A Jerome Gambit Declined

Just say "No!"

"No Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+)!"

You have a right to decline the Jerome Gambit.

Maybe not in the way my opponent did, though...


perrypawnpusher - santor
blitz 2 12, FICS, 2009
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 f6

That's one way to keep me from playing Bxf7! (I've also seen 3...Nh6, as in perrypawnpusher - Xasquete, blitz FICS 2009, 1-0, 47.)
I was admiring my opponent's boldness and creativity – especially after his next move.

4.d4 Na5

Or 4...Nge7 5.0-0 d5 6.exd5 Nxd5 7.dxe5 Be6 8.exf6 gxf6 9.Re1 Bb4 10.Rxe6+ Kf7 11.Bxd5 Kg7 12.Nh4 Re8 13.Rxe8 Qxe8 14.g3 Rd8 15.c4 Ne5 16.Bf4 Qe7 17.Qh5 c6 18.Nf5+ Black resigned, Sirotinin - Oleshko, Moscow 1999; or 4...d6 5.c3 Na5 6.Be2 exd4 7.cxd4 Nc6 8.Nc3 Nge7 9.0-0 Bd7 10.Nh4 g6 11.f4 Bh6 12.f5 g5 13.Bh5+ Kf8 14.Nf3 Black resigned, Srinivasan - Mueller, DESC email 2001.

5.Nxe5

The move was simply irresistible: since my opponent had transposed into an unusual Damiano Defense (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f6) I thought it appropriate to offer the traditional Knight sacrifice. Plus – he was harassing my Jerome Bishop!
5...Nxc4

According to plan (?) or simply not wanting to taste the craziness of 5...fxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5+ when White can afford to capture the Rook on h8 since Black has no effective counterattack, even if he tries 7...Qe7 8.Qxh8 Qxe4+ 9.Be2 Qxg2 10.Rf1.

Black could try 5...Qe7 directly, although after 6.Bf7+ Kd8 7.h4 or 7.Bxg8 Rxg8 8.Qh5 the complications favor White.

By avoiding unclear positions, santor chooses one that is clearly better for White. Perhaps that is, ultimately, wisest: what's a pawn among friends?
6.Nxc4 Qe7 7.Nc3 Qb4
I felt like the Black Queen was scolding my Knight: How dare you try to play the Jerome Gambit against me? And where is your Bishop now – not around to protect you, is it??

I'm sure it was just my imagination.

8.Ne3 d6 9.Ned5

I'm a peaceable guy, but it seemed about time to deliver my own lecture on "Queens that wander too far from home."

9...Qa5

Thematic was 9...Qc4 10.Nb5 for starters.

10.b4


I certainly don't have time to debate this with you, I imagined the Queen replied.
And it was true, for at that point Black forfeited on time.

Jerome Gambit is for the Bird[s]

In his Modern Chess and Chess Masterpieces (1887), Henry Bird addresses his defense to the Ruy Lopez, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nd4 – in a manner that I find parallells my own attitude toward the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+):

I sometimes play this, but not always; it depends upon the state of mind I am in, and whether I want a lively and critical game or a steady contest – one, in fact, in which my adversary considers that I treat him with becoming respect. A well-known and esteemed reverend gentleman once objected that I would not make so silly a move against one of the greatest players.

graphic by Jeff Bucchino, "The Wizard of Draws"

Fried Jerome Attack

Not everyone is interested in facing the Jerome Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ (see, for example "It's a good thing I read this blog"). One way to avoid it is to play Philidor's Defense, 2...d6, instead of allowing the Italian Game with 2...Nc6. Still, one shouldn't provoke too much of an attacking spirit in the heart of the Jerome Gambiteer...


perrypawnpusher - azzaonnet
blitz 5 12 FICS, 2009

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bc4 Nf6
An unusual, but playable, variation of the Philidor.

4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Nxd5

With this move Black allows his opponent to play an attack similar to the Fried Liver Attack in the Two Knights Defense: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Nxe5 6.Nxf7 – only in this case Black has not developed his Queen's Knight.

In one of his Gambit Cartel columns for ChessCafe, "Going Fishing," Tim McGrew (see "A Few Words With...Tim McGrew") points out that the proper move in this line of the Philidor is 5...h6, after which "The similarities to the Elephant [Gambit] line [which he discusses] are striking."

6.Nxf7

Of course. Never mind that the last time I played the Fried Liver Attack was 30 years ago. Or that the move 6.d4, similar to the Lolli Attack in the Two Knights (not to be mistaken for the Wild Muzio Gambit, mind you: see "Wild!", "Wilder!" and "Wildest!") was probably stronger.
6...Kxf7 7.Qf3+ Ke6

Black's King must venture into danger to hold onto the piece: 7...Ke8 8.Qxd5 Qxd5 9.Bxd5, as in perrypawnpusher - xPOGOx, FICS 2009, simply leads to a Queenless middlegame a pawn down.

8.Nc3

An alternative was 8.0-0 c6 9.d4 Qf6 10.Qe2 Ke7 11.dxe5 Qf5 12.f4 Be6 13.Bd3 Qg4 14.Rf3 g6 15.h3 Qh5 16.Bd2 Kd8 17.c4 Bc5+ 18.Kf1 Ne7 19.b4 Bd4 20.Bc3 Bxc3 21.Nxc3 a6 22.Rd1 Kc7 23.b5 axb5 24.cxb5 Nd7 25.a4 Rhf8 26.Qd2 g5 27.Be4 Nd5 28.Nxd5+ Bxd5 29.Bxd5 Nxe5 30.fxe5 Rfd8 31.Rf7+ Qxf7+ 32.Bxf7 Rxd2 33.Rxd2 Rxa4 34.e6 Black resigned, Eliason - Leow, Berlin 1856.

8...c6 9.d4 exd4

Or 9...b5 10.Bb3 b4 11.Nxd5 cxd5 12.dxe5 Nc6 13.c4 Ne7 14.cxd5+ Nxd5 15.0-0 h5 16.Rd1 Bb7 17.Bg5 Qxg5 18.Bxd5+ Bxd5 19.Qxd5+ Kf5 20.Qxa8 Qe7 21.Qf3+ Kg6 22.Rd6+ Kh7 23.Qf5+ Kg8 24.Rad1 g6 25.Rxg6+ Bg7 26.Rd7 Qf8 27.Rgxg7+ Qxg7 28.Rd8+ Black resigned, abhailey-vkroll, net-chess.com 2007.


10.Qe4+

Rybka 3 turns its nose up at this move, preferring the further piece sacrifice: 10.Bf4 dxc3 11.0-0-0 after which it sees White as having a winning game. Amazing!

10...Kd6

This is not accurate, either: the King should be one step further back.

11.Nxd5

I admit that I was at a bit of a loss for a plan, here. Later Rybka 3 suggested capturing with the other minor piece: 11.Bxd5 Kc7 12.Qxd4 b6 13.Nb5+ Kb7 and White has the advantage.

11...Be6

Wow. Clearly my opponent was seeing something that I wasn't seeing. Later the computer suggested that Black would be better after 11...cxd5 12.Qxd5+ Kc7 13.Bf4+ Bd6 14.Qxd4 Qe7+ 15.Be2 Rd8 16.0-0-0 Nc6.

Now the game ends quickly.

12.Bf4+ Kc5


Or 12...Kd7 13.Nc7, which turns out badly.


13.b4+ Kxc4 14.Qd3+ Kxd5 15.c4 checkmate

Busch-Gass Gambit

From the pages of Edward Winter's Chess Facts and Fables (2006) comes an interesting early, if undated, Busch-Gass Gambit game (see "Worth a Second Look... "Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3) – with White giving Queen Rook odds.

Michaelis,Otho - NN

New York remove White's Queen Rook

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Bc5 3.Nxe5 Qe7 4.d4 Bb6 5.b3 d6 6.Ba3 Qd8 7.Nf3 Bg4 8.Bd3 d5 9.0-0 Nf6 10.Re1 dxe4 11.Bxe4 Bxf3 12.Bc6 checkmate

Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit Encore

Sometimes, in the pursuit of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) I encounter a player who suspects something, and who therefore plays the more circumspect "Semi-Italian" game: 3...h6. I have learned that if I am patient, however, and play a neutral move such as 4.0-0 or 4.Nc3, I may be rewarded with 4...Bc5 (see "Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit" and "Pulling A Rabbit Out of A Hat") and the opportunity to play 5.Bxf7+.

perrypawnpusher - wadada

blitz 10 0, FICS, 2009

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.0-0 Bc5 5.Bxf7+

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.Qh5+ g6

A reasonable defense, although 7...Ke6, while looking scarier for the second player, is stronger.

8.Qxe5 Nf6

If you are pretty well convinced that the opening being played against you is rubbish, you are more likely to choose a "solid" move against it, confident that that it will give you good play. That seems to be the case with my opponent here, who would have had a wonderful game after finding the retro move 8...Bf8 (9.Qxh8? Bg7). The text, though, will simply leave him behind two pawns.

9.Qxc5 d6 10.Qe3 Qe8

11.Nc3 c6 12.d3 Be6 13.f4 Ke7

Perhaps anticipating 15.e5 and planning to answer with 15...Nd5; but the lineup of Black King and Queen on the same file with the White Queen should have set off alarms in my opponent's head.

14.f5 gxf5

Choosing to go out with a "bang" rather than with a "whimper." Rybka 3 later showed a grim alternate line where White gets two passes on the 6th: 14...Bd7 15.e5 Ng4 16.exd6+ Kd8 17.Qxe8+ Bxe8 18.f6 Ne5 19.Bf4 Nf7 20.Rae1 g5 21.Bg3 Bd7 22.Re7 Rf8 23.Rfe1 h5 24.h3 b6 25.Bh2 Kc8.

15.exf5 Kd7 16.Qxe6+ Qxe6 17.fxe6+ Kxe6

I willingly returned a pawn for the piece-up endgame. My opponent's heart no longer seemed in the game.

18.Bd2 Kd7 19.Rxf6 Black resigns

Coffee house

Comment 2004[Chess_Improvement - Tyrin Price]http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/Chess_Improvement/message/2043

From: "Tyrin Price"

Date: Sat Jun 26, 2004 5:41 pm

Subject: Starbucks 8x8, Anyone?

Coffee house chess has a lot of interesting ideas; more often than not unsound, but invariably interesting. I don't know if you could label the Italian Gambit unsound, though or even legitimately hang the "coffee house" label on it.

The Jerome Gambit ... now *that* is coffee house ... fully caffeinated - extra strength (use only as directed for prompt temporary relief of quiet games [if conditions persist seek professional guidance]). :-) 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 .Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ *

If I write all this, and someone reads it...

If I write all this (today is my 250th daily post to this blog, by my count) and someone reads it and remembers it, doesn't it mean that one of these days my Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e4 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) will meet a misfortune of my own doing?

perrypawnpusher - DysonLin

blitz 14 0, FICS 2009 

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 Even though I am giving "Jerome Gambit odds" here, my opponent quickly finds a safe and effective defense.

7.Qd5+ Kf8 8.Qxc5+ d6 9.Qe3 Nf6

This certainly looks good for the second player, and he has the standard advantage against the Jerome.

10.0-0 

Avoiding the "oops" that smoothmoves06 experienced after 10.f4 Nxe4

10...Kf7 11.f4 Re8

Not bad, not bad at all: now he gets ready to castle-by-hand. Perhaps he is familiar with the jeromegambit.blogspot.com blog? 

12.f5 Ne5 13.Nc3 Only here does the game break from Vazquez - Carrington, 2nd match, 1876: 13.d4Neg4 14.Qb3+ Kf8 15.h3 Rxe4 16.hxg4 Rxg4 17.Qf3 c6 18.Nc3 d5 19.Bf4 Kg8 20.Be5 h5 21.Rae1 Bd7 22.Re3 Qb6 23.b3 Rf8 24.Na4 Qb4 25.Nc5 Bc8 26.c3 Qb6 27.Bxf6 gxf6 28.Qh3 Rg5 29.Ne6 Bxe6 30.fxe6 Qc7 31.e7 Re8 32.Qe6+ Kh8 33.Qxf6+ Rg7 34.Qf8+ Black resigns 

13...Nc4 14.Qd4 Ne5 15.d3 Kg8 Mission accomplished.

16.Bg5 h6 17.Bxf6 gxf6 18.Qd5+ Be6 Now my opponent resorts to the standard return-the-piece-for-pawns defensive maneuver. What to do, what to do, what to do?

19.fxe6 c6 20.e7+ Using a strategy of my own: moving into a pawns-up endgame. It appears to have surprised DysonLin, who then, unfortunately and unfairly, makes Black's first real mis-step of the game.

20...Kg7 21.exd8Q Raxd8 22.Qd4 c5 23.Qf2 Black resigns

Keep reading. You'll get me next time.