Another RHP Jerome Gambit Tournament - Game 2

If there is a theme song for the Jerome Gambit, it would have to be "I Get By With A Little Help From My Friends Opponents". One way of looking at the following game is that White did not get enough support to win.

musirapha (1874) - jankrb (2055) 
Giuoco Piano Jerome Gambit tournament, 2013

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.d4 

White goes all in. For an extra pawn he gets more open, attacking lines. I was surprised to find only 10 games with this move in The Database.

7...Bxd4 8.f4

Instead, 8.Qf5+ was tried in Philidor 1792 - guest2187, www.bereg.ru 2013 (1-0,17); 8.c3 was seen in stampyshortlegs - GladtoMateYou, JGTourney4, ChessWorld 2009 (1-0, 12); 
8.Bg5 was played in bhargavs - ehvmc, FICS, 2009 (0-1, 30); and
8.0-0 appeared in santaklaus - Wesson, FICS, 2006 (0-1, 33). 

8...Nc6 9.c3 Bb6 

Although Black's King looks ill at ease, he has an extra two pieces to comfort himself with. White is not able to make progress.

10.Qd5+ Ke7 11.f5 Ke8 12.h4 Nf6 13.Qc4 Qe7 14.Nd2 d5 15.Qb5 Bxf5 16.c4 Nxe4 White resigned.

Jerome Gambit vs Two Knights Defense (Part 2)

Readers of this blog may remember that in the 2009 ChessWorld Jerome Gambit Thematic Tournament, GladToMateYou played 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Qe2 fourteen times, winning eight of those games (see "Home Cooking").

Five of those games (GladToMateYou won four of them) continued with 5...Nf6, transposing to a Jerome Gambit / Two Knights Defense line that can arise from the play mentioned in yesterday's post: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Qe2, which can be followed by 4...Bc5 5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.Qc4+ and 7.Qxc5. 

The earliest game that I have in my database with 4.Qe2 meeting the Two Knights is Bird - Chigorin, Sixth American Chess Congress, New York, 1889 (although the related 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Qe2 probably goes all the way back to Ruy Lopez), about which Wilhelm Steinitz briefly wrote, in the tournament book, "Not as strong as the authorized move Ng5".

The earliest game in my database with 4.Qe2 Bc5 5.Bxf7+ as mentioned previously (see "Adolf Albin Plays the Jerome Gambit (Part 1)" and "(Part 2)"), is Albin - Schlechter, Trebitsch Memorial Tournament, Vienna, 1914.

The line has surprise value, and, as NiceToMateYou showed, some practical use in club play, but Black has resources (if he can find them) in 6...Kxf7 7.Qc4+ d5! 8.Qxc5 Nxe4! when after 9.Qe3 Re8 Black is somewhat better, and White is scrambling for playable ideas.

Still, none of this dissuaded Bill Wall from playing and winning with the opening this year:

Wall,B - Asesino
Chess.com, 2010

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

4...Kxf7 5.Qe2 Nf6 6.Qc4+ d5 7.Qxc5 dxe4

8.Nxe5+ Nxe5 9.Qxe5 Re8 10.Qb5 Qd4 11.0-0 c6 12.Qb3+ Nd5

White has already achieved an edge in the game.

13.Nc3 Be6 14.Qxb7+ Ne7 15.Re1 Bd5 16.b3 Kg8 17.Bb2 Rf8

For the illusion of an attack, Black surrenders a piece.

18.Qxe7 Qxf2+ 19.Kh1 Rae8 20.Qg5 e3 21.Nxd5 exd2 22.Qxg7 checkmate

Final: JGTourney4 ChessWorld 2009

JGTourney4 ChessWorld 2009

----------------------1--2--3--4--5--6--7--8--9-10-11-12-13-14-15

1 Piratepaul --------** 01 10 11 11 10 11 01 11 11 01 11 11 10 11 -22.0/28
2 stampyshortlegs ---10 ** 11 01 01 11 01 10 10 1½ 11 11 11 10 11 -20.5/28
3 Sir Osis ----------01 00 ** 00 11 11 11 11 11 00 01 11 01 11 11 -19.0/28
4 DREWBEAR63---------00 10 11 ** 11 01 01 01 00 00 11 11 01 11 11 -17.0/28
5 GladtoMateYou------00 10 00 00 ** 01 01 01 11 01 11 11 11 11 11 -17.0/28
6 Luke Warm ---------01 00 00 10 10 ** 10 01 ½1 11 01 01 ½1 11 01 -15.0/28
7 Haroldlee123-------00 10 00 10 10 01 ** 11 11 00 0½ ½0 11 11 11 -15.0/28
8 eddie43------------10 01 00 10 10 10 00 ** 11 1½ 10 00 01 11 11 -14.5/28
9 TWODOGS------------00 01 00 11 00 ½0 00 00 ** ½1 11 11 01 11 11 -14.0/28
10 Black Puma--------00 0½ 11 11 10 00 11 0½ ½0 ** 01 00 01 01 11 -13.5/28
11 blackburne--------10 00 10 00 00 10 1½ 01 00 10 ** 11 11 01 11 -13.5/28
12 gwyn1-------------00 00 00 00 00 10 ½1 11 00 11 00 ** 01 00 11 -9.5/28
13 metalwarrior1969--00 00 10 10 00 ½0 00 10 10 10 00 10 ** 01 11 -9.5/28
14 Crusader Rabbit---01 01 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 10 10 11 10 ** 00 -7.0/28
15 calchess10--------00 00 00 00 00 10 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 11 ** -3.0/28

Prized Players

Prizes have been mailed to the top three finishers of the Chessworld Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) Thematic Tournament: Piratepaul, stampyshortlegs and Sir Osis of the Liver.

I would like to express my thanks to blackburne, who hosted the tournament, and to all of the other players who combined to produce 210 interesting Jerome Gambit games: DREWBEAR 63, GladtoMateYou, Luke Warm, Haroldlee123, eddie43, TWODOGS, Black Puma, gwyn1, metalwarrior1969, Crusader Rabbit and calchess10.

Photo Finish?

It's beginning to look like the 15-player, double-round robin Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) Thematic Tournament at ChessWorld will go down to the wire before a winner is determined.

Currently, stampyshortlegs holds the lead, with 20.5 points out of 26 games completed. He has leap-frogged over Piratepaul, who has 20 points out of 25 games completed.

Sir Osis of the Liver (19 points out of 28 games completed), is secure in third place.

Fourth place is occupied by DREWBEAR 63 (17 points out of 28 games); although he could be joined there by GladtoMateYou (16 points out of 27 games) or Haroldlee123 (14 points out of 25 games) – but not both, as they are playing a game against each other.

Luke Warm is sitting still with 15 points out of 28 games, as is Eddie43 with 14.5 points out of 28 games.

The Jerome Gambit has kept its score of 39%. stampyshortlegs has gained 9.5 points with the gambit, while PiratePaul and Sir Osis of the Liver have gained 9 points.

Fifteen Games to Go: Much Unsettled

With only 15 of the games in the 15-player, double-round robin Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) Thematic Tournament at ChessWorld left to be completed, the Jerome Gambit has scored an almost-credible 39%.

The tournament leader Piratepaul (20 points out of 25 games completed) has 9 points from the Jerome. Second place is held by Sir Osis of the Liver (19 points out of 28 games completed), who has 8 points from the Gambit.

stampyshortlegs (18.5 points out of 24 games) is in third place, with 8.5 points from the Jerome Gambit .

Fourth place is occupied by DREWBEAR 63 (17 points out of 28 games, 7 JG points); fifth by GladtoMateYou (16 points out of 27 games, 8 JG points); and sixth by LukeWarm (15 points out of 28 games, 3 JG points).

Adolf Albin Plays the Jerome Gambit (Part 1)

With the miracle of chess opening transpositions, and the inclusiveness of the "modern" variations of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), a bit of chess revisionism is hardly difficult to perform at all...

The Modern Jerome Gambit

The "Modern" Jerome Gambit – so-called because it was not seen during the days of Alonzo Wheeler Jerome, and has only recently (within the last 10 - 15 years) appeared – can be classified as "1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Not-Nxe5+":

5.0-0, 5.Nc3, 5.d3, 5.a3, 5.h3, 5.Qe2, etc. All of those fifth moves for White can be safely submitted to chess analysis engines and all will receive a "better" score than 5.Nxe5+.

Let's take a look at 5.Qe2: it received attention as the backbone of GladtoMateYou's play (see "Home Cooking") with White in the current Chessworld Jerome Gambit Thematic Tournament. As Black's response, let's give the reasonable 5...Nf6.

And now a bit of a historical digression...

According to the August 1895 issue of the British Chess Magazine, the cities of Brandfort and Bloemfontein, South Africa, played a game of correspondence chess that year. It began 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Qe2 d6, and James Mason (writing for the BCM) wrote

Better 4...Nf6. There would be plenty of time to play the Pawn - perhaps two squares instead of one. For, as the Cape Times remarks, if White adopts the "Jerome Gambit" 5.Bxf7+ Black replies 5...Kxf7 6.Qc4+ d5 7.Qxc5 Nxe4 with advantage.

(It should be noted that despite Mason's assessment, GladtoMateYou won 3 of the 4 games in the Thematic Tournament that reached that position after 7 moves.)

We are now ready to proceed to Albin - Schlechter, Trebitsch Memorial Memorial Tournament, Vienna, 1914.

In the next post, that is...

Nearing the Final Turn

With 86% (180 out of 210) of the games in the 15-player, double-round robin Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) Thematic Tournament at ChessWorld completed, the Jerome Gambit has kept steady, scoring 37%.

Piratepaul (19 points out of 24 games completed) remains the player to beat. Second place is held by Sir Osis of the Liver (17 points out of 26 games completed) and DREWBEAR 63 (17 points out of 28 games).

Fourth place is occupied by GladtoMateYou (15 points out of 25 games), while fifth place is held by the surging stampyshortlegs (14 points out of 19 games).

Three players are tied for sixth: LukeWarm (13.5 points out of 25 games), eddie43 (13.5 points out of 26 games) and blackburne (13.5 points out of 27 games).

While Piratepaul holds the top winning percentage of 79%, the second highest remains a threat: stampyshortlegs, 74%; and 9 games yet undecided.

Tournament Update

With almost three-fourths (156 out of 210) of the games in the 15-player, double-round robin Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) Thematic Tournament at ChessWorld completed, the Jerome Gambit has scored 36%.

Piratepaul (17 points out of 20 games) and DREWBEAR 63 (17 points out of 27 games) lead, followed by Sir Osis of the Liver (16 points out of 25 games completed).

The next pack is headed by blackburne (13.5 points out of 26 games), followed closely by eddie43 (12.5 points out of 25 games), GladtoMateU (12 points out of 22 games) and Black Puma (12 points out of 26 games).

Those players with with the best winning percentage (85%) are stampyshortlegs (a formidable 11 points out of 13 games) and Piratepaul.

More Tactics

For those who believe that chess is "99% tactics", and this is especially true for those who play the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), very often one lives by the tactic, and dies by the tactic...

Here are three more examples (a bit more challenging) from the current Chessworld Jerome Gambit Thematic tournament.

DREWBEAR 63 - GladtoMateYou

JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009

Despite being the extra piece up that the Jerome Gambit defender often receives, Black finds that his King has wandered into a mating net. If he keeps his wits about him, though, he can still split the point.

Black had to try 30...Nxc4 31.Kxc4 Bd5+ 32.Rxd5 cxd5+ 33.Kxd5 Rxg7 when White, down the exchange, does best to force a draw by repetition: 34.Ra3+ Kxb5 35.Nd4+ Kb4 36.Nc2+ Kb5 37.Nd4+ draw

analysis diagram

Instead, Black walked right "into it"

30...Ka4 31.Ra3 checkmate

Black Puma - Haroldlee123

JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009

In this complicated position, Black holds the Jerome advantage of a piece for two pawns, but his development is a bit haphazard, and he needs to be careful. Troubling tactics lie right beneath the surface, and he should play 35...Nxg5 with a chance to settle things down a bit. Instead, he plays a very reasonable move, and receives a shock.

35...Rh8 36.g6 Kxg6 37.Nh4+ Kf6 38.Nf5 Qf7 39.Rh6+ Qg6 40.Rxg6+ Kf7 41.Rg7+ Black resigned



DREWBEAR 63 - TWODOGS

JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009

In this position, seeing that he was losing his Queen for a Rook, White resigned.

Instead, he could have tried 33.Nb5 Qxb2+ 34.Rxb2 Rxb7 35.Kxc4 a6 36.a4 axb5+ 37.axb5 with at least equal chances.












analysis diagram

Exploring

The regular Jerome Gambiteer has an interesting dilemma: play the "book" lines of the gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), all of which lead to established "refutations", hoping that his opponents will fall apart along the way; or go exploring in the side-lines of the opening – which, supposedly if they were any good, would be the main lines, after all, wouldn't they...?

DREWBEAR 63 - Haroldlee123

JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009

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

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

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.c3

A relatively new idea, first played in 2006 as far as I can tell. White looks to support a d2-d4 thrust.

8...Bb6

DREWBEAR 63 has experience on both sides of these lines, especially in the current tournament: 8...Qf6 9.d4 ( 9.Qxf6+ Nxf6 10.d4 Nxe4 11.dxc5+ Nxc5 12.0-0 Ned3 13.Nd2 Ne5 14.f4 Ned3 15.Nc4+ Kc6 16.Ne5+ Nxe5 17.fxe5 Nd3 18.Rf7 Nxe5 19.Rxg7 Nd3 20.b4 Nxc1 21.Rxc1 d6 22.a4 b5 23.axb5+ Kxb5 24.Rxc7 Ba6 25.Rd7 Kc6 26.Rf7 Kb6 27.Rb1 Raf8 28.Rxf8 Rxf8 29.Rc1 Bc4 30.h3 Rg8 31.Kh2 Bd5 32.Rc2 Be4 33.Re2 d5 34.c4 Rxg2+ 35.Rxg2 Bxg2 36.Kxg2 dxc4 37.Kf2 Kb5 White resigned, mediax - drewbear, JG4 thematic Chessworld, 2008) 9...Nd3+ 10.Kd2 Qxf5 11.exf5 Nxc1 ( 11...Nxf2 12.dxc5+ Kxc5 13.Re1 Ng4 14.h3 N4f6 15.b4+ Kc6 16.c4 b6 17.Na3 Nh6 18.g4 Nf7 19.Re7 Rf8 20.Bb2 Ne8 21.Rae1 Nfd6 22.Bxg7 Rg8 23.f6 Bb7 24.b5+ Kc5 25.R7e5+ Kb4 26.Nc2+ Ka5 27.Kc3 Nxg7 28.fxg7 Bg2 29.Rb1 c6 30.Rb3 Ka4 31.Ra3 checkmate, DREWBEAR 63 - GladtoMateYou, JGTourney4 Chessworld 2009) 12.dxc5+ Kxc5 13.Rxc1 d6 14.b4+ Kc6 15.Na3 Bxf5 16.b5+ Kc5 17.f3 Nf6 18.g4 Bd7 19.c4 a6 20.Rab1 axb5 21.cxb5+ Kd5 22.Rxc7 Bc8 23.Rxg7 Nd7 24.Re1 Rxa3 25.Ree7 Rxa2+ 26.Kc1 Rd8 27.Rg5+ Kc4 28.Kb1 Rxh2 29.Re4+ Kb3 30.Kc1 Nc5 31.Re3+ Kb4 32.b6 Rh8 33.Rf5 Bxf5 White resigned, DREWBEAR 63 - metalwarrior1969,JGTourney4 Chessworld 2009;

And 8...g6 9.Qf4 Nf6 10.d4 Ke6 11.Qxe5+ Kf7 12.Qxc5 d6 13.Qc4+ d5 14.exd5 Nxd5 15.0-0 Re8 16.Na3 Be6 17.Qd3 Bf5 18.Qf3 Kg7 19.Nc4 c6 20.g4 Be4 21.Qh3 g5 22.Qh5 h6 23.Ne5 Nf6 24.Qf7+ Kh8 25.Ng6+ Bxg6 26.Qxg6 Ng8 27.h4 Re7 28.hxg5 Rg7 29.Qh5 Qd6 30.gxh6 Rh7 31.g5 Qd5 32.Qe2 Ne7 33.Qe5+ Qxe5 34.dxe5 Rg8 35.f4 Nf5 36.b4 Rg6 37.Bb2 Ne3 38.Rf2 Kg8 39.Rd2 Nc4 40.Rd8+ Kf7 41.Rd7+ Kg8 42.Rxh7 Kxh7 43.Bc1 b6 44.f5 Rg8 45.g6+ Kh8 46.Bg5 Re8 47.Bf6+ Kg8 48.h7+ Kf8 49.h8Q checkmate, DREWBEAR 63 - gwyn1, JGTourney4 Chessworld 2009;

Or 8...Nh6 9.Qf4 Rf8 10.Qxe5+ Kxe5 11.d4+ Bxd4 12.cxd4+ Kxe4 13.Nc3+ Kxd4 14.Be3+ Ke5 15.0-0 Nf5 16.Rfe1 Kf6 17.Nd5+ Kf7 18.Rad1 d6 19.Nf4 Nxe3 20.Rxe3 Qf6 21.Nd5 Qd8 22.Re7+ Kg8 23.Rxc7 Qh4 24.g3 Qe4 25.Ne7+ Kh8 26.Rxd6 Bh3 White resigned, mediax - eddie43, Chessworld 2008

9.d4 Nd3+

An interesting and novel way to return one of the extra pieces.

10.Kd2 Qf6

10...Nxc1 would preserve the material status quo and would be a good choice – if it didn't lead to a mate-in-two.

11.Qd5+ Ke7 12.Kxd3 h6 13.f4

You have to wonder, if Wilhelm Steinitz ("the Austrian Morphy") ever played the Jerome Gambit (giving "Jerome Gambit odds," of course, to a much weaker player) if he might one day have reached this kind of position. The King is a strong piece!

13...Qd6

The position has gotten strange enough that Haroldlee123 would prefer an exchange of Queens. DREWBEAR 63, on the other hand, would prefer not.

14.Qh5 g6 15.Qh4+ Qf6 16.Qf2 c5

Hitting the center at its apparently weakest point, although 16...d5 was probably better. Now White can get an interesting and relatively equal game with 17.dxc5, but he wants to hold onto his pawn center. It turns out that this goal is unreachable, however.

17.e5 Qf5+ 18.Ke2 cxd4 19.cxd4 Qe4+ 20.Kf1

Or 20.Be3 Bxd4 21.Nc3 Qc2+ 22.Kf3 Qxf2+ 23.Kxf2 Bxc3 24.bxc3 h5 when White has one pawn for his piece, and Black's positional cramp and delay in development are not adequate compensation.

20...Qd3+ 21.Kg1

White played this move – and then resigned. He can lose his Queen to 21...Bxd4, or his King to 21...Qd1+ 22.Qf1 Bxg4+ 23.Be3 Bxe3 checkmate

Quickies

Here are a few more games from the current Chessworld Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) Thematic Tournament – don't blink or they'll be over before you know it.

stampyshortlegs - GladtoMateYou

JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.d4 TN 7...Bxd4 8.c3 Bc5 9.Qf5+ Kd6 10.f4 Qe7 11.fxe5+ Qxe5 [ 11...Kc6 12.b4 d6 -+ ] 12.Bf4 Black resigned

GladtoMateYou - Haroldlee123

JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Qe2 Qf6 6.Qc4+ TN 6...Ke8 7.Qxc5 d6 +/= 8.Qa3 Bg4 9.Nc3 Bxf3 10.gxf3 Qxf3 11.Rg1 Nd4 12.Rg3 Qh1+ White resigned

Luke Warm - stampyshortlegs

JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nc3 Nf6 6.d3 Rf8 7.Bg5 Kg8 8.h4 TN 8...d6 9.Qd2 Bg4 10.Nd5 Bxf3 11.gxf3 Nd4 12.Rg1 [ 12.0-0-0 -+ ] 12...Nxf3+ 13.Ke2 Nxd2 14.Bxd2 Nxd5 15.exd5 Qxh4 16.Be3 Bxe3 White resigned

TWODOGS - Crusader Rabbit

JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.d4 Bxd4 6.0-0 TN 6...Ke8 7.Ng5 Bxb2 8.Qf3 Qf6 9.Bxb2 Qxg5 10.Na3 Nh6 11.Nc4 Rf8 12.Qc3 Nd4 13.Bc1 Qxc1 14.Qxd4 Qg5 15.Qc5 Kd8 [ 15...Rf4 -+ ] 16.Qxf8 checkmate

Home Cooking

The competitor GladtoMateYou cooked up something special in the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) for his opponents in the current Chessworld Jerome Gambit Thematic Tournament.

In each of his 14 games with the White pieces, GladtoMateYou played 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Qe2.

The move is rare, and the earliest examples that I have in my database come from Plejade in 2003. It is a reflection of a Bishop's Opening line that goes back to Ruy Lopez: 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Qe2.

In the diagram, White has the threat of Qe2-c4+ followed by Qxc5. Defenders who trot out their moves a bit too routinely with the Black pieces (thinking The Jerome Gambit isn't dangerous, etc.) are at risk...

In this tournament, 9 out of 14 times GladtoMateYou was able to grab the Bishop. So far, he has won two games and lost two games, but we will keep our eye on this creative player.

graphic by Jeff Bucchino, the Wizard of Draws