Jerome Gambit: Stumbling Over Familiar Ground (Part 1)

Checking the notes in the game below, you can see that I was playing on familiar territory.

Still, I managed to lose: complicated play, topped by simply dropping a piece.

Oh, and I was out-played. Take a look.

perrypawnpusher - moisesah

Jerome Gambit Classic #1, Chess.com, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 N8e7 

I have also seen the Knight go elsewhere, 9...Nf6, in perrypawnpusher - ZlikoM, "Piano Piano" tournament, Chess.com, 2020 (0-1, 37). 

10.O-O Rf8 11.f4 

Or 11.d4, as in perrypawnpusher - louarn, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 44).

11...c6 

Also possible was 11...Nc6 as in perrypawnpusher - taman, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 35).

There was the reasonable 11...Kf7 as in perrypawnpusher - bnxr, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1/2-1/2, 32); perrypawnpusher - wbrandl, blitz, FICS, 2011 (0-1, 28); and perrypawnpusher - mconto, Jerome Gambit Classic #1 2024 (0-1, 38). 

Stockfish 16.1 prefers 11...d5 (with an edge) even though that is the second move of the d-pawn.

12.f5 Ne5 13.d4 Nc4 14.Qe2 b5 

15.b3 Nb6 16.f6 

This pawn break is premature; White is not developed enough.

Better 16.Bg5 Kf7 17.f6 gxf6 18.Rxf6+ Kg8 19.Nd2 Rxf6 20.Bxf6 Qe8 21.Rf1 Nd7 22.e5 and White would be a bit better.

16...gxf6 17.Qh5+ 

This was my idea, but Black's King can move to safety.

17...Kd7 18.Qxh7 Kc7 19.Nc3 Bd7 20.Bh6 

Forcing, but 20.Bf4 (edge to Black) was more to the point. 

20...Rh8 21.Qg7 Rg8 22.Qf7 

It would have been worth investigating if my opponent was looking for a draw by repetition, i.e. 22.Qh7.

I am also not sure why I didn't just grab the pawn at f6 with my Queen.

In any event, Stockfish 16.1, after the game, evaluated this position as about 2 1/2 pawns better for Black.

[to be continued]

Jerome Gambit: Huh?

I remember an old story about a couple of guys seated next to each other in a movie theater, watching a horse race. At a particularly exciting moment on the screen, one of the guys turns to the other, and bets him $20 that a particular horse will win. Alas, his horse runs well, but loses by a nose, so he pays.

The second guy hands back the $20, saying that it wasn't fair, he had already seen the movie, so he knew that the other guy's horse didn't win.

"I have seen the movie 5 times," said the first guy. "This time, I thought he would make it." 

Somehow, the following game reminds me of that story.

It is a bullet game, mind you.

feritTurkey - esadase13

2 1 bullet, lichess.org, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Bxf7+ 

The Abrahams / Polerio Jerome Gambit.

3...Kxf7 4.Qh5+ g6 5.Qxe5 Bxf2+ 

This is a tactic familiar to Jerome Gambit players: Black gives up his attacked Bishop as part of a plan to save his attacked Rook. It is a good idea - Black's problems stem from his earlier 4...g6, instead of the more prudent 4...Kf8.

6.Kxf2 Nf6 7.Nf3 

Uh, oh, what move has White overlooked? It is 2 minute bullet chess, remember.

7...d6 

Missed it, too.

8.Ng5+ Kg7 9.Qc3 Kh6 

Uh, oh, now it's Black's turn to overlook something. 

10.d3 

Missed it, too.

10...Ng4+ 11.Ke1 Nc6 

Not again...

12.Nf7+ Black resigned

Third time's a charm.

I continue to be amazed - and deeply impressed - by those who play the Jerome Gambit under a bullet time control... are you listening, angelcamina?

Jerome Gambit: A Short Game, For Fun

Sometimes it is nice to present a short Jerome Gambit game (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), just because it is fun.

Cristopher_Sonido13 - Stefcho2020

SuperBlitz Shield Arena, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8 6.Qh5+ Kf8 7.Qf7 checkmate

For the record, this position has occured in 5 other games in The Database, including perrypawnpusher - platel, blitz, FICS, 2011.

Jerome Gambit: A Cautionary Lesson

I was pleased to see CM Miguel Bestard Borras recently take up the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) in a recent Titled Tuesday event, online at Chess.com. 

In the following game, he either got carried away by the aggression of the opening, or he trusted in the time control to give him opportunities that would otherwise not be there.

Either way, despite his courage, the game turned into a cautionary lesson.

Bestard Borras, Miguel - Martinez Reyes, Pedro Ram

3 1 blitz, Titled Tuesday, Chess.com, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 

7.Qxe5 Qe7 8.Qxh8 

This capture is taking a big risk, as White's Queen becomes side-tracked while Black's Queen becomes more active.

This assessment is more a matter of familiarity, rather than numbers from The Database. In the latter, there are 320 games, in which White scores 48%. Comparing that result to the stronger move, 8.Qd5+, The Database has 59 games, and White scores only slightly better, at 51%. 

As Yoda would never have said, "The chaos is strong with that one."

8...Qxe4+ 9.Kf1 Nf6 10.Nc3 

White starts to rally his pieces, but sometimes the only way to flee chaos is through more chaos: 10.d3 Qd4 11.Be3 Qxb2 12.Bh6 b6 13.Qg7+ Ke6 14.Ke2 Bb7 15.Re1 Rg8 16.Kd1+ Kf5 17.Bc1 Qxc1+ 18.Kxc1 Rxg7  - and White is still suffering. 

10...Qf5 11.Nd1 b6 12.d3 Bb7 

White's Queen is a goner.

13.Qxa8 Bxa8 14.Be3 Qg4 15.Rg1 

A reflection on the state of affairs for White.

15...Nd5 16.h3 Qf5 17.Bxc5 bxc5 18.Ke2 Nf4+ 

19.Kd2 Nxg2 20.e3 Qxf2+ 21.Kc3 Qxe3 22.Raf1+ Kg7 White resigned

Jerome Gambit: Not Quite

The following game is not quite a Jerome Gambit, but the themes are similar, and the educational value is present.

angelcamina - mohammad8713

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bb4 

It is as if Black were aiming for an Italian Four Knights game with 4...Bc5, but his Bishop slid a bit further on the a3-f8 diagonal.

5.Bxf7+ 

Anyhow.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4

The position feels a bit like the Halloween Gambit.

angelcamina has also played here 7.Nd5 Nxd5 8.exd5 Rf8 (8...Bd6 9.d4 Ng6 10.0–0 Re8 11.f4 Qf6 12.f5 Ne7 13.Qh5+ Kg8 14.Bg5 Qf8 15.Rae1 b6 16.f6 Ng6 17.Rxe8 Qxe8 18.fxg7 Ba6 White resigned, angelcamina - nuno1287, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2024) 9.c3 Bc5 10.d4 Bxd4 11.cxd4 Kg8 12.dxe5 d6 13.e6 Qf6 14.0–0 b6 15.Qd3 a5 16.Qg3 Ba6 17.Re1 Qf5 18.e7 Rfc8 19.Bd2 Re8 20.Bc3 Qf7 21.Qe3 Bb5 22.Qe6 Qxe6 23.Rxe6 c6 24.dxc6 Bxc6 25.Rae1 Bd7 26.Rxd6 Bg4 27.h3 Bf5 28.Rd5 Bg6 29.Rg5 Rac8 30.h4 Rc7 31.h5 Bc2 32.Rxg7+ Kh8 33.Rg3+ Rxc3 White resigned, angelcamina -JohannesBlom, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2024. 

7...Ng6 8.e5 Nd5 9.Qf3+ 

9...Ke7 

He needed to return a piece with 9...Nf6. 

10.Qxd5 

Missing 10.Bg5+ Nf6 11.exf6+ Kf8 12.fxg7+ Kxg7 13.Bxd8 Rxd8 but remember, this was a bullet game

10...Bxc3+ 11.bxc3 d6 

Leaving himself open to the same tactic.

Stockfish 16.1 recomended 11...Qg8 12.Qb5 b6 13.O-O Bb7 14.c4 Qe6 15.f4 Qf5 16.Ba3+ Kd8 17.Rae1 Re8 18.Bc1 Qxc2 19.Rf2 Qc3 20.Rd1 Ne7 21.f5 a6 22.Qb3 Qxb3 23.axb3 Rf8 24.g4 Black has a piece for a pawn.

12.Bg5+ Ke8 13.Bxd8 Kxd8 14.O-O

 White now puts his advantage in material to good use.

14...Nf4 15.Qf7 Ne2+ 16.Kh1 dxe5 17.dxe5 Re8 18.Rad1+ Bd7 19.Qxd7 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: Jerome Pawn Overreach

Sometimes the "Jerome pawns" are helpful, either in attack or defense.

Sometimes they overreach, and become vulnerable, as does the King that takes shelter behind them.

perrypawnpusher - vkar33

Jerome Gambit Classic #1, Chess.com, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

7.f4 Nh6 

A relatively rare move, according to The Database, which gives White the advantage.

8.Qxe5+ Kf7 9.Qxc5 Re8 10.O-O d6 11.Qe3 Kg8 

Black's King is safe before a dozen moves have been played, something that can not be said about all Jerome Gambits. The cost is being down a couple of pawns, however.

12.d4 d5 13.e5 Nf5 14.Qd3 b6 

15.g4 Nh6 16.h3 Qh4 17.Qf3 c6 

Black is not impressed with White's broad pawn center, and plans to move around it.

18.Be3 

After the game, Stockfish 16.1 expressed a dislike for this move, preferring 18.Bd2. It took me a while to find out why.

18...Bxg4 

Returning material to open up White's King.

19.hxg4 Nxg4 20.Rf2 

In the Chess.com automated review of the game, the computer was delighted with this move. In contrast, Stockfish's reaction was more of a meh. The point is that there is more going on than just returning the exchange.

20...Nxf2 

Neither I nor my opponent saw: 20...Re6!? 21.Nc3 Rh6 22.Nd1 Nxf2 23.Bxf2 Qh2+ 24.Kf1 Rf8 25.Bg3 Qxc2 26.Nf2 Qxb2 27.Re1 Qd4 with a very dynamic equality.

21.Bxf2 Qe7 22.f5 

Opens things up too much. Better was 22.c4, with advantage.

22...Qg5+ 23.Kh2 Qc1 24.Qc3 Qh6+ 25.Qh3 Qc1 

It looks like my opponent is about as "happy" with his position as I am.

26.Qc3 Qh6+ 27.Qh3 Qc1 28.Qc3 Draw by repetition

Jerome Gambit: Friendly Birthday Greeting

Readers are very familiar with Yury V. Bukayev, whose research works, commentaries, analyses, and games have graced the pages of this blog for years.

Most recently I have received the following email:

Dear Rick, good afternoon!

Tomorrow the chess world can celebrate 16 years of your nice blog!

I'm congratulating you very warmly with this birthday!!  

Here are news for you. Chessgames.com's today's "Opening of the Day" 

is Blackburne Shilling gambit. And it is interesting that 4. Bxf7+ is the 

most winning move for it in this database. 

Analogously to 4. Bxf7+ in Giuoco Piano there, you can see! 

Best wishes!

Yury

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