Losing – and Then Winning – the Won Game

It has been said that in chess "the hardest thing to win is a won game." I'm not sure that I  fully agree – it's hard to win a lost game – but I understand the thought. Once you achieve a significant advantage – especially playing a disreputable opening like the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) – there's a tendency to act as like the game will play itself.

perrypawnpusher - sarenn
blitz 5 12, FICS, 2010

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6

This move appears frequently, as if by reflex: White has sacrificed recklessly and now brings out his Queen too early? I'll kick it!

7.Qxe5 d6

 

Blackburne's Variation.

8.Qxh8 d5

My opponent spent time on his moves, and I wondered if he was familiar with the Jerome Gambit. Was he simply double-checking the lines? His move says "no", but I'm not sure: after the correct 8...Qh4, recommended for White is 9.d4; so perhaps sarenn merely mis-remembered?

9.Qxh7+ Kf8 10.Qxg6 dxe4 11.Qxe4 Nf6 12.Qe2

White is ahead the exchange plus four pawns.

Black is about to unleash a counter-attack, but it should be possible to survive it.

12...Bg4 13.f3

13...Bf5

More in the style of Blackburne was 13...Qd7, as 14.fxg4 is met by 14...Re8, and after 15.Nc3 Qxg4 16.d3 Rxe2+ 17.Nxe2 Qxg2 18.Rf1 White's advantage has shrunk considerably.

analysis diagram






14.d3 Nd5

15.Nc3 Nxc3 16.bxc3 Qh4+

17.g3 Qf6 18.Kd2

Just what my opponent was hoping for.

I was worried about 18...Re8, winning my Queen for a Rook (as in the note to move 13, above). I overlooked the defensive gem 18.d4, which blocks out Black's dark-squared Bishop, allowing me to castle and also to play Bc1-e3 (in response to ...Ra1-e8) to protect my Queen. 

For his boldness, Black now has the advantage.

18...Re8 19.Qg2

Approaching panic. Sadly, White's best was to give up his Queen and work on development: 19.Re1 Rxe2+ 20.Rxe2 Bd7 21.Bb2 Qxf3 22.Rae1 Qf6 23.d4 Bd6 24.Kc1 although even then, Black would be better.

analysis diagram

19...Be3+ 20.Kd1 Qxc3

This looks scary, but I was lucky that my opponent missed the shot 20...Bh3.

It's hard to believe, but Rybka now sees the position as even.

21.Rb1 Bxd3

After he finishes destroying me, my opponent can tell his pals that all those Kingside pawns of his were "sacrificed," not "lost".

22.Bxe3 Bxc2+

Since this move loses for Black, the question is: what else did he have?

After the game Rybka suggested 22...Rxe3 23.Qd2 Bxc2+ 24.Qxc2 Rd3+ 25.Kc1 Qa3+ 26.Rb2 Rc3 27.Rf1 Rxc2+ 28.Kxc2. White would have two Rooks and a pawn vs Black's Queen, which looks about equal.

analysis diagram







23.Qxc2 Rd8+

24.Kc1

An error that prolongs Black's attack. Giving back a Rook was the way: 24.Bd2 Qxf3+ 25.Kc1 Qxh1+ 26.Kb2. With White's King safe, the extra piece would be very helpful in attacking Black's King.

analysis diagram





24...Qxe3+ 25.Kb2

25...Qd4+

In the heat of the moment, Black gives up his last chance to keep the game even by settling for a Q vs 2R ending: 25...Rd2 26.Rbc1 Rxc2+ 27.Rxc2 Qxf3.

26.Qc3 Qf2+ 27.Ka1 Qxf3 

An error that ended the game, even after my inaccurate reply.

28.Rhf1 Black resigned

Declining the Jerome Gambit - Légally

Given that my favorite opening, the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+)has so many refutations, I'm constantly amazed at the number of people who go out of their way to decline the fool thing.

I need to have a whole new set of ideas if I want to win my games!


perrypawnpusher - NN
blitz 10 0, FICS, 2010

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 f6

No Jerome Gambit today.

4. d4 d6

Seriously: no Jerome.

5. O-O Bg4

Pinning my Knight. I get it, I get it: no Jerome.

6. dxe5 fxe5 7. Nc3

7...Nd4

Punishing me, on top of everything else, for my mis-placed Bishop on c4.

Clearly my opponent – whose name I have omitted for fairness' sake – is not a regular reader of this blog, or he would know how riled up I get when facing ...Nc6-d4.

8. Nxe5 Bxd1

Goodbye, Queen.

9. Bf7+ Ke7 10. Nd5 checkmate

Goodbye, King.

This well-known opening trap is credited to the French player M. de Kermar, Sire de Légall (1702-1792). It also is sometimes called the Blackburne Trap, since the English player Joseph Blackburne (1859-1951) used to catch so many players in it! It can arise in a number of different move orders, and it's one of those traps you need to be aware of so you don't fall victim to your own greed! Learn to recognize the pattern you see in the following examples.

The rest of David Surratt's article on Légall's Mate is at Chessville.

A Simple Game (?)

I was having fun playing my most recent Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+). It seemed like a simple, straight-forward game. Afterward I gave it to Rybka to look over, and I found that things are not always as simple as they seem...

perrypawnpusher - andrecoenen
blitz 10 0, FICS, 2010

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

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

My first game with andrecoenen continued 6...g6 7.Qxe5 Nf6 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Re8 10.d3 d5 11.f3 dxe4 12.fxe4 Ng4 13.Qf3+ Kg7 14.0-0 Qh4 15.Qf7+ Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - andrecoenen, blitz FICS, 2010

7.Qd5+ Kf8 8.Qxc5+ d6 9.Qe3 Nf6

This is a solid position for Black, although the updated New Year's Database has 33 previous games with this position — and White scored 61%.

10.Nc3

Varying from 10.0-0, which I had played three times before: 10...b6 (10...Bd7 11.f4 Qe7 12.d3 Kf7 13.Nc3 Rhf8 14.h3 Kg8 15.g4 Bxg4 16.hxg4 Nxg4 17.Qg3 Nf6 18.f5 Ne5 19.Bg5 Qd7 20.d4 Nc4 21.b3 Nb6 22.e5 dxe5 23.dxe5 Qd4+ 24.Qe3 Qg4+ 25.Kh2 Nfd5 26.Nxd5 Nxd5 27.Qg3 Qh5+ 28.Kg2 Qe2+ 29.Rf2 Qe4+ 30.Kh3 Rxf5 31.Rxf5 Qxf5+ 32.Kh4 Qg6 33.c4 Nb4 34.a3 Nc2 35.Rf1 Nd4 36.Qf4 Ne6 37.Qe3 h6 38.Be7 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - Mences, blitz FICS, 2009; 10...Kf7 11.f4 Re8 12.f5 Ne5 13.Nc3 Nc4 14.Qd4 Ne5 15.d3 Kg8 16.Bg5 h6 17.Bxf6 gxf6 18.Qd5+ Be6 19.fxe6 c6 20.e7+ Kg7 21.exd8Q Raxd8 22.Qd4 c5 23.Qf2 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - DysonLin, blitz FICS, 2009) 11.f4 Bb7 12.d3 Qe7 13.Nc3 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.

10...c6 11.f4 Kf7 12.0-0 Re8

My game against joejox continued, instead 12...Rf8 13.f5 Ne5 14.d4 Nc4 15.Qd3 Nb6 16.Bg5 Kg8 17.g4 Nbd7 18.Rae1 Qb6 19.Na4 Qb4 20.b3 Nxg4 21.Bd2 Qa3 22.Bc3 b5 23.Bb2 Qb4 24.Bc3 Qa3 25.Bb2 Qb4 26.Bc3 Qa3 27.Bb2 draw perrypawnpusher - joejox, blitz FICS, 2009

13.f5 Ne5 14.d4 Neg4 15.Qg3 Qb6

Black's Queen move is a good one — which I under-estimated during the game. Now, against best play, White cannot both support his center and move it forward on the attack.

16.Be3

I was unhappy with this move (I could not think of anything better) and was even unhappier after the game when I saw what Rybka had suggested that I play instead: 16.Qd3 Ne5 17.Qd1 Ned7 18.Qd3 Kg8 19.b3 c5 20.Be3 cxd4 21.Bxd4 Qc6 22.Rf4 Ne5 and Black is better.

analysis diagram






This line needs some serious examination for White, starting with 10.Nc3

16...Nxe3 17.Qxe3 d5

This is part of the reason that the game seemed simple to me at the time: Black hits my center with his d-pawn and I advance my e-pawn to bypass it. Instead, though, Black had 17...c5 when 18.Rad1 cxd4 19.Rxd4 Bd7 and again White's pawns have been banged up and the second player is better.

18.e5 Ng4

Unnecessarily aggressive, moving the game toward equality. The cold-blooded 18...Kg8 was the right idea, as the White e-pawn is pinned to the Queen.

19.e6+

Rybka evaluated this as too early, preferring 19.Qf4.

19...Kf6

This was Black's last chance to finish castling-by-hand with 19...Kg8. Instead, he steps into the line of fire.

20.Qf4 Bxe6

It is not the time to return the piece for two pawns, although neither retreating nor protecting the Knight will help, either.

21.fxe6+ Kxe6 22.Rae1+ Kd7

The "Jerome pawns" are gone, but the files they have opened will win the day.

23.Qxg4+ Kd6 24.Qf4+ Kd7 25.Qf7+ Black resigned

Jerome Gambit Nomenclature

Jerome Gambit Gemeinde member Bill Wall has been working on an orderly way of naming the various Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) variations.

Sometimes a move or line is given a generic label (e.g. "5.a3 Variation"), but when possible it is given the name of the person known to have played it first.

(This is based upon my 9 years of research into the Jerome Gambit. Of course, further discoveries may change things.)

There are a few exceptions (e.g. 5...Kf8, the "Sorensen Variation"), where the name given refers to someone who did significant analysis of the line, or greatly popularized it (e.g. 7...d6, the "Blackburne Variation").

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


1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.a3
5.a3 Variation, Jerome Gambit


1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.b3
5.b3 Variation, Jerome Gambit


1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.c3
5.c3 Variation, Jerome Gambit


1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.c4
5.c4 Variation, Jerome Gambit


1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.d3
5.d3 Variation, Jerome Gambit


1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.d4
5.d4 Variation, Jerome Gambit


1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.g3
5.g3 Variation, Jerome Gambit


1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.h3
5.h3 Variation, Jerome Gambit


1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.h4
5.h4 Variation, Jerome Gambit


1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nc3
5.Nc3 Variation, Jerome Gambit


1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Ng5
5.Ng5 Variation, Jerome Gambit


1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+
5.Nxe5 Variation, Jerome Gambit


1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Kf8
Sorensen Variation, Jerome Gambit


1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Kf8 6.Qh5
Banks Variation, Jerome Gambit


1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bxd4
Shinkman Variation, Jerome Gambit


1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Qh4
6…Qh4 Variation, Jerome Gambit


1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6
6…g6 Variation, Jerome Gambit


1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 d6
Blackburne Variation, Jerome Gambit


1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Nf6
Carrington Variation, Jerome Gambit


1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Qe7
Whistler Variation, Jerome Gambit


1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6
6…Ke6 Variation, Jerome Gambit


1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7 Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Nf3 9.gxf3
Young Variation, Jerome Gambit


1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7 Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Qf6 9.fxe5+ Qxe5 10.Qf3 c6
Cubitt Variation, Jerome Gambit


1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7 Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Qf6 9.fxe5+ Qxe5 10.Qf3 Ne7
Jaeger Variation, Jerome Gambit


1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7 Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Qf6 9.fxe5+ Qxe5 10.Qf3 Nf6
Colburn Variation, Jerome Gambit


1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7 Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Qf6 9.fxe5+ Qxe5 10.Qf3 Nf6 11.d3 Nc6
Neufville Variation, Jerome Gambit


1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7 Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Qh4+
Nibs Variation, Jerome Gambit


1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4
D'Aumiller Variation, Jerome Gambit


1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 Qf6
Schiller Variation, Jerome Gambit


1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.O-O d6
Charles Variation, Jerome Gambit


1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.d4
Tonetti Variation, Jerome Gambit


1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8
Jerome Variation, Jerome Gambit


1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6
6…Ng6 Variation, Jerome Gambit


1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qc3 Nf6 10.d3 Rf8
Zim Variation, Jerome Gambit


1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qc3 Nf6 10.d4
Charlick Variation, Jerome Gambit


1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qxc5
Sidran Variation, Jerome Gambit


1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.O-O
Brookshire Variation, Jerome Gambit


1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Qe2
5.Qe2 Variation, Jerome Gambit

Provoked

Welton Vaz de Souza is a nice guy.

Sure, from time-to-time he crushes opponents with the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), but he's a nice guy.

Suggestion: don't provoke him in a game of chess.


Ghandybh - BoogieKnights
Chess.com, 2010

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4

The Blackburne Shilling Gambit. There are a number of good responses. I'm partial to 4.Bxf7+, but 4.c3, 4.Nxd4 and 4.0-0 are good, too.

4.0-0

See? That's almost a friendly response.

4...b5

No, no, no, no, no, no...

5.Bxf7+

The expected response from a member of the Jerome Gambit Gemeinde.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+

The Jerome Way.

It turns out that 5.Bxf7+ is so strong (or 4...b5 so ill-advised) that White could simply grab back a piece here with the alternative 6.Nxd4. If Black responds 6...exd4 then White has 7.Qh5+ and a few checks later the Rook on a8 will be captured.

After 6.Nxd4 Nf6, White retreats his Knight with 7.Nf3 and is better.

6...Ke8

In this small world, it turns out that about 20 years ago Bill Wall  tried the alternative 6...Ke7, finishing quickly: 7.c3 d6 8.Qh5 dxe5 9.Qxe5+ Ne6 10.d4 Qd6 11.Qxd6+ cxd6 12.f4 Bb7 White resigned, Rub - Wall, Palo Alto 1989.

Also possible is 6...Ke6, similar to the lines covered in "Crime and Punisher" and "Gorilla Chess".

7.Qh5+ g6 8.Nxg6 Qf6

This move simplifies a complicate position – and not in Black's favor. Far better was to give up the Rook, and go looking to capture one himself: 8...hxg6 9.Qxh8 Nf6 10.d3 Nxc2. 

analysis diagram





The downside of this (as compared to 10...Ne2+ 11.Kh1 Nxc1 12.Rxc1 Kf7, which may be better) is that Black loses both of his Knights: 11.Bg5 Kf7 12.e5 Be7 13.Qxd8 Bxd8 14.Nd2 Nxa1 15.Rxa1 d6 16.Bxf6 Bxf6 17.exf6 Kxf6 when White is a pawn up – although Black's Bishop and better-developed King may give some compensation.

analysis diagram







9.Nxh8+ Kd8

10.Nf7+ Ke7 11.Ne5 Nxc2

12.d4 Nxa1

The Knight has finally captured the a1 Rook, at the expense of the game.

13.Bg5

13...d6 14.Bxf6+ Nxf6 15.Qf7+ Kd8 16.Nc6 checkmate

Two Wrongs Making A Right

Well, despite my better efforts, I guess that I'm back playing the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) again. So it's probably a good idea to share a recent game, and then do a little philosophising – or rambling, if you will – along with it.

perrypawnpusher - avgur
blitz FICS, 2010

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

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

A quick glance at the updated New Year's Database shows 1,844 games with this Queen check, with White scoring 52%. The most popular response is 6...Ng6 (847 games, White scores 48%), followed by 6...Ke6 (499 games, White scores 53%), 6...g6 (245 games, White scores 69%) and 6...Kf8 (239 games, White scores 44%).

6...Ng6

7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3

This is a familiar position – I've been here a dozen times before (9 wins, one loss, two draws).

9...Nf6 10.0-0 Kf7

Played at least as early as the first game of the second Vazquez - Carrington match in Mexico in 1876.

I was surprised to learn after the game that avgur and I had played before. perrypawnpusher - avgur, blitz FICS, 2009 had continued 10...Be6 11.f4 Bc4 12.d3 Bb5 13.c4 Bc6 14.f5 Ne5 15.Nc3 Qd7 16.b3 Qf7 17.d4 Neg4 18.Qe2 Qe7 19.Bg5 h6 20.Bxf6 Nxf6 21.Rae1 h5 22.e5 dxe5 23.dxe5 Ng4 24.h3 Nh6 25.Qf2 Kd7  26.Qd4+ Ke8 27.f6 Qe6 28.fxg7 Rg8 29.Rf6 Qd7 30.Qxd7+ Kxd7 31.e6+ Kd6 32.e7+ Kc5 33.Rxh6 Rxg7 34.Rxh5+ Kd4 35.Nb5+ Kd3 36.g4 Rag8 37.Rhe5 Rh7 38.e8Q Bxe8 39.Rxe8 Rgg7 40.Rd8+ Kc2 41.Re2+ Kc1 42.Na3 Rxh3 43.Rc2 checkmate

11.f4 Re8 12.Nc3 Kg8

Black has developed three pieces to White's three, and has castled-by-hand to bring his King to safety. He has the advantage.

13.f5 Ne5 14.d4 Neg4

A while back, I tried to explain the Jerome Gambit and this blog to a friend of mine – a fellow clinican who does not play chess. She could not understand why I was so fascinated by a line that was clearly wrong.

I wasn't able to get across the idea that part of me appreciated the myriad wrong reactions to the Jerome by Black that helped make the opening right. 

The text move is a case in point. It seems obvious to the second player that White has made mistakes – sacrificing unsoundly, moving his Queen around too many times, moving pawns instead of developing pieces – and White can, therefore, be punished for it.

If someone had told my opponent that he (or she) was facing the latest analysis from, say, Magnus Carlsen – that there was nothing to "correct" – the sensible move that kept Black's advantage, 14...Nf7, would have easily been found.

15.Qf3 c6 16.h3 Nh6 17.g4

Of course, this looks to Black like more noodling around. And dallying on the wing needs to be countered with direct action in the center.

17...d5 18.e5 Nd7

White's game should be near collapse. Perhaps all that it needs to tumble its house of cards is ...c6-c5.

19.Bxh6 gxh6 20.f6 Rf8 

21.Qf4

Revealing some of the same kind of impatience seen in perrypawnpusher - taman, blitz FICS, 2010. White has a technical advantage in this game that he can exploit, even against Black's counter-plan of returning material, but it's not something that's going to happen quickly.

After 21.Rae1 (part of the reason for playing 19.Bxh6) Nb6 22.e6 Bxe6 23.Rxe6 the Kingside pawn match-up favors White, but he is going to have to re-deploy his pieces to make progress, e.g. 23...Rf7 24.Nd1 (headed to f5) Kh8 25.Qf4 Qf8 26.Ne3 Rd8 27.Re1 Nd7 28.Nf5 Rxf6 29.Re7 and White will wrestle control of the 7th rank, and with it the game.

analysis diagram






21...c5

22.Qxh6 cxd4

A slip. After 22...Nxf6 23.exf6 White has an improved version of the technical endgame we just looked at, starting with 23...Rf7 24.Rae1. 

23.Qg7 checkmate

Four Walls

Bill Wall likes to collect miniature games of chess. When it comes to the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) and related openings, he likes to play miniature games, as well.

Wall - Alexshiva
chess.com, 2010

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.Bxf7+ Ke7 5.Bc4 Nf6 6.d4 Ke8 7.dxe5 Black resigned



Wall - Apple69
Chess.com, 2010

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Nxg6 Nxc2+ 8.Kd1 Nxa1 9.Nxh8+ Ke7 10.Qe5 checkmate



Wall - Cheesepie
Chess.com, 2010

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Qf6 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qxc7+ Black resigned



Wall - Gebba
Chess.com, 2010

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8 6.Nxc6 dxc6 7.Qh5+ Kf8 8.Qxc5+ Qd6 9.Qe3 Nf6 10.e5 Ng4 11.Qf4+ Black resigned