Jerome Gambit: What Am I Doing Here?

The following game is a good example of choosing to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

My opponent played well, but he had some help. From me.

perrypawnpusher - Guluphatep

"Italian Game", Chess.com, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.O-O Bc5 5.Bxf7+ 

5...Kxf7 

I was pretty sure that I had reached this position before.

Checking The Database, I discovered that I had scored 8 - 2 - 2 -- as Black. Uh oh.

I was 1 - 1 as White. 

6.Nxe5+ 

I have faced a number of different lines:

6.Nc3 as in leobrazer - perrypawnpusher, blitz, FICS, 2009 (0-1, 48); 

6.d3 as in ecimsa - perrypawnpusher, blitz, FICS, 2009 (0-1, 32) ; xulian - perrypawnpusher, Jerome Classic #1, Chess.com, 2024.  (0-1, 19); cool64chess-perrypawnpusher, Chess.com, 2024 (0-1, 8); cool64chess - perrypawnpusher, Jerome Gambit Classic #1, Chess.com, 2024 (1/2-1/2, 31); sinipete - perrypawnpusher, Jerome Gambit Classic #1, Chess.com 2024 (1/2-1/2, 104); drewbear - perrypawnpusher, Jerome Gambit 3 thematic ChessWorld.net 2008 (0-1, 22); Capt.Mandrake - perrypawnpusher, JG3 thematic, Chessworld.net, 2008 (0-1, 8); 

Or 6.c3 as in Philidor1792 - perrypawnpusher, internet, 2015 (1-0, 36); 

Or 6.Ng5+ as in 123456789qeeed - perrypawnpusher, Chess.com, 2024 (0-1, 19); 

Or 6.d4 as in yoyokskr - perrypawnpusher, Chess.com, 2024 (0-1, 27);

Or 6.Re1 as in Hvakkimaruru - perrypawnpusher, Jerome Gambit Classic #1, Chess.com, 2024 (0-1, 28). 

6...Nxe5 7.d4 

I am not sure what I am doing playing this line. A peek at The Database shows that White scores 1 - 12 - 1 against 7...d5. Fortunately my opponent was not aware of this.

7...Bxd4 

7...Bd6 was seen in perrypawnpusher - Freddy1201, Play The Italian Game III, Chess.com 2023 (0-1, 23)

7...Nc6 was seen in perrypawnpusher - vityas81, Chess.com, 2023 (1-0, 16).

8.Qxd4 d6 9.f4 Nc6 

10.Qd3 Re8 11.Nc3 Kg8 

Black's King plans to step off of the a2-g8 digonal, where he can be checked.

12.Be3 Kh8 

13.a3 

To keep Black's Knight from coming to b4, but it costs an important tempo.

13...Nxe4 

Well played. Now, if 14.Nxe4 then 14...Bf5.

14.Rae1 Nxc3 15.Qxc3 Bf5 

It is hard to find compensation for White's sacrificed material.

16.h3 Qf6 17.Qb3 b6 18.c3 Na5 19.Qd1 Nc4 

20.Bd4 Qg6 21.Kh2 c5 

White resigned

There is not a lot in 22.g4 cxd4 23.gxf5 Qxf5 24.Qxd4. I could have kept playing, but it would have required an unforced blunder by my opponent to keep him from grinding me down. There were other games to play. 

Jerome Gambit: You Still Have to Find the Moves (Part 3)

                        

The following game is another "twin", following in the footsteps of three previous games - although, separated by a few years.

It ended abruptly, while my position was still, admittedly, worse.

Jerome Gambit.

perrypawnpusher - Seishiro_Chess

Jerome Gambit 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 Qf6 

                                   

9.fxe5+ Qxe5 10.Qxe5+ Kxe5 

11.b4 Bd4 

Instead, 11...Bb6 was seen in perrypawnpusher - djdave28, Chess.com, Italian game tournament, 2014 (1-0, 22). 

12.c3 Bb6 13.d4+ Ke6 

Black can take the e-pawn (see perrypawnpusher - djdave28, Italian Game tourney, Chess.com, 2015 [1-0, 32] ) and survive, but why borrow trouble? The text preserves his advantage.

14.O-O 

A bit better was 14.Bb2. 

14...Nf6 15.Nd2 d6 16.Bb2 

Black resigned

This came as a bit of a surprise, especially since the game was still following perrypawnpusher - Altotemmi, Giuoco Piano Thematic Tournament, Chess.com, 2016 (0-1, 51).

A look at the crosstables showed that my opponent had resigned all of his games.

Jerome Gambit: Familiar Ground

In the following game I was helped by treading on familiar ground - as the links in the various game references show.

I also gained a few "extra" moves to improve my position, as my opponent used a few "extra" moves to place his pieces. It all added up.

perrypawnpusher - hamadkargarfard7

Jerome Classic #1, Chess.com, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Kf8 

The March 1875 issue of The Dubuque Chess Journal contained the game Jerome - Brownson, Iowa, 1875 (1/2 - 1/2, 29), in which this move first appeared.

6.Nxc6 dxc6 

Black captures with the d-pawn, to pressure the d4 square and prevent White from placing a pawn there.

7.O-O 

Instead, 7.Nc3 as in perrypawnpusher - Ykcir, blitz, FICS 2009 (1/2 - 1/2, 11) and 7.d3 as in perrypawnpusher - fortytwooz, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 29); perrypawnpusher - Jore, blitz, FICS, 2011 (0-1, 16); perrypawnpusher - Conspicuous, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 13); perrypawnpusher - Lark, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 12); and perrypawnpusher - pitrisko, blitz, FICS, 2011 (0-1, 30) were comparable alternatives.

7...Nf6 

Again, there were a number of other choices:

7...Qh4 as in perrypawnpusher - Al-der, Italian Game Classic, Chess.com, 2019 (1-0, 26); 

7...Ne7 as in perrypawnpusher - smarlny, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 25); 

7...Be6 as in perrypawnpusher - PasayDefence, Piano Piano tournament, Chess.com, 2020 (1/2 - 1/2, 57); perrypawnpusher - spince, blitz, FICS, 2013 (1-0, 29); and perrypawnpusher - CorH, blitz, FICS, 2009 (0-1, 74); 

7...Bd6 as in perrypawnpusher - Lark, blitz, FICS, 2009 (1-0, 18); 

7...h5 as in perrypawnpusher - jackedU711, Giuoco Piano Game, Chess.com, 2023 (1/2 - 1/2, 14); and 

7...Qf6 as in perrypawnpusher - DaniyarManat, Chess.com, 2021 (1-0, 19). 

8.d3 Bg4 9.Qe1 Qe7 

Instead, 9...Qe8 appeared in perrypawnpusher - MRBarupal, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 13). 

10.Kh1 Qe5 

The Queen will wander.

11.f3 Bh5 12.c3 Bd6 

Black eventually puts his Bishop on e7, so perhaps it should have gone there now. The expenditure of extra moves largely evens the game.

13.f4 Qb5 14.c4 Qb4 15.Nc3 Be7 

It took White's c-pawn two moves to get where it is now, and the f-pawn, likewise, arrived in two steps - a consequence of Black's play.

With two pawns for the sacrificed piece, but a strong broad pawn center and a safer King, White is better. 

16.a3 

It was time to get the center pawns going with 16.e5.

16...Qb6 

The Queen avoids the mischief that would have arrived after 16...Qxb2 (i.e. 17.Ra2 Qb3 18.Qa1 followed by Rb1) but at b6 it is out of action. Her Majesty would have been more helpful at d6.

17.e5 Nd7 18.f5 

The "Jerome pawns" bring serious trouble.

18...Ke8 

Hoping to step out of the line of fire, wishing to avoid something like what happens when central files open: 18...Qd4 19.f6 gxf6 20.exf6 Bxf6 21.Bh6+ Kf7 22.Ne4 Qxb2 23.Nxf6 Nxf6 24.Bg5  

19.f6 Nxf6 

Hoping to slow things by returning material.

20.exf6 gxf6 21.Rxf6 Kd7 

22.Nd5 

Cute, but so was 22.Qe6+ Kd8 23.Bg5.

22...Qc5 23.b4 Qd4 24.Qxe7+ Kc8 25.Qxc7 checkmate

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: Tournament Outcomes

 

The Italian Game tournament at Chess.com has finished.

The winner, Seal_Island_Puffin, was also the top-rated player, of eight.

I managed to finish second in the tournament, despite scoring only one draw against two losses, with the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+).

The Jerome Gambit Classic #1, at Chess.com, continues. I will move on to the third round, having gone 22 - 0 in the second round, that is, 11 wins with the Jerome, and 11 wins against. 

Some of my games from Classic #1 have been posted, but I have about 8 more which will soon appear. 

I will also try to collect the games played by others in the Classic #1, but there are 224 players in all, so that may take a while. 

Because of exciting play among the others in the tournament, I will finish first in the second round of the Giuoco Fun tournament at Chess.com, scoring three wins (1, 2, & 3 ) and one draw with the Jerome Gambit. On to the third round!

Jerome Gambit: Tournament Update

                             

It looks like I will come in first in my first round group of 12 at the 228-player Jerome Gambit Classic #1 tournament at Chess.com, possibly even finishing 22 - 0; and then move on to the next round. I have two games to finish.

Things are not quite as rosy for me in the second round of the 250-player Giuoco Fun tournament, also at Chess.com. I probably have to win my last 3 games to advance from my group of 5.

Finally, it looks like I need at least a draw in my final game in the second round of the Italian Game tournament (Chess.com), plus a favorable tie-break.

All along the way, the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) has been a faithful companion.

Jerome Gambit: For the Defense

Playing in a Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) tournament means that I have to face the opening, as well as play it.

The Database shows that I have played 484 Jerome Gambit games.

Happily, in the 446 games where I had White, I scored 82%.

Showing that knowledge of a line means something, in the 38 games where I had Black, I scored 93%.

To introduce the following game I can borrow from the TV show "The Naked City" 

There are eight million stories in the naked city. This has been one of them.

carzair - perrypawnpusher

Jerome Classic #1, Chess.com, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.O-O Nf6 6.c3 

The position could also be reached by the move order 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.0-0.

Of course, White can choose other moves, illustrated in some of my games:

6.d3 in Capt.Mandrake - perrypawnpusher, JG3 thematic, Chessworld.net, 2008 (0-1, 8); 

6.Nc3 in leobrazer - perrypawnpusher, blitz, FICS, 2009 (0-1, 48); 

6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 Nc6 in perrypawnpusher - Freddy1201, Play The Italian Game III, Chess.com 2023 (0-1, 23) and perrypawnpusher - vityas81, Chess.com, 2023 (1-0, 16);

6.Ng5+ in Kavakava - perrypawnpusher, blitz, FICS, 2008 (0-1, 41) and ecimsa - perrypawnpusher, blitz, FICS, 2009 (0-1, 32).

6...Re8 

Or 6...Rf8 in Philidor1792 - perrypawnpusher, Chess.com, 2015 (1-0, 36) 

7.d4 exd4 8.cxd4 Bb6 

The position has taken on a bit of a "hypermodern" aura, with White having a pawn center unopponsed by enemy pawns, but strongly pressured by Black's pieces.

This is well-presented in a post by KeSetoKaiba (his YouTube site,) at Chess.com in 2020

Romantic chess is an approach that chess is an art-form and a medium to be creative. It is better to play a creative attacking line that is slightly unsound if you get an interesting game or elegant position. Naturally, this is almost opposite to computer-like chess play of today's era. Romantic chess usually involves opening gambits/traps, sacrifices (may or may not be perfectly sound moves), and creative deflections and mating nets. Perhaps the most iconic "romantic" opening is the famous King's Gambit, but other openings have also been called romantic in nature: The Tarrasch Defense against 1.d4 (Kasparov played this opening a lot in his youth) and the Blackburn Shilling Gambit are prime examples of the type of play this play-style characterizes...

Many openings play what is coined “hypermodern” theory. This type of opening is characterized by one side (usually Black) allowing the opponent to build a center, so that they may have a target to attack by undermining the central stronghold. Probably the opening I think of most when I hear “hypermodern” is the theory-heavy Grunfeld Defense. The aggressive King’s Indian Defense and Dutch Defense also follows the same motif in many lines because White usually gets the central control and Black thematically goes for the …f5 pawn break to undermine the center. Naturally, these hypermodern openings are always sharp and risky – but it is an interesting way to approach chess in contrast to the “control the center [early in the opening especially]” opening principle that chess beginners are taught to follow. 

9.Qb3+

Instead, phillychampion has played 9.e5 here in a number of games on lichess.org.

9...d5 10.exd5 Qxd5 11.Qxd5+ Nxd5 

White has a pawn for his sacrificed piece, and lags in development.

12.Nc3 Nf6 13.Be3 Bg4 14.Nd2 

Not wanting his Kingside broken up, but this costs a pawn.

14...Bxd4 15.Bxd4 Nxd4 

The pawn center is gone, and I have an extra piece in a Queenless middlegame.

16.h3 Bd7 17.Rad1 Bc6 18.g4 Rad8 19.g5 Ne4 20.Ndxe4 Bxe4 21.Nxe4 Rxe4 

If nothing changes, nothing changes.

22.f3 Ree8 23.h4 Re2 

Suddenly - an idea.

24.Rc1 Nc6 25.Rb1 Rdd2 

Pigs on the second rank.

26.f4 Rg2+ 27.Kh1 Rh2+ 28.Kg1 Rdg2 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: DDD

American writer Mark Twain once said “I like a good story well told. That is the reason I am sometimes forced to tell them myself.”

The following tale of an "optical illusion" called the "Disdainful Defender Defense" runs through a lot of Jerome Gambit games, mine included.

perrypawnpusher - Etus11

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 Qf6 9.fxe5+ Qxe5 10.Qf3 Nf6 

We have reached a standard position in the Jerome Gambit. In fact, Alonzo Wheeler Jerome reached it at least 7 times in his games.

The Database has 200 games with this position. White scores 66%.  My stastistics are a bit better, with 15 wins against  2 losses. 

11.d3 Rf8 

An unfortunate tale, underestimating the Jerome Gambit, told before in my games:

11... Rf8 12.Bf4 in perrypawnpusher - mconst, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 42) and perrypawnpusher - recreation, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 13);

11...Bb4+ 12.c3 Ba5 13.Bf4  in perrypawnpusher - ViennaMike, blitz, FICS, 2009 (1-0, 19); 

11...Re8 12.Bf4  in perrypawnpusher - Estebang, blitz, FICS, 2009 (1-0, 28); 

11...Bd4 12.Bf4 in perrypawnpusher - Rossgil, blitz, FICS, 2009 (1-0, 26); 

11...Ke7 12.Nc3 Bd4 13.Bf4 in perrypawnpusher - karleinkarl, blitz, FICS, 2012 (0-1, 16); and

11...Ke7 12.Nc3 d6 13.Bf4 in perrypawnpusher - vz721, Italian Game thematic, Chess.com, 2013 (1-0, 29). 

12.Bf4 Qxf4 13.Qxf4+ Ke6 14.Qf5+ Ke7 15.Qxc5+ d6 16.Qg5 Rf7

With a Queen and a pawn for a Bishop, White's victory should be a matter of time.

17.Nc3  Kf8 18.O-O Kg8 19.Nd5 h6 

Hoping to chase off the annoying Queen, but actually allowing checkmate.

20.Qg6 Nxd5 

Speeding things.

21.Rxf7 Black resigned

Jerome Gambit: Hang On

I like to play the Jerome Gambit. In this tournament, I had to play against it as well.

I won all of my Jerome Gambit games with White, and I defeated all the Jerome Gambits when I had Black.

Apologies to the Jerome Gambit Gemeinde.

In the following game, with Black, I had one plan: Hang on.

Hvakkimaruru - perrypawnpusher

Jerome Gambit Classic #1, Chess.com, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.O-O 

One of the "modern" variations of the Jerome Gambit, that is, when White avoids the "classical" 5.Nxe5+ that Alonzo Wheeler Jerome played. At 30 ply, Stockfish 15.1 prefers the Knight capture by about 1/4 of a pawn.

5...Nf6 6.Re1 

I have played - and played against - this position previously:

6.d3 Rf8 7.Ng5+ Kg8 8.Nf3 d5 White resigned, Capt.Mandrake - perrypawnpusher, Jerome Gambit 3 thematic tournament, ChessWorld.net 2008;

6.Nc3 Rf8 7. Ng5+ as in leobrazer - perrypawnpusher, blitz, FICS, 2009 (0-1, 48); and 

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

6...Re8 

Black is better here. His job is to hang on.

White must stir things up and play for the advantage.

7.c3 Kg8 8.d4 exd4 

After the game, Stockfish expressed a preference for 8...Bf8 and 8...Bb6. I am not sure why. 

9.cxd4 

Likewise, the computer preferred 9.e5 and 9.b4.

My opponent's moves were troubling enough, thank you very much. 

9...Bb4 10.Bd2 Bxd2 11.Nbxd2 d6 

White has a pawn for his sacrificed piece. His pawn center is good, but it is not sufficient compensation.

12.h3 h6 13.e5 dxe5 14.dxe5 Nd7 15. Qb3+ Kh8 

White's "Jerome pawn" - passed and protected - looks like it could cause trouble, but nothing comes of it.

16.e6 Nc5 17.Qc4 Nxe6 18.Ne5 

A slip.

18...Nxe5 19.Rxe5 Qxd2 

White will now play to win two pieces for a Rook, but that does not completely address the material imbalance.

20.Rae1 Qd6 21.Rd5 Qf8 22.Rde5 Bd7 23.Rxe6 Rxe6 24.Rxe6 Bxe6 25.Qxe6 

A Rook is a Rook.

25...Re8 26.Qd7 

Now mate follows. 

26...Re1+ 

At this point I gave a series of if/then moves that wound up

27.Kh2 Qf4+ 28.g3 Qxf2 checkmate

That made me 22 - 0 - 0 for my group, Round 1 - a decent start.