Jerome Gambit Secrets #9

As a reminder about this series:

If you play the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) you know that the best source of information on the opening is this blog. 

If you face the Jerome Gambit, however, the best source of information on defending against the opening is - this blog. 

Across the 10 years that I have shared history, games and analysis, I have done my best to give the lines that give White the greatest opportunities to snatch victory from the jaws of this defeated - er, "refuted" - opening. 

I have also not shied away from presenting the various refutations, as well. 

Sometimes players have used my suggestions. Sometimes they have not. The "Jerome Gambit Secrets" posts will re-visit suggestions that appear to remain unplayed. Occasionally, they will introduce new suggestions. 

About a decade ago I played a somewhat embarassing Jerome Gambit blitz game, perrypawnpusher - whitepandora, blitz, FICS, 2008 (1-0, 41), that started off normally, but quickly saw a quirky defense by Black.

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qd5+ Kf6 

Certainly a King retreat is stronger plan.

I think my opponent was not taking my opening seriously, which seemed to be the case with other defenders in the next 11 games with the position, according to The Database. White scores a hefty 92%, even though the computer rates Black as clearly better.

Now, White can play the simple 8.Qxc5, which has a 6-1 record, and which has been chosen by MrJoker, Bill Wall and me (4 times).

White can also advance his d-pawn, which I will get to in a moment.

When I first posted my game on this blog, I pointed out that 8.f4!? was probably a better move - the old Jerome Gambit "d4 or f4 dilemma" again. According to Stockfish 9, Black has only an edge after 8...Qf8!? 9.Qf5+ Ke7 10.Qxc5+ Kd8 11.Qxf8+ Nxf8 12.d3.

Of course, in that case the Queens are off the board, and White's attack has disappeared. The chances to worry Black have been reduced, too.

Perhaps that is why there are still no game examples with 8.f4 in The Database. In a blitz game, especially, 8.d4 will be the choice of many Jerome Gambiteers.

8.d4 Bb4+

This is Black's best move, but it is hard not to share the alternative 8...Bxd4?? 9.Bg5#, if only because I missed the checkmate in perrypawnpusher - alvarzr, blitz, FICS, 2014 (1-0, 21).

Of course, another bad move for Black is 8...d6??, which chessfriend MrJoker did find the proper response to, 9.Bg5 checkmate.

Why was everyone having a case of nerves? I think because White's 8th move both threatens a piece and promises destruction at g5.

9.c3 c6??

I also love the automatic 9...Ba5?? 10.Bg5 checkmate, Katsampes,T - Maloney,M, St. Agnes School, St. Paul, Minnesota, 2017.

10.Qg5+ 

Missing, of course, 10.Bg5 checkmate, in a hurry to simply win Black's Queen.

Going back to move 9, Black needed to find 9...Ke7 (no game examples in The Database) Then, after 10.cxb4 Nf6 11.Qg5 Kf7 12.O-O d6 13.Nc3 Re8 would have the piece-for-two-pawns advantage that White often has to work against in the Jerome Gambit.

So - 8.f4 remains a "secret", even if it is "objectively best", and perhaps now you know why.

Also, the attractions of 8.d4 - a quick mate or win of the enemy Queen - are hardly a secret at all.

Jerome Gambit: First Blood

The Jerome Gambit has drawn first blood in the third round of the Chess.com Giuoco Piano thematic tournament. The game is not very exciting, however, and so games have been added in the notes to compensate.

perryawnpusher - AWARDCHESS
Giuoco Piano Thematic, Chess.com, 2017

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qd5+ Kf6

Black's King usually retreats to the 8th rank.

8.Qxc5

Or 8.d4 Bxd4 (8...Bb4+ 9.c3 c6 10.Qg5+ Ke6 11.Qxd8 Nf6 12.Qc7 Bd6 13.Qa5 Kf7 14.e5 Re8 15.O-O Nxe5 16.dxe5 Rxe5 17.Qa4 b5 18.Qd4 Rd5 19.Qe3 Bb7 20.Nd2 c5 21.Nf3 Ng4 22.Qe1 Re8 23.Be3 Rh5 24.h3 Ne5 25.Nxe5+ Rexe5 26.Rd1 Bc7 27.Rxd7+ Re7 28.Rxe7+ Kxe7 29.Bxc5+ Kd7 30.Qe7+ Kc8 31.Qe8+ Bd8 32.Qxh5 Ba6 33.Rd1 Bc7 34.Qe8+ Kb7 35.b4 g5 36.Rd7 h5 37.Qf7 Kc8 38.Rxc7+ Kb8 39.Bxa7+ Ka8 40.Qe8+ Bc8 41.Qxc8 checkmate, perrypawnpusher - whitepandora, FICS, 2008; 8...h6 9.Qxc5 N8e7 10.e5+ Kf7 11.Qc4+ Kf8 12.O-O b6 13.f4 a5 14.f5 Ba6 15.fxg6+ Ke8 16.Qf7 checkmate, perrypawnpusher - tjaksi, FICS, 2013; 8...d6 9.Bg5 checkmate, mrjoker - Taj, Internet Chess Club, 2009) 9.Qg5+ Ke6 10.Qxd8 N8e7 11.Qxc7 Ne5 12.Qa5 b6 13.Qd2 Bc5 14.Nc3 Ba6 15.Nd5 Rac8 16.Nxe7 Kxe7 17.Qg5+ Ke6 18.Qf5+ Kd6 19.Bf4 Rce8 20.O-O-O+ Kc6 21.Bxe5 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - alvarzr, FICS, 2014

8...d6

Not 8...Qe7 9.Qf5 checkmate, perrypawnpusher - zsilber, FICS, 2010.

9.Qe3

Or 9.Qc3+ Ne5 10.f4 Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest4240618, PlayChess.com, 2015.

9...Nh6

The Knight can go elsewhere:

9...Ne5 10.d4 Ng4 (10...Nc4 11.Qg5+ Kf7 12.Qxd8 b5 13.Qxc7+ Ne7 14.a4 b4 15.Qxc4+ d5 16.exd5 Nxd5 17.Qxd5+ Be6 18.Qf3+ Ke7 19.Bg5+ Kd6 20.Nd2 Rhe8 21.Ne4+ Kd7 22.Nc5+ Kd6 23.Qf4+ Kc6 24.O-O-O Bd5 25.Na6 Kb6 26.Qd6+ Bc6 27.Nxb4 Rac8 28.d5 Red8 29.Bxd8+ Rxd8 30.Qxd8+ Kc5 31.Nxc6 a5 32.Qxa5+ Kc4 33.Qb4 checkmate, MrJoker - ipon, Internet Chess Club, 2011) 11.Qg5+ Kf7 12.Qxd8 Black resigned MrJoker - vicwill, Internet Chess Club, 2011;

9...N8e7 10.d4 Kf7 (10...c5 11.dxc5 Qa5+ 12.Nc3 Qxc5 13.Qf3+ Ke6 14.O-O Ne5 15.Qh3+ Kf7 16.Qh5+ N7g6 17.Be3 Qb4 18.f4 Nc4 19.f5 Nxe3 20.fxg6+ Kg8 21.gxh7+ Rxh7 22.Qe8 checkmate, perrypawnpusher - useche, FICS, 2010) 11.O-O Rf8 12.f4 Kg8 13.f5 Nh8 14.Nc3 c6 15.Qg3 d5 16.f6 Neg6 17.fxg7 Kxg7 18.Be3 Rxf1+ 19.Rxf1 Nf7 20.Qf3 Ng5 21.Bxg5 Qxg5 22.Qf7+ Kh6 23.exd5 cxd5 24.Nxd5 Bg4 25.Nf4 Rf8 26.Qxb7 Rxf4 27.Qxa7 Rxf1+ 28.Kxf1 Qf4+ White resigned, perrypawnpusher - wbrandl, FICS, 2011.

10.f4 Re8 11.O-O Qe7 12.Nc3 Bd7 13.Nd5+ Black resigned

Ouch. This kind of thing can happen, even in a slow game. Maybe the real world intruded. Maybe White's opening looked too innocuous to worry about in the early stages.

Winning Fast or Losing Fast?

Knowing your chess opening and what you and others have played previously is a powerful weapon in a contest.

Bill Wall's games show up over 365 times in The Database; he has a lot of experience with the Jerome Gambit - usually a whole lot more than his opponents. (As a reference, The Database's  over 51,500 games is useful, too.)

It is no wonder that the following game ends quickly. 

Wall,B - Guest4240618
PlayChess.com, 2015

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qd5+ Kf6 

8.Qxc5

MrJoker and I have explored 8.d4: perrypawnpusher - whitepandora, blitz, FICS, 2008 (1-0, 41); mrjoker - Taj, Internet Chess Club 2009 (1-0, 9); perrypawnpusher - tjaksi, blitz, FICS, 2013 (1-0, 16); and perrypawnpusher - alvarzr, blitz, FICS, 2014 (1-0, 21).

8...d6

Not 8...Qe7 9.Qf5#  perrypawnpusher - zsilber, blitz, FICS, 2010. 

9.Qc3+

As opposed to the retreat 9.Qe3 seen in  perrypawnpusher - useche, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 22); perrypawnpusher - wbrandl, blitz, FICS, 2011 (0-1, 28); MrJoker - ipon, Internet Chess Club, 2011 (1-0, 33); and MrJoker - vicwill, Internet Chess Club 2011 (1-0, 12).

Now Bill is on his own, as there are no other examples of this move in The Database; but his opponent immediately helps him out.

9...Ne5 10.f4 Black resigned

Jerome Gambit Rematch

After our recent game, it is possible that my opponent looked up the Jerome Gambit (maybe even on this site), because when we battled again he was prepared with one of Black's strongest refutations. (Better than he was before. Better, stronger, faster.)

perrypawnpusher - alvarzr
blitz, FICS, 2014

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 

Our two previous games have featured 6...Ng6 - perrypawnpusher - alvarzr, blitz, FICS, 2013 (0-1, 59) and perrypawnpusher - alvarzr, blitz, FICS, 2014 (1-0, 21).

7.Qxe5 Qe7 

Whistler's Defense. More deadly than Blackburne's Defense. I have a win and a draw against it so far, and have used it once to bring serious pain to a friend.

8.Qf4+

After 8.Qxh8? Qxe4+ White was quickly smashed in Jerome,A - Whistler,G, correspondence, 1876 (0-1, 15).

8...Qf6

Instead, 8...Kg7 was seen in perrypawnpusher - tmarkst, blitz, FICS, 2009 (1-0, 43). The text is slightly better.

9.Qg3 d6 

Instead, Black's choice was 9...Ne7 in perrypawnpusher - Yaku, blitz, FICS, 2011 (½-½, 26).

Having avoided immediate destruction, I now had to put together a plan to work toward equalizing. 

10.Nc3 Be6 11.0-0 Ne7 12.d3 Kg7 

Black is developing and has castled by hand. 

13.Bg5 Qf8 14.Be3 

After the game, Houdini suggested that 14.e5!? was playable.

14...Bb6 15.f4 Bxe3+ 16.Qxe3 Nc6 

17.d4 Qe7 

Too casual - but he gets away with it.

18.d5 Nb4 19.Qe2 

Of course, the proper treatment for such a wandering Knight is 19.Qd4+. I am embarrassed to have missed that fork, as I've picked up a handful of spare pieces from b4 when my Queen has moved from d3 to check along the a2-g8 diagonal - admittedly, in a different variation of the Jerome Gambit, but there should be some transfer of learning.

19...Bd7 20.a3 Na6 21.e5 dxe5 22.fxe5 Bf5 23.Rae1 Nc5 

Comparing this position with that after move 9 (third diagram) I feel a bit like Harry Houdini having escaped a straight jacket.

24.e6 Rad8 

Feeling he has enough pressure against my e-pawn, Black decides to lean on the d-pawn as well. He probably should have considered 24...Rhf8 instead. 

25.Qe5+ Qf6 26.Qxc7+ Nd7 27.exd7 Rxd7

28.Qe5 Qxe5 29.Rxe5 Bxc2 30.Rfe1 Rhd8 31.Re7+ Kh6 32.Rxd7 Rxd7 33.Re2 Bb3 34.Rd2 a6 

The game has settled down, and White has an extra pawn - but not for long. It seemed clear to me that a King march would bring home the full point, so I sent my monarch off to war.

35.Kf2 Kg7 36.Ke3 Kf6 37.Kd4 b5 38.Kc5 Ke5 39.Kb6 Bxd5 40.Rxd5+ Rxd5 41.Nxd5 Kxd5 

42.Kxa6 Kc6 43.b3 h5 44.a4 bxa4 45.bxa4 g5 46.a5 g4 47.g3 Kc5 48.Kb7 Kb5 49.a6 Black resigned

Overlooked For A Reason

Here's that "overlooked" Jerome Gambit game that I mentioned in my last post, "Another Error, Another Win". It's a painful one to play over, as my opponent offered me an escape from a difficult situation, and I missed it.

perrypawnpusher - alvarzr
blitz, FICS, 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 Qe7 9.Qe3 Nf6 

Or 9...d5 as in Wall,B - Guest497592, PlayChess.com, 2012 (1-0, 23). 

10.Nc3 d6 

Or 10...Kf7 11.0-0 Rf8  as in perrypawnpusher - frencheng, 20 5 blitz, FICS, 2010 (½-½, 34). 

11.0-0 b6 

Instead, Black got more aggressive with 11...Be6 12.f4 Ng4 13.Qg3 Qh4 in Wall,B - Hirami,Z, Chess.com, 2011 (1-0, 20) and with 
11...Ng4 in Wall,B - CKSP, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 15); but more careful (castling-by-hand) with 11...Rf8 12.f4 Kf7  in  perrypawnpusher - chingching, blitz, FICS, 2011 (½-½, 36). 

12.f4 Bb7 13.d3 

The more forward 13.f5 Ne5 14.d4 followed in perrypawnpusher-Navarrra, blitz, FICS, 2011 (24) and perrypawnpusher - MarkHundleby1, Chess.com, 2013 (1-0, 27).

13...Kd7 

Or 13...a6 14.b3 Kd7 15.Ba3 Rae8 as in perrypawnpusher -MRBarupal, blitz, 2010 (0-1, 22) 

14.Bd2 

A bit better was 14.Qh3+ Ke8 15.b3. 

14...Rae8 15.Rae1 Rhf8 

One of the reasons that I have shared a lot of links above is to show how many ideas grow out of these Jerome Gambit positions. In the current game, however, as things went on, I began to think less and push pieces more, and this is never a good thing.

16.Qd4 Kc8 17.Qa4 Nd7 18.Qxa7 Nc5 19.Qa3 

Pawn grabbing with the Queen is not such a deep idea. Instead, it was time to be more dynamic with play like 19.b4 Na6 20.b5 Nc5 21.f5 Nh8 22.Nd5. 

19...Qh4 20.Nd5 Bxd5 21.exd5 Rxe1 

22.Rxe1

After the game, Houdini suggested that I should have started looking for a draw here with 22.Qa8+ Kd7 23.Qc6+ Kd8 24.Rxe1 Ne7 25.Qa8+ Nc8 26.g3 Qg4 27.Kg2 Re8 28.Rxe8+ Kxe8 29.b4 Qe2+ 30.Kh3 Qh5+ 31.Kg2 Qe2+ 32.Kh3 Qh5+

22...Kb7 23.g3 Qg4 24.Qc3

Overlooking danger: 24.d4 was necessary.

24...Nxf4

Even stronger: 24...Nh4.

25.Bxf4 Rxf4 26.b4

One last gasp. Where's a good swindle when you need one?

26...Nd7

That should do it. Of course, 26...Rxb4 keeps Black on top.

27.Qc6+

Now White can answer  27...Ka7 with 28.Qxc7+ Ka6 29.b5+ Ka5 30.Qc3+ Ka4 31.Qb3+ Ka5 32.c4 Rxc4 33.dxc4 Qd4+ 34.Re3 and advantage - if he sees it.

27...Kc8 28.Qa8+

Yipes! Instead, my opponent walks into a mate-in-one (28.Re8#) - and I miss it.

We both deserve to lose. I deserved it more.

28...Nb8 29.Re8+ Kd7 30.Re1 

Alas, capturing Black's Knight allows him to checkmate me.

30...Rf8 31.Qa4+ Kc8 32.c4 Qd4+ 33.Kh1 Qf2 34.Re8+ Rxe8 35.Qxe8+ Kb7 36.h4 Qxg3 37.Qe4 Qf2 38.Qg2 Qxg2+ 39.Kxg2 Nd7 

The endgame is fairly won for Black.

40.d4 b5 41.c5 Nf6 42.cxd6 cxd6 43.Kf3 Nxd5 44.a3 Nc3 45.Kf4 Nb1 46.Kf5 Nxa3 47.Ke6 Kc7 48.Kf7 g6 49.Kg7 Nc2 50.Kxh7 Nxb4 51.Kxg6 Nd5 

White's King has gotten his exercise, but it doesn't save the game.

52.Kf5 Nc3 53.h5 b4 54.h6 b3 55.h7 b2 56.h8Q b1Q+ 57.Ke6 Qe4+ 58.Kf7 Qf5+ 59.Ke7 Nd5+ White resigned

Another Error, Another Win

Some day, maybe, I will get caught.

Oh, wait a minute. I already did get caught.

Some day, maybe, I will learn.

Oh, wait a minute, I once did know.

Well - next time I hope to remember...

In the meantime here's another Jerome Gambit game where I made what I knew was the wrong move, because I couldn't remember why it was wrong.

And I won in a near-miniature, anyhow.

perrypawnpusher - alvarzr
2 12, FICS, 2014

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qd5+ Kf6

Last year my game against the same opponent continued 7...Ke8 8.Qxc5 Qe7 9.Qe3 Nf6  and I was out-played in a pitched battle, (missing one chance at a saving swindle) in perrypawnpusher - alvarzr, blitz, FICS, 2013, (0-1, 59). Hmmm... Looks like I haven't posted that game yet. My bad.

8.d4

I played this move even though I knew it was not the best move.

I had forgotten 8.Qxc5 d6 (8...Qe7 9.Qf5# perrypawnpusher - zsilber, blitz, FICS, 2010) 9.Qe3, with an edge for Black in perrypawnpusher - useche, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 22) and perrypawnpusher - wbrandl, blitz, FICS, 2011 (0-1, 28).

8...Bxd4

Black doubles my error and sends it back to me...

In a game six years ago my opponent back then played the correct 8...Bb4+!?, but after  9.c3 he tried 9...c6 and after 10.Qg5+ I was on my way to sweet victory in perrypawnpusher - whitepandora, blitz, FICS, 2008 (1-0, 41).

A more recent game - the analysis from this blog should still have been clear in my memory - saw 8...h6 9.Qxc5 with Black a bit better, in perrypawnpusher - tjaksi, blitz, FICS, 2013 (1-0, 16).

9.Qg5+ 

This is fine, but 9.Bg5 would have been checkmate. (And 10.Bg5 would have been checkmate against whitepandora, too!)

9...Ke6 10.Qxd8 

These kind of positions make me verrrrrrry nervous. Sure, White has a Queen and a pawn for only two pieces, but that's the problem - what if I get overconfident and blunder it all away? (Sure, that would be almost as bad as losing to the Jerome Gambit, right?)

10...N8e7 11.Qxc7 Ne5 12.Qa5 b6 13.Qd2 Bc5 14.Nc3

I briefly looked at 14.b4!? but quickly decided that I didn't need more material, I needed to escape with what I had and to find a settled position. (Thanks, Dan Heisman.)

14...Ba6 15.Nd5!? Rac8 16.Nxe7 Kxe7 17.Qg5+ Ke6 18.Qf5+ Kd6 19.Bf4 Rce8 20.0-0-0+ 

Hold the Xanax. I think I've got things under control now.

20...Kc6 21.Bxe5 Black resigned