Jerome Gambit Coverage Recovered

While most modern chess masters, justifiably, have nothing to do with the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), years ago International Master Gary Lane had a bemused affection for the offbeat opening, and discussed it in his "Opening Lanes" column at ChessCafe.com, and in his book The Greatest Ever Chess Tricks and Traps (Everyman Chess, 2008).

Lane's book is still available, but his two "Opening Lanes" columns - "A Game of Shadows" and "Trash or Treasure?" with Jerome Gambit content are no longer freely accessible in they way they used to be (i.e. direct link via ChessCafe.com), which means that the links supplied previously by this blog (e.g. in "International Master Gary Lane" and "Opening Lanes") no longer work.

ChessCafe is currently maintained by ChessEdu.org, which requires a $25 (or more) "tax deductible donation" in order to access their "thousands of PDFs and hundreds of Ebooks" (including "Opening Lanes") available to members.

However, through the wizardry of the archiving Wayback Machine website, you can still feast (gratis) upon IM Lane's Jerome Gambit creativity: "A Game of Shadows" and "Trash or Treasure?". (These links have also been updated in the Wikipedia article on "Giuoco Piano, Jerome Gambit".)

OG Jerome Gambit Gemeinde Member, Pete Banks

Pete Banks.

If you have followed this blog for a long time, you know that he is a member in good standing of the modern Jerome Gambit Gemeinde. You have seen many of his games here - online and over-the-board - under his own name (an example) or his online "blackburne" handle. You may even have read about him in International Master Gary Lane's "Opening Lanes" columns at ChessCafe.com, or in IM Lane's book The Greatest Ever Chess Tricks and Traps (Everyman Chess, 2008).

Yes, he still finds time to play the occasional Jerome Gambit.

Welcome back to the blog, Pete.

(By the way, I will make a number of references in my notes to "The Database", which is my collection of almost 60,000 Jerome Gambit and Jerome-related games. The vast majority of the games were played online by club level players, making statistics representative of their/our level of play.)

pb-hal - HEIGRO
Chess.com, 2019

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qxc5 

Pete has never been a fan of  playing 7.Qd5+ - the nudge - first. Maybe after this game he will give it a whirl.

7...d6 8.Qe3 Nf6 

Compare this position with the one that comes about after 7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Nf6 where Black's King currently blocks his Rook's access to e8.

Consulting The Database, the position in the diagram has been reached 403 time, with White scoring 49%. (Pete's own record is 17 games with this position, scoring 53%.) That always has to be compared with similar statistics after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+: 14,456 games with White scoring 46%. The implication is that White is on the right track, according to Jerome Gambit praxis.

9.d4 

This move shows up in 73 games in The Database; Pete has played it 5 times previously. It is thematic, but rather risky - an odd thing to say in a Jerome Gambit game. Still, instead of "open" play, Stockfish 10 recommends a transition to "close" play, with 9.f3 (appearing only 4 times in The Database, scoring 50%) d5 10.d3.

9...Nxe4 

This is the thing: Because the White King and Queen are on the open file, Black can snatch the e-pawn. As is the case in Jerome Gambit practice, however, out of the 73 times that this position has been reached, per The Database, Black found this move only 4 times.

Knowing the "best" move in the Jerome Gambit often confers a significant advantage, and having a "mind map" of how play usually unfolds increases this. (I wonder if Pete remembers that 9...Nxe4 was played against him by Sir Osis of the Liver in the Jerome Gambit tournament at ChessWorld.com, a full ten years ago. Probably.)

10.Qb3+ 

No doubt Pete was thinking Nice move, there, but I'm the one playing the Jerome Gambit, and it takes more than one nice move to stop me.

10...d5 11.O-O c6 12.Nc3 Re8 13.Nxe4 Rxe4 14.Qf3+ 

This is funny: one of the larger "errors" of the Jerome is "too many Queen moves". Pete's psychological punch yields immediate results, as Black relaxes too soon.

14...Bf5

As my boss used to say, "Really? Really??"

Precisely the blunder that I have been expecting.

15.Qxf5+ Kg8 16.Bg5 Qf8 

Black refuses to try to add more chaos to the position with 16...Qb6, threatening 17...Qxb2 (and possibly a later ...Qxd4), even though it would lead to a relatively balanced "unbalanced" game.

On the other hand, White is quite willing to be "distracted" from his attack and go into an endgame a pawn up, with little risk.

17.Qxf8+ Rxf8 18.Rae1 Rfe8 19.Rxe4 Rxe4 20.Be3 Ne7 21.Re1 Nf5 

It is always interesting to observe a Bashi-Bazouk attack turn into a quiet endgame with advantage. A cool drink after an active workout.

22.c3 b6 23.Kf1 Nxe3+ 24.Rxe3 Rxe3 25.fxe3 a5

There is not much more to say. The game plays out until White's extra pawn prevails.

26.a4 b5 27.axb5 cxb5 28.Ke2 Kf7 29.Kd3 Ke6 30.e4 dxe4+ 31.Kxe4 g6 32.g4 Kd6 33.h4 b4 34.cxb4 axb4 35.b3 Ke6 36.d5+ Kd6 37.g5 Kc5 38.Ke5 Black resigned

White's King will escort the d-pawn to the 8th rank.

Jerome Gambit Secrets #6

It is not often that an International Master makes a recommendation in the Jerome Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+.

Yet, that is what this post is all about.

Let's take a look at a line of play mentioned in a blog post on this site, 9 years ago, "An International Master Refutes the Jerome Gambit".

You might think from the title of the blog post that the IM is a little bit late to the party - who hasn't refuted the Jerome Gambit?

Actually, IM Gary Lane has been supportive of the Jerome, covering it - with whimsey - in his The Greatest Ever Chess Tricks and Traps (Everyman Chess, 2008) and a couple of times in 2012 in his "Opening Lanes" columns at ChessCafe.com. (I do not think that the Chess Cafe site currently works.)

Let's see some of what he has to say.

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 d6

I have called this the "annoying defense" (because it is) or the "silicon defense" (because of the affinity computer chess programs have for it). It was first seen in D'Aumiller - A.P., 1878 and figured in six of Alonzo Wheeler Jerome's games against S.A. Charles in their unfinished 1881 correspondence match.

Lane:

I think this is the best way to defend: allowing one of the extra pieces to be taken, and in return obtaining a solid position with extra material.

8.fxe5 dxe5 9.Nc3

Lane, again:

This is the right time for White to offer a draw, but if the offer is declined you should remember that it is frowned upon to cry at the board.

Funny guy - but wait! I finished up that blog post with

I was pleased to see that 9.Nc3 was not in my Jerome Gambit database – but if that is the move IM Lane sees as best for White, I will add it to my repertoire!

So - whatever happened to 9.Nc3  ?

A quick look at The Database (and then, this blog) shows that later in 2009, the Scacchi64.com website held a computer vs computer Jerome Gambit tournament. Comet B48 played the move 9.Nc3 four times, winning twice and losing twice.

Also, Steve Wall played 9.Nc3 once in 2013, while his brother, Bill, played it once in 2015 and once in 2017 - all told, with a win, a draw, and a loss.

A handful of computers and a couple of brothers - that's almost keeping 9.Nc3 a "secret". Here's one of Bill's games, so you can decide what you think for yourself - it's long and complicated, and a Jerome Gambit loss for Bill is pretty rare, so afterwards you might decide you want to keep the line a secret, after all.
  
Wall, Bill - Guest446794, PlayChess.com, 2017
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 d6 8.fxe5 dxe5 9.Nc3 Nf6 10.Qe2 Ke7 11.Na4 Qd4 12.Nxc5 Qxc5 13.d3 Bg4 14.Be3 Qb4+ 15.Qd2 Qxd2+ 16.Kxd2 Rhd8 17.Kc3 Be6 18.h3 b6 19.a4 Rf8 20.a5 Nh5 21.Rhf1 Ng3 22.Rfe1 Kd6 23.b4 Bd7 24.Kb3 Nh5 25.c4 Nf4 26.Ra2 g5 27.Kc3 Rg8 28.d4 exd4+ 29.Bxd4 c5 30.bxc5+ bxc5 31.Be3 Kc6 32.Rd2 Rae8 33.Bxc5 Bxh3 34.Bxa7 Bxg2 35.e5 h5 36.Rd6+ Kb7 37.Rd7+ Kc6 38.Rd6+ Kc7 39.Rh6 Rh8 40.Rf6 Kd7 41.Rd1+ Kc8 42.Rb1 Rh7 43.Rb8+ Kd7 44.Rd6+ Ke7 45.Rb2 Rc8 46.Rbd2 Rf7 47.Be3 Bf1 48.c5 Rf5 49.Rd7+ Kf8 50.Rf2 Bb5 51.Rh7 Be8 52.Kd4 Ne6+ 53.Kc4 Rxf2 54.Bxf2 Nc7 55.e6 Nxe6 56.a6 Ra8 57.a7 Nd8 58.Be3 Kg8 59.Rh6 g4 60.Bd4 Kf8 61.Rh8+ Ke7 62.Rh7+ Bf7+ 63.Kb5 Ne6 64.Be5 Rxa7 65.c6 Ra2 66.b6 Rc2 White resigned

Historical Mystery

This week's ChessCafe.com contains International Master Gary Lane's latest "Opening Lanes" column, always a good read for chess players interested in unusual opening choices. In addition, the end of the column presents Lane's readers with a bit of a historical Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) mystery. Check it out!

Knock-Down Drag-Out Battle

The "Play the Jerome Gambit Quad" at Chess.com is evolving into two two-player races. Bill Wall and ubluk (whose first game was mentioned by IM Gary Lane in his recent "Opening Lanes" column at ChessCafe.com) are contesting for first and second places while DeDrijver and bfcase are battling for third and fourth places. In an earlier game, we saw the latter win, but in the following contest (another win for White) DeDrijver evens things up with his opponent.

DeDrijver (1438) - bfcace (1486)
Play The Jerome Gambit Quad
Chess.com, 2012

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

4...Kxf7 5.c3

White goes for a "modern" Jerome Gambit variation, bypassing 5.Nxe5+.

5...Nf6 6.Ng5+ Kf8 7.d3 d5 8.exd5 Qxd5 9.f3 Bg4

Black offers to return a piece to rip open White's fortress. Rybka says "take the piece" but Rybka isn't human...

10.c4 Qd4 11.Qe2 Re8 12.fxg4 e4 13.Be3 Qe5

Black eases up on the presssure, whereas after 13...exd3 14.Bxd4 Rxe2+ 15.Kd1 Bxd4  he would have had a crushing position.

14.Bxc5+ Qxc5 15.dxe4

White returns the favor: he should have recaptured with the Knight, 15.Nxe4. In such crazy positions, it can be hard to find your bearings. 

15...Nd4 16.Qd3 Qa5+

More complications. It was okay to grab a piece with 16...Qxg5 and try to hold on.

17.Nc3 Qe5 18.Nd5 Nxg4

The knight at g5 is leading a charmed life! Black could have kept the game even with 18...Qxg5. But White's play lets him regain the balance.

19.Rf1+ Kg8 20.Nf3 Nxf3+ 21.Rxf3 Nxh2

22.Rf5

An illusion: the piece is not protected.

22...Qd6

Thinking, perhaps, about consolidating his position. However, the Rook imprisoned at h8 plays no part, and it begins to look like Black is a piece down. Worse, White has a nice shot.

23.Rd1 c6 24.Nf6+ Qxf6 25.Rxf6 gxf6

26.Qg3+ Kf7 27.Qxh2 Rxe4+ 28.Kf1 Rxc4 29.Rd7+ Ke8 30.Rxb7 Rc1+ 31.Ke2 Rc2+ 32.Kd3 Black resigned

Unorthodox International Master

If you are looking for an International Master who writes regularly on unorthodox chess openings, including some rather strange and arguably unsound ones, you could hardly do better than to check out IM Gary Lane's monthly "Opening Lanes" column at ChessCafe.com.

This month, like last month and the month before (and at least a couple of times before that), IM Lane has something to say about the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), among other openings. He manages to be serious enough to give the opening a fair shake, without dissolving into either giggles or epithets.

Check it out!

Looking Forward

I look forward to International Master Gary Lane's upcoming (March 7) "Opening Lanes" column at ChessCafe.com, with building excitement, as I recently mentioned.

I have answered his call for some Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) games by sending some classics and a couple of modern examples.

It will be fun to see what other readers have contributed, as well.

Jerome Gambit and "Opening Lanes"

As Michael Goeller pointed out in his comment to the recent post "No Shoes, No Shirt, No Service", International Master Gary Lane has again (see here and here) taken a look at the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), an opening that he admits he has "a soft spot for", in his "Opening Lanes" column at ChessCafe.com.

As Gary has mentioned me by name, and asked for some games, I will be sending him a few. Be sure to watch for next month's edition of "Opening Lanes"!

Of course, readers who have interesting Jerome Gambit games are encouraged as well to send them to garylane@chesscafe.com

Eric Schiller Doesn't Play the Jerome Gambit

American author and FIDE Master Eric Schiller doesn't play the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+). Despite his interest in unusual opening lines, he has spent far more time providing the club player with refutations of the Jerome.

His 2003 (with John Watson) Survive and Beat Annoying Chess Openings has a chapter on "Bashing the Jerome Gambit," which would be something akin to "Weapons of Mass Destruction versus the Mosquito" if it didn't at least shine a light on the poor, neglected creation of Alonzo Wheeler Jerome.

Still, as a followup to my two posts on Adolf Albin and the Jerome Gambit (see Part 1 and Part 2), I was wandering through my database when I came across the following game. There's at least a slight resemblance in the play to, well, you know...

Schiller - Shipman
New York, 1981

1.e4 Nc6 2.Bc4 e5 3.d3 Na5


4.Bxf7+
International Master Gary Lane (author of a couple of books on the Bishop's Opening), in one of his Opening Lanes columns at ChessCafe, wrote, in response to a reader who had asked about this line

I wanted to dismiss this bishop sacrifice, but in the spirit of the King's Gambit, I had to see what happens. I was surprised to realize that White is doing very well.

Michael Goeller (maintaining the best online resource for the Bishop's Opening), in his article on "The Hamppe - Meitner Motif" (see "Hamppe -Meitner Revealed" as well as "Godfather of the Jerome Gambit?" Part I, Part II, Part III, and Endnote) for the Kenilworth Chess Club website is more assertive, noting

If White does not have this move it's hard to see how he might even try to gain the advantage.

4...Kxf7 5.Qh5+ Ke6
Of course, the Jerome-ish 5...g6 was an option for Black, but not a particularly good one.

White plays 6.Qxe5 attacking the knight and rook, when 6...Bb4+ 7.Bd2 Nf6 8.Bxb4 is just very good for White – LaneInteresting, but ultimately unsatisfactory, is 5...g6!? 6.Qxe5 Nc6 7.Qxh8 h6 8.Bxh6! (8.Qc3?? Bb4! points up how much difference d3 for White can make!) 8...Bxh6 (8...Nxh6 9.Nc3) 9. Nf3 and White's Queen will not be trapped, meaning White retains a slight material edge and the safer King – Goeller

6.Qf5+

White has a much simpler alternative here: 6.Nf3! Qf6 (6...Nc6? 7.Ng5+ Ke7 8.Qf7+) 7.Ng5+ Ke7 8.Nc3 c6 and White wins back his material with advantage by 9.b4 or 9.Nxh7!? – Goeller
Instead, 6.Nf3 is met by 6...d6! and this simple way to deal with the threat against the e5-pawn 7.Ng5+ Kd7 8.Nf7 Qe8 9.Qf3 Nf6 10.Nxh8 Be7 slightly favors Black because he has two pieces for the rook, but 11.d4 is interesting since the king is misplaced on d7 – Lane

6...Kd6 7.d4

It appears that Schiller wished (mistakenly) to transpose directly to Hamppe - Meitner, but he thus missed his chance to turn White's extra tempo to advantage – Goeller

The move 7.f4 is stronger, according to Goeller and Lane ("The chase is on and White is in hot pursuit of the king").
7...Kc6 8.Qxe5 d5
9.exd5+ Kb6

Black can play for the win with 9...Qxd5! 10.Qe8+ Bd7!! 11.Qxa8 Nf6 12.Qxa7 (12.Nc3 Qxg2 13.Be3 Nc4 14.O-O-O Nxe3 15.fxe3 Qxh1) 12...Qxg2 13.Qxa5 Qxh1 14.d5+ Nxd5 15.Qa4+ Kb6 16.Qxd7 Qxg1+ 17.Ke2 Qxc1 18.Qxd5 Bc5. The text move should also favor Black, but it is much less clear – Goeller

10.Nc3 Qe7 11.Na4+ Kb5 12.Nc3+
Here 12.b3 was the move to draw.

12...Kb6
There was more in 12...Ka6.
13.Bf4 Bf5 Drawn

If Black had wanted to play for a win, he might have tried 13...Nc4!. It remains unclear to me whether this was a pre-arranged draw gone wrong or a real contest – Goeller

Jerome Gambit Scrapbook

From time to time I will post addresses of online Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) resources.

Readers are, of course, welcome to contribute to this list.

"Jerome Gambit"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerome_Gambit

"Jerome Gambit, or Jerome Gamble?" – Rick Kennedy & G. K. Gifford

http://f1.grp.yahoofs.com/v1/4Ov5SGzNMWKr5Ej95W53b--AauVveeS2EpSkC-YUoz44lmTMiI4O_v0m2t-WeTQrC5Dx1jaldvZ-K6ryw6v3uARMr_iXLyNONSP_-PQp/UON-17%20-%20Jan-Apr2007.pdf


"Jerome Gambit – Revisited," by Rick Kennedyhttp://f1.grp.yahoofs.com/v1/8Pn5SIQEWbgFsvUMPrsheeTkz1oZyIfk_IqIQtypSCpyjfdjJvxIinrlDy7YjtET6RBhLAepEZTkpPCcUjMSN1tWA3RRam1oBfCEYUOC/UON18-May-Aug_2007.pdf


"Nobody Expects the Jerome Gambit!" by Rick Kennedyhttp://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/Chess-Unorthodox-UON/files/


"The Good Old Days," Opening Lanes, ChessCafe, by International Master Gary Lanehttp://www.chesscafe.com/text/lane111.pdf


"Chess Made Easy," Opening Lanes, ChessCafe, by International Master Gary Lanehttp://www.chesscafe.com/text/lane112.pdf


"Jerome Gambit" HANGING PAWN :: Tip's Blog
http://www.lockism.com/engine/html/jeromewhite/jeromewhite.htm

International Master Gary Lane

International Master Gary Lane's "Opening Lanes" column at ChessCafe is a constant source of information and merriment for club players looking to add lines that are a bit unusual (or more than a bit) to their opening play.
In two recent columns, IM Lane took a look at the Jerome Gambit, with the encouragement of Jerome Gambit Gemeinde member Pete Banks, who provided an introduction via several games. In fact, he began coverage in the second column with the note

Finally, last month’s feature on the bizarre Jerome Gambit prompted a flood of e-mails; the majority of which were delighted to see this wacky opening.

Surprisingly, the Jerome Gambit can have that effect on people.
Go figure.

I was intrigued because this gambit was unknown to me, but after some research I think it is has an interesting history. The opening is named after the American player Alonzo Wheeler Jerome (1834-1902) of Paxton, Illinois, which was analysed in the American Chess Journal 1874.
It has to be remembered that over 100 years ago people liked to attack and never defend, but even so his gambit is extraordinary.

IM Lane then annotates a game (given in "My Jerome Gambit Database" as "blackburne - karmmark") and it's hard not to at least give his jumping-off points...

Let us first look at the perfect example: Pete Banks-Karmmark Internet 2007 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bc4 Bc5 4 Bxf7+? The starting point of the Jerome Gambit. The great benefit of playing this on the Internet is that it is the last move your opponent is expecting. 4…Kxf7 5 Nxe5+ Yes, this really is an established line. I think anyone with good manners playing Black would now kindly ask their opponent if they wanted to take their move back.

When White wraps the game up quickly and in good style, the annotator wryly comments

Yes, the Jerome Gambit does look like a forced win, but Black has one or two defences at his disposal. I think Mr. Banks benefits from being stronger than his opponent, but it is a fun way to test the opening.

That is some of what makes International Master Gary Lane such a hit with the average player: he's willing to consider ideas off of the beaten path, and he rarely overlooks the critical ingredient, "fun," which makes chess such a tasty dish!
graphic compliments Jeff Bucchino, "The Wizard of Draws"