Jerome Gambit: I Hate RoboCalls

I hate robocalls - those annoying phone calls that provide an endless supply of scams and sales pitches. My home town has one of the largest collections of call centers in any city, and it is not unsual for me to receive 10 bogus calls a day. I let the calls go to my voice recorder, unless I recognize the name given by Caller ID (my favorite is "Illegal Scam" - for real), so that I do not waste time with fool things.

Except, sometimes the phone rings when I am playing a blitz game, online...

perrypawnpusher - pepxbcn
10 0 blitz, FICS, 2019

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 

The Semi-Italian Opening.

4.O-O Nf6 5.Nc3 Bc5 6.Bxf7+ 

The Semi-Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.

6...Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ Nxe5 8.d4 Bxd4 9.Qxd4 Re8 

Black has a decent position. I have lost once from here - perrypawnpusher - kholthaus, blitz, FICS, 2010 (0-1, 45) - and won once - perrypawnpusher - Odeon, blitz, FICS, 2012 (1-0, 15). Over all, The Database has 5 previous games, with White scoring 40%.

10.f4 Nc6 11.Qd3 d6 12.b3 Bd7 13.Bb2 Ne7

Eyeing the f5 square, but 13...Be6 was just fine.

14.e5 Nh5 15.exd6 

My original plan was to play 15.Rae1, and I should have stuck with that. Sometimes I think my handle should be "perrypawngrabber".

15...cxd6 16.Qxd6 Qb6+ 

White has two pawns for the sacrificed piece, but Black remains better. And, now -

Ring! Ring! Ring! Blast, that stupid phone! Another call! So distracting! So annoying!*

17.Kh1? Qxd6 White resigned

Sigh.

Sadly, that's not the first time that I have hung my Queen in a Jerome Gambit game.

(*It is also a generational thing. When my kids' phones ring, they figure a friend is trying to reach them. When my phone rings, I ask myself, "Who died?" In this case, the White Queen.)

I'll take care of it later...

It is time to take a break from "Return of Jerome Gambit for Dummies" to take a look at a recent blitz game from FICS. Black seems to be settling into his chair, becoming comfortable with his position (after all, it's only the Jerome Gambit), when things "suddenly" go wrong.

perrypawnpusher - Odeon
blitz, FICS, 2012

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 h6 5.0-0 Bc5

 6.Bxf7+

The Semi-Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.

6...Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ Nxe5 8.d4 Bxd4 9.Qxd4 Re8

10.f4 Nc6

I have had a habit of playing 11.Qd3 (most recently perrypawnpusher - kholthaus, blitz, FICS, 2011) in this and in similar positions, naively hoping for ...Nb4, which would drop the Knight to Qc4+.

My choice in this game was based on the idea that Black would be less likely to make that slip than to choose the move that he actually does make.

11.Qc4+ Kf8

This move is not an error (although 11...d5 is a bit stronger) but it does allow White to get a tighter grip on the center.

12.e5 Ng4

This looks like a "That's okay, I'll take care of it later" kind of play, in that Black sees no problem with moving his piece to a more aggressive position.  Retreating to g8 or h7 was the prudent choice.

13.h3 Ngxe5

Played relatively quickly, as if "Hey, no problem, I'll return the piece for two pawns and active play." White would have an edge after 13...d6 14.hxg4 Bxg4

14.fxe5+

The check makes a big difference.

14...Ke7 15.Qf7 checkmate

What Difference Does It Make?

My second game with the Jerome Gambit against my opponent was similar, in many ways, to our first game. The slight differences, however, turned out to make all the difference in the world.



perrypawnpusher - kholthaus
blitz, FICS, 2011

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 h6 5.0-0 Bc5

The Semi-Italian Four Knights Game.

6.Bxf7+

The Semi-Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.

6...Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ Nxe5 8.d4

8...Bxd4 9.Qxd4 d6 10.f4 Nc6 11.Qd3 Re8 12.Bd2 Kg8 13.Rae1 a6

When I checked The Database after the game, I was surprised to find that our game from last year, perrypawnpusher - kholthaus, blitz, FICS, 2010 (0-1, 45) was identical up until Black's last move.

In our earlier game, kholthaus had first repositioned his Rook with 13...Rf8, and then, after my 14.h3, he had played 14...a6. The text move is a refinement of Black's play, as my opponent now saw no need to shuffle the Rook.

It is useful to mention the next few moves of the earlier game, as well: 15.Nd5 Be6 16.Bc3 Bxd5 17.exd5 Ne7 When Black was clearly better, with a safe King and the material advantage of a piece for a pawn.

14.Nd5 Nxd5 15.exd5 Ne7 16.Bc3 Bf5

As in the first game, my opponent has exchanged off my advanced Knight – this time using his Knight, instead of his Bishop.

What, then, to do with the surviving Black Bishop this time around? Why, attack the enemy Queen, of course!

17.Qd4 Black resigned

Surprisingly, mate is unavoidable.

To Increase Longevity, Stay Active

The plot of the following game seems straight-forward: I sacrificed a piece for a pawn in the opening; my opponent sacrificed a piece for two pawns in the middle game; I lost a pawn-down endgame...

In actuality, I had my chances.


perrypawnpusher - kholthaus
blitz, FICS, 2010

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 h6 5.0-0 Bc5

The Semi-Italian Four Knights Game.

6.Bxf7+ Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ Nxe5 8.d4

8...Bxd4 9.Qxd4 Re8 10.f4 Nc6 11.Qd3 Kg8 12.Bd2 d6

I've reached this position 7 times before, with a record of 4-3. That's not bad for a position where White is a piece down, with only partial compensation (slight lead in development, better center pawns). Still, it is nowhere near as good as my overall score of 85% for Jerome Gambit and related games.

13.Rae1 Rf8

Clearly better than pwr's "optical illusion" 13...Nb4 that dropped a piece.

14.h3 a6 15.Nd5 Be6 16.Bc3

After the game Rybka preferred 16.c4 b5 17.b3 bxc4 18.bxc4 Rb8 and then 19.Bc3, although I am not sure what White gains by giving Black an open b-file for his Rook. 

16...Bxd5 17.exd5 Ne7 18.Bxf6 Rxf6 19.Qe4 Nf5 20.g4

A thoughtless move that allows 20...Ng3, winning the exchange and leaving Black a Rook up. Fortunately, my opponent had other ideas on how to defeat me, and missed this, too.

20...Nh4 21.f5 Rf8 22.Qe6+ Kh8 23.Kh2 Qe8

Putting an end to the excitment along the e-file, but it was better to slide a Rook over, instead.

24.Qxe8

I saw that Black's Knight was now at risk, but I should have played 24.Kg3, attacking it, right away. Then 24...Nxf5+ could have been answered by 25.Qxf5 with an even game. Also 24...Qd8 25.Kxh4 Qxa2 would have been answered with 26.f6 when White can probably still hold the draw, e.g. 26...Qxb2 27.Rb1 Qc3 28.fxg7+ Qxg7 29.Rxf8+ Rxf8 30.Rxb7. 

24...Raxe8 25.Kg3 Rxe1 26.Rxe1 Nxf5+ 27.gxf5 Rxf5

Black is up a pawn, although White has good drawing chances if he keeps his Rook active attacking the enemy pawns.

28.c4 Rf7 29.h4 Kg8 30.Re2

Passive.

Rybka likes 30.Re8+ Kh7 31.Ra8 Kg6 32.Ra7 b5 33.b3 bxc4 34.bxc4 Kf5 35.Rxa6 g5 with even chances.

30...b6

Black should have taken this opportunity to play 30...Kf8, keeping White's Rook from coming to e8 and from there slipping behind his pawns.

31.Kg4

Likewise, it was important to play 31.Re8+.

 31...a5 32.b3 Kf8

33.h5 Rf1 34.Kg3 Rg1+ 35.Kh4 Rg5 36.Rf2+ Ke7 37.a3

Missing White's last chance to draw.

With 37.a4, White could have reduced the exposure of his Queenside pawns to the base at b3, which he could have supported with his Rook at f3. The Rook would only leave its post to check the enemy King or threaten to win material. Then, White's only trump, his better-placed King, would help hold down the Kingside.

37...Re5 38.Kg4 Re3 39.Rf3

Capitulation.

39...Rxf3 40.Kxf3 Kf6 41.Kf4 g6 42.hxg6 Kxg6 43.Kg4 Kf6 44.b4 axb4 45.axb4 Ke5 White resigned