I have not had a chance to play a Jerome Gambit game at FICS in a couple of weeks, so I was thrilled to get one in a 15 5 game, my latest attempt to play "slower" (well, slower than pure blitz) chess.
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
At this point, my opponent took a minute to decide what to do about the attacking Bishop. Then I received this message:
Your opponent, Badoglio, has lost contact or quit.
{Game 382 (perrypawnpusher vs. Badoglio) Badoglio lost connection and too few moves; game aborted} *
I guess, this being the Halloween season, the Jerome Gambit might have scared him.
Not too much, though, as a couple of minutes later he was back on FICS and playing another game. I was ready to challenge him at the end of that game, but he logged off.
The following position, from a game in the current ChessWorld Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) Thematic Tournament, develops a theme first presented three weeks ago in a Sunday Tournament Update: the apparently misplaced Bishop that is too deadly to capture (Black has just played 10...Bh3).
However, even though White in this game refuses the piece, a similar continuation comes about.
11.Bxf6 Qxf6 12.Nd5 Nf3+
Black's move reminds me of the "double tap", explained by "Columbus" (my home town) in the over-the-top movie "Zombieland".
White resigned.
AsceticKingK9 is clearly the "top dog" as the ChessWorld Jerome Gambit Thematic Tournament heats up, with 2/3 if its games completed. The leader has 20 points out of 20 games, which is hard to beat!
Right behind AsceticKingK9 is mckenna215, with 19.5 points out of 22 games.
Players who also have a mathematical chance of overtaking the "King" are Rikiki00, with 10.5 points out of 17 games, and "dark horse" Luke Warm, with 1 point out of 5 games.
Meanwhile, braken, with 17.5 points out of 26 games, holds third place and challenges for second place.
White is scoring 38% over all. The Jerome Gambit Declined (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kf8/Ke7) has yet to be successful in 8 games. The "classical" Jerome Gambit lines (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+) have scored 43%, while the "modern" lines (not 5.Nxe5+) have scored 31%.
Here is the latest over-the-board Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) from Gemeinde member Pete Banks ("blackburne"). Pete is the strongest player I know of who plays the Jerome in "real" games where rating points (and the esteem of his clubmates) are on the line.
In this game, Pete introduces his young opponent to chess-the-way-it-can-not-be-played-anymore. All of Black's modern "tools", however, fail to crack the code...
The annotations are by the winner, from his post at: http://www.halesowenchessclub.org.uk/pbcollect.htm
P Banks, Halesowen - M Ferguson, Birmingham Checkmates
Dudley League division 2
October 2011
As the game started I knew that my opponent was graded about the same as me, and as a junior he was likely to be stronger than his grade. He's probably also been coached in 'correct' chess. Therefore I'm going to have to play something unusual that he might not have encountered before. I also try to look as much like an evil grandad as possible and growl at him during the pre-match pleasantries. Intimidation helps against kids.
1.e4 e5
Now, shall I play King's Gambit or Nf3? I'm tempted to play f4 because I like the positions you get if Black responds classically. The trouble is a lot of people now play an early...d6 which leads to a more closed game. I think this was Fischer's idea. Anyway...
2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5
I can't believe my luck! This allows me to play the Jerome Gambit. If he'd played 3...Nf6 I'd have gone for the Fried Liver Attack.
4.Bxf7+
Bingo! He'd obviously never seen this before, and thought for a long time. This in itself almost justifies the sac because it is a rapid-play finish, and though I'm a quick player, juniors are sometimes even quicker, so any advantage on the clock is a real bonus.
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+
He hadn't been expecting this either - the 'Classical' Jerome. Two pieces sacced in the first 5 moves. Another long think by my opponent.
5...Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qxc5 d6
This is all a standard line, and he's found all the right moves though it's taken a long time. I've effectively sacced a piece for two pawns and exposed his king, but now comes the downside of this opening. I have to try to develop and consolidate before I can attack any more.
8.Qe3 Nf6 9.d3 Re8 10.0-0
I couldn't allow ...d5 while my king was in the middle. My opponent dominates for the next spell.
10...Ng4
After 10 moves, I've used 3 minutes against 25 by him. The game is only 75+15minutes, so I'm pleased with that.
11.Qf3+
I think this is a mistake. I should have played Qg3. I was afraid of 11....Qh4, but in the end it comes to the same thing. I've just wasted a move.
11...Qf6 12.Qg3 Qh4
If I go h3, he'll swap and my pawns are messed up. If I go f3, he could go back to f6, and it's either a draw by repetition or I swap queens. Might as well do it now, though I think I'm losing.
[Pete's opponent was probably very pleased with himself. He had remembered his coaching and used the time that he needed to deal with two opening surprises that otherwise might have caused him to blunder. True, he might run short of time later, but if he goofs up early, there won't be a later... Returning a piece rather than hanging onto both of the gifts was a practical, even scientific, decision. Now Black disables White's attack by swapping Queens. If need be, in the future, he can even return his extra piece for some pawns. Science vs Alchemy, Q.E.D. - Rick]
13.Qxh4 Nxh4
I need to get pieces developed, but also push the famous 'Jerome pawns' as soon as possible. If I can make immediate threats at least I get back some initiative.
14.f4 Ng6 15.Nc3 c6 16.f5 N6e5 17.h3 Nf6 18.g4
18...Nfxg4
That's a surprise, and possibly a mistake, but I can see why he did it. He returns the material, but gets a passed pawn.
19.hxg4 Nxg4 20.Rf4 Nf6 21.Bd2 d5 22.Re1 dxe4 23.dxe4
I'm feeling a bit more confident now. I've got a passed pawn as well, my development is (finally) better, and my king is in front of his dangerous pawns.
23...h6 24.Rf3 b6 25.e5 Nd5 26.Nxd5 cxd5
I think he's beginning to lose it. He's now got an isolated pawn, and my two look pretty dangerous.
27.e6+ Kf6 28.Bc3+ Ke7
There might be something clever here, but I just take the pawn. I'm not afraid of 29...Rg8 because of 30.f6
29.Bxg7 Kd6 30.Bxh6
I think this is won now. The clocks go back 15 minutes after his next move. I'll have 65 minutes left and he'll have 20 minutes. He's been looking anxiously at the clock for a long time now.
30...Rg8+ 31.Kf2 Rh8 32.Bf4+ Ke7 33.f6+
If 33.....Kxf6 34 Be5. This is about the cleverest manoeuvre I've made all game, and it's only one move deep. He glances at me for the first time in the game and I give a little half-smirk.
33...Kf8 34.Bd6+ Ke8 35.f7+ Kd8 36.f8Q+ Rxf8 37.Rxf8 checkmate
It's always good to keep kids in their place as long as possible. In a couple of years' time he'll probably thrash me.
If you are new to this blog, or new to the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) and its offshoots, you will probably pick up a lot of information simply by wandering around, moving backward and forward on the posts, choosing interesting links.
You could also challenge yourself by checking out a series of "Jerome Gambit Quizzes": 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 & 7.
It stands to reason that in order for someone to lose to the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), that player must make at least one big mistake, or put together several small mistakes.
White can win any number of ways. He can pressure Black until he loses his cool and falters, or collapses due to over-confidence. He can set tricks and traps and wait for Black to fall into one. He can play steady chess and bide his time, knowing that Black's next error will come before his own. In blitz play, all of these strategies can suddenly bring about the win.
Often the second player runs afoul of a move (or plan) that "seemed like a good idea at the time."
Bill Wall notes of the following game "I didn't think I was going to survive this 5 minute game, but got lucky in a nice swindle. Frank Marshall would be proud."
Wall - Maas
blitz 5 0, Chess.com, 2011
notes by Bill [and Rick]
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6
Waiting for a Jerome Gambit.
4.Nc3 h6
Not yet.
5.O-O Bc5
What do you think I am going to play?
6.Bxf7+
6...Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ Nxe5 8.d4 Bd6 9.dxe5 Bxe5 10.Nd5
[I have played 10.f4 a few times, but have seen 10.Nd5 played only one other time. It is probably the stronger move. - Rick]
10...c6 11.f4 Bb8 12.Nxf6 Qxf6 13.e5 Qe6 14.Be3
[Blood-thirsty players might try to counter Black's calm play with 14.f5!? - Rick]
14...d5 15.Qh5+ g6 16.Qh4 Bc7 17.Rae1 Bd8
[Black's Bishop glides to and fro, with hardly a care in the world. - Rick]
18.Qg3 Qg4
[After this "simple" attempt to exchange Queens and stem White's attacking efforts, the game is even; but Black does not settle for that. - Rick]
19.e6+ Bxe6 20.f5 Bxf5?? 21.Qxg4! and Black resigned
