The Jerome Attitude

Some players who essay the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) have adopted the Jerome "attitude" of Attack-Attack-Attack. Others have opted for Creep-Creep-Pounce.

While I try to learn from others, my own "Jerome Attitude" seems too often to be Attack-Run-Hide. The following win (yes, win; I still take 8 out of 10 games) is a light example

perrypawnpusher -Tensecterror
blitz 2 10, FICS, 2012


1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6

The Semi-Italian Opening.  A couple weeks ago, an earlier game had continued along regular Jerome Gambit lines, i.e. 3...Bc5 4.Bxf7+ in perrypawnpusher - Tensecterror, blitz, FICS, 2012 (1-0, 45). This time my opponent was taking precautions.

4.O-O Bc5 5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Kf8

The retreat from the Knight check is certainly an interesting defensive idea in the regular Jerome Gambit. In the Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit, however, it has a flaw.

7.Ng6+

Much better than my silly 7.Nxc6 in perrypawnpusher - acwizard, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 18).

7...Kf7 8.Nxh8+ Ke7 9.Ng6+

Take the Rook and run.

Stronger and more adventurous was 9.Qh5.

9...Kf6 10.Qh5

Now that my Knight was safe, I was willing to play this move, as it has several positives: it protects the Knight, it attack's Black's Bishop at c5, and it threatens Qh5-f5+.

However, Black's response eliminates these threats.

Had my attitude been Attack-Attack-Attack, I would have looked at the more efficient 10.Qf3+, since 10...Ke6 11.Qf5+ Kd6 12.Qd5 is checkmate. This would have required me to see that "saving" the Knight was unnecessary, as 10.Qf3+ Kxg6 falls directly to 11.Qf5 checkmate.

10...d6 11.Nf4

More retreat from danger. A bit pluckier was 11.Nc3.

11...Ne5 12.Nd3

And, finally, the poor Knight is safe. Too bad that he missed 12.Nd5+ Ke6 13.Qf5 checkmate.

See what I mean about "attitude"?

12...g6 13.Qh4+ g5 14.Qg3 Nxd315.Qxd3 Be6

White is ahead the exchange and two pawns, but he still has work to do before he is comfortable.

16.b4 Bb6 17.Bb2+ Ke7 18.Qc3

Looking to infiltrate Black's Kingside. (I admit, I anticipated Black's next move, too, which he played too quickly.)

18...Nf6 19.Qxf6+ Kd7 20.Qxd8+ Rxd8

White is now up a Rook and two pawns. "Game over", right? My timid play encourages Tensecterror to continue: he dreams of using his "two Bishops" and Rook against my King.

21.d4 g4 22.Nd2 h5 23.f4 h4 24.f5 Bf7 25.a4 a6 26.c4 h3 27.c5 dxc5 28.dxc5 Ba7

We both have used pawn moves for our own plans: Black, to storm my Kingside; White, to stifle Black's dark-squared Bishop; and to unleash the "Jerome pawns".

29.e5 Bd5 30.e6+ Ke7 31.g3

A bit stronger was 31.Rae1 directly 

31...b6 32.Rae1 bxc5 33.f6+ Ke8

The "Jerome pawns" will win this duel.

34.f7+ Ke7 35.Bf6+ Kf8 36.e7+ Kxf7 37.exd8=Q cxb4+ 38.Rf2 Bxf2+ 39.Kxf2 Black resigned

Don't go away -- It gets better

After an opening oversight shared with my opponent (I wondered why there were no other examples of his 6th move in The Database) the game goes on to some interesting attacking ideas. So, don't get upset and go away; the game gets better.


 perrypawnpusher - acwizard
blitz, FICS, 2011

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6

The Semi-Italian Opening.

4.0-0 Bc5 5.Bxf7+

The Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Kf8

In the Sorensen Variation (see "Battle Again") of the Jerome Gambit, this King move is playable, even laudible. However, in the Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit... 

7.Nxc6

Of course 7.Ng6+ would win at least the exchange, depending on if the Knight can extract itself.

I think I was patting the dog and telling her I was busy when I made this move... (That's my story and I'm sticking to it.)

7...dxc6 8.d3 Ne7

By transposition 8...Nf6 led to perrypawnpusher - vladchess, blitz, FICS, 2011 (½-½, 46) with the relevant continuation 9.Be3 Qe7 10.d4 Bb6 11.f3 Kg8 12.Nc3 Kh7 13.Qd3 g6

9.Be3

Rybka 3 prefers to preserve the Bishop with 9.c3 Bb6 10.d4 and a roughly equal game.

9...Bb6

Black does not want to open the f-file with 9...Bxe3 10.fxe3+  but his King could have safely gone to g8 (and even on to h7) maintaining an edge.

10.Nc3

Instead, 10.d4 kept White's dark-squared Bishop and kept the game balanced. Exchanging the Bishop with 10.Bxb6 cxb6 was seen in stretto - TommyN, FICS, 2008.

10...Kg8 11.Bxb6

Impatience. Again, the way to keep things level was with 11.d4, but the choice of one strategy over another is always easier to see after the game is over.

11...cxb6 12.f4 Kh7 13.d4 Bd7

Here we have a confrontation between the "Jerome pawns" and Black's extra piece. The game is about equal.

14.f5 Rf8

Black has neatly castled-by-hand.

15.Qd3 Rf6 16.g4 g5

This pawn move upsets the balance of the game. It would have been more prudent to simply return the Rook with 16...Rf8.

17.e5 Rf7

This move creates unnecessary grief. Again, after the Rook retired with 17...Rf8, White can try 18.Rae1 Be8 19.Ne4 Kh8 but he still has to be careful with his pawns, lest Black liquidate them by returning his piece. 

18.e6 Black resigned

Not only does White's e-pawn fork a couple of pieces, his f-pawn threatens to advance with a discovered check.