Jerome Gambit: Battle Royal

If I ever faced a 2500 player in a blitz game, I would probably get serious and play 1.d4, heading for the London Opening.

Who am I kidding? I would play the Jerome Gambit and see what happens - just because.

In the following game, chessriddler, with almost 200 games in The Database, steps up and hurls Alonzo Wheeler Jerome's opening at his opponent, with equal aplomb.

A poke in the eye? A tweak of the nose? Choose your own metaphor, but do enjoy the battle.

chessriddler - peperoni10

10 0 rapid, lichess.org, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ 

Just to illustrate the first player's attitude, here he offered a draw.

 5...Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Nf6 

Here we have a standard Jerome Gambit position. There are 820 games with it in The Database, going back to Charlick - Mann, correspondence, 1881 (1-0, 72) . White scores 65%.

10.O-O Rf8 

Preparing to castle-by-hand, quite prudent.

11.f4 

First, a precaution was played in chessriddler - Aliasgari77, lichess.org, 2023: 11.h3 Kf7 12.f4 Kg8 13.f5 Ne5 14.b3 Bd7 15.d4 Nf7 16.c4 c5 17.d5 Re8 18.Nd2 Ne5 19.Bb2 Qe7 20.Nf3 Nxf3+ 21.Qxf3 Qxe4 22.Qg3 Nh5 23.Qg5 Qe3+ 24.Qxe3 Rxe3 25.Rad1 Ng3 26.Rf2 Nxf5 27.Bc1 Rg3 28.Rdf1 Ne3 29.Rf8+ Rxf8 30.Rxf8+ Kxf8 31.Bxe3 Rxe3 32.Kf2 Re2+ 33.Kxe2 Bf5 34.Kf3 Bc2 35.g4 Bb1 Black won on time

11...Qe7 12.d3 Kf7

Or 12...Be6 13.f5 Bf7 14.fxg6 Bxg6 15.Nc3 Kd7 16.Qh3+ Qe6 17.Qxe6+ Kxe6 18.Bg5 c6 19.d4 Nxe4 20.Rae1 d5 21.Rxf8 Rxf8 22.h3 h6 23.Bc1 Kd6 24.Nxe4+ Bxe4 25.Kh2 g5 26.Bd2 Rf2 27.Rg1 Rxd2 28.c3 Rxb2 29.Kg3 Rxa2 30.Kg4 Rxg2+ 31.Kh5 Rxg1 Black won on time,  chessriddler - M80_11m, lichess.org, 2023. 

13.f5 Ne5 14.h3 Kg8 

Black has an extra piece for two pawns, better development - and a safe King. The computer sees him as about a pawn and 1/4 better.

Things can change, however, especially in a 10-minute game.

15.b3 d5 

Here we go. Hitting White's pawn chain looks like a solid idea, but it overlooks a tactic. It is not surprising that peperoni10 did not choose the Stockfish 16.1 suggestion of 15...b5.

16.Ba3 Qf7

A little better was the tricky 16...d4!?, e.g. 17.Bxe7 dxe3 18.Bxf8 Kxf8 and after gathering in the pawn on e3 White will have a Rook and 3 pawns vs 2 pieces. Two pieces often best a Rook, but the extra pawns - and White's pawn structure - support the first player.

17.Bxf8 Kxf8

To add insult to injury, White now displaces the enemy Knights.

18.d4 Nc6 19.e5 Ne4

I am reminded of the lament, Now that I have what I really want, do I really want what I have?

What should White's plan be?

20.e6 

Stifling the enemy Bishop. There was also the uncomplicated 20.Nc3 Nxc3 21.Qxc3 Kg8 22.Rae1 focusing on further development.

20...Qf6 21.c3 b6 22.Na3 

It looks like White has a plan to undermine the advance Black Knight with c2-c4 (or the goofy Nc4). Instead, he still had 22.Nd2 Nxd2 23.Qxd2.

22...Ne7 

23.Qf4

It is clear that the f-file is important. This move also takes control of some of the dark squares that were ceded with the advance of the e-pawn.

Yet, things begin to unravel.

Stockfish 16.1 suggests a Knight's tour with 23.Nc4 Ba6 24.Ne5 Kg8 25.Nd7 Qg5 26.Qxg5 Nxg5 27.Rfe1 h6 (not 17...Nxf5 because of 18.Re5) 28.f6 gxf6 29.Nxf6+ Kg7 30.Nh5+ Kg6 31.Nf4+ Kf5 32.Nxd5 Nxd5 33.Re5+ Kf6 34. Rxd5. Give me a break.

23...Nxc3 24.Rae1

Again, it takes some computer help to come up with the alternative, 24.Qxc7 Ne2+ 25.Kh2 Ba6 26.Rae1 Nxd4 27.Rf2 Bd3 28.Qf4 Kg8 29.g4 Be4 30.Nc4 h5 31.Qe5 hxg4 32.Qxf6 g3+ 33.Kxg3 gxf6 34.Nd6 Bc2 35.Kf4 Ndxf5 36.Rxc2 Nxd6 37.Rc7 Ng6+ 38.Kg3 Re8 39.Rxa7 Ne5. When the pawn on e6 falls, Black will have two Knights for a Rook. Whew!

24...Ba6 25.Rf3 

This returns the exchange.

25...Ne2+ 26.Rxe2 Bxe2 27.Rf2 Bd3 28.g4 c5 

White's pawns continue to be under pressure.

29.Rf3 Be4 30.Rf2 Qxd4 31.g5

One last push. 

31...Nxf5 32.Qd6+ Kg8 33.Qd7

White's Queen is very active, but his King is in grave danger.

33...Rf8 34.e7 Nxe7 35.Qe6+ Kh8 

White resigned

Quite a game.

Jerome Gambit: Great Minds Think Alike

 

I do not know if chessriddler at lichess.org reads this blog, or if it is a case of "great minds thinking alike" - chessriddler and Yury V. Bukayev, that is - but the following Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game shows an interesting additional pawn offer leading to a strengthening of White's attack; a line explored and published here on the 24th of August, 2020 - 3 years ago, that was 4 days before the first of Jerome gambit games H.Nakamura - D.Kollars was played.

chessriddler - Ay63scachi

10 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.b4

This was most recently looked at in "Jerome Gambit: Puzzle Pieces (Part 1)", with the significant paragraph 

This move had not received any analysis until Yury V. Bukayev considered it in "Jerome Gambit: Article". It is quite likely that a number of players were influenced by his work, as shown in the games below.

8...Bxb4 9.f4 

Championed by Bukayev.

9...Qf6

Sometimes Black's Queen comes to f6 with positive impact; sometimes she arrives and it is harmful.

This time, the latter.

The move to make was 9...Ke7, as Bukayev noted.

10.fxe5+ Qxe5 11.Qxe5+ Kxe5 12.Bb2+ Kxe4 

Also 12...Ke6 13.Bxg7 Nf6 14.Bxh8 d6 15.Bxf6 Kxf6 16.c3 Bc5 17.d4 Bb6 18.O-O+ Kg6 19.a4 a5 20.Nd2 Be6 21.Rf3 Re8 22.Raf1 Re7 23.Rf6+ Kg7 24.h4 Bd7 25.h5 h6 26.Rg6+ Kh7 27.Rff6 Bxa4 28.Rxh6+ Kg7 29.Rfg6+ Kf7 30.Rh7+ Ke8 31.Rg8+ Kd7 32.Rxe7+ Kxe7 33.h6 c5 34.h7 cxd4 35.h8=Q dxc3+ 36.Kh2 cxd2 37.Rg7+ Ke6 38.Qh5 d1=Q 39.Qf5 checkmate, chessriddler -dambo78, 10 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2023.

 13.Bxg7 Ne7 14.Bxh8 

White is ahead by the exchange. It is no clear that the "development" of Black's King is adequate compensation.

14...d5 15.O-O 

White knows that he is ahead. No immdiate need for adventures, time to safeguard his King.

15...Be6 

A routine move, likewise - threatening the enemy Bishop - but overlooking the threat buried in White's last move. 

16.Nc3+ Bxc3 17.dxc3 

Showing that White has a sense of humor. He could have played 17.Rae1 checkmate, but, instead, he offers a piece. 

17...Rxh8 18.Rae1 checkmate

 

Jerome Gambit: Study Plus Video

                                                 

About 3 weeks ago, in the blog post "Jerome Gambit: chessriddler's Study" I mentioned that the online player chessriddler had "assembled a 14 chapter study of the Jerome Gambit - including some Jerome ideas for Black - at lichess.org."

Tell me, Readers - did you visit the site?

Did  you make it to the 14th chapter, featuring the Jerome Gambit game chessriddler - NM CrazyHorses?

It only lasted a dozen moves; you might have missed it.

Still I think it would be worth your while - for both educational and entertainment value - to head on over to lichess.org and check it out.

Or, you can watch the game on a short YouTube video titled "NM CRAZYHORSES IS BACK!! JEROME GAMBIT TRAP!!"

I watched it.

It left me chuckling, shaking my head, and muttering "That must have hurt!"

Go ahead. You know you want to.

Jerome Gambit: chessriddler Instructs

I just finished watching Greg Cannon's - chessriddler's - video "FM rated Jerome win review!! Winning through tactics". 

He analyzes several of his Jerome Gambit games against strong players, paying attention to "tricks, traps and tactics".

His understanding of his opponents' thinking as they make their way through the games is particularly interesting.

It is also worthwhile to review an earlier post "Jerome Gambit: chessriddler's Study".

Having played over 200 Jerome Gambit games, he really knows what he is doing. Check it out.

Jerome Gambit: Hunker Down

 

The following Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game has an interesting theme: After the initial sacrifices, White regains material - and then hunkers down as Black counter-attacks.

The extra pawns (and, in the end, exchange) provide sufficient protection for White.

chessriddler - TiaanSprinkaan1

3 2 blitz, lichess.org, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke7 

This unusual line shows up 26 times in The Database, and has occasionally been mentioned on this blog.

As I noted in the game ZahariSokolov - mmamaju

standard, FICS, 2015 (0-1, 44) - See"Jerome Gambit: Chaos Rules")

Here we have the "Jerome Gambit, Paulsen Variation", otherwise known as "An Odd Line in an Odd Line". It is more of a psychological ploy than a solid defense...

It is a rare line... but it is worth knowing the best response, if only, like in the current game, you want to finish quickly.

6.Qh5 Nf6 

The best response, 6...Bxf2+, given in "An Odd Line in an Odd Line", has yet to be played

It is rare that counter-sacrificing the Bishop at f2 is a good move for the second player (see "Jerome Gambit Strikes in Denmark!"), but here it was his best choice: 6...Bxf2+ 7.Kxf2 Qf8+ 8.Nf3 Nf6 with advantage to White, according to Rybka.

7.Nxc6+ 

Yury V. Bukayev smartly notes

Probably, chessriddler has seen 7.Qf7+ Kd6 8.Nc4# in time, but he has solved to continue the fight intentionally for unknown reason.

7...bxc6 8.Qxc5+ Ke8 

White is better. It is time to consolidate.

9.O-O Qe7 10.Qe3 Rb8 11.Nc3 Rf8 

Black's efforts make the game interesting, but White has sufficient resources to deal with them.

12.b3 Ba6 13.Re1 Ng4 14.Qg3 Qf7 15.f3 Nh6 16.d3 Qf6 17.Bb2

17...Qg6 18.Qxg6+ hxg6 19.Ne2 Rb5 

A slip.

20.Bxg7 Black resigned

Jerome Gambit: chessriddler's Study

The online player chessriddler, with over 200 games in The Database, is someone who we have recently seen in blog posts "Jerome Gambit: Battle Royal", "Jerome Gambit: Hunker Down", and "Jerome Gambit: Great Minds Think Alike". 

He has assembled a 14 chapter study of the Jerome Gambit - including some Jerome ideas for Black - at lichess.org.

The games are well worth playing over.

 

Jerome Gambit:Too-Quick-to-Move

With the following minature Jerome Gambit game, angelcamina joins a whole collection of Jerome Gambiteers* who have benefitted from Black's too-quick-to-move response at move 8.

In this case, the time control was 1 minute, no increment; but the accident has happened in slower games, as well.

angelcamina - elvill

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2024

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qxh8 Nf6 

Oops.

9.Qxd8 Black resigned

*-Including, but not limited to, algozBR, Anti-Duhring, Carlos_Ricardo, chessriddler, DrMarlonsky, Ghandy, Jagulep, jdpz, Littleplayerparis, perrypawnpusher, UNPREDICTABLE, and ZahariSokolov.    

Jerome Gambit: A New Look at an Older Line

I recently ran across a very short Jerome Gambit game, which allowed me to update some assessments I made of the line, years ago.

Cristopher_Sonido13 - Stefcho2020

3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8 6.Qh5+ Kf8 7.Qf7#

Checking The Database showed that I had found 5 previous games that ended the same way.

I was surprised to see that perrypawnpusher - platel, 10 3 blitz, FICS, 2011 was one of them.

Was that covered on this blog? Indeed, yes, 13 years ago.

It is interesting to review what I wrote back then. Modern comments are in red.

6.Qh5+

At the time that I played this move, I knew that the "right" choice was 6.Nxc6, [today's The Database shows 102 games, White scores 73%] since either 6...dxc6 or 6...bxc6 would allow White to play 7.Qh5+ followed by capturing the Bishop; for example, as in perrypawnpusher - rodrigojalpa, blitz, FICS, 2008 (1-0, 25) and Wall,B - Qwerty, chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 9).

Looking at 6.Nxc6 now, I still think that it is best for White, but I wanted to point out two untested responses that might surprise the first player.

a) 6...Bxf2+ (as long as Black is going to lose this piece, he decides to get a pawn for it) 7.Kxf2 Qf6+ 8.Qf3 Qxc6 (avoiding doubled c-pawns) when White is a bit better. He has to be careful because of the loose pawn on c2 and the King and Queen being on the same file (vulnerable to ...Ne7 and ...Rf8).

analysis diagram




[Today's The Database shows 4 games with 6...Bxf2+, all wins for White, including one by mwafakalhaswa and two by chessriddler. Stockfish 16.1 shows White to have a winning position.]

Black also has the untried counter-attacking

b) 6...Qh4, (which I mentioned about 3 years ago in this blog) may be better than the capture of the Knight at c6, as well. White's best response is 7.d4, and after 7...Qxe4+ 8.Qe2 Qxe2+ 9.Kxe2 Bb6 material is even, i.e. 10.Nb4 Bxd4.

analysis diagram




[Today's The Database shows 9 games with 6...Qh4, with White winning 4 of them - 44%. Stockfish 16.1 agrees that 7.d4 is White's best response, although after 7...Qxe4+ it slightly prefers 8.Be3 over 8.Qe2, while it still gives White an edge after 8...Qxe2+ 9.Kxe2 Bb6.]

I suppose Black can side-step some of this excitement by capturing the Knight with 5...Nxe5, or by retreating his King to f8, instead of e8, as in the game.