Who's the "Expert"?

The following game made me wonder, who knows the Jerome Gambit better, him or me? The outcome was surely suggestive!

perrypawnpusher - vz721
Italian Game thematic, Chess.com, 2013

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Qf6 9.fxe5+ Qxe5 10.Qf3 Nf6 11.d3

I have sometimes referred to this as the "optical illusion" variation (see here and here for starters) because of the number of times in blitz play that my opponents have relaxed and allowed me to pin their Queen to their King.

In the April 1874 issue of the Dubuque Chess Journal, Alonzo Wheeler Jerome wrote that 11.d3 compelled either King or Queen to move as White threatens Bf4; or Black can play ...g5. 

He was referring to the game Jerome - Shinkman, Iowa, 1874, which appeared in the July 1874 issue of the DCJ, and indeed, the game continued 11...Ke7 12.Nc3 g5; although after White's 21st move he wrote "and Mr. Shinkman announced loss of the Queen or mate in six moves." Ouch.

11...Ke7 12.Nc3 d6 13.Bf4 

So far, following Jerome - Brownson, Iowa, 1875, (1-0, 43).

13...Qh5

An interesting improvement on Brownson's 13...Qe6, which allowed Jerome to play 14.0-0-0 and then meet 14...Qg4 with 15.Qf1. White doesn't have a great position, but he keeps the Queens on the board.

14.0-0-0 Qxf3 15.gxf3 Be6 16.d4 Bb4 

At first I was happy with my pawn center. It grabs space, and threatens to advance, feeding an attack on the King. However, I decided to "hold" the center, instead, and my pawn chain became frozen - and my opponent started hammering it.

17.d5 Bf7 18.Nb5 Kd7 19.Nd4 Rae8 20.Nf5 Rhg8

21.h4 Bg6 22.Nd4 Nh5 23.Bh2 Bc5 24.Rhe1 Bxd4 25.Rxd4 Rgf8 

All the "dynamic" aspects of the pawn center have been removed.

26.Rd3 Nf4 27.Rd2 Bh5 28.Re3 Ng6 29.Rf2 Nxh4 White resigned

I might have been able to get 30.f4 in here, but that was about as mobile as my center was going to get. It looked like nothing more than suffering to me, so I turned my  attention to my remaining games.

Very nicely played, Vlad! 

The Pawns! The Pawns!

I smiled as I played over this game, and I have to admit to imagining hearing violin music in the background - the kind in the movies that is used to heighten the tension, bit-by-bit... Or - was that the music from "Jaws"?

Or, as Tattoo might have said, "The pawns! The pawns!"

Very funny how the pawns advance to the center - and just sit there. Black does not believe in them, he takes swipes at them, he even thinks at the end that they have abandoned their Knight - but he can't keep his eyes off of them.

Neither could I.

Fun game, killer ending.

Nice game, Mr. Roarke.

(Or should I have said "I think we're going to need a bigger chess board"?)

Wall,B - Guest348906
PlayChess.com, 2013

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 N8e7 9.0-0

Bill has also played 9.Nc3, e.g. 9...b6 10.Qh5 d6 11.f4 Kd7 12.f5 Nf8 13.Qg4 Kc6 14.Qxg7 Nd7 15.f6 Qg8 16.0-0 Qxg7 17.fxg7 Rg8 18.Rf7 Ng6 19.Nd5 Re8 20.d4 Ba6 21.Nb4+ Kb5 22.Bd2 Re7 23.b3 Nc5 24.c4+ Ka5 25.Nd5 checkmate, Wall,B - Andr,T, Chess.com, 2010.

9...Rf8 

This looks like a TN, preparing to castle-by-hand.

Previously: 9...d6, as in perrypawnpusher - nmuffjgp, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 23); and 9...b6 as in perrypawnpusher - Lark, blitz, FICS, 2009 (1-0, 59) and perrypawnpusher - jdvatty, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 28). 

10.d4 Kf7 11.f4 Kg8

The position is just about even.

12.g4 

A bit more prudent would have been 12.f5.

12...d6 

Black would have done better striking at the center, suggests Houdini 3: 12...d5 13.f5 b6 14.Qc3 dxe4 15.fxg6 Rxf1+ 16.Kxf1 Nxg6. 

13.Qh5 Qd7 

Targetting the pawns. Bill suggests instead 13...Nc6 14.Be3 Nxd4 15.Bxd4 Nxf4. 

14.f5 Nh8 15.c4 Rf6 16.Nc3 Nc6 17.Nd5  Rf8 18.Be3

Mesmerising, aren't they?

18...Na5 19. b3 c6 20.Nc3 d5

This move does not stem the tide of pawns.

21.cxd5 cxd5 22.Nxd5 Re8 23.e5

A little bait, that Black goes for.

23...Qxd5 24.Qxe8 checkmate

KO

Well, that was quick.

As mentioned in the last post, my Jerome Gambit game against vz721 in the Chess.com Italian Game Thematic Tournament (see "Started"), was staggering towards and unhappy ending, and has now ended with a "knockout" - a 29-move loss.

I have a little time, while defending an Evans Gambit against MarkHundleby1 (with the same moves as in my other game, with Black, against vz721), to repair my favorite opening.

Do I suspect that MarkHundleby1 will allow me to play 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+? It's a good bet. He is obviously aware of the play of the games around him in the tournament. Why wouldn't he want to wander down easy street and follow vz721's lead?

Tourney Update

Play has been pretty fast and furious for me in the Chess.com Italian Game Thematic Tournament (see "Started").

I have drawn both my games against top-rated JoseSoza, the two completed games so far.

However, vz721, one sharp player (second-rated in our quad), improved on some of Alonzo Wheeler Jerome's original analysis (!) and has been treating my one Jerome Gambit rather harshly. I am currently hanging in there, but the phrase "punch drunk" comes to mind...

With Black against MarkHundleby1, I am defending well against his Evans Gambit. When that is complete, I will have my last chance at a Jerome Gambit - and therein lies an interesting tale for a later date.

Endgame Battle

Bill Wall passes along another Jerome Gambit endgame. I merely touched upon this battle 3 years ago in "A Working Class, Impatient Move" - it is time to give it a closer look.

Wall,B - Firewine
Chess.com, 2010

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 

7.Qxe5 Bd6

As I wrote in "The Gentleman or the Tireder?" two and a half years ago, "This move is better than it looks at first glance, and forces White's Queen to abandon the center or abandon the board."

8.Qa5

This was new at the time, although Bill played it later in Wall,B - Guest2591977, PlayChess.com, 2012 (1-0, 22).

8...Qf6 

Guest2591977 continued with 8...Ne7.

9.Nc3 Ne7 10.d3 h6 11.0-0 b6 12.Qa4 c6 

Bill suggests 12...Be5 13.Bd2 Qc6 as an alternative.

13.Be3 Bc5

It is not clear that opposing White's Bishop in this way is helpful, for as long as Black's King and Queen are on the same file, initiating and exchange is out of the question.

14.e5 Qg6 15.Ne4 d6 16.Nxd6 

Bill now prefers 16.exd6 Bxd6 17.Bxb6.

16...Bh3

Threatening 17...Qxg2 mate, but this is readily met. 

17.Qe4 Qxe4 18.dxe4 Be6 19.Bxc5 bxc5

Here we have an interesting Jerome Gambit endgame. White, still with all his original pawns, has compensation for his sacrificed piece. In fact, with his Rook on the same file as Black's King, he has a bit of initiative.

20.f4 Nc8 21.f5 Bd7

Bill points out that the Bishop belongs on the other diagonal, as in 21...Bf7 22.e6? Nxd6 23.exf7 Nxe4 24.Rae1 Nf6 25.Re5 Kxf7 26.Rxc5 Rac8 when Black is looking a bit better (at least White's pawns are not a dynamic threat).

22.Nb7 Ke7

Giving up a pawn. It might not have seemed as important as activating his pieces.

23.Nxc5 

23...Rf8

This loses the bishop.

24.f6+ gxf6 25.exf6+ Rxf6 26.Rxf6 Kxf6 27.Nxd7+

White is now 3 pawns up.

27...Ke6 28.Nc5+ Ke5 29.Re1 Nd6 30.Nd3+ Kd4

Or 30...Ke6 31.e5 Nf5 32.g4 Nd4 33.Rf1 Nxc2 34.Rf6+ Kd5 35.Rxh6

31.e5 Ne4 32.e6 Re8 33.e7

Better, notes Bill, is 33.Nf4 Ke5 34.g3

33...Rxe7 34.Nf2 Re5 35.Nxe4

As planned, but Bill points out that better was 35.c3+! Kd5 36.c4+ Kd4 37.Rd1+ Kxc4 38.b3+ Kc3 39.Rd3+ Kb2 40.Re3 Kxa2 41.Nxe4

35...Rxe4 36.Rxe4+ Kxe4 37.Kf2 Kd4

Black should go for opposition of kings, but White has the extra tempo to win.

38.g4 c5 39.Kf3 Ke5 40.h4 a5

Better was 40...a6. Black's problem is that his King can't cover both sides of the board. 

41.a4 c4 42.c3 Kf6 43.Ke4 Ke6 44.Kd4 Kf6 45.Kxc4 Ke5 46.b4 axb4 47.cxb4 Kf4 48.b5 Kxg4 49.a5 Kxh4 50.a6 Black resigned

Spicy!

It is said that "variety is the spice of life." 

While a defender may know that Bill Wall is going to play the Jerome Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+, he certainly will not know what variation Bill is going to spring upon him.

Wall,B - Guest2360621
PlayChess.com, 2013

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

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

7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qa3

This is the 6th different Queen move that Bill has played in this position. As he notes, " I try to make a new move every time when I can, to see what happens.  The Queen can probably go anywhere as long as it is not taken or trapped."

Previously,

9.Qe3 - Wall,B - Parsom, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 25); Wall,B - HeHe, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 19); Wall,B - Reza,A, Chess.com, 2011 (1-0, 43); Wall,B - G3LC, PlayChess.com, 2011 (1-0, 22); Wall,B - Guest3312852, PlayChess.com, 2012 (1-0, 26);

9.Qh5 - Wall,B - Guest1475978, Sofia, 2013 (1-0, 28);

9.Qb5+ - Wall,B - Zhu,Y, Chess.com, 2011 (1-0, 19); Wall,B - Guest327668, PlayChess.com, 2012 (1-0, 22);

9.Qc4  - Wall,B - Royercordova, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0,18);

9.Qc3  - Wall,B - NFTM, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 22); Wall,B - Jaar,J, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 19).

For the record, Houdini 3, given 10 minutes "thought" for "infinite analysis", prefers 9.Qe3 (-.92), followed by 9.Qc3 (-1.17) and 9.Qb5+ (-1.29).

9...Nf6

The current game is the only one in The Database with this line. Bill suggests as an alternative 9...Qh4.

10.0-0 Be6

Not 10...Nxe4? because of 11.Qa4+.

11.f4 Bf7 12.f5 Ne5 13.d4 Nc6 14.d5

Bill suggests as well the alternative 14.Qd3

14...Ne5 

15.Re1 Qd7 16.Bf4 Nc4 17.Qc3 b5 18.b3 Nb6 19.e5 dxe5 20.Bxe5 

Threatening 21.Bxf6+, winning the knight. Now Black could keep things in balance with 20...Nxd5, but the threatened discovered check is too uncomfortable.

20...Kd8 21.Bxf6+ Kc8 22.Bxg7

A little stronger might be Bill's suggestion 22.Re7

22...Rg8 23.f6 

Threatening Re7 

23...Nxd5 24.Qd4 Qd6 25.c4 bxc4 26.bxc4 Nb6 

A bit better was 26...Nb4, threatening ...Nc2, winning the Rook, although White is still better after 27.Qxd6 cxd6 28.Nc3. 

27.Qxd6 cxd6 28.Re7 

28...Bxc4 29.f7 Bxf7 30.Rxf7 Nd7

The advanced "Jerome pawn" has cost Black a piece.

31.a4 Kc7 32.a5 Kc6 33.Na3 Nc5 34.Nc2 Rab8 35.Nd4+ Kd5 

Black threatens 36...Rxg7 37.Rxg7 Kxd4 

36.Nf5 Ne4 37.Rxa7 

Threatening Ne7+, forking King and Rook, but Black had enough here and resigned.

Started!

The fourth and final round of the Chess.com Italian Game thematic tournament has started, and there are four competitors: JoseSoza of Chile, vz721 of Russia, MarkHundleby1 of Canada, and yours truly, perrypawnpusher of the USA.

This presented as many as three more opportunities to defend the "honor" of the Jerome Gambit 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+, depending on how my opponents wished to defend.

So far, JoseSoza has declined the Jerome with 3...Be7, choosing the Hungarian Defense. This is his second "pass" after scoring two wins against my Gambit in rounds one and two.

On the other hand, vz721 has allowed it with 3...Bc5, and I was quick to sacrifice the Bishop! Let us hope this is not another example of Act in haste, Repent at leisure.

I have Black against MarkHundleby1 right now (defending against the Evans Gambit; alas, not the Evans Jerome Gambit), so the chance for a Jerome Gambit has to wait - unless he plays it against me!

The results, as for previous rounds, come what may, will be reported. 

graphic by Jeff Bucchino, the Wizard of Draws