In the particular Jerome Gambit line in the following game, Black is faced with returning one of the two pieces that White sacrificed. He has two general ways to respond - choose a piece to withdraw from danger, or ignore the attack and develop another piece. Either option could work. However, trying both leads to great danger.
Wall, Bill - Shookspear, William
lichess,org, 2017
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bb4+
I like to imagine that Black is feeling clever here, knowing that he has to give back either the Knight or the Bishop, and deciding to have the Bishop capture on c3, taking a pawn, before saving the Knight. There are 255 game examples in The Database.
7.c3 Nf6
Black reverts to option number two: focus on development and let White mess up his pawn structure by capturing a piece. The move ...Nf6 would be better played while leaving the Bishop on c5, however.
8.dxe5 Bxc3+
According to plan, but it is not going to be successful.
9.Nxc3 Ne8
I was surprised to find a related game in The Database, with 9...Ng8, and the outcome - a win for Black - was a bit of a shock, but play could be improved for both sides: 10.Qd5+ Ke8 11.O-O Ne7 12.Qc4 c6 13.Bg5 d5 14.exd5 cxd5 15.Nxd5? (15.Qb5+) Be6? (15...Qxd5) 16.Nxe7 (16.Nc7+) Bxc4 White resigned, Idealist - HarryPaul, FICS, 2002.
10.O-O Rf8 11.Qh5+ Kg8
Feeling good. White has helped Black castle-by-hand.
12.Bg5 g6 13.Qh4 Black resigned
Oh, dear. Black can try 13...Nf6 14.Bxf6 Rxf6 (if 14...Qe8 then 15.Nd5) 15.exf6 but that would leave him down a Rook and a pawn.
As a follow-up to the last post, let me point out that the presenter has many interesting videos online - including the game Nelson vs Sugar, which is another interesting Jerome Gambit. Since I have not shared that game on this blog, let me do so, now.
Nelson, Lamoni - Sugar, Zoltan
Jamaica, Queens, USA, 2006
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4....Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bd6
In an earlier post, "Jerome Gambit Doctor", the direct 6...Be7 was examined, as in HauntedKnight - Josue, FICS, 2012 (0-1, 29).
7.dxe5 Be7
Black wants no part of 7...Bxe5 8.Qd5+. See the recent "Borrowed As Good As Own".
8.O-O d6 9.f4
The computers prefer 9.Qf3+, as seen in Idealist - throwback, FICS, 2000: 9... Nf6 10.exf6 Bxf6 11.Nc3 Be6 12.Rd1 Rf8 13.e5 Kg8 14.exf6 Rxf6 15.Qg3 Qf8 16.Ne4 Rg6 17.Qc3 Qf5 18.Ng3 Qf7 19.Be3 Rf8 20.Rf1 c6 21.Rad1 d5 22.Qb4 b6 23.Qd6 Bg4 24.Rd2 Rxd6 25.Ne4 Rg6 26.Ng5 Qf5 27.h4 h6 28.c4 hxg5 29.Bxg5 Rxg5 30.hxg5 Qxg5 31.Rd3 Rf6 32.Rg3 Rh6 33.f3 Qe3+ 34.Rf2 Qe1+ 35.Rf1 Qxg3 36.fxg4 Rh2 37.Rf2 Rh1+ 38.Kxh1 Qxf2 39.Kh2 d4 40.Kh3 d3 41.g3 d2 42.Kh4 d1=Q 43.Kg5 Qdd2+ 44.Kh5 Qh6 checkmate
9... g6 10. e6+
"Ain't that a kick in the head?" as Dean Martin once asked.
Black can, and maybe should, take the pawn, but things will remain complicated, thanks to those annoying "Jerome pawns".
10...Kg7 11.f5 Nf6 12.Nc3 c6 13.Bg5
Instead, Stockfish suggests the wild, but it sees as balanced, 13.g4 h5!? 14.g5 Ng4 15.Qd4+ Kh7 16.f6.
13...Qb6+
14.Kh1 Qc7 15.fxg6
This gives Black a saving chance. Better was 15.Qf3.
15... hxg6
The computer gives 15...Bxe6, and while the rest of the recommendation is no walk in the park for Black's King, it turns out better than the text: 16.Qd4 Raf8 17.gxh7 Rxh7 18.Rad1 Qa5 19.Bf4 Qb6 20.Qxb6 axb6 21.e5 dxe5 22.Bxe5 Kg6 23.Bd6 Bf5 24.Rfe1 Bxd6 25.Rxd6 Bxc2 26.h3 Kg7 27.Ree6.
Now White finishes up neatly.
16.Bxf6+ Bxf6 17.Rxf6 Kxf6 18.Qd4+ Kxe6 19.Qxh8 Rb8 20.Rf1 Qe7 Black resigned
Black's Bishop and Rook will stand around, helpless, while his King is chased and checkmated.
Periodically in this new year we will be looking at different lines in the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) and be providing ideas (and study material) which may deliver "first aid" or heavier "fixes" in situations where White's play has been injured.
Here is a game by HauntedKnight, a regular player of things Jerome. He has 144 games in The Database, scoring an over-all 49%, which is the over-all average for White in those 27,400 games. With the Jerome Gambit proper he scores 42%, which is comparable to the 43% of all Jerome Gambit games in The Database.
HauntedKnight - Josue
standard game, FICS, 2012
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Be7
Josue, the higher-rated player, chooses a very reasonable, if unpopular line. The Database has only 12 games with this move, but White has scored only 38% against it.
7.dxe5
White avoids the ostentatious 7.f4 which brings a lot of visual excitement, but more "flash" than "bang": 7...Nc6 8.d5 Nb4 9.a3 Na6 10.0-0 Nf6 11.e5 Ne8 12.Qh5+ g6 13.Qh6 Bf8 14.Qh3 d6 15.e6+ Kg7 16.b3 Be7 17.f5 Nf6 18.Bb2 c6 19.c4 cxd5 20.Nd2 dxc4 21.Ne4 Nc5 22.Nxf6 Bxf6 23.Bxf6+ Qxf6 24.bxc4 b6 25.Qg3 Bb7 26.Qxd6 Rad8 27.Qf4 Rd4 28.Qe3 Re4 29.Qd2 Rd8 30.Qf2 g5 31.Rad1 Red4 32.Qf4 Rxf4 White resigned, wirerabbit - SimpleOne, FICS, 2007
7...d6
Alternatives include:
7...g6 8.Qd5+ Kg7 9.b3 h5 10.Bb2 Kh7 11.Nd2 c6 12.Qd3 d6 13.exd6 Bf6 14.e5 Bg7 15.0-0-0 Bf5 16.Qe2 Be6 17.h3 b5 18.g4 h4 19.f4 Bd5 20.Ne4 Bxe4 21.Qxe4 Qa5 22.Kb1 Rd8 23.g5 Nh6 24.gxh6 Bxh6 25.f5 Rhg8 26.Rhg1 g5 27.f6+ Rg6 28.e6 Qb6 29.e7 Rxd6 30.e8Q Rxd1+ 31.Rxd1, Black resigned, gollydali - Letranite, FICS, 2011;
the sturdy 7...Nh6 8.Qd5+ (8.Qh5) 8...Kf8 9.Bxh6 gxh6 10.Nc3 c6 11.Qd3 d6 12.Qf3+ Kg8 13.0-0-0 Bg4 14.Qxg4+ Kf8 15.Qf4+ Ke8 16.e6 Bg5 17.Qxg5 Qxg5+ 18.Kb1 Qxg2 19.Rhg1 Qxe4 20.Nxe4 Ke7 21.Rxd6 Rhg8 22.Rxg8 Rxg8 23.c4 Rg4 24.Rd7+ Kxe6 25.Nc5+ Kf6 26.Rxb7 Rxc4 27.Nd3 Rd4 28.Kc2 Rh4 29.Rxh7 Rxh2 30.Kc3 Kf5 31.b4 a6 32.a4 Ke4 33.Re7+ Kd5 34.Re5+ Kd6 35.f4 h5 36.Rg5 h4 37.Kc4 Rc2+ 38.Kd4 h3 39.Rh5 h2 40.Rh6+ Kd7 41.Nc5+ Kc7 42.Rh7+ Kb6 43.Rb7 checkmate, exatapalov - MeTaLoV, FICS, 2011;
the solid 7...Ke8 8.0-0 h6 9.Qg4 Bf8 10.Qg6+ Ke7 11.Nc3 c6 12.Be3 Qe8 13.Qd6+ Kd8 14.Qd4 Kc7 15.Bf4 Qe6 16.Rad1 a6 17.Na4 b5 18.Qb6 checkmate, CoachCrupp - tuffnut, FICS, 2008;
and the overly-casual 7...Nf6 8.exf6 Bxf6 returning the piece 9.0-0 Re8 10.e5 (10.Qd5+) Rxe5 11.Bf4 Re7 12.Qh5+ Kg8 13.Bg5 Bxg5 14.Qxg5 d6 15.Qh5 Re5 16.Qf3 Qe7 17.Nd2 Bd7 18.Nc4 Rf8 19.Qb3 Be6 20.Rfe1 Rxe1+ 21.Rxe1 Qf6 22.Ne3 Qxf2+ 23.Kh1 Qxe1+ 24.Nf1 Qxf1 checkmate, Howtocastle - svadali, FICS, 2003.
8.Qf3+
Probably best, although after 8.exd6 White had interesting play 8...Qxd6 9.Qe2 (9.Qf3+ Nf6 10.0-0 Bg4 11.Qb3+ Be6 12.Qxb7 Rhb8 13.Qa6 Qxa6 14.Nc3 Qxf1+ 15.Kxf1 a6 16.Be3 Ng8 17.Rd1 Rxb2 18.Bd4 Rxc2 19.Ne2 Bc4 20.Kg1 Bxe2 21.Re1 Bb5 22.f4 Rd8 23.Bf2 Rdd2 24.Bg3 Rxg2+ 25.Kh1 Rgd2 26.e5 Bc6+ 27.Kg1 Bc5+ 28.Kf1 Bg2 checkmate, Idealist - fake, FICS, 2000) 9...Be6 10.Nc3 Nf6 11.0-0 Rhf8 12.e5 Qc6 13.exf6 Bxf6 14.Qh5+ Kg8 15.Be3 Bxc3 16.bxc3 Qxc3 17.Qh4 b6 18.Bd4 Qc4 19.c3 c5 20.Rac1 cxd4 21.cxd4 Qxa2 22.Qg5 Rf7 23.f4 Raf8 24.Rcd1 Qd5 25.Kh1 Qxg5 26.fxg5 White resigned, stretto - ifufocop, FICS, 2007 (26);
Aggressive was 8.Qh5+ g6 9.Qf3+ Ke8 10.Nc3 c6 11.0-0 (11.Bf4) dxe5 12.Rd1 Qc7 13.Qg3 Nf6 14.Be3 Be6 15.Bh6 Rd8 16.Qf3 Rxd1+ 17.Rxd1 Kf7 18.Bg5 Rd8 19.Rxd8 Qxd8 20.Bxf6 Bxf6 21.h4 h5 22.Qe2 b5 23.Nd1 a5 24.Qe1 a4 25.Ne3 Bxh4 26.b3 Bg5 27.f4 Bxf4 28.Nf1 Kg7 29.g3 Bg5 30.c4 bxc4 31.bxc4 Bxc4 32.Qb4 Bxf1 33.Kxf1 Qd3+ 34.Kg2 Qd2+ 35.Kh3 Qxb4 36.a3 Qxa3 White forfeited on time, Stockholm - MorphyLives, FICS, 2007.
8...Ke8
9.Be3
Alternatives:
9.Qh5+ g6 10.Qf3 dxe5 11.Nc3 Be6 12.0-0 c6 13.Be3 Nf6 14.Rad1 Qc7 15.Bh6 Bg4 16.Qd3 Bxd1 17.Rxd1 Rd8 18.Qc4 Rxd1+ 19.Nxd1 Qd6 20.Nc3 Qb4 21.Qe6 Qxb2 22.Bg7 Qc1+ White resigned, quixote - RRustyy1, Chess.com, 2012;
9.exd6 Qxd6 10.Bf4 Qb4+ 11.Nd2 Qxb2 12.0-0 Nf6 13.Bxc7 Bg4 14.Qd3 Rc8 15.Nc4 Qb5 16.Nd6+ Bxd6 17.Qxd6 Nxe4 18.Rfe1 Be2 19.Qe6+ Kf8 20.Qxe4 Rxc7 21.Rxe2 Kf7 22.Qf4+ Kg6 23.Re5 Qb2 24.Qg5+ Kf7 25.Rae1 Qb6 26.Qf4+ Qf6 27.Rf5 g5 28.Qxc7+ Black resigned, jfhumphrey - JeversonM, FICS, 2012;
9.e6 Bxe6 10.Nc3 Nf6 11.0-0 Rf8 12.Qg3 Nh5 13.Qd3 Nf4 14.Bxf4 Rxf4 15.Nd5 Bxd5 16.exd5 Rh4 17.Rae1 Qd7 18.Re6 Kf8 19.Qf3+ Kg8 20.Rfe1 Re8 21.Qe3 Rh6 22.Rxh6 gxh6 23.Qxh6 Bf8 24.Qg5+ Bg7 25.Rf1 Qe7 26.Qg3 Qe2 27.f3 Qxc2 28.Qg4 Qg6 29.Qd7 Re2 30.Qc8+ Bf8 31.Qh3 Rxb2 32.f4 Rxa2 33.f5 Qg5 34.f6 Qxd5 35.f7+ Kh8 36.Qg3 Qd4+ 37.Kh1 Qg7 38.Qf3 c5 39.h4 c4 40.Qxb7 c3 41.Qf3 c2 42.h5 Rb2 43.Kh2 c1Q 44.Rxc1 Qe5+ 45.Kh3 Qe6+ 46.Kh2 Rb4 47.Qc3+ Qe5+ 48.Qxe5+ dxe5 49.Kh3 Kg7 50.Rf1 h6 51.g4 a5 52.Rf5 Rb3+ 53.Kh4 Be7+ 54.g5 Bxg5+ 55.Kg4 Rb4+ 56.Kf3 e4+ 57.Ke2 Rb2+ 58.Kd1 Kf8 59.Rxa5 Kxf7 60.Rf5+ Ke6 61.Rf8 Ke5 62.Re8+ Kd4 63.Rd8+ Ke3 White resigned, jfhumphrey - fischbroetchen, FICS, 2011;
Probably best is 9.Bf4 dxe5 10.Bxe5 Nf6 11.0-0 Bd6 12.Bd4 c5 13.e5 cxd4 14.exd6 Qxd6 15.Re1+ Kf8 16.Na3 Kg8 17.Nc4 Qc6 18.Qb3 Be6 19.Rxe6 Qxe6 20.Qxb7 Rf8 21.b3 h5 22.Qxa7 Qg4 23.h3 Qf4 24.Re1 Rh7 25.Re7 g5 26.Rxh7 Nxh7 27.a4 Qxf2+ 28.Kh2 Rf7 29.Qa8+ Kg7 30.Qd5 g4 31.hxg4 hxg4 32.Qd6 g3+ 33.Qxg3+ Qxg3+ 34.Kxg3 Ng5 35.Kh2 Ne4 36.g3 Rf2+ 37.Kh3 Rxc2 38.Kg4 Rc3 39.Kf4 Rxb3 40.Ne5 Rb4 41.Ng6 Rxa4 42.Ne7 Kf7 43.Nf5 Nxg3 44.Nd6+ Ke7 45.Nf5+ Ke6 46.Nd6 Kd5 47.Kg4 Kxd6 48.Kg5 drawn, soonFM - vessoj, FICS, 2005.
9...Nh6
Black is planning something wicked, a threat that shows up in several of the above games. Probably his best move was 9...dxe5.
10.Nc3
It is prudent to note here that White can take the draw with 10.Bxh6 gxh6 11.Qh5+ Kf8 12.Qf3+ Kg7 13.Qg3+ Kf7 14.Qf3+ Kg8 15.Qb3+ Kg7 16.Qg3+ Kf7, etc.
If White wants to play on, it would seem that 10.Qh5+ Nf7 11.exd6 followed by 12.Nc3 would be best.
10...Bg4
The unhappy point: White will lose his Queen.
11.Qg3 Bh4 12.Qf4 Rf8 13.Qxf8+ Kxf8
White continued the fight, but it was too much.
14.g3 Bg5 15.f4 Be7 16.Kf2 Qe8 17.h3 Bd7 18.Ke2 dxe5 19.fxe5 Qh5+ 20.Kd2 Bg5 21.Rae1 Bxe3+ 22.Rxe3 Qxe5 23.Kc1 Kg8 24.Rd1 Bxh3 25.Rd5 Qf6 26.b3 Rd8 27.Rc5 Qf2 28.Nd5 Rxd5 29.Rec3 Rxc5 White resigned
He came. He saw. He conquered.
That was J.H. Blackburne in 1885 – see "Flaws (Part I)" and "Flaws (Part II)" – and the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+).
Ever since, the Jerome Gambit Gemeinde has seen the Blackburne Defense – or parts of it, at least.
perrypawnpusher - Saveurking
blitz FICS, 2010
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
The good old Jerome Gambit. "Sound as a cracked bell," as Geoff Chandler has written.
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6
7.Qxe5
Now 7...Qe7, Whistler's Defense, is very strong, but not well known, while 7...d6, Blackburne's Defense, is not as strong, but much better known. Sort of.
Actually, I frequently run into opponents who play 6...g6 quickly and confidently... and then go into a long think.
7...Qf6
For the record, Amateur - Blackburne, London, 1885 continued: 7...d6 8.Qxh8 Qh4 9.0-0 Nf6 10.c3 Ng4 11.h3 Bxf2+ 12.Kh1 Bf5 13.Qxa8 Qxh3+ 14.gxh3 Bxe4 checkmate.
Fantastic!
My opponent in this game, however, lets me take a two-pawn lead.
8.Qxc5 c6 9.Nc3
Other games that started out well for White: 9.0-0 d6 (9...Ne7 10.d3 d6 11.Qe3 Be6 12.f4 Rhf8 13.e5 Qg7 14.exd6 Nf5 15.Qe5 Bd5 16.Nc3 Rae8 17.Qxg7+ Kxg7 18.Nxd5 cxd5 19.Bd2 Nxd6 20.Bc3+ Kg8 21.Rae1 Nf5 22.Rxe8 Rxe8 23.Kf2 a6 24.g3 Ne3 25.Re1 Ng4+ 26.Kg2 Rxe1 27.Bxe1 Ne3+ 28.Kf2 Nxc2 29.Ke2 Kf7 30.Bf2 Ke6 31.a3 Na1 32.d4 Nb3 33.Kd3 b5 34.Be1 Nc1+ 35.Kc2 Ne2 36.Kd3 Ng1 37.Ba5 Nh3 38.Ke3 g5 39.Bd8 gxf4+ 40.gxf4 Ng1 41.Kf2 Nh3+ 42.Kg3 Kf5 43.Kxh3 Ke4 44.Bb6 Kxf4 45.Kh4 Ke4 46.h3 Kf5 47.Kh5 Ke6 White resigned, UNPREDICTABLE - antoon, FICS 2009) 10.Qb4 Ne7 11.Nc3 Re8 12.d3 b6 13.Be3 c5 14.Qb3+ Be6 15.Qa3 a6 16.b4 Nc6 17.bxc5 bxc5 18.Qb2 Rab8 19.Qa3 Nd4 20.Bxd4 Qxd4 21.Ne2 Qb4 22.Qxa6 Rb6 23.c3 Qb2 24.Qa7+ Re7 25.Qa5 Reb7 26.c4 Qxe2 27.Qa8 Qxd3 28.Rfd1 Qc3 29.Rac1 Qe5 30.f3 Rb2 31.a4 Qf6 32.a5 Qg5 33.Rc2 Qe3+ 34.Kh1 Rb8 35.Qa7+ R2b7 36.Qa6 Qb3 37.Rcd2 Qxc4 38.Qxd6 Qb3 39.Qf4+ Kg7 40.e5 Rf7 41.Qh4 c4 42.Rc1 c3 43.Rdc2 Rd8 44.Rxc3 Rd1+ White resigned, Idealist - joffea, FICS, 2000.
9...Nh6
10.0-0 b6 11.Qe3 Ng4 12.Qg3 d6
This looks like an invitation for me to put my "Jerome pawns" into motion.
13.h3 Ne5 14.d4 Nc4 15.b3 Na5
16.Be3
Protecting the pawn at d4, but it is interesting to note that this was not necessary: if White played 16.Bg5 instead, and Black responded 16...Qxd4, 17.Qf4+ would have won a piece (17...Bf5 18.exf5) or allowed a sacrificial attack, say 17...Ke6 18.Nd5.
analysis diagram
Some day I would like to find this kind of move during a game, not after it. If 18...cxd5 19.exd5+ Qxd5 White's position is crushing afte 20.Rad1 and 21.Rfe1.
16...h5
Saveurking is not going to give up easily.
17.f4 h4 18.Qf3 Bb7
19.e5 dxe5 20.fxe5 Qxf3 21.Rxf3+ Ke6
My opponent was happy to exchange Queens, but there is more to this position than just attacking the King: I still have two extra pawns, one of them passed; plus better development and open lines.
22.Rf6+ Ke7 23.Raf1 Raf8 24.Rxf8 Rxf8 25.Rxf8 Kxf8
Again, piece exchanges have snuffed out any danger to Black's King, but this is not all that is going on.
My first chess book was Reuben Fine's Chess the Easy Way – available in paperback these days, used, for under $5.00 – and it gave me the idea (rightly or wrongly) that much of chess can be boiled down to: win a pawn, exchange everything else, win the K + P vs K endgame...
I have missed a lot of exciting chess by following this imagined "guideline," and I have been "bought off" with material too many times to mention; but I am almost always ready to cooperate with my opponents' wishes to "simplify" the position and stifle my attack – if it brings me closer to that fabled winning K + P endgame.
26.Bg5 c5
This move hastens the end. Black could try 26...Bc8 instead, with the idea of pulling his Knight back to b7 and then putting it back into the game via d8 and e6.
27.d5
The pawns will now decide the game.
27...Bc8 28.e6 Nb7 29.Ne4 Ke8 30.Kf2 b5
31.c4 bxc4 32.bxc4 Na5
33.Nd6+ Kf8 34.e7+ Kg7 Black resigned
White will Queen his pawn and deliver mate in a few move moves.
