A Long Day's Journey Into Checkmate

Welton Vaz shows that if you can't win a Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game quickly (see "Provoked!", "Moment of Truth" and "Another Miniature from Brazil") it's okay to once again win it slowly.

Ghandybh  - nosseir

Chess.com, 2010

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+

6...Ke6 7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.d3

This is an unusual alternative to the more frequently played 8.f4. Clearly White avoids the complexities associated with that move – 8...Qh4+ 9.g3 Nf3+, for starters – while preparing to put pressure on the Knight at e5 with Bc1-f4. On the other hand, he battles along lines where White remains two pieces down. 

8...Nh6

Black, in turn, takes immediate aim at the White Queen.

Two alternatives have been seen: 8...Qf6 9.Be3 Bxe3 10.fxe3 Ke7 11.d4 Nc4 12.Qc5+ Nd6 13.e5 Qh4+ 14.g3 Qe4 15.exd6+ Ke6 16.Qe5+ Qxe5 17.dxe5 cxd6 18.exd6 Kxd6 19.Nc3 Nf6 20.Nb5+ Ke7 21.0-0-0 b6 22.Rd4 Bb7 23.Rhd1 Bc6 24.Nc7 Rac8 25.Na6 Rhe8 26.Nb4 Kf8 27.Kd2 Re4 28.Re1 Rxd4+ 29.exd4 Re8 30.Rg1 Bb5 31.b3 Ne4+ 32.Kc1 Nc3 33.Kb2 Ne2 34.c4 Bc6 35.Rd1 Be4 36.d5 Kg8 37.Rd2 Ng1 38.Na6 Nf3 39.Rf2 Ne5 40.Kc3 Ng4 41.Rd2 Rf8 42.Rd4 Rf3+ 43.Kb4 Nf6 44.a4 Bc2 45.Nc5 bxc5+ 46.Kxc5 Ne4+ 47.Rxe4 Bxe4 48.b4 Rf6 49.a5 Kf8 50.Kd4 Bc2 51.b5 Ke7 52.c5 d6 53.c6 Kd8 54.b6 axb6 55.axb6 Bb3 56.Ke4 g6 57.h4 Rf5 White resigned, dott - dj-travis, GameKnot.com, 2004;

and 8...Nf6 9.Bf4 Qe7 10.0-0 g6 11.Bxe5+ Qxe5 12.Qxe5+ Kxe5 13.c3 Be7 14.Nd2 d6 15.g3 Bh3 16.Rfe1 Rhf8 17.d4+ Ke6 18.e5 dxe5 19.Rxe5+ Kd7 20.Rae1 Rae8 21.f3 Bd6 22.Rxe8 Rxe8 23.Rxe8 Kxe8 24.g4 h5 25.Nc4 Bf4 26.Ne5 Be3+ 27.Kh1 g5 28.Nc4 hxg4 29.Nxe3 gxf3 30.Kg1 g4 31.Kf2 Ne4+ 32.Ke1 Kd7 33.c4 c6 34.d5 c5 35.Nf5 b6 36.Ng3 Nxg3 37.hxg3 Kd6 38.Kf2 a6 39.b3 b5 40.a3 bxc4 41.bxc4 Ke5 42.Ke3 Bf1 White resigned, Nestor250168 - karmmark, thematic, Chessworld.net 2008.

9.Bxh6 gxh6

Rybka's assessment is that things have already entered the Twilight Zone, suggesting instead: 9...Rf8 10.Bg5 Rxf5 11.Bxd8 Rxf2 with a clear advantage to Black.

10.Nc3

Here 10.f4 would have led to the recover of a piece as well. 

10...Rf8 11.Nb5+ Kc6 12.Qxe5 d6

Capturing the White Knight with the King would have only led to an exchange of pieces (12...Kxb5 13.a4+ followed by 14.Qxc5), so Black protects his Bishop first.

He had sharper play in 12...Bxf2+ 13.Ke2 d5 14.a4 Bg4+ 15.Kd2 Qg5+ 16.Qxg5 hxg5 17.exd5+ Kb6 but it can be difficult to think of "attack" when your King needs "defense."

analysis diagram







13.Nd4+

Rybka points out the sneaky alternative 13.Qd5+, as 13...Kxb5 leads to checkmate, while 13...Kb6 and 13...Kd7 allow 14.d4.

The position has become complicated for both players, a situation that favors the one more familiar and comfortable with this kind of play.

13...Bxd4 14.Qd5+ Kd7 15.Qxd4

15...Qf6 16.Qxf6 Rxf6 17.f3

Black has managed to remove the immediate danger to his King, and he has the standard small advantage of a piece for two pawns, but this kind of position is like one's own back yard to a Jerome Gambit player. 

17...b6 18.Rf1 Bb7 19.Kd2 Rg8 20.g3 Kc8

21.f4 Rf7 22.f5 Rg5 23.Rae1 Rh5

Black has underestimated or overlooked his opponent's reply.

24.h4 Rg7 25.Rf3

25...d5

This only unleashes the "Jerome pawns".  

26.f6 Rf7 27.e5 d4 28.e6 Rf8 29.e7 Rh8

30.Rf4

Finally, Black catches a small break. White does not really need to worry about saving his Rook: after 30.f7 Bxf3 he can play 31.f8/Q+ Kb7 32.Qxf3+ Ka6 33.Qxh5 and be a Queen ahead, with another pawn ready to promote!

 30...Bd5 31.f7 Bxf7 32.Rxf7 Re8

Perhaps Black even chuckled here, and reminded himself of the old saying All Rook and pawn endings are drawn.

33.Re4 c5 34.Rf8 Kd7 35.Rf7

At this point, this Rook and pawn ending does look drawn.

But looks can be deceiving.

35...a5 36.a4 b5 37.axb5 Rd5 38.Rxh7 Rd6

White's pawns are beginning to look like ants at a picnic.

39.c3 dxc3+ 40.Kxc3 Re6

41.Rxe6 Kxe6 42.b6 Kd6

43.Rxh6+ Kd7 44.b7 Kc7 45.Re6 Kxb7 46.Kc4 Kc7

47.Kxc5 Kd7 48.Kd5 Rxe7 49.Rxe7+ Kxe7

Black keeps capturing pawns, and his position keeps getting worse.

50.h5 Kf6 51.g4 Kg5 52.Kd6 Kxg4 53.h6 Kg5 54.h7 Kf4

55.h8Q Ke3 56.Qe8+ Kxd3 57.Qg6+ Kd2 58.Qb1 Ke3 59.Qa2 Kf4 60.Qxa5 Ke3 61.Qd5 Black resigned

Battle Fatigue (1)

Slam-bang chess battles can be exhausting, especially when they involve off-beat openings like the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+). Picking a good move, time after time, builds pressure, and sometimes the result is picking a not-so-good move, simply out of battle fatigue. Here is an example.

Black Puma - Crusader Rabbit

JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Qf6 7.dxc5 Ne7 8.0-0

8...h5

Or 8...d6 9.cxd6 Qxd6 10.Qh5+ N7g6 11.Nc3 Bg4 12.Qf5+ Bxf5 13.exf5 Ne7 14.Ne4 Qd4 15.Ng5+ Kf6 16.c3 Qg4 17.h3 Qxf5 18.g4 Qd3 19.Be3 h6 20.Bd4 hxg5 21.Rad1 Qxh3 22.Bxe5+ Kxe5 23.f4+ gxf4 24.Rde1+ Kf6 25.Rxf4+ Kg5 26.Rxe7 Qg3+ White resigned, blackburne - Nestor250168, Chessworld 2007

Or 8...Re8 9.Nc3 Kg8 10.f4 Nc4 11.e5 Qf5 12.b3 Na5 13.Bb2 Nac6 14.Nd5 Nxd5 15.Qxd5+ Qf7 16.Qd3 Nb4 17.Qc3 a5 18.Rae1 Nd5 19.Qd4 c6 20.f5 Nb4 21.Qe4 Nd5 22.c4 Nc7 23.f6 g6 24.Bc1 Ne6 25.Bh6 Nc7 26.Bg7 Ne6 27.Bh6 Nc7 28.Rd1 Na6 29.Qd4 Nc7 30.Rd3 Ne6 31.Qe4 Nxc5 32.Qd4 Ne6 33.Qh4 g5 34.Bxg5 Nc5 35.Rg3 Rxe5 36.Bf4+ Kh8 37.Bxe5 Ne6 38.Rf5 d5 39.Rg7 Nxg7 40.fxg7+ Black resigned, savage13 - karmmark, Chessworld 2007

9.f4 Ng4 10.e5 Qh4 11.h3 Nf5 12.Qf3 Ng3 13.Re1 Nh1

Black's counter-attack is quite scary. White can hold on, and even drive back the enemy, according to Rybka 3, with 14.Bd2 Ng6 15.Rd1 Nf5 16.Be1 Qe2 17.hxg4, but that's a computer talking, not a human being.

14.Kxh1 Qxe1+ 15.Qf1 Qxf1 checkmate

How Many...?

Here's a Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ ) game that has puzzled me mightily. It is, among other things, an exploration into the question "How many pawns provide White compensation for his sacrificed piece?"

guest585 - guest983

ICC 2 12, 2001

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qxc5 Qe7

Counter-attacking the center – and White would prefer not to exchange Queens.

8.Qc4+ d5

What's a pawn between friends? White will now have three for his Knight, but Black is planning to develop his pieces quickly and then squash his opponent like a bug!

Calmer was 8...Qe6 9.Qc3 (9.Qxe6 Kxe6 10.0-0 Nf6 11.f4 Ne7 12.f5+ Ke5 13.d3 d5 14.Bf4+ Kd4 15.c3+ Kc5 16.e5 Bxf5 17.exf6 gxf6 18.Bxc7 Rac8 19.Ba5 Bxd3 20.Rxf6 Nc6 21.Na3 d4 22.cxd4+ Nxd4 23.Rd1 Be4 24.Bb4+ Kd5 25.Rd6+ Black resigned, obviously - levigun, www.GameKnot.com, 2004) Qxe4+ 10.Qe3 Qxg2 11.Rf1 Qxh2 12.d3 Nf6 13.Nc3 Re8 14.Ne4 d5 15.Ng5+ Kf8 0-1 Nestor250168 - drewbear, www.chessworld.net, 2007

9.Qxd5+ Be6 10.Qxb7 Re8

Materialists are probably getting nervous here, and the computer – a classic material-grabber – agrees, suggesting instead 10...Nf6 11.d3 Rhb8 with superior development and approximate equality.

11.d3 h6 12.Nc3 Nf6 13.Be3

I don't care how many pawns White has for his piece, he looks like he is in terrible danger. Yet, Rybka 3 insists that White can have another serving with 13.Qxa7 and get away with it.

13...Rhf8

Consistent; but sliding the other Rook over to confront the Queen was better.

14.0-0

Rybka still prefers the pawn-grab at a7.

14...c5 15.Qxe7+ Nxe7 16.Bxc5 Kg8 17.Bxa7 Ng6 18.f4 Black resigns

Amazing.

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!

Pass the aspirin, please!

NN - Brunhold
Kempten, 1988
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qg3 Qf6 9.0–0 Be6 10.c3 h5 11.d4 h4 12.Qd3 Bb6 13.Be3 h3 14.g3 Qf3 0–1

psittacosis - Gandalf
HCL B652 www.playchess.de, 2001
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.d4 exd4 6.Ng5+ Kf8 7.Qf3+ Nf6 8.0–0 d5 9.exd5 Qxd5 10.Nd2 Qxg5 11.Nc4 Qd5 12.Qxd5 Nxd5 0–1

cnselway - boycey
net-chess.com, 2001
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bc4 Nc6 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.d3 d5 6.c3 dxe4 7.Nxe5+ Nxe5 8.Bg5 Nxd3+ 9.Kf1 Qd5 10.Bf4 Qc5 11.h3 Qxf2# 0–1

gjr - gstevenson
net-chess.com, 2001
1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Bxf7+ Kxf7 4.Qh5+ g6 5.Qxe5 Na6 6.Qf4+ Qf6 7.Qg4 Qxf2+ 8.Kd1 Qf1# Checkmate 0–1

The Toffeeman - quag
www.ChessWorld.net , 2003
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.0–0 d6 6.d3 Nf6 7.Ng5+ Ke7 8.Nc3 Bg4 9.Qd2 Nd4 10.f3 Nxf3+ 0–1

kskcolle - mandoze
www.GameKnot.com, 2004
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bc4 Nxe4 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Kg8 6.Qh5 Qe7 7.0–0 g6 8.Nxg6 hxg6 9.Qxg6+ Bg7 10.d3 Nc5 11.Bg5 Qe6 0–1

grobnic - obviously
www.GameKnot.com, 2004
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Qe7 8.Qxh8 Qxe4+ 9.Kf1 Nf6 10.Nc3 Qxc2 11.h4 b6 12.Qd8 Ba6+ 0–1

steelydan - raes
www.GameKnot.com, 2004
1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qxc5 d6 8.Qd5+ Be6 9.Qxb7 Nf6 10.d3 Re8 11.f4 Bd5 12.Qb4 Bxe4 13.dxe4 Rxe4+ 0–1

Nestor250168 - Ratscales
www.chessworld.net, 2007
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Nf6 8.Qxc5 Re8 9.Qd4 Rxe4+ 0–1

ale_xim - pascaline007
www.GameKnot.com, 2007
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 7.Qxe5 Qe7 8.Qf5+ Nf6 9.d3 d5 10.Qf3 dxe4 11.dxe4 Bg4 12.Qd3 Rd8 13.Qc4 0–1

graphic by Jeff Bucchino, "The Wizard of Draws"

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