Beware: The Sneak!

Black's biggest dangers in playing against the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) are overconfidence, a dismissive attitude and inattention. If any of these plague the second player in the early moves of the game, an otherwise blatant maneuver called The Sneak might arise.

In its starkest form, The Sneak looks like this:

I know what you're thinking: nobody would fall for that, letting the Bishop get trapped.

It is true, not everybody does fall for it. Here are some warnings, though:

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3

2.Bc4 Nf6 3.Bxf7+ Kxf7 4.d3 Nc6 5.c3 Bc5 6.a4 d6 7.Nf3 Ng4 8.0-0 Rf8 9.b4 Bxf2+ 10.Rxf2 Nxf2 11.Kxf2, Viejoasquerosos - BigJase, redhotpawn, 2006 (1-0, 40)

2...Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7

4...Kf8 5.Bxg8 Rxg8 6.c3 Qf6 7.d3 d6 8.a4 Ke8 9.Bg5 Qg6 10.h4 h6 11.h5 Qe6 12.Bd2 Bd7 13.b4 Bxf2+ 14.Kxf2, SIRMO - AAlekhine, chessworld, 2007 (1-0, 47)

5.d3

5.c3 d6 ( 5...Nf6 6.d3 h6 7.0-0 g5 8.Qb3+ Ke8 9.Kh1 g4 10.Ng1 h5 11.Bg5 Rh7 12.Bxf6 Qxf6 13.Qg8+ Qf8 14.Qxh7 g3 15.Qg6+ Qf7 16.Qxg3 d6 17.a4 Be6 18.b4 Nxb4 19.cxb4 Bxb4 Piratepaul - DREWBEAR 63, JGTourney4, ChessWorld, 2009 (1-0, 26)) 6.d3 Nf6 ( 6...Bg4 7.Ng5+ Kf8 8.Qxg4 Qe7 9.Ne6+ Ke8 10.Nxg7+ Kf7 11.Nf5 Qf6 12.Bg5 Qe6 13.a4 Nf6 14.Bxf6 Qxf6 15.b4 Bb6 16.a5 Bxf2+ 17.Kxf2, Piratepaul - metalwarrior1969, JGTourney4, ChessWorld, 2009 (1-0, 36)) 7.Bg5 Bg4 8.h3 Bh5 9.g4 Bg6 10.Nbd2 h6 11.Bh4 Qd7 12.a4 h5 13.b4 Bxf2+ 14.Bxf2, Piratepaul - blackburne, chessworld, 2008 (0-1, 22);

5.0-0 Nf6 6.d3 Rf8 7.Nc3 Kg8 8.Ne2 d6 9.a4 Be6 10.c3 h6 11.b4 Bxf2+ 12.Rxf2 Ng4 13.Rf1 Black Puma - Sir Osis of the Liver, JGTourney4, ChessWorld, 2009 (1-0,35)

5...Nf6

[ 5...h6 6.c3 ( 6.0-0 g5 7.h3 Nf6 8.a4 d6 9.c3 g4 10.hxg4 Bxg4 11.b4 Bxf2+ 12.Rxf2 Black Puma - DREWBEAR 63, JGTourney4, ChessWorld, 2009 (1-0, 21)) 6...d6 7.0-0 ( 7.a4 Bg4 ( 7...Qf6 8.b4 Bxf2+ 9.Kxf2, SIRMO - Ratscales, chessworld, 2008 (1-0, 36)) 8.b4 Bxf3 9.Qxf3+ Qf6 10.Qxf6+ Nxf6 11.bxc5 dxc5, braken - willitfw, chessworld, 2008 (1-0, 51)) 7...Nf6 8.a4 Na5 ( 8...Bg4 9.b4 Nxb4 ( 9...Bxb4 10.cxb4, Piratepaul - calchess10, JGTourney4, ChessWorld, 2009 (1-0, 44)) 10.cxb4 Bd4 11.Ra2 a6 ( 11...Nh5 Piratepaul - TWODOGS, JGTourney4, ChessWorld 2009 (1-0, 32)) 12.Nbd2 Nh5, Piratepaul - eddie43, chessworld, 2008 (0-1, 56)) 9.b4 Bb6 10.bxa5 Bxa5, braken - eddie43, chessworld, 2008 (1-0, 23)

6.Bg5

6.a4 Rf8 7.c3 d6 8.0-0 Kg8 9.Ng5 ( 9.b4 Nxb4 10.cxb4 Bxb4 11.Qb3+ Kh8 12.Qxb4 0-1 Black Puma - stampyshortlegs, JGTourney4, ChessWorld, 2009 (0-1, 24)) 9...Bg4 10.Qe1 Nh5 11.h3 Bxh3 12.Nxh3 Ng3 13.b4 Nxb4 14.cxb4 Bd4 15.Ra2 Nxf1 16.Kxf1, SIRMO - manago, chessworld, 2008 (1-0, 18)

6...Rf8 7.0-0 Kg8 8.c3 Qe8 9.Kh1 d6 10.a4 Bg4 11.b4 Qh5 12.Bd2 d5 13.bxc5 dxe4 14.dxe4 Nxe4 Piratepaul - delboy138, chessworld, 2008 (1-0,17)

Tactics, Tactics, Tactics

It is not likely that Richard Teichmann, who opined that chess was "99% tactics" ever played the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), but what he said was especially true about such a dodgy opening: by and large the Jerome Gambit Gemeinde lives by the tactic, and dies by the tactic...

Here are three examples from the current Chessworld Jerome Gambit Thematic tournament.

Luke Warm - DREWBEAR 63
JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009

Both players have attacks against their enemy King - enough so to keep the game even. Straying from this theme becomes instantly deadly.

22.Rh4 Qxf3 23.Qd2 Ref7 24.a3 Qxd5 25.Qh2 Rf1+ White resigned

Black Puma - Sir Osis of the Liver
JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009

This game has been a hammer and tongs affair so far, but seems to have resulted in a balanced, Bishops-of-Opposite-Colors endgame, with a draw in sight. It will take some care, as each side still has a Rook, but the point should soon be split.

34.Be5 g6 35.Rh2+ Black resigned, as he will lose a Rook after 35...Kg8 36.Rh8+





stampyshortlegs - calchess10
JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009
Here is a messy, if balanced, game. Maybe White should consider 26.Qe2, and after 26...Nxe4 he can get a draw with 27.Qa6+ Kd7 28.Qb5+ etc?


26.Qe2 Nfd7 27.Qa6+ Kb8 28.Ba7+ Ka8 29.Bb6+ Kb8 30.Qa7+ Kc8 31.Qxc7 checkmate

All's not well that ends not well

The following game, from the current Chessworld Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 Bxf7+) Thematic Tournament, pits Black Puma, who has recently had a number of hammering wins, against calchess10, who has been having a difficult tournament, but who played well enough to reach the following postion after 41 moves.


True, Black is two pawns down, but knowledge of the two kinds of endgames (see "All's well that ends well") that are in play here should help him hold the draw.

42.Kg3 hxg4 43.hxg4 g5 44.f4 gxf4+ 45.Kxf4 Kg6

Here we have a pretty straight-forward Bishops-of-opposite-colors endgame. Black should be able to establish light-square blockades of the two pawns, and hold the game to a draw.

46.g5 Bc2 47.Be7 Ba4 The blockades are established, although Black would do well now to exchange the King's and Bishop's roles, putting the Bishop to work on the Kingside and the monarch to work on the Queenside. Otherwise he runs the risk of White using his King to escort the a-pawn up the file, eventually winning the Black Bishop; and then bringing his King over to help the other pawn advance to the Queening square.

48.Ke4 Bb3 49.Kd4 Kf7 As expected.

50.Kc3 Kxe7

Oh, no... 50...Ba2 51.Bf6 Ke8 etc. and the Black King will get to the Queenside while his Bishop holds off the g-pawn from afar. This transition in the game to a pure pawn endgame gives White the win.

51.Kxb3 Kf7 52.Kb4 Kg6 53.a4 Kxg5 54.a5 Black resigns

A pity.

By the way, above I mentioned that knowledge of "two kinds of endgames" would come to Black's aid. Had he recalled the frustrations of the K vs K + RP + wrong-colored-Bishop (see "All's well that ends well"), he could have, before our second diagram, played 45.,.Bxg4, instead of 45...Kg3. The Black King would have plenty of time to then hurry to a8 to blocade the last pawn, a task from which he could not be chased away.

My congratulations to Black Puma on toughing out a fine win, and my applause to calchess10 on getting oh-so-close...

Oooooooops... 2

As I've said before: Playing – or defending against – the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) requires close attention to what is going on, so that every tactical opportunity can be caught. Take advantage of your chances, you could take the point. Overlook a chance or two, and ooooooops...


calchess10 - blackburne
JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.a3 Nf6 6.d3 Rf8 7.Nc3 d6 8.0-0 Bg4 9.h3 Bxf3 10.Qxf3 Kg8 11.Qg3 Nh5 12.Qg4 Nf4 13.Bxf4 Rxf4 14.Qg3 Nd4 15.Nd5 Ne2+ 16.Kh2 Nxg3 17.Kxg3 Qg5+ 18.Kh2 Bxf2 19.Nxc7 Qg3+ 20.Kh1 Raf8 21.Ne6 Rh4 22.Nxf8 Rxh3+ 23.gxh3 Qxh3 checkmate



calchess10 - Haroldlee123
JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.d3 h6 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 Bxd4 8.c3 Bb6 9.Bf4 Qf6 10.Bxe5 Qxf2 checkmate




Sir Osis of the Liver - GladtoMateYou
JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.d3 h6 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 Bxd4 8.Qxd4 Qf6 9.Qd5+ Qe6 10.Qd4 d6 11.Nc3 c6 12.0-0 c5 13.Qe3 Qg6 14.Nd5 Ne7 15.Qf4+ Kg8 16.Nxe7+ Black resigned

Crusader Rabbit - Sir Osis of the Liver
JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.0-0 Nf6 6.c3 Nxe4 7.d4 exd4 8.Re1 d5 9.Qb3 d3 10.Be3 Na5 11.Ne5+ Kf8 12.Qc2 dxc2 White resigned

graphic by Jeff Bucchino, the Wizard of Draws

The Modern Jerome Gambit

I have been using the games of the current Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) thematic tournament at Chessworld to gain a better understanding of the "modern" (non-5.Nxe5) variations, especially since they make up about 80% of the games there.

Here is a sampling of recent trials.

eddie43 - DREWBEAR 63 JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nc3 Nf6 6.d3 h6 7.h3 d6 8.a3 Be6 9.Bd2 g5 10.Nh2 Rg8 11.g4 Qf8 12.Na4 b5 13.Nxc5 dxc5 14.Nf3 c4 15.Qe2 cxd3 16.Qxd3 Bc4 17.Qc3 Nxe4 18.Qe3 Nxd2 19.Qxd2 e4 20.Nd4 Ne5 21.b3 Bd5 22.Qe3 Nf3+ 23.Ke2 Nxd4+ 24.Qxd4 c6 25.b4 Kg6 26.Kd1 Qf3+ 27.Kd2 Rad8 28.Qxa7 Bc4+ 29.Kc1 Qxh1+ 30.Kb2 Qf3 31.Rc1 Ra8 0-1 gwyn1 - blackburne JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.c3 d6 6.d3 Nf6 7.Bg5 Rf8 8.b4 Bb6 9.Qb3+ Be6 10.c4 Kg8 11.0-0 h6 12.Be3 Bxe3 13.fxe3 Qd7 14.h3 Bxh3 15.Nh2 [15.gxh3 Qxh3 16.Qc2 Ng4 17.Qe2 Nxe3 terrible pins 18.Qxe3 Nd4 19.Nbd2 Rf6] 15...Be6 16.Nd2 Ng4 17.Ndf3 Nxe3 18.Rfe1 Ng4 19.Nxg4 Bxg4 20.Nd2 Nd4 21.Qc3 Be2 [21...Qf7] 22.Rf1 Bxf1 23.Rxf1 Ne2+ 24.Kh1 Nxc3 25.Nf3 Qg4 26.Nh2 Rxf1+ 27.Nxf1 Rf8 28.Ne3 Qh4+ 29.Kg1 Ne2 checkmate

Black Puma - blackburne JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.d3 Nf6 6.0-0 Rf8 7.c3 Kg8 8.a4 a6 9.b4 Ba7 10.Bg5 d6 11.Nbd2 Bg4 12.Qb3+ Kh8 13.h3 Bh5 14.a5 Qd7 15.Bh4 Rf7 16.Ng5 Re7 17.Ngf3 Rf8 18.c4 Bxf3 19.Nxf3 Nd4 20.Nxd4 Bxd4 21.Ra2 Ref7 22.Kh1 Nh5 23.Qd1 Nf4 24.Bg3 Nxh3 0-1 calchess10 - gwyn1 JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.h3 Nge7 6.a3 h6 7.Nc3 a6 8.b4 Bb6 9.d3 d6 10.Ne2 Ke8 11.c3 Be6 12.0-0 Kd7 13.a4 a5 14.b5 Na7 15.Nh4 g6 16.d4 g5 17.Nf3 Ng6 18.dxe5 g4 19.hxg4 Bxg4 20.Nh2 Nxe5 21.Nxg4 Nxg4 22.Ng3 Bxf2+ 23.Rxf2 Nxf2 24.Kxf2 Rf8+ 25.Nf5 Qh4+ 26.g3 Qf6 27.Bf4 Rae8 28.c4 Rxe4 29.c5 Qxf5 30.Kg2 Rg8 31.cxd6 Qxf4 32.dxc7+ Kc8 33.b6 Rxg3+ 34.Kh2 Qh4 checkmate

Yes, Sir!

Here are three more games from the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) thematic tournament at Chessworld – this time, three wins by a Jerome Gambit veteran, Sir Osis of the Liver.

Sir Osis of the Liver - calchess10

JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.d4 Bxd4 6.Bg5 Nf6 7.Nxd4 g6 8.Nb5 d6 9.N5c3 Be6 10.0-0 a6 11.Na3 b5 12.Nd5 Bxd5 13.Bxf6 Qxf6 14.Qxd5+ Kg7 15.f4 exf4 16.Qxc6 Rac8 17.Rf3 Qxb2 18.Qd7+ Kh6 19.Rh3+ Kg5 20.Rb1 Qxa2 21.Qe7+ Kg4 22.Qh4 checkmate

Sir Osis of the Liver - gwyn1

JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 Nd3+ 8.cxd3 Bd6 9.Nc3 Nf6 10.Qf5+ Kf7 11.e5 g6 12.Qh3 Bxe5 13.fxe5 d6 14.Qf3 dxe5 15.Ne4 Bf5 16.Ng5+ Ke7 17.Qxb7 Bxd3 18.b3 h6 19.Qc6 hxg5 20.Ba3+ Kf7 21.0-0-0 Be4 22.Qc5 Re8 23.d3 Bd5 24.Bb2 c6 25.Rhf1 Bxg2 26.Rf2 Bd5 27.Rdf1 g4 28.Rxf6+ Kg7 29.Qe3 Bf3 30.Bxe5 Kh7 31.Rf7+ Kg8 32.Rg7+ Kh8 33.Qh6 checkmate

eddie43 - Sir Osis of the Liver

JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.0-0 Nf6 6.d4 exd4 7.e5 Nd5 8.a3 Rf8 9.Ng5+ Kg8 10.Nf3 d6 11.b4 Bb6 12.Bd2 dxe5 13.h3 Be6 14.Re1 Qf6 15.Bg5 Qg6 16.Qd2 h6 17.Bxh6 Qxh6 18.Ng5 Nf4 19.Nxe6 Qxe6 20.a4 a5 21.b5 Nb4 22.Re4 d3 23.c3 Bxf2+ 24.Qxf2 Nxh3+ 25.gxh3 White resigns

Ed, Ed and Eddie

Here are three recent wins by eddie43 from the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) thematic tournament at Chessworld:

Black Puma - eddie43

JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.0-0 h6 6.c3 Nf6 7.d4 Bd6 8.dxe5 Nxe5 9.Nxe5+ Bxe5 10.f4 Bd6 11.e5 Bc5+ 12.Kh1 Ne4 13.Qd5+ Ke8 14.Qxe4 Be7 15.f5 d5 16.Qf3 b6 17.f6 gxf6 18.exf6 Bd6 19.f7+ [ 19.Qxd5] 19...Kd7 20.b4 Ba6 21.a4 Bxf1 22.Qf5+ Kc6 23.Qxf1 Qh4-+ 24.b5+ Kb7 25.h3 Qg3 26.Ba3 Qh2 checkmate

calchess10 - eddie43

JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.d3 h6 6.Nc3 Nf6 7.h3 d6 8.0-0 Be6 9.a3 a6 10.b4 Ba7 11.Nh2 Bd4 12.Bb2 Qd7 13.Rb1 Na7 14.Ne2 Bb6 15.Kh1 g5 16.Ng3 h5 17.Nf3 Rag8 18.c4 g4 19.Nh4 gxh3 20.Ngf5 Ng4 21.gxh3 Nxf2+ 22.Rxf2 Bxf2 23.Ng2 Bxf5 24.exf5 Qxf5 25.Nf4 Qxf4 26.Qe2 Rg3 27.d4 Rxh3+ 28.Kg2 Qg3+ 29.Kf1 Rh1 checkmate

stampyshortlegs - eddie43

JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.c3 Nh6 9.Qf4 Rf8 10.Qg3 White resigned

graphic by Jeff Bucchino, the Wizard of Draws

Beware the Bear

DREWBEAR 63, the top-rated player, has quickly won 3 games in the ChessWorld Jerome Gambit Thematic Tournament. Yesterday (see "Surprise!") we saw a theoretical novelty in defense against 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+. Here are 2 of his more prosaic wins, one with White and one with Black.

There are 15 players and 210 games in the tournament, but everyone is on alert: Beware the Bear!


DREWBEAR 63 - calchess10
JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 Qf6 8.f5+ Ke7 9.Nc3 d6 [a slip: better 9...Kf8] 10.Nd5+ Kd7 11.Nxf6+ gxf6 12.c3 Ne7 [ 12...Nd3+ only +/-] 13.d4 Bxd4 14.cxd4 Nd3+ 15.Kd2 Nb4 16.Qf7 c6 17.Qe6+ Kd8 18.Qxf6 Re8 19.Qxd6+ Bd7 20.Qxb4 b6 21.f6 Black resigned


calchess10 - DREWBEAR 63
JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.a3 Qf6 6.Nc3 Nge7 7.d3 h6 8.h3 g5 9.b4 Bb6 10.Bb2 d6 11.0-0 g4 12.hxg4 Bxg4 13.Nh2 h5 [ 13...Bxd1] 14.g3 Qg6 15.Qd2 h4 16.Kg2 hxg3 17.fxg3+ Ke8 18.Rae1 Bh3+ [ 18...Rxh2+ 19.Kxh2 Qh5+ 20.Kg2 Qh3#] 19.Kh1 Bxf1 20.Rxf1 Qxg3 21.Ne2 Qxh2 checkmate