Jerome Gambit: Maybe Yes, Maybe No

What can you say about a one minute, no increment, chess game?

Maybe yes, maybe no, maybe rain, maybe snow.

Unless the opening is the Jerome Gambit. Then, put your bets on angelcamina, playing White, whether he is better or worse off, "objectively".

angelcamina - KPDGE
1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2019

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 

The Semi-Italian Opening.

4.Nc3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+ 

The Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit.

4...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.Qh5+ Ng6 8.Qd5+ Kf8 9.Qxc5+ d6 10.Qe3 Qf6 

Sometimes in Jerome lines, it is useful for the defender to have his Queen on f6. In this case - with the King on the same file? Probably not. But, remember, this is a 1-minute game, and it will not be decided by nuances.

11.O-O Ne5

Reminds me of the Joker, in "The Dark Knight", saying he wants Batman to hit him.

12.f4

Hitting with the right. It might have been stronger to hit with the left, 12.d4.

12...Nc4 13.Qe2 Nb6 14.e5 

14...Qe6 15.d4 Ne7 16.f5 Qc4 17.Qg4 

Instead, 17.f6 works, but it allows Black to exchange Queens. Instead, White is going after the King.

17...Bxf5 18.Rxf5+ Nxf5 19.Qxf5+ 

19...Ke8 

Freeing the f-file for his h-Rook. Stronger was 19...Kg8, freeing the file for his a-Rook. Who has time to figure this all out?

20.e6 

Easy to understand (Attack! Attack!) but it leaves Black a way out.

20...Qxd4+ 21.Kh1 Rf8 22.Qg6+ Ke7 23.Bxh6 

Nice. White is objectively in trouble, but this offer of a sacrifice - a bluff? - intimidates Black, and turns the game around. (The Bishop must be taken.)

23...Qf6 24.Bg5 

Ow. Certainly the clock must have been a factor at this point.

24...Rae8 25.Bxf6+ Rxf6 26.Qxg7+ Kxe6 27.Re1+ Kf5 28.Rxe8 Kf4 29.Qg3+ Kf5 30.Qf3+ Black resigned

Jerome Gambit: Why We Play "Bad" Openings

The following bullet game (one minute, no increment) was sent to me by Angel Camiña. Please be sure to read the notes. 

Anonymous - Anonymous
1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2019

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6

This is referred to as the "Semi-Italian Opening" in Euwe & Meiden's Chess Master vs Chess Amateur (1963). It is a cautious attempt to keep a White piece off of g5, at the risk of wasting some time and possibly weakening the Kingside, if Black should castle there.

4.Nc3 Nd4 

Wow, Black goes from "shy" to "outgoing" in one move. He plays the Blackburne Shilling Gambit, with the addition of Nc3 and ...h6. This may well be effective psychology in a bullet game (surprise your opponent, make him take precious time to figure out a novel position), but it is very risky play, nonetheless: In 20 previous games in The Database, Black scored only 20%

Stockfish 10 rates the first player's position as 3 pawns better at this point.

5.Bxf7+ 

One good surprise deserves another. White gives the "Jerome treatment", creating a sort of "Semi-Italian Blackmar Shilling Jerome Gambit" hybrid.

Why do such a thing? First, White is familiar with Jerome Gambit and Jerome-like themes and tactics (and his opponent may not be). Second, the "proper" response to Black's 4th move, at least as laid out by Stockfish 10, is stylized along BSG lines, and may well not be to the first player's taste. The computer recommends 5.Nxe5 Qg5 (thematic BSG) 6.Bxf7+ Kd8 7.Ng4 Nf6 8.Ne3 Bc5 9.O-O Rf8 10.f4 Qh4 11.b4 Bb6 12.Bg6 d6 13.e5 Bg4 14.Qe1 Qxe1 15.Rxe1 dxe5 16.fxe5 Bh5 17. exf6 Bxg6 18.fxg7 Rg8 19.Na4 Rxg7 20.Bb2 Rd7 where White is up two pawns.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Ke8 

Home again - and walking into a checkmate.

The computer humorously recommends 6...Ke6 7.f4 Qh4+ 8.g3 Qh3 9.Nd5 Qg2 10.Qg4+ Kd6 11.Qg6+ Nf6 12.Nc4+ Kc6 13.Ne5+
heading toward a draw by repetition.

White is now rewarded for his bold play.

7.Qh5+ Ke7 8.Qf7+ Kd6 9.Nc4+ Kc6 10.Qd5 checkmate

The Database Upgrade

I recently upgraded The Database with games from the online playing site FICS through August, 2018, bumping the number of games it contains to just above 59,000.

With almost 20 years of games from FICS, I have a pretty good representative sample (not just wins, but losses and draws as well) of how online club players play the kind of openings this blog covers.  

There are Jerome Gambit and Jerome-related games, including:

14,353 games with the Jerome Gambit, proper, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5, 4.Bxf7+ (White scores 46%);

2,614 games with the Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+ (White scores 38%);

204 games with the Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.0-0 Bc5 5.Bxf7+ (White scores 64%);

144 games 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+ (White scores 65%); and

6,064 games with the Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 4.Bxf7+ (White scores 56%).

In addition, there are some miscellaneous lines, including 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Na5 4.Bxf7+ (2,406 games, White scores 72%); 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.Bxf7+ (2,061 games, White scores 40%); and various reversed Jerome-style openings, e.g. 1.e4 e5. Nf3 Bc5 3.Nxe5 Bxf2+.

So, who plays the Jerome Gambit?

The player with the most games in The Database (White and Black) is DragonTail (1,452), although I note that his last game is from 2012. Likewise, kingmaple appears 619 times, but his last game is from 2010. yorgos has 600 games, but his last game is from 2014.

As for "active" players, Bill Wall now leads the pack with 842 games in the Database, followed by perrypawnpusher with 592 games - closely followed by drumme with 553 games and Petasluk with 521. I am sure that there are others not yet on my "radar" (e.g. ZahariSokolov with 331 games and rising quickly).

Jerome Gambit: Refutation - Just Like That

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

Jerome Gambit Secrets #2

As mentioned in the first "Jerome Gambit Secrets"

If you play the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) you know that the best source of information on the opening is this blog. 

If you face the Jerome Gambit, however, the best source of information on defending against the opening is - this blog.
Across the 10 years that I have shared history, games and analysis, I have done my best to give the lines that give White the greatest opportunities to snatch victory from the jaws of this defeated - er, "refuted" - opening. 

I have also not shied away from presenting the various refutations, as well. 

Sometimes players have used my suggestions. Sometimes they have not. The "Jerome Gambit Secrets" posts will re-visit suggestions that appear to remain unplayed.

 Take for example, the following line of play. 

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6

The Semi-Italian opening. Black is being careful, but the possible waste of a move and the possible weakening of the Kingside can get White thinking Jerome Gambit thoughts.

4.0-0

This is different than the 4.Nc3 seen in MIG - jfer, 3 0 blitz, FICS, 2001 (1-0, 11), the subject of Jerome Gambit Secrets #1. But - is it a difference that makes a difference?

4...Bc5 5.Bxf7+

The Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.Qh5+ g6 8.Qxe5 

Here we have a position from perrypawnpusher - islanderchess, 10 0 blitz, FICS, 2008 (1-0, 46). In fact, there are 10 games with this position in The Database - all played by me - and White has won every time.

However, if you play this line with White, it is important that you not become overconfident. As far back as December 2, 2008 on this blog, I recommended that Black play the retrograde 8...Bf8!?, as then the Rook in the corner is off limits: 9.Qxh8? Bg7 10.Qh7 Nf6 and the White Queen is lost.

If The Database is any indication, 8...Bf8 has not yet been tried in this position in any game.

For the record, Stockfish 9 recommends the line 8...Bf8 9.Nc3 d6 10.Qg3 Ne7 11.d4 Bg7 12.Ne2 (it also considers 12.d5, 12.Qd3 and 12.Be3) with Black having the traditional advantage of a piece for two pawns, and White having play with his central "Jerome pawns" against Black's somewhat exposed King.

Analysis diagram

Jerome Gambit Secrets #1

If you play the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) you know that the best source of information on the opening is this blog.

If you face the Jerome Gambit, however, the best source of information on defending against the opening is - this blog.

Across the 10 years that I have shared history, games and analysis, I have done my best to give the lines that give White the greatest opportunities to snatch victory from the jaws of this defeated - er, "refuted" - opening.

I have also not shied away from presenting the various refutations, as well.

Sometimes players have used my suggestions. Sometimes they have not. The "Jerome Gambit Secrets" posts will re-visit suggestions that appear to remain unplayed. Occasionally, they will introduce new suggestions. Take for example, the following game. 

MIG - jfer
3 0 blitz, FICS, 2001

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6

The Semi-Italian opening. Black is careful to prevent Ng5 by White.

4.Nc3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+

The Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.Qh5+ g6 8.Qxe5 Bd6

Perhaps Black remembered ...g6 from the Blackburne defense, and felt comfortable giving up the Rook on h8. If so, this game is not the best example of analysis by analogy. Maybe the 3-minute blitz game was going so fast...

9.Qxh8 Nf6 10.Qxd8 Be7 11.Qxc7 Black resigned

Okay, no disrespect to the players, but the game did not show either at the top of their skill level. Again, perhaps the time control was a major factor.

Still, Black could have offered the Rook with a different 8th move: 8...Bf8!?. White would take his Queen's life in his hands if he continued 9.Qxh8? Bg7 10.Qh7 Nf6 and Her Majesty is a goner.

The Database has a half-dozen games with the same position after 8.Qxe5 - all wins for White. In none of the games did Black find the dangerous Bishop retreat. (The Database needs some updating, but, when it is, I am confident that 8...Bf8 will not show up there.)

Stockfish 9 suggests a complicated line that leaves White with 3 pawns for his sacrificed piece, but still gives Black the advantage: 8...Bf8!? 9.Nd5 Nf6 10.Nxc7 d6 11.Qc3 Rb8 12.d3 Bg7 13.Qb3+ Ke7 14.Nb5 a6 15.Nd4 Nxe4 16.Qb4 a5 17.Nc6+ Kf8 18.Nxa5 Nf6 19.0–0 Nd5 20.Qb5 Be6 21.Re1 Bf7 22.c4 Nc7 23.Qb4 Na6 24.Qd2.  I like Black's Bishop pair.

    


Analysis diagram

Jerome Gambit: An Old Friend

The following Jerome Gambit game has an old "friend" - a defensive counter-attacking move that falls to a simple shot by the attacker. It is always good to have this idea in mind, as it can lead to instant happiness.

Wall, Bill - Guest901255
PlayChess.com, 2017

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.

This is a familiar opening; The Database says Bill is 23 - 0 against it.

6...Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ Nxe5 8.d4 Bxd4 9.Qxd4 d6 

A familiar placement of pieces. White hopes to make use of the tempo granted by Black's ...h6.

10.f4 Nc6 11.Qd3 Rf8 12.Bd2 Kg8 13.Rae1 Bd7 14.Rf3 Nb4 

An old friend: Why not harass the enemy Queen? (Black would do better to continue with 14...Be6.)

15.Qc4+ 

Oh, yeah, that's right...

15...d5 16.Qxb4 dxe4 17.Nxe4 Nxe4 18.Qxe4 Bc6 19.Qe6+ Kh8

White has recovered his sacrificed piece and is a pawn up, with better development. The Bishops-of-opposite-colors whisper of the possibility of a drawn endgame, but they offer interesting tactical ideas in the middle game.

20.Rd3 Qf6 21.Qxf6 Rxf6 22.Re7 

It is clear that g7 is going to come under attack.

22...Rc8

Challenging White's Rook with 22...Re8 would lead to 23.Rxe8+ Bxe8 but also 24.Rd8, but that was the right way to go. 

23.Rg3 Bd5 24.Rgxg7 Be4 25.Bc3 Black resigned

White has an attack that will lead to checkmate. The best defense, 25...Rg8, has an air of futility after 26.Bxf6.

Dealing With the "Jerome Pawns"

The following game shows a classic Jerome Gambit matchup between Black's pieces and White's pawns. The defender is doing fine in diagram 3, but quickly destroys his chances with his 9th move. This is a familiar tale: Black needs to be wary if he is unfamiliar with the Jerome.

Wall, Bill - Pelk
PlayChess.com, 2018

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 

The Semi-Italian opening.

4.Nc3 Nf6 5.O-O Bc5 6.Bxf7+ 

The Semi-Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.

6...Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ Nxe5 8.d4 Bd6 9.f4 

White adds another "Jerome pawn" to the center picture. Of course, he could also have played 9.dxe5 Bxe5 10.f4.

9...Nxe4 

What to do? What to do? What to do? Black would be doing fine after the retreat 9...Nc6. He is, after all, ahead two pieces. Instead, his bold move blows up the position.

10.fxe5+ Nf6 11.Nd5 Be7 

Black admits that he will have to give back a second piece. Perhaps he overlooks that there is already a forced checkmate. (Admittedly, it is a mate-in-14, but it is not difficult to work out.)

12.exf6 Bxf6 13.Qh5+ Kg8 14.Nxf6+ gxf6 15.Qg6+ Kf8 16.Rxf6+ Black resigned