Home Cooking

The competitor GladtoMateYou cooked up something special in the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) for his opponents in the current Chessworld Jerome Gambit Thematic Tournament.

In each of his 14 games with the White pieces, GladtoMateYou played 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Qe2.

The move is rare, and the earliest examples that I have in my database come from Plejade in 2003. It is a reflection of a Bishop's Opening line that goes back to Ruy Lopez: 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Qe2.

In the diagram, White has the threat of Qe2-c4+ followed by Qxc5. Defenders who trot out their moves a bit too routinely with the Black pieces (thinking The Jerome Gambit isn't dangerous, etc.) are at risk...

In this tournament, 9 out of 14 times GladtoMateYou was able to grab the Bishop. So far, he has won two games and lost two games, but we will keep our eye on this creative player.

graphic by Jeff Bucchino, the Wizard of Draws

Rare

Draws in Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) thematic tournaments are quite scarce, showing up about 3% to 4% of the time, on average, according to my database.

So it is only fair to mention the recently completed game eddie 43 - Black Puma, from the ongoing Jerome Gambit Thematic Tournament at Chessworld, which reached the following position after White's 45rd move.

Black has played solidly, and has even increased his piece advantage to a Rook advantage; but here he sees the chance to create a passed pawn and intensify pressure on the enemy King, so he grabs an expensive pawn...

45...Bxd3 46.Qf5+ Kh8 47.Qf8+ Kh7 48.Qf5+ Kh8 49.Qf8+ Kh7 50.Qf5+ Kh8 51.Qf8+ Kh7 52.Qf5+ Kh8 53.Qf8+ Kh7 drawn

U.O.N. #24

The May – Aug 2009 edition of the Unorthodox Openings Newsletter, Issue #24, edited by Gary Gifford, is now available. The UON is a must read for those who play unorthodox openings, including the Jerome Gambit, as I have mentioned before.

UON Issues #1 - #14 can be found in the "files" section of the Yahoo Group "Unorthodox Chess Openings". Issues #15 - #24 can be found in the "files" section of the Yahoo Group "Chess Unorthodox UON".

Contents of Issue #24
Intro and Chess Cartoon
Sometimes even strong players play 1. a4 – Davide Rozzoni
The White Hippo – Ben Spink
Blackmar-Diemer Gambit Revisited – Gifford
Myers vs. Lamarche
Mike Surtees/Revolutionary Opening Theory (R.O.T.) – Davide Rozzoni
Basman’s Chess Inheritance – Davide Rozzoni
Tayler Opening [C44] – Peter Bieker & G. Gifford

A reminder: Gary Gifford is a co-author of the recent Winning with the Krazy Kat and Old Hippo (see "Hip' Kat").

Defending against the Jerome Gambit...

Defending against the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) with Black, players, including Gemeinde members, are happy with the extra piece or two, and wish for the kind of steady game that follows... Almost.

metalwarrior1969 - Crusader Rabbit

JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009

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

4...Kxf7 5.a3

One of the more subtle "modern" Jerome Gambit variations, ones that don't include the classical 5.Nxe5.

5...d6 6.h3 Ke8 7.d3 Be6 8.Nc3 Qd7

One of the ideas behind the "modern" variations is to proceed carefully, not forcing but allowing Black to make the next (hopefully fatal) mistake.

Here Black has been just as careful, developing sensibly and keeping his King out of danger.

9.0-0 Nf6 10.Bg5 Ne7

Black leads in development, his pieces protect his King, and he has an extra piece, to boot, which he uses to "over-protect" the square d5.

11.Bxf6 gxf6 12.Nd5

White is flailing against the mists, and all is silent after 12...Nxd5 13.exd5 Bxd5. Black can even look for more (an attack on the King) after 13...Bxh3!? instead.


Instead, the second player relaxes his attention, building his attack in a way that allows a counter.

12...Rg8 13.Kh1 Ng6 14.Nxf6+ Black resigned

Playing the Jerome Gambit...

Playing the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) with White, Gemeinde members wish for the kind of exciting, attacking game that follows...



blackburne - gwyn1
JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+

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

7.f4 Nf6 The kind of move that is appealing at first glance, as it promotes Black's development, ignores White's threat and plans to return material to slow down the attack. When followed up properly, it leaves White with only a small edge.

Whether this is the best strategy for combatting the Jerome Gambit is another question; but it is important to point out that blackburne has seen this move before.

8.Qxe5+ Kf7 9.Qxc5 d6 10.Qe3

In the past blackburne played 10.Qg5 Re8 11.d3 Kg8 12.0-0 Ng4 13.f5 Qxg5 14.Bxg5 h6 15.Bd2 h5 16.Nc3 b6 17.Nd5 c6 18.Nc7 Ba6 19.Nxa6 Kf7 20.Nc7 h4 21.Nxa8 Rxa8 22.Rf4 Nf6 23.Rxh4 c5 24.Rf1 Rc8 25.Rf3 c4 26.Bc3 Ne8 27.Rg3 a5 28.Rh7 Kg8 29.Rh4 a4 30.Rhg4 Rc7 31.h4 Ra7 32.Bd4 a3 33.b3 cxb3 34.cxb3 Rc7 35.f6 g6 36.Rxg6+ Kf7 37.Rg7+ Ke6 38.Rxc7 Nxc7 39.Rg7 Ne8 40.Re7 checkmate, blackburne - plummy, Chessworld, 2007

Now, against gwyn1, Black has the thematic 10...Nxe4, as the Knight is safe from capture: 11.Qxe4 Re8.

10...Ng4 11.Qg3 Re8 12.Nc3 c6 13.d4 h5

Several times ...h7-h5 has appeared in games in this tournament, sometimes when the Black Rook was still on h8.

14.0-0 b5 15.f5 b4 Undermining White's center before the pawns begin to roll.

16.Ne2 Bxf5

This looks like an oversight, as if Black were expecting 17.exf5 Rxe2. Now his game goes up in flames.

17.Rxf5+ Kg6 18.Nf4+ Kh7 19.Rxh5+ Kg8 20.Qxg4 Rxe4

It is probably time to begin to look for forced checkmates, although different players will prefer different ideas.

21.Qg6 Qf6 22.Qh7+

Of course, 22.Qxe4 was also okay, and led to a mate in ten.

22...Kf7 23.Rf5 Ke7 24.Rxf6 Kxf6 25.Qxe4 Kf7 26.Qg6+ Kg8 27.Ne6 Re8 28.Qxg7 checkmate

Time flies. Pieces, too.

So far, over 1/3 (78 out of 210) of the games in the 15-player, double-round robin Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) Thematic Tournament at ChessWorld have been completed. (White has scored about 38%, comparable with other Jerome Gambit Tournaments.)

DREWBEAR 63 is the current leader, both in points (15) and games completed (22). He is followed by Sir Osis of the Liver (10 points out of 14 games completed) and blackburne (8 points out of 14 games completed) & Piratepaul (8 points out of 10 games completed).

Players with the best winning percentages are Luke Warm (1 point out of 1 game), Piratepaul (8 points out of 10 games), and stampyshortlegs (4 points out of 5 games).

There are more battles ahead. Good chess, everyone!

The Fog of War (Part 2)

It's a strange thing, but playing the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) can have unusual effects upon those who play it or who play against it. The following game is as another example...

perrypawnpusher - Lark

blitz 2 12, FICS, 2009

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 The same foggy location as yesterday's post (see "The Fog of War (Part 1)"

7.Qxe5 Bd6 8.Qc3

Alternately: 8.Qh5 Nf6 9.Qf3 Kg8 10.d4 Kf7 11.e5 Black resigned, blackburne - Whiterose, ChessWorld, 2004.

White's Queen seems to be in the way at c3.

8...Nf6 9.d3 Qe7 10.Bg5
A truly impressive oversight!

10...h6


Anyone for "10...Bb4, White resigned", instead?

11.Bh4

Amazing. I have no idea what I was looking at, or what I was seeing.

11... Bc5
That goes for my opponent, too.

12.0-0 d6

Now we're back to a "normal" Jerome Gambit, where Black has his regular advantage of a piece for two pawns. That doesn't mean that the fog has fully cleared up, though.

13.d4 g5 14.dxc5 gxh4 15.cxd6 Qxd6Recapturing with the pawn was correct. Now White has the simple pawn fork, 16.e5.

16.Nd2

Or not.

16...Rg8 17.f4 Bh3 18.Qxh3 Qxd2 19.Rf2 Qd4

White hopes to feast on Black's Kingside pawns, and that he can keep active enough to keep his opponent from doing the same on the Queenside.

20.Qf5 Qxb2 21.Re1 Qb6 22.e5


Getting the piece back and evening up the game.

22...Rg7 23.exf6 Rf7 24.Re6 Qb1+ 25.Rf1 Qxa2 26.Rfe1

Lark has gobbled two pawns, but I clearly have the initiative and the advantage.

26...Qb2 27.Qg6

Missing 27.Re8+ Rxe8 28.Rxe8+ Kxe8 29.Qc8 checkmate

27...Qd4+ 28.Kh1 Qxf4 29.Re7

Missing the much stronger 29.Qd3, but this was a blitz game, and time was running short...

29...Rxe7 30.fxe7 checkmate


...for both of us.