Sometimes Black is a bit too creative on defense. In the following game, he brings the Jerome Gambit down upon his head, and has only himself to blame.
Leicand - 9ersfan
1 day / move, ChessTime, 2020
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6
The Petroff Defense.
3.Bc4 Ng8
Odd. I wonder if he plays the Brooklyn Variation of Alekhine's Defense: 1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Ng8!?
I have seen something similar played by White, but it's not something that I would recommend.
White's response in this game is tentative, at first, but then becomes Jerome-ish.
4.d3 Nc6 5.O-O Bc5 6.Bxf7+
So, we have a Jerome Gambit with two additional moves (d2-d3 and 0-0) for White.
6...Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ Nxe5 8.Qh5+ Ng6 9.Qd5+ Ke8 10.Qxc5 N8e7
11.Bg5 d6 12.Qd4 Ne5 13.f4 Rf8
Returning the sacrificed piece, to no avail.
14.fxe5 Rxf1+ 15.Kxf1 c5 16.Qc3 Qb6 17.exd6 Qxd6 18.Qxg7 Ng6
19.Nc3 Be6 20.Nb5 Qc6
A final slip.
21.Nc7+ Qxc7 Black resigned
The Four Knights Opening has a reputation for being somewhat drawish, so Black, in the following game, might have relaxed a bit when his offer of an Alekhine's Defense turned into a Four Knghts.
Of course, White's plans were anything but peaceful.
angelcamina - marcldk
1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2020
1.e4 Nf6 2.Nc3 e5 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.Bc4 Bc5 5.Bxf7+
The Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.
5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4
Neg4
The Knight escapes danger, while thinking of aggression.
Best was probably 7...Bd6, which, in the regular Jerome Gambit line (minus Nc3 and ...Nf6), would be an error. With enough time, all this can be worked out; but, in a one minute game, who has enough time?
8.dxc5 c6
This creates a bit of a hole at d6 in Black's position, which White will eventually exploit.
9.O-O Re8 10.Bg5 Ne5
The Knight seems to have lost its sense of direction. It will eventually sacrifice itself for a couple of pawns, as a "scientific" response to the gambit, but things never work out quite right.
11.f4 Ng6 12.e5 Nxe5 13.fxe5 Rxe5 14.Bxf6 gxf6
Material is even, and the pawn at c5 looks about ready to fall, but the first player's lead in development is what really matters.
15.Qd3 Qg8
Protecting the h-pawn, but there is not time for that. Best was 15...Qe7, although the game would quickly slide downhill, anyhow: 16.Qxh7+ Ke8 17.Qg8+ Qf8 18.Qg6+ Kd8 19.Ne4!? another classic case of retarded development, Black's d-pawn blocking his light-squared Bishop, which, in turn, blocks in his Rook.
16.Rae1
This is a solid move, and White trades off his opponent's defender. With more time to calculate, he would have found (but didn't need) 16.Rxf6+ Kxf6 17.Re1+ and he would quickly recover his sacrificed Rook.
16...Rxe1 17.Rxe1 b6
Struggling to free the Queenside - too late.
18.Qd6 bxc5 19.Re7+ Kg6 20.Qg3+ Kh6 21.Qxg8 Bb7 22.Rxh7 checkmate
As I have explored the history, games, and analysis of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), I have also looked for earlier opening examples that might have inspired Alonzo Wheeler Jerome to create and share his opening. This blog has many examples of possible Jerome Gambit instigators.
In this post I want to share some lines that most likely were not precursors of the Jerome. Purists can move on to the next blog post. Those who like fun chess - well, stick around.
For Christmas, my wife gave me Tim Sawyer's book Queens Knight 1.Nc3 & 1...Nc6 Second Edition Chess Opening Games (2018). I am familiar with Tim's work on the Blackmar Diemer Gambit (1.d4 d5 2.e4) but I see, of late, he has expanded to coverage of a whole range of openings.
Early on in the book, I encountered
The game Laird vs Bullockus began 1.Nc3 e5 2.Nf3 Bc5 3.Nxe5. What can Black do? The answer is a bishop sacrifice 3...Bxf2+! 4.Kxf2 Qh4+ and the Black queen will regain the piece on e5.
This was a postal game between two California players. Scott W. Laird was a master in correspondence and in tournament play.
Dr. Theodore Bullockus was an international arbiter and longtime postal chess player. His peak ICCF rating was 2299.
Ted Bolluckus was a teammate of mine in the Correspondence Olympiad. We represented the USA in the 1980s.
The Queens Knight Attack opening line is actually the reverse of an Alekhine Defence variation. Ted Bullockus was an expert in the Alekhine. In fact he influenced me to study it for many years.
The Alekhine line goes 1.e4 Nf6 2.Bc4 Nxe4 3.Bxf7+ Kxf7 4.Qh5+ when White regains the piece on e4 with equal chances. In the Queens Knight Attack White has the added useful move 1.Nc3.
1.Nc3 e5 2.Nf3 Bc5 3.Nxe5 Bxf2+ 4.Kxf2 Qh4+ 5.g3 Qd4+ 6.e3 Qxe5 7.Qf3 Nf6 8.d4 Qe7 9.e4 d6 10.h3 0-0 11.Bc4 Nc6 12.Be3 Re8 13.a3 Kh8 14.Bd3 Be6 15.g4 Nd7 16.d5 Black resigned
Enjoyable, if not successful chess - this time.
Here we have another manic three-minute game showing the three secrets to winning blitz chess: attack, attack, attack.
Philidor 1792 - guest2151
3-minutes blitz www.bereg.ru, 24.12.2013
1.e4 Nf6 2.Bc4 e5 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.Bb3 a5
After offering an Alekhine Defense, but showing no interest in participating in the Krejcik Gambit, Black finds an interesting way to avoid a Delayed Jerome Gambit.
White goes for a Chicago or Halloween Gambit, sacrificing a Knight on e5 (without having sacrificed the Bishop on f7). Of course, 5.Nc3 would have been just fine for White.
5.Nxe5 Nxe5 6.d4 Nc6 7.d5 Ne5 8.f4 Ng6 9.e5 Ng8
10.h4 Nxh4 11.d6 cxd6 12.Qh5
12...Nxg2+ 13.Kf2 g6 14.Qh3 dxe5 15.Qxg2 exf4
16.Qd5 Qb6+ 17.Kf3 d6 18.Qxf7+ Kd8 19.Qxf8+ Kc7 20.Qg7+ Black resigned
The Bishop sacrifice at f7, the Queen checks followed by the capture of Black's Knight - if the following game wasn't inspired by the Jerome Gambit, it should have been. (Of course, Philidor 1792 plays the Jerome Gambit!)
The tactical mayhem at the end is as entertaining as it is bewildering.
Philidor 1792 -guest343
3 0 blitz, www.bereg.ru, 2013
1.e4 Nf6 2.Bc4
Philidor 1792 returns to the Krejcik Gambit in Alekhine's Defense (see an earlier example). As I've mentioned, it's Jerome-ish enough to have been touched on a couple of times earlier in this blog, in "I want my Jerome Gambit!" and "Another Krejcik".
The Krejcik might be a bit unorthodox, but in 3-minute games it can be deadly.
2...Nxe4 3.Bxf7+ Kxf7 4.Qh5+ g6 5.Qd5+ e6 6.Qxe4 Bg7
The position may or may not be balanced - but how much time did each player take to get here?
7.Qf4+ Qf6 8.Qxc7 Nc6 9.Nf3 Rf8
Black prepares to castle-by-hand, an idea always in vogue in Bxf7+ openings, but in doing so he misses the tactical shot 9...Qxf3!?, when 10.gxf3 Be5 would force 11.Qxe5 Nxe5. Either the idea did not appeal to the second player, or he overlooked it. In any event, the opportunity is available for the next 4 moves, as well.
10.O-O Kg8 11.Nc3 d5 12.d3 Qf5 13.Bd2 Ne5
14.Nd4 Qg4 15.f4 Nxd3 16.Nxe6 Bxe6 17.cxd3 Bd4+ 18.Kh1 Rf5
Black adds a Rook to the aggressive actions of his Queen and two Bishops, so his intentions are clear. He is even willing to let White snipe another pawn, in order to get the other Rook into play.
19.Qxb7 Raf8 20.Rae1
Houdini prefers 20.Qb4, as the start of a difficult defense that eventually sees White trade off a lot of the attacking pieces, keeping a pawn advantage. Philidor 1792's move is more "human" and keeps the game in balance.
20...Rh5
21.Rf3
Houdini also suggests 21.Qe7, "forcing" Black (i.e. the best response it sees) to sacrifice a Rook to obtain a draw, with 21...Rxh7+ 22.Kxh7 Qh5+ 23.Kg3 Qg4+, etc. - but who plays chess like that? Neither player is thinking "draw" at this point.
21...Qh4
Of course, the draw is still there with 21...Rxh2+ 22.Kxh2 Qh4+ 23.Rh3 Bxh3 24.gxh3 Qf2+ 25.Kh1 Qf3+, etc.
22.h3
The only move, says Houdini, to avoid checkmate in 32. How annoying!
22...Rhf5
Black cannot find the best continuation - no doubt, time was short and getting shorter - lets slip a piece, and with it the game. What was there was 22...Bg4!?, although White can afford to give up the exchange with 23.Ref1, when 23...Bxf3 24.Rxf3 still leaves Black searching for a way to break through.
23.Rxe6 g5 24.Nxd5 g4 25. Ne7+ Kh8 26.Nxf5 gxf3 27.Nxh4 f2 28.Re1
Fun!
28...Rxf4
Fighting to the end!
29.Qb8+ Black resigned, as mate is unavoidable.
Well played, gentlemen!
Here we have another game from Philidor 1792 which appears to have been inspired by the Jerome Gambit. After a balanced opening, things suddenly shift - against White. Only by complicating - by attacking - is the first player able to turn things around and in his favor. Violent 3-minute chess.
Philidor 1792 - guest4211
3 0 blitz, www.bereg.ru, 2013
1.e4 Nf6 2.Bc4 Nxe4 3.Bxf7+
The Krejcik Gambit against Alekhine's Defense. Here's a bit of information about it at the Hanging Pawn blog site. It's been touched on a couple of times earlier in this blog - see "I want my Jerome Gambit!" and "Another Krejcik".
3...Kxf7 4.Qh5+ g6 5.Qd5+ e6 6.Qxe4 Bg7
7.Qf4+ Kg8 8.Nf3 Nc6 9.d4 d6 10.Nc3 Qf6 11.Qe4 Nxd4 12.Be3 Nxf3+ 13.gxf3 d5
14.Qa4 Qxf3 15.Kd2 c6 16.Rag1 Bd7 17.h4 e5 18.Qb3 b5 19.h5 Qf7
20.Bc5 a5 21.h6 Bf6 22.Rg3 Qe6 23.Rhg1 Kf7 24.Rf3 e4
Here, White now has a crazy, equalizing attack with 25.Nxe4 dxe4 26.Rxf6!?, but such things are easier to find in the calmness after the game.
25.Rf4 Qe5 26.Ne2 Bf5 27.Bd4 Qe7 28.Qc3 Rac8
Black feels sufficiently defended (he is mistaken), and begins to attack again.
29.Rxf5 gxf5 30.Bxf6 Qxf6 31.Rg7+ Ke6 32.Nf4+ Black resigned
Black is losing his Queen and will soon be checkmated.
The other night I was spending time on my computer, when I decided to go to a website that I'd not visited before, and try out their chess wares. I was having no luck finding an opponent, so I quickly latched onto the resident computer program. I noticed that it was at its default setting, and decided to throw a Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) at it. Bad idea. The silicon warrior did not want to enter a Giuoco Piano, no matter how many times I took the White pieces. Furthermore, it kept insisting that I alternate playing Black. I had to make at least a few moves on defense: once I resigned as my first "move", only to find the computer the next game responding to my 1.e4 with "resigns." Silly computer...
I'd just about given up, and thought about going to bed, when the computer offered to play an Alekhine's Defense. Aha! At least I could go out with Jerome-ish play: I would try the Krejcik Variation!
perrypawnpusher - computer internet, 2009
1.e4 Nf6 2.Bc4 
Sources refer to this as the Krejcik Variation, although the only game I've been able to find by Josef Emil Krejcik, against the player Gottlieb in 1922, went 1.e4 Nf6 2.Bc4 d6 3.Nc3 Nxe4 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe4 e5 6.Qf3+ Kg8 7.Ng5 Black resigned 2...Nxe4 3.Bxf7+ Kxf7 4.Qh5+
4...Ke6 
The best defence for Black is supposed to be 4...Kg8 5.Qd5+ e6 6.Qxe4 d5, which seems quite playable for White to any Jerome Gambit player.
analysis diagram
5.Qg4+ Kd5 
The program foolishly holds onto its material. Certainly 5...Kf7 was an option.
6.Qf5+ Going for the quick knockout. Later, Rybka 3 recommended: 6.Nf3 d6 7.c4+ Kc6 8.Qxe4+ Kd7 9.0-0 Qe8 10.d4 Kd8 11.Qe3 g6 12.Nc3 Bg7 13.Bd2 Rf8 with a White advantage. There was also the dangerous (for Black) line 6.d3 Kc6 7.Qxe4+ d5 (7...Kc5 8.Be3+ Kd6 (8...Kb5 9.Nc3+ Ka6 10.Qa4#) 9.Bf4+ e5 (9...Kc5 10.Qc4+ Kb6 11.Nc3 a5 12.Be3+ c5 13.Qxc5+ Ka6 14.Qb5#) 10.Bxe5+ Ke7 11.Bxc7+ Kf7 12.Bxd8 +- ) 8.Qa4+ b5 9.Qa5 e6 10.a4 b4 11.Qb5+ Kd6 12.Nf3 Qf6 13.Qxb4+.
6...Kd4 
Stubborn to the very end. Less painful was either 6...e5 7.Nf3 d6 8.c4+ Kc6 9.Qxe4+ Kd7 or 6...Kc6 7.Qxe4+ but both involved surrendering the Knight.7.Nf3+ Kc4 8.Na3+ Kb4 9.Qb5 checkmate
graphic by Jeff Bucchino, the Wizard of Draws
