Boo!

When I play the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), I would prefer that my opponent not laugh too loud.

Ideally, I would like him to to become nervous, if not downright terrified.  Sometimes that can be helpful, as the following game illustrates.

perrypawnpusher - frencheng
blitz 10 5, FICS, 2010

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

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

I like this move. So did Alonzo Wheeler Jerome, who played it (against his own gambit) in two correspondence games against Dan Jaeger in 1880.

7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qg3

Jerome's analysis in 1874 considered only 8.Qf4+. perrypawnpusher - Capt. Mandrake, JG3 thematic, Chessworld, 2008, continued 8...Nf6 9.0-0 Black resigned.

8...Qe7

Planning to hit back at the center immediately.

9.d3 d5 10.0-0

Quickly diving out of the way of the action in the center. 

After the game, Rybka suggested, instead: 10.Bg5 Nf6 11.Nc3 dxe4 12.Nxe4 Bd6 13.Qe3 Bf5 14.f3 Kf7 15.0-0-0 Rhe8 when it shows that Black has a smaller advantage than in the game. I'm not so sure that I agree, as Black needs only ...Kg8 to safeguard his King. Both lines look good for the second player.

10...dxe4 11.Re1 Qd6 12.Bf4 Qd4

Keeping an eye on both the a1-h8 and a7-g1 diagonals. Rybka says this gives White a small advantage, and recommends a transition to the endgame, instead, with 12...Qg6 13.Qxg6 hxg6 14.Rxe4 Bb6, keeping the edge.

13.Be5

I like this move, but, wouldn't you know it, the computer second-guessed me here, too, preferring 13.Nc3 Nf6 14.Nxe4 Be7 15.Bxc7, with an edge.

13...Qd7 14.Rxe4

White is slowly crawling out of his cave, but Black is still better. If he keeps his wits about himself, he can play some settling moves like 14...Nf6 15.Rc4 Bd6 16.Bxd6+ Qxd6 17.Rxc7 Qxg3 18.fxg3 Nd5 and he is not worse. 

14...Qf5

I am not sure what Black was intending here, other than keeping pressure on f2, but I couldn't have gotten a more favorable move if I had leaned into my computer and yelled "Boo!!"

15.Qxg7+ Ke8 16.Bg3+

This will do, but 16.Bd6+ squeezes more out of the position.

16...Qxe4

Boo!!

Understandable, even if 16...Be6 17.Qxh8 was less worse for Black.

17.dxe4 Black resigned

G.K.G.

It's fun to include Gary K. Gifford as part of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) Gemeinde – not so much because he plays the Jerome Gambit (he doesn't) but because of his support of the opening, publishing several of my Jerome Gambit articles in the fantastic and fantastical "Unorthodox Openings Newsletter" (see "Jerome Gambit Scrapbook") – which can be found among the Yahoo Groups – and coining the nickname "The Jerome Gamble".

Players who like the Jerome Gambit are probably playing their share of unorthodox chess openings, too.

It's also a delight to stop by Chessville and visit Gary's chess comics that fill out "The Chess Player's Chronicles", as well as his tactics page there.

Like I've said: Jerome Gambit Gemeinde members are interesting people!

Chess Games Links

Readers may have noticed that I have added a link to this Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) blog: that of Lars Balzer's Chess Games Links. Here's how he describes his site, recently updated:

Links to chess games (pgn, cbf, cbh, cbv, nic, si3, ...) around the internet which you can download for free! You can get chess of the best players in the world as well as open tournaments and chess of lower level. You will find large databases with millions of different games as well as small archives. You will find current chess activity as well as historical chess. You will find classical chess, correspondence chess, computer chess, annotated games and lots more!

So, if you're searching for games – Jerome Gambit or otherwise – here's a great place to start!

graphic by Jeff Bucchino, the Wizard of Draws

Opening Reports on the New Year's Database

Using the New Year's Database of Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 4.Bxf7+), and Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.0-0/4.Nc3/4.d3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+) games, I enlisted ChessBase8 to run a series of Opening Reports. The results were enlightening.

Starting with 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+, the Report found 6,507 games. White "scored badly" at 44%, while Black scored 56%.

As for Black's replies, 4...Kxf7 was played in 6,124 games, when Black "scored well" with 56%, as compared to scoring "averagely" (46%) with 4...Kf8 and "badly" with 4...Ke7 (30%).

These statistics, like all statistics, should be taken with a grain of salt. Still, it is clear at this point that Black gains nothing (and White loses nothing) by avoiding the capture of the Bishop. Too, if the Opening Report considers 46% to be "average", White's 44% is not far off the mark.

Finally, the Critical Line is given as 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5 Nxe5 6.d4 Bxd4 7.Qxd4 Qe7 where White scores 33%. This is interesting, but Readers know that 6...Qh4+ is the actual critical line, even if it has scored poorly in the database.

I re-ran the Opening Report after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 and was not surprised to find that while 5.Nxe5+ was played in 2,677 games and scored "averagely" with 53%, all other White choices scored "below average" (5.c3 47%;), "badly" (5.b3 43%; 5.d4 40%; 5.0-0 36%;) or "miserably" (5.Qe2 33%; 5.d3 32%; 5.a3 31%; 5.h4 31%; 5.Nc3 27%; 5.c4 25%; 5.Ng5 23%; 5.g3 0%; 5.Ng1 0%) – with the exception of 5.b4, transposing to the Jerome Evans Gambit, where White scored "well" at 67% (in 6 games).

I re-ran the Opening Report on 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+, and noticed that White scored 74% against 5...Ke8; 67% against 5...Ke7; 53% against 5...Nxe5; 45% against 5...Kf8; and 38% against 5...Ke6.

Clearly that last move needs more analysis on behalf of White. 

In general, it still looks like White does best to stick with the Jerome Gambit "book" and that Black takes more risks when he knowingly or unknowingly plays away from "book".

graphic by Jeff Bucchino, the Wizard of Draws

Platypus Perils and Follies

Here's another example of what Gary K. Gifford, editor of the Unorthodox Openings Newsletter,  would call "the Jerome Gamble" (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+). The "bet" pays off, but only after some tense – and ridiculous – moments.

perrypawnpusher - Banassi

blitz 2 12, FICS, 2009

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

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

If Black is brave – or knowledgeable – enough to play this move, his game has a good chance at a happy ending.

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Qh4+

Ah, here is part of the "gamble": does Black know the killing Queen sacrifice, or is he just causing trouble??

9.g3 Nf3+ 

Okay, so far.

10.Kd1 Qe7

Uh, no. That would indicate "brave".

11.e5+

Incredible. Black allows a mate-in-one and White overlooks it!

Waiter! Coffee for my friend and me. None of that de-caf stuff, give me high-test!

11...Kc6

Black misses a chance for complete recovery with 11...Nxe5, since after 12.d4 Kc6 13.fxe5 d5 14.Qd3 Bg4+ he has an edge (and an extra piece).

analysis diagram





12.Qe4+ Kb6 13.Qxf3 d6

Black is not distressed with the loss of the advanced Knight (he is still a piece ahead) and, seeing the White King as vulnerable, he works to open lines in the center.

14.Nc3

After the game, Rybka gave a tortuous route to equality: 14.d4 Bxd4 15.Qb3+ Kc6 16.Qa4+ Kc5 17.Na3 Bg4+ 18.Kd2 dxe5 19.Qb5+ Kd6 20.fxe5+ Ke6 21.Qc4+ Kf5 22.c3 Be3+ 23.Kxe3 Qxe5+ 24.Kf2 Re8 25.Rf1 Qe6 26.Kg1+ Kg6 27.Bf4 Whew!

analysis diagram






14...Be6

15.Na4+

There has to be some kind of attack on the King, I thought.

That is true, but the move played should only lead to a draw. Rybka preferred 15.b4 Bxb4 16.a3 c6 17.axb4 and White is better in a tense position.

15...Kb5

This is too cooperative. After 15...Ka6 White can play to split the point with 16.f5 Qf7 17.Nxc5+ dxc5 18.Qa3+ Kb6 19.d4, with the plan for repetition of position.

16.Qxb7+

Now White does have an attack going.

16...Bb6 17.Nxb6 axb6 18.Qxa8

18...dxe5 19.a4+ Kc5 20. d3 exf4

Black continues with his plan to open up the center against the White King. He doesn't have many alternatives.

21. b4+ Kd6 22. Bxf4+ Kd7 23. Qb7 Bg4+ 24. Kc1 Ke8 25. Qa8+

White is ahead two pawns plus the exchange, and has a potential for either opening the a-file for his Rook or creating a protected passed pawn. An endgame is just fine for him.

25...Kf7 26.Qd5+ Kf8 27.Qe4 Qxb4 

A game-ending oversight, but the endgame held nothing but suffering for Black.

28. Qxb4+ Black resigned

Booking Mr. Joker

Continuing my on-line visits to some of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) Gemeinde members, I stopped by Louis Morin's ("mrjoker") bookshop website. Interesting. It even has copies of my book (with Riley Sheffield), The Marshall Gambit in the French and Sicilian Defenses...

Hmmm... It also looks like Louis has translated a number of Jeremy Silman's books (from English into French).

I'll mention that Louis has contributed comments and analysis to Grandmaster Boris Alterman's web page, if only forme to be able to mention that The Alterman Gambit Guide White Gambits is due out this month, with The Alterman Gambit Guide Black Gambits due out in March, 2010.

The Jerome Gambit Gemeinde has some interesting members!

Ferocious

In the following game, Gemeinde member Welton Vaz ("Ghandybh") of Brazil shows just how ferocious the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) can become when it is treated casually. White's play assumes the style of a hungry, relentless predator.

 Ghandybh - Noel1942
Chess.com, 2009

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

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

The New Year's Database has 823 games with this position: White won 45%, Black won 49%, and 6% were drawn.

7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6

Black has his typical advantage against the Jerome Gambit: a piece for two pawns. White, in turn, has something to work with: advancing the "Jerome pawns" against Black's uncastled King.

9.Qe3 Nf6 10.O-O Ne5

This idea is new and designed to be provocative.

11.d4 Neg4 12.Qb3 b6

Black wants to develop his light-squared Bishop, so he first makes his b-pawn safe. He could have chosen a come-and-get-me set-up with 12...Qe7 13.f3 Nh6 14.Nc3 Nf7 with a small advantage.

White decides to open the game.

13.h3 Nh6 14.e5 dxe5

A bit better, although certainly unappealing, was 14...Nfg8.

15.dxe5 Nfg8

White may have a slightly better game here, but he definitely has the more comfortable position.

16.Qf3 Be6 17.Rd1 Qc8 18.Nc3 Ne7 19.Nb5

White's initiative grows with the threat of Qxa8 followed by Nxc7+.

19...Rf8 20. Qxa8 Kf7

Black's "best" was to fall in with his opponent's plans and play 20... Qxa8, when after 21.Nxc7+ Kf7 he will be able to answer 22.Nxa8 with 22...Rxa8

21.Qxc8 Rxc8 22.Bxh6 gxh6 23.Nxa7

White is up an exchange and three pawns. Black's only "hope" is to try an attack on the King.

23...Rg8 24.Kh2 Nf5

25.g4 Ne7 26.Nb5 h5 27.Nxc7 hxg4 28.Rd6

Welton is untroubled by the activity near his King and presses his own attack.

28...Bf5 29.Rf6+ Kg7 30.hxg4 Bg6

31.Rd1 Bxc2 32.Rd7 Black resigned

The Knight is lost, which would leave Black a Rook down.