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"

Jerome Gambit: No More Usual

The Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) creates a lot of unusual positions. Playing a "reversed" Jerome Gambit is no more usual.

GrimmauldPlace - croc_master
1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2020

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Bc5 

 This is known as the Busch-Gass Gambit. It resembles a reversed Jerome Gambit. See "Worth A Second Look" Part 1, 2, & 3 and "Danke!"

3.Bc4 Bxf2+ 

Here we go.

4.Kxf2 Nf6 5.Re1 

Two alternatives:

5.d3 Ng4+ 6.Ke1 c6 7.h3 Nf6 8.Nc3 O-O 9.Nxe5 d5 10.Bb3
dxe4 11.Nxe4 Qe8 12.Bf4 Nh5 13.Qxh5 g6 14.Qh6 Be6 15.Ng5 Black resigned, jhovannycano - mérida máx, rapid, Chesstempo.com 2020 

5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Ke7 7.Qf3 d6 8.Ng4 Bxg4 9.Qxg4 Nxg4+ 10.Kg3 Ne5 11.d4 Nc4 12.Bg5+ Kd7 13.Bxd8 Rxd8 14.Rf1 Kc6 15.d5+ Kb6 16.a4 Nxb2 17.Ra2 Nc4 18.a5+ Kc5 Black won on time, rollingthunder -  guest_7605, lichess.org, 2020 

5...O-O 6.c3 d5 7.exd5 e4 8.Nd4 

8...Ng4+ 9.Kg1 Qh4 10.h3 Nf2 11.Qe2 Nxh3+ 12.gxh3 Bxh3 13.Qf2 Qg5+ 14.Kh2 f5 15.Kxh3 Rf6 

16.Rg1 Rh6+ 17.Qh4 Rxh4 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: Don't Spill the Popcorn

The following Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game is like a thrilling action movie - played at high speed (5 minute blitz). It would be rude to interrupt the flow of the game with too many comments like "better would be..." or "less troublesome would be..." Better to watch the game unfold. Don't spill the popcorn.

JovieBoi - Guest471555
5 0 blitz, PlayChess.com, 2020

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Qe7 9.Nc3 a6 

10.Nd5 Qe6 11.Qf8+ Kc6 12.Qxg7  Nc4 13.d3 

The position on the board is a mess, but, perhaps Black has an edge?

13...b5 14.f5 

Take the Rook, instead. 

14...Qe5 15.Qxe5 Nxe5 16.Bf4 d6 17.O-O-O 

One King is safe. 

17...Bb7 18.c3 Kd7 19.d4 Nc4 20.dxc5 Bxd5 21.Rxd5 Nf6 22.Rd4 Rhe8 23.cxd6 cxd6 

With 3 pawns for the sacrifice piece, White has about equalized, especially when considering the safety of each King.

24.e5 Ng4 25.e6+ Ke7 26.b3 Nce3 27.Bxd6+ Kf6 28.h3 Nf2

At about this point, the clock seems to become a factor.

29.Rf1 Rad8 30.g4 Rxd6  31.Rxf2 Nxg4 32.hxg4 h5 33.gxh5 Rexe6 34.Rxd6 Rxd6

The smoke has cleared. White has this one.

35.Kc2 Rd5 36.a4 bxa4 37.bxa4 a5 38.c4 Rxf5 39.Rxf5+ Black resigned

Jerome Gambit: To b or Not To b

The fate of Black's b-pawn overshadows much of the following game. It never falls - but the defender's attention is distracted enough that White makes progress elsewhere and slowly overwhelms the position.

Wall, Bill - Guest173767
PlayChess.com, 2020

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qxc5 d6 8.Qd5+

8...Ke8 

Yes, Black can offer the b-pawn with 8...Be6. This was seen in Wall, Bill - CheckMe, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 23) and Wall,B - Guest249301, PlayChess.com 2013 (1-0, 30).

There are other ways to decline:

8...Ke7 as in Wall,B - Guest4395, Internet, 2001 (1-0, 18) and Wall,B - Guest3157671, PlayChess.com, 2014 (1-0, 28); and

8...Kf8, Wall,B - Chung,J., Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 25).

9.d3

Or 9.d4 as in Wall,B - Am53, PlayChess.com, 2013 (1-0, 14) and Wall,B - Guest7665109, PlayChess.com, 2019 (1-0, 22).

9...h6

Or 9...c6 in Wall,B - Seven11, Chess.com, 2008 (1-0, 51).

10.O-O c6 11.Qb3 Qf6 

12.Nc3 b5 

Still worrying about the b-pawn possibly falling to the enemy Queen.

13.a4 Rb8 14.axb5 cxb5 15.Rxa7 Be6 

Can you feel it? The weather is changing...

16.Qb4 Bd7 17.Nd5 Qf8 18.Nc7+ Ke7 19.f4
Black resigned

Black is feeling the Rook's pressure along the 7th rank, and will soon face more uncomfortable line-opening with e4-e5, plus the annoying f4-f5. It is all too much.

Unasked Questions

???????

I wanted to share another game by TOMMYFOOKINSHELBY  (see "Jerome Gambit: Smash Finish") because it answers an unasked question or two...

TOMMYFOOKINSHELBY - Fafa05
5 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2020

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 

The Two Knights Defense, often a stumbling block on the way to the Jerome Gambit, although White has options; see, for example, "Jerome Gambit vs Two Knights Defense", parts 1, 2, 3 and 4.

4.Bxf7+ 

This line doesn't have a name, as far as I know, but it might as well be "the impatient Jerome Gambit". The earliest game that I have with it in The Database is from 2001, but it has to be much older than that. My research is lacking here.

Philidor1792, who has contributed much to this blog, explained his approach to the line in "What's Going On Here?"

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Ng6 

Or

6...Nc6 as in Philidor 1792 - guest1334, Bereg.ru, 2014 (1-0, 20), You [Philidor 1792] - Stranger, Chess-Samara.ru, 2014 (1-0, 18), Philidor 1792 - guest3018, Bereg.ru 2014 (1/2 - 1/2, 24), and Philidor 1792 - guest345, Bereg.ru, 2014 (1-0, 15); or 

6...Nc4 as in You - Stranger, Chess-Samara.ru, 2014 (1-0, 26); or

6...Neg4 as in Philidor1792 - Stranger, Chess-Samara.ru, 2014 (1-0, 27); or

6...Qe7 as in Philidor 1792 - Juppzupp, PlayChessBase.com, 2014 (1-0, 24).

7.e5 Ne8

Black has also tried

7...Qe8 in Philidor 1792 - Guest10161477, PlayChess.com, 2014 (1-0, 29);

7...Nd5 in You - Stranger, Chess-Samara.ru, 2014 (1-0, 16) and You - Stranger, Chess-Samara.ru, 2014 (1-0, 17), as well as Philidor 1792 - Guest838140, PlayChess.com, 2014 (1-0, 28);

7...d5 in Philidor 1792 - guest5, Bereg.ru 2014 (1-0, 42);

7...Qe7 in Philidor 1792 - guest1278, Bereg.ru 2014 (1-0, 29); and

7...d6 in Philidor1792 - Guest805466, PlayChessBase.com 2014 (1-0, 62). 

8.Qf3+ Kg8 

For some reason, Black preferred 

8...Nf6 in Philidor 1792 - CrinjuChess, PlayChess.com 2014 (1-0, 46), Philidor 1792 Sauron2005, PlayChess.com 2014 (1-0, 25), and Philidor 1792 Ppion, PlayChess.com 2014 (1-0, 36); and

8...Ke7 in Philidor1792 - Guest691264, PlayChessbase.com 2014 (1-0, 14)

9.Qd5 checkmate

Oh. Right. Nice work, TOMMY.

Jerome Gambit: Searching for A Few Answers (Part 1)

I am used to playing over 1-minute (no increment) Jerome Gambit games by angelcamina. Occasionally I have wondered, what would happen if he had more time to work his magic?

Recently I found out - he sent me a 5-minute game that got weird, fast, and that's saying something for a Jerome Gambit.

For some enlightenment, I did what I usually do: turning to The Database I looked at some of the games with that line that had been played previously. There were only 5, I'm not sure how many of those games had a grip on the line, either.

So, I turned to my trusted Komodo 10 for insight - you can probably guess how that turned out.

Finally, I reviewed my blog, and, although I had peeked at the line, before - see "Boris isn't so hot..." and ''Jerome Gambit Hammer" - there was still more to be said.

Here's how it all came down...

angelcamina - nanangtisna
5 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 g5 

Here's a position you don't see very often. What is it all about? What is Black getting at?

It is possible to get a hint by looking at a Bill Wall game that continued 8.fxe5 Qf8, as if Black were offering a counter-gambit followed by a threatened Queen check at f2. Bill wasn't impressed, however, and quickly found a solution after 9.Rf1 Qe7 10.Qg4+ Kxe5 11.Qf5+, Black resigned, facing a mate in 1, Wall,B - Lisandru, Chess.com, 2012. The defender's Queen should have gone to g7 instead of e7, but 10.d4 would have then cemented White's avantage. 

8.fxe5 Kxe5 

After a long think (26 ply), Komodo 10 passes up this move, as well as 8...d5 and 8...Ne7, and chooses Stockfish 7's suggestion from 4 years ago, 8...Nf6 9.exf6 Qxf6 10.Rf1 Qg6 11.Qe2 Ke7, with White up about a pawn and a half.

But nanangtisna's choice of move is reasonable.

9.Qf7 

Setting up a mating net.

Previously, 9.Rf1 was seen in GuestCRJQ - Despistado, FICS, 2009 (1-0, 26),  Wall,B - Boris, sparkchess.com, 2012 (1-0, 16) and Vlastous - PornobeshKumar , internet, 2016 (1-0, 13).

Also successful was 9.c3 Be7 10.d4+ in Black,D - Boris, sparkchess.com, 2012 (1-0, 18). 

Probably best is Komodo 10's (and Stockfish 7's!) 9.d4+, as 9...Bxd4 10.Bxg5 Nf6 11.Bxf6+ Kxf6 12.Rf1+ Kg7 13.Rf7+ Kg8 14.Rf3 Bf6 15.Nc3 Kg7 remains, as I noted

a line worth looking at in detail as an example of building an attack.

9...d5

Often this strike at the center, opening up lines for development, serves Black well in the Jerome Gambit. Here, though, 9...Nf6 might have been better, although White could meet it with 10.d4+, with play similar to that in Vlastous - PornobeshKumar, Internet, 2016.

It is worth pointing out, again, that this is a 5-minute blitz game, and it is always easier to come up with improvements after the fact.

10.Qg7+

Out of the blue, Komodo 10 prefers 10.b4. It takes a moment to realize that it has not just found a way for White to castle - 10...Bxb4 11.0-0 - as it further recommends that Black answer with 10...Nf6, giving up a piece to 11.bxc5. No, the b-pawn advances to allow White to subsequently fianchetto his dark squared Bishop.

The idea 10.b4 Bd4 11.c3 Bb6 12.d4 reminds me of a suggestion that Stefan Bücker made to me in a similar line, back in 2004, when I still hoped to have my Jerome Gambit article published in his fantastic chess magazine, Kaissiber. See, fittingly, "Delusions of Grandeur".

[to be continued]

Jerome Gambit: From Smash, Bang, to Drip, Drip

Sometimes the pace of White's attack in the Jerome Gambit can be a bit of smash and bang. In the following game, Black adopts a defense that eliminates that possibility, but the steady drip, drip of the game spells loss for the defender, anyhow.

Wall, Bill - SCMJ
FICS, 2020

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Bxf2+ 

If you play the Jerome Gambit long enough, you will face this nameless defense. Sometimes, it appears as if Black is saying, "If it is good for you to sacrifice a Bishop at f7, then it must be good for me to sacrifice a Bishop at f2!" Other times, it appears to be almost a psychological counter-gambit - instead of accepting 2 sacrificed pieces, Black prefers to gambit a pawn, himself, to quickly reach a quiet Queenless middlegame that is probably not White's intention when he played 4.Bxf7+.

8.Kxf2 Qf6+

Wall - Guest2115687, PlayChess.com, 2014 (1-0, 21) , and Wall - Guest592370, PlayChess.com, 2017 (1-0, 30 ) saw 8...Qh4+ 9.g3 Qf6+, etc. Bill varied once, after 8...Qh4+, with 9.Kf1, in Wall - Guest1443273, Chess.com, 2012 (1-0, 36), which still continued 9.Qf6+, etc. 

9.Qxf6+ Nxf6 

White can play on, with little risk, and a small advantage.

10.Nc3 

10.Kf3 was tried in Wall - Guest4380606, PlayChess.com, 2015: 10....d6 11.Nc3 Bg4+ 12.Kg3 Rhe8 13.Rf1 Kg7 14.Rxf6 Kxf6 15.Kxg4 Black resigned


10...d6 11.d3 a6 12.Bg5 Kg7 

It is Black who is lulled by the quiet of the position. Safer was 12...Be6.

13.Bxf6+ Kxf6 14.Nd5+ Kg7 15.Nxc7 Rb8 

16.c3 Rf8+ 17.Ke3 b5 18.h4 Rf7 

This drops another pawn, and the game becomes a technical affair.

19.Ne8+ Kg8 20.Nxd6 Rf6 21.e5 Re6 22.d4 Bb7 23.Nxb7 Rxb7 24.Ke4 Black resigned

White's well-placed King, and his "Jerome pawns" will eventually bring home the full point.