Business Expense

A career criminal knows that he will be arrested. He sees that as a "business expense" that has to be paid as part of his life as a crook.

Those of us who play the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) will also be subject to periodic ugly games and losses. It's part of the "job".

perrypawnpusher - JohnBr
blitz FICS, 2010

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

The Semi-Italian Opening.

4.0-0 Nf6 5.Nc3 Bc5

The Semi-Italian Four Knights Game.

6.Bxf7+

The Semi-Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.

For some reason I have issues with this particular line (see "...sometimes the bear gets you", "Bloodied but Unbowed" and "What an idea" for examples). Including this game, I have scored only 50% with it – that's about 35% less than my success with the Jerome Gambit and its other variants.

8...Bxd4 9.Qxd4 d6 10.f4

This is what White has to work with in the Semi-Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit: a pawn for his sacrificed piece, a slight lead in development, two "Jerome pawns" in the center, a Rook on the same file as the enemy King, and the chance to bring a second Rook into play faster than Black.

With any luck, what Black has to work with includes: surprise, inattention, over-confidence, shallow analysis and a well-timed unfortunate blunder...

An alternate plan, 10.Nd5, was tried by Jerome Gambit Gemeinde member yorgos, whose game continued:  10...Nxd5 11.Qxd5+ Be6 12.Qxb7 Re8 13.f4 Ng4 14.f5 Bd7 15.Qd5+ Kf8 16.f6 Nxf6 17.Qc4 Be6 18.Qb4 Kg8 19.Qc3 Nxe4 20.Qe3 Nf6 21.Qg3 g5 22.b3 Kh7 23.Bb2 Ne4 24.Qd3 d5 25.c4 c6 26.Qd4 Re7 27.Ba3 Rf7 28.Rxf7+ Bxf7 29.Bb2 Qg8 30.Rf1 Rf8 31.h4 dxc4 32.Qe5 Ng3 33.Rf6 cxb3 34.a3 Nh5 35.Qe4+ Bg6 36.Qe7+ Rf7 37.Qd6 Nxf6 38.Bxf6 Rxf6 39.Qxf6 Qg7 40.Qxc6 Qa1+ 41.Kh2 gxh4 42.Qb7+ Qg7 43.Qxb3 h3 44.Kxh3 Qe5 45.a4 Bf5+ 46.g4 Bxg4+ 47.Kxg4 Qg7+ 48.Kf3 Qg6 49.Ke3 Black resigned, yorgos - ambaradann, FICS, 2009.

In future games I might try placing my Bishop on the long diagonal with 10.b3 Re8 11.Bb2 Kg8.

10...Nc6 11.Qd3

Fritz8 slightly prefers this over 11.Qc4+ Be6 12.Qa4, but I think that takes the Queen away from a hoped-for attack on the King.

Another idea is the full retreat 11.Qd1, although it did not get a full test in ontocaustic - defjavid, FICS, 2009: 11...Bg4 12.Qd3 Nb4 13.Qc4+ Kf8 14.Qxb4 Qe7 15.e5 Nh5 16.f5 Qe6 17.fxe6+ Black resigned.

11...Re8

Two other of my games continued: 11...Be6 12.Bd2 Nb4 13.Qg3 Nxc2 14.Rac1 Nd4 15.f5 Bd7 16.Qg6+ Kg8 17.Be3 Be8 18.Qg3 Nc6 19.Bf4 Nh5 20.Qe3 Nxf4 21.Rxf4 Qg5 22.Qf2 Ne5 23.h4 Qh5 24.Rd1 a5 25.f6 Ng4 26.Qg3 Qc5+ 27.Kh1 h5 28.Rxg4 hxg4 29.Qxg4 Rh7 30.Rd5 Qf2 31.h5 Qf1+ 32.Kh2 Qxf6 33.Rf5 Qd4 34.Qf3 Bd7 35.Rd5 Qf6 36.Qxf6 gxf6 37.Kg3 Rg7+ 38.Kf3 Bg4+ 39.Kf4 Be6 40.Rd2 Rg5 White resigned, perrypawnpusher - HRoark, blitz FICS, 2010; and

11...Rf8 12.Bd2 Kg8 13.Rae1 Nb4 14.Qc4+ d5 15.Qxb4 Ng4 16.Nxd5 Qh4 17.h3 Nf6 18.Nxf6+ Rxf6 19.e5 Rg6 20.Qb3+ Be6 21.Qf3 Bxh3 22.Rf2 Rg3 23.Qxb7 Rf8 24.e6 Rf6 25.e7 Bd7 26.e8Q+ Bxe8 27.Rxe8+ Kh7 28.Qe4+ Rgg6 29.Qd3 Qg4 30.Ree2 h5 31.f5 Rd6 32.fxg6+ Rxg6 33.Qf5 Qd4 34.Qxh5+ Rh6 35.Bxh6 gxh6 36.Re7+ Kg8 37.Qg6+ Kh8 38.Re8 checkmate, perrypawnpusher - pwr, blitz FICS, 2010.

12.Bd2 Kg8 13.Rae1 Kh8 14.h3

White's last move was to prepare g2-g4.

I gave a look at 14.Nd5, instead, but didn't like my position after 14...Nxd5 15.exd5 Ne7. That is what Rybka recommended after the game, however, with White aiming his Bishop at the Kingside with 16.Bc3 and then patiently advancing his pawns. Even so, Rybka saw Black as better.

14...Nb4 15.Qe2 Bd7

Of course 15...Nxc2 was possible.

16.Bc1 Nfd5 17.Nxd5 Nxd5

18.Qh5 Nf6 19.Qg6 Re6 20.e5 Ng8 21.Qg3 Qe7

22.exd6 cxd6 23.b3 Rxe1 24.Rxe1 Qf7 25.Bb2 Re8 26.Rf1 Nf6 27.Qd3 d5

Still pushing, but Black has resisted at every turn. His King is safe, and the pawn at d5 only appears weak.

28.g4 Ne4 29.f5 Qe7 30.Qxd5 
 

Tempting, but deadly. Now my game collapsed, ending with a blunder.

30...Ng5 31.Kg2 Bc6 White resigned
 

Cutting It Close

I usually play the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) with attacking play in mind, but sometimes I switch to trying to squeeze out a win from a pawn-up game – which surely must frustrate my chess pieces...


perrypawnpusher - jonathankochems
blitz 2 12, FICS, 2010

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

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

A game we played earlier this year continued: 6...Kf8 7.Qxe5 Qe7 8.Qf4+ Nf6 9.Nc3 d6 10.0-0 Kf7 11.d3 Rf8 12.Nd5 Qe5 13.Nxc7 Qxf4 14.Bxf4 Rb8 15.Nd5 Nxd5 16.exd5 Bf5 17.Rae1 Bb4 18.Re2 Rbc8 19.a3 Bc5 20.b4 Bd4 21.Bxd6 Rfe8 22.Rfe1 Bc3 23.Rxe8 Rxe8 24.Rxe8 Kxe8 25.Bc5 a6 26.Kf1 Bb2 27.a4 Bd7 28.a5 Ba4 29.c4 Bc2 30.Ke2 Bc3 31.Ke3 Kd7 32.Ke4 Be1 33.f4 Bc3 34.Bd4 Bxb4 35.Bb6 Kd6 36.f5 Bc3 37.g4 Bf6 38.Ke3 Ke5 39.Bc7 checkmate, perrypawnpusher - jonathankochems, blitz FICS, 2010

7.Qd5+ Kf8 8.Qxc5+ d6 9.Qe3 Be6

10.f4

Playing 10.0-0 was more accurate. I almost never get this right.

10...Bf7

This leads to about an equal game. Black could have stirred up more mischief with 10...Qh4+ 11.g3 Qh3.

Alternatively: 10...N6e7 11.f5:
11.0-0 d5 (11...Nf6 12.f5 Bf7 13.b3 Nc6 14.Bb2 Ke7 15.d4 Re8 16.e5 dxe5 17.dxe5 Nd5 18.Qc5+ Kd7 19.e6+ Bxe6 20.fxe6+ Kxe6 21.Nc3 Nxc3 22.Bxc3 Qh4 23.Qf5+ Ke7 24.Rfe1+ Kd6 25.Rad1+ Nd4 26.Bb4+ Kc6 27.Qc5+ Kd7 28.Rxd4+ Black resigned, Hiarcs 8 - RevvedUp, 2006) 12.d3 dxe4 13.dxe4 Nf6 14.Nc3 Ng4 15.Qd3 Qxd3 16.cxd3 Rd8 17.Rd1 c5 18.h3 Nf6 19.Be3 b6 20.g4 Nc6 21.Rac1 Ke7 22.a3 Bb3 23.Rd2 Rhf8 24.Kf2 Rd7 25.e5 Nxe5 26.fxe5 Ne4+ 27.Ke2 Ng3+ 28.Ke1 Rf1 checkmate, RevvedUp - Hiarcs, 2006; and

11.0-0 Bf7 12.d4 Nc6 13.0-0 Nge7 14.Nc3 Ke8 15.Bd2 Kd7 16.Rad1 Kc8 17.e5 Nd5 18.Nxd5 Bxd5 19.b3 Re8 20.c4 Bg8 21.Bc3 Qe7 22.e6 b6 23.d5 Nd8 24.f6 gxf6 25.Bxf6 Qf8 26.Bxd8 Qxf1+ 27.Rxf1 Kxd8 28.Qg5+ Kc8 29.Rf6 Kb7 30.Qg7 a5 31.a4 Rac8 32.g4 Ka6 33.g5 b5 34.cxb5+ Kb6 35.Qd7 Ka7 36.h4 Red8 37.Qc6 Re8 38.Qa6+ Kb8 39.Qxa5 Black resigned, guest673 - guest767, ICC, 2003.

11.0-0

Or 11.f5 Ne5 12.d4 Nc6 13.0-0 Bc4 14.Rd1 Nf6 15.Nc3 Ng4 16.Qg3 h5 17.b3 Ba6 18.h3 Nf6 19.e5 dxe5 20.dxe5 Qxd1+ 21.Nxd1 Ne4 22.Ba3+ Kg8 23.Qe3 Nd2 24.Qxd2 Rd8 25.Qg5 Rh6 26.f6 Rd7 27.e6 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - jamtaylo, ChessWorld Welcome JG, 2009.

11...Nf6 12.f5 Ne5 13.d4 Ned7

The retreat to c6 was probably stronger.

14.e5 dxe5 15.dxe5 Nd5 16.Qa3+ Qe7 17.e6 Qxa3 18.Nxa3 Bxe6

19.fxe6+ N7f6 20.Bg5 Ke7 21.Rae1 Rae8

This Queenless middle game or piece-full endgame is slightly in White's favor. It is not the kind of position that gambiteers always aim for, but it is a rather healthy state for one who plays the Jerome Gambit.

22.c3 a6 23.Nc2 c5 24.b3

24...Kd6 25.Bxf6

I should have played 25.c4 first, chasing one of the protectors of the f6 Knight.

25...Nxf6 26.Rf5

This looks awkward.

After the game Rybka recommended 26.Ne3 Rxe6 27.Nf5+ Kd7 28.Rd1+ Kc8 29.Nxg7, but the resulting position has a similar problem: it is going to take White a lot of work to make his extra pawn pay off.

26...b6 27.Rfe5 Re7 28.Na3 b5 29.c4 b4 30.Nc2 Rhe8

Black's well-placed King makes White's extra pawn almost meaningless.

31.Rg5 g6 32.Ree5

Cute – but wrong. Now 32...h6 wins the exchange and then a pawn for Black.

32...Rxe6 33.Rxc5 Ne4

This looks like a winning move, and my opponent played it as if it were.

Best play, however, as Rybka showed after the game, was more complicated: 33...Re2 34.Nxb4 Re1+ 35.Kf2 Ne4+ (the right time to check with the Knight) 36.Kf3 Rf8+ (or 36...Nxg5 37.Rxg5)37.Kg4 Nxc5 38.Rd5+ Ke6 39.Rxc5 Re2 40.Kg3 Rff2 41.h3 Rxg2+ 42.Kf3 Rh2 43.Ra5 Kf6 44.Rxa6+ Kg5. White has two pawns for the exchange, and the game is in balance.

analysis diagram






34.Rcd5+

White would pick up another pawn if he checked with the other Rook: 34.Rgd5+ Ke7 35.Rc7+ Kf6 36.Rxh7

34...Kc6

This allows a fork at d4 which would be good for White. Black's best was another exchange-for-Knight-and-pawns ending with 34...Kc7 35.Nxb4 Nxg5 36.Rxg5 Rd8

35.Rg4 Nc3 36.Nd4+

Finally.

36...Kb6 37.Nxe6 Nxd5 38.cxd5 Black resigned

graphic by Jeff Bucchino, the Wizard of Draws.

"I nearly smacked him on the back of the head..."

I discovered this all-too-real post on teacher and chess coach Elizabeth Vicary's blog:

I remember at one Pan-Ams (collegiate!) a player asked me for something to play against the Petroff defence, because it always made his games so boring. So I showed him the Boden-Kieseritzky gambit: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bc4 Nxe4 4.Nc3 Nxc3 5.dxc3

Great for 1700 players, right? He was especially excited by the possibility of 5...d6? 6.Nxe5 dxe5? 7.Bxf7+ & Qxd8.

In his very next game, his opponent plays the Petroff Defence and I happily stand behind his board, ready to watch him kick butt. I see 3.Bc4 Nxe4 and then on the board appears 4.Bxf7+? Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ followed by typical 1700 madness. I nearly smacked him on the back of the head while he was still sitting at the board.

Black kept his extra piece throughout the game, and won the pawn back, and they finally reached a bare R vs R + B ending, where Black immediately agreed to a draw because he'd heard that this ending was drawn.

I guess this is an example of equalizing the agony of the chess coaches...

Part of me sympathizes with Ms. Vicary: how often heart-felt advice falls on inattentive ears...

Another part of me has to point out "More Jerome-izing" and "Wasn't Me!"

Every Form

Here is the third of three Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) games, printed in the Preston Guardian, provided by Tim Harding, from the deep resources of his correspondence chess databases. (See also "Preston Guardian" and "Rematch".)

The notes are by Harding, and from the Preston Guardian of April 26, 1882.

Lowe,E - Cudmore,D

Preston Guardian consolation-2 rd1 corr, 1881

Preston Guardian, April 26, 1882, notes Monck (abbreviated) Dublin chess club minutes show Daniel Cudmore elected August 25, 1880

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4

Every form of the Jerome Gambit is, I believe, unsound and this is no exception.

8...Qf6 9.fxe5+ Qxe5 10.Qf3 b5

11.d4 Qxd4 12.c3 Qf6 13.Bf4+ Ke7 14.Rf1 Bb7

15.Qh5 Qc6 16.Qe5+ Kd8

17.Qxg7 Qxe4+ 18.Kd1 Bd5 19.Be5

19...Kc8 20.Nd2 Qxg2 21.b4

21...Be7 22.Qxh8 Bg5 23.Bf4 Bxf4 24.Rxf4 Qxh2 25.Qe5 Qg2

26.Kc2 Bc6 27.Qe3 Qg6+ 28.Kb2 Kb7

29.Rg1 Qe6 30.Ne4 Bxe4 31.Rxe4 Qc6 32.Rf1 Nf6 33.Rd4 Nd5 34.Qd3

34...Nxc3 35.Rc1 Na4+ 36.Kb1 Qb6 37.Qe4+ Ka6 38.Qxa8 Qxd4 39.Qc8+ Kb6 40.Qxc7+ Ka6

41.Qa5+ Kb7 42.Qxb5+ Nb6 43.a3 a6 44.Qf5 Nc4 45.Qf3+ Kb6

46.Qc3 Qxc3 47.Rxc3 d5 48.Rd3 Kc6 Drawn, but White should have won this game.

It is not clear who the comment "White should have won this game" can be attributed to, the Preston Guardian or Harding, but I would imagine it to be the latter.

Certainly one of White's oversights late in the game was not to have seen 41.Qc8+ (instead of 41.Qa5+) Kb6 42.Qd8+ Ka6 (42...Kb7 allows mate in 3) 43.Rc6+ and Black will lose Queen for the Rook.

Rematch

Here is the second of three Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) games, printed in the Preston Guardian, provided by Tim Harding, from the deep resources of his correspondence chess databases. (See also "Preston Guardian".)

The notes are by Harding, and from the Preston Guardian of August 25, 1880.

Lowe,E - Parker,J
friendly thematic correspondence, 1879

These two players seem to have played a few games to test the gambit; the Preston Guardian published an earlier one with Black's fifth move.

Hull Bellman of September 11, 1880 confirms they agreed to play this test game afterwards for a 5 shilling book.

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Kf8!?

6.Nxc6 dxc6 7.0-0 Nf6 8.d3

8.e5  was, Lowe - Parker, Preston Guardian, December 31, 1879; 8.Qf3 with the idea of d3, is the correct continuation says the Preston Guardian editor.

8...Bg4 9.Qe1 Qe7 10.Kh1

10.c3? failed in Lowe-Parker from a Preston Guardian correspondence tournament. "Mr Lowe, however, maintained that Mr Parker did not play the best defence to White's 8th and following moves, so challenged him to play another game for a 5 shilling book, commencing at White's 8th, with the result given below."

10...Kf7 11.f3

11.f4!? Lowe

11...Bd7 12.b3

12...b5 13.Bb2 h5 14.e5 Nd5 15.Qg3 Rag8 16.d4 h4

17.Qe1 Bb6 18.Qe4 Rh5 19.f4 Rf5

20.c4 bxc4 21.bxc4 Nf6 22.Qe1 Nh5 23.c5 g5

24.cxb6 gxf4 25.Rf3 Qg5 26.Qf2 cxb6

27.Nd2 Qg4 28.h3 Qg6 29.Ra3 Rg5 30.Rg1 a5

31.Nf3 Ng3+ 32.Kh2 Ne4 33.Nxg5+ Qxg5 34.Qe2

34...Bf5

Rybka suggests that Black can reach a draw after: 34...Qg3+ 35.Rxg3 hxg3+ 36.Kh1 Nf2+ 37.Qxf2 gxf2 38.Rf1 Be6 39.a3 Bd5 40.Rxf2 Ke6 41.Kh2 Rg3.

analysis diagram

35.Re1 Ke8 36.Qf3

This time, the computer shows how White wins: 36.Bc1 Ng3 37.Qf3 Qg6 38.Bxf4 Be4 39.Qg4 Qxg4 40.hxg4 Rxg4 41.Bxg3 Bd5 42.Rb1 hxg3+ 43.Rxg3 Rxd4 44.Rxb6 Kf7 45.Ra6 Ke6 46.Rxa5 Kxe5 47.a4 Kd6 48.Rg6+ Kc7 49.g4.

analysis diagram

36...Rg6? 37.Rxe4 Black resigned