All that is necessary...

It has been said that "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing". Relating this to the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), it can be said that while there are many ways for the opening to fail (it is refuted, after all), the most effective way for White to lose is to play tepidly.

We have looked at the play of RRustyy1 (see "Toss 'Em in The Database" and "Another Puzzler") in the 2nd Jerome Gambit Race at Chess.com. Here is one of his wins, with Black.

DeDrijver - RRustyy1 

2nd Jerome Gambit Race, Chess.com, 2012

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.d3 d6 6.h3

This passive play may be a psychological ploy to encourage Black to over-reach his counter-play, but it already looks a bit "iffy".

6...Nf6 7.Bg5 h6 8.Bxf6 Qxf6 9.c3 Rf8 10.Nbd2 Ke8

Black has decided to not-castle-by-hand (otherwise 10...Kg8) while White's plan, at least for now, is not to self-inflict further injury (beyond 4.Bxf7+).

11.Qe2 Be6 12.g4 g5 13.Rf1 Kd7

14.Rd1

Possibly planning on trapping Black's Bishop, but it does not work out. Watch how this leads to the unraveling of his position.

14...Bxa2 15.b3 Qe6 16.c4 Na5 17.Ra1 Nxb3 18.Nxb3 Bxb3 19.Rb1 Ba4

20.Rxb7

This attempt to recover one of the two lost pawns goes awry.

20...Bb6 21.Qa2 Bc6 22.Rxb6 axb6 23.Qb3

Allowing more loss.

23...Rxf3 24.Ke2

At this point as I was playing over the game, the wise guy Houdini 2 announced a checkmate in 18 moves. White is down a Rook and a Bishop and would be okay striking his colors.

24...Bxe4 25.Rd1 Rxh3 26.Qb5+ Bc6 27.Qb2 Bf3+ 28.Ke1 Rh1+ 29.Kd2 Rxd1+ 30.Kc3 Qxg4 31.Qb5+ c6 32.Qb3 Qd4+ 33.Kc2 Qxf2+ 34.Kc3 Qd2 checkmate

Toss 'Em in The Database

With some time available recently, I've downloaded more Jerome Gambit (and related) games from the FICS database, making The Database current through July 2012. That's still not "up to date," but I'm working on it...

Bill Wall is pulling together a database of his games for the year, and there's usually a few Jerome Gambits hiding there. The more, the merrier!

Also, I just caught up with the results of the 2nd Jerome Gambit Race at Chess.com. (The 1st Race was covered on this blog earlier this year.)

Rrustyy1                 6-2-0

oleppedersen           4-4-0

Jordi-I                     4-4-0

quixote                    3-4-1

DeDrijver               2-5-1

I hope to present games from this tournament soon.

(I noticed that DeDrijver played in the Chess.com "Play the Jerome Gambit Quad" posted about earlier.)


graphic from the Wizard of Draws

Tick Tock

The relentless ticking of the chess time clock brings a simple message: decide the game over-the-board, or it will be decided by the passage of time, regardless of what is actually happening in the game. In the following contest, White, with the Jerome Gambit, had a significant advantage – except on the clock.


ubluk (1531) - DeDrijver (1373) 
Play The Jerome Gambit Quad 
Chess.com, 2012


1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.c3 


There are almost a thousand examples of this move in The Database, with White scoring 44%.


More significantly, De Drijver played the move twice in this tournament, so ubluk is turning it back against him.


5...d6 6.d4 exd4 7.cxd4 Bb4+ 8.Nc3 Qf6 9.0-0 h6 10.Qb3+ 

An unusual slip for ubluk in this tournament. Instead, 10.Nd5 Qg6 11.Nxb4 Nxb4 12.Qb3+ Be6 13.Qxb4 would win a piece. 


10...Ke8 11.Nd5 Qf7 12.Qa4 Bd7

Black has taken care of the threat to his Bishop on b4 by preparing a series of exchanges that will leave him with a slightly better Queenless middle game: 13.Nxb4 Nxd4 14.Qd1 Nxf3+ 15.Qxf3 Qxf3 16.gxf3.


Unfortunately, he has overlooked the Knight fork check at c7, costing him a Rook.


However, even more unfortunately for White, his opponent claimed a win on time.

Time Wounds All Heels

After a long break, during which one player used up many "vacation" days, very little happened at the otherwise rather exciting Chess.com "Play the Jerome Gambit Quad." 


Now, there has suddenly been some "action" – two games won on time, not surprisingly.


The current standings, with one game left to conclude


billwall              5-0-1
ubluk                 2-2-1
DeDrijver          2-4-0
bfcace               1-4-0


The recently completed games will soon appear here.

Knock-Down Drag-Out Battle

The "Play the Jerome Gambit Quad" at Chess.com is evolving into two two-player races. Bill Wall and ubluk (whose first game was mentioned by IM Gary Lane in his recent "Opening Lanes" column at ChessCafe.com) are contesting for first and second places while DeDrijver and bfcase are battling for third and fourth places. In an earlier game, we saw the latter win, but in the following contest (another win for White) DeDrijver evens things up with his opponent.

DeDrijver (1438) - bfcace (1486)
Play The Jerome Gambit Quad
Chess.com, 2012

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

4...Kxf7 5.c3

White goes for a "modern" Jerome Gambit variation, bypassing 5.Nxe5+.

5...Nf6 6.Ng5+ Kf8 7.d3 d5 8.exd5 Qxd5 9.f3 Bg4

Black offers to return a piece to rip open White's fortress. Rybka says "take the piece" but Rybka isn't human...

10.c4 Qd4 11.Qe2 Re8 12.fxg4 e4 13.Be3 Qe5

Black eases up on the presssure, whereas after 13...exd3 14.Bxd4 Rxe2+ 15.Kd1 Bxd4  he would have had a crushing position.

14.Bxc5+ Qxc5 15.dxe4

White returns the favor: he should have recaptured with the Knight, 15.Nxe4. In such crazy positions, it can be hard to find your bearings. 

15...Nd4 16.Qd3 Qa5+

More complications. It was okay to grab a piece with 16...Qxg5 and try to hold on.

17.Nc3 Qe5 18.Nd5 Nxg4

The knight at g5 is leading a charmed life! Black could have kept the game even with 18...Qxg5. But White's play lets him regain the balance.

19.Rf1+ Kg8 20.Nf3 Nxf3+ 21.Rxf3 Nxh2

22.Rf5

An illusion: the piece is not protected.

22...Qd6

Thinking, perhaps, about consolidating his position. However, the Rook imprisoned at h8 plays no part, and it begins to look like Black is a piece down. Worse, White has a nice shot.

23.Rd1 c6 24.Nf6+ Qxf6 25.Rxf6 gxf6

26.Qg3+ Kf7 27.Qxh2 Rxe4+ 28.Kf1 Rxc4 29.Rd7+ Ke8 30.Rxb7 Rc1+ 31.Ke2 Rc2+ 32.Kd3 Black resigned

On the Other Hand...

Bill Wall has championed the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) as well as many other unorthodox openings, but in the ongoing "Play the Jerome Gambit Quad" at Chess.com each player has to defend against the Jerome as well as play it. So, with perhaps a bit of reluctance...


bfcace (1437) - billwall (2489)
Play The Jerome Gambit Quad
Chess.com, 2012

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6

7.f4 Qf6 8.Nc3 Qxf4

Black declined the f-pawn with 8...g6 in bfcace -DeDrijver, Play the Jerome Gambit Quad, Chess.com, 2012 (1-0, 18).

9.d4 Nf6 10.Qh3+

Instead, White exchanged Queens with 10.Bxf4 Nxh5 11.Bxe5 Bb6 in the silicon slugfest,  Fritz 5.32 - Deep Sjeng 1.5, The Jeroen Experience, 2003: 12.a4 Ba5 13.0-0 Bxc3 14.bxc3 d6 15.Rf5 Nf6 16.Bxf6 gxf6 17.Raf1 Rf8 18.Kf2 Bd7 19.a5 Ba4 20.Ke3 Rae8 21.R1f2 Bd7 22.c4 b6 23.axb6 cxb6 24.c3 Ra8 25.g4 Ke7 26.Rh5 Bxg4 27.Rxh7+ Rf7 28.Rh6 Be6 29.d5 Bd7 30.h4 a5 31.Ra2 f5 32.exf5 Bxf5 33.Rb2 Ra6 34.Re2 Kd7 35.Kd2 Kc7 36.Rf2 Ra8 37.Kc1 Raf8 38.Rf3 Kd7 39.Kb2 Be4 40.Rg3 Rf3 41.Rg7+ R8f7 42.Rg8 Rf1 43.Kb3 Rb1+ 44.Ka3 Ra1+ 45.Kb2 Rh1 46.Kb3 b5 47.Rhh8 Rb1+ 48.Ka3 bxc4 49.Rd8+ Kc7 50.Rc8+ Kb6 51.Rxc4 Bxd5 52.Rb8+ Rb7 53.Rxb7+ Kxb7 54.Rd4 Kc6 55.c4 Be6 56.Re4 Bd7 57.Rd4 Ra1+ 58.Kb2 Rh1 59.Kc3 Rh3+ 60.Kb2 Kc5 61.Rd5+ Kxc4 62.Rxd6 Bb5 63.Rh6 a4 64.Ka2 Kd4 65.Rd6+ Kc5 66.Rd1 Bc4+ 67.Kb1 a3 68.Rc1 Rxh4 69.Kc2 Rh2+ 70.Kc3 Rh3+ 71.Kc2 Kb4 72.Kb1 Rh2 73.Ka1 Kb3 74.Rb1+ Rb2 75.Rd1 Ra2+ 76.Kb1 Rc2 77.Ka1 Be2 78.Rb1+ Rb2 79.Rd1 Ra2+ 0-1

10...Qg4 11.Qxg4+ Nexg4 12.dxc5 c6

Black has a piece for a pawn, and, with the Queens off of the board he does not have to worry about immediate danger to his King.

For curiosity's sake, I can mention that two computer-vs-computer games saw Black defend differently:
12...Ne8 13.0-0 b6 14.cxb6 axb6 15.Nd5 Ba6 16.Rf5 d6 17.b3 Bb7 18.c4 Ngf6 19.Rf4 Nd7 20.Bd2 c6 21.Nc3 Nef6 22.Be3 Rhe8 23.Rd1 Ra3 24.h3 Re7 25.Rf2 Rf7 26.Rfd2 Ne8 27.Ne2 Re7 28.Bf4 Ndf6 29.Nc3 Kf7 30.Re1 Re6 31.Be3 Nd7 32.g4 h6 33.g5 hxg5 34.Bxg5 Kg8 35.Rg2 Bc8 36.h4 Nef6 37.Rd1 Ne5 38.Rf1 Kh7 39.Kh1 Nfd7 40.Bc1 Ra6 41.Bg5 Nc5 42.Rf8 Bd7 43.Be3 Ng6 44.Rd8 Nxe4 45.Bd4 c5 46.Rxd7 cxd4 47.Nxe4 Rxe4 48.h5 Ne7 49.h6 Kxh6 50.Rxd6+ Kh5 51.c5 Nf5 52.Rxb6 Ra5 53.Rb8 Rxc5 54.Rh8+ Nh6 55.Rd2 Kg4 56.Rf8 Rh5+ 57.Kg2 Nf5 58.a4 Re3 59.Rxf5 Rg3+ 0-1, Hiarcs 8 - Fritz 7, Utrecht, Engine Tournament, 2002; and
12...d6 13.Nb5 Kd7 14.cxd6 Re8 15.0-0 cxd6 16.h3 Ne5 17.Bh6 Nxe4 18.Bxg7 b6 19.Bxe5 Rxe5 20.Rf7+ Ke6 21.Rxa7 Rxa7 22.Nxa7 Bb7 23.a4 Rd5 24.Nb5 Rd2 25.Re1 Ke5 26.Na3 Kd4 27.Rf1 Nc5 28.Rf4+ Be4 29.Rg4 d5 30.b3 Rd1+ 31.Kf2 Kc3 32.Rg3+ Kb4 33.Ke2 Ra1 34.Nb5 Bxc2 35.Nd4 Bxb3 36.Nxb3 Nxb3 37.Rg7 Ra2+ 38.Kf1 d4 39.Rd7 Kc3 40.Rc7+ Nc5 41.a5 Rxa5 0-1 Zappa 1.1 - Pro Deo 1.1, Blitz:5, 2006.

13.0-0 Ne5 14.Bg5 h6 15.Bh4 b6 16.b4 Ba6 17.Rf2 Rhf8 18.a4 bxc5 19.b5 Bb7 20.a5 cxb5 21.Nxb5 Rab8

White's actions on the Queenside have stirred things up, and this emboldens him to take direct action against Black's King, but the idea rebounds.

22.Rd1 Bxe4 23.Rd6+ Ke7 24.Bxf6+ gxf6 25.Nc3 Kxd6 26.Nxe4+ Kc6

A Rook is a Rook.

27.h4 Ng4 28.Rf1 d5 29.Nd2 Ne3 30.Rc1 Rb2 White resigned

Not On

Here is another game from the ongoing "Play the Jerome Gambit Quad" at Chess.com. It is clear that White was not on his game, and has been playing better in other contests. Black's final move creates an interesting end to the encounter.



DeDrijver (1476) - ubluk (1951)
Play the Jerome Gambit Quad
Chess.com, 2012

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

4...Kxf7 5.c3

One of the "modern" Jerome Gambit variations, where White avoids 5.Nxe5+.

5...Nf6 6.Ng5+

This kind of move leaves me feeling skeptical, in principle, but, as recent posts have shown, White occasionally gets "lucky" with it.

6...Kg8 7.d3 d5

Safe King, better development, break in the center.

8.h3 h6 9.a4 hxg5 10.b4 Be7 11.Bxg5 dxe4 12.dxe4 Qxd1+ 13.Kxd1 Nxe4

14.Be3 Be6 15.Kc2 Rd8 16.Nd2 Nxd2 17.Bxd2 Bf5+ 18.Kc1 Rh4 19.Kb2 Rxd2+ 20.Kb3 Rxb4+ 21.Ka3 Rbb2 checkmate

Leaving the Window Open

Sometimes you do not need to attack maniacally with the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc3 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), you need only press ahead steadily, leaving the window open to allow an opponent's error in...



billwall (2488) - DeDrijver (1438)
Play The Jerome Gambit Quad
Chess.com, 2012

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Kf8

An interesting line, as old as Alonzo Wheeler Jerome's earliest published analysis of his gambit, which showed up not much later in Jerome - Brownson, Iowa, 1875 (1/2-1/2, 29) and Vazquez - Carrington, 2nd match, Mexico, 1876 (1-0, 43).

The move 6.Qh5!?, looking to transpose into more main lines, is known as the Banks Attack (Banks - Rees, Wolverhampton, 2003) although 6...Qe7! (splott - Mika76, GameKnot, 2008) is a dangerous response.

Bill tries something different – again. A couple of year ago he tried the interesting 6.Nd3 in Wall,B - Tim93612, Chess.com 2010, (1-0, 36).

6.0-0 Nxe5 7.d4 Bd6

Stronger and simpler is 7...Bxd4.

8.dxe5 Bxe5 9.f4 Bd4+

This move is difficult to understand, and might be mistaken for a "mouse slip" were not the game's time control 3 days per move.

10.Qxd4 Qf6 11.e5 Qb6 12.Qxb6 axb6

Happy to be a pawn up, with easier development, a safer King, and potential for his "Jerome pawns", White has plenty of patient hope for his game.

13.Nc3 Ne7 14.Nb5 c6 15.Nd6 g6

Waving a red cape in front of a bull.

16.f5

As I watched this game develop at Chess.com, I thought that it might be time now for 16.g4, followed by 17.f5, which, after an exchange of pawns, would have the "Jerome pawns" looking advanced and mighty good. Bill shows that the f-pawn does not have to wait.

16...gxf5

Although the position looks quiet, this move allows mate. Sadly, something like 16...g5 followed by 17...h6 was necessary to keep the White Bishop off of h6.

17.Bh6+ Kg8 18.Nxf5 Nxf5 19.Rxf5 d5 20.Rf8 checkmate

Waiting for the Blunder Bomb

One theory of chess play is that each person has a set of imaginary "blunder bombs" inside of himself or herself that explode rarely if the player is very strong, but explode frequently, if the player is not so strong. Under this model, a stronger player can expect to win if he or she plays simple, safe moves, waiting for the weaker player's "blunder bomb" to go off first. Of course, if the stronger player introduces an unusual and tricky opening such as the Jerome Gambit, the opponent's bomb might go off even sooner...

DeDrijver (1401) - billwall (2488)
Play The Jerome Gambit Quad
Chess.com, 2012

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

4...Kxf7 5.h4

Preparing for a Knight's excursion to g5. See "The Return of Jerome Gambit for Dummies (Part 2)".

5...Bb6 6.c3 d5 7.Ng5+

7...Ke7 8.Qf3 Nf6 9.exd5 Bg4

10.Qd3 e4 11.Nxe4 Ne5 12.Nxf6

Boom.

12...Nxd3+ White resigned

White has not only lost his Queen, he also faces checkmate in 8.

Play the Jerome Gambit Quad

Around the corner, as it were, to the "1st Jerome Gambit Race" at Chess.com, mentioned in yesterday's post, is Chess.com's Play the Jerome Gambit Quad, which includes long-time Jerome Gambit Gemeinde member Bill Wall.

I'd like to share some of the rock 'em sock 'em games, starting with the first one finished.

bfcace (1619) - DeDrijver (1388)
Play The Jerome Gambit Quad
Chess.com, 2012

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 Qf6 8.Nc3

There are only 8 examples of this gambling move (Will Black withdraw his Knight? Will he capture the pawn on f4?) in The Database, with the oldest being from a game between Hiarcs8 and Fritz7 in 2002 (0-1, 59), and the most recent from a game between Yigor and mrdenetop (1-0, 10) from the Kentucky Opening /Jerome Gambit tournament played at Chess.com last year (see "My Old Kentucky... Opening" and "Sunday Tournament Update").

8...g6 9.Qh3+ Kf7 10.Nd5 Qc6

Allowing White to capture at e5, which opens the floodgates.

11.fxe5 d6 12.Rf1+ Kg7 13.e6 Bxe6

Black is in trouble, but this move leads to mate.

14.Qc3+ Kh6 15.d4+ Kg7 16.dxc5+ Nf6 17.Qxf6+ Kg8 18.Ne7 checkmate