Friday, January 31, 2025

Jerome Gambit: No Gutter, This Time


There is an old chess caution against capturing the b-pawn, lest one wind up "sleeping in the gutter".

But that is not always true. In the following game, White is able to grab Queenside material and still safeguard his Queen.

Wall, Bill - Dalos

SparkChess, 2025

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4

Not everyone plays 6.Qh5+. It is good to vary. Besides, 6.d4 was Alonzo Wheeler's choice when he began playing the Jerome.

6...Bxd4 7.Qxd4 d6 8.Nc3 h6 


The computer says that Black can afford to play this move, but it can not be best.

9.Bf4 c5 10.Qd5+ 


We have seen this kind of Queen check before.

Will Black hold onto his b-pawn, or sacrifice it for tempo?

10...Be6 11.Qxb7+ Ne7 12.O-O-O 


White is making the best of his chances. Stockfish 16.1 now presents one move that allows Black to keep his advantage.

12...Rf8 

Not this one. 

Instead, 12...Rb8 13.Qa6 Rb6 14.Qxa7 Nc4 would allow Black to put too much pressure on the White King, e.g. 15.b3 Qc8!? 16.bxc4 Ra6 and White's Queen will be lost.

13.Bxe5 

Taking advantage of the unfortunate pin on the d-pawn.

13...Rb8 14.Qxa7 Kg8 


Finishing castling-by-hand.

He could have chased the enemy Queen with 14...Ra8 15.Qb7 Rb8 16.Qa6 Rb6 17.Qd3 but that would have amounted to little.

15.Bxd6 Rf7 16.Qxc5 Black resigned

After 16...Rc8 17.Bxe7 Qxe7 18.Qxe7 Rxe7 White would be ahead by 5 pawns. 


Thursday, January 30, 2025

Semi-Italian Four Knight Jerome Gambit: A "Safe" Variation becomes "Unsafe"


The following game, a 1 0 bullet, races to its conclusion, but along the way White gains and increases his advantage - against what Black had hoped would be a "safe" variation.

angelcamina - Wilhelm01

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2025

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.Nc3 Nf6 5.O-O Bc5 6.Bxf7+

The Semi-Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit. A "safe" variation has become "unsafe". 

6...Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ Nxe5 8.d4 Bxd4 


Black does not always choose the simplest and safest reply

8...Nc6 9.dxc5 Re8 10.f4 Nxe4 11.Nxe4 Rxe4 12.Qd5+ Re6 13.f5 Kf8 14.fxe6+ Ke7 15.Rf7+Ke8 16.exd7+ Bxd7 17.Rxg7 Bf5 18.Qg8 checkmate, angelcamina - StarsXX, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2019. 

8...Bb6 9.dxe5 Nh7 10.Qd5+ Ke8 11.Kh1 Ng5 12.f4 Ne6 13.f5 Ng5 14.f6 Ne6 15 fxg7 Rg8 16.Bxh6 Qh4 17.Rf8+ Nxf8 18.Qxg8 Qxh6 19.gxf8=Q+ Qxf8 20.Qxf8+ Kxf8 21.Rf1+ Ke8 22.g4 c6 23.g5 d6 24.g6 dxe5 25.g7 Be6 26.Rf8+ Ke7 27.Rxa8 Bd8 28.h4 Black resigned, angelcamina - baronetto, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2019. 

8...Bb4 9.dxe5 Bxc3 10.bxc3 Nxe4 11.Qd5+ Kf8 12.Qxe4 d6 13.Ba3 Qg5 14.f4 Qh5 15.f5 Bxf5 16.Rxf5+ Black resigned angelcamina - omkarsubham, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2021 

9.Qxd4 Qe7 

Again, angelcamina has seen different responses

9...Nc6 10.Qc4+ Ke8 (10...Kf8 11.f4 Na5 (11...d6 12.b3 Qe7 13.Ba3 Be6 14.Qe2 Bg415.Qe3 Be6 16.e5 Ng4 17.Qg3 Nd4 18.exd6 cxd6 19.Rad1 Ne2+ 20.Nxe2 Kg8 21.f5 h5 22.fxe6 Qxe6 23.Rxd6 Qe4 24.Rd7 Kh7 25.Qd3 Qxd3 26.cxd3 Rhf8 27.Rxf8 White won on time, angelcamina - Eldomi, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2024) 12.Qb4+ c5 13.Qxc5+ d6 14.Qxa5 Qxa5 White resigned, angelcamina - Arath96, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2020; 10...Kg6 11.f4 Na5 12.Qd3 Kh7 13.e5+ Kg8 14.exf6 Qxf6 15.Be3 d6 16.Bd4 Bf5 17.Qd2 Qg6 18.Nd5 Kh7 19.Qxa5 Bh3 20.Qd2 c6 21.Ne3 Rhe8 22.Kh1 Kh8 23.gxh3 Re4 24.Rae1 Rae8 25.Ng4 Rxe1 26.Rxe1 Rxe1+ 27.Qxe1 c5 28.Bc3 Kh7 29.Nf2 Qf5 30.Qe4 Qxe4+ 31.Nxe4 b6 32.Nxd6 b5 33.Ne4 a6 34.b4 c4 35.Nd6 Kg6 36.Nxb5 Kf5 37.Kg2 g5 38.Kf3 gxf4 39.h4 h5 40.h3 a5 41.Nd6+ Black resigned, angelcamina - zepelin27, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2021) 11.f4 d6 12.e5 (12.b3 Kf8 13.Ba3 Qe7 14.Rae1 Be6 15.Qb5 Rb8 16.e5 dxe5 17.Bxe7+ Nxe7 18.fxe5 Kf7 19.exf6 gxf6 20.Ne4 Nd5 21.Nxf6 Nxf6 22.Rxf6+ Kxf6 23.Qe5+ Ke7 24.Qxe6+ Kd8 25.Rd1 checkmate, angelcamina - x2ornot2b, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2020) 12...dxe5 13.fxe5 Nd7 14.Qf7 checkmate, angelcamina - PokerJack, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2019;

9...d6 10.f4 Nc6 11.Qc4+ Be6 12.Qe2 (12.Qb5 Rb8 13.e5 Nd7 14.f5 Nd4 15.fxe6+ Kxe6 16.Qd5+ Ke7 17.Qf7 checkmate, angelcamina - ArZion, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org,  2024) 12...Nd4 (12...Rf8 13.e5 dxe5 14.fxe5 Qd4+ 15.Kh1 Qxe5 16.Qxe5 Nxe5 17.Bf4 Ng6 18.Bxc7 Kg8 19.Bd6 Rfd8 20.Ba3 Rd2 21.Rae1 Bd7 22.Be7 Bc6 23.Bxf6 Bxg2+ 24.Kg1 Bxf1 25.Rxf1 gxf6 26.Rxf6 Kg7 27.Re6 Rxc2 28.Rd6 Rxb2 29.Rd7+ Kf6 30.Ne4+ Ke5 31.Rg7 Kxe4 32.Rxg6 Kf3 33.Rf6+ Kg4 34.Rg6+ Kh5 35.Rg7 Rxa2 36.Rxb7 Rc8 White resigned, angelcamina - MasterMeyer, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2021) 13.Qd3 c5 14.e5 Nd5 15.Nxd5 Bxd5 16.c4 Be6 17.f5 Bc8 18.e6+ Ke7 19.b4 b6 20.bxc5 bxc5 21.Bb2 Bb7 22.Bxd4 cxd4 23.Qxd4 Rf8 24.Qxg7+ Ke8 25.Qg6+ Ke7 26.Rae1 Rg8 27.Qf7 checkmate, angelcamina - Sergio75, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org,  2020;

9...Re8 10.f4 Nc6 11.Qc4+ Kf8 12.e5 Nh7 13.Qe4 d6 14.Qxh7 dxe5 15. fxe5+ Ke7 16.Qxg7+ Ke6 17.Qxh6+ Kd7 18.Bg5 Re7 19.Rad1+ Black resigned, angelcamina - badroni, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2020;

9...Ng6 10.f4 Rf8 11.Qc4+ d5 12.exd5 Kg8 13.f5 Ne5 14.Qb3 Qd6 15.Bf4 Bd7 16.Rae1 Rae8 17.Qxb7 a5 18.Nb5 Qc5+ 19.Be3 Bxb5 20.Bxc5 Rf7 21.Qxb5 Neg4 22.Rxe8+ Nxe8 23.h3 Ngf6 24.Bd4 Nd6 25.Qc4 Nxf5 26.Bxf6 Rxf6 27.d6+ Kf8 28.Rxf5 Rxf5 29.dxc7 Black resigned, angelcamina - Jrmigs, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2021 

10.f4 Neg4 

10...c5 does not help, either 11.Qxe5 Qxe5 12.fxe5 Black resigned, angelcamina - ShadowKnight314, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2020.

11.e5 

angelcamina has also tried 11.h3, i.e. 11...c5 12.Qc4+ Qe6 13.Qxe6+ dxe6 14.e5 Nxe5 15.fxe5 Bd7 16.exf6 gxf6 17. Ne4 Bc6 18. Nxf6 Ke7 19. Ng4 Rhg8 20. Bxh6 Rg6 21.Bf4 Rag8 22.Rad1 Rxg4 23.hxg4 Rxg4 24.g3 Rg6 25.Rd6 Rh6 26.Rxc6 bxc6 27.Bxh6 Kd6 28.Bf4+ Kd5 29.Re1 Kd4 30.Rxe6 Kd5 31.Rd6+ Kc4 32.Rxc6 Kb5 33.Rc8 Kb6 34.Be3 Kb5 35.Rxc5+ Kb4 36.Rc3 Kb5 37.Ra3 Kc6 38.Rxa7 Kd5 39.Ra4 Ke6 40.Rd4 Kf5 41. c4 Black resigned, angelcamina - carambula, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2020. 

11...Nh7 

In a 1-minute game, it can be hard to find the right line. Better would have been 11...Re8 12.exf6 Nxf6 with an equal game.

12.h3 c5 13.Qc4+ Qe6 14.Qxe6+ Kxe6 15.hxg4 Rf8 


The "Jerome pawns" threaten the enemy King.

16.Bd2 b6 17.Rae1 Bb7 18.f5+ 


Here it comes.

18...Ke7 19.e6 d6 20.Nb5 Rac8 21.Bf4 Ba6 22.Bxd6+ Kd8 23.Bxf8 Nxf8 24.e7+ Ke8 25.exf8=Q+ Kxf8 


The pawns, supported by the pieces, have wrecked things in the opponent's field.

The rest of the game shows the effect of the clock (the game unrolled, on the average, at 1 second per move) but angelcamina was up to the challenge, and his material won out.

26.Nd6 Rd8 27.Ne4 Bxf1 28.Kxf1 Re8 29.Nd6 Rd8 30.Ne4 Re8 31.Kf2 Kf7 32.Nd6+ Kf6 33.Nxe8+ Kg5 34.Kg3 h5 35.gxh5 Kxh5 36.Nxg7+ Kg5 37.f6 Kxf6 38.Nh5+ Kg5 39.Nf4 c4 40.Kf3 c3 41.bxc3 b5 42.g4 b4 43.Re5+ Kf6 44.cxb4 a6 45.Ra5 Ke7 46.Rxa6 Kd7 47.Rf6 Ke7 48.g5 Kd7 49.b5 Kc7 50.Kg4 Kb7 51.Kf5 Kc7 52.g6 Kb7 53.g7 Kc7 54.g8=Q Kb7 55.Qg7+ Ka8 56.Rf8 checkmate




Wednesday, January 29, 2025

Italian Game: Jerome Gambit - Puzzles

 


I have a Google Alert set for "Jerome Gambit" Recently this was returned

Italian Game: Jerome Gambit - Puzzles • lichess.org
Puzzles • lichess.org

Lichess tactic trainer: Find the best move for white.. Played by
 784 players

Check it out.


Tuesday, January 28, 2025

Jerome Gambit: Final Pins

It can be fun - and educational - to see how a couple of strong players interpret the Jerome Gambit, especially at blitz speed.

The following game is a good example.

Chess_Coach_UA - Avorton

3 0 blitz, internet

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 


First seen in Alonzo Wheeler Jerome's analysis in the July, 1874 issue of the Dubuque Chess Journal.

7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qg3 Nf6 9.Nc3 Be6 10.d3 Bd4 


An interesting, almost never-seen idea. 

Black could also try 10...Kf7 with the idea (after moving his Rook) of castling-by-hand.

11.Bd2 Kf7 12.O-O 

White has placed his Bishop so as to avoid breaking up his Queenside pawns, should Black play ...Bxc3. Then, it was time to castle the King to safety.

Stockfish 16.1, which I often find does not seem to "understand" the Jerome Gambit, had this suggestion, instead: 12.Ne2!?, offering the b-pawn.

Would a player rated 2300+ grab the pawn, especially when offered by a player rated 2400+?

Stockfish continues, after  12...Bxb2 13.Rb1 Ba3 (13...Nxe4 14.dxe4 Bf6 is interesting, but probably even) 14.d4 Nxe4 15.Qxa3 Re8 16.Qf3+ Kg8 (16...Nf6 17.O-O Bxa2 18.Ra1 Bc4 19.Rfe1 Kg8 and Black has an edge) 17.Qxe4 Bc4 18.Qf3 Rxe2+ 19.Kd1 b5 20.Re1 Rxe1+ 21.Bxe1 when Black is a bit better, because of the difference in King safety.

Should Black's Bishop decline the pawn with 12...Bb6 the computer continues its fantasy with 13.O-O-O Re8 14.h4 h5 15.Bc3 Kg8 16.Nf4 Qe7 17.Kb1 Qf7 18.a3 c6 19.Bxf6 Qxf6 20.Nxh5 Qh6 21.Nf4 Bf7 22.f3 Be3 23.Ne2 Qe6 24.b3 a5 25.f4 a4 26.Qxe3 axb3 27.c4 Rxa3 and Black is better.

Messy, messy, messy. Chess_Coach_UA says no, thank you and simply castles.

 12...Rf8 13.Kh1 Kg814.f4 Nh5 15.Qf3 

15...Nxf4 

He should have resisted temptation with 15...Qh4. It looks like Black was drawn into this line because of the possible pins, and the alignment of his Rook with White's Queen.

16.Bxf4 Be5 17.Qe3 

17...Rxf4 

I think Black may have misjudged the pins in the upcoming play.

Stronger was 17...Qf6 18.Qg1 Bxf4 19.g3 (taking advantage of another pin) Qh6 20. Rxf4 Rxf4 21. gxf4 Qxf4 22. Rf1 Qe5, with a small edge to Black.

18.Rxf4 Qg5 

Another pin, as planned, but a miscalculation, perhaps due to time. With 18...Bxf4 19.Qxf4 Qd7 20. Rf1 White would be a bit better, but he would have work to do to score the full point.

19.Rf8+ Black resigned


White will win the Black Queen.


Monday, January 27, 2025

Jerome Gambit: Staggering (Part 2)

 


[continued from the previous post]




13.Qg3 

Planning f2-f4, but this move was short-sighted, as Black immediately demonstrates.

Better was 13.Rae1, bringing a Rook to a central file and lining up with the enemy Queen.

13...Nh5 14.Qf3 Qf7 15.Qe2 Nf4 16.Qd2 Rf8 


Things look grim for the gambiteer, but at least Black's Rook is buried at h8. Of course, he could always find ...h7-h5.

At this point I looked at the Jerome Gambit and complained, "Here's another fine mess you've gotten me into."

17.Bxf4 Qxf4 18.Qxf4 Rxf4 19.Nd5 Rf7 20.Nxb6 axb6 

Even though it wasn't very Jerome-ish, going into the endgame like this didn't seem any worse than staying in the middlegame. 

I suppose that Bill Wall could make something out of this position, but with only a Queenside pawn majority and a Kingside pawn majority as "compensation" for a Bishop, I was stuck.

21.f4 

After the game, the computer recommended the uninspiring 21.a4 or 21.c4 or 21.b3. It probably couldn't make much out of my position, either.

21...h5 22.Rf3 Kh7 23.f5 g6 24.Raf1 Rhf8 25.fxg6+ Kxg6 26. Rxf7 Rxf7 27.Rxf7 Kxf7 


How does that song go? "...fool, trying hard to recreate what had yet to be created..."

28.Kf2 Kf6 29.c3 c5 30.d4 cxd4 31.cxd4 Bc6 32.Kf3 Kg5 

33.b3 h4 34.g4 b5 35.b4 Bd7 36.h3 Be6 37.d5 Bf7 38.Ke3 Be8 39.Kf3 Bd7 40.a3 b6 41.Ke3 Be8 42.Kf3 Bg6 43.Ke3 Be8 44.Kf3 Bd7 


My opponent could afford to be patient, as he had the game in the bag. 

There was no reason for me to drag out the game.

45.e5 dxe5 46.d6 Kf6 47.Ke4 Ke6 White resigned

Looks like I have a lock on 8th place in my group.


Sunday, January 26, 2025

Jerome Gambit: Staggering (Part 1)



As I stagger to the finish line in the Italian Game tournament at Chess.com, I can count no wins and no draws with the Jerome Gambit, against 5 losses. 

Rather discouraging - Or time to improve my game

I will stick with the latter.

Perhaps, next time, I will pick on someone my own size - or rating. As I wrote in an earlier post

One interesting point is that my rating is in the bottom 10 of the tournament’s 50 players, 8th out of 10 in my group, to start. Not quite the same thing as "giving Jerome Gambit odds," but things should become interesting, quickly.

It looks like I will finish 8th in my group.


perrypawnpusher - mathgk

3 d/move, Italian game tournament, Chess.com, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 

Introduced by Alonzo Wheeler Jerome in his article in the July 1874 issue of the Dubuque Chess Journal, titled "Jerome's Double Opening: Third Variation".

The move 6...Kf8 has a lot of numbers attached to it

According to The Database, this is a popular move (3,600 games), and more successful for Black than White (Black scores 53%).

Personally, I have faced 6...Kf8 in 64 games, scoring 70% with White. That is an impressive number.

Also impressive is that playing an opponent  200 point higher than me, my chances are rated at about 25%. 

Finally, it must be added that Stockfish 16.1 (33 ply) evaluates Black as 2 1/2 pawns better. 

7.Qxe5 Qe7 

Again, this move has Jerome's stamp on it, as he played it in several correspondence games, against David Jaeger, in 1880.

I have also faced 7...d6 8.Qg3 Qe7 in perrypawnpusher - frencheng, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 17). 

8.Qf4+ Nf6 9.Nc3 

This is a good move, although it still leaves White about 2 3/4 pawn down.

I have also played 9.d3 in  perrypawnpusher - jonathankochems, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 39) and perrypawnpusher - frencheng, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1/2 - 1/2, 31), 

9...d6 

I have faced 9...c6 10.d3 d6 in perrypawnpusher - graintrader69, lichess.org, 2022 (1-0, 45). 

10.O-O Kg8 

Prudently castling-by-hand. 

A different idea was 10...Bd4 as in perrypawnpusher - ERICOLSON, blitz, FICS, 2007 (1-0, 33). 

11.d3 Bd7 12.Be3 Bb6 


White has clawed back the equivalent of 3/4 of a pawn, but the question is Now what? What do I have?

I am reminded of the lament: If I had some ham, I'd cook some ham and eggs - if I had some eggs.

[to be continued]