Jerome Gambit: New Games Coming

GM Aman Hambleton, of CHESSBRAHS, over at chess.com, also at Twitch, has stirred up a good bit of interest in the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) in the last few days, due to his video (mentioned in the previous post) concerning the Jerome (it can be found on YouTube.com).

I also have to credit GM Eric Hansen, who I watched on the CHESSBRAHS site try for two hours to get a Jerome Gambit game going, but was frustrated in his attempts. 

As a result, I have received many emails and messages, as well as a good selection of new Jerome Gambit games - including one by the computer program Leela Chess Zero, rated over 3600!  

I plan to share those games, although it may take me a few days to get them posted on this blog. Please be patient - and keep an eye out.

In the meantime, it is always possible to use the "search this blog" function to explore this site further. I have also found that if I use an internet search engine (like Google, Bing, or DuckDuckGo) for a string of moves - say, "6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Qe7" it will turn up links to relevant posts on this blog.

Thank you - Rick   

Barely Legal

Denied the chance for a Jerome Gambit, and facing a foe with a strategy that had been successful against me in past games, I found a way to update an old chess strategem of my own.

perrypawnpusher - koek
blitz, FICS, 2011

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 d6

Sigh. No Jerome Gambit today: a Philidor Defense by transposition, or maybe a Hungarian Defense.

4.0-0 Bg4

Planning to gang up on my pinned Knight at f3 and cause a breakup of the pawn wall in front of my King.

5.Nc3

Going along with Black's plan.

Last year Koek and I played one game that continued 5.d4 White resigned; and another that continued 5.h3 Bh5 6.d3 Nd4 White resigned.

5...Nd4

I've been having a hard time finding games that follow this move order, but I did discover Hansen, S. - Briz, P., Denmark, 1974, that now continued 6.d3 Nxf3+ 7.gxf3 Bh3, showing the Kingside damage that I was trying to avert.

Now for something completely different.

6.Nxe5

Ah, yes, the idea from Legal de Kermeur - St. Brie, Paris 1750: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bc4 Bg4 4.Nc3 g6 5.Nxe5 Bxd1 6.Bxf7+ Ke7 7.Nd5#

6...Bxd1

Black needed to play 6...dxe5, but who could resist a "free" Queen?

7.Bxf7+ Ke7 8.Nd5 checkmate

A Jerome Gambit Motif

I do not know if James Lenz's opponent, Lyle Hansen, was even aware of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) or not, but when I saw the game Hansen - Lenz from the 2008 South Dakota State Tournament on the South Dakota Chess Association website, I recognized a Jerome-ish quality to White's play – even if it was against 1...b6 and 2...Bb7.

The notes below are by Lenz, who was annotating his "best" and his "worst" games of the tournament. 

Queen's Fianchetto Defense, Nimzowitsch Defense (B00)

Lyle Hansen (1800) James Lenz (1555) 

2008 South Dakota State Tournament, 

My worst game. 

 1. e4 b6 2.Nf3 Bb7 3.Bc4 Crude oil at $148/barrel and I had no gas left, it was the last round, trophy out of reach, I thought h6 was safe, I didn't even consider the Bxf7+ sacrifice until.

3...h6 4.Bxf7+?!

It does win many lines but all you need is one line out. The simple 3.Bc4 e6 is all Black needs to stalwort White's development from exceeding the "line of demarcation". The h6 oversight will infringe on Black's defense of his King. On the other hand, it will cost White two minor pieces and if Black plays without error into the 10-15 move range, Fritz 6 shows Black as winning. For Black there are many ways to lose.

4...Kxf7 5.Ne5+ Kf6

If 5...Ke8 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxg6#

6.Qf3+ Kxe5 It is not wise not to take the knight.

7.Qf5+ Kd6

Not 7...Kd4 8.d3 Nowhere safe for king, Be3#. Also 7...Kc4 8.b3+ Kb4 9.a3#, or 7...Kc4 8.b3+ Kd4 9. c3+ Kd3 10. Na3 Bxe4 11. helpmate Qb5#

8. e5+

If 8...Kd5 9.Nc3+ Kc5 10.e6+ Kd4 11. Nb5+ Kc4 (only safe square) 12.b3 Kb4 13.a3+ Ka5 14.Nxa7+ Ka6 15. Qb5+ Nxa7 and Black may be out of immediate danger? Although instead of 14.Nxa7+, much better 14.Nxc7+ d5 15.b4+ Ka4 16. Qd3 Qxc7 17. c4 with no protection from18.Qc2#. As I mentioned earlier, there are many losing lines.

Also instead of 8....Kd5, try 8....Kc5 9. d4+ Kxd4 10. Be3+ Kd5 11. Nc3+ Kc6 12. Qe4+ d5 13. Qa4+ b5 14. Qxb5#. Also with 8....Kc5 9.d4+ Kc6 10 c4 d5 [e6 en garde' 11.d5+ exd5 12. Qe4 "big trouble in little china"] 11. Qe6+ Qd6 12. cxd5 Kb5 13. Nc3 then either Kc4, Kb4 or Ka5 loses Queen to exd6.

8...Kc6 9. Nc3

Good for Black, 9...d5 10. exd5 e.p. exd6 11. Qe4+ Kd7 12. QxB Nc6 13. Qa6, Black has a 2 point material advantage and winning chances.

IM Sandor Kustar suggested 9....b5, after observing the position and "scolding me for moving too fast", and Fritz 6 agrees, 9....b5 10. a4 (#1 line) or Qe4+, Qg4, Qd3 and Qg6+ as other White options has Black at a 3 point advantage. Following the #1 line of 9....b5 10. a4 Kb6 here are three lines of play. 9...b5 10. a4 Kb6 11. axb5 c5 12. 0-0 e6 13. Qh3 Kc7 14. d4 cxd4. #2 line, 9....b5 10. a4 Kb6 11. Qd3 c6 12. axb5 Kc7 13. 0-0 e6 14. Qe3 Ne7. #3 line, 9....b5 10. a4 Kb6 11. Qg6+ e6 12. axb5 a6 13. Na4+ Ka7 14. d3 (Black is mated unless c5 with 15. Be3) so 14. d3 c5 or 14. d3 (give a Knight back strategy with Nc6) Nc6 15. Be3+ Kb8 16. bxNc6 Bxc6 17. Nc5 BxN 18. BxB d6 19. exd and Black may have a line out.

My worst game at the 2008 South Dakota State Championship continued as

9....e6 10. Qe4+ d5 11. Qa4+ Kc5 12. d4#.

Isn't chess fun?! There wasn't a lot of editorial because I was mentally spent and didn't have much of a "from this side of the board" observation. I did observe one thing, winning isn't everything but losing stinks.