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

From the Scacchi64.com Jerome Gambit Thematic

Torneo tematico GaJero00-A  2009

                      1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
1 Rybka 2.3.2a (2 CPU) ** 11 01 01 1½ 11 11 11 11.5/14
2 WB Nimzo 2000b       00 ** 01 11 1½ 11 ½1 11 10.0/14
3 SOS 5.1              10 10 ** 00 11 11 11 ½1 9.5/14
4 Comet B48            10 00 11 ** 10 01 11 11 9.0/14
5 Zarkov 4.70          0½ 0½ 00 01 ** 1½ 01 11 6.5/14
6 DrunkenMaster 1.2 00 00 00 10 0½ ** 10 11 4.5/14
7 La Dame Blanche 2.0c 00 ½0 00 00 10 01 ** 01 3.5/14
8 Demon 1.0            00 00 ½0 00 00 00 10 ** 1.5/14



The crosstable above is for the Jerome Gambit thematic chess tournament presented at the Scacchi64.com website, referred to in an earlier post (see "The Macbeth Attack").

As can be seen, 56 games games were played (with an average of 51 moves) with White scoring 31%.

This compares to the 12,478 games in The Database with the 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ move order,  with White scoring 45%, in games averaging 31 moves.

The difference in performance for White between the tournament and the larger collection can be in part attributed to sampling bias (players tend to more often publish their wins with their favorite openings, rather than their losses, and these could be over-represented in The Database) but the fact that about 80% of the relevant Jerome Gambit games in The Database are drawn from 17 years of games from the Free Internet Chess Server (FICS) - regardless of outcome - mitigates against that. It is likely that computers defend better than average club players when it comes to facing "refuted" opening play.

The difference in average game length between the two collections can be attributed to computer engines tendency to play to mate. It is interesting to point out several long games from the thematic tournament

WB Nimzo 2000b - La Dame Blanche 2.0c

drawn after 109 moves, via the 50-move rule; little progress can be expected in this Bishops-of-opposite-colors endgame anyhow

Zarkov 4.70 - DrunkenMaster 1.2

drawn after 93 moves, again via the 50 move rule

Some of the endgames were quite hard-fought, however. Consider the following position, from Rybka 2.3.2a - Zarkov 4.70, after 62.Kg7

There is a lot going on, even for a computer chess engine to grasp. Black wins by giving up his Knight and bringing his Rook back to exchange itself for White's advanced passed pawn (!) with 62...Rd2! 63.Kxf7 Rd7+ 64.Kg6 Rxh7 65.Kxh7 b4 and Black's passers will produce a winning Queen.

Instead, the game continued

62...Rh2!? 

A very direct move and sacrifice that, unfortunately, serves only to draw.

63.Rxh2 a1=Q 64.Kxf7 Qa7+ 

Black must check the enemy King and hold the enemy pawns back, hoping for repetition.

65.Kg6 Qb6+ 66.Kh5 Qd4 67.Rh3+ 

White, too, must worry about the enemy passed pawn - as well as the fact that Black has Q vs R.

67...Kc2 68.g5 b4 69.Rh2+ Kc3 70.Rh3+ Kb2 71.Rd3 

Nice. If Black now takes the Rook, White Queens his h-pawn. Either way, however, the game remains drawn.

71...Qh8 72.g6 Qf6 73.Rg3 Qg7 74.Re3 Qf8 75.Re7 

The same idea as above: taking the Rook leads to pawn promotion (and a draw).

75...Qf5+ 76.Kh6 Qf8+ 77.Kh5 Qh8 78.Kh6 Qd8 79.g7 

It looks like Rybka will finally break through, but Zarkov has the half-point in hand.

79...Qd6+ 80.Kh5 Qh2+ 81.Kg6 Qc2+ 82.Kh6 Qh2+ 83.Kg6 Qc2+ 84.Kh6 Qh2+ 85.Kg6 drawn