There are about 165 games by jfhumphrey in The Database, many, like the next game, with White playing against a higher rated player.
Defending against the Jerome Gambit means 1)finding a refutation, 2)following it with accurate play, and then 3)finishing off the attacker.
The longer that Black delays that third step, the more likely it is that he will suffer a calamity himself.
jfhumphrey - NextStar
blitz, FICS, 2012
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+
The Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.
5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Kf8 7.Nxc6 bxc6
Even though Black would have done better with 6...Nxe5 and 7...dxc6, he still has a playable game, with an edge.
8.0-0 Ba6 9.d3 d6 10.Ne2 h5
It is hard to tell if this is aggression or disrespect. In either event, Black should not play around, but finish off his opponent.
11.Nf4 Qe8 12.c4 Bc8 13.Be3 Bb6 14.Bxb6 cxb6
White is showing the calm patience that often is strangely rewarded in the Jerome. In this case, Black becomes careless.
15.Qf3 Qe5
Ouch.
16.Ng6+ Kg8 17.Nxe5 dxe5 Black resigned
Moral: when you have the advantage, do not play around, but finish your opponent off!
Readers, it is time to get out your chessboards and play along, as Philidor1792 (who shows a lot of patience in an impulsive opening) explores Whistler's Defense, the improvement on Blackburne's Defense that was so devastating that Alonzo Wheeler Jerome seems to have "forgotten" to mention it in his writings.
Philidor1792 - NN
20 0, gamecolony.com, 2012
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Qe7
Here we go. Philidor1792 likes to take on the tough defenses.
8.Qxe7+ Nxe7 9.c3 Re8
Or 9...Nc6 10.d4 Bd6 11.Bg5 Re8 12.Nd2 Be7 13.Bxe7 Nxe7 14.f4 Rf8 15.Ke2 h6 16.Ke3 Rb8 17.Raf1 Re8 18.Kf3 b6 19.Re1 Bb7 20.g4 Rh8 21.Ke3 h5 22.h3 Rbe8 23.Kd3 Ba6+ 24.Ke3 Bc8 25.Kf3 Bb7 26.Kg3 Kf6 27.Rhf1 hxg4 28.hxg4 Rh7 29.Rh1 Rg7 30.Rh6 Ng8 31.Rh2 Kf7 32.Kf3 Nf6 33.Rh6 d6 34.Rh2 Bc6 35.Rh6 Bd7 36.Rg1 Bc6 37.Re1 Bb7 38.Rh2 Bc6 39.Rh6 Bd7 40.Rg1 Bc6 41.Re1 Bb7 42.Rh2 Bc6 43.Rh6 b5 44.Rh2 Rgg8 45.Rh6 Kg7 46.Rh2 Rgf8 47.Rhh1 Rf7 48.Rh2 Bd7 49.Rg1 Bc6 50.Re1 Bd7 51.Rg1 Bc6 52.Re1 Bd7 53.Rg1 Rfe7 54.Re2 Rh8 55.f5 Nh7 56.Kf4 Nf8 57.e5 gxf5 58.gxf5+ Kf7 59.e6+ Nxe6+ 60.fxe6+ Bxe6 61.a3 Rh4+ 62.Kg5 Rh8 63.Kf4 Rh4+ 64.Kg5 Rh8 draw, Philidor1792-Computer (Crafty).
10.d4 Bb6 11.Bg5 d6 12.Nd2 Be6 13.Ke2 Kg7
Or 13...Ng8 14.Kd3 Nf6 15.Bxf6 Kxf6 16.f4 Kf7 17.h3 Rac8 18.g4 d5 19.e5 Rf8 20.Raf1 Bd7 21.Rf2 Ke6 22.Nf1 Bb5+ 23.Ke3 Rce8 24.Ng3 Kd7 25.Kf3 c5 26.Rd1 Ba4 27.b3 Bc6 28.f5 Rf7 29.Re2 gxf5 30.gxf5 Re6 31.Kg4 Rg7+ 32.Kf4 Rf7 33.Nh5 cxd4 34.cxd4 Bc7 35.Rg2 Bb5 36.Rdg1 Bd3 37.Rg7 Ree7 38.Rxf7 Rxf7 39.Rg7 Rxg7 40.Nxg7 Bf1 41.Kg5 Bxh3 42.Kf6 Bd8+ 43.Kf7 Be7 44.f6 Bb4 45.e6+ Bxe6+ 46.Nxe6 h5 47.Nf4 Bc3 48.Nxd5 Bxd4 49.Kg6 Kc6 50.f7 Bc5 51.Nf4 h4 52.Ne6 Bd6 53.Ng5 Bf8 54.Kh7 Kd5 55.Kg8 Bd6 56.f8Q Bxf8 57.Kxf8 a5 58.Ke7 b5 59.Kd7 a4 60.Kc7 axb3 61.axb3 Kd4 62.Kb6 Kc3 63.Kxb5 Kxb3 draw Philidor1792 -NN.
14.Kd3 c6 15.f4 h6 16.Bxe7 Rxe7 17.h3 Rf8 18.Raf1 Bc7 19.g4 d5 20.e5 Ref7
21.Ke3 Bd8 22.Rf3 Be7 23.Rhf1 b6 24.R1f2 Bh4 25.Rg2 Kh7 26.Nf1 h5 27.Nh2 Kh6 28.Nf1 Be7 29.Nh2 h4 30.Rgf2 Bc8 31.Nf1 Kg7 32.Kd2 Bg5 33.Ke3 Ba6 34.Nh2 Bd8 35.Kd2 Bc8
36.Nf1 Kg8 37.Ne3 Bg5 38.Ng2 Kg7 39.Ke3 Be7 40.Ke2 Bd8 41.Ne3 Ba6+ 42.Kd2 Kh7 43.f5 Bg5 44.f6 Re8
45.Kc2 Kh6 46.Ng2 Kh7 47.Nf4 Bh6 48.Rg2 g5 49.Nd3 Kg6 50.Ne1 Rc7 51.Kd2 Kf7 52.Rgf2 Rf8 53.Ng2 Ke6 54.Ne3 Rff7 55.Nf5 Bf8
56.Nxh4 gxh4 57.g5 b5 58.g6 Bh6+ 59.Kc2 Rfd7 60.f7 Bf8 61.Rf6+ Ke7 62.R6f4 c5 63.Rxh4 Rc6 64.Rg4 Bg7 65.dxc5 Kf8 66.Re2 Re7 67.h4 b4 68.Re3 bxc3 69.bxc3 Ree6 70.h5
70...Bxe5 71.Rxe5 Bd3+ 72.Kxd3 Rxe5 73.g7+ Kxf7 74.g8Q+ Kf6 75.Qg6+ Ke7 76.Qxc6 Rxh5 77.Rg7+ Kf8 78.Qf6+ Ke8 79.Qe7 checkmate
Bouyed by his recent draw against the computer in the difficult "Nibs" variation of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) (see "Sailing Off of the Edge of the World") Philidor1792 played three more exploratory games with Crafty, two with the White pieces and one with the Black.
This time the results were not as encouraging.
Philidor1792 - Computer (Crafty)
2012
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6
7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Qh4+ 9.g3 Nf3+ 10.Kd1 Ne7
Despite Philidor1792's previous escape, White (not Black) is in big trouble here.
11.e5+ Kc6 12.Qe4+ d5 13.exd6+ Nd5 14.gxh4 Bg4 15.Qa4+
One of the new games continued, instead, in a novel direction with 15.d4 Rae8 16.Qxe8+ Rxe8 17.h3 Bh5 18.dxc5 Ne1+ 19.Kd2 Re2+ 20.Kd1 Re3+ 21.Kd2 Nf3+ 22.Kd1 Ne5+ 23.Kd2 Nc4 checkmate, Philidor1792 - Computer (Crafty);
Another, with the computer taking the White pieces, introduced another new line 15.f5 Nxh2+ 16.Ke1 Rae8 17.d3 Bxf5 18.Rxh2 Bxe4 19.dxe4 Rxe4+ 20.Kd1 Bxd6 21.Rh1 Rd4+ 22.Bd2 Rf8 23.c3 Rg4 24.Kc2 Rf2 25.Kb3 Rgg2 26.Rd1 Rh2 27.a4 Bf4 28.c4 Nf6 29.Bc3 Rxh4 30.Na3 Rhh2 31.Nb5 Be3 32.Rd3 Bc5 33.Nd4+ Kb6 (33...Bxd4 would have preserved Black's advantage) 34.a5+ Ka6 35.Ne6 b6 36.axb6+ Kxb6 37.Nxc5 Kxc5 38.Ra6 Rf4 39.Bb4 checkmate, Computer (Crafty) - Philidor1792.
15...b5 16.Qa6+ Bb6
Crafty significantly improves over its previous 16...Nb6, Philidor1792 - Computer (Crafty) (½-½, 89).
17.h3 Bh5 18.c3 Rhe8 19.Kc2 Nd4+ 20.cxd4 Nb4+ 21.Kb3 Nxa6
Black's extra piece will outplay White's extra pawns.
22.dxc7 Bf7+ 23.Kc3 Ba5+ 24.b4 Nxb4 25.Ba3 Nd3+ 26.Kc2 Nxf4 27.Nc3 b4 28.d5+ Kxc7 29.Rhf1 Bg6+ 30.Kb3 bxc3 31.Rxf4 cxd2
32.d6+ Kd7 33.Bb4 Bxb4 34.Kxb4 Bh5 35.Rff1 Kxd6 36.Kc3 d1Q 37.Raxd1+ Bxd1 38.Rxd1+ Kc6
A Rook is a Rook is a Rook...
39.Rc1 Rac8 40.Kd3+ Kd5 41.Rg1 g6 42.h5 gxh5 43.Rg7 a5 44.Rxh7 Rh8 45.Ra7 Ra8 46.Rb7 Ke5 47.Ke3 Kd5 48.Kd3 a4 49.Rb5+ Kc6 50.Kc4 a3 51.Rg5 Rab8 52.Rg6+ Kd7 53.Rg3 Ra8 54.Rf3 Rhb8 55.Rd3+ Ke6 56.Re3+ Kf5 57.Rf3+ Kg5 58.Rf1 Rb2 59.Ra1 Kh4 60.Rh1 Rxa2 White resigned
Moral: Be careful to which computer (and when) you give Jerome Gambit odds.
"One man's treasure is another man's trash."
Following up on yesterday's post "Ionman vs the Bots" I messaged ionman, asking about the games. Given their theoretical nature, I thought that I might have discovered a new member of the Jerome Gambit Gemeinde who had a whole powerhouse of new ideas to pushe the understanding of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) forward.
Not so.
"I was just messing around in those games" he responded.
The early Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) games by ionman at FICS seem to have all been played against computer bots, providing not only a bit of a historical perspective but also some interesting analytical off-shoots. They are well worth playing through.
I have messaged ionman at FICS, and hope to learn more about his explorations.
ionman - GriffyJr
blitz, FICS, 2005
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6
Heading for the Blackburne Defense.
As we have seen in "Sailing off the Edge of the World", ionman also faced 6...Ke6: 7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Qh4+ The choice of the mscp bot.
Instead, 8...Bd4 was the choice of the Fleurybot and FleurybotJr bots 9.c3 (After the stronger 9.fxe5+ Black has to find 9...Kc6 which is the only move that keeps his edge 10.c3 d5 11.Qf4 Bb6 12.exd5+ Qxd5) 9...Nd3+ 10.Ke2 Ne7 (10...Nh6 11.Qd5+ Ke7 12.Qxd4 Nxc1+ 13.Rxc1 Qf8 14.Qe5+ Kd8 15.f5 Ng4 16.Qg3 h5 17.c4 d6 18.d4 Bd7 19.Nc3 Bc6 20.d5 Bd7 21.Rf1 Rh6 22.h3 Ne5 23.Rf2 Nxc4 24.Raf1 Nxb2 25.e5 Nc4 26.Ne4 Nxe5 27.f6 Bb5+ 28.Ke3 Bxf1 29.Rxf1 gxf6 30.Qh4 Kc8 31.Rxf6 Qe7 32.Qg5 Rh7 33.Qg8+ Kd7 34.Qg6 Nxg6 35.Rxd6+ cxd6 36.Kd4 Qe5+ 37.Kc4 Qxe4+ 38.Kb5 Qxd5+ 39.Kb4 Qxa2 40.g4 Qb1+ 41.Kc4 Ne5+ 42.Kd4 Qd3 checkmate, ionman - FleurybotJr, blitz, FICS, 2005) 11.e5+ Nxe5 12.fxe5+ Bxe5 13.Qd3+ Kc6 14.Qe4+ Kd6 15.d4 Bxh2 16.c4 c6 17.c5+ Kc7 18.Rxh2 d6 19.cxd6+ Qxd6 20.Bf4 Nf5 21.Bxd6+ Nxd6 22.Qe5 Re8 23.Qxe8 Bg4+ 24.Kd3 Bf5+ 25.Kd2 Rxe8 26.Nc3 Nc4+ 27.Kd1 Nxb2+ 28.Kc1 Nd3+ 29.Kd2 Kb6 30.Rhh1 h6 31.Rhb1+ Kc7 32.a4 Re7 33.a5 Kd6 34.a6 b6 35.Ne2 Re8 36.Nc1 Nf4 37.Rb3 Re4 38.Re3 Rxd4+ 39.Ke1 Nxg2+ 40.Kf2 Nxe3 41.Kxe3 Re4+ 42.Kf3 g5 43.Ne2 g4+ 44.Kf2 Be6 45.Rd1+ Bd5 46.Nc3 Rf4+ 47.Ke1 g3 48.Ne2 g2 49.Ng1 Rf1+ 50.Kd2 Bc4 51.Kc1+ Ke5 52.Nf3+ Rxf3 53.Rg1 Rf1+ 54.Rxf1 gxf1Q+ 55.Kd2 Qd3+ 56.Kc1 Bd5 57.Kb2 Qd2+ 58.Ka3 Qc3+ 59.Ka4 Qb3 checkmate, ionman - Fleurybot, blitz, FICS 2005;
Returning to the mscp bot: 9.g3 Nf3+ 10.Kd1 (10.Ke2 Nd4+ 11.Kd1 Nxf5 12.gxh4 Nxh4 13.e5+ Kc6 14.c3 d5 15.d4 Bg4+ 16.Kc2 Bf5+ 17.Kb3 Bf8 18.Be3 Re8 19.Nd2 Ng2 20.Bf2 Nxf4 21.Bg3 Nd3 22.a3 a5 23.Ka2 g6 24.b3 Bh6 25.Nf3 Rf8 26.Nh4 a4 27.b4 Bh3 28.Rhd1 Nf2 29.Bxf2 Rxf2+ 30.Kb1 Rf4 31.b5+ Kxb5 32.Kc2 Rxh4 33.Rab1+ Kc6 34.Kd3 Bf5+ 35.Ke2 Bg4+ 36.Kf2 Bxd1 37.Rxd1 Rxh2+ 38.Kg3 Ra2 39.Re1 Rxa3 40.Kg4 Rxc3 41.e6 Nf6+ 42.Kh4 g5 checkmate, ionman - mscp, blitz, FICS, 2005) 10...Ne7 11.e5+ (11.Qe5+ Nxe5 12.fxe5+ Kxe5 13.gxh4 Kxe4 14.d4 Kxd4 15.Nd2 Rf8 16.Nb3+ Kd5 17.c4+ Kxc4 18.Bg5 Bd6 19.Rc1+ Kd5 20.Re1 Nf5 21.Rc3 Bb4 22.Rd3+ Kc4 23.Re4+ Kxd3 24.Rxb4 Ne3+ 25.Bxe3 Rf1 checkmate, ionman - mscp, blitz, FICS, 2005) 11...Kc6 12.Qe4+ d5 13.exd6+ Kxd6 14.gxh4 Bg4 15.Qa4 Ng1+ 16.Ke1 Bf3 17.d4 Bxh1 18.dxc5+ Ke6 19.Nc3 Rhd8 20.Be3 Nh3 21.Kf1 Nf5 22.Re1 Bc6 23.Qc4+ Kf6 24.Ne4+ Bxe4 25.Qxe4 Re8 26.Bd4+ Nxd4 27.Qxd4+ Kg6 28.Qd3+ Kf6 29.Qxh3 Rxe1+ 30.Kxe1 Re8+ 31.Kf2 Re4 32.Kf3 Rc4 33.c3 Rxc5 34.Qg4 Rb5 35.b4 Rf5 36.Qg1 c5 37.bxc5 a5 38.Qd4+ Kf7 39.Qd7+ Kf6 40.Qxb7 g6 41.c6 Rc5 42.c7 Rxc3+ 43.Ke2 Kf5 44.c8Q+ Rxc8 45.Qxc8+ Kxf4 46.Qe6 a4 47.a3 h5 48.h3 Kg3 49.Ke3 Kxh4 50.Qf6+ g5 51.Kf3 Kxh3 52.Qxg5 h4 53.Qg2 checkmate, ionman - mscp, blitz, FICS, 2005.
(Relax, all of the games can be found in The Database. Just ask for it.)
7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qxh8 Qh4 9.0-0 Nf6 10.Qd8
A day after the text game, ionman tried 10.e5 less successfully: 10...dxe5 (instead 10...Ng4 is strong) 11.Qd8 (better is the thematic 11.d4) 11...Bd6 12.Nc3 (12.g3 Qc4 13.Nc3 Qxf1+ 14.Kxf1 Bh3+ 15.Kg1 Rxd8 16.d3 Rd7 17.Ne2 Bg4 18.Kf1 Bf3 19.Ke1 Ng4 20.h3 Nh2 21.Ng1 Bg2 22.h4 Ng4 23.Be3 Ke6 24.Ke2 a5 25.Nf3 Nxe3 26.fxe3 Bc5 27.e4 h6 28.c3 Bxf3+ 29.Kxf3 Rxd3+ 30.Ke2 Rxg3 White resigned, ionman - GriffyJr, blitz, FICS, 2005) 12...e4 13.g3 Qh3 14.f3 Qxf1+ 15.Kxf1 Bh3+ 16.Kf2 Rxd8 17.b3 Bc5+ 18.Ke2 exf3+ 19.Kxf3 Rf8 20.Bb2 Bf5 21.d3 Ng4 22.h3 Ne5+ 23.Kg2 Nc6 24.g4 Be6 25.Rf1+ Ke8 26.Rxf8+ Kxf8 27.Ne4 Bd4 28.Ba3+ Kg7 29.c3 Be5 30.d4 Bf4 31.Bb2 Kf7 32.c4 Nb4 33.d5 Bc8 34.Kf3 g5 35.h4 gxh4 36.Kxf4 Nd3+ 37.Kg5 Nxb2 38.Kxh4 Ke7 39.Kg5 Nd3 40.Kh6 Bxg4 41.Kxh7 Bf5+ 42.Kg7 Bxe4 White resigned, ionman - GriffyJr, blitz, FICS, 2005.
10...Qxe4 11.Qxc7+
The next day 11.Nc3 was played, which is a good move, but not as good as the text 11...Qxc2 (better is 11...Qc6) 12.Qxc7+ (12.d4 is better) 12...Nd7 13.Nd5 (13.d4 is better) 13...Qe4 14.Nc3 (14.Ne3) 14...Qe5 (14...Qc2) 15.d3 Qd4 16.Re1 A losing blunder 16...Qxf2+ White resigned, ionman - GriffyJr, blitz, FICS, 2005.
11...Qe7 12.Qxe7+ Kxe7
White is up the exchange and two pawns. Black's only compensation is better development.
13.c3 Be6 14.d4 Bb6 15.Bg5
Or 15.Nd2 Re8 16.Nf3 h5 17.Ng5 Bc4 18.Re1+ Kd8 19.Rxe8+ Kxe8 20.f3 Nd5 21.Ne4 Kd7 22.Kf2 Bd3 23.Bd2 Bc4 24.Re1 Bxa2 25.Bg5 a5 26.Nf6+ Kc6 27.Nxd5 Bxd5 28.Re8 Kb5 29.Bd8 Bc6 30.Rh8 Bxd8 31.Rxd8 Kc4 32.Rxd6 Be8 33.Rb6 Bc6 34.Ke3 g5 35.Kd2 Kd5 36.Kd3 Ke6 37.c4 Kd6 38.d5 Kc5 39.Rb3 a4 40.Ra3 Bd7 41.b4+ Kxb4 42.Rc3 a3 43.Kd4 Bf5 44.c5 Possibly a time error 44...a2 45.Rc1 Bb1 46.Rc4+ Kb5 White resigned, ionman - GriffyJr, blitz, FICS, 2005.
15...Re8 16.Nd2 d5 17.Nf3 h5
White now continues to reduce the game to a simpler and simpler won endgame.
18.Rae1 a5 19.Bh4 a4 20.Ng5 Kd7 21.Nxe6 Rxe6 22.Rxe6 Kxe6 23.Bxf6 Kxf6 24.Re1 Bc7 25.Kf1 a3 26.b3 Ba5 27.Rc1 Kf5 28.c4 Bc7 29.Re1 b5 30.Rc1 Bf4 31.Rc2 dxc4 32.bxc4 bxc4 33.Rxc4 Bd6 34.Ke2 Bxh2 35.g3 h4 36.Rc3 hxg3 37.fxg3 Bg1 38.Rxa3 Bxd4 39.Kf3 Ke5 40.Ra6 g5 41.a4 Bc5 42.a5 Bb4 43.Ra8 Kf6 44.a6 Bc5 45.a7 Bb4 46.Rh8 Bc5 47.a8Q Ke5 48.Re8+ Kf6 49.Qc6+ Kg7 50.Qxc5 g4+ Black resigned
In looking at ionman's Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) and related games in the online FICS games database, I found an effort that had escaped The Database, a situation that I was glad to quickly correct.
ionman - RavingEagle
blitz, FICS, 2011
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6
The Semi-Italian Opening. If Black subsequently brings his Bishop out to c5, White can consider going Jerome-ish with Bxf7+.
4.d4 Na5
At some point this offside Knight move is going to become known as the "kick me maneuver".
5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Ke8
It is a measure of Black's difficulties to realize that his "strongest" move here is 6...Ke7, allowing the Knight fork at g6.
7.Qh5+ Ke7 8.Qf7+ Kd6 9.Qd5+
This is strong and winning.
Checking out The Database, only sanforu - goaheadandtakemy, blitz, FICS, 2008 has 9.Na3 that leads to mate in 3; and only plasmafaz - Abatwa, blitz, FICS, 2012 has 9.Nc3 that leads to mate in 4.
No matter, White has the fork mentioned in the note to move 6.
9...Ke7 10.Ng6+ Ke8 11.Nxh8 Nf6 12.Qf7 checkmate
In yesterday's post I mentioned a couple of Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) games played online by ionman at FICS in 2005 and suggested that I check out more of his games.
That led me to The Database, which has FICS games going back to 1999. I found ionman's games, but I also found a number of players doing more than single-game-experimenting with the Jerome, some of whom were familiar (e.g. GOH, JKELSEY ), but some of whom were new to me (when a database has 26,500+ games, it is possible to overlook someone).
I plan to see which players are still active at FICS, and contact them for more information about their Jerome Gambit adventures.
