In earlier posts we have seen Philidor1792 take some ideas from the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) and stir things up with Bxf2+ in other openings on several occasions. The connection between the Jerome and the Evans Gambit has been made - but in the following game we see Black using Jerome ideas for the defense... guest443 - Philidor1792 blitz 3 0, www.bereg.ru, 2016 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bb6 The Evans Gambit Declined. 5.a4 f5
6.a5 There is only one good response to Black's pawn strike, and it is the solid 6.d3 but White is not thinking about "solid". 6...Bxf2+ Stockfish 7's first choice, and the only move that leads to Black's advantage. This has to come as a shock to White - and in a 3-minute game! 7.Kxf2 fxe4 8.Ne1
White's best choice was to borrow a defensive idea from Black in the Jerome Gambit - castling-by-hand - and try 8.Rf1 exf3 9.Kg1 fxg2 10.Bf7+but the second player would still have the advantage. 8...Qh4+ The "Jerome Queen"! 9.Kg1 e3 10.Qe2 Qd4 11.c3 exd2+ 12.cxd4 dxc1=Q 13.dxe5 Nxb4
14.Qh5+ Now it is White's Queen's turn, but nothing comes of it. 14...g6 15.Qe2 Nc2 16.Qxc2 Qxe1+ 17.Bf1 Qxe5 18.Ra4 Nf6 19.Nc3 Qc5+ 20.Qf2 Qxc3 White resigned
The title of this post is from a quote by the American baseball player Yogi Berra, who packed a lot of insight into his verbal quips. Makes me wonder if he ever played the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+). Probably not. Too bad. Playing through the following game, however, and paying attention to the notes, will teach you a lot about a particular line in the Jerome Gambit. Wall, Bill - Guest3625961 PlayChess.com, 2015 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 The Semi-Italian opening. 4.Nc3 Nf6 5.O-O Bc5 The Semi-Italian Four Knights. 6. Bxf7+
The Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) has any number of unusual positions arising from White's attack and Black's defense/counterattack. The following game continues exploration of an odd one in particular, along with some very instructive tactical play. Wall, Bill - Guest3742987 PlayChess.com 2015 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bb4+ 7.c3
This is an interesting position. Check out "LPDO Revisited", "Gloom and Doom", "Here... No, there... No, Here... No, There..." and "Never Send A Pawn To Do A Job..." for some of the earlier looks at it. Black's response with his Queen in this game is relatively rare. (Wildest is 7...Qh4!?) 7...Qe7 8.dxe5 Some other ideas: 8.Qh5+ g6 9.Qxe5 Qxe5 10.dxe5 Bc5 11.O-O d6 12.exd6 Bxd6 13.Be3 Nf6 14.f3 Re8 15.Nd2 Be6 16.a3 Nh5 17.Rad1 Nf4 18.g3 Nd3 19.Rb1 Bc5 20.Bxc5 Nxc5 21.Rfd1 Rad8 22.Kf2 Rd7 23.Ke2 Red8 24.f4 Bg4+ 25.Ke1 Bxd1 26.Rxd1 Nb3 27.Nxb3 Rxd1+ 28.Ke2 Rh1 29.Kf3 Rxh2 30.Nd4 c5 31.Nb5 a6 32.Nc7 Rd3+ 33.Kg4 h6, White forfeited on time, iranstone - Mucke, FICS, 2013; or 8.Qb3+ d5 9.cxb4 Nc6 10.O-O Nf6 11.exd5 Nxd4 12.Qc4 Nf5 13.Bg5 Nd6 14.Qb3 Bf5 15.Nc3 Rhf8 16.Rfe1 Qd7 17.a4 Kg6 18.h4 h6 19.Bxf6 Rxf6 20.Ne2 Raf8 21.Nf4+ Kh7 22.h5 Be4 23.Ng6 Rxf2 24.Nxf8+ Rxf8 25.Rf1 Qg4 26.Qh3 Rxf1+ 27.Rxf1 Qe2 28.Rf2 Qd1+ 29.Kh2 Qxd5 30.Qh4 Nf5 31.Qf4 Nd6 32.Rd2 Qxh5+ 33.Kg1 Bg6 34.b3 Qg5 35.Rd4 Qxf4 36.Rxf4 Bc2 37.Rf3 Ne4 38.Kh2 c5 39.bxc5 Nxc5 40.Rc3 Bxb3 41.Rxc5 Bxa4 42.Rc7 a5 43.Rxb7 Bb3 44.Ra7 a4 45.Ra5 Kg6 46.Kg3 Kf6 47.Kf2 g5 48.Ke3 h5 49.Kd4 Kg6 50.Kc3 h4 51.Kb4 Kh5 52.Kc3 Kg4 53.Kd2 h3 54.Ke1 hxg2 55.Kf2 Kh3 56.Rxg5 Kh2 57.Rxg2+, Black forfeited on time, Nusiance - scaccopazzoo, FICS, 2009 ; or 8.O-O Bxc3 9.bxc3 Nc6 10.Qb3+ Ke8 11.Bd2 d6 12.Na3 a6 13.e5 Qf7 14.c4 Nxd4 15.Qd3 Nc6 16.exd6 Bf5 17.Rfe1+ Kd7 18.dxc7+ Kxc7 19.Bf4+ Kc8 20.Qb3 Na5 21.Qb6 Nf6 22.Qxa5 Nh5 23.Bd6, Black forfeited on time, stretto - Conga, FICS, 2007. 8... Bc5 8...Qxe5 9.Qf3+ Nf6 10.Nd2 d5 11.cxb4 dxe4 12.Nxe4 Qxe4+ 13.Qxe4 Nxe4 14.O-O Re8 15.Be3 Kg8 16.Rac1 c6 17.Rc4 b5Black resigned, EvanJunior - seanwickham, FICS, 2008. 9. Qd5+ Alternately 9.Qf3+ Ke8 10.O-O Qxe5 11.Bf4 Qf6 12.e5 Qf5 13.Nd2 d6 14.exd6 Bxd6 15.Rfe1+ Kd7 16.Nc4 Qxf4 17.Qh3+ Kd8 18.g3 Qxc4 19.Qh5 Nf6 20.Qg5 Qf7 21.Rad1 h6 22.Qe3 Re8 23.Qd2 Rxe1+ 24.Rxe1 Bf5 25.b4 Kd7 26.c4 Qxc4 27.a3 Re8 28.Rc1 Qd5 29.Qc3 Bh3 30.f3 Re2 31.a4 Rg2+ 32.Kh1 Rf2 33.Qe3 Qxf3+ 34.Qxf3 Rxf3 White resigned, jfhumphrey - kenzie, FICS 2010. 9...Ke8 10.O-O c6 11.Qd1 d6
There was nothing wrong with 11...Qxe5. 12.b4 Bb6 13.exd6 Qe5 14.Bb2 Nf6 15.Nd2 Be6 16.Nf3 Qf4
If 16...Qxe4 then 17.Re1, as Bill points out; yet the central "Jerome pawns" are beginning to look like trouble. The game is about equal. 17.Bc1 Qg4 18.Re1 Nxe4 19.Be3 Rf8 Black probably should have gone in for the complications after 19...Nxc3 20.Qc2 Nd5 21.h3 Qf5 22.Qxf5 Bxf5 23.Bxb6+. 20.Bxb6 axb6
Now the tactics build around the Knight at e4. 21.Qd4 Rf4 22.h3 Qg6 23.Ne5 Qf5 24.Nd3 Rh4 25.Qxg7
White grabs a pawn before returing to the pressure on e4. 25...Qf7 26. Qd4 Rd8 27. Rxe4 Rxe4 28.Qxe4 Rxd6
White is up a couple of pawns, but the tactical thrust-and-parry continues. 29.Re1 Kf8 30.Ne5 Qf5 31.Qe3 Bxa2 32.Qxb6 Rd2 33.Qe3 Rd6 34.Qc5 Qe6 35.Re3 Qh6
The advantage has grown to the exchange and some pawns, and Bill is willing to simplify into a stone cold won pawn ending. 40...Bf7 41.Qxb7 Qd6+ 42.g3 Kf8 43.Rf3 Qe6 44.Qxf7+ Qxf7 45.Rxf7+ Kxf7 46.c4 Ke6 47.b5 Kd7 48.f4 Kd6 49.b6 c5 50.f5 Black resigned
There are so many ways to defeat the Jerome Gambit, it's not surprising to see Black, in the following game, attempt several of them. I suppose that any one of them could work - on a different day, in a different game, against a different player... Wall, Bill - Guest3967134 PlayChess.com, 2015 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bxd4 7.Qxd4 Qf6 Black has given back one of the sacrificed pieces, and then developed his Queen to where it protects his King, controls the center and threatens an exchange. Surely, this is enough? 8.Qc5
A couple of notable alternatives: 8.Qe3 as inWall,B - Tsyalex, PlayChess.com, 2015 (1-0, 20); and 8.Qd1 as seen in an unfinished correspondence game Jerome,A - Norton, D.P., 1876, and the later Jerome,A - Jaeger,D, correspondence, 1879, (1-0, 35). Don't overlook "Why Did He Play That Move?" 8...Qd6 9.Qc3 The positional 9.Qxd6!? was seen in Wall,B - berserkergang, FICS, 2011: 9...cxd6 10. O-O Nf6 11. Nc3 a6 12. Rd1 Ke7 13. b3 b5 14. Ba3 Nf7 15. e5 Ne8 16. exd6+ Nexd6 17. Ne4 Bb7 18. Nxd6 Nxd6 19. Rxd6 Kd8 20. Rad1 Bc6 21.Rxc6 Black resigned 9...Nf6 10.Bf4 Nxe4 Giving back the other sacrificed piece. Surely, this at least draws? 11.Qxe5 Qxe5 12.Bxe5 d6
13.f3 Re8 14.fxe4 Rxe5 15.Nc3 c6
Black has play against White's isolated e-pawn - plus a Bishop for a Knight. Winning in the endgame is no shame. 16.Rf1+ Kg8 17.O-O-O d5 18.exd5 Bd7 19.dxc6 Bxc6
Black has sacrificed a pawn for dynamic piece play. Look at that Bishop! 20.g3 Rae8 21.Rd4 h6 22.Kd2 a6 23.a3 Bb5 24.Nxb5 axb5 25.Rf2 b6
Okay, maybe things are going a bit awry for Black... 26.Rd6 Kh7 27.Rxb6 Rd5+ 28.Kc3 Re3+ 29.Kb4 Re4+ 30.Kb3 Re3+ 31.c3 Rde5 32.Rb7 Re7 33.Rxb5 Re2 34.Rxe2 Rxe2 35.a4
35...Rxh2 36.a5 Rg2 37.a6 Rxg3 38.a7 Black resigned
I just noticed that chessfriend Guido de Bouver of Flanders, Belgium, has a post on his Blackmar Diemer Gambit website (1.d4 d5 2.e4!? dxe4 3.Nc3; I have a link to it from this blog) which is titled "A Nice Jerome Gambit". In the past we have exchangedideas on the Jerome Gambit, although Guido's first love is the BDG, about which he has written a fine book, Attack With the Blackmar Diemer(see my review here). About the following game, Guido notes "Friday evening, as a surprise act, I played a nice little Jerome gambit in our local chess club. My opponent, who had prepared himself for a fierce Blackmar Diemer, could not believe his eyes." De Bouver, Guido - Verstappen Mechelen, 2015 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
10.O-O Rf8 11.d4 b6 We are already in unexplored territory, according to The Database. 12.f4 "Jerome pawns on the move!" Guido remarks. 12...Bb7 13.Nc3 Qe7
Drawn Guido's assessment: "A very complicated position - white has two strong pawns for the piece and has the safer king. If black however can exchange a few pieces, black should have the better endgame."
The following Jerome Gambit game seems so ordinary, it is almost possible to forget that is comes from a "refuted" opening that grants the defender a "winning advantage" at move four. Bill Wall makes it look ordinary. Wall, Bill - Borut, O PlayChess.com, 2015 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bxd4 7.Qxd4 Ng6
A normal move, but one that is rare in The Database, with fewer than 10 examples. 8.O-O Bill played 8.Nc3 successfully in couple of games: 8...Nf6 9.Bg5 b6 (9...Ng4 10.Bxd8 Rxd8 11.Nb5 c6 12.Nc7 Rb8 13.Qxa7 White forfeited by disconnection in a won position, Wall,B - Socolata, FICS, 2013) 10.Bxf6 Qxf6 11.Qd5+ Qe6 12.Qxa8 Black resigned, Wall,B - Socolate, FICS, 2013. 8...d6 9.Nc3 Nf6 10.Bg5
Putting pressure on the Knight at f6, a typical Jerome Gambit theme. 10...Rf8 11.f4 Kg8 Black castles-by-hand. 12.Nd5 Bd7 13.Rad1 Bc6 14.Qc4 Kh8
Black has safeguarded his King, and developed his often problematic light-squared Bishop. 15.e5 Bxd5 16.Rxd5
16...Qd7 Unpinning the Knight, but missing the best, if tricky line: 16...Nxd5 17.Bxd8 Ne3 18.Qb3 Nxf1 19.Bxc7 Nxf4 20.Kxf1 Nd5+ 21.Kg1 Nxc7 22.Qxb7 Ne6 23.exd6 when Black's advantage in material - two Rooks and a Knight for a Queen - likely outweighs White's "Jerome pawns". 17.exf6 gxf6 18.Bh6 Rfe8 White has recovered his sacrificed piece, but will continue to put pressure on f6.
19.Qc3 Qf7 20.Rf5 Re6 21.Rb5
21...b6 Black doesn't quite have the answer to White's next move,so this move is insufficient, compared to 21...Rg8. 22.f5 Re5 23.fxg6 Qxg6 24.Rxe5 With a Black Rook on g8 (see above note), this move would not have been possible because of the threat to g2 (and further back rank threats). 24...fxe5 25.Bf8 Black resigned
White's Bishop is not as vulnerable as it appears at first look, and it makes threats to Black's pawns while possibly working with White's Queen for checkmate. The more you look, the more ordinary the position seems.
