Jerome Gambit: It's A Bear (Part 1)

Ah, yes, I was getting restless after a trip to see the grandkids, and decided that a quick Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game would be just the thing to settle me down.

I had gotten some attention from the Bear Bot at Chess.com, so I decided to follow through there.

The game has a few interesting  points - and is hardly a quick one - but it is mostly presented because of my goal of sharing all of my Jeromes, the good, the bad and the ugly.

perrypawnpusher - The Bear Bot

Chess.com, 20216

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 

This move was mentioned in Alonzo Wheeler Jerome's analysis in the July 1874 issue of the Dubuque Chess Journal.

Jerome later played it twice, successfully, in games against Dan Jaeger in 1880.

I have faced 6...Kf8 in 83 games, scoring 70%.

7.Qxe5 Bb6 

The earliest example that I have of this move in The Database is in perrypawnpusher - Urumpel, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 23).

8.d4 

The alternative, 8.Nc3, was seen in perrypawnpusher - Samantha bot, Chess.com 2025 (1-0, 44), which will appear in a future post.

8...c5 

Black strikes at the center, although 8...d5 was more effective. 

The restrained 8...d6 was seen in perrypawnpusher - Compani, blitz, FICS, 2017 (1-0, 60).

9.Bg5 Nf6 10.dxc5 Bc7 11.Qd4 Qe8 

This Queen moves to the right file, but the wrong rank, compared to 11...Qe7. 

12.Bxf6 gxf6 13.Qxf6+ Kg8 

14.Nc3 Bd8 

White now has 4 pawns for his sacrificed piece, and the safer King.

Black has the two Bishops.

15.Qf3 d6 16.cxd6 Qe5

The "Jerome pawns" are becoming annoying.

17.Rd1 

Instead, White could protect both the pawn and his King with 17.O-O-O. 

17...Bb6 

This move returns to an interesting idea that we have looked at before: Given that computer programs can play chess at a high level, how can they be "dumbed down" so that they become reasonable-strength opponents for humans.

Black attacks the enemy Queen, overlooking White's major threat.

18.d7 Kg7 19.dxc8=Q Raxc8 

Comparing the safety of each King, it is clear that Black's monarch is in far more danger.

In fact, after the game Stockfish 17.1 evaluated that White should be able to win Black's Queen, or deliver checkmate in 25 moves.

Somehow, I managed to do neither.

[to be continued]