Jerome Gambit: Plenty of Ways to Block Development

The classic development problem for Black in the Jerome Gambit is to have his d-pawn stay unmoved, which blocks in the light-squared Bishop, which keeps a Rook at home. The following game shows an interesting variant: a Knight retreats to the back row, un-developing, keeping the Rook out of play. The result is an exciting sacrificial attack on Black's King. The defender can return material, but the imbalance that would result would favor White - enough so that Black resigned.

Wall, Bill - Number555777
lichess.org, 2017

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bxd4 7.Qxd4 Nc6 8.Qd3 

A novelty, according to The Database, which is a bit of a surprise. 

Bill has played a couple of other Queen moves:

8.Qd5+ Kf8 9.Nc3 Nf6 10.Qc4 d6 11.O-O Ne5 12.Qb3 c6 13.f4 Nf7 14.Be3 Qe7 15.Rae1 Be6 16.Qb4 a5 17.Qd4 Ng4 18.Bc1 c5 19.Qd3 h5 20.h3 Ngh6 21.f5 Bd7 22.Nd5 Qd8 23.f6 g6 24.Ne7 Ne5 25.Qxd6 Nhf7 26.Qxc5 b6 27.Qd5 Be8 28.Bf4 Qxd5 29.exd5 Bb5 30.Rf2 Nd7 31.Nxg6+ Kg8 32.Nxh8 Kxh8 33.Re7 Kg8 34.Be3 Rc8 35.b3 Nde5 36.Bxb6 Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest7503555, PlayChess.com, 2017; and

8.Qc4+ Ke8 (8...Kf8 9.O-O Qf6 10.Nc3 Qd4 11.Qe2 Nge7 12.Nb5 Qb6 13.Be3 Qa5 14.c4 a6 15.Bd2 Qb6 16.Qf3+ Kg8 17.Qb3 axb5 18.c5+ Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest526975, PlayChess.com, 2016) 9.O-O d6 10.Nc3 Qe7 11.Re1 Ne5 12.Qd4 c5 13.Qd2 Nf6 14.f4 Nc4 15.Qe2 Be6 16.e5 Bg4 17.Qxc4 Black resigned, Wall,B-Kas55, lichess.org, 2016.

8...Nf6 9.Nc3 d6 10.O-O h6 11.f4 Re8 12.Bd2 Kg8 13.Rae1 a6

Black has wisely safeguarded his King by castling-by-hand. The moves of his a- and h-pawns, however, all in the name of defense, could eventually prove troublesome if development becomes an issue.

For now, the defender still has the better position.

14.Nd5 Be6 15.Bc3 Bxd5 16.exd5 Nb8 

How suddenly things change! The retreat allows White to attack. 

17.Bxf6 gxf6 18.Qg6+ Kf8 19.Qxh6+ Kg8 20.Qg6+ Kf8 21.Re5 

Very nice! When your opponent can play a move like this, you know you are in deep trouble.

21...dxe5

Or 21...Rxe5 22.fxe5 dxe5 23.Rxf6+ Qxf6 24.Qxf6+ Ke8 25.Qxe5+, etc as the Queen dominates the opponent's two pieces; or 21...Qe7 22.Rxe7 Rxe7 23.Rf3 and the other Rook penetrates. 

22.fxe5 Nd7 23.exf6 Black resigned

Black will have to give up Knight and Queen for White's Rook, and then White's Queen plus three extra pawns should outplay Black's two Rooks.

Jerome Gambit: Pathfinding

Sometimes a player will find a path through the forest that is the Jerome Gambit. Later, others will clarify the way. In the following game, Bill Wall makes the way a bit clearer.

Wall, Bill - Nikelin
lichess.org, 2017

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bd6 

7.dxe5 Bxe5 

The best response was 7...Bb4+.

8.Qh5+ Ke6 9.Qf5+ Kd6 10.Na3 

This is right, the Knight should go to a3, not c3, as we shall see.

10...Qf6

In HauntedKnight - VSRajput, FCIS, 2015, White had the right idea in responsing to 10...Bf6, but then lost his way: 11.Nc4+ Ke7 12.Bf4 d6 13.Qb5 Qe8 14.O-O-O Qxb5 15.b3 Be6 16.Ne3 Qb4 17.g4 Qa3+ 18.Kd2 g5 19.Bg3 h5 20.h4 gxh4 21.Bxh4 hxg4 22.Bxf6+ Nxf6 23.Rxh8 Rxh8 24.f4 gxf3 25.Rf1 Nxe4+ 26.Kd3 Ng5 27.c4 Qxa2 28.Re1 Qxb3+ 29.Kd2 Ne4+ 30.Kc1 Qc3+ 31.Nc2 Nf2 32.Kb1 Kf6 33.Rf1 Rh1 34.Rxh1 Nxh1 White resigned

11.Nc4+ Ke7 12.Bg5

White missed his chance after 12.Qxe5+ Qxe5 13.Nxe5 d6 14.Bg5+ Ke6 15.Nc4 b5 16.Ne3 h6 17.Bh4 g5 18.Bg3 Nf6 19.f3 b4 20.b3 Ba6 21.O-O-O Bb5 22.h4 Nh5 23.Be1 Nf4 24.hxg5 hxg5 25.Rxh8 Rxh8 26.Bxb4 Rh2 27.Rg1 Ne2+ 28.Kd2 Nxg1 29.Bc3 Nxf3+ 30.Kc1 Rh1+ 31.Kb2 Nh4 32.g3 Ng6 33.Nd5 c6 34.Ne3 Rh3 35.Nf5 Ne5 36.a4 Be2 37.Nd4+ Kd7 38.Nxe2 Rh2 39.Nd4 c5 40.Nf5 Nd3+ 41.Ka3 Nb4 42.Bxb4 cxb4+ 43.Kxb4 Rxc2 44.Nd4 Rg2 45.e5 dxe5 46.Nf3 Rxg3 47.Nxe5+ Ke6 48.Nc4 Rg4 when White forfeited on time, noatun - Papaflesas, FICS, 2008.

12...d6 13.Bxf6+ gxf6 14.Qf3 Black resigned

Jerome Gambit: It Is Not Enough...

I have said this before, many times: It is not enough to know that the Jerome Gambit is refuted; it is not enough to know the move that refutes it; it is not enough to play the refutation - as Black, you have to win the game.

It is helpful for the defender to know that out of 12,686 games in The Database that start 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+, White wins only 45%. The following game, however, is one of those times.

Wall, Bill - Guest7715764
PlayChess.com, 2017

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Qh4 

This is probably the strongest response to 6.d4, although you wouldn't know it by Bill's record against it: 13 - 0 - 1. 

7.O-O Nf6

This is one of a number of continuations for Black, here focusing on development rather than saving a piece - one has to go, anyhow.

8.dxc5 Qxe4 9.Nc3 Qb4 

You may ask yourself, "What does White have here?" Good question. The game will be over in a dozen moves, so watch closely.

10.Nd5 Qxc5 11.Nxf6 Kxf6 12.Be3 Qc6 

This seems simple enough, but it allows White to win back his sacrificed piece and achieve an even game.

Remember the old adage: When White has equalized in the Jerome Gambit, he has the advantage.

13.Bd4 Rf8 14.f4 Kg6 15.Bxe5 

Who is better now? Look at Black's d-pawn blocking his light-squared Bishop which is blocking his Rook... While Black works on this situation, his King falls deeper into danger.

15...d6 16.Qd3+ Bf5 17.Qg3+ Kf7 18.Qxg7+ Ke8 19.Rfe1 

19...dxe5 20.Rxe5+ Be6 21.Rae1 Black resigned

Jerome Gambit: A Casual Stroll

Bill Wall recently sent me a few more of his Jerome Gambits. As he said, some are good, some are bad. None are quite as outrageous as the following.

Wall, Bill - Neilson, Criag
Florida, USA, 2017

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

This appears to be an over-the-board game, which already makes it very interesting.

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ 

Interesting. Bill moves away from his favorite 6.d4.

6...g6 7.Qxe5 Qe7 8.Qxh8 

Wow! Into the mouth of the beast!

One of the many reasons the Jerome Gambit is considered "unplayable" is Whistler's Defense (7...Qe7!). The Rook is supposed to be untouchable.

Not for Bill Wall. "Danger" is his midde name. He considers things like the Pamplona bull run to be a casual stroll down some interesting avenues.

8...Qxe4+ 

After 8...Qf6 the game did not last long: 9.Qxh7+ Kf8 10.O-O Black resigned, Wall,B - Sepoli, Chess.com, 2010. 

9.Kf1 

The alternative, 9.Kd1, was seen in Jerome,A-Whistler,G, correspondence, 1876 (0-1, 15) - but also in Wall,B - Mathieubuntu, FICS, 2011 (1/2-1/2, 14).

9...Nf6 10.d3 Qd4

This looks like an improvement over 10...Qf5 in Jerome,A - Norton,D, correspondence, 1876 (1/2-1/2, 20). 

11.Be3 Qxb2 12.Bxc5 Qxa1 

It looks like things will come down to which King is the most vulnerable.

13.Qf8+ Ke6 14.Qe7+ Kf5 15.Ke2 Qe5+ 16.Qxe5+ Kxe5

Very interesting. Is Black for choice because his King is better developed? Or will the blocked-in-light-squared-Bishop-blocking-the-Rook theme give White an edge?

17.Re1 d6 18.Kf3+ Kf5 19.Bd4 Kg5

A dangerous slip.

20.h4+ Kf5 21.Re7 Nd5 

Overlooking...

22.g4 checkmate

Happy Easter

Jerome Gambit: To Be Fair...

To be fair, after all those Jerome Gambit Queen sacrifice and double check "smothered mates" against Black in The Database, I checked to see if there were any against White. I found 9. Here are the final positions. 

Rollyeon - okabc, FICS, 2002

geroellheimer - Defensor, FICS, 2005

ecimsa - joachimeide, FICS, 2007

esar - MarianF, FICS, 2007

KnightyNite - pvkbr, FICS, 2008

ecisma - igorfm, FICS, 2008

chessmanjeff - CycleForPi, FICS, 2013

malkisedeq - remilaci, FICS, 2014

ZXYW - PolarKing, FICS, 2015

Jerome Gambit: Yet Another Smother

Here is a final game ending in a "smothered mate". That it was played at lightning speed makes it a bit special. Once again, Black counter-sacrifices a Bishop, without proper compensation.

arggy - elJake
lightning, FICS, 2009

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Bxf7+ 

The so-called Abrahams Jerome Gambit.

3...Kxf7 4.Nf3 Bxf2+

Returning the sacrificed piece in this way is more of a psychological move than anything else. It is not counted among the refutations of the opening.

The Database has 210 games with this position. White scores 64%

5.Kxf2 Nf6 6.Rf1 Nxe4+ 7.Kg1 Rf8 8.c3 Kg8

Move, move, move. Kings are safe. Great. Move, move, move.

9.Qb3+ d5 10.d3 Nf6 11.Nxe5 c6 12.c4 Qc7 13.Bf4 Ng4 14.d4 b5

15.cxd5 Nd7 

Oops.

16.d6+ Kh8 17.dxc7 Nb6 18.Nf7+ Kg8 19.Ng5+ 

Missing it the first time (19.Nh6+) but White has just won a Queen, so maybe he was thinking more prosaicly. He figures it out a moment later, though, and when Black doesn't snap off the Knight at f7...

19...Kh8 20.Nf7+ Kg8 21.Nh6+ Kh8 22.Qg8+ Rxg8 23.Nf7 checkmate

There we go.

Jerome Gambit: Another Smother

Here is another "smothered checkmate". It is interesting that it is the computer program that falls victim to the Queen sacrifice and mate.

chessmoods - LuigiBot
standard, FICS, 2012

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.O-O Nf6 5.Bxf7+

Transposing to a "modern" (vs "classical") version of the Jerome Gambit: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.0-0 Nf6, etc. The Database has 1,065 games with this position. White scores 41%.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ 

Now White decides to go "classical" after all. It is as if the game started 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 and then continued 6.0-0 Nf6 7.d4 (or 6.d4 Nf6 7.0-0). If LuigiBot has a "book" it is likely it is out of it.

6...Nxe5 7.d4 Re8 

Black sees no reason to retreat a piece from the d-pawn's attack, as White will win one, anyway. So, he develops.

8.dxc5 d5 9.Bg5 dxe4 10.Nc3 Bg4 11.Qe1 Qd4

Black is certainly active and better. The game still has to be won, however.

12.Bxf6 Kxf6 13.Nxe4+ Kf7 14.c3 Qd5 15.Ng5+ Kg8 16.Qc1 Qxc5

Now Black's King is safe, and there is still the matter of the extra piece. What's to worry? Well, for starters, humans can be pretty tricky...

17.h3 Nd3 18.Qc2 Be2

The computer can not see far enough ahead to avoid the Queen sacrifice.

19.Qb3+ Kh8 20.Nf7+ Kg8 21.Nh6+ Kh8 22.Qg8+ Rxg8 23.Nf7 checkmate

Nice.

This is not the first time that LuigiBot has been bested by the Jerome Gambit. See "Poor, Poor Computer" for example.

Jerome Gambit: Smothered

Sometimes the finish to a game is the most sparkling part. Witness the following between Bill Wall and an opponent who will remain anonymous.

For all practial purposes, the game has been over for a while - but Black has been hanging on. Not for much longer, though.

28.Nf7+ Kg8

Now White has the routine discovered check 29.Nd8+, and the game ends either after 29...Kf8 30.Qf7# or 29...Kh8 30.Qe8#.

Why overlook a Queen sacrifice and a smothered mate, however? There is double, discovered check.

29.Nh6+ Kh8

Instead, 29...Kf8 30.Qf7# is again routine.

30.Qg8+ Rxg8 31.Nf7 checkmate

Nice.

Recall the game rigidwithfear - golddog2, Jerome Gambit Tournament, RedHotPawn.com, 2016 for another smother.

It is interesting that The Database has 8 games with the same checkmating pattern, including 2 that ended with an unforced ...Rg8 followed by Nf7#.

Jerome Gambit: First Blood

The Jerome Gambit has drawn first blood in the third round of the Chess.com Giuoco Piano thematic tournament. The game is not very exciting, however, and so games have been added in the notes to compensate.

perryawnpusher - AWARDCHESS
Giuoco Piano Thematic, Chess.com, 2017

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qd5+ Kf6

Black's King usually retreats to the 8th rank.

8.Qxc5

Or 8.d4 Bxd4 (8...Bb4+ 9.c3 c6 10.Qg5+ Ke6 11.Qxd8 Nf6 12.Qc7 Bd6 13.Qa5 Kf7 14.e5 Re8 15.O-O Nxe5 16.dxe5 Rxe5 17.Qa4 b5 18.Qd4 Rd5 19.Qe3 Bb7 20.Nd2 c5 21.Nf3 Ng4 22.Qe1 Re8 23.Be3 Rh5 24.h3 Ne5 25.Nxe5+ Rexe5 26.Rd1 Bc7 27.Rxd7+ Re7 28.Rxe7+ Kxe7 29.Bxc5+ Kd7 30.Qe7+ Kc8 31.Qe8+ Bd8 32.Qxh5 Ba6 33.Rd1 Bc7 34.Qe8+ Kb7 35.b4 g5 36.Rd7 h5 37.Qf7 Kc8 38.Rxc7+ Kb8 39.Bxa7+ Ka8 40.Qe8+ Bc8 41.Qxc8 checkmate, perrypawnpusher - whitepandora, FICS, 2008; 8...h6 9.Qxc5 N8e7 10.e5+ Kf7 11.Qc4+ Kf8 12.O-O b6 13.f4 a5 14.f5 Ba6 15.fxg6+ Ke8 16.Qf7 checkmate, perrypawnpusher - tjaksi, FICS, 2013; 8...d6 9.Bg5 checkmate, mrjoker - Taj, Internet Chess Club, 2009) 9.Qg5+ Ke6 10.Qxd8 N8e7 11.Qxc7 Ne5 12.Qa5 b6 13.Qd2 Bc5 14.Nc3 Ba6 15.Nd5 Rac8 16.Nxe7 Kxe7 17.Qg5+ Ke6 18.Qf5+ Kd6 19.Bf4 Rce8 20.O-O-O+ Kc6 21.Bxe5 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - alvarzr, FICS, 2014

8...d6

Not 8...Qe7 9.Qf5 checkmate, perrypawnpusher - zsilber, FICS, 2010.

9.Qe3

Or 9.Qc3+ Ne5 10.f4 Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest4240618, PlayChess.com, 2015.

9...Nh6

The Knight can go elsewhere:

9...Ne5 10.d4 Ng4 (10...Nc4 11.Qg5+ Kf7 12.Qxd8 b5 13.Qxc7+ Ne7 14.a4 b4 15.Qxc4+ d5 16.exd5 Nxd5 17.Qxd5+ Be6 18.Qf3+ Ke7 19.Bg5+ Kd6 20.Nd2 Rhe8 21.Ne4+ Kd7 22.Nc5+ Kd6 23.Qf4+ Kc6 24.O-O-O Bd5 25.Na6 Kb6 26.Qd6+ Bc6 27.Nxb4 Rac8 28.d5 Red8 29.Bxd8+ Rxd8 30.Qxd8+ Kc5 31.Nxc6 a5 32.Qxa5+ Kc4 33.Qb4 checkmate, MrJoker - ipon, Internet Chess Club, 2011) 11.Qg5+ Kf7 12.Qxd8 Black resigned MrJoker - vicwill, Internet Chess Club, 2011;

9...N8e7 10.d4 Kf7 (10...c5 11.dxc5 Qa5+ 12.Nc3 Qxc5 13.Qf3+ Ke6 14.O-O Ne5 15.Qh3+ Kf7 16.Qh5+ N7g6 17.Be3 Qb4 18.f4 Nc4 19.f5 Nxe3 20.fxg6+ Kg8 21.gxh7+ Rxh7 22.Qe8 checkmate, perrypawnpusher - useche, FICS, 2010) 11.O-O Rf8 12.f4 Kg8 13.f5 Nh8 14.Nc3 c6 15.Qg3 d5 16.f6 Neg6 17.fxg7 Kxg7 18.Be3 Rxf1+ 19.Rxf1 Nf7 20.Qf3 Ng5 21.Bxg5 Qxg5 22.Qf7+ Kh6 23.exd5 cxd5 24.Nxd5 Bg4 25.Nf4 Rf8 26.Qxb7 Rxf4 27.Qxa7 Rxf1+ 28.Kxf1 Qf4+ White resigned, perrypawnpusher - wbrandl, FICS, 2011.

10.f4 Re8 11.O-O Qe7 12.Nc3 Bd7 13.Nd5+ Black resigned

Ouch. This kind of thing can happen, even in a slow game. Maybe the real world intruded. Maybe White's opening looked too innocuous to worry about in the early stages.

Jerome Gambit: A Few More Early Looks...

After the previous post's glance into the past of this blog, it is hard not to recommend a few more early looks:

"Retro"
"Questions, We Have Questions... And An Occasional Answer"

And, what about coverage of the Jerome Gambit in a fantastic international chess magazine? Ah, there is a saga:

"Delusions of Grandeur" 

Finally:

"The Jerome Gambit Treatment - Unbelieveable!"

Take a break from deep analysis by Stockfish 8 and check out a little related chess history - and more.

Alonzo Wheeler Jerome and Winston Churchill

Ah, yes, years ago I began to explore the possible link between Alonzo Wheeler Jerome, inventor of the Jerome Gambit, and the British statesman, Winston Churchill...

Perhaps it is time to pick up that thread again.

In the meantime, here is an interesting chronology of discovery, with a lot more than just tracing family lines -

"From the Email Bag"
"Jerome Gambit Blog: More Tidying Up"
"Jerome Gambit Blog: Still More Tidying Up"
"Nostalgia"
"Merry Christmas! (A Hysterical/Historical Jerome Gambit Part 1)"