A Strange, But Intriguing, Path (Part 1)

If I face the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) any time soon (not likely; see "I expected better...") I'd like to try out a relatively new, but strange and intriguing opening idea...

theprof - Brown

FICS, 2005

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6

What an odd move! Yet, there are 10 examples in the New Year's Database, and White only scored 30% in those games. As I've noted, this bears examination.

6.Nxc6 dxc6

My first thought: If 6.Nxc6 is the recommended response to the venerable 5...Kf8 – see "Critical Line: 5...Kf8 (1), (2),(3), and (Revisited)" – it should be the first thing to try when the Black King is even further afield.

Oddly, Rybka sees Black with his King on e6 as only 1/10th of a pawn or so worse than when the King is on f8. Overall, it sees Black as still being not quite a pawn better than White.

By the way, after 6.Nxc6, 6...dxc6 is the proper way to capture, not 6...bxc6, as the former prevents White from playing d2-d4 and opens up the c8-h3 diagonal for Black's light-squared Bishop, giving some protection to the King.

I have only one example of  the wrong capture, a back-and-forth game where Black finally won on time: 6...bxc6 7.0-0 [7.Qg4+ is the winning move: White will be able to either check the King and then win the Bishop; or capture on g7 with check and then win the Rook] Nf6 8.d4 Bb6 9.Nc3 Ba6 10.Re1 Kf7 11.Bg5 h6 12.Bh4 g5 13.Bg3 Qe8 14.Qf3 Kg7 15.e5 Nd5 16.Nxd5 cxd5 17.Qxd5 Qe6 18.Qe4 Raf8 19.c3 Rf5 20.a4 c6 21.b4 Bc4 22.a5 Bc7 23.Qe3 a6 24.f4 Rhf8 25.fxg5 Rxg5 26.Bh4 Rg6 27.Bf6+ Kh7 28.Rf1 d6 29.Rf3 dxe5 30.dxe5 Bd5 31.Rg3 Rfg8 32.Rf1 Rxg3 33.hxg3 Bxe5 34.Bxe5 Rg6 35.Qf4 Bc4 36.Rf2 Rg8 37.Qf7+ Qxf7 38.Rxf7+ Bxf7 39.Bd4 Bd5 40.Kf2 Rf8+ 41.Ke3 Rf1 42.Ke2 Rc1 43.Kd2 Rf1 44.Ke2 Rf5 45.Ke3 Kg6 46.Kd3 Rg5 47.g4 Rxg4 48.Ke3 Rxg2 White forfeited on time, fehim - Pawnshop, FICS, 2009

7.Qg4+

White's best.

7...Ke7

Critical was 7...Kf6, when White should loosen Black's Kingside with 8.Qh5+ g5 9.Qg3 followed by d2-d3 and possibly h2-h4 or f2-f4, when Black will still have an edge.

The text is an error which White immediately exploits.

8.Qxg7+ Kd6 9.Qxh8 Ne7 10.Qxh7 (better was 10.Qxd8+) Be6 11.d3 Qd7 12.Be3 (12.Bf4 checkmate) Rf8 13.Bxc5+ (13.e5+ Kxe5 14.Qg7+ Rf6 15.Qg3+ Rf4 16.Qxf4+ Kd5 17.Nc3 checkmate) Kxc5 14.Nc3 Kb6 15.f3 a6 16.Qh4 Ka7 17.Qf2+ Kb8 18.0-0-0 Ng6 19.Kb1 Nf4 20.g3 Ng6 21.f4 Ne7 22.h3 Bg8 23.g4 Nc8 24.f5 Qf7 25.b3 Nb6 26.Kb2 a5 27.Ra1 a4 28.Nxa4 Nxa4+ 29.bxa4 b6 30.Qd4 Kb7 31.Qc4 Qxc4 32.dxc4 Bxc4 33.Rad1 Re8 34.Rde1 Ka6 35.e5 Ka5 36.e6 Kxa4 37.f6 Bxe6 38.Re3 Kb5 39.Rhe1 Kc5 40.Rxe6 Rf8 41.g5 Kb5 42.R1e5+ c5 43.Re7 Ka6 44.Rxc7 Kb5 45.Ree7 Rd8 46.Rcd7 Rb8

The game was drawn here because both players had run out of time. However, White has had a significant advantage for quite a while.

With the Pawns, Against the Bishop

Here we have another Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game (see "Ending in the Wilderness") that concludes with an unusual and instructive endgame.

Once again, the Jerome Gambit has lessons to teach.

perrypawnpusher - jonathankochems

2 12 blitz FICS, 2010

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

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

Certainly a good defense for Black, one of the many refutations of the Jerome Gambit. It was given by Jerome in his July 1874 article in the Dubuque Chess Journal. He also played the defense in two correspondence games against Daniel Jaeger in 1880, winning both.

7.Qxe5 Qe7

Putting immediate pressure on the e-file and on the pawn at e4 in particular, as well as offering to exchange Queens to extinguish White's attack.

8.Qf4+ Nf6 9.Nc3 d6

Jerome played 9...c6 in each of his games, winning both.

10.0-0 Kf7

The text is stronger than 10...Bd4, which appeared in perrypawnpusher - ERICOLSON, blitz FICS, 2007:  11.d3 a6 12.Ne2 c6 13.Nxd4 b5 14.Nxc6 Qe6 15.Nd4 Qe7 16.Bd2 Kg8 17.Nf5 Qc7 18.Qxd6 Qxd6 19.Nxd6 Be6 20.f4 g6 21.Bc3 Nd7 22.Bxh8 Kxh8 23.f5 gxf5 24.exf5 Bd5 25.Rae1 Nf6 26.Ne4 Bxe4 27.dxe4 Rc8 28.e5 Nd5 29.e6 Rxc2 30.e7 Nxe7 31.Rxe7 Rxb2 32.f6 Rd2 33.Re8 checkmate

11.d3 Rf8 12.Nd5 Qe5

Black is happy with his game: he is about to complete castling-by-hand, and he hopes to trade off White's attacking Queen, the one dangerous piece that his opponent has deployed.

13.Nxc7 Qxf4 14.Bxf4 Rb8

I was happy with my position, too. With three pawns for the missing piece, I thought my chances were about equal. Later, Rybka agreed.

15.Nd5

After the game, Rybka recommended instead 15.d4 Bxd4 16.Bxd6 Nxe4 17.Bxf8 Kxf8 18.c3 Bb6 19.Nd5 Bd8 20.Rfe1 Nf6 21.Rad1 Kf7 22.Nxf6 Bxf6 which it judged as equal. White has a Rook and two pawns to Black's two Bishops.

analysis diagram





15...Nxd5 16.exd5 Bf5 17.Rae1

17...Bb4

Black's Bishop and White's Rook play hide-and-seek. The play for the next few moves is understandable, but could be improved upon.

18.Re2 Rbc8 19.a3 Bc5 20.b4 Bd4 21.Bxd6

This is probably one of those positions where it would be better to leave a weakness (the Black pawn at d6) in place than to actually capture it.

Black now has the simple (although neither jonathankochems nor I saw it at the time) 21...Rfd8 which allows for the capture of the White pawn on d5 – all White has accomplished is to open the position favorably for Black's pieces.

21...Rfe8 22.Rfe1 Bc3

This move is a double slip. First, Black should have punished his opponent's last move with 22...Rxe2 23.Rxe2 Bxd3 since the Bishop cannot be captured unless White wishes to allow a back rank mate. Second, White now has a nifty move that was hard to see – literally.

23.Rxe8

This move allows for the exchange of heavy pieces, and a generally even endgame. Instead, moving the Rook one step less – 23.Re7+ – was the right idea: 23...Rxe7 24.Rxe7+ Kf6 25.Rxb7 when White would have 5 pawns to balance Black's Bishop.

23...Rxe8 24.Rxe8 Kxe8

It is a bit unusual to have an endgame with 8 pawns on one side, except in problems or compositions. Rybka sees the game as even. White has what winning chances there are in the position; and of course if he can exchange Black's dark-squared Bishop for a few pawns, he has the sanctuary of a Bishops-of-opposite-colors ending to seek out.

25.Bc5 a6 26.Kf1 Bb2 27.a4 Bd7 28.a5 Ba4

The Bishops work together, herding the pawns.

29.c4 Bc2 30.Ke2 Bc3 31.Ke3 Kd7 32.Ke4

32...Be1 33.f4 Bc3 34.Bd4

An oversight. I had calculated only as far as 34...Bxb4 35.Bxg7. Perhaps White can hold the draw after 35...Bxa5 35.f5 followed by c4-c5 and a general pawn advance on the Kingside – but this was sloppy play, which I immediately corrected.

34...Bxb4 35.Bb6

Not too much damage done.

35...Kd6 36.f5 Bc3 37.g4

37...Bf6 38.Ke3

Unpinning the pawn at d3, but giving Black chances. Rybka suggested 38.Bd4 instead, keeping the game balanced. 

38...Ke5

There are a couple of things wrong with this move. First, 38...Bd1 39.h3 h5 40.Kf4 hxg4 41.hxg4 Bc3 42.g5 Bd2+ was the way to play for advantage.

39.Bc7 checkmate

That's the second thing wrong with the move.

Beyond LCD

There are 70 games by Nesseerd in 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) and Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.various Bc5 5.Bxf7+) games.

In the following battle, he encounters a hybrid defense that has hardly been played and has largely been unsuccessful – only to discover that statistics can, as ever, mislead.

Nesseerd - slouhend
blitz, FICS, 2010

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

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

7.f4 d6

This defense is at least as old as D'Aumiller - A.P., Livorno 1878, and is a computer favorite.

8.fxe5 g6

slouhend adds a "Blackburne" twist to the line, following in the footsteps (?) of the chess-playing Talking LCD Chess, which had an exploratory match with The Perfesser (see "Jerome Gambit and The Perfesser (Part I, II, III and IV)").

9.Qh3+

9.Qf3 dxe5 10.b4 Bb6 11.Rf1 Qh4+ 12.g3 Qg5 13.Qf7+ Kd6 14.Na3 Be6 15.Nb5+ Kc6 16.Qxe6+ Kxb5 17.a4+ Kxb4 18.Qb3+ Kc5 19.Qd5+ Kb4 20.Qb5 checkmate, Perfesser - Talking LCD Chess (3 ply), casual game, 2003;

9.Qe2 Kxe5 10.Rf1 Qh4+ 11.g3 Qg4 12.d4+ Bxd4 13.Bf4+ Kf6 14.Bxd6+ Kg5 15.Qd2+ Kh5 16.Qxd4 cxd6 17.Rf4 Qd7 18.Rh4+ Kg5 19.Nd2 h5 20.Qxh8 Qf7 21.Rf4 Qxf4 22.gxf4+ Kxf4 23.Qxg8 Black resigned, Perfesser - Talking LDC Chess (4 ply), casual game, 2003

9...Kf7

 A challenging position for White. Rybka recommends 10.Rf1+ Ke8 11.Qf3 Be6 12.exd6 with the first player following up by fianchettoing his Queen's Bishop and castling Queenside, then being only about a pawn's worth behind.

10.Qb3+ Be6

The position is likewise not easy for Black. Rybka suggests 10...Kg7 instead, with a defense along the lines of 11...Qe7 and ...Be6, with a winning advantage.

11.c4

Rybka's recommendation here (blunder check, 5 minutes a move) has me puzzled, but I'll give it anyway: 11.Rf1+ Ke7 12.Qc3 Kd7 13.g3 Bh3 14.d4 Bxf1 15.dxc5 dxe5 16.c6+ bxc6 17.Kxf1 Qf6+ 18.Kg1 Qd6 19.Qf3 Rf8 20.Qe2 Nf6 21.Nc3 Qb4 22.a3 Qb7 23.Be3 Kc8 24.b4, when Black is up the exchange, but his poorer pawn structure means he has only a slight advantage

analysis diagram






11...Qh4+

Here comes trouble. White's pawns are weak, and his lack of development will tell against him.

12.g3 Qxe4+ 13.Qe3

An oversight, ending the game, but Black likely had a forced mate in any event.

13...Qxh1+ White resigned

Another Jerome Gambit Video

Joining two earlier online Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) videos (see "The Jerome Gambit is Viable -- NOT!" and "Jerome Gambit on YouTube!?") is a new one at Hobbesbh's website that illustrates the game Ghandybh - sqerl, Chess.com, 2009.

Lucky, Lucky, Lucky

Despite my misgivings (see "I am pond scum") I continue to play the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+).

After the following game (a Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.0-0 Bc5 5.Bxf7+) had ended, my opponent, unhappy with his game at the end, had written "blind, blind, blind ". I complimented him on his play and good sportsmanship (in contrast, see "I expected better..."), as I indeed had been "lucky, lucky, lucky."

perrypawnpusher  - LeifPetersen
blitz FICS, 2010

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

4.0-0 Bc5 5.Bxf7+

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.Qh5+ Ng6

This is analagous to the Jerome Gambit line 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6, with ...h7-h6 thrown in for Black and 0-0 thrown in for White.

I was surprised to find only 9 other game examples in the New Year's Database.

8.Qd5+

Nudge.

The earliest Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit game in the New Year's Database is RomanDurdis - ifufocop, blitz FICS, 2005, which continued: 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qd5+ Be6 10.Qxb7 Nf6 11.Qb5 Rf8 12.d3 Kg8 13.c4 Qe7 14.f4 Bd7 15.Qb3 Rab8 16.Qc3 Nh7 17.f5 Ne5 18.Qe1 Nf6 19.Qg3 Kh8 20.Nc3 Qe8 21.Nd5 Nxd5 22.cxd5 Qh5 23.Bf4 Nf7 24.b3 Bb5 25.Rac1 Rb7 26.Rf2 Nd8 27.Qf3 Qxf3 28.Rxf3 Nf7 29.Rff1 Re8 30.Rfe1 Ne5 31.Bxe5 Rxe5 32.a4 Bd7 33.Rb1 c6 34.dxc6 Bxc6 35.d4 Rxe4 36.Rxe4 Bxe4 37.Re1 d5 38.Kf2 Rxb3 39.g4 Rb4 40.Ke3 Rxa4 41.Rc1 Kh7 42.Kf4 Rxd4 43.h4 Rd2 44.Rc7 Rf2+ 45.Ke5 Ra2 46.g5 a5 47.g6+ Kg8 48.Rc8 checkmate.

8...Ke8

Or 8...Kf8 9.Qxc5+ d6 (9...N8e7 10.Nc3 b6 11.Qe3 Bb7 12.f4 d5 13.f5 d4 14.fxg6+ Kg8 15.Qf4 dxc3 16.Qf7 checkmate, perrypawnpusher - sarBear, blitz FICS, 2009) 10.Qe3 N8e7 11.d4 Kg8 12.Nc3 Kh7 13.f4 Rf8 14.f5 Nh8 15.g4 Kg8 16.g5 hxg5 17.Qxg5 Nf7 18.Qg3 Nc6 19.f6 g5 20.Bxg5 Nxg5 21.Qxg5+ Kf7 22.Qg7+ Ke6 23.d5+ Ke5 24.Qg3+ Kd4 25.Qd3+ Ke5 26.Qg3+ Kd4 27.Qd3+ Ke5 28.Qg3+ Kd4 29.Qd3+ Ke5 30.Qg3+ Kd4 31.Qd3+ Ke5 32.Qg3+ Kd4 draw, perrypawnpusher - pascalwilliams, blitz FICS, 2007;

Or 8...Kf6 9.Qf5+ Ke7 10.Qxc5+ Ke8 11.f4 d6 12.Qe3 Qf6 13.f5 Ne5 14.d4 Nc4 15.Qg3 Qxd4+ 16.Kh1 Kd7 17.Nc3 b6 18.Bf4 Ba6 19.Rad1 Qc5 20.Qxg7+ Ne7 21.e5 Rag8 22.e6+ Kc6 23.Qxe7 Re8 24.Qd7+ Kb7 25.b3 Nd2 26.Bxd2 Bxf1 27.Rxf1 Qd4 28.f6 Rhf8 29.Nb5 Qxd2 30.Qxc7+ Ka6 31.Qxa7+ Kxb5 32.Qd7+ Ka6 33.e7 Qe2 34.Rg1 Rxf6 35.Qxe8 Rf1 36.Qa8+ Kb5 37.e8Q+ Qxe8 38.Qxe8+ Kb4 39.Rxf1 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - episodeninetynine, blitz FICS, 2009.

9.Qxc5 d6

An alternate was 9...Qe7 10.Qe3 Nf6 11.Nc3 c6 12.f4 b6 13.f5 Ne5 14.d4 Ba6 15.dxe5 Qxe5 16.Re1 Kf7 17.Qf3 Rhe8 18.Bf4 Qc5+ 19.Be3 Qb5 20.Bd4 Qxb2 21.e5 Nd5 22.e6+ Kg8 23.Qg4 Nxc3 24.Qxg7 checkmate, perrypawnpusher - Cibola, blitz FICS, 2009

10.Qe3 Nf6

Or 10...Qf6 11.f4 N8e7 12.Nc3 c6 13.f5 Ne5 14.d4 Nc4 15.Qd3 b5 16.b3 Nb6 17.Bf4 Nd7 18.Rae1 Qf7 19.Bxd6 Nf6 20.Bxe7 Kxe7 21.e5 Nd5 22.f6+ Kf8 23.fxg7+ Kxg7 24.Rxf7+ Kxf7 25.Qf3+ Ke7 26.Nxd5+ Kd8 27.Qf6+ Kd7 28.Qe7 checkmate, perrypawnpusher - saltos, blitz FICS, 2009;

Or 10...Ne5 11.d4 Ng4 12.Qg3 N8f6 13.Nc3 Be6 14.h3 Bc4 15.Re1 Qd7 16.hxg4 Nxg4 17.f3 Nf6 18.e5 Nh5 19.exd6+ Kf7 20.Qh2 g6 21.Re7+ Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - Kotimatka, blitz FICS, 2009.

Interestingly enough, there are 249 games in the New Year's Database with this position – if you take away the current game's ...h7-h6 from Black and 0-0 from White.

On the other hand the current game is the only example coming from the Semi-Italian move order.

(For the record, there are about twice as many Jerome Gambit games as Semi-Italian games in the Database.)

11.f4 Qe7

I have included references to my games to show that I was not a stranger to this opening variation. Still, there were many things for me to figure out.

12.d3 d5

For the next dozen or so moves, Rybka grumped after the game that LeifPetersen and I were not making the best moves. True, we traded small advantages back and forth, but, then again, we are carbon-based, not silicon-based.

13.e5 Nd7

14.Nc3 Nb6 15.Qg3 Nh4

Focusing on the f5 square, where future action will take place.

16.Bd2 Nf5 17.Qg6+ Kd8 18.Rae1 Nd4

I didn't think that the pawn on c2 was worth chasing after. Neither did my opponent.

19.f5 Bxf5 20.Rxf5 Nxf5 21.Qxf5 Rf8

By trading two pieces for a Rook and a pawn, Black has calmed the position, which is about equal. White has a pawn for the exchange, is better developed, and has a safer King. Perhaps the passed pawn will turn out to be something.

22.Qg4 c6 23.b3 Kc7 24.Bf4 Rae8

Black's development is looking threatening.

25.d4 Qe6

The offer of a pawn to open an attacking file. White can grab it safely, if he follows up correctly

26.Qxg7+ Kb8 27.Na4

Ooops...

27...Nxa4 28.bxa4 Rxf4

Down a Rook for a couple of pawns, the only chance that I have left is that my opponent might be as exhilirated as I am depressed...

29.Rb1 Rg8 30.Qxb7 Black checkmate

Okay, after his last move, my opponent was pretty depressed, too. 29...b6 would have been sufficient to cause my resignation.

Indeed, I was lucky, lucky, lucky.