Jerome Gambit: Keep On Keeping On.

A strong defense against the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) requires White to keep the pressure on, and to keep on keeping on - until an opportunity arises to resolve the game as a win for the first player. 

angelcamina - LeoCarlos04

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8

7.Qxe5 Qe7 8.Qf4+ Ke8 

9.c3  

This time White works on building his pawn center.

Previously he played 9.O-O Bd6 10.Qe3 Nf6 11.Nc3 Bb4 12.d3 Bxc3 13.bxc3 d6 14.Ba3 Kf7 15.f4 Re8 16.e5 Nd5 17.Qd4 Qe6 18.c4 Ne7 19.Rae1 Nc6 20.Qf2 Qf5 21.exd6 Rxe1 22.Rxe1 cxd6 23.Bxd6 Be6 24.h3 h5 25.c5 Re8 26.Qf3 g6 27.c3 Bd5 28.Rxe8 Bxf3 29.gxf3 Kxe8 30.Be5 Qxd3 31.Kg2 Qc2+ 32.Kg3 Qxa2 33.Kh4 Kf7 34.Kg5 Qb3 35.Kh6 Qc4 36.Kg5 Qxc5 37.Kh4 Qc4 38.Kg3 a5 39.Kh4 a4 40.Kg5 a3 41.Kh6 a2 42.Kh7 a1=Q White resigned, angelcamina - almostagm, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2020; and the interesting

9.Qxc7 Bxf2+ in angelcamina - mistrustful, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2021 (1-0, 23). 

9...Nh6 

With the plan to bring the Rook to the f-file to harass the enemy Queen.

10.d4 Rf8 11.Qg3 Bb6

Black's great lead in piece development means that White has to be careful.

12.Bxh6 gxh6 13.O-O Qxe4 14.Nd2 Qf4 

To exchange off White's strongest piece, which will get little rest.

15.Rae1+ Kd8 16.Qh3 d5 17.Qd3 Bf5 18.Qe2 c6 

Black's two Bishops out-shine White's Knight. 

His problem is his unsafe King - which would have been better protected by 18...Qd6. 

White sees his opportunity and quickly takes advantage of it.

19.Qe7+ Kc8 20.Qxf8+ Kc7 21.Re7+ Kd6 22.Qf6+ Be6 23.Qxe6 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: To the Bitter End

My opponent in the following Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ ) game was not going to give up easily, he was determined to battle to the bitter end - 64 moves, at that. 

perrypawnpusher - ce_1

Jerome Classic #1, Chess.com, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Qh4+ 9.g3 Nf3+ 

Here we have another strange Jerome Gambit position. Playing the White pieces, I have arrived here 26 times in my games, and have scored 88% - even though Stockfish 15.1 (40 ply) considers it about 3 1/2 pawns better for Black.

Go figure.

10.Kf1

Or 10.Kd1, as in the humorus, imaginary, game R.F. - Nibs, telephone chess, 1899. 

10...Ne7 

11.Qxc5+ 

Best, but I was not happy playing it. With Black's King out in the open, a Queen could be pretty handy - but I had been here before and knew the top move.

11...Kxc5 12.gxh4 Nxh4 

There was also 12...d5 as seen in perrypawnpusher - DaniyarManat, "Piano Piano" tournament, Chess.com, 2020 (1-0, 29). 

13.Nc3 d6

Black's extra piece outweighs White's extra pawn. His King appears to be in more danger, although that may be an illusion.

14.d3 Bh3+ 15.Kf2 Nhg6 16.f5 

More to the point would be 16.Be3+.

16...Ne5 17.Kg3 

Threatening the Bishop, but Black can simply give it back for a couple of pawns.

17...Bxf5 18.exf5 Nxf5+ 19.Kg2 Nh4+ 20.Kg3 Nhf3 

A bridge too far.

Black could have returned his Knight to f5, and if 21.Kf4, then 21...Rhf8.

21.Be3+ Kc6 

Avoiding 21...Nd4 22.Ne2 Nec6 23.Nxd4 Nxd4 24.c3 but surrendering a piece.

22.d4 Nxd4 23.Bxd4 Nc4 24.b3 Na3 25.Ne4 

In a bit of a role reversal, White has an extra piece for two pawns.

25...Kd5 

Attacking two pieces, echoes of White's 20.Kg3.

26.Bxg7 

Escaping the King, with a threat on an enemy piece. However, 26.Bb2 had the same idea, and was stronger.

26...Rhg8 27.Nf6+ Kc6 28.Nxg8 Rxg8 29.Kf3 Rxg7 

Black has a pawn for the exchange.

30.Rhg1 Rf7+ 31.Ke2 Kb5 32.c3 c5 33.Raf1 Re7+ 

Black rightly refuses to exchange his active Rook.

34.Kd2 c4 35.Rf5+ Kc6 36. Ra5 Nb5 37. bxc4 Nc7 38. Rxa7 Rf7 

39.Rg2 Na6 40.Ra8 Nc5 41.Re8 Na4 42.Ree2 Nb2 43.Re4 d5

My opponent had the right idea: exchange off pawns, and work to reach a Rook plus Knight vs Rook endgame, because it is very drawish.

44.cxd5+ Kxd5 45.Rd4+ Kc5 46.Rg5+ Kc6 47.Kc2 Rf2+ 48.Rd2 Rxd2+ 49.Kxd2 Nc4+ 

Stockfish 15.1 evaluates the position as better than the equivalent of two pieces for White, but it sure didn't feel that way at the time.

Still, I had a plan.

50.Kc1 Nd6 51.Rh5 Ne4 52.Kc2 b5 53.Rxh7 Ng5 54.Rh5 Nf3

55.Kb3 

Going after Black's remaining pawn, but there was time for 55.h4.

55...Nd2+ 56.Kb4 Nf3 57.Rc5+ Kd6 58.Kxb5 Nxh2 59.a4 

59...Ng4 60.a5 Ne5 61.Rxe5 

Of course.

61...Kxe5 62.a6 Kd6 63.a7 Kc7 64.a8=Q

Black resigned

Jerome Gambit: Trying to Stay Out of the Weeds

In the following game I tried not to get bogged down in the sidelines and pushed ahead, looking for a lasting advantage. Black's occassional inaccuracies helped me move along.

perrypawnpusher - carzair

Jerome Classic #1, Chess.com, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf6 

A slip.

A dozen years ago I wrote in the post"Ghost of Compensation"

This is an example of the defender relaxing a bit too soon. Certainly he should feel confident, as he is two pieces ahead. He has every reason to believe that White, having played foolishly, will continue in his bizarre ways. Yet, a bit of care in analyzing the position would have shown that the attacker can now regain significant material.

According to The Database, 6...Kf6 has been played 349 times, with White scoring 77%.

Alternatives were 6...Kf8 (White scoring 48%), 6...Ke6 ( White scoring 56%), and 6...g6 (White scoring 71%).

7.Qf5+ 

Instead, 7.d4 is either a case of over-thinking or under-thinking. Clearly, White threatens two pieces and also the skewer of Black's Queen to her King, with 8.Bg5.

Of course, as the game we are looking at shows, 7.Qf5+ leads to the win of two pieces, not just threats.

Surprisingly, The Database has 23 games with 7.d4, with White scoring 87%. How can that be?

Well, on average, White in those games was rated 120 points higher than his opponent, which suggests that he had the expectation of 2/3 winning chances.

Black could have defended with 7...Bb4+ 8.c3 Nd3+ (8.Nc3 Bxc3+ 9.bxc3 Nf7 giving back a piece after 10.e5+ Ke7 11.Bg5+ Nf6 12.exf6+ gxf6) 9.Kd2 d5!? threatening to out-bizarre White, since 10.e5+ Ke6 11.Kxe3 Be7 probably would leave Black better. (It is not surprising that The Database has no game examples of 9...d5.) 

Also: It's the Jerome Gambit. Stuff happens.

And, of course, there is perrypawnpusher - Tensecterror, blitz, FICS, 2012 (1-0, 45).

7...Ke7 8.Qxe5+ 

8...Kf7 

There is not much difference in 8...Kf8, as in perrypawnpusher - badhorsey, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 30) and  perrypawnpusher - buddybuckets-dog (c), Chess.com 2023 (1-0, 32). 

9.Qd5+ 

Or 9.Qxc5 directly, as in bloodlet - perrypawnpusher, 3 12 blitz, FICS, 2007 (unfinished, 13) and perrypawnpusher - anelante, blitz, FICS, 2012 (1-0, 22).

9...Ke8 

Not 9...Kg6 as in perrypawnpusher - Navarrra, blitz, FICS, 2011, (1-0, 26). 

10.Qxc5 b6 

Or 10...d6 as in perrypawnpusher - chingching, blitz, FICS, 2011 (0-1, 36) or 10...Qe7 in perrypawnpusher - Leontes, blitz, FICS, 2009 (1-0, 11). 

11.Qe3 Nf6 12.d4 Ng4 

Not long ago (see "Jerome Gambit: Assumed, Not Easily Seen"), I fussed about this move and ...Nb4; some times they achieve little.

13.Qg3 d5 14.e5 Rf8 15.O-O c5 16.c3 cxd4 17.cxd4 Qe7 

White needs to work on his piece development, although his King is safe and he has two extra pawns.

18.Nc3 Qb7 

Creative.

19.h3 Nh6 20.Bxh6 gxh6 

Add better pawn structure to White's list.

21.Qh4 Qg7 22.Qh5+ Rf7 

Not the best piece to block the check. 

23.e6 Qg6 

If 23...Bxe6 then 24.Rae1 Qxd4 (24...Qf6 25.Qxd5 Rd8 26.Rxe6+) 25.Rxe6+. 

24.exf7+ Kxf7 

Not the position completely unravels.

25.Qxd5+ Be6 26.Qxa8 Qc2 27.Qf3+ Ke7 28.Rfe1 Qg6 29.d5 Black resigned.

Jerome Gambit: Another Day at Work

Sometimes a Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game moves right along to a solid conclusion, just like a day at work.

Etus11 - perrypawnpusher

Jerome Classic #1, Chess.com, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.d4 exd4 

5...Bxd4 was seen in eliadr - perrypawnpusher, Jerome Classic #1, Chess.com, 2024 (0-1, 18) and  FurkanFexsv - perrypawnpusher, Jerome Classic #1, Chess.com, 2024 (0-1, 9). 

6.Bg5 

Instead, 6.c3 was consistent. Then, 6...dxc3 would be met by 7.Qd5+. The best response would be 6...Bb6, when 7.cxd4 would bring about a position that shows up in The Database 6 times, with White winning 5 times.

I have also faced 6.Qd3 in Temmo - perrypawnpusher, Jerome Gambit 3, ChessWorld.net 2008 (0-1, 32). 

6...Qe8 7.Qe2 

Simpler and stronger was 7.O-O. 

7...d5 

8.Nh4 Qxe4 9. Qxe4 dxe4 10.O-O Nf6 

Black leads in material and development and has a powerful pawn center.

White can fight back, to some extent.

11.Nd2 Bd7 

Giving back a pawn to continue development. Better was 11...Re8. 

12.Bxf6 gxf6 13.Nxe4 Bb6 14.Rad1 

14...Rad8 15.Rd3 Rhe8 16.Ng3 Ne5 17.Rd2 c5 

Black slowly builds.

18.f4 Nc4 19.Rd3 Nxb2 20. Rdf3 c4 21.f5 

Black's advanced pawns are ready to take over.

21...d3+ 22.Kh1 d2 23.h3 d1=Q 24.Rxd1 Nxd1 

The Black d-pawn cost White a Rook.

But the c-pawn remains.

25.c3 Re1+ 26.Rf1 Rxf1+ 27.Nxf1 Nxc3 

Freeing the c-pawn.

28.Kh2 Nxa2 29.Nd2 c3 30.Nb3 c2 31.Kg3 c1=Q 

 This Queen will not last, either, but, again, it will cost White a piece.

32.Nxc1 Nxc1 33.Kf3 Bc6+ 34.Kf4 

34...Rg8 

I wish that I had found 34...Ne2+ 35.Kg4 Rd4+ 36.Kh5 Ng3+ 37.Kh6 Rxh4 checkmate.

It didn't matter.

35.Ng6 hxg6 36.fxg6+ Rxg6 37.g4 Ne2+ 38.Kf5 Rg5 checkmate 

I suspect that one reason my opponent fought to the bitter end is that he is in a battle for third place in our group in the tournament, and only three players from a group will advance to the next round. Every point and half point counts.

Jerome Gambit: Just When Things Started to Become Interesting... (Part 2)

The following recent game had barely gotten going before it ended.

Again, not everyone has time for everything, every day.

 

cool64chess - perrypawnpusher

Jerome Classic #1, Chess.com, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.O-O 

A "modern" approach to the Jerome Gambit, as opposed to the "classical" 5.Nxe5+ that Alonzo Wheeler Jerome played.

5...Nf6 6.d3 

White followed the plan of 6.c3 and then 7.d4 in Philidor1792 - perrypawnpusher, Chess.com, 2015 (1-0, 36) and carzair -perrypawnpusher, Jerome Classic #1, Chess.com, 2024 (0-1, 28). 

I was shocked to discover that there were 766 games with 6.Ng5+ in The Database, with White scoring 35%. My recent game continued 6...Kg8 7.d3 h6 8.Nf3 d5 9.Nc3 dxe4 10.Nd2 Bg4 11.Qe1 exd3 12.cxd3 Qxd3 13.Nd1 Be2 14.Ne3 Bxe3 15.fxe3 Bxf1 16.Nxf1 Kh7 17.Ng3 Rad8 18.b3 Qc2 19.Nf5 Rd1 White resigned, 123456789qeeed - perrypawnpusher, Jerome Classic #1, Chess.com, 2024. 

Instead, 6.d4 exd4 7.Ng5+ was seen in 27 games in The Database (White scored 48%) including yoyokskr - perrypawnpusher, Jerome Classic #1, Chess.com, 2024 (0-1, 27).

Alternately, 6.Nc3 Rf8 7.Ng5+ was seen in leobrazer - perrypawnpusher, 3 0 blitz, FICS, 2009  (0-1, 48). 

Finally, 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 transposed to familiar lines in perrypawnpusher - Freddy1201, Play The Italian Game III Chess.com 2023 (0-1, 23) and perrypawnpusher - vityas81, Chess.com 2023 (1-0, 16). 

6...Rf8 

Black hopes to castle-by-hand.

7.c3

Instead, one more check from g5: 7.Ng5+ Kg8 8.Nf3 d5 White resigned, Capt.Mandrake - perrypawnpusher, Jerome Gambit 3 thematic, ChessWorld.net, 2008.

7...Bb6 

My King did get to scurry to safety with 7...Kg8 in ecimsa - perrypawnpusher, blitz, FICS, 2009 (0-1, 32). 

8.Qb3+ 

Halting the Black King, at least for a moment.

There was also 8.Bg5 in xulian - perrypawnpusher, Jerome Classic #1, Chess.com, 2024. 

8...d5 

Here, Black won on time. 

Jerome Gambit: Help Arrives in Time

The Jerome Gambit can complicate a game to the point where the clock can be a factor - even in a game where the time control was 1 day per move.

This time, once again, the clock became an ally.

perrypawnpusher - cool64chess

Jerome Classic #1, Chess.com, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5. Nxe5+ Nxe5 6. Qh5+ Ke6 

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Qh4+ 9.g3 Qf6 

Stockfish 15.1 (35 ply) sees little difference between this check-and-retreat maneuver by Black's Queen and the simple 8.Qf6 - 2/100th of a pawn.

The Database shows the direct 8.Qf6 to be more popular than 8.Qh4+ g3 9.Qf6 - 441 games vs 62 games - but both score 57%.

10.fxe5+ 

The diversion 10.Qh5 did not work out well for me in perrypawnpusher - 1zscha2014, GameKnot.com, 2014 (0-1, 32) 

10...Qxe5 11.Qxe5+ 

Stockfish 15.1 frowns on 11.Qf3, and I have had mixed success with it:  perrypawnpusher - jeffgazet, blitz, FICS, San Jose, California US 2010}(1-0, 31)  perrypawnpusher - Buddy_Thompson, Chess.com, 2014 (0-1, 27)  perrypawnpusher - Coach Mae, Chess.com, 2023 (1-0, 30).

The Database has similar results: 31 games, White scores 66%.  

11...Kxe5 12.b4 Bd4 

I have faced 12...Bf8 in perrypawnpusher - Kevin the fruitbat, Jerome Gambit 3 thematic, Chessworld.net, 2008 (1-0, 38)

13.c3 Bb6 

14.d4+ Ke6 15.Bb2 d6 16.Nd2 Nf6 17.O-O Bd7 

With an extra piece for a pawn, Black is still better, even with his uneasy King.

Once again, the "Jerome Pawns" will have to step up fpr White.

18.Rae1 Raf8 19.c4 c6 20.Kg2 Ke7 21.Nf3 Kd8 

Black's response has been to retreat his King to safety.

22.c5 

A little sharper was 22.e5. 

22...dxc5 23.dxc5 Bc7 24.e5 Nd5 25.e6 Rxf3 

26.Rxf3 

The computer prefers 26.Kxf3 but I am not quite sure why.

26...Re8 27.Bxg7 Bxe6 28.a3 

Unfortunately for my opponent - perhaps the outside world intruded - here White won on time.