White's Bishop sacrifice in the Jerome Gambit brings the enemy King to the f-file. Often, Black's defense brings his Queen there. After White castles - the f-file can become a dangerous place, as the following game shows.
Wall, Bill - Guest744598
PlayChess.com, 2020
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6
7.Qxe5 Qe7
Whistler's Defense, named for Lt. G. N. Whistler, secretary of the Lexington, Kentucky Chess Club, who played a correspondence match using the line against Alonzo Wheeler Jerome, in 1876.
8.Qf4+ Qf6 9.Qg3 Bd6 10.f4
A small improvement over 10.Qc3, seen in Wall,B - Guest3289310, PlayChess.com, 2012: 10...Qxc3 11.Nxc3 Be5 12.O-O Bxc3 13.bxc3 d6 14.d4 Ne7 15.f4 Rf8 16.d5 Kg8 17.Re1 Bd7 18.c4 Rae8 19.Rb1 b6 20.e5 dxe5 21.fxe5 Nc8 22.e6 Ba4 23.Re2 Nd6 24.Rb4 b5 25.c5 Nc4 26.g4 a5 27.Rb3 Bxb3 28.cxb3 Rf3 29.bxc4 bxc4 30.d6 cxd6 31.cxd6 Rd3 32.d7 Ra8 33.Rd2 Kf8 34.Rxd3 cxd3 35.Ba3+ Kg8 36.e7 Kf7 37.d8=Q Rxd8 38.exd8=Q Black resigned.
10...Bxf4
This pawn grab is not as good as Bill's suggestion, 10...Bc5.
11.Qb3+ Qe6
Better, 11...d5.
12.O-O
12...Qxb3 13.Rxf4+ Kg7 14.axb3 d6
15.d4 Ne7 16.Nc3 Bd7 17.Be3 a6
Black safeguards his a-pawn before moving his Rook. However, this gives up a vital tempo that turns over the f-file to White.
18.Raf1 Rhe8
Normally, Black could challenge the file, say, with 18...Rhf8, but here it would be met by 19.Rxf8 Rxf8 20.Bh6+ followed by 21.Rxf8.
19.Rf7+ Kh8 20.Bg5 Nc6 21.Bf6+ Kg8 22.Rxd7
Black resigned
If he challenges along the f-file, he is liable to run into the notorious chess "windmill", giving up material - 22...Rf8 23.Rg7+ Kh8 24.Rxc7+ Kg8 25.Rg7+ Kh8 26.Rxb7+ Kg8 27.Rg7+ Kh8 28.Rc7+ Rxf6 29.Rxf6 Nb4 30.Rff7, when checkmate is coming.
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The following game shows White grabbing the initiative and pressing for advantage. This forces Black's pieces back, and then the defender is unable to deal with what follows.
Wall, Bill - anonymous
lichess.org, 2020
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bb6
A reasonable response.
7.dxe5 Qh4
This might look surprising, but Bill was 7-0 against it before this game.
8.Qf3+ Ke8 9.Nc3 c6
Bill has also seen
9...Ne7 10.O-O (10.g3 Qh3 11.Be3 d6 12.Bxb6 cxb6 13.exd6 Ng6 14.Nd5 Qd7 15.Nc7+ Kd8 16.Nxa8 Qxd6 17.Rd1 Ne5 18.Rxd6+ Ke7 19.Qc3 Kxd6 20.Qd4+ Ke6 21.Nc7+ Kf7 22.Qxe5 Rd8 23.Nb5 Bg4 24.Qf4+ Kg8 25.Qxg4 a6 26.Qe6+ Kh8 27.Nd6 Rb8 28.Nf7+ Kg8 29.Nh6+ Kh8 30.Qg8+ Rxg8 31.Nf7 checkmate, Wall,B - Itboss, lichess.org, 2016) 10...Rf8 11.Qe2 Ng6 12.Be3 Nf4 13.Qd1 Qg5 14.g3 Nh3+ 15.Kg2 Nf4+ 16.Bxf4 Rxf4 17.Qd2 Rg4 18.Qd5 c6 19.Qg8+ Ke7 20.f4 Qh6 21.f5 Qd2+ 22.Kh1 Qxc2 23.Rad1 Rxe4 24.f6+ gxf6 25.exf6 checkmate, Wall,B - Guest5595814, PlayChess.com, 2018; and
9...Bxf2+ 10.Qxf2 Qxf2+ 11.Kxf2 Nh6 12.Nd5 Ng4+ 13.Kg3 Kd8 14.Bg5+ Nf6 15.exf6 h6 16.fxg7+ Ke8 17.gxh8=Q+ Kf7 18.Rhf1+ Kg6 19.Qxh6 checkmate, Wall,B - Shillam, lichess.org 2016
10.Bf4 Ne7 11.Bg3 Qh6 12.O-O Rf8 13.Qd3 Ng6
14.Rad1 Nf4 15.Qd2 Ne6 16.Qd3 Qg6 17.b4 Kf7 18.Na4 Kg8 19.Nxb6 axb6
Black has castled-by-hand.
White starts his pawns forward to grab the initiative.
20.f4 Nc7 21.f5 Qf7
The Queen would be safer at h5.
22.e6 dxe6 23.fxe6 Qxf1+
A tactical oversight.
24.Rxf1 Rxf1+ 25.Kxf1 Bxe6
After 25...Nxe6, Black would have a Rook and a Knight for a Queen and a pawn.
26.Bxc7 Black resigned
The following game illustrates the classic battle between the "Jerome pawns" and the extra piece that the defender has. Clearly, the pawns have the upper hand throughout most of the game.
Wall, Bill - Anonymous
lichess.org, 2020
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Nc6
This is a reasonable response to 6.d4, although it allows White to follow up with another thematic Jerome Gambit move.
7.Qh5+ Kf8
Bill has also seen 7...g6, in Wall,B - Lamjung, lichess.org, 2017 (1-0, 21).
8.Qxc5+ Qe7
Equally good is 8...d6, as in Wall,B - Guest649850, PlayChess.com 2017 (1-0, 26)
9.Qxe7+ Ncxe7 10.c4 Nf6 11.Nc3 d6 12.f4 Be6
A pretty dramatic contrast, White's pawns vs Black's extra piece.
13.d5 Bd7 14.e5 dxe5
This is a tough choice. Retreating the Knight with 14...Nfg8 might have been a little better.
15.fxe5 Ng4 16.e6 Be8 17.O-O+ Kg8
White's pawns are annoying - and they aren't finished.
18.Bf4 Rc8 19.c5 Nf6 20.d6 cxd6 21.cxd6
21...h5
This does not solve Black's problems.
Bill recommends 21...Nc6 22.Bg5 when it will be difficult for the defender to avoid returning material.
22.Bg5 Kh7 23.Rxf6 gxf6 24.Bxf6 Rg8 25.Bxe7
25...Bc6 26.g3 h4 27.Bxh4 Black resigned
The Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) is largely known for its wild "Bashi-Bazouk" style of attack. However, in the following game, Bill Wall, with over 950 games in The Database, shows he can play the Jerome slow and easy, as well.
Wall, Bill - Guest190971
PlayChess.com, 2020
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nc3
This is one of the "modern" Jerome Gambit variations. The "classical" lines continue with 5.Nxe5.
5...d6
Bill has also seen:
5...Nf6 6.Qe2 d6 (6...Rf8 7.Qc4+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qc4 Qe7 10.d4 exd4 11.Nxd4 Nxe4 12.Nxc6 Qh4 13.O-O Rxf2 14.Nxe4 Rxg2+ 15.Kxg2 Bh3+ 16.Kh1 Qg4 17.Qf7 Wall,B - Roberts,C, Chess.com, 2010) 7. Na4 Nb4 8. Qc4+ Ke8 9.a3 b6 10.axb4 Bxb4 11.Qxb4 Bg4 12.Nc3 c6 13.d4 d5 14.Nxe5 Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest153817, PlayChess.com, 2018; and
5...h6 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.Qh5+ Ng6 8.Qd5+ Ke8 (8...Kf8 9.Qxc5+ N8e7 10.f4 d6 11.Qf2 Nc6 12.d4 Qh4 13.g3 Qh3 14.f5 Nge7 15.f6 Nf5 16.exf5 Bxf5 17.fxg7+ Kxg7 18.Nd5 Rhf8 19.Nf4 Rae8+ 20.Be3 Qg4 21.h3 Qg5 22.O-O-O Nb4 23.Qd2 Qxg3 24.Nh5+ Black resigned, Wall,B - Jllib976, Chess.com 2010) 9.Qxc5 d6 10.Qa3 N8e7 11.O-O Nh4 12.d4 Neg6 13.f4 Rf8 14.Be3 Bg4 15.Qb3 Rb8 16.f5 Ne7 17.Bf2 Nexf5 18.exf5 Nxf5 19.Rae1+ Kd7 20.Qe6+ Kc6 21.d5 checkmate, Wall,B - Mbgmx, Chess.com 2010
6.d3
Or 6.O-O Bg4 7.d3 Nd4 8.Nxe5+ dxe5 9.Qxg4 Nf6 10.Qd1 c6 11.Na4 Bd6 12.Be3 Ne6 13.Qd2 Qc7 14.Nc3 Rad8 15.Ne2 Rhf8 16.Qc3 Kg8 17.Qb3 Rde8 18.Bxa7 Kh8 19.Be3 Ng4 20.Bb6 Qb8 21.h3 Nf6 22.Ng3 Nd4 23.Qc4 Nd7 24.Bxd4 exd4 25.Qxd4 c5 26.Qa4 Rd8 27.Nf5 Nb6 28.Qb5 Qc7 29.Ne3 Qc6 30.Qxc6 bxc6 31.a4 Ra8 32.a5 Nd7 33.Nc4 Be7 34.e5 Rfb8 35.b3 h6 36.f4 Bd8 37.a6 Nb6 38.Na5 Rxa6 39.Nxc6 Rxa1 40.Rxa1 Rc8 41.Nxd8 Rxd8 42.Ra5 Ra8 43.Rxc5 Ra2 44.c4 Rd2 45.e6 Rxd3 46.e7 Re3 47.Re5 Black resigned, Wall,B - Rahman,N, Chess.com 2010
6...h6 7.Na4 Bb4+ 8.c3 Ba5 9.O-O Nf6
10.h3 b5
Black believes he has trapped White's offside Knight. He is mistaken. In his attempt to hold things together, he surrenders his advantage.
11.Qb3+ d5
Bill suggests 11...Kg6 12.Qxb5 Qe8 and White has grabbed the pawn, but he still has work to do.
12.Qxb5 Qd6
This move doesn't work. Why not?
13.exd5 Qxd5 14.Qxc6 Qxc6 15.Nxe5+ Ke6 16.Nxc6 Bb6
White is now ahead 3 pawns, and Black's Bishop pair and slightly better development are not adequate compensation.
17.Bf4 Nd5 18.Rfe1+ Kf5 19.Re5+
This looks like a simple attempt to exchange his Bishop for the Knight, but it is more than that.
19...Kxf4 20.g3+ Kf3 21.Nxb6 axb6 22.Nd4 checkmate
Very nice.
graphic by Jeff Bucchino, "The Wizard of Draws"
The following 1-minute, no increment, game starts off like a "normal" Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game, but quickly becomes an exercise in Run For Your Life! Lessons about the opening are swiftly replaced by lessons about intuition and rapid manual dexterity.
I know that the Jerome Gambit is often best played at high speed, but this game left me breathless...
rodri9920 - Ifitbleeds
1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2020
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6
7.f4 Bf2+
This counter sacrifice is seen in other lines of the Jerome Gambit, followed by a forced exchange of Queens. Here, it seems to be more of a "If you sacrifice to prevent my King from castling, I will sacrifice to prevent your King from castling" kind of thing. Its psychological value in a 1-minute bullet game is clear: there is not a lot of time for White to answer the question "Just what is he doing?"
8.Kxf2 Ng6
Also seen: 8...Qf6 9.Qf5+ Qxf5 10.exf5+ Kxf5 11.fxe5 Kxe5 12.d4+ Kxd4 13.Be3+ Ke5 14.c3 Nf6 15.Bd4+ Ke6 16.Re1+ Kf7 17.Bxf6 gxf6 18.Nd2 d6 19.Kg1 Bd7 20.Rf1 Rae8 21.Nf3 Re2 22.g3 Rxb2 23.Ng5+ Kg6 24.Ne4 f5 25.Nf2 Re8 26.Nh3 Kg7 27.Rae1 Rxe1 28.Rxe1 Bc6 29.Nf4 Rxa2 30.Re7+ Kf6 31.Rxc7 Ra1+ 32.Kf2 Ra2+ 33.Ke3 Rxh2 34.Kd4 Rd2+ 35.Ke3 Rc2 36.Rxh7 Rxc3+ 37.Kf2 Rf3+ 38.Ke2 Ra3 39.Rh6+ Ke7 40.Rh7+ Kf6 41.Kd2 Ke5 42.Re7+ Kd4 43.Ne2+ Kc5 44.Rf7 Ra2+ 45.Ke3 b5 46.Rxf5+ d5 47.g4 Ra3+ 48.Kf2 b4 49.g5 Bb5 50.Nf4 Ra2+ 51.Kg3 Bc4 52.g6 b3 53.g7 b2 54.g8=Q b1=Q 55.Qc8+ Kd4 56.Ne6+ Ke4 57.Rf4+ Ke5 58.Qc7+ Kxe6 59.Qf7+ Kd6 60.Qf6+ Kc5 61.Qd4+ Kb4 62.Kg4 Black resigned, Chesssninja - Caarreeyy, 5 0 blitz, FICS, 2020.
Now, if Black had time, he could force the exchange of Queens, after all, with ...Qh4+ - but White acts decisively first.
9.f5+ Kf7 10.fxg6+ hxg6 11.Qxh8
White has enough material to win. Does he have enough time?
11...d5 12.Rf1 Qh4+
Frantic.
13.Qxh4 Nf6 14.e5 Ne4+ 15.Kg1+ Ke6 16.d4 Bd7 17.Nd2 Rh8 18.Qg4+ Ke7 19.Qxg6 Nxd2 20.Bxd2 Be6 21.Qxg7+ Bf7 22.Rxf7+ Black resigned
It is great if we can analyze every move in a chess game deep enough to be certain that it is the best, but the chess clock puts limits on that ability. One way we "cheat" and move quickly without a deep look into the position is by believing that our opponent's ideas and threats are real - because, after all, he looked deeply into the position, too, right? As a result, attacker and defender can both dance by stronger lines of play that only reveal themselves in the post mortem. This is especially true in blitz play.
Kurtenkov - Carlos100S
3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020.
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Qh4
An excellent, attacking response.
7.O-O d6
The more aggressive 7...Ng4 was seen in Sorensen,S - X, Denmark, 1888 (1-0, 27), the first game with 6...Qh4 that I have in The Database.
8.dxe5 dxe5
Three-minute blitz games require quick decisions. After positioning his Queen actively, Black suddenly decides to return a piece and balance out the pawn structures. This costs him both strategically and tactically.
9.Qd5+ Be6 10.Qxc5 Ne7
11.Qxc7 Rac8 12.Qxe5 Rxc2 13.Nc3 Rf8 14.Bg5 Qh5
15.Qg3 Ng6 16.Rab1 Kg8 17.Qd3 Qxg5 18.Qxc2 Bh3
White is ahead the exchange and a couple of pawns, but Black continues to fight.
19.f4 Nxf4 20.Rxf4 Rxf4
Even as the material leaves the board, tactics remain crucial.
21.Rf1
It was time for the safety move, 21.Kh1.
21...Rxf1+
In turn, 21...Bxg2 was sharper, but, if White believes the Rooks need to come off the board, then maybe they need to come off..
22.Kxf1 Qf4+ 23.Kg1 Qe3+ 24.Qf2 Qc1+ 25.Qf1
It looks like Black will settle for a draw by repetition. He has clawed back almost into contention, but White's extra, passed pawn is still a concern.
25...Qxb2
He sees that now 26.gxh3 Qxc3 would disrupt White's pawns, giving Black the slightest of edges. But - he overlooks his opponent's next move.
26.Qc4+ Kf8 27.gxh3 Qc1+
Counting on the openness of White's Kingside to pursue that draw.
28.Kg2
White believes in his opponent. Instead, 28.Qf1+ would force the exchange of Queens and White would be winning.
28...Qg5+ 29.Kf3 Qh5+ 30.Kf4 Qh4+ 31.Ke3 Qxh3+ 32.Kd4 Qd7+
33.Nd5 b5 34.Qc7 Qe8 35.Qd6+ Kg8 36.Qe7 Qb8 37.Qe6+ Kh8 38.e5 b4
In this battle of the pawns, White will win.
39.Qc6 a5 40.e6 Qa7+ 41.Ke4 Qb8 42.e7 Black resigned
