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
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
Although my opponent chose one of the stronger and more complicated defenses to the Jerome Gambit in the following game, I had my chance to level things out - but missed it. After that, I was simply out-played. perrypawnpusher - HarlemKnight blitz, FICS, 2014 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 start of a complicated, but deadly counter-attack. 9.g3 Nf3+ 10.Kf1
Up until this point, Black has been doing very well, and I was surprised to discover later that he has no other games, as Black or White, in The Database. It was time to pour on the heat with 17...Nf5, or let the advanced Knight escape with 17...Ng5. 18.Rd1
Missing my one chance - and they were not coming by very often. With 18.Bxd2 Bxh1 19.Rxh1 White would have a pawn for the exchange, and the game would be a long way from being decided. 18...Nc4 19.Qd3 Qe6
The text is okay, but 19...Nxe5 would be crushing. Black does not need to sacrifice to win, however. 20.g4 g621.f5
The only way to stay in the game, according to Houdini, was to make a play against the wayward Knight with 21.Nd5, although after the exchanges 21...Qxd5 22.Qxd5 Bxd5 23.Rxd5 White would be playing with one pawn for his sacrificed piece, and Black would not have to be in any hurry getting his pieces to better squares to press his attack. 21...gxf5 22.Bxh6 fxg4 23.hxg4 Nxe5 24.Qf5
This blunder ended it all. 24...Nxg4+ White resigned
I have presented some of the "don't worry, be happy" Jerome Gambit games of Bill Wall, where he seems to be unconcernedly worse – until he is suddenly unarguably better.
Now I've run across some 2011 games by axykk at FICS with the same attitude; and I'd like to share a few.
axykk - gasparegg blitz, FICS, 2011
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
There is enough of a difference in ratings between axykk and his opponent to believe that White is giving "Jerome Gambit odds."
Unlike many "odds" situations, however, here gasparegg knows a thing or two about the Jerome.
Oh, yeah! Black heads right toward one of the more complicated – if not well-known – refutations, the "Nibs" line.
The Database has 7, 664 Jerome Gambit games with 4...Bxf7+, 3,103 games with 5.Nxe5, and 263 games with 7.Qf5+. Only 43 games have the position in the diagram, and White has scored 52%.
This is about where I begin to get nervous in my games against the Nibs. (After a bad start of losing 3 out of 4 games, I've won the next dozen.) Somehow, I don't think that axykk was worrying yet.
9.g3 Nf3+
As the kids say in their game, "Getting warmer..."
10.Kf1 Nxh2+
Tempting, but not completely thought out. The move delivers a check, but the Knight pins itself to the Queen. Black can escape to an even game (see the note to the next move), but that's hardly the win that he had a move ago.
Like I said, the refutation is tricky.
11.Kg2 Qh6
Black resigned
Whoa, that was fast. (My opponent JTIV took more than 20 more moves to resign from the same position. On the other hand, intssed tried 11...Qe7 which received 12.Qd5#)
It is clear that in this position White will play 12.Qd5+ Ke7 13.Qxc5+ winning one piece back; and he still has Rxh2, winning the other piece back, in reserve. For example, 13...Qd6 14.Qxd6+ Kxd6 15.Rxh2 and White is a pawn up, with the better center (it is not clear if Black's King is "insecure" or "developed).
Black's escape hatch was 11...Qg4, unpinning his Queen and offering his Knight escape in case White wants to exchange Queens. Best play would seem to be 12.Qd5+ Ke7 13.Qxc5 d6 14.Qf2 (not 14.Qxc7+ Bd7 15.Rxh2 Qd2+) Nf6 15.Rxh2 Nxe4 when 16.Qe3 Qe6 looks even.
The following game is another visit with a Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) defense / refutation that has sharp teeth and claws – at least in theory. When entering this jungle, I always feel a mixture of excitement and dread as I wonder what will happen this time? See "Closer... But not there yet" and "Jerome Gambit Tournament: Chapter XVI".
perrypawnpusher - JTIV blitz, FICS, 2010
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7
My opponent played the Jerome Gambit successfully 3 days before our game: 5.d4 exd4 6.e5 h6 7.c3 dxc3 8.Qb3+ Ke8 9.Nxc3 d6 10.exd6 Qxd6 11.0-0 b6 12.Re1+ Kd8 13.Qf7 Qf6 14.Re8, checkmate, JTIV - NyteFork, FICS, 2010.
5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6
7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Qh4+
Whenever I see this move, I suspect that someone has been reading this blog... (Not that that's a bad thing.)
9.g3 Nf3+
And this move almost confirms it...
Interestingly enough, the updated New Year's Database has 25 games (other than the current one) with this position, with White scoring 58%. My own experience with the line is scoring 78% in 9 games.
10.Kf1
This is my current choice, although it is not clear why. The updated New Year's Database has 4 games (other than the current one) with this move, with White scoring 50%. I've scored 33% in 3 games (until now).
The Database has 15 games with the alternative, 10.Kd1, with White scoring 73%. That's in part to me scoring 100% in 6 of those games; but 3 of those wins are identical 11-movers with the "Buyer's Regret Variation".
10.Kf1 Nxh2+
This is an okay followup, although the "magic move" is 10...Ne7. Black has had success with two other moves, as well:
This move allows Black the chance to slip out of his difficulties. The straight-forward 12.Qd5+ Ke7 13.Qxc5+ Qd6 14.Qxd6+ Kxd6 15.Rxh2 gives White the edge.
12...g6
Necessary was 12...Qe6. The text move turns the game over to White.
13.Qe5+
White's Queen escapes attack with check. Even stronger was 13.Rxh6, since the Black g-pawn would then be pinned.
I keep playing the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), especially one particularly risky variation, knowing that someday one of my opponents will know enough about the wild defense to sacrifice his Queen and destroy me...
I make my moves, remembering Gary K. Gifford's re-naming of the opening as the "Jerome Gamble" – and breathe a sigh of a relief as someone gets closer... but not there yet.
perrypawnpusher - intssed blitz, FICS, 2010
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Qf5+
The alternative in this 6...Ke6 variation (one of the many Jerome Gambit refutations) is 7.f4, although 7...d6 – a favorite of computers – presents its own problems.
7...Kd6 8.f4 Qh4+
Not the first move a naive defender would think up. So – how much does intssed know??
9.g3 Nf3+
Closer. "Getting warmer..." as the kids say in their game.
10.Kf1
Better-known is 10.Kd1 – which is why I played this alternative. Also, there is a built-in distraction for Black.
10...Nxh2+
This is a how-do-I-get-out-of-this-mess style move. I first saw it when I was reviewing Unorthodox Chess, by Some Loser (no joke, check out my review at Chessville.com).
11.Kg2
Now Some Loser's analysis continues with the smart 11...Qg4, when 12.Qd5+ Ke7 13.Qxc5+ d6 14.Qf2 Nf6 15.Rxh2 Nxe4 16.Qe3 Qe6 is about even.
analysis diagram
Instead, my opponent recoiled from the whole situation, moving his Queen away from the attack by my pawn. We've seen this kind of reflexive move before, and it can lead to disaster.
