Jerome Gambit: A Rarity

Bill Wall likes the Jerome Gambit. He has over 1,000 games in The Database, scoring 92%.

I present the following game, therefore, as a rarity - one of Bill's losses. Usually, no matter how much trouble he faces, Bill manages to produce a win, like a magician pulling a rabbit out of a hat.

Just not this time. After all, when you play an opening that has several "refutations", it should not come as a surprise that you risk losing.

Wall, Bill - HighNoon

internet, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Qh4 

As I wrote in "Jerome Gambit: In and Out of Danger"

Although I have lightly labeled this as a "pie-in-the-face" variation, it is a strong counter, with a focus on piece development and attack on the King. It was first seen in Sorensen - Anonymous, Denmark, 1888 (1-0, 27).

7.O-O Qxe4 

Also 7...Ng4 8.h3 Bb6 9.hxg4 d6 10.f3 Be6 11.Be3 Bc4 12.Re1 Ne7 13.f4 Rhe8 14.Nd2 Ba6 15.Nf3 Qg3 16.a4 Ba5 17.c3 Kf8 18.b4 Ng6 19.f5 Nf4 20.Bxf4 Qxf4 21.Qc2 c5 22.bxa5 Qxg4 23.Rad1 cxd4 24.Rxd4 Qg3 25.Qb3 Qf4 26.Qb1 Qg3 27.e5 g6 28.Rxd6 Re7 29.f6 Ree8 30.Qb4 Bb5 31.Rd8+ Kf7 32.e6+ Kxf6 33.Qd4+ Black resigned, Wall,B - Rajiv, Chess.com 2010. 

8.dxc5 Nf6 9.Nc3 

Or 9.Bg5 Qc6 10.Bxf6 gxf6 11.Qh5+ Kg7 12.Nc3 Qxc5 13.Rae1 d6 14.Ne4 Qb6 15.Re3 Qxb2 16.Rc3 Qb6 17.Re1 Be6 18.h3 Rhf8 19.Kh2 Ng6 20.Ng3 Bxa2 21.Nf5+ Kh8 22.Ne7 Bf7 23.Qf5 Kg7 24.Rg3 Qc5 25.Qf4 Rae8 26.h4 a5 27.Ree3 Qh5 28.Qd4 c5 29.Qxd6 Rd8 30.Qf4 Rd4 31.Re4 Rxe4 32.Qxe4 Kh8 33.Nxg6+ Bxg6 34.Qf4 Qe5 35.Qa4 b6 36.Qb3 Rb8 37.c3 b5 38.Qd1 b4 39.cxb4 axb4 White resigned, Fritz 12 - Wall/Houdini, Palm Bay, FL 2018. 

9...Qc6 

9...Qb4 was tried in Wall,B - Guest7715764, PlayChess.com 2017 (1-0, 21); and

9...Qc4 was seen in  Wall,B - Guest6296711, PlayChess.com 2014 (0-1, 22) and Wall,B - IraHaru, lichess.org 2016 (1-0, 19). 

10.Be3 

Instead, 10.Qd4 was seen in Wall,B - felineMMXI, blitz, FICS 2011 (1-0, 18); Wall,B - Guest1986192, PlayChess.com 2019 (0-1, 19); Wall,B - Guest4725905, PlayChess.com 2019 (0-1, 21); and 1-0 Wall,B - Guest1845717, PlayChess.com 2019 (1-0, 29).

10.Re1 was seen in Wall,B - Gorodetsky,D, Chess.com 2010 (1-0, 18).

10...b6 11.Bd4 Bb7

Protecting the Knight on e5 by threatening checkmate.

12.f3 Rhe8 13.Re1 Ng6 14.cxb6 Rxe1 15.Qxe1 axb6

Black's presure is clear.

16.Qd2 Nd5 17.Ne4 Ndf4 18.Be3 Ne6

Black is making good use of his extra piece, while White's extra pawns have limited scope.

19.b3 b5 20.Nf2 Qd5 21.Nd3 d6 22.c3 Nh4

One more piece joins the attack.

23.Rf1 Re8 24.Rf2 Kg8 25.Rf1 Qf5 26.Ne1 Qg6 27.Kh1 Qf7

Black is taking his time.

28.Nc2 Qf5 29.Qf2 Rf8 30.Ne1 Qe5 31.Bd2 Ng6 32.Nc2 Nef4

Storm clouds gather.

33.Qa7 Qe2 34.Qf2 Qd3 35.Ne1 Qf5 36.Be3 Ra8 37.Qb2 Re8 38.Qd2 

Has anyone read the novel Beau Geste, by P.C. Wren?

38...h5 39.h3 Nxh3

White resigned

White must wait while his opponent further executes his attack.

Jerome Gambit: "Nothing" Moves

It is a good idea not to ignore "nothing" moves by your opponent, as they may contain threats that need to be attended to.

chessriddler - CrazyHorses

5 3 blitz, lichess.org, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

7.Qd5+ Kf8 8.Qxc5+ Qe7 9.Qe3 Nf6 

There are 225 examples of this position in The Database.

10.d3 d5 

A proper strike at the center.

11.b3 

This appears to be a "nothing" move, allowing Black to win the e-pawn. It can be properly met by 11...Qe5, but this is a blitz game, and things can be overlooked. 

11...dxe4 12.Ba3 Black resigned 

Ouch.

The game follows the path of shugart - pitagorico, blitz, FICS, 2013, which had the additional moves 12...c5 13.Bxc5 before Black resigned.

Jerome Gambit: See Saw Blitz

The following game shows the possible effect of blitz time controls on ches play.

drumme - laspac

The FICS player drumme has over 800 games in The Database.

5 0 blitz, FICS, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 

The Semi-Italian Opening (sometimes referred to as the Anti-Fried Liver Defense; see "Italian Game Anti-Fried Liver Defense [Parts 1 and 2]").

As I wrote in "A Jerome Look At The Semi-Italian Opening (Parts 1, 2, and 3)"

Chess Master Vs Chess Amateur (1963), byMax Euwe and Walter Meiden. Here is what the authors say about Black's third move (I have changed the notation from English descriptive to algebraic).

This is a favorite move of the weaker amateur. He fears some future attack by the White QB (Bg5, for instance) or by the White KN (Ng5), and, before the White QB is even able to move, he plays the precautionary 3...h6. In certain positions, such a precautionary move is occasionally necessary, but in this position, not only is it not necessary, but it consumes valuable time. This puts Black one move behind White in the type of opening where tempi are of greatest importance. Instead of meeting the enemy's rapidly mobilizing forces with armed soldiers (i.e., by bringing out his pieces), Black only loses time and force, and, without realizing it, even weakens his defensive wall...

4.Bxf7+ 

The Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit (also called the Accelerated Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit - see "Accelerated Instant Victory")

The Database has 3,173 games with this line, with White scoring 42%. By comparison, drumme has 178 games with the line, scoring 51% - almost 10% better than the average Jerome Gambit club player.

He might consider varying with 4.O-O Bc5 and then 5.Bxf7+, taking a tip from The Database where there are 380 such games, with White scoring 62%. (To date, I don't think he has.)

By the way, in 265 games with the Jerome Gambit proper, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+, drumme has scored 49%, a bit under the results of the average Jerome Gambit club player, 52%, according to The Database.

4...Kxf7 5.d4 d6 6.dxe5 

6...dxe5 

An automatic response which leads to consequences that Black probably had not anticipated.

7.Nxe5+ Ke6 

Of course, not 7...Nxe5 because of 8.Qxd8.

However, as we shall see, 7...Kf6 was the right King move, when the game is even, e.g. 8.Qf3+!? Kxe5 9.Qf7 Nf6 10.f4+ Kd6 11.e5+ Nxe5 12.fxe5+ Kc6 13.Qc4+ Bc5 14.Be3 Qd5 15.Qxc5+ Qxc5 16.Bxc5 Kxc5.

8.Qg4+ 

White, too, steps off of the path. Instead, he had 8.Qxd8 Nxd8 9.Ng6, taking advantage of the unprotected g6 square

8...Kxe5 

This piece lacks poison.

9.Bf4+ 

While scary looking, this move and 9.f4+ are not actually dangerous.

9...Kxe4 

This capture should lead to indigestion. It was time for the King to retreat to f6.

10.Bxc7+ 

Again: scary. Attacking the enemy Queen with check.

Black resigned

But, wait a minute... Doesn't Black just have 10...Bg4 ? True, White then wins Black's Queen with 11.Bxd8, but then comes 11...Rxd8 and 12.f3+ Kf5 13.fxg4+ Kxg4 would leave Black clearly better.

And, yet... Had White found 10.Nc3+ Kd4 11.Qe2 a6 12.Qd3+ Kc5 13.Na4+ Kb4 14.Bd2+ Kxa4 15.Qb3 checkmate the game would have still been his. 

ChatGPT Strikes Again!

 

Once again, I visited the artificial intelligence (AI) program ChatGPT and made a request.

It gets partial credit for using 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Bxf7 as the Jerome Gambit; it is what I call the Abrahams Jerome Gambit.

It gets extra credit, however, for its hilarious (intentional or otherwise) interpretation of the task.

You said:

Create the moves of a chess game between Bobby Fischer and an amateur player, using the Jerome Gambit opening

ChatGPT said:

 

The Jerome Gambit is an aggressive, unorthodox chess opening that can catch unprepared opponents off guard. It begins with the moves:

1. e4 e5
2. Bc4 Bc5
3. Bxf7+

In this gambit, White sacrifices the bishop on f7 in exchange for rapid development and an attacking position.

Let’s create an imaginary game between Bobby Fischer, playing as White, and an amateur player, playing as Black, using the Jerome Gambit. Since Fischer was a highly skilled player, he would likely win against the amateur, but I will aim for an exciting game that demonstrates the opening’s aggressive nature. The moves are as follows:

---

1. e4 e5
2. Bc4 Bc5
3. Bxf7+ Kxf7
4. Qf3+ Ke6
5. Qf5+ Ke7
6. Qxe5#

---

Explanation:

1. e4 e5 – The standard opening move for both sides, with White aiming for rapid central control and Black mirroring that.
2. Bc4 Bc5 – White develops the bishop aggressively to target the f7 square. Black develops similarly.
3. Bxf7+ – White sacrifices the bishop to exploit the weak f7 square and create havoc in Black’s camp.
4. Kxf7 – Black accepts the sacrifice, as it's difficult to avoid taking the material.
5. Qf3+ – Fischer moves the queen to f3 to put more pressure on Black’s exposed king.
6. Ke6 – The amateur player tries to run with the king, but this opens the way for further attacks.
7. Qf5+ – Fischer uses the queen to check the Black king, further restricting Black’s position.
8. Ke7 – Black tries to move the king to safety.
9. Qxe5# – With this final move, Fischer checkmates the amateur player, as the Black king is now trapped and cannot escape.

---

This is a simplified version, as Fischer would have likely won with an even more efficient attack. In real-life games, Fischer's opponents would have put up a much better fight, but the Jerome Gambit’s wild nature can lead to quick victories for White against less-experienced players.

Jerome Gambit: Bad News, Good News

 

The following position comes from a correspondence Jerome Gambit game. Sometimes things get so good, they suddenly turn bad.

xElucidatoRx - lichess AI, corr, 2023

The "bad news" for Black is that White's Jerome Gambit has led to the first player having six Queens.

The "good news" for Black is that White last move establishes stalemate, a draw.

I am not sure that the AI was able to feel embarassment. Perhaps the programmers are working on it.

Jerome Gambit: Good News, Bad News

 

The following position comes from a 5-minute blitz Jerome Gambit game. Sometimes things get so bad, they suddenly turn good.

ZeKnightRider - GrandLoser101, blitz, lichess.org, 2024

The "good news" for Black is that he has just gotten a second Queen with 73...b1/Q.

The "bad news" for Black is that the move establishes stalemate, a draw.

ZeKnight Rider survives to ride again.

p.s. ZeKnightRider has 600 games in The Database.

Jerome Gambit: An Unusual Sortie

The following is an interesting 1-minute game, with both players rated over 2400.

TePart0 - Robik_12

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 

7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qxh8 Bg4 

Black can offer his Rook, if he is comfortable with the complications that follow. "Objectively", the capture leads to an even game, but often White finds himself in trouble.

This Bishop sortie is unusual, however, and it is not clear what it is designed to accomplish. I wonder if Black intended another piece - the Queen (recommended is 8...Qh4) - to slide down its diagonal, but touched the wrong piece. 

Anything can happen in a bullet game.

 9.Qxh7+ Kf8 10.O-O Qf6 11.c3 Re8 12.d4 Bb6 13.Bh6+ Black resigned

White is up the exchange and two pawns. Unless he is in time trouble, he has the easier task.