Jerome Gambit: Sometimes I Don't Understand, I Just Enjoy

Sometimes I visit the GameKnot.com chess site and pick up a Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game or two. (I would collect more, using their Games Database feature, but I am not a regular member.) The following one is a few years old, but it has the typical Jerome je ne sais quoi that sets it apart from other contests.

surfingscotty - arif__khan
GameKnot,com, 2012

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Ne7 

Black's idea is familiar, even if it shows up in only a few games in The Database: If he has to give back a piece, don't waste time deciding on which on, just develop another.

7.Qh5+

A bit better is probably 7.dxc5 as seen in a couple of games: 7...Re8 (7...Rf8 8.Qh5+ N5g6 9.Qxh7 Rh8 10.Qxh8 Qxh8 11.O-O d6
12.cxd6 cxd6 13.Bg5 Be6 14.f4 Bc4 15.Rd1 Rd8 16.b3 Qh5 17.Nd2 Be2 18.Re1 Rh8 19.h3 Ba6 20.c4 Nc6 21.Nf3 b5 22.h4 bxc4 23.b4 Nxb4 White resigned, paoloumali - regnarkragh, FICS, 2011) 8.Qh5+ N7g6 9.Qf5+ Qf6 10.Qh3 Kg8 11.Qb3+ Kh8 12.Nc3 Ng4 13.Be3 Nxe3 14.fxe3 Qg5 15.O-O-O Qxe3+ 16.Kb1 b6 17.Rhe1 Qxc5 18.Nd5 c6 19.Ne3 Ne5 20.Nf5 Re6 21.Rf1 Ba6 22.Rf4 Bc4 23.Qg3 Rg6 24.Qh3 Rd8 25.Rh4 Bg8 26.Rf1 Nf7 27.Rg4 Ng5 28.Qd3 Bc4 29.Qd2 Bxf1 30.b3 d5 31.Rxg5 Rxg5 32.Qxg5 Qf8 33.Nxg7 Qxg7 34.Qxd8+ Qg8 35.Qf6+ Qg7 36.Qxf1 h6 37.exd5 cxd5 38.a4 Kh7 39.Qd3+ Kh8 40.Qxd5 Qg8 41.Qe5+ Qg7 42.Qb8+ Kh7 43.g3 h5 44.h4 Qxg3 45.Qxg3 Black resigned, HauntedKnight - dukifanto. FICS, 2012.

Also seen was 7.dxe5 Rf8 8.Nc3 Kg8 9.O-O Ng6 10.Qd5+ Kh8 11.Qxc5 d6 12.exd6 cxd6 13.Qe3 Qf6 14.Nd5 Qe7 15.Nxe7 Nxe7 16.f4 h6 17.e5 dxe5 18.Qxe5 Nc6 19.Qd6 Bg4 20.Qg6 Bf5 21.Qg3 Nd4 22.Qf2 Nxc2 White forfeited on time, stretto - svadali, FICS, 2008.

7...N7g6 8.dxc5 d6 9.f4 

A standard "tool" from White's "toolbox", although Stockfish 7 suggests development with 9.h3 Re8 10.O-O Kg8 11.Nc3 b6 12.Bg5 Qd7 13.cxd6 Ba6 14.Rfd1 cxd6  first, then 15.f4.

In the game, Black is able to force an exchange of Queens when White does not have enough dynamic pawn play in the middle game to balance the sacrificed piece. The attacker will develop, castle, and begin to pressure his opponent, but he will need some help to prevail - and, oddly, he receives it.

9...Bg4 10.Qg5 Qxg5 11.fxg5 dxc5 12.Nc3 c6 13.O-O+ Ke7 14.h3 Be6 15.Be3 b6 16.Ne2 Nc4 

Here Black resigned after playing his move. I don't know why. Most likely the real world intervened, and he needed to return there.

Long Lines: Seeing Unclearly

Continuing to look at the 6.c3 line in the 5...Ke7 defense to the Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit (see "Variation on A Theme"), here is a game that quickly becomes wildly complicated. 

I have used Houdini 3 to try to give some guidance, but the long lines of play it suggests sometimes seem to lead from "unclear" to "unclear". Or, as the old children's song used to go, "Some kind of  help is the kind of help we all can do without."

(Still, it is worth playing over the computer's lines, for its cold-blooded, dynamic play.)

paoloumali -manicwild
standard, FICS, 2011

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4

The Blackburne Shilling Gambit.

4.Bxf7+ 

The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke7

An overlooked line recently reviewed in "Bypassed in Time".

6.c3 d6 7.cxd4

White decides not to withdraw his Knight.

7...dxe5 8.dxe5 Qd4 

Black's alternative, 8...Qd3, may be a tiny bit better.

9.Nc3 Ke8 10.Qh5+ g6 11.Qg5 Bc5 

The reason behind Black's King's retreat.

Houdini 3 prefers to see the Bishop on the long diagonal: 11...Bg7
12.Qh4 Bxe5 13.O-O h6 14.d3 Qd8 15.Qxd8+ Kxd8 16.d4 Bg7 17.Be3 Ne7 18.d5 Bd7 19.f4 Rf8 20.Rac1 b6 21.h3 Rc8 22.Kh2 a6 23.Rc2 

analysis diagram

with a small advantage to Black. 

However, White has two pawns for his sacrificed piece and Black's King is still trapped in the  middle of his first rank, so the position should not be painful for a hardy Jerome Gambiteer.

12.O-O Ne7 

Black is developing reasonably, but Houdini 3 again takes issue, saying that this gives White a small advantage, and suggesting 12...Qd3 13.Nd5 Bb6 14.Re1 c6 15.Nxb6 axb6 16.Re3 Qd4 17.d3 Be6 18.a3 Kd7 19.Re2 Kc7 20.Be3 Qd8 21.Qg3 Kb8 22.Rc1 Ra4 23.Rd2 Ne7 24.Qh4 Nc8 25.Qf6 Bb3 

analysis position

with an even game.

Um, okay.

13.Nb5

Of course, this play is too straight-forward for Houdini 3, which recommends 13.d3 h6 14.Qg3 Qd7 15.Be3 Bb4 16.e6 Qxe6 17.Nb5 Bd6 18.Nxc7+ Bxc7 19.Qxc7 Rh7 20.Rfe1 Rf7 21.d4 Qf6 22.Qc2 g5 23.d5 Kf8 24.Rad1 Kg8 25.Bd4 Qd6 26.Rc1 b6 27.Qc7 

analysis diagram

with an advantage to White. 

Black has castled-by-hand, but his Queenside development (note the typical Bishop on c8 blocking in the Rook on a8) still lags.

13... Qd7 14.a4 b6 

A blunder, although it may not be easy to see.

Once again, Houdini 3 comes to the "rescue": 14...Bb6 15.e6 Qxe6 16.a5 h6 17.axb6 hxg5 18.Nxc7+ Kf7 19.Nxe6 Bxe6 20.d4 Bc4
21.Re1 axb6 22.Bxg5 Rhc8 23.d5 Ke8 24.f3 Kd7 25.Rec1 b5 26.Kf2 Ra4 27.Kg3 Ng8 28.Be3 Nf6 29.Rxa4 bxa4 30.Kf4 

analysis diagram

White's three extra pawns balance Black's extra piece, and perhaps offer a whisper of an advantage.

15.e6

Taking advantage of the unfortunate placement of Black's Royal Family.

15...Qc6

Safer was 15...Qd3 although you've probably had enough of Houdini 3's ideas for the moment.

16.Qf6

This looks strong to me, but Houdini 3 has a conniption fit, preferring, instead 16.d4 Bxe6 17.Qe5 Bd6 18.Qxh8+ Kd7 19.Qxh7 Qxe4 20.Bg5 Re8 21.Rfe1 Qf5 22.Qh4 Nd5 23.Rac1 Qf8 24.Qh7+
Qf7 25.Qxf7+ Bxf7 26.Rxe8 Bxe8 27.Nxa7 Bf7 28.Nc6 Nb4 29.Ne5+ Bxe5 30.dxe5 Bb3 31.Bd2 Nc6 

analysis diagram

when White is up the exchange and a few pawns.

16...Rf8 17.Qe5 

17...Kd8 

Missing the defense 17...Bd6 18.Nxd6+ cxd6 19.Qd4 Qc5 20.Qd3 Nc6 21.Ra3 Bxe6 22.Rc3 Nb4 23.Qe2 Qh5 24.Qxh5 gxh5 25.b3 Kd7 26.Ba3 Na6 27.d4 Rac8 28.Rfc1 Rxc3 29.Rxc3 Rg8 30.d5 Bf7 31.Rf3 Be8 

analysis diagram

with Black for choice, according to Houdini 3 (although I like White's pawns). 

18.d4 Bd6 19.Nxd6 cxd6 20.Qg7 Re8 21.d5 

Here Black forfeited by disconnection.

In the final diagram, the defender's position is horribly congested, and White is about to add Bg5 to the painful cramp. Among other things, White threatens to win Black's Kingside pawns and advance his 5-0 (!) majority; while the c-file will also beckon to one of his Rooks. Returning a piece with ...Bxe6 will not solve much for Black.