 13); and chessmanjeff - leadtwooeight, blitz, 5 0 blitz, FICS, 2017 (0-1, 45).

It would appear that the general belief among Jerome Gambit players is that 5.c3 or 6.c3 are too slow. Stockfish 15 would agree.

Lucky for us, Jerome Gambit play is not a popularity contest.

 6...Nxe5 

Interesting. Black captures the second pawn, after all. However, because of his King move there is a chance that he could fall behind by a couple of moves, compared to the 6.c3 lines, if his plan was to castle-by-hand. (i.e. 5...Kf8 moves into the way of the Rook, ...Kf7 would move out of its way) 

7.d4 Bxd4 8.cxd4 Ng6 

White has his center.

9.O-O d6 

Humans and computers often do not think alike.

Humans like to play ...d7d6, to prevent White's e-pawn from advancing to e5, or at least to set up a chance to exchange it.

Computers like to play ...d7d5, hitting the pawn center, allowing White to advance his e-pawn to e5 where it will prevent the natural development of a Black Knight to f6.

10.f4 Nh6 

The "Jerome pawns" are beginning to look troublesome, compared to Black's extra piece.

11.f5 Ne7 12.Bxh6 gxh6 13.Nc3 c6 

Black's Kingside is disrupted, and he lags in development.

14.Qg4 

The Queen could also have gone out to h5.

14...Ng6 

"Scientific progress goes 'boink' ", as the cartoonist Bill Watterson, who drew "Calvin and Hobbes", would say.

Here, Black's plan is to scientifically stifle White's attack by returning some of the sacrificed material. 

15.Qh5 

For a moment, White seems to regret his previous move and extends his Queen's range.

In a moment, he will apparently recall that he had 15.fxg6+ available, which will wrap up the game.

15...Qh4 

Offering to exchange Queens. More science. But too late.

He could have tried to hang on with 15...Kg7, when after 16.f6+ Kf7 17.Qxh6 Qf8 18.Qh5 Be6 it looks like he is hanging on. Stockfish 15, however, shows what an additional 10 purposeful moves will bring about: 19. Rae1 Rc8 20. e5 dxe5 21. Rxe5 Qd6 22. Rd1 Bd5 23. Rde1 Rc7 24.h4 h6 25. Nxd5 cxd5 26. Re6 Qxe6 27. Rxe6 Kxe6 28. Qxg6 Rf7 White's Queen and extra pawns are stronger than Black's Rooks.

16.fxg6+ Kg7 17.Qxh4 hxg6 18.Qe7+ Black resigned

It will be checkmate next move.

Anatoly Karpov & Jerome Gambit (Part 4)

 Anatoly Karpov & Jerome Gambit (Part 4)   

  

(by Yury V. Bukayev) 

 

 

Dear reader, you know that usually I write about new theoretical inventions and psychology in chess openings on this blog, but sometimes I write here about notable chess games.   

The Part 4 of this my work is about wrong Anatoly Karpov (in contrast with the Part 2). Thus, it’s a story about my new notable Jerome gambit game against a chess amateur Anatoly Karpov, a father of a little boy (my first game against him was shown in the Part 3). This new game was played also in Moscow this year, in a week after our first game. Thus, after his loss in that blitz game Anatoly wanted to prove that he can play stronger and that his knowledge of the Jerome gambit theory and practice can lead him to a win. So he suggested me to play again. I have understood that he probably prepared a surprise for this game, so I have solved again to avoid my published theoretical lines and my line of our first game to surprise him instead, although he could be ready to see a new unknown line this time. Thus, here is our new game:  

 

Bukayev, Yury  –  Karpov, Anatoly (father)   

 

                         tempo, 10+0 

  

 

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 . 

 

Before the start of this game I understood that I should avoid the line 7.Qh3+!, my other published lines and the line 7.Nc3 of our first game, I solved to make a new surprise for him. 

 

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.Na3!? Bxa3  

 

I prognosticated this Anatoly’s quite rapid response: the Jerome gambit theory indicates it as a simple way to a win. The response 8…Qf6! was really stronger instead.   

 

9.d4 N 

 

This my new invented attack creates several threats and leads to a complicated play. Anatoly wasn’t ready to see it, because all publications stop analyses after 8…Bxa3. His face was calm during first seconds, but - after he started to think - large difficulties became seen to him. During four minutes he thought and tried to not lose the calmness. In result, he responded:  

 

9…Nc6 . 

 

This response isn’t the strongest, but it permits to defend. For example: 10.e5+ Ke7 11.Bg5+ Ke8 12.Bxd8 Bxb2. It took me two minutes to continue: 

 

10.Bg5 . 

 

White created several terrible threats including mating ones. Anatoly started to choose a defence. It was difficult again, and my pair of attacking pieces (Queen on f5 and Bishop on g5) created, it maybe, his heavy mental association with the final position of our first game. During else four minutes he thought (and I thought here too). In result, he responded: 

 

10…Qxg5 . 

 

I would like to compliment my opponent for this strong and active move (and for his further moves, they are good too). I was ready to see it that moment and played: 

 

11.e5+ . 

 

If 11.Qxg5, then the following way is possible: 11… Bxb2 12.e5+!? Ke6!? 13.Qxg7!? Bxa1 14.Qxh8 with a complicated “Jerome” play, although White’s practical chances were good here. The position after 11.e5+ is rare: Black has four extra minor pieces, and White finds the way (without a mating attack) which is a normal alternative to the immediate capturing of Black’s Queen. Black had already here a large lack of time, but his response was very good for him in this situation: 

 

11…Kd5 12.Qxg5 .  

 

White could check Black’s King further instead, but it was too risky to substitute the normal plan without an exact analysis of its brave alternative. 

 

12…Bxb2 13.Rd1 

 

White avoids the way 13.Qxg7 here too.  

 

13…g6 14.e6+ Kxe6 15.d5+ Kf7 16.dxc6 Bc3+ 17.Ke2 bxc6 18.Qf4+ ,  

 

and White won on time, but the position is unclear. 

 

The game is very notable, since it develops the Jerome gambit theory strongly! I thank Anatoly very much!