Jerome Gambit: Too Fast, Too Furious (Part 1)

I was playing my last game in the first round of the "Let's Play The Italian Game" tournament at Chess.com when, suddenly, two opponents made their moves against me in new games. Apparently, the computer scheduler had decided that I would progress to the second round of play, even if I lost the first round game (I didn't; I won it) - so, there I was, with two second round games.

Somewhat disconcerting, each of my opponents was playing quickly - in fact, one of my games ended after a day of play, rather fast given that the time control was one move per day.

Still, I was willing to move with speed, too, as we were contesting a Jerome Gambit - in a line that I had visited several times before. (Alas, I lost the other 3 games, so no more "next" round for more Jeromes.)

perrypawnpusher - TobiasBrunner
"Let's Play The Italian Game" tournament
Chess.com, 2018 

 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

7.Qd5+ 

Years ago, I labeled this finesse "a nudge". It is as old as Jerome - Brownson, Iowa, US, 1875 (1-0, 28). In a blitz game, it can get Black wondering what White is up to - using up precious time.

7...Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 

After the game, I put Stockfish 9 in "blunder check" mode to look at the game. Initially, it liked 9.Qc3 Qg5 10.Qg3 Qxg3 11.hxg3, with Black's advantage less than a pawn. That seems a bit silly to me, White moving his Queen 5 times, only to let it be exchanged.

According to The Database, I have reached the diagrammed position 83 times in my games. I must have learned something about the line.

9...Nf6 10.O-O Kf7 

Black sensibly prepares to mobilize his Rook, and possibly castle-by-hand.

A major alternative is 10...Ng4.The proper response is 11.Qg3!,and this is reminiscent of the series of posts I did a while back on "Jerome Gambit Secrets". A strong and experienced Jerome Gambiteer tried 11.Qe2, instead, and perished quickly: mrjoker - weiran, ICC, 2008 (0-1, 14). Another played 11.Qc3 and needed all of his Houdini-like powers to escape and turn the tables: Wall,B - Guest1660564, PlayChess.com, 2013 (1-0, 32). 

I have played 11.Qg3 with mixed results: perrypawnpusher - lorecai, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 14), perrypawnpusher - jgknight, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1/2-1/2, 49), perrypawnpusher - FiNLiP, blitz, FICS, 2011 (0-1, 59). For a couple of more modern examples, from stronger players, see Sheldrick,K - Bhat,V, Australian Open, 2017 (1-0, 20) and Morin,L - Weston,P, Quebec Open, 2018 (1-0, 54)

11.f4 Re8 12.f5 

I have been pretty successful with this thematic move (10 - 4 - 1), chasing the Knight, so I was surprised to see, after the game, that Stockfish 9 recommended 12.Qb3+!? instead. The Database has only one game with that move, a win by Black in 25 moves.

12...Ne5 13.d4 

Here, again, the computer prefers 13.Qb3+, followed by 14.d3, which seems to lock the Queen on the Queenside. (There are no game examples in The Database.) As we will see, Stockfish's preference is based on disliking Black's next move.

13...Neg4 

[to be continued]

Really, The Jerome Gambit Is Playable (Part 1)

Louis Morin's ("MrJoker") second Jerome Gambit game in the recent Quebec Open again fulfills the mission of an effective chess opening - one that allows him to reach a playable middlegame.

He still has to work hard for the full point, succeed in a tricky endgame, and dodge time trouble in the process, but the game is a battle well worth playing over.   

Morin, Louis - Weston, Paul
Quebec Open, 2018
40 moves / 90 minutes, then 30 minutes

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6

Often Black adopts this defense on-the-fly, because it makes sense: he saves one piece and lets the other one go, as he will still be a piece ahead. In addition, he keeps his King on the 7th rank, the better to allow him to develop his Rook to f8 or e8.

Sometimes, however, the Knight on g6 is part of a long term plan - and, in this game, the King moves to and stays in the center. That is an interesting contrast to Louis's earlier Jerome Gambit.

7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Nf6 

A standard setup in the 6...Ng6 variation.

Recently I wrote on this blog about Sheldrick, Kevin - Bhat, Vishal
Australian Open, 2017 (1-0, 20)

This position is as old - fittingly - as Charlick - Mann, correspondence, Australia, 1881 (1-0, 72). The Database has 163 games with the position, with White scoring 70%. Mind you, beside this one, only one other game (by Guido de Bouver of Flanders, Belgium) is an over-the-board encounter.

Of course, we can now add Louis' over-the-board game.

According to The Database, he has had this position in over 50 games.

How do you win with the Jerome Gambit? Experience, experience, experience.

10.O-O Ng4

Interesting. This could be a naive harassment of the White Queen, or the start of tactical operations on the Kingside.

11.Qg3 h5

Wow. Weston is following Bhat's line of play from the Australian Open! (He could also be following perrypawnpusher - Riversider, blitz, FICS, 2010 [1-0, 18] - but, come on, seriously?!)

12.d4!?

An improvement - consciously or unconsciously - over "Cliff Hardy's" risky 12.h3?!.

12...h4

Consistent, although 12...Qh4!? would have forced 13.Qxh4 Nxh4 taking the Queens off of the board. However, Black is more interested in developing his attacking chances than snuffing out White's.

13.Qd3 h3 14.g3 Ne7 

15.f3 Nf6 16.c4 c6 17.d5 

Or 17.Nc3.

17...cxd5 18.cxd5 Bd7 19.Nc3 Qb6+ 

Black continues operations with his King in the center.

20.Rf2 a6 21.Be3 Qb4 22.a3 Qb3

An observer who walked by the board at this point would have a hard time realizing that the position came from an opening in which White sacrificed two pieces.

Stockfish 9 now recommends 23.Bf4 Qb6 24.Be3 Qb3 25.Bf4 Qb6, etc. with a draw by repetition of position.

The Jerome Gambit has, again, delivered a "playable middlegame".

[to be continued] 

Jerome Gambit: Cliff Hardy Revealed!

I recently received an email from "Cliff Hardy" that contained a significant "reveal" as well as an entertaining Jerome Gambit game. The following notes are his, except for some minor ones by me, in blue. Enjoy!

An epiphany on Epiphany OR Batman* vs the "Visual Bat"

Hi Rick,

I had an epiphany on Epiphany!

The epiphany was to play the Jerome Gambit on the 6th of January, the date of Epiphany - the day of the year dedicated to the Christian feast celebrating the manifestation of the divine nature of Jesus to the Gentiles, as represented by the Wise Men.

I don't really mind whether I am referred to as my Bruce Wayne-like name of Kevin Sheldrick or my Batman-like alter ego "Cliff Hardy", since I now have played a Jerome Gambit in a tournament game and have been told by the arbiters that all games from this tournament will be published on the internetski at some point - in other words, my secret identity is out!

All analysis below is with Stockfish.

Sheldrick, Kevin - Bhat, Vishal
Australian Open, 2017

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5

I now spent about a minute on my fourth move and found it extraordinarily difficult to play my planned 4.Bxf7+. This hesitation largely being due to a battle raging inside of me of conflicting thoughts of doubt and fear of playing the Jerome, giving rise to a soliloquy, going something like this:

Me (to my brain): "This is one of the most prestigious chess tournaments in Australia - don't take on f7!"

4.Bxf7+

My brain (to me): "DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO!"

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+

Surprisingly, this move was, by now, very easy for me to physically play. I guess it's kind of like trying to go into a cold swimming pool. At first you may be terrified to even dip your toe into it, but if you can put aside the fear and just jump in, you can then adjust to it rather easily.

5...Nxe5 6.Qh5+

Fellow participant, Tony Fereday, in the post-mortem exclaimed, around this point in the game, "I wonder what he was thinking!", in reference to my opponent.

6...Ng6?!

Better 6...Ke6

7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Nf6

This position is as old - fittingly - as Charlick - Mann, correspondence, Australia, 1881 (1-0, 72). The Database has 163 games with the position, with White scoring 70%. Mind you, beside this one, only one other game (by Guido de Bouver of Flanders, Belgium) is an over-the-board encounter. - Rick 


10.O-O Ng4 

Better 10...Kf7

11.Qg3 h5?! 

Better 11...Nf6 

12.h3?! 

12.d4 is best, which would allow the bishop on c1 to cover f4 and prevent the knight on g6 from going there, where it may assist black to launch a kingside attack.

12...h4 13.Qb3

Having made queen moves for almost half of the total moves played (6 out of 13 moves), it was apparent that I had been violating a few established chess opening principles so far in the game.

13...Nf4!

A brilliant sacrifice!

An improvement over the play of the only other game in The Database to reach this position: 13...N4e5 14.f4 Nc6 15.Nc3 Qf6 16.d3 Qd4+ 17.Kh1 Nf8 18.Nd5 Kd8 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - Riversider, FICS, 2010 - Rick 

14.hxg4??

Oops! The cautious 14.Kh1! may help white to hope to defend against the vicious black assault on the white king.

14...h3?

A miscalculation in a bafflingly complex position - 14...Qg5! actually leads to a thumping black kingside attack e.g. 15.f3 h3 16.g3 h2+ 17.Kh1 Ne2. 

15.g3 h2+ 16.Kh1 Bxg4 17.gxf4

White has defended well, and is a pawn and a piece ahead. Things are still scary for him, but Black has only one move to keep the advantage. - Rick

17...Bh3?!

An inaccuracy - 17...Qh4! 18.f3 Bh3 

18.Re1 Qh4 19.Qg3 Qh5 20.d4 Black resigned

Eerily, as I went strolling in the moonlight one night (I think it
was the night immediately after I had just played this game), a large visual bat (or flying fox, as they are referred to in Brisbane) emerged from a nearby tree above my head and flew away, silhouetted magestically against the night sky but, oddly, I didn't fully comprehend the ominousness of that until days
later.

The final position is still quite complicated, but White should be okay. If need be, he can return some material to settle things down further (i.e. Re3 with the idea of sacrificing the exchange on h3 while exchanging Queens) - and he always has his "Jerome pawns"! Black may have realized at this point that he could save his energy for the next round. 

However dubious the honor, Kevin seems to have grasped the title of "strongest player to use the Jerome Gambit in serious over-the-board play". Well done! - Rick