Jerome Gambit: Again Down the Rabbit Hole (Part 1)

 

I was planning on presenting a Jerome Gambit game that had a surprise (for me) Queen sacrifice by the defender, but along the way as I gathered background information, I tumbled down a rabbit hole...

Let me start the game, and then add the distractions.

pablosko - ItMyrrh

3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bxd4 7.Qxd4 

I was shocked to see that 7.f4 had actually been played here, and against a grandmaster, at that.

analysis diagram

You can find the game in the notes in the post "Jerome Gambit: A Lot to Say" and see how GM Hikaru Nakamura finished things off in 17 moves.

7...d6 

The earliest reference that I have to this position comes from the July 1874 issue of the Dubuque Chess Journal, where Alonzo Wheeler Jerome mentions it as a sideline.

The first game that I have in The Database that reaches this position was published in the Dubuque Chess Journal of March 1876 - Jerome - Shinkman, Iowa, 1876 (1/2-1/2, 42).

8.f4 

This risky move deserves a diagram of its own.

Analysis by S.A. Charles in the October 1881 Brentano's Chess Monthly put forth 8.Nc3 as the best move, here.

Jerome, apparently, did not agree.

In June of 1900 he started a consultation chess game in the pages of the Literary Digest, offering to play the Jerome Gambit against readers. "See A Jerome Discovery" (Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 ) as well as "A Jerome Discovery (Afterword)" and "Return to the Literary Digest".

After the moves 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Jerome wrote

A majority of those who sent Black's 6th move played 6...Bxd4. The reason given for this move is that as Black must lose a piece he had better get a P for it. This is not good reasoning, as White's continuation demonstrates: 6... Bxd4; 7.Qxd4 d6; 8.f4, and White still has the attack.

Was Alonzo Wheeler Jerome correct in his assessment?

[to be continued]

Jerome Gambit: Sudden Excitement

                               

Moving on to the second round of the online "Play The Italian Game III" tournament at Chess.com (see "Jerome Gambit: Moving On"), I am already playing 2 Jerome Gambit games, and by the time you read this I may be playing a 3rd.

Add this to a friendly challenge game (outside of the tournament), that adds up to a lot of sudden excitement.

You can be sure that I will share the games when they are completed: win, lose, or draw; good, bad, or ugly.

Jerome Gambit: Mind-Blowing Game

For an absolutely mind-blowing Jerome Gambit game, check out the YouTube video "Stockfish 16 plays the Jerome vs Magnus Carlsen (Age 29) | THE NEW UNBEATABLE GAMBIT" by Chess Games @educationalchessgames.

I will probably post the game, once I make sense out of it, but in the meantime, the game - and, afterwards, the analysis - is both entertaining and educational.

Jerome Gambit: Recently Covered

The following game touches on topics we have recently covered in this blog - coincidentally, as it took place 7 months ago. 

silva69 - Batuhankzk

15 10 standard, lichess.org, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Nxe5 

I have called this the Overlook gambit

Recently I took another, brief, look at what I have called the Overlook Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Nxe5 (see "Jerome Gambit: Wandering [Part 1]) - because it looks like White overlooked the fact that Black's e5 pawn was protected.

In that, the Overlook is similar to the Chicago or Irish Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nxe5 and the Halloween Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nxe5 although the presence of the Bishops makes a difference.

I might as well have called the opening the Ooops Variation of the Jerome Gambit - if playing the Jerome Gambit is what White was intending - only he accidentally played his 5th move before his 4th move (Ooops), in the sequence 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+.

4...Nxe5 5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 

Black transposes to the Jerome Gambit. The alternative, 5...Nxf7, preserving the right to castle, was stronger.

6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Qf8 

The Freddy defense, not to be recommended in serious play, but the same can be said about the Jerome Gambit - for a GM-GM (!) level game and for a classic (!) time control.

8.Qxh8 Bb6 9.Qxh7+ Ke8 10.Qxg6+ Kd8 11.d3 

White rightly concludes that the risk to his f2 square is less consequent than his chances to play Bg5.

11...Qc5 

It is a bit fatalistic to bypass 11...Qxf2+ 12.Kd1 Ne7, even if it does not lead to anything promising.

12.Bg5+ Ne7 

It is either this or give up his Queen.

13.Qg8 checkmate

Oh, well, tomorrow's going to be another day...

Jerome Gambit: Ouch

Part of the enjoyment of playing the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) is delivering a painful move that ends the game.

The following game is a good example.

Neffets23 - Evgeny2306

5 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2022

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

7.Qd5+ 

Giving the enemy King a "nudge". See " 'A Push for "a Nudge' ".

Why? To drive the monarch to the back rank, to interfere with the development of his Rook. And - to give him a chance for a mis-step.

7...Kf6

Black is still better, but this carries more risk than 7...Kf8 or 7...Ke8.

8.f4

Giving the defender something to think about: Why didn't White just grab the Bishop?

As Yury V. Bukayev points out, the move is a trap which provokes 8...Be7?? 9.Qf5#, 8...Qe7?? 9.Qf5#, 8...N8e7?! 9.e5+ Kf5 10.g4+! (10.Qf7+!? Kg4 11.h3+!? or 11.Qb3 with attack) ...Kxg4 11.Qg2+ with a very strong attack.

8...d6  

Black protects the Bishop. 

It is interesting that Stockfish 15.1 (at 37 ply) suggests as it's top move that Black ignore that piece and instead take care of his other developed piece, 8...N6e7, even at the cost of 9.Qxc5.

Other moves that still give Black the edge are 8...Qf8 (although 9.Qf5+ Ke7 10.Qxc5+ still drops a piece) and 8...Bf2+ (likewise).

9.Qg5+ 

Ouch.

Black resigned

Was that too soon? Four months later we saw: DrunkenNickMKunz - RRR_777, 3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2022: 9...Kf7 10.Qxd8 Nxf4 11.Rf1 Nf6 12.Qxh8? Nxg2+ 13.Kd1 Bg4+ 14.Rf3 Bxf3 checkmate

Again, Ouch.

Jerome Gambit: Over Quickly

Some Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) games are fun to play over - quickly.

The following line of play has been examined in "Don't drive like my brother", "Jerome Gambit: Chess Is An Easy Game, After All", and "Jerome Gambit: Update -> Unplayed" but still deserves another look.

Another example of why people love the Jerome Gambit.

Anti-Duhring - rondoll

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8 

Black does not want to go along with White's plan and play 5...Nxe5.

6.Qh5+ Kf8 

Again, Black avoids the stronger - and expected - 6...g6.

The lichess.org database has 375 games with this position, with White scoring 93%.

Think about that. White's next move is?

 7.Qf7 checkmate

Overlooked Again

Recently I took another, brief, look at what I have called the Overlook Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Nxe5 (see "Jerome Gambit: Wandering [Part 1]) - because it looks like White overlooked the fact that Black's e5 pawn was protected.

In that, the Overlook is similar to the Chicago or Irish Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nxe5 and the Halloween Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nxe5 although the presence of the Bishops makes a difference.

I might as well have called the opening the Ooops Variation of the Jerome Gambit - if playing the Jerome Gambit is what White was intending - only he accidentally played his 5th move before his 4th move (Ooops), in the sequence 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+.

The Overlook is not very strong. A check with the lichess.org database shows 247,034 games, with White scoring 39.5%.

Still, it can be played for fun, and even as a surprise weapon (preferrably in games with a fast time control).

I checked The Database and found that Bill Wall has both played and faced the Overlook.

Guest4931371 - Wall, Bill

internet, 2017

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Nxe5 

4...Nxe5 

Or

4...Nh6 5.Qh5 O-O 6.Nxc6 Bxf2+ 7.Kxf2 dxc6 8.d3 Bg4 9.Qc5 Qh4+ 10.Kf1 Kh8 11.Bg5 Qh5 12.Be7 Rfe8 13.Qxh5 Bxh5 14.Bg5 Ng8 15.Nd2 b5 16.Bb3 h6 17.Bf4 Re7 18.h3 g5 19.Be3 a5 20.g4 Bg6 21.a4 Kh7 22.h4 Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest2075193, playchess.com, 2012; or

4...Bxf2+ 5.Kxf2 Nxe5 6.Be2 Qf6+ 7.Kg1 Ne7 8.d4 N5g6 9.Nc3 c6 10.e5 Qh4 11.g3 Qh3 12.Bg4 Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest2095477, playchess.com, 2012 

5.d4 

Or 5.Bd5 Qg5 6.O-O Qg6 7.d4 Bxd4 8.Qxd4 Nf3+ 9.Kh1 Nxd4 White resigned, Ortiz - Wall,B, internet, 2011 

5...Bb4+ 6.c3 Nxc4 7.cxb4 d5 

8.b3 Nb6 9.Qe2 dxe4 10.Qxe4+ Qe7 11.Qxe7+ Nxe7 

12.O-O Nc6 13.Re1+ Be6 14.b5 Nxd4 15.Nc3 Nc2 White resigned

White has had enough.

(By the way, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+, the Jerome Gambit itself, scores 49.5% on 63,4802 games at lichess.org)