Jerome Gambit: A Cautionary Tale

The following 1-minute, no increment, game starts off like a "normal" Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game, but quickly becomes an exercise in Run For Your Life! Lessons about the opening are swiftly replaced by lessons about  intuition and rapid manual dexterity.

I know that the Jerome Gambit is often best played at high speed, but this game left me breathless...

rodri9920 - Ifitbleeds
1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2020

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

7.f4 Bf2+ 

This counter sacrifice is seen in other lines of the Jerome Gambit, followed by a forced exchange of Queens. Here, it seems to be more of a "If you sacrifice to prevent my King from castling, I will sacrifice to prevent your King from castling" kind of thing. Its psychological value in a 1-minute bullet game is clear: there is not a lot of time for White to answer the question "Just what is he doing?"

8.Kxf2 Ng6 

Also seen: 8...Qf6 9.Qf5+ Qxf5 10.exf5+ Kxf5 11.fxe5 Kxe5 12.d4+ Kxd4 13.Be3+ Ke5 14.c3 Nf6 15.Bd4+ Ke6 16.Re1+ Kf7 17.Bxf6 gxf6 18.Nd2 d6 19.Kg1 Bd7 20.Rf1 Rae8 21.Nf3 Re2 22.g3 Rxb2 23.Ng5+ Kg6 24.Ne4 f5 25.Nf2 Re8 26.Nh3 Kg7 27.Rae1 Rxe1 28.Rxe1 Bc6 29.Nf4 Rxa2 30.Re7+ Kf6 31.Rxc7 Ra1+ 32.Kf2 Ra2+ 33.Ke3 Rxh2 34.Kd4 Rd2+ 35.Ke3 Rc2 36.Rxh7 Rxc3+ 37.Kf2 Rf3+ 38.Ke2 Ra3 39.Rh6+ Ke7 40.Rh7+ Kf6 41.Kd2 Ke5 42.Re7+ Kd4 43.Ne2+ Kc5 44.Rf7 Ra2+ 45.Ke3 b5 46.Rxf5+ d5 47.g4 Ra3+ 48.Kf2 b4 49.g5 Bb5 50.Nf4 Ra2+ 51.Kg3 Bc4 52.g6 b3 53.g7 b2 54.g8=Q b1=Q 55.Qc8+ Kd4 56.Ne6+ Ke4 57.Rf4+ Ke5 58.Qc7+ Kxe6 59.Qf7+ Kd6 60.Qf6+ Kc5 61.Qd4+ Kb4 62.Kg4 Black resigned, Chesssninja - Caarreeyy, 5 0 blitz, FICS, 2020. 

Now, if Black had time, he could force the exchange of Queens, after all, with ...Qh4+ - but White acts decisively first.

9.f5+ Kf7 10.fxg6+ hxg6 11.Qxh8 

White has enough material to win. Does he have enough time?

11...d5 12.Rf1 Qh4+ 

Frantic.

13.Qxh4 Nf6 14.e5 Ne4+ 15.Kg1+ Ke6 16.d4 Bd7 17.Nd2 Rh8 18.Qg4+ Ke7 19.Qxg6 Nxd2 20.Bxd2 Be6 21.Qxg7+ Bf7 22.Rxf7+ Black resigned

Jerome Gambit: Believe in Me

It is great if we can analyze every move in a chess game deep enough to be certain that it is the best, but the chess clock puts limits on that ability. One way we "cheat" and move quickly without a deep look into the position is by believing that our opponent's ideas and threats are real - because, after all, he looked deeply into the position, too, right? As a result, attacker and defender can both dance by stronger lines of play that only reveal themselves in the post mortem. This is especially true in blitz play.

Kurtenkov - Carlos100S
3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020.

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Qh4

An excellent, attacking response.

7.O-O d6

The more aggressive 7...Ng4 was seen in Sorensen,S - X, Denmark, 1888 (1-0, 27), the first game with 6...Qh4 that I have in The Database.

8.dxe5 dxe5

Three-minute blitz games require quick decisions. After positioning his Queen actively, Black suddenly decides to return a piece and balance out the pawn structures. This costs him both strategically and tactically.

 9.Qd5+ Be6 10.Qxc5 Ne7

11.Qxc7 Rac8 12.Qxe5 Rxc2 13.Nc3 Rf8 14.Bg5 Qh5 

15.Qg3 Ng6 16.Rab1 Kg8 17.Qd3 Qxg5 18.Qxc2 Bh3

White is ahead the exchange and a couple of pawns, but Black continues to fight.

19.f4 Nxf4 20.Rxf4 Rxf4

Even as the material leaves the board, tactics remain crucial.

21.Rf1

It was time for the safety move, 21.Kh1.

21...Rxf1+

In turn, 21...Bxg2 was sharper, but, if White believes the Rooks need to come off the board, then maybe they need to come off..

22.Kxf1 Qf4+ 23.Kg1 Qe3+ 24.Qf2 Qc1+ 25.Qf1 

It looks like Black will settle for a draw by repetition. He has clawed back almost into contention, but White's extra, passed pawn is still a concern.

25...Qxb2 

He sees that now 26.gxh3 Qxc3 would disrupt White's pawns, giving Black the slightest of edges. But - he overlooks his opponent's next move.

26.Qc4+ Kf8 27.gxh3 Qc1+ 

Counting on the openness of White's Kingside to pursue that draw.

28.Kg2 

White believes in his opponent. Instead, 28.Qf1+ would force the exchange of Queens and White would be winning.

28...Qg5+ 29.Kf3 Qh5+ 30.Kf4 Qh4+ 31.Ke3 Qxh3+ 32.Kd4 Qd7+ 

33.Nd5 b5 34.Qc7 Qe8 35.Qd6+ Kg8 36.Qe7 Qb8 37.Qe6+ Kh8 38.e5 b4

In this battle of the pawns, White will win.

39.Qc6 a5 40.e6 Qa7+ 41.Ke4 Qb8 42.e7 Black resigned

Jerome Gambit: Ghosts of Moves Unplayed

Playing a 3-minute game often requires both players to put aside any thoughts of what moves they could have played, or should have mande, but didn't. With more time to reflect, such musings might help in forming future plans, but in blitz, they can haunt ongoing play.

BoomBoomTNT-YT - tyronev1
3 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2020

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

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

Now, Black can choose Blackburne's Defense, 7...d6, or Whistler's Defense, 7...Qe7 - both are complicated and dangerous - or amongst a handful of lesser lines, e.g. 7...Bd6.

7...Qe7 

8.Qd5+

We have recently taken a look at this infrequently- played move. See "Jerome Gambit: Largely Overlooked by History".

Recent alternatives:

8.Qxe7+ Kxe7 9.b3 a6 10.Bb2 Nf6 11.O-O Kf7 12.Nc3 Bd4 13.Rae1 Bxc3 14.Bxc3 d6 15.e5 dxe5 16.Bxe5 Rg8 17.Bxc7 Bg4 18.f3 Bh5 19.Bd6 Rad8 20.Bb4 g5 21.Re7+ Kg6 22.Rxb7 Rg7 23.Rb6 Rd4 24.Bc3 Rd8 25.Rxf6 checkmate, Ghigi,N - NN, 5 1 blitz, 2020;

8.Qxh8 Ke6 (8...Qxe4+ 9.Kd1 Qxg2 10.Qxh7+ Kf8 11.c3 Qxh1+ 12.Kc2 Qe4+ 13.d3 Qa4+ 14.b3 Qg4 15.Bh6+ Nxh6 16.Qxh6+ Kf7 17.Qh7+ Kf6 18.Nd2 Bxf2 19.Ne4+ Kf5 20.Qf7+ Ke5 21.Qf6+ Kd5 22.c4 checkmate, tomkoolen1996 - ThomasBovenkerk, 10 5 blitz, lichess.org, .com, 2020; or 8...Nf6 9.d3 b6 10.Bg5 Bd4 11.c3 Bb7 12.Bxf6 Bxf6 13.Qxh7+ Kf8 14.Qxe7+ Black resigned, Anonymous -Anonymous, 5 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020) 9.Qxg8+ Kd6 10.Qd5 checkmate, decidueyemainbtw -MarcosEngenheiro, Chess.com 2020; and

8.Qf4+ Qf6 9.Qg3 Bd6 10.f4 Bxf4 11.Qb3+ Qe6 12.O-O Qxb3 13.Rxf4+ Kg7 14.axb3 d6 15.d4 Ne7 16.Nc3 Bd7 17.Be3 a6 18.Raf1 Rhe8 19.Rf7+ Kh8 20.Bg5 Nc6 21.Bf6+ Kg8 22.Rxd7 Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest744598, PlayChess.com, 2020.

8...Kg7

The text move looks a little bit better than 8...Kf8, which might place the King in the way of a Rook that wants to be developed, e.g. eronald - ayushsankar1006, 5 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020 (0-1, 23). 

9.d4 Bb4+

Not quite as strong as 9...Bb6, levigun - obviously, 5d + 2d GameKnot.com, 2004, (0-1, 11) 

10.c3 Nf6 11.Qe5 

White has to be careful, with only one piece developed vs three, even with his strong pawn center. Fortunately, Black helps him out.

11...Qxe5 

Exchanging Queens in the Jerome Gambit if often a help to the defender. In this case - a 3-minute blitz game - Black has not looked deeply enough, however.

12.dxe5 Nxe4 13.cxb4 Re8 

14.Nc3 

A bit stronger was 14.0-0 Rxe5 15.Bf4 Re6 16.Bxc7. This possibility seems to haunt both player's thoughts during the next few moves, perhaps unconsciously.

14...Rxe5 15.O-O 

Of course, White can not now play 15.Bf4 Re6 16.Bxc7 because of 16...Nxc3+.

15...d5 16.Be3 

This is a solid move, although, again, 16.Bf4 was on.

16...c6

Black suddenly realizes that the 16.Bf4 skewer could win a pawn, so he moves that pawn to safety. But he overlooks something.

17.Bd4 

Black resigned

The Rook is a goner.

Jerome Gambit: Active and Passive Sacrifices

The Jerome Gambit is based upon active sacrifices: 4.Bxf7+ and 5.Nxe5+. The attacker practically throws his pieces at the defender.

The following game also contains a passive Queen sacrifice: White places Her Majesty where she can be attacked, and then he just leaves her there. Black might as well capture, as the alternative is to let a pawn advance and promote to another Queen.

TheCuriousGreg - MIN_0
15 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 N8e7 

10.f4 Rf8 11.O-O Kf7 

Black is thinking about castling-by-hand, always a prudent response to the Jerome Gambit.

Less accurate is 11...Bd7, as seen recently in the uneven game that continued 12.d4 c6 13.Nc3 Qb6 14.Bd2 Kd8 15.a4 c5 16.dxc5 Qxc5 17.Qxc5 dxc5 18.Nb5 Bxb5 19.axb5 b6 20.Rad1 Kc7 21.f5 Nh8 22.Bf4+ Kb7  23.Rd7+ Kc8 24.Rxe7 Kd8 25.Rxg7 Black resigned, pupuvi - DeschainPK, 10 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020.

12.f5 Ne5 13.Qb3+ 

Pausing to chase the enemy King away from safety.

13...Ke8 14.d4 N5c6 15.Qd3 Bd7 

A curious Jerome Gambit position! White, the gambiteer, has only 2 pieces developed to Black's 4. The material balance still favors the defender, who has a piece for 2 pawns. There is the matter of Black's King stuck in the middle of the board, however.

If White believes he has the advantage (and I believe he does), it's time for him to show it.

16.Bg5 h6 17.Bh4 g5 

This move is risky. It turns White's f-pawn into a protected passer. Worse, it allows White to open up the Kingside by capturing enpassant.

18.fxg6 Qc8 19.Rxf8+ Kxf8 20.Qf3+ Ke8 

The ugly alternative was 20...Bf5 21.Bxe7+ Nxe7 22.g4 Qe6 23.gxf5, when White's extra, avanced, pawns will prove decisive.

21.Qf7+ Kd8 22.d5 Be8 23.dxc6 

Funny. White can offer up his Queen. He can get another.

23...Bxf7 24.gxf7 Black resigned

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: Positional Cues

Sometimes, while playing the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), we can take a cue from our opponent as to which move to make or which plan to follow. See the following game.

SuperChinese - Zakir292
5 0 blitz, lichess.org, 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 Nf6 10.O-O Be6

Cue #1: With a Knight on g6, this Bishop move should prompt a standard response from White.

11.f4 Bc4 12.d3 Qe7 

Black's idea reminds me of the Calvin and Hobbes book, Scientific Progress Goes "Boink" - Black follows the "scientific" idea of returning sacrificed material in order to break White's attack. However, he overlooks cue #2: his King and Queen will soon be on an opened file.

13.dxc4 Nxe4 

He could have tried 13...Kf7, to limit the damage.

14.Re1 Nc5

This might have been the move that Black had been counting on. In a 5-minute game, sometimes analysis does not go deep enough.

15.Qf2 Ne4 16.Qf3 

16...Ne5 17.Qxe4 Rf8 18.fxe5 Qf7 19.exd6+ 

White is a couple of pieces and a couple of pawns ahead. All he has to do is make sure he doesn't get checkmated, and he has the win.

19...Kd8 20.Qe7+ 

The simplest. Now 20...Qxe7 21.dxe7+ Kd7 22.exf8/Q+ Rxf8 would be quite enough. Instead, Black allows checkmate directly.

20...Kc8 21.d7+ Kb8 22.Qxf8+ Qxf8 23.Re8+ Black resigned 

Black takes his cue. The finish would be 23...Qxe8 24.dxe8 checkmate. Ouch!