I Have Never Seen That Move Before. It Must Be Good. Or Bad.

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There are so many strange and wonderful insights that can be applied to the Jerome Gambit, even if they originally were connected to something else. I want to point out some quotations that I have pulled together: collection 1, collection 2.

As for the following game, if you play the Jerome Gambit long enough, you will encounter the club player who is astonished by 4.Bxf7+ and immediately decides that since he has never seen the move before, this reflects a complete lack of preparation on his part, and that he is doomed...

The same worry can be applied, for White, to Black's 8th move. What in the world is this?? I have never seen this move before. Yet, White is used to strange moves, and a few moments of reflection will bring the proper conclusion: It is bad.


kosta88 - peternc
lichess.org, 2016

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Nh6

This move is not in the standard preparation for Jerome Gambiteers. It attacks White's Queen. It opens up the f-file for Black to bring a Rook to attack, or a Queen to exchange. 

And it is wrong.

9.Qxe5+ Kc6 10.Qd5+

Or 10.d4 Ng4 11.Qxc5 checkmate, UNPREDICTABLE - acuriel, FICS, 2009)

10...Kb6 11.Nc3

Better than 11.d4 Qe7 (11...Bxd4 as in perrypawnpusher - hotintheshade, blitz, FICS, 2009 [1-0, 46]) 12.Be3 d6 13. dxc5+ dxc5 14. b4 c6 15. Bxc5+ Ka6 Black forfeited by disconnection, senseidea - Liosikne, FICS, 2012.

White realizes that he will get his second sacrificed piece back and he will have play against the enemy King.

11...c6

Two alternate tries at defense:

11...Qh4+ 12.g3 Qf6 13.Na4+ Ka6 14.Nxc5+ Kb5 15.a4+ Kb6 16.a5+ Black resigned, sabreman - Lovebuzz, FICS, 2014; and 

11...d6 12.Na4+ Ka6 13.Nxc5+ dxc5 14.Qxc5 b6 15.Qe3 Kb7 16.d4 Kb8 17.O-O Bb7 18.c4 Ng4 19.Qd3 c5 20.d5 Re8 21.h3 Nf6 22.e5 Nxd5 23.cxd5 Bxd5 24.Be3 Kb7 25.b3 h6 26.Rae1 g5 27.fxg5 Rxe5 28.gxh6 Qg8 29.Rf2 Rf8 30.Ree2 Ref5 31.Rxf5 Rxf5 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - Ondras, FICS, 2012.

12.Na4+ Kb5 Black resigned

On the Run

When the Jerome Gambit player has his opponent on the run, he should finish him off quickly. The following game is a good example.

sabreman - Lovebuzz
standard, FICS, 2014

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Qf5+
Kd6 8.f4 Nh6 

Attacking White's Queen might ge a good idea in other lines of the Jerome, but here it only drives Her Majesty into action that she was already contemplating.

After White's 8th move, the computer says he is "objectively" lost. After Black's 8th move, the computer says he is "objectively" lost. White must act quickly to take advantage of his advantage.

9.Qxe5+ Kc6 10.Qd5+ 

An improvement over 10.d4 which still turned out okay, thanks to a little help: 10..Ng4? 11.Qxc5 checkmate, UNPREDICTABLE - acuriel, FICS, 2009. 

10...Kb6 11.Nc3 

The text is an improvement over 11.d4, seen in perrypawnpusher - hotintheshade, blitz, FICS, 2009 (1-0, 46) and senseidea - Liosikne, FICS, 2012 (1-0, 15). 

Best according to Stockfish 6 is 11.Qb3+!?, which is worth exploring, e.g. 11...Ka6 (11...Kc6 12.Nc3 d5 13.Qb5+ Kd6 14.e5+ Ke6 15.Qxc5) 12.Qa4+ Kb6 13.b4 d6 (13...Bd4 14.Qa5+ Kc6 15.Qd5+ Kb6 16.a4 Bf2+ 17.Kxf2 Qh4+ 18.g3 Ng4+ 19.Kg1 Qxh2+ 20.Rxh2 a5 21.Qc5+ Ka6 22.Qxa5#; 13...Bf2+ 14.Kxf2 a6 15.Bb2; 13...a6 14.bxc5+ Ka7 15.Nc3; 13...Be7 14.Qa5+ Kc6 15.Nc3 a6 16.b5+ Kd6 17.Qb4+ c5 18.bxc6+ Kxc6 19.Qc4+ Kb6 20.Qd4+ Kc7 21.Qxg7 Nf5 22.Nd5+ Kb8 23.exf5) 14.bxc5+ dxc5 15.Bb2.

11...Qh4+

This distraction does not work.

Neither does 11...d6 12.Qb3+ (12.Na4+?! was perrypawnpusher - Ondras, blitz, FICS, 2012 [1-0, 31]) Bb4 13.Qxb4+ Ka6 14.Qb5 checkmate.

12.g3 Qf6 13.Na4+ Ka6 14.Nxc5+ Kb5 15.a4+ Kb6 16.a5+ Black resigned

Checkmate awaits.

Doing the Enemy's Work

I like the Jerome Gambit in all its variations, and I love to show a snappy Jerome Gambit win; but sometimes it is necessary to balance the scale, and give Black a hand, too...

acuriel - DOCTOERDETROIT 
blitz, FICS, 2009

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Bxf7+ Kxf7 4.Qh5+ Kf8 5.Qf5+ Nf6 6.Qxe5

Here is a position in the Abrahams Jerome Gambit that has been reached in 72 games in The Database. What is Black's best move now?

6...Bxf2+ 

Of course.

However, the move was played in only 7 of the aforementioned games, less than 10% of the time! Defenders, step up your game!

7.Kxf2 

Unwittingly going along with Black's plan.

7...Ng4+ 

Forking King and Queen.

White resigned

Once A Year

I was wandering through the updated New Years Database and noticed that about once a year someone playing the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) makes a particular unfortunate oversight and gets crushed...

drumme - Cascagians
blitz, FICS, 2010

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4

6...Qf6 7.dxe5 Qxf2 checkmate 

Last year the same moves (and result) showed up in Nusiance - acuriel, blitz FICS 2009.

Two years ago, the Black Queen went to h4, instead, with the same outcome: 6...Qh4 7.dxe5 Qxf2 checkmate, stretto - DjinnKahn, FICS, 2008.

Take care: Forwarned is forarmed!