Jerome Gambit: Been Around A While

It can be fun to play over the games of experienced Jerome Gambit players and watch their struggles, successes and failures. The games of Petasluk show up in The Database starting in 2004 - he has been around the Jerome universe for quite some time.

The following game shows how a deadly center break-through and attack on the King can proceed when Black discontinues his defenses prematurely.

Petasluk - valli
5 0 blitz, FICS, 2017

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 

A solid defense that avoids the risks of 6...Kf6. If Black wishes to develop his Rook at h8, however, the King will need to move again.

7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qg3 Nf6 9.d3 Kf7 

There are 19 games in The Database with this position. White scores 53%. White's Queen puts pressure on the Kingside, even as Black prepares to castle-by-hand (something he never accomplishes).

Petasluk has had significant experience with other defensive tries by Black:

9...h6 10.O-O Be6 (10...Kf7 11.Nc3 Rf8 12.Be3 Bb6 13.d4 Kg8 14.f4 Qe8 15.e5 dxe5 16.fxe5 Nd7 17.Bxh6 Rxf1+ 18.Rxf1 Qe7 19.Bg5 Bxd4+ 20.Kh1 Qxe5 21.Bf4 Qf6 22.Nd5 Qa6 23.Re1 Qxa2 24.Re8+ Kf7 25.Re7+ Kg8 26.Nxc7 Rb8 27.Ne6 Qb1+ White resigned,  Petasluk - leninas, FICS, 2013) 11.Nc3 c6 12.Bd2 b5 13.a3 a5 14.Ne2 Qb6 15.c3 d5 16.e5 Ng4 17.d4 Be7 18.h3 Nxe5 19.Qxe5 Bf7 20.Ng3 Bf6 21.Qf5 Re8 22.Rae1 c5 23.Rxe8+ Kxe8 24.Qc8+ Bd8 25.Re1+ Kf8 26.Nf5 cxd4 27.Nxd4 g6 28.Nc6 Kg7 29.Nxd8 Rxd8 30.Qg4 h5 31.Qg3 Rf8 32.Be3 Qf6 33.Bd4 Qxd4 34.cxd4 b4 35.Re7 bxa3 36.bxa3 Kh6 37.Qf4+ Kg7 38.Qe5+ Kg8 39.g4 hxg4 40.hxg4 a4 41.f4 Kh7 42.f5 Kh6 43.fxg6 Bxg6 44.Qe3+ Rf4 45.Qxf4 checkmate, Petasluk - caryoscelus, FICS, 2016; 

9...Be6 10.Bg5 Bf7 11.c3 h6 12.Bxf6 Qxf6 13.O-O Kg8 14.d4 Bb6 15.f4 Kh7 16.Nd2 Rhf8 17.e5 dxe5 18.fxe5 Qg6 19.Nf3 Bd5 20.Nh4 Qxg3 21.hxg3 Rae8 22.Kh2 c6 23.Nf5 Be6 24.Nd6 Rxf1 25.Rxf1 Re7 26.Rf4 Bxa2 27.g4 Bb1 28.c4 Ba5 29.Rf1 Bg6 30.Rf2 Be1 31.Re2 Bh4 32.g3 Bg5 33.Rf2 a6 34.Rf3 b5 35.cxb5 axb5 36.b4 h5 37.gxh5 Bxh5 White forfeited on time, Petasluk - wsilaenchess, FICS, 2014;

9...Qd7 10.h3 Kf7 11.Nc3 c6 12.Bd2 Rf8 13.O-O Kg8 14.Kh1 Qe7 15.f4 Nh5 16.Qf3 Qf7 17.Ne2 Qg6 18.f5 Qf7 19.g4 Nf6 20.c3 h6 21.Nf4 Re8 22.b3 d5 23.Rae1 dxe4 24.dxe4 Bd7 25.e5 Nd5 26.e6 Qe7 27.exd7 Qxd7 28.Ne6 Bb6 29.c4 Nf6 30.Bc3 Qf7 31.h4 Re7 32.g5 hxg5 33.Nxg5 Qf8 34.Ne6 Qf7 35.Re2 Rae8 36.Rfe1 Qh5 37.Qxh5 Nxh5 38.Bd2 Ng3+ 39.Kg2 Nxf5 40.Nf4 Nxh4+ 41.Kg3 Nf5+ 42.Kg4 Nh6+ 43.Kg5 Rxe2 44.Rxe2 Rxe2 45.Nxe2 Bd8+ 46.Kh5 Nf7 47.Kg4 Kh7 48.Nf4 Nh6+ 49.Kf3 g5 50.Ne6 Be7 51.Bxg5 Nf7 52.Bxe7 Ne5+ 53.Ke4 Ng6 54.Ba3 Kh6 55.Nd8 Kh5 56.Nxb7 Kg4 57.Nd8 Black forfeited on time Petasluk - Vukasin, FICS, 2014;

9...Ng4 10.O-O Bd4 (10...h5 11.h3 h4 12.Qf4+ Nf6 13.Nc3 c6 14.Be3 Bxe3 15.fxe3 Qe7 16.d4 Kg8 17.e5 dxe5 18.dxe5 Nd5 19.Nxd5 cxd5 20.Rad1 Be6 21.Rd2 Rf8 22.Qa4 Rxf1+ 23.Kxf1 Qg5 24.Qe8+ Kh7 25.Qxe6 Qxe3 26.Qxd5 Rf8+ White resigned, Petasluk - UNPREDICTABLE, FICS, 2011) 11.h3 Be5 12.Qf3+ Nf6 13.c3 d5 14.Bg5 h5 15.Nd2 Bg4 16.Qe3 dxe4 17.d4 Bd6 18.Nxe4 Bf5 19.f3 h4 20.Rae1 Bg3 21.Re2 Qd7 22.Nc5 Qf7 23.Bxf6 gxf6 24.b3 Bd6 25.Nxb7 Kg7 26.Nxd6 cxd6 27.Qd2 Rag8 28.Rfe1 Kh7 29.Re7 Qxe7 30.Rxe7+ Rg7 31.Rxg7+ Kxg7 32.Qf4 Black forfeited on time, Petasluk - UltraMN, FICS, 2014;

9...c6 10.O-O Qb6 11.Nc3 Kf7 12.Na4 Qa5 13.Nxc5 Qxc5 14.c3 h6 15.Be3 Qe5 16.f4 Qh5 17.Rae1 Rf8 18.e5 Nd5 19.Bd2 Qg4 20.Qf2 Bf5 21.h3 Qg6 22.g4 Bxd3 23.f5 Qh7 24.e6+ Ke7 25.Qh4+ Nf6 26.Rf3 Be4 27.Rfe3 d5 28.c4 Rh8 29.Bb4+ Ke8 30.cxd5 cxd5 31.Rc1 h5 32.g5 Qxf5 33.gxf6 gxf6 34.Rf1 Rg8+ 35.Kh2 Qxf1 36.Rg3 Qh1 checkmate, Petasluk - Reisswolf, FICS, 2011;

9...Qe7 10.O-O Kf7 (10...Bd7 11.Nc3 Re8 12.Bg5 h6 13.Nd5 Qe6 14.Bxf6 gxf6 15.Nxc7 Qg8 16.Nxe8 Qxg3 17.hxg3 Kxe8 18.Kh2 h5 19.f4 h4 20.gxh4 Rxh4+ 21.Kg3 Rg4+ 22.Kf3 f5 23.Rae1 Bc6 24.c3 fxe4+ 25.dxe4 Bb5 26.Kxg4 Black resigned Petasluk - Schallopp, FICS, 2008) 11.Nc3 c6 12.Bg5 Rf8 13.Bxf6 Qxf6 14.Kh1 Kg8 15.f4 Qg6 16.Qh4 Qg4 17.Qxg4 Bxg4 18.h3 Bd7 19.g4 h6 20.f5 Rae8 21.Rae1 Kf7 22.Ne2 Rh8 23.c3 d5 24.d4 Bb6 25.e5 g6 26.e6+ Bxe6 27.fxe6+ Kxe6 28.Nf4+ Kd6 29.Nxg6 Rxe1 30.Rxe1 Rg8 31.Nf4 Rf8 32.Ng6 Rf3 33.Kg2 Rd3 34.Nf4 Rd2+ 35.Re2 Rxe2+ 36.Nxe2 c5 37.Kf3 Ke6 38.h4 Kf6 39.dxc5 Bxc5 40.Nd4 Bxd4 41.cxd4 b6 42.b4 a5 43.bxa5 bxa5 44.a4 Kg6 45.Kf4 Kf6 46.g5+ hxg5+ 47.hxg5+ Kg6 48.Kg4 Kg7 49.Kf5 Kf7 50.g6+ Kg7 51.Kg5 Black resigned, Petasluk - pavlo, FICS, 2009;

9...h5 10.Bg5 h4 11.Qf4 Qe7 12.Nc3 Bd4 13.Nd5 Qf7 14.c3 Be5 15.Qd2 Nxd5 16.exd5 Bf5 17.d4 Bf6 18.Bxf6 Qxf6 19.O-O Re8 20.Rfe1 Kf7 21.Re3 Rxe3 22.fxe3 Qg5 23.Rf1 Kg6 24.Qf2 Re8 25.Qxf5+ Qxf5 26.Rxf5 Kxf5 27.Kf2 g5 28.h3 Ke4 29.Ke2 Rf8 30.c4 c6 31.dxc6 bxc6 32.b4 a6 33.a4 Rb8 34.b5 cxb5 35.axb5 axb5 36.cxb5 Rxb5 37.Kf2 Rb3 38.g3 hxg3+ 39.Kxg3 Rxe3+ 40.Kg4 Kxd4 41.Kxg5 Rxh3 42.Kf5 Re3 43.Kf4 Re8 44.Kf5 Kc4 45.Kf4 d5 White resigned, Petasluk - fluigi, FICS, 2009;

9...Nh5 10.Qf3+ Nf6 11.O-O h6 12.Qe2 Bg4 13.Qd2 Ke7 14.h3 Be6 15.Nc3 Qd7 16.Kh2 Raf8 17.f4 Kd8 18.f5 Bf7 19.a3 Kc8 20.b4 Bd4 21.Bb2 Be5+ 22.Kh1 Nh5 23.Rf3 g5 24.Rb1 g4 25.hxg4 Ng3+ 26.Kg1 h5 27.g5 Bd4+ 28.Kh2 h4 29.Nd5 Bxd5 30.Bxd4 Nxf5 31.Bxh8 Ne3 32.Rxf8+ Black resigned, Petasluk - brittaundvolker, FICS, 2009;

9...g6 10.O-O Kg7 11.Qf4 Nh5 12.Qh6+ Kf7 13.Nd2 Qf8 14.Qxf8+ Rxf8 15.Nf3 Kg7 16.d4 Bb6 17.c3 Bg4 18.Nd2 Rae8 19.f3 Bd7 20.Nc4 Rf7 21.Bd2 Bb5 22.b3 Bxc4 23.bxc4 c6 24.a4 a6 25.Rab1 Ba7 26.g3 Ref8 27.Kg2 Nf6 28.Rbe1 Nd7 29.h4 Re8 30.Bf4 d5 31.cxd5 cxd5 32.e5 Re6 33.Bd2 Rfe7 34.f4 Rc6 35.g4 Rc4 36.a5 Bb8 37.f5 gxf5 38.gxf5 Kf8 39.Bh6+ Ke8 40.f6 Rf7 41.Bg7 Nf8 42.Bxf8 Kxf8 43.e6 Rfc7 44.e7+ Kf7 45.e8=Q checkmate, Petasluk - Chaarl, FICS, 2009;

and 9...Qe8 10.O-O Qg6 11.Qf4 Bh3 (11...Qg4 12.Qd2 Ke7 13.Nc3 Be6 14.d4 Bb4 15.e5 Ne4 16.Nd5+ Bxd5 17.Qxb4 a5 18.exd6+ cxd6 19.Qe1 Kd7 20.f3 Qg6 21.fxe4 Bxe4 22.Qg3 Qxg3 23.hxg3 Rhf8 24.Bf4 h6 25.c4 g5 26.Be3 Bd3 27.Rxf8 Rxf8 28.c5 d5 29.b3 Kc6 30.Rd1 Be4 31.a3 Bc2 32.Rd2 Bxb3 33.Rb2 a4 34.Rf2 Rxf2 35.Kxf2 Bd1 36.Ke1 Bg4 37.Kd2 Kb5 38.Kc3 Bd1 39.Bf2 Be2 40.Be3 Bf1 41.Kd2 Bxg2 42.Ke2 Be4 43.Kd2 Kc4 44.Bf2 Kb3 45.Be1 Kxa3 46.Kc3 Ka2 47.Kb4 Bc2 48.Bc3 Bd3 49.Ka5 a3 50.Kb6 Kb3 51.Kxb7 Kxc3 White forfeited on time, Petasluk - juany, FICS, 2007) 12.Qf3 Bg4 13.Qf4 Re8 14.Nc3 Re7 15.Kh1 Rf7 16.f3 Bd7 17.Bd2 Nh5 18.Qh4 Nf6 19.f4 Qg4 20.Qe1 Nh5 21.f5 Ke8 22.Nd5 Kd8 23.Ne3 Bxe3 24.Qxe3 Rhf8 25.Rf2 a6 26.Raf1 g6 27.fxg6 Qxg6 28.Rxf7 Rxf7 29.Rg1 Rg7 30.g3 Nf6 31.Qa7 Ng4 32.Qxb7 Bc8 33.Qd5 Qf6 34.Kg2 Ne5 35.Rf1 Qg6 36.Qb3 drawn, Petasluk - godelllll, FICS, 2009. 

10.Nc3 

Or 10.O-O, which transposes, 10...Rf8 11.Nc3 Kg8 (11...a6 12.Bg5 Kg8 13.Kh1 Qe8 14.f4 Nh5 15.Qf3 h6 16.g4 hxg5 17.gxh5 Rxf4 18.Qg2 Qxh5 19.Nd5 Bh3 20.Nxf4 gxf4 21.Qf2 Bxf1 22.Qxf1 Be3 23.d4 Rf8 24.Re1 Rf6 25.Re2 Rg6 26.Rg2 Rxg2 27.Qxg2 Qd1+ White resigned, Petasluk - mattzig, FICS, 2014) 12.Bd2 Kh8 13.Kh1 Nh5 14.Qg5 Qxg5 15.Bxg5 Rxf2 16.Nd5 Rxf1+ 17.Rxf1 Bd7 18.Nxc7 Bc6 19.Nxa8 Black resigned, Petasluk - jinhuan, FICS, 2016. 

10...c6 11.O-O Bb6 

12.Bg5 Bc7 13.f4 h6 14.Bh4 Qd7 15.h3 b5 

Black has reinforced his center and decides to expand on the Queenside, perhaps as a diversion. He is overlooking White's growing menace.

16.Rae1 a6 

This encourages White to break in the center.

17.e5 dxe5 18.fxe5 Qd4+ 19.Kh1 Be6 

Black will have to give back his extra piece, and his King is in trouble.

20.Re4 Qd7 21.Bxf6 Kg8 22.Ne2 Rf8

Black is defending, but is handicapped by his undeveloped Rook at h8.

23.d4 Bd8 24.Ref4 Rf7 

He could have tried 24...Rh7, but 25.Bxg7 would have led to a series of exchanges that would have left White simply a handful of pawns ahead, e.g. 25...Rxf4 26.Bxh6+ Qg7 27.Qxg7+ Rxg7 28.Nxf4.

25.Bxd8 Rxf4 26.Nxf4 Qxd8 27.Nxe6 

The smoke has cleared. Whie is a piece and a couple of pawns ahead, with a deadly attack.

27...Qe7 28.Rf8+ Kh7 29.Qd3+ g6 30.Rxh8+ Kxh8 31.Qxg6 a5 32.Qxh6+ Kg8 33.Qg6+ Kh8 Black resigned

Jerome Gambit: Very Serious Business

In the current Giuoco Piano thematic tournament at Chess.com I am in first place (although this may change) and my only chance to finish on the top of the field is to win my last Jerome Gambit game - which is in the endgame stage. So far, I have 3 wins, 3 wins on time, and 2 losses with the Jerome.

I was surprised to find that I had not presented on this blog the following game with the Jerome Gambit, from the same tournament. In part this may be due to the fact that my opponent forfeited a significant number of his games - but not before he had won a full point from me. If only I had lost slower!  

perrypawnpusher - ulisimbolon
Giuoco Piano Thematic Tournament
Chess.com, 2016

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 

The is the defense played, successfully, by Alonzo Wheeler Jerome in two correspondence games against Daniel Jaeger in 1880.

Previously, I had faced 6...Kf8 31 times, winning 22 games, losing 6 games, and drawing 3; scoring 76%.

7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qg3 Nf6 9.d3 h5 

Very aggressive! Black does not worry about the position of his King, he attacks. While the move looks like a novelty, there are actually 3 earlier games in The Database.

10.Bg5 

Or 10.O-O Kg8 11.Bg5 Qf8 12.c3 Ng4 13.d4 Bb6 14.h4 c5 15.Be3 Bd7 16.Nd2 Re8 17.Rae1 Bb5 18.c4 cxd4 19.Bf4 Bc6 20.Bxd6 Qf7 21.e5 Rh6 22.Ne4 Bxe4 23.Rxe4 Rg6 24.c5 Bd8 25.Qf4 Qxa2 26.Rxd4 Qxb2 27.Rb4 Qe2 28.Rxb7 Qa2 29.f3 Nh6 30.Rf2 Qa1+ 31.Kh2 Qa6 32.Qc4+ Qxc4 White resigned,  MrJoker - PhlebasP, Internet Chess Club, 2011;

or 10.h3 Be6 11.O-O Qe7 12.Nc3 Ke8 13.Bd2 Kd7 14.Rae1 Raf8 15.a3 h4 16.Qg6 Kc8 17.Kh2 Qf7 18.Qxf7 Rxf7 19.f4 g6 20.b4 Bb6 21.Na4 Nh5 22.Nxb6+ axb6 23.Rf3 Rhf8 24.Ref1 Kd7 25.c4 c6 26.Bc1 Ke7 27.R1f2 b5 28.cxb5 cxb5 29.d4 Rc8 30.Bb2 Bc4 31.d5 Nf6 32.Re3 Kd7 33.g3 hxg3+ 34.Kxg3 Nh5+ 35.Kg4 Rcf8 36.Ref3 Nf6+ 37.Bxf6 Rxf6 38.Kg5 Ke7 39.f5 Rg8 40.fxg6 Rgxg6+ 41.Kh4 Rh6+ 42.Kg3 Rxf3+ 43.Rxf3 Be2 44.Rf4 Rg6+ 45.Kf2 Bd3 46.Rh4 Kd7 47.Rh7+ Kc8 48.Rh8+ Kc7 49.Rh7+ Kb6 50.Re7 Rh6 51.Kg3 Rg6+ 52.Kf4 Rg1 53.Rd7 Rf1+ 54.Ke3 Bb1 55.Rxd6+ Kc7 56.Re6 Rh1 57.Kd4 Rxh3 58.Kc5 Bd3 59.d6+ Kc8 60.Re8+ Kd7 61.Re7+ Kc8 62.e5 Bf5 63.Kxb5 Rxa3 64.e6 Bxe6 65.Rxe6 Kd7 66.Re7+ Kxd6 67.Rxb7 Rb3 68.Ka6 Ra3+ 69.Kb6 Rb3 70.b5 Ra3 71.Rb8 Ra1 72.Rd8+ Ke7 73.Rd4 Black resigned, MrJoker - PhlebasP, Internet Chess Club, 2012.

10...Be6

Or 10...h4 11.Qf4 Qe7 12.Nc3 Bd4 13.Nd5 Qf7 14.c3 Be5 15.Qd2 Nxd5 16.exd5 Bf5 17.d4 Bf6 18.Bxf6 Qxf6 19.O-O Re8 20.Rfe1 Kf7 21.Re3 Rxe3 22.fxe3 Qg5 23.Rf1 Kg6 24.Qf2 Re8 25.Qxf5+ Qxf5 26.Rxf5 Kxf5 27.Kf2 g5 28.h3 Ke4 29.Ke2 Rf8 30.c4 c6 31.dxc6 bxc6 32.b4 a6 33.a4 Rb8 34.b5 cxb5 35.axb5 axb5 36.cxb5 Rxb5 37.Kf2 Rb3 38.g3 hxg3+ 39.Kxg3 Rxe3+ 40.Kg4 Kxd4 41.Kxg5 Rxh3 42.Kf5 Re3 43.Kf4 Re8 44.Kf5 Kc4 45.Kf4 d5 White resigned, Petasluk - fluigi, FICS, 2009.

11.Nc3 b5 12.O-O 

Deciding that the Kingside would be safer for my monarch than the Queenside.

12...Qd7 13.Kh1 Bd4 14.f4 Ng4 15.Ne2

After the game Stockfish 7 recommended a line that shows how complicated the game is, but which would lead to only an edge for Black: 15.h3 b4 16.Nd1 Qf7 17.a3 bxa3 18.Rxa3 Bd7 19.Qe1 Re8 20.c4 Nf6 21.Bh4 Kg8 22.Bf2 Bb6 23.b4 c5 24.bxc5 dxc5 25.Bh4 Bc6 26.Nc3 Qd7 27.Qe3 a5 28.e5 a4 This kind of play is above my head.

15...Bxb2 16.Rab1 Bf6 17.d4

After the game Stockfish 7 was critical of this move, but its suggested play - giving up a pawn (eventually the exchange), allowing a passed pawn on the Queenside, opening up the h-file for Black's Rook against my King - looks like a fever dream (although it claims Black is only 3/4 of a pawn ahead at the end): 17.h3 Bxa2 18.Rbe1 Bb2 19.hxg4 hxg4+ 20.Kg1 a5 21.f5 a4 22.Qxg4 a3 23.Qf3 Re8 24.Be3 b4 25.Nf4 Kg8 26.g4 Bc3 27.Re2 Bf7 28.g5 a2 29.g6 a1=Q 30.Rxa1 Bxa1 31.gxf7+ Qxf7 32.Ng6 Rh7. Whew!

17...Bxa2 18.Rbe1 Bc4 19.e5 Bxg5 20.fxg5+ Kg8 21.Qf3 

I wish I could say that I had seen Stockfish 7's recommendation, and merely rejected it, but I had no idea: 21.h3 a5 22.Kg1 dxe5 23.hxg4 hxg4 24.dxe5 a4 25.Rf4 a3 26.Nd4 a2 27 Ra1 Qe8 28.e6 Bxe6 29.Nxe6 Qxe6 30.Qb3 Qxb3 31.cxb3 g3 32.Rf3 Kh7 33.Rxg3 Rhe8 34.Kf2 Kg6 35.Rc3 Re7 36.Rc6+ Kxg5. The computer sees Black as up 2 3/4 pawns. 

21...Re8 22.g6 dxe5 White resigned

I had been looking at 23.Qf7+ here, "winning" a Rook, when I suddenly realized that the f7 square was protected by Black's light-squared Bishop. Discouraged, and down a piece and a  pawn, I gave the game up.