The Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), played at club level, is full of psychology. Imagine the chess tyro facing "Jerome's Double Gambit" and immediately bemoaning, "I thought I knew the Italian Game, but this is a line I overlooked!" Even if he realizes that the opening is a bit sketchy, he might still rationalize "It must be good for something; nobody would sacrifice two pieces for nothing!"
Of course, Black has his own psychological ploys, as the following game shows.
alxaraya - raffa
3 0 blitz, FICS, 2019
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kf8
The Jerome Gambit declined.
Black reasons, "If White wants me to take the Bishop, I won't take the Bishop!"
The computers chuckle: Black trades a won game for a lost game.
5.Bxg8 Rxg8
White's Bishop has disappeared. The first player is a pawn up - perhaps, with a safer King.
6.Nxe5
White is obviously looking for 6...Nxe5, when 7.d4 would follow.
6...Bxf2+
"If sacrificing a Bishop to displace my King is a good idea, maybe I should do the same to you," thinks Black.
There are only two other examples of this move in The Database.
Of course, either 6...Nxe5 or 6...Qe7 were playable.
7.Kxf2 Nxe5
8.Rf1
Looking to castle-by-hand. There was also the wild 8.d4 Qf6+ 9.Ke1 Qh4+ 10.Kd2 Ng4 11.Qf3+ Ke8 12.Rf1 Nf6 13.Nc3 c6 14.Kd3 d6 15.e5 dxe5 16.dxe5 Bg4 17.Qf4 Rd8+ 18.Ke3 Nd5+ 19.Nxd5 Rxd5 20.Qf7+ Kd8 21.Qxg8+ Kc7 22.Qxg7+ Kb6 23.Bd2 Be6 24.Rad1 Qd4+ 25.Kf3 Qh4 26.Be3+ Ka6 27.g3 Qxh2 28.c4 Qh5+ 29.g4 Qh3+ 30.Kf2 Qh2+ 31.Ke1 Qh4+ 32.Bf2 Rxd1+ 33.Kxd1 Qh3 Black resigned, MrJoker - ThePawnSnatcher, Internet Chess Club, 2011.
8...Qh4+
This move is aggressive, but also falls to the criticism often seen of the Jerome Gambit: Don't bring your Queen out too early! Perhaps Black figured that his opponent would appreciate the idea.
The defender folded in an earlier game, with 8...Ke7 9.d4 Ng6 10.Bg5+ Black resigned, MrJoker - Macuta, Internet Chess Club, 2011.
9.Kg1+ Ke7
Black's lead in development does not make up for his lost pawn and his unsafe King.
10.d4 Ng4 11.h3 Nf6 12.e5 Nd5 13.c4 Nb6
14.b3
Solid, protecting the c-pawn and opening lines for the Bishop.
If you want an oddball, stronger move, take a look at 14.Rf4!?, attacking Black's misplaced Queen. Of course, 14...Qg3, now, loses Her Majesty to 15.Rg4. White's real idea is revealed after 14...Qh6 15.Re7+! when 15...Kxe7 16.Bxh6 cannot be answered by 16...gxh6 because 17.c5 or 17.Qf3+ would be too strong; while 16.Kg6 Bd2 is just better for White.
14...d6 15.exd6+ Kxd6 16.c5+ Kc6 17.cxb6 Kxb6
18.Na3 Be6 19.Nc4+ Kc6 20.Ne5+ Kd6 21.Ba3+ c5 22.Bxc5+ Black resigned
Bill Wall is not a professional psychologist, but when it comes to playing off-beat chess openings, he understands a lot about how his opponents think. This can be of considerable help when playing the Jerome Gambit.
In some of the notes I give a number of complete Wall games that have been referred to in previous blog posts, but have never been presented in their entirety.
Wall, Bill - Guest2928386
PlayChess.com, 2015
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.d3
Bill has also tried 9.Nc3 Nh5 (or 9...Kf7 as in perrypawnpusher - truuf, blitz, FICS, 2011 [0-1, 32] or 9...Ng4 as in perrypawnpusher - klixar, blitz, FICS, 2007 [1-0, 33]) 10.Qf3+ Qf6 11.d3 Qxf3
12.gxf3 Bd7 13.Ke2 Bd4 14.Be3 Bf6 15.Nd5 Bd8 16.Rhg1 Kf7 17.f4 c6 18.Nc3
g6 19.f3 Be6 20.Rad1 Rf8 21.d4 d5 22.Kd3 Bc7 23.Ne2 Ke7 24.e5 Ba5 25.c3
Bb6 26.a4 Rae8 27.Ra1 Ba5 28.b3 Kd7 29.Rg2 Kc8 30.Kc2 Ng7 31.Kb2 Kb8 32.b4 Bd8 33.a5 Bh3 34.Rg3 Bf5 35.Nc1 Ne6 36.Kb3 Be7 37.Rg1 Bh3 38.Nd3 g5
39.fxg5 Rxf3 40.Rg3 Rxg3 41.hxg3 Rg8 42.a6 Bxg5 43.Rh1 Bf5 44.Bxg5 Bxd3
45.Bh4 Bxa6 46.Kc2 Kc8 47.Rh2 Kd7 48.Rf2 Ke8 49.Rf6 Rg6 50.Rf5 b6 51.Rh5
h6 52.Bf6 Kd7 53.Rh3 Bc4 54.g4 a5 55.bxa5 bxa5 56.Rh2 a4 57.Kb2 Nf4 58.Ka3 Bb3 59.Rh4 Nd3 White resigned, Wall,B - Ahmadi,S, Chess.com, 2010.
9... Bg4
This is different that other defenses that Bill has either played or seen:
9...Nh5 10.Qf3+ Qf6 (10...Ke8 , perrypawnpusher - maxmi, blitz, FICS, 2010 [1-0, 42])
11.Qxf6+ Nxf6 12.Nc3 Ke7 13.Ke2 Be6 14.Be3 Bxe3 15.Kxe3 Ng4+
16.Ke2 Rhf8 17.f3 Nf6 18.d4 a5 19.a4 c6 20.Rhe1 Rae8 21.Rab1 Rb8 22.Kd2 Nh5 23.d5 Bd7 24.Re3 Be8 25.b4 axb4 26.Rxb4 Nf6 27.a5 c5 28.Rb1 Nd7 29.Nd1 b5 30.axb6 Nxb6 31.Kc1 Bg6 32.Reb3 Nd7 33.Ne3 Rxb3 34.Rxb3 Ra8 35.Kb2 Ra6 36.Rb7 Rb6+ 37.Rxb6 Nxb6 38.h4 Kf6 39.Ng4+ Ke7 40.Ne3 Kf6 41.g3 Be8 42.Kc3 Bg6 43.Ng4+ Ke7 44.Nf2 Be8 45.g4 Kf6 46.f4 Bb5 47.h5 h6 48.Kd2 Nc4+ 49.Ke2 Ne5+ 50.Ke3 Nc4+
51.Ke2 Ne5+ 52.Kd2 Nf7 53.Nd1 drawn, Wall,Bill - Guest6614602, PlayChess.com, 2014
9...Ng4 10.O-O Qf6 (or 10...Ke8 as in perrypawnpusher - salla, blitz, FICS, 2010 [1-0, 18])
11.c3 (or 11.Nc3 perrypawnpusher - marianomocoroa, blitz, FICS, 2010 [1-0, 14]) 11...Bxf2+ 12.Rxf2 Qxf2+ 13.Qxf2+ Nxf2 14.Kxf2 Be6 15.Nd2 Ke7 16.Nf3 Rhf8 17.h3
Rf7 18.Bg5+ Kd7 19.Kg3 h6 20.Bd2 g5 21.Rf1 Raf8 22.c4 c6 23.b4 b6 24.c5 g4 25.hxg4 Rg8 26.g5 hxg5 27.Rh1 g4 28.Ng5 Re7
29.cxd6 Kxd6 30.Rh6 Kd7 31.a4 Bf7 32.a5 b5
33.Bf4 Rg6 34.Nxf7 Rxh6 35.Nxh6 c5 36.bxc5 Kc6 37.Nf5 Re8 38.Bd6
Rd8 39.Nd4+ Black resigned, Wall,B - Filipmihov, FICS, 2012.
9...Kf7 10.Be3 Bxe3 11.fxe3 Rf8 12.O-O Kg8 13.Nd2 Qe8 14.Nf3 Bd7 15.Rae1 a5 16.h3 Nxe4 17.dxe4 Qxe4 18.Nd4
Rae8 19.Rxf8+ Rxf8 20.Rf1 Rxf1+ 21.Kxf1 Qe5 22.Qxe5 dxe5 23.Nf3 Bf5 24.Nxe5 Bxc2 25.Kf2 Be4 26.g4 Kf8 27.Kg3 Ke7 28.Kf4 Bb1 29.a3 Ke6 30.h4 c5
31.Nf3 b5 32.e4 a4 33.Ng5+ Ke7 34.Ke5 h6 35.Ne6 Bxe4 36.Nxg7 Bf3 37.Nf5+
Kf7 38.Nxh6+ Kg6 39.Kf4 Bd1 40.Nf5 b4 41.h5+ Kh7 42.Ne3 Be2 43.Nd5 bxa3
44.bxa3 c4 45.Nc3 Bd3 46.Nxa4 Bc2 47.Nc3 Bd3 48.a4 Black resigned, Wall,B - Badbeat994, Chess.com, 2010.
9...Be6 10.O-O 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.
9... h6 as in perrypawnpusher - caterwaul, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 39).
10.O-O
Bill takes a wait-and-see stance. Similar, but for comparison: 10.Be3 Bxe3 11.Qxe3 Kf7 12.h3 Be6 13.f4 c5 14.f5 Bd7 15.g4 Re8 16.O-O
Bc6 17.Qf4 Qb6 18.b3 Rad8 19.Nd2 c4+ 20.Kh2 cxd3 21.Nc4 Qd4 22.cxd3 Qxd3
23.Rad1 Qc2+ 24.Rd2 Qc3 25.Nxd6+ Rxd6 26.Qxd6 Nxe4 27.Qc7+ Kg8 28.Rd8
Qg3+ 29.Kh1 Nf2 checkmate MrJoker - Macuta, Internet Chess Club, 2011.
10...Bh5
11.h3 Qe7 12.Nc3 c6 13.a3
Okay, Bill's got me puzzled - and I know something about the Jerome Gambit. How can he afford to play 11.h3 and 13.a3 when he is playing a gambit, and time is supposed to be of the essence?
As we will see, he accurately accesses his opponent as being unprepared or uncertain about the proper defense (although the light-squared Bishop is free and trying to protect the Kingside), so there is time for White to keep his options open.
Sometimes letting Black keep his options open can lead to him making errors.
13...Bg6 14.Bg5 Qe5 15.Bf4 Qe6 16.Na4
If nothing else, Bill can eliminate his opponent's "two Bishops".
16...Nh5 17.Nxc5 dxc5
Not 17...Nxg3 18.Nxe6+ Ke7 19.Bxg3
Kxe6 20.f4.
18.Bd6+ Ke8 19.Qh2
19...Kd7
Too casual. It is not clear that the King is safer in his new position, and the (doubled) pawn that he give up is certainly of worth.
20.Bxc5 b6 21.Bd4 Qf7
Black's pieces are not so much developed as they are jumbled on the Kingside. His Bishop should have gone to f7 on his last move.
22.f4 Qe7 23.g4 Nf6
24.e5 Nd5
Bill points out that Knight retreats lead to trouble too: 24...Ng8 25.f5 Be8 26.f6 gxf6 27.exf6 Qf7 28.Rae1 or 24...Ne8 25.f5 Bf7 26.e6+.
25.f5 Be8 26.c4 Nc7 27.b4
Those crazy pawns! All 8 of them.
It is important to mention that Stockfish 6 rates White about 1/2 pawn better in this position. If Black can remain calm, he should be able to hang on.
27...Rf8 28.e6+ Kc8 29.a4 Kb7
Black has castled-by-hand, but his King still needs to be careful. I've got him right where he wants me! he might have thought, somewhat confusedly.
30.a5 Na6 31.b5 cxb5 32.cxb5 Bxb5 33.Rfb1 Nc7
Black's light-squared Bishop continues to defend valiantly with the Knight, but - those pawns...
34.axb6 axb6 35.Qg2+ Kc8
Black's situation has deteriorated to the point that only 35...Kb8 would save him from a forced checkmate.
36. Rxa8+ Nxa8
37.Qxa8+ Kc7 38.Be5+
Black resigned
Admittedly, there is a lot of "psychology" behind playing the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), starting with the notion that it is worth playing in the first place.
Often Black tries to counter with his own "psychology", but that is almost always a double-edged sword.
MrJoker - Macuta
blit, 2 12, Internet Chess Club, 2011
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kf8
The Jerome Gambit Declined.
There are times when the philosophy "If you want me to take the sacrifice, I won't take the sacrifice" might work, but here White is offering his opponent a won game, and Black is refusing.
5.Bxg8 Rxg8
6.Nxe5 Bxf2+
Here we go, again. White is expecting 6...Nxe5 7.d4 Bxd4 8.Qxd4 d6, so Black "disappoints" him again.
7.Kxf2 Nxe5
Black has certainly taken the steam out of the Jerome Gambit, although it has left him in a relatively straight-forward position, a pawn down.
As he soon learns to his dismay, it is not yet time to relax.
8.Rf1
mrjoker has also played 8.d4, as in MrJoker - ThePawnSnatcher, blitz, 2 12 Internet Chess Club, 2011: 8...Qf6+ 9.Ke1 Qh4+ 10.Kd2 Ng4 11.Qf3+ Ke8 12.Rf1 Nf6 13.Nc3 c6 14.Kd3 d6 15.e5 dxe5 16.dxe5 Bg4 17.Qf4 Rd8+ 18.Ke3 Nd5+ 19.Nxd5 Rxd5 20.Qf7+ Kd8 21.Qxg8+ Kc7 22.Qxg7+ Kb6 23.Bd2 Be6 24.Rad1 Qd4+ 25.Kf3 Qh4 26.Be3+ Ka6 27.g3 Qxh2 28.c4 Qh5+ 29.g4 Qh3+ 30.Kf2 Qh2+ 31.Ke1 Qh4+ 32.Bf2 Rxd1+ 33.Kxd1 Qh3 Black resigned
8...Ke7 9.d4 Ng6 10.Bg5+ Black resigned
