Jerome Gambit: A Bit Awkward

It is a bit awkward to post another Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) loss so quickly (two in a row), but my plan for my blog has been to show all of my Jeromes, win or lose.

perrypawnpusher - DouglasEngle

3d/move, Giuoco Piano Game, Chess.com, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Qf6 9.fxe5+ Qxe5 10.Qf3 Nf6 

This position is a good presentation of the Jerome Gambit. 

Black has an extra piece with better development. Stockfish (30 ply) assesses Black as being a little more than a Rook better.

However, The Database shows White as better, scoring 77 - 42 - 1,  65%.  My own record before this game was 13 - 1, or 93%.

Disruptive play can eventually lead to advantage if you know what you're doing.

But not always.

For the record, I have also faced 10...Ke7 in perrypawnpusher - gtomlinson, 5 2 blitz, FICS, 2007 (1-0, 28). (Hmmm, I don't think I ever posted that game. Now)

Alonzo Wheeler Jerome met 10... Ne7 in a correspondence game, Jerome,A - Jaeger,D, correspondence, 1878 (0-1, 68) 

11.Nc3 

Moving away from 11.d3, which I had played a number of times before

perrypawnpusher - PREMK, 6 12 blitz, FICS, 2005 (1-0, 14);

perrypawnpusher - BronxBoyII, 10 3 blitz, FICS, 2009 (1-0, 18)

perrypawnpusher - ViennaMike, 8 5 blitz, FICS, 2009 (1-0, 19)

perrypawnpusher - Estebang, 2 12 blitz, FICS, 2009 (1-0, 28) 

perrypawnpusher - Rossgil, 10 5 blitz, FICS, 2009 (1-0, 26)

perrypawnpusher - mconst, 5 12 blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 42)

perrypawnpusher - udofink, 10 0 blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 13)

perrypawnpusher - recreation, 5 12 blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 13)

perrypawnpusher - karleinkarl, 2 12 blitz, FICS, 2012 (0-1, 16)

perrypawnpusher - vz721, Italian Game thematic, Chess.com, 2013 (1-0, 29)

perrypawnpusher - IlToscano, Giuoco Piano Thematic, Chess.com 2017 (1-0, 43)

11...Kc6 

I also faced 11...a6 in perrypawnpusher - Dogyou, 10 0 blitz FICS, 2009 (1-0, 21) 

12.d3 d6 13.h3 

The Pittsburgh Telegraph of November 2, 1881 carried the following letter

To the Chess Editor of the Telegraph Cincinnati, Oct 2 

The following analysis is a compilation, but is primarily based on games played by me with Mr. Jerome. A part of it has appeared in Bretano's Chess Monthly for October, but as the notation there adopted is not as good, in my opinon, as the tabular form, and as it also comtains some misprints and errors, owing, perhaps to my chirography, I have thought best to rewrite and add to the article and forward to you if you have space for it. 

Very respectfully, S.A.Charles 

As I wrote years ago in "The Jerome Gambit Gemeinde (early)" 

S. A. Charles, a member of the Cincinnati (Ohio, USA) Chess Club, wrote opening analyses, first for the Cincinnati Commercial Gazette, then later for the Pittsburgh Telegraph. It is in the latter paper that in 1881 he presented his examination of the Jerome Gambit. That year he also played an incomplete Jerome Gambit correspondence match with Alonzo Jerome.

The analyses of Bretano's Chess Monthly and the Pittsburgh Telegraph included Jerome's 13.h3.

My opponent immediately identified a weakness of the move.

13...Nh5 14.Rf1 

After the game, Stockfish 15.1 had in interesting, if insufficient suggestion: 14.Be3 Qg3+ 15.Kd2 Rf8 16.Qxg3 Nxg3 17.Rhb1 Bxe3+ 18.Kxe3 Be6 19.b4 Kd7 20.a4.

14...Be6 15.g4 Rhf8 16.Qg2 Rxf1+ 17.Qxf1 Qg3+ 18.Kd1 Rf8 

A very good finish.

The Rook can not be taken: 19.Qxf8 Qg1+ 20.Qf1 Qxf1+ 21.Kd2 Bf2 22.d4 Bc4 23.d5+ Kd7 24.a3 Qe1 checkmate. 

However, more defensive moves by White allows Black's pieces to flow into the Kingside, e.g. 19.Qe1 Qxh3 20.Bg5 Bxg4+ 21.Ne2 Ng3 22.c3 Bf2 23.Qd2 Nf1

White resigned.

Oh, well. I still have one more Jerome Gambit game going in the 5th round of the Giuoco Piano Game tournament at Chess.com...