A Working Class, Impatient Move

Bobby Fischer played successfully with and against the Sicilian Najdorf variation, referring to 5...a6 as "a high class waiting move."

In contrast, in the Jerome Gambit's (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), Jerome Defense, Black's 7...Bd6 can be considered "a working class, impatient move" – but one that both White and Black should become more familiar with.

perrypawnpusher - LeiCar
blitz FICS, 2010

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

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

Alonzo Wheeler Jerome mentioned this move in his 1874 analysis of the Jerome Gambit in the Dubuque Chess Journal. He later successfully played the defense in two correspondence games against Daniel Jaeger in 1880.

7.Qxe5 Bd6

In the updated New Year's Database, White has scored 45% in 243 games with this position.

I like this move. It looks like the kind of "ugly" move that Nimzovich and Tarrasch would have argued about. It's primative, it's raw, it's... hey, what should White do in response??

8.Qf5+

Previously I tried 8.Qc3  as in 8...Nf6 9.d3 Qe7 10.Bg5 h6 11.Bh4 Bc5 12.0-0 d6 13.d4 g5 14.dxc5 gxh4 15.cxd6 Qxd6 16.Nd2 Rg8 17.f4 Bh3 18.Qxh3 Qxd2 19.Rf2 Qd4 20.Qf5 Qxb2 21.Re1 Qb6 22.e5 Rg7 23.exf6 Rf7 24.Re6 Qb1+ 25.Rf1 Qxa2 26.Rfe1 Qb2 27.Qg6 Qd4+ 28.Kh1 Qxf4 29.Re7 Rxe7 30.fxe7, checkmate, perrypawnpusher - Lark, blitz FICS, 2009;

while Bill Wall ground his opponent down with 8.Qa5 Qf6 9.Nc3 Ne7 10.d3 h6 11.0-0 b6 12.Qa4 c6 13.Be3 Bc5 14.e5 Qg6 15.Ne4 d6 16.Nxd6 Bh3 17.Qe4 Qxe4 18.dxe4 Be6 19.Bxc5 bxc5 20.f4 Nc8 21.f5 Bd7 22.Nb7 Ke7 23.Nxc5 Rf8 24.f6+ gxf6 25.exf6+ Rxf6 26.Rxf6 Kxf6 27.Nxd7+ Ke6 28.Nc5+ Ke5 29.Re1 Nd6 30.Nd3+ Kd4 31.e5 Ne4 32.e6 Re8 33.e7 Rxe7 34.Nf2 Re5 35.Nxe4 Rxe4 36.Rxe4+ Kxe4 37.Kf2 Kd4 38.g4 c5 39.Kf3 Ke5 40.h4 a5 41.a4 c4 42.c3 Kf6 43.Ke4 Ke6 44.Kd4 Kf6 45.Kxc4 Ke5 46.b4 axb4 47.cxb4 Kf4 48.b5 Kxg4 49.a5 Kxh4 50.a6 Kg4 51.a7 h5 52.a8Q h4 53.b6, Black resigned, billwall - firewine, Chess.com 2010;

and Pete Banks scored a quick win with 8.Qh5 Nf6 9.Qf3 Kg8 10.d4 Kf7 11.e5 Black resigned, blackburne - Whiterose, ChessWorld, 2004

Deep Rybka, working in IDeA mode in Aquarium, rates a handful of moves about the same, showing a slight preference for 8.Qb5.

8...Qf6 9.Qxf6+ Nxf6

I have been convinced by better players than myself not to fear the Jerome Gambit end game, although I would still like to find a way to keep my Queen on the board.

10.d3

Or 10.Nc3 Be5 11.d3 Bxc3+ 12.bxc3 d6 13.0-0 Kf7 14.f4 Rf8 15.h3 Kg8 16.g4 Bd7 17.Kh2 Rae8 18.Ba3 Ba4 19.Rf2 Nd7 20.Re1 Ne5 21.Ref1 Nf7 22.Kg3 h6 23.h4 c5 24.Re1 b6 25.c4 a6 26.Bb2 b5 27.cxb5 axb5 28.g5 hxg5 29.hxg5 b4 30.Rh1 Nd8 31.f5 Nc6 32.g6 Ne5 33.Bxe5 Rxe5 34.Rfh2 Black resigned, mrjoker - PhlebasP, ICC, 2008.

10...Bc5

Another Jerome Gambit Gemeinde member with 214 games in the New Year's Database (scoring 52% over all) faced, instead, 10...b6 11.0-0 Bb7 12.f4 Bc5+ 13.Kh1 Ke7 14.c3 d5 15.b4 Bd6 16.e5 Bxb4 17.exf6+ Kxf6 18.cxb4 Rhe8 19.Bb2+ Kf7 20.Na3 Re2 21.Be5 Re8 22.d4 c5 23.bxc5 bxc5 24.Nb5 cxd4 25.Nd6+ Kf8 26.Nxe8 Kxe8 27.Bxd4 Ba6 28.Rfe1 Rxe1+ 29.Rxe1+ Kd7 Black resigned, UNPREDICTABLE - dameyune, FICS, 2009.

11.Nc3 Ng4 12.0-0 d6 13.h3 Ne5

Black is working on finding a plan.

14.Bf4 Kf7 15.Nd5 Bb6 16.Nxb6 axb6

17.Be3 Rf8 18.f4 Nc6 19.c3 Kg8 20.d4 Ne7

White is mobilizing his "Jerome Pawns." Black still has the advantage, though.

21.f5 c6 22.Bg5 Rf7 23.Bxe7

A thoughtless move. Instead, 23.g4 was thematic and led to an almost-equal game.

23...Rxe7 24.Rf4 Bd7 25.g4 Rf8 26.Re1

26...g5

Taking a shorter step – 26...g6 – seemed more prudent to me, but Rybka let the text move go by without comment.

27.Rff1 c5 28.e5 dxe5 29.dxe5 Rfe8

The game seems in balance.

30.e6 Bc6

Of course, Black could have returned his piece for the two pawns (30...Bxe6 etc), but LeiCar was looking for more than an equal game.

Unfortunately for him, that was my best offer.

31.f6

As the villains say in many Scooby Doo episodes ...and I would have gotten away with it too, if it weren't for you meddling pawns, er, kids...

31...Rxe6 32.f7+ Kf8

This allows White's pawn to capture, promote and check. The alternative, 32...Kg7, would have allowd Black to capture the passer and would have cost only the exchange, but Black's position would have been poor after 33.Rxe6 Rf8 34.Rf5 Rxf7 35.Rxg5+ Kh8, for example, with 36.Rd6 Re7 37.Rd8+ Be8

analysis diagram






33.fxe8Q+ Kxe8 34.Rxe6+ Black resigned

More Than Meets the Eye

One of the joys of chess, and this has to be true even for that reprobate of openings, the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) and its relatives, is that often things on the board are not as they first appear to be: there is more than meets the eye. 

perrypawnpusher - udofink
blitz FICS, 2010

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

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

This is a solid response for Black – computers will rate the second player about 1 1/4 pawns better.

Familiarity has its benefits, however: my score with White against this position in 36 games is 93%.

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

9...Be6

This move is not as bad as I thought it to be, and my response is not as good as I thought, either.

10.f4

Black's response should cure me of this premature move.

I was more on target in an earlier game with 10.0-0 Nf6 11.f4 Kd7 12.f5 Bxf5 13.exf5 Re8 14.Qg5 Ne7 15.Qxg7 c6 16.Qxf6 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - dirceu, blitz FICS, 2010

10...Qh4+

Thematic, and an improvement over 10...N6e7 11.0-0 Nc6 (11...Nf6 12.f5 Bf7 13.d3 c6 14.h3 Qb6 15.g4 Qxe3+ 16.Bxe3 Kd7 17.Nd2 b6 18.Kg2 g6 19.g5 Nh5 20.f6 Nc8 21.d4 b5 22.b3 Nb6 23.Rac1 a5 24.c4 bxc4 25.Nxc4 Rhb8 26.Kf3 Nxc4 27.bxc4 Rb2 28.Rf2 Rab8 29.d5 c5 30.Rcc2 Rxc2 31.Rxc2 a4 32.Rc3 Kc7 33.Ra3 Be8 34.e5 dxe5 35.Bxc5 Rb2 36.Ke4 Re2+ 37.Be3 Bd7 38.f7 1-0, mrjoker - Melbourne, ICC 2 12 blitz, 2008,) 12.d4 Bf7 13.Nc3 Qd7 14.e5 dxe5 15.dxe5 Qe6 16.f5 Qxe5 17.Qxe5+ Nxe5 18.Re1 Rd8 19.Bf4 Kd7 20.Bxe5 Nf6 21.Bxf6 gxf6 22.Ne4 Kc8 23.Nxf6 Rd6 24.Ne4 Rdd8 25.Rad1 Rxd1 26.Rxd1 Re8 27.Nc3 Bc4 28.Kf2 Rf8 29.g4 c6 30.b3 Bf7 31.Ne4 Bd5 32.Nc5 Rf6 33.c4 Black forfeited on time, perrypawnpusher - GabrielChime, blitz FICS, 2010

11.g3 Qg4

Here Black's followup is inaccurate, however. Certainly the Queen can be more annoying at h3.

After 11...Qh3, White might as well continue developing with 12.Nc3, as the pawn fork 12.f5, instead, would win a piece after 12...Bxf5 13.exf5+  but allow after 13...Kf8 the deadly move ...Rae8.  

12.f5

Now the pawn fork works, however.

12...Bf7

A bit better, but still leading to an edge for White, was 12...Nf6, which is best answered by 13.d3.

The problem now with 12...Bxf5 for Black is that after 13.exf5+ Kd7 (threatening ...Rae8, as in the not to White's 12th move) White can safely castle out of the threatened pin of his Queen. 

With a Black Queen on h3, that would not have been possible.

13.fxg6 Bxg6 14.d3 Kd7 15.0-0 Nf6 16.Nc3 c6

White is a pawn up.

17.Qf4

An exchange of Queens would make my King safer: Black has 4 pieces on the Kingside (with another Rook waiting in the wings) to my 2 pieces.

17...Qe6 18.Bd2 Rhf8 19.Qg5 Rf7 20.Rae1 Raf8

21.e5 dxe5 22.Qxe5

22...Qh3

Black declines to exchange Queens (his best choice), seeing his chances for an attack on the enemy King (starting with pressure on f1) to be good.

23.Bf4

It is Black's King, on the Queenside, however, who is at greater risk. 

23...Ne8

Not so good, but Rybka's suggestion after the game – to exchange Queens and give up a piece – is not attractive, either: 23...Qxh2+ 24.Kxh2 Ng4+ 25.Kg2 Nxe5 26.Rxe5.





analysis diagram





24.Qd4+ Kc8 25.Qxa7

26...Nd6 26.Qa8+

Noticing that capturing Black's Knight now leads to me being checkmated, I was a bit too nervous to work out the cool Knight sacrifice at b5, but after the game Rybka did: 26.Nb5 cxb5 (26...Nxb5 27.Qb8+ Kd7 28.Qxb7+ Kd8 29.Bg5+ Rf6 30.Qxg7) 27.Qc5+ Kd8 28.Qxd6+.

26...Kd7 27.Qa3

27...Nc8

White's Bishop is making things too hot, and Black needed instead to sacrifice the exchange with 27...Rxf4 in order to stay in the game.


28.Qc5 b6

Swatting at my Queen as if she were a bothersome mosquito, Black hastens his end.

29.Qd4+ Black resigned

Checkmate is unavoidable.

Is there a book in all of this??

In June this blog will mark 2 years of daily posts on the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) and openings like the Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 4.Bxf7+), the Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.various Bc5 5.Bxf7+) and the Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+).

Friends and readers have asked me if I am planning to write a book on the Jerome Gambit.

My answer is that I would love to, but not right now.

For starters, I like the blog format. It keeps me regularly in touch with the Jerome Gambit Gemeinde and chessplayers around the world. It has a flexibility that fits my time and temperment.

Also, I would like to be certain that if FIDE Master Stefan Bücker decides to publish my Jerome Gambit article in his fantastic magazine, Kaissiber, that it contains my best efforts, bar none.

However, if I ever do write a book on the Jerome Gambit, I know exactly what I will call it: Playing and (Sometimes) Winning with the Worst Chess Opening in the World!






graphic by Jeff Bucchino, The Wizard of Draws

One... last... trick...

Sometimes when I'm playing the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) things do not go as I have planned (or hoped).

In those cases, there are still chances that my opponent will fall for a trick or a trap – or just plain fall, for that matter. It is my job to keep things, er, interesting, until something finally goes my way.

perrypawnpusher - BishopChris
blitz FICS, 2010

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

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

According to the New Year's Database, Black's most popular response to the Queen check (see "Perhaps the best chess advice that I ever read...").

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

Black is comfortably better.

10.f4 Kf7 11.O-O Re8

It is up to the "Jerome Pawns" to cause mischief before Black gets his King castled-by-hand.

12.Nc3 d5

I've faced this threat of a pawn fork at d4 a couple of times before (see perrypawnpusher - tejeshwar, blitz FICS 2009 and perrypawnpusher - sarBear, blitz FICS, 2009) and am not comfortable with it.

13.f5 Ne5 14.d4

My plan was to use the pawn at d4 to support my e-pawn when it got to e5. It never quite happened that way.

After the game Rybka suggested 14. exd5 Nxd5 15. Nxd5 Qxd5 16. d3, leaving White with a ways to go to achieve equality. 

14...Nc4 15.Qh3

One or two free tempos are all that White needs to get things under control, but that doesn't seem likely.

15...dxe4 16.Bg5 Qxd4+ 17.Kh1 Nd2

This complicates things for Black. It was better to tuck his King into safety with 17...Kg8.

18.Bxf6

Confidently pressing the "attack", I produce... a useless move.

18...Kxf6

 19.Qxh7 Nxf1

Down a Rook and a Bishop, I was looking for just about anything to throw at my opponent. All I had left was pretending that everything was under control, that I knew what I was doing...

20.Qg6+ Ke7 21.Rd1

This should not work. But it is annoying. My opponent began to wonder why I didn't recapture the Knight, and decided to put an end to my attacking "threats". 

After the game Rybka gave my best chance, if still losing, as 21.f6+ gxf6 22.Qg7+ Ke6 23.Nb5 Qd7 24.Nxc7+ Ke5 25.Qg6 Qxc7 26.Qxe8+ Kd4 27.c3+ Kc4 28.Rxf1

analysis diagram







21...Qf6

An interesting psychological point. It is as if Black overlooked the fact that Knights can move backward (21... Nd2).

22.Nd5+ Black resigned

The problem is that White has both mate threats and threats to win more material – after capturing Black's Queen.

Not As Scary As It Looks

Have you ever played what you thought was a smashing attack – only to discover, upon closer inspection, that it wasn't nearly as sound as you (and your opponent) imagined? If you play the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) – of course you have.

perrypawnpusher  - Philidork
blitz FICS, 2010

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nc3 Nc6 4.Bc4 Bc5

5.Bxf7+

The Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit, one of those lines known to me personally as the Why-Am-I-Still-Playing-This Opening??

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 Bxd4 8.Qxd4

This seems to be the most popular defense, although 7...Bd6 8.dxe5 Bxe5 was stronger.

8...d6 9.Bg5

Or the alternative: 9.0-0 Re8 10.f4 (10.Bg5 Kg8 11.f4 Nc6 12.Qd3 Nb4 13.Qc4+ Be6 14.Qxb4 b6 15.Rae1 c5 16.Qb5 d5 17.e5 d4 18.exf6 a6 19.Qc6 Bd7 20.Qd5+ Kh8 21.fxg7+ Kxg7 22.Bxd8 Black resigned, Wall - Foman, Chess.com, 2010) 10...Nc6 11.Qd3 Kg8 12.Bd2 a6 13.Rae1 Kh8 14.Nd5 Nxd5 15.exd5 Rxe1 16.Rxe1 Na7 17.Qe4 Bg4 18.h3 Bh5 19.g4 Bf7 20.Bc3 Qe8 21.Qf5 Qf8 22.Qd7 Nb5 23.Re7 Nxc3 24.Rxf7 Qe8 25.Qxe8+ Rxe8 26.bxc3 Kg8 27.Rxc7 b5 28.Kf2 Re4 29.f5 Ra4 30.Rd7 Rxa2 31.Rxd6 Rxc2+ 32.Ke3 Rxc3+ 33.Kd4 Rc4+ 34.Kd3 Rc5 35.Rxa6 Rxd5+ 36.Ke3 Rd1 37.Rb6 Rb1 38.Kd4 Kf7 39.g5 Kg8 40.g6 Rd1+ 41.Ke5 Re1+ 42.Kf4 Re8 43.Rxb5 hxg6 44.fxg6 Rf8+ 45.Rf5 Rxf5+ 46.Kxf5 Kf8 47.Ke6 Kg8 48.Ke7 Kh8 49.h4 Kg8 50.h5 Kh8 51.Ke6 Kg8 52.Kf5 Kh8 53.Kg5 Kg8 54.Kf5 Kh8 55.Ke5 Kg8 56.Ke6 Kh8 57.Kd7 Kg8 58.Ke7 Kh8 59.h6 Kg8 60.h7+ Kh8 61.Kf8 Game drawn by stalemate, perrypawnpusher - KaZC, blitz FICS, 2010.

This position is of historical interest, as it appeared in two games in a Jerome Gambit correspondence chess match between Alonzo Wheeler Jerome and S.A. Charles, presented in an article by Charles in Brentano's Chess Monthly, October 1881.

The move order in those games was 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bxd4 7.Qxd4 d6 8.Nc3 Nf6 9.Bg5.

9...Nc6

Or 9...h6 10.Bxf6 Qxf6 11.0-0-0 Be6 12.Kb1 Nc4

analysis diagram





"so far from an unfinished game between Mr. Jerome and the writer, the following seems a possible continuation 13.Qd3 b5 14.f4 Nxb2 15.Kxb2 b4 and wins." Jerome - Charles, correspondence, 1881;

analysis diagram





Also possible was 9...Bh3 10.0-0-0 Bxg2 11.f4 h6 12.Bxf6 gxf6 13.Rhg1 Bh3 14.fxe5 "better game [for White]. from a game between Mr. Jerome and the writer"

10.Qd3

10...Re8 11.0-0 Kg8

12.Nd5 Re6 13.Nxf6+

Part of a "plan of attack," but 13.f4 followed by 14.e5 was more sensible.

13...gxf6 14.Bh6

14...Ne5

After I played my 14th move, I suddenly wondered, what if Black plays 14...f5...? The answer is, of course, that White's "attack" crumbles.

The move played by Philidork shows that he sees my plan to check along the g-file, and he hastens to cover up.

15.Qg3+ Ng6

Now White can achieve an even game with the straight-forward 16.f4 Rxe4 17.f5.

16.h4 Kh8

White "attacks" with the h-pawn, which can be stopped by the simple 16...Re5.

17.h5

Unfortunately, my opponent was taken in by all of this and resigned here.

True, if the Knight moves, White can checkmate at g7. But Black is a piece ahead, so he can afford to defend with 17...Qg8 – when all I would have after 18.hxg6 Qxg6 was an even game.

Looking back, the situation was not as scary as it looked.