Jerome Gambit: Another Day, Another Refutation

I just viewed the "Refuting the Jerome Gambit #shorts #chess" short video by chesspages1512 on YouTube.

The creator has about 55 short videos on his site with the goal of "Helping with chess skills through exposure to an analysis of games and positions". Check them out and enjoy.

The notion of refuting the Jerome Gambit is not new. I addressed this early on in the blog - 15 years ago - in "But is this *stuff* playable?" and answered (among other places) 5 years ago with "Yes, the Jerome Gambit is Playable (Part 1 & 2)".

I waxed somewhat philosophical in "Jerome Gambit: This 'Refuted' Thing (Part 1, A Basic Truth) & (Part 2, What to Do?)" but got down to basics with "What Makes A Gambit Playable?"

How I remember, long ago, when the Jerome Gambit was not even a twinkle in my eye, the regular complaint of a chess buddy, "I was winning right up to the point where you checkmated me!"

So, let's just enjoy the effort of chesspages1512, and leave it at that, shall we? The Jerome Gambit video features chess moves on a 2D board, without written or spoken commentary. It is a cause for some thinking, and we can be thankful for that as well. (I have added diagrams and subtracted background music.)

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

7.Qd5+ Kf8 8.Qxc5+ d6 9.Qe3 Nf6 

This position shows up in over 400 games in The Database.

10.f4 

Checking with the computers:

Komodo 13.02 64 bit liked this move at 20 ply, but at 30 ply preferred 10.0-0 by 1/100th of a pawn;

Stockfish 15 chose 10.f4 early in its analysis but then raced by it, preferring 10.h4 (a novelty according to The Database) at 30 ply. 

The video also gives the alternative 10.Nc3, which appears in about 100 games in The Database. It continued 10...Kf7 11.O-O Re8 12.d3 Kg8 13.f4

Analysis Diagram

Here there is a look at the sideline 13.Qg3 which chesspages1512 indicated appeared in the game Aman Hambleton - Thalia Cervantes Landerio, 3 1 blitz, Titled Tuesday, Chess.com, 2022, (see this blog's "Jerome Gambit: GM vs WGM") with then the novelty 13...Nh5 followed by 14.Qf3 Qh4. Black has the extra piece for two pawns, better development, and an equally safe King. 

The video then continues (after 13.f4) 13...d5 14.f5 (this is new) Bxf5 15.Rxf5 d4 16.Qe1 dxc3 17.Qxc3 Qd6) 

Back to the main line in the video.

10...d5

Some day someone will play the creative line suggested by the Stockfish 15 (not its first choice, mind you): 10...Nxe4!? 11.Qxe4 Qh4+ 12.Kf1 Bd7 13.Qe1 (sad) Qxe1+ 14.Kxe1 Nxf4 15.Kf2 Nxg2 16.Kg3 Bc6 17.Rf1+ Kg8 18.Nc3 Re8.  

11.e5 

At 30 ply Stockfish 15 instead prefers 11.d3 slightly over 11.f5 Ne5 12.f4 Nc6 13.e5. (That second line has a Hypermodern feel to it.) 

11...Nh4 12.Qc5+ Kf7 13.exf6 Nxg2+ 14.Kf2 Nxf4 

15.fxg7 

It is disappointing that the "best" that Stockfish 15 can come up with here is 15.Qe7+ Qxe7 16.fxe7 Kxe7 when Black is a pawn ahead with better development.

The video also show 15.d3 Nh3+ 16.Kg2 gxf6 which the computer evaluates as more than a Rook better for Black. 

15...Qh4+ 16.Kf3 Qg4+ 17.Ke3 Rae8+ 

Black has a checkmate in 3 moves.

So: Truth in labelling.

I suspect, though, that if you play the Jerome Gambit, if you go over this blog post - and over the video - you will come up with more ideas for White, to add to those that Stockfish 15, Komodo 13.02 and I have come up with.

Let me know what you discover.