Exploring

After the previous post ("Keep Your Eye on the Prize") I started gathering thousands of Abrahams Jerome Gambit games and adding them to The Database, to develop a better understanding of the opening.

As the following game shows, theory of some of the variations is not far developed.

macele - torment
blitz, FICS, 2005

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Bxf7+ 

3...Kxf7 4.Qh5+ Ke6 5.Nf3 

I was surprised to see that this move leads to an even game. So far, less than half of the games in The Database have this move.

Now, after 5...Nc6, the position would resemble a Jerome Gambit where the "ghost" White Queen has passed through the White Knight to deliver check.

5...d6 6.Ng5+ 

I have always been suspicious of this move in the Jerome Gambit proper, but here it seems necessary.

6...Kd7 7.Nf7 Qf6

One of a few equal responses. Black could have tried 7...Qf8 8.f3 Nf6 9.Qh3+ Kc6 10.g4 Qxf7 11.Qf1 d5 12.exd5+ Qxd5 13.Nc3 Qe6 14.Qb5+ Kd6 15.b4 b6 16.bxc5+ bxc5 17 Ba3 c6 18.Qxc5+ Kd7 19.O-O Nxg4 20.fxg4 Qxg4+ 21.Kh1 Bb7 22.Rg1 Qf3+ 23.Rg2 Re8 24.Kg1 Ba6 25.d3 Bb7 26.Rf1 Qh5 27.Rxg7+ Kc8 28.Qd6 Black resigned, Turkman - andrecoenen,  FICS, 2006. 

Or 7...Qe8 8. Qf5+ (8.Qg4+ Kc6 9.Qxg7 Be6 10.Nxh8 Nd7 11.b4 Bxb4 12.c3 Bc5 13.Ba3 Ndf6 14.Bxc5 dxc5 15.Na3 Rd8 16.Nb5 Rd7 17.Qg3 Kxb5 18.c4+ Bxc4 19.a4+ Kc6 20.a5 Rd3 21.Qg7 Qd8 22.O-O Nxe4 23.Nf7 Qd4 24.Nxe5+ Kb5 25.Rfb1+ Ka6 26.Qf6+ Ngxf6 White resigned, AlexPR - raviven, FICS, 2008; or 8.Qf3 Nf6 9.Nxh8 Qxh8 10.d3 Nc6 11.Be3 [11.c3 Ke8 12.Bg5 Bg4 13.Qg3 Be6 14.Nd2 Kd7 15.f4 Rf8 16.fxe5 dxe5 17.b4 Bd6 18.O-O h6 19.Be3 Ng4 20.Rxf8 Qxf8 21.Rf1 Qe7 22.a3 Nxe3 23.Qxe3 Qg5 24.Qxg5 hxg5 25.Nf3 g4 26.Ng5 Bg8 27.Nf7 Be7 28.b5 Bxf7 29.Rxf7 Nd8 30.Rxg7 Ne6 31.Rxg4 Bxa3 32.h4 Ke7 33.h5 Kf7 34.h6 Nf8 35.Rg7+ Kf6 36.Rxc7 Kg6 37.Rxb7 Kxh6 38.d4 exd4 39.cxd4 Bb2 40.d5 Bd4+ 41.Kf1 Kg6 42.Ke2 Kf6 43.Kf3 Ng6 Black resigned, Philidor 1792 - guest1923, www.bereg.ru, 2015] 11...Bxe3 12.fxe3 b6 13.O-O Bb7 14.Qh3+ Ke7 15.Nc3 Bc8 16.Qh4 Be6 17.Nd5+ Bxd5 18.exd5 Nb4 19.Qxb4
Nxd5 20.Qc4 Ke6 21.e4 b5 22.Qxd5+ Kd7 23.Rf7+ Kc8 24.Raf1 Black resigned, pauldiekrake - AlgozBR, FICS, 2014) 8...Kc6 9.Qh5 (9.Qf3 Nf6 10.Nxh8 Qxh8 11.d3 Bg4 12.Qg3 Nbd7 13.h3 Be6 14.O-O Rf8 15.Be3 Nh5 16.Qh2 b6 17.Bxc5 Nxc5 18.Nd2 Nf4 19.b4 Nd7 20.c4 Kb7 21.a4 g5 22.a5 h5 23.Nf3 g4 24.Nh4 Nf6 25.g3 Nxh3+ 26.Kg2 Bxc4 27.dxc4 Nxe4 28.Ng6 Qf6 29.Nxf8 Qf3 checkmate, RattyMouse - raviven, FICS,  2007) 9...Nf6 10.b4 Bxf2+ 11.Kxf2 Nxh5 12.b5+ Kb6 13.Nxh8 Qxh8 14.d3 Qf8+ 15.Ke2 Bg4+ 16.Ke1 Nd7 17.Nc3 c6 18.bxc6 bxc6 19.Rf1 Ndf6 20.Bd2 Kc7 21.Na4 Qe7 22.Rb1 Nd7 23.h3 Be6 24.Ba5+ Kc8 25.Kd2 Rb8 26.Rxb8+ Nxb8 27.Rb1 Qg5+ 28.Kc3 Qxg2 29.Bb6 axb6 White resigned, AlexPR - raviven, FICS, 2007. 

Or 7...Nf6 8.Qf5+ (8.Qh4 Bxf2+ 9.Kxf2 Nxe4+ 10.Qxe4 Qf6+ 11.Qf3 Qxf3+ 12.gxf3 Rf8 13.Ng5 h6 14.Nh3 Nc6 15.c3 Kd8 16.d3 Bxh3 17.Rg1 Rg8 18.Bxh6 Kd7 19.Bxg7 Rae8 20.Nd2 Bf5 21.Ne4 Bxe4 22.dxe4 Kc8 23.b4 Kb8 24.b5 Na5 25.a4 Nc4 26.Rab1 Nd2 27.Rbd1 Nb3 28.Bh6 Rxg1 29.Rxg1 Nc5 30.a5 Nd3+ 31.Ke3 Nc5 32.h4 Ne6 33.Bg5 Ng7 34.Rg4 Nh5 35.Bh6 a6 36.bxa6 bxa6 37.Rg5 Nf6 38.Rg6 Ng8 39.Bg5 Rf8 40.h5 Kb7 41.h6 Nxh6 42.Bxh6 Rh8 43.Bg7 Rg8 44.f4 exf4+ White forfeited on time, radejanus - Erge, FICS, 2008; or 8.Qe2 Qf8 9.Nxh8 Qxh8 10.O-O h5 [10...Nc6 11.c3 Ke7 12.h3 Be6 13.Na3 a6 14.Nc4 Qc8 15.d3 Bxh3 16.gxh3 Qxh3 17.Be3 Ng4 18.f3 Qg3+ 19.Qg2 Qxg2+ 20.Kxg2 Nxe3+ 21.Nxe3 Bxe3 22.Rh1 h6 23.Rh5 g6 24.Rh4 Bf4 25.Rah1 Rh8 26.Rg4 Kf6 27.a4 Ne7 28.b4 Bd2 29.d4 Bxc3 30.dxe5+ Bxe5 31.b5 axb5 32.axb5 g5 33.Kf2 d5 34.Ke2 dxe4 35.Rxe4 Nd5 36.Kd3 Kf5 37.Kc4 Nb6+ 38.Kc5 Nd7+ 39.Kd5 Nf6+ 40.Kc4 Nxe4 41.fxe4+ Kxe4 42.Re1+ Kf4 43.Kd5 Rd8+ 44.Ke6 Rd6+ 45.Ke7 Bd4 46.Rf1+ Kg4 47.Rh1 h5 White resigned, ndizvoh - sniktawiii, FICS, 2014] 11.h3 Ke7 12.d3 Qh7 13.Bg5 Qg6 14.Qd2 Kf7 15.Bxf6 gxf6 16.Kh2 Nd7 17.f4 exf4 18.Rxf4 Ne5 19.d4 Nc4 20.Qf2 Bb6 21.b3 Na5 22.c3 c5 23.Nd2 cxd4 24.Rf1 Bd8 25.cxd4 Nc6 26.e5 dxe5 27.dxe5 Nxe5 28.Ne4 Nd3 29.Rxf6+ Bxf6 30.Qd4 Bf5 31.Qd5+ Kg7 32.Qxb7+ Kh6 33.Nxf6 Rf8 34.Nd7 Rf7 35.Qf3 Rxd7 36.Qxf5 Qxf5 37.Rxf5 Nc1 38.Rf2 a5 39.Rc2 Nd3 40.Rc6+ Kg5 41.Rc2 Nb4 42.Rc5+ Rd5 43.Rxd5+ Nxd5 44.a3 Nc3 45.Kg3 Ne4+ 46.Kf3 Nc5 47.b4 axb4 48.axb4 Na4 49.b5 Nb6 50.Kg3 h4+ 51.Kf3 Nc4 52.g3 Ne5+ 53.Kg2 hxg3 54.Kxg3 Nc4 55.h4+ Black forfeited on time, ndizvoh - LadyBishop, FICS, 2014; or 8.Qh3+ Ke7 9.Nxd8 Bxh3 10.gxh3 Rxd8 11.d3 Nc6 12.Nc3 Nd4 13.O-O Nxc2 14.Rb1 Nd4 White forfeited on time,  Djmilen - Torny, FICS, 2006) 8...Kc6 9.Nxd8+ Rxd8 10.Qg5 Rg8 11.d3 Bd4 12.Na3 Na6 13.Be3 Nb4 14.O-O-O Nxa2+ 15.Kb1 Nc3+ 16.bxc3 Bxc3 17.d4 Nxe4 18.Qh4 Bf5 19.f3 g5 20.Qxh7 Bxh7 21.fxe4 Bxe4 22.dxe5 dxe5 23.Rhf1 Bxg2 24.Rg1 Bf3 25.h4 Bxd1 26.Rxd1 gxh4 27.Rd3 Bb4 28.Nc4 e4 29.Ne5+ Kb5 30.Rb3 a5 31.c4+ Ka6 32.Ka2 c5 33.Nd7 Rg2+ 34.Kb1 b6 35.Ne5 a4 36.Rd3 exd3 37.Nc6 d2 38.Nxb4+ cxb4 39.Kc2 Rd8 White resigned, austindark - AkeZ, FICS, 2008. 

Or 7... g6 8. Qg4+ Black resigned, Kazzakii - kkpsA, FICS, 2014. 

Or 7...Bxf2+ 8.Kxf2 Nf6 9.Qh3+ Kc6 10.Qc3+ Kd7 11.Nxd8 Kxd8 12.d3 Ng4+ 13.Ke1 Nc6 14.Bg5+ Ke8 15.h3 Nh6 16.Bxh6 gxh6 17.Rf1 Be6 18.Qd2 Nd4 19.c3 Nc6 20.Qf2 Ke7 21.Qf6+ Kd7 22.Qg7+ Ne7 23.Qxh6 Rag8 24.g4 Ng6 25.Qe3 Nf4 26.Rxf4 exf4 27.Qxf4 Rf8 28.Qe3 b6 29.Nd2 Rf7 30.Kd1 Rg8 31.Kc2 Rgf8 32.d4 Kc8 33.d5 Bd7 34.Qe2 Kb7 35.Rf1 Black resigned, Mannixcannon - Txanan, FICS, 2014)

8.Qf5+

Instead, 8.Qf3 seems essential.

Alternately 8.Qg4+ Ke7 9.Qg5 Kxf7 10.Qxf6+ Nxf6 11.d3 Ng4 12.O-O Nc6 13.c3 Be6 14.b4 Bb6 15.a4 a6 16.h3 Nf6 17.Bg5 Nh5 18.Nd2 h6 19.Bh4 g5 20.Bg3 Raf8 21.Nf3 Ke7 22.b5 axb5 23.axb5 Na5 24.c4 Nb3 25.Ra3 Nd4 26.Nxd4 Bxd4 27.Ra7 Bxa7 28.Bh2 Nf4 29.Bxf4 gxf4 30.Kh1 Rhg8 31.f3 Rf6 32.Kh2 Rg3 White resigned, drcollie - nytwotwenty, FICS, 2006; or 8.O-O g6 (8...Nc6 9.Nxh8 Nd4 10.Na3 Bxa3 11.bxa3 Nxc2 12.Rb1 b6 13.Rb2 Nd4 14.Rb1 Bb7 15.d3 Ne7 16.Nf7 Rf8 17.Ng5 Ba6 18.Rd1 g6 19.Qxh7 Ne2+ 20.Kh1 Nxc1 21.Nf3 Ne2 22.Rd2 Nd4 23.Nxd4 exd4 24.Rf1 Rf7 25.Qh3+ Kd8 26.f4 Nc6 27.Qf3 g5 28.f5 Ne5 29.Qg3 Nxd3 30.Rxd3 Bxd3 31.Qxd3 Qe5 32.Re1 Rh7 33.h3 g4 34.Kg1 gxh3 35.Qxh3 Rxh3 36.gxh3 Qg3+ 37.Kf1 Qxh3+ 38.Kf2 Qh2+ 39.Kf3 Qh3+ 40.Kf4 Qxa3 41.Re2 Qe3+ 42.Rxe3 dxe3 43.Kxe3 Ke7 44. Kf4 Black forfeited on time, RattyMouse - attackme, FICS, 2008) 9.Qh3+ (9.Qf3 Qxf3 10.gxf3 Ke7 11.Nxh8 Kf8 12.d3 Kg7 13.Nxg6 hxg6 14.c3 Bh3 15.Re1 Nd7 16.a4 Rf8 17.b4 Bb6 18.a5 Bxf2+ 19.Kxf2 Ngf6 20.Kg3 Be6 21.h4 Nh5+ 22.Kf2 Bg4 23.Nd2 Nf4 24.Kg3 Nxd3 25.Re3 Nxc1 26.fxg4 Ne2+ 27.Rxe2 c6 28.Rh1 Black resigned, radejanus - Blus, FICS, 2014) 9...Kc6 10.Qf3 Qxf3 11.gxf3 Bh3 12.Re1 Nf6 13.Nxh8 Nbd7 14.Nf7 Nh5 15.Ng5 Nf4 16.Nxh3 Nxh3+ 17.Kg2 Nxf2 18.c3 Nf6 19.b4 Bb6 20.c4 Nd3 21.Rd1 Nxb4 22.Ba3 Nc2 23.Nc3 Nxa1 24.Rxa1 Rf8 25.Rf1 Nh5 26.h3 Nf4+ 27.Kg3 Nd3 28.Ne2 h6 29.Kg4 Nf2+ 30.Kg3 g5 31.c5 Nxe4+ 32.fxe4 Rf2 33.Kxf2 Bxc5+ 34.Bxc5 Kxc5 35.Ng3 Kd4 36.Nh5 Kd3 37.Nf6 Kxd2 38.Nd7 Kd3 39.Kf3 Kc4 40.Rc1+ Black forfeited on time, Rattymouse - COHGNH, FICS, 2007. 

8...Qxf5 9.exf5 Nf6 10.Nxh8 Ke7 11.c3 Bxf5 12.d4 Bb6

Black is temporarily down the exchange, but White's Knight on h8 will soon be lost, giving the defender the advantage.

13.dxe5 dxe5 14.Bg5 Nc6 15.O-O Rxh8 16.Re1 h6 17.Be3 Bxe3 18.Rxe3 Rd8 19.Na3 a6 20.Nc4 Ke6 21.f3 Nd5 22.Re2

A slip, which compounds White's problems.

22...Bd3 23.Rd2 Bxc4 24.b3 Be2 25.Rxe2 Nxc3 26.Rc2 Rd1+ 27.Rxd1 Nxd1 28.Rd2 Nc3 29.a3 Nd4

30.Kf2 Kf5 31.Rd3 Nd5 32.g3 g5 33.g4+ Kf4 34.h3 c6 35.Kg2 Ne2 36.Kf2 Nc1 37.b4 White forfeited by disconnection

Not Funny

One reason to play the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) is that you might cause your opponent to break out laughing. Who doesn't need a good laugh these days?

In the following game, though, Black is probably not even over his giggles before he realizes that he has a worse – not winning – game.

Not funny!

jfhumphrey - sniktawiii
blitz, FICS, 2011

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4

A line that we have seen that jfhumphrey likes (see "Danger? He laughs at danger!").

6...Bd6

A more active alternative touched upon recently was 6...Bb4+; and of course there were always the straight-forward 6...Bxd4 and the scary 6...Qh4.

Black, rated about a couple hundred points higher than his opponent, covers his surprise at facing the Jerome Gambit by borrowing the Bishop move from the "fork trick".

7.dxe5 Bxe5

Not the best response, but who would think up Rybka 3's suggestion of 7...Bb4+ 8.c3 Bf8 and a roughly even game? 

8.Qd5+

Best.

At this point Black resigned in jfhumphrey - stefanomnn, blitz, FICS, 2010.

White has had experience with the alternative 8.Qh5+ as well, in jfhumphrey - jrhicksdotnet, blitz, FICS, 2008 (1-0, 14) and jfhumphrey - biryuk, blitz, FICS, 2010 (0-1, 65).

8...Kf6 9.f4 d6 10.fxe5+ Black resigned

Black is only down a pawn, but the fun seems to have gone out of the game.