Oooooooops...

Playing – or defending against – the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) requires close attention to what is going on, so that every tactical opportunity can be caught. Take advantage of your chances, you could take the point. Overlook a chance or two, and ooooooops...

stampyshortlegs - eddie43

JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.c3 Nh6 9.Qf4 Rf8 10.Qg3 White resigned


TWODOGS - Black Puma

JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.d4 Nxd4 6.Nxe5+ Kf8 7.0-0 Qf6 8.b4 Qxe5 9.bxc5 Qxc5 10.Ba3 Qxa3 11.Nxa3 Black resigned

graphic by Jeff Bucchino, the Wizard of Draws

Mea culpa – again

About a year ago (see "Overrated!") I played in a Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) thematic tournament at ChessWorld, organized, like the one this year, by blackburne.

I had prepared a few "theoretical novelties" for my games, but one of them turned out to ge a "theoretical lemon" instead, leading to a quick loss. Worse than that, I think blackburne tried out the idea before he saw my disastrous results, and, fight as he could, he still wound up losing a point in his game, too.

I'm not sure if blackburne had a "fix" in mind for the line or not, but he recently repeated it in the current Jerome Gambit thematic tournament, and took it on the chin from eddie43.

blackburne - eddie43
JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009

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

Here we go.

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


7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Qh4+

This sharp move, the "Nibs defense," is best for Black.


9.Kd1

The "improvement" on an earlier Alonzo Wheeler Jerome game, only it allows Black to force the exchange of Queens, holding onto his two-pieces-for-two-pawns advantage – too much for White to overcome.

9...Qg4+ 10.Qxg4


Instead, 10.Ke1 Qxf5 White resigned was perrypawnpusher - drewbear, JG thematic ChessWorld, 2008.

10...Nxg4 11.e5+ Ke7

Blackburne's earlier game continued: 11...Ke6 12.Rf1 Nxh2 13.f5+ Kxe5 14.d4+ Bxd4 15.Bf4+ Kxf5 16.Bxh2+ Ke6 17.Bxc7 Bxb2 18.Re1+ Kf7 19.Be5 Bxa1 20.Bxa1 Nf6 21.Rf1 Re8 22.Nc3 Kg8 23.Nb5 Rb8 24.Nd6 Re6 25.Nf5 d5 26.g4 Re4 27.g5 Bxf5 28.gxf6 Bg4+ 29.Kd2 g6 30.f7+ Kf8 31.Rh1 h5 32.Rf1 Be6 33.Bc3 Bxf7 34.Kd3 Rbe8 35.Kd2 d4 36.Bb4+ Kg8 37.a3 Bc4 38.Rg1 Kh7 39.Rg3 Rg4 40.Rf3 Re2+ 41.Kc1 Rgg2 42.Rf7+ Bxf7 White resigned, blackburne - drewbear, JG thematic, ChessWorld 2008.

12.Ke2 b6 13.c3 Ba6+ 14.Kd1 Nf2+ 15.Kc2 Bd3+ 16.Kb3 Nxh1 17.Na3 Nf2 18.Nc2 b5 19.a4 Bc4 checkmate

Ouch.

I'd like to think that eddie43 might have gotten the idea from this blog, but he probably worked it up himself.

Beware the Bear

DREWBEAR 63, the top-rated player, has quickly won 3 games in the ChessWorld Jerome Gambit Thematic Tournament. Yesterday (see "Surprise!") we saw a theoretical novelty in defense against 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+. Here are 2 of his more prosaic wins, one with White and one with Black.

There are 15 players and 210 games in the tournament, but everyone is on alert: Beware the Bear!


DREWBEAR 63 - calchess10
JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 Qf6 8.f5+ Ke7 9.Nc3 d6 [a slip: better 9...Kf8] 10.Nd5+ Kd7 11.Nxf6+ gxf6 12.c3 Ne7 [ 12...Nd3+ only +/-] 13.d4 Bxd4 14.cxd4 Nd3+ 15.Kd2 Nb4 16.Qf7 c6 17.Qe6+ Kd8 18.Qxf6 Re8 19.Qxd6+ Bd7 20.Qxb4 b6 21.f6 Black resigned


calchess10 - DREWBEAR 63
JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.a3 Qf6 6.Nc3 Nge7 7.d3 h6 8.h3 g5 9.b4 Bb6 10.Bb2 d6 11.0-0 g4 12.hxg4 Bxg4 13.Nh2 h5 [ 13...Bxd1] 14.g3 Qg6 15.Qd2 h4 16.Kg2 hxg3 17.fxg3+ Ke8 18.Rae1 Bh3+ [ 18...Rxh2+ 19.Kxh2 Qh5+ 20.Kg2 Qh3#] 19.Kh1 Bxf1 20.Rxf1 Qxg3 21.Ne2 Qxh2 checkmate

Surprise!

Games are already being won and lost in the ChessWorld Jerome Gambit Thematic Tournament, including the following game between two Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) veterans.

If this game is any indication of the creativity that players are putting into their preparation, the tournament should provide many new insights into the Jerome Gambit!


blackburne - DREWBEAR 63
JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009

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

Usual here is 5...Nxe5 or 5...Kf8.

DREWBEAR 63's move comes as quite a shock – certainly it must have been played before, perhaps in the earliest days of the Jerome Gambit; but there are no games in my database with the move, no analysis, and not even a mention of it.

Now 5...Ke6 throws the game into a whirlwind. Rybka 3 suggests that best play involves White winning Black's Queen for three pieces, and that the resulting position is about even: 6.Qg4+ Kxe5 7.d4+ Bxd4 8.Bf4+ Kf6 9.Bg5+ Kf7 10.Bxd8 Nxd8 11.Nc3 Bxc3+ 12.bxc3 Nf6.

analysis diagram

Also in need of investigation are 6.Nxc6 and 6.d4. It is not at all surprising that blackburne missed Rybka's line.

6.f4 6...Nxe5 7.fxe5

The danger mounts. Best, but not without difficulties, was 7.d4, hoping to transition into a more Jerome-like position.

7...Qh4+


8.Ke2 Qxe4+ 9.Kf1 Nh6 10.Nc3 Rf8+ White resigned


An exciting debut for the "DREWBEAR 63 variation"!

Bully

Sometimes I feel like a bully playing the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) or one of its relatives – in this case, a variant of the Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 followed by Bxf7+). Too much "shock and awe" or something...



Still, the opening is worth a look, as it has its interesting features
perrypawnpusher - Butin
blitz 10 0, FICS, 2009

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6
4.0-0 Na5


Provocative!
I had never seen this move before, and was only able, later, to find two game examples – neither of which contained my next move.
5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Ke7

Although Rybka 3 and Fritz 8 will immediately recommend the Bishop sacrifice, finding the "safest" place for the Black King, and the best followup for White, now is not easy. Rybka 3 suggests that White can win the Rook, ramaining the exchange and two pawns up, with the exact 6...Ke6 7.Ng6 Rh7 8.Qg4+ Kf7 9.Ne5+ Ke7 10.Qg6 Qe8 11.Qxh7 Nf6 12.Qg6.

7.Qh5


Certainly the Jerome-ish play, but simpler and better was 7.Ng6+ followed by 8.Nxh8.

7...Kd6

Ouch. Game over.

With 7...Qe8 now Black can fight back, although after 8.Ng6+ Kd8 9.Qf3 Qxg6 10.Qxf8+ Qe8 11.Qxg7 Ne7 White has 3 pawns for his missing piece.

My opponent put up a fight for almost 30 more moves, but it seems unfair to do more than list them. (Play through the game on Chess Publisher, if you wish.)

8.Nf7+ Ke7 9.Nxd8 Kxd8 10.Qxa5 b6 11.Qc3 Nf6 12.d3 d6 13.f4 Ng4 14.e5 dxe5 15.fxe5 Bc5+ 16.d4 Be7 17.Qc6 Rb8 18.Qg6 Rg8 19.Nc3 Ba6 20.Rf7 c5 21.Qxg4 cxd422.Qxd4+ Ke8 23.Rxe7+ Kxe7 24.Qd6+ Ke8 25.Qxb8+ Kf7 26.Qxa7+ Kg6 27.Qxa6 Kh7 28.Qd3+ Kh8 29.Qh3 Re8 30.Bxh6 gxh6 31.Qxh6+ Kg8 32.Qg6+ Kf8 33.e6 Ke7 34.Qf7+ Kd8 35.Qd7 checkmated

A First Time Decline

"Theory" on the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) Declined (not 4...Kxf7) is rather sparse, as most players elect to take the first sacrificed piece.

perrypawnpusher - walkinthespirit

blitz 12 0, FICS, 2009

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

4.Bxf7+ Ke7

Perhaps out of surprise, perhaps out of a wish not to go along with White's plans, Black declines the opportunity to go two-pieces-up-for-two-pawns. White winds up a pawn ahead, playing against a displaced King – a considerable luxury.

5.Bb3 Nf6 6.Nc3 Na5

It appears that the Knight is taking things "personally". This will only lead to more misfortune.

7.Nxe5 Nxb3 8.axb3 d6 9.Nf3 Rf8 10.d4 Bb4 11.Bg5

11...Kf7 12.Bxf6 Qxf6 13.0-0 Bg4

On this move my opponent overlooked – as I did on my next move – that the Black Bishop is in a precarious position.

14.e5

This is ok, but look at what Rybka 3 found: 14.Nd5 (forking Queen and Bishop) Bxf3 15.Qd3 (avoiding the Queen swap on f3) Qd8 16.Qxf3+ Kg8 17.Qd3 (the uncovered attack by the Rook has to be dealt with) Ba5 18.Rxa5 (nabbing a piece, but it's not over yet) c6 (attacking the Knight and Rook) 19.Rfa1 cxd5 20.Rxd5 Qf6 21.f3 Qe6 22.Rb5 – so what was at stake was a pawn, not a piece.

14...dxe5

Capturing on f3 was again the right idea, as now White has Nxd5+.

15.dxe5 Qe6

The game now totally unravels.

16.Ng5+ Kg8 17.Nxe6 Bxd1 18.Nxf8 Bxf8 19.Raxd1 Re8 20.Rfe1 Bc5 My opponent is a fighter, but a Rook is a Rook.

21.e6 a5 22.Nd5 c6 23.Nc7 Re7 24.Rd7 Black resigned

Those folk over at ChessWorld are fast!

Just yesterday (see: "Jerome Gambit Thematic Tournament: Hurry!") I mentioned that blackburne, of the Jerome Gambit Gemeinde, was going to sponsor a Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) tournament – and today the 15-player list is filled and the games have begun!

We will check in every now and then to see how the battles are progressing.

graphic by Jeff Bucchino, the Wizard of Draws