The Jerome Gambit pops up in the oddest places...

I was doing a Google Books search for Jerome Gambit references, and came across the following one from a review in The British Chess Magazine, Volume 108, 1988




Lettisches Gambit by Dr. L. Orban, Verlag Das Schach Archiv, Hamburg x: 1987 L. 90pp. ₤ 7.12 overseas ₤7.32 US $13.50

100 games with light notes on 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 f5. Also four - numbered five - supplementary games, though one of these illogically opens 2.Bc4 f5 and another one: 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bc4 Bc5 4 Bxf7+ - The Jerome Gambit! Many CC games of course.

The Gentleman or the Tireder?

Except for a few slips, my opponent consistently outplayed me in the following game, which is especially notable given that he used up much of his initial 2 minutes quickly and played the large majority of his remaining moves on each 12-second increment.

Just when he reached a "won" endgame, he offered me a draw. Was he simply tired from playing so long on the knife's edge of time? Or had he seen what was to come, but in a sporting way rewarded my resistance with a half-point?

 perrypawnpusher - dogofthesouth
blitz 2 12, FICS, 2010

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

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

7.Qxe5 Bd6

This move is better than it looks at first glance, and forces White's Queen to abandon the center or abandon the board.

8.Qf5+

Also seen has been 8.Qc3, in perrypawnpusher - Lark, blitz, FICS, 2009 (1-0, 30); 8.Qa5, in billwall - firewine, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 53); and 8.Qh5 in blackburne - Whiterose, ChessWorld, 2004 (1-0, 11).

8...Qf6 9.Qxf6+ Nxf6 10.Nc3

I was not happy exchanging Queens, but sometimes it has to happen. I continued to play confidently and quickly, and a moment of uncertainty on behalf of my opponent (plus his use of time) was my reward.

Also played was 10.d3, in perrypawnpusher - LeiCar, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 34).

10...Be5 11.0-0 Bxc3 12.bxc3 d6

The pawn on e4 was free for the taking. I should have protected it with 11.d3. My opponent, however, was suspicious and gave me time to recover.

13.d3 h6

Louis Marin ground down his opponent after 13...Kf7, mrjoker - PhlebasP, ICC, 2008 (1-0, 34).

14.f4 Ke7 15.Ba3 Bd7 16.e5 Nd5 17.c4 Ne3 18.Rf2 Bc6

Black's last move (instead of 18...c5, blocking the a3-f8 diagonal) is part of his plan to put pressure on g2, but proves to be inaccurate and allows White to pull even.

19.Re1 Nxg2 20.Rxg2 Bxg2 21.exd6+ Kf7 22.Re7+ Kg6 23.Kxg2 cxd6

Black is up the exchange for a pawn (soon two), but with the proper follow-up White can now develop winning chances.

24.Re6+

This is not the right way, however. After 24.Bxd6, White's Rook can threaten Black's pawns at b7 and g7 (especially after Be5). When one of them falls, three pawns would be great compensation for the exchange.

24...Kf5 25.Rxd6 Rad8 26.Rxd8 Rxd8

Over the next 30 moves White's compensation falls, like autumn leaves from a tree. My opponent's play is not always the most accurate, but, given his time constraints, he did well; and certainly better than I did

27.Kf3 Rd7 28.Bb2 b6 29.Be5 Re7 30.c3 g5 31.d4 gxf4 32.Bxf4 h5 33.Be3 Re4 34.c5 bxc5 35.dxc5 a5

Black could have saved himself a lot of trouble by playing 25...Ra4 here. His a-pawn would then Queen, while my forward c-pawn would not.

36.Bd4 Rg4 37.c6 Rg8 38.c7 a4 39.a3 Re8 40.c4 Ke6 41.Kg3 Kf5 42.h4 Ke4 43.Bb6 Rc8

44.Ba5 Kd4 45.Kf4 Kxc4 46.Kg5 Kb3 47.Bb4

White had a clearer chance to play for the draw here with 47.Kf6: 47...Kxa3 48.Ke7 Kb3 49.Kd7 a3 50.Bb6 Rg8 51.c8/Q Rxc8 52.Kxc8 a2 53.Bd4 Kc4! Black can now run his King over to attack White's h-pawn, causing the Bishop to protect it; play ...a2-a1/Q, forcing the Bishop to capture the Queen and un-protect the h-pawn; and capture the h-pawn; but the Bishop will stop the final Black pawn from Queening.

I was thinking, instead, that getting another Black pawn off of the board was the key to my survival. It might have been, but not the way that I played it.

47...Rxc7 48.Kxh5 Kc4

It is possible that 48...Rb7 is stronger, as it implements the threat of capturing White's Bishop and thus freeing Black's a-pawn to advance and Queen. White would have to try something like 49.Bf8. I am not sure how much more Black could achieve by chasing the Bishop here and there.

49.Kg6 Kd5 50.h5 Rc6+ 51.Kg5 Ke6

White must now play 52.Kg6 to keep Black's King away from the h-pawn and maintain drawing chances.

52.h6 Kf7 53.Kh5 Kg8 54.Be7 Kh7

Now the h-pawn is doomed, and with it, quite probably, my game.

55.Bf8 Rc3 56.Kg5 Rf3 57.Bb4 Rg3+ 58.Kh5 Rh3+ 59.Kg5 Rg3+

At this point my opponent offered a Draw, and with a sense of relief I accepted.

The question in my mind was "Didn't Black have a win after 59...Rxh6"?

It turns out that the people who have created Rybka have a website (http://chessok.com/?page_id=361) where there is a 6-man Nalimov Endgame Tablebase which gives the answer: after 59...Rxh6 Black would have a mate in at most 48 more moves: 60.Kf5 Rh5+ 61.Ke4 Rh4+ 62.Kd3 Rg4 63.Bc5 Kg8 64.Bd6 Kf7 65.Bb4 Rh4 66.Bc5 Ke6 67.Bf8 Rh8 68.Bc5 Kd5 69.Bb4 Rh3+ 70.Kc2 Rg3 71.Be7 Rf3 72.Bb4 Kc4 73.Bd6 Rf2+ 74.Kb1 Kb3 75.Kc1 Rc2+ 76.Kd1 Rc8 77.Be7 Re8 78.Bb4 Kb2 79.Bc5 Rd8+ 80.Ke2 Kb3 81.Ke3 Rc8 82.Bb4 Rb8 83.Bc5 Kc4 84.Bd6 Re8+ 85.Kf2 Re6 86.Bb4 Rb6 87.Be7 Rb7 88.Bd6 Kd5 89.Bf4 Rb3 90.Bc1 Rc3 91.Bg5 Rxa3 92.Be7 Rd3 93.Bf6 a3 94.Ba1 Rd1 95.Bc3 Kc4 96.Bf6 a2 97.Ke3 Rd3+ 98.Ke4 Rc3 99.Bg7 a1Q 100.Bxc3 Qxc3 101.Kf5 Qd4 102.Kg6 Qe5 103.Kh7 Qg3 104.Kh8 Kd5 105.Kh7 Ke6 106.Kh8 Kf7 107.Kh7 Qh4#

Whew! That line is very complicated and possibly not worth the effort finding in a casual blitz game. In all fairness, though, White would be more likely to err and lose while Black would be risking very little. 

Cure for Time Trouble (Part 2)

I've been taking more time finding my moves these days, with the hope that the resulting improvement in my play will shorten the game and lessen my need for those tick-tocks anyway. There is always the risk, though, of burning time, and not finding anything special...

perrypawnpusher - salla
blitz, FICS, 2010

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke7

I have only 8 examples of this, "An Odd Line in an Odd Line", in the updated New Year's Database.

6.Nxc6+

Wrong!

On move 6 Black had 5 possible King moves (instead of capturing the Knight on e5). Here are the proper responses to each:

5...Ke8 6.Nxc6;
5...Ke7 6.Qh5;
5...Ke6 6.Qg4+;
5...Kf8 (best) 6.Nxc6;
5...Kf6 6.Qh5


It has been a couple of years since I looked at 5...Ke7, but the best response should not have been hard to figure out. My slip lost the chance for an advantage, i.e. 5...Ke7 6.Qh5 Bxf2+ (best) 7.Kxf2 Qf8+ 8.Nf3.

6...dxc6


The better capture, preventing d2-d4.

7.d3 Nf6

An error that both my opponent and I missed. Black needed to get his King and Queen off of the same diagonal, either with 7...Kf8 or 7...Qd6. Otherwise, White can now play 8.e5 and the Black Knight will be lost, as moving it would allow the killer Bishop check from g5.

8.Bg5 Be6 9.0-0

For all the time that I was spending thinking, I wasn't getting much of a return. White should have at least mixed it up with 9.e5, although after 9...Qd5 10.exf6+ gxf6 11.Be3 Bxe3 12.fxe3 Qxg2 Black would still have had an edge.

9...Kd7 10.e5 h6 11.Bh4 g5 12.Bg3 Ng4

Escaping in the wrong direction.

13.h3 Ne3 14.fxe3 Bxe3+ 15.Bf2 Bxf2+ 16.Rxf2

White has an edge, but little of it is any of his doing. Time was evaporating, too.

16...Ke7 17.c3 c5 18.d4 Qd5 19.Qf3 Raf8 20.Qxd5 Bxd5

Again with the strategy of exchanging Queens – see "Cure for Time Trouble (Part 1)" – as a way to deal with dwindling time, but with little benefit. In fact, the game ends without me having an intelligent idea.

21.Nd2 Rxf2 22.Kxf2 b5 23.Nf3 Rf8 24.a3 h5 25.Kg3

Of course 25.Ke3 made more sense.

25...Rg8 26.Rf1 g4 27.hxg4 Rxg4+ 28.Kf2 Rf4 29.Ke3 Re4+ 30.Kd2 Rg4 31.Rf2 And here, with White maintaining a small edge, and not much time on his clock – Black forfeited on time.

Cure for Time Trouble (Part 1)

I've been taking more time finding my moves these days, with the hope that the resulting improvement in my play will shorten the game and lessen my need for those tick-tocks anyway. There is always the risk, though, of burning time, and not finding anything special...

 perrypawnpusher - blackflower
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+

This is the 32nd time that I have played this move here, and my record to date is 29-0-3, but this is the first time that I have noticed that 7.d4 might be stronger...

7...Ng6 8.Qd5+ Kf8 9.Qxc5+ N8e7

Adding to his development, but I think 9...d6 10.Qe3 Nf6 was the better way to do that.

10.f4

This is a bit stronger than 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...b6 11.Qe3

Made reflexively, but the Queen was probably better placed at h5.

11...Kf7

12.f5 Ne5 13.d4 Ng4

Harassing the Queen is irresistible; but going to c6 was wiser.

14.Qg3 h5 15.h3 Nf6 16.e5

16...Nxf5

Probably a miscalculation. Better was the return of the piece with 16...d5 17.exf6 gxf6 when Black is only a pawn down. 

17.Rxf5 d6 18.Rf2 dxe5 19.dxe5 Qd4

Black will soon be rid of the annoying "Jerome pawns," but he also will be a piece down.

20.exf6 gxf6 21.Nc3 Rg8 22.Qf3 Be6 23.Qxh5+ Ke7

Black is now in serious trouble. Lucky for him, I was feeling some time pressure. 

24.Qh7+ Bf7 25.Qd3

I figured that an exchange of Queens would simplify the position, reduce Black's counter-attacking chances, and help me think quicker. If I had been able to find the much stronger 25.Bh6, threatening Re1+ followed by Rd1, winning the Queen, that would have been a solution to my time trouble.

25...Qc5

Maintaining the pin. Exchanging was better.

26.Qe4+ Be6

27.Be3 Qh5 28.Qf3

Another crass attempt at exchanging Queens, when 28.Bd4 should not have been too hard to find. With more time, I probably would have found it.

28...f5

Well, that solves everything. Black protects his f-pawn and neglects his Queen.

29.Qxh5 Black resigned

Complications, Anyone?

You might not be a fan of the Blackburne Shilling Gambit, and you might not be a fan of the Jerome Gambit, but you would have to be a pretty jaded chess player not to appreciate the complications stirred up in the following game.

richiehill - fidotopdog
standard game, FICS, 2010

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

4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6

6.c3 d6

Recently looked at on this blog: see perrypawnpusher - ozypawnstar, blitz, FICS, 2010.

7.Qg4+

Reviving and older line and introducing further complications.

7...Ke7

Capturing the Knight with 7...Kxe5 is only asking for trouble, although if Black has his wits about him he can still draw. 

White can split the point after that with 8.f4+ Kxe4 (8...Kf6 costs Black his queen after 9.Qh4+ Kf7 10.Qxd8 but he can limp on with a worse position after 10...Nc2+ 11.Kf2 Nxa1) 9.f5+ Kd5 (or 9...Ke5 10.cxd4+ and White is better; or 9...Kd3 10.Qxd4+ Kc2 11.Na3#) 10.Qxd4+ Kc6 11.Qc4+ Kd7 12.Qe6+ Kc6 13.Qc4+ draw by repetition, as White has nothing better.

White has tried for more after 7...Kxe5 with 8.cxd4+ and gotten lucky after both 8...Kf6 9.Qh4+ Kf7 (9...g5 was necessary to keep the game even) 10.Qxd8 Be7 11.Qxc7 Nf6 Black resigned, Jeopar - InduMMS, FICS, 2009;

and 8...Kxd4 9.Qe2 (9.Qf3 is unclear) 9...Nf6 10.d3 (better 10.Nc3 Ke5 11.f4+) 10...Ke5 11.f4+ Ke6 12.d4 Kf7 when Black was better, but White won in 26 moves in SynapticGap - osmann, FICS, 2006.

It is easy to see why fidotopdog retreated his King in this game!

8.Qg5+ Nf6

This looks natural, but Black would have done better exchanging Queens, i.e. 8...Ke8 9.Qxd8+ Kxd8. He probably avoided this line because of 10.Nf7+ Ke8 11.Nxh8, but his position would have been better after the reciprocal 11...Nc2+ 12.Kd1 Nxa1. That kind of thing is easier to see after the game.

9.cxd4 dxe5

10.Qxe5+

Choosing to win the Bishop rather than the Knight, but this takes some cooperation. Better was the straight-forward 10.dxe5, when 10...Qd3!? 11.exf6+ gxf6 12.Qf4 would give White the edge. 

10...Be6

Falling in with White's plan. Instead, 10...Kf7 leads to a position where Black has a piece for three pawns. richiehill might have been happy with that, but "objectively" Black would have been better. 

11.d5 Ng4

A panic-induced attack on the enemy Queen.

As often happens in the Jerome Gambit family of games, there comes a time for Black to return his extra piece for some pawns. After 11...Nxd5 12.exd5 Qxd5 White can try the scary-looking 13.Qxc7+ to go two pawns up, but 13...Kf6, preparing ...Bd6 (the power of the two Bishops), shows Black's better development to good advantage. After 14.Qf4+ Qf5 15.d4 Bb4+ 16.Nc3 Rac8 White's best might well be to return a pawn with 17.0-0 Bxc3 18.bxc3 Rxc3 when the impact of the first player's extra pawn may not be very much.

12.Qxe6 checkmate

Delayed Jerome Gambit

Here's the latest "Delayed Jerome Gambit" from Bill Wall.

An execution delayed is still an execution.

Wall,B - Santiago,D
Chess.com, 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, or the Delayed Jerome Gambit, if you will.

6...Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ Nxe5 8.d4 Re8?!

Not exactly new, and not exactly bad, but not exactly best, either.

9.dxc5 Kg8?!

Completing the castling-by-hand.

10.f4 Nc4

Certainly there was nothing wrong with 10...Nf7 or 10...Nc6. Mr. Santiago seems destined to reaffirm the belief: "You can play anything against the Jerome Gambit (if you are willing to risk a loss)."

11.e5 Nh7

Now the other horse wobbles.

It was probably time to give the piece back for a couple of pawns with 11...Nxe5 12.fxe5 Rxe5, although White is better after 13.Qd3, for example 13...Rxc5 14.Bxh6.

12.Qd5+ Kh8 13.Qxc4 b6

14.Nd5 bxc5 15.Qxc5 c6 16.Nb4 a5 17.Nd3 Nf8 18.f5

Those annoying "Jerome pawns" are putting a cramp in Black's game.

18...Ba6 19.c4 Rb8 20.b3 d5 21.exd6 Nd7 22.Qxc6 Bb7 23.Qc7 Qf6

24.Qxd7 Qxa1 25.Bb2 Qxf1+ 26.Kxf1 Rg8 27.Qe6 Rbe8 28.Qxh6 checkmate