Jerome Gambit: It Can Take A While (Part 2)

 

[continued from the previous post]

Comments by the bot are in blue.

perrypawpusher - Caligula bot

Chess.com, 2024

A Jerome Gambit. To quote Oliver Hardy, "Well, here's another nice mess you've gotten me into."

27.d6 

To confine the enemy Bishop and slow its entrance to the game. 27.Bb6 would have been met by 27...d6.

27...b5 28.Rc1 

The Rook is headed for action on the wrong file. Better was 28.Re1.

28...Ke4 

Clearly the Caligula bot favors an active monarch.

The game would be about equal, according to Stockfish 16.1, after the consistent 28...Bb7 29.Rc5+ Ke6 30.Rh5 h6 31.Bd4 Rg8 32.Be5 Kf7 33. g4 Rc8 34. Kf2 Rc2+ 35. Ke3 Bc6 36. Bd4 Rg2 37. h3 Rh2 38. a3 a5 39. Bc3 Kg8 40. Rc5 Kf7 41. Bxa5 Rxh3+ 42. Kd4 Ke6 43. Bb4 Rh4 44. Re5+. That is always the risk when I think that I can squeeze out a win with minimal tactics.

29.Kf2 g6

Fear me for I haven't showered in 3 days! 

30.g4 g5 31.fxg5 

Exchanges... More promising was 31.f5. 

31...Bb7 32.Rc7 Bc6 

Imobilizing my Rook. I expected a snarky remark, but none were forthcoming.

33.h4 Rf8+ 

FOOL! 

34.Ke2 Bd5 

This and Black's next move surrender the game. There was always the chance of counting upon Bishops-of-opposite-colors with 34...Ke5 35.Ra7 Ra8 36.Rxa8 Bxa8 37.h5 Be4 

35.Rxd7 Rf7

Sometimes I don't wash my hands after a game. How Caligulian! 

Very strange. With the Rooks off of the board, White's advanced, passed pawn can promote - and with that comes checkmate threats.

36.Rxf7 Bxf7 

37.d7 Bc4+ 38.Kd2 Bxa2 39.d8=Q

DO YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH THAT PIECE? 

39...Bb1 40.Qd4+ 

That move makes my skin crawl. And I'm Caligula! 

40...Kf3 41.Qf4+

Find it, seek it, or victory will slip.

41...Kg2

BURP. 

42.h5 

Lazy. Instead of finding the checkmate - 42.Bf2 b4 43.Qg3+ Kf1 44.Qg1# - I decided to make things easier by getting another Queen. This actually won Black's Bishop, but that just put off the end of the game. 

42... Kh3 43.g6 hxg6 44.hxg6 Bxg6 45.Qh6+ Kxg4 46.Qxg6+ Kh3

 47.Bf2 

Thank goodness. You probably thought I was going to win Black's remaining pawns with my Queen, so that I could promote my remaining pawn, right?

47...Kh2

You're real gross, you know that?

48.Qg3+ Kh1 49.Qg1 checkmate

YOU ARE A TYRANT ! Let us continue.

Jerome Gambit: It Can Take A While (Part 1)

Looking for a quick win with the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), I succumbed to the opportunity to take on another bot at Chess.com. For some reason, it was rated about 40 points higher than me.

What I learned (again) from the game is that it can be a bit tedious to grind out a win with the Jerome - as opposed to the usual smash and crash tactics.

Comments by the bot are in blue.

By the way, I am not sure if the historical Caligula played chess, or, if he did, how he played. According to Wikipedia

For the early part of his reign, he is said to have been "good, generous, fair and community-spirited", but increasingly self-indulgent, cruel, sadistic, extravagant... thereafter; an insane, murderous tyrant who demanded and received worship as a living god, humiliated his Senate, and planned to make his horse a consul.

 Strange character. The Chess.com site warned

Caligula doesn’t care about being liked, as long as he rules over his enemies. Think you can handle his brutish trash-talk? 

perrypawpusher - Caligula bot

Chess.com, 2024

1.e4 e5

The more you win, the more we scare those fools.

2.Nf3 Nc6 

Beat me, and you will be feared more than one thousand Ceasars! 

3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+  

I am one and all. We are the same.

I am he as you are he as you are me

And we are all together

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+

Hadrian, hide behind your wall! 

5...Nxe5 6.Qh5+

Just stay out of my way...or you'll pay! LISTEN TO WHAT I SAY. 

6...Ke6 

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4

Strike me as if it is the end! 

I wasn't yet ready to play 8.Na3 again, as I did in perrypawnpusher - Klewnom, Italian Game tournament, Chess.com, 2023 (0-1, 22).

8...Nc4 

This is an odd move (favored by a couple other bots that I have played) in response to White's threat to win a piece. Black should have resigned itself to seeing the Knight disappear, either with 8.Qf6 or 8.Kc6.

9.Qd5+ Ke7 10.Qxc5+ Nd6 11.e5 

11...Nh6 

I've picked boogers that were tougher than you. 

😝

Stronger was 11...Nf6, as in kennedy - Chess Challenger 7, 2008, (1-0, 20). 

Instead, 11...h5?! heralded an adventure that the Chess.com computer granted many ?! comments, a few ? notes, a distinctive ??, and one lone ! -  perrypawnpusher - GrandpaGambitBot. Chess.com 2023 (1/2-1/2, 44).

12.exd6+ cxd6

I will strike as if you are my enemy. You must learn.

13.Qg5+ Kf7 14.Qxd8

Cleopatra is shaking. 

It was stronger to leave the Queens on the board with 14.Qd5+, but I was already thinking that I could grind out a win from a pawn-up position. Next to taking poisoned pawns, this is another of my chess weaknesses.

14...Rxd8 

Cleopatra is next.

15.O-O Ke6 

The position has gotten clearer. I need to develop pieces, and challenge the notion that Black's King is well-placed, instead of in danger.

16.Nc3 

Go easy on you? GO EASY ON YOU!? Ahahahahahaha. 

16...a6 

To keep White's Knight out of b5, where it would threaten a fork at c7, as well as the pawn at d6. 

17.d4 Nf5

Let them hate us, as long as they fear us.

18.d5+ Kf7 

19.Bd2 

This quiet move is okay, freeing the Queen's Rook, although it was also possible to start things on the Kingside with 19.g4 Nh6 20.h3. 

19...Re8

Taking the e-file, but it can not be held.

20.Rae1 

Probably 20.g4 Nd4 21.Rae1 was better.

20...Nd4 21.Rxe8 Kxe8 22.Ne4 

22...Nxc2 23.Nxd6+ Ke7

They think they are better. Caligula transcends all.

24.Nf5+ 

Resisting the urge to exchange with 24.Nxc8?, which would only diminish my development and help Black improve the same.

24...Kf6 25.Ne3 

Prompting another exchange, although 25.Ng3 or 25.g4 would have helped more.

25... Nxe3 26.Bxe3 Kf5 

[to be continued]

Jerome Gambit: Tool For The Box

 Over a dozen years ago (see "What An Idea") I mentioned that

Gerald Abrahams wrote in his book, The Chess Mind, that the smallest unit in a chess game was not the move, but the idea. 

It is helpful to have all sorts of "ideas" in mind when you play chess, as any one of them can spark thoughts of a tactic that might lead to an advantage.

I touched upon one such idea in "Jerome Gambit: A Few Tactical Ideas in Your Pocket", "Jerome Gambit: Another Tool For The Box" and "Sunday Tournament Update": Black's King is at f7, White's Queen checks it from b3, Black blocks the check with his Bishop at e6, and then White counters with the Knight check and fork from g5 with the eventual win of the Bishop.

Three years ago, I noted that The Database had over 500 examples of the tactic. Today there are 586, with White scoring 74%. (The average rating difference between White and Black in those games is only 17 points, suggesting an expected scoring of 50%.)

The first example that I have in The Database, although not exactly a Jerome Gambit, is Myers, Hugh S - Conners, Dave, Idaho Closed Championship, Boise, 1984 (1-0, 26): 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Na5 5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.b4 Bxf2+ 7.Kxf2 Nc6 8.Rf1 d6 9.Kg1 Nf6 10.Qb3+ Be6 11.Ng5+ 

By the way I knew Hugh, through his chess books, the "Myers Openings Bulletin", and our correspondence. He was an openings explorer, but, as far as I know, he never played the Jerome Gambit - he wasn't that eccentric.

The most recent example that I have of the position we are looking at, in The Database, is cool64chess - Etus11, Jerome Classic #1, Chess.com, 2024 (1-0, 41): 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.O-O Nf6 6.d3 Rf8 7.c3 d6 8.b4 Bb6 9.Qb3+ Be6 10.Ng5+ 

So there you have it, something to think about and possibly add to your tactical toolbox.

Back to Preschool

                                        

Years ago (see "A Return to Pre-School") I suggested

I think if the bodacious Blackmar Diemer Gambit (1.d4 d5 2.e4 dxd4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.f3) can be referred to as a "high school for tactics" then the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) can at least be dubbed a "pre-school for tactics".

I remembered this reference as I defended in a Giuoco Piano game, in a recent tournament at Chess.com.

It was not a Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), but I like to think that the bits of tactical thinking that I picked up in pre-school helped me out when the game reached the following position. I had the Black pieces.

My opponent has sacrificed a Knight and a Bishop for a Rook and a pawn. With an "extra" piece to play with, this should give me the advantage. Allegedly, as they say.

After the game, I checked The Database, and saw that in 52 games with this position, Black had scored 73%. The lichess.org database was not as enthusiastic, but with 147,500 games with this position, it still had Black scoring a decent 63%.

9.Qf3

Okay, I could appreciate the idea of pinning my Knight, followed by Nd5 or d3 & Bg5, but this seemed too slow.

It was time to put down my crayons and come up with something creative.

9...Nd4 10.Qd1

The Queen returns home to protect the c2 pawn and prevent the enemy Knight from grabbing it.

At this point your tactical senses should be tingling. Mine were. It didn't take long to find my next move.

10...Bg4 

This is more than harassment, this is extreme danger for the first player.

11.Qe1 Nc2

Okay, so, I got the c2 pawn and a fork - Rook and Queen - after all.

Wait a minute - the Queen is attacked and has no escape squares!

Probably best was 11.f3, but then 11...Nxf3+ 12.Kh1 Nxh2+ 13.Qe1 Nxf1 14.Qxf1 and Black would be a pawn and a piece up.

White resigns

Tactical savants are likely to say "So, what?" but remember, we are talking about preschool here.

Too Weird for the Jerome Gambit?

 

I was meandering through The Database when I discovered 11 Jerome Gambit games that went 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.b3.

Really?

I quickly flashed back to when I was a younger chess player, learning about the Snyder variation of the Sicilian Defense (1.e4 c5 2.b3), the Euwe attack against the Caro Kann (1.e4 c6 2.b3) and the Reti gambit against the French Defense (1.e4 e6 2.b3).

But - who would play b3 against the Jerome?

Turns out, Bill Wall would - but he is known to experiment a lot in the opening. 

And, despite Bill's success in that game (1-0, 31), the opening line has scored slightly more than 25% in the 15 games I have in The Database.

The lichess.org database has 202 games with the line, with White scoring a somewhat better 32%.

I think, at least for now, I am going to stick with the "classical" 5.Nxe5+.

Jerome Gambit: One Last Thing...

Referring back to the mistaken idea that Jules Arnous De Riviere played the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) - see "The Name Is Jerome. Alonzo Jerome." - it can initally be exciting to realize that he did play 3 Giuoco Piano games: 2 against Paul Morphy and 1 against Adolf Anderssen.

How cool would it be if De Riviere played the Jerome Gambit against Morphy or Anderssen?

No way. In those games he played 4.d3 or 4.c3.

How cool would it be if Paul Morphy or Adolf Anderssen played the Jerome Gambit?

Alas, not a chance.

Jerome Gambit: Round Three Fun

The third round of the Giuoco Fun tournament at Chess.com has started, and I am joined in Group Five by egornikol, perangedwin1986, ponomargoal and Wander007. 

In my four games as White, I am playing the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+).

It would be fun to face the Jerome, as well.

As always, I wish my opponents good chess.