Here is a game from the first round of the Jerome Gambit tournament at RedHotPawn.com. Both White and Black clearly have a grasp of the opening, and the battle is an entertaining one. The outcome is an indication of how the second round - and the tournament - will turn out.
SeinfeldFan91 - ZorroTheFox
Giuoco Piano Jerome Gambit Tournament
RedHotPawn.com, 2016
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Qh4
7.O-O Ng4 8.h3 Bd6 9.e5 Be7
Recommended,but there are no other examples in The Database.
Alternatively:
9...Nxe5 Giving the piece back is "scientific" but leads to an equal game according to Stockfish 7. 10.dxe5 Bxe5 11.Qd5+ (11.f4 Bd6 12.Qd5+ Kf8 13.Nd2 Nf6 14.Qd3 b6 15.Ne4 Bb7 16.Nxd6 cxd6 17.Qxd6+ Kf7 18.Qd3 Rhe8 19.Bd2 Kg8 20.f5 Nh5 21.Bc3 Nf4 22.Qc4+ Kh8 23.Rxf4 Qh6 24.Rg4 Rg8 25.f6 g6 26.f7+ Rg7 27.Qb4 d5 28.f8=Q+ Rxf8 29.Qxf8 checkmate, Darthnik - aufdermaur, FICS, 2011) 11...Kf6 (11...Kf8 12.Qxe5 d6 13.Bg5 Qxf2+ 14.Rxf2+ Black resigned, ndrwgn - balahap, FICS, 2013) 12.Re1 d6 13.Rxe5 dxe5 14.Qd8+ Ne7 15.Qxh8 Qe4 16.Qf8+ Ke6 17.Bg5 Qb4 18.Qxg7 Bd7 19.Qf6+ Kd5 20.Nc3+ Kc4 21.b3+ Kxc3 22.Qxe5+ Qd4 23.Bd2+ Kxd2 24.Qxd4+ Kxc2 25.Rd1 Black resigned, Wall,B - Anonymous, lichess.org, 2016; or
9...Bxe5 10.dxe5 Nxe5 (10...N4h6 11.Nc3 Ne7 12.Re1 Rf8 13.Re4 Qxe4 14.Nxe4 Kg8 15.Bxh6 gxh6 16.Nf6+ Kh8 17.Qd3 Ng6 18.Qc3 c6 19.Nh5 Rf5 20.e6+ Ne5 21.e7 Black resigned, iconsisonline - atizzle, FICS, 2010) 11.Qd5+ Kf6 12.f4 Ng6 13.Nc3 d6 14.Be3 Ke7 15.Rae1 Kd8 16.Nb5 Nf6 17.Qc4 Ne8 18.Bf2 Qf6 19.Bd4 Qh4 20.Rxe8+ Kxe8 21.Nxc7+ Kf8 22.f5 Ne5 23.f6 gxf6 24.Qd5 Kg7 25.Qxd6 Rg8 26.Rxf6 Qxf6 27.Bxe5 and White won, Sorensen,S - X, Denmark, 1888; or
9...Nxf2 10.Rxf2+ Nf6 11.Rf4 Qg3 12.Rf3 Qg6 13.exd6 cxd6 14.c3 b6 15.Qb3+ Ke7 16.Re3+ Kd8 17.Na3 Bb7 18.Re2 Nh5 19.Nb5 Ng3 20.Rf2 Ne4 21.Re2 Rf8 22.Be3 Ng3 23.Rd2 Qe4 24.Re1 Rf3 25.Bg5+ Black resigned, Darthballz - Leftang, FICS, 2011.
10.hxg4 Nh6
Reasonable and straight-forward, especially since White's response "forces" Black to make a move he wants to make, anyhow; but 10...d6 was deeper and better.
11.g5 Ng4
Of course. Still, taking the g-pawn was better, as now the game has equalized - although that may not be apparent at first glance.
12.Qf3+ Ke8 13.Qh3 Bxg5 14.Bxg5 Qxg5 15.Nc3 d5
15...h5!? was a thematic alternative.
16.f4 Qg6
Thinking "attack" when "defense" was better attended to by 16...Qd8.
17.Nxd5 Kd7 18.f5 Qg5 19.e6+ Kc6
The alternative 19...Ke8 20.Rae1 is pretty bad for Black, but everything else leads to mate.
20.Qc3+ Kxd5 21.Qc5+ Ke4 22.Rae1+ Ne3 23.Qe5 checkmate
Speaking of "brighter lights" in the world of the Jerome Gambit (see previous post), here is Bill Wall's latest game. The ending should be rated "PG" for either "Parental Guidance advised" or simply "Plain Gory". The King hunt is brutal
Wall, Bill - Anonymous
lichess.org, 2016
(analysis by Bill Wall)
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Qh4
7.O-O Ng4
One of a number of moves that keeps Black's advantage.
8.h3 Bd6
Aggressive, but 8...Bb6 was probably better. It was the choice of several computers ( Deep Shredder 10, Deep Sjeng 1.5, Hiarcs 11.1, Shredder Paderborn) in computer vs computer tournaments in 2002, 2003 and 2008, for example. It also appeared in Sir Osis of the Liver - perrypawnpusher, JG3 thematic, Chessworld.net, 2008 (0-1, 38) and Wall,B - Rajiv, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 33).
9.e5 Nxe5
Giving the piece back is "scientific" but it leads to an equal game, according to Stockfish 7.
With 9...Bxe5 Black returned a Bishop, instead, in Sorensen,S - X, Denmark, 1888 (1-0, 27).
Another piece return was the wild 9...Nxf2 in Darthballz - Leftang, FICS, 2011, (1-0, 25).
Bill points out 9...Be7 10.hxg4 d6.
10.dxe5 Bxe5 11.Qd5+ Kf6 12.Re1 d6
Bill points out the tricky 12...Bd4 13.Nc3 Bxf2+ 14.Kh1 Bxe1 15.Bg5+, when Black will lose his Queen to either White's Bishop or Knight (when it comes to e4 with check).
13.Rxe5 dxe5 14.Qd8+ Ne7 15.Qxh8 Qe4
Abandoning his King to chaos.
Instead, Black had the prudent 15...Kf7, both protecting his pawn at g7 and the square at f8. If he wanted an exciting draw, he could try 15...Bxh3!? 16.Qxa8 Bxg2 17.Kxg2 Qg4+ and he could repeat the position with Queen checks.
16.Qf8+ Ke6
The bad news begins. The alternative: 16...Kg6 17.Qe8+ Kf6 (17...Kf5 18.Qf7#) 18.Nc3 Qxc2 19.Qf8+ Kg6 20.Qxe7.
17.Bg5 Qb4
Several other options, from Bill: 17...Ng6 18.Qg8+ Kd6 19.Qd8+ Kc6 20.Nc3 Qxc2 21.Qd5+ Kb6 22.Qb5# ; or 17...Qxc2 18.Qxe7+ Kf5 19.Qxg7; or 17...Nc6 18.Nc3 Qxc2 19.Qg8+ Kf5 20.Qxg7 Qxb2 21.Qf6#
18.Qxg7
Instead, 18.Nc3 Qxb2 leads to checkmate.
18...Bd7
The White b-pawn is still poisonous, and 18...Qxb2 would again lead to checkmate.
Best is probably 18...Nf5, but it still leads to misery, e.g. 19.Qg8+ Kd7 20.Nc3 Nd6 21.Rd1 Qd4 22.Rxd4 exd4 23.Qxh7+ Kc6 24.Ne2 Nf5 25.Bd8 as Bill notes.
19.Qf6+ Kd5 20.Nc3+ Kc4
Or 20...Kd4 21.Be3+ Kc4 22.Qf7+ Be6 23.Qxe6+ Nd5 24.Qxd5#; or 20...Kc5 21.Qxe7+ Kc4 22.b3+ Kxc3 23.Qxe5+ Qd4 24.Bd2+ Kxd2 25.Qxd4+ Kxc2 26.Rd1 Rd8 27.Qd2#. Black's King is not coming back from this journey.
21.b3+ Kxc3
Or 21...Kd4 22.Rd1+ Kc5 23.Be3+ Qd4 24.Rxd4 exd4 25.Qxd4+ Kc6 26.Qc5#; or 21...Kc5 22.Qxe7+ Kb6 23.Qxb4+ Ka6 24.Qa3+ Kb6 25.Be3+ c5 26.Nd5+ Kc6 27.Qxc5#.
22.Qxe5+ Qd4
If 22...Kxc2 then 23.Rc1+ Kd3 24.Qe3#
23.Bd2+ Kxd2
Or 23...Kb2 24.Qxd4+ Kxc2 25.Rc1# ; or 23...Kxc2 24.Qxd4 Rd8 25.Rc1#
24.Qxd4+ Kxc2
If 24...Ke2 25.Qe3#
25.Rd1
Threatening 26.Qd2 mate
Black Resigned
Working on the previous blog post, I noticed that the defender (counter-attacker) had played that variation a few years earlier. The game was interesting enough to share, especially since the defender seemed conversant in Jerome Gambit strategies.. Again, however, "reality" outplayed "the book".
iconsisonline - atizzle
blitz, FICS, 2010
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Qh4
7.O-O
This is stronger than 7.dxc5 of Sutarsa - atizzle, blitz, FICS, 2014 (1-0, 19).
7...Ng4 8.h3 Bd6 9.e5 Bxe5
Following Sorensen - NN, Denmark, 1888, pragmatically returning the extra piece for a pawn (or two). Alternatives:
9...Nxf2 10.Rxf2+ Nf6 11.Rf4 Qg3 12.Rf3 Qg6 13.exd6 cxd6 14.c3 b6 15.Qb3+ Ke7 16.Re3+ Kd8 17.Na3 Bb7 18.Re2 Nh5 19.Nb5 Ng3 20.Rf2 Ne4 21.Re2 Rf8 22.Be3 Ng3 23.Rd2 Qe4 24.Re1 Rf3 25.Bg5+ Black resigned, Darthballz - Leftang, blitz, FICS, 2011; and
9...Nxe5 10.dxe5 Bxe5 11.f4 (11.Qd5+ Kf8 12.Qxe5 d6 13.Bg5 Qxf2+ 14.Rxf2+ Black resigned, ndrwgn - balahap, standard, FICS, 2013) Bd6 12.Qd5+ Kf8 13.Nd2 Nf6 14.Qd3 b6 15.Ne4 Bb7 16.Nxd6 cxd6 17.Qxd6+ Kf7 18.Qd3 Rhe8 19.Bd2 Kg8 20.f5 Nh5 21.Bc3 Nf4 22.Qc4+ Kh8 23.Rxf4 Qh6 24.Rg4 Rg8 25.f6 g6 26.f7+ Rg7 27.Qb4 d5 28.f8Q+ Rxf8 29.Qxf8 checkmate, Darthnik - aufdermaur, blitz, FICS, 2011
Black's best defense seems to be 9... Be7 10.hxg4 d6.
10.dxe5 N4h6
Sorensen's opponent tried 10...Nxe5, which is playable, if risky, after 11.Qd5+ Kf6.
11.Nc3 Ne7 12.Re1 Rf8
Again, Black shows his understanding of the "big issues" in the defense, as he prepares to castle-by-hand.
Unfortunately, the move allows his Queen to be trapped.
White follows up quickly.
13.Re4 Qxe4 14.Nxe4 Kg8 15.Bxh6 gxh6 16.Nf6+ Kh8 17.Qd3 Ng6 18.Qc3 c6 19.Nh5 Rf5 20.e6+ Ne5 21.e7 Black resigned
A recent game from FICS again shows the dangers associated with an alternative to defending the Jerome Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Na5, the "Line of Play Everyone Should Know About"
meijinmike - Shahin
blitz, FICS, 2012
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Na5
4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6 6.d4
6.Qg4+ is a playable alternative.
6...d6 7.d5+
Offering a taste of poison. Black should now flee from temptation with 7...Ke7.
7...Kxe5 8.Qh5+ g5
8...Kf6 was seen in iplayforsean - Leftang, blitz, FICS, 2008.
9.f4+ Kd4 10.0-0
This relaxed move wins nicely. Readers might want to look at the three retrograde moves, 10.Qd1+, 10.Qe2, and 10.Qf3, and find the mates associated with them as well.
10...Kc5 11.Be3+ Kb5 12.Qe2+ Nc4 13.Na3+ Ka6 14.Qxc4+ Black resigned
Playing the Jerome Gambit and its relatives regularly is like participating a seminar on "The Psychology of Error in Chess." White can only win after giving "Jerome Odds" if his opponent errs, but there are so many ways that Black can suddenly become cooperative...
iplayforsean - Leftang
blitz, FICS, 2008
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Na5
Not a good idea, for a number of reasons. See "A Line of Play Everyone Should Know About" for a few of them.
4.Bxf7+
Not the best reason (4.Nxe5 is top of the picks), but reason enough to avoid 3...Na5.
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6 6.d4
One of several moves that White has at his disposal, to keep the game interesting and going forward. The most precipitate is 6.Qg4+ when Black probably does best to take the offered piece with 6...Kxe5, as White has an edge after 6...Ke7 7.Qg5+ (likely better than 7.Qh5+ Nf6 8.Ng6+ hxg6 9.Qxh8) Nf6 8.Ng4 Nc6 9.e5 Kf7 10.exf6 d5 although things remain complicated. After 6.Qg4+ Kxe5 7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.Qxa5 Qf6 Black may have a edge, but his King's position and lag in development keeps it small.
6...d6 7.d5+
White might do better with the maneuver mentioned above: 7.Qg4+ Ke7 8.Qh4+ Nf6 9.Ng6+ hxg6 10.Qxh8
7...Kxe5
Sometimes it is nice to be two pieces ahead, like in the line mentionied in the note after White's 6.d4, above. But not this time.
Black could survive with 7...Ke7, although after 8.Nf3 Nf6 9.0-0 his King would remain a major headache.
8.Qh5+
Crunch!
8...Kf6
Only temporary relief comes from 8...g5, e.g. 9.Bxg5 Nf6 10.f4+ Kd4 11.Qf3 and the Black King will come to grief.
9.Bg5+ Ke5 10.Bxd8+ Black resigned
Losing his Queen was enough punishment for Black.
Attackers might figure out that the alternative 10.c3 led to checkmate, for example 10...Nf6 11.Bf4+ Kxf4 12.g3+ Kxe4 13.Nd2+ Kd3 14.Qe2+ Kc2 15.Nf1. (After the text, if it were needed, White could still mate in about 10 moves, but this proved unnecessary.)
