Jerome Gambit: My Opponent Knows What He Is Doing (Part 1)

While it looks like I am headed for a 3rd place finish (out of 6) in the 3rd round of the "Italian Battleground" tournament at Chess.com, I will at least have some Jerome Gambit tales to tell from the experience.

I have already shared my 3rd round game perrypawnpusher - Abhishek29, "Italian Battleground", Chess.com, 2019 (1-0, 35) - my second win in this tournament against that opponent, having defeated him in in Round 1 - see perrypawnpusher - Abhishek29, "Italian Battleground", Chess.com, 2019 (1-0, 19).

The current game is a rematch with an opponent that I faced in Round 2 - see perrypawnpusher - warwar, "Italian Battleground", Chess.com, 2019 (1-0, 39). I was a bit concerned, the way "real" chessplayers are concerned about "real" chess openings: how much had he learned about the Jerome Gambit in the meantime?

It turned out to be an interesting battle between the "Jerome pawns" and the defender's extra piece, but, most of all, between someone who had prepared the opening and someone who had to improvise in the middlegame and endgame.

perrypawnpusher - warwar
"Italian Battleground", Chess.com, 2019

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

When the game was over, the Chess.com site offered to do a quick computer analysis. Not surprisingly, this move was labelled a blunder.

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 

warwar adopts the Jerome Defense, first suggested by Alonzo Wheeler Jerome in his analysis in an article in the Dubuque Chess Journal of July, 1874. It was first played in Jaeger - Jerome, correspondence, 1880 (1-0, 40).

Interestingly enough, Abhishek29 was playing the same defense against me in the same round, too. My record, at that point, against the line was 25 - 6 - 3, a decent 78% score.

7.Qxe5 d6

As I wrote in the article that I had prepared for Kaissiber (unfortunately, never published)

The defenses 6…Kf8 and 6…Ng6 have had their supporters and detractors, depending on how each evaluated the alternatives – was it better to hold onto a little material and avoid complications, or to enter them confidently, knowing that they would turn the game even more in your favor? 

Jerome (DCJ 7/1874) first suggested 6…Kf8. He followed it with 7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qf4+ Nf6 9.c3 Kf7 10.d4 Bb6 11.e5 dxe5 12.dxe5 Re8 13.0-0 Kg8 14.exf6 Qxf6 15.Qxf6 gxf6 16.Bh6 “and White has a pawn ahead.” (Actually, the game is even; but Jerome missed that earlier his 11.e5 was premature, as after the pawn exchange 12…Qd3 would be crushing – Paul Keiser, personal communication. The alternative 8…Ke8 was seen in 5 games in the Yetman – Farmer 2008 match.) 

As Sorensen (NS 5/1877) did not mention 6…Kf8, it was not touched upon by other writers until Freeborough and Rankin (COAM, 1889) suggested that it led to a safe game for Black, giving the line 7.Qxe5 Qe7 8.Qf5+ Ke8 9.Nc3 d6 10.Qf3 Qf7 (or 10...Nf6!) 11.Qe2 Nh6 (or 11...Ne7 or 11...Nf6) with “a superior position or game” to Black. 

A hundred years after Jerome, Harding, in his Counter Gambits (1974), varied, after 7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qf4+ Nf6 with 9.d3 Kg8 10.Nc3 Qe8 11.Be3 Bb4 12.0-0 Be6 13.Ne2 Qh5 14.Nd4 Bd7 15.c3 Bc5, advantage to Black. His comment in The Italian Game (1977) was that after 7…d6, White was left “without genuine compensation for his piece.” He sagely recommended the 6…Kf8 line as “other lines would allow White to attack the exposed black king or to win back the sacrificed material.”

8.Qg3 

I experimented with Jerome's 8.Qf4+ in perrypawnpusher - Capt. Mandrake, Jerome Gambit 3 thematic tournament, ChessWorld.com, 2008 (1-0, 9) and perrypawnpusher - LeeBradbury, "Italian Game" Thematic, Chess.com, 2012 (1-0, 36).

I also tried 8.Qc3 in perrypawnpusher - Raankh, blitz, FICS, 2009 (0-1, 22).

There is not much difference in the strength between these two moves and the text, or even 8.Qh5, if Stockfish 9 is to be believed.

8...Nf6 9.Nc3 Kf7 

Abhishek29 chose 9...Be6 in our Round 3 game.

Years ago, perrypawnpusher - klixar, blitz, FICS, 2007 (1-0, 33) continued 9...Ng4.

perrypawnpusher - truuf, blitz, FICS, 2011 (0-1, 32) continued with the text move.

[to be continued]

Jerome Gambit: Take the Half-Point (Part 1)

I have finished my first Jerome Gambit game in the third round of the "Italian Battleground" tournament, online at Chess.com. It was a curious game, with creative and challenging opening play by my opponent. I was able to squeeze out the win by relying on a greater familiarity with the Jerome Gambit, by utilizing some psychology - and by recognizing some of the tactical opportunities available to me.

perrypawnpusher - Abhishek29
"Italian Battleground", Chess.com, 2019

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

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

The Jerome Defense was first suggested by Alonzo Wheeler Jerome in an article in the Dubuque Chess Journal of July, 1874, and seen, initially, in Jaeger - Jerome, correspondence, 1880 (1-0, 40).

My opponent had played 6...Ng6 against me in our first round game, so I was expecting something different this time. Because I read this blog, myself, I wasn't totally surprised by 6...Kf8, as I had written elsewhere

The biggest trouble I have had, in terms of main Jerome Gambit opening lines, has been with 6...Kf8, where I scored only 77% in 33 games.

In 647 games with the Jerome Defense in The Database, White has scored 49%. That's not a very exciting figure, but it compares well with the 46% that White scores in the 14,390 games with 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ in The Database.

7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qg3 Nf6 9.Nc3

Varying from 9.d3 in my most recent game against the defense in perrypawnpusher - Sarantes, "Let's Play The Italian Game" tournament, Chess.com, 2018 (1-0, 37).

In all, I have scored 5 - 1 previously with 9.d3, compared to 1 - 1 with 9.Nc3. I can't remember why I chose 9.Nc3 for this current game. 

9...Be6 10.O-O Kf7 

Wisely, Black intends to castle-by-hand.

11.d3 Rf8 12.Na4 

The game is developing slowly, so I decided to exchange off Black's annoying dark square Bishop, to allow me to later get in the thematic f2-f4 move. In light of my opponent's response, I think I will try a different move, next time.

12...Bd4

This move is a novelty, according to The Database. I was certainly unhappy to see it played in a slightly different position in my other Jerome Gambit game (ongoing) in the 3rd round of the tournament.

13.c3 Bb6 14.Nxb6 axb6 15.a3 Kg8

16.Bg5 

This move is thematic in the Jerome Gambit, but, perhaps 16.f4 was a bit better.

16...Qe8 

Breaking the pin on the Knight, and making ...Qh5 possible, especially if White, unwisely, captures on f6.

17.f4 Nd7 

White's Bishop now looks a bit silly.

18.Rae1 Nc5 

Black has confidently developed all of his pieces, and, with a piece for two pawns, has the advantage. 

[to be continued]

Jerome Gambit: Odd Turns (Part 1)

I just finished a Jerome Gambit game in an Italian Game tournament at Chess.com. It took a couple of odd turns - played as well as unplayed.

Then, again, that's the Jerome Gambit for you.

perrypawnpusher - Sarantes

"Let's Play The Italian Game" tournament
Chess.com, 2018

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 

Jerome's Defense, appearing in his analysis of "Jerome's Double Opening" in the July 1874 issue of the Dubuque Chess Journal, and seen, initially, in Jaeger - Jerome, correspondence, 1880 (1-0, 40).

7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qg3 Nf6 9.d3 Be6 10.O-O Nh5 

Black has a number of choices, as can be seen from some earlier games:

10...Qd7 11.Be3 Bb6 12.Nd2 Ng4 13.Bxb6 axb6 14.h3 Nf6 15.a3 h6 16.f4 Rg8 17.f5 Bf7 18.Qe3 Re8 19.g4 Nd5 20.Qd4 c5 21.Qf2 Nf6 22.b3 b5 23.Qf4 Qc7 24.a4 bxa4 25.Rxa4 b5 26.Ra6 Rd8 27.Rfa1 Ke7 28.Ra7 Black resigned, mrjoker - PhlebasP, Internet Chess Club, 2009;

10...Qe8 11.Be3 Bxe3 12.fxe3 Qg6 13.Qe1 c5 14.Nc3 Ke7 15.Nb5 Bd7 16.Nc3 Bc6 17.Rf3 Raf8 18.Rg3 Qf7 19.Rf3 g6 20.Qh4 Qg7 21.Raf1 g5 22.Qg3 Nd7 23.Rf5 h6 24.Qf2 Rf6 25.d4 b6 26.d5 Bb7 27.e5 dxe5 28.d6+ Ke6 29.Rxf6+ Qxf6 30.Qe2 Qg6 31.Qg4+ Kxd6 32.Rd1+ Kc7 33.Qxd7+ Kb8 34.e4 Qe8 35.Qd6+ Ka8 36.Nd5 Bxd5 37.Rxd5 Qb8 38.Qc6+ Qb7 39.Qf6 Qb8 40.Rd7 Qc8 41.Qg7 Rd8 42.Rxa7+ Kb8 43.Rf7 Rd1+ 44.Kf2 Rd2+ 45.Kg3 h5 46.Qxe5+ Ka8 47.Qxg5 Qg4+ 48.Qxg4 hxg4 49.Rf2 Rxf2 50.Kxf2 Black resigned, Wall,B - Milsrilion, Chess.com, 2010; 

10...Bf7 11.Be3 Bb6 12.Nd2 Qd7 13.h3 Qb5 14.b3 Re8 15.a4 Qe5 16.Qxe5 Rxe5 17.Bxb6 axb6 18.f4 Re8 19.g4 h6 20.Kg2 Ke7 21.Kg3 Kd7 22.Rae1 Re7 23.c4 Rhe8 24.h4 Nh7 25.Nf3 Kc6 26.Nd4+ Kc5 27.Nf5 Rd7 28.Nxg7 Rg8 29.Nf5 Rg6 30.h5 Rf6 31.d4+ Kb4 32.Rf3 Be6 33.e5 dxe5 34.dxe5 Rxf5 35.gxf5 Bxf5 36.e6 Re7 37.Rfe3 Nf6 38.Re5 Nxh5+ 39.Kh4 Ng7 40.Rxf5 Nxf5+ 41.Kg4 Ng7 42.f5 Ne8 43.Kh5 Kxb3 44.Kxh6 Kxc4 45.Kg6 Kd5 46.Rd1+ Kc6 47.Rc1+ Kd6 48.Rd1+ Kc6 49.Rd8 Nd6 50.Kf6 Rh7 51.e7 Rf7+ 52.Ke6 Rxe7+ 53.Kxe7 Nxf5+ 54.Ke6 Nd6 55.Rd7 Nc4 56.Rh7 Nb2 57.Rh4 b5 58.axb5+ Kxb5 59.Kd7 c5 60.Kc7 b6 61.Rh6 Nc4 62.Rh1 Ka4 63.Ra1+ Kb3 64.Rb1+ Kc2 65.Rb5 Kc3 66.Kc6 Kd4 67.Rb1 Kc3 68.Rxb6 Nxb6 69.Kxc5 Game drawn because neither player has mating material, MrJoker - horatius, Internet Chess Club, 2011; 

10...Kf7 11.Be3 Bb6 12.Nc3 Rf8 13.f4 Kg8 14.f5 Bxe3+ 15.Qxe3 Bd7 16.h3 a6 17.g4 c6 18.Rae1 b5 19.Kg2 b4 20.Ne2 a5 21.Qf4 Bc8 22.Ng3 Bb7 23.g5 Ne8 24.d4 c5 25.d5 Nc7 26.h4 Ba6 27.Rf2 Nb5 28.Ne2 a4 29.c4 bxc3 30.bxc3 Na3 31.Qc1 Bxe2 32.Rfxe2 Nc4 33.Qf4 Ne5 34.Rb1 Rb8 35.Reb2 Rxb2+ 36.Rxb2 White resigned, MrJoker - rgiblon, Internet Chess Club 2012; 

11.Qf3+ Nf6 

The placement of White's Queen is problematic. On g3 it is vulnerable to attention by Black's Knight. On f3 it can be harassed by Black's Bishop. It tends to keep Black's King on f8, but that is not, necessarily, a bad thing.

12.Be3 Bb6

Another issue in this kind of position: to exchange Bishops or not. It's probably safe to comment on any exchange with "shouldn't have" and on any non-exchange with "should have exchanged".

13.Nc3 

The Knight has a good "present" here, but I wonder if it would have a better "future" at d2.

13...Kg8 14.Qe2 Qd7 15.f4 Bf7 16.Rae1 Re8 

Black has the extra piece (vs 2 pawns) and the two Bishops. He is not even worried about his Rook at h8. 

White has developed his pieces, and has to find a way to use his "Jerome pawns".

17.Qf3 

I have played over many Jerome Gambits by those much stronger than myself. Sometimes patience is the key. 

17...Qg4 18.Qf2 h5 19.Bxb6 axb6 20.b3 

I admit that this is an odd-looking move. I wanted to be able to play d4 without being bothered by ...Bc4. It just didn't seem to be the time for 21.e5 yet.

20...h4 21.Qf3

I did not like Black's developing action along the h-file, and reluctantly agreed that it was time to swap the Queens.

21...Qxf3 22.Rxf3 Nd5 23.Nxd5 Bxd5 24.Rfe3 Bc6 

Looking at the position, it is clear that White will play d4, and maybe even c4 and g4. He is going to need some help, however.

Black has a solid, attacking Bishop on c6, and both Rooks are in good position. Clearly, he is better.

[to be continued]

Jerome Gambit: Speeding It Up Again

After a close look at a couple of "slow" over-the-board tournament games - where there is time for assessment and planning - it is time to switch to checking out another lightning game, where confidence, intuition and blink-fast decision-making are key.

Welcome back, Cliff Hardy.

Notes are primarily by Hardy [I have added a few comments in blue - Rick] 

Cliff Hardy (2176) - NN (1842), 

1 0, Lichess, 2018

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. - Rick]

7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qg3 Nf6 9.Nc3 Be6 10.0-0 Ke7?

[The King does not belong on the e-file, and White needs to find a way to demonstrate this. In a slow game, that would be not much of a challenge. When you have 1 or 2 seconds per move - now that's a challenge - Rick]

Stockfish found that White could take the g-pawn here with the very strong 11.d4!! Bxd4 12.Qxg7+ Bf7 13.Bg5 c6 (or 13...Rg8 14.Bxf6+ Bxf6 15.Nd5+! Ke6 16.Qxh7 ++-, when Black's king would be perilously placed on e6) 14.e5!! Bxe5 15.Rae1 ++-, when White would be threatening to take the knight for free on f6 or to attack the pinned bishop with 16.f4, but I would never have been able to find this line in 1 0 chess (nor in a full-length game 😉).

11.d3? Rf8?! 12.Be3?

Rather than go for Morin's c3, d4 approach [see Morin - Guipi Bopala, Quebec Open, 2018 - Rick] to blunting Black's dark-squared bishop, I chose to blunt it with my own bishop, in an attempt to advance my pinned f-pawn. But since Black has still left his g-pawn vulnerable, Stockfish prefers 12.Na4 Bb6 13.Nxb6 axb6 14.Qxg7+, though Black would then have had a slight advantage after 14...Rf7.

12...Bb6?

12...Bxe3 would not have lost time in retreating and would have yielded Black a winning advantage here.

13.d4 

By now the time for White to capture the g-pawn had well and truly past, since from here on it would just lose time with the queen for White and open the g-file for Black to use in attacking the white king.

13...Qe8 14.f4 Qh5 15.f5 Bc4 16.Rf4 Rae8 17.b3 Ba6 

18.Re1? 

Getting the Jerome pawns mobilised immediately with 18.Rh4 Qf7 19.e5 ++-, while Black's king is still sitting on e7, would have been much better.

18...Kd7 19.Bf2 Qf7 20.e5 dxe5 21.dxe5 Nd5?? 

The final losing move. 21...Nh5 would actually have been winning for Black, since then 22. e6+ Kc8 23. exf7?? would have been met with 23...Rxe1 mate!

22.e6+ Rxe6 23.fxe6+ and white won on time, though Black is lost in any case.

Jerome Gambit: Play Chess

It may seem hard to imagine, but the Jerome Gambit has its share of "quiet" positions, and they can put an extra burden on the defender, in that there are no "forced" lines to tumble into, shining light on where to go, even when tumbling down a mine shaft. Instead, Black has to figure out what to do on his own, as it were, and sometimes "playing chess" can be difficult.

Wall, Bill - Guest273475
PlayChess.com, 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

Also 8...h5 appeared in Wall,B - Thieveyen, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 61), while 8...d5 was played in billwall - bfcace, Chess.com, 2012 (1-0, 25). 

9.Nc3 Be6

Instead, 9...Nh5 led to an exchange of Queens after 10.Qf3+ Qf6 11.d3 Qxf3 12.gxf3 in Wall,B - Ahmadi,S, Chess.com, 2010 (0-1, 59). A rare loss by Bill in the Jerome Gambit, so it is worth checking out.

10.O-O Kf7 11.d3 Rf8 12.Na4

It is not always smash! and crash! in the Jerome Gambit. Sometimes you just grab the "minor exchange" of Bishop for Knight.

On the other hand, there is always 12.Be3 Nh5 13.Qf3+ Kg6 14.Qe2 Nf4 as in Wall,B - Guest874250, PlayChess.com, 2014, (0-1, 32).

12...Bb6 13.Nxb6 axb6 14.a4 Kg8 

Black has castled-by-hand and still has his piece for a couple of pawns. What is White to do? Advance the "Jerome pawns", of course.

15.f4 Qd7 16.f5 Bf7 17.b3 Rfe8 18.Bb2 Qe7 19.Rae1 Kh8 

White has stubbed his toe in this variation before, so he prefers now to put his pawns and pieces on the right squares and see what happens. (Stockfish 8 agrees with him, rating the position, at 28 ply, as "0.00" - even.) Sometimes these "small" moves put pressure on Black to play chess, not just react to threats. 

20.c4 Ra5 21.Bc3 Raa8 22.Re3 Qf8

It is interesting that the computer considers this move an error, and recommends, instead, opening the Queenside with 22...b5 23.axb5 Ra3. It then sees a way, through pawn and Queen exchanges, to an edge for Black, despite leaving White with three pawns (two of them passed) for a piece: 24.Rb1 Ra2 25.Rbe1 Nh5 26.Qg4 Rc2 27.Bd4 Nf6 28.Qd1 Ra2 29.e5 dxe5 30.Bxe5 Qd7 31.Qf3 c6 32.bxc6 Qxc6 33.Qg3 Nh5 34.Qf3 Qxf3 35.Rxf3 Nf6 36.h3 b5 37.cxb5 Bxb3 38.Rfe3. This is a subtle position, one the better player will navigate more easily.

23.Qh4

This is the move the computer recommends, and I find it highly ironic. Not too long ago, humans used to adopt "anti-computer" strategies (with White) that included locking the position up with pawns (say, with the Stonewall opening) followed by a slow advance of Kingside pawns toward the enemy monarch. It is as if Stockfish has learned this lesson and suggests that White move his Queen and unblock his g-pawn.

It is interesting that Bill pursues a different line of play - until he is helped by what one famous computer (HAL) would call "human error". 

23...Nd7 24.Rh3 Qg8 25.Rg3 Ne5 26.d4 Nd7 27.e5 

Black was pretty sure that he had prevented this move, as the advance costs White a pawn. However, it also leads to the opening of the deadly a1-h8 diagonal for White's Bishop. (Looking at the current position, it is easy to overlook this fact, as the diagonal looks clogged with pawns, and it will soon inherit a Knight - but the piece will be unable to stay there.) Add that to the pressure along the g-file, and that spells disaster.

27...dxe5 28.dxe5 Nxe5 29.Qf4 

Aha! The Knight on e5 is attacked twice and defended once...

29...Ng6

Hoping to block the g-file and protect the vulnerable g7 square. Best was probably 29...Nc6, when 30.Bxg7+ Qxg7 31.Rxg7 Kxg7 would lead to a very interesting position where Black would have a Rook and two minor pieces of his Queen. Would that be enough?

Probably not. After 32.f6+! White could show that there are two more features to the position - White's advanced pawn, and the unsafe position of Black's King. Therefore 32...Kh8 (forced) 33.Qg3 Rg8 34.Qxc7 follows, and what is Black to do?

The line 34...Bg6 35.Qxb7 Ne5 36.Qxb6 reminds me of the arcane expression "nibbled to death by ducks"; Black will not be able to coordinate his pieces, protect his King, and deal with White's 4 passers.

Instead, Black could try 34...Nd8, although White could continue to apply pressure to the contorted positions with 35.Rd1, e.g. 35...Rf8 36.Qxb6 Kg8 37.Rd7 Bg6 38.Qc7 Nf7 39.Qxb7 (or 39.h4). Again, White's passed pawns would be decisive.

However, the text move, returning a piece, falls tactically.

30.fxg6 Bxg6 31.Rxg6 

You saw this move, right?

31...hxg6 32.Rf3 Black resigned

Black can defend against the threat down the h-file with 32...Ra5, but that simply costs a Rook after 33.Bxa5, as he does not have time for 33...bxa5 because of 34.Rh3+, losing his Queen. Instead, he can take advantage of the diverted Bishop by giving his King some breathing space with 33...Qe6, but after 34.Bc3 (of course) he would be a piece down and vulnerable after 34...Qe7 35.Qf7 Qxf7 36.Rxf7 or 34...Kg8 35.Qxc7.