A GM Faces the Jerome Gambit (Part 1)

How many players of grandmaster strength have faced the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+)?

I can think of Joseph Henry Blackburne, author of the notorious 1884 dismantling of the opening.

(Please, let's not revisit the "urban legend" that Alekhine lost to the Jerome. Thank you.)

Of course, if we step outside the main lines and include the Open Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit (otherwise known as the Noa Gambit, or the Monck Gambit) - 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Nxe4 5.Bxf7+ - then we can add , Charousek, Euwe, Lasker, Marco, Marshall, Tarrasch, Teichmann, and Zukertort, for starters.

For today, let's not go there, either.

Still, I have just learned of a Jerome Gambit, played at bullet speed, online, against a grandmaster.

Let me share some recent exchanges of email with the legendary Australian "Cliff Hardy", player of the white pieces. There will be some move references, but do not let them distract you - I will be presenting the game, with annotations, in due time.

Hi Rick! 

Sorry to inundate you with another game but, after playing the Jerome Gambit for years, I finally got my first chance to play a Jerome Gambit against a GM! It was GM Yasser Quesada Perez, from Cuba.  

Unfortunately, I didn't win 😭... 

Because GM Quesada Perez is quite new to Lichess - our game was only his 15th bullet game on the site - his bullet rating on Lichess is comparatively low for his standard of chess (his standard FIDE rating is much higher at 2572) and so I expect it will soon probably go a lot higher than it was at the time of this game.

Of course, I replied quickly

Hi, Cliff, 

Very glad to receive your game against Quesada Perez! 

Certainly provides one answer to the question "How would a GM respond to the Jerome Gambit??" 

Of course, it still leaves unanswered things like "How can you play such a coherent game with 1 second a move thinking time?" 

I have been going over the game, and will try to treat it with both a sense of respect and wonder when I post it on my blog - with you, your opponent, and my good pal, Stockfish 10, playing way over my head, it's a bit of a challenge to make sense of, and then share with readers. But, that's the whole point, I guess. 

[Black's 9th move] gave me a chuckle. It's a novelty, according to The Database, although your game later could transpose into a couple of online games from 2017. I can imagine the GM thinking: The only thing wrong with my position is that White may think he has an attack; so, let's exchange queens, and the rest will work itself out. No need for concrete analysis, especially in a bullet game.

Chances are, similar thinking produced [Black's 6th move]. It would be scary think a GM actually had a refutation to the Jerome Gambit in his repertoire. Most likely he thought (or just reacted) he'd settle for something reasonable, and figure the rest out later. I have seen that kind of thinking in numerous defenses to the Jerome - but the players were not super strong, and the "figuring" was much less effective.Stockfish 10 raises it's eyebrows only at [Black's 17th move], and its recommended followup for White is complicated and not at all clear to me, at least at this point - reaching =/+ in some lines, which has got to be the same as "=" in a bullet game (unless I'm playing, when it would be "-++" )

Nice game. Good to see you taking it to "the man". I mean - why not? I would do the same - although the comment was never truer than, for me, "After 1.e4, White's game is in its final throes". 

Thanks for sharing. 

I hope to learn more, and it'll show up in the blog. 

Rick

And Cliff came back with

Hi Rick! 

I was initially afraid you might not want to see the game, as it was a loss where I never really even got a great position, but I was quite excited to finally get a chance to play a GM with the Jerome. I was also quite glad I didn't botch it by just hanging a queen on move 8 or so 😉. 

Yes, I think he made it all up because he seemed to spend a bit more time on the first few moves. Now that Lichess shows move times, I can see that he took a "whopping" 2.0 seconds to play [his 6th move] 😉 , so it was one of his slowest moves in the game 😉. He spent even longer on [his 9th move]  (2.9 seconds on that move) so I guess he was trying to work out some sort of defence that would work best for him, like you said. Unfortunately, I tried to move too quickly and played [my 10th move] there - although who knows, technically [an alternate 10th move] is not that much better a move anyway... 

Yes, I noticed with the analysis that the computer didn't like [Black's 17th move] - but that was way over my head too! 😉 It was good fun to try against the GM and I will try to remember to throw in [the alternate 10th move] next time [his 9th move] is played. 

Also, it shows how there are so many GM's in the world - there's always some you've never heard of - or, at least, I'd never heard of this guy before this game! 

Bye

Me

[To be continued...] 

Jerome Gambit: House of Cards

After the previous hectic game shared here, perhaps it is time to post a simple encounter where a lot goes right for White, too much goes wrong for Black, and a good laugh was probably had by all - after all, the time control was again, 1 minute, no increment. 

angelcamina - buhua
1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2019

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nc3 Nc6 4.Bc4 Bc5 5.Bxf7+ 

The Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 Re8 

One way to return a piece. There are 30 examples in The Database.
White scores 68%, although Stockfish 10 gives Black the clear advantage. (Welcome to the Jerome Gambit.)

8.dxe5 Rxe5 9.O-O Kg8 10.Bf4 d6 

An automatic response that wasn't thought through enough. Black's game collapses like a house of cards.

11.Bxe5 dxe5 12.Qxd8+ Ne8 13.Qxe8+ Bf8 14.Nd5 Kh8 15.Qxf8 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: Three Way Tactical Battle

The following game, a 1-minute, no increment example of the Noa Gambit, otherwise known as the Monck Gambit, otherwise known as the Open Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit, quickly becomes what appears to be a tactical battle among White, Black, and the clock. The game is entertaining, but, please, don't ask me to explain it all; I have shared some of Stockfish 10's ideas, but I think they mostly make things more complicated. 

The end of the game reminds me of the story of two guys who are walking in the forest, when they are suddenly discovered by a large animal. One of the guys opens his backpack, takes out his running shoes, and begins to put them on. "What do you think you are doing?" his companion asks. "You will never outrun that animal." "I don't have to outrun the animal," said the first guy, "I only have to outrun you."

In the following game, the time clock is the animal.  

angelcamina - florianschreib
1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2019

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Nxe4 5.Bxf7+

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe4 d5 7.Nc3 e4 8.Ng1 Bc5 

It is hard to believe that White volunteered for this position. The best that can be said is that he did not sacrifice 2 pieces to get there, which often happens in a Jerome Gambit.

9.d4 Bxd4 10.Nge2 Bb6 11.O-O Rf8 12.Nxd5 Kg8 

White has castled. Black has castled-by-hand. The game is just about balanced, and whoever comes up with some good ideas - quickly - will gain the advantage.

13.Nxb6 axb6 14.Qe1 Ne5 15.Qc3 Qf6 16.Bf4 Ng4 17.Qxf6 Nxf6 18.Bxc7 Bg4 19.Ng3 Rac8 

20.Bxb6 Rxc2 21.Bd4 Rd8 22.Bc3 b5 23.a3 Rd3 24.h3 Be6 25.Rad1 

Okay, Readers. The players have 1 or 2 seconds to find each move. What would you play here?

25...Bb3

It is not immediately clear, but 25...Bc4, protecting the Rook at d3 against the threat Nxe4, would be better.

The complications begin to pile up.

26.Rxd3

Now, 26.Nxe4 would work, but you would have to see - in a second or two - that 26...Rcxc3 27.Nxc3 Bxd1 28.Rxd1 Rxd1+ 29.Nxd1 would be the outcome, leaving White up a couple of pawns in a technical endgame. (I think White had 15 seconds left on his clock!)

26...exd3

27.Rd1 

Immediately targeting the passed d-pawn.

Strongest, though, if still losing, for White, was 27.Nf5 Nd5 28.Ba5 Rxb2 29.Nd4 Ba4 30.Nf3 b4!? which is a nifty line that you could work out if you were playing correspondence - not bullet - chess.

27...Bc4

Black, in turn, misses the killer 27...Rxc3. (It looks like he had 7 seconds left on his clock.)

28.Ne4 

Stockfish 10 suggests 28.Bd4!?, with the idea that 28...Nd5 29.Kh2  Nf4 30.Ne4 Bb3 31.Nd2 Rxb2 32.Bxb2 Bxd1 33.f3 Kf7 gives White a defense against the passer, with an even game. But even Stockfish took longer than a second to find that line.

28...Nd5

Black did not trust - or did not find - 28...Nxe4.

29.Nd2 Nxc3 30.Nxc4 

Bypassing the ordinary recapture, 30.bxc3, although the game would be equal if he could find 30...Rxc3 31.a4!?. (10 seconds left on the clock.)

30...Rxb2 

This has to be the clock (5 seconds left), as Black bypasses the win of a Rook (31...Nxd1) in order to lose one. But the game is not over yet!

31.Rxd3 

Oh, no, same problem.

31...Nd1 

Instead, 31...Ne2+, safeguarding the Knight - with check - would allow him to then grab the Rook.

32.Kh2

White sees the Knight threat. But not the Rook.

32...Rc2

33.Rd8+ Kf7 34.Ne3 Nxe3 35.fxe3 Rf2 36.Rd7+ Kg6 37.Ra7 Black lost on time (in a roughly equal position)

Amazing game. I had to relax after simply playing it over...

Jerome Gambit: Challenge After Challenge

The following game is another example of how the Jerome Gambit piles up challenge after challenge for the defender, until he finally slips and loses the game.

angelcamina - jeancharleslenoir
1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2019

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+

The Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit. It can be reached via the Jerome Gambit proper: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nc3 Nf6.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 Bxd4 8.Qxd4 d6 9.f4 Nc6 

So far, Black is defending well. In fact, The Database shows that from this position White scores only 38%. But - remember, this is a 1-minute game, and, while Black had to figure out what he is going to do, White has the standard Jerome Gambit ideas, like castling and advancing his "Jerome pawns". Will Black be able to keep up?

10.Qc4+ Be6 11.Qe2 Re8 12.O-O Nd4 13.Qf2 c5

So far, so good. Black has developed his minor pieces, including cementing a Knight at d4.

However, the second player now seems to fall victim to the kind of thinking that produces the "halo effect" - Surely, he reasons, White has not thrown away a piece for nothing. His attack must be really real.

14.e5 dxe5

This capture was made automatically, but was neither necessary nor best. Given enough time, Black would figure this out - but there is not enough time.

15.fxe5 Rf8 

Rushing reinforcements to the f-file. Instead, he could have simply given back the sacrificed piece with 15...Kg8, or struck back with 15...Bc4.

16.exf6 Nf5 

Blocking the dangerous f-file, which the King will soon escape from.

17.fxg7 Kxg7 18.Qxc5

White is happily up 2 pawns, although, after 18...Qd4+ 19.Qxd4 Nxd4 20.Bf4 Nxc2 Black would regain 1, and the Bishops-of-opposite-colors could prove drawish.

18...Rc8 

This is active, but it is not enough to save the game.

19.Qe5+ Kf7

Back onto the danger file.

20.g4 Qd6 

A fatal slip.

21.Qxd6 Kg6 22.Qxe6+ Black resigned

Jerome Gambit: Bullet Weapon

As the games of angelcamina, on lichess.org, show, the Jerome Gambit is an effective weapon in bullet - one minute, no increment, time control - chess. The attack can be powerful when there is little time to create a defense. The chaos across the board encourages errors and benefits the player more experienced with Jerome themes.

angelcamina - slowjac
1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2019

 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+ 

The Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 Bb6 

Black makes a reasonable move, but it is often the case that reasonable moves are not enough in the Jerome Gambit.

8.dxe5 Ne8 9.Qd5+ 

Next time, angelcamina will no doubt try 9.Qh5+!?

9...Kf8 10.b3 c6 11.Ba3+ c5 12.Na4 d6 13.Nxb6 axb6 

Things are pretty messy, but I think White's position is easier to find moves for.

14.O-O-O Bd7 15. Kb2 Rxa3

An interesting idea, hoping to make use of the a-file that White had opened. Still, Black might have done better by continuing with the idea that he had started, trying 15...Bc6.

16.Kxa3

Stockfish 10 sees this position as equal, but, if you have to select a plan - or even a move - quickly, White has to be for choice.

16...Qc7

Intsead, after the already mentioned 16...Bc6, White would have a Rook and a pawn or two against Black's two extra pieces, and the game would be balanced.

Now the "Jerome pawns" start to make themselves felt. 

17.exd6 Qc6 18.Qd3 Nf6 19.e5 Ne8 20.f4 g6 21.Rhf1 b5 22.Kb2 Kg7 23.g4 Rf8 24.f5 c4 25.Qc3 b4 26.Qxb4 c3+ 27.Qxc3 Qxc3+ 28.Kxc3 gxf5 29.gxf5 

28...Bxf5 30.d7 Bxd7 31.Rxd7+ Kh6 

Abandoning the Rook at f8, but it really doesn't matter; the game is over. Only the clock can save Black now, and White has enough firepower to move quickly toward checkmate.

32.Rxf8 Nc7 33.Rxc7 b6 34.Rf6+ Kg5 35.Rb7 Kg4 36.Rbxb6 h5 37.Rb7 h4 38.Rg7+ Kh3 39.Rh7 Kxh2 40.Rxh4+ Kg1 41.Rh7 Kg2 42.Rg7+ Black resigned