Jerome Gambit: Another Game, More Lessons

I enjoyed my recent online Jerome Gambit game, and even though the computer had plenty to say about my play, afterward, I enjoyed that, too.

perrypawnpusher - atomsymbol
10 0 blitz, FICS, 2018

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6

This is a solid move, but I am always glad to see it, because it seems to have a "do it yourself" feel. It is as if Black has reasoned "nobody would seriously sacrifice two pieces in the opening, so it seems reasonable, if not downright scientific, and, maybe, even necessary, to give one back, right away". Thank you.

7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 N8e7

The knight usually goes to f6, but the text is something that Jerome Gambit regulars such as AsceticKing, Bill Wall, chessmusings, MrBlack, MrJoker, shugart, vlastous and I have faced before, so it is worth being ready for. The Knight provides some protection for the King along the e-file, and leaves the f-file open for Black's Rook.

9.O-O d6 10.Qe3 Rf8 11.f4 Qd7

Komodo 9.02, in blunder check mode, does not object to this move, but it seems to block Black's Bishop, which blocks Black's Rook - a classic weakness in the Jerome.

On the other hand, it provides some restraint on White playing e4-e5, once his Queen has been enticed to the d-file, since the exchange of Queens would dampen any kind of attack. Perhaps Black should have tried 11...Nc6, as in perrypawnpusher - taman, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-30).

12.f5 Ne5 13.d4 Nc4 14.Qd3 

Done almost as a reflex, and providing support for the pawn at f5, should I play e4-e5, but I probably should have looked at and evaluated 14.Qe2. (14...d5 would have been a good response to any of my choices.)  Interestingly, last year shugart chose 14.Qb3 in his game against oritelgavi (0-1, 36).

14...b5 15.b3 Nb6 16.Bg5 a6 17.Nc3 h6 18.Bxe7 Kxe7 19.Rae1 Kd8

Komodo now sees White as having equalized, meaning that it gives the first player some positional plusses in its evaluation to balance out the 2 pawns vs piece material disadvantage. Black lags in development (but he will quickly fix this) and his King is riskily placed.

20.Nd5

Komodo's preference shows how chess computers have improved in their positional play: my move allows opening the e-file, but the computer prefers to see the Knight posted on e6, and suggests, even at the cost of time: 20.Ne2 Bb7 21.Nf4 Rg8 22.Ne6+ Kc8 It then anchors the Knight with 23.d5, with an even game. I need to learn to see the quieter moves.

20...Nxd5 21.exd5 Bb7 22.c4 Re8

Contesting the e-file. It is enlightening to see that Komodo prefers that Black castle-by-hand on the Queenside. The whole line of recommended play - well beyond my during-the-game investigations - ends up with a very unbalanced position which it assesses as better for Black, although White clearly has practical chances: 22...Kc8 23.Qe3 Qf7 24.Qe7 Kb8 25.Qh4 Re8 26.Re6 Bc8 27.Rxe8 Qxe8 28.f6 gxf6 29.Qxh6 Bb7 30.Qxf6 Qe3+ 31.Qf2 Qc3 32.Qf3 Qxd4+ 33.Qf2 Qd3 34.Rc1 Bc8 35.h3 Kb7 36.Kh2 Bd7 37.cxb5 axb5 38.Qc2 Qxc2 39.Rxc2

analysis diagram




I might not be able to hold this position with White, but a good number of stronger Jerome Gambiteers probably could.

23.Re6 Rxe6

This Rook exchange gives up too much. It is fascinating to see what Komodo believes is a better line of play, with Black forcing a draw: 23...Rg8 24.Rfe1 Kc8 25.Re7 Qd8 26.Qg3 Kb8 27.Rxg7 Rxg7 28.Qxg7 bxc4 29.bxc4 Qh4 30.g3 Qh5 31.f6 Ka7 32.f7 Qf3 33.g4 Rf8 34.Re7 h5 35.Rxc7 hxg4 36.Qxf8 Qd1+ 37.Kf2 Qf3+ 38.Ke1 Qe3+ 39.Kd1 and White cannot escape the checks, leading to a draw. Nice, but this was all beyond my assessments.

analysis diagram





24.fxe6 Qe7

White's control of the f-file, his Rook invasion point at f7, the possible invasion by the Queen at h7 (I missed that in the game) and Black's weak back rank all support the assessment that White is winning.

25.Rf7 

Even stronger was 25.Qh7 with back rank mate threats, as well as plans to pin Black's Queen with a Rook. Giving up a piece gives temporary respite 25...Bxd5 26.cxd5 Kc8 27.Qc2 The new weakness is the 7th rank and the c-pawn 27...Kb7 (27...c5 28.dxc6 Qxe6 29.Qd2 Qe8 30.Re1 Qd8 31.Re6 Ra7 32.Qe1 Qg5 33.d5 or 27...Qe8 28.Qc6 Qxc6 29.Rf8+ Kb7 30.dxc6+ Kxc6 31.Rxa8) 28.Qc6+ Ka7 29.Rf7 Re8 30.Rxe7 Rxe7 31.Qd7 Rxd7 32.exd7 Kb7 33.d8=Q  It will soon be "curtains" for Black.

25...Qe8 26.Qf3 

This move is fine, but 26.Qf5 was more precise. Why? Because, after the text my opponent could have surprised me with 26...Qxe6, and, while the move wouldn't have saved the game (27.dxe6 Bxf3 28.gxf3 Ra7 29.d5!?) any kind of suprise can be a weapon in blitz.

26...bxc4 

This leads to a quick end.

27.Rf8 Bxd5 28.Rxe8+ Kxe8 29.Qf7+ Kd8 30.Qd7  checkmate

Dealing with Harassment

I have read that Grandmasters can look at a complicated position and almost immediately, without apparent analysis or evaluation, decide that a certain piece "must" go to a particular square. How different that is from my own experience...

perrypawnpusher - louarn
blitz, FICS, 2010

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5

Earlier this year we had played a couple of Semi-Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit games that I had won in 21 and 49 moves.

4.Bxf7+

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6

7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 N8e7

Planning for play on the f-file, especially targeting the square f5, which seems to be a magnet for "Jerome pawns".

10.0-0 Rf8

An interesting alternative is 10...d5, seen in perrypawnpusher - OverwiseMan, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 27).

11.f4

Or 11.d4, as Louis Morin (mrjoker) has played successfully in a couple of games, guest6567 - guest4702, ICC, 2004 (1-0, 26) and mrjoker - tomnoah, ICC, 2008.


11...Bd7

With an eye toward putting the Bishop on the a8-h1 diagonal. Both 11...Nc6, as in perrypawnpusher - taman, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 35), and 11...c6 as in perrypawnpusher - Kovrad, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 16) were also playable. 

 12.f5 Ne5 13.d4 Ng4

As always, retreating to c6 was better, but harassing the Queen is irresistible. A quick peek at the New Year's Database shows that I have over 45 games with a Queen at e3 being attacked by a Knight at g4!

You would think that by now I would have come up with the proper response for White.

14.Qg5

An interesting idea, but I had forgotten that I had tried something similar in one of my games against MRBarupal and my pawn at e4 (as well as the square itself) proved weak. It should not be surprising, therefore, that Rybka prefers 14.Qe2 (although it sees the game as even after my move).

14...Nf6 15.e5

Rushing forward into trouble. First: 15.Nc3

15...dxe5 16.dxe5 Ne4

There's that weak e4 square again.

17.Qxg7

The position may look dangerous for Black at first glance, but White has two pieces attacking five pieces (six, if you count the enemy King) and the pair of advanced "Jerome pawns" doesn't make up the difference.

 17...Nxf5 18.Qxh7 Qe7

Exchanging Queens takes the heat off of Black's King and preserves his advantage, although 18...Be6 was even stronger.

19.Qxe7+ Kxe7 20.Nc3 Nxc3 21.bxc3 Nh4

Hoping to exchange another piece, bringing the game closer to a won endgame, as White's pawns will be no match for Black's extra piece.

However, this was just the kind of slip that I was hoping for as it allows me to reverse my fortunes.

22.Ba3+ Ke6 23.Rxf8 Rxf8 24.Bxf8 Kxe5

Up the exchange and two pawns, White now has the winning chances.

25.Bg7+ Kd5 26.Rd1+ Kc6 27.Kf2 Nf5 28.Bd4 b5

I think this must have been a mouse-slip.

29.Bxa7 Kb7

Allowing the exchange of Bishops only hastens the end.

30.Bd4

See above. 

30...Ka6 31.Be5 Be6 32.Bxc7 Bxa2 33.Ra1 Kb7 34.Rxa2 Kxc7

35.g4 Nd6 36.Kf3 Nc4 37.g5 Ne5+ 38.Kf4 Ng6+ 39.Kf5 Ne7+ 40.Kf6 Nd5+ 41.Kf7 Nxc3 42.g6 Ne4 43.g7 Nd6+ 44.Kg6 Black resigned

The Eeeeeeeeeeeeeee File Again

Again disaster arrives down the e-file. Even if you are playing against a refuted opening like the Jerome Gambit, it is not a good idea to keep your King and Queen too long on an open file.

perrypawnpusher - OverwiseMan
blitz, FICS, 2010

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6

An earlier game with my opponent continued: 6...Ke6 7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Qe8 9.fxe5+ Kc6 10.c3 Ne7 11.Qg5 g6 12.d4 h6 13.Qg3 Bb6 14.d5+ Kb5 15.Na3+ Ka6 16.Qd3+ Ka5 17.Qb5 checkmate, perrypawnpusher - OverwiseMan, blitz, FICS, 2010.

7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 N8e7

More often seen is 9...Nf6. The text move can be a prelude to play along the f-file.

10.0-0

Or 10.f4 Rf8 11.0-0 Nc6 12.f5 Nge5 13.d4 Ng4 14.Qg3 h5 15.Be3 Nxe3 16.Qxe3 Qf6 17.c3 g6 18.Nd2 g5 19.e5 dxe5 20.dxe5 Qxe5 21.Qxe5+ Nxe5 22.Rae1 Kf7 23.Rxe5 Kf6 24.Re2 Bd7 25.Ne4+ Kg7 26.f6+ Kg6 27.Rfe1 h4 28.c4 g4 29.Rf2 Rae8 30.Rfe2 Bc6 31.Nd2 Rd8 32.Ne4 h3 33.gxh3 gxh3 34.Kf2 Rde8 35.Kg3 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - taman, blitz, FICS, 2010.

10...d5

A good idea.

Earlier I saw 10...Be6 11.f4 d5 12.f5 d4 13.Qg3 Bc4 14.d3 Bxd3 15.cxd3 Nf8 16.Qxg7 Rg8 17.Qe5 c5 18.f6 Nfg6 19.f7+ Kf8 20.Bh6+ Rg7 21.Qxg7 checkmate, perrypawnpusher - perama, blitz, FICS; and 

10...Rf8 11.f4 c6 12.f5 Ne5 13.d4 Ng4 14.Qg3 Nf6 15.Qxg7 Rg8 16.Qxf6 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - Kovrad, blitz, FICS, 2010.

11.exd5

After the game Rybka preferred 11.d3 followed by f2-f4.

11...Qxd5 12.Nc3 Qe5

The first confrontation on the e-file. I wasn't happy with the idea of exchanging Queens, but I couldn't think of anything better.

13.d4 Qe6

Puzzling: I thought he would have been happy with 13...Qxe3. Maybe he was thinking, If White wants to exchange Queens, then I don't want to.

14.Qg3 c6

15.Bg5 Nf5 16.Qd3 h6

Mistakenly assuming that White will move his Bishop. But, instead, there is the eeeeeeee-file!

17.Rae1 Ne5

Bad things are happening on the e-file, and this doesn't help. "Best" was 17...Kf7. 

18.Rxe5 hxg5 19.Rxe6+

Sufficient, but 19.Qxf5 was stronger.

19...Bxe6 20.Re1 Rd8

And White finishes up.

21.Rxe6+ Kf7 22.Qxf5+ Kg8 23.Qxg5 Rxd4 24.Re8+ Kf7 25.Rxh8 Ke6 26.Re8+ Kd6 27.Qe7 checkmate

Why must he lose to this idiot?

Not every chess player wakes up and says to himself (or herself) "I think I'll destroy a Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) today!" In fact, not many chess players even know what the Jerome Gambit is – so, it can be a puzzlement to not only be playing against it, but to find yourself losing against it...

perrypawnpusher  - Kovrad
blitz, FICS, 2010

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

In our first attempt at a game, my opponent disconnected here, and FICS aborted the game. This was probably all beyond Kovrad's control, as he has this explanatory message posted at FICS "Please note that at times I can have a very bad internet connection. Therefore don't be surprised when I 'disconnect'. I will always try to come back and finish the game (though sometimes it's impossible). If my position is lost I will resign. Sorry for inconvenience."

Fair enough.

So I signed on again and challenged Kovrad again.

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5

I found a couple of other games with my opponent defending against the Jerome Gambit:

5.d4 Bxd4 6.Ng5+ Ke8 7.c3 h6 8.Qh5+ g6 9.Qxg6+ Black resigned, DragonTail - Kovrad, FICS, 2009; and 
5.0–0 d6 6.c3 Ke8 7.d4 exd4 8.cxd4 Bb6 9.Ng5 Bxd4 10.Qh5+ g6 11.Qf3 Bf6 12.h4 Ne5 13.Qb3 Qe7 14.Nc3 c6 15.Bf4 h6 16.Bxe5 hxg5 17.Bxf6 Qxf6 18.hxg5 Qxg5 19.e5 Qh4 20.exd6 Qh1 checkmate, sebya - Kovrad, FICS, 2008.

6.Qh5+ Ng6

7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 N8e7

Not as popular as 9...Nf6, but very clear: Black wants play on the f-file.

10.0-0 Rf8

Provocative was 10...Be6, as in 11.f4 d5 12.f5 d4 13.Qg3 Bc4 14.d3 Bxd3 15.cxd3 Nf8 16.Qxg7 Rg8 17.Qe5 c5 18.f6 Nfg6 19.f7+ Kf8 20.Bh6+ Rg7 21.Qxg7 checkmate, perrypawnpusher - perama, blitz, FICS, 2010.

11.f4 c6

Or 11...Nc6 as in perrypawnpusher - taman, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1–0, 35).

12.f5 Ne5 13.d4 Ng4 14.Qg3

 14...Nf6 15.Qxg7

Despite appearances, everything is under control for Black. He can play the prepared 15...d5, and after 16.exd5 Qxd5 he is prepared for 17.Bg5 which he can meet with 17...Nxf5 18.Rxf5 Bxf5 19.Bxf6 Qf7 20.Qxf7+ Kxf7 21.Be5 Bxc2 when Black has an edge.

Instead, he played a reflexive move – and then resigned in apparent disappointment.

15...Rg8 16.Qxf6 Black resigned

Black is down three pawns, and the open lined to his King and the white "Jerome pawns" will cause more grief.

I am sure Kovrad was much too much a gentleman to exclaim, as Nimzowitsch once did, "Why must I lose to this idiot??"

graphic by Jeff Bucchino, The Wizard of Draws

No Ideas vs No Time

The following game is a standard Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+): White sacrifices a piece for two pawns, eventually gets his piece back for one pawn and enjoys a small edge.

Then – he has no idea what to do next.

perrypawnpusher  - taman
blitz FICS, 2010

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6

One of the standard refutations, although it does allow White to get rid of the enemy dark-square Bishop, which in turn allows an early f2-f4 and a march of the "Jerome pawns".

7.Qd5+

I still like this "nudge" and my opponent often takes time to try to  figure out What is he doing?? (I just want the Black King on the back rank, to interfere with any plans of castling-by-hand; plus, I want my opponent taking time to try to figure out what I'm doing...) 

7...Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3

9...N8e7

I haven't seen this move played often, although it is very logical: Black will bring his Rook to f8.

10.f4

Or 10.0-0 Be6 (10...Rf8 11.d4 Rf7 12.f4 Nc6 13.f5 Nge7 14.g4 Kf8 15.c3 Kg8 16.Na3 Qf8 17.Bd2 Bd7 18.Rae1 a6 19.c4 Re8 20.e5 dxe5 21.dxe5 Nxe5 22.Qxe5 Nxf5 23.Qxc7 Rxe1 24.Bxe1 Bc6 25.Qb6 Nh4 Black resigned, mrjoker - tomnoah, ICC, 2008) 11.d4 c6 12.f4 Bc4 13.Rf3 Qd7 14.b3 Bf7 15.f5 Nf8 16.f6 gxf6 17.Rxf6 Bg6 18.Ba3 Ng8 19.Rxd6 Qg4 20.Nd2 Rd8 21.e5 Rxd6 22.exd6+ Kd7 23.Re1 Ne6 24.Qe5 Qxd4+ 25.Qxd4 Nxd4 26.Nc4 Nxc2 27.Ne5+ Kd8 28.Rf1 Nxa3 29.Rf8+ Be8 30.d7 Ke7 31.dxe8Q+ Kd6 32.Nf7+ Black resigned, Chemistry - Chamaeleon, ICC, 2003

10...Rf8

11.0-0 Nc6 12.f5 Nge5 13.d4 Ng4 14.Qg3 h5

See "Out of a clear sky..." for tales of Knights-that-go-to-g4.

15.Be3

I didn't like this move, but I couldn't think of something better. After the game Rybka suggested 15.h3 Nf6 16.Nc3, since after 16...Nxd4 White has 17.e5 dxe5 18.Qxe5+ Kf7 19.Rd1 Nc6 20.Qe2 Qe7 21.Qc4+ Ke8 22.Bg5 Ne5 23.Qd4 Nc6 24.Qc4 Ne5 25.Qd4 Nc6 26.Qc4 Ne5 when it suggests that White take the draw by repetition.

analysis diagram






15...Nxe3 16.Qxe3 Qf6 17.c3

This was probably the hardest move in the game for me to play. Too often I try to get Jerome Gambit to act like The Incredible Hulk – you know, Hulk Smash!! – when a quieter and more effective line is available.

17...g6 18.Nd2 g5

Confidently preparing for a counter-attack, but I do not think that this is best, as it lets my pawns advance.

19.e5 dxe5 20.dxe5 Qxe5 21.Qxe5+ Nxe5

22.Rae1 Kf7 23.Rxe5 Kf6

I was happy to reach this position, being a pawn up in the end game – always a reasonable outcome for a refuted opening.

I think my opponent was happy, too, having turned away a scary attack – in fact, it is not immediately clear how much Black's Bishop vs Knight (pawns on both sides of the board) advantage offsets that extra pawn.

The truth is that White is quite a bit better here, but that understanding is based on a tactic that I missed.

24.Re2

Consolidating.

Instead, the Rook needed to remain active: 24.Rc5. Black's best response would have been to activate his Rook as well, with 25...Re8. I saw this far, but also saw that after 25.Rxc7 Black simply had 25...Bxf5, swapping pawns.

The trick is that White then has 26.Rc5 (the active Rook again) Re5 27.Rxe5 Kxe5 28.Nf3+ – when Black cannot now protect his pawn at g5 with 28...Kf6 because of 29.Nd4, winning the Bishop. After 28...Kd5 29.Nxg5 it is clear that White's Knight plus two pawns will outweigh Black's Bishop.

analysis diagram







24...Bd7

The pawn was free to be taken, instead. 

25.Ne4+ Kg7 26.f6+

Simpler and better was to exchange the sickly f-pawn for Black's g-pawn, 26.Nxg5 Bxf5, remaining with an edge. I could see that, but I kept thinking: there has to be more in this position – and I couldn't find it.

The only things going right for me at this point were that I was ahead on time, and that my opponent continued to think that I was up to something.

26...Kg6 27.Rfe1

Same criticism: better to let the weaky go with 27.f7 Rxf7 28.Rxf7 Kxf7 29.Nxg5+.

27...h4

Suspecting (correctly) that I was just shuttling pieces at this point, (trying not to make things worse) my opponent went in for a plan that would eat up a few moves – he was beginning to feel the time crunch.

28.c4 g4 29.Rf2

29...Rae8 30.Rfe2 Bc6 31.Nd2 Rd8

32.Ne4 h3 33.gxh3 gxh3 34.Kf2 Rde8 35.Kg3 Black forfeited on time

White has a small edge in the final position, but Black can exchange his Bishop for White's Knight and then win the f6-pawn, leaving White to win the h3-pawn. It is not clear then that White's extra pawn at h2 would be worth much in a two Rook vs two Rook endgame.