Jerome Gambit: Boogyman (Part 1)

I suspect that some readers think that when I refer to our favorite chess opening, the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) as being "refuted" that I am just trying to scare them by invoking something imaginary - like a boogyman.

Not so. The opening is best played at the club level, at quick time controls. It can be far more challenging, otherwise.

However, even in a risky opening, there are riskier lines. One such example is capturing the Rook on h8 in Whistler's defense.

Some Jerome Gambit enthusiasts are happy to take on the  complications. They count on their experience with the opening, their tactical skills - and, often, their luck. But they are aware of the dangers that lurk.

This is all an introduction to some analysis (2004) by Brian Wall and Tyrin Price that I have occasionally referred to in past blog posts. It should be a caution to some, and a map of the difficulties ahead to avoid for others.

Some of the complications in analysis are due to tranlating the article to ChessBase and back. I have added diagrams. My occasional comments are in [blue].

   Modern computers make it tough on old gambits - It is still personally interesting to investigate shaky openings and discover beautiful new positions hitherto unexplored. A few plausible mistakes by Black and voila! - tactical nightmares appear.

[Brian makes a good case for playing the Jerome - Rick.]

It appears that the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) made its debut in the April 1874 edition of the Dubuque Chess Journal (p.358), in an article titled "New Chess Opening," beginning "We have received from A.W. Jerome, of Paxton, Ford county, Illinois, some analyses of a new move in the Giuoco Piano, first played by him, which we offer our readers as: Jerome's  Double Opening..."

Analysis was continued in the July 1874 issue of the DCJ (p.358), under the title "Jerome's Double Opening." There is the comment "Note: It should be understood that Mr. Jerome claims in this New Opening 'only a pleasant variation of the Giuoco Piano, which may win or lose according to the skill of the players, but which is capable of affording many new positions and opportunities for heavy blows unexpectedly.' "

Fittingly, the July 1874 DCJ issue also contained the game Jerome - Shinkman, which lasted 21 moves, and "Mr. Shinkman announced loss of the Queen or mate in six moves."    

A. W. Jerome - W. Shinkman, 1874.    1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Qf6 9.fxe5+ Qxe5 10.Qf3 Nf6 11.d3 Ke7 12.Nc3 g5 13.Rf1 c6 14.g3 d5 15.Bd2 Bg4 16.Qg2 Rhf8 17.h3 Nxe4 18.Bf4 gxf4 19.gxf4 Rxf4 20.Nxe4 Rxf1+ 21.Kxf1 and Mr. Shinkman announced loss of the Queen or mate in six moves.    -----------------------------    

The nice thing about the Jerome Gambit is that it is traditional in some circles to shout "Jerome!!" when you play 4.Bxf7+!! Then 4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ and now Watson and Schiller recommend 6...Ke6 in Surviving Annoying Openings.[Survive & Beat Annoying Chess Openings, 2003]    

I don't know if all this was considered old hat 150 years ago but Tyrin Price, who is on my Yahoo list for BrianWallChess@Yahoogroups.com and also with me in  Chess_improvement@Yahoogroups.com, seems to have invented or possibly rediscovered a simple refutation. 

[to be continued]

Jerome Gambit: What Is This Garbage?

 

As Dr. Seuss noted, "Oh the places you'll go..."

Recently, I ran across this sketch by Polish artist Pony-Berserker when I did a Google search on the Jerome Gambit...

What I know about "art" couldn't fill a thimble, but I certainly can agree with the sentiment expressed in the sketch. 

(If you search "garbage" on this site you will find a number of posts including Jerome Gambit - 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ -  games by GM Hikaru Nakamura. Probably the first post will be "Beware, Hubris".)

Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit Update

 

A few months ago I presented a series of Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 4.Bxf7+) games in the format of seven  Report Cards (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) reflecting

Recently, I stopped by the lichess.com website to pick up a few Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 4.Bxf7+) games. I grabbed the four listed in "Top games" and the four in "Recent games".

I was disappointed to see that White had scored 1 - 7 in those matches.

The first thought I had was: has this blog failed those players?

I had to know.

Was the information available on this site enough for the players to use and be successful?

To be fair, were the players even aware of this blog and my recommendations?

Actually, I have no idea.☺  

Still, I just downloaded the current four "Top games" with the line, as well as the four in "Recent games". This time White scored 5 - 3.

The following BSJG game gets quite complicated, with the clock adding to the madness.

Osdoshsharaa1 - TikoP

5 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2021

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 

The Blackburne Shilling Gambit.

4.Bxf7+ 

The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6 

Black's King is ready to grab material. It is interesting to see that Stockfish 14.1 slightly prefers 5...Ke8, with the King eventually moving to f7 and then g8, castling-by-hand.

6.c3 Nc6 

The alternative, in 335 games in The Database, is 6...Kxe5.

7.Qg4+ 

As I pointed out in my notes to SotoG - njkiller, blitz FICS, 2001 (1-0, 21)

Here SotoG keeps the play very sharp, offering a second piece to keep Black's King in danger.

A calmer follow-up (although the game had its explosive moments) is 7.d4, which SotoG had played a year earlier: 7...Nxe5 8.dxe5 d5 9.Qg4+ Kf7 10.Qh5+ g6 11.Qf3+ Kg7 12.exd5 Bc5 13.Bf4 Ne7 14.c4 Rf8 15.Qg3 Nf5 16.Qd3 Qh4 17.g3 Bxf2+ 18.Kxf2 Nxg3 19.hxg3 Qxh1 20.e6 b6 21.Qf3 Kg8 22.Qxh1 Black resigned, SotoG - Ludek, blitz FICS, 2000

Rybka (blunder check, 5 minutes per move) suggests: 7.d4 Nxe5 8.dxe5 as well, continuing 8...Kf7 9.e6+ Ke8 10.Qh5+ g6 11.exd7+ Qxd7 12.Qe5+ Kf7 13.Qxh8 Nf6 14.Nd2 Bg7 15.Nf3 Bxh8 16.Ne5+ Ke6 17.Nxd7 Nxd7 18.Be3 b6 19.0-0-0 – absolutely out-of-this-world play for both Black and White...

Stockfish 14.1 suggests the wild 7.d4 Nxe5 8.dxe5 Kf7 9.e6+ Ke8 10.Qh5+ g6 11.exd7+ Qxd7 12.Qe5+ Kf7 13.Qxh8 Nf6 14.Nd2 Bg7 15.Nf3 Bxh8 16.Ne5+ Kg8 17.Nxd7 Nxd7 18.O-O Ne5 19.f4 Nc4 20.e5 Bg7 21.b3 Nb6 22.c4 with an edge to the second player.

7...Kxe5 8.d4+ 

Black's King is uncomfortable, but he has two pieces in exchange for two pawns to console himself. One possible continuation now is 8...Kd6 9.e5+ Ke7 10.Bg5+ Nf6 when Black would give a piece back in order to be able to retreat his King to safety.

It is important to remember that this is a 5 minute blitz game, and deep analysis is sometimes hard to come by.

8...Nxd4 

Surprisingly, Black decides on a different way to return a Knight for a couple of pawns - although The Database shows two earlier games with the move. There is a problem with the move, however, that White in each of the games overlooks.

9.cxd4+ 

Sharp Readers will have caught 9.Bf4+ Kf6 10.Bg5+ Kf7 11.Bxd8. Black has lost his Queen.

9...Kxd4 

According to plan, but returning his King to danger. In fact, White now has a checkmate in 8 moves.

10.Be3+ Kc4 

11.Nd2+ Kb5 12.Qf5+ 

Wandering away from the winning line. White needed to get his Queen around the e-pawn another way: 12.Qe2+ Kc6 13.Qc4+ Kd6 14.Bc5+ Kc6 15.Bxf8+ Kb6 16.Qb3+ Ka6 17.Qa4+ Kb6 18.Nc4 checkmate.  

12...c5

Blocking the check with 12...d5, also opening an attack on the enemy Queen, was best. 

13.a4+ Kb6 

Still in danger. Remember the old adage When the attacker makes a mistake he loses the attack, but when the defender makes a mistake he loses the game.

14.Nc4+ Kc7 15.Bxc5 

Leveling the complicated game. Instead, 15.Bf4+ d6 16.Qxc5+ Kd7 17.Bxd6 was the way.

15...Bxc5 

Black needed to find the tricky move 15...d6 when Stockfish 14.1 suggests a draw by repetition with 16.Qf4 Qf6 17.Qg3 Qg6 18.Qf4.

Things are not easy.

16.Qxc5+ Kb8 

17.O-O 

I think I would castle, too, and catch my breath.

Sharpest was 17.Nd6, both threatening a Knight fork at f7 and planning to put more pieces into the checkmate attack with Rc1. Black's best, but sad, response would be 17...Qc7 18.Qxc7+ Kxc7 19.Nf7. 

17...Nf6 18.e5 Ne4 19.Qe3 d5 20.exd6 Nxd6 

 

The danger to Black's King now comes from the b8-h2 diagonal.

21.Qg3 Kc7 22.Rfd1 Qf6 23.Rxd6 Qxb2 24.Rd2+ Black resigned

Quite a battle!

JeromeGambit: It Is Supposed To Be Uncomplicated

 

Usually when Black declines the sacrifices in the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) he is is looking to avoid the complications that would otherwise occur. However, in the following game things become very complicated - until they aren't. 

politrashu - ZloiGruzin

10 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2021

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kf8 

The Jerome Gambit declined. This is a practical or psychological choice, wishing to deny White his attack.

The Database has 438 games with this position, with White scoring 60%. (By comparison, The Database has 20,853 games where Black captures the Bishop, with White scoring 49%.)

White can now withdraw his Bishop to c4 or b3, or simply exchange it for the Knight on g8.

5.Nxe5 

White wants to complicate the game, and there is a pratical argument in this move's favor: The Database has 47 games with this move, and White still scores 60%.

"Objectively", Stockfish 14.1 does not like the move, and recommends instead that the Bishop pull back.

5...Nxe5 6.d4 

This move yells "blitz!". Open lines, attack pieces. The alternative 6.Bxg8 can be answered by the wild 6...Qh4!? when Black is also better. 

6...Qf6

This can not be considered simplifying.

After 6...Nxf7 7.dxc5 Black would have the typical Jerome Gambit advantage of a piece for two pawns. The computer would smile in his favor, although The Database would show the position as 4 - 4.

7.Bxg8 

Finally doing something about the hanging Bishop. Now there is only one response that is good for Black. 

7...Rxg8 

This move is routine, but it misses the enjoyable 7...Bxd4!? White cannot respond 8.Qxd4 because he would lose his Queen to 8...Nf3+ 9.gxf3 Qxd4. If, instead, 8.0-0, Black can simply play 8...Kxg8 and he would then have an extra piece for only one pawn.  

8.dxc5 d6 

White is ahead a couple of pawns. He has control from now on.

9.cxd6 cxd6 10.f4 Bg4 

Black takes his last shot.

11.fxe5 Qf4 

A slip.

12.Bxf4 Black resigned 

Special Coverage of the 2021 World Chess Championship

 

Readers may remember chess coach Chris Torres and his dailychessmusings.com. He has appeared on a number of posts on this blog.

Of course, the coach plays the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) and he plays it well.

Currently, he is offering special coverage of the 2021 FIDE World Chess Championship match between Grandmasters Magnus Carlsen and Ian Nepomniachtchi.

If you would like a perspective on the match from a coach, by all means check it out!  

World Chess Championship 2021, Ian Nepomniachtchi, Anti-Marshall & h3

From a recent email from Yury V. Bukayev

My thoughts about latest games between World Champion, top GM M.Carlsen and Challenger, top GM I. Nepomniachtchi let me compare Challenger's moves 8.h3 in Game 1 and 21.h3 in Game 3 with the Morphy's Joke Opening (please, look at my article "GM#1 vs you: Wing gambit bombs, BC & history: 1" on your blog: April 14, 2021). This my comparison let me create the following poem:

We name it after Morphy

In Open Games. It's worthy

To play it with a FUN!

"h3?" - Don't make it, Ian!

Else something about variations and names. For example, after possible 1.e4 e5 2.h3 Nc6 3.Nf3 Be7 4.Bb5 a6 5.Ba4 Nf6 6.0-0 b5 7.Bb3 0-0 8.Re1 we get the same position of their Game 1. We may use for this position not only the name "Spanish Game, Anti-Marshall with 8.h3", but also "Morphy's Joke Opening, Anti-Marshall", in fact. 

Jerome Gambit: How Many Times Have We Heard This Kind of Story?

You never can tell where the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) will show up next... Or where it already has arrived.

Consider Chess magazine, volume 3, issue 39, 1937 (page 4) where readers learn of a club player who

...light-heartedly embarks on the Jerome Gambit against the Club's Board No. 1 player. Unfortunaterly, however, the latter is apparently ignorant of the correct reply moves as given in the Secretary's "Chess Openings" text book, and the result is catastrophic - for the Secretary!

Ah, yes, how many times have we heard this kind of story?