Eric Schiller Doesn't Play the Jerome Gambit

American author and FIDE Master Eric Schiller doesn't play the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+). Despite his interest in unusual opening lines, he has spent far more time providing the club player with refutations of the Jerome.

His 2003 (with John Watson) Survive and Beat Annoying Chess Openings has a chapter on "Bashing the Jerome Gambit," which would be something akin to "Weapons of Mass Destruction versus the Mosquito" if it didn't at least shine a light on the poor, neglected creation of Alonzo Wheeler Jerome.

Still, as a followup to my two posts on Adolf Albin and the Jerome Gambit (see Part 1 and Part 2), I was wandering through my database when I came across the following game. There's at least a slight resemblance in the play to, well, you know...

Schiller - Shipman
New York, 1981

1.e4 Nc6 2.Bc4 e5 3.d3 Na5


4.Bxf7+
International Master Gary Lane (author of a couple of books on the Bishop's Opening), in one of his Opening Lanes columns at ChessCafe, wrote, in response to a reader who had asked about this line

I wanted to dismiss this bishop sacrifice, but in the spirit of the King's Gambit, I had to see what happens. I was surprised to realize that White is doing very well.

Michael Goeller (maintaining the best online resource for the Bishop's Opening), in his article on "The Hamppe - Meitner Motif" (see "Hamppe -Meitner Revealed" as well as "Godfather of the Jerome Gambit?" Part I, Part II, Part III, and Endnote) for the Kenilworth Chess Club website is more assertive, noting

If White does not have this move it's hard to see how he might even try to gain the advantage.

4...Kxf7 5.Qh5+ Ke6
Of course, the Jerome-ish 5...g6 was an option for Black, but not a particularly good one.

White plays 6.Qxe5 attacking the knight and rook, when 6...Bb4+ 7.Bd2 Nf6 8.Bxb4 is just very good for White – LaneInteresting, but ultimately unsatisfactory, is 5...g6!? 6.Qxe5 Nc6 7.Qxh8 h6 8.Bxh6! (8.Qc3?? Bb4! points up how much difference d3 for White can make!) 8...Bxh6 (8...Nxh6 9.Nc3) 9. Nf3 and White's Queen will not be trapped, meaning White retains a slight material edge and the safer King – Goeller

6.Qf5+

White has a much simpler alternative here: 6.Nf3! Qf6 (6...Nc6? 7.Ng5+ Ke7 8.Qf7+) 7.Ng5+ Ke7 8.Nc3 c6 and White wins back his material with advantage by 9.b4 or 9.Nxh7!? – Goeller
Instead, 6.Nf3 is met by 6...d6! and this simple way to deal with the threat against the e5-pawn 7.Ng5+ Kd7 8.Nf7 Qe8 9.Qf3 Nf6 10.Nxh8 Be7 slightly favors Black because he has two pieces for the rook, but 11.d4 is interesting since the king is misplaced on d7 – Lane

6...Kd6 7.d4

It appears that Schiller wished (mistakenly) to transpose directly to Hamppe - Meitner, but he thus missed his chance to turn White's extra tempo to advantage – Goeller

The move 7.f4 is stronger, according to Goeller and Lane ("The chase is on and White is in hot pursuit of the king").
7...Kc6 8.Qxe5 d5
9.exd5+ Kb6

Black can play for the win with 9...Qxd5! 10.Qe8+ Bd7!! 11.Qxa8 Nf6 12.Qxa7 (12.Nc3 Qxg2 13.Be3 Nc4 14.O-O-O Nxe3 15.fxe3 Qxh1) 12...Qxg2 13.Qxa5 Qxh1 14.d5+ Nxd5 15.Qa4+ Kb6 16.Qxd7 Qxg1+ 17.Ke2 Qxc1 18.Qxd5 Bc5. The text move should also favor Black, but it is much less clear – Goeller

10.Nc3 Qe7 11.Na4+ Kb5 12.Nc3+
Here 12.b3 was the move to draw.

12...Kb6
There was more in 12...Ka6.
13.Bf4 Bf5 Drawn

If Black had wanted to play for a win, he might have tried 13...Nc4!. It remains unclear to me whether this was a pre-arranged draw gone wrong or a real contest – Goeller

Faster Than The Speed of Thought

Those who play the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) have become comfortable, out of necessity, with a certain level of chaos all over the chess board.

The same is true for those who play Jerome-like (or Jerome-ized) openings – and doubly so for those who play them at blitz or lightning speed.

I was working through some fast games by DragonTail at FICS (Free Internet Chess Server), making some quick assessments and decided that the particular variation that I was looking at was too wild for me. Add the fact that the players were not at their tip-top best (no offense intended), and the whole series seems to have taken place faster than the speed of thought... 

DragonTail - chingching 

blitz, FICS, 2009 

 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.d4

Now, after 4...exd4 we will have a variation of the Scotch Gambit; and after 4...Bxd4 we will have George Laven's Miami Variation, as presented in Acers and Laven's The Italian Gambit (2004). 

4...Bxd4 5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.Ng5+ Kg6 -+

Yes, after this move Black has a significant advantage, as he would after 6...Ke8, 6...Kf8 or 6...Ke7.

On the other hand, after the careless 6...Kf6, White would have the advantage: 7.Qf3+ Ke7 (7...Kg6 8.Qf5+ Kh5 9.Ne6+ g5 10.Bxg5 Bxf2+ 11.Kxf2 dxe6 12.g4#) 8.Qf7+ Kd6 9.Na3 Nf6 10.c3 Qg8 11.cxd4 Nxd4 12.Be3 h6 13.Nc4+ Kc6 14.Nxe5+ Kb5 15.Bxd4 hxg5 16.Qg6 Qh7± 

7.Qg4 Nf6?

A stronger move is 7...Nh6 -+ , but it has to be followed up properly: 8.Qg3 Bxf2+? 9.Kxf2 ± Rf8+ +- 10.Nf7+? -+ Kxf7 DragonTail - Patrick, FICS 2008 (0-1, 21); Not so good is 7...d5 8.Qg3 (but 8.Ne6+ +-) 8...Bxf2+ (8...Qf6) 9.Kxf2 Qf6+ ± 10.Kg1 = Kh5? +- 11.Nd2? -+ Qxg5 DragonTail - freesok, FICS 2007 (0-1, 23); 7...Qf6 -+ is the computer's choice;

Not 7...d6? giving White the advantage, but wait: 8.Qg3? (8.Ne6+ Kf7 9.Nxd8+ Nxd8 10.Qh5+ g6 11.Qf3+ +-) 8...Kf6? 9.Nf3? (9.Qf3+ Kg6 10.Qf7+ Kh6 11.Ne6+ g5 12.h4 Bc3+ 13.Kf1 Bxe6 14.hxg5#) 9...Kf7 10.Ng5+ Ke7 11.Nf3 Be6? 12.Nxd4? (12.Qxg7+ Ke8 13.Qxh8 +-) 12...Nxd4 DragonTail - chingching, FICS 2009 (0-1,43) 

8.Qg3?

There was the opportunity for 8.Qf5+ Kh5 9.Nf3+ g5 10.Qxg5 checkmate 

8...Nh5 9.Qg4 d5? Instead, 9...Nf6 equalizes. 

10.Ne6+ Kf6 11.Bg5+ Black resigned

Adolf Albin Plays the Jerome Gambit (Part 2)

Adolf Albin (1848 – 1920), of Romania, was a creative chess master with a number of opening experiments to his credit, most notably the Albin Counter Gambit (1.d4 d5 2.c4 e5) and the Albin-Alekhine-Chatard Attack vs the French Defense (1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7 5.e5 Nfd7 6.h4).

As we saw last post (see "Adolf Albin Plays the Jerome Gambit (Part 1)" ) a case can be made that he dabbled in the "modern" variation of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) as well.

Albin,A - Schlechter,C
Trebitsch Memorial Tournament Vienna, 1914

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Qe2 Bc5 5.Bxf7+

Not good, as it retards White's development. Max Lange, in 1859, pointed out the weakness of 5.Ng5 Nd4 6.Bxf7+ Kf8 7.Qc4 Qe7. The best move is 5.c3. Deutsches Schachzeitung

An old continuation which only helps Black to develop. Deutsches Wochenschach

5...Kxf7

Or, from the Jerome Gambit move order: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Qe2 Nf6. Voila!

6.Qc4+ d5 7.Qxc5 Nxe4
8.Qe3 Re8 9.0-0 Kg8 10.c4

The decisive blunder. 10.d3 was indicated. Deutsches Schachzeitung

10...Nf6 11.cxd5 Nxd5 12.Qe4 Nf6 13.Qa4 e4

14.Ne1 Nd4 15.Nc3 a6 16.Nc2 c5

17.b4 was threatened. Deutsches Wochenschach

17.Ne3

Black would still have the best of it after 17.Nxd4 cd 18.Ne2 d3 Deutsches Schachzeitung

17...Be6 18.Qd1 Bf7

Threatening ...Bh5 and the sacrifice of the knight Deutsches Wochenschach

19.Kh1

There is no defense. If 19.b3 then 19...Bh5 20.Qe1 (or 20.f3 ef 21.gf Qd7) Nf3+ 21.gf Bxf3 with a winning attack. If 19.Ng4 then 19...Nh5 The reply to 19.d3 ed 20.Qxd3 is 20...Nf3+ Deutsches Schachzeitung

19...Bh5 20.f3

Or 20.Qe1 Nf3 21.gf Bxf3+ followed by ...Ng4 or 20.g4 Bg6 followed by ...Nf3 Deutsches Schachzeitung

20...exf3 21.gxf3 Qd7 22.Kg2

Otherwise Black plays 22...Qh3 Deutsches Schachzeitung

22...Re5 23.h4

Forced, on account of the threat of ...Rg5+ Deutsches Schachzeitung

23...Rf8 24.d3 Ne8 25.Ng4 Ref5 26.f4

If 26.Nh2 then 26...Nxf3 Deutsches Schachzeitung

26...Nf6 27.Nxf6+ R8xf6 28.Qd2 Rg6+ 29.Kf2 Rf8 30.Ke1 Qh3 31.Ne4 Rg2 White resigned

Adolf Albin Plays the Jerome Gambit (Part 1)

With the miracle of chess opening transpositions, and the inclusiveness of the "modern" variations of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), a bit of chess revisionism is hardly difficult to perform at all...

The Modern Jerome Gambit

The "Modern" Jerome Gambit – so-called because it was not seen during the days of Alonzo Wheeler Jerome, and has only recently (within the last 10 - 15 years) appeared – can be classified as "1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Not-Nxe5+":

5.0-0, 5.Nc3, 5.d3, 5.a3, 5.h3, 5.Qe2, etc. All of those fifth moves for White can be safely submitted to chess analysis engines and all will receive a "better" score than 5.Nxe5+.

Let's take a look at 5.Qe2: it received attention as the backbone of GladtoMateYou's play (see "Home Cooking") with White in the current Chessworld Jerome Gambit Thematic Tournament. As Black's response, let's give the reasonable 5...Nf6.

And now a bit of a historical digression...

According to the August 1895 issue of the British Chess Magazine, the cities of Brandfort and Bloemfontein, South Africa, played a game of correspondence chess that year. It began 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Qe2 d6, and James Mason (writing for the BCM) wrote

Better 4...Nf6. There would be plenty of time to play the Pawn - perhaps two squares instead of one. For, as the Cape Times remarks, if White adopts the "Jerome Gambit" 5.Bxf7+ Black replies 5...Kxf7 6.Qc4+ d5 7.Qxc5 Nxe4 with advantage.

(It should be noted that despite Mason's assessment, GladtoMateYou won 3 of the 4 games in the Thematic Tournament that reached that position after 7 moves.)

We are now ready to proceed to Albin - Schlechter, Trebitsch Memorial Memorial Tournament, Vienna, 1914.

In the next post, that is...

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