The Jerome Gambit and related openings have their main lines and strategies, but it is important to remember that many times those games quickly become scrambled - and players have to ask themselves why they are trying to remember the "right" moves in the midst of all the chaos. It is important to remember that in many club games, the winner is the one who makes the next-to-last error.
susant - seanypf
blitz, FICS, 2012
1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nc6 3.Nf3 Nd4
The Blackburne Shilling Gambit.
4.Bxf7+
The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6 6.Nc4
This is an interesting idea - there are 140 examples in The Database. White scores 52%. The sharpest alternative is 6.c3.
6...Nf6 7.e5
Going right for the attack. White is most likely to decrease Black's advantage with 7.c3, however.
7...Nd5
So simple - but so wrong. Stockfish 8 says this leads to an even game, preferring 7...d5, i.e. 8.c3 Nf5 9.exf6 dxc4 10.fxg7 Bxg7 with the advantage to Black. The extra White pawns don't compensate for the sacrificed piece, the computer believes.
As for game examples, The Database has only two, featuring 7...Ne4? Here they are, with light notes: 8.Qg4+!? (8.c3 Nf5 9.d4 [9.d3!?] 9...c6 [9...Kf7!?] 10. O-O b5 11. Ne3 g6 12. d5+ Ke7 13. d6+ Ke8 14. Nxf5 gxf5 15. Qh5 chekmate, DougDDG - nicapol, FICS, 2007) 8...Kd5? 9.Ne3+ (9.O-O!? d6 [9... Kxc4 10. Qxe4 d5 11. exd6 Bxd6 12. Nc3 c6 White is better] 10. Ne3+ Kxe5 11. f4+ Kf6 12. Qh4+ g5 13. fxg5+ Kg7 14. Qxe4 c5 White is better) 9...Kxe5 10.c3 (10. Qh5+!?) 10...d5 11.cxd4+ Kxd4 12.Nc3? (12. Qe2!?) 12...Bxg4 13.Nb5+ Kc5 14.Nc3 Nxc3 15.bxc3 Qe7?! (15...Qh4!?) 16.O-O? (16.Ba3+!) 16...Be2 17.Ba3+ Kc6 18.Bxe7 Bxf1 19.Bxf8 Rhxf8 20.Kxf1 Rae8 21Rb1 b6 22.Rb4 a5 23.Rh4 h6 24.Rg4 g5 25.Rg3 Re4 26.Rh3 Rh8 27.Nf5 h5 28.Ng7 h4 29.Nf5 Ra4 30.Nd4+ Kb7 31.Ne6 Rxa2 32.Nxg5 Rxd2 33.Nf7 Rd1+ 34.Ke2 Re8+ 35.Kxd1 Re7 36.Ng5 Rf7 37.Nxf7 c5 38.Rxh4 b5 39.Rh6 b4 40.cxb4 a4 41.Nd6+ Black forfeited on time, hest - alipax, FICS, 2010.
8.Qg4+
Not surprisingly, Stockfish 8 prefers 8.c3, with an even game.
8...Nf5
An improvement over the earlier 8...Ke7 9.Qxd4 c6 10.d3 h6 11.Nc3 Nxc3 12.bxc3 g5 13.Ba3+ Ke8 14.Bxf8 Rxf8 15.Nd6+ Ke7 16.O-O Qb6 17.Qg4 Rf4 18.Qh5 Kd8 19.Qxh6 Kc7 20.Ne8+ Kb8 21.d4 d5 22.Qd6+ Qc7 23.Qxc7 checkmate, shredderchess - PsychoGod, FICS, 2011.
9.Qe4
Reasonable, as was 9.O-O Qh4 (9...h5 10.Qg6+ Nf6 11.exf6 Qxf6 12.Re1+ Kd5 13.Qxf6 gxf6 14.d3 Nd4 15.Ne3+ Kc6 16.c3 Ne6 17.b4 b6 18.Bb2 Bg7 19.a4 Kb7 20.Nf5 Bf8 21.c4 Bxb4 22.Re3 Rg8 23.Rf3 Kb8 24.Nd4 Bb7 25.Rxf6 Nxd4 26.Bxd4 Bxg2 27.Rh6 Be4+ 28.Kf1 Bxd3 checkmate, biased - suequntf, FICS, 2009) 10.Qf3 Bc5 11.c3 Qxc4 12.d3 Qh4 13.d4 Bb6 14.Nd2 Rf8 15.Ne4 d6 16.exd6 cxd6 17.Ng5+ Kd7 18.Qxd5 h6 19.Qe6+ Kc7 20.Qc4+ Kd8 21.Nf7+ Ke7 22.Re1+ Kf6 23.Nxd6 Nxd6 24.Qe2 Bf5 25.Qe7+ Kg6 26.Qxd6+ Rf6 27.Qe7 Raf8 28.Qxb7 Be4 29.Qxe4+ Qxe4 30.Rxe4 Rxf2 31.Be3 Rxb2 32.c4 Re2 33.c5 Ba5 34.Rg4+ Kh5 35.Rg3 Bc3 36.Rf1 Rxf1+ 37.Kxf1 Rxa2 38.Rxg7 a5 39.Rh7 a4 40.Rxh6+ Kg4 41.Rg6+ Kf5 42.Rg5+ Ke4 43.Re5+ Kd3 44.c6 Bxd4 45.Bxd4 Kxd4 46.Re8 Rc2 47.Ra8 Rc4 48.c7 Ke3 49.Re8+ Kd4 50.c8=Q Rxc8 51.Rxc8 a3 Black resigned, mhmf - JhondEdie, FICS, 2014.
White can't quite take advantage of the pin on the Knight at f5, as 9.Ne3 would be met by 9...Nxe3 10.dxe3 and now 10...d5 would prevent the new e-pawn from attacking the Knight, while 10...Qh4 would disrupt the pinning Queen.
9...Qh4 10.Qe2
White's dilemma is that an exchange of Queens would allow Black's King to eventually escape his uneasy position in the middle of the board.
10...Nd4
11.Qd3
Protecting c2 from the fork, but even the timid 11.Qd1 would fail - to 11...Qe4+ 12.Ne3 Nxe3 13.dxe3 Nxc2+, etc. White's game goes to pieces.
11...Nb4 12.Qb3 Nbxc2+ 13.Kd1 Nxb3 White forfeited by disconnection
Okay, so maybe it is a good idea to learn some opening theory.
The Jerome Gambit often contains the opportunity for Black to kick the White Queen around, and such a thing is almost irresistible. In the following game, the "Jerome pawns" get a chance to become almost irresistible as well.
perrypawnpusher - yuriko
blitz, FICS, 2011
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6
The Semi-Italian Opening.
4.0-0 Nf6 5.Nc3 Bc5
The Semi-Italian Four Knights Game.
6.Bxf7+
The Semi-Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.
6...Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ Nxe5 8.d4 Bxd4 9.Qxd4 d6
10.f4 Nc6 11.Qd3 Re8 12.Bd2 Nb4
In the Jerome Gambit, some ideas are almost irresistible: Knight harasses Queen!
In our 2010 game, my opponent played 12...Kg8, and only after 13.Rae1 did he succumb to 13...Nb4, in perrypawnpusher - yuriko, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 31). Earlier this year he showed that he had learned his lesson, playing 13...Be6 in perrypawnpusher - yuriko, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1/2-1/2, 37).
13.Qc4+
I always like to remember that here Black resigned, in perrypawnpusher - susant, blitz, FICS, 2010
13...Kf8 14.Qxb4 b6 15.Rae1 Ba6 16.Rf2 Ng4 17.Rf3 Kg8
Yuriko certainly has the right idea: move #12 only gave back the "extra" piece. It is still time to attack and defend.
18.h3 Nf6 19.Nd5 c5
Still harassing the Queen.
It was probably better to chop some wood with 19...Nxd5 20.exd5 Rxe1+ 21.Bxe1 Qe7, thinking of the drawable Bishops-of-opposite-colors endgame that might be reached, even a pawn down.
20.Nxf6+ Qxf6 21.Qc3 Qg6
By not exchanging Queens, Black takes on additional risk. Opposite-color-Bishop middlegames favor the attacker. The Queen move makes g7 more vulnerable.
22.Rg3 Qh7 23.f5 Bb7 24.f6 g6
25.Qf3
After the game Rybka 3 suggested the clearance sacrifice 25.f7+ and after 25...Kxf7 26.Rf1+ Kg8 27.Qb3+. The same idea would work against 25...Qxf7.
25...Rf8 26.Bc3 Rae8 27.Qg4 g5 28.Rge3 Bc8 29.Qg3 Rf7
30.Qxd6 Qg6 31.e5 Kh7
The blockading 31...Be6, so natural in Bishops-of-opposite-colors positions, would have been stronger.
32.e6 Bxe6 33.Rxe6 Qxc2 34.Rxe8 Black resigned
When you have invested a lot of material in an unsound sacrificial opening, it is a treat to get some of it back quickly. That does not mean that the battle is over, however.
perrypawnpusher - abczyx
blitz, FICS, 2010
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+
The Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.
5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4
7...Bxd4
Popular, but the best response remains 7...Bd6 8.dxe5 Bxe5
8.Qxd4 d6 9.f4
Alonzo Wheeler Jerome had this position (by transposition) twice in correspondence games against S.A. Charles and both times played 9.Bg5. I never remember that.
9...Nc6 10.Qd3 Re8 11.0-0 Nb4
Oh, dear, not again... The New Year's Database has six of my games with this Knight strike when Black's King is at g8, and one when it is at f7.
12.Qc4+ d5
The right response, found by pwr and mjmonday in similar positions, although I admit I prefer to face susant's response, even though it is a bit over-the-top: Resigns.
13.Qxb4 Nxe4
The fact is that although White has recovered his sacrificed piece, the position is still roughly equal – and in this case White's Kingside seems a bit unprotected and his Queen, out of place.
14.Qd4 Nxc3 15.Qxc3 d4 16.Qd3 Qd6 17.Qxh7
This pawn-grab is a bit risky, opening a line to White's King.
17...Bd7 18.Bd2 Rh8 19.Qd3 a6
Perhaps Black could have considered doubling Rooks here, but he had something else on his mind.
20.Rae1 Bb5
What exactly is going on here?
a) Black will win the exchange with his "x-ray attack" along the a6-f1 diagonal
b) Black threatens to win the exchange with his "x-ray attack" along the a6-f1 diagonal, but White has tactical resources to escape
c) Black has blundered and will have to give up a piece to stay in the game
21.Qf5+
Well, obviously vladchess chose "a" as his answer, and this move shows that I believed in "b".
Only after the game did Rybka show its preference for "c". With 21.Qb3+ Black's King is shown to be in a world of danger. His best response is 21...Kf6, but after 22.Bb4 White has too many lines of attack. If 22...Qd7, then 23.Re7 Qxe7 24.Bxe7+ Kxe7. If 22...c5 then 23.Bxc5 Qd7 24.Re7 Qxe7 25.Bxe7+ Kxe7. Black can try 22...Ba4, but White can swap Queens and then grab the piece with 23.Bxd6 Bxb3 24.Be5+ Kf7 25.axb3.
21...Kg8 22.Rf3 d3
The idea behind this is unclear. Black did best with 22...Rf8, as after 23.Qe5 Qxe5 24.Rxe5 White's advantage is small.
23.cxd3 Bd7 24.Qe5 Qb6+
Exchanging Queens was more prudent.
25.Kh1 Re8
Black still wants to battle it out.
26.Qc3
I overlooked the fact that White not only can win a Rook and a Bishop for his Queen, he can also add an additional Rook: 26.Qxe8+ Bxe8 27.Rxe8+ Kf7 (or 27...Kh7 28.Rh3+) 28.Rxh8
26...Qh6
Finally doubling up on the file that I so graciously opened earlier.
27.Rxe8+ Bxe8 28.Rh3
Forcing another exchange of Rooks.
28...Qb6
An ill-considered retreat, as White immediately shows.
29.Qc4+ Bf7 30.Rxh8+ Kxh8 31.Qxf7 Qxb2
Black is still ready to make a battle of it: his Queenside pawns vs my extra Bishop. It will come down to whose King is more at risk.
32.Qe8+
At around this point my opponent offered me a draw. I found this encouraging, as most of the time when someone offers me a draw it is because they want to distract me from a win...
32...Kh7 33.Qe1 Qxa2 34.f5 b5 35.g4
Giving my King some luft and planning to limit Black's King.
Here Black had a chance to reduce his pawns vs Bishop scenario to simpler terms with 35...Qd5+ 36.Qe4 Qxe4 37.dxe4 b4. However, White's Bishop can hold back the enemy pawns from c1, until it needs to leap forward at the right moment to h6 to allow it's own pawn to Queen.
35...c5 36.g5 b4
In the end, the pawns on the Kingside rule.
37.g6+ Kh8 38.Qh4+ Kg8 39.Qd8 checkmate
I've already collected too many points from the "Optical Illusion" variation of the Jerome Gambit (see "Optical Illusion (1)" and "Optical Illusion (2)" or the most recent "Disdainful Defender Defense") so I am uneasy about identifying a second position that has been gaining me points for something that my opponents do not see in the position...
perrypawnpusher - susant
blitz, FICS, 2010
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 h6 5.0-0 Bc5
The Semi-Italian Four Knights Game.
6.Bxf7+
The Jerome Gambit response. I've slowly raised my score against this unfortunate (for me) line to 57% (still about 30% lower than my general Jerome Gambit score).
7...Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ Nxe5 8.d4 Bxd4 9.Qxd4 d6
White has a pawn for his sacrificed piece. Black is clearly better.
10.f4 Nc6 11.Qd3 Re8 12.Bd2
Now after 12...Kg8 it is hard to see any compensation for White, as Black has even been able to castle-by-hand.
12...Nb4
Absolutely fascinating. Black attacks the Queen – and loses a piece.
Seen previously was the similar: 12...Kg8 13.Rae1 Nb4 14.Qc4+:
perrypawnpusher - amirelattar, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 50);
perrypawnpusher - pwr, blitz FICS, 2010 (1-0, 38); and
perrypawnpusher - Angstrem, blitz, FICS, 2010 (but 0-1, 35 )
13.Qc4+
Black resigned
The final illusion: Black is losing a piece, but he already has one to give!
After 13...d5 14.Qxb4 Nxe4 the game would simply be even. There was no need for surrender.
