Jerome Gambit: A Position Worth Examining

The position after the 15th move in the following game is worth a close examination. It is clear that White has gotten enough in return for his material sacrifices, but the compensation is not in terms of a loose or hanging piece that will soon be scooped up - it is in the unrelenting pressure on the Black King. But, does he have more than an even game?

Anonymous - Anonymous
5 5 blitz, lichess.org. 2020

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

7.Qd5+ Kf8 8.Qxc5+ d6 9.Qe3 Qe7 

10.Nc3 c6 

A recent alternative, also designed to keep White's Knight out of d5: 10...Nf6 11.O-O Kf7 12.d4 c6 13.f4 Re8 14.e5 Ng4 15.Qf3 Nh6 16.f5 Bxf5 17.g4 Nxg4 18.Qxg4 Kg8 19.Rxf5 dxe5 20.Bg5 Qe6 21.Re1 Rad8 22.Bxd8 Rxd8 23.dxe5 Rd2 24.h4 Rxc2 25.h5 Nf8 26.Rxf8+ Black resigned, odoaker2015 - Marienkaefer24h, lichess.org, 2020.

11.f4 a6 12.O-O Nf6 13.e5 

White is in a hurry, otherwise he could have gotten in 13.d4, first.

13...dxe5 14.fxe5 Nxe5 15.b3 Ned7 

This is a very interesting Jerome Gambit position. Black has an extra piece, White has an extra pawn. Black's King is unsafe, however, and there is the typical defensive flaw: his Knight blocks his Bishop, which, in turn, blocks in his Rook. White's development is much more effective.

What can the first player do? First, there is the decoy sacrifice, 16.Ba3!?. After 16...Qxa3 17.Rae1 g6 18.Ne4 Kg7 19.Nxf6 Nxf6 20.Rxf6!? Rf8 21.Rxf8 Qxf8 22.Qd4+ Kg8 23.Qc4+ Kg7 24.Qd4+White forces a draw by repetition.

If Black is unhappy with this outcome, he can play 17...Qc5, and, after 18.d4 Qh5, 19.Qe7+ Kg8 20.Rxf6!? gxf6 21.Re3 he will see that his opponent has full compensation for his sacrificed Bishop and Rook, and Black will have to sue for peace, himself, with 21...Qd1+ 22.Kf2 Qxc3+ 23.Kg1Qb1+ 24.Kf2 Qc2+, etc.

White could also try something a little less flashy, say 16.Ne4 Kf7 17.Bb2 Re8 18.Rae1, but after 18...Qxe4 19.Qxe4 Rxe4 20.Rxe4 his Rook and pawn would balance out Black's 2 Knights, for an even game.

All of which probably at least partially explains the move White chose, which may not have been as powerful, but was easy to understand.

16.Qf3 h6 17.a4 

The Bishop would like to go to a3, without sacrificing itself. The calm move seems to have misled Black.

17...Rg8 18.Ba3 c5 19.d4 

Hitting the pinned pawn at c5. As in the notes above, 19.Rae1 was quite powerful.

19...b6 

It is time to recall that this is a 5-minute blitz game.

20.a5 

Undermining the pinned c-pawn.

20...Rb8 21.axb6 Nxb6 22.Bxc5 Qxc5 23.dxc5 Nbd7

White's plan to win the Queen has succeeded.

24.b4 Rxb4 25.Qc6 Rb8 26.Qd6+ Kf7 27.c6 Kg6 28.cxd7 Bxd7 

29.Rxf6+ gxf6 30.Qxd7 

The rest is mopping up.

31...Rbd8 31.Qg4+ Kh7 32.Qf5+ Rg6 33.Rxa6 Rdg8 34.Ra7+ Kh8 35.g3 R8g7 36.Rxg7 Kxg7 37.Nd5 Rg5 38.Qd7+ Kg6 39.c4 h5 40.c5 Rxd5 41.Qxd5 f5 42.c6 Kg5 43.c7 h4 44.gxh4+ Kxh4 45.c8=Q f4 46.Qcg8 Black left the game

White has enough time to be sure he avoids stalemate.

Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit: Objective and Subjective

When putting together a Jerome Gambit repertoire, it is useful to have access to both "objective" evaluations - say, from a computer chess engine - and "subjective" evaluations - as from a collection of games that can tell you how successful a line has been. Often a move that is not "objectively" best may score very well in actual play. The following game, and its notes, illustrate this.

Anonymous - Anonymous
5 8 blitz, lichess.org, 2020

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 

The Blackburne Shilling Gambit, a tricky, trappy line that Black hopes comes as a surprise for White.

4.Bxf7+ 

The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit, which usually comes as a surprise for Black.

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6 

Black often plays 5...Ke8, encouraging White's Queen, as several recent games show: 6.Qh5+ g6 (6...Ke7 7.Qf7+ (7.d3 Nf6 8.Qh4 d6 9.Bg5 dxe5 10.Nc3 Nxc2+ 11.Kd1 Nxa1 12.Nd5+ Kf7 13.Nxf6 Be7 14.Qh5+ g6 15.Qh4 Bxf6 16.Bxf6 Qxf6 17.Qg3 Rf8 18.f3 Kg8 19.Kd2 Qf4+ 20.Qxf4 exf4 21.Rxa1 Be6 22.Rd1 Bxa2 23.Ke1 Bb3 24.Kf1 White resigned, Akash_12345 - lord-stanly, 5 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020) 7...Kd6 8.Nc4+ Kc6 9.Qd5 checkmate, Akash_12345 - Oliv99, 5 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020) 7.Nxg6 hxg6 (7...Nxc2+ 8.Kd1 Nxa1 9.Nxh8+ Ke7 10.Qf7+ Kd6 11.Qd5+ Ke7 12.Nc3 Bg7 13.Qf7+ Kd6 14.Qxg7 Nf6 15.Nf7+ Black resigned, Akash_12345 - me_am_emson, 5 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020; 7...Qf6 8.Nxh8+ Kd8 9.Nf7+ Ke7 10.Ne5 d6 11.d3 dxe5 12.Bg5 Nxc2+ 13.Kd1 Nxa1 14.Bxf6+ Nxf6 15.Qxe5+ Kf7 16.b3 Bb4 17.Qxa1 Bg4+ 18.f3 Be6 19.Qd4 Be7 20.Qe3 b6 21.Qf4 Bd6 22.e5 Be7 23.exf6 Bxf6 24.g4 Ke7 25.Qxc7+ Bd7 26.Re1+ Be5 27.Rxe5+ Black resigned, Akash_12345 - dibeantonio, 5 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020) 8.Qe5+ Ne7 9.Qxh8 Black resigned, brunchess34 - Anonymous, Chess.com, 2020, 9...Ng8 Black resigned, Anonymous - Anonymous, lichess.org, 2020.

For the record, The Database has 1,788 games with 5...Ke8, with White scoring 60%.

6.Qg4+ 

The Database has 121 games with this move, with White scoring 42%.

Also recently seen: 6.Qh5 Nf6 7 Qf7+ Kxe5 8.f4+ Kd6 9.e5+ Kc6 10.exf6 Qxf6 11.Qc4+ Kb6 12.O-O a6 13.d3 c5 14.Be3 Be7 15.c3 Nc2 16.Qb3+ Nb4 17.cxb4 Kc7 18.bxc5 Kb8 19.Nc3 d6 20.Nd5 dxc5 21.Nxf6 Black resigned, angelcamina - luquitas2018, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2020. The Database has 155 games with 6.Qh5, with White scoring 57%

White's strongest move, "objectively", is 6.c3. The Database has 392 games with 6.c3, with White scoring 62%.

6...Kxe5 7.f4+ Kxe4

One of the reasons White plays 6.Qg4, is so that if Black grabs the Knight, he can offer more material with 7.f4+, because if Black grabs the e-pawn... What happens next??

Don't worry. White was asked this question 24 times in The Database, and only scored 50 %.

Wait until next time! That's why I analyze games and share them. 

8.d3+ Kd5 9.c4+ Kc6 10.O-O Nc2 

There is nothing exactly wrong with this move, but shouldn't Black be thinking about safeguarding his King, not grabbing more material? If I were White, even though I was down 2 pieces, I would feel a stirring of hope.

11.Qf3+ Kb6 12.Qf2+ c5 

Proof that Black considers the game already won. Otherwise, what move would he have played that definitely would have produced "resigns"?

13.Qxc2 Qf6 

Amazingly enough, now, with 14.Nc3 (with the plan to go to d5) White would equalize.

14.Qb3+ Kc7 15.Qa3 d6 16.Nc3 Qd4+ 17.Kh1 Qxd3 

Time error?

18.Nb5+ Black resigned

Ow.

White never gave up.

Jerome Gambit: Initiative

The following game shows White grabbing the initiative and pressing for advantage. This forces Black's pieces back, and then the defender is unable to deal with what follows. 

Wall, Bill - anonymous
lichess.org, 2020

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bb6 

A reasonable response.

7.dxe5 Qh4 

This might look surprising, but Bill was 7-0 against it before this game.

8.Qf3+ Ke8 9.Nc3 c6

Bill has also seen

9...Ne7 10.O-O (10.g3 Qh3 11.Be3 d6 12.Bxb6 cxb6 13.exd6 Ng6 14.Nd5 Qd7 15.Nc7+ Kd8 16.Nxa8 Qxd6 17.Rd1 Ne5 18.Rxd6+ Ke7 19.Qc3 Kxd6 20.Qd4+ Ke6 21.Nc7+ Kf7 22.Qxe5 Rd8 23.Nb5 Bg4 24.Qf4+ Kg8 25.Qxg4 a6 26.Qe6+ Kh8 27.Nd6 Rb8 28.Nf7+ Kg8 29.Nh6+ Kh8 30.Qg8+ Rxg8 31.Nf7 checkmate, Wall,B - Itboss, lichess.org, 2016) 10...Rf8 11.Qe2 Ng6 12.Be3 Nf4 13.Qd1 Qg5 14.g3 Nh3+ 15.Kg2 Nf4+ 16.Bxf4 Rxf4 17.Qd2 Rg4 18.Qd5 c6 19.Qg8+ Ke7 20.f4 Qh6 21.f5 Qd2+ 22.Kh1 Qxc2 23.Rad1 Rxe4 24.f6+ gxf6 25.exf6 checkmate, Wall,B - Guest5595814, PlayChess.com, 2018; and 

9...Bxf2+ 10.Qxf2 Qxf2+ 11.Kxf2 Nh6 12.Nd5 Ng4+ 13.Kg3 Kd8 14.Bg5+ Nf6 15.exf6 h6 16.fxg7+ Ke8 17.gxh8=Q+ Kf7 18.Rhf1+ Kg6 19.Qxh6 checkmate, Wall,B - Shillam, lichess.org 2016 

10.Bf4 Ne7 11.Bg3 Qh6 12.O-O Rf8 13.Qd3 Ng6 

14.Rad1 Nf4 15.Qd2 Ne6 16.Qd3 Qg6 17.b4 Kf7 18.Na4 Kg8 19.Nxb6 axb6 

Black has castled-by-hand.

White starts his pawns forward to grab the initiative.

20.f4 Nc7 21.f5 Qf7 

The Queen would be safer at h5. 

22.e6 dxe6 23.fxe6 Qxf1+ 

A tactical oversight.

24.Rxf1 Rxf1+ 25.Kxf1 Bxe6 

After 25...Nxe6, Black would have a Rook and a Knight for a Queen and a pawn.

26.Bxc7 Black resigned

Jerome Gambit: The Pawns! The Pawns!

The following game illustrates the classic battle between the "Jerome pawns" and the extra piece that the defender has. Clearly, the pawns have the upper hand throughout most of the game.

Wall, Bill - Anonymous
lichess.org, 2020

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Nc6 

This is a reasonable response to 6.d4, although it allows White to follow up with another thematic Jerome Gambit move.

7.Qh5+ Kf8 

Bill has also seen 7...g6, in Wall,B - Lamjung, lichess.org, 2017 (1-0, 21). 

8.Qxc5+ Qe7 

Equally good is 8...d6, as in Wall,B - Guest649850, PlayChess.com 2017 (1-0, 26) 

9.Qxe7+ Ncxe7 10.c4 Nf6 11.Nc3 d6 12.f4 Be6 

A pretty dramatic contrast, White's pawns vs Black's extra piece.

13.d5 Bd7 14.e5 dxe5 

This is a tough choice.  Retreating the Knight with 14...Nfg8 might have been a little better. 

15.fxe5 Ng4 16.e6 Be8 17.O-O+ Kg8 

White's pawns are annoying - and they aren't finished.

18.Bf4 Rc8 19.c5 Nf6 20.d6 cxd6 21.cxd6 

21...h5

This does not solve Black's problems.

Bill recommends 21...Nc6 22.Bg5 when it will be difficult for the defender to avoid returning material. 

22.Bg5 Kh7 23.Rxf6 gxf6 24.Bxf6 Rg8 25.Bxe7 

25...Bc6 26.g3 h4 27.Bxh4 Black resigned

Jerome Gambit: Ghosts of Moves Unplayed

Playing a 3-minute game often requires both players to put aside any thoughts of what moves they could have played, or should have mande, but didn't. With more time to reflect, such musings might help in forming future plans, but in blitz, they can haunt ongoing play.

BoomBoomTNT-YT - tyronev1
3 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2020

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 

Now, Black can choose Blackburne's Defense, 7...d6, or Whistler's Defense, 7...Qe7 - both are complicated and dangerous - or amongst a handful of lesser lines, e.g. 7...Bd6.

7...Qe7 

8.Qd5+

We have recently taken a look at this infrequently- played move. See "Jerome Gambit: Largely Overlooked by History".

Recent alternatives:

8.Qxe7+ Kxe7 9.b3 a6 10.Bb2 Nf6 11.O-O Kf7 12.Nc3 Bd4 13.Rae1 Bxc3 14.Bxc3 d6 15.e5 dxe5 16.Bxe5 Rg8 17.Bxc7 Bg4 18.f3 Bh5 19.Bd6 Rad8 20.Bb4 g5 21.Re7+ Kg6 22.Rxb7 Rg7 23.Rb6 Rd4 24.Bc3 Rd8 25.Rxf6 checkmate, Ghigi,N - NN, 5 1 blitz, 2020;

8.Qxh8 Ke6 (8...Qxe4+ 9.Kd1 Qxg2 10.Qxh7+ Kf8 11.c3 Qxh1+ 12.Kc2 Qe4+ 13.d3 Qa4+ 14.b3 Qg4 15.Bh6+ Nxh6 16.Qxh6+ Kf7 17.Qh7+ Kf6 18.Nd2 Bxf2 19.Ne4+ Kf5 20.Qf7+ Ke5 21.Qf6+ Kd5 22.c4 checkmate, tomkoolen1996 - ThomasBovenkerk, 10 5 blitz, lichess.org, .com, 2020; or 8...Nf6 9.d3 b6 10.Bg5 Bd4 11.c3 Bb7 12.Bxf6 Bxf6 13.Qxh7+ Kf8 14.Qxe7+ Black resigned, Anonymous -Anonymous, 5 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020) 9.Qxg8+ Kd6 10.Qd5 checkmate, decidueyemainbtw -MarcosEngenheiro, Chess.com 2020; and

8.Qf4+ Qf6 9.Qg3 Bd6 10.f4 Bxf4 11.Qb3+ Qe6 12.O-O Qxb3 13.Rxf4+ Kg7 14.axb3 d6 15.d4 Ne7 16.Nc3 Bd7 17.Be3 a6 18.Raf1 Rhe8 19.Rf7+ Kh8 20.Bg5 Nc6 21.Bf6+ Kg8 22.Rxd7 Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest744598, PlayChess.com, 2020.

8...Kg7

The text move looks a little bit better than 8...Kf8, which might place the King in the way of a Rook that wants to be developed, e.g. eronald - ayushsankar1006, 5 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020 (0-1, 23). 

9.d4 Bb4+

Not quite as strong as 9...Bb6, levigun - obviously, 5d + 2d GameKnot.com, 2004, (0-1, 11) 

10.c3 Nf6 11.Qe5 

White has to be careful, with only one piece developed vs three, even with his strong pawn center. Fortunately, Black helps him out.

11...Qxe5 

Exchanging Queens in the Jerome Gambit if often a help to the defender. In this case - a 3-minute blitz game - Black has not looked deeply enough, however.

12.dxe5 Nxe4 13.cxb4 Re8 

14.Nc3 

A bit stronger was 14.0-0 Rxe5 15.Bf4 Re6 16.Bxc7. This possibility seems to haunt both player's thoughts during the next few moves, perhaps unconsciously.

14...Rxe5 15.O-O 

Of course, White can not now play 15.Bf4 Re6 16.Bxc7 because of 16...Nxc3+.

15...d5 16.Be3 

This is a solid move, although, again, 16.Bf4 was on.

16...c6

Black suddenly realizes that the 16.Bf4 skewer could win a pawn, so he moves that pawn to safety. But he overlooks something.

17.Bd4 

Black resigned

The Rook is a goner.

Jerome Gambit: Hunter's Lament

In Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) games, it seems that victory for the attacker turns on a few things happening, while defeat turns on a few things not happening. In a 5-minute game, sometimes that works out, and sometimes it doesn't. But - the games are always exciting.

ratconspiracy - titulajebordo
5 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2020

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 Qe7

10.d4

About equal to the text are:

10.O-O Nf6 11.Nc3 Kf7 12.f4 Re8 13.d3 b6 14.b3 Bb7 15.Ba3 Qd7 16.Rae1 Kg8 17.Qg3 c5 18.Bb2 Rad8 19.f5 Ne5 20.Ne2 Qf7 21.Nf4 Bc8 22.h3 Nh5 23.Nxh5 Qxh5 24.Rf4 Qf7 25.Rh4 Bb7 26.Rf1 Qf6 27.Rhf4 Rc8 28.Rg4 Re7 29.Bxe5 dxe5 30.Rg5 h6 31.Rg6 Qf7 32.Rxh6 Rd8 33.Rg6 Red7 34.h4 Rd6 35.h5 Rxg6 36.hxg6 Qf6 37.Qg4 Qd6 38.g3 Qd7 39.Kg2 Qe7 40.Rh1 White won on time, angelcamina - RomainTristan, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2020;

10.Nc3 c6 11.d4 Nf6 12.O-O Kf7 13.f4 Ng4 (13...Re8 14.f5 Nf8 15.Qf3 Kg8 16.Re1 h6 17.Bf4 N8h7 18.h4 Bd7 19.Bg3 Rad8 20.e5 Nd5 21.Ne4 dxe5 22.dxe5 Rf8 23.Nd6 g5 24.Rad1 gxh4 25.f6 Qe6 26.Bxh4 Ng5 27.Qh5 Qg4 28.Qg6+ Black resigned, Anonymous - Anonymous, 3 0 bltiz, lichess.org, 2020) 14.Qf3 d5 15.f5 dxe4 16.Qxg4 Nf8 17.Nxe4 h5 18.Qf4 Nd7 19.Ng5+ Kg8 20.Bd2 Nb6 21.Rae1 Qf6 22.Re8+ Qf8 23.Rxf8+ Kxf8 24.Qd6+ Kg8 25.Qd8# ChessBrah - samuelwillwin, 3 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2020;

10.d3 Nf6 11.O-O Ng4 12.Qe2 Nh4 13.Nc3 Be6 14.f4 g6 15.h3 Nh6 16. f5 N6xf5 17.exf5 gxf5 18.Re1 K7 19.Nd5 Qd7 20.Nxc7 Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest701131, PlayChess.com, 2019

10...Nf6 11.Nc3 a6 12.O-O Ng4 

The Knight's attack on the Queen should serve no purpose. For example, if now 13.Qd3 Qh4 14.h3 and it will have to move.

13.Qg5 Qxg5 14.Bxg5 h6 15.Be3 Nxe3 16.fxe3 Ne7 

White has 2 pawns for his sacrificed piece, but they are not mobile. The exchange of Queens has taken the life out of his attack, as well. It will take some pluck and some luck to make progress.

17.Nd5 Nxd5 18.exd5 Bg4 19.e4 Rf8 20.e5 Rxf1+ 21.Rxf1 Ke7 22.e6 Rf8 

The protected, passed pawn is something of value, but for now it is effectively blockaded. If there were an attack on the tied-down King, White might be able to make something of the position. In the meantime, too many pawns are stuck on the same colored squares as the Bishop.

23.c4 Rxf1+ 24.Kxf1 Bf5 25.c5 Be4 26.c6 bxc6 27.dxc6 Bxc6 28.Ke2 Kxe6 29.Kd3 Bxg2 30.Kc4 c6 

Black is clearly better. But, is time on his side?

31.b4 Bd5+ 32.Kc3 g5 33.a4 h5 34.b5 axb5 35.axb5 cxb5 36.Kb4 Bc4 

37.Ka5 g4 38.Kb6 h4 39.Kc7 g3 40.hxg3 hxg3 41.Kc6 g2 42.d5+ Bxd5+ 43.Kxb5 g1=Q 

44.Ka6 Qb1 45.Ka7 Bh1 46.Ka6 d5 47.Ka5 d4 48.Ka4 d3 49.Ka3 d2 50.Ka4 d1=R 51.Ka5 Rd8 52.Ka6 Ra8 checkmate

A tough fight. Remember the hunter's lament: Sometimes you get the bear, and sometimes the bear gets you.


graphic by Jeff Bucchino, "The Wizard of Draws"