Although the Jerome Gambit Declined, 1.e5 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kf8/e7 is rare (2.5 %, about 300 examples in the roughly 12,400 Jerome Gambit games with this move order in The Database), I always respond with the ordinary 5.Bb3, callously abandoning gambit play. This is in contrast to how I face the Blackburne Shilling Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4, - by sacrificing with 4.Bxf7+ instead of the perfectly normal options 4.Nxd5, 4.0-0, 4.c3 or 4.d3 - or also chancing 4.Bxf7+ against the nameless 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Na5 when the sedate 4.Nxe5 would do fine. Similarly, against the Semi-Italian opening, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6, I prefer the waiting moves 4.0-0 or 4.Nc3, giving Black the chance to come to his senses and play 4...Bc5 when I can still gambit the Bishop with 5.Bxf7+. Yet, in the Semi-Italian opening there is also the not-waiting choice 4.d4 which is the subject of the following game, one played by Darrenshome at lichess.org that I recently discovered. Darrenshome - Gagar1n 4 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2014 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 h6
The Semi-Italian Opening. 4.d4 For some background on this move, check out "A Look At the Semi-Italian Opening" Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3. 4...exd4 For a look at troubled alternative, 4...d6, see "The Jerome Gambit Treatment - Unbelieveable!" as well as the "Addendum" and "A Bit More". 5.c3 So far we have been following the blindfold simultaneous game Morphy - Bousserolles, Paris, 1859, according to the ChessBase Big Database 2016, which continued 5...Nge7 6.Qb3 d5 7.exd5 Nb8 8.d6 Qxd6 9.Bxf7+ Kd8 10.cxd4 Nbc6 11.Nc3 Na5 12.Qa4 Nac6 13.O-O Bd7 14.Be3 Qf6 15.Bc4 Kc8 16.Rfe1 Nd8 17.Qb3 a6 18.Ne5 b5 19.Bd5 c6 20.Ne4 Qh4 21.g3 Qh5 22.Nd6+ Kc7 23.Bf3 Qh3 24.Rac1 Kxd6 25.Bf4 Be6 26.Nd3+ Kd7 27.Rxe6 Nxe6 28.Bg4 Qxg4 29.Ne5+ Ke8 30.Nxg4 Nxd4 31.Qe3 Black resigned 5...dxc3 6.Nxc3
Here we have a Scotch Gambit or Goring Gambit-style position where Black's ...h6 puts him further at risk. One example I have found is Levy - Bouaziz, Oerebro, 1966, which continued 6...Bb47.O-O Bxc3 8.bxc3 d6 9.Qb3 Qf6 10.Nd4 Bd7 11.f4 Na5 12.Qb4 Nc6 13.Qb2 Nge7 14.e5 Qg6 15.Qxb7 Rb8 16.Qxc7 Rc8 17.Qxd6 Qxd6 18.exd6 Nxd4 19.cxd4 Rxc4 20.Re1 Be6 21.dxe7 Rxd4 22.Rb1 Kd7 23.Rb7+ Kc6 24.Rxa7 Rd5 25.Be3 Rb8 26.Rc1+ Kd6 27.Rb7 Re8 28.Rcb1 Rd3 29.R1b6+ Kd5 30.Rb5+ Kc6 31.Kf2 Ra3 32.R5b6+ Kd5 33.Rb2 Raa8 34.Rd2+ Kc6 35.Rb6+ Kc7 36.Rc2+ Kd7 37.Rb7+ Kd6 38.Bc5+ Kc6 39.Rbb2 Kd5 40.Bb4 Rac8 41.Rxc8 Bxc8 42.Rd2+ Kc6 43.Rd8 Bd7 Black resigned Part of what got me interested in presenting Darrenshome's game was the opportunity to look at the alternative, outrageous Jerome-ish move, 6.Bxf7+, the subject of posts on Chess.com in 2010 by metallictaste - see "My own chess opening: rebuking the anti-fried liver!" [The name "anti-fried liver" refers to 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6, what I call here, after Euwe, the Semi-Italian Opening - Rick] metallictaste's idea can be seen in 6...Kxf7 7.Qd5+ Ke8 (if 7...Ke7 8.e5 d6 9.Ng5 hxg5 10.Bxg5+ Nf6 11.exf6+ gxf6 12.Bxf6+ Kxf6 13.Nxc3) 8.Nxc3 (8.Qh5+ Ke7 9.Ng5 Nf6 [9...Qe8! was suggested by PrawnEatsPrawn at Chess.com] 10.Qh4 Nf6 11.Nxc3 Kd8 12.O-O Be7 13.Nf3) 10.Qf7+ Kd6 11.Nxc3 Ne5 12.Nb5+ Kc6 13.Be3 Kxb5 14.Qb3+ Kc6 15. Qc3+ Kd6 16.Qc5 checkmate, metallictaste - anon, chess.com, 2010. Some opening lines - and the Jerome Gambit is a perfect example - continue to be invented and re-invented, so it is fun to delve into The Database and discover: 7.Nxc3 Ke8 8.O-O Bb4 9.Nd5 Nge7 10.Qd4 Nxd5 11.Qxg7 Rf8 12.exd5 Ne7 13.Bxh6 Nf5 14.Qxf8+ Bxf8 15.Bxf8 Kxf8 16.Rfe1 d6 17.Re2 b6 18.Rae1 Ng7 19.Nd4 Ba6 20.Nc6 Qh4 21.Re7 Nf5 22.Rxc7 Nd4 23.Ree7 Nxc6 24.Rf7+ Kg8 25.Rh7 Qc4 26.Rhg7+ Kf8 27.Rgf7+ Ke8 28.Rxc6 Qf1checkmate, Darrenshome - raykou, FICS, 2007; 7.Nxc3 Bc5 8.Qd5+ Kg6 9.Qxc5 Nf6 10.e5 Ne4 11.Qe3 d5 12.Nxc3 Nxc3 13.Qxc3 Be6 14.Nd2 Rf8 15.f4 Kh7 16.f5 Bxf5 17.Nf3 Qe7 18.Bxh6 gxh6 19.Nh4 Be6 20.Qd3+ Kg7 21.Qg6+ Kh8 22.Qxh6+ Qh7 23.Ng6+ Kg8 24.Qxh7+ Kxh7 25.Nxf8+ Kg8 26.Nxe6 Nxe5 27.Nxc7 Rc8 28.Ne6 Re8 29.Nd4 Nd3 30.Nb5 a6 31.Nd6 Re6 32.Nf5 Nxb2 33.Rab1 Rb6 34.Rf2 Nc4 35.Rxb6 Nxb6 36.Nd6 d4 37.Nxb7 d3 38.Rd2 a5 39.Nc5 Nc4 40.Rxd3 Nb2 41.Rd8+ Kf7 42.Ra8 Nc4 43.Ne4 Ke6 44.Nc5+ Kd5 45.Nb7 a4 46.Rxa4 Kc6 47.Rxc4+ White ran out of time and Black had no material to mate, draw, Darrenshome - arkascha, FICS, 2007; and 7.O-O Nf6 8.e5 Ne4 9.Qd5+ Ke7 10.Qxe4 d6 11.Nxc3 Be6 12.Qh4+ g5 13.Bxg5+ hxg5 14.Qxh8 Kd7 15.exd6 Kxd6 16.Rad1+ Ke7 17.Rxd8 Rxd8 18.Nxg5 Nd4 19.Nxe6 Nxe6 20.Re1 Kd6 21.Rd1+ Ke7 22.Rxd8 Nxd8 23.Nd5+ Kd6 24.Qd4 Ne6 25.Qb4+ Nc5 26.Qf4+ Kxd5 27.Qxf8 c6 28.h4 Kc4 29.h5 Na4 30. 3+ Kc3 31.bxa4 Black resigned, Darrenshome - arkascha, FICS, 2007. 6...Bc5 7.Bxf7+
White has a comfortable edge after less than a dozen moves, a pleasant outcome in either the Jerome Gambit or the Scotch/Goring Gambit. 12.O-O Bg4 13.Nd4 Nxd4 14.Qxd4 Qe7
Black has a defensive plan: exchange pieces and utilize the Bishops-of-opposite-colors endgame to draw. However, a moment of distraction while dealing with the advancing "Jerome pawns" leads to disaster. 15.Be3 Qe5 16.Qb4 b6 17.f4 Qe6 18.e5 Nd5 19.Nxd5 Qxd5 20.f5 Qxe5 21.Qxg4 Qxe3+ 22.Kh1
Black's extra pawn is offset by his King's uneasy placement. White should be able to push and hold the draw. Instead, Black, feeling the danger along the f-file, slips. 22...Ke7 23.Rae1 Black resigned His Queen is pinned and lost.
I was looking at some recent games played at lichess.org, and recognized the name Darrenshome. I should - he has over 400 games in The Database, played at FICS, starting in 2005. It turns out that Darrenshome has also played almost 6,000 games, total, at lichess.org. I don't have a way to easily check his work there for Jerome Gambit and related games, but I wanted to share the following. Darrenshome - sanuch111 3 2 blitz, lichess.org, 2016 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nd4 The Blackburne Shilling Gambit. 4.Bxf7+
Not the best choice. Instead, 12.Rg1 was more what he was looking for. Now it takes a bit more battling to pull ahead. 12...Bd7 13.d3 hxg5 14.Bxg5 Be7 15.Be3 a6 16.f4 Rh3 17.Kd2 Be6 18.f5 Bf7 19.Rag1 Kf8 20.e5 dxe5 21.dxe5 Be8 22.Nd5 Bc6 23.Nxc7 Rc8 24.Ne6+ Kf7
Missing some tactics. Perhaps he was overly focused on the Rook at h1. 25.Rxg7+ Ke8 26.Rxg8+ Kd7 27.Rxc8 Kxc8 28.Rg1 Rxh2+ 29.Kc3 Kb8 30.f6 Bd8 31.Nxd8 Black resigned
It is not for nothing that Gary K. Gifford coined the nickname "The Jerome Gamble" for 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+. White takes a big risk with "Jerome's Double Opening". Defenders must be warned, however, as they were in theAmerican Supplement to Cook's 'Synopsis' (1885) that it is "not an attack to be trifled with". Both players in the game below threw fortune to the wind. Each will no doubt learn from their insights and oversights. rigidwithfear - deriver69 Giuoco Piano Jerome Gambit Tournament RedHotPawn, 2016 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.d4 Nxd4 Black's two alternatives for capture, 5...exd4 and 5...Bxd4, are stronger. Leaving the pawn at e5 open for capture gives Whites' ideas - and chances. 6.Nxe5+
6...Ke6 Feisty - and foolish. The equivalent to drawing to an inside straight. Instead, 6...Kf8 is the safest and leaves Black with the advantage. 7.f4 White does not realize his good luck. Instead, he had 7.Qg4+!? which promises good things: 7...Kxe5 (Forced; 7...Kf6 leads relentlessly to checkmate: 8.Qf4+ Nf5 9.Qxf5+ Ke7 10.Qf7+ Kd6 11.Nc3 Bxf2+ 12.Ke2 c6 13.Nc4+ Kc5 14.Kd3 Qa5 15.Qxf2+ Kb4 16.a3+ Qxa3 17.bxa3#; there is little hope in 7...Ke7 8.Qxg7+ Kd6 9.Nf7+ Kc6 10.Nxd8+ or 7... Kd6 8.Nf7+ Ke7 9.Nxd8 Nxc2+ 10.Kd1 Bd4 11.Kxc2 d6 12.Qg3 Kxd8) 8.Bf4+ Kf6(8...Kxe4 9.Nc3 checkmate, Darrenshome - WildErmine, blitz, FICS, 2006[1-0, 9]) 9.Bg5+ Kf7 7.Bxd8 and the Black Queen is gone, anyway. 7...d6 Black is not familiar with this gambit, and so he defends. His best chance was to counterattack with 7...Qh4+ 8.g3 Qh3 and he would be better. 8.Qg4+ Ke7 Avoiding8...Kf6 9.Qg5+ Ke6 10.f5+ Kxe5 11.Bf4+ Kxe4 12.Nc3 checkmate, similar toDarrenshome - WildErmine, blitz, FICS, 2006,mentioned above.
9. Qg5+ Ouch. He had 9.Qxg7+ Ke6 10.Qf7 checkmate 9...Ke8 The "only" move, but a saving one. Now the odds turn against the Gambler again. 10.Qxg7 dxe5 11.Qxh8 Nxc2+ 12.Ke2 Bg4+ 13.Kf1 Qd1 checkmate
White has over 600 games in The Database. He has seen a lot in the Jerome Gambit world. In the following game, he encounters something new. I've added a few games and ideas, for when he meets it again. yorgos - gruzanin blitz, FICS, 2014 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4
White has dealt with threats on the Kingside, but that has taken time. As a result, his King is not yet castled - something that puts his center "Jerome pawns" (and their advance) at risk. The little things add up. 17.h3 Qd7 18.e5 dxe5 19.fxe5 Re8 20.Be3 Rxe5 21.O-O Kg8
After the final center pawn disappears, White's game collapses. 22.Bd4 Rxd5 23.Qe2 Bd6 24.c4 Rxd4 25.Rfd1 Bc5 26.Kh2 Ne4 27.Qe3 Rxd1 White resigned
The computer software LuigiBot (rated in the 1500s at FICS) comes up with an interesting maneuver that has also been seen in the past by Jerome Gambiteers Darrenshome, jfhumphrey, stretto, Sir Osis of the Liver, and HauntedKnight. It is playable, if Black figures out the proper continuation. 8.dxe5 Bxe5 Missing the proper 8...Be7. 9.Qd5+ Kf6 10.f4 Qe7
Black should bite the bullet, instead, and play 10...Bxc3+ 11.Nxc3 Ne7, when material would be even, and White would be a bit better due to more central control by the "Jerome pawns" and a safer King. 11.fxe5+ Kg6 12.0-0 Nh6 13.Rf3 Rf8
Hoping to hold off the attack, but allowing mate. 14.Rg3+ Kh5 15.Qd1+ Rf3 16.Qxf3+ Kh4 17.Rh3 checkmate
The Jerome Gambit is a strange opening. White gets what he wants by giving Black a winning game. Black often fights to reach an even game, by giving up his advantage. The winner is the one who makes sense of this, and wins in the end. Wall,B - Guest75785 PlayChess.com, 2014 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.d4 Nxd4
I have to say that I am not very familiar with this "modern" (no 5.Nxe5) Jerome Gambit variation, even though I discovered that there are over 530 games in The Database with this position, including games by Jerome Gambit regulars like Darrenshome, DragonTail, drumme, ItsAllBullCheck, and yorgos.
Of course, Bill Wall is willing to experiment just about any game. 6.Nxe5+ Kf8 7.Be3 Ne6 8.Qh5 Qe7
Bill notes 8...Qf6 9.Nxd7+ Bxd7 10.Bxc5+ Ne7 11.Nc3 Nxc5 12.Qxc5 Qb6; not 8...g6? 9.Nxg6+. 9.Nc3 c6
White has equalized. It is important to remember the old adage: In the Jerome Gambit, when White has equalized, he has the advantage. 10.Ng6+ hxg6 11.Qxh8 Bxe3 12.fxe3 Ng5
Bill prefers 12...Nd8. 13.Rf1+ Nf7 14.h4 Qe5
As is frequently the case, 14...d5! is the move. 15.0-0-0 Qh5 16.Rxf7+ Kxf7
Not 16...Ke8?? 17.Qxg8# 17.Rf1+ Nf6 18.Qxh5 gxh5 19.e5 d5 20.exf6 gxf6
Black - or is it White? - has made it through the opening and the middle game and now has a roughly even endgame. 21.e4 d4
Or 21...Be6 22.exd5 cxd5 23.Nb5 22.Ne2 c5 23.e5 f5 24.Nf4 Be6 25.Nxh5 Rh8 26.g4
This is a mistake that turns a position with a lot of drawing potential into a loss. The "Jerome pawns" can no longer be contained. 30.Nd3
Threatening 31.Rxf5+. 30...Ke6 31.Nxc5+ Kd5
Not 31...Kxe5? 32.Re1+ 32.Rxf5 Kxc5 33.Rf7 Rxe5 34.h6 Rh5 35.h7 Kc6
When you play blitz chess, "things happen." You make moves that you would prefer to un-make. You play games that you would prefer to un-play. When the Jerome Gambit or its relatives are involved, that usually only makes it worse.
This is the 17th game in The Database with this remarkable error that combines automatic, stereotypical piece placement with moving a bit too quickly (and realizing it a bit too late). I notice that Jerome Gambit regulars such as GOH, Darrenshome, stretto, yorgos and MyGameUMove have all faced it.
Interestingly, White has won 15 games, drawn one and lost one.