Jerome Gambit: Impatience Wins Again

What do you do, if you are excited by the Jerome Gambit, but don't want to wait for the whole opening to unfold? Well, perhaps, like in the following game, you sacrifice your bishop a bit ahead of schedule...

Of course, when you checkmate your opponent in a dozen moves, you might very well have proven your point.

JovieBoi - NN
5 3 blitz, lichess.org, 2020

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 

The Semi-Italian Opening.

4.Bxf7+ 

This is one of the opening lines that I have classified as "impatient Jerome Gambits" in that White does not wait for ...Bc5 before sacrificing his Bishop.

If Black is not prepared the shock may shorten the game considerably.

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.d4 

Black is holding on, but he has to keep his King safe, even at the cost of returning some material.

8...Qf6 9.dxe5+ Qxe5 10.Qxf8+ 

This works, but 10.Bf4 was even stronger.

10...Qe7 

11.Bf4+ Ke6

Stumbling into it.

12.Qf5 checkmate

Okay!


graphic by Jeff Bucchino, "The Wizard of Draws"

Jerome Gambit: A Sideline, Then Another

There are many refutations to the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) and its relatives, but that does not mean that every defense will be successful.

In the following game, White is headed for the Jerome, when his opponent takes a sideline - and, then, another. It is time to administer the "Jerome cure" to Black, although the patient did not survive.

hastrman - KingRuffus
FICS, 2020

1.e4 Nc6 2.Nf3 e5 3.Bc4 h6 

The Semi-Italian Opening.

4.Nc3 Na5 

Black's position can tolerate either his 3rd or his 4th move, but the combination of the two spells disaster, as White quickly points out.

5.Bxf7+ 

The Database has 88 games with this move. White scores a healthy 86%.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Kf6 

Black's best move was 6...Ke6, but his King would still be in great danger after 7.Qh5. White's Knights would have many brutal forks after the second one joined in at d5, definitely a position worth exploring. 

White now has a forced checkmate, and his opponent ends the game quickly.

7.Qh5 Qe7 8.Qf5  checkmate

Jerome Gambit: Be Prepared

If you are going to play bullet chess, you have to be prepared for just about anything. The story of the following game is that Black was not prepared - for the Jerome Gambit.

angelcamina - ShadowKnight314
1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2020

1. e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 h6 5.O-O Bc5 6.Bxf7+ 

The Semi-Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.

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

9...Qe7 10.f4 c5 

Sometimes this pawn "kick" works, sometimes it doesn't. It is best to work it out beforehand, as there is not a lot of time to figure it out as the play develops in bullet.

11.Qxe5 Qxe5 12.fxe5 Black resigned

Black will be down a piece, with no compensation.

Jerome Gambit: Checkmate the King

It is good to remember that your ultimate goal is to checkmate the enemy King. If you have some fun along the way, so much the better.

JoeBau - sailingsoul
FICS, 2019

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 

The Semi-Italian opening. It is sometimes referred to as the "Anti-Fried Liver Defense", aimed at preventing a White Knight from moving to g5, i.e. 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Nxd5 6.Nxf7 Kxf7

4.Nc3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+ 

Now we have the Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.Qh5+ Ke6 

Black would like to hold on to his extra material. He has a few games in The Database, so, perhaps he sees the position as simply a "standard" Jerome Gambit - with the addition of ...h6 and Nc3.

(By the way, in 6 out of his 8 games with the White pieces, he played Nf3-g5, which may reflect on his interest in ...h6, as a defensive move, as indicated in the note, above.)

8.Qf5+ Kd6 9.Nb5+ Kc6 10.Qxe5 Kxb5 11.a4+ 

Well played: the target is the King. It would be out of place to pawn-grab with 11.Qxg7, which would be well met by 11...Qf6, with Black advantage.

11...Kc6

Safer was 11...Ka6 12.Qxc5 b6 and the King will find refuge at b7.

12.Qd5+ Kb6 13.b4

Nice: Black's Bishop can not move without allowing checkmate at b5 - or can it? It is not immediataly clear that 13.a5+ Ka6 should have been interpolated, first. 

13...Bxf2+ 

This is very interesting. The defender returns material; this can be followed by a timely ...a5, giving the King an escape square at a7 - that is why 13.a5+ was best, earlier, to chase the King over to block that move.

14.Kxf2 Qf6+

Not all Queen checks are the same. The only one that escapes checkmate is 14...Qf8+, controlling the c5 square, e.g. 15.Ke2 a5 16.Qd4+ c5 17.bxc5+ Kc6 when White has compensation (safer King, better development) for his sacrificed material (2 pawns for a piece). 

15.Ke2 c6 16.Qa5 checkmate

The Database: Updated

I recently updated The Database with games from the Free Internet Chess Server, through the end of 2019. The 62,000 games therin represent the largest collection of Jerome Gambit and Jerome-ish openings that I know of.

In addition, because 90+% of the games come from online club play (wins, losses and draws), they are pretty representative of the practical outcome of certain moves or lines. Players can consult their favorite computer (Stockfish, Komodo, Houdini, Crafty, etc.) to get an "objective" assessment of play, and then they can dip into The Database and see how well the lines have fared in play.

There are 15,036 games with the moves 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+, the main line Jerome Gambit.

There are 2,715 games with the moves 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+, the Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.

There are 207 games with the moves 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.0-0 Bc5 5.Bxf7+ and 160 games with the moves 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.Nc3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+, both variants of the Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit.

There are 148 games with the moves 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.Nc3 Nf6 5.0-0 Bc5 6.Bxf7+, the Semi-Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.

There are 6,388 games with the moves 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 4.Bxf7+, The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.

There are 2,470 games with the declination 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Na5.

There are 17,582 games with the moves 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Bxf7+, the Abrahams Jerome Gambit.

That leaves about 17,500 miscellaneous games that are Jerome-related, primarily through an early Bxf7+. They are there both to give players ideas about the opening - an for entertainment purposes.

Jerome Gambit: Transpositions Small and Large

The following game goes mildly along its way, featuring an arcane transposition from a "modern" Jerome Gambit to a Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit. Then, suddenly, the game lurches into deadly waters. And out, again.

Of course, Bill Wall is playing the Jerome.

Wall, Bill - Guest1507051
PlayChess.com, 2019

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

4...Kxf7 5.d3 

Bill plays a "modern" variation of the Jerome Gambit - one without 5.Nxe5. He decides that sacrificing one piece is enough - for now.

5...h6 

Black wants to keep a White piece out of g5. The move is playable, but probably not best.

Bill has faced the stronger 5...Nf6 three times: Wall,B - Richard123, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 10); Wall,B - Hovo,D, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 23); and Wall,B - Bandera,M, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 28).

The move in the game, 5...h6, creates a transposition to the Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit - in this case, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.d3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 - and White decides to capture on e5, after all.

6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.Qh5+ Ke6 

Bill has also faced 7...g6, as in Wall,B - Riichmarj, Chess.com,  2010, (1-0, 29); and 7...Ng6 8.Qd5+ Ke8 9.Qxc5 d6 10.Qc3 Qf6 11.Qxc7 N8e7 12.O-O Kf7 13.Nc3 Be6 14.Qxd6 Rhd8 15.Qg3 Rac8 16.f4 Bd7 17.f5 Nh8 18.e5 Qb6+ 19.Be3 Qxb2 20.Bd4 Nxf5 21.e6+ Bxe6 22.Rxf5+ Bxf5 23.Qxg7+ Ke6 24.Re1+ Kd6 25.Qe7+ Kc6 26.Qc5+ Kd7 27.Re7 checkmate, Wall,B - Guest396164, PlayChess.com, 2017. 

8.Qf5+ Kd6 9.f4 Qh4+ 10.g3 Nf3+

Quite a shot! Without d2-d3 for White, and ...h7-h6 for Black, as in the current game, this move leads to a complicated and deadly (for White) variation - see "Repairing A Variation" Part 1, 2, 3 and 4 for a more complete assessment. I recall getting an email from my friend, "Mad Dog", about a Jerome Gambit correspondence game that he figured he was winning, as he had just won his opponent's Queen - alas, it was a Queen sacrifice, and he was ultimately thrashed.

What difference do the "extra" moves make in this case?

11.Kd1 Qd8

Uh, er, never mind.

The real test of the line goes something like this: 11...Ne7!? 12.e5+ (White must force the issue) Kc6 13.Qe4+ d5 (the only move to keep Black in the game) 14.exd6+ Nd5 15.gxh4 (there goes the Black Queen, White's only chance) Bg4 16.h3 (in the original line, "Mad Dog" tried Qa4; in a series of games against the computer program Crafty in 2012, Philidor1792 tried d4, and Crafty tried f5; all to no avail) Bh5 17.c4!? (The White Queen does not have to retreat, as she is protected in this line) Ng5+ (best) 18.Kc2 Nxe4 19.cxd5+ Kxd5 20.dxe4+ Kxd6 21.Nc3 and the game is balanced, as Black's two Bishops counter White's extra, doubled pawn.

analysis diagram




In the current game, Black is temporarily up a couple of pieces, but that situation does not last.

12.Qd5+ Ke7 13.Qxc5+ d6 14.Qf2 Bg4 

Black cannot save his Knight, and so falls behind by a pawn or two.

15.h3 Nd4+ 

Better was 15...Nh2+ 16.hxg4 Nxg4. 

16.hxg4 c5 

17.g5 Kd7 18.Be3 Qb6 19.Kc1 Ne7 

The game remains complicated, but White is clearly better.

20.gxh6 gxh6 21.Nd2 Raf8 22.Nc4 Qc6 23.Bxd4 cxd4 24.Qxd4 Kc8 

Things begin to slip away.

25.Nxd6+ Kc7 26.Nc4 b6 27.Qe5+ Kd8 28.Qb8+ Nc8 29.Ne5 Qc7 30.Qxc7+ Kxc7 31.Ng6 Black resigned

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.)

Jerome Gambit: Smites

Cecil J. S. Purdy (1906 - 1979), world correspondence chess champion and author, editor, and chess teacher, suggested that when considering moves to play in a chess game, one ought to look at ones that "smite" the opponent.

It is quite possible that my opponent in the following blitz game was familiar with this suggestion. Clearly, he was not impressed with my Jerome Gambit, and countered with a series of smiting moves. Alas, not all of them were strong, and the first one - an old friend of mine - frittered away his advantage.

Notes to the moves in the game allow me to present several of my games that I have somehow overlooked and not previously posted, despite my commitment to share all of my Jerome Gambits, well-played and not-so-well-played. (Please, do not smite me.)

perrypawnpusher - havasiviktor
5 12 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. I have played this line in 59 games, scoring 79%.

6...Kxf7

Of course Black should capture the Bishop, although The Database contains two examples where the defender declined: 6...Kf8 7.Bb3 Ng4 (7...d6 8.h3 Nd4 9.Nxd4 exd4 10.Nd5 Nxe4 11.Qf3+ Nf6 12.d3 Be6 13.Nxf6 Qxf6 14.Bxe6 Qxf3 15.gxf3 Ke7 16.Re1 g5 17.f4 Bb4 18.Re2 gxf4 19.Bxf4 Raf8 20.Bg3 Rhg8 21.Bxg8+ Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - Duquesne, blitz, FICS, 2010) 8.d3 Nd4 9.Nxd4 d6 10.Ne6+ Bxe6 11.Bxe6 Bxf2+ 12.Rxf2+ Nxf2 13.Kxf2 Qf6+ 14.Qf3 Ke7 15.Qxf6+ gxf6 16.Bf5 Rhg8 17.Be3 c5 18.Nd5+ Kf7 19.Nc7 Rab8 20.Be6+ Ke7 21.Bxg8 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - Duquesne, blitz, FICS, 2012 

7.Nxe5+ Nxe5 

Recapturing is best, but, curiously, I have lost the only games where I faced 7...Kf8 and 7...Kg8:

perrypawnpusher - ojot, blitz, FICS, 2012: 7....Kf8 8.Ng6+ Kg8 9.Nxh8 Kxh8 10.d3 d6 11.Be3 Bb4 12.f4 Ng4 13.Qf3? Nxe3 14.Qxe3 Bc5 15.d4 Bxd4 White resigned; and

perrypawnpusher - roccovargas, blitz, FICS, 2011: 7...Kg8 8.Nxc6 dxc6 9.d3 Bg4 10.Qe1 Bb4 11.f4 Kh7 12.h3 Bd7 13.g4 Rf8 14.g5 hxg5 15.fxg5 Nh5 16.Rxf8 Qxf8 17.Qh4 g6 18.Be3 Qf3 19.Qf2 Qxf2+ 20.Kxf2 Bxh3 21.Rh1 Rf8+ 22.Ke2 Ng3+ White resigned

8.d4 Bxd4 

I have faced 10 different moves in this position. I believe the text is best.

9.Qxd4 d6 

10.f4 Nc6 11.Qd3 Nb4 

An old friend. I have faced a similar attack on the Queen six times in earlier games (somewhat different lines), and scored 5 - 0 - 1. That draw was a strange - and strangely familiar -one: perrypawnpusher - grunf, blitz, FICS, 2013:1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.O-O Nf6 5.Nc3 Bc5 6.Bxf7+ Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ Nxe5 8.d4 Bxd4 (8...Bd6 was seen in perrypawnpusher - grunf, blitz, FICS, 2010 9.dxe5 Bxe5 10.f4 Bxc3 11.bxc3 Re8 12.e5 Nh7 13.Qd5+ Re6 14.f5 c6 15.fxe6+ Black resigned) 9.Qxd4 d6 10.f4 Nc6 11.Qd3 Re8 12.Bd2 Nb4 13.Qc4+ Be6 14.Qxb4 b6 15.Rae1 c5 16.Qb5 a6 17.Qd3 b5 18.b3 c4 19.Qf3 Bg4 20.Qg3 Qd7 21.Bc1 Nh5 22.Qf2 Kg8 23.h3 Be6 24.g4 Nf6 25.g5 hxg5 26.fxg5 Nh7 27.Qg3 Bxh3 28.Rf3 Qg4 29.Kh2 Nxg5 30.Qxg4 Bxg4 31.Rg3 Nf3+ 32.Rxf3 Bxf3 33.Kg3 Rf8 34.Bf4 Bh5 35.Rh1 Bg6 36.Bxd6 Rfe8 37.e5 Bxc2 38.bxc4 bxc4 39.Rh2 Bd3 40.Nd5 Rac8 41.Nf4 Bf5 42.Rh1 c3 43.Rc1 c2 44.Nd5 Re6 45.Ne3 Bh7 46.Kf2 Rf8+ 47.Ke2 Rfe8 48.Kd2 g5 49.Nxc2 Rd8 50.Rg1 Rexd6+ 51.exd6 Rxd6+ 52.Kc1 Bxc2 53.Kxc2 Rc6+ 54.Kd3 Rc5 55.Rg2 Kg7 56.Kd4 Ra5 57.Ke4 Kg6 58.Kf3 Rf5+ 59.Ke4 a5 60.Ke3 a4 61.Kd3 Rf4 62.Kc3 Kf5 63.Kd3 g4 64.Kc3 Re4 65.Kd3 Rf4 66.Kc3 Kg5 67.Kd3 Kf5 68.Kc3 Kg5 69.Kd3 Kf5 draw

12.Qc4+ Be6 13.Qxb4 b6 

Often the little things are what let White back into the game, or even allow him to forge ahead. Black would have done better with 12...d5, eventually getting in the move ...dxe4, snatching a pawn for the piece lost. Instead of the text - admittedly, protecting the b-pawn -13...Re8 was more active.

14.Qd4 

Rusty. I could have played 14.e5 Nd5 15.Nxd5 Bxd5 16.Qd4, instead, but I did not realize how much stronger that line of play was.

14...c5 

Smiting my impertinent Queen, who has made 1/3 of my moves in the game.

15.Qd3 c4 

And again!

16.Qf3 

This move is fine, but Her Majesty would have been a bit stronger if she returned to d4.

16...Bg4 

Yet, again!

17.Qg3 

Yes, my Queen has made almost 1/2 of my moves. But, has Black gained anything from all of this smiting?

17...h5 18.e5 dxe5

This allows the opening of the f-file, with White's Rook lined up with Black's King, but there was only temporary relief with 18...h4 19.Qe1 h3 20.exf6 hxg2, when 21.Kxg2 would be good enough, and 21.Rf2!? (intending Rxg2, covering the White King on the open g-file) would be even better.

19.fxe5 Qd4+ 20.Be3 Black resigned

Black can try 20...h4, but after 21.exf6 hxg3 22.fxg7+ Kxg7 23.Bxd4+ he is going to be a Rook down.

Jerome Gambit: Cautious in Bullet?

I wonder if it pays to be cautious in bullet chess. Fending off attacks with your clock ticking down can not be much fun. It's probably more enjoyable to choose a wild opening like the Jerome Gambit, and just hack away.

angelcamina - RafaRofer
1 0 bullet, lichess.org

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6   

The Semi-Italian Opening, according to past world champion Euwe. It is also called the Anti-Fried Liver Defense, I suppose because it keeps a White Knight out of g5, where it plans to sacrifice itself on f7. If Black was planning with 3...h6 to protect f7 in this game, he was sorely disappointed.

4.Nc3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+ 

The Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit. Compare with 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nc3 h6. The pawn move may create more weakness than it is worth.

 5... Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.Qh5+ Ke6

When you have a couple of pieces for a couple of pawns, and Stockfish 10 rates you as only +1 pawn, you have to know that your opponent has some serious dynamic potential. That is Black's situation at this point.

8.f4 Nc4 

Hoping to save one of the two hanging pieces, but actually surrendering both. The phlegmatic 8...d6 was the move. 

9. Qf5+ Ke7 10.Qxc5+ Nd6 11.e5 

11... b6 12.exd6+ cxd6 13.Qe3+ Kf7 14.O-O Nf6

White is better (material, development, pawn structure, King safety).

15.d3 Re8 16.Qf3 Kg8

Oversight. A 1 minute, no increment time control is brutal. 

17.Qxa8 Ba6 18.Qxd8 Rxd8 19.Bd2 Bb7 20.Rae1 Ng4 21.h3 Nf6 22.Ne4 Nd5 

23.Bc3 Ne7 24.Nxd6 Bc6 25.Rxe7 Rf8 

26.Rxg7+ Kh8 27.Rxd7+ Kg8 28.Rg7+ Kh8 29.Nf7+ Rxf7 30.Rxf7+ Black resigned