A Reminder: Why we play this stuff...

Playing the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) – or, in the case of the game below, the Abrahams Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Bxf7+) – can always seem to be a bunch of silliness, but every once in a while even a trivial game can have its moments.

hennybogan1954 - jesse220

www.gameknot.com 2006

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

For more on this line see "'Tis A Puzzlement...", "The Abrahams Jerome Gambit (Part I)" and "(Part II)".

3...Kxf7 4.Qh5+ Kf8 5.Qxe5 d6

A position similar to the "real" Jerome Gambit, only White's King Knight and Black's Queen Knight are still on the board.

6.Qf4+ Nf6 7.Nf3 Ke7

Black does not like the pin on his Knight, and rightly worries about a well-timed e4-e5 by White, but he would have done much better to have simply brought out his Queen's Knight with 7...Nc6.

8.d4

Surprisingly, White can already break with advantage: 8.e5 Nd5 9.Qe4 dxe5 10.d4.

8...Bb6 9.Nc3

Although not as strong now, 9.e5 was the move to keep the pressure on and keep the game in balance.

9...c6 10.0-0 Bg4

As can often be said in the Jerome Gambit: a good move, if it worked...

Given 5 minutes to "blundercheck" the position, Rybka 3 gives this prosaic end to the game: 10...h6 11.e5 dxe5 12.dxe5 Nd5 13.Qg3 Kf8 14.Rd1 Qe8 15.Ne4 Qe6 16.Nd6 Kg8 17.Nxc8 Qxc8 18.Nh4 Qe6 19.Ng6 Rh7 20.c4 Nb4 21.Rd6 Qxc4 22.Ne7+ Kf8 23.Ng6+ Kg8 24.Ne7+ Kf8 25.Ng6+ Kg8 draw.

11.e5 dxe5 12.dxe5 Bxf3

Not wanting to leave the Bishop hanging after the Knight on f6 disappears, but, if so, this was better accomplished by 12...Nbd7 13.exf6+ Nxf6, when White is winning any way due to Black's unsafe King.

13.Qxf3

Taking the Knight first with 13.exf6+ was a bit stronger. Now Black and his game fall apart.

13...Nd5 14.Bg5+ Nf6 15.exf6+ Ke8 Black resigns

Jerome Gambit: Drilling Down (24)

Here we have another contest where the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) holds its own in the computer's hands, as Fritz 8 gives RevvedUp "Jerome Gambit odds" and RevvedUp again fights well enough – only to be ground down in the endgame.



Fritz 8 - RevvedUp
blitz 2 12, 2006
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke67.f4 d6 8.fxe5 dxe5 9.Rf1
A "computer-ish" move played five years ago by The Perfesser (see "Jerome Gambit and The Perfesser (Part II)") and a reasonable alternative to 9.Qh3+.

9...Nf6 10.Qe2 Ke7 11.d3 Qd4


Going after Fritz 8's King. Perhaps RevvedUp should have tended to his own, first, castling-by-hand with something like 11...Rf8 12.Bg5 Ke7 13.Bxf6 gxf6 14.Nd2 Kg8 15.0-0-0 Be6. Black's King is drafty, and the position looks somewhat passive, but he does have the extra piece as compensation.

Remember, though, this is a blitz game, and attack often rules the day.

12.c3 Qd6 13.Nd2 Bg4

Giving back some material, by choice or by accident.

14.Rxf6 Bxe2 15.Rxd6 Bh5

Better was15...Kxd6 16.Kxe2 when Black would have the exchange for a pawn. He is hoping instead to take advantage of the awkwardly-placed Rook.

16.Rd5 Bd6 17.Nc4 Bf7


18.Bg5+ Ke6 19.Rd1 h6 20.Bh4 Rhe8 21.Bg3 Kd7



22.Nxe5+ Rxe5 23.Rxe5 Bxe5 24.Bxe5 Bxa2


RevvedUp is playing for a Bishops-of-Opposite-Colors ending where he reasonably hopes to find a draw. It is not clear to me if he would have more chances for success if he had kept his Kingside pawns intact with 24...g6 here followed by a later ...h5.

25.Bxg7 Rg8 26.Bxh6 Rxg2 27.Rd2 Rxd2 28.Kxd2 Bf7


Not all Opposite-Color-Bishop endgames are drawn, and in this one White has the advantage of 2 extra pawns, both of them passed. Black will have to set up two blocades, but it still seems worth playing on.

29.d4 c6 30.Ke3 b5 31.b4 Ke6 32.h3 Kf6 33.Kf4 Bc4


Perhaps the Bishop needed to go to g6 instead, setting up a blocade of the light h5 square which only can be relieved by White's King. When that happens, Black's Bishop should retreat to f7 maintaining the blocade squares at d5 and e6, while his King takes over defensive duties on the Kingside. Would that have worked? It is also dependent upon White playing e5 at some point – which he does not do in the game.

34.Bf8 Be6 35.h4 a6 36.h5 Bc4 37.h6 Kg6 38.Ke5

RevvedUp has chosen h7 as his blocade square, but Fritz 8, having wisely not advanced his e-pawn, is able to advance his King instead.

38...Bd3 39.d5 cxd5 40.exd5 Kf7 41.Bc5 Bh7 42.d6 Ke8 43.Kf6 Bd3 44.Kg7 Kd7 45.h7 Black resigns

Wow. Who says computers can't play endgames??

Jerome Gambit: Drilling Down (23)

A game wherin the human discovers that, all jokes aside (see "Jerome Gambit: Drilling Down (22)") that the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) isn't a "forced draw" after all...



RevvedUp - Fritz 8
blitz 2 12, 2006

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6


7.f4 d6
Dutifully returning one of the sacrificed pieces. As Eric Schiller wrote about the Jerome Gambit in his Unorthodox Chess Openings (1998, 2002), "Being two pieces up has its advantages!"

8.fxe5 dxe5 9.Qh3+


9...Ke7

Too bad! Earlier, RevvedUp had played 9...Kd6, and Crafty 19.19, troubled by it's self-assessment of being in a lost position, forced a draw by repetition -- which Black readily agreed to.

10.Qh4+ Nf6 11.d3 Kf7 12.Nc3 Ng4 13.Rf1+

Fritz8 is looking to start some trouble, but so is RevvedUp. An alternative to consider was 13.Bg5 Qd4 14.0-0-0.

13...Kg6 14.Qg3 Be7 15.Ke2

White's King is very uncomfortable. His Queen is, too.

15...Bh4 16.Qf3 Be6 17.h3 Nh2 18.Qe3 Nxf1 19.Kxf1 Rf8+ 20.Ke2 Qf6 21.Nd5 Qf1+ 22.Kd2 Bxd5 23.exd5 Bg5 White resigns

The next worst thing...

Continuing the discussion from "London Calling... Seven Months of Blog" and "The next best thing..." based on my self-challenge

I also got wondering the other day: is there another totally obscure and disreputable tactical opening line or gambit that I could go digging for information about, while I'm researching the Jerome Gambit [1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+]??

There's been discussion lately on the Fred opening, 1.e4 f5, in the Unorthodox Chess Openings group at Yahoo – including where the name "Fred" came from in the first place (several theories, nothing conclusive).

Sometimes the opening is referred to as the Duras Gambit, which is a lot less obscure: In my database I have four games (from 1936 and 1938) where GM Oldrich Duras played the opening, actually scoring two wins, a draw and a loss.

The earliest game example I could find was Pillsbury - Magana, Paris 1902, a blindfold simultaneous exhibition game (1 of 16) Paris, 06.1902: 1.e4 f5 2.exf5 Kf7 3.d4 d5 4.Qh5+ g6 5.fxg6+ Kg7 6.Bd3 Nf6 7.Bh6+ Kg8 8.gxh7+ Nxh7 9.Qg6+ Bg7 10.Qxg7 mate.

You have to admit, 1.e4 f5 stand right up/down there with 1.h4 as a possible companion to the Jerome Gambit!

Jerome Gambit: Drilling Down (22)

Here we have another Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) where the human makes a bit of a monkey out of the computer, by again taking advantage of its willingness to draw when in a worse position.

The line played is worth a look: if Crafty 19.19 takes a draw with the White pieces, is that good or bad for Jerome players? Or does it just put the kabosh on the 7...d6 variation?
Crafty 19.19 - RevvedUp
blitz 2 12, 2006
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6


7.f4 d6

This line goes back to D'Aumiller - A.P., Livorno, 1878 (see "Bright Ideas From Silicon" and "My Jerome Gambit Database"), and has been popular with computers at least since the Fisher-Kirshner - Knightstalker match of 1993 (see "A Few Words With... Micah Fisher-Kirshner"). Black returns a piece, keeping an advantage. However, White panics and immediately seeks to split the point by repeating the position; and Black, rated 1,000 points lower, is quite willing to oblige.



8.fxe5 dxe5 9.Qh3+ Kd6 10.Qd3+ Ke7 11.Qg3 Kd6 12.Qd3+ Ke7 13.Qg3 Kd6 14.Qd3+ Draw

I am reminded of Geoff Chandler's humorous comment about his Jerome Gambit game (see "Stuff happens...") that the Jerome Gambit is a forced draw...

Jerome Gambit: Drilling Down (21)

At the start of the last round of exploration, the opening detectives tackle the line that often seems the most dangerous for Black against the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) but which is also one his strongest and most principled refutations.

RevvedUp - Crafty 19.19
blitz 2 12, 2006

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6

A line that shows up many places on this blog. (See "A sparkling variation to the tiresome Piano game", "Jerome Gambit Tournament: Chapter II" and "Jerome Gambit Tournament: Chapter III" for examples.)

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Qf6

In the 6...Ke6 defense, this move is often essential – and strong.

9.fxe5+ Qxe5 10.Qf8+

A line that looks attractive – if it were any good.

10...Kc6

It turns out that Black can even let the Rook go with 10...Ne7 11.Qxh8 if he follows up with 11...Ng6 bundling up the Queen. After 12.Qxh7 Qxe4+ 13.Kf1 White's King, not Black's, is in danger.

11.Qf3

White has lost a tempo on the main line 10.Qf3.

12...Nf6 12.d3 d5

The side with the better development should open up lines for attack. Crafty 19.19 has a good feel for defending against the Jerome.

13.Nc3 dxe4 14.Nxe4 Re8

White will be crushed.

15.Bf4 Qxb2 16.Kd2 Nxe4+ 17.dxe4 Qd4+ 18.Qd3 Bb4+ 19.Ke2 Rxe4+ 20.Kf3 Rxf4+ White resigns.

All in all, a rather serious black eye for the Jerome Gambit. Clearly, 10.Qf8+ TN is not the remedy to 8...Qf6.

A Personal Loss

I have just learned that chessfriend Calvin Olson, of California, USA, author of The Chess Kings Volume One, has passed away suddenly.

I met Calvin (via email) when I reviewed his book for the Chessville web site.

Of Chess Kings Volume One, subtitled History, Politics, and the Fine Art of Mythmaking in Chess my review noted

Olson, a chess teacher, Correspondence Chess Master and historian, is a good choice to tackle this topic. He is well-read on the topic, having a personal chess library of over 3,000 volumes. His chess writings have been published (School Mates, Gambit) and he has edited a chess newsletter (The Orange Knight). Incidentally, he has served as proofreader for chess books (including several for Random House). The Chess Kings Volume One is the result of 30 years of studying chess, followed by 10 years of research and writing.

It was not surprising that The Chess Kings received the the Perry PawnPusher Awards Was There Chess Before Fischer? Award.

Calvin was amused to receive the award, and we both smiled when his publisher, Trafford, mentioned it on its site.

According to Calvin's wife, Gail, he was working on the last chapter of Volume II the day he died. John Watson has agreed to finish the last chapter using Calvin's notes and intent. As she noted

I hope that this volume is available soon so that others can appreciate his talent and what he wanted to give back to chess for all the years of pleasure that it gave him.

To which I can only add: Amen.