It is often fun to see how Black works to dispose of the Jerome Gambit - an opening that appears so bad that it can be vanquished on-the-spot by a quickly assembled-at-home response.
I got to play an online blitz game the other day, and it was reassuring to see that tradition is still respected.
perrypawnpusher - SSGSSGSSG
5 5 blitz, FICS, 2018
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6
The Two Knights defense. I have to try for a Jerome, anyhow.
4.Nc3 Bc5
Now I can get a Jerome out of this.
For some reason I am always uneasy playing this line. Hmmm. Let me check The Database...
I thought so. I have played 60 games with the Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit line, and have scored only 74%.
That compares to the regular Jerome Gambit move order, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+, which I have played 319 times and have scored 82%.
Or the Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.0-0 Bc5 5.Bxf7+, which I have played 58 times, and have scored 88%.
Even with the Semi-Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.0-0 Nf6 5.Nc3 Bc5 6.Bxf7, which I have played 58 times, I have scored 78%.
(It has to be me. I just checked Bill Wall's statistics, and he scores "only" 92% with the Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit, vs 93% with the regular Jerome.)
5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 Bb4
There you have it. Problem solved. Stockfish 9 even gives Black a 1/3 of a pawn advantage here. Now to finish White off.
8.dxe5 Bxc3+ 9.bxc3 Nxe4
10.Qd5+
How rude.
This kind of thing happens in blitz games all the time. Three of my past games ended at this point: perrypawnpusher - ohforgetit, blitz, FICS, 2010; perrypawnpusher - KnightIsHorse, blitz, FICS, 2011; and perrypawnpusher - Sonndaze, blitz, FICS, 2011.
10...Kf8
Or 10...Ke8, as in perrypawnpusher - Aerandir, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 15).
11.Qxe4 d6
12.O-O Qe7
I had seen 12...dxe5 13.Qxe5 Qe7 before (but, of course, did not remember it) in perrypawnpusher - obmanovichhh, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 39).
The text has a weakness (putting the Queen on a dangerous diagonal) that 12...Qe8 might have avoided.
13.Ba3 Be6
Probably stronger than 13...c5, which was seen in perrypawnpusher - Abatwa, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 17); but Stockfish 9 prefers 13...Kf7.
14.exd6 cxd6
Okay. Time to take stock. White has recovered his sacrificed piece, with better development and a safer King. His extra pawn is not a big deal, as it is doubled and isolated - a fair reminder that lazy play could lead to a Bishops-of-opposite-colors endgame that Black could draw easily.
So - What weakness in Black's position should White focus on?
15.Rae1
I decided to pin the Bishop and put pressure on it.
If you thought, instead, that White should go after the d-pawn with 15.Rad1, threatening Black's Queen and King along the a3-f8, Stockfish 9 agrees with you.
15...Kf7 16.f4 g6
17.f5 gxf5 18.Rxf5+ Kg7
19.Qxe6
Sure, this works, but so does 19.Qg4+ Kh6 20.Rh5 checkmate. Ooops.
Now Black has to exchange Queens and go into a lost endgame - or face checkmate.
19...Qc7 20.Qf6+ Black resigned
The Jerome Gambit is not a "cool" opening.
Once upon a time, the King's Gambit was cool. The Evans Gambit was cool (and maybe is cool again). Even the Benko Gambit had a time when it was very, very cool.
For some, apparently the Jerome Gambit isn't worth their time.
perrypawnpusher - obmanovichhh
blitz 14 0, FICS, 2011
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nc3 Nc6 4.Bc4 Bc5
The Italian Four Knights Game, transposing from the Petroff Defense.
5.Bxf7+
The Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.
5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+
Last year, duraysteeus played 6.Ng5+ against my opponent, not very successfully (0-1, 49)
6...Nxe5 7.d4 Bxd4
This is the most popular response in The Database, occuring in 34% of the games.
Previously, my opponent had tried 7...Bb4, which certainly has its positive attributes.
The strongest response, 7...Bd6, appears only 6% of the time. (Perhaps that is one reason that people play the Jerome Gambit.)
8.Qxd4 d6 9.f4 Nc6 10.Qd3 Be6
This move prevents a possible Qd3-c4+ in response to a careless ...Nc6-b4 – a tactic that has won more points for me than it should have.
It is likely that 10...d5 is stronger than the text, however, something that has me thinking about changing my opening move order, perhaps back to 10.0-0 as I played against jomme.
11.0-0 Re8
This is a bit stronger than 11...Rf8, where White had the annoying 12.f5 Bd7 13.Qc4+, as in perrypawnpusher - hklett, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 18) although Black was still a bit better.
12.b3 Nb4 13.Qe2 c5 14.Bb2 Bg4 15.Qc4+ Be6
Was my opponent thinking of repeating the position, for a draw? I would have been okay with that, as I was getting nothing out of this game.
16.Qe2 Qb6
No, this does not look like a peaceful move.
17.Na4 Qc6 18.a3
My Knight move weakened the pawn at e4, so 18.Bxf6, taking some pressure off of the center, was appropriate, now and/or later. As it is, my opponent overlooked chances for counterplay.
18...Bg4
Instead, 18...Nxc2 19.Qxc2 Qxe4 was a creative way to return Black's extra piece, as his backward d-pawn would have a bright future to advance as a protected passer.
19.Qc4+ Kf8 20.axb4
After the game Rybka 3 showed me what was really going on in the game: 20.Bxf6 Rxe4 21.Bxg7+ Kxg7 22.Qc3+ Kf7 23.axb4 Rae8 24.b5 Qd5 25.Qd3 Qxd3, about even.
20...cxb4 21.Qxc6 bxc6
22.Bxf6
Finally thinking to get rid of the Knight, although later Rybka 3 corrected me: 22.e5 Nd7 23.exd6 Re2 24.f5 Rd2 25.Rae1 Rxd6 26.h3 Bh5 27.Re6 Rd5 28.Rxc6 Re8 29.Rf2 a5 30.Rc7 Bf7 with an advantage for White.
22...gxf6 23.Rae1 Rac8 24.Nb2 c5 25.Nc4 Be6
My Knight has returned to play, and Black's Bishop has returned to its favorite square, e6. Unfortunately, the latter was an error (25...Rcd8 would have kept the game balanced).
26.Nxd6 Bg4
On revient toujours à ses premiers amours.
27.Nxc8 Rxc8 28.e5 f5 29.Ra1
White is up the exchange and a protected passed pawn and will now add another pawn and a strongly placed Rook to his list of small advantages.
29...Rc7 30.Ra6 Kf7 31.Rfa1 Be2 32.Rxa7 Rxa7 33.Rxa7+ Kg6 34.Rc7
At this point my opponent still had over half of his time left on the clock. Still, he let all 7 plus minutes run out, and lost on time, rather than resign. I guess finishing the game, again, was not worth his time.
It was late when this game was played, and I suspect that my opponent was in need of a cup of coffee.
perrypawnpusher - LydenChess
blitz, FICS, 2011
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bc5
The Italian Four Knights Game.
5.Bxf7+
The Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.
5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 Bb4
This certainly has the right feel to it: Black has three pieces developed to White's one, and that one is pinned... What could go wrong?
8.dxe5 Nxe4
I hope that I do not give too much away with a note about a previous game: 8...Bxc3+ 9.bxc3 Nxe4 10.Qd5+ Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - ohforgetit, blitz, FICS, 2010.
9.Qd5+
Thus ended perrypawnpusher-kezientz, blitz, FICS, 2010.
9...Kf8
Or 9...Ke8 10.Qxe4 as in perrypawnpusher - Gibarian, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 33).
10.Qxe4 g6
Extreme puzzlement.
Before I had faced 10...Bxc3+ 11.bxc3 d6 in perrypawnpusher - obmanovichhh, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 39) and 10...Qe7 11.0-0 Bxc3 12.bxc3 d6 in perrypawnpusher - Abatwa, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 17).
11.Qxb4+ Qe7 12.Qxe7+ Kxe7 13.0-0
Old habits die hard: get an advantage, exchange Queens, be sure that the King is safe, figure out the rest later...
13...Re8
Possibly planning to castle-by-hand?
14.Nd5+ Kd8
Reacting to the threatened Knight fork of the two Rooks at c7, but leading to something worse.
15.Bg5+ Black resigned
I do not think that my opponent took our game very seriously, which is something that I am used to with the Jerome Gambit.
In a variation that has seen quick resignations, my opponent takes the game a bit further on down the road. No matter, his stopping point is the same.
perrypawnpusher - Gibarian
blitz, FICS, 2010
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nc3 Nc6 4.Bc4 Bc5
The Italian Four Knights game.
5.Bxf7+
The Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.
5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4
7...Bb4
This has given Black trouble before although the defense surely is playable. Best was 7...Bd6 8.dxe5 Bxe5 and the second player is better.
8.dxe5 Nxe4
Or 8...Bxc3+ 9.bxc3 Nxe4 10.Qd5+ Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - ohforgetit, blitz, FICS, 2010
Black stayed around longer in perrypawnpusher - obmanovichhh, FICS, 2010: 8...Bxc3+ 9.bxc3 Nxe4 10.Qd5+ Kf8 11.Qxe4 d6 12.0-0 dxe5 13.Qxe5 Qe7 14.Bf4 Qxe5 15.Bxe5 c6 16.Rad1 Bf5 17.Rd2 Kf7 18.Rfd1 Rhe8 19.f4 Re6 20.Rd8 Rxd8 21.Rxd8 Re7 22.Rd2 g5 23.g3 gxf4 24.gxf4 Be6 25.a3 Bc4 26.Kf2 b5 27.Ke3 a5 28.Rd6 Bd5 29.Rh6 Kg8 30.Kd4 a4 31.Kc5 Be4 32.Rxc6 Bxc6 33.Kxc6 Re6+ 34.Kxb5 Rh6 35.c4 Kf7 36.c5 Ke6 37.c6 Ke7 38.Kb6 Kd8 39.Kb7 Black resigned,
9.Qd5+
At this point Black resigned in perrypawnpusher - kezientz, FICS 2010
9...Ke8 10.Qxe4 Rf8
An oversight, but Black plays on.
11.Qxb4 b6 12.Qe4 Rb8 13.Qxh7 Qe7 14.Qh5+ Kd8
15.Bg5 Rf6 16.Bxf6 gxf6 17.Qh8+ Qe8 18.Qxf6+ Qe7 19.0-0 Bb7
20.Qh8+ Qe8 21.Qxe8+ Kxe8 22.f4 Ke7 23.f5 Rg8
24.g3 a5 25.Rad1 c5 26.Nd5+ Kf7 27.Nxb6 Ke8 28.Nxd7 Kf7 29.Nxc5 Bc6 30.e6+ Ke7 31.f6+ Kf8 32.Rd8+ Be8 33.Nd7 checkmate
The following Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game starts quietly. Black's defense is a "refutation" only in the sense that my opponent (rated a few points above me) was content with a draw, so I had to struggle if I wanted more.
Fortunately I found something to complicate things and eventually give me the full point.
perrypawnpusher - obmanovichhh
blitz, FICS, 2010
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Nc3 Nc6
The Italian Four Knights Game.
5.Bxf7+
The Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.
5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 Bb4
An unusual but certainly playable defense. Including this game, the updated New Year's Database has 26 examples of this position, with White scoring 65%.
Stronger for Black, though, was 7...Bd6 8.0-0 Nc6 9.f4 Be7.
8.dxe5 Bxc3+ 9.bxc3
If Black keeps his wits about him, he can now play 9...Re8, giving back the piece but reaching a safe, even position where he has play against White's weakened pawns: 10.exf6 Rxe4+ 11.Be3 Qxf6
9...Nxe4 10.Qd5+ Kf8 11.Qxe4 d6
White is a pawn up – a situation that is always psychologically uneasy for me, as I feel like I've "escaped" in another Jerome Gambit, and I tend to play vapid moves that lead to even (or worse) positions. (Brian Wall may have a valid insight into this.)
12.0-0 dxe5
I am convinced that my opponent was already thinking about reaching a drawn endgame here. I was willing to go along with him, and hoped to out-play him – a notion that obmanovichhh would probably have scoffed at.
The fact is that we both missed 13.Ba3+ here, when the position becomes anything-but-drawish: 13...Kf7 14.f4 (to open more lines for attack) Be6 15.fxe5+ Kg8 and White wins Black's Queen with 16.Rf8+ Qxf8 17.Bxf8 Rxf8.
analysis diagram
White's Queen can now go munching on Black's pawns.
13.Qxe5 Qe7 14.Bf4
Again, too accomodating of Black's plan – I thought that I knew what I was doing – when there was a stronger option available.
After the game Stockfish showed that White could have shaken things up with the piece sacrifice 14.Ba3!? as after 14...Qxa3 15.Rfe1 Bd7 16.Qxc7 Bc6 17.Rad1 he would have had a very strong position, with the possible continuation 17...h6 18.Rd8+ Rxd8 19.Qxd8+ Kf7 20.Qxh8 when White is up the exchange.
14...Qxe5 15.Bxe5 c6
For the next 15 or so moves, White and Black play cooperative chess: we both aim for a Bishops-of-opposite-colors endgame that I think that I can win, and that my opponent thinks that he can draw.
There is another factor in play, however – we'll get to that later.
16.Rad1 Bf5 17.Rd2 Kf7 18.Rfd1 Rhe8 19.f4 Re6 20.Rd8 Rxd8 21.Rxd8 Re7 22.Rd2 g5 23.g3 gxf4 24.gxf4 Be6
Each side will put pawns on squares the same color as their Bishop, the Kings and Rooks will help in the blockade of the enemy pawns, and all will be peaceful in the world...
25.a3 Bc4 26.Kf2 b5 27.Ke3 a5 28.Rd6 Bd5 29.Rh6 Kg8 30.Kd4 a4 31.Kc5 Be4
Black has reached the position that he has been aiming at for a long time. So have I.
32.Rxc6
Surprise!
Truth be told, after this sacrifice the game is still drawn – but it is tough work for Black, made tougher by the blitz time control.
32...Bxc6 33.Kxc6 Re6+
Instead, according to Rybka and Stockfish, if Black centralizes his King to blockade White's passed f-pawn, and maneuvers his Rook to pin the Black King to the a-file in front of the passed a-pawn, then it doesn't matter if he loses all but one of his pawns: 33...Kf7 34.Kxb5 Rb7+ 35.Kxa4 Ke6.
analysis diagram
White will not be able to make progress.
34.Kxb5 Rh6
This also leads to a draw, but not an easily seen one.
35.c4 Kf7 36.c5
Now if Black can scoop up the two lagging pawns with 36...Rxh2 37.c6 Rxc2 and keep his Rook on the c-file to capture the White pawn when it Queens, he actually would have winning chances after 38.c7? Ke6 39. Kb5 h5! as White cannot stop the Black h-pawn.
analysis diagram
Instead of 38.c7?, White has to find 38.f5! when his Bishop will be free to stop the Black h-pawn and his f-pawn does not allow Black's King to wander too far from the center.
A reasonable continuation might look like 38...Rc1 (keeping an eye on the passer) 39.Bd6 (threatening to block the Rook's access to White's c-pawn, and possibly able to block checks along the b-file) Ke8 40.f6 Rf1 (Black's King and Rook are working well together in frantic times) 41.Be7 (safeguarding the f-pawn) h5 (to the rescue!) 42.Kb6 Rb1+ 43.Bb4 Rf1 44.Kb7 Rc1 45.c7 Kd7 46.Ba5 Ke6 (Black abandons his Rook in favor of capturing White's f-pawn) 47.c8/Q+ Rxc8 48.Kxc8 Kxf6
analysis diagram
– and suddenly, miracle of miracles, Black realizes that it no longer matters if he loses his last two pawns, as the game will enter the notorious "Rook pawn plus wrong Bishop" endgame, which is a draw. (Of course, if Black greedily tries to win the Bishop for his h-pawn, White will queen his a-pawn and win.)
I didn't realize that the endgame was that complicated, but I did think it would "set problems" for my opponent.
36...Ke6
37.c6 Ke7
Black can no longer count on 37...Rxh2, as White has 38.c4!? to help guard his advanced (and advancing) c-pawn.
Black can try the swindle 38...Rh3!? hoping for a King move by White, but 39.f5! wins for the first player, as in 39...Ke7 40.f6+ when one of the passers will Queen, for example: 40...Kd8 41.Kc5 Rd3 42.Bd6 Rf3 43.Be7+ Kc8 44.Kd6 Rf1 45.Ke6 Re1+ 46.Kf7 Kc7 47.Ke8 Kxc6 48.f7 Rf1 49.f8/Q+ Rxf8 50.Bxf8 and White's extra pawn makes all the difference in the world compared to the above analysis.
analysis diagram
38.Kb6
My turn to slip: this activates 38...Rxh2 as a drawing strategy, much as in the analysis after White's 37th move (for one thing, c2-c4 doesn't work as a shield as White's King is too far advanced) – ending up as before with a Rook Pawn plus wrong Bishop endgame for White.
White's winning move was therefore 38.h4!? which cannot be answered by 38...Rxh4?! because of 39.Bf6+! Kxf6 40.c7 and the pawn will Queen. Black defends better with 38...Kd8, but White can slowly advance his forces and win, e.g. 39.Kc5 Rh5 40.c4 Kc8 41.Kd5 Kd8 42.Ke4!? Rh6 43.f5 and either 43...Rxc6 or 43...Rxh4+ will be answered by 44.Kd5 and the Bishop pawns will continue to advance...
38...Kd8
Missing his last chance (38...Rxh2).
39.Kb7
At this point my opponent disconnected and was forfeited. He has to give up his Rook for the advanced c-pawn, and the ending thereafter would not be difficult for me to win.
