More Jerome-izing

As we've seen in "King of Bxf7" there are many way's to Jerome-ize an opening. Here are a couple more, the first coming not too long after Alonzo Wheeler Jerome presented the world with his Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) analysis.

First, a Petroff Defense, from Schachzeitung, December 1874

R.W. - H.
Leipzig, 1874

"Curiosum Kurzlich im Leipzig gespielt"

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nxe4 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Kg8 6.Qe2 d6 7.Qxe4 dxe5 8.Qc4+ "und Weiss setzt mat"

Next, a Bishop's Opening, Berlin Defense,

magilla - rkgoss

net-chess.com 2001

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.Nh3 Nxe4 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Qh5+ Kg8 6.Qxe5 Nd6 7.0-0 Nf7 8.Qd5 c6 9.Qb3 d5 10.c4 dxc4 11.Qxc4 Bxh3 12.gxh3 Qg5+ 13.Kh1 Qd5+ 14.Qxd5 cxd5 15.Nc3 h6 16.Nxd5 Na6 17.Rg1 Bc5 18.b3 Rd8 19.Nf6+ Kf8 20.Bb2 Rxd2 21.Nd7+ Rxd7 22.Bxg7+ Kg8 23.Bxh8+ Kxh8 24.Rae1 Bxf2 25.Re8+ Kh7 26.Rf1 Bb6 27.h4 Nc7 28.Rf8 Ne5 29.Rb8 Nb5 30.Rff8 Rd1+ 31.Kg2 Rd2+ 32.Kg3 Bf2+ 33.Rxf2 Rd7 34.Rbf8 Rd3+ 35.Kg2 Rd7 36.h5 Nc3 37.R2f5 Rd2+ 38.Kg3 Ne2+ 39.Kh4 Rd4+ 40.Kh3 Ng1+ 41.Kg2 Rg4+ 42.Kf2 Nh3+ 43.Ke3 Nd7 44.R5f7+ Rg7 45.Rf3 Re7+ 46.Kd4 Ng5 47.Re3 Rxe3 48.Kxe3 Nxf8 49.Kd4 Kg7 50.Kc5 Kf7 51.Kd6 Nge6 52.a4 Ke8 53.b4 Kd8 54.b5 Nf4 55.a5 Nxh5 56.a6 Kc8 57.Kc5 Nf6 58.b6 N6d7+ 59.Kb5 Nxb6 60.h3 bxa6+ 61.Kxa6 Kb8 62.Kb5 Ne6 63.Kc6 White resigned

The Abrahams Jerome Gambit (Part II)

While it is probably best in the Abrahams Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Bxf7+) – see "The Abrahams Jerome Gambit (Part I)" – for Black to play, after 3...Kxf7 4.Qh5+ the safe move 4...Kf8, there is also the possibility that, for whatever reason, he might play the Jerome-ish 4...Ke6.

Here are a few games that show what might happen next.

magilla - reyrm1041559926
net-chess.com 2003

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Bxf7+ Kxf7 4.Qh5+ Ke6

5.Qf5+

5.Qg4+ Kf6 ( 5...Ke7 6.Qxg7+ Kd6 7.Qxh8 Bxf2+ 8.Kxf2 Qf8+ 9.Nf3 Nc6 10.Nc3 b6 11.Nb5+ Ke7 12.Nxc7 Rb8 13.d3 Nf6 14.Qxf8+ Kxf8 15.Bh6+ Ke7 16.Bg5 Nb4 17.Bxf6+ Kxf6 18.g4 h6 19.Nd5+ Nxd5 20.exd5 d6 21.Rhg1 Bb7 22.g5+ hxg5 23.Nxg5 Bxd5 24.Raf1 Ke7 25.Ke3 Rh8 26.c4 Bc6 27.Rf7+ Ke8 28.Rxa7 Rxh2 29.Nf3 Rh3 30.Rg8 checkmate, magilla - parkin, net-chess.com 2003; 5...Kf7 6.Qf5+ Qf6 7.Qxf6+ Nxf6 8.Nc3 Rf8 9.h3 Kg8 10.Nf3 b6 11.0-0 Bd6 12.Nb5 Nxe4 13.Re1 Bb7 14.d3 Nc5 15.Nxe5 Re8 16.Bf4 a6 17.Nxd6 cxd6 18.Nc4 Rf8 19.Bxd6 Nc6 20.Bxf8 Rxf8 21.Nxb6 Nd4 22.Re5 d6 23.Re7 Bc6 24.b4 Na4 25.Nxa4 Bxa4 26.c4 Rb8 27.Rae1 Rxb4 28.Rc7 h6 29.Ree7 Rb8 30.Rxg7+ Kh8 31.Rh7+ Kg8 32.Rxh6 Rf8 33.Rxd6 Ne2+ 34.Kf1 Nc3 35.Rxa6 Bc2 36.d4 Bd3+ 37.Ke1 Re8+ 38.Kd2 Black resigned, trabantx - fonix, http://www.gameknot.com 2004) 6.Qh4+ g5 7.Qh3 d6 8.Qf3+ Kg6 9.Nh3 h6 10.Qb3 Nc6 11.Nc3 Nd4 12.Qa4 Be6 13.0-0 Bxh3 14.gxh3 Nf3+ 15.Kh1 Nf6 16.Nd5 Rf8 17.Nxf6 Rxf6 18.Qb3 Qc8 19.a4 Qxh3 20.Qxf3 Qxf1 checkmate, magilla - parkin, net-chess.com 2003;

5.Nc3 Nf6 6.Qf5+ Kf7 7.Qxe5 Bd6 8.Qf5 Qe7 9.d3 c6 10.Nf3 Bc7 11.e5 g6 12.Qf4 Re8 13.d4 Kg8 14.0-0 Nh5 15.Qh6 Qg7 16.Qg5 Bd8 17.Qe3 d6 18.Qd3 Bf5 19.Qc4+ d5 20.Qe2 Bg4 21.h3 Bxf3 22.Qxf3 Qf7 23.Qg4 Ng7 24.Be3 Qf5 25.Qe2 Nd7 26.Na4 b5 27.g4 Qe6 28.Nc3 Bb6 29.b4 Rf8 30.Bh6 Bxd4 31.Qd3 Qxe5 32.Rae1 Qf6 33.Nd1 Ne5 34.Qg3 Nf3+ 35.Kh1 Nxe1 36.Rxe1 Bxf2 37.Nxf2 Qxf2 38.Qc7 Qxe1+ 39.Kh2 Rf2+ White resigned, coder3 - manhattan, www.GameKnot.com 2003;

5.Nf3 Qf6 6.Qe8+ ( 6.Nc3 g6 7.Qh3+ Kf7 8.Nd5 Qd6 9.Ng5+ Kg7 10.Qf3 Nh6 11.0-0 c6 12.Nc3 Bd4 13.Ne2 Rf8 14.Qh3 Qf6 15.Nf3 d6 16.Qg3 Na6 17.c3 Bb6 18.d4 exd4 19.cxd4 Bc7 20.Bg5 Qf7 21.e5 Nf5 22.Qh3 h5 23.Bf6+ Kg8 24.Ng5 Nxd4 25.Qd3 Nxe2+ 26.Qxe2 Qe8 27.f4 d5 28.h3 Bd8 29.Bxd8 Qxd8 30.e6 Qe7 31.Qc2 Qf6 32.Rae1 Re8 33.h4 Bxe6 34.Nxe6 Rxe6 35.Rxe6 Qxe6 36.f5 gxf5 37.Rxf5 Qe1+ 38.Rf1 Qe6 39.Rf5 Qe3+ 40.Kh2 Qe4 41.Rg5+ Kf7 42.Qf2+ Ke6 43.Rxh5 Rg8 44.g3 Re8 45.Rh6+ Kd7 46.Qxa7 Kc8 47.Qf2 Nc7 48.Qf7 Qg4 49.Rf6 Kb8 50.Rf4 Qe2+ 51.Kh3 Nb5 52.Rb4 d4 53.Qf4+ Qe5 54.Qc1 Qf5+ 55.Kh2 Re2+ 56.Kh1 Qf3+ 57.Kg1 Qg2 checkmate, okchess - knightplay, www.GameKnot.com 2006) 6...Kd6 7.Qxc8 Kc6 8.a3 g6 9.b4 Ne7 10.Qxh8 Qxh8 11.bxc5 Kxc5 12.a4 d5 13.Ba3+ Kc6 14.Bxe7 dxe4 15.Ng5 e3 16.Ra3 exf2+ 17.Kxf2 Kd7 18.Bd8 Nc6 19.Nf7 Qf8 20.Rf3 Qc5+ 21.d4 exd4 22.Rd3 Qxc2+ 23.Rd2 Qf5+ 24.Kg3 Qxf7 25.Bh4 Qb3+ 26.Kg4 Rf8 27.g3 Qf3+ 28.Kh3 Qxh1 White resigned, deeperinside - prepe, www.GameKnot.com 2004
5...Kd6

6.Nf3

6.Nc3 Qf6 7.Nb5+ Kc6 8.Qxf6+ Nxf6 9.a4 Nxe4 10.d3 Nxf2 11.d4 Nxh1 12.dxc5 Rf8 13.Be3 Na6 14.0-0-0 Nf2 15.Bxf2 Rxf2 16.Nf3 d6 17.c3 Bg4 18.b4 Rd8 19.Nxa7+ Kd7 20.Nxe5+ Ke7 21.Nxg4 Rxg2 22.Ne3 Rxh2 23.cxd6+ cxd6 24.Nf5+ Kf6 25.Nxd6 Kg6 26.Rg1+ Kh5 27.Nab5 g6 28.Nxb7 Rdd2 29.Nd4 g5 30.b5 Nb8 31.Nd6 Nd7 32.Ne4 Ra2 33.Rxg5+ Kh4 34.Nf3+ Kh3 35.Rg3 checkmate, magilla - tbear, net-chess.com 2003;

6.Qf7 Ne7 7.d4 Bxd4 8.Bg5 Bxb2 9.Bxe7+ Kc6 10.Qd5+ Kb6 11.Qb3+ Kc6 12.Bxd8 Bxa1 13.Qc4+ Black resigned, hennybogan1954 - jesse220, www.GameKnot.com 2005;

6.b4 Bd4 7.c3 Bb6 8.Ba3 c5 9.bxc5+ Bxc5 10.Bxc5+ Kxc5 11.Qxe5+ d5 12.exd5 Nf6 13.Qd4+ Kd6 14.c4 Re8+ 15.Ne2 Bg4 16.f3 Bh5 17.Nbc3 a6 18.0-0 Nbd7 19.Rfe1 Qa5 20.Rab1 Bg6 21.Rxb7 Nc5 22.Rxg7 Nh5 23.g4 Nxg7 24.Qxg7 Bd3 25.Qf6+ Kd7 26.Qc6+ Ke7 27.Nf4+ Kf7 28.Nxd3 Nxd3 29.Qd7+ Kg6 30.Rxe8 Rxe8 31.Qxe8+ Kg7 32.Qe7+ Kg8 33.Qg5+ Kh8 34.f4 Qc5+ 35.Kh1 Nf2+ 36.Kg2 Nd3 37.Qd8+ Kg7 38.Qd7+ Kg8 39.Ne4 Nxf4+ 40.Kf3 Ng6 Black resigned, hennybogan1953 - jesse220, http://www.GameKnot.com 2006;

6.d3 Ne7 7.Qg4 Qf8 8.Be3 Na6 9.Bxc5+ Kxc5 10.a3 d6 11.d4+ Kxd4 12.c3+ Kc5 13.Qd1 Qf7 14.b4+ Kc6 15.h3 Qg6 16.b5+ Kxb5 17.c4+ Kc5 18.Nc3 Bd7 19.Qb3 Qe8 20.0-0-0 b5 21.Nxb5 Bxb5 22.cxb5 Qxb5 23.Qe3+ Kc6 24.Rd3 Nc5 25.Rd1 Qc4+ 26.Kd2 Nxe4+ 27.Ke1 Qc3+ 28.Qxc3+ Nxc3 29.Rc1 Ned5 30.Ne2 Rab8 31.Nxc3 Nxc3 32.Rxc3+ Kd7 33.Ke2 Rb2+ 34.Ke3 Rhb8 White resigned, aaelarar - zhikart, www.GameKnot.com 2006

6...Qf6

6...g6 7.Qxe5+ Kc6 8.Qxh8 d5 9.0-0 dxe4 10.Ne5+ Kb6 11.Qxh7 Ne7 12.Nc3 Qe8 13.a4 a5 14.Qf7 Qh8 15.Qb3+ Ka7 16.Nb5+ Kb6 17.d4 Black resigned, hennybogan1953 - jesse220, www.GameKnot.com 2005

7.Nc3

7.Ng5 Qxf5 8.exf5 Ke7 9.Nc3 Nf6 10.Nge4 Bd4 11.Nxf6 Bxc3 12.Nd5+ Kd6 13.Nxc3 h5 14.h3 Nc6 15.Nb5+ Ke7 16.Nxc7 Rb8 17.Nd5+ Kd6 18.c4 Rf8 19.g4 Nd4 20.0-0 h4 21.b3 b5 22.Ba3+ b4 23.Bxb4+ Rxb4 24.Nxb4 Bb7 25.Rfd1 Ne2+ 26.Kf1 Nf4 27.d4 e4 28.d5 Nxh3 29.Re1 Ng5 30.Rad1 h3 31.Nc2 h2 32.Ke2 Ke5 33.Rh1 Rh8 34.Ne3 Kf4 35.Rdf1 Nf3 36.a4 Nd4+ 37.Kd1 Nxb3 38.Re1 Kf3 39.Re2 Nd4 40.Rd2 Nb3 41.Rb2 Nc5 42.d6 Bc6 43.a5 Nd3 44.Rd2 Nxf2+ 45.Rxf2+ Kxf2 46.Kd2 Rh6 47.c5 Bb5 48.g5 Rh3 49.f6 gxf6 50.gxf6 Kg3 51.Ke1 Rh7 52.Nf1+ Bxf1 53.Kxf1 Rf7 White resigned, jachwed - glennmille, www.GameKnot.com, 2004;

7.Qh3 c6 8.d3 h6 9.b3 Kc7 10.Qg3 d6 11.h3 Na6 12.Ba3 Bxa3 13.Nxa3 b5 14.c3 Ne7 15.0-0-0 b4 16.cxb4 Nxb4 17.Kb1 Ba6 18.Nc4 Bxc4 19.dxc4 c5 20.a3 Nbc6 21.Rd3 Rhb8 22.Rhd1 Nd4 23.Nxd4 cxd4 24.f3 a5 25.a4 Nc6 26.Kb2 Rb7 27.f4 exf4 28.Qg4 Ne5 29.Qh5 Nxd3+ 30.Rxd3 Rab8 31.Qxa5+ Kc8 32.Qd5 Kd7 33.Ka3 g5 34.c5 Rc7 35.Rxd4 Rc6 36.b4 Qe6 White resigned, jachwed - dimeliger, www.GameKnot.com, 2006

7...Nc6 8.Nb5+ Ke7 9.d4 Qxf5 10.exf5

10...Bd6 11.dxe5 Nxe5 12.Bg5+ Nf6 13.0-0-0

13...Nxf3 14.gxf3 Kf7 15.Nxd6+ cxd6 16.Rxd6

16...Ne8 17.Rd4 Nf6 18.h4 d5 19.Bxf6 Kxf6 20.Rxd5 Bxf5 21.Rhd1 Rhe8 22.f4 Rac8

23.Rd6+ Kf7 24.R1d5 Rxc2+ 25.Kd1 Be4 26.Rd7+ Kf8 27.Rd4 Bf5

28.Rxb7 Rxf2 29.Rd5 Bc2+ 30.Kc1 Re1+ White resigned

The Abrahams Jerome Gambit (Part I)

As mentioned in "'Tis A Puzzlement..." the line 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Bxf7+ has sometimes been referred to as the Jerome Gambit, most notably in a couple of passages by Gerald Abrahams.

The Chess Mind (1951)
Gerald Abrahams

...Objectively regarded, every winning position, and every losing position, is an unbalanced position; a position in which a player has a great advantage in tempo, or in space, or in the capacity to bring great force to bear effectively on a given point. But these characteristics are not easy to assess while the game is in progress. An undeveloped position should not yield a winning attack. Yet it often does. In point is any one of a thousand Muzio Gambits at odds. In these violent openings it is always the case that White is undeveloped. So is Black. But the relative merits of what development there is can only be found by seeing all the more important lines of play. Chess opinion has convincingly condemned many extravagant unbalancing attacks, such as the once popular Jerome Gambit, (1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Bxf7+), which yield the unbalancer nothing but loss against good defense.


The Pan Book of Chess (1965)
Gerald Abrahams

The Pianissimo form [of the Giuoco Piano] is 1.e4 e5... (But 2.Bc4 Bc5 can be played first and nobody in their right senses plays 3.Bxf7+ 3.BxPch, Jerome's Gambit.)...

It is fun to see if there are parallels between the "Abrahams Jerome Gambit" and the actual Jerome Gambit -- some knowledge might have proven helpful to the BlueEyedRook a few years back, for example.We'll leave hard core analysis for another time, and just look at some games.

magilla - seamus
net-chess.com 2003

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Bxf7+ Kxf7 4.Qh5+ g6 5.Qxe5 d6

A Rook sacrifice similar to NN - Blackburne, 1885 (see "Nobody expects the Jerome Gambit!", "Flaws (Part I)", "Flaws (Part II)", "The Joy of Discovery (Part I)" and others) – but does it work??

In this game White arrives at an overwhelming position, only to fritter it away, move-by-move, until he is losing – and then lost.

6.Qxh8 Qh4

6...Qe8 7.Qxh7+ Kf8 8.Nc3 ( 8.d3 Qf7 9.Qxf7+ Kxf7 10.Nf3 Nf6 11.0-0 Nc6 12.c3 Ne5 13.Ng5+ Kg8 14.d4 Nxe4 15.Nxe4 Nf3+ 16.gxf3 Bb6 17.Na3 Bh3 18.Nc4 d5 19.Nf6+ Kg7 20.Nxd5 Be6 21.Nde3 Rf8 22.Nxb6 axb6 23.Kg2 Rh8 24.Ng4 1-0 viejoasquerosos - Andrewtomlinson, redhotpawn.com 2006) 8...Qe6 9.d4 Bxd4 10.Bh6+ Ke8 11.Nd5 c6 12.Nc7+ Kd8 13.Nxe6+ Bxe6 14.Qxb7 Nxh6 15.Qxa8 Bxb2 16.Qxb8+ Bc8 17.Qxb2 Ng4 18.0-0-0 Nxf2 19.Rxd6+ Bd7 20.Qb8+ Ke7 21.Nf3 Nxh1 22.e5 a5 23.e6 Bxe6 24.Qd8+ Kf7 25.Ng5+ Kg7 26.Rxe6 Nf2 27.Qf6+ Kh6 28.Qxg6 checkmate, magilla - mduerr, net-chess.com 2002

6...Qf6 7.Qxh7+ Kf8 8.Nf3 Bg4 9.0-0 Qg7 10.Qh4 Bxf3 11.gxf3 Qf6 0-1 viejoasquerosos - Jeman, redhotpawn.com 2004

7.d4 Be6

7...Qxe4+ 8.Ne2 Bg4 9.Qxh7+ Kf6 10.f3 Qxc2 11.fxg4 Nd7 12.0-0+ Ke6 13.Qf7 checkmate, magilla-seamus, net-chess.com 2003

8.dxc5 Qxe4+ 9.Be3 Qxg2 10.cxd6 Qxh1 11.Qxh7+ Kf6

12.Bd4+ Kg5 13.f4+ Kxf4 14.Qh4+ Bg4 15.Nd2 Nd7 16.Qg3+

16...Kf5 17.Qf2+ Ke6 18.Qe3+ Kf7 19.Qf2+

19...Ngf6 20.Bxf6 Nxf6 21.dxc7

21...Re8+ 22.Kf1 Bh3+ 23.Qg2 Qxg2 checkmate