I handed the following Jerome Gambit game by Bill Wall over to Houdini 2, to look at in "blunder check" mode, and was surprised that it had little to say, until the end, when it indicated that Black had blundered in a largely even position.
That indicates one of the fascinations of the Jerome: Black doesn't have to blunder to lose, he only needs to put together a series of second- or third-best moves, while White develops and begins making threats - and the opening is again "justified".
The Jerome Gambit may not be anything to try against a computer, but it continues to provide interesting play against people.
Wall, Bill - Guest1475978
Playchess.com, 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.Qh5
After delivering a typical "nudge" (7.Qd5+) White's Queen decides that she wants to take a different way home. There are only 10 previous examples in The Database's 27,400 games, and White had (up until this point) only scored 45%, but Bill was exploring and taking his opponent out of any "book" he might have been familiar with.
9...Nf6 10.Qe2 Kf7 11.O-O Re8 12.d3 Kg8
Black has wisely castled-by-hand, one indication that he might know something about the Jerome.
13.f4 a6 14.f5 Ne7 15.g4 Qd7 16. g5 Nxe4 17.dxe4 Nxf5
Black continues in knowing fashion, returning his piece for two pawns, relying on his better pawn structure to reassure him of progress.
18.Nc3 Nd4 19.Qc4+ Ne6
This all seems so well-prepared, until you begin to ask: What does Black do next? Does he really have to move his King so that he can move his Knight so that he can move his Queen so that he can move his Bishop?
20.Be3 b5 21.Qd5 c6 22.Qf5
White continues to move his Queen in a disconcerting manner, as we have seen recently in "A Day in the Life of the Jerome Gambit" and "You can't play like that!"
22...Qe7 23.a3 Nc5 24.Qf3 Nxe4
Pleased with his maneuvering, Black triumphantly snaps off the weak e-pawn (see the note to move 17) and Houdini 2 murmers that White now has a small edge.
25.Nxe4 Qxe4
If only chess were this simple. Houdini 2 recommends instead: 25...d5 26.Nf6+ gxf6 27.Rae1 Qg7 28.Kh1 f5 29.g6 hxg6 30.Bd4 Rxe1 31.Bxg7 Rxf1+ 32.Qxf1 Kxg7 when Black has a Rook, a Bishop, and two pawns for his Queen.
26.Qf7+ Kh8 27.Qf8+ Rxf8 28.Rxf8 checkmate
(And that is why Bill Wall scores 96% with the Jerome Gambit, according to The Database - although I may have missed a win or two.)
Some Jerome Gambit games are instructive, from beginning to end, showing what a player must face and accomplish in order to be successful.
Wall,B - Guest903719
playchess.com, 2013
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4
6...Bxd4 7.Qxd4 d6 8.0-0 Nf6 9.f3
This is an interesting Theoretical Novelty. Previous play has centered around White working quickly for e5 or f5, while Black counters with pressure from his Rook along the e- or f-file.
9.f4 is a continuation going back to Jerome,A - Shinkman,W, Iowa, 1876 (½-½, 42).
9...Rf8 10.Nc3 Kg8 11.b3 Bd7 12.Bb2 Qe8 13.Nd5 Nxd5 14.Qxd5+ Qf7
White is planning another episode of "You can't play like that!"
15.Qxb7 Bc6 16.Qa6
Threatening 17.Bxe5.
16...Qd7 17.Rfd1
Threatening 18.Bxe5
17...Bb5 18.Qb7 Ng6
White has grabbed a second pawn to compensate for his sacrificed piece, he has a strong Bishop at b2, and there are weaknesses on the light squares in Black's position.
A computer would still like Black, but this is a human vs human contest.
19.e5 Nf4?!
Bill recommends, instead, 19...Bc6 20.Qb4 d5.
20.exd6 cxd6 21.Qxd7 Bxd7 22.Rxd6
All Jerome Gambit players should become familiar with playing this kind of position for White. With three pawns for a piece, White has gained material equality, but his "Jerome pawns" give him "means, motive and opportunity" to try for more.
22...Bf5 23.Re1 Bxc2 24.Re7 Rf7 25.Rxf7 Kxf7 26.Rd7+ Ke6 27.Rd2 Rc8 28.Bxg7 Bg6
29.g3 Nd3 30.Kg2 Rc1 31.g4 Re1 32.Bd4 a6 33.h4 Kd5 34.Bf2 Ra1?
Black misses the opportunity to exchange down to a drawn Bishops-of-opposite-colors endgame with 34...Re2 35.Rxe2 Nf4+ 36.Kf1 Bd3 37.Ke1 Bxe2 38.Be3 Bxf3 39.Bxf4 Bxg4.
This blog has presented many examples of the resources and pitfalls of such endings.
35.h5 Be4 36.fxe4+ Kxe4 37.Kg3 Nc1
This may have been what Black had in mind when he gave up his Bishop for a pawn (the White Queenside pawns fall), but White has seen further.
38.Rd4+ Ke5 39.Rd7 Rxa2 40.Rxh7 Nxb3 41.Re7+ Kf6
42.h6! Kxe7 43.h7 Kf6 44.h8Q+ Ke7 45.Qe5+ Kd7 46.Qd5+ Ke7 47.Qxb3 Black resigned
In his first Jerome Gambit game of the year, I am sure that Bill Wall's opponent was watching White dance his Queen around the board, thinking - if not yelling - You can't play like that! Of course, that kind of lack of "appreciation" of an opponent's play can lead to shallow responses (i.e. it doesn't take much to refute poor play) and the almost inevitable loss...
Wall, Bill - Guest198654
PlayChess.com, 2013
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
The Jerome Gambit. Quite likely Black is already saying "You can't play like that!"
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qd5+Kf8 8.Qf5+
White indulges in a double "nudge". The move 7.Qd5+ is well known, but only one other example of 8.Qf5+ exists in The Database.
8...Qf6 9.Qxc5+ d6 10.Qxc7
This was the idea behind White's moves - half of which have been by his Queen.
10... N8e7
I have been using Houdini 2 to help with my analysis lately, and after I saw what it recommended here, I was pretty much convinced that the computer program doesn't understand the Jerome Gambit, as I found myself thinking: You can't play like that! 10...Nh4 11.Rg1 Qf4 12.Kf1 Qxh2 13.Qd8+ Kf7 14.Qg5 h6 15.Qg3 Qxg3 16.fxg3 Ng6 17.d3 Nf6 18.Nc3 Rf8 19.Be3 Ne5 20.Ke2 Be6 21.Rgf1 a6 22.Na4 Rac8 23.Kd2 Kg8 24.Nb6 Rc7 25.c4 Rcf7 with a clear advantage to Black.
11. O-O
Again, Houdini 2 has strange ideas on how it thinks the game should go: 11.d3 Nh4 12.Rg1 Nc6 13.Nc3 Qg6 14.Kf1 Nf3 15.Bf4 Nxg1 16.Kxg1 Kg8 17.Nb5 Qf7 18.Qxd6 h6 19.Be3 Kh7 20.d4 Rd8
21.Qg3 Qf6 22.Nc7 Rb8 23.e5 Qf7 about even.
11...Kf7
12.d3 Ne5 13.Nc3 Bg4
Black unites his Rooks and plans to use them against the enemy Queen. However, White acts first.
14.Nd5 Qe6 15.f4 N5c6 16.f5 Qe5 17.Bf4
17...Qd4+ 18.Be3 Qxb2 19.Rab1 Qxc2 20.Nxe7 Nxe7 21.Qxc2
White's Queen has the last word.
Black resigned.
I met JoseSoza in the first round of our Chess.com tournament. I played the Jerome Gambit. He beat me.
I recently met JoseSoza in the second round of our Chess.com tournament. I played the Jerome Gambit again. He beat me again.
I am waiting to see if I will make it to the third round of our Chess.com tournament. I already know that JoseSoza will advance. If I meet him again, I will play the Jerome Gambit again.
perrypawnpusher - JoseSoza
"Italian Game" Thematic, Chess.com, 2012
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8
The same answer LeeBradbury offered in my other Jerome Gambit game in this round.
7.Qxe5 Qe7 8.Qf4+ Qf6 9.Qg3 d6
I decided not to play the Queen exchange this time.
After 9...Bd6 I was able to outplay my opponent in perrypawnpusher - molerat, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 23).
10.Nc3
Instead, Bill Wall was successful with 10.c3, in Wall,B - Guest340293, Playchess.com, 2012 (1-0, 41).
10...Ne7 11.d3 Be6 12.0-0 Qg6 13.Be3 Bxe3 14.Qxe3 a6
JoseSoza has beaten my Jerome Gambit before, so he is not terribly concerned in this game. Still, he has allowed me to exchange off his dark-squared Bishop, keep my Queen, and prepare for f2-f4. Black's piece-for-two-pawns gives him an advantage, but the game is not unfamiliar to a Jerome Gambit player with white.
15.f4 Bf7 16.Rae1 Qe6 17.f5 Qd7 18.e5
The game is effectively over at this point.
That may surprise you.
What happened is that I spent hours and hours with my pocket chess set, looking at 18.f6!? I then studied the position further, and decided that I could play the text move first, as long as I followed it up properly.
So I played the text.
Then I realized that I had not written any of my analysis down, and I could not remember any of it at all! I played the rest of the game like a zombie.
For the record, after the game Rybka suggested that after 18.Rf2 Kg8 19.Ref1 Rf8 20.Qg3 Qe8 21.b3 h6 22.f6 Ng6 23.d4 Rh7 24.Qe3 White would have a tiny edge.
18...dxe5 19.Qxe5 Nc6 20.Qc5+ Qd6 21.Qxd6+ cxd6
Exchanging Queens was not a good idea. Black now has a slight advantage, and he outplayed me the rest of the game.
22.f6 Re8 23.fxg7+ Kxg7 24.Ne4 Rd8 25.a3 Rhe8 26.Ng5 Rxe1 27.Rxe1 Rd7 28.Nxf7 Kxf7
29.c3 Re7 30.Kf2 Rxe1 31.Kxe1 Ke6 32.Ke2 Ke5 33.Ke3 d5 34.d4+ Kf5 35.a4 Na5 36.b4 Nc4+ 37.Kf3 b6 White resigned
Another Bill Wall game, a win with the Jerome Gambit, which leaves observers fuming, "He can't do that, can he?"
Wall,B - Guest2900292
Playchess.com, 19.11.2012
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6
7.Qf5+
A different kind of "nudge" than the usual 7.Qd5+. The reason will be apparent in a couple of moves.
7...Qf6 8.Qxc5 d6
or 8...Nf4, Wall, Bill - Tony7, Playchess.com, 2011 (1-0, 48);
or 8...c6, Wall, B - Smith, R., Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 23);
or 8...N8e7 Wall, B - Doantaung, Chess.com 2010 (1-0, 18)
9.Qxc7+ N8e7
10.0-0 Be6 11.Nc3 Rac8 12.Qxd6
Not only is White attacking with his Queen, he's gobbling pawns. He can't do that, can he?
12...Qe5 13.Qa3 Rhf8 14.Qxa7 Bc4 15.d3 Be6 16.f4 Qc5+
That's one way to stop White's Queen.
17.Qxc5 Rxc5 18.f5 Nxf5 19.exf5 Rxf5 20.Rxf5+ Bxf5
The smoke has cleared, and White is up three pawns.
21.Be3 Ne5 22.Rf1 Kg8 23.Bc5 Rf7 24.Re1 Black resigned
Scoring 95%+ with the Jerome Gambit, Bill Wall can afford to think of a draw as "losing a half-point". In the following game, his opponent clearly has had enough excitement wandering through the fog of war and goes for the repetition of position, splitting the point.
An honorable draw against Mr. Wall. An honorable draw against Jerome's "Double Gambit".
Little did Black realize that by doing so, he was losing another half point.
Wall,B - Guest2627909
Playchess.com, 2012
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.d4
One of the "modern" Jerome Gambit lines, instead of the classical 5.Nxe5. For a couple of earlier posts regarding 5.d4, see here and here.
5...Bxd4 6.c3 Bb6
Avoiding 6...Bc5 7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 from Wall,B - Guest1366999, Playchess.com, 2011 (1-0, 38)
7.Qb3+ Kf8 8.Bg5 Qe8 9.0-0 Nf6 10.Nbd2 d6
11.a4 Qe6 12.Qc2 h6 13.Bxf6 Qxf6 14.Nc4 Be6 15.Qe2 a6 16.Nxb6 cxb6
17.Rfd1 Rd8 18.Qe3 Bg4 19.Qxb6 Bxf3 20.gxf3 Qxf3
21.Qxb7 Ne7 22.Re1 Nf5? 23.Qb6
23...Qg4+ 24.Kh1 Qf3+ 25.Kg1 Qg4+ 26.Kh1 Qf3+ Draw
This is all well and good, but what if on move 24 (or 26) Black had played 24...Nh4!? instead of suing for peace? Could he really afford to offer a double-Rook sacrifice?? (Did he have the time or the energy or the confidence to look for such a saving line of play?)
White's only choice would be to take one Rook with 25.Qxd8+, but after 25...Kf7 the threat of checkmate keeps him from taking the second Rook. He can try 26.Qc7+, as all but one reply allows him to constantly check as well, but 26...Ke8 is strong. There can follow 27.Qc6+ Kf8 28.Qxd6+ Kg8 and White has pretty much run out of options. He will have to go for 29.Qd8+ Kh7 30.Qxh4 and after 30...Qxh4 Black would clearly be winning.
This all seems to indicate that White should have tried 24.Kf1 instead of putting his King in the corner, although after 24...Qh3+ Black can either pursue repeated checks and a draw with 25.Ke2 Qg4+, etc. or return a piece with 25...Ke7 26.exf5 although the resulting position is likely to be eventually drawn, as well.
My guess, though, is that Guest2627909 was happy with his draw, and might even have felt fortunate to have obtained it.
(I remember a last round game in a long-ago tournament where I had a better endgame against a higher-rated opponent. He suddenly offered a draw, pointing out that I would then be well-placed enough to collect some prize money. We shook, I took a half-dozen steps toward the Tournament Director, and then stopped... By winning the game, I suddenly realized, I would have collected even more prize money. The draw allowed my opponent to cash in, too, while a loss would have left him with nothing.)
Wall,B - Guest1443273
playchess.com, 2012
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Bxf2+
I have referred to this as a "calming variation" in the "Nothing Happened" post a couple of years ago. Although it is similar in a way to the "anti-Bill Wall gambit," I don't think that Bill has seen this particular move in any of his games, but remember - he has The Database, and there are 70 examples there.
8.Kxf2 Qh4+ 9.Kf1 TN 9...Qf6+ 10.Qxf6+ Nxf6
The wild, madcap attack from the Jerome Gambit has been cancelled. Black, however, is simply a pawn down, and he is still a long way from the possible drawing chances of a Bishops-of-opposite-colors endgame.
11.Nc3 c6 12.e5 Nh5 13.Ne4 Ke6 14.Ng5+ Ke7 15.d4 Rf8+ 16.Ke1 h6 17.Ne4 g5
Not only does White's Knight eye d6 and f6, we can see the foreboding (for Black) situation of the light-squared Bishop on c8 blocking the Rook at a8, a common behind-in-development feature in "reduced" Jerome Gambits.
18.Bd2 b6 19.Bb4+ c5 20.Nxc5!? bxc5 21.Bxc5+ Ke8 22.Bxf8 Kxf8
White has three pawns and a Rook against a Knight and Bishop. The pesky "Jerome pawns" quickly go to work.
23.h4 g4 24.Rf1+ Kg7 25.c4 Ba6 26.b3 Rd8 27.d5 Re8 28.e6
At first glance this looks like White is simply tossing a pawn, but he has a different idea.
28...dxe6 29.d6 Rd8 30.Rd1 Ng3 31.Rf4 h5 32.c5 Nf5?
Black needed to get the Bishop on the defensive a4-e8 diagonal with 32...Bb5.
33.Ra4 Bb7?
Allowing a nice finish.
34.Rxa7 Rd7 35.Rxb7! Rxb7 36.c6 Black resigned
