Jerome Gambit: A Decade Ago... (Part 1)

Wandering through The Database I found yet another Jerome Gambit game that I had played, but not posted on this blog. 

It looks a lot like the game perrypawnpusher - GuestJDZB 2 12 blitz, FICS, 2024 (varying on move 10) that I posted a few days ago, but actually was played 10 years earlier than that game.

It was a complicated back-and-forth battle the included more back than forth. The tactics played and missed were interesting. Black's Knights took a starring role, throughout.

perrypawnpusher - CorH

3 12 blitz, FICS, 2014

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

I just checked: I have scored 80% against this move, and 80% against 6...g6. My score against 6...Ke6 is slightly better, at 83%; and a little worse against 6...Kf8, 74%. (As they say, Your Mileage May Vary.)

7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 Qe7 

Challenging the enemy Queen and putting pressure on the e-pawn.

9.Qe3 Nf6 10.Nc3 d6 

More restrained than GuestJDZB's 10...Ng4.

10...Kf7 was seen in perrypawnpusher - frencheng, blitz, FICS, 2010  (1/2-1/2, 34)}) 

Stockfish 16's recommendation is 10...d5. 

11.O-O Ne5 

It looks like my opponent was trying to provoke a pawn advance, which, in this case, would not be a bad thing for me.

Instead, 11...b6 was seen in 4 of my games: perrypawnpusher - MRBarupal, 10 5 blitz, FICS, 2010 (0-1, 22); perrypawnpusher - Navarrra, 6 12 blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 24); perrypawnpusher - alvarzr, 2 12 blitz, FICS, 2013 (0-1, 59); and perrypawnpusher - MarkHundleby1, Chess.com, 2013 (1-0, 27). 

There was also 11...Rf8 in perrypawnpusher - chingching, 5 11 blitz, FICS, 2011  (1/2-1/2, 36).

Again, the computer likes 11...d5, with the advantage still with Black.

12.d4 Nc6 

A wandering Knight got into trouble after 12...Nc4 13.Qd3 Na5 (better 13...Nb6) in perrypawnpusher - mikelars, 4 12 blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 50). 

13.f4 

It is funny, Stockfish 16 suggests the Queen-and-Knight dance continue with 13.d5 Nb4 14.Qd4 c5 (not 14...Nxc2 because of 15.Qa4+) 15.Qd1 and White would have an edge.

The problem with the text move is that Black can still respond with 13...d5, giving him a small advantage.

13...Kd7 

Black's King feels the heat, being on the e-file (which may soon open) behind his Queen and decides to vacate. His Majesty blocks his Bishop, however.

Stockfish 16 has a suggestion for a line of play that looks very human-like, with swarming Knights: 13...d5 14.e5 Ng4 15.Qd3 Nb4 16.Qe2 Bf5 17.h3 and here it endorses the offer of a piece with 17...h5!? that should be declined, at least at first. Instead, it proposes the free-wheeling mess 18.Bd2 Nxc2 19.Nxd5 Qd7 20.hxg4 hxg4 21.Qc4 c6 22.Ne3 Nxa1 23.Rxa1 Rd8 24.Rd1 Be6 25.Qd3 Qxd4 26.Qg6+ Bf7 27.Qxg4 Qxb2 28.Ba5 b6 29.Be1 after which it suggests that Black is about a pawn better.

I am tempted to repeat Bobby Fischer's comment, "long analysis, wrong analysis" but I suspect that the computer would have its own criticism of my efforts, along the lines of  "lazy analysis, crazy analysis".

14.e5 

This breakthrough by the "Jerome pawns" (the pawns White has as compensation for his sacrificed piece) is thematic, and advantageous for the first player.

14...Ng4 

How to respond?

A strong line of play shows that, despite my complaints, sometimes Stockfish does play like it "understands" the Jerome Gambit: 14...b6 15.Bd2 (15.exf6 is possible, but 15...Qxe3 16.Bxe3 gxf6 leads to a static position, albeit one where White is a pawn up) 15...Ba6 16.Qh3+ The King hunt is on! 16...Qe6 17.Qxe6+ Kxe6 18.d5+ Nxd5 19.f5+ Kxe5 20.Rae1+ Kd4 21.Re4+ Kc5 22.Na4+ Kb5 23.c4+ Kxa4 24.cxd5+ Kb5 25.Rc1 Bc8 26.dxc6 a5 27.a4+ Ka6 28.Rf1 Rf8 29.g4 h5 30.h3 when Black's Bishop is locked in, and, hence, his Rook.

Of course, Black does not have to play 14...b6. Instead, 14...Re8 15.d5 Nb4 16.Qd4 a5 17.exf6 Qxf6 would create another position where White is a pawn ahead, and Black's King is still unsafe and blocking his development.

It goes without saying that none of these lines of play, or the insights that go with them, ever occured to me during the game. I show them to illustrate the richness of the Jerome Gambit.

[to be continued]