Jerome Gambit: I Forget How Complicated

Vlasta Fejfar shares his latest Jerome Gambit. I forget how complicated the game can get.

Vlastous - Kombe
internet, 2017

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 Qf6

I am pretty sure that Vlasta was happy to get a break from the "annoying defense" 7...d6.

8.Rf1 Nd3+ 

Creatively returning a piece. (It is not the strongest response, however.)

9.cxd3 Bd4

Plotting or planning something, but I am not sure what... Probably the simple 9...d6 was better.

10.Nc3

This is a small improvement over 10.Qd5+, which appeared in an earlier game, the only other one in The Database to feature 8...Nd3+: 10...Ke7 11.e5 Qh4+ 12. g3 Qxh2 13. Qxd4 Qxg3+ 14. Qf2 Qxf2+ 15. Rxf2 b6 16. d4 Nh6 17. Nc3 c6 18. f5 Bb7 19. d3 Raf8 20. Bxh6 gxh6 21. O-O-O Rf7 22. Ne4 Ba6 23. Nd6 Rff8 24. Kd2 Rhg8 25. f6+ Ke6 26. f7 Rg3 27. Rf6+ Ke7 28. Nf5+ Kd8 29. Nxg3 Black disconnected and forfeited, MrJoker - Melbourne, Internet Chess Club, 2011.

10...g6

Kicking the Queen makes a lot of sense - sometimes; but not right now. A typical Jerome Gambit problem for Black: what is good, and what is not?

11.f5+ gxf5

A measure of how complicated the game has become is shown in Stockfish 8's recommendation: 11...Ke7 12.fxg6 Qxg6 13.Qh4+ Ke8 14.Nd5 Be5 15.b4 d6 16.Rb1 Be6 17.Nxc7+ Kd7 18.Nxa8 Qxg2 19.Bb2 Bxb2 20.Rxb2 Ne7 21.Qf2 Qxf2+ 22.Kxf2 Rf8+ 23.Ke2 Rxa8 24.Ke3 d5 25.b5 Kd6 26.Rb4 Ng6 27.Ra4 leading to an even game.

The text turns the advantage over to White.

12.exf5+ Ke7 13.Nd5+ Kd6 14.Nxf6 Nxf6 15.Qh4 Re8+ 16.Kd1 b6

Assuming that a Queen is worth three pieces, for a moment it looks as if it is Black who has sacrifice a piece to attack White's uncastled King. Alas, the second player's game has come undone.

17.Qxd4+ Ke7 18.Re1+ Kf7 19.Rxe8 Nxe8 20.Qd5+ Ke7 21.Qe4+ Kd8 22.Qh4+ Black resigned

Jerome Gambit: Unfinished Symphony (Part 1)

The following game, my most recent Jerome Gambit from an ongoing Chess.com tournament, was an adventure from start to finish. The adventure was shorter than I expected, however. It is filled out with related games played at a number of different online sites, all from The Database.

perrypawnpusher - Nivaethan2000
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+ Ke6 7.f4

This is a popular line, but it is the first time that I have played it. I have preferred 7.Qf5+, and am something like 59 - 10 with the move. That's a score of almost 86% - why take the risk of something new? As I mentioned in a previous post, I need to keep learning about the Jerome Gambit.

White's King is going to be insecure for a while, and if he castles, it will be Queenside.

7...Qf6 8.Rf1 g6

This pawn kick is understandable, but Knight moves also have been played.

For example, 8... Ne7 was seen in Wall,B - Asterisk engine, Palm Bay, FL, 2015 (1-0, 39).

Also 8...Nh6 9.Nc3 c6 10.fxe5 Qxe5 11.Qh4 Rf8 12.Rxf8 Bxf8 13.d3 Bb4 14.Bd2 Qf6 15.Qh5 d6 16.Qe8+ Qe7 17.Qh8 g5 18.h4 g4 19.Bxh6 Bxc3+ 20.bxc3 Qxh4+ 21.Ke2 Kd7 22.Rf1 Kc7 23.Rf7+ Kb6 24.Qd4+ Ka6 25.Qa4+ Kb6 26.Be3+ c5 27.Qb3+ Kc6 28.Qd5+ Kb5 29.Rxb7+ Black resigned, tapirus - mrdenetop, Chess.com, 2011.

There was the creative 8...Nd3+ as in MrJoker - Melbourne, Internet Chess Club 2011 (1-0, 29). 

9.Qh3+ Ke7

Again, this is not the only move (although it foreshadows the theme of play along the dark squares).

Examples of games with the novel way of returning the piece, 9...Ng4, are mrjoker - jmt, Internet Chess Club, 2008 (1-0, 29);  Wall,B - Guest3164644, PlayChess.com 2013 (1-0, 20); and Wall,B - Betarsolta, PlayChess.com, 2015 (1-0, 12). 

The imprudent 9...Kf7 was seen in Wall,B - Guest1690223, PlayChess.com, 2012 (1-0, 12).

The alternative 9...Kd6 has been met several ways: 

10.fxe5+ Qxe5 11.d3 (11.Nc3!?) Kc6 12.Nc3 d6 13.Qf3 Be6 14.Bf4 Qh5 15.g4 Bxg4 16.Qh1 Bb4 17.e5+ Kb6 18.Qg1+ Ka6 19.Qd4 Bxc3+ 20.bxc3 Nh6 21.Qa4+ Kb6 22.Rb1+ Black disconnected and forfeited, MrJoker - Melbourne, Internet Chess Club, 2011; 

10.Qg3 Nf7 (best is 10...Nd3+) 11.e5+ Nxe5 12.Nc3 Ke6 13.Ne4 Nf3+ 14.Qxf3 Qh4+ 15.g3 Qe7 16.f5+ Kd5 17.Kd1 Qxe4 18.c4+ Ke5 19.Re1 d5 20.Rxe4+ dxe4 21.d4+ Bxd4 22.Qf4+ Kf6 23.fxg6+ Kxg6 24.Qg5+ Kf7 25.Qd5+ Be6 26.Qxd4 Nf6 27.Ke1 Rhf8 28.Qe5 Rac8 29.Bg5 Kg6 30.Bd2 Bf5 31.Qf4 e3 32.Bxe3 Rce8 33.Ke2 Bg4+ 34.Kd3 Rd8+ 35.Kc2 Bf5+ 36.Kb3 Rd3+ 37.Kb4 a5+ 38.Kxa5 b6+ 39.Kb4 c5+ 40.Kb5 Bd7+ 41.Kxb6 Nd5+ 42.cxd5 Rxf4 43.Bxf4 Rxd5 44.Rc1 Be6 45.b3 Kf5 46.Kc6 Kf6 47.Rc2 Rf5 48.Bc1 Bd5+ 49.Kd6 Ba8 50.Bb2+ Kg6 51.Be5 Rf8 52.Rxc5 Rf2 53.a4 Rxh2 54.b4 Ra2 55.a5 Bh1 56.Bc3 Rg2 57.b5 Rxg3 58.b6 Rd3+ 59.Kc7 Re3 60.a6 Re7+ 61.Kd6 Rf7 62.Rc6 Black resigned, Zappa 1.1 - Deep Fritz 8, Blitz:5, 2006.

10.b4!? Nf3+ (if 10...Bxb4 11.Qb3; best is 10...Bd4) 11.Qxf3 Qxa1 12.bxc5+ Ke7 13.Qb3 Nf6 14.Bb2 Qxb1+ 15.Ke2 Qxf1+ 16.Kxf1 Rf8 17.Qg3 Ke8 18.f5 Rf7 19.Qe5+ Kf8 20.Qxc7 Ne8 21.Qe5 gxf5 22.exf5 b6 23.Ba3 d6 24.Qh8+ Ke7 25.cxd6+ Kd8 26.g4 Be6 27.Ke1 Bxa2 28.Qa1 Bd5 29.Qd4 Bh1 30.Qc4 Rd7 31.Qg8 a6 32.g5 a5 33.c4 Rg7 34.Qe6 Raa7 35.d7 Raxd7 36.Qxb6+ Kc8 37.f6 Rgf7 38.Qxa5 Nc7 39.Qe5 Bb7 40.d4 Bg2 41.Kf2 Bc6 42.d5 Bxd5 43.cxd5 Rxd5 44.Qf4 Rdd7 45.Bb4 Kb7 46.Qc4 Nd5 47.Qb5+ Kc7 48.Bc5 Kc8 49.Qa6+ Kb8 50.Bd6+ Nc7 51.h3 Rd8 52.Qb5+ Kc8 53.Bxc7 Rxc7 54.Qf5+ Kb7 55.f7 Rcc8 56.Qxh7 Kc6 57.Qe4+ Kd6 58.Qd4+ Kc7 59.Qf4+ Black resigned, Junior 7 - Fritz 7, Utrecht, 2002; 

10.Nc3 (best) Kc6 11.Nd5 d6 12.Qg3 Qe6 13.fxe5 Qxe5 14.Qxe5 dxe5 15.b4 Bd6 16.Bb2 Ne7 17.c4 b6 18.Rc1 Nxd5 19.exd5+ Kd7 20.c5 bxc5 21.bxc5 Be7 22.Bxe5 Rf8 23.c6+ Kd8 24.Rxf8+ Bxf8 25.Rc3 Be7 26.Re3 h5 27.Bxc7+ Kxc7 28.Rxe7+ Kd6 29.Re8 Kxd5 30.Rg8 Bb7 31.Rxg6 Re8+ 32.Kf2 Bxc6 33.Rh6 Re5 34.d4 Rf5+ 35.Ke3 Rg5 36.g3 a5 37.a3 Bb5 38.Rh7 Kc4 39.Rf7 Kb3 40.Kf4 Rd5 41.Ke4 Be8 42.Kxd5 Bxf7+ 43.Ke5 Kxa3 44.d5 a4 45.d6 Be8 46.Kf6 Kb4 47.Ke7 Bb5 48.d7 Bxd7 49.Kxd7 a3 50.Ke6 a2 51.Kf5 a1=Q 52.Kg5 Qe5+ 53.Kh4 White resigned, DrunkenMaster 1.2 - Comet B48, Torneo tematico GaJero00-A, 2009

10.Nc3 

A little bit better might be 10.fxe5 Qxe5 although it did not make a difference in GeniusPawn - jmchess, FICS, 2000 which continued with 11.Nc3, anyway: 11...Nf6 12.d4 Bxd4 13.Bf4 Bxc3+ 14.bxc3 Qxe4+ 15.Kd1 d6 16.Qh4 Kf7 17.Kc1 Bf5 18.Qf2 Qc4 19.Rb1 Ne4 20.Qe3 Qxf1+ 21.Kb2 Qxg2 22.Bh6 Qxh2 23.Ka1 Qxc2 24.Rc1 Qa4 25.Qd3 Rae8 26.Qd5+ Be6 27.Rf1+ Ke7 28.Bg5+ Kd7 29.Rf7+ Kc8 White resigned.

The question is, can Black respond to 10.Nc3 by making the White capture of the Knight on e5 more difficult, if not impossible? The answer, as we shall see, is both yes and no

[to be continued]

Chess Is Not Life

Despite what different masters are reported to have said, it is not true that "Chess Is Life". Sometimes it appears that "life" is what keeps us busy, and occasionally from playing chess, though...

perrypawnpusher  - mnoori
blitz, FICS, 2014

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Qf6

10.Nc3

The is one move among many possible.

Bill Wall has played 10.d3, as in Wall,B - G3LC, PlayChess.com 2011 (1-0, 22).

Louis Morin has show an interest in 10.d4, as in mrjoker - Igor77, Internet Chess Club, 2008 (1-0, 70), guest2199 - guest401, Internet Chess Club, 2004 (1-0, 87) and MrJoker - Melbourne, Internet Chess Club, 2011 (1-0, 13).

I've varied with 10.0-0, as in perrypawnpusher - TJPOT, blitz, FICS, 2009 (1-0, 48) and perrypawnpusher - LeiCar, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 25). 

10...Be6

Possibly better was 10...c6, as in perrypawnpusher - pitrisko, blitz, FICS 2011 (1-0, 28), perrypawnpusher - HGBoone, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0,59) and MrJoker - ZICO, Internet Chess Club, 2012 (1-0, 34).

11.0-0 N8e7 12.f4 Bd7 

In this kind of position, I usually see things differently during the game than Houdini sees afterwards. I think "tactics" and play f4-f5, "kicking" Black's Knight, hoping to chase him to e5 when I can "kick" it again with d2-d4. Houdini "thinks" "position" and chooses d2-d4 instead, suggesting that Black respond to a later f4-f5 by withdrawing his Knight to g8.

13.f5 Ne5

In all fairness, had my opponent played 13...Nf8 here instead, I would have followed up with 14.d4.

14.d4 Nc4

My opponent prefers to play actively, but 14...N5c6 was probably better, with and edge to Black.

15.Qd3 b5 

I was pretty sure during the game that Houdini would want me now to play 16.a4, but I couldn't figure out what would be wrong with Black simply defending with 16...c6. After the game Houdini showed me 17.e5 dxe5 18.Ne4!? with a sharp attack - good for you, Readers, who figured that out!

I was unhappy with the possibility of 16.a4 b4 as well, although, again, after the game Houdini said "no worries" after 17.Nb5 Bxb5 18.axb5 and White will eventually capture the pawn at b4. Well, okay...

16.b3 Nb6

After the game Houdini again pointed out that if 16...b4, White would have the familiar 17.e5 dxe5 18.Ne4!? I think I would have answered 16...b4 with 17.bxc4 bxc3 18.Qxc3 and been happy with my broad pawn center.

17.Nxb5 

At this point my opponent seems to have disappeared, and Black forfeited on time. Quite likely, "life" intruded; I hope nothing bad. 

Instead, after 17...Bxb5 18.Qxb5+ Nd7 19.Bb2 White would have a comfortable game, with three pawns for his sacrificed piece, and possibly a small edge.

Ouch

The following game shows some interesting play by White, burying Black's Bishop - the risk the second player takes when he opts to play 6...bxc6 instead of 6...dxc6. Still, Black is doing fine until he sends his Queen off on what turns out to be a suicide mission, to liberate the entombed piece. Ouch!

chessmanjeff - ouucch
blitz, FICS, 2013

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

4...Kxf7 5. Nxe5+ Kf8

This is as old as Jerome - Brownson, Iowa, USA, 1875 (1/2-1/2, 29) and was enthusiastically endorsed by Lt. Sorensen in his 1877 article on the Jerome Gambit in Nordisk Skaktidende. See "Critical Line: 5...Kf8 (1)".

The Database has 171 games, with White scoring 53%.

6.Nxc6

Instead, 6.Qh5 would reach the Banks Variation. See "Critical Line: 5...Kf8 (2)".

6...bxc6 

Not as accurate as 6...dxc6. See "Critical Line: 5...Kf8 (3)".

7.d4 Bb6 8. O-O d6 

The alternative, 8...Qf6, was seen in Petasluk - Snorkledorf, blitz, FICS, 2006 (1-0, 24).

9.c4 

White plays positionally against Black's dark-square Bishop. Alternatives include 9.f4, as in perrypawnpusher - hdig, blitz, FICS, 2007 (1-0, 17); 9.Nc3, as in perrypawnpusher - mika76, GameKnot.com, 2008 (1-0, 17); and 9.Qf3+, as in MrJoker - Melbourne, blitz, ICC, 2011 (1-0, 37).

9...c5 10.d5  Qf6 11.Nc3 a5 12.f4 Ne7

Instead, 12...Qd4+ would keep Black's edge.

13.e5 Qg6 14.e6 Ke8 15.Qf3

Houdini suggests the pawn sacrifice 15.f5!?, seeing White as better after 15...Nxf5 16.Qa4+ Kd8 17.Bd2 Nd4 18.Rae1 Nxe6 19.dxe6 Bxe6.

15...Rf8 16.Ne4 Nf5 17.Qh3 Nd4 18.Ng5

A slip which should be punished by the Queen offer 18...Qxg5!, as 19.fxg5 Ne2+ 20.Kh1 Rxf1 would be checkmate.

18...h6 19.Nf7 Qe4 

Houdini prefers that, instead of pawn-hunting, Black return the exchange with 19...Rxf7 20.exf7 Kxf7, when he still is better.

The second player, however, is focused upon freeing up his imprisoned dark-square Bishop, and absolutely nothing will get in the way of completing that mission.

20.Bd2 Ne2+ 21.Kh1 Qxc4

22.Qh5 Qxd5 

Freeing the c5 pawn to advance, freeing the Bishop... But ignoring the danger to his King - and Queen.

23.Qxd5 Black resigned

Near Miss

A couple of years ago I suggested the George J. Dougherty Club, with special membership for those chess players who had suffered the ignominity of losing to the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) - like Mr. Dougherty, who was the first one to face Alonzo Wheeler Jerome's gambit, and the first one to fall to it.

In light of my most recent Jerome Gambit, I was thinking of suggesting a "club" for those who play the Jerome, and who lose spectacularly with it. Then I thought again, and realized that the oft-refuted opening is supposed to fail gloriously for White, so such a club would "honor" more of "dog bites man" than "man bites dog."

Still, the following game is likely to cause members of the Jerome Gambit Gemeinde to howl... 


perrypawnpusher - darkwight
blitz, FICS, 2013

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Ne5 

Certainly a provocative move, now, or a move or two later.

10.0-0

The Database shows a couple of alternatives: 10.d4 Ng4 11.Qg3 N8f6 12.f3 Qe7 13.0-0 Nh6 14.Nc3 Bd7 15.Bg5 Nf7 16.Nd5 Qd8 17.Bxf6 gxf6 18.Qg7 Be6 19.Nxf6+ Ke7 20.b3 Qf8 21.Qxf8+ Raxf8 22.Nh5 Ng5 23.h4 Nf7 24.Nf4 Bc8 25.Nd5+ Kd8 26.c4 c6 27.Nc3 Nh6 28.g4 Bxg4 29.fxg4 Nxg4 30.Rxf8+ Rxf8 31.Rf1 Rg8 32.Rf4 Ne5+ 33.Kf1 Nd3 34.Rf7 Kc8 35.Rxh7 Rf8+ 36.Ke2 Nf4+ 37.Kf3 Nd5+ 38.Kg4 Nxc3 39.e5 dxe5 40.dxe5 Ne4 41.h5 a5 42.h6 Nc5 43.Kg5 Ne4+ 44.Kg6 Rg8+ 45.Kf7 Rd8 46.Rg7 Rd7+ 47.Kg6 Black resigned, MrJoker - DanK28, Internet Chess Club, 2011; and

10.f4 as in perrypawnpusher - GabrielChime, blitz, FICS, 2009 (1-0, 21). 

10...Qh4 

Less aggressive were: 10...h6 11.d4 Nc6 12.f4 Nge7 13.Bd2 a6 14.d5 Nb8 15.c4 Bd7 16.Bc3 Rg8 17.Rf3 Black resigned, MrJoker - Melbourne, Internet Chess Club 2011; and

10...Nf6 as in perrypawnpusher - mikelars, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 26).

11.d4 Ng4 12.Qf4 N8f6 13.h3 Nh5 14.Qf3 Rf8 15.Qe2 Nf4

Black has whipped up an initiative, and his 4 attacking pieces are really looking scary. For some reason, I didn't think that my opponent could play his last move, and it caused me some surprise - followed by panic.

16.Qb5+

I was totally embarrassed after the game to realize that 16.Bxf4 was perfectly playable here, and White can continue to defend, e.g. 16...Rxf4 17.Nc3 Nxf2 (retreating the Knight allows White to fork the Rook and Queen with g2-g3) 18.Rxf2 Rxf2 19.Qxf2 Qxf2+ 20.Kxf2 and White is a pawn up.

16...Bd7 17.Qxb7  

Now Black concludes his attack.

17...Nxh3+ 18.gxh3 Nxf2 

Horrors!

The right move was 18...Rxf2!, when 19.Qxa8+ Kf7 20.Qd5+ Kf8 21.Qa8+ Be8 22.Qxe8+ Kxe8 23.Be3 Qg3+ 24.Kh1 Rh2 is checkmate.

Smashing! 

19.Qxa8+ Ke7 20.Qxf8+ Kxf8 21.Rxf2+ 

Now White has two Rooks, a Knight and a pawn for his Queen, and should win - if he avoids time trouble.

21...Kg8 22.Bf4 Bxh3 23.Nc3 Qg4+ 24.Kh2 Qd7

Both of us were bothered by the ticking clock. I was trying not to get checkmated before I got my troops assembled, and my opponent was trying to create as much mischief as possible. Neither one of us were at our best for the rest of the game.

25.Bg3 h5 26.Rg1 g5 27.e5 h4

Advancing pawns against the enemy King is fun, but this overlooks something essential.

28.Bxh4 dxe5 29.Rxg5+ Kh7 30.Rg3 exd4 31.Rxh3 Qd6+ 

A final slip.

32.Bg3+ Black resigned

Still Strange, Still Intriguing (Part 4)

Returning to the game MrJoker - Melbourne, blitz, 2 12, Internet Chess Club, 2012, which has so far gone 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6

6.Qg4+ 

In an earlier game against the same opponent, MrJoker, instead, played va banque with 6.Nf7!?, and Black was immediately stupified 6...Kxf7 (best was 6...Qh4) and the second player lost in due course: 7.Qh5+ g6 8.Qxc5 Qe7 9.Qd5+ Qe6 10.Nc3 Nb4 11.Qxe6+ Kxe6 12.Kd1 a6 13.d4 b5 14.a3 Nxc2 15.Kxc2 Bb7 16.Bf4 d6 17.Rae1 Kf7 18.f3 Ne7 19.g4 Nc6 20.Be3 Na5 21.b3 Rhe8 22.Bd2 Nc6 23.Kd3 Rab8 24.h4 Na5 25.Kc2 Nc6 26.Ne2 a5 27.h5 Ne7 28.Bxa5 Black resigned, MrJoker - Melbourne, Internet Chess Club, 2011;

6.Nxc6 was seen in the fiasco perrypawnpusher - johnde, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 41); while

6.Qh5 received more good luck than it deserved in perrypawnpusher - crayongod, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 10); and 

6.f4 reached an unfortunate end in blackburne - DREWBEAR 63, JGTourney4, ChessWorld 2009 (0-1,10). 

6...Kxe5 7.Qf5+

Winning a piece and settling into a typical two-pawns-for-a-piece Jerome Gambit middle game. As we have seen in the past few days, the theoretical line is 7.d4+ Bxd4 8.Bf4+ Kf6 9.Bg5+ Kf7 10.Bxd8 winning Black's Queen for three pieces. It is not immediately apparent that White is better in this line, and there are no game examples, yet.

7...Kd6 8.Qd5+ Ke7 9.Qxc5+ d6 10.Qe3 Nf6 

11.0-0 Re8 12.d3 Kf8 13.f4 Kg8 

Melbourne has faced the Jerome Gambit before in the hands of MrJoker, and he knows the value of castling-by-hand.

14.h3 b6 15.Nc3 Ba6 

16.g4 

It was probably better to get the Queen off of the e-file with 16.Qf2. 

16...Nb4 17.Qe2 Nd7 18.a3 Nc6 19.Be3 Qh4 20.Qg2 Nc5 

21.Bf2 Qf6 22.Nd5 Qd8 23.b4 Nd7 24.c4 Bb7 

25.Rae1 Ne7 26.Ne3 Ng6 27.Bg3 c5 28.Nf5 Nf6 29.b5 a6 30.Qf2 axb5 31.e5 dxe5 32.fxe5 Nd7 33.e6 Nf6 34.Nd6 Re7 

A complicated mess has arisen.

35.Nf7 Rxa3 36.Nxd8 Black disconnected and forfeited

Black was no doubt unhappy at dropping his Queen. More troubling is that 35...Qxd3 would have given him a winning game.

Still Strange, Still Intriguing (Part 1)

The following Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game is strange enough to send me on a historical review through the posts of this blog.

MrJoker - Melbourne
blitz, 2 12, Internet Chess Club, 2011

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6 

Black decides neither to capture the White Knight nor safeguard his King. 

I first touched on this move in a post four years ago in "You, too, can add to Jerome Gambit theory!":

Of course, if your opponent springs the "Theoretical Novelty" 5...Ke6 on you, you'll be prepared with 6.Qg4+ Kxe5 7.d4+ Bxd4 8.Bf4+ Kf6 9.Bg5+ Kf7 10.Bxd8 Nxd8 (or 10...Bxb2 11.Qf3+ Ke8 12.Bxc7 Bxa1 13.Nd2 – a mess, but Black's uncertain King gives White the edge) and although the position is roughly even Black may not recover from "losing" his Queen.

About a year later, 5...Ke6 was no longer a "Theoretical Novelty" as I had a game to comment upon in "Surprise!":

DREWBEAR 63's move [from blackburne - DREWBEAR 63, Jerome Gambit Thematic Tournament, ChessWorld, 2009 (0-1, 10)] comes as quite a shock – certainly it must have been played before, perhaps in the earliest days of the Jerome Gambit; but there are no games in my database with the move, no analysis, and not even a mention of it.

The game sparked some interest in the line, and I brought it back in an end-of-the year quiz for Readers, specifically "Jerome Gambit Quiz #6". After the above diagram, I challenged:

Black is being creative: he doesn't capture the Knight at e5 and he doesn't wait for White's Queen to chase him to e6, he goes there voluntarily.

What do you think of Black's idea? What are some of the benefits of the line? What are some of the difficulties that it creates?

The answers, of course, came at the end of "Jerome Gambit Quiz #7":

The main advantage of Black's idea (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6) is that it might surprise White and produce a less-than-best response.

The only move that leads to White advantage is the sharp 6.Qg4+.

After 6...Kxe5 (practically forced) 7.d4+ Bxd4 8.Bf4+ Black will lose his Queen: 8...Kf6 9.Bg5+ Kf7 10.Bxd8 but he will have compensation after 10...Bxb2 11.Qf3+ Ke8 12.Nc3 Bxa1 13.Bxc7. Black has two pieces and a Rook for a Queen and a pawn, but his King's lack of safety means more, and White has the edge.

This new line will give the defender something tricky to use against the Jerome Gambit. White must be prepared.

[to be continued]

If It Were Always This Easy...

Here is a trio of "shock and awe" Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) games to get us started on the new MrJoker collection.

You know the kind: where Black is so kerfuzzled by White's brash attack that he quickly turns over his King.

MrJoker - Melbourne
blitz, 2 12, Internet Chess Club, 2011
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qd5+ Black disconnected and forfeited


MrJoker  - bishop12
blitz, 2 12, Internet Chess Club, 2012
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qd5+ Black resigned


MrJoker - Ronint
blitz, 2 12, Internet Chess Club, 2012
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 7.Qxe5 Qf6 8.Qxc5+ Black resigned

Of course, if it were always this easy, Magnus Carlsen would be playing the Jerome Gambit!