Like a bull in a china shop...

When you know the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) as well as Pete Banks ("blackburne"), you can be dangerous with either the White or the Black pieces. Until they invent Gray pieces (and maybe not even then) no game that includes him is going to be safe.

Haroldlee123 - blackburne
JGTourney4 Chessworld, 2009

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

4...Kxf7 5.0-0

One of the Modern Jerome Gambit variations, in which White limits his sacrifices.

5...d6 6.h3 Nf6 7.d3 Rf8 8.Bd2 Kg8

Black has taken advantage of the "quietness" of the position to castle-by-hand, and even leads in development.

9.Nc3 Nd4 10.Nxd4 Bxd4 11.Rb1 Be6 12.Nb5 Bb6 13.b3 Qd7 14.Nc3 Rf7 15.Qf3 Raf8

Black even plans to make use of the f-file, which White opened for him.

16.Qe2 Bxh3
17.Qf3

Taking the Bishop leads quickly to mate. Now Black wraps the game up with play against the f-pawn.

17...Bg4 18.Qg3 Nh5 19.Qh4 Rxf2 20.Rxf2 Bxf2+ 21.Qxf2 Rxf2 22.Kxf2

22...Qf7+ 23.Kg1 Ng3 White resigned

graphic by Jeff Bucchino, the Wizard of Draws

It's not over until the Lady sings...

You have to be an optimist to play the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+). Objectively, you have a "lost game" after 4 moves. Yet, the Jerome Gambit player "knows" that something will turn up. It may take a while, it may take a long while, but an opportunity will arise...

After all, it's not over until the Lady sings.

The following game, which I've decided to present anonymously, illustrates my point. White struggles and struggles and hangs in there, taking what he can and accepting whatever Black give him, until...


Anon - Anon


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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Kf8 6.Qh5

The Banks Variation.

6...Qf6 7.0-0

A new move, but not an improvement. 7.Nxd7 Bxd7 8.Qxc5+, seen before, would have led to an almost balanced game.

7...Nxe5 8.d4

8...Bxd4 9.Bg5 Qg6 10.Qh4 h6

Things are not (yet) going well for White. He is two pieces down, and here, instead, 10...Bxb2 would have allowed Black to win an exchange.

11.Qf4+ Ke8 12.Bd8 Kxd8 13.Qf8+ Qe8 14.Qb4

14...Nc6 15.Qb3 Qxe4 16.Nc3 Bxc3 17.Qxc3 Nf6

Perhaps White remembers the old saying: The hardest thing to win is a won game. Let Black try!

The first player has a choice: stay vigilant, or turn over his King.

18.Rfe1 Qg6 19.Re2 d5 20.Rae1 Ne4 21.Qd3 Nb4 22.Qb3 c5

Black is developing. White sees this as creating targets.

23.Rd1 Bg4 24.f3 Bxf3 25.Qxf3 Kd7

Black has given back a piece; but, again, he had three to give.

26.Rxe4

Ooops, that's another one. White is feeling optimistic about his optimism

26...Rhf8 27.Qh3+ Kc7 28.Re7+ Kb8 29.Qd7 Qc6

White is certainly turning up the heat...

30.Qg4 Qf6 Here it is: Black threatens mate-in-3 with a Queen sacrifice: ...Qf2+, ...Qf1+ and ...Rxf1 mate.

Does anybody notice that Black has allowed a mate-in-11, though??

Seeing the mate right away might not be easy, but finding the key move and working things out as they go along was much more possible.

We can start with the mini-combination 31.Qg3+ Qf4 32.Rf1 which wins Black's Queen.

analysis diagram

32...g5 33.Rxf4 Rxf4

Material is even, but that's not White's concern.

analysis diagram

34.Qc3 a5 35.Qg7

analysis diagram

Black's pieces are largely irrelevant.

35...Rf1+ 36.Kxf1 Ra6 37.Rxb7+ Ka8 38.Rb5 Rf6+ 39.Kg1 Rf1+ 40.Kxf1 Nxc2 41.Qb7 checkmate

What an astonishing example of Grasping Victory from the Jaws of Defeat!

Alas, True Believers of the Jerome Gambit Gemeinde, that is not how the game actually ended. Instead, we saw...

31.Rde1 Qf2+ 32.Kh1 Qf1+ 33.Rxf1 Rxf1 checkmate

Piratepaul Tops Wild Muzio Tournament

Some time back (see "Wild!") I mentioned that Chessworld was holding a Lolli / Wild Muzio (1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.Bc4 g4 5.Bxf7+) Gambit Thematic Tournament (for some Wild Muzio's see "Wilder!", "Wildest!", and ""And Yet Wilder Still...") that might be of interest to Jerome Gambiteers.

The tournament is now complete, and Piratepaul – who is also leading the current Chessworld Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) Thematic Tournament – was the winner, with 24 wins out of 28 games. Second place, on a tie-break, was blackburne, nudging out BigFace888 and Crusader Rabbit, all scoring 18 points out of 28.

Here are a few of the short games – one by the tournament winner, one by the runner-up, and one (his sole win, but always fighting) by the tail-ender, brain50.

Piratepaul - Macken
Chessworld, 2009

1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.Bc4 g4 5.Bxf7+

5...Kxf7 6.Ne5+ Ke8

7.Qxg4 d6

Black needed to play 7...Nf6, and according to old analysis after 8.Qxf4 d6 9.Nf3 Rg8 10.0-0 Rg4 11.Qe3 Rxe4 he would be much better.

8.Qh5+ Ke7 9.Qf7 checkmate




TWODOGS - blackburne
Chessworld, 2009

1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.Bc4 g4 5.Bxf7+

5...Kxf7 6.Ne5+ Ke6 7.Qxg4+ Kxe5

8.d4+ Kxd4


Here, Black claimed a win on time – just when the game was getting interesting.

White had the crafty move 9.b4, and play could have continued 9...Bxb4+ 10.c3+ Kc5 – instead, 10...Bxc3+ 11.Nxc3 Kxc3 12.Bb2+ Kxb2 13.Qe2+ Kxa1 14.Kf2 checkmate was played by Spencer (see "And Yet Wilder Still...") – 11.cxb4+ Kb6 12.Bb2 and White had a chance for advantage.



brain50 - DREWBEAR 63
Chessworld, 2009

1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.Bc4 g4 5.Bxf7+

5...Kxf7 6.Ne5+ Ke6 7.d4 White's best was, instead, 7.Qxg4+ so that after 7...Kxe5 he would be able to force a draw by repeatedly checking Black's King.

Now Black can play 7...Qh4+ (a move familiar to those who play the Jerome Gambit) with advantage. Instead, he plays a quieter move.

7...d6 8.Qxg4+ Kf6

Black's best was 8...Ke7 9.Qh4+ Nf6 10.Ng6+ hxg6 11.Qxh8 with an unclear game that is still playable.


9.Qxf4+ Ke7 10.Qf7 checkmate

Consummate Ease

The following game is a pretty good example of White using the advantages at his disposal in the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) to organize his play, reach an even game, pursue the attack and win.



mrjoker - tomnoah
blitz 2 12, ICC, 2008
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8



7.Qxe5 Qe7 Alonzo Wheeler Jerome gave 7...d6 as an alternative in the July 1874 issue of the Dubuque Chess Journal, the article continuing

8.Qf4+ Nf6 9.c3 Kf7 10.d4 Bb6 11.e5 dxe5 12.dxe5 Re8 13.0-0 Kg8 14.exf6 Qxf6 15.Qxf6 gxf6 16.Bh6 and White has a pawn ahead

Note: It should be understood that Mr. Jerome claims in this New Opening "only a pleasant variation of the Giuoco Piano, which may win or lose according to the skill of the players, but which is capable of affording many new positions and opportunities for heavy blows unexpectedly."

8.Qxe7+

Mrjoker does not mind exchanging Queens, as long as he can get his "Jerome pawns" moving. In blitz, tempo and momentum are important.

8...Bxe7 9.d4

Alternately 9.d3 d6 ( 9...Nf6 10.h3 Kf7 11.0-0 Rf8 12.f4 Kg8 13.f5 d6 14.g4 b6 15.Nc3 Bb7 16.Kg2 Nd7 17.Nd5 Bxd5 18.exd5 Ne5 19.Bf4 Bf6 20.g5 Be7 21.Bxe5 dxe5 22.c4 Bxg5 23.Kg3 Bf6 24.Kg4 e4 25.Rab1 exd3 26.Rf3 d2 27.Rd3 h6 28.Rxd2 Bg5 29.Rd3 Rae8 30.Rf1 Re4+ 31.Kg3 Rxc4 32.d6 cxd6 33.Rxd6 Bf4+ 34.Kg4 Bxd6+ White resigned, UNPREDICTABLE - potuz, blitz, FICS, 2009) 10.0-0 Nf6 11.f4 Kf7 12.e5 dxe5 13.fxe5 Bc5+ 14.Kh1 Bd4 15.exf6 Bxf6 16.h3 b6 17.Nc3 Bb7 18.Bf4 c5 19.Be5 Rhe8 20.Bxf6 gxf6 21.Rf4 Rg8 22.Ne4 Bxe4 23.dxe4 Rae8 24.Raf1 Rg7 25.Rxf6+ Kg8 26.R1f4 Kh8 27.g4 Rge7 28.Kg2 Rxe4 29.Rxe4 Rxe4 30.Rf7 Re2+ 31.Kf3 Rxc2 32.Rxa7 Rxb2 33.Kg3 c4 34.Kh4 c3 35.Kh5 Rb5+ 36.g5 c2 37.Kh6 Rxg5 38.Kxg5 c1Q+ White resigned, UNPREDICTABLE - Roschka, blitz, FICS, 2009

9...d6 10.0-0 Nf6 11.Nc3 c6 12.f4 Ke8

This last move by Black, while retaining his advantage, seems a bit provocative.

13.h3 Be6 14.b3 d5 15.e5 Ne4 16.Nxe4 dxe4


Watch those pawns!


17.f5 Bd5 18.c4 Bf7 19.e6


Understandable, but possibly 19.Bb2 was better, with the more patient idea idea of allowing the Rooks to link; shoring up the Kingside, if need be, with g2-g4; and marching the King, if possible, to capture the enemy pawn at e4 and provide assistance for the breakthrough.


19...Bg8 20.Be3 h6 21.Rf4


Classic Nimzovich: blockade the pased pawn, then capture it.

21...Bh7 22.g4 Bf6 23.Rd1 Ke7 24.d5

Love them or hate them, you can't ignore those pawns.


24...cxd5 25.Bc5+ Ke8 26.cxd5 b6 27.Ba3 Rd8 28.d6


28...Be5 29.Rxe4


This will do, although 29.d7+ Rxd7 30.exd7+ Kd8 31.Rxe4 was an alternative way. Now a slip by Black ends things.


29...Bxd6 Black resigned

Watch it!

After playing over the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) and Jerome-ized lightning games (three minutes or less per side per game) played by ItsAllBullCheck, what I've got to say about the chess clock to those who would defend that crazy Bishop check is: watch it!

Russian International Master Ilya Odessky, in his one-of-a-king book Play 1.b3!, has some things to say, in general, along that line

Opening theory also changes in rapid chess. Unavoidably. Because the opening is like the start of a race, and runners have to train differently, depending on the distance they run. For a classical chess player, the opening is extremely important and has universal significance. It really matters whether one side has more space, the bishop pair, or an exposed king.

For a professional speed player, these things also matter, but much less so. The most important thing for him is an advantage on the clock. Second in importance is the possibility to surprise the opponent, lure him into a position with which you are familiar and he is not. This itself is usually transformed into an advantage on the clock, It is good to pose problems from the very start, so that he has to find the one and only good continueaiton; then, in order to find it, he has to use time, which in speed chess means more than the two (or even three!) bishops...

I remember an article in a chess magazine, I cannot recall which. But the author was one of the world top 10. Talking aobut a strong rapid tournament, and about what had happened on one of the top boards, he suddenly started to discuss the opening 1.d4 e5!? And several times referred to "the theory". And he started a serious discussion of the line - what Kasimzhanov thinks of the position, what Aronian thinks...

And just as suddenly, he stopped. Because he had said more than he intended – he had suddenly started revealing some of the theory of speed chess. Then the curtain was pulled across again.

Take it!

Here is another tip for those who would defend against the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+): take the Bishop!

Play 4...Kxf7. It's that simple.

That sounds like basic advice, and I have to admit that in 98% or 99% of the games in my database, Black does make the capture.

But there are 45 games in that same database where Black plays instead 4...Kf8 or 4...Ke7. What's that all about?

I realize that there's a bit of "If he wants me to take the bishop, then I won't!" involved in Black's decision-making, but defenders, listen up: a piece is a piece.

Curiously, White won only 60% of the games where Black declined the piece. What to make of that?

That is a higher winning percentage for Jerome Gambits in general (in thematic tournaments White tends to win 35% to 45% of the time), but lower than you might expect in games where the first player is given the gift of a pawn and an uncastled enemy King.

In only half of the games where Black declined the Bishop and still won was it clear that the defender was the significantly higher-rated player. (That is: Black turned down accepting "Jerome Gambit odds" and instead offered odds of pawn and uncastled King – and won.)

Finally, some advice for those playing White with the Jerome Gambit, as well: If your opponent declines the Bishop, move it away or exchange it.

In 16 of the games in the database, when Black did not capture the Bishop but played 4...Kf8 or 4...Ke7; and then White did not move or exchange his Bishop, White scored only 37.5%

Having said "A"...

Here is a tip for those who would defend against the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+): if you are going to make use of the Blackburne Defense, 4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6, then it is important for you to realize that the move 6...g6 commits you to sacrificing your King's Rook. It's that simple: having said "A" you must now say "B". Now, this can be a good thing, as in Whistler's Defense, or even a playable thing, as in the Blackburne Defense proper; but if it turns out to be an ooooops! thing, difficulties will arise – as the following game demonstrates.

mrjoker - Parseltongue blitz 2 12, Internet Chess Club, 2008 

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6

7.Qxe5

Now Black can play 7...d6, and after 8.Qxh8 he can counter-attack with 8...Qh4 – with best play by both sides, the game will be a draw. (Although see perrypawnpusher - Sgrunterundt, blitz, FICS, 2008 and perrypawnpusher - tejeshwar, blitz, FICS, 2009) Or Black can play 7...Qe7, and after 8.Qxh8 – again, after best play by both sides – he will crush White after 8...Qxe4+ (for example blackburne - perrypawnpusher, Chessworld 2008).

7...Be7

This move, while a novelty, does not stand up to the needs of the position.

8.Qxh8 Bf6 9.Qxh7+ Bg7 10.Qh3 d6 11.Qf3+ Nf6

White's Queen has escaped, and Black has no counter-attack to speak of.

12.Nc3 Bg4 13.Qe3 Qe7 14.f3 Bd7 15.d4 Black resigned

White is up the exchange and three pawns.