Jerome Gambit: Even Gambit Players Have to Play Endgames (Part 2)

 

[continued from the previous post]

perrypawnpusher - accattone444

Jerome Gambit Classic #1, Chess.com, 2024

19...Bb4

Instead, 19...Bxf2 20.Kxf2 would be too cooperative.

20.Bd4+ Kg8 

It wasn't necessary for the King to go backwards. Just fine (and safe) would have been 20...Kf7. 

21.Kf2 

The computer was more excited about 21.Ne4 Bxe4 22.dxe4 d5 23.c3 Bf8 24.exd5 Rd8 25.c4 c6 26.Ke2 cxd5 27.cxd5 Rxd5 28.Bxa7 Ra5 29.Bd4 Rxa2 30.Rc1 with a clear advantage for White.

21...Bc5 

Quo vadis? 

22.Bxc5 dxc5 

23.Re1 Rxe1 24.Kxe1 Kf7 

Black hopes an active King and the minor exchange will be enough to counter White's extra pawn 

25.Ne4 b6 26.Ng5+ Kf6 27.Nxh7+ Kf5 

28.h4 

Giving the Knight a safe outpost to retreat to. Also advancing his Kingside pawn majority.

28...Be8 29. Ng5 Ba4 30. b3 Bd7 

After a feint on the Kingside, the players resolve some of the issues on the Queenside.

31.Kf2 a5 32.g4+ Ke5 33.Ke3 a4 34.c3 Be8 35.c4 b5 36.bxa4 bxc4 37.dxc4 Bxa4 

38.Ne4 Be8 39.Nxc5 Bf7 40.Nd3+ Kd6 41.Kd4  

Make haste slowly, said the emperor Agustus.

41...Bg8 42. h5 gxh5 43.gxh5 Bh7 

There are too many passed pawns to blockade.

44.a4 Black resigned

Jerome Gambit: Even Gambit Players Have to Play Endgames (Part 1)

A lot of my Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) games (win or lose) are over long before the endgame is reached.

Still, the Gambit player has to have some comfort with the endgame, for those times - like the following game - where the battle stretches on and on.

perrypawnpusher - accattone444

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+ g6 

Interestingly enough, this move was seen in accattone444 - perrypawnpusher, Jerome Gambit Classic #1, Chess.com, 2024 (0-1, 32). We will get to that game.

7.Qxe5 Qe7 

Whistler's defense. 

8.Qf4+ 

Taking the Rook is a bad idea. See Jerome - Norton, correspondence, 1876 (1/2 - 1/2, 20) and Jerome - Whistler, correspondence, 1877 (0-1, 15).

White also had 8.Qd5+, which I played in perrypawnpusher - moush54, Chess.com, 2021 (1-0, 23) and which was examined in analysis and three games by Yury V. Bukayev in 2023. See Yury V. Bukayev's "Anatoly Karpov & Jerome Gambit (Parts 7 & 8)" and "JG: The New in Its Opening Theory, in Its Psychology (Parts 15 & 16)

Stockfish 16.1, at 38 ply, sees only 8/100th of a pawn difference between 8.Qf4+ and 8.Qd5+.

8...Nf6 

This move protects the King, develops a piece - and is not as strong as it looks.

I have faced 8...Kg7 in perrypawnpusher - tmarkst, blitz, FICS, 2009 (1-0, 43); and 8...Qf6 in perrypawnpusher - Yaku, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1/2 - 1/2, 26);  perrypawnpusher - alvarzr, blitz, FICS, 2014 (1-0, 49); perrypawnpusher - Tacotopia, Chess.com, 2020 (1/2 - 1/2, 61); perrypawnpusher - MeisterBob, Chess.com, 2021 (1-0, 32); perrypawnpusher - IndeedPerhapsYes, Chess.com 2021 (1-0, 32); and perrypawnpusher - joro_videv, Giuoco Piano Game, Chess.com, 2022 (0-1, 34) 

9.e5 

This move looks premature, given White's uncastled King on the same file as Black's Queen (soon to be joined by his Rook), but after the game the computer identified it as the best in the position.

As I wrote in "Jerome Gambit: Routine Play is Not Enough"

The position is trickier than it looks at first glance. Probably best for Black at this point is 9...Re8, when 10.d4 Bxd4 11.Qxd4 Qxe5+ 12.Qxe5 Rxe5+ 13.Be3 Ng4 gives Black (who has given back a piece for a couple of pawns) an edge.

9...d6 

Attacking the advanced e-pawn.

9...Kg7 was seen in perrypawnpusher - F0nix, Chess.com, 2021 (1-0, 16); while 9...Re8 was seen in Jerome, A - Jaeger, D, correspondence, 1879 (0-1, 45). 

Stockfish 16.1 prefers 9...Re8. 

10.Qxf6+ Qxf6 11.exf6 Re8+ 

White's extra material is balanced by Black's better development; even game.

12.Kf1 Bd7 13.Nc3 Bc6 14.d3 Kxf6 15.Bd2 Kg7 

I figured that I could unravel the position a bit and then go about making use of my extra pawn. As Bruce Pandolfini has said, "if winning, clarify; if losing, complicate.

16.f3 Re7 17.Re1 Rxe1+ 18.Bxe1 Re8 19.Bf2 

And this, students, is why we play the wildly attacking Jerome Gambit, because who wants, instead, to grovel in an endgame, a pawn up?

[to be continued]

Jerome Gambit: The Face Palm Variation Rides Again

I am sharing the following game because of my commitment to share all of my Jerome Gambits here.

It doesn't really advance Jerome theory, except, perhaps, to reinforce the oddness of the opening. It's the Jerome Gambit - go figure.

chess01 2 - perrypawnpusher

Jerome Gambit Classic #1, Chess.com,  2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Ng5+ 

Dropping a piece. This is the kind of thing that you could expect to see in a 1-minute bullet game full of excitement - but the current game was played at a time control of 1 move per day.

Perhaps it is a reflection of my opponent's busy-ness in the outside world. After all, one of my own games in the tournament had an early mouse-slip because I was hurrying to get all of my games caught up: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Ke7?

As I wrote in "Jerome Gambit: Uncomfortable"

Of course, there is also 5.Ng5+, the "Face Palm Variation" (see the post "Jerome Gambit: The SMH Variation", among others) 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Ng5+.

For the record, The Database has 729 games with 5.Ng5+. White scores 26%. lichess.com is not much more encouraging, with 32,390 games with 5.Ng5+ where White scores 31%. 

5...Qxg5 6.d4 

Interestingly enough, instead, after 6.O-O Qg6, Black won on time in mazakoten - perrypawnpusher, Jerome Gambit Classic #1, 2024. That might also be a case of not enough time in the real world, as in that round of the tournament mazakoten won 12 games - and lost 10 on time. 

6...Qxg2 7.Rf1 Qxe4+ 8.Be3 exd4 

Here White lost on time.

In this round in the tournament, chess01 2 lost 15 games on time - but won all of his remaining 7 games.

Go figure.

Jerome Gambit: Some Kind of Psychological Compensation (Part 2)

[continued from the previous post] 

perrypawnpusher - SPK_316

Chess.com, 2024

It is helpful to be able to play the endgame well, regardless of which opening you play.

Time to get the pawns rolling. Will they be weapons - or targets?

23.f3 Re2 24.Rd2 Re5 25.g4 Nd4 

So far, it looks like targets.

26.f4 

Better was 26.Rf1. The shortcoming of the text move will be seen in the next note.

26...Re2 

After the game, Stockfish 16.1 gave Black's opportunity: 26...Ne2+ 27.Kd1 Nxf4 28.Rf2 Nd5 29.Rf7+ Kg8 30.Rd7 Rh7 31.Rd8+ Kg7 32.Ra8 a6 33.Ra7 b6 34.Rxa6 Kh6 35.Ra8 Rg5 36.Rg1 Ne3+ 37.Kd2 Rxg4 38.Rxg4 Nxg4 39.b4 Kg7 40.a4 Kf6 41.Ra7 Ke5 42.a5 bxa5  assessing the second player as 1 1/2 pawns better, but it is easy to see why my opponent did not go down that line - too many pawn exchanges.

The problem with the text move is that it suddenly gives life to White's position and turns his pawns into weapons.

27.c3 Rxd2 28.Kxd2 Ne6 

29.Ke3 

This move is okay, but a bit automatic. Instead, 29.g5 Nxf4 30.gxh6 Kxh6 31.Rf1 Nxh5 gives White the exchange, and 32.Rf7 puts his Rook to work eyeing enemy pawns. 

29...Nd8 

Anticipating the advancing pawn wave, but removing the piece from play. The computer prefers moving the Rook with 29...Rf6.

30.f5 Rf6 31.Kf4 

Sometimes simple endgames are not all that simple. The Rook should have gone to the e-file.

31...Rf8 

Instead, 31...Ne6+ 32.Kg3 Ng5 33.Rf1 Kh6 with an interesting blockade.

32.Re1 

The right idea.

32...Kh6 33.g5+ Kh7 

Not 33...Kxh5 34.Rh1 checkmate

34.Re7+ Kg8 35.h6 Rf7 36.Re8+ Rf8 37.Rxf8+ Kxf8 

38.g6 Kg8 39.Kg5 Nc6 40.f6 Ne5 41.h7+ Kh8 42.f7 Black resigned

One possible ending: 42...Nxf7 43.gxf7 Kg7 44.f8/Q+ Kxf8 45.Kf6 Ke8 46.Ke6 when 47.h8/Q checkmate follows

Jerome Gambit: Some Kind of Psychological Compensation (Part 1)

A common question in chess, concerning equivalencies or compensations, goes "Which would you rather have...?"

In the following game, this choice refers to comparative material on each side.

It has been my sad experience that when I had the extra piece, I would prefer the pawns, while when I had the extra pawns, I would prefer the extra piece... But not here. 

perrypawnpusher - SPK_316

Chess.com, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bc4 Nxe4 4.Bxf7+ 

As I wrote in "Jerome Gambit: First Steps (Part 1)"

...[I]f in the Petroff Defense, the game continues 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bc4 Nxe4 4.Bxf7+, the sacrifice at f7 can upset the defender, drag him out of his preparation, and give White some kind of psychological compensation; but recovering material will be difficult beyond 4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+, and if Black finds the unintuitive 5...Kg8, his King will actually be safe from attack - as long as he avoids catastrophies like 6.0-0 d6 7.Qe2 dxe5 8.Qc4+ Tg Z - Lai, W, Kuala Lumpur, 1992.

I have touched upon this Petroff Defense, Italian Variation, in a number of other posts: "More Jerome-izing", "Jerome Gambit: Quick Finishes", "Jerome Gambit: More Quick Finishes", "Jerome Gambit: Two Outstanding Marks of the Jerome Gambit", and "Jerome Gambit: That's Where The Fun Is".

The Database has 196 games with this line, with White scoring 42%.

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8 

Once again, the "secret weapon" of the Jerome Gambit and Jerome-related openings: defenders often do not treat it seriously enough to find the best response. 

6.Qe2 

I am not sure where this move came from. It reminds me of the novice player's 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 Nxe4 4.Qe2 Qe7, which I likely played 65 years ago - but which also appeared in a game between Grandmasters Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Hikaru Nakamura in 2023 (!)

Certainly 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Nxg6 hxg6 8.Qxh8 beckoned, instead.

6...d6 

Kicking White's Knight, as in the Petroff Defense, although 6...Qe7 preserved more of Black's advantage.

7.Qh5+ 

Back on track.

7...g6 8.Nxg6 hxg6 

9.Qxg6+ 

Careless. There are Jerome-ish positions where this pawn (and then Knight) grab is better than taking the Rook, but this is certainly not one of them. Simply 9.Qxh8.

9...Kd7 10.Qxe4 Qe7 

Well done. After the exchange of Queens, Black will have a piece for three pawns, a middlegame advantage, especially with the two Bishops.

11.Nc3 Qxe4+ 12.Nxe4 Ke7 

13.d3 Nc6 14.Bg5+ Kf7 15.O-O-O Bf5 16.Ng3 Bg6 

The position looks more like an endgame than a Queenless middlegame. The computer prefers Black by about 3/4 of a pawn, but it can be hard to visualize the future of White's 3 Kingside pawn.

17.h4 Bh6 

When ahead, exchange pieces; when behind, exchange pawns.

18.Bxh6 Rxh6 19.h5 Bh7 20.Ne4 Re8 21.Ng5+ Kg7 22.Nxh7 Kxh7

[to be continued]

Jerome Gambit: Classic #1, Round 4

 

As Round 4 of my group in the Jerome Classic #1 tournament at Chess.com heads toward its conclusion, it looks like cool64chess is going to thunder up the standings, taking first place and relegating me to second place.

As the top-rated player of 6, his success is not surprising; but 5 of us are within 71 rating points (Chess.com) of the CM, and the lowest rated is still only 178 points below. A pretty balanced group, at that.

Jerome Gambit: Stumbling Over Familiar Ground (Part 2)

 [continued from previous post]

perrypawnpusher - moisesah

Jerome Gambit Classic #1, Chess.com, 2024

Black has an extra piece, White has an extra 2 (soon to be 3) pawns. This still being the middlegame, the piece is to be favored.

22...Be8 

Ejecting the enemy Queen.

Instead, afterwards Stockfish 16.1 suggested the riotous 22...f5 23.exf5 Nxf5 24.Rxf5 Qh4 25.Qf6 Qh3 26.Nxb5+ cxb5 27.Rg5 Nd5 28.Qxd6+ Kxd6 29.gxh3 Rxg5+ 30.Bxg5 Bxh3 and both of White's passers are blockaded.

23.Qxf6 Rg6 24.Qh4 

The computer likes hanging in a bit longer with 24.Qh8 but Her Majesty was feeling the heat.

24...Qd7 25.Bf4 Kb7 

26.Bg3 b4 

Black begins to push back. White continues sniping a pawn.

27.Ne2 Rg4 28.Qh3 Rxe4 29.Qxd7+ Nxd7 30.Rae1 Nd5 31.Bxd6 

About this point I realized that I really didn't know what was going on.

31...Bh5 32. Ng3 Rxe1 33.Rxe1 Re8 

34.Rxe8 

It was probably better to start to get my King into play with 34.Kf2. 

34...Bxe8 35.Nf1 

I could have moved the Knight closer to the action with 35.Nf5.

35...a5 36.h4 

Hope springs eternal. 

36...N7f6 37.a4 Ne4 38.g4 

(I suppose I could mention something about narcotic pain medicine, post surgery, here, but an oversight is an oversight.)  

38...Nxd6 White resigned

Tough game. Good win by my opponent.