Jerome Gambit: How He Did It

So, how do you beat the Beth Harman bot at Chess.com?

Well, I have already pointed you to an enjoyable video of the game where Jonathan Schrantz used the Jerome Gambit to defeat "her".

I thought it would be useful to go over the game, and point out a few of the relevant ideas.

Schrantz, Jonathan - Harman (22) bot, Beth

blitz, Chess.com, 2020

Jonathan Schrantz has challenged a number of bots, using unorthodox openings successfully against them. For this game, he noted

...I am going to try to beat Beth Harmon with the worst opening in all of chess. I am going to try to take her down with the Jerome Gambit... Beth is actually going to be the weakest engine that I have played. 

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8

Interesting. Apparently Beth is some form of the Stockfish engine. I have Stockfish 11, and it prefers 6...Ke6 here, a move that was likely attractive to the earliest of chess computers, as those beasts tended to grab material and then try to hang on, come what may; in this case Stockfish 11 may just see through the tactics and prefer the move.

Quite possibly, 6...Kf8 is "book", which would be a very reasonable choice.  

7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qg3 Kf7 9.c3 

Central to Schrantz's strategy.

9...Nf6 10.d4 Bb6 11.f3 Be6 

Schrantz noted: "I'm going to create the shrine pawn structure. Maybe it looks like a mountain to you. I'm just saying I'm down a piece but I've got this solid wall in front of me and I'm going to pray at the shrine in my little temple that I can somehow hold this position together 'cause really it shouldn't work but maybe if we get lucky, maybe if we're prepared for this battle, she will hopefully overextend. I'm just going to play some sensible moves, get castled, develop my pieces,and hope that she overextends on the kingside."

There's a lot to look at here.

Over the years, on this blog, I have presented a number of human vs human games where White constructs the triangle of pawns d3-e4-f3 and then waits for Black to do something with his Knight-for-2-pawns advantage. While Black is transitioning from defender to attacker, White takes small steps to creep up on him...

But, Schrantz's "shrine" pawn structure, is that new? I thought so, but when I checked with The Database, I did a search and found 856 games with the pawns set at c3-d4-e4-f3. Hmmmm....

So I added the Black Bishop at b6, the Black pawn at d6, and the White Queen at g3, to better refine my search through The Database. I found 30 games. Not a lot, but still a number of predecessors.

So I added the Black King at f7 to the position for my search, and found 6 games. Equally important, White scored 2 - 4 in those games. Schrantz was making an interesting contribution to Jerome Gambit - and he was just getting started.

By the way, a quick search of The Database showed that 8...Kf7 was a novelty. The idea of moving the King up to facilitate castling-by-hand is part of much of defensive strategy against the Jerome Gambit, but I found it interesting that with over 15,700 games with 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+, Black could still come up with a novelty on move 8.

What next? Well, Schrantz obviously knew something about Beth's quirks

She actually has this tendency against the Jerome Gambit to go kind of wild on the kingside. That's what we are looking forward to.

12.a4 c6 13.O-O h6 

14.Be3 g5 

As foretold.

15.f4 

To open the f-file, where the enemy King is standing.

15...Bc4 

Save the Bishop - in case White gets in f4-f5 - and threaten to win the exchange. But the human is ready.

16.Nd2 Bxf1 17.Rxf1 

White is down a Rook for a couple of pawns, but he is probably better. At any rate, his position is full ideas.

17...g4 

To close off the f-file.

18.e5 Re8 

White's attack looks dangerous.

Stockfish 11 suggests that Black complicate things, so that White will eventually sue for peace by repeating the position, i.e. 18...Qd7 19.exf6 Qf5 20.Bf2 Rhg8 21.Nc4 Bc7 22.d5 c5 23.b4 b6 24.Qh4 Qxf6 25.Qh5+ Qg6 26.Qh4 Qf6 etc.

I can't see a human taking Stockfish 11's advice. 

19.Nc4 Bc7 20.exf6 Rg8

I suspect that the Rook was just trying to be helpful, but the better way to protect the advanced g-pawn was 20...h5.

21.Ne5+ 

Many of us will play a lot of games without finding a move as enjoyable as this one.

21...dxe5 22.fxe5 

Those connected, passed "Jerome pawns" look formidible. Black's next move looks like the kind of thing that engines play when they are "handicapped" to make a less challenging opponent; sometimes the program just cuts down on its "thinking" time, sometimes it randomly distributes mistaken play. But this was the Beth bot playing at her top ability, a rating on the site of 2700.

22...a5

23.Bxh6 Rg6 24.Qh4 Qh8 

Black defends, but she is without hope.

25.e6+ Kxe6 26.Qe1+ Kd5 27.c4+ Kxc4 28.Qe6+ Kxd4 29.Rd1+ Kc5 30.Be3+ Kb4 31.Rd4+ Kc5 32.Re4 checkmate

And that is why we play the Jerome Gambit.

Thank you, Jonathan Schrantz.

Jerome Gambit: A Recent Miniature from The Database

I have been updating The Database with games from FICS, through the end of November, 2020. This gave me the opportunity to play over the following miniature.

panjisegoro - Roetman

20 5, FICS, 2020

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 

The Blackburne Shilling Gambit.

4.Bxf7+ 

The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit. I call it that because of the similarity of play with the Jerome Gambit. Actually, I have not found any games by Alonzo Wheeler Jerome playing the line - nor have I found any games by Joseph Henry Blackburne playing his Shilling Gambit.

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8 6.c3 Ne6 

7.Qh5+ g6 8.Nxg6

At this point, The Database has 111 games, with White scoring 53%.

8...Qg5

In a successful (for Black) Blackburne Shilling Gambit, where play might go 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 4.Nxe5, this Queen move would have a starring role: 4...Qg5!? 

In the current position, however, The Database has 12 games, with White scoring 64%. 

Black would have done better with the thematic 8...Nf6, e.g. 9.Qh4 hxg6 10.Qxh8 Nxe4 when Black would have two pieces for a Rook and 2 pawns. The computer gives Black an edge, but I think the player who has more experience with this line, and who is more comfortable, would have the advantage.

9.Qxg5 Nxg5 10.Nxh8 Black resigned

The end seems a bit abrupt. If 10...Bg7 11.d3 Ne6 12.f4 Bxh8 13.d4, Black would have 2 pieces for a Rook and 3 pawns. Perhaps he was intimidated by the "Jerome pawns". Perhaps he was disappointed that his trap opening did not succeed.

Jerome Gambit: Don't Take Everything Blindly

For about a minute of video that provides Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) instruction in the form of an entertaining game, check out:

"Chess Opening Trap: Giuoco Piano, Jerome Gambit | Don't Take Everything Blindly | Sac...Sac...Win"

The author has produced a number of interesting videos which can be found at:

NIC_CHESSWORLD INTRODUCING NEW TACTICS

Like the previous blog post notes, the Jerome can be fun..,

Jerome Gambit: Often A Lot of Fun

One thing I like about Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) games is that they often appear to be a lot of fun.

The following game, while not a Jerome proper, was clearly inspired by the Gambit. I suspect that for the winner it was plenty of fun.

cinna banana - NN

10 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2020

1.e4 b6 2.Nf3 Bb7

Owen's Defense.

3.Bc4 

An offer of a pawn, best declined.

3...Bxe4 4.Bxf7+ 

Logical. Komodo 11 likes it, too.

4...Kxf7 5.Ne5+

Instead, 5...Ng5+ would fork the King and Bishop, and win back the sacrificed piede - but White is thinking about checkmate.

5...Ke8 6.Qh5+ Bg6 

Black's best defense was to block the check with 6...g6.

7.Nxg6 Qc8 

Giving the King some breathing room. In such positions it is always wise to examine a move like 7...Nf6, which would prove more helpful in the current situation. Now the game is pretty much over.

8.Nxh8+ Kd8 

9.Qf7

This is a blitz game. This move wins. When White goes over his moves, afterwards, he will find an idea worth remembering: 9.Nf7+ Ke8 10.Nd6+ Kd8 11.Qe8# 

9...Nf6 10.Qxf8+ Ne8 11.Nf7 checkmate

Very nice. And funny.

Beating Beth Harmon With the Worst Opening Ever

Reader Marco Zanin sent me the link I Beat Beth Harmon with the WORST OPENING EVER - YouTube.

"The worst opening ever" of course, being the Jerome Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+.

The video features Jonathan Schrantz, a teacher in St. Louis, Missouri, who can be found at 

https:/www.twitch.tv/vampirechicken and

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIh4QOvH7v8eQNdUb2As9VA

Beth Harmon is the main charcter in Walter Tevis' novel The Queen's Gambit (1983) which was recently made into a series at Netflix. 

The online site Chess.com, where Schrantz can also be found, has a selection of computer-based personalities, i.e. "bots", that can be played against. There is a series of Beth bots, running from Beth (age 8) rated 800, up to Beth (age 22) rated 2700.

Schrantz delights in playing offbeat openings against bots, and for his game, of course, he chose to face the top-rated Beth (22).

The game lasted 32 moves, and immediately leaps into the top 25 Jerome Gambit games, ever; likely it makes it into the top dozen.

I will probably analyze the game in a future post, but I would like you to watch the excitment as it unfolds in the video. Schrantz has done the work, and he should get the attention.

Jerome Gambit: Killer Shrews!?

Here is the latest Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game from intrepid "Cliff Hardy". The notes are by Cliff. I have added diagrams and the occasional comment, in blue - Rick 

Enjoy!

I had a Jerome Gambit blitz game recently where the Jerome pawns attacked like killer shrews (my allegorical inspiration may have come from the fact that late last night I was watching the 1959 film "The Killer Shrews" on local TV).

Cliff Hardy (2251) - NN (2212)

5 0, Lichess, 4/12/2020

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6?!

Other defences like 6...Kf8 or 6...Ke6 are better.

[According to The Database, Cliff was 11 - 2 against this defense before this game. He should have been pretty comfortable with his play - Rick]

7.Qd5+ Kf8 8.Qxc5+ d6 9.Qe3 Nf6 

10.0-0 Qe7 11.Nc3 c6 12.d4 Kg8?! 

A creative unusual journey for the king but the more usual 12...Kf7, intending to artificially castle by ...Re8 and ...Kg8, would have kept an edge for Black.

13.f4 h6 14.f5 Nf8 15.Qf3 Bd7 16.g4??

White neglects development and this means that if Black were to play 16...Re8 -++ now, White could then only defend the e-pawn by playing Re1, but White really needs this king's rook on f1 to support a future push of the f-pawn. The much better 16.Bf4 ++-, intending to answer 16...Re8 with 17.Rae1, would have left White in a strong position to push through the Jerome e- and f-pawns, with rooks behind both pawns.

16...N8h7 17. h4 Re8 18. Re1 Qf7 19. Bf4 d5 20. e5 Ne4??

Stockfish says that Black should sacrifice the knight for the oncoming pawns with 20...Nxg4! 21.Qxg4 Bxf5 -++ but Black underestimates the power of the white e- and f- killer shrew pawns. Both of those killer shrews now get shot, but White still has other killer shrews lurking.

21.e6 Bxe6 22.fxe6 Rxe6 23.Nxe4 dxe4 24.Rxe4 Rxe4 25.Qxe4 Nf6 

[White is a pawn up, has a bishop vs a knight, and a freer rook. He is better. - Rick]

26.Qf5 Nd5 27.Qxf7+ Kxf7 28.Rf1 Kg6 29.Be5 Ne3 30.Rf4?? +=

Much stronger would have been 30.h5+! Kh7 (30...Kg5?? 31.Bf4+) 31.Rf7 Rg8 32.Rxb7 ++-, when White's rook would have been much  more active than its black counterpart.

30...Nxc2?? ++-

This may appear to be a logical move but it risks Black's king getting caught in a mating net. Preventing White from advancing his h-pawn by blocking it with his own with 30...h5! would have kept Black in the game.

31.h5+ Kg5 32.Kg2 Re8 33.Kg3 Rxe5??

Black spots that White intends to checkmate by playing Rf5, but he could have limped on by preventing that move by playing 33...Ne3! (not 33...g6?? 34.Bf6 mate), intending 34.Rf3? Nxg4.

34.dxe5 g6 35.e6 gxh5 36.gxh5 Ne3 37.e7 Nd5 and Black resigned

Unfortunately, Black resigns just before allowing the killer shrew on the seventh rank to mutate and savage viciously with 38.e8=Q Nxf4 39.Qe5 mate.

Jerome Gambit: It All Adds Up

When you have played over 500 Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) games, it is a good bet that you know what is going on, what your choices are, and what your opponent's choices are. This, in turn, makes the "1-0" come easier.

Wall, Bill - Guest616903

PlayChess.com, 2020

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 

Alonzo Wheeler Jerome played this move a few times, although he preferred 6.Qh5+. The Database - which reflects my research, and certainly does not have all of AWJ's games - shows his record with 6.d4 as 1-0-1 with 3 unfinished games. It shows his record with 6.Qh5+ as 5-10-1, with 3 unfinished games.

The Database points out that Bill Wall has played 6.d4 in 312 games, scoring 92%, while he has played 6.Qh5+ in 226, scoring "only" 89%.

6...Bxd4 7.Qxd4 Nc6 

He could also have supported his Knight in its post with 7...d6.

8.Qc4+ 

Bill has been in this position before, and has chosen other moves, as well:

8.Qd5+ Kf8 9.Nc3 Nf6 10.Qc4 d6 11.O-O Ne5 12.Qb3 c6 13.f4 Nf7 14.Be3 Qe7 15.Rae1 Be6 16.Qb4 a5 17.Qd4 Ng4 18.Bc1 c5 19.Qd3 h5 20.h3 Ngh6 21.f5 Bd7 22.Nd5 Qd8 23.f6 g6 24.Ne7 Ne5 25.Qxd6 Nhf7 26.Qxc5 b6 27.Qd5 Be8 28.Bf4 Qxd5 29.exd5 Bb5 30.Rf2 Nd7 31.Nxg6+ Kg8 32.Nxh8 Kxh8 33.Re7 Kg8 34.Be3 Rc8 35.b3 Nde5 36.Bxb6 Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest7503555, PlayChess.com, 2017;

8.Qd2 Nf6 (8...d6 9.Nc3 Be6 10.O-O g6 11.f4 Nge7 12.Nd5 Bxd5 13.exd5 Nb8 14.f5 gxf5 15.Qe2 Qd7 16.Bh6 Ke8 17.Rae1 Rg8 18.Rxf5 Kd8 19.Rf7 Re8 20.Bg5 c6 21.Qh5 cxd5 22.Rfxe7 Rxe7 23.Rxe7 Qb5 24.Qf7 Nd7 25.Rxd7+ Kc8 26.Rd8 checkmate, Wall,B - 1063314, lichess.org, 2017) 9.Nc3 d6 10.O-O Bg4 11.b3 Re8 12.Bb2 Kg8 13.Rae1 Nb4 14.a3 Nc6 15.Nd5 Nxd5 16.exd5 Rxe1 17.Qxe1 Ne5 18.f4 Ng6 19.f5 Nh4 20.Qe6+ Kh8 21.Qh6 Nxf5 22.Rxf5 Bxf5 23.Qxg7 checkmate, Wall,B - Guest10755845, PlayChess.com, 2018; 

8.Qd1 Nf6 9.Nc3 d6 10.O-O Re8 11.Bf4 Nxe4 12.Qd5+ Be6 13.Qxe4 g6 14.Rae1 Bxa2 15.Qxe8+ Qxe8 16.Rxe8 Rxe8 17.Nxa2 Nd4 18.Be3 Nxc2 19.Rc1 Nxe3 20.Rxc7+ Re7 21.Rxe7+ Kxe7 22.fxe3 d5 23.Nc3 Kd6 24.Nb5+ Black resigned, Wall,B - PerGranBom, lichess.org, 2017; and

8.Qd3 Nf6 9.Nc3 d6 10.O-O h6 11.f4 Re8 12.Bd2 Kg8 13.Rae1 a6 14.Nd5 Be6 15.Bc3 Bxd5 16.exd5 Nb8 17.Bxf6 gxf6 18.Qg6+ Kf8 19.Qxh6+ Kg8 20.Qg6+ Kf8 21.Re5 dxe5 22.fxe5 Nd7 23.exf6 Black resigned, Wall,B - Number555777, lichess.org, 2017. 

8...Kf8 

Slightly better than 8...Ke8 9.O-O d6 10.Nc3 Qe7 11.Re1 Ne5 12.Qd4 c5 13.Qd2 Nf6 14.f4 Nc4 15.Qe2 Be6 16.e5 Bg4 17.Qxc4 Black resigned, Wall,B - Kas55, lichess.org, 2016. 

9.O-O 

Or: 9.Bd2 d6 10.O-O Nf6 11.Nc3 Ne5 12.Qb3 b6 13.Rfe1 Qe7 14.f4 Nc6 15.e5 dxe5 16.fxe5 Nxe5 17.Qb5 Nfd7 18.Bf4 c6 19.Qf1 Ke8 20.Bxe5 Nxe5 21.Rxe5 Qxe5 22.Re1 Qxe1 23.Qxe1+ Kd7 24.Ne4 Kc7 25.Qg3+ Kd8 26.Qg5+ Ke8 27.Qxg7 Rf8 28.Nd6+ Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest7127865, PlayChess.com, 2019. 

9...Ne5 

Returning to his post, and harassing the enemy Queen while he is at it. Komodo 11 still sees Black as a little bit better, but he could also have tried 9...Qf6, e.g. 10.Nc3 Qd4 11.Qe2 Nge7 12.Nb5 Qb6 13.Be3 Qa5 14.c4 a6 15.Bd2 Qb6 16.Qf3+ Kg8 17.Qb3 axb5 18.c5+ Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest526975, PlayChess.com, 2016.

10.Qb3 Nf6 11.f4 Neg4 

Off to adventures on the Kingside!

12.e5 Nh5 13.Qh3 Nxf4

This does not look right. Best was probably to return the Knight to f6 and surrender a piece, i.e. 13...Nhf6 14.exf6 Nxf6.

14.Rxf4+ Kg8 15.Qb3+ d5 16.exd6+ Black resigned

It is checkmate next move.