Jerome Gambit: Chess Pro

 

chess pro's YouTube video, "Jerome's Gambit Magic: Make Your Opponents Disappear" shows an interesting game with a strong ending: 

 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke7 

The earliest example I have of this move in The Database is perrypawnpusher - gelgel, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 7). When my opponent realized that he was giving back the two sacrificed pieces, he moved on. 

7.Qxe5+ Kf8 8.Qxc5+ Ne7 

As in Bill Wall - SMNN, FICS, 2013 (1-0, 27).

Black develops a piece, instead of playing the typical 8...d6.

9.d3 d6 10.Qc3 Be6 11.O-O h6 

All Jerome Gambit players should experience this position at least once in their career: a safe King, with attacking chances against the enemy, unsafe, King - plus 2 extra pawns.

12.f4 Qd7 13.f5 Bf7 14.f6 

Opening lines against the King.

14...gxf6 15.Qxf6 Rh7 16.Nc3 Re8 

Rushing to the defense of His Majesty, but actually cutting off a route of retreat.

17.Nd5 Nxd5 

Exchanging an attacker, good for the defense? But White has something else in mind.

18.Qg6 Ne7 

The Knight returns. Instead, Black had the mundane 18...Nf4 19.Qxh7 Ne2+ 20.Kh1 Nxc1 21.Raxc1 Qe6, settling for being a pawn and the exchange down. 

19.Bxh6+ Rg7 20.Qxg7 checkmate

Jerome Gambit Blog: 4,500

 

4,500

Please excuse a bit of self-aggrandizement, here, but yesterday's blog post was #4,500.

The first post here was on June 10, 2008. 

Since then, every day, or every-other-day (except time off for illness), this blog has been bringing you games, history and analysis of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) and related openings, such as the Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+), the Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.0-0 Bc5 5.Bxf7+), the Semi-Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.Nc3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+), and the Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 4.Bxf7+).

Readers have been generous in sending in their own games and their own analyses. Many, many thanks.

This blog has also made a large contribution to the world theory and investigations of e4e5 chess openings.

So, onwards we go, in this exploration of Alonzo Wheeler Jerome's invention!

Jerome Gambit: Q&A

 

An online website that discusses the Jerome Gambit in a pleasant Q&A format (reminding me of my eighth grade Engish teacher)  is PPQTY's Chess Strategy's "Jerome Gambit – Move Order (Example Game & Tactics)".

The PPQTY site has information on Openings Defenses Chess Variants Concepts Gambits as well as a Glossary and a Blog

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Jerome Gambit: Razerchess

 

I recently caught a short TikTok video on the Jerome Gambit by Razerchess with a fun Jerome Gambit line (the assessments are by Razerchess):

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6?! 

7.f4 Nc6??

(Also watch out for this brilliant move 7...Qf6!! 8.fxe5?! Qf2+ 9.Kd1 Qxg2?!) 

8.Qxc5 Qe7?? 9.Qd5+ Kf6 10.Qf5 checkmate

I was surprised to find only 4 games in The Database with this line of play. The earliest was blackburne - karmark, Jerome Gambit thematic tournament, ChessWorld.net, 2007. The most recent was oscroos - Sissa85, 2 1 bullet, lichess.org, 2022.

Be sure to check out Razerchess' other videos as well.

Jerome Gambit: Safety?

In the Jerome Gambit, Black's King often hopes to be safe at f8.

In the following game, he seems to have found refuge, but this gets upended by his opponent.

Wall, Bill - Gouba

SparkChess, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Kf8 

Bill has reached this positon in 29 games, scoring 98% - that's 28 wins, 1 draw, and no losses. 

Stockfish 16.1 reminds that it still sees Black as 1 1/2 pawns better.

6.O-O Nxe5 7.d4 Qe7

This position is new.

8.dxc5 Qxc5 9.Nc3 d6 10.Be3 Qc6 

11.f4 Ng4 12.Bd4 N8f6 13.h3 Nh6 14.Re1 Bd7 

White applies pressure, to bring the game even.

15.g4 Nf7 16.Rc1

This move is a bit too subtle for me. I expected 16.g5. 

16...Qa6 

Likewise, although I expected 16...Re8. 

17.e5 

Back to business.

17...Ne8

He should have bitten the bullet with 17...dxe5 18.fxe5 Nxg4 19.hxg4 Kg8. 

18.e6 Bc6 19.exf7 Kxf7 

20.f5 Rf8 

Preparing to castle-by-hand.

21.Qd2 Kg8 Re7 Nf6 

This allows a sharp ending.

23.Rxg7+ Kxg7 24.Qg5+ Kf7 25.Re1 Be4 26.Nxe4 Nxe4 27.Rxe4 b5 28.Re7 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: Weathering A Counter-Attack

In the following Jerome Gambit game, Black does his share of counter-attacking (possibly aided by a mouse-slip). It certainly looks scary.

However, White's defense proves sufficient, and he weathers the attack, although not without some uneasy moments.

Wall, Bill - Naan

internet, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 

7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qxh8 

Black resigned here in Wall, Bill - DeltaTango, Chess.com, 2010. 

8...Qh4 

Bill has seen 8...Be6, a move which I commented upon in "Jerome Gambit: Rooks At Large"

It is difficult to grasp the idea behind this move, unless it is simply to follow up the sacrifice with further development. Perhaps Black believes that his opponent will need time to put his Queen back into play. White immediately moves to make sure his Queen will be free.

Continuing, 9.Qxh7+ Kf8 10.Qxg6 Bf7 11.Qh7 Qf6 12.O-O Bg6 13.Qxc7 Nh6 14.d4 Bxd4 15.Bxh6+ Kg8 16.Qxb7 Black resigned, Wall,B - VJCH, FICS, 2013. 

9.d4 

Or 9.O-O Nf6 10.Qd8 as in Wall,B - Foo,N, Palm Bay, FL 2010 (1-0, 33) and Wall,B - Guest871838, PlayChess.com 2014 (1-0, 31).   

9...Bb6 

Black would do better with 9...Nf6 10.dxc5 Qxe4+, although the game remains sharp, and he can get into trouble if he gets greedy, e.g. 11.Be3 Qxg2 12.Nc3!? Qxh1+ 13.Kd2 Qxa1? (better 13...Qxh2) 14.Bd4 and Black will have to give back material to try to help out his attacked King.

Why not 9...Qxe4+ immediately? Play would continue 10.Be3 Qxg2 and 11.Qxh7+ and White consolidates after 11...Kf8 12.Rf1, e.g. 12...Bb4+ 13.c3 Bf5!? 14.cxb4 Bd3 15.Nd2 Re8 16.Qh4 Kg7 17.Qf4 Ne7 18.Qg3. White is better.

10.Nc3 Ba5 11.Kf1 

A mouse slip? A safer alternative was 11.O-O 

11... Bxc3 12.bxc3 Be6 

Still thinking about threats to White's Queen.

13.d5 Bd7 14.c4 Rf8 15.Bb2 Ke8 

Instead, 15...Nf6 16.Bxf6 Qxf6 17.Qxf6+ Kxf6 would allow the enemy Queen to "escape" via exchange. 

16.Qd4 

White is ahead the exchange and a pawn. His King is uncomfortable, but so is Black's.

16...c5 17.dxc6 Bxc6 18.f3 Nf6 19.Re1 

19... Ng4 

Black does not give up easily.

20.h3 Ne5 21.Qxd6 

21...Nxf3 

Still attacking.

22.gxf3 Rxf3+ 23.Ke2 Qf2+ 24.Kd1 Rf7 

If only Black could get his Rook to the e-file, maybe...

25.Qe6+ Re7 26.Qc8+ 

White dashes all hopes - and threatens checkmate in 10 himself.

Black resigned

Jerome Gambit: Provocation Has It's Downside

In the following game, Black urges White to respond, but he can not deal with the consequences.

Wall, Bill - Jojop

sparkchess, 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 Nf6 10.f3 

This reinforcement of the e-pawn was most recently seen in EdnaDrown - hechQ, 10 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2021 (1-0, 21).

10...Qe7

Bill also faced 10...Kf7 in Wall, B - Guest3544144, PlayChess.com, 2013 (1-0, 35) and  Wall,B - Guest1105387, PlayChess.com, 2014 (1-0, 30); and 10...Be6 in Wall,B - Guest564723, PlayChess.com, 2019 (1-0, 29). 

Stockfish 16.1 suggests 10...d5.

11.Nc3 Ne5

Provocation? 

12.O-O h5 13.d4 Nf7 

Black's defense looks solid, but White probably has a slight edge - Black's King cannot castle, and it will take time to move to safety.

14.f4 Bd7 15.Bd2 Kf8 

Just in time.

16.e5 dxe5 

Instead, 16...Ng4 17.Qd3 c6 18.Rae1 Re8 19.e6 Qh4 and the battle rages on. 

17.fxe5 Ng4 18.Qd3 

The open f-file for White's Rook makes the difference from the note to Black's 16th move.

18...a6 

Preparing for 19...Bb5, skewering White's Queen, but this gives time for the attack. The defensive 18...Be6 was needed.

19.Nd5 Qe6 20.Nxc7 Black resigned