On Break

"Kennedy Kid" Jon is home today, starting his Christmas break from teaching at The Haitian Project's Louverture Cleary School, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

(This is Jon, dressed for a Halloween party as "Route National 3", the road LCS staff and students have been cleaning.)

A Game Shorter Than the Notes

My opponent in the following game was only rated 50 points above me, but I think he quickly went from thinking "this is a silly opening, any response will do" to "maybe I can't spot this guy two pawns, maybe we should start over." So, three cheers for the Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit!

Oh, I had Black in our second game, and lost. Figures.

perrypawnpusher  - FanumFortunae
blitz, 2 12 FICS, 2009

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

The Semi-Italian Opening.

4.0-0 Bc5 5.Bxf7+

The Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.Qh5+

7...Kf6

Probably a spur-of-the-moment choice. A guy sacs two pawns and then comes out with his Queen against me?

Best was 7...Ke6, although 7...Kf8, 7...Ng6 and 7...g6 are playable.

8.Qf5+ Black resigned

Well, yeah, there's that...

A couple of years ago, an opponent of mine pushed the game a bit further, with a similar result: 8...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

This changes everything...

I've unpacked and filtered the FICS games from 1999 through 2004 so far, and I have been amazed how many people have played the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) and its relatives so many times!

The New Year's Day Jerome PGN file, for example, already has over fifty-one hundred games in it, and may reach ten thousand before I am done.

This also means that I will be updating my information here (over a year-and-a-half of daily posts, so far) as many moves that I had thought were new have turned out to have been played earlier. Apparent "TNs" (and "TLs") have precedents.

Many more unsung members of the Jerome Gambit Gemeinde have turned up, as well.

There are exciting battles to share – and enough strangeness to amaze and amuse.

For example, there is a short game played over and over by a host of different characters across the years: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nge7 4.Ng5 f6 5.Bf7 checkmate.

It's not Jerome-ish, but it might be worth remembering in a quick game against 3...Nge7.

Also, the proper move after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 is 4.Bxf7+, not 4.Nxe5

Of course, after 4...Nxe5 5.Bxf7+ Black has 5...Nxf7, remaining a safe two pieces ahead.

Yet, I've run into a number of games where Black has played the very cooperative 5...Kxf7 – transposing back to regular Jerome Gambit lines.

Strange.

Again:

GOH  - netwell
blitz FICS, 2002

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6 6.c3 Kxe5 7.cxd4+ Kxd4 8.b3 Nf6 9.Bb2+ Kxe4 10.Qf3 checkmate

Ouch!

Jerome Gambit on YouTube!?

I recently ran across a YouTube video (above). It turns out that the game is Ghandybh  - ishahir, Chess.com, 2009: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Nc6 9.e5+ Ke7 10.Qg5+ Ke6 11.Qxg7 Nge7 12.Qf6+ Kd5 13.Nc3+ Kc4 14.Qf7+ d5 15.exd6+ Kd4 16.Nb5+ Ke4 17.d3 checkmate.

Very, very cool.

When your opponent takes his time...

...it's OK for you to take time, too.

When your opponent falls behind on the clock, especially in a Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), it is tempting to blitz out moves, to keep the pressure on.

Strong moves, not necessarily fast ones, provide the most challenge, though – and this can mean some thinking time for the Gambiteer as well.

perrypawnpusher - calexander
blitz 5 12, FICS, 2009

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

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

Oh, dear. Another one of those refutations...

On the other hand, my opponent had been taking quite a bit of time over his last few moves. This was good.

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Nf7

This move was new to me, and has been rarely played.

The strongest defense/counter-attack begins with 8...Qh4+.

9.Qd5+

After a little thought, I decided to take the Bishop, an understandable idea but not best.

Had I taken more time, I would have found 9.Qxf7, which is an interesting move. A pawn fork at e5 will follow if Black develops his Queen or Knight at f6. If Black plays for King safety with 9...c6, then Rybka suggests that 10.Qxg7 Nf6 11.Qxf6+ Qxf6 12.e5+ is possible, with an edge to White.

analysis diagram




9...Ke7 10.Qxc5+ Ke8

The only other example I have of this line continued 10...d6 11.Qd4 Nf6 12.Nc3 Re8 13.d3 Kf8 14.0-0 c5 15.Qf2 b6 16.Bd2 Bb7 17.Rae1 d5 18.e5 Nd7 19.e6 Re7 20.exf7 Rxf7 21.Re6 Nf6 22.Rfe1 d4 23.Ne4 Nxe4 24.dxe4 Bc8 25.Re5 Qd6 26.Rd5 Qh6 27.Qg3 Bb7 28.f5 Bxd5 29.Bxh6 gxh6 30.exd5 Rf6 31.Re6 Rxf5 32.Rxh6 Rf7 33.Qd6+ Kg8 34.Qe6 Raf8 35.Rf6 Kg7 36.Rxf7+ Rxf7 37.d6 Kf8 38.d7 Re7 39.Qf6+ Rf7 40.Qxf7+ Kxf7 41.d8Q Ke6 Black resigned, Superpippo - Sulu, FICS, 2002

11.0-0 b6 12.Qe3 d6 13.Nc3 Nf6

14.e5 dxe5 15.fxe5 Nd5

Black has an even position. If only he could castle, he'd have the better game. In the meantime, his time shortage was getting serious. 

16.Qf3

A cheap tactical trick: 16.Qg6 was better.

16...Qe7

Black could defend easily and economically with 16...Be6, for example 17.d4 Nxc3 18.Qc6+ Ke7 19.Qxc3 c6 looks okay for him. But that time shortage was hurting calexander and helping me.

17.Qxd5 Rb8 18.d4 Be6

19.Qb5+ Kd8 20.Nd5

More tactics.

I am also happy to exchange pieces and eventually cash in my "Jerome pawns".

Swapping pieces doesn't take much time, so my opponent went along with me.

20...Bxd5 21.Qxd5+ Qd7 22.Qxd7+ Kxd7 23.Rxf7+

Ooops.

23...Ke8 24.Rxc7 Rf8 25.Rxg7 Black lost on time

Of course, down a piece and four pawns, his eventual demise was only a matter of time, anyhow.

Jerome Gambit: Buggy?

Who would have guessed it?

A trip to The Bug Board, where bughouse chess is discussed, turns up a past discussion on the use of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.BXf7+) as a possible opening.

Well, sure – why not?

A Little Magic

It's always fun when the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) brings about a little magic. The following game starts off routine, moves to a middlegame that is 21st Century, and then finishes with a sparkle. I can overlook a number of blemishes along the way and appreciate the final position. 

perrypawnpusher  - pfink

blitz 10 0, FICS, 2009

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

My opponent plans a defensive setup using a fianchettoed Queen Bishop. This is a relatively new idea in the Jerome Gambit, one that I've seen only a few times.

One example came out of the Semi-Italian game: 3...h6 4.0-0 Bc5 5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.Qh5+ Ng6 8.Qd5+ Kf8 9.Qxc5+ N8e7 10.Nc3 b6 11.Qe3 Bb7 12.f4 d5 13.f5 d4 14.fxg6+ Kg8 15.Qf4 dxc3 16.Qf7 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - sarBear, blitz FICS, 2009.

4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6

As with my game against sarBear, I think that the 6...Ng6 defense, while one of the recognized Jerome Gambit refutations, has the slight disability of losing the Bishop at c5 – allowing White's f-pawn to advance after he castles.

7.Qd5+ Kf8

An alternative: 7...Ke8 8.Qxc5 N8e7 9.0-0 b6 10.Qe3 Rf8 11.f4 d6 12.f5 Ne5 13.d4 Nc4 14.Qg3 Rf7 15.Nc3 Kf8 16.Bg5 h6 17.Bc1 Bb7 18.f6 Rxf6 19.Rxf6+ gxf6 20.Bxh6+ Ke8 21.Qg7 Kd7 22.Qg4+ Ke8 23.Qg7 Nd2 24.Qxf6 Bxe4 25.Nxe4 Nxe4 26.Qh8+ Kd7 27.Qxd8+ Rxd8µ 28.Re1 Nf5 29.Rxe4 Nxh6 30.Rh4 Nf5 31.Rh7+ Kc6 32.c3 Re8 33.Kf2 a5 34.b3 Rf8 35.Ke2 Re8+ 36.Kd2 Ne3 37.Rg7 Nf1+ 38.Kd3 Nxh2 39.g4 Nf3 40.g5 Nh4 41.c4 Nf5 42.d5+ Kb7 43.Rh7 Re7 44.Rxe7 Nxe7 45.Ke4 Ng6 46.Kf5 Nh4+ 47.Kf6 Kc8 48.g6 Nxg6 49.Kxg6 Kd7 50.Kf6 c6 51.Kf7 cxd5 52.cxd5 b5 53.a3 Kc7 54.Ke7 b4 55.a4 Kb6 56.Kxd6 Ka6 57.Kc6 Ka7 58.Kc7 Ka6 59.d6 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - Lark, blitz FICS, 2009

8.Qxc5+ Qe7

9.Qe3 Nf6 10.d3 d6

Black by-passes the (probably better) freeing (and center-crunching) 10...d5 because he has a different idea in mind. The "hyper-modern Jerome Gambit"?

11.0-0 b6 12.f4 Bb7 13.f5

An alternative which was about equal to the text, with Black also having a bit of an advantage, was 13.Nc3, as in 13...Re8 14.Bd2 h6 15.h3 Qd7 16.Qg3 Ne7 17.e5 Nfg8 18.Rae1 Nf5 19.Qf2 Nge7 20.g4 g6 21.gxf5 gxf5 22.Re3 Rg8+ 23.Rg3 Kf7 24.Ne2 h5 25.Kh2 Rg6 26.Rfg1 Reg8 27.Nd4 dxe5 28.Rxg6 exd4 29.Rxg8 Nxg8 30.Qg3 Ne7 31.Qg7+ Ke6 32.Re1+ Kd6 33.Qe5+ Kc6 34.Qxe7 Qxe7 35.Rxe7 Kd6 36.Re5 Bc8 37.Kg3 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - hogmaster, JG3 thematic, Chessworld,  2008.

13...Ne5 14.Nc3 Rd8 15.Qg3 d5

As planned, although after the game Rybka 3 was skeptical, suggesting that the following keeps a slight advantage for Black: 15...Kf7 16.Ne2 c5 17.Bg5 Rhe8 18.Nf4 Kg8 19.Ne6 Rc8. A pretty complicated position.  

16.d4 Nf7 17.e5

This was my planned reaction to ...d6-d5. My hope was to put my "Jerome pawns" to work before Black was able to play ...c7-c5 and trouble my center.

17...Nd7

This is an error – 17...Ne8 – was better; but I think my opponent decided to return a piece for a less-complicated game.

18.e6 Nf6 19.exf7 Qxf7

At first glance this does not look too bad for Black: he is down a pawn, but the open e-file suggests that the major pieces (Rooks and Queens) might be exchanged there, and the possible outpost for the Black Knight at e4 suggests an exchange as well; leaving a Bishops-of-opposite-colors endgame that could be draw-able.

Black can hope.

20.Bg5 h6 21.Bxf6 Qxf6

Keeping his Kingside pawns intact, although 21...gxf6 was stronger, as now White can grab the c7-pawn.

22.Qe5

Mostly a bluff, as I didn't think my opponent wanted me to have a passed, protected pawn at e5 in an ending. Pulling my Queen Rook over to the e-file was a better move for me.

Pfink should have swapped Queens.

22...Qf7 23.f6

Looks scary...

23...Re8 

A costly slip. 23...g6 was necessary, if uncomfortable, because Black's "Jerome Rook" is still stuck in the corner.

24.fxg7+ Kg8 25.gxh8Q checkmate

graphic by Jeff Bucchino, the Wizard of Draws