The recently completed ChessWorld Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) Thematic Tournament compiled some interesting statistics.
Thirteen players played two games (one with White, one with Black) against each opponent, for a total of 156 games.
White scored 46%. There were only 2 draws.
In only one game did Black decline the Bishop sacrifice.
As expected, modern Jerome Gambit (those without 5.Nxe5 after 4...Kxf7) variations predominated over classical (those with 5.Nxe5 after 4...Kxf7) lines, 120 games to 35 games, scoring 48% vs 37%.
The most successful modern line was 5.d4, scoring 69% in 8 games, followed by 5.0-0 (51% in 35 games) and 5.c3 (50% in 37 games). Unusual lines were unpopular: 5.h3 (100% in 1 game), 5.Qe2 (100% in 1 game), 5.a3 (0% in 1 game) and 5.Ng5+ (0% in 1 game).
(By contrast, the New Year's Database shows 5.d4 scoring 39%, with the most successful modern line being 5.c3 at 47%. As they say about statistics: your mileage may vary.)
Against classical lines continuing 4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+, Black's most popular lines were 6...Ke6 (11 games, White scored only 18%) and 6...Ng6 (10 games, White scored 50%). Black was most successful with 6...Kf8 (2 games, White scored 0%) and least successful with 6...g6 (3 games, White scored 67%).
When Black played 4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Kf8 (5 times) White scored only 20%.
Substituting 6.d4 for 6.Qh5+ in 2 games, White scored 50%.
I have read that Grandmasters can look at a complicated position and almost immediately, without apparent analysis or evaluation, decide that a certain piece "must" go to a particular square. How different that is from my own experience...
perrypawnpusher - louarn
blitz, FICS, 2010
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5
Earlier this year we had played a couple of Semi-Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit games that I had won in 21 and 49 moves.
4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6
7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 N8e7
Planning for play on the f-file, especially targeting the square f5, which seems to be a magnet for "Jerome pawns".
10.0-0 Rf8
An interesting alternative is 10...d5, seen in perrypawnpusher - OverwiseMan, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 27).
11.f4
Or 11.d4, as Louis Morin (mrjoker) has played successfully in a couple of games, guest6567 - guest4702, ICC, 2004 (1-0, 26) and mrjoker - tomnoah, ICC, 2008.
11...Bd7
With an eye toward putting the Bishop on the a8-h1 diagonal. Both 11...Nc6, as in perrypawnpusher - taman, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 35), and 11...c6 as in perrypawnpusher - Kovrad, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 16) were also playable.
12.f5 Ne5 13.d4 Ng4
As always, retreating to c6 was better, but harassing the Queen is irresistible. A quick peek at the New Year's Database shows that I have over 45 games with a Queen at e3 being attacked by a Knight at g4!
You would think that by now I would have come up with the proper response for White.
14.Qg5
An interesting idea, but I had forgotten that I had tried something similar in one of my games against MRBarupal and my pawn at e4 (as well as the square itself) proved weak. It should not be surprising, therefore, that Rybka prefers 14.Qe2 (although it sees the game as even after my move).
14...Nf6 15.e5
Rushing forward into trouble. First: 15.Nc3
15...dxe5 16.dxe5 Ne4
There's that weak e4 square again.
17.Qxg7
The position may look dangerous for Black at first glance, but White has two pieces attacking five pieces (six, if you count the enemy King) and the pair of advanced "Jerome pawns" doesn't make up the difference.
17...Nxf5 18.Qxh7 Qe7
Exchanging Queens takes the heat off of Black's King and preserves his advantage, although 18...Be6 was even stronger.
19.Qxe7+ Kxe7 20.Nc3 Nxc3 21.bxc3 Nh4
Hoping to exchange another piece, bringing the game closer to a won endgame, as White's pawns will be no match for Black's extra piece.
However, this was just the kind of slip that I was hoping for as it allows me to reverse my fortunes.
22.Ba3+ Ke6 23.Rxf8 Rxf8 24.Bxf8 Kxe5
Up the exchange and two pawns, White now has the winning chances.
25.Bg7+ Kd5 26.Rd1+ Kc6 27.Kf2 Nf5 28.Bd4 b5
I think this must have been a mouse-slip.
29.Bxa7 Kb7
Allowing the exchange of Bishops only hastens the end.
30.Bd4
See above.
30...Ka6 31.Be5 Be6 32.Bxc7 Bxa2 33.Ra1 Kb7 34.Rxa2 Kxc7
35.g4 Nd6 36.Kf3 Nc4 37.g5 Ne5+ 38.Kf4 Ng6+ 39.Kf5 Ne7+ 40.Kf6 Nd5+ 41.Kf7 Nxc3 42.g6 Ne4 43.g7 Nd6+ 44.Kg6 Black resigned
The plot of the following game seems straight-forward: I sacrificed a piece for a pawn in the opening; my opponent sacrificed a piece for two pawns in the middle game; I lost a pawn-down endgame...
In actuality, I had my chances.
perrypawnpusher - kholthaus
blitz, FICS, 2010
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 h6 5.0-0 Bc5
The Semi-Italian Four Knights Game.
6.Bxf7+ Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ Nxe5 8.d4
8...Bxd4 9.Qxd4 Re8 10.f4 Nc6 11.Qd3 Kg8 12.Bd2 d6
I've reached this position 7 times before, with a record of 4-3. That's not bad for a position where White is a piece down, with only partial compensation (slight lead in development, better center pawns). Still, it is nowhere near as good as my overall score of 85% for Jerome Gambit and related games.
13.Rae1 Rf8
Clearly better than pwr's "optical illusion" 13...Nb4 that dropped a piece.
14.h3 a6 15.Nd5 Be6 16.Bc3
After the game Rybka preferred 16.c4 b5 17.b3 bxc4 18.bxc4 Rb8 and then 19.Bc3, although I am not sure what White gains by giving Black an open b-file for his Rook.
16...Bxd5 17.exd5 Ne7 18.Bxf6 Rxf6 19.Qe4 Nf5 20.g4
A thoughtless move that allows 20...Ng3, winning the exchange and leaving Black a Rook up. Fortunately, my opponent had other ideas on how to defeat me, and missed this, too.
20...Nh4 21.f5 Rf8 22.Qe6+ Kh8 23.Kh2 Qe8
Putting an end to the excitment along the e-file, but it was better to slide a Rook over, instead.
24.Qxe8
I saw that Black's Knight was now at risk, but I should have played 24.Kg3, attacking it, right away. Then 24...Nxf5+ could have been answered by 25.Qxf5 with an even game. Also 24...Qd8 25.Kxh4 Qxa2 would have been answered with 26.f6 when White can probably still hold the draw, e.g. 26...Qxb2 27.Rb1 Qc3 28.fxg7+ Qxg7 29.Rxf8+ Rxf8 30.Rxb7.
24...Raxe8 25.Kg3 Rxe1 26.Rxe1 Nxf5+ 27.gxf5 Rxf5
Black is up a pawn, although White has good drawing chances if he keeps his Rook active attacking the enemy pawns.
28.c4 Rf7 29.h4 Kg8 30.Re2
Passive.
Rybka likes 30.Re8+ Kh7 31.Ra8 Kg6 32.Ra7 b5 33.b3 bxc4 34.bxc4 Kf5 35.Rxa6 g5 with even chances.
30...b6
Black should have taken this opportunity to play 30...Kf8, keeping White's Rook from coming to e8 and from there slipping behind his pawns.
31.Kg4
Likewise, it was important to play 31.Re8+.
31...a5 32.b3 Kf8
33.h5 Rf1 34.Kg3 Rg1+ 35.Kh4 Rg5 36.Rf2+ Ke7 37.a3
Missing White's last chance to draw.
With 37.a4, White could have reduced the exposure of his Queenside pawns to the base at b3, which he could have supported with his Rook at f3. The Rook would only leave its post to check the enemy King or threaten to win material. Then, White's only trump, his better-placed King, would help hold down the Kingside.
37...Re5 38.Kg4 Re3 39.Rf3
Capitulation.
39...Rxf3 40.Kxf3 Kf6 41.Kf4 g6 42.hxg6 Kxg6 43.Kg4 Kf6 44.b4 axb4 45.axb4 Ke5 White resigned
By checking the New Year's Database after this game was played, I learned that my opponent and I had clashed four times before, with two wins for me plus a couple of draws. That doesn't help explain what happened the 5th time.
Maybe he was not having a good day.
perrypawnpusher - frencheng
7 5 blitz, FICS, 2010
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6
An interesting choice. frencheng has played 6...Kf8 twice against me, scoring a draw and a loss. He has drawn with 6...Ng6.
7.Qxe5
I was wondering: will I see the Blackburne Defense (7...d6) or the Whistler Defense (7...Qe7)?
Previously my opponent had tried the unnamed 7...Qf6 against me.
7...Bd6
Hmm... Neither.
Including this game, according to the New Year's Database, 7...Bd6 has scored only 10% for Black in 30 games.
8.Qxh8 Qf6
If Black is going to have any chance at justifying giving up the Rook he has to try to complicate the game with something like 8...Qh4 and after 9.d3 then 9...Nf6, to trap the White Queen.
Of course, that's why the first time I met 8...Qh4 I responded with 9.Qd4, retrieving the Queen. The second time I varied with 9.Nc3 and got away with it when my opponent's game promptly exploded.
9.Qxh7+ Qg7 10.Qxg7+ Kxg7
Black has little for his exchange and three pawns.
11.d4 c5 12.Be3 Nf6 13.e5 cxd4
A tactic that doesn't work. It was just not frencheng's day.
14.exf6+ Kxf6 15.Bxd4+ Be5 16.Bxe5+ Kxe5 17.Nc3 Black resigned
Just like some people discover or invent the Jerome Gambit on their own, apart from the efforts of Alonzo Wheeler Jerome and the Jerome Gambit Gemeinde, so do those players continue to play a tricky but suicidal line, even after the "Death of a Variation".
SOLKIE - fianchettoking
blitz, FICS, 2010
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Ng5+
Outrageous, even by Jerome Gambit standards. On the surface, White hopes to exchange his Knight for Black's Bishop at c5 – but the game quickly becomes too chaotic for that.
5...Qxg5
White resigned here in lilpuppy - korppi, blitz, FICS, 2010
6.d4
6.Qf3+ Qf6 White resigned, fadelio - andreialex, blitz, FICS, 2010
6...Qxg2 7.Qh5+ g6 White resigned
I play the various Jerome Gambits so I can attack.
It is not as much fun when my opponent comes gunning for my King.
As this game shows, my defensive skills could use a bit of a boost.
perrypawnpusher - vlas
blitz, FICS, 2010
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4
4.Bxf7+
This is my 3rd Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit against vlas.
4...Kxf7
4...Ke7 led to an 84-move win for me in perrypawnpusher - vlas, blitz, FICS, 2010.
5.Nxe5+ Ke8
Again, 5...Ke7 my opponent's choice in an earlier game perrypawnpusher - vlas, blitz, FICS, 2009.
6.Qh5+ g6 7.Nxg6 hxg6 8.Qxg6+ Ke7 9.Qg5+ Nf6
10.Qc5+ d6 11.Qxd4
White has four pawns for his sacrificed piece. The position is dynamically equal.
11...c5 12.Qe3 Bh6 13.Qe2 Bg4 14.f3 Be6
This is an improvement over perrypawnpusher - foreverblackman, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 21).
15.Nc3
After the game Rybka had a hard time figuring out what to do here, giving this line: 15.g3 Kd7 16.Nc3 Bg7 17.b3 Nh5 18.Rf1 Bh3 19.Rh1 Be6 20.Rf1 Bh3 repeating the position.
15...Qg8 16.d3 Bxc1 17.Rxc1 Qg5
18.Rd1 Rag8 19.Kf1
Rybka shows the right way to defend & counterattack, and eventually has Black repeating the position for a draw: 19.g3 Rh3 20.Qf2 Rf8 21.f4 Ng4 22.Qg2 Qh6 23.e5 dxe5 24.Qxb7+ Ke8 25.Rd2 exf4 26.Rf1 Rf5 27.Ne4 Kd8 28.Qb8+ Bc8 29.Rxf4 Rxg3 30.hxg3 Qh1+ 31.Ke2 Qg2+ 32.Kd1 Qg1+ 33.Ke2.
I am definitely not a computer, but I should have been able to find 19.g3 instead of the text, which is an error.
Now Black blasts my game apart.
19...Nh5 20.Rd2 Ng3+ 21.hxg3 Rxh1+ 22.Kf2 Qxg3+ 23.Ke3 Re1 White resigned
There is a line in the Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit where the Black King wanders far in search of adventure (and material). In the following recent game a capture seems to lead to an "Instant Victory", but things are not as simple as they appear.
kukkfive - Krait
standard game, FICS, 2010
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4
The Blackburne Shilling Gambit.
4.Bxf7+
The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6
6.c3 Kxe5 7.cxd4+ Kxe4
This looks even more dangerous for the King than 7...Kxd4. Best was the retreat 7...Ke6 8.Nc3 Kf7 when Black maintains an edge.
8.Qg4+
Is this the killer move? At one point (in one game), I thought so. Certainly a number of moves have been tried successfully, but that's not the complete story.
8.0-0 Qf6 (8...Nf6 was a better test, although White can continue with 9.Qf3+ with hopes for an advantage) 9.Qc2+ Kxd4 10.b4 Kd5 11.Bb2 Qg6 12.Qb3+ Kd6 13.Re1 b6 14.Be5+ Kc6 15.Rc1+ Kb7 16.Rxc7+ Kb8 17.Rc6+ Black resigned, fidotopdog - Krait, FICS, 2009;
8.d3+ Kxd4 (better was 8...Kd5 and after 9.Qb3+ Kc6 10.Qc4+ Kb6 White can do little more than continue checking and arrange a draw) 9.Be3+ Kd5 10.Nc3+ Ke6 11.Qg4+ Kf7 12.Qh5+ Ke7 13.Nd5+ Ke6 14.Nf4+ Kd6 15.Bc5+ Kc6 16.Rc1 Nf6 17.Be7+ Kb6 18.Qc5+ Ka6 19.Qa3+ Black resigned, Jeopar - Krait, FICS, 2009;
8.Nc3+ Kxd4 9.Qg4+ (9.Qf3 transposing to 8.Qf3 is the right idea, but White gets away with his move) 9...Ke5 (9...Kc5 was the way out) 10.d4+ Kd6 11.Bf4+ Ke7 12.0-0 Kf7 13.Qh5+ g6 14.Qd5+ Kg7 15.Ne4 Nf6 16.Nxf6 Kxf6 17.Bg5+ Black resigned, kingpro - Krait, FICS, 2009;
8.Qh5 Kxd4 (8...g5 is the right move for Black, forcing 9.Qf3+ Kxd4 10.Nc3 transposing to 8.Qf3) 9.d3 Bb4+ 10.Nc3 Bxc3+ 11.bxc3+ Kxc3 12.Qc5+ Kxd3 13.Qd5+ Kc3 14.Bd2+ Kb2 15.Qb3+ Kxa1 16.0-0 checkmate, Melao Jr.,H - Danilo, Centro Cultural, 1996;
8.Qf3+ (the best move for White) Kxd4 9.0-0 (instead, 9.Nc3 c6 10.Qe3+ Kc4 11.a4 and the mating net closing around Black's King will force him to give up his Queen one way or another) 9...Qf6 (after 9...Kc5 Black's King may be able to walk away from the battle, giving White only the opportunity to draw through repetition of Queen checks) 10.Qg4+(necessary was 10.Qe3+, winning) Kc5 11.Nc3 d5 12.Qa4 a6 13.b4+ Kd6 14.Bb2 c6 (moving the Queen to g6 avoids the now possible 15.Ne4+ although Black may still hold on with three pieces for his Queen after 15...dxe4 16.Bxf6 Nxf6) 15.Nd1 (this should lose) Qf4 16.Re1 Qe4 (a mouse slip, perhaps??) 17.Rxe4 Black resigned, GOH - kremba, FICS, 2009.
8...Kd5 9.Nc3+
Now, after 9...Kc6, as implausible as it seems, Black's King is secure. Even after 10.d5+ Kd6 the game is complicated, but even.
9...Kd6
What a difference a square makes!
10.Qf4+
After 10.0-0 I needed cooperation from my opponent to win in perrypawnpusher - MNUNP, blitz, FICS, 2009 (1-0, 18).
The strongest move here, tightening the net, is 10.Qe4.
10...Ke7
A slip. Better for Black (the move, the game) was 10...Ke6. Now things turn simply horrible for him.
11.Nd5+ Ke8 12.Nxc7+ Ke7 13.Nxa8 d6 14.0-0 Kd7 15.Qf7+ Kc6 16.d5+ Kc5 17.d4+ Kxd4 18.Be3+ Kc4 19.Rac1+ Kb5 20.Nc7+ Ka5 21.Qf4 Black resigned
