Jerome Gambit: First Blood

The Jerome Gambit has drawn first blood in the third round of the Chess.com Giuoco Piano thematic tournament. The game is not very exciting, however, and so games have been added in the notes to compensate.

perryawnpusher - AWARDCHESS
Giuoco Piano Thematic, Chess.com, 2017

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qd5+ Kf6

Black's King usually retreats to the 8th rank.

8.Qxc5

Or 8.d4 Bxd4 (8...Bb4+ 9.c3 c6 10.Qg5+ Ke6 11.Qxd8 Nf6 12.Qc7 Bd6 13.Qa5 Kf7 14.e5 Re8 15.O-O Nxe5 16.dxe5 Rxe5 17.Qa4 b5 18.Qd4 Rd5 19.Qe3 Bb7 20.Nd2 c5 21.Nf3 Ng4 22.Qe1 Re8 23.Be3 Rh5 24.h3 Ne5 25.Nxe5+ Rexe5 26.Rd1 Bc7 27.Rxd7+ Re7 28.Rxe7+ Kxe7 29.Bxc5+ Kd7 30.Qe7+ Kc8 31.Qe8+ Bd8 32.Qxh5 Ba6 33.Rd1 Bc7 34.Qe8+ Kb7 35.b4 g5 36.Rd7 h5 37.Qf7 Kc8 38.Rxc7+ Kb8 39.Bxa7+ Ka8 40.Qe8+ Bc8 41.Qxc8 checkmate, perrypawnpusher - whitepandora, FICS, 2008; 8...h6 9.Qxc5 N8e7 10.e5+ Kf7 11.Qc4+ Kf8 12.O-O b6 13.f4 a5 14.f5 Ba6 15.fxg6+ Ke8 16.Qf7 checkmate, perrypawnpusher - tjaksi, FICS, 2013; 8...d6 9.Bg5 checkmate, mrjoker - Taj, Internet Chess Club, 2009) 9.Qg5+ Ke6 10.Qxd8 N8e7 11.Qxc7 Ne5 12.Qa5 b6 13.Qd2 Bc5 14.Nc3 Ba6 15.Nd5 Rac8 16.Nxe7 Kxe7 17.Qg5+ Ke6 18.Qf5+ Kd6 19.Bf4 Rce8 20.O-O-O+ Kc6 21.Bxe5 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - alvarzr, FICS, 2014

8...d6

Not 8...Qe7 9.Qf5 checkmate, perrypawnpusher - zsilber, FICS, 2010.

9.Qe3

Or 9.Qc3+ Ne5 10.f4 Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest4240618, PlayChess.com, 2015.

9...Nh6

The Knight can go elsewhere:

9...Ne5 10.d4 Ng4 (10...Nc4 11.Qg5+ Kf7 12.Qxd8 b5 13.Qxc7+ Ne7 14.a4 b4 15.Qxc4+ d5 16.exd5 Nxd5 17.Qxd5+ Be6 18.Qf3+ Ke7 19.Bg5+ Kd6 20.Nd2 Rhe8 21.Ne4+ Kd7 22.Nc5+ Kd6 23.Qf4+ Kc6 24.O-O-O Bd5 25.Na6 Kb6 26.Qd6+ Bc6 27.Nxb4 Rac8 28.d5 Red8 29.Bxd8+ Rxd8 30.Qxd8+ Kc5 31.Nxc6 a5 32.Qxa5+ Kc4 33.Qb4 checkmate, MrJoker - ipon, Internet Chess Club, 2011) 11.Qg5+ Kf7 12.Qxd8 Black resigned MrJoker - vicwill, Internet Chess Club, 2011;

9...N8e7 10.d4 Kf7 (10...c5 11.dxc5 Qa5+ 12.Nc3 Qxc5 13.Qf3+ Ke6 14.O-O Ne5 15.Qh3+ Kf7 16.Qh5+ N7g6 17.Be3 Qb4 18.f4 Nc4 19.f5 Nxe3 20.fxg6+ Kg8 21.gxh7+ Rxh7 22.Qe8 checkmate, perrypawnpusher - useche, FICS, 2010) 11.O-O Rf8 12.f4 Kg8 13.f5 Nh8 14.Nc3 c6 15.Qg3 d5 16.f6 Neg6 17.fxg7 Kxg7 18.Be3 Rxf1+ 19.Rxf1 Nf7 20.Qf3 Ng5 21.Bxg5 Qxg5 22.Qf7+ Kh6 23.exd5 cxd5 24.Nxd5 Bg4 25.Nf4 Rf8 26.Qxb7 Rxf4 27.Qxa7 Rxf1+ 28.Kxf1 Qf4+ White resigned, perrypawnpusher - wbrandl, FICS, 2011.

10.f4 Re8 11.O-O Qe7 12.Nc3 Bd7 13.Nd5+ Black resigned

Ouch. This kind of thing can happen, even in a slow game. Maybe the real world intruded. Maybe White's opening looked too innocuous to worry about in the early stages.

Reliable

It had been months since I had played the Jerome Gambit at blitz speed, and I worried that I might have forgotten too much. The following game, however, shows that the opening was as reliable as ever for me.

perrypawnpusher - grosshirn
2 19 blitz, FICS, 2016

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Ng6

Somewhat inexact. See the note (below) to White's 11th move.

9.Qd5+ Ke7 10. Qxc5+ d6 

Better than 10...Ke8 as seen in perrypawnpusher - parlance, blitz, FICS, 2011 (0-1, 22). 

11.Qe3

After 11 moves we have reached a position in which White has an extra move (f2-f4) in comparison to the line 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qd5+ Ke7 8.Qxc5+ d6 9.Qe3. So, if Black wants to give up his King's Bishop and post his Knight at g6, 6...Ng6 might have been a better choice.

Interestingly, Stockfish 7 recommends the alternate retreat 11.Qc3 (no example in The Database), suggesting that Black meet that with 11...Kf8 (11...Nxf4?12.Qxg7+ Ke8 13.O-O Qf6 14.Qxf6 Ne2+ 15.Kf2 Nxf6 16.Kxe2 Nxe4 with advantage to White) 12.O-O Nf6 13.f5 Ne5 14.d4 Nc6 15.e5 dxe5 16.dxe5 Qd4+ 17.Qxd4 Nxd4 18.Na3 Ne8) with an equal game.

11...Nf6

The text is about equal to 11...Kf8 (perrypawnpusher - Valseg, blitz, FICS, 2011 [1-0, 39]), better than 11...Bd7 (perrypawnpusher - GabrielChime, blitz, FICS, 2009 [1-0, 29]), and much better than 11...Be6 (perrypawnpusher - MrNatewood, blitz, FICS, 2010 [1-0, 12]).

12.O-O

Or 12.d4 as in perrypawnpusher - thinan, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 31).

12...Rf8

This seems reasonable at first glance, as Black is considering castling-by-hand. However, 12...Re8 was probably better, as in perrypawnpusher - spydersweb, blitz, FICS, 2012 (1-0, 24) and perrypawnpusher - tjaksi, blitz, FICS, 2014 (1-0, 18). 

13.f5 Ne5 14.d4 Nc4 15.Qd3 Nb6 16.Bg5 h6 17.Bh4 Nbd7

Black has covered up with his pieces, and still has his piece-for-two-pawns material advantage, but White's "Jerome pawns" and freer development give him the advantage.

18.Nc3 c6 19.Rae1 Qb6 20.Kh1 Ke8

Breaking the pin on his Knight, but White is ready to crash through, anyhow. 

21.e5 dxe5 22.dxe5 Ng8 23.f6

Even better, according to Stockfish 7 after the game, was 23.Ne4 Ne7 24.Qd6 Rf7 25.e6 with a forced checkmate.

23...gxf6 24.exf6+ Kd8 Black resigned

Checkmate will be coming soon after 25.f7+.

Winning Fast or Losing Fast?

Knowing your chess opening and what you and others have played previously is a powerful weapon in a contest.

Bill Wall's games show up over 365 times in The Database; he has a lot of experience with the Jerome Gambit - usually a whole lot more than his opponents. (As a reference, The Database's  over 51,500 games is useful, too.)

It is no wonder that the following game ends quickly. 

Wall,B - Guest4240618
PlayChess.com, 2015

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qd5+ Kf6 

8.Qxc5

MrJoker and I have explored 8.d4: perrypawnpusher - whitepandora, blitz, FICS, 2008 (1-0, 41); mrjoker - Taj, Internet Chess Club 2009 (1-0, 9); perrypawnpusher - tjaksi, blitz, FICS, 2013 (1-0, 16); and perrypawnpusher - alvarzr, blitz, FICS, 2014 (1-0, 21).

8...d6

Not 8...Qe7 9.Qf5#  perrypawnpusher - zsilber, blitz, FICS, 2010. 

9.Qc3+

As opposed to the retreat 9.Qe3 seen in  perrypawnpusher - useche, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 22); perrypawnpusher - wbrandl, blitz, FICS, 2011 (0-1, 28); MrJoker - ipon, Internet Chess Club, 2011 (1-0, 33); and MrJoker - vicwill, Internet Chess Club 2011 (1-0, 12).

Now Bill is on his own, as there are no other examples of this move in The Database; but his opponent immediately helps him out.

9...Ne5 10.f4 Black resigned

Disappointment Against the Jerome Gambit: The Fish Escapes

I think my opponent was disappointed with his last move. I don't blame him. He had been playing a good game, and had every reason to hope for success. I don't know which is worse, losing to the Jerome Gambit (and the fish who plays it) or failing to punish someone (the fish) who plays the Jerome gambit.

perrypawnpusher - tjaksi
blitz, FICS, 2014

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

More enterprising than in our first game, when my opponent played 6...Ng6,  perrypawnpusher - tjaksi, blitz, FICS, 2013 (1-0,16)

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Ng6 9.Qd5+ Ke7 10.Qxc5+ d6

11.Qe3 

Curiously, after 11 moves we have reached a position in which White has an extra move (f2-f4) in comparison to the 6...Ng6 line: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qd5+ Ke7 8.Qxc5+ d6 9.Qe3. (We didn't reach this position in our earlier game, as Black's King had gone to f6 on move 7.) See "Chances".

11...Nf6 12.0-0 

White could also play 12.d4 as in perrypawnpusher - thinan, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0,31), but the text might be a little bit better.

After the game Houdini suggested 12.f5 Ne5 13.d4 Nc6 14.0-0 Re8 15.e5 Kf8 16.e6, and although White's "Jerome pawns" have advanced, Black still would have the advantage. 

12...Re8 13.f5 Ne5 14.d4 Neg4 

The Knight probably should retire with 14...Nc6, as 15.e5 can be met by 15...Kf8. But who can resist the opportunity to harass the Queen?

15.Qg5 

Looking to create mischief on the Kingside, but better was 15.Qd3 as in perrypawnpusher - spydersweb, blitz, FICS, 2012 (1-0, 24). 

15...Kf7 16.Nc3 c6 

This does not look, at first glance, like a complicated position, but, after the game, I asked Houdini what White should do, setting the search level to 20 ply. It started out boldly with predictions for advantage for White after 17.h3 Nh6 18.Rf3 but 18...Qb6!? seemed to change things and the recommended 19.Rg3 (or the secondary 19.Kh2) didn't come up with much after 19...Rg8 20.Bf4 Qxd4+ 21.Kh2 d5. I wonder if White should try 17.h3 Nh6 18.Qf4!? with the idea of 19.g4 and an advance on the Kingside.

17.Qh4 

My plan was to make room for 18.Bg5, putting pressure on the Knight at f6, and, indirectly, the Knight at g4. The problem with this, as alluded to in the previous note, is that Black can now reply 17...Qb3!? and begin to demolish White's center, e.g. 18.Rd1 c5 19.Nd5 Nxd5 20.exd5 Nf6 and if 21.Bg5 then Black's Rook infiltrates with 21...Re4.

17...Nxe4 

An unfortunate oversight in a promising position, hanging a piece.

18.Qxg4 

Here, Black forfeited by disconnection. I can understand his frustration; still, after 18...d5 he would be down only a pawn, and his King is properly placed to defend against it.

Another Error, Another Win

Some day, maybe, I will get caught.

Oh, wait a minute. I already did get caught.

Some day, maybe, I will learn.

Oh, wait a minute, I once did know.

Well - next time I hope to remember...

In the meantime here's another Jerome Gambit game where I made what I knew was the wrong move, because I couldn't remember why it was wrong.

And I won in a near-miniature, anyhow.

perrypawnpusher - alvarzr
2 12, FICS, 2014

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qd5+ Kf6

Last year my game against the same opponent continued 7...Ke8 8.Qxc5 Qe7 9.Qe3 Nf6  and I was out-played in a pitched battle, (missing one chance at a saving swindle) in perrypawnpusher - alvarzr, blitz, FICS, 2013, (0-1, 59). Hmmm... Looks like I haven't posted that game yet. My bad.

8.d4

I played this move even though I knew it was not the best move.

I had forgotten 8.Qxc5 d6 (8...Qe7 9.Qf5# perrypawnpusher - zsilber, blitz, FICS, 2010) 9.Qe3, with an edge for Black in perrypawnpusher - useche, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 22) and perrypawnpusher - wbrandl, blitz, FICS, 2011 (0-1, 28).

8...Bxd4

Black doubles my error and sends it back to me...

In a game six years ago my opponent back then played the correct 8...Bb4+!?, but after  9.c3 he tried 9...c6 and after 10.Qg5+ I was on my way to sweet victory in perrypawnpusher - whitepandora, blitz, FICS, 2008 (1-0, 41).

A more recent game - the analysis from this blog should still have been clear in my memory - saw 8...h6 9.Qxc5 with Black a bit better, in perrypawnpusher - tjaksi, blitz, FICS, 2013 (1-0, 16).

9.Qg5+ 

This is fine, but 9.Bg5 would have been checkmate. (And 10.Bg5 would have been checkmate against whitepandora, too!)

9...Ke6 10.Qxd8 

These kind of positions make me verrrrrrry nervous. Sure, White has a Queen and a pawn for only two pieces, but that's the problem - what if I get overconfident and blunder it all away? (Sure, that would be almost as bad as losing to the Jerome Gambit, right?)

10...N8e7 11.Qxc7 Ne5 12.Qa5 b6 13.Qd2 Bc5 14.Nc3

I briefly looked at 14.b4!? but quickly decided that I didn't need more material, I needed to escape with what I had and to find a settled position. (Thanks, Dan Heisman.)

14...Ba6 15.Nd5!? Rac8 16.Nxe7 Kxe7 17.Qg5+ Ke6 18.Qf5+ Kd6 19.Bf4 Rce8 20.0-0-0+ 

Hold the Xanax. I think I've got things under control now.

20...Kc6 21.Bxe5 Black resigned

Lost in the Maze; Then Just Lost

If, occasionally, both my opponent and I get lost in the maze of the Jerome Gambit, I feel reassured that it is my maze, and that I will still be able to find my way out, safely.

perrypawnpusher - tjaksi
blitz, FICS, 2013

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

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

7.Qd5+ Kf6 

Alert! Possible trouble on the d8-h4 diagonal!

8.d4 

Interestingly enough, Houdini shows about a half-pawn preference for 8.Qxc5 over the text. That is not immediately obvious, although both  MrJoker and I have generally had success with that move - perrypawnpusher - zsilber, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 9); perrypawnpusher - useche, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 22); perrypawnpusher - wbrandl, blitz, FICS, 2011 (0-1, 28); MrJoker - ipon, Internet Chess Club, 2011 (1-0, 33); and MrJoker -vicwill, Internet Chess Club, 2011 (1-0, 12).

8...h6

My opponent responds to the perceived threat. The computer prefers 8...Bb4+ 9.c3  and then 9...Ke7, allowing for the Black Knight to intervene at f6, e.g. 10.Bg5+ Nf6 when White will recover one of his two sacrificed pieces, but Black will still have the advantage.

Instead, 8...Bb4+ 9.c3 c6 was seen in perrypawnpusher - whitepandora, blitz, FICS, 2008 (1-0, 41); while 8...d6 9.Bg5 checkmate, from mrjoker - Taj, Internet Chess Club, 2009 also has to be mentioned.

9.Qxc5 N8e7 10.e5+ Kf7 11.Qc4+ Kf8 12.0-0 b6 

Black is preparing to take advantage of White's pieces on the a6-f1 diagonal. It was probably better to play the straight-forward 12...d5. 

13.f4 a5 14.f5 Ba6 

Much to my opponent's delight, I have fallen into his trap: the Black Bishop skewers my Queen. However, I've suggested in "BSJG: Don't Try To Out-Think Me", and here is another case of that. Instead, after the game Houdini recommended the related 14...Nxe5 15.dxe5 Ba6 when 16.Qe4 Bxf1 17.Kxf1 d5 18.exd6 cxd6 19.Nc3 d5 would be about equal, White having a pawn for the exchange.

While Black was planning his maneuver, I used my moves to allow a discovered check.

15.fxg6+ Ke8 16.Qf7 checkmate