In the following game I broke my rule of keeping to the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) "book" while letting my opponents do the creative inventing. Still, the game quickly became a shoot-out, and the risky position of Black's King soon proved to be his un-doing.
perrypawnpusher - thinan
blitz FICS, 2010
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6
This is one of the better Jerome Gambit refutations. Black, however, has an interesting twist in mind.
7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Ng6
More popular are 8...Qf6 and the adventurous 8...Qh4+.
A week and a half earlier, against the same opponent, perrypawnpusher - thinan, blitz FICS, 2010 had continued: 8...Qh4+ 9.g3 Nf3+ 10.Kd1 Qe7 11.Qd5 checkmate.
9.Qd5+ Ke7 10.Qxc5+ d6 11.Qe3
11.Qf2 and 11.Qg5+ have also been tried.
11...Nf6
In an earlier game I faced 11...Bd7 12.0-0 Qf8 13.e5 Kd8 14.exd6 Qxd6 15.Nc3 Nf6 16.d3 Re8 17.Qf2 Rf8 18.Be3 b6 19.Rae1 Nd5 20.Nxd5 Qxd5 21.Bd2 Qxa2 22.Bc3 Qd5 23.Bxg7 Re8 24.Rxe8+ Kxe8 25.f5 Ne7 26.f6 Ng6 27.f7+ Kd8 28.f8Q+ Nxf8 29.Qxf8+ Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - GabrielChime, blitz FICS, 2009.
If Black had chosen to defend with 6...Ng6 instead of 6...Ke6, the game might have continued 7.Qd5+ Ke7 8.Qxc5+ d6 9.Qe3 Nf6 – reaching a position similar to the one in this game, only White wouldn't have already played f2-f4. In effect, thinan has given me an extra move.
12.d4
Trying to sneak in my "extra" move, but 12.f5 or 12.0-0 were correct. It is dangerous to leave the White Queen and King on the same file that Black's Rook can come to.
12...c5
Attacking the center, but losing a pawn. Stronger was 12...Re8, e.g. 13.0-0 Kf8 14.e5 dxe5 15.fxe5 Kg8 when Black will be able to work around White's "Jerome pawns".
13.dxc5 dxc5 14.Qxc5+ Kf7
15.Nc3 Bg4
This move looks like it just puts the Bishop in harm's way, but it has hidden resources that Black subesquently overlooks.
After the game Rybka recommended instead 15...Qe7, but with three pawns for his sacrificed piece White should be close to even after the exchange of Queens.
16.f5
Moving quickly to trap a piece, although White has to be careful about the safety of his King.
16...Nh4
Here is where Black could have shown his creativity: 16...Rc8 apparently returning the piece 17.fxg6+ hxg6 18.Qf2 Rxc3!
analysis diagram
White cannot capture the Rook, as that would allow checkmate. His best would be 19.0-0, which Black would meet by rescuing his Rook with 19...Rc4.
analysis diagram
Here it looks like White can recover his piece with advantage with 20.e5, but again Black is ready: 20...Qc7 pins the e-pawn (mate at h2 is threatened) and after 21.Qg3 (21.Bf4 Ne4 and 22...Kg8) Bf5 22.exf6 Qxg3 23.hxg3 gxf6 the game is about even – and Black's pieces are more active.
analysis diagram
17.0-0 Rc8
With White's King castled, this move loses its bite.
18.Qxa7 Rc7 19.Bg5
Going after the unsettled pieces on the Kingside.
19...b5 20.Qe3 b4 21.Nd5
Even stronger was 21.Nb5
21...Rxc2
Counter-attacking at g2, but Black's game begins to collapse. He should have defied the pin on his Knight and played: 21...Nxd5 when 22.exd5 Qxd5 23.Bxh4 Re8 24.Qb3 Qxb3 25.cxb3 leads to an ending where White has more pawns – but they are ugly pawns, and if the Rooks come off the board then the drawish Bishops-of-opposite-colors may lead to a draw.
22.Bxh4 Be2 23.Rf2 Rxb2 24.Rxe2 Rxe2 25.Qxe2 h6
White is a piece and two pawns ahead, and, more importantly, his attack is still strong.
26.Rd1 g5 27.fxg6+ Kxg6 28.Bxf6 Qa8 29.Qg4+ Kf7 30.Qg7+ Ke6 31.Nf4 checkmate
I play the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) and its variants because the games usually give me a lot of enjoyment. That's about it.
perrypawnpusher - StockholmMoskva
blitz FICS, 2010
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6
The Semi-Italian Opening.
4.0-0 Bc5 5.Bxf7+
The Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit.
5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.Qh5+ Ke6 8.Qf5+
This is similar to play in the regular Jerome Gambit, although the computer-recommended follow-up is 8.Qh3+ Ke7 9.Qc3 d6 10.d4 Bxd4 11.Qxd4 Nf6 12.Nc3,
analysis diagram
8...Kd6 9.d4 Ne7
This seems to be an instinctive reaction: Black is two pieces ahead, and all he needs to do is chase that nasty Queen away...
An earlier game of mine continued, instead: 9...Bxd4 10.Rd1 c5 11.c3 Ne7 12.Qh5 Kc7 13.cxd4 cxd4 14.Qxe5+ d6 15.Qxd4 Nc6 16.Qxg7+ Bd7 17.Bf4 Rg8 18.Qxh6 Qe7 19.Bxd6+ Qxd6 20.Qxd6+ Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - Lakritzl, blitz FICS, 2009.
10.Qxe5+ Kc6 11.Qxc5 checkmate
Less than a week later, I again ignored the computer recommendation for White for move 8, and played the same game against GabrielH.
It may take a while (and perhaps a loss) before I give up 8.Qf5+.
Bill Wall (see "Welcome to the World of Wall") likes short chess games. One way to find them is to play them himself, even using the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+).
Wall,B - Qwerty
Chess.com, 2010
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8
One of Black's more interesting defenses to the Jerome Gambit involves not capturing the Knight on e5 – see "In the Beginning..." and "Critical Line: 5...Kf8 Parts 1, 2, 3 and Revisited" – but Black's King is much safer on f8 than he is on e8.
6.Nxc6
This move is stronger and more thematic than the otherwise Jerome-ish 6.Qh5+.
6...bxc6
According to Rybka, Black's best here is 6...Qh4, and play may continue 7.d4 Bb6 8.Nb4 Qxe4+ 9.Qe2 Qxe2+ 10.Kxe2 Bxd4 11.Nd5 Kd8 with a slight edge to White.
With Black's King on f8, the capture 6...dxc6 would maintain Black's advantage. That doesn't work well with the King on e8, however: 7.Qh5+ Kf8 8.Qxc5+ Qd6 9.Qe3 Nf6 10.e5 Ng4 11.Qf4+ Black resigned, Wall,B - Gebba, Chess.com, 2010.
7.Qh5+ g6 8.Qxc5
Further research might focus on the game chesspsychoten - fao, FICS, 2002, and the thematic move 8.Qe5+!? which produces a modified and successful version of an attack on the Whistler Defense: 8...Qe7 9.Qxh8 Qxe4+ 10.Kf1 Qe6 11.Qxh7 Qf6 12.Qxg8+ Ke7 13.f3? Ba6+ White resigned.
8...Ne7
Or 8...d6 9.Qe3 Nf6 10.Nc3 Ng4 11.Qg3 Ne5 12.d4 Nc4 13.b3 Na3 14.Bxa3 Ba6 15.0-0-0 Rb8 16.e5 Rf8 17.exd6 cxd6 18.Rhe1+ Kd7 19.Qxd6+ Kc8 20.Qxc6+ Qc7 21.Qxa6+ Kd7 22.Qe6+ Kd8 23.Bxf8 Qxh2 24.Qc6 Qxg2 25.Re8 checkmate, perrypawnpusher - rodrigojalpa, blitz FICS, 2008.
9.Qc3
Black resigned. Two pawns down, King stuck in the middle of the board, no counter-play: he's had enough.
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
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
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!"
