From the latest collection of Jerome Gambit and Jerome-inspired games by Philidor1792...
Philidor1792 - Stranger
Casual Game, Chess-Samara.ru, 2014
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4
The Evans Gambit.
4...Bb6 5.b5 Na5 6.Bxf7+
With a Jerome Gambit twist.
6...Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ Kf8 8.Bb2
The alternative 8.d3 was seen in Philidor 1792 - guest2019, www.bereg.ru, 2013 (1-0, 33); while 8.Qf3+ appeared in Castled - perrypawnpusher, blitz, FICS, 2008 (0-1, 42).
8...Qf6
A tactical oversight. 8...Qh4 was seen in Philidor 1792 - guest344, www.bereg.ru, 2013 (1-0, 22).
9.Nxd7+ Bxd7 10.Bxf6 Nxf6
Black has three pieces for the Queen - but White has three extra pawns.
11.d3 Bxb5 12.0-0 Re8 13.Nc3 Bc6 14.Ne2 Ke7 15.Ng3 Kd8 16.Kh1 h6 17.f4 Kc8
Black has castled-by-hand - to the Queenside. An interesting battle lies ahead.
18.Nh5 Nxh5 19.Qxh5 Bd7 20.c4 Bd4
Possibly not well thought out, as it surrenders two pieces for a Rook.
21.Qxa5 Bxa1 22.Rxa1 a6
It is time for the "Jerome pawns" to assert themselves.
23.e5 Bc6 24.d4 g5 25.d5 Bd7 26.g3 Bf5 27.Kg1 gxf4 28.gxf4 Rhg8+ 29.Kf2 Bh3 30.Rg1 Rxg1 31.Kxg1 Rg8+ 32.Kf2 Rg2+ 33.Kf3 Rg8
Not 33...Rxh2, because of 34.Kg3, winning a piece.
Now Black's game collapses.
34.d6 cxd6 35.exd6 Bg4+ 36.Ke4 Re8+ 37.Kd5 Bf3+ 38.Kc5 Bc6 39.Qc7 checkmate
For a 3-minute game, the following contest appears a bit "positional" but Philidor 1792 uses the strengths of his side more effectively than his opponent uses his strengths.
Philidor 1792 - guest343
3 0 blitz, www.bereg.ru, 2013
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4
The venerable Evans Gambit.
4...Bb6
Declined.
5.b5 Na5 6.Bxf7+
An Evans-Jerome Gambit hybrid that Philidor 1792 has played before.
6...Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ Kf8 8.Qf3+
An improvement over 8.d3 of Philidor 1792 - guest2019, 3 0 blitz, www.bereg.ru, 2013 (1-0, 33) and 8.0-0 of Thomas, H - Steve, H, Jackson, MI, prison m, 1992 (1-0, 44);
Best might be 8.Bb2!?.
8...Qf6 9.Bb2
Or 9.Qxf6+ Nxf6 10.d3 as in Castled - perrypawnpusher, 3 0 bliz, FICS, 2008 (0-1, 42).
9...Qxf3 10.Nxf3 Nc4 11.Bc1 d6 12.d3 Ne5 13.Nbd2 Nf6 14.Nxe5 dxe5 15.Nc4 Bd4 16.Rb1 Bd7
17.Be3 Bc3+ 18.Bd2 Bd4 19.Be3 Kf7 20.Bxd4 exd4 21.Ne5+ Ke6 22.Nxd7 Nxd7 23.f4 Rhf8 24.g3 Nc5
25.Rb4 Rad8 26.Kf2 g5 27.Kf3 b6 28.h4 gxf4 29.gxf4 Rg8 30.Rc4 Rd6 31.a4 c6
Up to this point, White's two extra pawns have held their own against Black's extra piece. Now, with some inexact moves, the second player lets the "Jerome pawns" break through.
32.Ra1 Kf7 33.e5 Rh6 34.Rxd4 Rxh4 35.bxc6 Rh3+ 36.Kf2 Ke6 37.c7 Rc8 38.Rd6+ Kf5 39.Rf6+ Kg4 40.Rf7 Ne6 41.Rg1+ Black resigned
On top of the raging pawns, White also threatens checkmate.
As Philidor 1792 continues to expand his creativity in developing the Evans Gambit / Jerome Gambit hybrid, I struggle to keep up with names for the lines...
Here's another 3 0 smasher.
Philidor 1792 - guest2019 [C50]
3-minutes blitz www.bereg.ru (1), 20.10.2013
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bb6
Declining the pawn.
5.b5 Na5 6.Bxf7+
White will have his gambit, anyway!
6...Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ Kf8 8.d3
White's attack began to run down after 8.Qf3+ Qf6 9.Qxf6+ Nxf6 in Castled - perrypawnpusher, blitz 3 0, FICS, 2008 (0-1, 42).
In the current game, 8.Bb2 was probably best.
8...Qf6
Here and on the next move Black misses a chance to cause mischief with ...Bd4.
9.Qf3 d6 10.Qxf6+ gxf6 11.Nf3 Ne7
Black has a piece for two pawns, but he is in unfamiliar territory, and soon loses that advantage in a Queenside skirmish.
12.Bh6+ Kf7 13.Nc3 a6 14.a4 Bd7 15.Ke2 axb5 16.axb5 c6 17.Na4 Bc5 18.b6 Nc8 19.Nxc5 dxc5 20.Bd2 Nxb6 21.Bxa5
21...Ra6 22.Rhb1 Nc8 23.Rxb7 Ke6 24.Bc3 Rxa1 25.Bxa1 Nd6 26.Rb3 Ra8 27.Bc3 Ra2
As time winds down, Black's harassing Rook will trap itself.
28.Rb2 Ra1 29.Nd2 Rh1 30.h3 Rh2 31.Kf3 Nf7 32.Rb1 Ng5+ 33.Kg3 Black resigned
I have been watching the early movies of the Marx Brothers, and I have to say that they are pretty serious about their silliness. In a similar way (except for my glaring lack of talent) I can be rather serious about the silliness that is the Jerome Gambit (and its relatives).
Fortunately, not everyone is.
HauntedKnight - sarahdaniel
blitz, FICS, 2011
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
The good old Jerome Gambit. I've researched its history, analyzed its lines, annotated games and gathered a large database.
As Chico might say, "Why a duck?"
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bd6
This unusual defense seems to be borrowed from the "fork trick".
The Database has 41 games with this line. White scores 61%.
7.dxe5 Bxe5 8.Qh5+
This is the strongest line for White. It is interesting to note, however, that in the 24 games with 8.Qh5+ in The Database, White has scored 54%.
Yes, that's right: the best move scored worse than the lesser alternatives.
8...Ke6 9.Qf5+
Again, this is the strongest continuation of the attack for White; yet it appeared in less than 1/4 of the games in the 6...Bd6 line: 10. In those, White scored only 50%, a result less succesful than that of the worse alternative moves combined.
Happily for HauntedKnight his opponent now responded with
9...Resigns.
Other games from The Database continued. We will look at them, too.
9...Kd6
10.Na3
This is White's strongest move, planning a Knight fork to the enemy King and Bishop, with check, winning a piece. It is not easily met, but after 10...Bf6 11.e5+ Ke7 12.exf6+ Nxf6 13.Bg5 d5 14.Bxf6+ gxf6 15.Qf3 followed by 0-0 or 0-0-0 White will have equalized in material while having the better pawn structure and safer King.
analysis diagram
Instead of the text, 10.f4 is very Jerome-ish. With 10...Bf6 Black can return the piece (i.e. 11.e5+) for an even game. The contest wzeller - bourgas, FICS, 2005 instead entered the world of "optical illusions" with 10...Qf6 11.fxe5+ Qxe5+ 12.Bf4 and White won (1-0, 62).
10.Nc3 is not dangerous enough, although White won against 10...a6 in jfhumphrey - jrhicksdotnet, FICS, 2008 (1-0, 14). The better defense 10...Qf6 brought Black victory in jfhumphrey-biryuk, FICS, 2010 (0-1,65) and duanezz - pawelek, FICS, 2005 (0-1, 38).
Likewise, 10.0-0 also falls to 10...Qf6 but not as often as expected. White's plan is to continue his attack on the King with 11.Rd1+, and after 11...Ke7 12.Bg5 he was successful ("optical illusions" again!) twice: EvanJunior - BeNumberOne, FICS, 2008 (1-0, 22) and AGRPlayer - trebbor, FIC, 2010 (1-0, 19). However, Black's King should escape the Rook check to fresh air with 11...Kc6 instead and then White cannot conjure up either an attack or a recovery of material, as seen in carlkrull - bodensee, FICS, 2009 (0-1, 28).
10.b3 contains a great little trap – if Black now takes the Rook with 10...Bxa1 he is checkmated after 11.Ba3+ c5 12.Qxc5+ Ke6 13.Qf5# – but the proper response, 10...Qf6 White could not escape in ljar - Castled, FICS, 2006 (0-1, 39)
10...Qf6
Not the strongest response, as indicated in the note to 10.Na3, but certainly one that White can expect to see.
11.Nc4+ Ke7
Falling in with his opponent's plan too quickly. He should have at least tried 11...Kc5, since after 12.Nxe5 Qxf5 13.exf5 White's advantage is only a doubled pawn. After the better 12.Qxe5+, however, Black needs to cooperate with 12...Qxe5 13.Nxe5, as the obstreperous 12...Kxc4 – which may have been Black's intent – falls to chekmate after 13.b3+ Kb4 14.c3#.
12.Qxe5+ Qxe5 13.Nxe5 d6
White is a safe pawn up in a quiet position.
However, in the Jerome Gambit "safe" and "quiet" are relative terms, and Black eventually won in noatun - Papaflesas, FICS, 2008 (0-1, 48)...
(By the way, all of the games mentioned here are available in The Database – just email me and ask.)
graphic by Jeff Bucchino, the WizardofDraws
"Intuition" has its place in chess, as long as it doesn't totally replace analysis. How many times have we read that a chess master looked briefly at a position on the board and then commented "The Knight obviously must go here"?
For club players, there is a saying to apply to their own intuition: Trust, but verify.
perrypawnpusher - hudders
blitz, FICS, 2010
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bc5
The Italian Four Knights Game.
5.Bxf7+
The Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.
5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4
7...Re8
A reasonable alternative to 7...Bd6; both keep Black's advantage.
8.dxc5
The correct capture, although the alternative has been seen: 8.dxe5 Nxe4 (8...Rxe5 9.Bf4 Re7 10.e5 d6 11.Nd5 Nxd5 12.Qxd5+ Be6 13.Qf3 Kg8 14.0-0-0 Bxa2 15.b3 Rf7 16.e6 Rf6 17.Rhe1 Qe7 18.Qd5 c6 19.Qc4 b5 20.Qe4 d5 21.Qe5 Re8 22.Qb2 Rxe6 23.Be3 Bxe3+ 24.fxe3 Rxe3 25.Rf1 Qg5 26.Qxa2 Rxb3+ 27.Rd2 Rbe3 28.h4 Black forfeited on time, yorgos - Castled, FICS, 2009) 9.Qd5+ Kf8 10.Nxe4 d6 11.Nxc5 Rxe5+ 12.Qxe5 dxe5 13.Be3 Kg8 14.0-0 b6 15.Rad1 Qe8 16.Ne4 Bf5 17.f3 Qc6 18.Nc3 Bxc2 19.Rc1 Bd3 20.Rfd1 Be2 21.Nxe2 Qa4 22.Nc3 Qb4 23.b3 Qa3 24.Rc2 Qb4 25.Nd5 Qf8 26.Rxc7 Rc8 27.Ne7+ Kh8 28.Rxc8 Qxc8 29.Nxc8 e4 30.Rd8 checkmate, ljar - pyronaut, FICS, 2005.
8...Nc6
Three playable alternatives:
8...Nc4 9.0-0 Nxe4 10.Qd5+ Kf8 11.Nxe4 Ne5 12.Bg5 c6 13.Qd6+ Re7 14.Bxe7+ Qxe7 15.Qxe7+ Kxe7 16.Nd6 b5 17.Rfe1 Ke6 18.f4 Kd5 19.Rxe5+ Kd4 20.Rd1 checkmate, theep - peteplumber, FICS,2000;
8...Qe7 9.0-0 Qxc5 10.Be3 Qe7 11.Nd5 Nxd5 12.Qxd5+ Kf8 13.f4 Ng6 14.f5 c6 15.Qb3 Ne5 16.f6 gxf6 17.Bh6+ Qg7 18.Bxg7+ Kxg7 19.Qg3+ Black resigned, ARUJ - cippolippo,FICS, 2009;
8...Kg8 9.Bf4 d6 10.Nb5 a6 11.Nd4 dxc5 12.Nb3 Qxd1+ 13.Rxd1 Nxe4 14.0-0 Ng6 15.Bxc7 Bf5 16.Rd5 Be6 17.Rd3 c4 18.Re3 cxb3 19.axb3 Rac8 20.Ba5 Rxc2 21.b4 Nd2 22.Rd1 Rxb2 23.b5 axb5 24.Bxd2 Kf7 25.Rf3+ Kg8 26.Rc3 Bg4 27.f3 Bd7 28.Rc7 Ne5 29.Rxb7 Nc4 30.Rxd7 Nxd2 31.R7xd2 Rxd2 32.Rxd2 Re1+ 33.Kf2 Rc1 34.g4 b4 35.Rb2 Rc4 36.Ke2 h6 37.Kd2 g5 38.Kd3 Rf4 39.Ke3 Rf8 40.Rxb4 Kg7 41.Rb5 Re8+ 42.Kd4 Re2 43.Rb3 Rxh2 44.Ke4 Re2+ 45.Re3 Rb2 46.f4 gxf4 47.Kxf4 Rb4+ 48.Kg3 h5 49.g5 Rg4+ 50.Kh3 Kg6 51.Re5 Black resigned, yorgos - foti, FICS, 2009.
9.0-0 Kg8 10.Bg5 Re5
This double attack (pawn at c5, Bishop at g5) is superficially attractive, but it is an example of sending a Rook to do a pawn's job. Better was 10...d6
11.f4 Rxg5
A panic reaction.
Black had to continue as planned with the lesser capture, 11...Rxc5, and realize that after 12.e5 it was time to give the piece back with 12...Nxe5 13.fxe5 Rxe5, preparing to defend the pawn-down game.
White can stir things up, however, after 11...Rxc5 12.e5 Nxe5 by playing 13.Ne4!? instead of capturing at e5. After 13...Neg4 14.Bxf6 Nxf6 15.Nxc5 White has won the exchange.
analysis diagram
The text move, instead, gives up the exchange but leaves the Knight at f6 still in danger.
12.fxg5 Ne8
The only safe place for the Knight, but it leaves Black's King at risk.
13.Qd5+
Black resigned, as mate follows
I lose chess games every day, but I hate losing Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) style games.
perrypawnpusher - HRoark
blitz FICS, 2010
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6
The Semi-Italian Opening. We're on speaking terms – barely. Or should I say "bear-ly"?
4.0-0 Nf6 5.Nc3 Bc5 6.Bxf7+
The Semi-Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.
6...Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ Nxe5 8.d4
8...Bxd4 9.Qxd4 d6
10.f4
I like this move, but a couple of games have gone differently: 10.0-0 c5 11.Qd1 b5 12.Nxb5 Ba6 13.a4 Nxe4 14.Qd5+ Ke7 15.Qxe4 Bxb5 16.axb5 Qb6 17.Be3 Qxb5 18.f4 Qxb2 19.fxe5 Qxe5 20.Qxe5+ dxe5 21.Bxc5+ Ke6 22.Rxa7 Rac8 23.Ra6+ Kd5 24.Bf2 Rxc2 25.Ra5+ Ke6 26.Re1 Rd8 27.Raxe5+ Kf6 28.Re6+ Kf7 29.h3 Rcd2 30.Re7+ Kg6 31.Bh4 Kh7 32.Bf6 Rg8 33.Bh4 Kh8 34.Re8 Rxe8 35.Rxe8+ Kh7 36.Kh2 Rd4 37.Bg3 h5 38.Re7 Kh6 39.Be5 Ra4 40.Bxg7+ Kg5 41.Bf8 Ra5 42.Rg7+ Kf6 43.Rg3 Black resigned, benaval - Castled, FICS 2006;
and 10.Nd5 Nxd5 11.Qxd5+ Be6 12.Qxb7 Re8 13.f4 Ng4 14.f5 Bd7 15.Qd5+ Kf8 16.f6 Nxf6 17.Qc4 Be6 18.Qb4 Kg8 19.Qc3 Nxe4 20.Qe3 Nf6 21.Qg3 g5 22.b3 Kh7 23.Bb2 Ne4 24.Qd3 d5 25.c4 c6 26.Qd4 Re7 27.Ba3 Rf7 28.Rxf7+ Bxf7 29.Bb2 Qg8 30.Rf1 Rf8 31.h4 dxc4 32.Qe5 Ng3 33.Rf6 cxb3 34.a3 Nh5 35.Qe4+ Bg6 36.Qe7+ Rf7 37.Qd6 Nxf6 38.Bxf6 Rxf6 39.Qxf6 Qg7 40.Qxc6 Qa1+ 41.Kh2 gxh4 42.Qb7+ Qg7 43.Qxb3 h3 44.Kxh3 Qe5 45.a4 Bf5+ 46.g4 Bxg4+ 47.Kxg4 Qg7+ 48.Kf3 Qg6 49.Ke3 Black resigned, yorgos - ambaradann, FICS, 2009.
10...Nc6 11.Qd3
In going over my game with HRoark afterward, I discovered the odd alternative move 11.Qd1 from the odd game ontocaustic - defjavid, FICS, 2009: 11...Bg4 12.Qd3 Nb4 13.Qc4+ Kf8 14.Qxb4 Qe7 15.e5 Nh5 16.f5 Qe6 17.fxe6+ Black resigned.
I was happy to have that game in mind the next time that I played the Semi-Italian Four Knights variation of the Jerome Gambit.
11...Be6 12.Bd2
Focusing upon development of my pieces, and avoiding 12.f5 – the move that Rybka, after the game, suggested that I should have made. Then White would be only a pawn and a quarter worse after 12...Bd7 13.Qc4+ Kf8.
analysis diagram
Rybka may be right, but Black's Knight easily hops to e5 to help blocade White's "Jerome pawns" and it will take a lot of good moves by the first player to keep from falling further behind.
12...Nb4
The computer preferred: 12...Re8 13.f5 Bd7 14.Nd5 b5 15.Rae1 Ne5 16.Qb3 Kf8 17.Nf4 Qe7 18.Ng6+ Nxg6, when Black's advantage would be clear.
analysis diagram
13.Qg3
The game is complex enough that inaccuracies by Black might keep him from speedily increasing his advantage, but his his King is safe, and White is not in a position to force concessions.
13...Nxc2 14.Rac1 Nd4 15.f5 Bd7 16.Qg6+
It would be nice if this led to something.
16...Kg8 17.Be3 Be8 18.Qg3 Nc6
19.Bf4 Nh5 20.Qe3 Nxf4 21.Rxf4 Qg5
22.Qf2 Ne5 23.h4
A hint of desperation by White.
23...Qh5 24.Rd1 a5 25.f6
Simply searching for something that will work. This won't.
25...Ng4 26.Qg3 Qc5+ 27.Kh1 h5
The position remains complicated and clearly in Black's favor. HRoark continues to outplay me.
28.Rxg4
Another desperate move. This was a blitz game, so all sorts of strange things were possible...
28...hxg4 29.Qxg4
The White pawn on f6 still looks troublesome, but White was a Rook behind at this point.
29...Rh7 30.Rd5 Qf2 31.h5 Qf1+ 32.Kh2 Qxf6
It was time for the gentlemanly "Good game!"
I played on, looking for a miracle. My opponent was pretty much a step ahead of me the whole time.
33.Rf5 Qd4 34.Qf3 Bd7 35.Rd5 Qf6 36.Qxf6 gxf6 37.Kg3 Rg7+ 38.Kf3 Bg4+ 39.Kf4 Be6 40.Rd2 Rg5 White resigned
Hats off to HRoark, for a well-played game!
I could only hope that I had learned something... and it turned out that I had.
