Jerome Gambit: First Time's A Charm

I recently received an email and Jerome Gambit game from Jackcchow, who plays at Chess.com.

I was surprised as black to have been involved in the Jerome gambit. I had never had it played against me and had to play this with a lot of thought and improvisation.  After the game I had to look this up...

Later, he shared his strategy

It was an entertaining experience to play this out. At key points of the game I saw a variety of lines that could have played out with chances for either black or white. Not knowing the standard variations during play, I relied on key principles and classical objectives such as seizing whatever files, ranks and diagonals as I could (or denying those to white) and trying to exchange material to accentuate the lead I was conferred by the gambit itself.  I tried to maintain tempo and use sharp lines of counterattack during white's pawn advance.

Let's take a look.

AlexBuranov - Jackcchow
Chess.com, 2019

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Ng6 

This is not an often-played move - The Database has 31 examples. White scores 58%, but if you subtract Bill Wall's 5 wins (and no losses) - he is successful in every line in the Jerome Gambit - that drops to 50%. Solid, for Black.

7.dxc5 Qe7 8.Qd5+ Qe6 9.O-O Qxd5 10.exd5 Nf6 11.c4 c6 12.d6 

Allowing the exchange of Queens was probably not White's strongest idea, but he has clearly latched upon a truism in the Jerome Gambit: Black loses many games by leaving his light-squared Bishop at home, where it blocks the development of his Rook. So: White locks it all down.

Almost.

12...b6 13.Be3 Rb8 14.cxb6 axb6 15.Nc3 Ba6 

The Bishop emerges.

16.b3 b5 17.c5 

If only he could now get in b3-b4, but Black moves first.

17...b4 18.Na4 Bxf1 19.Kxf1 Ng4 20.Bd4 Nxh2+ 21.Ke2 Rhe8+ 22.Kd3 Ng4 

White is down a Rook for a pawn; pretty grim. Black continues his steady play,

23.Nb6 N4e5+ 24.Kc2 Rb7 25.Re1 Ra7 26.Kb1 Ng4 27.Rf1 Re2 

28.Na4 Rd2 29.Bb2 Rxf2 30.Rh1 Nf6 31.Bxf6 Kxf6 32.Rxh7 Rxg2

33.Rh3 Ke5 34.Rd3 Nf4 35.Re3+ Kd4 36.Rf3 Nd3 37.Rf1 Ra8 38.Rd1 Rf8 White resigned

Black's extra Rook will enter the fray and finish things off. Pretty good result for being surprised by the Jerome Gambit.

Jerome Gambit: Home-Made Defense

If the Jerome Gambit comes as a surprise, the defender has to construct some kind of defense, even if it is home-made. In the following bullet game, Black's efforts lead to a quick disaster.

angelcamina - medved29
1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2019

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Be7 

With one minute (and no increment) for the whole game, it is difficult to create a defense from scratch.

Instead, 7...d6 would have been the Blackburne defense, while 7...Qe7 would have been the Whistler defense. Both lead to lively play.

8.Qxh8 Bf6 

Black's idea, but it doesn't work. He could have kept his deficit at the exchange and a couple of pawns with 8...Nf6 9.Qxd8 Bxd8 10.Nc3 d5, but he would still face the prospect of being ground down.

9.Qxh7+ Bg7 10.O-O d6 11.f4 Nf6 12.Qh4 Qe7 

13.Nc3 Be6 14.e5 dxe5 15.fxe5 Rh8 16.Qg3 Black resigned

Black will lose the Knight, leaving him a Rook and a couple pawns down.

Jerome Gambit: What Can I Say?

In my second game in the first round of the "Italian Game Battlegrounds" tournament at Chess.com, I got the chance, again, to play in Jerome Gambit style when it wasn't absolutely necessary. What can I say? 

perrypawnpusher - Aborygen
Italian Game Battlegrounds, Chess.com, 2019

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Na5 

I have covered this line in many past posts. It doesn't seem to have a name. The idea, apparently, is that Black wants to exchange a Knight for a Bishop, after 4.Bb3 Nxb3, etc.

White's best response to 3...Na5 is to go along with the plan, after grabbing a pawn: 4.Nxe5 Nxc4 5.Nxc4 d5 (Stockfish's suggestion) 6.exd5 Qxd5 7.Ne3, when it is difficult to find Black's compensation for the material, other than whatever psychological discomfort White may have for being pulled out of his opening routine.

4.Bxf7+ 

The Jerome Gambit treatment. What can I say?

I have played this three times before: perrypawnpusher - metheny, blitz, FICS, 2009 (1-0, 8); perrypawnpusher - sebapvar, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 10 ); and perrypawnpusher - wred, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 35).

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke7 

Strange, because it seems to block Black's development, but after the game Stockfish 10 identified this move as best.

6.Nc3 Nf6 7.d4 d6 

White has 2 pawns for his sacrificed piece, and Black's King is uneasy, while one of his Knights appears unemployed.

8.Nd5+ 

The idea here is that Black needs more than 8...Nxd5 9.exd5 dxe5 because of 10.Bg5+, winning the Queen.

8...Ke8 9.Bg5

This seems to be a novelty, according to The Database, but it is a reasonable idea: if, now, 9...dxe5, then 10.dxe5, and Black's Knight at f6 is pinned and will be lost. Still, that might have been the best route for my opponent to take.

9...Be7 10.Bxf6 Bxf6 11.Qh5+ 

The idea behind exchanging on f6.

11...g6 12.Nxg6 hxg6 13.Qxg6+ 

White is down 2 pieces for the moment, but he has 4 extra pawns.

13...Kd7

Black's King seeks safety on the Queenside. It might have been a bit more secure on the Kingside, after 13...Kf8 14.Nxf6 Qe7, but White would still be better, as his 4 pawns would outweigh Black's extra piece.

14.Nxf6+ Kc6 

15.b4

Hitting the offside Knight.

15...Nc4 16.b5+ 

A two-fold move: If Black captures the pawn, White's Rook can come into play, with check, with Rb1+; and if Black does not capture the pawn, White has stopped him from playing ...b7-b5 - I had been looking at a possible Qf7, attacking the Knight and possibly bringing the Queen over to the Queenside, but what if the defender just supported the Knight with the pawn? 

16...Kb6 

Black does not want the pawn, yet, and now White's 17.Qf7 would be met by 17...Rf8, and things would not be so clear after 18.Qxc4 Qxf6. Time to get White's Knight out of the way.

The position is complicated, but White has to at least gain back material - while threatening checkmate various ways.

17.Nd5+ Ka5 

Persistent in resisting the pawn, but this opens up another avenue of attack for me.

18.Qg3 

If Black now captures the b-pawn, White gathers in some material: 18...Kxb5 19.Qb3+ Kc6 20.Qxc4+ Kd7 21.Nxc7 and White would simply be 4 pawns up. In the meantime, White threatens to bring his Queen to c3 or b3 - with check.

18...Qh4 

Threatening White's pawn at e4, and possibly, after that, White's uncastled King; but it is too late. White keeps moving with check.

19.Qc3+ Kxb5 20.Nxc7+ Kb6 21.Nxa8+ Black resigned

If, now, 21...Kb5, White's Rook would finally enter the fray with 22.Rb1+, and the Knight would be lost.

Jerome Gambit: Time Bomb (Part 2)

[continued from previous post]

perrypawnpusher - RemoveKubab1

Italian Game Battlegrounds, Chess.com, 2019

At this point in the game I was reminding myself that I had won both games that I had played 5.Nxe4, instead of 5.Bxf7+.The Jerome Gambit way is not always the easiest, but I was determined to follow it.

9.N1e2 Bg4 10.d4 exd3 11.Qxd3 

11...Nb4

Now this is a move that is familiar to anyone who plays the Jerome Gambit. It is more of a firecracker than a bomb, but it was welcome, as it will cost Black some time.

12.Qd1 Bg7 13.h3 Bxe2 14.Nxe2 Re8 15.O-O Qd7 16.c3 Nc6 17.Be3 

This is not the usual Jerome-style position, but White has equalized.

17...Re6 

Black plans on doubling Rooks on the e-file, but there are some quirky problems with the move. Again, more of a firecracker.

18.Nf4 Rd6 19.Bc5 Rf6 20.Qxd5+ Qxd5 21.Nxd5 Rf5 22.c4 Rc8 

23.Ba3 b6

The idea behind this move is unclear.

White continues to solidify his pawn-up position.

24.Rae1 Re5 25.Rxe5 Nxe5 26.b3 c5 27.Bc1 Nd3 28.Be3 Ke6

29.Rd1 h5 30.Rxd3 Black resigned

(I suppose it is possible that Black mistakenly thought his Knight was safe on d4, instead of d3.)

Jerome Gambit: Time Bomb (Part 1)

Some thoughts, previously posted

I have long subscribed to the "time bomb" notion in club chess: that players are apt to play reasonable chess until, suddenly, a cognitive "time bomb" goes off, and they make a blunder. The frequency of these "explosions"/blunders depends upon the level of skill of the player: strong players may slip only once a game (or even less often) while more "average" club players can have their "time bombs" go off much more often, even every other move.
The following game shows Black defending reasonably well (and White, solidly) until - Boom! The unbalanced and unbalancing Jerome Gambit is the kind of opening that increases the likelihood of such a slip. 

Recently, in the first round of the "Italian Game Battlegrounds" tournament at Chess.com, I tried my hand at playing the Noa Gambit, otherwise known as the Monck Gambit, otherwise known as the Open Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.

I don't think that my play was anything special, but the historical sidelines are interesting.

Unfortunately, for my opponent, a few poorly-timed "time bomb" moves spoiled his game.

perrypawnpusher - RemoveKubab1
Italian Game Battlegrounds, Chess.com, 2019

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 

The Two Knights Defense.

4.Nc3

Hoping for 4...Bc5, when 5.Bxf7+ would be the Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.

4...Nxe4 

The Database says that I have reached this position two times previously, each time responding, with 5.Nxe4 - perrypawnpusher - aborigen, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 20) and perrypawnpusher - aquitanus, blitz, FICS, 2016 (1-0, 42).

5.Bxf7+ 

It seemed like a good idea at the time.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe4 d5 7.Ng3 

There is a lot of history in the alternative moves, as the following notes will show. I had originally intended to play 7.Neg5+, just because Bobby Fischer once played it. (When he was young.)

7.Neg5+ Kg8 8.d3 (8.d4 h6 9.Nh3 Bxh3 (9...Bg4 10.dxe5 Nxe5 11.Nf4 (11.Nhg1 Bc5 12.Bf4 Ng6 13.Bg3 Kh7 14.Qd3 Re8+ 15.Kf1 Re4 16.Re1 Qe7 17.Qxd5 Rxe1+ 18.Nxe1 Rd8 19.Qc4 Black mates in two moves, Blanchard - Pollock,W, Chicago, 1890) 11...c6 (11...Bxf3 12.gxf3 c6 13.Be3 Bd6 14.Rg1 Kh7 15.Rxg7+ Kxg7 16.Ne6+ Black resigned, Archer,R - Parkins,J, corr, 1908) 12.h3 Nxf3+ 13.gxf3 Bf5 14.Be3 Bb4+ 15.c3 Ba5 16.Rg1 Qe8 17.Nxd5 Qf7 18.Nf4 Re8 19.Qb3 Bc7 20.Qxf7+ Kxf7 21.Nh5 g6 22.Ng3 Bxh3 23.O-O-O Rd8 24.Rxd8 Bxd8 25.Rh1 Bg2 26.Rxh6 Rxh6 27.Bxh6 Bxf3 28.Be3 draw, Fischer,R - Ames,D, Lincoln ch-US jr, 1955) 10.gxh3 exd4 11.O-O Qf6 12.c3 Bc5 13.Qd3 Rd8 14.Re1 dxc3 15.bxc3 Kf7 16.Bb2 Qg6+ 17.Qxg6+ Kxg6 18.Rad1 Rhf8 19.Kg2 Rxf3 20.Kxf3 Rf8+ 21.Kg4 h5+ 22.Kg3 Bxf2+ 23.Kg2 Bxe1 24.Rxe1 Rf5 25.Bc1 Re5 26.Rg1 Rf5 27.Re1 Ne5 28.Be3 b6 29.Bd4 Kf7 30.h4 c5 31.Be3 Nf3 White resigned, Kelemen - Charousek,R, corr, 1893) 8...h6 9.Nh3 g5 (9...Bg4 10.c3 Qf6 (10...Bc5 11.Be3 d4 12.Bc1 Qd7 13.Nhg1 Kh7 14.h3 Be6 15.Ne2 Rhf8 16.b4 Bd6 17.b5 Ne7 18.c4 a6 19.bxa6 Rxa6 20.Ng3 Ng6 21.Ne4 Be7 22.h4 Bf5 23.h5 Bxe4 24.dxe4 Nf4 25.Nxe5 Bb4+ 26.Kf1 Qe8 27.Bxf4 Rxf4 28.Ng6 Rxe4 29.g3 Re1+ 30.Qxe1 Bxe1 31.Rxe1 Qc6 32.Rh4 Qxc4+ 33.Kg1 Qxa2 34.Re8 Rxg6 35.hxg6+ Kxg6 36.Rf4 c5 Black queened in a few moves and White resigned Bird,H - Mills, simul, British CC, London, 1886) 11.Nhg1 Re8 12.Qb3 e4 13.dxe4 Qf7 14.Be3 dxe4 15.Nd4 Ne5 16.Nge2 Nd3+ 17.Kd2 c5 18.Qxf7+ Kxf7 19.Nb3 Rd8 20.f3 Ne5+ 21.Ke1 exf3 22.gxf3 Bxf3 23.Rf1 Be7 24.Ng3 Kg6 25.Bf4 Nd3+ 26.Kd2 Nxf4+ 27.Ke3 Rd3+ 28.Kxf4 Bd6 checkmate, Neidich,G - Marshall,F, Atlantic City, 1920) 10.Nd2 Rh7 11.f3 Bxh3 12.gxh3 Rf7 13.Nb3 Qf6 14.Rf1 Re8 15.Qe2 Re6 16.Bd2 Nd4 17.Qd1 Nxf3+ White resigned, Lenzer -Lasker,E, 1913; and

7.Nfg5+ Kg6 8.Qf3 dxe4 9.Qf7+ Kxg5 White now mates in ten moves 10.d4+ Kh4 11.h3 Bb4+ 12.Kf1 g6 13.g3+ Kh5 14.g4+ Kh4 15.Qb3 Bc3 16.Qxc3 e3 17.Qxe3 Bxg4 18.hxg4+ Kxg4 19.Qh3 checkmate, Pollock,W - Amateur, Dublin, date unknown

7...e4 8.Ng1 g6 

Or 8...h5 9.d4 h4 10.Nf1 Qf6 11.c3 Ne7 12.Ne3 Kg8 13.Ne2 c6 14.h3 g5 15.Rf1 Bh6 16.f3 exf3 17.Rxf3 Qg6 18.b3 Rh7 19.Ba3 g4 20.hxg4 Bxg4 21.Nxg4 Qxg4 22.Ng3 Rf7 23.Bxe7 Rxe7+ 24.Ne2 Qxg2 25.Rf2 Qg1+ 26.Rf1 Qg3+ 27.Rf2 Rf8 White resigned, Noa,J -  Makovetz,G, Dresden, 1892; 

Or 8...Bc5 9.N1e2 Qf6 10.O-O h5 11.Nc3 h4 12.Nxd5 Qe5 13.Nxe4 Qxe4 14.Nxc7 Nd4 15.d3 Qc6 16.Be3 h3 17.f3 hxg2 18.Rf2 Qxc7 19.Rxg2 Nxc2 White resigned, NN-Lasker,E, London, 1900. 

If you are looking for a wild attacking position for White - it hasn't arrived, yet. Black's pawns own the center, and his one developed piece seems better placed than White's one developed piece.

As often happens in a Jerome Gambit, White has to rely on his comfort in unusual positions to make some headway.

[to be continued]

Jerome Gambit: Or Players of Not-So-Small Elo

Following up on the previous post, I want to draw your attention to a very nicely done French language YouTube video:

Presentation of the Jérome Gambit an opening reserved for players of fast games or players of small elo level.

Jerome Gambit: Simply A Chess Bomb!

I love it when a chess player gets excited about a Jerome Gambit game, even if it is the notorious destruction of the opening, Amateur - Blackburne, London, 1884.

So I enjoyed Suren Aghabekyan's YouTube video, "This Is Simply A Chess Bomb!", part of his "Chess with Suren" series.

It was nice to see that he not only showed that 10.Qd8 was the saving (winning) idea that White had missed against Blackburne, he showed how the Queen can be freed from the back rank.

Check it out.

[For those of you who are counting, and especially for those of you who are not, this is blog post #2,800. Just saying.]