The latest game from Vlasta Fejfar shows that even when Black plays one of the most dangerous defenses against the Jerome Gambit, he can lose - and lose quickly. A better and deeper understanding of the Jerome often outshines its "refutation", as the following crush shows.
vlastous - dogfish
internet, 2018
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Qe7
Whistler's defense. Although both lines are complicated, when White faces the Blackburne defense (7...d6) he can take the Rook at h8 and survive, while doing so against Whistler's defense runs a much greater risk.
8.Qf4+ Nf6
This is certainly a solid move, although it is already a step off of the "best" path. Black does best to play 8...Qf6, forcing White to again move his Queen.
9.e5 Bd6
Following in the footsteps of Jerome,A - Jaeger,D, correspondence,1879 (0-1, 45), but again not "best". Black should pressure the e-pawn, but more efficiently, i.e. 9...Re8.
10.d4 Kg7
Stepping out of the pin on his Knight and accepting the loss of a piece with 11.Qxf6+ Qxf6 12.exf6+ Kxf6 which would leave his King safe - but a pawn down.
11.Qh6+ Kf7 12.O-O
White is not in a hurry to win a piece, and, instead, safeguards his King (putting his Rook on the same file as the enemy King in the process).
12...Ng8
Black is nervous about the enemy Queen, but this retrograde move is not the solution. His best option was to return a piece for a couple of pawns with 12...Bxe5 13.dxe5 Qxe5, when White would have a slight edge.
13.Qf4+ Nf6
This can not have been comfortable for Black - repeating the position from move 10, but with White to move. Perhaps the best defense, instead, was 13...Kg7 14.exd6 Qxd6 15.Qxd6 cxd6, leaving him a pawn down, with a fractured pawn structure.
14.Nc3
Of course. Another piece to add to the action.
14...c6
Keeping the Knight off of d5 - but not out of the action!
15.Ne4 Rg8
Preparing to advance his g-pawn to kick out the Queen. After the expected 15...Bb8 16.Nxf6 White would be up a couple of pawns, and a Kingside attack would be on the agenda.
Now White crashes through.
16.Nxd6+ Kg7 17.exf6+ Qxf6
Hoping for an exchange of Queens and a release of some of the pressure - in vain.
18.Qh6+ Kh8 19.Bf4 b6 20.Be5 Black resigned
White will win the Queen, with checkmate to follow. I particularly like 20...Qxe5 21.Nf7 checkmate.
I have shared many games where White plays the notorious Jerome Gambit, patiently musters his forces, waits for the defender to make a mistake - and then pounces. After all, I like the Jerome Gambit, and it is fun to watch players use it and succeed.
Yet, I have not been shy about sharing the many refutations of the opening, as well. A line of play can be both exciting and dangerous for the user.
So, as a bit of balance, here is a three minute game that shows Black has chances, too. ☺ (He should: he is rated +200 above White.)
Readers should follow the links to see more alternative ideas for White.
Chess-For-All - Sveti14
3 0 blitz, lichess.org 2017
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 9.Nc3
I was surprised to find only 13 games in The Database with this move, with White scoring only 46%. (Still, that is a bit of a step up from the 42% score for White after his 7th move.)
9...Kf7
Also seen: 9...Nh5 in Wall,B - Ahmadi,S, Chess.com, 2010 (0-1, 59) and 9...Ng4 in perrypawnpusher - klixar, blitz, FICS, 2007 (1-0, 33).
10.O-O Re8
Black has also done well with 10...Rf8 as in perrypawnpusher - truuf, blitz, FICS, 2011 (0-1, 32) and Wall,B - Guest874250, PlayChess.com, 2014 (0-1, 32).
11.d3 Kg8
Taking care of business by castling-by-hand.
Also seen: 11...Qe7 as in mrjoker - creeredes, Internet Chess Club,
2008 (0-1, 26)
12.h3
Adopting the come-and-get-me strategy that puts the onus on Black to make something out of his material advantage. Sometimes this can be a part of a psychological push by White that unsettles his opponent - but, not today. Perhaps he should have ignored the move and gone ahead with winning the "minor exhange" with 12.Na4.
12...Qe7 13.Kh1
This reminds me of the quote by the Joker in "The Dark Knight" movie: "Come on. I want you to do it. I want you to do it. Hit me. Hit me! I want you to hit me!"
13...Qf7 14.Be3 Nh5 15.Qh4 Bb6
16.Nd5 Nf6 17.Nxb6 axb6 18.a3 d5 19.f3 Be6
20.g4
Time to try to stir things up a bit.
20...Nd7 21.Bd4
A move that is easy to understand, but repositioning the Bishop might have been better done by playing 21.Rae1 first, and if 21...c5, then 22.Bd2, eventually coming to c3. This subtle idea is brought to you by Stockfish 8.
21...Rf8
22.f4
Impatient - but, remember this is a 3 0 game.
The recommended line by Stockfish 8 would have been hard to work out, even in a slower game, with White finally developing pressure on the Kingside to offset Black's gains on the Queenside: 22.Qg3 c5 23.Bc3 d4 24.Be1 c4 25.f4 Nc5 26.f5 Bd7 27.Rd1 Bb5 28.Rf3 Rac8 29.Bb4 cxd3 30.cxd3 Rfe8 31.Rd2 Qb3 32.Kg2 Nd7 33.Rff2 Rc1 34.Kh2 Ne5 35.f6 Qf7 36.Rf5 gxf6 37.g5 Qg7 and Black would still be better.
22...dxe4 23.dxe4 Bc4 24.Rf2 Rae8 25.Re1 Rxe4 26.Rxe4 Bd5
The a8-h1 diagonal is deadly.
27.Rfe2 Re8 28.Be5 Bxe4+ 29.Rxe4 Qd5
Again.
30.Qe1 Nc5 White resigned
Ouch.
Here is the second game recently shared by shugart. It is "slower" than the previous one, being a 3-minute blitz game. The kind of quick thinking that sugart shows is pretty impressive: the name of the game is tactics.
shugart - mijac
3 0 blitz, FICS, 2017
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8
The Jerome Defense to the Jerome Gambit, played successfully by Alonzo Wheeler Jerome in two correspondence games against Daniel Jaeger in 1880.
7 Qxe5 Qe7 8.Qf4+
shugart has also tried 8.Qd5, e.g. 8...d6 9.O-O Nf6 10.Qc4 Be6 11.Qe2 Re8 12.c3 Kg8 13.d4 Bb6 14.f3 c5 15.d5 Bd7 16.c4 a5 17.Bf4 Ba7 18.Nc3 h6 19.Bg3 Kh7 20.Rae1 Rhf8 21.Qc2 Qf7?! 22.e5+ Kh8 23.exf6 Qxf6 24.Ne4 Qf5 25.Nxd6? Qxc2 26.Nxe8 Rxe8 27.Rxe8+ Bxe8 28.h3 Qxc4 29.Re1 Qc3 30.Rxe8+ Black forfeited on time, shugart - orakel, lightning, FICS, 2014.
He has also played 8.Qg3, which looks like a mouse slip: 8...Qxe4+ 9.Kd1 d5 10.Qxc7 Bxf2 11.Rf1 Bg4 checkmate, shugart - bakugan, lightning, FICS, 2014.
8...Nf6
Of about similar strength was 8...Qf6, e.g. 9.Qg3 Bd6 10.Qe3 b6 11.c3 Bb7 12.O-O Re8 13.f3 Ke7 14.d4 Kd8 15.e5 Bxe5 16.dxe5 Rxe5 17.Qd4 Ne7 18.Nd2 Nc6 19.Qd3 Rhe8 20.Ne4 Qe7 21.Bg5 Black resigned, shugart - eggert, blitz, FICS, 2013.
9.d3 d5 10.e5 Bd6
Black was doing well, with an extra piece (for two pawns) and better development, despite his more exposed King. His plan to win the e-pawn is proably a blitz oversight.
mijac would have done better with 10...Ke8. He was apparently not thinking in that direction as he observed his pinned Knight being attacked by White's pinned pawn.
11.d4 Kg8 12.O-O Nh5
13.exd6 cxd6 14.Qf3 Nf6
The position has calmed down, but Black has all the weaknesses.
15.Bg5 Kf7 16.Bxf6 gxf6 17.Qxd5+ Kg7 18.Nc3 Be6 19.Rae1 Kf7
Protecting for a second time the twice-attacked Bishop - but there is a tactical continuation for White, the kind that wins blitz games.
20.Qh5+ Kf8 21.d5 Bf7
Not a saving move, but a good try in a desperate situation.
22.Qh6+ Ke8 23.Rxe7+ Kxe7
24.Re1+ Kd7 25.Qh3+ Kc7 26.Re7+ Kb6 27.Qe3+ Black resigned
Black's Bishop is hanging - but, even worse, his King is in a mating net.
In the current Giuoco Piano thematic tournament at Chess.com I am in first place (although this may change) and my only chance to finish on the top of the field is to win my last Jerome Gambit game - which is in the endgame stage. So far, I have 3 wins, 3 wins on time, and 2 losses with the Jerome.
I was surprised to find that I had not presented on this blog the following game with the Jerome Gambit, from the same tournament. In part this may be due to the fact that my opponent forfeited a significant number of his games - but not before he had won a full point from me. If only I had lost slower!
perrypawnpusher - ulisimbolon
Giuoco Piano Thematic Tournament
Chess.com, 2016
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8
The is the defense played, successfully, by Alonzo Wheeler Jerome in two correspondence games against Daniel Jaeger in 1880.
Previously, I had faced 6...Kf8 31 times, winning 22 games, losing 6 games, and drawing 3; scoring 76%.
7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qg3 Nf6 9.d3 h5
Very aggressive! Black does not worry about the position of his King, he attacks. While the move looks like a novelty, there are actually 3 earlier games in The Database.
10.Bg5
Or 10.O-O Kg8 11.Bg5 Qf8 12.c3 Ng4 13.d4 Bb6 14.h4 c5 15.Be3 Bd7 16.Nd2 Re8 17.Rae1 Bb5 18.c4 cxd4 19.Bf4 Bc6 20.Bxd6 Qf7 21.e5 Rh6 22.Ne4 Bxe4 23.Rxe4 Rg6 24.c5 Bd8 25.Qf4 Qxa2 26.Rxd4 Qxb2 27.Rb4 Qe2 28.Rxb7 Qa2 29.f3 Nh6 30.Rf2 Qa1+ 31.Kh2 Qa6 32.Qc4+ Qxc4 White resigned, MrJoker - PhlebasP, Internet Chess Club, 2011;
or 10.h3 Be6 11.O-O Qe7 12.Nc3 Ke8 13.Bd2 Kd7 14.Rae1 Raf8 15.a3 h4 16.Qg6 Kc8 17.Kh2 Qf7 18.Qxf7 Rxf7 19.f4 g6 20.b4 Bb6 21.Na4 Nh5 22.Nxb6+ axb6 23.Rf3 Rhf8 24.Ref1 Kd7 25.c4 c6 26.Bc1 Ke7 27.R1f2 b5 28.cxb5 cxb5 29.d4 Rc8 30.Bb2 Bc4 31.d5 Nf6 32.Re3 Kd7 33.g3 hxg3+ 34.Kxg3 Nh5+ 35.Kg4 Rcf8 36.Ref3 Nf6+ 37.Bxf6 Rxf6 38.Kg5 Ke7 39.f5 Rg8 40.fxg6 Rgxg6+ 41.Kh4 Rh6+ 42.Kg3 Rxf3+ 43.Rxf3 Be2 44.Rf4 Rg6+ 45.Kf2 Bd3 46.Rh4 Kd7 47.Rh7+ Kc8 48.Rh8+ Kc7 49.Rh7+ Kb6 50.Re7 Rh6 51.Kg3 Rg6+ 52.Kf4 Rg1 53.Rd7 Rf1+ 54.Ke3 Bb1 55.Rxd6+ Kc7 56.Re6 Rh1 57.Kd4 Rxh3 58.Kc5 Bd3 59.d6+ Kc8 60.Re8+ Kd7 61.Re7+ Kc8 62.e5 Bf5 63.Kxb5 Rxa3 64.e6 Bxe6 65.Rxe6 Kd7 66.Re7+ Kxd6 67.Rxb7 Rb3 68.Ka6 Ra3+ 69.Kb6 Rb3 70.b5 Ra3 71.Rb8 Ra1 72.Rd8+ Ke7 73.Rd4 Black resigned, MrJoker - PhlebasP, Internet Chess Club, 2012.
10...Be6
Or 10...h4 11.Qf4 Qe7 12.Nc3 Bd4 13.Nd5 Qf7 14.c3 Be5 15.Qd2 Nxd5 16.exd5 Bf5 17.d4 Bf6 18.Bxf6 Qxf6 19.O-O Re8 20.Rfe1 Kf7 21.Re3 Rxe3 22.fxe3 Qg5 23.Rf1 Kg6 24.Qf2 Re8 25.Qxf5+ Qxf5 26.Rxf5 Kxf5 27.Kf2 g5 28.h3 Ke4 29.Ke2 Rf8 30.c4 c6 31.dxc6 bxc6 32.b4 a6 33.a4 Rb8 34.b5 cxb5 35.axb5 axb5 36.cxb5 Rxb5 37.Kf2 Rb3 38.g3 hxg3+ 39.Kxg3 Rxe3+ 40.Kg4 Kxd4 41.Kxg5 Rxh3 42.Kf5 Re3 43.Kf4 Re8 44.Kf5 Kc4 45.Kf4 d5 White resigned, Petasluk - fluigi, FICS, 2009.
11.Nc3 b5 12.O-O
Deciding that the Kingside would be safer for my monarch than the Queenside.
12...Qd7 13.Kh1 Bd4 14.f4 Ng4 15.Ne2
After the game Stockfish 7 recommended a line that shows how complicated the game is, but which would lead to only an edge for Black: 15.h3 b4 16.Nd1 Qf7 17.a3 bxa3 18.Rxa3 Bd7 19.Qe1 Re8 20.c4 Nf6 21.Bh4 Kg8 22.Bf2 Bb6 23.b4 c5 24.bxc5 dxc5 25.Bh4 Bc6 26.Nc3 Qd7 27.Qe3 a5 28.e5 a4 This kind of play is above my head.
15...Bxb2 16.Rab1 Bf6 17.d4
After the game Stockfish 7 was critical of this move, but its suggested play - giving up a pawn (eventually the exchange), allowing a passed pawn on the Queenside, opening up the h-file for Black's Rook against my King - looks like a fever dream (although it claims Black is only 3/4 of a pawn ahead at the end): 17.h3 Bxa2 18.Rbe1 Bb2 19.hxg4 hxg4+ 20.Kg1 a5 21.f5 a4 22.Qxg4 a3 23.Qf3 Re8 24.Be3 b4 25.Nf4 Kg8 26.g4 Bc3 27.Re2 Bf7 28.g5 a2 29.g6 a1=Q 30.Rxa1 Bxa1 31.gxf7+ Qxf7 32.Ng6 Rh7. Whew!
17...Bxa2 18.Rbe1 Bc4 19.e5 Bxg5 20.fxg5+ Kg8 21.Qf3
I wish I could say that I had seen Stockfish 7's recommendation, and merely rejected it, but I had no idea: 21.h3 a5 22.Kg1 dxe5 23.hxg4 hxg4 24.dxe5 a4 25.Rf4 a3 26.Nd4 a2 27 Ra1 Qe8 28.e6 Bxe6 29.Nxe6 Qxe6 30.Qb3 Qxb3 31.cxb3 g3 32.Rf3 Kh7 33.Rxg3 Rhe8 34.Kf2 Kg6 35.Rc3 Re7 36.Rc6+ Kxg5. The computer sees Black as up 2 3/4 pawns.
21...Re8 22.g6 dxe5 White resigned
I had been looking at 23.Qf7+ here, "winning" a Rook, when I suddenly realized that the f7 square was protected by Black's light-squared Bishop. Discouraged, and down a piece and a pawn, I gave the game up.
The first thing that comes to mind at the mention of the Jerome Gambit is not "positional play". Yet, in the following game Bill Wall works to delay the development of Black's light-squared Bishop (a state of affairs that is often deadly for the second player) even at the cost of trading Queens.
Wall, Bill- NN
lichess.org, 2016
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bxd4 7.Qxd4
Qf6
With both defense and a trap in mind.
8.Qc5 Qd6 9.Qxd6
Black's Bishop will not be travelling on the c8-h3 diagonal.
For 9.Qc3 see Wall, B - Guest3967134, PlayChess.com, 2015. Also 8.Qe3 as in Wall,B - Tsyalex, PlayChess.com, 2015 (1-0, 20); and 8.Qd1 as seen in an unfinished correspondence game Jerome,A - Norton, D.P., 1876, and the later Jerome,A - Jaeger,D, correspondence, 1879, (1-0, 35).
Don't overlook "Why Did He Play That Move?"
9...cxd6 10.Bf4
The alternative, 10.O-O, was seen in Wall,B - berserkergang, FICS, 2011,
(1-0, 21).
10...Nf6 11.Nc3 b6 12.O-O-O Ke6 13.Nb5
13...Nxe4
Black protects the pawn at d6, but not the space at c7. Perhaps he has his eyes on his own fork at f2.
14.Nc7+ Ke7 15.Nxa8 Nxf2 16.Bg5+ Kf7
Not as good is 16...Ke6, i.e. 17.Rhf1 Ned3+ (not 17...Nxd1 18.Nc7#) 18.cxd3 Nxd1 19.Nc7+ Ke5 20.Kxd1 Bb7. Black's Bishop is finally developed, but he is worse.
Black continues, but his oversight on move 21 seals the game.
17.Rhf1 Kg6 18.Rxf2 Kxg5 19.Nc7 Bb7 20.Nb5 a6 21.Nxd6
Be4 22.Nxe4+ Black resigned
The following game is my third Jerome Gambit in the Chess.com Giuoco Piano tournament. With two wins and a draw, I am happy with "my" opening - but, as the following game shows, my middlegame play needs improvement!
perrypawnpusher - dzetto00
Giuoco Piano tournament, Chess.com, 2016
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5. Nxe5+ Nxe5 6. Qh5+ Kf8
Here we have the Jerome Defense to the Jerome Gambit, dating back to a couple of correspondence games, Daniel Jaeger - Alonzo Wheeler Jerome, 1880 (Black won both).
7.Qxe5 Qe7 8.Qf4+ Ke8 9.O-O
Instead, 9.Nc3 Nf6 10.O-O Bd6 was how perrypawnpusher - Chesssafety, Italian Game, Chess.com, 2012 (1-0, 25) continued. Of Black's 10th move I noted "an interesting idea that sets up tactical chances on the Kingside" although I criticized White's next move, 11.Qe3 - "Carrying on as if everything is "normal", while Black actually can play 11...Ng4 now, with serious threats."
9...Bd6
Less aggressive was 9...d6 in Petasluk - ilanel, blitz, FICS, 2014 (0-1, 49)
10.Qf3
Trying to follow the lesson of perrypawnpusher - Chesssafety, Chess.com, 2012. For once I did not want Black's Knight to "harass" my Queen (after 10.Qe3) with a move like 10...Ng4.
10...c5 11.d3 h6 12.Nc3 Nf6
Black has defended against Bc1-g5, as well as d2-d4.
White's strategy should be to quickly get his Rooks working on the e- and f-files - especially since Black's King and Queen are precariously placed. Unfortunately, that will mean developing his dark-squared Bishop to either a meaningless square (d2) or exchanging it off and easing Black's "traffic jam" (i.e. the Bishop at d6 blocks the pawn at d7 which blocks the Bishop at c8 which blocks the Rook at a8).
13.Bf4 Bxf4 14.Qxf4 d6 15.Rae1 Nh5 16.Qd2 Be6 17.f4
Finally White has a Jerome-looking position! My big challenge was could I make use of the time that my opponent spent on 10...c5, 11...h6 and 15...Nh5 ? The answer is "yes" - and "no".
17...Kd7 18.e5 Rhf8 19.d4
Hoping to open up central files against the King and Queen.
19...Rxf4
A surprise.
20.Rxf4 Nxf4 21.Qxf4 Qg5
Another surprise; and, actually, not the best move.
I exchanged Queens here, as I thought it would mean at least a drawn endgame, with some chances to win. It seemed to be a good idea at the time.
22.Qxg5 hxg5 23.d5
My original idea had been to exchange Queens and then play 23.exd6 Kxd6 24.dxc5, but then I saw that 23...cxd4 for Black, instead, messed up things. I then looked at 23.dxc5 dxc5, but I was concerned that the open position would favor Black's Bishop and make things drawish (or worse).
I finally came upon an idea that was paradoxical (and wrong) - a line where I thought I could get serious play in a closed position.
23...Bf5 24.e5+ Ke7 25.Rf1 Rf8 drawn
I had totally overlooked the simple idea of Black using the Rook for protection of the Bishop. Instead, I was caught up with the ideas behind 25...Bxc2? 26.Rf7+, etc. (I lost our first game by similarly overlooking a move, thinking he had to block a check with his Rook - when I would have good play - when he simply used his Knight, and I was busted.)
My opponent suggested that we had reached a draw, and I agreed by offering one, which he accepted.
By the way, the proper response to 21...Qg5 was 22.Qf3!?, continuing the attack on Black's King, by making use of a diagonal as well as the central files, e.g. 22...Rb8 23.dxc5 Qf5 24.Qd1, but that is computer analysis that I need to study another day...
