Dropping A Half-Point (Part 1)

The other day at FICS I grabbed four games against a pleasant opponent who would certainly have played more with me if I didn't have to excuse myself to be elsewhere.

It wasn't the same as being in a club and actually sitting across-the-board for a game, but it was much more enjoyable than the "opponent disconnects" or "You &%$$#!" that I sometimes encounter when I accidentally achieve an advantage...

Here are a couple of my games with Joejox. Of course, they touch on the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+)

perrypawnpusher - joejox
blitz 5 10, FICS, 2009
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6
The cautious Semi-Italian Game. See "Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit", "Pulling A Rabbit Out of A Hat" and "Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit Encore".
4.0-0 Bc5 5.Bxf7+

Jerome-izing the game. I think adding 0-0 to White's position in the Jerome is at least as helpful as adding ...h6 to Black's.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.Qh5+ Ke6

Probably best. I've played 5 previous games in this line, and Black answered 7...Kf6, 7...Ng6, 7...Ke6, and 7...g6 (twice).
8.Qf5+ Kd6 9.d4
Now the proper response for Black is the straight-forward 9...Bxd4, with advantage.
My opponent apparently knows something about the Jerome Gambit and ...Qf6, however; and, as Josh Billings said, "The trouble with people is not that they don't know but that they know so much that ain't so."
9...Qf6 10.dxe5+ Qxe5 11.Bf4 Black resigns

As a post-script, I'd like to add that following the advice of the masters ("analyze your own games") helped me here: in an earlier game against Joyus I had played the rash and weaker 11.Rd1+.

Relax... Don't work so hard

Facing the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 Bxf7+) can be a bit of a shock: people don't really play this stuff, do they?

Relax: there are many refutations to the Jerome. Choose one. No need to invent something new. Really.

But it's surprising how many of my opponents use their creativity to come up with something really new and different!


perrypawnpusher - TJPOT
blitz 2 12, FICS, 2009

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6

7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Qf6
Not the usual move (9...Nf6) but perhaps the word is getting around that ...Qf6 can be very useful in warding off the Jerome Gambit.

10.0-0

Or: 10.d4 Nh6 11.h3 Qh4 12.0-0 Bd7 13.Nc3 Bc6 14.Bd2 Rf8 15.f4 b6 16.f5 Ne7 17.Rf4 Qh5 18.Raf1 Kd7 19.Qg3 Rg8 20.d5 Bb7 21.Rh4 Qf7 22.Rf3 a6 23.Ne2 Qf6 24.Bc3 Qf7 25.Nd4 c5 26.Ne6 b5 27.Bxg7 Nhxf5 28.exf5 Bxd5 29.Rd3 Nxf5 30.Nxc5+ Kc6 31.Qe1 Rxg7 32.Rg4 Rxg4 33.hxg4 Kxc5 34.Qc3+ Kb6 35.gxf5 Qxf5 36.Qd4+ Kc6 37.Rc3+ Kd7 38.Qg7+ Bf7 39.Rf3 Qc5+ 40.Kh1 Qh5+ 41.Kg1 Qc5+ 42.Rf2 Re8 43.Qxf7+ Re7 44.Qf5+ Kc7 45.Qxc5+ dxc5 46.Rd2 c4 47.c3 Kc6 48.Kf2 h5 49.Kg3 Re4 50.Kf3 Rg4 51.g3 a5 52.Rh2 Rg5 53.Rh4 Kc5 54.Kf4 Rd5 55.Rh2 b4 56.Re2 bxc3 57.bxc3 a4 58.Re5 Kd6 59.Re4 Kc5 60.Re5 Kd6 61.Re4 Kc5 62.a3 Rd3 63.Re5+ Kb6 64.Rxh5 Rxc3 65.Rh6+ Kc5 66.Rh5+ Kb6 67.Rh6+ Kc5 68.Rh5+ Kd4 69.g4 Rxa3 70.g5 c3 71.g6 c2 72.Rh1 Rb3 73.g7 Rb8 74.Kf5 Kd3 75.Kf6 Kd2 76.Rh2+ Kd1 77.Rh1+ Kd2 78.Rh2+ Kc1 79.Rh8 Rg8 80.Rxg8 Kb2 81.Rb8+ Ka3 82.Rc8 Kb2 83.g8Q a3 84.Qc4 a2 85.Qxc2+ Ka3 86.Rc3+ Kb4 87.Qb3+ Ka5 Black resigns guest2199 - guest401, Internet Chess Club, 2004

10...Bh3

Wow! This came as a total surprise and set me down for a long think. I have to admit, I still can't figure it out.
11.Qxh3 Nf4 12.Qf3 Kd7 13.d3 Rf8

While this may look ominous at first glance, it allows me to transition to a technical, 2-pawn-up endgame.

14.Qxf4 Qxf4 15.Bxf4 Rxf4 16.Nc3 Nf6 17.Nd5


Sloppy (17.Ne2 was better) but it does succeed in getting another piece off of the board (at the cost of a doubled pawn).

17...Nxd5 18.exd5 h5

Hats off to my opponent, who does not want to treat the rest of the game as "a matter of technique" but attacks for all he's worth.

19.c4 h4 20.Rae1 h3 21.Re4


Resisting.

21...Rf6 22.Rfe1 c6

Attacking my advanced center pawn and forcing me to exchange it; but opening the 7th rank to my Rook. Safer first was 22...Rf7.

23.Re7+ Kc8 24.dxc6 bxc6 25.Rxg7 Rhf8

Still fighting.

26.Re2 R6f7 27.Rxf7 Rxf7 28.gxh3 Kd7

Things are looking dire for TJPOT, but he resolutely battles to get a passed pawn for himself.

29.Re3 d5 30.cxd5 cxd5 31.Kg2 Kd6 32.d4 Kc6 33.h4 Rf4 34.h5 Rg4+ 35.Rg3 Rxd4

This is a blitz game, otherwise known as "Anything Can Happen Day." I admire my opponent's will.

36.h6 Rh4 37.Rh3 Rg4+ 38.Kf3 Rg8 39.h7 Rh8 40.Ke3 Kd6 41.Kd4 Ke6


42.b4 Kf5 43.Kxd5 Kg4 44.Rg3+ Kh5 45.Rg7 Kh6 46.Rxa7 Rxh7 47.Rxh7+ Kxh7 48.b5 Black resigns

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