Really, The Jerome Gambit Is Playable (Part 1)

Louis Morin's ("MrJoker") second Jerome Gambit game in the recent Quebec Open again fulfills the mission of an effective chess opening - one that allows him to reach a playable middlegame.

He still has to work hard for the full point, succeed in a tricky endgame, and dodge time trouble in the process, but the game is a battle well worth playing over.   

Morin, Louis - Weston, Paul
Quebec Open, 2018
40 moves / 90 minutes, then 30 minutes

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

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

Often Black adopts this defense on-the-fly, because it makes sense: he saves one piece and lets the other one go, as he will still be a piece ahead. In addition, he keeps his King on the 7th rank, the better to allow him to develop his Rook to f8 or e8.

Sometimes, however, the Knight on g6 is part of a long term plan - and, in this game, the King moves to and stays in the center. That is an interesting contrast to Louis's earlier Jerome Gambit.

7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Nf6 

A standard setup in the 6...Ng6 variation.

Recently I wrote on this blog about Sheldrick, Kevin - Bhat, Vishal
Australian Open, 2017 (1-0, 20)

This position is as old - fittingly - as Charlick - Mann, correspondence, Australia, 1881 (1-0, 72). The Database has 163 games with the position, with White scoring 70%. Mind you, beside this one, only one other game (by Guido de Bouver of Flanders, Belgium) is an over-the-board encounter.

Of course, we can now add Louis' over-the-board game.

According to The Database, he has had this position in over 50 games.

How do you win with the Jerome Gambit? Experience, experience, experience.

10.O-O Ng4

Interesting. This could be a naive harassment of the White Queen, or the start of tactical operations on the Kingside.

11.Qg3 h5

Wow. Weston is following Bhat's line of play from the Australian Open! (He could also be following perrypawnpusher - Riversider, blitz, FICS, 2010 [1-0, 18] - but, come on, seriously?!)

12.d4!?

An improvement - consciously or unconsciously - over "Cliff Hardy's" risky 12.h3?!.

12...h4

Consistent, although 12...Qh4!? would have forced 13.Qxh4 Nxh4 taking the Queens off of the board. However, Black is more interested in developing his attacking chances than snuffing out White's.

13.Qd3 h3 14.g3 Ne7 

15.f3 Nf6 16.c4 c6 17.d5 

Or 17.Nc3.

17...cxd5 18.cxd5 Bd7 19.Nc3 Qb6+ 

Black continues operations with his King in the center.

20.Rf2 a6 21.Be3 Qb4 22.a3 Qb3

An observer who walked by the board at this point would have a hard time realizing that the position came from an opening in which White sacrificed two pieces.

Stockfish 9 now recommends 23.Bf4 Qb6 24.Be3 Qb3 25.Bf4 Qb6, etc. with a draw by repetition of position.

The Jerome Gambit has, again, delivered a "playable middlegame".

[to be continued] 

Jerome Gambit: Cliff Hardy Revealed!

I recently received an email from "Cliff Hardy" that contained a significant "reveal" as well as an entertaining Jerome Gambit game. The following notes are his, except for some minor ones by me, in blue. Enjoy!

An epiphany on Epiphany OR Batman* vs the "Visual Bat"

Hi Rick,

I had an epiphany on Epiphany!

The epiphany was to play the Jerome Gambit on the 6th of January, the date of Epiphany - the day of the year dedicated to the Christian feast celebrating the manifestation of the divine nature of Jesus to the Gentiles, as represented by the Wise Men.

I don't really mind whether I am referred to as my Bruce Wayne-like name of Kevin Sheldrick or my Batman-like alter ego "Cliff Hardy", since I now have played a Jerome Gambit in a tournament game and have been told by the arbiters that all games from this tournament will be published on the internetski at some point - in other words, my secret identity is out!

All analysis below is with Stockfish.

Sheldrick, Kevin - Bhat, Vishal
Australian Open, 2017

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5

I now spent about a minute on my fourth move and found it extraordinarily difficult to play my planned 4.Bxf7+. This hesitation largely being due to a battle raging inside of me of conflicting thoughts of doubt and fear of playing the Jerome, giving rise to a soliloquy, going something like this:

Me (to my brain): "This is one of the most prestigious chess tournaments in Australia - don't take on f7!"

4.Bxf7+

My brain (to me): "DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO!"

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+

Surprisingly, this move was, by now, very easy for me to physically play. I guess it's kind of like trying to go into a cold swimming pool. At first you may be terrified to even dip your toe into it, but if you can put aside the fear and just jump in, you can then adjust to it rather easily.

5...Nxe5 6.Qh5+

Fellow participant, Tony Fereday, in the post-mortem exclaimed, around this point in the game, "I wonder what he was thinking!", in reference to my opponent.

6...Ng6?!

Better 6...Ke6

7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Nf6

This position is as old - fittingly - as Charlick - Mann, correspondence, Australia, 1881 (1-0, 72). The Database has 163 games with the position, with White scoring 70%. Mind you, beside this one, only one other game (by Guido de Bouver of Flanders, Belgium) is an over-the-board encounter. - Rick 


10.O-O Ng4 

Better 10...Kf7

11.Qg3 h5?! 

Better 11...Nf6 

12.h3?! 

12.d4 is best, which would allow the bishop on c1 to cover f4 and prevent the knight on g6 from going there, where it may assist black to launch a kingside attack.

12...h4 13.Qb3

Having made queen moves for almost half of the total moves played (6 out of 13 moves), it was apparent that I had been violating a few established chess opening principles so far in the game.

13...Nf4!

A brilliant sacrifice!

An improvement over the play of the only other game in The Database to reach this position: 13...N4e5 14.f4 Nc6 15.Nc3 Qf6 16.d3 Qd4+ 17.Kh1 Nf8 18.Nd5 Kd8 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - Riversider, FICS, 2010 - Rick 

14.hxg4??

Oops! The cautious 14.Kh1! may help white to hope to defend against the vicious black assault on the white king.

14...h3?

A miscalculation in a bafflingly complex position - 14...Qg5! actually leads to a thumping black kingside attack e.g. 15.f3 h3 16.g3 h2+ 17.Kh1 Ne2. 

15.g3 h2+ 16.Kh1 Bxg4 17.gxf4

White has defended well, and is a pawn and a piece ahead. Things are still scary for him, but Black has only one move to keep the advantage. - Rick

17...Bh3?!

An inaccuracy - 17...Qh4! 18.f3 Bh3 

18.Re1 Qh4 19.Qg3 Qh5 20.d4 Black resigned

Eerily, as I went strolling in the moonlight one night (I think it
was the night immediately after I had just played this game), a large visual bat (or flying fox, as they are referred to in Brisbane) emerged from a nearby tree above my head and flew away, silhouetted magestically against the night sky but, oddly, I didn't fully comprehend the ominousness of that until days
later.

The final position is still quite complicated, but White should be okay. If need be, he can return some material to settle things down further (i.e. Re3 with the idea of sacrificing the exchange on h3 while exchanging Queens) - and he always has his "Jerome pawns"! Black may have realized at this point that he could save his energy for the next round. 

However dubious the honor, Kevin seems to have grasped the title of "strongest player to use the Jerome Gambit in serious over-the-board play". Well done! - Rick

Beware the Jerome Gambit!

Well, Okay, maybe that title is a bit over-done...


How about: Do Not Underestimate the Jerome Gambit ?


Or: Laugh At Your Own Risk.


perrypawnpusher (1798) - narvi (1957)
Italian Game - Round 1, Chess.com, 2012


1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

I am generally happy when my opponent plays this line, as it usually means that he is working things out over-the-board. It also gives me the opportunity to grab his annoying dark-squared Bishop, and set up play with the 2 "Jerome pawns" against his extra piece.


7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Nf6 

10.0-0 Ng4


This move indicates more than a wish to harass the Queen. Black plans to exchange Queens, stifling any of White's ideas for a quick attack. This is one downside of the 6...Ng6 line.


11.Qg3


As we have seen before, 11.Qe2 is a surprisingly quick route to trouble for White, as in mrjoker - weiran, ICC, 2008.


11...Qh4


I have faced 11...h6 in perrypawnpusher - lorecai, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 14); 11...h5 in perrypawnpusher - Riversider, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 18); and 11...Rf8 in perrypawnpusher - jgknight, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1/2-1/2, 49); and only the last move gave me trouble.


12.Qxh4 Nxh4 

13.f4


This may be a tiny bit better than 13.d4. For that matter, 13.Nc3 may be just as good as the text. Of course, transpositions can occur, to.


13...Rf8


This looks like the beginning of castling-by-hand, but Black eventually opts to move his King toward the Queenside.


Bill Wall, who has played the Jerome Gambit many times, successfully, has reminded me on more than one occasion that although Alonzo Wheeler Jerome's creation has its refutations, not many of the people who defend against it actually know them. At the very least, it costs time on the clock to suss them out.


14.d3


It is probably a tossup as to whether 14.f5 or 14.Nc3 are better.


14...Ng6 15.Nc3 c6 

White's plan is to advance his "Jerome pawns" and make some kind of mischief. At the same time, he has to be aware that one of Black's defensive ideas is to return the extra piece for two pawns.


Black seems unsure about taking a decisive step, and puts his moves together as necessary. 


16.Bd2 Kd8 17.f5 Ne7 18.h3 Ne5 19.g4 

White feints at the Kingside, but I mostly wanted to secure the pawn at f5 before advancing the e-pawn.


19...Kc7 20.Bg5 Kd8


Complications. Black wants his Rook on the f-file to restrain White's f-pawn. At the same time, he needs to protect his Knight at e7; and putting the Rook at f7 would allow White to drive the Knight at e5 to the Queenside with d4. Still, events that follow suggest that 20...Ng8 might have been more in line with what Black hoped for.


21.d4 Nf7 22.Bf4 

22...a5 


Black plans to put his Bishop at a6, and kick White's Knight with b7-b5-b4. This struck me as a bit odd, but my opponent was rated a good bit more than me, so what did I know? 


Rybka's suggestion after the game isn't any more dynamic: 22...g6 23.Rae1 b6 24.Rf3 h5 25.f6 Ng8 26.g5 Re8 27.Rfe3 Bd7 28.Kg2 with an even position. 


23.e5 dxe5 24.dxe5 b5 


After the game Rybka suggested that Black could keep White's advantage small by sacrificing the exchange: 24...Nxf5 25.gxf5 Bxf5 26.e6 Bxe6 27.Rad1+ Ke7 28.Be3 Ke8 29.Bc5 b6 30.Bxf8 Kxf8.


I'm pretty sure that neither my opponent nor I were thinking along those lines!


25.e6 Nh8 

White's advantage in development has to be decisive here. It is almost as if he sacrificed a piece to get to this position. Oh, wait - he did!


26.Rad1+ Ke8 27.Bc7 Ba6


Black should be thinking about returning a piece for a couple of pawns, but the risk is that White's remaining "extra" pawn is liable to be advanced and dangerous.


28.Rd6 

I had looked at the stronger 28.Rd7 Nd5 29.Nxd5 cxd5 but had only considered the mundane follow-up, 30.Rxd5, whereas 30.Rxg7 would have created serious threats from the advancing e- and f-pawns. 


28...Nd5 29.Nxd5 cxd5 30.Rxd5 b4 31.Rfd1 g6 

Black has chased away White's Rook from f1, and has pressure on the white pawn at f5, but White's development decides the game.


32.Rd8+ Rxd8


White sets his e-pawn up to Queen after 32...Ke7 33.R1d7+ Kf6 34.g5+!? (34.e7 mops up after 34...Re8 35.Rxa8 Rxa8 36.Rd8 Kxe7 37.Rxa8 Nf7 38.Rxa6 but without the pawn Queening) 34...Kxg5 35.e7


33.Rxd8+ Ke7 34.Bd6+  After this shot, Black resigned

I was really happy to find the Bishop move, the Rook "sacrifice" is a sham: 34...Kxd8 35.e7+ and the pawn will both capture the Rook and promote to a Queen.

Another Day in the Life of the Jerome Gambit

Like the first "Day in the Life of the Jerome Gambit", here is a game "that readily illustrates the highs and lows, attractions and pitfalls of that offbeat opening."


perrypawnpusher - jgknight
blitz, FICS, 2011

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.Qe3 Nf6

10.0-0 Ng4

This move has more behind it than just being annoying. It's been played against me by Riversider, lorecai and pitrisko, but jgknight's follow-up has more potential poison.

11.Qg3 Rf8

The assessment of the position here is that Black is a bit better, but White should read his daily horoscope: As long as White guards the squares e2 and f4 and leaves the square h3 open, he should be okay.

Cryptic? Follow along.

12.h3

Uh-oh...

White should have tried 12.d3, 12.d4, 12.f4 or 12.Nc3.

12...N4e5

Instead, Black had 12...Nf4, protecting the Knight at g4 because of the awakward threatened fork at e2. After 13.Nc3, though, the follow-up 13...Nh5 shows just how bad things have gotten for White. Rybka 3 now recommends giving up the Queen with 14.Qxg4 as "best", as even the more hopeful-looking 14.Qd3 collapses after 14...Ne5, when 15.Qe3 is met by 15...Nf3+ 16.gxf3 Nf4 and White's King is in dire straits.

Oh, if only White's Queen could have escaped to h3 in respnse to 13...Nh5!

Let's continue a bit further in this "Day in the Life". Black does not take advantage of his opportunity, and soon the Jerome Gambiteer is looking pretty good.

13.f4 Nc6 14.f5 Qh4 15.Qe3 Nge5 16.d4 Nc4 17.Qd3 b5

I've seen similar c4-Knights in my games against saltos, VGxdys, parlance and pitrisko. The game is about even.

18.a4 Ba6

Tempting tactical fate.

After the game Rybka 3 suggested 18...Bxf5 19.axb5 N4e5 20.dxe5 Nxe5 21.Qe3 Qxe4 with the game still about even.

19.b3

This made the most sense to me, but Rybka much preferred 19.axb5 Bxb5 20.Nc3 Nb4 21.Qe2 c6 22.Nxb5 cxb5 23.b3 Nxc2 (23...Nb6 24.Qxb5+) 24.Qxc2 Nb6. If you saw that line of play and realized at the end that White is not merely up a pawn, but has great attacking chances (starting with 25.Qc6+), good for you!

19...N4a5 20.axb5 Nb4

Black's Knights are tripping all over each other, but my tactical sense of what is going on fails me even faster than my opponent's does.

21.Qe2 Bb7 22.Rxa5 Bxe4 23.Re1

More direct, and stronger, was 23.Rf4.

23...d5 24.Ba3 Nxc2 25.Bxf8

At first glance it looks like White is a Rook up. But, of course, Black can capture the Rook at e1. Oh, well, that still means that when the Black Knight and White Bishop come off the board, things will still be even, right? Well, not exactly...

25...Nxe1 26.Nd2 Kxf8 27.Nxe4 Qxe4 28.Qxe4 dxe4

What we have here is a messy game that computers analyze as won for Black. In other words, simply another day in the life of the Jerome Gambit...

29.Kf2 Nd3+ 30.Ke3 Re8 31.Rxa7 Nc1 32.Rxc7 Nxb3 33.b6 Na5

And, just like that (almost) White is winning (again).

Well, at least according to Rybka 3.

34.Rc5

I was looking for a draw here, and so I was paying more attention to capturing Black's pawn on e4 than I was to promoting my b-pawn.

The trick to understanding the position is to realize that Black's pieces are all tied down. His King is confined to the 8th rank. His Rook has to stay on the e-file and protect the pawn at e4. His Knight dare not wander, as White can try b6-b7 and Rc7-c8 as soon as possible.

Black can play with his pawns on the Kingside, but when those moves run out, he will be faced with trouble. In the meantime, White's d-pawn can advance as well...

So, White's best was 34.b7 simply adding to Black's misery. Rybka 3 suggests 34...Nxb7, but after 35.Rxb7 the Rook-and-pawns endgame is strongly in White's favor: extra pawn, passed d-pawn, Black's weak e-pawn.

34...Nb7 35.Re5 Rxe5

My opponent pretty much acknowledged with his play here that I would like to escape into a drawn end game, and he goes along with my play. Little did he (or I) realize that this move again gives me winning chances.

36.dxe5 Nc5

37.b7

Going along with the same plan that my opponent was going along with which was my plan... which was wrong. 

It was late in this day in the life of the Jerome Gambit, and I missed the simple 37.Kd4, nudging away Black's protecting Knight and finally allowing me to play 38.Kxe4.
37...Nxb7 38.Kxe4 Ke7

Here the "Jerome pawns" offset Black's extra Knight, and we go through the motions of exchanging everything off.

39.g4 Nc5+ 40.Kd4 Nd7 41.g5 Nf8 42.h4 g6 43.Ke4 gxf5+ 44.Kxf5 Ng6 45.h5 Nf8 46.g6 hxg6+ 47.hxg6 Nxg6 48.Kxg6 Ke6 49.Kg7 Kxe5 Neither player has mating material, Drawn