Jerome Gambit: Susan Polgar Tweets (Part 1)

It is not often that I visit the world of Twitter (see "Jerome Gambit: A Top Grandmaster Tweets", "Jerome Gambit: Sometimes Accuracy Is Not Enough", "Jerome Gambit: GM Tisdall's Words Before The World Chess Championship 2021" and "The Jerome Gambit Continues to Spread Globally" for examples) but today Yury V. Bukayev has sent me a link to a commented tweet by the 8th Women's World Champion GM Susan Polgar, the trainer and the writer.

Replies to the Grandmaster's tweet sparked, in my opinion, an interesting conversation and got me thinking about the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) - of course.

Here is how it went.

Susan Polgar. For novice players who like to focus a lot on openings, ask yourself this simple question: If a GM opens the game with 1.a3, 1.h3, 1.Na3 or 1.Nh3, etc., do you think you can beat the GM? Of course not! So what does that mean? For the opening phase, focus on sound opening principles, but devote your valuable time on improving tatics, basic endgames, and strategies, etc.

Rodrigo Gallego. Using the same logic. If a GM sacrifices a bishop for not reason whatsoever, I can also not beat the GM. What does this mean?

Susan Polgar. It means you should take up checkers.

mcronrn. Flip answer people that can't beat a GM w bishop odds should take up checkers?? Bashing beginners, are we? Hikaru got 2400 chezzdotcm rating by giving up his queen! Guess all those 2300s he beat should give@up chess too

Susan Polgar. No it means you should learn to take advice from people who have 50+ years of experience and success. You made a ridiculous apple to orange comparison. If you think you know better then do what is best for you.

mcronrn. You said Rodrigo should give up chess if he couldn't beat a GM up a bishop (+3pts). I pointed out that many 2300s lost to Hikaru after he traded his queen for a N/B/R (+4/6 points), so a bigger differential. Not sure how that's a ridiculous apple / orange comparison.

Susan Polgar. Then I cannot help you if you cannot understand basic elementary stuff. Read my original post again. I would stay far away from any coach who recommends novice students to focus on openings instead of what I discussed.

mcronrn. Your response "take up checkers" is what's under discussion here. I'm a big fan of yours (and your sisters), and I'm merely pointing a wierd tweet. Chess isn't just for those who can beat a GM with bishop odds. I wish you well.

Susan Polgar. Let's go back to my original tweet. 36,700+ saw it. Everyone understood. In fact, I talked about this for decades. Therefore, hundreds of thousands heard it. No issue whatsoever. Then one person made a completely illogical comparison. The point is simple. It is a waste of time for novice players to focus everything on openings while openings are unimportant as GMs can beat them using any opening, even terrible ones. His response/comparison made my point exactly. If a GM gives a free piece and the opponent still could not win, it means it has nothing to do with openings. Same with my checkers comment. When someone makes a completely illogical comparison, one person out of hundreds of thousands, I made this emoji and mentioned checkers. Everyone understood that there is no possible explanation that can satisfy someone trolling.

[to be continued]