Toward Disaster

As I have mentioned in an earlier post, I have joined a Chess.com 12-player "Giuoco Piano" tournament (3 groups of 4 players each).

I immediately got to start a couple of Jerome Gambits, so we'll see how they turn out.The first game is racing along the lines of a refutation that has many blog posts here, all saying that White is lost, White is lost...

Well, sad to say, White did lose - but part of the reason was my refusal to play a thematic "Jerome pawn" advance which would have helped keep the play dynamic. The second big mistake was to not be as familiar with Jerome Gambit history as I should be. Ouch.

perrypawnpusher - auswebby
Giuoco Piano Tournament, Chess.com, 2015

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 7.Qxe5 Qe7 8.Qf4+ Ke8

Instead, 8...Nf6 was seen in a couple of correspondence games between Daniel Jaeger (White) and Alonzo Wheeler Jerome  in 1880.

More reently, Bill Wall faced 8...Qf6 in a handful of games: Wall,B - GoldCoinCollector, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 17);  Wall,B - GuestZCLK, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 15); Wall,B - Guest340293, PlayChess.com 2012 (1-0, 41); Wall,B - Josti, PlayChess.com, 2013 (1-0, 26); and Wall,B - Guest4644930, PlayChess.com, 2014, (1-0, 26).

9.Nc3 Nf6 10.0-0 d6 

Or 10...Bd6 as in perrypawnpusher - Chesssafety, Chess.com 2012, (1-0, 25).

11.d3

White got away with the Knight jump 11.Nd5 in xcvbnm -SAHFAN, FICS, 2013 (1-0, 28), but I should have been more familiar with the game (in The Database) as Black was better most of the game; and White's win came only when his opponent blundered into a mate-in-2.

11...Be6 12.Be3 Bxe3 13.Qxe3 Kd7 14.f4 Rhf8 15.f5 Bg8 16.d4 Rae8 17.Rae1 Kc8 18.Qg3 

Instead, it was time for 18.e5. The text allows Black to take a step toward preventing that move, and my response (see the note to White's 11th move) sealed my doom.

18...Nd7 19.Nd5 Bxd5 20.exd5 Qf6 

I thought I had a few tricks against Black's King on the back rank, but, really, there was nothing.

21.Rxe8+ Rxe8 22.c3 Nb6 23.Re1 Qf7 24.f6 Rxe1+ 25.Qxe1 Qxf6 26.Qe8+ Qd8 27.Qf7 Qh8 28.b3 Nd7 29.c4 Kd8 30.Kf2 Qf8 31.Qxf8+ Nxf8 32.Kf3 Ke7 33.Ke4 Kf6 34.c5 Ng6 35.g3 b6 36.b4 Ne7 37.a3 b5 White resigned.

A Jerome Addiction

Bill Wall sent me his first Jerome Gambit of 2015 with the following note.

I just can't help myself.  As soon as I see 3...Bc5 I just have to play 4.Bxf7.  I told myself not to play it and work on other Italian variations.  But oh no.  I see 3...Bc5, I have to play 4...Bxf7+.  It must be a Jerome addiction.
Anyway, I played a nice Jerome on FICS, my first Jerome of the year.  He got his knight trapped, forgetting to make an exit for himself, and I later mated him.  He had a good game up to 16...c6, blocking a pawn I might have taken, but overlooking his knight can't move anywhere safe after 17.h3.

Wall,B - CMSK
FICS, 2015

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 7.Qxe5 Qe7 

The Jerome Gambit, Jerome variation, first outlined in the Dubuque Chess Journal, July 1874.

Three of Bill's games continued 7...d6: Wall,B -GoldCoinCollector, Chess.com 2010 (1-0, 17); Wall,B - GuestZCLK, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 15); and Wall,B - Schichua,S, FICS, 2013 (1-0, 22).

8.Qf4+ Nf6 

Instead, Black continued with 8...Qf6 in Wall,B - Guest340293, PlayChess.com, 2012, (1-0, 41),  Wall,B - Josti, PlayChess.com, 2013, (1-0, 26),  and Wall,B - Guest4644930, PlayChess.com, 2014 (1-0, 26).

9.d3 d6 10.Nc3 Be6 11.0-0 h6

12.Be3 g5

Black is feeling aggressive!

13.Qf3 Kg7 14.e5 

Bill notes better may be 14.Bxc5 dxc5 15.e5 Nd7 16.Qxb7. 

14...Ng4 15.Bxc5 

Not 15.Qxb7? Nxe3. 

15...dxc5 16.Rae1

 Still, Bill cautions,16.Qxb7?! Rab8 17.Qxa7 Rxb2.

16...c6? 

As Bill mentioned in the note above, this strands the Black Knight. Better: 16...Rhf8 17.Qe2 (17.Qxb7 Rab8 18.Qxa7 Rxb2) 17...h5; 
16...h5 17.Qxb7 Rab8 18.Qxa7 Rxb2 19.Re2. 

17.h3 Raf8 18.Qg3

Or 18.Qd1 Nxf2 19.Rxf2 Rxf2 20.Kxf2 Rf8+ 21.Kg1. 

18...h5

If 18...Nxf2 19.Rxf2 Rxf2 20.Qxf2 Rf8 21.Qe3. 

19.hxg4 h4 

Black's attack looks dangerous, but it will become clear that White is in control.

20.Qh3 Qd7 21.Ne4 Bxg4 22.Qe3 Rh5 

Admitting his Kingside pawn structure needs reinforcing, but this allows a fork.

23.Nf6 Rxf6 24.exf6+ Kxf6 25.Qxc5

25...h3 26.Qf8+ Kg6 27.Re7 hxg2 28.Qf7+ Kh6 29.Qg7 checkmate

Most of the Time

If you are facing Bill Wall and the Jerome Gambit, it will not do to make good moves most of the time. You have to make good moves all the time - or you will lose, most of the time. The following game is a good example.

Wall,B - Guest4644930
PlayChess.com, 2014

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8

The Jerome Gambit, Jerome variation, first outlined in the Dubuque Chess Journal, July 1874.

7.Qxe5 Qe7

After 7...d6, three of Bill's games later transposed into the current game: Wall,B -GoldCoinCollector, Chess.com 2010 (1-0, 17); Wall,B - GuestZCLK, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 15); and Wall,B - Schichua,S, FICS, 2013 (1-0, 22). 

8.Qf4+ Qf6 9.Qg3 d6 10.0-0 

Instead, 10.Nc3 Ne7 11.0-0 was Wall,B - Josti, PlayChess.com, 2013, (1-0, 26), while 10.c3 was seen in Wall,B - Guest340293, PlayChess.com, 2012, (1-0, 41). 

10...Nh6 11.c3 Bd7 12.d4 Bb6 13.Nd2 Nf7 14.Nc4 Ke7 15.a4 Rae8 

Black had defended well, and plans on castling-by-hand on the Queenside, as well as returning a piece for some pawns. All well and good, but, as things turn out, more prudent would have been the preventative 15...a5,even at the cost of having his pawn structure broken up. 

16.a5 Bxd4 17.cxd4 Qxd4 18.b3 Kd8 19.e5 

Uncomfortable. Black is doing everything "right", yet this move upsets him. He defends by further extracting his King from the center, while 19...Nxe5 should have kept the game about even.

19...Kc8 20.Bb2 Qg4 21.Qc3 Nxe5

Now this falls to a tactical shot.

22.Nxd6+ Kb8 23.Nxe8 Rxe8 24.Rfe1 Bc6 25.Qg3 Qb4 26.Bxe5

Black resigned

Jerome's Double Gamble

Today's post's title plays on an early name for our opening, once referred to as "Jerome's Double Gambit."

As far back as the post "Jerome Gambit Tournament: Chapter IV" I mentioned that Unorthodox Openings Newsletter editor Gary K. Gifford had rightly classified our opening - "Jerome Gambit, or Jerome Gamble?" (UON #17).

Even earlier, in "But - is this stuff playable?" Part I and Part II, I had given an unqualified "no" and a qualified "yes" as answers to my question.

Maybe a more useful question would be -- "Under what conditions might the Jerome Gambit be playable?" ...[A]t the right time (and time control), with the right opponent, playing in the right mood – perhaps the Jerome Gambit is a bit playable...

In the following game, Bill Wall gives it his best shot, but seems to be facing the wrong opponent at the wrong time...

Bill has included a few suggestions.

Wall,B - Guest874250
PlayChess.com, 2014

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qg3

Instead, 8.Qf4+ would be met by 8...Qf6. 

8...Nf6 

Possibly a bit stronger than the alternatives, 8...d5, which was seen in Wall,B - GoldCoinCollector, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 17); Wall,B - Thieveyen, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 61); Wall,B - GuestZCLK, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 15); and Wall,B - bfcace, Chess.com, 2012 (1-0, 25); and 8...Qe7 from Banks,P - Dunne,D, Worcestershire v Derbyshire, 2010 (1-0, 35).

9.Nc3

Likewise, Bill has played 9.d3, as in Wall,B - Badbeat994, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 48); and Wall,B - Milsrilion, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 50).

9...Kf7

Black tried 9...Nh5 in Wall,B - Ahmadi,S, Chess.com, 2010 (0-1, 59), but that move, alone (about equal to the text) was not responsible for the game's outcome.

10.0-0

Or 10.d3.

10...Rf8 11.d3

Another idea was 11.Qh4 Kg8. 

11...Be6 

Or 11...Kg8 as in perrypawnpusher - truuf, blitz, FICS, 2011 (0-1, 32).

12.Be3

Possibly 12.Kh1 Kg8 13.f4; or 12.Ne2 Nh5 13.Qf3+ Kg6 14.Nf4+ Nxf4 15.Bxf4 Qf6. 

12...Nh5

If 12...Bxe3 then 13.Qxe3.

13.Qf3+

Or 13.Qg5 Qxg5 14.Bxg5 Kg8.

13...Kg6 14.Qe2

Possibly 14.Qd1 Bxe3 15.fxe3 Qg5. 

14...Nf4 15.Bxf4 

If 15.Qd2, then 15...Qg5; but not 15.Qf3? because of 15...Nh3+. 

15...Rxf4

16.g3

Ideas: 16.Qd2 Qf6; or 16.e5 Bg4; or 16.Na4 Qg5.

16...Rf7 17.e5

Or 17.Nd5 Bxd5 18.exd5 Qf6; or 17.h4 Bh3 18.Rfe1? Rxf2.

17...dxe5 18.Qxe5

Attacking both bishops.

18...Qd6 

19.Qe4+

More attractive than trading Queens with either 19.Qxd6 cxd6 20.Kg2 Bd4; or 19.Rae1 Bf5.

19...Bf5

Better for White was either 19...Kh6 20.Rae1 or 19...Kf6 20.Qxb7 

20.Qxb7

Or 20.Qg2 Re8 

20...Re8 21.Qg2

White's choices are becoming limited, e.g. 21.Qb5 Re5 22.Qb7 c6; or 21.g4 Bxg4 22.Qg2 h5; or 21.Na4 Bh3 22.Nxc5 Qxc5. 

21...Bg4 22.Ne4 

Or 22.h3 Bf3 23.Qh2 Bc6. 

22...Qe5 

23.Rae1

Alternatives: 23.Rab1 Qh5 24.Nxc5 Bf3; 23.c3 Qh5; 23.Nxc5 Qxc5 24.c3 Bf3 25.Qh3 Be2. 

23...Bb6 

Or 23...Bf3 24.Qh3 Bb6. 

24.b4

If 24.c3 Qe6 25.d4 Bh3; if 24.b3 Qf5; not 24.Nc3? Qxe1! 25.Rxe1 Rxe1+ 26.Qf1 Rxf2 27.Qxe1 Rxc2+; if 24.c4 h5 25.b4 Bf3 26.Qh3 Bd4.

24...Qe7 25.a3

More solid than 25.h4 Qxb4; or 25.b5 Qd7 26.h4 Bh3; or 25.Rb1 Qd7.

25...Qd7 26.h4 

Instead, 26.Nc5 Bxc5 27.bxc5 Bf3 loses the Queen. 

26...Bh3 27.Qh1 

If 27.Qh2, then 27...Qg4.

27...Ref8

Or 27...Bxf1 28.Kxf1 h6.

28.Rc1

If 28.Re2 then 28...Qg4 29.Rd2 Be3

28...Qg4 29.Qh2 h6 30.c4 Bd4 31.Rcd1 Rf3 32.Rd2 R8f4 White resigned.

Stuck in the Middle

White's attack on Black's King is a standard theme in the Jerome Gambit. Sometimes it is deadly to be stuck in the middle.

Wall, Bill - Schichua, Stephen
FICS, 2013

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8

7.Qxe5 d6

Bill has faced the Jerome Defense to the Jerome Gambit, 7... Qe7, a couple of times: Wall,B - Guest340293, PlayChess.com, 2012 (1-0, 41) and Wall,B - Josti, PlayChess.com, 2013 (1-0, 26).

8.Qg3 Qf6 9.d3

Or 9.O-O as in Wall,B - GuestZCLK, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 15), or 
9.Nc3 a6 10.Nd5 Qf7 11.d4 Bxd4 12.Bf4 Bxb2 13.Rb1 Ba3 14.Qxa3 Nf6 15.Nxc7 Nxe4 16.Bxd6+ Kg8 17.O-O Black resigned, Wall,B - GoldCoinCollector, Chess.com, 2010.

9...h6 10.O-O Ne7

11.Nc3 Bd4 12.Nb5

Threatening 13.Nxc7.

13...Bb6 

Or, Bill notes, 12...Be5 13.f4 Bd4+ 14.Be3 Bxe3+ 15.Qxe3 Qxb2 16. Nxc7.

13.Be3 c5 14.Nxd6 Qxb2

Black is counting on his Queen to provide counterplay, but it can be risky to leave the King stuck in the middle of the board.

15.f4 c4

White can handle the tactical skirmish 15...Qxc2 16.f5 Qxd3 17.Rad1 Qxe3+ 18.Qxe3 c4 19.Rd4

16.Nxc4 Qxc2 17.Bxb6 axb6 18.f5 

The three central "Jerome pawns" give White the advantage.

18...b5 19.f6

White presses his attack.

19...gxf6

Of course, if 19...bxc4 then 20.Qxg7+ Ke8 21.Qxe7 checkmate.

20.Rxf6+ Ke8 21.Nd6+ Kd8 22. Nf7+ Black resigned 

After 22...Ke8 (22...Kd7 23.Qd6+ Ke8 24.Qd8#) 23.Nxh8 Qc5+ 24.Kh1 Black has the swindle 24...Rxa2, but after 25. Raf1 (25. Rxa2? Qc1+ winning for Black) White is firmly in control with a strong attack.

Slower...

Almost all of my games with the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) played at FICS have been at blitz speed (the one notable exception being a mismatched game against MiloBot). I have decided to try the opening out at slower time controls. The following is my second non-blitz FICS game. 


perrypawnpusher - kashifnaseem
standard, FICS, 2011

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8

The Jerome Variation of the Jerome Gambit.

7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qg3 Qf6

Including this game, The Database has 47 games with this move (reinforcing Black's hold on the dark diagonals), with White scoring 50%. Of interest are the 8 games between mrjoker and PhlebasP, where the first player scored 6-1-1.

Alternatives include 8...Nf6 (64 games in The Database, White scores 52%), as in perrypawnpusher - klixar, blitz, FICS, 2007 (1-0, 33), perrypawnpusher - marianomocoroa, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 14),  perrypawnpusher - salla, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 18), perrypawnpusher - caterwaul, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 39);  perrypawnpusher - maxmi, blitz, FICS, 2010, (1-0, 42), Wall - Badbeat994, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 48), Wall - Milsrilion, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 50), and perrypawnpusher - truuf, blitz, FICS, 2011 (0-1, 32).

Also 8...Qe7 (6 games in The Database, White scores 67%) as in perrypawnpusher - frencheng, 10 5 blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 17), perrypawnpusher-dkahnd, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 20) and Banks,P - Dunne,D, Worcestershire v Derbyshire, 2010, (1-0, 35); and 8...h5 (3 games in The Database, White scores 67%), as in Wall - Thieveyen, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 61).

9.0-0

Or 9.Nc3 as in Wall - GoldCoinCollector, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 17).

9...g6

Creating a refuge for his King.

10.Nc3 c6 11.d3 Be6

12.Be3 Bd4

Black sees the c3 spot as vulnerable, and figures that if White exchanges off the Bishop, the Queen will recapture and be centrally placed. This is an error that we both missed – which I realized as soon as I played my next move. This is something that I had hoped that "more time on the clock" would fix.

13.Bxd4

Too much of a reflex: after 13.Qxd6+ Black will simply lose the Bishop.

13...Qxd4 14.Kh1 Nf6 15.f4 Ng4

Eyeing the square e3, which no longer has the protection of White's dark-squared Bishop.

16.Rae1

This move is okay (protecting the square, developing a Rook) but after the game Houdini pointed out that I could have pushed 16.f5 anyhow, as I would not be losing the exchange, I would be getting two pieces for a Rook (leaving me up two pawns for the exchange): 16.f5 Ne3 17.fxe6+ Nxf1 18.Rxf1+ Kg8 19.Qg5 and White's Queen is ready to invade Black's fortress.

16...Qb4

This is the kind of move that makes my heart soar, especially after my games against irak, smarlny and chingching – it is dangerous for Black to let his Queen go wandering.

17.f5 gxf5 18.exf5 Bxa2

19.Nxa2

After the game Houdini pointed out that 19.Re4, both threatening to win the Knight at g4 and chase the Queen away from protecting the pawn at d6, was even stronger.

19...Qxb2 20.Qxd6+ Kg8 21.Qe6+ Kg7 22.Qe7+ Kh6 23.Qh4+ Kg7 24.Qxg4+ Kf6 25.Re6+ Kf7 26.Qh5+ Kf8 27.Qh6+ Qg7

I am sure that there was a checkmate after 27.f6, but, having gone up a piece, I decided to play it safe and exchange Queens.

28.Qxg7+ Kxg7 29.f6+ Kf7 30.Re7+ Kf8 31.Rxb7 Re8 32.Rxa7 Rg8 33.f7 Re6 34.Ra8+ Kg7 Black resigned

graphic by Jeff Bucchino, the Wizard of Draws

Flounder

I have slowly been increasing the rating of the players I try the Jerome Gambit on, and this has had a marked impact on my games. While once I could play my "regular" game, and pounce on my opponent's big errors, now I have to try to make something out of much lesser errors... This will continually push me to improve my game, or more results like the following will occur.

perrypawnpusher - truuf
blitz, FICS, 2011

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8

The Jerome Variation of the Jerome Gambit, played by Alonzo Wheeler Jerome against David Jaeger in correspondence, 1880.

7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qg3 Nf6

Pete Banks ("blackburne") faced 8...Qe7 over-the-board in Banks -Dunne, Worcestershire vs Derbyshire, 2010, (1-0,35);


Bill Wall has seen both 8...Qf6 (Wall,B - GoldCoinCollector, Chess.com, 2010 [1-0,17]) and 8...h5 (Wall,B -Thieveyen, Chess.com, 2010 [1-0,61]).

9.Nc3

A tiny bit better might be 9.d3, although transposition is likely.

9...Kf7 10.d3 Rf8 11.0-0 Kg8

Black has castled-by-hand and is simply better. His Bishop at c5 holds back the f-pawn, causing a change in White's strategy.

12.Bg5 Nh5

Better was 12...Be6, but who can resist attacking the Queen? 

13.Qh4 Qe8 14.Nd5 Qf7

15.c3 Be6

A reasonable move, but it has a tactical hole, so better was 15...h6.

16.Ne3

Missing a chance to grab a pawn with 16.Nxc7 Qxc7 17.Qxh5 and allowing Black to correct his last move.
16...h6 17.Bxh6 gxh6 18.g4

From here on out, my moves become more and more desperate. 

18...Qg6

An inaccuracy, although giving back a piece (he has two to spare) to exchange Queens pretty much seals my fate.

19.Qxh5 Qxh5 20.gxh5 Bh3 21.Rfe1 Kh7 22.Kh1 Rxf2 23.d4 Bb6 24.Rab1 Raf8

25.a4 R8f3 26.b4 a6 27.a5 Ba7 28.Rbc1 Rd2 29.Nd1 c5 30.dxc5 dxc5 31.e5 cxb4 32.e6 Bg2 checkmate

It is worth checking out the game references, above (all are in The Database), but this outing was not one of my better ones.