Recently, I received an email from Vlastimil Fejfar, of the Czech Republic, who shared three of his Jerome Gambit correspondence games - a pleasant return to the days of when Alonzo Wheeler Jerome would defend "his" game the same way.
As in the game in the previous blog post, Black plays what I have called "the annoying defense". He gives back a piece and plans to stay out of trouble. It can be difficult for White to put together an attack. 8.fxe5 dxe5 9.Qh3+ Kd6 10.Qd3+ Ke7 11.Qg3 Ke8
Black has managed to develop his Knight, but his Queenside has a familiar difficulty. 16.d3 Qc7 17.c3 Bxe3 18.Bxe3 Qe7 19.0-0-0 Rf8 20.Rf3 Bd7 21.Rdf1 c5 22.Bxc5 Black resigned
Black did not like the look of things after 23...Qxc5 24.Qxg7 with threats against the Knight at f6, as suddenly his King looks very vulnerable.
Alonzo Wheeler Jerome developed and defended his gambit in both across-the-board and correspondence games in the late 1800s and early 1900s. He even arranged to play the Jerome Gambit against readers of the Literary Digest. In modern times, however, the Jerome is most likely to show up in internet games, often blitz; although the occasional face-to-face contest still can be found. Recently, I received an email from Vlastimil Fejfar, of the Czech Republic, who shared three of his Jerome Gambit correspondence games - a pleasant return to the days of AWJ. Fejfar,V - Pressl corr Czech Republic, 2015 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 d6
White faces what I have called "the annoying defense", where Black calmly gives back a piece and avoids any risky misadventures, remaining up a piece for a pawn. The idea is at least as old as D'Aumiller, A.D. - A.P., Livorno, 1878(1-0, 19). It is the choice of many computer programs in games in The Database, including Fritz, Hiarcs, Junior, Rybka, Shredder and Spike; so I have also referred to it as "the silicon defense". Also, 7...d6 isthe move recommended by many authorities, including IM Gary Lane in his The Greatest Ever Chess Tricks and Traps. Vlasta proceeds calmly against it. 8.fxe5 dxe5 9.Qh3+ Kd6 10.Qd3+ Ke7 11.Qg3 Ke6 12.Qb3+ Ke7 13.Qg3 Ke6 14.Qb3+ Ke7 15.Qg3
Drawn It is not clear who came out "ahead" in this encounter, Black, who was able to split the point, or White, who was able to play a "refuted" opening and not lose. I am sympathetic. Thesecond roundof the Chess.com Italian Game Tournamenthas concluded for me, again (like in the first round) without being able to contest a single Jerome Gambit, which my opponents dodged. With White I scored two wins (one on time), four draws and no losses. Did more than half of my opponents "succeed" in "winning half a point" against me, or did they miss out on strolling to victory?
[This is blog post number 2,150, for those who might wonder. - Rick]
Sharp variations can work in favor of the gambiteer, or cut against him. It is important to be as up-to-date as possible on the tricky variations. I recently downloaded some more games from the Free Internet Chess Server (FICS), and, as well as checking out some "old" Jerome Gambiteers (e.g. drumme, HauntedKnight, Petasluk), looked at the efforts of a relatively new member of the Gemeinde, ZahariSokolov. In the following game he faces a rare, but old and dangerous defense, and, under pressure, chooses the wrong line (although, in another game in the notes, this also leads to victory), and suffers defeat. I have added some game references for Readers to have a better idea of how to deal with this kind of play. ZahariSokolov - Quarte standard, FICS, 2015 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
This surprising move, attributed to Norton - who defeated Alonzo Wheeler Jerome with it in a correspondence game in the early years of the gambit - rips open White's Kingside and makes him vulnerable to attack. 9.gxf3 Probably the only move, although I have gotten away with 9.Kf1 a couple of times in perrypawnpusher - igormsp, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 13), and perrypawnpusher - rheapennata, blitz, FICS, 2012 (1-0,12); while Jerome, as mentioned, did not - Jerome,A - Norton,D, Correspondence, 1876 (0-1, 42). ZahariSokolov, himself, a few days earlier, had gotten away with 9.Kd1: 9...Nd4 (9...Ne7!) 10.Qd5+ Ke7 11.Qxc5+ d6 12.Qxd4 Bg4+ 13.Ke1 c5 14.Qxg7+ Ke8 15.Qxg4 Nf6 16.Qe6+ Qe7 17.Qxe7+ Kxe7 18.d3 h6 19.Nc3 a6 20.Be3 b5 21.Ke2 Rhg8 22.g3 b4 23.Nd5+ Nxd5 24.exd5 Kf6 25.Rae1 Kf5 26.Kd2 h5 27.Bf2 Rae8 28.Rxe8 Rxe8 29.Re1 Rxe1 30.Bxe1 Kg4 31.Ke3 Kh3 32.f5 Black resigned, ZahariSokolov - LAVAL, standard, FICS, 2015
Readers of this blog probably remember Chris Torres. He hosts the Chess Musings blog. He presented the Jerome gambit game Amateur - Blackburne, London as "The Most Violent Chess Game Ever Played!" He followed up with "Another Lesson in the Jerome Gambit", giving one of his own games. He shared another game with the delightfully-titled post "Useful Junk: The Jerome Gambit". Now he has sent me an FIDE-rated Jerome Gambit of his from the FIDE Online Arena. Torres, Chris (chessmusings) - abhinam2 FIDE Online Arena, 2015 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
Black is a pawn down, but he has castled-by-hand and his King is relatively safe. However, one of the "vital signs" that observers of all Jerome Gambits must note is the status of Black's light-squared Bishop, and its related Rook, as their under-development always are unhealthy symptoms. (See "A Lesson Learned From The Jerome Gambit" for one related "illness".) 12.Qh6+ Kg8 13.Kg1 Ng4 14.Qg5 Qxg5 15.Bxg5 Nf2 16.Nd5 Nxh1 17.Nxc7 Rb8 18.Kxh1 Bd7
White has two pawns for the exchange. Black can be happy that the Queens are off the board, but he cannot affort to be complacent. (He can be happy, for the moment, that his light-squared Bishop has moved and that his Rooks are linked, even if one is mysteriously developed.) 19.Nd5 Be6 20.Nf6+ Kg7 21.d5 Bc8 See the previous note. 22.Rf1 h6 23.Nh5+ gxh5 24.Bxh6+ Kxh6 25.Rxf8
Materially, White has 3 extra pawns while Black has the extra piece. More importantly, positionally, look at Black's Queenside: Code Blue! His weakness allows a "Jerome pawn" infection... 25...Kg7 26. Rd8 b6 27.Kg1 Ra8 28.e5 dxe5 29.d6 Bb7 30.Rxa8 Bxa8 31.d7 Kf7 32.d8=Q Black resigned
I recently ran into Kevin Butler's website, thechesswebsite.com, which has a killer video on the Jerome Gambit. As an introduction to the opening, a refresher on main lines and side lines (including the Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit), or an exciting travelogue, it is well worth the 16 1/2 minute investment. I recommend it highly. The website also has a whole lot of chess content available, some for (paid) members only, including sections on basics, openings, strategy, endgame, puzzles, famous games, practice and traps. The Jerome Gambit video (as well as a lot of others from the website) is also on YouTube under thechesswebsite, and it has been viewed almost 12,000 times in the week since it has been posted. Check it out.
Bill Wall's latest Jerome Gambit is the stuff of nightmares - for his opponent. Toward the end of the game, checkmate threats abound. I have given in the notes some that Bill has mentioned, but you might want to test yourself and see what you can find. Take a look. Wall, Bill - Tsyalex PlayChess.com, 2015 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
So far, a routine Jerome Gambit position, appearing 221 times in The Database, starting with Charlick - Mann, corr, 1881 (1-0, 72). 9...Qf6 10.O-O An alternate is 10.d3, from Wall,B - G3LC, PlayChess.com, 2011, which I have mentioned before, but not given the moves to, so I will do so now:10...Nh6 11.Nc3 Ng4 12.Qg3 h5 13.h4 Rf8 14.Nd5 Qxf2+ 15.Qxf2 Nxf2 16.Rf1 Ng4 17.Nxc7+ Kd7 18.Nxa8 Rxf1+ 19.Kxf1 b6 20.Bg5 Bb7 21.Nxb6+ axb6 22.a4 Black resigned 10...Bd7 11.d4 N8e7 12.f4 Qh4 13.c4 Rf8
A (pawn) storm is coming, and Black begins to think about shelter for his King (by castling-by-hand). 14.f5 Nh8 15.b4 Nf7 More prudent might have been 15... Kf7. 16.a4
You have to know that this is going to end poorly for Black, even with his lead in development. It reminds me of "Gimme Shelter" by the Rolling Stones: Oh, a storm is threat'ning My very life today If I don't get some shelter Oh yeah, I'm gonna fade away 16...Rh8 17.Nc3 c6 18.c5 Kd8
Maybe the King will be safer on the Queenside?! I don't think so. Bill gives a couple of alternatives: 18...dxc5 19.bxc5; and 18...d5 19.Rf4 Qh6 20.exd5. 19. cxd6 Nxd6 20. Qd3 Kc721.Bf4 g5
Black works on his counter-attack, but it does not distract Bill. 22.Bxd6+ Kxd6 23.d5 cxd5 24.f6 Ng6 No 24...Nc6, as Bill points out: 25.Nb5+ Ke5 (25...Ke6 26.Qxd5#) 26.Qxd5 checkmate. 25. Nb5+ Bxb5 Avoiding Bill's 25...Kc6 26.Qxd5+ Kb6 27.Qc5+ Ka6 28.Nc7 checkmate. 26.Qxd5+ Kc7 27.axb5 Rad8
Ah, yes, the second round of the Chess.com Italian Game Tournament. Not a Jerome Gambit in sight, with one White left to come. The pattern continues: I toss out 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 only to meet 3...Nf6. Carelessly, I continue with 4.Nc3, hoping for 4...Bc5 and then 5.Bxf7+!?. Nope. In all my games with Black I have played 3...Bc5, willing to face the Jerome, but each time I have been met with 4.b4, the Evans Gambit. Interesting. My opponents with Black seem unwilling to allow me to play the Jerome Gambit - a technical win for them, at least in theory - because they are afraid I might play the Evans? (There's a joke about the Evans Jerome Gambit around here, somewhere...) The Evans Gambit, my new bodyguard!
