The previous blog post mentioned that a large percentage of the games in The Database is from the online website the Free Internet Chess Server (FICS). This is because that is the site where I am a member, have played most of my Jerome Gambit games, and have the greatest access to their games database. I am always open to game contributions from Readers, and I would like nothing better than to be able to add 50,000 - or 5,000 - or 500 - or 50 - or 5 - Jerome Gambit (or related) games played on the Internet Chess Club (ICC) site, or GameKnot.com, or Chess.com , or wherever - or even (especially) over-the-board games played at your favorite chess club. By the way, I have already received requests for a copy of The Database. I can send you a compressed (.zip) PGN file via email, at no cost - just ask.
The other day I wandered back through early posts to see when I started collecting Jerome Gambit (and related) games in a database for this blog. My first mention of a special base came in the June 20, 2008 post. In a post about a week later I noted that the database contined 950 games. The post included the following information
In all about 7% are over-the-board games, 12% involve computers (person vs computer or computer vs computer), 2% are traditional (snail mail) correspondence games and 79% are games played on the internet (various time controls).
It is fun to look back and see that in the early days of this Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) blog, I bragged of having a database of whopping 950 Jerome Gambit Games. Of course, today, the modern version of that database (aka "The Database") has over 1,000 games played by DragonTail alone.
In the beginning, in order to expand the number of Jerome Gambit games that I had access to, I offered aPGN file of 210 of the games mentioned on this blog, (not all Jeromes) in exchange for any games sent to me. The offer quickly expanded to almost 500 games, and onJune 10, 2009, the first "birthday" of this blog (celebrating a year of posting everyday) I offered a "present" of over 1,100 games.
Instead of "games posted on this blog" I switched to developing a PGN database of Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 4.Bxf7+), and Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.0-0/4.Nc3/4.d3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+) games.
By the time I offered the "New Year's Database" it contained over 17,000 games.This year's version, renamed "The Database" and offered on January 1, 2011, contained over 22,500 games, and included the above-mentioned variations, plus the nameless 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Na5 4.Bxf7+.
Today, The Database contains about 25,000 games. (It is still available to interested Readers at no cost).
I have not given information about The Database since February, 2015, so I thought I would bring Readers up-to-date. I have updated The Database with games from FICS (Free Internet Chess Server) through November 2015. It now contains 53,740 games. The basic Jerome Gambit position, after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+, appears in about 12,112 games. White scores 45% The Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+, appears 2,368 times. White scores 38%. Interestingly, the Semi-Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 h6 5.0-0 Bc5 6.Bxf7+, appears only124 times, but White scores 67%. Note the "power" (or lack of) ...h6. This is reflected in the Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.0-0 Bc5 5.Bxf7+, appearing in 170 games, where White scores 65%. Interestingly, with 4.Nc3, in about 130 games, White scores only 54%. The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 4.Bxf7+, appears in about 5,170 games, with White scoring 56%. A large number of recent examples of the Abrahams Jerome Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Bxf7+, have been added. There are 17,137 examples, and White scores 51%. Because the line continues to show up, and is worth knowing, the nameless 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Na5 4.Bxf7+ appears in The Database 2,197 times, with White scoring 72%. There is also a large selection of Jerome-ish lines, featuring, for example, an early Bxf7+ by White. Some Reversed Jerome Gambit games have been included, as well. Of course, all statistics need to be taken with a grain of salt (see "Caveat" for some fun, though) but it is relevant to note that about 95% of The Database is drawn from 15 years of FICS games, making much of it representative of online club play. Some reasonable conclusions can be drawn. I can email The Database at no charge to anyone who requests it.
Recently, I received an email from Vlastimil Fejfar, of the Czech Republic, who shared three of his Jerome Gambit correspondence games. Fejfar, Vlastimil - Vins 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 Qf6
A line seen as early as in a note in G.H.D. Gossip's 1891 The Chess Player's Vade Mecum and Pocket Guide to the Openings with all the latest theoretical discoveries and traps in the openings revealed, and more recently supported by FM Eric Schiller in his books on unorthodox openings. (It is fun to read MrJoker's comments about some of Schiller's analysis - see "Joker's Wild" 1, 2 and Conclusion.) 8.Rf1 Nc6 This move is cold-blooded, but playable. Black simply returns a piece. 9.Qxc5 d6 10.Qh5 Bd7 11.Nc3 Be8 12.Qh3+ Kf7 13.d3 Nge7 14.Be3 h6 15.O-O-O Rf8 16.g4 Kg8
Black castles-by-hand just in time. White's attack (and two extra pawns) is good compensation for his sacrificed piece. 17.g5 hxg5 Stronger for the defense was17...Qf7. 18.fxg5 Qg6 19.Rxf8+ Kxf8 20.Qh8+ Ng8 21.Rf1+ Bf7 22.Nd5 Nce7
Black covers up as much as possible, but he overlooks something. His best chance was 22...Qe6. 23.Nf4 Black resigned It is Black's Queen, not his King, who is checkmated!
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
