Cave Man Chess

When I play the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) nobody has ever accused me of playing an "advanced" form of chess – more often, just the reverse.

I'm sure that if anyone ever develops an "ACO" opening tome – Atavistic Chess Openings – the Jerome will fit in there nicely.

perrypawnpusher - Comunista
blitz 10 0, FICS, 2009

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5

The set-up.

4.Bxf7+


The sac.

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



The defense.

7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Nf6

Time for each of us to get down to business. There are 15 games with this position in my database (not including this one), including 7 by Louis Morin and 4 by me. White scores 82%. I guess we'll have to check out the Critical Line in this defense, as well.

10.d3 Kf7 11.0-0 Re8 12.f4
Interesting: this position (not including this game) shows up 3 times in my database, and White has two losses – with me going 0-1. Comunista is finding his way through the "tree of variations" quite nicely.

12...Nd5


A novelty – and a cute one, at that – but more to the point would be putting a pawn on d5. Black plans to move the action to the Queenside, while I want to stay focused on his King on the Kingside.

13.Qg3 Nb4 14.Na3
Sensible, but more straight-forward would have been 14.f5, as in 14...Ne5 (14...Nh8 is probably safer) 15.Bg5 Qd7 16.d4 Nec6 17.Qb3+ Kf8 18.f6 when things would begin to move White's way.

14...a6 15.Bd2

Again, 15.f5 followed by 16.Bg5 was more incisive.

15...Nc6 16.Bc3

This gets the Bishop on an attacking diagonal, but overlooks what Black has been preparing.

16...b5


17.Bxg7

Played quickly, for maximum impact, but a bluff. Just like I had overlooked 16...b5, I had overlooked a resource for Black at move 18. Yipes!

17...Kxg7 18.f5 Nd4

This move maintains Black's advantage, but 18...Qh4 would have put an end to his worries.


19.Qf2 c5

Again, not bad, but getting the Queens off of the board (e.g. 19...Qf6 20.fxg6 Qxf2+ 21.Rxf2 hxg6) was a better idea. Black is thinking "counterattack."

20.fxg6 Rf8 21.Qd2 hxg6 22.c3 Ne6 23.Nc2 Qh4

See?

24.Rxf8 Nxf8 25.Rf1 Ne6 26.g3 Qg4


Egads... Black still has the advantage, but it is more of the traditional Jerome gambit piece-vs-two-pawns variety. I knew that if I could get my Queen and Knight re-positioned, the tide would turn in my favor.


27.Qf2 Kh6



Tide's turned!

It's hard to see at first that this innocent move upsets Black's position enough to shift the initative to White.


28.Ne3 Bb7

A terrible oversight that ends an exciting game. After 28...Qg5 White could have continued nibbling at the Black Queen with 29.h4 Qe7 30.Nd5 when the difference in development woulc be all on the first player's side.

29.Nxg4+ Black resigned

Many thanks to Comunista for the challenge!

graphic by Jeff Bucchino, Wizard of Draws

UON

In discussing the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) I have mentioned the Unorthodox Openings Newsletter on a number of occasions, the most recently being this blog's "birthday" post (see "Happy Birthday: Twelve months of blog...").

Any reader interested in offbeat or unusual chess openings should become familiar with the 23 issues of the free UON. Its current editor, Gary K. Gifford, is also open to reader-written articles – a good way to get your own ideas out in front of a sympathetic group, for support and feedback.

Issues #1 - #14 can be found in the "files" section of the Yahoo Group "Unorthodox Chess Openings". Issues #15 - #23 can be found in the "files" section of the Yahoo Group "Chess Unorthodox UON".

To be able to download the files, I think it is necessary to officially join the particular Yahoo Group, but that takes only a minute or so, and costs nothing.

There is an impressive number of openings covered in the Unorthodox Openings Newsletter, and some recent issues are almost books themselves – for example, #19 is 70 pages, #17 is 80 pages and #21 is 103 pages.

Happy exploring!

Get back on the horse...

If you fall off of a horse, you're supposed to get right back on it, or you'll be too scared to ride again... After my last loss via blunder (see "My Turn Again") I knew I had to saddle up the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) or one of its relatives, and take off at a gallop.

The following game, a Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit, followed a line of play that I was familiar with, but didn't really know, bringing to mind David Freeman's comment that "The more you know, the more you realise how much you don’t know — the less you know, the more you think you know."
perrypawnpusher - Lakritzl
blitz 5 12, FICS, 2009

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6


4.0-0 Bc5 5.Bxf7+ 5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.Qh5+ Ke6
Or 7...Kf6 8.Qf5+ Ke7 9.Qxe5+ Kf7 10.Qd5+ Kf6 11.e5+ Kg6 12.Qxc5 d6 13.exd6 Qxd6 14.Qxd6+ cxd6 15.Nc3 Bf5 16.d3 Rc8 17.Be3 a6 18.Bd4 Nf6 19.Rae1 Rhe8 20.f3 Kh7 21.Bxf6 gxf6 22.Rxe8 Rxe8 23.Kf2 Kg6 24.Re1 Rc8 25.Re7 Rb8 26.Ne4 Bxe4 27.fxe4 b5 28.Rd7 Rb6 29.c3 b4 30.c4 b3 31.a3 f5 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - bergeruw, blitz, FICS, 2007 ;

Or 7...Ng6 8.Qd5+ Kf8 ( 8...Ke8 9.Qxc5 Qe7 10.Qe3 Nf6 11.Nc3 c6 12.f4 b6 13.f5 Ne5 14.d4 Ba6 15.dxe5 Qxe5 16.Re1 Kf7 17.Qf3 Rhe8 18.Bf4 Qc5+ 19.Be3 Qb5 20.Bd4 Qxb2 21.e5 Nd5 22.e6+ Kg8 23.Qg4 Nxc3 24.Qxg7 checkmate, perrypawnpusher - Cibola, blitz, FICS, 2009) 9.Qxc5+ d6 10.Qe3 N8e7 11.d4 Kg8 12.Nc3 Kh7 13.f4 Rf8 14.f5 Nh8 15.g4 Kg8 16.g5 hxg5 17.Qxg5 Nf7 18.Qg3 Nc6 19.f6 g5 20.Bxg5 Nxg5 21.Qxg5+ Kf7 22.Qg7+ Ke6 23.d5+ Ke5 24.Qg3+ Kd4 25.Qd3+ Ke5 26.Qg3+ Kd4 27.Qd3+ Ke5 28.Qg3+ Kd4 29.Qd3+ Ke5 30.Qg3+ Kd4 31.Qd3+ Ke5 32.Qg3+ Kd4 drawn, perrypawnpusher - pascalwilliams, blitz, FICS, 2007;

Or 7...g6 8.Qxe5 Nf6 9.Qxc5 d6 10.Qe3 Ng4 ( 10...Qe8 11.Nc3 c6 12.d3 Be6 13.f4 Ke7 14.f5 gxf5 15.exf5 Kd7 16.Qxe6+ Qxe6 17.fxe6+ Kxe6 18.Bd2 Kd7 19.Rxf6 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - wadada, blitz, FICS, 2009) 11.Qf4+ Kg7 12.d4 Rf8 13.Qg3 g5 14.Nc3 c5 15.f4 cxd4 16.Ne2 Ne3 17.Bxe3 dxe3 18.Qxe3 gxf4 19.Nxf4 Qg5 20.Nd5 Qxe3+ 21.Nxe3 Be6 22.Nf5+ Bxf5 23.exf5 Rae8 24.Rae1 Rxe1 25.Rxe1 Rxf5 26.Re7+ Kf6 27.Rxb7 Rc5 28.Rxa7 Rxc2 29.Rb7 Rc1+ 30.Kf2 Ke5 31.Rb3 Rc2+ 32.Kf3 d5 33.Re3+ Kf5 34.Re2 Rc4 35.g3 h5 36.b3 Rc5 37.Ke3 Rc3+ 38.Kd4 Rf3 39.Kxd5 Kg4 40.b4 h4 41.gxh4 Kxh4 42.b5 Rd3+ 43.Kc4 Rd7 44.b6 Rb7 45.Kc5 Rxb6 46.Kxb6 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher -islanderchess, blitz, FICS, 2008;

Or 7...Kf8 8.Qxe5 Bd6 9.Qd4 Qh4 10.g3 Qh5 11.Qe3 c6 12.d4 b6 13.e5 Bc7 14.f4 Ne7 15.Nc3 b5 16.Ne4 Bb7 17.Nc5 Bc8 18.f5 d6 19.Ne6+ Kg8 20.Nxc7 Nxf5 21.Qf4 Rb8 22.exd6 Bd7 23.Bd2 Rf8 24.Rae1 Kh7 25.Qe5 Qh3 26.Bf4 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - LethHansen, blitz, FICS, 2009.

8.Qf5+

Rybka 3.0 suggests as better the Queen maneuver 8.Qh3+ Ke7 9.Qc3 d6 10.d4 and after 10...Bxd4 11.Qxd4 Nf6 White does better than in the game, although Black still has the advantage.

I didn't know that.

8...Kd6 9.d4



An alternative: 9.Rd1 Ne7 10.Qh5 g6 11.Qh3 Bd4 12.Qa3+ Bc5 13.b4 Bd4 14.c3 Bxf2+ 15.Kxf2 Rf8+ 16.Ke3 White resigned, prettyhip1 - cubs0_0, GameKnot, 2007.

9...Bxd4

A tougher defensive idea is 9...Qf6 10.dxe5+ Qxe5 11.Rd1+ ( 11.Bf4 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - joejox, blitz, FICS, 2009) 11...Bd4 12.Qf8+ Ke6 13.Qe8+ Kf6 14.Qf8+ Ke6 15.Qe8+ Kf6 1/2-1/2 perrypawnpusher - Joyus, blitz, FICS, 2007.

10.Rd1 c5

Black does better with 10...Qf6 11.Rxd4+ Ke7; but, make no mistake, even with the text he has the advantage.

11.c3 Ne7 12.Qh5

Or 12.Qh3 Qb6 13.cxd4 cxd4 14.Qa3+ Ke6 15.f4 N5c6 16.f5+ Kf7 17.Nd2 Re8 18.Nc4 Qc7 19.Nd6+ Kf8 20.Nxe8 Kxe8 21.Qf3 Ne5 22.Qg3 Kf8 23.Bf4 d6 24.Rac1 Qa5 25.f6 N7g6 26.Bxe5 Qxe5 27.Qxg6 Be6 28.Qxg7+ Ke8 29.Qe7 checkmate, joev6225 - liverpool, GameKnot, 2006.

Now Black can continue his defense with 12...Qe8, but decides to give back one piece, and instead gives back two.

13.cxd4 cxd4 14.Qxe5+ d6 

White is now better, and Black's game goes to pieces.

15.Qxd4 Nc6 16.Qxg7+ Bd7 17.Bf4 Rg8 18.Qxh6 Qe7 19.Bxd6+ Qxd6 20.Qxd6+ Black resigned 1-0



Graphic by Jeff Bucchino, "The Wizard of Draws"

My Turn Again

Publishing my wins with the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) on this blog only seems fair if I also include my losses. That means not just the ones where I get out-played, but the ones where I am doing just fine – and then blunder.

I've shared this lament before ("My Turn to Blunder") and surely will do so again. At least I can be sure that my opponents mostly understand.

After all, as we say in the Jerome Gambit Gemeinde, "Black wins by force; White wins by farce."

Here, the disaster comes against the Blackburne Shilling Gambit.
perrypawnpusher - vlas
blitz, FICS, 2009
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd44.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ 5...Ke7

Mentioned by Tim McGrew in 2004 in his "Gambit Cartel" article on the Blackburne Shilling Gambit, and by Dennis Monokroussos on his "Chess Mind" website in 2005. I have a dozen games in my database, and White has scored 8-4.

6.Qh5

Not the right follow-up. White should play 6.c3 d6 7.cxd4 dxe5 with about an even game.

6...g6

What Black misses is the defensive 6...Qe8, driving White's Queen back to d1. After that, White would have the Jerome-style two pawns compensation for his piece, but Black's counterplay after 7...Kd8 would be annoying.

7.Nxg6+ hxg6 8.Qxh8 Nxc2+

Black had better chances for equality by playing to trap the White Queen and then playing against it: 8...Nf6 9.Kd1 Kf7 10.Nc3 Qe7 11.Nd5 Nxd5 12.Qxd4 Nb6 13.d3 Bg7 14.Qe3 d5 15.exd5 Bg4+ 16.f3 Qxe3 17.Bxe3 Nxd5 18.fxg4 Nxe3+ 19.Kd2 Nxg4. White has a Rook and two pawns against two pieces.

9.Kd1 Nxa1 10.Qxg8 Qe8 11.b3 Kd8 12.Bb2 Be7

13.Qxe8+ Kxe8 14.Bxa1 d6 Things have settled down, and White is ahead two pawns. It's not a very complicated position.

15.d4 Bd7 16.Nd2 Rd8 17.h4 Kf7 18.h5

Looking for – or overlooking – trouble. Simpler was 18.d5

18...gxh5 19.Rxh5 Bg4+


Ouch.

Just drops a Rook.

The rest of the game was unnecessary.
20.f3 Bxh5 21.Ke2 c5 22.g3 cxd4 23.Bxd4 Bf6 24.Bxa7 Re8 25.Kd3 Bg6 26.f4 d5 White resigned

Aaarrrgggh!

Some day I am likely to play the recommended lines against the Blackburne Shilling Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4), but for now I still enjoy the Jerome Gambit-ish (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) line starting with 4.Bxf7+


perrypawnpusher - fintrade
blitz FICS, 2009

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4

Oh, no! Not the Blackburne Shilling Gambit! Haven't I already pleaded "Please don't do that..."?

4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8 There. Just like new.

Except for his two pawns. And my Bishop.

6.Qh5+ g6 7.Nxg6 7...Nf6

Black needs to take the Knight, when the best follow-up, according to Rybka 3.0, is 7...hxg6 8.Qxg6+ Ke7 9.Qg5+ Nf6 10.Qc5+ Ke8 11.Qxd4 d5 which is unclear, or slightly favoring Black.

8.Qe5+ Ne6 Black resigns

Perhaps Black was a bit hasty in turning over his King, as after 9. Nxh8 Bg7 he is going to wind up with two pieces against a Rook and three pawns.

Killer

In "Keep the shilling" we saw the latest play in a Jerome-ized Blackburne Shilling Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4). The following game looks like a killer at first glance – but examination raises the question: for whom?

dubnikova - hubris
redhotpawn, 2009

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4

4.Bxf7+ 4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6 6.Qg4+ Kxe5 7.f4+ Kxe4 8.Nc3 checkmate

Wow.

Now, instead of the grabby 7...Kxe4, play 7...Kd6.

Uh oh.

After 8.Na3 Kc6 9.c3 d5, things are deteriorating fast – for White.

One step forward, one step back

Although some may consider the phrase "Jerome Gambit opening theory" to be somewhat of an oxymoron, as historical research continues to uncover games and analysis, and as new games starting 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ continue to be played, an understanding of Alonzo Wheeler Jerome's creation will continue to advance, one step at a time. Defenses may also advance – or, as in the following game, take a step backward.

perrypawnpusher - nicolasalk
blitz 10 5, FICS, 2009

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6
Black has a number of successful strategies at this point.
7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Ne7
Alas, this is not one of them.
9.Qxe5+ Kc6 10.Qc3 The recommended improvement upon 10.d4 Bb4+ ( 10...d6 11.d5+ Kb5 12.a4+ Kb6 13.a5+ Kb5 14.Qc3 Bb4 15.Na3+ Kxa5 16.Nc4+ Kb5 17.Ra5+ Bxa5 18.Qxa5+ Kxc4 19.b3+ Kd4 20.Qb4# 1-0 perrypawnpusher-vypux, blitz, FICS, 2009) 11.Nc3 b6 12.Qb5+ Kb7 13.Qxb4 Nc6 14.Qc4 Qh4+ 15.g3 Qh3 16.Qf1 d6 17.Qxh3 Bxh3 18.Be3 Nb4 19.0-0-0 Kc8 20.e5 Bg4 21.Rd2 Re8 22.h3 Bf3 23.Rf1 Bg2 24.Rxg2 a5 25.Re2 b5 26.Rfe1 a4 27.a3 Kd7 28.axb4 a3 29.bxa3 Rxa3 30.Kd2 Kc6 31.d5+ Kb7 32.e6 c6 33.dxc6+ Kxc6 34.f5 Ra4 35.Bf4 Rxb4 36.Re4 Kc5 37.Bxd6+ Kxd6 38.Rxb4 Rd8 39.Rd4+ Kc7 40.Rxd8 Kxd8 41.e7+ Ke8 42.Nxb5 h5 43.Nd6+ 1-0 perrypawnpusher - TheChessInnovator blitz, FICS, 2008)
10...Qf8

Black's defense requires 10...b6 and 11...d6, and his King will survive, albeit down two pawns.

11.d4 Qf6 12.Qxc5 checkmate