Jerome Gambit: Compensation

The following game is from the second round of the RedHotPawn.com Jerome Gambit tournament. Despite good effort in a difficult variation, White is not able to pry away the full point.

kristjan - procyk
RedHotPawn, 2016

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.d3 h6 

The game has transposed to a Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit line where White temporized with d2-d3, i.e. 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.d3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+ Kxf7.

White now decides on the "classical" second piece sacrifice. It is interesting to note that a first round game, deriver69 - procyk, transposed into the continuation 6.0-0 (0-1, 25).


6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.Qh5+ Ke6

Alternatives include:

7...g6 8.Qxe5 Be7 9.Qxh8 Bf6 10.Qh7+ Bg7 11.e5 d6 12.f4 Bf5 13.Nc3 Nf6 14.exf6 Qxf6 15.O-O c6 16.g4 Rh8 17.Qxh8 Bxh8 18.gxf5 gxf5 19.Be3 b5 20.Bxa7 h5 21.Be3 h4 22.a4 d5 23.d4 b4 24.Ne2 Qg6+ 25.Kf2 c5 26.a5 c4 27.a6 h3 28.a7 Qg2+ 29.Ke1 Black resigned, Wall,B - Riichmarj, Chess.com, 2010; 

7...Ng6 8. Qxc5 (8.Qd5+ Ke8 9.Qxc5 N8e7 10.f4 Rf8 11.O-O d6 12.Qh5 Kd7 13.Nc3 c6 14.Be3 Kc7 15.b4 Bd7 16.b5 cxb5 17.Nxb5+ Bxb5 18.Qxb5 a6 19.Qb2 Nc6 20.Bb6+ Kb8 21.Bxd8 Black resigned, Wall,B - Ashley, Chess.com, 2010) 8...d6 9.Qe3 Nf6 10.h3 (10.O-O Rf8 11.Nc3 Kg8 12.b4 Ng4 13.Qd4 N6e5 14.Qd5+ Kh8 15.f3 Qh4 16.fxg4 Rxf1+ 17.Kxf1 Qxh2 18.Bb2 Bxg4 19.Ke1 Qg1+ 20.Kd2 Qxg2+ 21.Kc1 Qf1+ 22.Kd2 Nf3+ 23.Ke3 Qh3 24.Qxb7 Ne5+ 25.Kd4 c5+ 26.bxc5 dxc5+ 27.Kxe5 Qh5+ 28.Kd6 Rd8+ 29.Kc6 Rc8+ 30.Kb5 c4+ 31.Kb4 Qe5 32.Rb1 Rb8 33.Nb5 Qxb2+ 34.Rxb2 Rxb7 35.Kxc4 a6 36.a4 axb5+ 37.axb5 White resigned, DREWBEAR 63 - TWODOGS, JGTourney4, ChessWorld, 2009) 10...Bd7 11.Bd2 Bc6 12.Nc3 Rf8 13.O-O-O Kg8 14.f4 Nd7 15.g4 Nxf4 16.Qd4 Ne6 17.Qg1 Ng5 18.h4 Nf3 19.Qg3 Nxd2 20.Rxd2 Ne5 21.Ne2 Rf3 22.Qg2 Qe7 23.Nd4 Rf4 24.g5 Rg4 25.Qe2 hxg5 26.hxg5 Qxg5 27.Qh2 Kf7 28.Rf1+ Ke7 29.Nf5+ Kd7 30.Nd4 a5 31.b3 a4 32.b4 b6 33.Rf5 Qe3 34.Nxc6 Kxc6 35.Kb2 a3+ 36.Kb3 Qd4 37.c3 Qe3 38.Rdf2 Qxd3 39.Rd2 Qc4+ White resigned, ZahariSokolov - laspac, FICS, 2014.

8.Qf5+ Kd6 9.Nc3

Development is a good thing in a gambit, but White might have had more luck with 9.f4. There are only two games with that move in The Database, but White won both.

9...c6

Black also succeeded with 9...a6 10.Bf4 Qf6 11.Bxe5+ Qxe5 12.Qf8+ Kc6 13.f4 Qxc3+ White resigned, jibeng - ehvmc, FICS, 2010.

10.Bf4

Again White goes with develoment. Seen elsewhere was 10.f4 Qf6 11.fxe5+ Qxe5 12.Bf4 Bd4 13.Bxe5+ Bxe5 14.O-O Nf6 15.Rad1 Ke7 16.d4 d6 17.Qg6 Bxh2+ 18.Kxh2 Be6 19.e5 dxe5 20.dxe5 Bf7 21.exf6+ gxf6 22.Qe4+ Kf8 23.Rxf6 Re8 24.Rxf7+ Kxf7 25.Rd7+ Kf6 26.Qh4+ Ke6 27.Rxb7 a6 28.Qc4+ Kd6 29.Qxa6 Rc8 30.Ne4+ Kd5 31.Qd3+ Ke5 32.g3 Rcd8 33.Re7+ Kf5 34.Qf3+ Kg6 35.Qf7 checkmate, ZahariSokolov - mmamaju, FICS, 2014 

10...Qf6

11.Bxe5+ 

Likely better was 11.O-O-O, although the position would still be difficult. 

11...Qxe5 12.Qf3 Nf6 13.O-O-O Bd4 White resigned

The ending comes abruptly, but White may have decided that he simply did not have enough compensation for his two pieces. It will take some work to get any kind of attack on the King going.

The Ecstacy and Agony of the Jerome Gambit

This previous post is worth repeating 
for those who may have missed it.
I mean, how often do you see "balderdash in the highest sense" 
to describe a chess opening?

Grandmaster Jon Speelman's "Agony Column" at the ChessBase news site presents games submitted by average players. Each week he shows one player's "agony" game, where the outcome was not a happy one; and the same player's "ecstacy" game, where the result was more enjoyable.

GM Speelman's analysis is, as always, instructive, enlightening, fair and enjoyable.

This week he takes a look at two of my Jerome Gambit games.

Wow. "And lived to tell the tale", as they say.

Be sure to stop by the site and read the column! Be sure to check out the "Discuss"comments as well.

The Dynamic Jerome Gambit.

In the following game, Black's defensive ideas are interesting, but don't quite work. Part of the reason is that he is playing against Bill Wall, but part of the reason is that he is facing the dynamic Jerome Gambit.

Wall, Bill - Shillam
lichess.org, 2016

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bb6

Black saves his Bishop and gives up his Knight. In 109 games in The Database, White scores 50%.

7.dxe5 Qh4

Bill faced the more conservative 7...Qe7 in Wall, B, - NN, lichess.org, 2016: 8.Qf3+ Ke8 9.Nc3 Qxe5 10.O-O Nf6 11.Bf4 Qh5 12.Qg3 d6 13.Qxg7 Rf8 14.Nd5 Qf7 15.Bh6 Nxd5 16.Qxf8+ Qxf8 17.Bxf8 Kxf8 18.exd5 Bf5 19.c3 Re8 20.Rfe1 Be4 21.Rad1 Kf7 22.Kf1 Re5 23.f3 Bg6 24.Rxe5 dxe5 25.Ke2 e4 26.b4 exf3+ 27.Kxf3 Bh5+ 28.g4 Bg6 29.c4 a6 30.d6 cxd6 31.Rxd6 Bb1 32.Rxb6 Bxa2 33.Rxb7+ Ke6 34.Rb6+ Kd7 35.c5 Black resigned.

8.Qf3+ Ke8 9.Nc3 Bxf2+

An interesting, if eventually flawed idea: Black returns a piece, leaving White with a couple of possibly weak isolated pawns. It turns out that the second player does not have a draw in hand.

10.Qxf2 Qxf2+ 11.Kxf2 Nh6 12.Nd5 Ng4+ 13.Kg3 Kd8 14.Bg5+ Nf6 15.exf6 h6 16.fxg7+ Ke8 17.gxh8=Q+ Kf7 18.Rhf1+ Kg6 19.Qxh6 checkmate

The Agony - and Ecstacy - of the Jerome Gambit

Grandmaster Jon Speelman's "Agony Column" at the ChessBase news site presents games submitted by average players. Each week he shows one player's "agony" game, where the outcome was not a happy one; and the same player's "ecstacy" game, where the result was more enjoyable.

GM Speelman's analysis is, as always, instructive, enlightening, fair and enjoyable.

This week he takes a look at two of my Jerome Gambit games.

Wow. "And lived to tell the tale", as they say.

Be sure to stop by the site and read the column!

[Hmmmm..... I posted this on October 19, as GM Jon Speelman said that is when it would go up. I have seen the column, with a link provided in an email by Frederic Friedel of ChessBase. But - as of the morning of October 20, it does not seem to be up on the ChessBase News site. As they used to say on TV: PLEASE STAND BY. - Rick]

[Aha! There it is: At last! - Rick] 

Jerome Gambit "opportunities for heavy blows unexpectedly"

As early as July 1874 the Dubuque Chess Journal noted

It should be understood that Mr. Jerome claims in this New Opening "only a pleasant variation of the Giuoco Piano, which may win or lose according to the skill of the players, but which is capable of affording many new positions and opportunities for heavy blows unexpectedly."

The following game serves as a fine example.

Wall, Bill - NN
lichess.org, 2016

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bxd4 7.Qxd4 d6 

8.Nc3 Nf6 9.Bf4

Bill has also played 9.O-O, e.g. in Wall,B - Guest4809124, PlayChess.com, 2013 (0-1, 41) and Wall,B - Guest5111265, PlayChess.com, 2014 (1-0, 48).

9.Bg5 was seen in two unfinished 1881 correspondence games between gambit inventor Alonzo Wheeler Jerome and chess columnist S. A. Charles.

9...Qe7 10.O-O-O Rf8 11.Rhe1 Bg4 12.f3 

Black is convinced that he has the advantage (he does) and therefore should be able to unleash an unexpected "heavy blow" himself. At first glance his sacrifice looks scary, but it proves to be his own undoing, not White's.

12...Bxf3 13.gxf3 Nxf3 

Black's idea. Now, if, say, 14.Qb4, then 14...Nxe1 15.Rxe1 Rfb8!? looks like the start of a scary attack against White's King.

However, as in the previous blog post, it appears that Black has gone about his business, but has left the water running... He has overlooked something.

14.Qc4+ 

The Queen escapes the fork with check.

14...d5

This move is often the remedy to White's check along the diagonal, but not in this situation. Black should go with 14...Qe6 and after 15.Qxc7+ Kg8 16.Re2 Rf7 17.Qxd6 White will have the advantage - but the game would still be complicated.

Black's game now comes undone.

15.Nxd5 Nxd5 16.Re3 Rae8 17.exd5 Black resigned

Very nice. Black's Knight is hanging, and the discovered check from a possible d5-d6 also looms.

Jerome Gambit: Did You Leave the Water Running?

Many humorous stories revolve around a family leaving home for a visit or a vacation, only to have one member worriedly ask "Did we leave the water running?"

The following quick game by Bill Wall reminds me of that. Black is fighting back against the Jerome Gambit, but, at one point he forgets something important...

Wall, Bill - Anonymous
lichess.org, 2016

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bxd4 7.Qxd4 Qe7 8.O-O c5

Or 8...Nf6 9.Nc3 c6 10.f4 Ng6 11.e5 Ng4 12.h3 Nh6 13.f5 Nh4 14.f6 gxf6 15.exf6 Nf3+ 16.Rxf3 Qe6 17.Bxh6 Rg8 18.Qd3 d5 19.Qxh7+ Ke8 20.f7+ Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest2327120, PlayChess.com, 2014 

9.Qd5+ Qe6 10.Qxc5 Ne7 11.f4 d6 

Overlooking something.

12.fxe5+ Black resigned

The pieced is captured with discovered check. After 12...Kg8 13.exd6 Black will be 3 pawns down. (The vacation is ruined.)

Jerome Gambit: Sending Pieces to the Wilderness

In the following game, Bill Wall sends one piece, then another, far from the action - or so it seems. Each returns, only to be traded off - yet they are active in helping win the game. The final position is very interesting.

Wall, Bill - NN
lichess.org, 2016

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Qf6 

An unusual defense, but, according to The Database, one faced by other Jerome Gambiteers such as blackburne, chessmanjeff, drumme, HauntedKnight, jfhumphrey, stretto, Teterow, and yorgos. Black, having to lose a piece, decides not to move either, but develops a piece instead.

7. dxc5 Ne7 

Further development. Black also had 7...d6, e.g. 8.O-O dxc5 (8...Be6 9.cxd6 cxd6 10.f4 Ng4 11.f5 Qd4+ 12.Qxd4 Black resigned, Wall,B - Anonymous, lichess.com, 2016) 9.Qd5+ Be6 10.Qxb7 Ne7 11.Qxc7 Rac8 12.Qxa7 Qg6 13.f4 Bh3 14.fxe5+ Ke8 15.Qa4+ Rc6 16.Rf2 Rf8 17.Qa8+ Rc8 18.Qa3 Rxf2 19.Qxh3 Rxc2 20.Na3 Re2 21.Nb5 Kf8 22.Qf3+ Ke8 23.Qxe2 h5 24.Nd6+ Kd7 25.Nxc8 Nxc8 26.Qb5+ Kd8 27.Bg5+ Qxg5 28.Rd1+ Ke7 29.Qd7+ Kf8 30.e6 Qe3+ 31.Kh1 Ne7 32.Qd8 checkmate, Wall,B - NN, lichess.org, 2016 

8.O-O Rf8 9.Nc3 Kg8 

Black has castled-by-hand and has seen to his piece development. What will White do? A hint can be found in an earlier Bill Wall game, with a different defense: 9...c6 10.f4 N5g6 11.Be3 d5 12.cxd6 Ng8 13.d7 Rd8 14.dxc8=Q Raxc8 15.Qh5 Kf8 16.e5 Qf7 17.f5 Nxe5 18.Bc5+ Ne7 19.Qxh7 Qf6 20.Ne4 Qh6 21.Qxh6 gxh6 22.f6 Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest4060198, PlayChess.com, 2013. 

10.f4 N5c6 11.Nb5 a6 12.Nxc7 Rb8 13.c3 Qg6 

It looks like White has sent his one developed piece off on a risky pawn-hunt, but the Knight still has influence on the center, and the first player still has things under control - thanks, in part, to the "Jerome pawns". 

14.f5 Qf6 15.Bf4 Ne5 16.Nd5 Nxd5 17.Qxd5+ Nf7 18.Bxb8 Re8 

White has retrieved (and traded off) his far-flung Knight, and now has a Bishop off in the wilderness (admittedly, it captured a Rook). An interesting comparison can be made between the two Bishops left on the board, as one is actively involved, while the other is a passive observer.

19.Rae1 Kh8 20.e5 Qe7  21.Bd6 Nxd6 

The Bishop, too, is exchanged, but by now White has a powerful, checkmating attack.

 22.f6 gxf6 23.cxd6 Qe6 24.exf6 Black resigned

What a position!

Black can simply take White's Queen with 24...Qxd5, but it will be checkmate in a few moves after 25.Rxe8+ Qg8 26.f7! 

Black's best option is to win two Rooks for his Queen with 24...Qxe1 25.Rxe1 Rxe1+ 26.Kf2 but it is clear that he has no way of dealing with White's advanced pawn, for example 26...Re6 27.Qg5 or 26...Re8 27.f7.

Jerome Gambit: Theory and Practice (Part 4)

In the following game, White confidently and patiently makes his way through the opening and middlegame, indifferent to his opponent's attempts to simplify - and, later, to look for dynamic chances. The endgame win is there; he just has to keep strolling until he gets there.

Vlastous - Daboa 1799
ChessManiac.com, 2016

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 Qf6 

8.Rf1 g6 9.Qh3+ Ke7 10.fxe5 Qxe5 11.Qf3 Nf6 12.Nc3 c6 

White's play was inexact after 12...Bd4 in Gary_Seven - Kevin the fruitbat, JG3 thematic, ChessWorld.net, 2008:  13.d3 Bxc3+ 14. Bd2 Bxb2 15. Rb1 Bc3 16. Bxc3 Qxc3+ 17. Kd1 d6 18. h3 Bd7 19. g4 Rhf8 20. d4 Qxf3+ 21. Rxf3 Nxe4 22. Rxf8 Rxf8 23. Rxb7 Bb5 24. Rxc7+ Kd8 25. Rxa7 Rf1 checkmate.

What happens next in the text is that Queens are exchanged and the sacrificed piece is returned for a couple of pawns, giving Black a small advantage. The game is not over at all, however.

13.Ne2 Rf8 14.d4 Bxd4 15.Bf4 Qxe4 16.Qxe4+ Nxe4 17.Nxd4 d5 

18.O-O-O Bg4 19.Rde1 Kd7 20.h3 Bf5 21.Bh6 Rf7 22.Nf3 Re8 23.g4 b6 

An odd choice by Black. He will have two pawns for his piece, a typical Jerome Gambit situation for White. Perhaps it was a slip, perhaps he saw that situation as more dynamic that a possible Bishops-of-opposite-colors endgame.

24.gxf5 Rxf5 25.Nd2 Ng3 26.Rxe8 Kxe8 27.Rxf5 Nxf5 28.Bf4 h5 

Black's extra pawns are more targets than attacking units, as White begins to show.

29.Nf3 Ke7 30.Ne5 Kf6 31.Nxc6 g5 32.Bc7 g4 33.hxg4 hxg4 34.Nxa7 g3 35.Nb5 Kg5 36.Bxb6 Kg4 

37.a4 g2 38.Bg1 Kg3 39.a5 Nh4 40.Nd4 Kf4 41.a6 Nf3 42.Nxf3 Black resigned

Jerome Gambit: Theory and Practice (Part 3)

Chessfriend Vlastimil Fejfar sent a couple more of his games. They fit in well with the current "Theory and Practice" theme.

Here is the first, which illustrates an important, if infrequent line, where Black's carelessness (who needs to analyze against the Jerome Gambit?) needs to be addressed right away, with an immediate advantage to White. Suddenly, a "funny" opening isn't funny any more.

Vlastous - Orca
ChessManiac.com, 2016.

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 Nf6

Despite developing a piece that attacks the enemy Queen, this move is an error. White needs to know the proper response and play it quickly, as it leads to a position where he is up a couple of pawns (not down a couple of pieces).

The Database has 56 games with this position, with White scoring 73%. (In club play, a 2-pawn advantage isn't always decisive. See "Blunder Table" for Geoff Chandler's interesting point of view.)

8.Qxe5+ Kf7 9.Qxc5 Nxe4 10.Qd5+ Kf6 11.b4 

I like this move, which is a TN.

Of course not 11.Qxe4 Re8. 

Petasluk twice tried 11.Qe5+ Kf7 followed by 12.O-O: 12...Nf6 (12...Re8 13.Qd5+ Kf8 14.d3 c6 15.Qh5 Qb6+ 16.Kh1 Nf2+ 17.Kg1 Nxd3+ 18.Kh1 Nf2+ 19.Kg1 Re1 20.Qf5+ Kg8 21.Nd2 Nd1+ 22.Kh1 Rxf1+ 23.Nxf1 Qf2 24.Qd3 d5 25.Be3 Nxe3 26.Nxe3 Be6 27.Rf1 Qh4 28.f5 Bd7 29.Nxd5 Rf8 30.g3 Qh3 31.f6 cxd5 32.Qxd5+ Be6 33.Qd3 Rxf6 34.Rxf6 gxf6 35.Qd8+ Kg7 36.Qe7+ Kg6 37.Qe8+ Bf7 38.Qe4+ Kg7 39.Kg1 Qd7 40.Qe2 Qd4+ 41.Qf2 Qd1+ 42.Qf1 Qxc2 43.Qf2 Qd1+ 44.Qf1 Qd4+ 45.Qf2 Qxf2+ 46.Kxf2 Bxa2 47.b4 Be6 48.Ke3 a6 49.Kd4 b5 50.Kc5 Bf5 51.Kb6 h5 52.Kxa6 h4 53.Kxb5 Black lost on time, Petasluk - tiranas, FICS,  2010) 13.d3 Re8 14.Qd4 Kg8 15.Nc3 d6 16.Bd2 c5 17.Qf2 Ng4 18.Qf3 h6 19.h3 Nf6 20.Rae1 Rb8 21.Ne4 b5 22.a3 Nxe4 23.dxe4 Bb7 24.Bc3 Qh4 25.f5 Bxe4 26.Qg4 Qxg4 27.hxg4 Bxc2 28.Rc1 Bd3 29.f6 Bxf1 30.Kxf1 gxf6 31.g3 Rf8 32.Kg2 f5 33.gxf5 Rxf5 34.Rd1 Rb6 35.Rh1 d5 36.Bd2 h5 37.Bf4 Rg6 38.Kf3 d4 39.Rc1 Kf7 40.Ke4 Kf6 41.b4 cxb4 42.axb4 Rg4 43.Rc6+ Ke7 44.Kxf5 Rg7 45.Ra6 h4 46.gxh4 Rf7+ 47.Kg4 d3 48.Rxa7+ Ke8 49.Rxf7 Kxf7 50.h5 Kf6 51.h6 Kg6 52.Bd2 Kh7 53.Kh5 Kh8 54.Kg6 Kg8 55.h7+ Kh8 56.Bc3 checkmate, Petasluk - DenisBarin, FICS, 2013.

Once he played 11.O-O directly: 11...Nd6 12.Qe5+ Kf7 13.d4 Re8 14.Qh5+ Kg8 15.Nc3 Qf6 16.f5 Qxd4+ 17.Kh1 Qc4 18.Bf4 Rf8 19.Bxd6 cxd6 20.f6 gxf6 21.Nd5 Qd4 22.Rf4 Qe5 23.Rf5 Qe6 24.Raf1 Kg7 25.Qg4+ Kh8 26.Nxf6 Rxf6 27.Qd4 Black forfeited on time, Petasluk - fabercastle, FICS, 2009. 

11...Re8 12.O-O h6 13.f5 Ng5 

Allowing checkmate.

14.Bb2+ Ke7 15.f6+ gxf6 16.Bxf6+ Black resigned

White does not even need to win Black's Queen, but that alone would be enough to force resignation.