SIRMO

While preparing "Jerome Gambit for Dummies (5)" I realized that I had published only two games of the Jerome Gambit thematic tournament winner, SIRMO: plummy - SIRMO, chessworld.net, 2007 (0-1, 49) and Bullit52 - SIRMO, chessworld.net, 2007 (0-1, 12).

I think I may have unfairly shied away from his games because SIRMO prefers the "modern" Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) variations – not playing 5.Nxe5+ after 4...Kxf7 – and because a number of his wins feature a certain amount of wizardry...

Here are SIRMO's Jerome Gambit wins with white.

SIRMO - AAlekhine

thematic www.chessworld.net, 12.2007

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kf8 [Hardly the way to refute the Jerome Gambit! - Rick] 5.Bxg8 Rxg8 6.c3 Qf6 7.d3 d6 8.a4 Ke8 9.Bg5 Qg6 10.h4 h6 11.h5 Qe6 12.Bd2 Bd7 13.b4 Bxf2+ 14.Kxf2 Rf8 15.Rh3 Ke7 16.Be3 Rae8 17.b5 Na5 18.Nbd2 Kd8 19.Ke2 Kc8 20.c4 g5 21.Nh2 Qf6 22.Rf3 Qe6 23.Qf1 g4 24.Rxf8 g3 25.Rxe8+ Bxe8 26.Nhf3 Bxh5 27.Qh1 Qf7 28.Qh3+ Kb8 29.Qxg3 b6 30.Bxh6 Nb7 31.Qg7 Qxg7 32.Bxg7 Nc5 33.a5 Ne6 34.Bf6 Nf4+ 35.Kf1 Nxd3 36.axb6 cxb6 37.Be7 Kc8 38.Bxd6 Kd7 39.Nxe5+ Nxe5 40.Bxe5 Ke6 41.Bc7 Kd7 42.Rxa7 Kc8 43.Bxb6 Kb8 44.c5 Bd1 45.Nc4 Bb3 46.Nd6 Bc2 47.Rd7 1-0

SIRMO - Bullit52

thematic www.chessworld.net, 11.2007

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.c3 Nf6 6.a4 [The use of c3 + a4 with the threat against the Bishop of a4-a5 in the Jerome Gambit could well be called the "SIRMO maneuver" - Rick] a5 7.Qb3+ Ke8 8.Ng5 Rf8 9.Qc4 Bd6 10.Qe2 Ne7 Here, Black lost on time. 1-0

SIRMO - Ratscales

thematic www.chessworld.net, 01.2008

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.d3 h6 6.c3 d6 7.a4 Qf6 8.b4 Bxf2+ 9.Kxf2 g5 10.h3 Ke8 11.Be3 Be6 12.Ke2 d5 13.Rf1 Qe7 14.a5 Nf6 15.Nh2 Nh5 16.Rf3 Kd8 17.Na3 a6 18.Kd2 Qd7 19.Kc2 d4 20.Bd2 Nxa5 21.bxa5 Qa4+ 22.Kc1 Bb3 23.Qe1 Nf4 24.Bxf4 exf4 25.c4 Re8 26.Ng4 Re6 27.Kb2 b6 28.Nb5 Rxe4 29.dxe4 Qxc4 30.Na3 Qc5 31.Rxb3 b5 32.e5 h5 33.Nf6 Ra7 34.e6 c6 35.Ng8 Ke8 36.e7 Qd5 1-0

SIRMO - plummy

thematic www.chessworld.net, 12.2007 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.0-0 Nf6 6.c3 Nxe4 7.Nxe5+ Nxe5 8.d4 Bd6 9.dxe5 Bxe5 10.Qd5+ Kf8 11.Qxe4 d6 12.Na3 Qf6 13.f4 Bf5 14.Qf3 Ke8 15.fxe5 dxe5 16.Qxf5 Qxf5 17.Rxf5 Kd7 18.Rxe5 c6 19.Bg5 Kc7 20.Re7+ Kb6 21.Rxg7 h5 22.Nc4+ Ka6 23.Nd6 b5 24.b4 h4 25.a4 c5 26.axb5+ Kb6 27.Ra6 checkmate 1-0

SIRMO - BrainFreeze

thematic www.chessworld.net, 02.2008 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.c3 Nf6 6.a4 Nxe4 7.d4 exd4 8.0-0 dxc3 9.Qd5+ Kf8 10.Qxe4 cxb2 11.Bxb2 d6 [A "Danish - Jerome Gambit"?? White can now draw with 12.Qf4+ - Rick] 12.Nbd2 Qe7 13.Qf4+ Qf7 14.Qg3 Rg8 15.Rfe1 Bf5 16.Ng5 Qg6 17.Re2 h6 18.Nge4 Qxg3 19.Nxg3 Bd3 20.Ree1 Bb4 21.Bc1 Nd4 22.a5 Nc2 23.Ra4 Nxe1 24.Rxb4 Rb8 25.Bb2 Nc2 26.Rb3 Bg6 27.Kf1 c5 28.Nde4 Bxe4 29.Nxe4 Re8 30.f3 Re6 31.Rxb7 a6 32.Bc1 g5 33.h3 Rg7 34.Rb8+ Ke7 35.Rb6 d5 36.Nxc5 Rxb6 37.axb6 Rg8 38.Nxa6 Nd4 39.b7 Nc6 40.f4 Rf8 41.Ba3+ Kf7 42.Bxf8 Kxf8 43.f5 Kf7 44.g4 d4 45.Ke2 Kf6 46.b8Q Nxb8 47.Nxb8 Ke5 48.Kd3 Kf4 49.f6 Kg3 50.f7 Kxh3 51.f8Q Kxg4 52.Nc6 Kh4 53.Nxd4 g4 54.Qxh6+ Kg3 55.Ke3 Kg2 56.Ne2 1-0

SIRMO - karmmark

thematic www.chessworld.net, 12.2007 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.0-0 Nf6 6.c3 d6 7.h3 Rf8 8.d4 Kg8 9.dxc5 dxc5 10.Qxd8 Rxd8 11.Bg5 Rd6 12.Nbd2 b5 13.Rad1 h6 14.Bh4 Be6 15.Bxf6 gxf6 16.Rfe1 a5 17.Nh4 Rad8 18.Nhf3 Ne7 19.b3 Ng6 20.Re2 Nf4 21.Re3 Kh7 22.Kh2 Rg8 23.Nh4 Rd3 24.Rxd3 Nxd3 25.f3 Nf2 [The game is even here, but the endgame proves to be a nail-biter - Rick] 26.Rf1 Nd3 27.g4 Nf4 28.Nf5 h5 29.Ne7 Re8 30.Nc6 Ra8 31.Nb1 c4 32.Nd2 Ne2 33.bxc4 bxc4 34.Nb1 Ra6 35.Ne7 Nf4 36.Na3 Rd6 37.Nb5 Rd2+ 38.Kg3 Rg2+ 39.Kh4 Kg7 40.Nxc7 Bd7 41.Ncd5 Rxa2 42.Nxf4 exf4 43.Kxh5 Rh2 44.Kh4 Rc2 45.Nd5 a4 46.Ra1 Rf2 47.Rb1 Rxf3 48.Nb6 Be8 49.Nxc4 Rxc3 50.Nd2 Bg6 51.Rb7+ Kh6 52.e5 fxe5 53.g5 checkmate 1-0

SIRMO - manago

thematic www.chessworld.net, 01.2008

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.d3 Nf6 6.a4 Rf8 7.c3 d6 8.0-0 [ The thematic 8.b4!? led to about an even game: 8...Nxb4 9.Qb3+ Be6 10.Ng5+ Kg6 11.Nxe6 Nxd3+ 12.Kd2 Nxc1 13.Kxc1 Qe7 14.Nxf8+ Rxf8 - Rick] 8...Kg8 9.Ng5 [ I'm for 9.b4 again - Rick] 9...Bg4 10.Qe1 Nh5 11.h3 Bxh3 ["All according to plan", but the stronger plan was 11...Nf4!? 12.hxg4 Nxd3 - Rick] 12.Nxh3 Ng3 13.b4 Nxb4 14.cxb4 Bd4 15.Ra2 Nxf1 16.Kxf1 Qh4 17.Be3 Rf6 18.Bxd4, White has an advantage, but Black lost on time 1-0

SIRMO - NMTIGER

thematic www.chessworld.net, 12.2007 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.c3 Nf6 6.a4 Nxe4 7.d4 exd4 8.0-0 Qf6 9.Qd3 Qg6 10.cxd4 Nb4 11.Qc4+ Qe6 12.Qxe6+ dxe6 13.dxc5 Nc2 14.Ra2 Nb4 15.Ra1 Nxc5 16.Bf4 Nc2 17.Ra2 b5 18.axb5 Nb4 19.Ra5 Ncd3 20.Ne5+ Nxe5 21.Bxe5 Nc2 22.Bxc7 Nd4 23.h3 Ne2+ 24.Kh2 Rf8 25.b6 a6 26.Nc3 Nxc3 27.bxc3 Bb7 28.Re1 Ke7 29.Rae5 Rxf2 30.Rxe6+ Kf7 31.R1e2 Rf5 32.Re7+ Kg6 33.R2e6+ Rf6 34.Rxf6+ Kxf6 35.Bd6 Bc6 36.b7 Bxb7 37.Rxb7 a5 38.Rb3 Ke6 39.Bc5 Kd5 40.Bd4 g6 41.Rb5+ Kc4 42.Rc5+ Kb3 43.Rb5+ Kc4 44.Rc5+ Kd3 45.Rb5 a4 46.Rb2 a3 47.Ra2 Kc4 48.Bf6 Kb3 49.Ra1 a2 50.g4 Rc8 51.g5 Ka3 [Here or on the next move, ...Rc4 looks like a save for Black - Rick] 52.Kg3 Rb8 53.c4 Rb1 54.Kf2 Kb3 55.c5 Rxa1 56.Bxa1 Kc2 57.c6 Kb1 58.Bf6 h5 59.gxh6 g5 60.c7 a1Q 61.Bxa1 Kxa1 62.c8Q g4 63.Qb8 gxh3 64.h7 h2 65.h8Q+ Ka2 66.Qhb2 checkmate 1-0

Fool me once...

Here I am again, playing a 3 0 blitz quickie with Black. No way my opponent – rated higher than me – is going to play the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), right? Right?? Sigh. Having forgotten the lesson of "I don't have time for this stuff..." I get to learn it all over again. Serves me right.

madmadmal - perrypawnpusher blitz 3 0, FICS, 2009 

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.d3 Nf6 5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 Transposing to a modern variation of the Jerome Gambit. I have 77 examples of this position in my database, including bushytail - perrypawnpusher, blitz FICS 2008 (1/2-1/2, 50); drewbear - perrypawnpusher, chessworld 2008 (0-1, 22); and Mika76 - perrypawnpusher, GameKnot.com 2008 (1-0, 32). 

 6.Ng5+ Ke8 7.Nc3 d6 8.Nd5 A bit unusual, but it's shown up four times before, including NMTIGER - blackburne, Chessworld 2007: 8...Nxd5 9.exd5 Ne7 10.c4 Ng6 11.Qf3 Qf6 12.Ne6 Bxe6 13.dxe6 Rf8 14.0-0 Qxf3 15.gxf3 Rxf3 16.Be3 Bxe3 17.fxe3 Rf6 18.Rxf6 gxf6 19.Rf1 Ke7 20.d4 Kxe6 21.d5+ Ke7 22.e4 Rg8 23.b4 Nf4+ 24.Kh1 Rg2 25.Rxf4 Rxa2 26.Rh4 Re2 27.Rxh7+ Kd8 28.Rf7 b6 29.Rxf6 Kc8 30.Rf8+ Kb7 31.b5 Rxe4 32.Kg2 Rxc4 33.Kg3 Rc1 34.h4 Rh1 35.Rh8 e4 36.Kg2 Rd1 37.Re8 Rxd5 38.Rxe4 Rxb5 39.Rg4 Rh5 40.Kg3 b5 41.Rg5 Rh8 42.Rxb5+ Kc6 43.Rb1 a5 44.Rc1+ Kb6 45.Rb1+ Ka6 46.Kg4 a4 47.h5 Ka5 48.Kg5 a3 49.h6 Ka4 50.Kg6 a2 51.Ra1 Ka3 52.Kg7 Rxh6 53.Kxh6 Kb2 54.Rh1 a1Q 55.Rxa1 Kxa1 56.Kg5 c5 57.Kf4 c4 58.Ke3 c3 59.Kd3 Kb2 60.Kd4 c2 61.Kd5 c1R 62.Kxd6 Rc4 63.Kd5 Kc3 64.Ke5 Rd4 65.Kf5 Kc4 66.Ke5 Kc5 67.Kf5 Kd6 White resigned 

  8...h6 9.Nf3 Kf7 10.0-0 Rf8 Black is up a piece for a pawn, and is soon to castle-by-hand. What's the problem?

Tick, tick, tick... 

11.Nh4 Kg8 12.Ng6 Rf7 13.a3

My opponent begins to feel the clock, too. 

13...Be6 14.c4 Bxd5 

Chopping wood, a good idea when a piece up – but this game is going to end with either a flag or a mate, so perhaps not the best. 

15.cxd5 Ne7 16.Nh4 Qd7 17.b4 Bd4 18.Rb1 Qg4 See the above note. 

19.Qxg4 Nxg4 20.Kh1 Simply returning the Knight to f3 was best. Now Black can win the exchange with 20...Nxf2+ 21.Rxf2 ( if 21.Kg1 Nh3+ 22.Kh1 Rxf1#) 21...Rxf2 and then go for more, as in 22.g4 Rf1+ 23.Kg2 Rg1+ 24.Kh3 Be3 winning a piece. 

20...Rxf2 21.Rxf2 Nxf2+ 22.Kg1 Nxd3+ 23.Kf1 Nxc1 24.Rxc1 Rf8+ It's all clickin', but the clock's still tickin'. 

25.Ke2 g5 26.Nf3 Bb6 27.a4 a6 28.a5 Ba7 29.h4 We're pretty much just throwing moves at each other now. 

29...Bb8 30.hxg5 hxg5 31.g4 Kg7 32.Nxg5 Kg6 33.Ne6 Rh8 34.Kd3 Rh3+ 35.Kc2 Rg3 36.Kb2 Rxg4 37.Nxc7 Rxe4 38.Ne6 Rxb4+ 39.Ka3 Rb5 40.Nf8+ Kf7 41.Nh7 Rxa5+ 42.Kb3 Rxd5 43.Ng5+ Kf6 44.Ne4+ Ke6 45.Ng5+ Kf5 46.Nf3 Kf4 47.Rf1 Ke3 48.Ng5 Rb5+ 49.Kc2 d5 50.Rf3+ Kd4 51.Ne6+ Kc4 52.Rc3+ Kb4 53.Rb3+ Black forfeits on time

Oh, well.

Three cheers for madmadmal and the Jerome Gambit!!!

Trading up!

Chessfriend Martin Moller (who plays at the Internet Chess Club as "Moller" and who posts at ChessGames) is the first reader to send in a Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game since requested (see "Looking for a few good Jerome Gambit games..." and "Still Looking for a few good Jerome Gambit games...").

As a result, he will receive a PGN file of the first 210 games referred to on this blog, and a PGN file of the next 250 (actually 272) as well.
Let's take a look at his contribution -- a 5 minute blitz game, against a player rated 200 points above him.

Moller - whitestone
ICC blitz game 2008

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6


7.Qxc5

7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qc3 Nf6 10.d3 c6 11.0-0 Kd7 12.f4 Qb6+ 13.Kh1 Kc7 14.Qe1 Re8 15.b3 Nd5 16.Qg3 Nb4 17.Na3 Bd7 18.c3 Nxa2 19.f5 Ne5 20.d4 Qxb3 21.dxe5 dxe5 22.Rb1 Qxc3 23.Be3 a6 24.Qxg7 b5 25.Rf3 Kc8 26.Rd1 Rd8 27.Bb6 Kb7 28.Bxd8 Black resigned, Jerome - Brownson, USA, 1875

7...d6 8.Qc3 Nf6



9.0-0

9.d3 Rf8 10.Bg5 h6 11.Bxf6 gxf6 12.Nd2 Be6 13.0-0-0 c5 14.g3 b5 15.Nb3 a5 16.f4 b4 17.Qd2 Bxb3 18.cxb3 Rh8 19.Kb1 a4 20.bxa4 Rxa4 21.b3 Ra3 22.d4 Qa8 23.Qe2 Re8 24.f5 Nf8 25.Rhe1 Nh7 26.dxc5 dxc5 27.Rd7+ Kg8 28.Qg4+ Black resigned, Banks - Pinfold, Halesowen v Bushbury 2000

9...Re8 10.d3
10...Be6

10...h6 11.f4 Kg8 12.Be3 c5? 13.Nd2 Ng4 14.Rae1 Nxe3 15.Rxe3 b6 16.Rg3 Kh7 17.f5 Ne5 18.Nf3 Qf6 19.Qd2 Bb7 20.Nxe5 dxe5 21.Rg6 Qd8 22.Rf3 Bxe4! 23.Rfg3 Re7 24.Qf2 Rd7 25.h3 Bb7? 26.f6 gxf6 27.Rxf6 Rg7 28.Qf5+ Kg8 29.Qe6+ Kh8 30.Rxh6+ Black resigned, Anonymous - Anonymous, Club Game (Gambits Accepted - Fletcher);

10...b6 11.Bg5 Ne5 12.f4 Neg4 13.h3 Ne3 14.Rf3 Nd1 15.Qb3+ Be6 16.c4 Nxb2 17.Qxb2 h6 18.Bxf6 Qxf6 19.e5 Qh4 20.Nd2 a5 21.f5 Bd7 22.e6+ Bxe6 23.fxe6+ Kxe6 24.Qxg7 Rg8 25.Qf7+ Ke5 26.Qd5 checkmate, Nestor250168 - NMTIGER, www.chessworld.net 2007

11.f4 Ne7


White's pawns begin to roll, and Black's pieces scramble to get out of the way. The second player has a material and development advantage -- but the clock is ticking!

12.f5 Bd7 13.Qb3+ d5 14.Nc3 c6 15.Bg5 h6


Double-edged play: it will weaken Black's Kingside, but he plans on using the "holes" as open lines for counter-attack.

16.Bxf6 gxf6 17.Ne2 Qc7 18.Nf4 Rg8 19.Qc3 Rg4 20.Nh5 Qe5




21.d4

Bluff? Black doesn't want to find out. You have to make split-second decisions in 5-minute games.

21...Qc7 22.e5 Rag8




23.e6+ Bxe6 24.fxe6+ Kxe6 25.Rae1+

25...Kd6

The King was "safer" at f7, but things are very difficult even then.

26.Rxf6+

Good enough, although 26.Qc5+ 13.Kd7 27.Rxe7+ was even stronger.
26...Kd7 27.g3 Black disconnected.
I don't know about at ICC, but at FICS if someone disconnected here, the game would be awarded to White.
Exciting chess!

Pitfall Numero Uno in the Jerome Gambit

It's not often you find that you have a won game – with the black pieces, at move 4.
Defending against the Jerome Gambit has its benefits, that's for sure.
The one thing you shouldn't do – besides panic, that is (see "The Horror! The Horror!!") – is dwadle ((v) : to spend time idly and unfruitfully; to spend time without haste or purpose – ninjawords).
The following game, from the recently completed ChessWorld tournament reviewed in Unorthodox Opening Newsletter #21, which I mentioned in "But is this stuff playable? (Part II)," gives an example of how Black may fall if he lets his game drift.
Nestor250168 - NMTIGER
thematic www.chessworld.net, 12.2007
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qxc5
Up to this point we have also been following the game "Anonymous vs Anonymous" presented in L. Elliot Fletcher's delightful Gambits Accepted, A Survey of Opening Sacrifices, (1954).

Fletcher's comment about the games he collected are worth recalling

Every inventor must have considered his gambit as a winning one, so in this Part all gambits are won by White and all counter gambits by Black. One game for each of the eighty-four openings is included, being numbered according to the classification tabulated in Part I, and, as far as possible, short games have been selected from master play. This was not as easy as might be imagined, for so often an otherwise suitable tournament or match game was not won by the proper colour required for our purpose. In several cases, therefore, it has been necessary to search for games outside first-class circles, and, in the thirteen selections when this has been done, the names of the players have been suppressed and the contest given as a Club Game. It must be confessed that the collection thereby becomes rather a mixed bag, but at least it can be said that there is an example, and a winning one, for each opening...

7...d6 8.Qc3 Nf6 9.d3 Re8 10.0–0

Here it can be noted that Nestor 250168 had the Black pieces in another game in this tournament, vs AAlekhine, and was successful there as well: 10.Bg5 Re6 11.Nd2 h6 12.Bxf6 Rxf6 13.0–0 Be6 14.Nf3 Kg8 15.h4 c5 16.h5 Nf4 17.Qd2 Nxh5 18.e5 Rf5 19.exd6 Qxd6 20.Rae1 c4 21.d4 Raf8 22.Nh4 R5f6 23.Re2 Ng3 24.Rfe1 Nxe2+ 25.Qxe2 Qxd4 26.c3 Qxf2+ 27.Qxf2 Rxf2 28.Rxe6 Rxb2 29.Ng6 Rf6 30.Ne7+ Kf7 31.Re4 Re6 32.Nf5 Rxe4 33.Nd6+ Kg6 34.Nxe4 Rxa2 35.Nd6 Rc2 36.Nxc4 Rxc3 37.Nd6 a5 38.Nxb7 a4 39.Nd6 a3 40.Nb5 Rc1+ 41.Kf2 a2 42.Nd4 a1Q 43.Nb3 Qb2+ 0–1
10...b6 11.Bg5 Ne5

Too much horsing around will be his downfall.

12.f4 Neg4 13.h3 Ne3 14.Rf3 Nd1

Black must try 14...d5 and be prepared to fight furiously, when the first player can keep an even game with 15.Qb3 Nc4 16.e5 Na5 17.Qa3 Bb7 18.Nd2, or enter the Twilight Zone with 15.Rxe3!? d4 16.Qc6 dxe3 17.Qxa8 Qd4 18.Nc3 e2+ 19.Kh2 Qf2 20.Qxa7 e1Q 21.Rxe1 Qxe1 22.Qxc7+ Kg8 23.Bxf6 gxf6 24.Nd5 Qh4 25.f5 Kh8 26.Qxb6




White has six pawns for a Rook and is a) winning, b) losing, or c) keeping the game in balance.
I chose d) one of the above. (I'm not sure which.)
15.Qb3+ Be6 16.c4 Nxb2 17.Qxb2 h6 18.Bxf6
There is something to be said for 18.Bh4 instead in that it keeps the pressure on his opponent's position. As it is, things soon fall apart for the second player anyhow.
18...Qxf6 19.e5 Qh4 20.Nd2 a5 21.f5 Bd7 22.e6+ Bxe6 23.fxe6+ Kxe6 24.Qxg7 Rg8 25.Qf7+ Ke5 26.Qd5 mate