Sitting at the computer the other day, I suddenly decided to challenge one of the programs to game of chess. I played the Jerome Gambit, of course. I've done this before - see "Jerome Gambit: Artificial Piffle" and "Contempt?!" Quickly we raced toward one of the more deadly refutations, a trip down memory lane for me that was lined with past escapes - and non-escapes. Suddenly, my opponent came up with a novelty that undid all of its hard work. The rest of the game was a combination of me timidly moving forward, while the computer seemed to lose much sense of things. Come, see. perrypawnpusher - Chess Titans casual game, 2019 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5. Nxe5+ Nxe5 6. Qh5+ Ke6
7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Qh4+
The first example that I have found of this move appeared in the American Chess Magazine of June 1899, in a satirical piece titled "A CHESS SCRAP" by "R.F.", which presented a supposed new-fangled thing - a chess game played over the telephone. The move is not a joke, however. Interestingly enough, when I reported on last year's game against Chess Titans, I noted
I was pretty sure that my opponent was not seriously booked up on the Jerome Gambit, and that the killer move 8...Qh4+!? was not going to show up now.
11...Qd8 An odd move. I have faced a number of alternatives: 11...Qg4 (probably best) in perrypawnpusher - jgknight, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 68); 11...Nf6 12.gxh4 in perrypawnpusher - mikelars, blitz, FICS 2011 (1-0, 12); 11...Qe7 12.Qd5 checkmate, perrypawnpusher - intssed, blitz, FICS, 2010(1-0, 12); 11...Qh6 inperrypawnpusher - JTIV, blitz, FICS, 2010(1-0, 32); 11...Qf6 in perrypawnpusher - IlToscano, Chess.com, 2016 (1-0, 18); and 11...Ne7 inperrypawnpusher - constipatedguru, blitz, FICS, 2017 (1-0, 20) 12.Qd5+ This move is good and easy to find. After the game, however, Stockfish 10 recommended that I ignore both the Bishop on c5 and the Knight on h2, at least at first, and play 12.Nc3!? The point is that neither Black piece can move to safety effectively - and a couple of possible Bishop moves would lead to checkmate in 2 or 3 moves. The computer recommends 12...Nf6, which falls right away to the fork 13.e5+. The alternative, 12...Qe8, simply allows 13.Qd5+, and the Bishop will fall next move, and the Knight soon thereafter. White is better, in any event, but the computer is always looking for a "better better." 12...Ke7 13.Qxc5+ d6
Whew. I just finished another Jerome Gambit game in the third round of the Giuoco Piano Thematic tournament at Chess.com, It was not pretty at all. You could say that I was losing - up until my opponent resigned. Of course, that is the "objective" evaluation of the Jerome, anyhow. Yeah. perrypawnpusher - IlToscano Giuoco Piano Thematic, Chess.com, 2017 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
12.c3 Bb6 13.Bf4 Qh5 14.Nd2 I was not pleased to see the Queens leave the board, but I didn't have a better idea. 14...Qxf3 15.Nxf3 d6
I added all of the game links above to show that I was supposed to be familiar with this line, and therefore supposed to know what I was doing against IlToscano. Yet, he has done very well, and the one pawn that I have for my sacrificed Bishop is clearly inadequate compensation. I decided that I should again do what far better players than me have done in similar Jerome Gambit situations - abandon the "attack at all costs" idea, and let my opponent, who has the advantage, do the attacking. If he was not going to slip up when defending, perhaps he might err when atacking? Psychology is always a part of Jerome play.
A bit of chess advice from C.J.S. Purdy: Examine moves that smite. In the following game my opponent shows some familiarity with the Jerome Gambit, and smites hard at my position - alas, at one point losing his footing, with less than successful results. perrypawnpusher - constipatedguru 5 5 blitz, FICS, 2017 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
Black ignores the (lack of) safety of his King as well as his attacked Knight, and plays a smiting move that is often dangerous to White. 9.g3 Nf3+ Again, a strong, attacking move. 10.Kf1 Nxh2+
Black has two pieces for his Queen. It is not enough. 15.d4 Bd6 16.e5 Nd5 17.Qb3+ Bb4 18.Qxd5
You have to know that if Bill Wall were playing the White pieces he would have played something like 18.Nc3!? 18...d6 19.c3 c6 20.Qf3 Black forfeited on time
