In the following Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game, the same player from the previous post again tries his best against the "annoying" or "silicon" defense. The line the players explore looks simple, but it is not.
Anonymous - Anonymous
1 move / 3 days, Chess.com, 2020
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6
7.f4 d6 8.fxe5 dxe5
White has one pawn for his sacrificed piece.
Black's King is annoyingly safe in the center, but White will try batting him around a bit.
This defense was seen as early as the 1993 match between Micah Fisher-Kirshner and the computer program KnightStalker (an early version of ChessBase's Fritz, marketed in the US).
9.Qh3+ Kd6 10.Qd3+ Ke7 11.Qg3 Kf6
Up until Black's last move, we have been following games where Black was played by computer programs Comet B50, Demon 1.0, Fritz 8, Junior 7, Knightstalker, La Dame Blanche 2.0c, Rybka (v.1 and 2.3.2a), and Zarkov 4.7. None of them chose the move in the game.
What's the problem with the move? Because Black does not want to give up a pawn (11...Kf7 12.Qxe5) he allows the Rook to come to f1, with a check that requires another King move.
12.Rf1+ Ke6
What is going on?
Well, it's probably not a good idea for White to go pawn-grabbing with 13.Qxg7, as Black not only has the development 13...Nf6, with an even game, he has the sharp riposte 13...Qh4+, when 14.Kd1 Qh5+ 15.Ke1 Qg6 forces the exchange of Queens, and Black's development, activity and Bishop pair give him a clear advantage.
Because computers almost always see White as worse in the Jerome Gambit opening, they constantly look for drawing lines as "best", and, here, Komodo 10 offers one: 13.Qb3+ Kd7 14.Qb5+ Kd6 15.d4 Qh4+ (necessary to move the Queen, otherwise 15...Bxd4 16.Qd5+ Ke7 17.Rf7+ wins it) 16.Rf2 Bxd4 17.Qd5+ Ke7 18.Qf7+ Kd6 19.Qd5+, etc.
So, it's not surprising that White, instead, gives the enemy King another kick, even if it's not objectively the best move.
13.Qg4+ Kd6 14.Qxg7
This capture has its risks. The Queen would probably be safer on g3, but White is not seeking out safety.
14...Ne7
Protecting the safe Rook. However, after 14...Qh4+ 15.Kd1 Bg4+ White's position would be a mess.
15.d4 Bxd4 16.c3
White is still playing with only a couple of pieces, but Komodo 10 rates him as having a slight edge, especially after the recommended return of a piece with 16...Ng6. The reasonable alternative, which Black plays, leads to a difficult position for the defender.
16...Bb6 17.Bg5
You can almost hear White saying "Gotcha!"
17...Re8 18.Na3
This Knight means trouble.
18...Be6
Black needed to try 18...Bg4, but 19.Nc4+ Kc6 (other moves are worse) 20.Qf7 would force him to return a couple of pieces, i.e. 20...Bf2+ 21.Rxf2 b6 22.Nxe5+ Kb7 23.Nxg4.
White's next move settles everything.
19.O-O-O+ Kc6 20.Rxd8 Raxd8 21.Qxe5 Bxa2 22.Qb5+ Kd6 23.Rf6+ Be6 24.e5 checkmate
While I think that the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) is ideal for blitz play - where the defender often does not have enough time to effectively construct a defense - I know a number of players have been successful with the opening at much slower time controls.
In the following game (time control: one day per move), White faced an opponent who was familiar with the Jerome Gambit, and who did not panic or foolishly over-rate his chances. As the game ground on, the Gambiteer kept alert for his chances, even as the scales begin to tilt against him. Still, he showed faith in the "theory of infinite resistance".
Just at the point where Black reached what the computer, post mortem, mischievously assessed as a "mate in 26" Black slipped - and, with a couple more sacrifices, White reached a drawn endgame.
If you do not laugh out loud (or, at least, chuckle) at White's 47th move, you are taking this whole Jerome Gambit thing too seriously.
Anonymous - Anonymous
1 d / move, Chess.com, 2020
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6
7.f4 d6
Ah, yes, "the annoying defense" or the "silicon defense". The line is the choice of a number of computer programs, with the idea of giving back one of the sacrificed pieces while leaving Black's King relatively safe - White's attacking chances relatively diminished. Annoying.
8.fxe5 dxe5 9.Nc3
This move is solid, if somewhat rare, according to The Database. Interestingly enough, 4 of the 7 previous games with the move were played by the computer program Comet B48 in a computer vs computer tournament in 2009. White scored 2 - 2, reasonably enough.
9...Nf6 10.Qe2 c6
A novelty, according to The Database.
11.d3 Rf8 12.Rf1 Kd7 13.Be3 Bxe3 14.Qxe3 Qb6 15.Qxb6 axb6
White's plan for the middle game is a basic one: to develop solidly, create weaknesses in the opponent's position while avoiding over-reaching. Wasn't it Steinitz who said that if you have the advantage, you must attack - or risk losing the advantage. So, White reasons: let Black attack - let him make the mistakes.
16.O-O-O Kc7 17.h3 Be6 18.a3 b5 19.g4 h6 20.Ne2 Nd7 21.Ng3 Rxf1
One recommendation I learned long ago was "When you are ahead in material, exchange pieces; when you are behind in material, exchange pawns." For a while, Black seems to be aware of this.
22.Rxf1 Rf8 23.Rxf8 Nxf8 24.Nh5 g6 25.Ng3 h5
Eliminating the Kingside pawns has to be helpful for White.
26.gxh5 gxh5 27.Nxh5 Bxh3
28.Kd2 Ne6 29.c3 Nf4 30.Ng3 Kd6 31.Ke3 c5 32.d4 cxd4+ 33.cxd4 Ng2+ 34.Kd3 Nf4+ 35.Ke3 Ne6 36.dxe5+ Kxe5
White is hanging on. Black is better, but there are not that many pawns to get rid of now.
37.Ne2 Nc5 38.Nd4 Bg2 39.Nxb5 Bxe4 40.b4 Bc6 41.Nd4 Ne6
42.Ne2
Swapping the Knight for the Bishop would make things worse, as after 42.Nxc6 bxc6 Black would be able to retreat his Knight to c7 and control White's pawns.
42...Kd5 43.Kd2 Kc4 44.Kc2
I mean no disrespect for the player of the white pieces, as I quote from the very interesting The Complete Chess Swindler, by David Smerdon
I completely agree that a player should try to play the best moves - but I disagree that "best" always equals the engine's first choice. The computer evaluates a position assuming that our opponent will play perfectly at every turn; it doesn't (and cannot) consider the myriad of important human factors in a contest, such as fatigue, time pressure, risk-aversion complacency, frustration, impulsiveness... the list goes on.
44...Nd4+ 45.Nxd4 Kxd4 46.Kb3 b5
Nailing down White's a-pawn. But - wait!
47.a4
The move of the game, surpassing even 4...Bxf7+.
47...bxa4+ 48.Kb2 Kc4 49.b5 Bxb5 50.Ka1 Kb3 51.Kb1 drawn
Yes, indeed. The game has reached the notorious "Rook pawn + wrong Bishop" ending, which is drawn because White's King can control or occupy the pawn's Queening square, and the enemy Bishop is of the wrong color to chase him out.
Very well played!
It is not often that an International Master makes a recommendation in the Jerome Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+.
Yet, that is what this post is all about.
Let's take a look at a line of play mentioned in a blog post on this site, 9 years ago, "An International Master Refutes the Jerome Gambit".
You might think from the title of the blog post that the IM is a little bit late to the party - who hasn't refuted the Jerome Gambit?
Actually, IM Gary Lane has been supportive of the Jerome, covering it - with whimsey - in his The Greatest Ever Chess Tricks and Traps (Everyman Chess, 2008) and a couple of times in 2012 in his "Opening Lanes" columns at ChessCafe.com. (I do not think that the Chess Cafe site currently works.)
Let's see some of what he has to say.
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 d6
I have called this the "annoying defense" (because it is) or the "silicon defense" (because of the affinity computer chess programs have for it). It was first seen in D'Aumiller - A.P., 1878 and figured in six of Alonzo Wheeler Jerome's games against S.A. Charles in their unfinished 1881 correspondence match.
Lane:
I think this is the best way to defend: allowing one of the extra pieces to be taken, and in return obtaining a solid position with extra material.
8.fxe5 dxe5 9.Nc3
Lane, again:
This is the right time for White to offer a draw, but if the offer is declined you should remember that it is frowned upon to cry at the board.
Funny guy - but wait! I finished up that blog post with
I was pleased to see that 9.Nc3 was not in my Jerome Gambit database – but if that is the move IM Lane sees as best for White, I will add it to my repertoire!
So - whatever happened to 9.Nc3 ?
A quick look at The Database (and then, this blog) shows that later in 2009, the Scacchi64.com website held a computer vs computer Jerome Gambit tournament. Comet B48 played the move 9.Nc3 four times, winning twice and losing twice.
Also, Steve Wall played 9.Nc3 once in 2013, while his brother, Bill, played it once in 2015 and once in 2017 - all told, with a win, a draw, and a loss.
A handful of computers and a couple of brothers - that's almost keeping 9.Nc3 a "secret". Here's one of Bill's games, so you can decide what you think for yourself - it's long and complicated, and a Jerome Gambit loss for Bill is pretty rare, so afterwards you might decide you want to keep the line a secret, after all.
Wall, Bill - Guest446794, PlayChess.com, 2017
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 d6 8.fxe5 dxe5 9.Nc3 Nf6 10.Qe2 Ke7 11.Na4 Qd4 12.Nxc5 Qxc5 13.d3 Bg4 14.Be3 Qb4+ 15.Qd2 Qxd2+ 16.Kxd2 Rhd8 17.Kc3 Be6 18.h3 b6 19.a4 Rf8 20.a5 Nh5 21.Rhf1 Ng3 22.Rfe1 Kd6 23.b4 Bd7 24.Kb3 Nh5 25.c4 Nf4 26.Ra2 g5 27.Kc3 Rg8 28.d4 exd4+ 29.Bxd4 c5 30.bxc5+ bxc5 31.Be3 Kc6 32.Rd2 Rae8 33.Bxc5 Bxh3 34.Bxa7 Bxg2 35.e5 h5 36.Rd6+ Kb7 37.Rd7+ Kc6 38.Rd6+ Kc7 39.Rh6 Rh8 40.Rf6 Kd7 41.Rd1+ Kc8 42.Rb1 Rh7 43.Rb8+ Kd7 44.Rd6+ Ke7 45.Rb2 Rc8 46.Rbd2 Rf7 47.Be3 Bf1 48.c5 Rf5 49.Rd7+ Kf8 50.Rf2 Bb5 51.Rh7 Be8 52.Kd4 Ne6+ 53.Kc4 Rxf2 54.Bxf2 Nc7 55.e6 Nxe6 56.a6 Ra8 57.a7 Nd8 58.Be3 Kg8 59.Rh6 g4 60.Bd4 Kf8 61.Rh8+ Ke7 62.Rh7+ Bf7+ 63.Kb5 Ne6 64.Be5 Rxa7 65.c6 Ra2 66.b6 Rc2 White resigned
