Jerome Gambit: I Tried

The following game features a move in the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) - a passive sacrifice of a Knight - that I have been railing against on this blog for over a dozen years.

"Death of a Variation" was not the first time, but it was a not-so-subtle hint. That was followed by "Public Service Announcement" and "A Mention is Not an Endorsement". You might think that "Re-Inventing the Flat Tire" might do it. 

Even coming up with a specific name for the variation - "Jerome Gambit: The Face Palm Variation" didn't stamp it out.

I even had to take on something similar in "The Jaw Drop Variation".

Jerome Gambit players go their own way...

And, despite my fussing, White won the game!

username12374 - vesela_flamburari

3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Bc5 3.Bc4 Nc6 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Ng5+ 

People get excited. I know. Let's get on with the attack!

People get creative. For sure. Watch me get my piece back!

According to The Database, this move has been played 711 times, with White scoring a meager 26%. (Versus 57% for 5.Nxe5+)

5...Kg6 

vesela_flamburari is not taken in by the offer of a piece.

In the games of The Database, 70% of the time Black played 5...Qxg5 (498 games, White scores 19%) but in only 244 games did White then reply 6.d4, with the thematic attack on both the Queen and the Bishop yielding him 24%. (Alas, 6...Qxg2 is a very strong response: in 186 games White scored only 14%.)

The numbers appear a bit murky, but the conclusion is pretty clear for White: don't offer the Knight with 5.Ng5, choose 5.Nxd5+.

6.d4 Bxd4 7.h4 

Black's King might feel nervous, but his forces are still better.

7...Qf6

How unfortunate! In so many variations in the defense against the Jerome Gambit, Black's Queen does good work at f6.

Not in this one. The game flips.

8.h5+ Kh6 9.Nf7 checkmate

Double (and discovered) check wins the day!

BSJG: No Shelter

The following game sees Black defending well in his Blackburne Shilling Gambit, until suddenly the Kingside opens up and his King can find no shelter.

I blame Jerome.

klfoerster - zakiabdelli

3 2 blitz, lichess.org, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 

The Blackburne Shilling Gambit. White can now play 4.Nxe4 or 4.d3 or 4.O-O, but he also has a Jerome response. 

4.Bxf7+ 

The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8 6.c3 

This is one of White's two main responses, the other being the Jerome-ish immediate Qh5+.

6...Nc6 7.Qh5+ g6 8.Nxg6 Nf6 9.Qh4 Rg8 10.Nxf8 Rxf8 

Up to this point klfoerster and zakiabdelli have been playing like they were both familiar with the Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit - indeed, according to The Database, klfoerster played a couple of games with that opening in 2022. I have not found any earlier efforts by zakiabdelli. (I guess players rated 2200 and 2100 look like they know what they are doing.)

Here, though, the routine 10...Kxf8 or the interesting 10...Qe7 might have changed things from an edge for Black to an edge for White.

11.O-O d6

Black keeps an eye on the enemy e-pawn and hopes to imede its advance. He might have done a little better with 11...Ne7. 

12.d4 Ng4 

So far we have seen moves that Stockfish 15.1 might improve upon, slightly.

This move allows too much pressure on f6. Better would have been 12...Ne7. 

13.Qh5+ Rf7 14.Bg5 Qd7 15.f3 

Things have gotten messy for Black. Not only is his Knight in danger, his Queen blocks his Bishop which hems in his Rook - a problem for defense that we have seen a number of times before.

15...Nxh2 16.Qxh2 Rg7 17.Qh5+ 

On revient toujours a sa premier amour.

17...Rg6 18.f4 Kf8 19.f5 Rg8 20.Bh6+ Ke7 21.f6+ Ke6 22.Qd5 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: Those Who Forget

Readers of this blog are very familiar with Yury  V. Bukayev, for his many thoughtful, creative and researched contributions.

The following game - not a Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) this time, but with Jerome qualities - is a successful second battle with Bxf7+ for Yury.

Yury_V_Bukayev - WaleraG

30 0, lichess.org, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d4 exd4 

Here we have a Two Knights Defense.

5.e5 Ng4 6.O-O Na5 

It is possible that the Russian chess author Valery P. Golshev had forgotten the lessons of the earlier  Yury_V_Bukayev - WaleraG 30 0, Chess.com, 2021 (1-0, 24). Different opening, after all. Same dangerous theme: Bishop sacrifice at f7. But in contrast with that game, now the blow Bxf7+ isn't a handicap, it is the best move, it leads to White's advantage.

7.Bxf7+ Kxf7 8.Ng5+ Kg8 

There is no safety to be found.

9.Qf3 Nf6 10.exf6 d5 11.f7 checkmate

Delightful! Pawn power!

Jerome Gambit: Does Not Require A Serious Defense

One reason that club players like playing the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) is that their opponents can draw the wrong conclusions about the opening.

What is this? the defender might think. I have never seen this attack before. It must be wrong.

All that is good and right, as far as it goes: the Jerome is a "refuted" opening. But then the thinking often goes one step further.

Since this is not a serious attack, it does not require a serious defense.

And this is how we wind up with games like the following.

Of course, we also have to make allowances for the fact that it was a 1-minute game, something that does not always allow deep analysis.

angelcamina - LeBuchs

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf6 

By protecting my Knight, I can remain up two pieces. Silly attack!

This position shows up in 289 games in The Database, with White scoring 79%. 

7.Qf5+ Ke7 8.Qxe5+ Kf7 9.Qxc5 d6 10.Qc4+ Black resigned

White is ahead two pawns. His King is safer.

Jerome Gambit: papachess

I visited the  papachess site online the other day, with its focus "Make real chess progress." As they say, 

Papachess is a chess service that has only one goal: to find smart ways to make chess progress automatic and fun.

Of course, part of that "fun" is touched upon in "Unleash Aggression with Italian Game: Jerome Gambit"

Jerome Gambit may be a tricky opening to master, but it is a fantastic choice for players looking for an aggressive game that can lead to early advantage.

Jerome Gambit: Titled Tuesday

Chess.com runs two 11-round Swiss tournaments every Tuesday for titled players - "Titled Tuesday Blitz". The time control is 3 1. The prize fund for each tournament is $2,500.

Canadian Grandmaster Aman Hambleton has played the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) at least three times in these tournaments.

Hambleton, Aman - Dejmek, Mark W.

3 1 blitz, Chess.com, "Titled Tuesday", 2021

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qg3 Nf6 9.Nc3 Qe7 10.d3 Bb4 11.Bd2 Be6 12.a3 Bxc3 13.Bxc3 d5 14.O-O-O c5 15.f4 d4 16.Bd2 Bf7 17.f5 a5 18.Rde1 b5 19.e5 Nh5 20.Qf3 Rc8 21.e6 Be8 22.g4 c4 23.Bxa5 Kg8 24.gxh5 c3 25.Rhg1 cxb2+ 26.Kxb2 Qc5 27.Re2 b4 28.Bxb4 Qb5 29.h6 g6 30.f6 Bc6 31.f7 checkmate

Hambleton, Aman - Cervantes Landeiro, Thalia

3 1 blitz, Chess.com, "Titled Tuesday", 2022

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qd5+ Kf8 8.Qxc5+ d6 9.Qe3 Nf6 10.Nc3 Kf7 11.O-O Re8 12.d3 Kg8 13.Qg3 Be6 14.f4 Bf7 15.f5 Ne5 16.Bg5 Kh8 17.Rae1 c5 18.Qh4 Qe7 19.Re3 Bg8 20.Ne2 h6 21.Rg3 Bh7 22.Bc1 Qf7 23.Nf4 d5 24.Ne6 Rg8 25.Nxg7 Rxg7 26.Rxg7 Qxg7 27.Bxh6 Qf7 28.Bf4 Re8 29.Bg5 Ned7 30.Re1 dxe4 31.dxe4 Nxe4 32.Bf4 Nef6 33.Rxe8+ Qxe8 34.Bg5 Qe5 35.Qf2 Qxf5 36.Qh4 Qe5 37.h3 Qd4+ White resigned

Hambleton, Aman - Aliakbarov, Anar Samir Oglu

3 1 blitz, Chess.com, "Titled Tuesday", 2022

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 7.Qxe5 Qe7 8.Qf4+ Nf6 9.Nc3 d6 10.d3 Kg8 11.Be3 Bxe3 12.Qxe3 c5 13.O-O-O h6 14.f4 Kh7 15.h3 Re8 16.Qf3 d5 17.e5 Ng8 18.Nxd5 Qf7 19.Nc3 Rb8 20.Kb1 b5 21.Rhf1 b4 22.Ne4 Bb7 23.Qe3 Bxe4 24.dxe4 Rbd8 25.Rxd8 Rxd8 26.f5 Rd4 27.e6 Qb7 28.Re1 Nf6 29.e5 Re4 30.Qf2 Ne8 31.g4 Qd5 32.b3 Qxe5 33.Rxe4 Qxe4 34.Qxc5 Nf6 35.a3 bxa3 36.Qxa3 Qh1+ 37.Kb2 Qxh3 38.Qxa7 Qxg4 39.Qc5 Qe4 40.b4 h5 41.b5 h4 42.Qc6 Qxc6 43.bxc6 Ne8 44.Kc3 h3 45.f6 gxf6 46.c7 Nxc7 White resigned

Jerome Gambit: Checking With Bing

I checked with the new Bing.com (enhanced with AI) the other day, and this is what it had on the Jerome Gambit 

The Jerome Gambit is a chess opening that was invented in America. It is a very risky attack that involves sacrificing two pieces for two pawns, with the chances arising from the adversary’s king being displaced and drawn into the center of the board (en.wikipedia.org, thechesswebsite.com).

The opening is named after Alonzo Wheeler Jerome, who played it against William Shinkman in 1876, gaining popularity among players when it was published in the Dubuque Chess Journal. It used to be called the “Kentucky opening” and was changed to the Jerome Gambit in 1896 when it was featured in a treatise called “Chess openings, Ancient and Modern” (chess.com).

[The Dubuque Chess Journal, April 1874 introduced and labeled the line "Jerome's Double Opening". The Nordisk Tidende, May 1877, which was translated and reprinted in The Chess Player's Chronicle, August 1877, has the first reference I have found to "Jerome Gambit". Chess Openings Ancient and Modern, first edition, in 1889, covered the "Jerome Gambit", as did it's third edition in 1896. Joseph Henry Blackburne, in Mr. Blackburne's Games at Chess in 1899 referred to the Jerome Gambit as "the Kentucky Opening." - Rick]

The Jerome Gambit can be used to pry the king out of safety and turn a relatively quiet Giuoco Piano (literally meaning “quiet game”) into a crazy king hunt, with many tricks, traps, and tactics. It works best in bullet, where you can surprise your opponent, winning precious time and putting them under stress, making it more likely for them to blunder (chess.com). Here is an example game featuring the Jerome Gambit:

 

Lc0_1 - N.N

1 0 bullet, Chess.com, 2020

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Qh4+ 9.g3 Nf3+ 10.Kd1 Qf6 11.e5+ Nxe5 12.fxe5+ Qxe5 13.Qf8+ Kc6 14.Qf3+ d5 15.Re1 Qd4 16.h3 Bxh3 17.c3 Qf2 18.Qxf2 Bxf2 19.Rh1 Bg2 20.Rh2 Bf3+ 21.Kc2 Bxg3 22.Rf2 Be4+ 23.d3 Bxd3+ 24.Kxd3 Bxf2 25.Be3 Bxe3 26.Kxe3 Re8+ 27.Kd4 Re1 28.b4 Nf6 29.a4 Rhe8 30.b5+ Kd6 31.c4 R8e4+ 32.Kd3 Rxc4 33.Nd2 Rxa1 34.Nxc4+ dxc4+ 35.Kxc4 Rxa4+ 36.Kb3 Rh4 37.b6 axb6 38.Kc2 Rh3 39.Kd2 Ke5 40.Ke2 Kf4 41.Kf2 Rh2+ 42.Kg1 Kg3 43.Kf1 Ra2 44.Ke1 Kf3 45.Kd1 Ke3 46.Kc1 Kd3 47.Kb1 Rh2 48.Ka1 Kc3 49.Kb1 Rg2 50.Ka1 Kb3 51.Kb1 Rg1 checkmate