Long Lost Cousins & Perfect Strangers

Sometimes, when I'm in a Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) mood, especially when I'm in the position to give "Jerome Gambit odds," I tend to see many openings – some only distantly related to the Italian Game – as Jerome-izeable.

perrypawnpusher - dabbling
blitz 10 0 FICS, 2009


1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 a6

This move was news to me, but I just checked ChessBase's online games database and it has almost 360 examples, played by people like Bogoljubow, Reshevsky, and Steiner, so maybe it's just out of fashion.
4.0-0 Bb4
Ok, this is a bit odd. It reminds me of Alapin's defense to the Ruy Lopez: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Bb4. If I can kick the Bishop back to the 5th rank, though...

5.c3 Ba5 6.Bxf7+


Now, Perry, you know you had a good game with 6.d4...

But, Doctor, I can't help myself!

6...Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ Nxe5 8.Qh5+ g6

Instead, 8...Kf8 9.Qxe5 Bb6 led to a Black advantage.

9.Qxe5 Bb6 10.Qxh8
White is up the exchange and two pawns, but what is equally important is that Black feels like he's slipped and missed a step somewhere.
10...d6 11.Qxh7+ Kf8 12.d4 Qf6 13.Bh6+ Ke8

Rapidly going from bad to worse...

14.Qxg8+ Kd7 15.e5 dxe5 16.dxe5 Qxe5 17.Rd1+ Kc6

18.Qxg6+ Kb5 19.a4+ Ka5 20.b4 checkmate

Italian Game in Master Practice

The German language website Schachfeld has discussion and analysis on many openings, including the Italian game.

It even includes the infamous Amateur - Blackburne, London 1885, Jerome Gambit game, including side posts mentioning 7...Qe7, Whistler's Defense, and the improvement 10.Qd8.

My German skills are not good, but I think the Jerome Gambit is referred to as the "most impudent" attack in the Italian game.

Sounds about right to me.

Parts is parts

When facing the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) my oppponents sometimes try to re-create Blackburne's crushing reaction, the best-known example of the Jerome that they are likely to recall. Sometimes they only remember parts of the line, however.

perrypawnpusher - Kapppy
blitz 2 12, FICS, 2009

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Bd6

I have faced this line before: perrypawnpusher - tuffnut, blitz 2 12, FICS 2007: 8.Qxh8 Be7 9.Qxh7+ Kf8 10.Qxg6 d6 11.d4 Bd7 12.Bh6+ Nxh6 13.Qxh6+ Kf7 14.Qh7+ Kf8 15.Qh8+ Kf7 16.Qxd8 Rxd8 17.Nc3 c6 18.0-0 Rg8 19.f4 Bh3 20.Rf2 Bd7 21.e5 dxe5 22.dxe5 Ke8 23.f5 Bc5 24.f6 Bxf2+ 25.Kxf2 Be6 26.Ne4 Rf8 27.Nd6+ Kd7 28.Rd1 Kc7 29.h3 Bd5 30.g4 Rh8 31.Kg3 b6 32.h4 Be6 33.g5 Black resigned; as well as perrypawnpusher - bakker, FICS, 2008 (1-0, 20).

Black's best is Whistler's Defense, 7...Qe7.

8.Qxh8 Qh4 9.Qd4 Nf6 The position bears slight resemblance to Blackburne's destruction of the Jerome Gambit – here White's Queen has escaped after capturing the Rook and can help in her King's defense.
10.d3 b6 11.Nd2 Ng4
Black is ganging up on f2, but a better way to do that was 11...Bc5 (although White's advantage is obvious).
12.Nf3 Bc5
Now this falls to 13.Qd5+ – or it would, if I had noticed it. My response was good, just not best.
13.Qxc5 Qxf2+ 14.Qxf2 Nxf2 15.Kxf2 d6
A Rook is a Rook is a Rook.

16.Rf1 Rb8 17.Kg1 Ke7 18.Bg5+ Kd7
19.Nh4 Kc6 20.Rf7 Kb7 21.Rxh7 Ka8


The game was adjourned at Kapppy's request. When it resumed, there were no surprises.
22. Rxc7 b5 23. Be3 Rb7 24. Rxc8+ Rb8 25. Rxb8+ Kxb8 26. Nxg6 Ka8 27. h4 b4 28. h5 b3 29. axb3 d5 30. exd5 Kb7 31. h6 Ka8 32. h7 Kb8 33. h8=Q+ Kb7 34. Rxa7 checkmate

London Calling... Ten Months of Blog

Dear Jerome Gambit Gemeinde,

It's time to note that jeromegambit.blogspot.com has had daily posts (over 300 of them) for ten months now – an infant compared to many wonderful chess sites, but almost a toddler beside them. And there is still much room to grow!

We've not only explored the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) on these pages, but thanks to the creativity of many members, we've also taken on a host of loosely-named Jerome Gambit "relatives":

Abrahams Jerome Gambit

Bishop's Opening Jerome Gambit

Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit

Boden-Kieseritzky Jerome Gambit

Danvers Jerome Gambit

Evans Jerome Gambit

Fried Jerome Attack

Jerome Elephant Gambit

Philidor Jerome Gambit

Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit

Sicilian Jerome Gambit

Best wishes, all!

Rick Kennedy ("perrypawnpusher")

Bishop's Opening: Jerome Gambit

Frenchie501 has an interesting chessvideo and discussion at the chessvideos.tv website on the Jerome Gambit-related line: 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nc6 3.d3 Na5 4.Bxf7+

See "Don't make me go Jerome all over you", "Offside!" and "Bishop in a hurry" for similar lines covered on this blog.

graphic by Jeff Bucchino, "The Wizard of Draws"

Blunder Table

From Geoff Chandler, of Chandler Cornered – its application to the play and enjoyment of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) is clear:

Here is a one-move blunder table showing how severe the blunder needs to be in a game between two players of the same grade.

All players should be able to spot their opponent leaving a mate in one on.

A 1200 player should win if an opponent blunders a Queen or a Rook. But not necessarily if they pick up a Bishop or Knight.

1500 players often convert piece-up games into a win, but this is not the case if a pawn or two up.

An 1800 player usually wins if they are two pawns up.

In a game between two 2000+ players a blundered pawn is usually enough to win.

A Dangerous Place

In a chess game, like when on a long walk, if you're not paying attention to where you're going, you could wind up in a dangerous place. If you happen to be playing the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) you are almost certain to find some danger.
I think that my opponent, electrahan, knew something about the Jerome Gambit. Our game quickly travelled to a very complicated line of defense – nothing like the Najdorf Sicilian, but Jerome Gambit Tournament: Chapter XVI and Jerome Gambit: Fools walk in... are almost "required reading" to appreciate what follows.

perrypawnpusher - electrahan
blitz 9 5, FICS, 2009

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

Welcome, Mr. Electrahan, shall we go for a walk?
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6
7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Qh4+
As far as you are willing to go, Mr. Pawnpusher...

Sometimes referred to as "His Nib's Defense," (see "Jerome Gambit Tournament: Chapter II") this line has caused me no small amount of headaches. And excitement. And wonder. There's a Queen sacrifice hidden somewhere, and even if it doesn't come off, the game becomes very unclear.

9.g3 Nf3+
Before this game I had losses to Temmo (0-1, 43) and James042665 (0-1, 18) in this line.

10.Kd1
This is the line that "R.F." originally played against "His Nib's", but in my earlier games I had preferred 10.Kf1, which was the better choice.

Now Black can sacrifice his Queen (as in abhailey - peonconorejas, net-chess.com, 2008, 0-1, 20) with 10...Ne7 11.e5+ Kc6 12.Qe4+ d5 13.exd6+ Nd5 14.gxh4 Bg4 and win – but you really have to know the line, as it would be difficult to suss out over-the-board in blitz.

10...Qh6
This retreat – which is similar to Temmo's Queen retreat (with my King on f1) and Kevin the fruitbat's Queen retreat to f6 in a comparable position (perrypawnpusher - Kevin the fruitbat, chessworld, 2008, 1-0, 38) – still leaves Black with a slight advantage.

11.Qd5+ Ke7 12.Qxc5+ Qd6 13.Qxd6+ cxd6
The same dilemma that I faced against Temmo: if the advanced Black Knight stands, the second player is better; but if it falls, I am even, and may have the advantage.

My one advantage against electrahan was that I was more familiar with the positions and play, and so was significantly ahead on the clock.
14.c3

To keep the Knight put.

After the game Rybka 3 recommended 14.b3 Nf6 15.Bb2 d5 (working to free the Bishop) with complications and a rather unclear game after either 15.exd5 or 15.e5.

14...Nf6
A sensible move, although Fritz8's 14...d5 and Temmo's 14...g5 were more likely to keep Black's edge.

15.d3

Stronger was the immediate 15.Ke2

15...b6
Black has settled upon his defensive plan: it involves ceding the Knight.

16.Ke2 d5 17.Kxf3 dxe4+ 18.dxe4 Bb7
19.Re1 Kf7 20.Nd2 Rhe8 Black has some compensation for his two pawns in the congestion of White's Queenside.

21.g4 d5

Instead, 21...Nxe4 22.Nxe4 Rxe4 23.Rxe4 Re8 24.Be3 Bxe4+ 25.Kf2 d5+ held chances of a drawn Bishops-of-opposite-colors endgame.

22.e5 d4+ 23.Kg3 dxc3 24.bxc3 Nd5
25.Bb2 Rad8 26.Ne4 Nf6 This does not work out, and is likely the result of time issues.

27.Nd6+

Good enough, but 27.Ng5+ Kg8 28.exf6 was stronger.

27...Kf8 28.Nxb7
Again, 28.exf6 was stronger, but the text works. Black's game unravels.

28...Rd7 29.Ba3+ Kf7 30.Nd6+ Rxd6 31.exd6
31...Ne4+ 32.Rxe4 Rxe4 33.Kf3 Rc4 34.d7 Rxc3+ 35.Ke4 Black forfeited on time