Jerome Gambit: Still Not Worth One's Full Attention?

Every day, players who use the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) experience opponents who act as if the opening and attack are "Not Worth One's Full Attention".

The result can often be very painful for the defender.

DutchLiLi - Knappe1

3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2022

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 

Black blocks the check in a way that typically leads to either Blackburne's defense (7...d6) or Whistler's defense (7...Qe7). In both cases, he offers a Rook to either distract or trap White's Queen.

7.Qxe5 Bd6 

It can feel good to attack the enemy Queen, and in a blitz game it can be a quick move choice - but here it gives White a clear advantage.

The Database has 152 games with this move, with White scoring 86%. 

8.Qxh8 Nf6 

Trapping the Queen?

9.Qxd8

Ooops.

Black resigned

Jerome Gambit: Rough and Tumble

The Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) leads to positions that can be dangerous for both players. 

The following game shows opportunities - grasped and missed - that appear in play.

UmangKnightYT - NN

Chess.com, 2020

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

7.f4 Ng6 8.Qxc5 Nxf4 

This pawn grab is very risky, if only because White can now play 9.Qf5+ and then grab the Knight, with advantage.

Stockfish 15 suggests that an even game would result from 8...Kf7 9.Nc3 Nf6. 

9.O-O 

King safety, development, and attack, all in one move. 

9...Ng6 10.Qd5+ Ke7 

Now - Which check to deliver?

11.Rf7+ 

The White Queen covers the squares in front of the Black King while the White Rooks moves in.

Apparently the stronger line was to check withe the Queen: 11.Qf7+ Kd6 12.d4 c5 13.Nc3 Kc7 14.Nb5+ Kb8 15.Bf4+ Nxf4 16.Qxf4+ d6 17.Nxd6 Qc7 18.Nf7 cxd4 19.Nxh8 

11...Ke8 12.Rxg7 

White threatens checkmate at f7. How to protect that square?

12...Qf6 

So often in the Jerome Gambit, Black's Queen finds a place at f6. Here, though, 12...Nh6 would hold the fort with an equal game.

Now White can grab material and advantage. 

13.Rxg8+ Rxg8 14.Qxg8+ Ke7 15.Qxh7+ Ke6 Black Resigned

White is up 3 pawns, his King is safe, his opponent's King is not.

Jerome Gambit: Not All Ideas Are Created Equal

I have mentioned before that

Gerald Abrahams wrote in his book, The Chess Mind, that the smallest unit in a chess game was not the move, but the idea.

However, experience has shown that not all ideas are created equal. This is true in chess, as illustrated in the following blitz game.

joca552000 - VCoder18

8 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Bf8 

Black's idea: his dark square Bishop is ready to pounce if White dares to capture on h8; otherwise it will take the long diagonal on the next move.

8.Qxh8 h6 

With thoughts about trapping and then executing the enemy Queen.

9.Qc3 Bg7

The Bishop takes its rightful place at g7, but the Queen has escaped.

White is up the exchange and a couple of pawns, and that gives Black another idea.

 Black resigned

Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit: And That's That

In a one-minute game, things happen quickly.

In the following game Black misses the proper defensive line on move 6, and that's that...

angelcamina - peteza

1 0 bullet, lichess.org. 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 

The Blackburne Shilling Gambit.

4.Bxf7+

The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8 6.Qh5+ Ke7 

Black needed to play 6...g6. The game would then be somewhat in his favor after the wild continuation 7.Nxg6 hxg6 8.Qxh8 Nxc2+ 9.Kd1 Nxa1 10.Qxg8 Qg5.

Instead, now he will be checkmated.

7.Qf7+ Kd6 8.Nc4+ Kc5 

Or 8...Kc6 9.Qd5 checkmate, angelcamina - deep140, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2021. 

9.Qd5+ Kb4 10.c3+ Ka4 11.b3+ 

Or 11.Qa5 checkmate, angelcamina - Vpkl, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org 2022. 

11...Nxb3 12.axb3+ Kxb3 13.Ne3 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: An Experienced Player Faces A Position Full of Questions

One way to get a feel for a particular opening variation is to play over a selection of games by someone who is exerienced and knowledgeable in that line.

The FICS player Petasluk has 562 games in The Database, starting in 2004. His play against the Jerome Gambit declined is educational.

Petasluk - bozidaranas

5 0 blitz, FICS, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kf8 

The Jerome Gambit declined.

If it were capable of feelings, Stockfish 15 would be puzzled by this move, as it assesses the capture of the Bishop as about 3 3/4 pawns better for Black, while it sees this refusal to capture as about 2 1/4 pawns better for White.

On the other hand, the psychological intent is clear: Black decides that if White wants him to take the piece, then he will decline it.

5.Bxg8

Simply taking care of business.

He could retreat the Bishop to d5 or c4 or b3, or he could go for complications with 5.Ne5. He decides that being a pawn ahead, with Black's King disturbed, is enough.

All of this takes place in the context of this being a 5-minute blitz game.

5...Rxg8 

Already a small slip, as 5...Kxg8 is a bit stronger. Indeed, Petasluk has faced that line in a few games

6.O-O d6 7.c3 Qf6 (7...Bg4 8.d3 h6 9.Be3 (9.h3 Bh5 10.g4 Bg6 11.Be3 Bb6 12.Nbd2 Kh7 13.Nc4 Rf8 14.Nxb6 axb6 15.Nh2 d5 16.Qc2 dxe4 17.dxe4 Kh8 18.Rad1 Qe7 19.Rd5 Rad8 20.Rfd1 Rxd5 21.Rxd5 Rd8 22.Qd3 Rxd5 23.Qxd5 Qh4 24.Kg2 Qe7 25.Nf3 Qd6 26.Nh4 Qxd5 27.Nxg6+ Kh7 28.exd5 Black resigned, Petasluk - bijeli, 5 0 blitz, FICS, 2014) 9...Qd7 10.Nbd2 Kh7 11.Nb3 Bb6 12.Bxb6 axb6 13.d4 exd4 14.cxd4 Rhf8 15.d5 Ne5 16.Nbd2 Nxf3+ 17.Nxf3 Bxf3 18.gxf3 Qh3 19.Kh1 Rxf3 20.Rg1 Rxf2 21.Rxg7+ Kxg7 22.Qg1+ Kh7 23.Qxf2 Rg8 24.Rg1 Rxg1+ 25.Kxg1 Qg4+ 26.Qg2 Qxe4 27.Qxe4+ Black resigned, Petasluk - icexman, 3 2 blitz, FICS, 2022) 8.h3 Be6 9.d4 exd4 10.cxd4 Nxd4 11.Nxd4 Bxd4 12.Qc2 c6 13.Nc3 Rf8 14.Be3 Bc4 15.Bxd4 Qxd4 16.Rad1 Qe5 17.Rfe1 h6 18.b3 Be6 19.Re3 Kh7 20.Rg3 Rf4 21.Re1 Rhf8 22.Rf1 R8f6 23.Re3 Black forfeited on time, Petasluk - sailingsoul, 5 0 blitz, FICS, 2021. 

There is also the idea from mainline Jerome Gambit theory, 6.Nxe5 Nxe5 7.d4, which is also better for White.

6.c3

Preparing to build a pawn center. He has also played

6.O-O d6 7.c3 Bg4 8.d3 Qf6 9.Be3 Bb6 10.Nbd2 h5 11.Bg5 Qg6 12.h3 Be6 13.Kh2 Ke8 14.Be3 Kd7 15.Bxb6 axb6 16.b3 Raf8 17.d4 Rh8 18.dxe5 Kc8 19.exd6 cxd6 20.Qe2 Qf6 21.Rac1 Qf4+ 22.Kh1 g5 23.Qe3 g4 24.Qxf4 Rxf4 25.Nd4 Bd7 26.g3 Rf7 27.h4 Rhf8 28Kg1 Kb8 29.Nc4 Rf6 30.Rcd1 Ne5 31.Nf5 Bb5 32.Nfxd6 Nf3+ 33.Kg2 Bc6 34.Rd3 b5 35.Na5 Kc7 36.Nxc6 Rxd6 37.Rxd6 Kxd6 38.Nd4 Ne5 39.Nxb5+ Kc5 40.Nd4 Nc6 41.Nxc6 bxc6 42.Re1 Kd6 43.Re3 Ke5 44.f3 gxf3+ 45.Rxf3 Rxf3 46.Kxf3 Ke6 47.Kf4 Kf6 48.e5+ Ke6 49.Ke4 c5 50.c4 Ke7 51.Kf5 Ke8 52.Kf6 Kd7 53.e6+ Ke8 54.Ke5 Kf8 55.Kd5 Ke8 56.Kxc5 Ke7 57.Kd5 Ke8 58.c5 Kf8 59.c6 Ke8 60.c7 Kf8 61.Kd6 Kg7 62.c8=Q Kg6 63.Qg8+ Black forfeited on time, Petasluk - Notowar, 5 0 blitz, FICS, 2011; and 

6.d3 h6 7.Nc3 d6 8.h3 Nd4 9.Nxd4 Bxd4 10.Ne2 Kf7 11.Nxd4 exd4 12.Qh5+ Kf8 13.O-O Qf6 14.f4 Ke7 15.Qd5 Be6 16.Qxb7 Rac8 17.Qxa7 Bd7 18.e5 Qg6 19.Qxd4 Bxh3 20.exd6+ cxd6 21.Qe4+ Qxe4 22.dxe4 Bd7 23.c3 Bb5 24.Re1 g5 25.f5 Kf6 26.Be3 Rge8 27.Bd4+ Kf7 28.Rad1 Bc6 29.e5 dxe5 30.Bxe5 Ra8 31.Ra1 Ra5 32.Bd4 Rxf5 33.a4 Rb8 34.b4 Bd5 35.a5 Kg6 36.a6 Ra8 37.a7 Rf7 38.Ra6+ Kh5 39.Re5 Bb7 40.Raa5 Rf4 41.Rf5 Rg4 42.Rf2 Re4 43.Raf5 Kh4 44.Kh2 g4 45.g3 checkmate, Petasluk - bozidaranas, 7 0 blitz, FICS, 2021. 

6...d6

Petasluk has also seen the more aggressive 6...d5 7.d4 dxe4 8.Ng5 exd4 9.Nxe4 Bb6 10.Qf3+ Ke8 11.O-O Rf8 12.Qh5+ g6 13.Qxh7 Bf5 14.Ng5 d3 15.Re1+ Ne7 16.Ne6 Bxf2+ 17.Kxf2 Rf7 18.Qh8+ Kd7 19.Qxd8+ Rxd8 20.Nc5+ Kc8 21.Bd2 Nd5 22.Na3 a6 23.Kg1 Rdf8 24.Rf1 Bg4 25.Rxf7 Rxf7 26.Rf1 Re7 27.Re1 Re2 28.Rxe2 Bxe2 29.Kf2 Kb8 30.Nc4 Ka7 31.Ne5 b6 32.Ncxd3 Bxd3 33.Nxd3 Black resigned, Petasluk - frizerkaHR, 5 0 blitz, FICS, 2017. 

7.h3 Qf6 

Black wants to prevent d2-d4.

8.O-O Be6 9.d4 

Anyway.

9...exd4 

I am reminded of the song from "The Sound of Music", "How Do You Solve a Problem like Maria?"

How does White solve this position? Hint: despite Black's advantage in development, Stockfish 15 assesses White as being about 2 1/2 pawns better. 

10.Bg5 

Attack the Queen - development with tempo.

There was also the quirky 10.cxd4 Nxd4 11.Ng5 threatening to fork King and Queen 11...Ke8 12.Nc3 asking for the return of the tempo, which Black obliges 12...h6 13.Nxe6 Nxe6 14.Be3 Rf8 and after 15.Bxc5 dxc5 16.Qb3 b6 17.Nd5 Qf7 18.Rad1 c6 19.Qa4 Qb7 20.Ne3 Nd4 21.Nf5 Nxf5 22.exf5 Rf6 23.Rd3 Kf8 24.Rfd1 Qe7 25.Rd7 Qe2 Stockfish 15 rates White being up 2 1/4 pawns. Looking the resulting position over, I don't really understand the computer. I'm with Petasluk here.

10...Qg6 11.cxd4 Nxd4 12.Nxd4 Bxd4 13.Qxd4 Qxg5 

What is going on? Who is better? What does White need to do?

A reasonable place to start would be to ask the safety question, What does Black threaten?

14.Nc3 

Okay, a quick look - which is sometimes all that you have in a blitz game - would show that White can add to his development, support his e-pawn and link his Rooks with this move. But - he risks turning the advantage over to Black.

14...a6 

Fair enough. White misses something, and Black misses it back.

Without a ticking clock it is possible to catch 14...Bxh3 15.g3 Bxf1 16.Rxf1. This suggests that White's last move should have been the disruptive 14.f4, although the somewhat clumsy 14.Qc3 would also have worked. 

15.f4

No harm, no foul.

15...Qf6 

Now a Queen exchange would calm things, but Black's move allows a pawn advance which is decisive.

16.e5 Qf5 17.g4 Qc2 18.Rf2 

Awkward.

18...Qd3 19.Qxd3 Black resigned

Jerome Gambit: Deja Vu All Over Again

Chances are that the first Jerome Gambit game you were exposed to was Amateur - Blackburne, London, 1884. 

Many chess players are at least passingly familiar. The game is probably the most published example of 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+.

Hmm... Where have I seen that before?

I had that same feeling when I watched the YouTube video"CRUSH YOUR OPPONENT WITH JEROME GAMBIT  Brilliant Sacrifices" by notcoderayaan.

Fun game.

Where have I seen that before?

I did a quick search on this blog and found the recent "Jerome Gambit: Familiar?" As I wrote there

As I was playing over the moves in a pretty cool Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game highlighted in the YouTube video "Mating Attack!How to destroy it in The Brutal Jerome Gambit ! Crush your opponent and win The game!" by chessmastervijay it somehow felt familiar to me. 

That seemed kind of silly. After all, there are over 3,900 posts on this blog, and over 81,000 games in The Database. Familiar?

The names of the players were not given in the video, so that did not provide any clue.

I could have emailed chessmastervijay and asked, but I didn't want to bother him unless it was completely necessary.

After some digging I turned up the computer vs computer game Stockfish - Cramlingbot (1-0, 19), presented in the post "Jerome Gambit: Quick Checkmate", a couple of months ago. (No wonder it seemed familiar.)

Like I said, pretty cool game.

Oh, yeah, there.

Jerome Gambit: Another Day, Another Refutation

I just viewed the "Refuting the Jerome Gambit #shorts #chess" short video by chesspages1512 on YouTube.

The creator has about 55 short videos on his site with the goal of "Helping with chess skills through exposure to an analysis of games and positions". Check them out and enjoy.

The notion of refuting the Jerome Gambit is not new. I addressed this early on in the blog - 15 years ago - in "But is this *stuff* playable?" and answered (among other places) 5 years ago with "Yes, the Jerome Gambit is Playable (Part 1 & 2)".

I waxed somewhat philosophical in "Jerome Gambit: This 'Refuted' Thing (Part 1, A Basic Truth) & (Part 2, What to Do?)" but got down to basics with "What Makes A Gambit Playable?"

How I remember, long ago, when the Jerome Gambit was not even a twinkle in my eye, the regular complaint of a chess buddy, "I was winning right up to the point where you checkmated me!"

So, let's just enjoy the effort of chesspages1512, and leave it at that, shall we? The Jerome Gambit video features chess moves on a 2D board, without written or spoken commentary. It is a cause for some thinking, and we can be thankful for that as well. (I have added diagrams and subtracted background music.)

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

7.Qd5+ Kf8 8.Qxc5+ d6 9.Qe3 Nf6 

This position shows up in over 400 games in The Database.

10.f4 

Checking with the computers:

Komodo 13.02 64 bit liked this move at 20 ply, but at 30 ply preferred 10.0-0 by 1/100th of a pawn;

Stockfish 15 chose 10.f4 early in its analysis but then raced by it, preferring 10.h4 (a novelty according to The Database) at 30 ply. 

The video also gives the alternative 10.Nc3, which appears in about 100 games in The Database. It continued 10...Kf7 11.O-O Re8 12.d3 Kg8 13.f4

Analysis Diagram

Here there is a look at the sideline 13.Qg3 which chesspages1512 indicated appeared in the game Aman Hambleton - Thalia Cervantes Landerio, 3 1 blitz, Titled Tuesday, Chess.com, 2022, (see this blog's "Jerome Gambit: GM vs WGM") with then the novelty 13...Nh5 followed by 14.Qf3 Qh4. Black has the extra piece for two pawns, better development, and an equally safe King. 

The video then continues (after 13.f4) 13...d5 14.f5 (this is new) Bxf5 15.Rxf5 d4 16.Qe1 dxc3 17.Qxc3 Qd6) 

Back to the main line in the video.

10...d5

Some day someone will play the creative line suggested by the Stockfish 15 (not its first choice, mind you): 10...Nxe4!? 11.Qxe4 Qh4+ 12.Kf1 Bd7 13.Qe1 (sad) Qxe1+ 14.Kxe1 Nxf4 15.Kf2 Nxg2 16.Kg3 Bc6 17.Rf1+ Kg8 18.Nc3 Re8.  

11.e5 

At 30 ply Stockfish 15 instead prefers 11.d3 slightly over 11.f5 Ne5 12.f4 Nc6 13.e5. (That second line has a Hypermodern feel to it.) 

11...Nh4 12.Qc5+ Kf7 13.exf6 Nxg2+ 14.Kf2 Nxf4 

15.fxg7 

It is disappointing that the "best" that Stockfish 15 can come up with here is 15.Qe7+ Qxe7 16.fxe7 Kxe7 when Black is a pawn ahead with better development.

The video also show 15.d3 Nh3+ 16.Kg2 gxf6 which the computer evaluates as more than a Rook better for Black. 

15...Qh4+ 16.Kf3 Qg4+ 17.Ke3 Rae8+ 

Black has a checkmate in 3 moves.

So: Truth in labelling.

I suspect, though, that if you play the Jerome Gambit, if you go over this blog post - and over the video - you will come up with more ideas for White, to add to those that Stockfish 15, Komodo 13.02 and I have come up with.

Let me know what you discover.