A Modern Jerome Gambit With A Retro Twist

Speaking of "modern" Jerome Gambit lines – see "A Closer Look at the Big Picture (Part 3)" – here is a Bill Wall game where White bypasses the "classical" 5.Nxe5+ in modern style, only to replace it with 5.b4!?, an Evans Gambit-style blast from the past similar to Charlick's "Evans Jerome Gambit".

Is the line any good? It certainly is, when Black responds with a variation of the "Anti-Bill Wall Gambit".

Wall,B - WNXR
FICS, 2010

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

4...Kxf7 5.b4

5...Bxf2+

Well, it looks like we'll have to save analysis of 5...Bxb4, 5...Bb6 and 5...Be7 for another day.

Black seems to be following the idea I laid out in "Here's my plan..."

Whatever White gets from his sacrifice at f7, Black will now get from his sacrifice at f2.

I also noted the downside for Black in this "I want what you have" reaction

what White typically gets from his sacrifice at f7 is a lost game

6.Kxf2 Nf6 7.Rf1 Nxe4+ 

Pawn-grabbing does not look like a good idea here.

8.Kg1 Rf8 9.b5 Kg8

Another puzzling move: Black seems intent upon returning all the material that White gives him.

Certainly it is a good idea to castle-by-hand (like White did) but can Black afford a piece in order to do so? Perhaps he was relying on the relatively transparent trap mentioned in the next note.

10.bxc6 dxc6 11.d3

Of course 11.Nxe5? falls to 11...Qd4+. Is that what Black had in mind?

11...Nc5 

In a reversal of traditional Jerome Gambit roles, White has the extra
piece while Black has the extra pawns.

12.Ba3 b6 13.Qe1 Bg4 14.Nbd2 Bxf3 15.Nxf3

15...Rxf3

This has to be a mis-calculation.

16.Rxf3 Qd4+ 17.Kh1 Re8 18.Bxc5 bxc5

19.c3 Qd5 20.Qf2 e4 21.Re1 h6 22.Rxe4 Rxe4 23.dxe4 Qd1+ 24.Qf1 Qc2 25.Rf8+ Kh7 26.Qf5+ g6 27.Qf7 checkmate 

 

A Closer Look at the Big Picture (Part 3)

We continue responding to Jerome Gambit Gemeinde member Pete Banks' (blackburne) request for opening statistics (see his comment on "Another Closer Look"), based on the updated New Year's Database. 

For earlier numbers see "A Closer Look at the Big Picture (Part 1)" and "(Part 2)".

Currently the database contains 7, 074 games that begin 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7, with White scoring 44%.

Modern variations of the Jerome Gambit (which make up 47.4% of the Jerome Gambit Accepted games) are designed to either avoid the classical continuations (and refutations) by not playing 5.Nxe5 or they may represent new ways of conceptualizing the old gambit. 

They can be the choice of a competitor in a Jerome Gambit thematic tournament who simply decides no more sacrifices, or that of a higher-rated player giving "Jerome Gambit odds" who figures one sacrifice is enough to stir up things, let's see what happens now.

Since some lines can transpose into each other, the following statistics may be somewhat confounded, but here they are, nonetheless.

The most popular modern Jerome Gambit idea in the updated database is 5.d4, appearing in 1,318 games. It seems at least in part the offer of a central pawn to open lines, especially the c1-h6 diagonal to allow Bc1-g5 and Nf3-g5+.

Because of tranpositions, Black's best response, 5...exd4, shows up in the database in 1,896 games, with White scoring a difficult 37%. White does better than that against 5...Nxd4 (454 games, 45%) and worse than that against 5...Bxd4 (638 games, 27%).

After 5.0-0, seen in 768 games, White scores 36%. Again, 5.c3 fares better in 699 games with White scoring 47%; but worse in the 645 games in which White plays 5.d3 and scores 32%.

Perhaps White should explore 5.b4, which scores 63%, but in only 8 games.

There are still many variables in play in the modern Jerome Gambit besides move order, as 5.h3 has scored 75% (admittedly, in only 5 games) while 5.a3 has tallied 29% (in 28 games).

As expected, the theory of the modern Jerome Gambit is still evolving. From a practical, as opposed to a theoretical, perspective, the modern lines have not produced a line clearly more successful than the classical lines – at least at this introductory level of analysis.

Likely what is needed some time in the future is a Closer Closer Look at the Big Picture.

A Closer Look at the Big Picture (Part 2)

Yesterday – see "A Closer Look at the Big Picture (Part 1)" – responding to Jerome Gambit Gemeinde member Pete Banks' (blackburne) request for opening statistics (see his comment on "Another Closer Look") I checked the updated New Year's Database for answers. We continue today.

Currently the database contains 7, 298 games that begin 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+, with White scoring 44%.

If we look at the classical Jerome Gambit Accepted line 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5 Nxe5 6.Qh5+, which scores 53% in 2,182 games, there are several defenses to investigate.

Most popular (994 games) is blocking the White Queen's check with the Black Knight, 6...Ng6. White, however, scores 49% – a bit below the classical Jerome Gambit Accepted average, but not by much. Black might well be comfortable playing a defense that gives him a better than 1 in 2 chance of winning.

Next most popular (589 games) is moving the King into the fray with 6...Ke6, where White scores 52%. The same might be said about Black's comfort level in playing this defense, even with White's minute edge.

Again, Black has a decent alternative in 6...Kf8 (289 games) against which White scores only 45%. As with 5...Kf8, mentioned yesterday, this is a line which makes intuitive sense (not over-reacting and staying out of trouble) and which deserves to be seen more often.

Most puzzling is 6...g6, appearing in 286 games and against which White scores a whopping 72%. This is the move popularized by Blackburne in his 1885 miniature, and can lead to either the Blackburne Defense (7.Qxe5 d6) or the Whistler Defense (7.Qxe5 Qe7).

Against the former, in 90 games White scores 69%; while against the latter, in 36 games, White scores 57%. This is clearly a reflection of the tactical complications involved as well as the success of the more Jerome-experienced player:  in the Whistler Defense, after the capture of a lethally poisoned Rook (7.Qxe5 Qe7 8.Qxh8) in 28 games, White still scores 57%.

Tomorrow we will take a look at the modern Jerome Gambit lines, as reflected in the New Year's Database.

A Closer Look at the Big Picture (Part 1)

Responding to Jerome Gambit Gemeinde member Pete Banks' (blackburne) request for statistics (see his comment on "Another Closer Look") I consulted the updated New Year's Database for answers.

At the moment, the database contains 7, 298 games that begin 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+.

As expected, the vast majority of the games have the Accepted response of 4...Kxf7. For those games, White scores 44%. 

Only 192 games – 2.6%, – illustrate the Jerome Gambit Declined. For the record, White scores a surprisingly low 55% against 4...Kf8 and a more robust 72% against 4...Ke7.

Of the 7,298 Jerome Gambit games in the database, 3017 (42.5% of the Jerome Gambit Accepted games ) feature the classical 5.Nxe5+, with which White scores 53%.

A tentative conclusion, then, is that classical lines (i.e. those going 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+) score better than the average for all Jerome Gambit games in the database.

At first glance, this may be surprising, as computer evaluations give most of the "modern" variations higher ratings than the classical ones. However, what may be at work is is experience and familiarity – it may turn out that those who play the classical variations are more likely to be "old hands" in playing the lines, and this provides them with a competitive edge.

The question for Black at this point is: should he take White's Knight? The statistics suggest that Black should. The alternatives: 5...Kf8 is seen in 100 games, where White scores 49%; 5...Ke8 is seen in 49 games, where White scores 60%; 5...Ke6 is seen in 18 games, where White scores 61%; and 5...Ke7 is seen in 8 games, where White scores 63%.

Those defending against the Jerome Gambit might want to look at that 5...Kf8 line, both as a surprise weapon and as the one non-main-line choice that decreases White's winning percentage in the classical Jerome Gambit Accepted from 53% to 49%.

Most of the classical Jerome Gambit Accepted lines (95.7%), then, begin with 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5. The results from the database are indifferent as to whether White follows up with either 6.Qh5+ (2,182 games) or 6.d4 (699 games) as the first scores 53% for White and the second scores 52%.

An indication of how the New Year's Database can skew reality, however, is that after 6.d4, arguably the strongest reply for Black is 6...Qh4, yet in the 160 games where that move order appears, White scores 77%.

We will look at how White does against the various main line defenses to the classical Jerome Gambit, tomorrow.

Oh, By the Way...

With all of the attention that this blog has paid to the Blackburne Shilling Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4), I should have mentioned earlier an article by Paul Valle in the irrepressible Unorthodox Openings Newsletter Issue Number 3, June 2001.

It is fun to see in Chapter 6

Please excuse me for not having time... to look into 4.Bxf7+, although I doubt White has enough for his piece after 4…Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6

Of course, not everyone has to agree with everything Paul writes...

Another Closer Look

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%.

Dealing with Harassment

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