Jerome Gambit: Fearless.

In the following 3-minute blitz Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game, Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura fearlessly enters a dangerous line of play and skillfully manages a balance of attack and defense to take the full point. 

GMHikaruOnTwitch - 30second-guy

3 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2021

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Qh4 

I don't have an official name for this line of play, first seen, according to The Database, in Sorensen - X, Denmark, 1888 (1-0, 27), but I have referred to it as a "pie-in-the-face variation" for obvious reasons. If White is expecting either enemy piece to retreat from the center and save itself, he has to find the Queen excursion - usually the territory of White in the Jerome Gambit - to be somewhat of a humorous, if dangerous, surprise. 

7.O-O Qxe4 8.dxc5 Nf6 9.Nc3 Qf5 

You can already imagine which Black Knight is planning to move to g4 to help deliver checkmate by the Queen at h2.

10.Nb5 

If a student played this move, his teacher would no doubt consider him insolent. While the move does not "save" the game, it is considered best by Stockfish 13, and it packs a lot of psychological impact - White is not going to cower in response to the impending counter-attack.

10...b6 11.Nxc7 Bb7 12.f4 

Encouraging the Knight along its way, but dangerous, nonetheless, as Black now has 12...Nf3+! 13.gxf3 Qxc5+ 14.Be3 Qxc7 winning a pawn, breaking up White's Kingside and getting rid of that pesky Knight. However, this is a 3-minute game, and not every tactic is visible.

12...Neg4 

13.b4 

Sangfroid.

13...Rac8 14.Nb5 Qh5 

White's position might look resignable, but he now actually has the advantage!

As F. Scott Fitzgerald did not say, "Grandmasters, they are different from you and me."

To which Ernest Hemmingway did not respond "Yes, they have more Jerome pawns."  

15.Nd6+ Kf8 16.h3 bxc5 17.Nxb7 

Black was expecting - or hoping for - 17.bxc5 Qxc5+ 18.Kh1 Nf2+ 19.Rxf2 Qxf2. 

17... cxb4 18.hxg4 Nxg4 

White has gone ahead in material, but his King still is under great pressure. There is a solution: Attack!

19.Qd6+ Kg8 20.f5 

Uncovering the Queen's protection of the h2 square.

20...Rc6 21.Qd5+ Kf8 22.Bf4 Rh6 

Attacking until the end, and offering the opportunity for the unfortunate blunder 23.Bxh6? Qh2#. However, White has things well in hand.

23.Bd6+ Ke8 24.Rae1+ Re6 25.Rxe6+ Kf7 26.Rh6+ Ke8 27.Re1+ Ne5 28.Rxe5 checkmate

Beautiful.

Jerome Gambit: Keep Calm

 

In 1939 the British Government created a steadying poster, encouraging citizens, in light of the upcoming war, to avoid panic and keep about their necessary activities.

Fair enough.

I have just learned of a modern variation

Available on sticker, poster, T-shirt, or many other items.

Many other openings are available.

(I am not sure how to tell my friend Dan that there does not appear to be a Stafford Gambit poster. 😢)

Jerome Gambit: GMHikaruOnTwitch; Well, of course...

Grandmasters do not always choose the "best" move in every position in their games, but they consistently find "very good" moves, and that is usually plenty enough for them to win their games against weaker opponents.

The following Jerome Gambit is a good example. It is not so much a smash/bang game as it is a business-like one where, when Black resigns, one likely thinks, Well, of course.

GMHikaruOnTwitch - FM Susal_de_Silva

3 0 blitz, chess.com, 2021

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5  6.Qh5+ Kf8 

7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qg3 Nf6 

Or 8...Qf6 9.c3 Qg6 10.f3 Ne7 11.d4 Bb6 12.Bf4 Qxg3+ 13.hxg3 Be6 14.Nd2 Kf7 15.g4 Rad8 16.Rh5 h6 17.Kf2 d5 18.Kg3 c5 19.dxc5 Bxc5 20.Re1 Ng6 21.Be3 Bxe3 22.Rxe3 d4 23.cxd4 Rxd4 24.Nb3 Bxb3 25.Rxb3 b6 26.Rc3 Rhd8 27.a4 Rxa4 28.Rc7+ Kg8 29.Rf5 Rf8 30.Rd5 Rf7 31.Rd8+ Nf8 32.Rcc8 g5 33.e5 Raf4 34.e6 Re7 35.Re8 Rxe8 36.Rxe8 Kg7 37.e7 Ng6 38.Rg8+ Black resigned, GMHikaruOnTwitch - Fischerev7, 3 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2021. 

9.d3 

Or 9.Nc3 Qe7 10.d3 Be6 11.O-O Ke8 12.Be3 Bxe3 13.Qxe3 Kd7 14.f4 Ng4 15.Qe2 Qh4 16.h3 h5 17.Rf3 Rae8 18.d4 Kc8 19.d5 Bd7 20.a4 g5 21.Nb5 a6 22.Rc3 axb5 23.axb5 Kd8 24.e5 Qf2+ 25.Qxf2 Nxf2 26.Kxf2 Bxb5? 27.Ra8+ Kd7 28.e6+ Ke7 29.Rxc7+ Kf6 30.Rf7+ Kg6 31.f5+ Kh6 32.Ra7 Ba6 33.Rf6+ Kg7 34.Rf7+ Kh6 35.b4 g4 36.b5 Bxb5 37.Raxb7 gxh3 38.gxh3 Bc4 39.h4 Ref8 40.Ke3 Bxd5 41.Rbd7 Rxf7 42.Rxf7 Re8 43.Kd4 Bxe6 44.Rf6+ Kg7 45.Rxe6 Rxe6 46.fxe6 Kf6 47.Kd5 Ke7 48.c4 Black resigned, GMHikaruOnTwitch - MikeSailer, 3 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2021. 

9... Bb6 10.Nc3 Be6 11. Ne2 Qd7 12. Be3 Bf7 13. h3 Bxe3 14. fxe3 Re8 15. O-O d5

It is intersting that here, and for several subsequent moves, Stockfish 13 (which often does not appear to have a "feel" for the Jerome Gambit) prefers 15...h5, followed by a Rook lift ...Rh8-h6-g6.

The text allows White to create a protected passed pawn which factors into his winning chances thereafter.

16.e5 Nh5 17.Qh2 g6 18.Rf2 Kg8 19.Raf1 Be6

20.g4 Ng7 21.Rf6 c5 

Better 21...h5. 

22.d4 b6 23.Nf4 g5 24.Nxe6 Nxe6 

25.c3 

With a glance at the endgame.

He could also have tripled on the f-file with 25.Qf2. I recall watching GM Nakamura comment during one of his 3 0 blitz games when he made a comment to the effect that tripling heavy pieces on a file always won. A bit of hyperbole, but solid wisdom. 

25...Kg7 26.h4 h6 27.Qc2 Nf8 28.R1f5 

The triple was still there with 28.Qf2, but White had other ideas. 

28...gxh4 29.Qf2 Re7

White applies pressure until the position cracks.

 30.Qxh4 Ng6 31.Qh5 Qe8 32.Rd6 Rf8 

Here we go.

33.Rxg6+ Qxg6 34.Qxg6+ Kxg6 35.Rxf8 Kg5 

36.Rg8+ Kh4 37.Kf2 Rf7+ 38.Kg2 h5 39.gxh5 Kxh5 40.e4 dxe4 41.e6 Re7 42.d5 e3 Black resigned

White's "Jerome pawns" are too much to deal with.

Jerome Gambit: More GMHikaruOnTwitch

In the following 3 0 blitz Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game, it is interesting to see Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura (see "Jerome Gambit: GM Hikaru Nakamura Again") take on a complicated line (that I really don't have a fix for, yet). That's the way it goes with the Jerome - sometimes you don't always need a "fix", you just need to outplay your opponent in a line that you are more familiar with - while the clocks are ticking.

GMHikaruOnTwitch - Mrkooshaj

3 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2021

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Qf6 9.fxe5+ Qxe5 10.Qxe5+ Kxe5 

11.b4 

The most dynamic try. It is always useful to visit the post "Jerome Gambit: Article" (this analytical article by Yury V. Bukayev was published before the blitz game Nakamura - Kollars, 3 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2020 was played) for related ideas. 

Also seen in the arena was the more sedate 11.d3, i.e. 11...d5 12.c3 Bb6 13.exd5 (13.d4+ Kxe4? 14.Rf1 +/=) 13...Kxd5 14.d4 c5 15.dxc5 Bxc5 16.Nd2 Bg4 17.h3 Re8+ 18.Kf1 Be2+ 19.Ke1 Bh5+ 20.Kf1 Nh6 21.g4 Rhf8+ 22.Kg2 Re2+ 23.Kg3 Bf2+ 24.Kg2 Bh4+ 25.Kg1 Re1+ 26.Kh2 Rf2 checkmate, Damwon - GMHikaruOnTwitch, 3 0 blitz, Chess.com 2021. 

11...Bd4 

Taking the pawn is not a good idea, 11...Bxb4 12.Bb2+ Kxe4 13.Bxg7 Ne7 14.Bxh8 d6 15.O-O Kd5 16.a3 Bc5+ 17.d4 Kc6 18.dxc5 Kxc5 19.Nc3 Kc6 20.Rf7 Nd5 21.Nxd5 Kxd5 22.Rf8 b6 23.Re1 Bb7 24.Rxa8 Bxa8 25.Re7 Kc6 26.Rxh7 Bb7 27.Rh4 Kd7 28.Rh7+ Kc6 29.h4 d5 30.h5 Kd6 31.h6 c5 32.Rxb7 Black resigned, GMHikaruOnTwitch - Thechesskid2021, 3 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2021. 

The alternative 11...Bb6 can go two ways after 12.Bb2+. As we have seen above, 12...Kxe4 is a mistake thst would be met by 13.Bxg7, while12...Bd4 13.c3 Bb6 leaves White two tempii up on the 11...Bb6 line, although it is not clear that placing his Bishop on b2 is helpful.  

The relaxed 11...Bf8 only appears once in The Database, but is certainly playable, as in BoomBoomTNT - YT-123456789010chess, Chess.com, 2020 (1-0, 21). 

12.c3 Bb6 13.d4+ 

Instead, 13.d3 was the choice in a couple of older computer vs computer games - Zarkov 4.70 - DrunkenMaster 1.2/PC Intel Pentium 4 630 3000 1, 2009 (1/2 - 1/2, 94) and Matacz CCT7 - Imp 0.74b, CCT7, 2005, (0-1, 55). 

13...Kxe4 

The capture is playable, although retreating the King is the safest strategy, eg. 13...Ke6 14.0-0 d6 15.Nd2 Bd7 16.Nf3 h6 17.Bd2 Nf6 18.Rae1 Bb5 19.Rf2 Ng4 20.e5 Nxf2 21.exd6+ Kxd6 22.Bf4+ Kd5 23.Re5+ Kc4 24.Kxf2 Rae8 25.Nd2+ Kxc3 26.Rxb5 Rhf8 27.Kg3 Rxf4 28.Kxf4 Kxd2 29.Re5 Rf8+ 30.Ke4 Rf2 31.g3 Rxh2 32.Re6 Re2+ 33.Kd5 Rxe6 34.Kxe6 Bxd4 White resigned, simonsah2004 - GMHikaruOnTwitch, 3 0 blitz, Chess.com 2021.

14.Nd2+ 

Going after the King right away.

Interestigly enough, the grandmaster's opponent, in another game, tried the somewhat stronger 14.O-O Nf6 15.Bg5 d6 16.Nd2+ Kd3 17.Rf3+ Kc2 18.Nc4 Black resigned, Mrkooshaj - GMHikaruOnTwitch, 3 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2021. That was Nakamura's only loss against the Jerome. 

14... Kf5 15.O-O+ Kg6 16.Nf3 d6 

Black's King has escaped homeward, but he needs to continue to be careful.

17.Nh4+ Kh5 

Black is not intimidated.

18.Rf7 Kxh4 19.Rxg7 h6 20.Be3 Nf6 21.Rf1 Ng4 

22.Bd2 Be6 23.Rf4 Rhf8 24.Re4 Bf5

Precisely the blunder he had been expecting.

25.Be1+ Kh5 26.h3 Nf6 

Black refuses to admit that the game has evened up, as 26...Rae8 27.hxg4+ Bxg4 28.Rgxg4 would show.

In doing so, he overlooks White's reply.

27.Rh4 checkmate

Against the Jerome Gambit: GMHikaruOnTwitch

As interested as I was in seeing how GM Hikaru Nakamura would play the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) I was also interested in how he would react to it. (See "Jerome Gambit: GM Hikaru Nakamura Again")

The following 3 0 blitz game is his shortest encounter as a "defender". Watch as one of the world's best blitz player takes on an opponent rated about 1,000 points below him...💀

lc6O-1 - GMHikaruOnTwitch

3 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2021 

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6 Qh5+ Kf8 

7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qf4+ Qf6 9.Qg3 Qg6 

The Grandmaster has two ideas here. He offers to exchange Queens, which will only improve his material advantage - while reducing what is left of White's attack. He also targets White's Kingside.

10.Qf4+ 

Perhaps he should have played 10.Nc3 directly.

10...Nf6 11.Nc3 

Possibly overlooking the fact that Black can attack, too. He could have tried 11.O-O instead. 

Things are about to get ugly.

11...Qxg2 12.Rf1 

Only a computer would recommend 12.d3 Qxh1+ instead of this move, or  Resigns.

12... Bh3 13. Ke2 Qxf1+ 14.Kf3 Qxf2 checkmate

Ow.

Jerome Gambit: GMHikaruOnTwitch

A couple of months ago I mentioned (see "Jerome Gambit: GM Hikaru Nakamura Again") a YouTube video of GM Nakamura playing - and playing against - the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) in 3 0 blitz games, online. I have taken a closer look at those battles, and found a number of them to be quite interesing.

It is clear that the grandmaster was playing the games for the entertainment of his viewers. Still, it is useful to have an insight into how a top player makes his way through the encounters. Especially since Nakamura scored 17 - 1 with the white pieces, and 17 - 1 with the black pieces.

Although GM Nakamura is a top blitz player, it is useful to note that he was playing against some relatively strong opposition.

While playing the Jerome Gambit with white, his opposition averaged 2149 (high 2718, low 1583).

While playing against the Jerome Gambit, his opposition averaged 2225 (high 2716, low 1918)

His own rating averaged 2997 with white and 2993 with Black.

(Does this mean that the GM actually underperformed and maybe should have only yielded a couple of draws? For interesting reading, check out "The Elo rating system - correcting the expectancy tables")

Curiously, the average length of a game when GM Nakamura played as White was 33 moves, as Black only 23 moves.

We can start off by looking at the shortest game that Nakamura played as White, uncharacteristically decided by a couple of blitz errors.

GMHikaruOnTwitch - 1c6O-1

3 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2021

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

7.f4 Qf6 8.Rf1 Ne7 

This move does not, as Fritz says, "get the bull off the ice". Probably best is 8...d6, but that move is not easy to find (or appreciate). Two other games

8...g6 9.Qh3+ Ng4 10.Qxg4+ Kf7 11.Nc3 d6 12.Qg3 Ne7 13.d3 Bb4 14.Bd2 Bd7 15.O-O-O a5 16.Kb1 a4 17.e5 Qf5 18.Ne4 Bxd2 19.Rxd2 d5 20.Nc5 (20.e6!?) b6 21.Nxd7 Qxd7 22.Qg5 Qf5 23.Qh4 h5 24.h3 a3 25.b3 c5 26.Re2 Ke6 27.Rfe1 Nc6 28.Qf6+? Kd7 29.Qd6+ Ke8 30.Qxc6+ Qd7 31.Qxa8+ Qd8 32.Qxa3 c4 33.dxc4 dxc4 34.Qd6 Qxd6 35.exd6+ Kd7 36.Re7+ Kxd6 37.R1e6+ Kc5 38.Re8 cxb3 39.axb3 Black resigned, GMHikaruOnTwitch - Kgn1111, 3 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2021; and 

8...Nh6 9.Nc3 c6 10.d3 d6 11.fxe5 Qxe5 (11...Qg6) 12.Qh4 (12.Bg5) Bb4 (12...Kd7) 13.Bd2 Kd7 14.O-O-O Kc7 15.Bf4 (15.a3) Qe6 16.d4 Bd7 17.d5 Qg6 (17...Qg4) 18.dxc6 bxc6 19.Qe7 (19.a3) Rae8 20.Qh4 Ng4 21.Qg3 Ne5 22.Bxe5 Rxe5 23.Qd3 Ra5 24.a3 Qg5+ 25.Kb1 Bxa3 26.bxa3 Rb8+ 27.Ka2 Rxa3+ 28.Kxa3 Qc5+ White resigned, Kgn1111 - GMHikaruONTwitch, 3 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2021.

9.fxe5 Qxe5 10.Qg4+ Kd6 11.d4 Bxd4 

Ooops. Probably a reflex - 11...Qxd4 was better - but not the kind of thing you can do against a GM and hope to survive.

12.Bf4 Bxb2 13.Nd2 Kc6 14.Bxe5 Bxe5 15.O-O-O d5 

Striking the center and uncovering an attack on the enemy Queen. Less weakening would have been 15...d6, but the situation - with only two pieces and a pawn for his Queen - would still be dire for Black.  

16.exd5+ Kd6 17.Ne4 checkmate

Nifty.

Jerome Gambit: What to Do?

 

I recently received three Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) games from Andrey. The first game reached the following interesting position.

My first thought was that White could continue aggressively. I looked at 26.f6, but it soon became clear that 26...Qh4+ 27.Kg1 Qxf6 28.Qxf6 gxf6 would reach a Bishops-of-opposite colors endgame which would be drawn, despite Black's extra pawn.

Andrey's try was even more aggressive, but had a weakness.

26.Bh6 Qxc2+ 

Showing that White did not have time for his attack.

27.Ke3 Qe4+ 28. Kf2 Qc2+ 29.Ke1 Qxg2 

Black could have tossed in 29...Qb1+ 30.Kf2 Qxb2+ and picked up another pawn.

There is no hope for White in exchanging Queens here, as his pawn on f5 would soon fall, leaving Black up 3 pawns in a Bishops-of-opposite-colors endgame that would be very hard to draw.

30.Qe8+ Kh7 31.Bd2 32.Ke2 Qxh2+ 33.Kd3 Qh3+ 34.Ke2 Qxf5 35.Kd1 Bb3+ 36.Kc1 Qc2 checkmate

Is that it? Is this a fair outcome for all of Andrey's hard work?

No, there is more. 

He could have tried 26.c3.

What does the move do?

For starters, it takes away the check (and the gain of a pawn) associated with a possible 26...Qc2. Of course, that move is possible, but White then takes advantage of the fact that the square e8 is no longer protected to play 27.Qe8+ Kh7 28.Qh5+ etc. drawing.

Black can try another Queen move with check, 26...Qh4+ but 27.Qg3, offering to move into a drawn endgame, is a good response.

In fact, it is now difficult to find any move that leads to an advantage for Black.

Interesting is 26...Bf7, but White's 27.Qg5 suddenly makes f5-f6 a real threat, so Black has to respond 27...Qb5. Then there is the hope to hit the g7 pawn another way with 28.h4, but Black has a counter: 28...Be8 29.h5 Bd7 30.g4 Qb6+ and 31.Qe3 Qxb2 32.h6 gxh6 33.Qxh6 Qb6 seems to give Black too many checks to allow White to advance his passed pawns.

So that's it? Andrey's muscle-bound Jerome Gambit fizzes out to a draw?

Actually, not yet. Take a look at the following position from the game, after Black's 20th move.

Now his 21.Bh6! would be winning. Then 21...Rxf1+ (the only move putting off checkmate) 22.Rxf1 Rg8 (ditto) 23.Re1 leaves Black gasping for a defense. White has Qg6+ coming, followed by f5-f6 and Black's King's shelter will collapse, leading White to a position where he is the exchange and a pawn or two better.