Jerome Gambit: Largely Overlooked by History

I wanted to share another eronald (of lichess.org) game for a number of reasons. He faced one of the more challenging defenses to the Jerome Gambit, he selected a line of play that was recommended over 140 years ago - and which has been scarcely played at all. This game also allows me to tuck in a note from my research that comes from I-do-not-know-where. 

eronald - ayushsankar1006
5 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 

This can lead to either the Blackburne Defense, 7...d6, or Whistler's Defense, 7...Qe7. Both are complicated and each can be dangerous for the unwary. 

My preference to play, and not to face, is Whistler's. See "More (Update): Whistler's Defense" for a discussion.

7.Qxe5 Qe7 8.Qd5+ 

The highly dangerous (for White) 8.Qxh8 appeared in Jerome - Norton, D., correspondence, 1876 (1/2 - 1/2, 20) and Jerome - Whistler, correspondence, 1876 (0-1, 15). Jerome was fortunate to gain a half point from the two games. The December, 1876 issue of  American Chess Journal, commenting on the Whistler game, recommended 8.Qd5+ without analysis.

Then 8.Qd5+ practically disappeared from the face of the earth. Perhaps it should be referred to as Jerome Gambit Secrets #12 ?

I have in my notes something from a 2020 1 0 bullet game at
lichess.org - the players are not named

If played correctly 7.Qxe5 Qe7 8.Qd5 + Kg7 9.d4 Bb4 + 10.c3 Nf6 11.Qe5 Bd6 12.Qxe7 + Bxe7 13.f3 White plays one piece, and for the second they have more space and two pawns - you can still play very much (position on the interactive whiteboard), both on the one and the other side. Although, objectively speaking, Black has a win, but you need to make fairly accurate moves, let's recall the game of the unforgettable Mikhail Tal - how many could hold their position after the Tal victims, who turned out to be objectively won in the home analysis?

It is not every day that you see the Jerome Gambit and the Magician from Riga mentioned in the same paragraph! 

Of course, Tal has already been mentioned on the blog: see "The Evans-Jerome Gambit Returns (Part 1)" and "Correctness".

8...Kf8 

If, instead, 8...Kg7, the game continued 9.d4 Bb6 10. Bg5 Nf6 11.e5 Nxd5 White resigned, levigun - obviously, GameKnot.com, 2004. This is the only other 8.Qd5+ game in The Database.

9.O-O c6 10.Qc4 d5 11.exd5 cxd5 

12.Qf4+ 

White declines the pawn (12.Qxd5), as Black could then develop his Bishop or Knight, attacking the Queen with tempo. 

12...Nf6 13.d4 Bd6 14.Qd2 Qe4 

This looks a bit odd, although Black retains his advantage.

Given that this was a 5-minute blitz game, and taking into consideration Black's previous move, perhaps he was planning to set up the Bishop + Queen battery, but at the last second, noticed that 14...Qe5 would drop Her Majesty?

15.Re1 Qh4 16.Qh6+ Qxh6 17. Bxh6+ Kf7 18. Nc3 Ng4 

ayushsankar1006 continues to press his attack, even with Queens off of the board. Both players now ignore the pawn at h2 for a short while.

19.Bg5 Be6 20.Nb5  

Perhaps planning to allow the h-pawn capture, and then trap the Bishop with g2-g3, while limiting where the prelate could otherwise retreat to? Or, was the clock ticking? In any event, 20.h3 was probably the move to make. 

20...Bxh2+ 21.Kh1 a6 

The fly in the ointment. The Knight is invited to leave.

22.Nc7

Likely the clock.

22...Bxc7 23.f3 White resigned

Jerome Gambit: Deep Dive (Part 1)

It has been a while since I took a deep dive into a Jerome Gambit game, so I decided to inspect a 2019 game played by ZahariSokolov, online at FICS. He has 410 games in The Database, scoring 50%. Many of his games explore important lines, and can be quite complicated.

ZahariSokolov - GizmoClass
FICS, 2019

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6

What could be more understandable than wanting to hold on to your extra 2 pieces? It is too early in the game to assess whether GizmoClass is naive or knowledgeable in making this move choice. (The Database has 1,121 games with this position; White scores 54%.)

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Nf3+ 

Aha! The player of the Black pieces knows a bit about the Jerome Gambit, or he has a solid creative streak about him.

This Norton Defense, which first appeared in Jerome - Norton, correspondence, 1876 (0-1, 42), was referred to as "a new departure" in the September, 1876 issue of the American Chess Journal. "[...Qf6] is the usual play. The text move prevents White from castling."

The "usual play" appeared in Alonzo Wheeler Jerome's analysis of the Jerome Gambit that appeared in the April 1874 issue of the Dubuque Chess Journal; as well as in the games Jerome - Shinkman, Iowa, 1874 (0-1, 21) and Jerome - Brownson, Iowa, 1875 (1-0, 43).

The text move, 8...Nf3+, can be found in 14 games in The Database, with White scoring a deceiving 71% (Komodo 10 assesses the position as even). It can be contrasted with 8...Qh4+ 9.g3 Nf3+ , the "Nibs" defense, which dates back at least as far as 1899. (The Database has 54 games; White scores 54%.)

Interestingly enough, despite Black's apparent knowledge of the Jerome Gambit, only one other game by GizmoClass appears in The Database - a 83-move draw (6...Kf8) played against ZahariSokolov, 6 months earlier. Did somebody "book up", afterwards?

9.gxf3 

Capturing the Knight is best, but even the Gambit's creator slipped and chose 9.Kf1 in a game, instead: 9...c6 10.gxf3 Qe7 11.b4 Bb6 12.Bb2 Kc7 13.Qe5+ Qxe5 14.Bxe5+ d6 15.Bxg7 Bh3+ 16.Ke2 Bg2 17.Rd1 Ne7 18.Bxh8 Ng6 19.d4 Rxh8 20.Kf2 Nxf4 21.c3 Rg8 22.Nd2 Kd7 23.Ke3 Rf8 24.Rg1 Bd8 25.Kf2 Rg8 26.Ke3 Nh3 27.f4 Nxg1 28.Rxg1 Rg4 29.Nf1 Bh3 30.Ng3 Rh4 31.Nf5 Bxf5 32.exf5 Bf6 33.Rg3 Rxh2 34.a4 Rh1 35.a5 Re1+ 36.Kf3 Re7 37.Rh3 c5 38.bxc5 dxc5 39.Rh6 cxd4 40.cxd4 Bxd4 41.f6 Rf7 42.Ke4 Bxf6 and Black won, Jerome,A - Norton,D, correspondence, 1876.

To be fair, I should mention that I have played 9.Kf1 a couple of times, too - perrypawnpusher - igormsp, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 13), and perrypawnpusher - rheapennata, blitz, FICS, 2012 (1-0,12) - and ZahariSokolov has gotten away with 9.Kd1, as well in  ZahariSokolov - LAVAL, FICS, 2015 (1-0, 32). I have already argued, elsewhere, that "Good luck is better than a license to steal."

9...Qh4+ 10.Kd1

An earlier mistake that he shied away from was 10.Ke2, as in ZahariSokolov - Quarte, FICS, 2015 (0-1, 17); but it is hard not to enjoy the follies of an early computer against Jack Young: 10.Ke2 Qf2+ 11.Kd3 Qxf3+ 12.Kc4 b5+ 13.Kxb5 Rb8+ 14.Ka5 Bb4+?! 15.Ka4 Qxh1?? 16.Qe5+ Kc6 17.Qd5+ Kb6 18.Qxb5 checkmate

How should Black proceed?

Of course, 10...Qe7 11.Qd5 checkmate, is not optimal, at least for the defender, ZahariSokolov - GhengusFungus, FICS, 2014. 

Instead, 10...Qf2 allows White to sue for peace by initiating repeated checks, e.g. 11.Qe5+ Kc6 12.Qd5+ Kb6 13.Qb3+ Ka6 14.Qa4+ Kb6 15.Qb3+ Kc6 16.Qd5+, etc. Actually, the American Chess Journal editor William Hallock, commenting on Jerome,A - Norton,D, correspondence, 1876 (see above) wrote that after 10...Qf2 "Black has the better position". I challenged this notion in perrypawnpusher - Sir Osis of the Liver, Jerome Gambit 3 thematic tournament, ChessWorld.net, 2008, and, when my opponent was unwilling to split the point, I went on to win (1-0, 19).

ZahariSokolov had already faced 10...Nf6, which led to an edge for White, but he lost after an unusual and unfortunate oversight: 11.e5+ Kc6 12.exf6 d6 13.Nc3? Bxf5 14.d3 gxf6 15.a3 Qf2 16.Bd2 Qxf3+ 17.Kc1 Be3 18.Bxe3 Qxe3+ 19.Kb1 Qxf4 20.Ka2 Be6+ 21.b3 Qd2 22.Kb2 Rhg8 23.Ne4 Qe3 24.Rae1 Qd4+ 25.Ka2 Bxb3+ 26.Kxb3 Rg2 27.Rd1 Qb6+ 28.Kc3 Rag8 29.Nxf6 Qa5+ 30.Kb3 Qb5+ 31.Kc3 Qe5+ 32.d4 Qxf6 resigned, ZahariSokolov - panpanOneTwo, FICS, 2018.

Best is probably 10...Ne7, but that is not what GizmoClass played.

 [to be continued]

Jerome Gambit: Complications Favor the Strong

The story of the following game is straight-forward: after a few chuckles in the opening, complications ensue. In complicated positions, stronger players are more likely to find their way, while more average players are more likely to get lost. And so it goes...

Wall, Bill - Guest2910393
PlayChess.com, 2019

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bxd4 7.Qxd4 Qf6 

I always get a chuckle out of this move. Black simply threatens to play ...Nf3+, winning the - currently - unprotected White Queen. Maybe. The move is as old as Jerome - Norton, correspondence, 1876 (unfinished).

7...Qf6 is a good move, Stockfish 10's second choice, behind 7...d6. 

Furthermore, The Database - a reasonably representative sample of online club chess play - has 180 games with 7...Qf6, with White scoring only 40%.

Interestingly enough, The Datbase has 21 games where White does not move or protect his Queen, and Black executes the King-and-Queen-fork. However, there are 40 games where White does not move or protect his Queen, and Black overlooks the King-and-Queen-fork. Ooooops.

This split is illustrated in the experience of a long-time Jerome Gambit player who has 187 games in The Database, and who has been forked 3 times from this position. However, 8 other times his opponent was presented with the opportunity, but missed the Knight check.

Chaos runs deep in the Jerome Gambit. Club play is not a simple thing.

8.Qc5 

This move is Bill's favorite, although he has also tried 8.Nd2, 8.Be3, 8.Qc3, 8.Qd2 and 8.Qe3.

8...Ne7 9.Nc3 

In an earlier game Bill grabbed a pawn, and then slowly ground down his opponent: 9.Qxc7 b6 10.Qc3 Ba6 11.Qa3 Qg6 12.Qxa6 Qxe4+ 13.Kf1 Qxc2 14.Nc3 Nd3 15.Be3 Rac8 16.Qa3 Qxb2 17.Qxb2 Nxb2 18.Bd2 Nf5 19.Re1 Nd6 20.Re2 Ndc4 21.Be1 Rce8 22.Nb5 Nd3 23.Bc3 a6 24.Nc7 Rc8 25.Nxa6 Nce5 26.Bd2 Rc4 27.g3 Ra8 28.Nb4 d6 29.Nxd3 Nxd3 30.Re3 Ne5 31.a3 Rd4 32.Bb4 Nc6 33.Kg2 Ra6 34.Rf3+ Ke6 35.Re1+ Kd5 36.Rf5+ Ne5 37.Bxd6 Kxd6 38.Rfxe5 Rxa3 39.Re6+ Kd7 40.Rxb6 Ra7 41.Rbe6 Rda4 42.h4 R4a5 43.f4 Ra1 44.Rxa1 Rxa1 45.Re5 Ra7 46.Kf3 Kd6 47.Kg4 Ra3 48.h5 Ra1 49.Re8 Rb1 50.f5 Rb7 51.Kg5 Rb4 52.Rg8 Rb7 53.g4 Rc7 54.Rh8 h6+ 55.Kg6 Ra7 56.Rg8 Ra4 57.Kh7 Ke5 58.Rxg7 Kf4 59.Kxh6 Black resigned, Wall,B - Computer-13, Chess.com, 2017.

9...Ng4 

10.f3 Ne5 11.Qxc7 

Grabbing the pawn, after all.

11...N7c6 12.O-O 

A complicated position. Black has an extra piece for two pawns, and is slightly better developed, although he has the standard problem often facing those who defend against Jerome Gambit: his pawn blocks his Bishop which blocks his Rook... A significant factor is that White's Queen is a bit trapped in the enemy position, and Stockfish 10 suggests White work towards b2-b3, Ba3, and then Qd6, exchanging the Queen. If Black could then focus on untangling his pieces, he would maintain an edge. 

12...Kg6

The first of two puzzling moves that end the game.

My guess is that Black was unpinning his d-pawn so that it could advance, but the King move is too risky.

13.Nd5

White now has the advantage in a tricky position, but Black is not finished with his surprises.

13...Qe6 14.Nf4+ 

Black resigned

Jerome Gambit: Lost In The Weeds

The following Jerome Gambit game is another example of a defender doing well, objectively, until he gets lost in the weeds, off the beaten path...

Wall, Bill - Guest4241
ChessTempo, 2019

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

4...Kxf7 5. Nxe5+ Nxe5 6. d4 Bxd4 

Simple and straight forward.

7.Qxd4 Qf6 

Funny: the threat is 8...Nf3+, winning White's Queen. It is as old as Jerome - Norton, correspondence, 1876 (unfinished). The move is no surprise, though, to Bill: he has faced it 20 times.

8.Nd2 d6 9.O-O Ne7 10.f4 N5c6 

Black is doing well. He needs a plan. The plan should be based on the needs of the position. White should mess with all that assessment and calculation.

11.Qc4+ 

This is something new, according to The Database. Sometimes, Bill likes to take the game even further off the beaten path.

11...Be6 12.Qb5 Qd4+ 13.Rf2 b6 

Just the kind of thing that White has been looking for.

Of course, Black could have played 13...Qb6, protecting his b-pawn and offering to exchange Queens, but he probably skipped that line because he saw himself as being on the attack, so having his Queen would be valuable. (Besides, White would have responded with 14.Qe2.)

The thing is, Black's b-pawn is not really in danger, as 13...a6 14.Qxb7? Ra7 would show. A more measured response by White would still show that Black is better: 14.Qe2 Kg8 15.Nf3 Qf6.

14.Nf3 Qxe4 

Throwing the game away. It is humorous to see that Stockfish 10 recommends as best, instead, the Queen swap 14...Qc4 15.Qxc4 Bxc4 - something Black has been avoiding.

15.Ng5+ Kg6 16.Nxe4 Black resigned

Jerome Gambit: Kerfuzzled

It can be the piece sacrifices or the Queen moves, but sometimes the Jerome Gambit can leave a defender, well, kerfuzzled.

Wall, Bill - Guest2001870
PlayChess.com, 2019

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bxd4 7.Qxd4 Qf6 

At first glance, this appears to be a simple, almost transparent, threat: Black hopes to play ...Nf3+ and then capture White's Queen at d4. The idea is as old as Jerome - Norton, correspondence, 1876 (unfinished game).

A glance at The Database shows174 games with this position, and in 1/3 of the cases, White neither protected his Queen nor moved it out of danger. That would meet GM Albert's benchmark for playing a trappy move, but it should be noted that, when given the opportunity in the games, Black found 8...Nf3+ only a little more than 1/3 of the time. You can't play what you don't see. (Reminder: The Database is made up primarily of internet club games, many of them played at fast time controls. YMMV.)

8.Qc5 

Threatening the c-pawn.

8...c6 9.f4 Ng6 10.O-O d6 

Away, annoying Queen!

11.Qc4+ Be6

Okay, but beware of f4-f5.

12.Qb4 Bc8

Protecting the b-pawn and undoing the risks of the previous move - but isn't this getting a bit annoying?

13.Nc3 N8e7 14.e5 

Now, annoying the Black Queen. Really!?

14...dxe5

Blowing his game up. After 14...Qf5 15.Ne4 Kg8 he still would be better.

15.fxe5 Qxf1+ 16.Kxf1 Nxe5 17.Bf4 N5g6 18.Re1 Rd8 19.Bd6 Nf5 

Allowing mate.

20.Qc4+ Kf6 21.Ne4 checkmate

Nice.

Jerome Gambit: In the Meantime

When the third round games in the "Italian Battleground" tournament at Chess.com began to wind down (two left to complete, one a Jerome Gambit) I went looking for action in the "Italian Game Classic" tournament on the same site.

Round 1, Group 2 matched me with 4 other players - and I was able to construct a Jerome. I admit that I benefitted from giving "Jerome Gambit odds", as well as from my opponent's quick moves, despite the 3 days/move time control. Still, the game had its moments, especially the "throw in the kitchen sink" ending.  

perrypawnpusher - Al-der
Italian Game Classic, Chess.com, 2019

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Kf8 

As I posted about this move, some time ago

As early as his first article with analysis (Dubuque Chess Journal 4/1874), Alonzo Wheeler Jerome considered the possibility that Black might refuse to capture the second piece, and play for King safety instead with 5...Kf8.  

This was, in fact, the defense that Jerome, himself, credited to G. J. Dougherty, ("a strong amateur, against whom I first played the opening") of Mineola, New York, in a yet unfound game; that O.A. Brownson, editor of the Dubuque Chess Journal, played against Jerome in an 1875 game (Dubuque Chess Journal3/1875); that magazine editor William Hallock used against D.P. Norton in an 1876 correspondence game played “by special request” to test the gambit (American Chess Journal 2/1877); that William Carrington tried in his 1876 match vs Mexican Champion Andres Clemente Vazquez (Algunas Partidas de Ajedrez Jugadas en Mexico, 1879); and which Lt. Soren Anton Sorensen recommended as “more solid and easier to manage” in his seminal Jerome Gambit essay (Nordisk Skaktidende 5/1877). 

As I noted: early in the Jerome's Gambit's life, there were players willing to accept one "gift", but who were skeptical of accepting two "gifts".

6.Nxc6

Probably the strongest move, although Bill Wall has experimented with 6.0-0!?, intending to meet 6...Nxe5 with 7.d4.

The Banks Variation, 6.Qh5!?, has scored 18-20-1, but is well met by 6...Qe7!?. See "Jerome Gambit Secrets #4".

6...dxc6

The better pawn capture, as 6...bxc6 would allow 7.d4, right away.

7.O-O

I considered both this move and 7.d3, and decided that castling was going to be necessary, in any event, while, perhaps, it wasn't yet time to give up on the opportunity to play d2-d4. My judgement was almost immediately rewarded.

7...Qh4 8.d4 Bg4 

Played quickly, probably with the idea that you don't always have to defend against an opponent's threat if you can come up with a greater threat. In this case, however, Black has overlooked a resource that White has.

9.f3 Bxf3 10.Qxf3+ Qf6 11.Qd3 

Black's game has come off the rails, quickly.

11...Qxf1+ 12.Kxf1 Rd8 13.Qf3+ Ke8 14.dxc5 Ne7

White has a Queen, Bishop and pawn for a Rook, but he still needs to be careful.

15.Kg1 Rf8 16.Qe2 Ng6 17.Nc3 b5 18.Bg5 Rd7 19.Rd1 Ne5

White's pieces are developed. Now it is time to put them to use: nothing subtle, just throw the pieces at him, especially the Queen and Bishop.

20.Qh5+ g6 21.Qh3 Rff7 22.Qe6+ Kf8 23.Bh6+ Rg7 24.Rf1+ Rdf7 25.Qc8+ Ke7 26.Bg5+ Black resigned

The finish would have been 26...Rf6 27.Bxf6+ Kf7 28.Bg5+ Nf3+ 29.Rxf3 checkmate.