Jerome Gambit: Unresolved

Sometimes I run into a line in the Jerome Gambit that I don't (yet) know what to do with. A good (bad) example is in the following game. I have alluded to Black's 7th move in several posts (see here and here for examples). Here are the games from The Database where the move appears. Maybe readers have some ideas.

chessmanjeff - sergbond
blitz, FICS, 2013

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bb4+ 7.c3 Qh4

Black's counter-attack appears manic, but is quite strong. He does not bother saving either his Knight or his Bishop, but develops another piece.

8.Qb3+

Also seen are:

8.O-O Nc6 9.cxb4 (9.Qf3+ Qf6 10.Qh5+ g6 11.Qd5+ Qe6 12.Qxe6+ dxe6 13.cxb4 Nxd4 14.Na3 Ne2+ 15.Kh1 Nf6 16.Re1 Nxc1 17.Raxc1 c6 18.Nc4 Rd8 19.e5 Nd5 20.Nd6+ Ke7 21.Re4 a5 22.b5 cxb5 23.Rh4 h5 24.Nxb5 Nb4 25.Nd6 Bd7 26.Nxb7 Rdc8 27.Rxc8 Rxc8 28.h3 Rc2 29.Nxa5 Rxb2 30.a3 Nd3 31.f4 Ne1 32.Nc4 Rxg2 33.Nb6 Rc2 34.Nd5+ exd5 35.f5 Nf3 White resigned, Gamin - JumpNMustangII, FICS, 2001) 9...Qxe4 10.Be3 Nf6 11.Nc3 Qf5 12.b5 (12.Qb3+ d5 13.Nb5 Ne8 14.Nc3 Be6 15.b5 Ne7 16.Rae1 Nd6 17.Qb4 Rhc8 18.Re2 Ng6 19.Rfe1 Nh4 20.f3 Kg8 21.Bf2 Nxg2 22.Kxg2 Rf8 23.Bg3 Qxf3+ 24.Kg1 Nf5 25.Rxe6 Nxg3 26.hxg3 Qxg3+ 27.Kh1 Qh4+ 28.Kg1 h6 29.R6e2 Qg3+ 30.Rg2 Qxe1+ 31.Kh2 Rf1 32.Rxg7+ Kh8 33.Rh7+ Kxh7 34.Qe7+ Qxe7 35.Kg2 Qf7 36.Kh2 Qf3 37.Nxd5 Rh1 checkmate, Deep Sjeng 1.5 - Hiarcs 9, The Jeroen Experience 2003) 12...Nb4 13.Rc1 c6 14.a3 Nbd5 15.Qb3 Re8 16.Rce1 b6 17.h3 Bb7 18.g4 Qf3 19.g5 Ne4 20.Nxd5 cxd5 21.Qd3 Nxg5 White resigned, RevvedUp - Crafty 19.19, blitz, 2006; 

8.Qe2 Bxc3+ 9.Nxc3 Nc6 10.g3 Qe7 11.Qc4+ d5 12.Qxd5+ Be6 13.Qh5+ g6 14.Qf3+ Kg7 15.d5 Ne5 16.Qd1 Bg4 17.Qd4 Nf6 18.Bg5 Nf3+ White resigned, Maza - aqeel, FICS, 2003;

8.dxe5 Qxe4+ 9.Be3 (9.Kf1 Bc5 10.h4 Qxe5 11.Rh3 Nf6 12.Bg5 Re8 13.Bxf6 gxf6 14.Rf3 d5 15.Nd2 Bg4 16.Rxf6+ Kxf6 17.Nf3 Qe4 18.Ng5 Qc4+ 19.Kg1 Bxd1 20.Rxd1 Re2 21.Nxh7+ Kg7 22.Ng5 Rxf2 23.Kh1 Rf1+ 24.Rxf1 Qxf1+ 25.Kh2 Bd6+ 26.g3 Qf2+ 27.Kh1 Bxg3 28.Ne6+ Kh6 29.Nxc7 Qh2 checkmate, HauntedKnight - hellg, FICS, 2010) 9...Bc5 (9...Qxg2 10.Rf1 Be7 11.Qh5+ g6 12.Qe2 Ke8 13.Nd2 Qxh2 14.O-O-O Qxe5 15.Rfe1 Kd8 16.Qc4 Qg7 17.Bd4 Nf6 18.Ne4 h6 19.Bxf6 Bxf6 20.Nxf6 Qxf6 21.f4 d6 22.Re4 Bf5 23.Red4 Qe6 24.Qb4 Qxa2 25.Qxb7 Qb1+ 26.Kd2 Qc2+ 27.Ke3 Re8+ 28.Kf3 Qe2+ 29.Kg3 Re3+ 30.Kh4 Qf2 checkmate, HauntedKnight - Makaroni, FICS, 2011) 10.O-O Bxe3 11.fxe3+ Ke8 12.Qh5+ g6 13.Qg5 h6 14.Qg3 Ne7 15.Nd2 Qd3 16.Rad1 Qd5 17.b3 d6 18.e4 Qxe5 19.Qf3 Be6 20.Nc4 Qc5+ 21.Kh1 Kd7 22.Rfe1 h5 23.e5 Bg4 24.e6+ Bxe6 25.Qxb7 Bd5 26.Rxd5 Nxd5 27.a4 Rab8 28.Qa6 Qf2 29.Ne5+ dxe5 30.Rf1 Rb6 31.Qd3 Qc5 32.c4 Qd4 33.Qh3+ Ke7 34.cxd5 Qg4 35.Qc3 Qd4 36.Qxc7+ Ke8 37.Qf7+ Kd8 38.Rc1 e4 39.Qc7+ Ke8 40.h3 Qxd5 41.Qc8+ Qd8 42.Qc2 Re6 43.Re1 Rf8 44.Rxe4 Rf1+ 45.Kh2 Qd6+ 46.g3 Rf2+ 47.Qxf2 Rxe4 48.h4 Qd3 49.Kh3 Re2 50.Qf6 Qd7+ White resigned, HauntedKnight - dwws, FICS, 2012;

8.cxb4 Qxe4+ 9.Qe2 (9.Be3 Qxg2 10.Rf1 Nf3+ 11.Ke2 d5 12.Nc3 Bg4 13.Qb3 Nxd4+ White resigned, jfhumphrey - hvutrong, FICS, 2010) 9...Qxe2+ 10.Kxe2 Nc6 11.Rd1 Nxb4 12.Na3 Nf6 13.Re1 Re8+ 14.Kf1 Rxe1+ 15.Kxe1 d5 16.Be3 Bf5 17.Nb5 c6 18.Nc3 Nc2+ 19.Ke2 Nxa1 White resigned, Teterow - geneve, FICS, 2011.

8...Ke8 9.O-O Ng4 10.h3 Be7 11.hxg4 h5 12.g3

White kicks the enemy Queen. For better or for worse he had to try 12.g5.

12...Qh3 13.g5 h4 14.g4 Qxg4+15.Kh2 h3 16.Rg1 Qxe4 17.Na3

It is hard to find a good move here. This one leads to checkmate.

17...Qf3 18.Be3 Bd6+ 19.Rg3 Qg2 checkmate

Wowzer.

Bots on Our Side (Part 3)

Most chess-playing computer programs have a "book" in the software that lays out opening lines for the program to play. This saves on computing time - i.e. why analyze the "best" 6 or 8 opening moves, game after game - and makes sure that the program gets off to a reasonable start. It can include the latest preferences of super-Grandmasters, or the favorite moves of the programmer.

Given that the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) is not likely to be deemed "best" play for White by the analysis of any competent computer, any time the opening is played by a program, it is likely that the Jerome has been included in the opening "book".

A computer program dedicated to playing the Jerome Gambit - like Brause, focused on the Halloween Gambit, mentioned in an earlier post - would be a gift to the Jerome Gambit Gemeinde; but, alas, such a thing apparently does not (yet) exist. 

I cross-checked the list of 130 or so computer "players" at the Free Internet Chess Server with the roughly 55,000 games in The Database. I found 9 additional (see Part 1 and Part 2 for the games of  GriffySr and GriffyJr) games showing a variety of Jeromes - the Jerome Gambit proper, the Abraham Jerome Gambit, the Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit, and the Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit.


Gamin - mscp
blitz, FICS, 2001
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.d3 Nge7 6.Bg5 Kg8 7.Nc3 h6 8.Bxe7 Qxe7 9.Nd5 Qd8 10.c3 a5 11.Qb3 a4 12.Qc4 a3 13.Nxc7+ d5 14.exd5 axb2 15.dxc6+ Kh7 16.Rb1 Qxc7 17.Qxc5 e4 18.dxe4 Rxa2 19.Qc4 Ra6 20.Qd3 Qxc6 21.Qc2 Kg8 22.Nd2 Ra2 23.Rxb2 Ra1+ 24.Rb1 Rxb1+ 25.Nxb1 Qa6 26.e5 g6 27Nd2 Rh7 28.Ne4 Qa1+ 29.Qd1 Qxd1+ 30.Kxd1 Rh8 31.Nd6 Bd7 32.Ke2 Rh7 33.Kd3 Bc6 34.f3 Rd7 35.Ra1 b6 36.Kd4 b5 37.Kc5 Bb7 38.Ra7 Bc6 39.Ra6 Rxd6 40.Kxd6 Bb7 41.Ra7 Bxf3 42.gxf3 g5 43.e6 b4 44.cxb4 g4 45.e7 Kf7 46.fxg4 h5 47.gxh5 Kf6 48.e8=Q Kg5 49.Qg6+ Kf4 50.Re7 Kf3 51.Qg3 checkmate

Gamin - JumpNMustangII
lightning, FICS, 2001

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bb4+ 7.c3 Qh4 8.O-O Nc6 9.Qf3+ Qf6 10.Qh5+ g6 11.Qd5+ Qe6 12.Qxe6+ dxe6 13.cxb4 Nxd4 14.Na3 Ne2+ 15.Kh1 Nf6 16.Re1 Nxc1 17.Raxc1 c6 18.Nc4 Rd8 19.e5 Nd5 20.Nd6+ Ke7 21.Re4 a5 22.b5 cxb5 23.Rh4 h5 24.Nxb5 Nb4 25.Nd6 Bd7 26.Nxb7 Rdc8 27.Rxc8 Rxc8 28.h3 Rc2 29.Nxa5 Rxb2 30.a3 Nd3 31.f4 Ne1 32.Nc4 Rxg2 33.Nb6 Rc2 34.Nd5+ exd5 35.f5 Nf3 White resigned

SiliconC - cesrmathurine
standard, FICS, 2005

1.Nf3 Nc6 2.e4 e5 3.Bc4 h6 4.d4 exd4 5.Nxd4 Bc5 6.Bxf7+ Kxf7 7.Qh5+ g6 8.Qxc5 Nxd4 9.Qxd4 Qf6 10.Qd3 d6 11.Qc4+ Be6 12.Qxc7+ Ne7 13.O-O Rac8 14.Qxb7 Rxc2 15.Qxa7 Rhc8 16.Qe3 Bc4 17.Re1 Bd3 18.Na3 Bxe4 19.Qxe4 Qxf2+ 20.Kh1 Re2 21.Qxe2 Qxe2 22.Rxe2 Nf5 23.g4 Nd4 24.Re4 Nf3 25.Rf4+ Kg7 26.Rxf3 Black resigned

fjjvh - nicoben
blitz, FICS, 2006
1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Bxf7+ Kxf7 4.Qf3+ Nf6 5.Qb3+ Kf8 6.Qf7+ Kxf7 7.Nf3 Ng4 8.Nxe5+ Nxe5 9.f4 Ng4 10.h3 Nf6 11.e5 Ne4 12.e6+ Kxe6 13.f5+ Kxf5 14.Rf1+ Kg5 15.d3+ Kg6 16.Rf6+ Kxf6 17.Bg5+ Kxg5 18.h4+ Kxh4 19.g3+ Kxg3 20.dxe4 Qe8 21.a4 Qxe4+ 22.Kf1 Qxc2 23.Ra3+ Bxa3 24.Nxa3 Qxb2 25.Nc4 Qg2+ 26.Ke1 Qf2+ 27.Kd1 Qf1+ 28.Kd2 Qxc4 29.a5 b6 30.Ke3 bxa5 31.Kd2 Re8 32.Kd1 Kf2 33.Kd2 Re2+ 34.Kd1 Qc2 checkmate


Gamin - cccolts
blitz, FICS, 2007
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.d3 h6 6.O-O Nf6 7.Be3 Bxe3 8fxe3 Rf8 9.c3 Kg8 10.Nbd2 d6 11.d4 Bg4 12.Qb3+ Kh8 13.Qxb7 Qd7 14.Qa6 Bxf3 15.Rxf3 Rab8 16.Rb1 Rb6 17.Qa3 Re8 18.d5 Ne7 19.Qxa7 Reb8 20.b3 Ng6 21.Rbf1 Kh7 22.Rg3 R8b7 23.Qa5 Rb5 24.Qa4 R5b6 25.Qxd7 Nxd7 26.a3 Ra6 27.Rf7 Nc5 28.b4 Nd3 29.Nc4 Ne1 30.a4 Rba7 31.a5 Kg8 32.Rf1 Nc2 33.Rxg6 Black resigned

BlackDemon - wkw
lightning, FICS, 2009
1.e4 Nc6 2.Nf3 e5 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.O-O Nf6 6.d3 Rf8 7.Be3 Bxe3 8.fxe3 d5 9.exd5 Nxd5 10.Nxe5+ Kg8 11.Rxf8+ Qxf8 12.Nxc6 Qc5 13.Qe2 bxc6 14.d4 Bg4 15.dxc5 Bxe2 16.Nd2 Bh5 17.e4 Nb4 18.c3 Nd3 19.b4 a5 20.a4 axb4 21.cxb4 Nxb4 22.a5 Nd3 23.a6 Ra7 24.Nb3 Bf7 25.Rd1 Bxb3 26.Rxd3 Be6 27.Rd8+ Kf7 28.Rb8 Rxa6 29.Rb7 Ke7 30.Rxc7+ Bd7 31.Kf2 Ra5 32.g3 Rxc5 33.Ke3 Ra5 34.Rb7 Ra2 35.h3 Ra3+ 36.Kf4 c5 37.h4 c4 38.Ke5 Rd3 39.Ra7 c3 40.Rc7 Kd8 41.Rc4 Bb5 42.Rc5 Ba4 43.Ke6 c2 44.Kf7 Rd7+ 45.Ke6 Rc7 46.Rxc2 Bxc2 47.Kd5 Rd7+ 48.Ke5 Re7+ 49.Kf4 Rxe4+ 50.Kf3 Ke7 51.Kf2 Kf6 52.Kg2 Kf5 53.Kf2 Kg4 54.Kg2 Re2+ 55.Kf1 Bd3 56.h5 Kxg3 57.h6 Re3+ 58.Kg1 Re1 checkmate


BlackDemon - abhaysonu
blitz, FICS, 2009
1. e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nc3 Nf6 6.O-O Re8 7.d3 Kg8 8Bg5 Be7 9.Bxf6 Bxf6 10.Nd5 d6 11.h3 Ne7 12.Nxf6+ gxf6 13.d4 Ng6 14.c3 Kh8 15.Ne1 Rg8 16.Qf3 Qe7 17.Kh1 Qg7 18.Rg1 Nh4 19.Qd3 Bxh3 20.Qxh3 Ng6 21.Nd3 Nf4 22.Nxf4 exf4 23.Rae1 Rae8 24.Kh2 Qg6 25.Qh4 f3 26.gxf3 Qf7 27.Rxg8+ Rxg8 28.Rg1 Rxg1 29.Kxg1 Qxa2 30.Qxf6+ Kg8 31.Qd8+ Kf7 32.Qxc7+ Kg6 33.Qxd6+ Kh5 34.Qd5+ Kh6 35.Qxa2 Black resigned


callipygian - vuhb
blitz, FICS, 2009
1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Bxf7+ Kxf7 4.Qh5+ g6 5.Qxe5 Bxf2+ 6.Kxf2 Qf6+ 7.Nf3 d6 8.Qg5 Nc6 9.Rf1 Qxg5 10.Nxg5+ Kg7 11.d3 Nd4 12.Na3 Nf6 13.c3 Ne6 14.Nb5 Ne8 15.Kg3 Rf8 16.Nxe6+ Bxe6 17.Bh6+ Kxh6 18.Rxf8 Kg7 19.Rf3 c6 20.Nd4 Bg8 21.a4 Nf6 22.a5 c5 23.Nb5 c4 24.Nxd6 cxd3 25.Rxd3 Be6 26.Kf4 Rf8 27.Re1 Nd7+ 28.Kg3 Ne5 29.Rdd1 b6 30.axb6 axb6 31.Nb5 h5 32.Nc7 Bg4 33.Rd5 Rf7 34.Ne8+ Black resigned



LittleBugger - Nicolayevich
blitz, FICS, 2012
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke7 6.Nc3 d6 7.Nd5+ Ke8 8.Qh5+ g6 9.Nxg6 Nxc2+ 10.Kd1 Nxa1 11.Ne5 checkmate

Beyond Gloom and Doom

Imagination and sheer force of will help the Jerome Gambiteer take a "bad" or "lost" position and make something out of it. In the following game, White finds himself in deep trouble (definition: playing White in the Jerome Gambit); and focusing only on his subsequent loss would blind observers to the actual chances that he created for himself.  

HauntedKnight - Makaroni
blitz, FICS, 2011


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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4

This line has advantages and disadvantages over 6.Qh5+, and, at one time, was Alonzo Wheeler Jerome's preference.

4...Bb4+ 7.c3 Qh4

At first glance it looks like Black is in a panic, throwing pieces around and leaving some en prise. As I pointed out in "Gloom and Doom", however, this is a strong counter-attack for Black.

8.dxe5

Previous experience (including a couple of earlier games by HauntedKnight) has not been encouraging for White (8.0-0 seems "best"):

8.0-0 Nc6 9.cxb4 (9.Qf3+ Qf6 10.Qh5+ g6 11.Qd5+ Qe6 12.Qxe6+ dxe6 13.cxb4 Nxd4 14.Na3 Ne2+ 15.Kh1 Nf6 16.Re1 Nxc1 17.Raxc1 c6 18.Nc4 Rd8 19.e5 Nd5 20.Nd6+ Ke7 21.Re4 a5 22.b5 cxb5 23.Rh4 h5 24.Nxb5 Nb4 25.Nd6 Bd7 26.Nxb7 Rdc8 27.Rxc8 Rxc8 28.h3 Rc2 29.Nxa5 Rxb2 30.a3 Nd3 31.f4 Ne1 32.Nc4 Rxg2 33.Nb6 Rc2 34.Nd5+ exd5 35.f5 Nf3 White resigned, Gamin - JumpNMustangII, FICS, 2001) 9...Qxe4 10.Be3 Nf6 11.Nc3 Qf5 12.b5 (12.Qb3+ d5 13.Nb5 Ne8 14.Nc3 Be6 15.b5 Ne7 16.Rae1 Nd6 17.Qb4 Rhc8 18.Re2 Ng6 19.Rfe1 Nh4 20.f3 Kg8 21.Bf2 Nxg2 22.Kxg2 Rf8 23.Bg3 Qxf3+ 24.Kg1 Nf5 25.Rxe6 Nxg3 26.hxg3 Qxg3+ 27.Kh1 Qh4+ 28.Kg1 h6 29.R6e2 Qg3+ 30.Rg2 Qxe1+ 31.Kh2 Rf1 32.Rxg7+ Kh8 33.Rh7+ Kxh7 34.Qe7+ Qxe7 35.Kg2 Qf7 36.Kh2 Qf3 37.Nxd5 Rh1 checkmate, Deep Sjeng 1.5 - Hiarcs 9, The Jeroen Experience, 2003) 12...Nb4 13.Rc1 c6 14.a3 Nbd5 15.Qb3 Re8 16.Rce1 b6 17.h3 Bb7 18.g4 Qf3 19.g5 Ne4 20.Nxd5 cxd5 21.Qd3 Nxg5 White resigned, RevvedUp - Crafty 19.19, blitz 2 12, 2006;

8.cxb4 Qxe4+ 9.Qe2 (9.Be3 Qxg2 10.Rf1 Nf3+ 11.Ke2 d5 12.Nc3 Bg4 13.Qb3 Nxd4+ White resigned, jfhumphrey - hvutrong, FICS, 2010) 9...Qxe2+ 10.Kxe2 Nc6 11.Rd1 Nxb4 12.Na3 Nf6 13.Re1 Re8+ 14.Kf1 Rxe1+ 15.Kxe1 d5 16.Be3 Bf5 17.Nb5 c6 18.Nc3 Nc2+ 19.Ke2 Nxa1 White resigned, Teterow - geneve, FICS, 2011;


8.Qe2 Bxc3+ 9.Nxc3 Nc6 10.g3 Qe7 11.Qc4+ d5 12.Qxd5+ Be6 13.Qh5+ g6 14.Qf3+ Kg7 15.d5 Ne5 16.Qd1 Bg4 17.Qd4 Nf6 18.Bg5 Nf3+ White resigned, Maza - aqeel, FICS, 2003.

8...Qxe4+ 9.Be3

HauntedKnight has a very creative idea: let Black choke on captured material while White castles Queenside and uses open lines for his pieces.

An earlier 9.Kf1, which might be "objectively" stronger, did not fix things in HauntedKnight - hellg, FICS, 2010.

9...Qxg2 10.Rf1 Be7 11.Qh5+ g6 12.Qe2 Ke8

13.Nd2 Qxh2 14.0-0-0 Qxe5

15.Rfe1 Kd8 16.Qc4 Qg7

Black prepares for trouble.

17.Bd4 Nf6 18.Ne4 h6

 

White is down a piece and two pawns, but his Rooks are knocking on Black's front door, While Black's are still in the garage.

19.Bxf6

Rybka suggests preparing for a breakthrough with 19.Be5, as in 19...d6 20.Nxd6 cxd6 21.Rxd6+ Bxd6 22.Qd4 Qd7 23.Bxd6 Rf8 24.Be7+ Ke8 25.Bxf8+ Kf7 26.Re7+ Qxe7 27.Bxe7 Kxe7

analysis diagram





Both Rybka and Houdini see White as having almost equalized in this unbalanced position.

With the text, White clears the lines for his Rooks, but Black's defensive resources prove sufficient to hold off the attack.

19...Bxf6 20.Nxf6 Qxf6 21.f4

21...d6 22.Re4 Bf5 23.Red4 Qe6 24.Qb4 Qxa2 25.Qxb7

White's Queen has finally broken through, but so has Black's.

25...Qb1+ 26.Kd2 Qc2+ 27.Ke3 Re8+ 28.Kf3 Qe2+ 29.Kg3 Re3+ 30.Kh4 Qf2 checkmate

graphic by Jeff Bucchino, the King of Draws