The Jerome Attitude

Some players who essay the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) have adopted the Jerome "attitude" of Attack-Attack-Attack. Others have opted for Creep-Creep-Pounce.

While I try to learn from others, my own "Jerome Attitude" seems too often to be Attack-Run-Hide. The following win (yes, win; I still take 8 out of 10 games) is a light example

perrypawnpusher -Tensecterror
blitz 2 10, FICS, 2012


1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6

The Semi-Italian Opening.  A couple weeks ago, an earlier game had continued along regular Jerome Gambit lines, i.e. 3...Bc5 4.Bxf7+ in perrypawnpusher - Tensecterror, blitz, FICS, 2012 (1-0, 45). This time my opponent was taking precautions.

4.O-O Bc5 5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Kf8

The retreat from the Knight check is certainly an interesting defensive idea in the regular Jerome Gambit. In the Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit, however, it has a flaw.

7.Ng6+

Much better than my silly 7.Nxc6 in perrypawnpusher - acwizard, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 18).

7...Kf7 8.Nxh8+ Ke7 9.Ng6+

Take the Rook and run.

Stronger and more adventurous was 9.Qh5.

9...Kf6 10.Qh5

Now that my Knight was safe, I was willing to play this move, as it has several positives: it protects the Knight, it attack's Black's Bishop at c5, and it threatens Qh5-f5+.

However, Black's response eliminates these threats.

Had my attitude been Attack-Attack-Attack, I would have looked at the more efficient 10.Qf3+, since 10...Ke6 11.Qf5+ Kd6 12.Qd5 is checkmate. This would have required me to see that "saving" the Knight was unnecessary, as 10.Qf3+ Kxg6 falls directly to 11.Qf5 checkmate.

10...d6 11.Nf4

More retreat from danger. A bit pluckier was 11.Nc3.

11...Ne5 12.Nd3

And, finally, the poor Knight is safe. Too bad that he missed 12.Nd5+ Ke6 13.Qf5 checkmate.

See what I mean about "attitude"?

12...g6 13.Qh4+ g5 14.Qg3 Nxd315.Qxd3 Be6

White is ahead the exchange and two pawns, but he still has work to do before he is comfortable.

16.b4 Bb6 17.Bb2+ Ke7 18.Qc3

Looking to infiltrate Black's Kingside. (I admit, I anticipated Black's next move, too, which he played too quickly.)

18...Nf6 19.Qxf6+ Kd7 20.Qxd8+ Rxd8

White is now up a Rook and two pawns. "Game over", right? My timid play encourages Tensecterror to continue: he dreams of using his "two Bishops" and Rook against my King.

21.d4 g4 22.Nd2 h5 23.f4 h4 24.f5 Bf7 25.a4 a6 26.c4 h3 27.c5 dxc5 28.dxc5 Ba7

We both have used pawn moves for our own plans: Black, to storm my Kingside; White, to stifle Black's dark-squared Bishop; and to unleash the "Jerome pawns".

29.e5 Bd5 30.e6+ Ke7 31.g3

A bit stronger was 31.Rae1 directly 

31...b6 32.Rae1 bxc5 33.f6+ Ke8

The "Jerome pawns" will win this duel.

34.f7+ Ke7 35.Bf6+ Kf8 36.e7+ Kxf7 37.exd8=Q cxb4+ 38.Rf2 Bxf2+ 39.Kxf2 Black resigned

Folie à Deux (part deux)

Laugh. Groan. Throw rotten vegetables. The game was played early in the morning and I was only half-awake. As for my opponent, who knows? Maybe he did have one too many...



perrypawnpusher - onetoomany
blitz 5 10, FICS, 2012

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6

I am always happy to see this move, as it allows White to recover one of the sacrificed pieces, and the annoying Bishop at c5 at that.

7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Nf6

10.O-O Kf7 11.f4 Re8 12.f5

So far, so good. Now we can expect something like 12...Ne5 13.Qb3+ (or 13.d4 Neg4 14.Qb3+) Kf8 14.d3 c6 when Black is better.

12...Bxf5

Overlooking something.

13.Rxf5 Rxe4

Overlooking something else.

14.Qb3+

Hey, this "overlooking" stuff looks like fun. Can I try?

14...d5

Even game, but as they say "You ain't seen nothing yet." How true.

15.Nc3 c6 16.Nxe4 Black resigned

'Tis A Puzzlement

The following Jerome Gambit game lasted 81 moves and was collected from the FICS games database site with the notation that the game was "drawn by ajudication".


That conclusion is a bit puzzling, as Black has a forced checkmate.

Could it be that it was White's good fortune that his opponent ran out of time, and the game was drawn because the first player did not have sufficient mating material?

Victus - Schereschevsky
blitz, FICS, 2012 

A Mention is Not an Endorsement

Here, like yesterday, we have another "First of the Year" game.*

If anyone read my "Return of Jerome Gambit for Dummies (Part 2)" and decided, for whatever reason, that I was endorsing White's 5th move, let me please disambiguate: a mention is not an endorsement; don't play 5.Ng5+.

caraneo - vargahz
blitz, FICS, 2012

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Ng5+ White resigned

(*Okay, it's actually the second example of the opening of the year 2012, as far as I can determine from The Database. Even worse, gulp, is that the day before, White played 5.Ng5+ and drew. PureKnight  - agno, lightning, FICS, 2012: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Ng5+ Ke8 6.Qf3 Qe7 7.Nc3 Nf6 8.Nd5 Nxd5 9.exd5 Nd4 10.Qh5+ g6 11.Qd1 Qxg5 12.0-0 Qh5 13.d3 d6 14.Qxh5 gxh5 15.c3 Nf5 16.b4 Bb6 17.Bg5 a6 18.Rae1 Rg8 19.Bh4 Nxh4 20.g3 Nf3+ 21.Kg2 Nxe1+ 22.Rxe1 h4 23.d4 hxg3 24.hxg3 Bg4 25.dxe5 dxe5 26.Rxe5+ Kd7 27.Re4 Rae8 28.Rf4 Ref8 29.Re4 Rxf2+ 30.Kg1 Rf3+ 31.Kh2 Bf5 32.Rf4 Rxf4 33.gxf4 Be4 34.Kh3 h5 35.d6 Kxd6 36.c4 Bf3 37.c5+ Bxc5 38.bxc5+ Kxc5 39.a4 Bg4+ 40.Kh4 Rf8 41.f5 Rxf5 42.Kg3 Rd5 43.a5 Kb5 44.Kf4 Kxa5 45.Ke4 b5 46.Kxd5 b4 47.Kc6 Ka4 48.Kxc7 b3 49.Kb6 a5 50.Ka6 Black ran out of time and White has no material to mate ½-½. Still: caveat emptor)

I'm Just Sayin'...

Most of what needs to be said about Black's defense in the following game has already been said in an earlier post, "Still Worth Knowing", but I thought I'd touch on it again, with the game being played being relatively early in this new year – the first example that I have seen for 2012, the first win for White...

lekar - grapehyacynth
blitz, FICS, 2012

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6

The Semi-Italian Opening.

4.c3

One of a number of responses possible, including 4.0-0, 4.Nc3 and 4.d4.

4...Na5

Possibly thinking of winning the "two Bishops," but actually asking for the "Jerome treatment." Either 4...Nf6 or 4...d6 were more prudent.

5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Ke8

After the better 6...Ke6, White has 7.Qh5, anyway, with a strong game.

7.Qh5+ Black resigned

A Break in the Action

With 75% of the games completed in the "Play the Jerome Gambit Quad" at Chess.com, action has paused momentarily as a player involved in the remaining 3 contests has taken a "vacation" break.

To date White has won 5 games, Black has won 3, and 1 game has been drawn.

If the Jerome Gambit has already accomplished all the wins or drawns that it will have by the end of the Quad, that would represent a score of 46%, about average when compared to other Jerome Gambit Thematics. One more win, though, would push the opening above 50%, which would almost make it, er, respectable.

Knock-Down Drag-Out Battle

The "Play the Jerome Gambit Quad" at Chess.com is evolving into two two-player races. Bill Wall and ubluk (whose first game was mentioned by IM Gary Lane in his recent "Opening Lanes" column at ChessCafe.com) are contesting for first and second places while DeDrijver and bfcase are battling for third and fourth places. In an earlier game, we saw the latter win, but in the following contest (another win for White) DeDrijver evens things up with his opponent.

DeDrijver (1438) - bfcace (1486)
Play The Jerome Gambit Quad
Chess.com, 2012

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

4...Kxf7 5.c3

White goes for a "modern" Jerome Gambit variation, bypassing 5.Nxe5+.

5...Nf6 6.Ng5+ Kf8 7.d3 d5 8.exd5 Qxd5 9.f3 Bg4

Black offers to return a piece to rip open White's fortress. Rybka says "take the piece" but Rybka isn't human...

10.c4 Qd4 11.Qe2 Re8 12.fxg4 e4 13.Be3 Qe5

Black eases up on the presssure, whereas after 13...exd3 14.Bxd4 Rxe2+ 15.Kd1 Bxd4  he would have had a crushing position.

14.Bxc5+ Qxc5 15.dxe4

White returns the favor: he should have recaptured with the Knight, 15.Nxe4. In such crazy positions, it can be hard to find your bearings. 

15...Nd4 16.Qd3 Qa5+

More complications. It was okay to grab a piece with 16...Qxg5 and try to hold on.

17.Nc3 Qe5 18.Nd5 Nxg4

The knight at g5 is leading a charmed life! Black could have kept the game even with 18...Qxg5. But White's play lets him regain the balance.

19.Rf1+ Kg8 20.Nf3 Nxf3+ 21.Rxf3 Nxh2

22.Rf5

An illusion: the piece is not protected.

22...Qd6

Thinking, perhaps, about consolidating his position. However, the Rook imprisoned at h8 plays no part, and it begins to look like Black is a piece down. Worse, White has a nice shot.

23.Rd1 c6 24.Nf6+ Qxf6 25.Rxf6 gxf6

26.Qg3+ Kf7 27.Qxh2 Rxe4+ 28.Kf1 Rxc4 29.Rd7+ Ke8 30.Rxb7 Rc1+ 31.Ke2 Rc2+ 32.Kd3 Black resigned