It is fun to see the creativity that attackers bring to the already unusual Jerome Gambit.
Overlooked sometimes is the creativity that defenders provide, as well. There is risk involved, for sure, but imagination can sometimes bring success as well as danger.
Wall, Bill - Guest700210
PlayChess.com, 2017
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4
Alonzo Wheeler Jerome's original choice in his gambit, although he later preferred 6.Qh5+. I think the Queen move is more forceful, but also moves Black into lines that are playable, if uncomfortable. The center pawn thrust provides less guidance to the defender.
6...Bxd4 7.Qxd4 Nf3+
A very interesting way of returning the second sacrificed piece, breaking up the pawns on White's Kingside in the process. That said, it was probably not necessary to be so clever; 7...d6 was a strong alternative.
There is only one other example in The Database - a computer vs computer game.
8.gxf3 Nf6
Also: 8...Qf6 9.Qc4+ Ke7 10.Qc5+ Ke8 11.Nd2 Qd6 12.Qxd6 cxd6 13.Rg1 g6 14.b3 Nh6 15.Nc4 Nf7 16.Bb2 Rf8 17.O-O-O b5 18.Na3 b4 19.Nb5 Ba6 20.Nc7+ Ke7 21.Nxa6 Ne5 22.Nxb4 Nxf3 23.Rg2 Nh4 24.Rg4 Nf3 25.Bg7 Rfb8 26.Nd5+ Kf7 27.Bd4 Nxh2 28.Rh4 Nf3 29.Rf4+ Kg8 30.Ne7 checkmate, Delphi - WeakDelphi, Sherbrooke, 2008.
9.Nc3 Kf8 10.Bg5 Qe7
Black is in no hurry to develop his pieces, and apparently sees his King as safe. No need to create weakenesses by moving pawns!
This strategy is not going to work against a skilled Jerome Gambiteer like Bill Wall.
11.Nd5
Hitting the Queen at e7 as well as the pinned Knight at f6. If you are familiar with the Jerome Gambit you likely could find this thematic move in your sleep.
11...Qd6 12.Bf4 c5
Striking out, but overlooking that White will capture with check.
13.Bxd6+ Black resigned
Here is the second game recently shared by shugart. It is "slower" than the previous one, being a 3-minute blitz game. The kind of quick thinking that sugart shows is pretty impressive: the name of the game is tactics.
shugart - mijac
3 0 blitz, FICS, 2017
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8
The Jerome Defense to the Jerome Gambit, played successfully by Alonzo Wheeler Jerome in two correspondence games against Daniel Jaeger in 1880.
7 Qxe5 Qe7 8.Qf4+
shugart has also tried 8.Qd5, e.g. 8...d6 9.O-O Nf6 10.Qc4 Be6 11.Qe2 Re8 12.c3 Kg8 13.d4 Bb6 14.f3 c5 15.d5 Bd7 16.c4 a5 17.Bf4 Ba7 18.Nc3 h6 19.Bg3 Kh7 20.Rae1 Rhf8 21.Qc2 Qf7?! 22.e5+ Kh8 23.exf6 Qxf6 24.Ne4 Qf5 25.Nxd6? Qxc2 26.Nxe8 Rxe8 27.Rxe8+ Bxe8 28.h3 Qxc4 29.Re1 Qc3 30.Rxe8+ Black forfeited on time, shugart - orakel, lightning, FICS, 2014.
He has also played 8.Qg3, which looks like a mouse slip: 8...Qxe4+ 9.Kd1 d5 10.Qxc7 Bxf2 11.Rf1 Bg4 checkmate, shugart - bakugan, lightning, FICS, 2014.
8...Nf6
Of about similar strength was 8...Qf6, e.g. 9.Qg3 Bd6 10.Qe3 b6 11.c3 Bb7 12.O-O Re8 13.f3 Ke7 14.d4 Kd8 15.e5 Bxe5 16.dxe5 Rxe5 17.Qd4 Ne7 18.Nd2 Nc6 19.Qd3 Rhe8 20.Ne4 Qe7 21.Bg5 Black resigned, shugart - eggert, blitz, FICS, 2013.
9.d3 d5 10.e5 Bd6
Black was doing well, with an extra piece (for two pawns) and better development, despite his more exposed King. His plan to win the e-pawn is proably a blitz oversight.
mijac would have done better with 10...Ke8. He was apparently not thinking in that direction as he observed his pinned Knight being attacked by White's pinned pawn.
11.d4 Kg8 12.O-O Nh5
13.exd6 cxd6 14.Qf3 Nf6
The position has calmed down, but Black has all the weaknesses.
15.Bg5 Kf7 16.Bxf6 gxf6 17.Qxd5+ Kg7 18.Nc3 Be6 19.Rae1 Kf7
Protecting for a second time the twice-attacked Bishop - but there is a tactical continuation for White, the kind that wins blitz games.
20.Qh5+ Kf8 21.d5 Bf7
Not a saving move, but a good try in a desperate situation.
22.Qh6+ Ke8 23.Rxe7+ Kxe7
24.Re1+ Kd7 25.Qh3+ Kc7 26.Re7+ Kb6 27.Qe3+ Black resigned
Black's Bishop is hanging - but, even worse, his King is in a mating net.
I recently received two Jerome Gambit games from chessfriend shugart, who plays at FICS. We have seen his games here before.
His willingness to play at lightning time control continues to explode my brain.
One thing that helps in his play is familiarity with the opening, as the notes to the following game will show. (There might even be the chance that he reads this blog, and has picked up a tip or two.)
shugart - NightEagle
lightning, FICS, 2017
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4
The Blackburne Shilling Gambit.
4.Bxf7+
The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.
4...Kxf7
In what appears to be a quick blitz game, shugart easily dealt with his opponent declining the gift: 4...Ke7 5.Nxd4 exd4 6.Bxg8 Rxg8 7.c3 d3 8.Qf3 h6 9.Qxd3 d6 10.O-O Be6 11.Qe2 Qe8 12.d4 Kd7 13.Qb5+ Kc8 14.Qxe8 checkmate, shugart - snob, blitz, FICS, 2013.
5.Nxe5+
The alternative 5.Nxd4 is a hybrid line that has also been played by Jerome Gambiteers such as drumme, HauntedKnight, JKELSEY and Wall: 5...exd4 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qe5+ Ne7 9.Qxh8 d6 10.Qxh7 Qd7 11.O-O Qg4 12.f3 Qg5 13.d3 Qf6 14.Nd2 Be6 15.Nb3 Bg8 16.Qh3 Be6 17.Qg3 Kd7 18.Bg5 Qf7 19.Bxe7 Bxe7 20.Nd2 Rh8 21.Rae1?! Bh4 22.Qf4? Qxf4 23.e5 Bxe1 (23...Qxh2+!) 24.Rxe1 Qxh2+ 25.Kf2 Qh4+ 26.Kg1 dxe5 White resigned, shugart -Yaman, lightning, FICS, 2014.
5...Ke8
(5...Ke6 6.Qh5 Nxc2+ 7.Kd1 Nxa1 8.Qf7+ Kxe5 9.f4+ Kd6 10.e5+ Kc6 11.Nc3 b5 12.Qd5+ Kb6 13.Qxb5 checkmate shugart - Manoelo, blitz, FICS, 2013)
6.Qh5+ Ke7
Necessary was 6...g6, but shugart has some experience with that, too: 7.Nxg6 hxg6 (7...Nf6 8.Qe5+ Ne6 (8...Be7 9.Nxe7 Qxe7 (9...Nxc2+ 10.Kd1 Qxe7 11.Qxe7+ Kxe7 12.Kxc2 d6 13.d3 Be6 14.Nc3 c6 15.Bg5 Rhg8 16.Bxf6+ Kxf6 17.g3 Raf8 18.f4 Ke7 19.Rae1 Kd7 20.e5 dxe5 21.Rxe5 Bg4 22.Rhe1 Kc8 23.Ne4 h5 24.Nd6+ Kd7 25.Nxb7 Rf7 26.Nc5+ Kc7 27.Re7+ Rxe7 28.Rxe7+ Kb6 29.Ne4 Bf3 30.Kd2 h4 31.Ng5 Bd5 32.gxh4 Bxa2 33.h5 Rh8 34.Rh7 Rf8 35.Ke3 Re8+ 36.Kf3 Bd5+ 37.Kg3 Re2 38.Ne4 Rxb2 39.h6 Rb3 40.Nf2 a5 41.Re7 Bg8 42.h7 Bxh7 43.Rxh7 a4 44.Rh8 Kc5 45.Ra8 a3 46.h4 Kd4 47.h5 Ke3 48.h6 Rb7 49.Rxa3 Rh7 50.Rc3 Kd4 51.Rxc6 Black resigned, shugart - Sutarsa, blitz, FICS, 2013) 10.Qxd4 Nxe4 11.0–0 Rg8 12.d3 c5 13.Qxe4 Qxe4 14.dxe4 Black resigned, shugart - smarcek, blitz, FICS, 2014) 9.Nxh8 Qe7 10.0–0 Qg7 11.f4 Qxh8 12.f5 Bd6 13.Qc3 Nc5 14.e5 Nce4 15.Qd4 c5 16.Qe3 Bxe5 17.d3 Bd4 18.Qxd4 cxd4 19.dxe4 d6 20.Bg5 Bd7 21.Nd2 Qg7 22.h4 h6 23.Bf4 Nh5 24.Bxd6 Ng3 25.Rf3 Bc6 26.Re1 Kd7 27.e5 Rf8 28.f6 Rxf6 White forfeited on time, shugart -Yaman, lightning, FICS, 2014) 8.Qxh8 Ne7 9.Qxd4 c6 10.0–0 d6 11.d3 Bd7 12.Bg5 Qc7 13.f4 c5 14.Qc3 b5 15.Bxe7 Bxe7 16.Qh8+ Bf8 17.Qf6 Be7 18.Qxg6+ Kd8 19.Nc3 Be8 20.Qg4 b4 21.Nd5 Qd7 22.Qxd7+ Bxd7 23.Nxe7 Kxe7 24.h3 Rg8 25.Kh2 Bc6 26.g4 d5 27.e5 Ke6 28.Rae1 d4 29.f5+ Kd5 30.e6 Be8 31.f6 Rf8 32.f7 Bc6 33.e7 Rxf7 34.Rxf7 Kd6 35.e8Q Bxe8 36.Rxe8 Kc6 37.Rxa7 Kd5 38.Rb8 c4 39.Rxb4 cxd3 40.cxd3 Kc5 41.Rb8 Kd5 42.Rb3 Ke6 43.Raa3 Kd5 44.Kg3 Black forfeited on time, shugart - Yaman, lightning, FICS, 2014.
7.Qf7+ Kd6 8.Qd5+
Okay, okay, hold on a minute...
8...Ke7 9.Qf7+
Acceptable, but unnecessarily time-consuming, is 9.Qxd4, e.g. 9...Nf6 10.O-O d6 11.Nc4 Be6 12.Ne3 Kf7 13.f4 Be7 14.f5 Bd7 15.Nd5 Re8 16.Nxf6 Bxf6 17.Qd5+ Kf8 18.d3 Bc6 19.Qb3 Bd4+ 20.Kh1 Qh4 21.Nd2 Bb6 22.Nf3 Qf6 23.Bd2 Rad8 24.Bg5 Qf7 25.Bxd8 Rxd8 26.Qxf7+ Kxf7 27.a4 a5 28.c3 Bd7 29.b4 axb4 30.cxb4 Be3 31.Ra2 Bc6 32.b5 Bd7 33.Re2 Bb6 34.e5 dxe5 35.Nxe5+ Kg8 36.Nxd7 Rxd7 37.Rd2 Rf7 38.d4 Rd7 39.d5 Rd6 40.g4 Kf7 41.h4 Kf6 42.Kg2 Kf7 43.Kg3 Bc5 44.Kf4 Bb6 45.Ke4 Ba5 46.Kf4 Bxd2+ 47.Kf3 Ba5 48.Rd1 Bb6 White forfeited on time, shugart - Yaman, lightning, FICS, 2015.
9...Kd6 10.Nc4+
That's it.
10...Kc5 11.Qd5+ Kb4 12.c3+ Ka4 13.Qa5 checkmate
As a comment to my post "Jerome Gambit: Thematic and Aggressive", chessfriend quickturtle wrote
By far the BEST regular chess opening blog on the web...... this opening is dangerous to the person underestimating it's traps.
I greatly appreciate his kind words. It is hard to find a suitable response, other than "Thank you" and "I think you understand the Jerome Gambit".
Perhaps I could also add that putting this blog together has been enjoyable and educational, from the first post, "Welcome", on June 10, 2008, to thinking about the next one - which should be #2,450.
I have had the opportunity to meet many players from around the world, through their comments, emails, games and annotations. That has given my work a richness that I greatly value.
Explaining "what this blog about" takes some doing. Not quite 5 years ago I gave a rather detailed "justification" (some might say "explanation") for playing the Jerome Gambit. It continued across several posts, starting with "It's hard to explain..."
It's worth re-reading.
I really enjoyed the game in the previous post, so I looked in The Database for some more games by the Jerome Gambiteer obviously. The next game is even more wild, as White takes even greater risks - and wins.
obviously - grobnic
GameKnot.com, 2004
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6
This can lead to the infamous Blackburne Defense (7...d6), or the much-less-known but much-more-dangerous Whistler's Defense (7...Qe7).
7.Qxe5 Qe7 8.Qxh8
The Database is notoriously lean when it comes to either early Jerome Gambits, or over-the-board games. Coverage of Whistler's Defense is a good example.
There are 3 early correspondence games by Alonzo Wheeler Jerome (1876, 1879) where he scored 0-2-1.
Then, over 100 years later, there are then a handful of online games at FICS: 1 in 1999 (0-1); 1 in 2001 (1-0); 3 in 2003 (1-1-1); and then 10 in 2004 (4-5-1) - 7 of which involved obviously.
So, White's 8th move in the current game (capturing the Rook) probably deserves the same annotation it garnered in The American Chess Journal, June 15, 1876, when it showed up Jerome - Norton, correspondence, 1876 -
Played experimentally; and analysis will probably show the capture to be unsound.
Analysis has since shown the capture of the Rook to be unsound - but, then again, analysis, even back in the 1870s, showed the Jerome Gambit itself to be unsound...
We must remember, however, that "all is new that has been forgotten", and that both players in the current game probably had little information on either the Whistler or the Jerome to guide them. That said, obviously obviously had some knowledge of the opening, as he scored 4-0-1 with the Black pieces, and 2-0 with the White pieces.
For that matter, The Database contains 59 games with the Whistler Defense, and White scores 57% - an indication that things are complicated enough that the first player will have his chances, at least in club play.
8...Qxe4+
This is the way to show that White's King is in more danger than Black's.
Bill Wall, who seems to be able to get away with just about anything in the Jerome Gambit, once experienced 8...Qf6 9.Qxh7+ Kf8 10.O-O Black resigned, Wall,B - Sepoli, Chess.com, 2010.
9.Kd1
This move is about as strong as 9.Kf1, e.g. 9...Nf6 10.d3 (10.Nc3 Qxc2 11.h4 b6 12.Qd8 Ba6+ White resigned, grobnic - obviously, GameKnot.com, 2004) 10...Qd4 (10...Qf5 11.f3 Bf8 12.Nc3 d5 13.h4 Qd7 14.h5 Bg7 15.hxg6+ Kxg6 16.Rh6+ Bxh6 17.Bxh6 b6 18.Ne2 Qf7 19.Qf8 Qxf8 20.Bxf8 drawn Jerome,A - Norton,D, correspondence, 1876) 11.Be3 Qxb2 12.Bxc5 Qxa1?! (12...d6 13.Ke2 Qxc2+ 14.Nd2 Bg4+ White resigned, flatchio - obviously, GameKnot.com, 2004) 13.Qf8+ Ke6 14.Qe7+ Kf5 15.Ke2 Qe5+ 16.Qxe5+ Kxe5 17.Re1 d6 18.Kf3+ Kf5 19.Bd4 Kg5 20.h4+ Kf5 21.Re7 Nd5 22.g4 checkmate, Wall,B - Neilson,C, Melbourne, FL 2017.
9...Qg4+
This move is good, but perhaps not quite as strong as 9...Qxg2, e.g. 10.Re1 (10.Qxh7+ Kf8 11.Re1 d5 12.d4 Bg4+ 13.Kd2 Qxf2+ 14.Re2 Qxe2+ 15.Kc3 Qc4+ 16.Kd2 Qxd4+ 17.Ke1 Qd1 checkmate, blackburne - perrypawnpusher, Jerome Gambit thematic, ChessWorld.net, 2008) 10...Qf3+ (going for a repetition in a winning position) 11.Re2 Qh1+ 12.Re1 Qf3+ 13.Re2 Qh1+ 14.Re1 Qf3+ drawn, Wall,B - Mathieubuntu, 40 0, FICS, 2011.
Black risked most of his advantage with the reasonable precaution 9...Nf6, although he was still able to outplay his opponent: 10.f3 Qh4 11.Nc3 b5 12.Qd8 Qg5 13.Ne4 Nxe4 14.Qxg5 Nxg5 15.d4 Be7 16.d5 h5 17.h4 Nh7 18.Bf4 d6 19.Ke2 Nf6 20.Rhd1 Bb7 21.Bg5 Nxd5 22.Bxe7 Nxe7 23.g4 hxg4 24.fxg4 Rh8 25.Rf1+ Ke8 26.h5 gxh5 27.g5 Rg8 28.Rg1 Bc8 29.Kd2 Bg4 30.Rg3 Rxg5 31.Re1 Kd7 32.Rh1 a5 33.Re1 h4 34.Rge3 Nd5 35.Re4 h3 36.R4e3 Nxe3 White resigned, vallabhan - obviously, GameKnot.com, 2004
10.Ke1
White improves on the historical 10.f3 Qxg2 11.Qxh7+ Kf8 12.Re1 d5 13.Qh4 Qxf3+ 14.Re2 Bg4 15.Nc3 Bf2 White resigned, Jerome,A - Whistler,G, correspondence, 1876.
10...Qxg2 11.Qxh7+ Kf8 12.Rf1 Qe4+
Again, good, but not best (12...d5). It is still hard to see how White will survive, but he does have a material advantage...
13.Kd1 d5
Chess can be incredibly cruel.
White's defense here has in good part consisted of shuttling his King back and forth. Black now plays the move recommended in the last note - and it turns over the advantage to his opponent.
It appears he needed to play 13...Qf3+ first. What difference does the check make? White shows with his next move.
14.f3
In what appears to be a mockery of common sense, Stockfish 8 now claims that White has a clear advantage, giving 14...Qf4 15.Nc3 c6 16.Ne2 Qf6 17.d3 Bf5 18.Ng3 Re8 19.Nxf5 Qxf5 20.Bd2 Bd4 21.Kc1 Re7 22.Qh4 c5 23.a4 Re2 24.Kd1 Rg2 25.Qd8+ Kg7 26.Kc1 Bxb2+ 27.Kxb2 Rxd2 28.Qc7+ Kh8 29.Qxc5 Qxd3 30.Rf2.
14...Bg4
It is difficult to explain this move. It is tempting to suggest a mouse slip, but the time control for this game was 5 days per move.
15.fxg4+ Nf6 Black resigned
After 16.Rxf6+ Ke8 17.Nc3!? White's pieces will be able to protect his King from too many Queen checks, while Black's King will be open to great dangers.
The following game shows how gambiteers would love the Jerome Gambit to proceed. White's play is thematic and aggressive, while Black's errors tend to be reasonable-looking moves that do not stand up to the situation they are played in. (I should point out that the time limit for the game was several days per move.)
obviously - vallabhan
GameKnot.com, 2004
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Ng6
Elsewhere I have referred to this move as "somewhat inexact", as it saves one threatened piece while allowing another piece to go by the board. See "Reliable".
Stronger alternatives are the proactive 8...Kc6 and the counterattacking 8...Qh4+.
9.Qd5+ Ke7 10.Qxc5+ d6 11.Qf2
Putting the Queen on the f-file, where it can be backed up by a Rook on f1, and threaten the enemy King. It also increases the tactical complexity of the position by not guarding the pawn on e4.
11...Nf6 12.f5
I am amazed that this move hasn't been repeated, according to The (55,560 games) Database, as it is the essence of Jerome-ness.
The alternate move 12.d3 has 4 wins and 3 losses.
12...Ne5
If Black plays the logical 12...Nxe4, then Stockfish 8's main line recommendation is 13.Qf3 Ng5 14.Qg3 Ne4 15.Qf3 with a draw by repetition - which may make sense to a computer, but probably not to a human.
I would be more inclined to answer 12...Nxe4 with 13.Qe2, when after 13...Bxf5 14.O-O Qd7 15.d3 Rae8 16.dxe4 Kd8 17.Nc3 Be6 the game is even, but not over.
13.d4 Nc6
This removes the Knight from danger, and puts pressure on White's d4 pawn. Nonetheless, cranky Stockfish 8 prefers 13...Nf7. (That move seems a bit defensive, and I am not sure that a human would be thinking "defense" a piece up - but maybe he should.)
14.Nc3 Re8 15.Bg5 Kf8 16. O-O-O h6 17. Bh4 Bd7
White's moves flow, and the position screams "pawn storm on the Kingside". It doesn't happen, but only because White breaks up Black's Kingside instead.
18.Rhe1 Qc8
Getting out of the pin of the Knight on f6, and getting off the possibly soon-to-be hot d-file; but Black needed to do something drastic, like 18...Kg8 19.Nd5 Rf8 20.e5 Nxd5!? 21.Bxd8 Rxf5 22.Qg3 Nxd8 23.exd6 cxd6 24.Qxd6 Bc6, when he would have three pieces for his Queen, but White should still be better. (Yes, I had help in figuring this out.)
19.Bxf6 gxf6 20.Qh4 Kg7 21.Nd5 Qd8
Black is in a lot of trouble on the Kingside. The better way of defending his f-pawn, 21...Rf8, still leads to problems, for example 22.Qg4+ Kh8 23.Qg6 Bxf5!? 24.exf5 Qd7 25.Qxh6+ Qh7. Returning the extra piece has allowed Black's Queen to participate in the defense of his King, but White has two extra pawns - and his Rooks are bound to cause trouble as they move up and over to the g- and h-files.
22.Re3 Bxf5
Yes, White's e-pawn cannot capture the Bishop without giving up the Rook, but that was never the plan.
23.Rg3+ Kh8 24.Qxh6+ Bh7 25.Qg7 checkmate
