Jerome Gambit: Fast, Not Deep

Blitz play balances thinking time with thinking depth. Choose moves quickly enough to avoid a time forfeit, while delving deep enough into the position to make the right move.

This is one of the reasons that the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) is a good opening for blitz, especially for an attacker familiar with main lines. 

thunder_84 - Spankyrobot

3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bd6 

There are almost 300 games with this position in The Database.

The idea behind Black's move is clear, but it is not his best choice (which would be the straightforward 6...Bxd4).

In this case, in particular, it is useful to note that thunder_84 (900+ games in The Database) has a record of 45 - 5 - 3 (88%) against it.

7.dxe5 Bxe5 

Fast, not deep.

8.Qd5+ Kf6 9.f4 Bxb2 

The Bishop grabs a pawn, even as it perishes. Alas, it activates White's Bishop along the same diagonal.

10.Bxb2+ Ke7 11.Bxg7 Black resigned

Black will lose the exchange, and his King will remain in danger.

Jerome Gambit: Poor Knights

The following game shows the difficult lives of the two Knights on defense against the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+). It illustrates for White the availability of tempos, if the attack includes actions against those Knights. 

Wall, Bill - Manavalan

internet, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 N8e7  9.O-O Nf4 

 

I am not sure what this move is about - perhaps the first part of re-positioning the Knight.

10.d4 b6 11.Qe5 Ne6

Black centralizes his extra Knight to protect his pawn on g7.

White's response is to activate his extra pawns.

12.d5 d6 13.Qg3 Nd4 

The poor Knight continues to wander. Better would have been 13...Nc5 14.Qxg7 Ng6 when the other Knight would take up the post at g6.

14.Qxg7 

White focuses on the enemy Kingside. He also had the embarassing-for-Black 14.Qd3.

14...Rg8

This move springs immediately to mind.

The computer suspects that White will have to go for a draw after 14...Nf3+, i.e. 15.Kh1 Rg8 16.Qxh7 Ba6 17.Qh5+ (17.Rd1 Be2 18.Qh5+ Kd7 19.Qh3+ Ke8 20.Qh5+) 17...Ng6 18.Qh7 Ne7 19.Qh5+ Ng6 20.Qxf3 Bxf1 21.Nd2.

15.Qxd4 Bh3 

This was Black's idea. White can afford to give up the exchange.

16.g3 Bxf1 17.Kxf1 Ng6 

White has 3 pawns for the exchange.

Soon, he will have another Knight to harass.

18.Nc3 Ne5 19.f4 Nf3 20.Qf2 Ne5 

The Knight is safe, as 21.fxe5 would now be met with 21...Rf8 winning the Queen.

21.Kg2 Nc4 

Finally, White uses the Knight's placement to jump start his final assault.

22.Qe2 Na5 23.Qh5+ Kd7 24.Qf5+ Ke8 25.Qxh7 Rf8 26.Qg6+ Rf7 27.e5 

27...dxe5 28.fxe5 Qe7 29.Bg5 Qxe5 30.Rf1 Black resigned

White has a forced checkmate, after gathering in more material.

Jerome Gambit: Comparing

Sometimes you can get a sense of which player is doing better in a chess game by comparing respective pieces. The most dramatic comparison is King safety - often one side's King is in grave danger, and it is clear that the other side stands better.

The following game illustrates another comparison.

Wall, Bill - Faust

internet, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 

7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qg3 Qf6 9.Nc3 Be6 

I was surprised to see that there are only 7 games in The Database with this position. White scores 5 - 2, although Stockfish 15 evaluates Black as about 2 1/2 pawns better.

10.d3 a6 11.O-O Ne7 12.Be3 Ba7

I have seen this kind of retreat in different (non-Jerome) Giuoco Piano games, but it feels a bit artificial here.

13.f4 Qg6 14.Qf3 Bf7 15.Bxa7 Rxa7 

Awkward.

16.Rae1

The position is even. Compare the active placement of White's Rooks versus the uninvolved placement of Black's Rooks. 

16...c6

Bill recommends 16...Qh5 instead.

17.f5 Qf6 18.e5 

A nice clearance sacrifice.

18...dxe5 19.Ne4 Qh6 20.f6 

20...gxf6 21.Nxf6 Qg7  

The fire power of the Rooks is deadly.

Black could try to clog things with 21...Qf4, but White is not going to fall for 22.Qxf4 exf4 23.Rxf4 b5!? when one Rook returns to battle and Black's King eyes escape to g7. 

Instead, 21...Qf4 22.Qh3 keeps White in charge, e.g. 22...Qd4+ 23. Kh1 Ng6 24.Qh6+ Ke7 25.Qg7 Raa8 26.c3 Qd8 27.Ne4 Qf8 28.Qf6+ Ke8 29.Nd6+ Kd7 30.Nxf7 Rg8 31.Nxe5+ Nxe5 32.Qxe5 Re8 33.Rxf8 Rxe5. 

22.Rxe5 

Again, compare the Rooks.

22...Nd5 23.Nxd5 cxd5 24.Qxd5 Black resigned

And again.

Jerome Gambit: Nothing Is Happening - Until It Is

The following Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game starts off rather quietly, despite the opening. Then White plays an apparent "nothing" move. Black's response, however, turns the move into "something".

Wall, Bill - Mamun

internet, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 

6...Bb6 7.dxe5 Ne7 8.O-O Rf8 9.Nc3 Kg8 

Black has castled-by-hand, has a lead in development and in material. He has little cause for concern.

He does have to continue playing the game.

10.b3 Ng6 11.Nd5 Nxe5 12.a4 Bc5 13.b4 Bd6 14.f4 Nf7 15.Qd4 

White centralizes his Queen. His pawns look like they might eventually become a problem but for the moment they are not the real issue.

15...c6

Time to eject White's advanced piece.

An error.

16.Bb2 

Simply threatening checkmate.

16...Ne5

Blocking that a1-h8 diagonal, even at the cost of a piece.

It will soon be clear that the Bishop should have done the job, instead: 16...Be5 17.fxe5 cxd5 18.e6 Qb6 19.Rxf7 Qxd4+ 20.Bxd4 Rxf7 21.exf7+ Kxf7 22.Rf1+ Kg8 23.exd5 d6. White is a pawn up, but the opposite color Bishops give Black drawing chances.

17.fxe5 Rxf1+ 18.Rxf1 Bf8 19.Qf2 d6 20.Qf7+ Kh8 21.Qxf8+ Qxf8 22.Rxf8 checkmate

White finds a different way to deliver mate.

Jerome Gambit: In the Mirror

One thing that has kept me interested in exploring the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) has been the fact that despite its nature as a "refuted" chess opening, there are many players who play it regularly - and successfully.

This what I have referred to as "the psychology of error".

The following game brings to mind the idea of "mirroring" (matching our behavior to that of someone we are interacting with), and, at a more basic level, that of the recently discovered "mirror neurons". 

In the process, things can be overlooked.

joca552000 - Mabbpah

8 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 

7.Qxe5 Be7 8.d4 Bf6 9.Qf4 Ne7 10.e5 Ng6 

Okay, here we go.

11.Qf3 Nh4 12.Qf4 Ng6 13.Qf3 Nh4 14.Qf4 Ng6 15.Qf3 Nh4 

Here, the game was drawn.

Fair enough?

You are probably thinking Wait a minute...

Justly so. Had Black found 12...Nxg2+ he would have won White's Queen on the next move. Likewise, if he had found 14...Nxg2+.

However, White to move in the final diagram can play 16.Qf4 and claim a draw by three-fold repetition.

M.Carlsen, R.Fischer, Early Mistakes & The New View (Part 1)

 M.Carlsen, R.Fischer, Early Mistakes & The New View (Part 1)   

  

(by Yury V. Bukayev) 

 

 

My new analytical research includes the comparison of three very important games (2020, 2023 and 1964). 

  

Almost three years ago the World Champion Top GM Magnus Carlsen (as White) has played a very weak game against Top GM Ian Nepomniachtchi (the tournament ‘Magnus Carlsen Invitational’, rapid, 2020): 

 

1.e4          c5  

2.Nf3        d6  

3.d4          cxd4 

4.Nxd4      Nf6 

5.Bc4?!     Nxe4 

6.Qh5       e6 

7.Nxe6?    Bxe6 

8.Bxe6      Qe7 

9.Bxf7+?  Qxf7 

10.Qe2      Qe7   , 

 

where Black got an enormous advantage and won in 28 moves, although White’s position didn’t permit to fight seriously on the grandmaster level after White’s 9th move already, in my opinion.  

 

It is interesting that the possible 10.Qxf7?! (it plays no role how to play here: Black must win rapidly and easily in any case) 10…Kxf7 leads to the position which is enough similar to the Jerome gambit with exchanged Queens. Thus, the Bishop on c4 and the King’s Knight were sacrificed for Black’s pawns f7 and “e” and for Black’s minor piece. The Knight’s way Ng8-f6xe4 before Bxf7+ is similar to some new systems of the Jerome gambit – look, please, at my analytical research ‘Lose Never with a Strong Deferred Jerome Gambit (Part 3)’ (2023). 

 

Recently the Russian chess author Valery P. Golshev has told me, without analyses or appraisals, about the existence of this M.Carlsen’s game. After that I made a look at this game and said him that 9.Bxf7+ isn’t a good move and that M.Carlsen could try (!) to save his rapid game with 9.0-0! instead. And Mr. Golshev (his nickname on Lichess.org is ‘WaleraG’) suggested me to play this mistaken variation against him with a rapid time control. I have accepted his challenge. Thus, here is our recent game.  

 

Yury_V_Bukayev – WaleraG 

 

10+0 tempo,  

 

B57, “Carlsen Variation” thematic game, 

 

Lichess.org, 2023 

 

1.e4        c5  

2.Nf3      d6  

3.d4        cxd4 

4.Nxd4   Nf6 

5.Bc4     Nxe4 

6.Qh5     e6 

7.Nxe6   Bxe6 

8.Bxe6    Qe7 

9.0-0!     Qxe6 

10.Re1    d5 

11.Nc3!  Nc6 

12.f3       Bc5+ 

13.Kf1    Bb4 

14.fxe4   Bxc3 

15.bxc3   dxe4 

16.Qe2    f5 

17.Qb5    0-0-0 

18.Rb1    Rd7 

19.Bf4    Qf6 

20.Red1  Rxd1+ 

21.Rxd1  Rd8 

22.Rxd8  Nxd8 

23.Qc5+  Nc6 

24.Qd5    Qf8 

25.Qe6+  Kd8 

26.Bg5+  Kc7 

27.Bf4+   Kd8 

28.Bg5+  Kc7 

29.Bf4+   Kd8 

        ½ - ½  

 

It is clear, Valery Golshev’s play was strong: he has made some inaccurate moves only including the last of them – 24…Qf8?! – when he has had a serious lack of time. My new attack has been played here, and it has brought the result.  

 

Comparing to it, I.Nepomniachtchi has had much better situation in his above game: his advantage was much more, the time control (15+10) was more large. But even these conditions couldn’t prevent his further mistakes in his above game. That is why, I’m sure, M.Carlsen has had an absolutely real practical chance to fight after the possible move 9.0-0!.  

 

It is very valuable to compare this M.Carlsen – I.Nepomniachtchi game with the game Richard Lunenfeld – Top GM Robert J. Fischer (the simultaneous exhibition, USA, 1964), where 9.0-0! has been played in a very similar situation, and we get the same position. I’d like to add my commentaries to the beginning of this game.  

 

1.e4        c5  

2.Nf3      d6  

3.d4        cxd4 

4.Nxd4   Nf6 

5.Bc4?!  Nxe4 

6.Qh5     e6 

7.Bxe6?  Bxe6 

8.Nxe6   Qe7 

9.0-0!     Qxe6 

10.Re1   Be7? [10…d5! with Black’s advantage]  

11.Qb5+ Qd7?! [11…Kf8!! 12.f3 a6! 13.Qf1 d5 14.fxe4 d4! = ]  

12.Qxd7+ [with White’s advantage]. 

 

Due to White’s further mistakes Black won, but this game shows that under conditions of a simultaneous exhibition the very strong grandmaster (Black) can make serious mistakes rapidly, so White can get an advantage here.  

 

 

 Contact the author:  istinayubukayev@yandex.ru  

 

© 2023 Yury V. Bukayev (Copyright © Bukayev Yury Vyacheslavovich 2023). All rights reserved.  

[A legal using of this investigation with a reference to it is permitted  

and doesn’t require author’s consent.]