The 6...Ng6 defense to the Jerome Gambit, setting up (after the capture of Black's dark-squared Bishop) the piece vs two pawns conflict, gives White a lot of chance for dynamic play.
Bill Wall's latest Jerome shows Whites game developing into a chessic hurricane.
Wall,B - Guest392045
PlayChess.com, 2013
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6
7.Qd5+ Kf8 8.Qxc5+ d6 9.Qe3 Nf6
10.d3 Qe7 11.0-0 Bd7 12.f4 Kg8 13.Nc3 h6
Black plans to castle-by-hand, putting his King on h7. This will link his Rooks and help complete his development, but the time spent will help White advance his plans, too.
14.f5
Bill pointed out that 14.d4 was also possible, and maybe the tiniest bit better than the text. White's advance is pure Jerome, however.
14...Ne5 15.h3 Kh7 16.g4
Or 16.b3 with 17.Bb2 to follow. Black is still better.
16...Rhf8 17.b3 Bc6 18.Bb2 Rae8 19.Rae1 b6 20.Ne2 Bb7 21.Nf4
Both sides have focused on development. White is now threatening 22.Bxe5 and 23.Ng6, forking his opponent's Queen and Rook .
21...Qd7 22.Ne6
White's Knight is powerful enough that Black cannot let it stand.
22...Rxe6 23.fxe6 Qxe6 24.Rf5 Re8
Black's edge is small. White will continue to focus on the enemy King's position.
25.Ref1 Nfd7 26.g5 Qg6 27.Kh2 Bc8 28.gxh6
28...gxh6
A slip. Bill gives the tactical line to maintain equality: 28...Nf6 29.Bxe5 Bxf5 30.Bxf6 Qxf6 31.Qg3 g6 32.exf5 Re2+ 33.Rf2 Rxf2+ 34.Qxf2 gxf5.
White has a Rook for two Knights. He has time to put the Rook on the g-file.
29.Rg1 Qe6
Black threatens 30... Qxf5 31.exf5 Ng4+ and 32...Rxe3
30.Bc1 Rf8
Missing the threat. He should, instead, as Bill points out, play 30...Rg8 31.Rxg8 Kxg8 32.Qxh6 Qxh6 33.Bxh6. Black would have two pieces vs a Rook and two pawns, but his situation would be better than after the text.
31.Rgf1
Even stronger, according to Bill, is 31.d4, e.g. 31...Nc6 (31...Nf7 32.Qg3; 31...Ng6 32.Qxh6+ Kg8 33.Rxg6+) 32.d5 when Black's need to protect h6 cripples his play.
31...Rg8
32.Rf6!
Black resigned.
It's not always nice to repeat myself, but, here I go, from "Not So Fast There!"
In blitz chess, the moves come fast, but the thoughts come faster.
Much better that way, than the other way around.
My opponent was on his way to one of the most potent refutations of the Jerome Gambit - until he wasn't. Blitz can be so cruel.
perrypawnpusher - paolinoscottino
blitz, FICS, 2013
1.e4 Nc6 2.Nf3 e5 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Qh4+
I always hate it when an opponent rattles off his moves like a machine gun, entering such a deadly line as this one.
9.g3 Qg4
Okay, either he was bluffing, he forgot how the line plays out, or he was engaging in a bit of you-check-my-King-and-I'll-check-your-King which turns out not to be so harmless.
10.fxe5+
A wicked Zwischenzug, as in the last post.
Here, Black resigned in perrypawnpusher - vastatorjf, blitz, FICS, 2013
10...Kc6 11.Qxg4 d6 12.Qxg7 Be6 13.Qxh8 Bg4 14.exd6 Bxd6 15.O-O Bc5+ 16.d4 Bd6 17.e5 Be7 18.Qxh7 Be2 19.Qe4+ Kd7 20.Qxe2 Black resigned
Shades of "Why did he play that move?": my opponent would have been well-served by asking himself that, after my 12th move. As a result, what could have been an interesting tangle got short-circuited.
perrypawnpusher - Makeyourmove,
blitz, FICS, 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.Qe3 Nf6
This is a standard position in the 6...Ng6 Jerome Gambit - this is the 45th time for me.
Black continues to develop and prepare for castling-by-hand - impressive, for a player who, at least according to The Database, has not played or faced a Jerome Gambit (at least on FICS).
10.0-0 Kf7 11.f4 Re8 12.f5
This position appeared as early as Vazquez,A - Carrington,W, Mexico, 2nd match (1), 1876 (1-0, 34).
This is my 10th game with it on the board, having won 6 and lost 3 to date. Twice my opponents made it easy for me - and now, today.
Why does White allow Black to take his e-pawn?
12...Rxe4 13.fxg6+
Zwischenzug. Intermediate move.
13...hxg6
After equally incautious 13...Kxg6 White has 14.Rxf6+ Qxf6 15.Qxe4+ as in perrypawnpusher - mconst, blitz, FICS, 2011 (0-1, 18).
Black's best is 13...Kg8 and after 14.gxh7+ then 14...Kh8 (14...Kxh7 allows 15.Qd3) when White has an edge; he should focus on development, as Houdini suggested after the game, 15.Qf2 Rg4 16.d3 b6 17.Nd2 Bb7 18.Nf3.
14.Qxe4 Black resigned
perrypawnpusher - bnxr, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 29) continued another 15 moves, with the same result.
Here is another game from Jerome Gambit Gemeinde member fehim at FICS, showing his opponent the proper way to deal with an unusual response - to an, admittedly, unusual opening.
fehim - pnicolas
blitz, FICS. 2013
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 Bd6
White is no doubt used to being the one to introduce "unusual" into his games. Yet, here Black's play is inventive (not to be mistaken with "strong") and it becomes clear it is time to provide corrective action. Black, wandering away from the "main lines" of the Jerome Gambit can only find disaster...
8. Qf5+
A bit better than his later 8.fxe5 Bxe5 9.O-O (After 9.Qf5+ White is better) 9...Nf6 (Instead, 9... g6 is equal) 10.Qf5+ Kd6 11.c3 c5 12.Na3 g6? 13.Nc4+ Kc6 14.Nxe5+ Kc7 15.Qxf6 d6 16.Qg7+ Kb8 17.Nf7 Rg8 18.Nxd8 Rxg7 19.Rf8 Kc7 20.Ne6+ Bxe6 21.Rxa8 Black resigned, fehim - raviven, FICS, 2013.
8...Ke7 9.fxe5 Bc5
Quick disaster also followed with 9...Nh6 10.exd6+ Kxd6 11.Qd5+ Ke7 12.O-O c6 13.Qe5 checkmate, Wall,B - xChristopher, FICS, 2010.
10.d4
Taking advantage of the hapless, misplaced Bishop.
10...Bb6
10...Bb4+ 11.c3 Ba5 did not help, for similar reasons, in MariaTavares - Motyl, FICS, 2005, (1-0, 13).
11.Bg5+ Black resigned
Black will have to give back a piece - for starters - with 11...Nf6, and will not escape further losses and an eventual checkmate.
As expected, JoseSoza of Chile won the recently completed Italian Game Tournament at Chess.com with a record of 17 wins, one loss, and 7 draws. Congratulations on such an achievement!
Second place was taken by vz721 of Russia, with a record of 15 wins, 4 losses and 1 draw. Fighting play, and the second highest number of wins!
Third place was taken by perrypawnpusher of the U.S.A. (that's me), with a record of 13 wins, 6 losses, and 5 draws.
The tournament was a 4-round affair, starting with 20 players in 5 groups, with the top players advancing each round. While the first round had 5 groups of four, the second round had 3 groups of 3 and one of four, and the third round had 1 group of three and 1 group of four. This allowed for different numbers of games played for different finalists.
I tallied 5 - 3 with the Jerome Gambit - two losses to JoseSoza, one to vz721.
(A Random Note: May, 2011, was the month, so far, with the most page views for this blog, since it started in June, 2008 . However, this month, November 2013, is racing toward the top and likely will overtake it! My "Welcome!" and "Thank You! to everyone stopping by. - Rick)
The following game (and its notes) tests the assertion that It's not a blunder if it isn't refuted - the theme song of those who play the Jerome Gambit, after all.
fehim - BlkSabb
blitz, FICS, 2013
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 d6
The Blackburne Defense to the Jerome Gambit, based on the famous game, Amateur - Blackburne, London, 1885.
8.Qxh8 Qh4 9.0-0 Nf6 10.d3
Fehim, who has been playing the Jerome Gambit on FICS since at least 2005, had only encountered the Blackburne Defense once before, and that game was something he probably wanted to improve upon, as it is a story all itself.
fehim - zsifkovitspeter, blitz, FICS, 2007, continued 10.d4 Bxd4 (the "only" move for Black was 10...Bh3 11.gxh3 Rxh8 12.dxc5 Nxe4 13.cxd6 cxd6 when he would be better) 11.Be3 (Leads to a big Black advantage, while 11.Qd8 Bb6 12.Nd2 Bh3 13.Nf3 Rxd8 14. Nxh4 Bd7 would let White hold on) 11...Bd7 (Continuing the friendly "give aways," when, instead, 11...Ng4 would be crushing.) 12.g3 (Instead, grabbing the Rook with 12.Qxa8 gives White the clear advantage.) 12...Qh3 13.Qxa8 Ng4 14.Rd1 Qxh2+ 15.Kf1 Nxe3+ 16.Ke2 Bb5+ 17.Kf3 Qh5+ 18.Kf4 Qg4 White was checkmated.
After the Blackburne game, the Jerome Gambit was largely seen as busted by the Rook sacrifice - although commentary at the time, suggesting 10.Qd8, actually gave White the advantage.
10...Ng4
Previously I noted
The problem with this move is that White has 32 possible responses: 31 lead to an advantage (most of them mate) for Black. However, one leads to a win for White.
As seen before, 10...Bh3 wins, RevvedUp-Hiarcs 8, blitz 2 12, 2006 (0-1, 12).
10...Ke6 led to a sustained battle in Knightpusher - MiloBot, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 47).
11.Bf4
White tried another defense with 11.h3 - 11...Bf5 (Black would consolidate, instead, with 11...Ne5 12.Nd2 Bxh3 13.Qxe5 dxe5) 12.Qxa8 (Instead, White is saved by the electric 12.Bg5!? Qxf2+ - what else? - 13.Rxf2 Bxf2+ 14.Kf1 Rxh8 15.hxg4 Bd4 16.c3 Bxe4 17.dxe4 Bf6) 12...Bxf2+ 13.Rxf2 Qxf2+ 14.Kh1 Qf1 checkmate, Kriton - Schoenwettermatt, FICS, 2013.
11...Nxf2
Black could have gone for the cheapo, 11...Bxf2+, since 12.Rxf2? (12.Kh1 is sufficient - if White can find, after 12...Bf5 13.Qxa8 Nxh2 the return 14.Qd8!? when he gets sufficient material for his Queen: 14...Qxd8 15.Bxh2 Bd4 16.c3 Be5 17.Nd2 Bxh2 18.Kxh2 Qg5 19.Rad1 Ke7 20.exf5 gxf5) Qxf2+ 13.Kh1 Qf1 is checkmate.
12.Bg3 Black resigned
The play was not over, however, for the earlier game, stampyshortlegs - blackburne, JG Tourney5, ChessWorld, 2010, continued further 12...Qh6 13.Bxf2 Bf5 14.Bxc5 Rxh8 15.Bd4 Re8 16.exf5 gxf5 17.Rxf5+ Ke6 18.Rf6+ Qxf6 19.Bxf6 Kxf6 20.Nc3 c6 21.Ne4+ Ke5 22.Re1 Kd4 23.Kf2 d5 24.Nd6 Rb8 25.Re7 Kc5 26.Nxb7+ Kb6 27.Rxh7 Rxb7 28.Rxb7+ Kxb7 29.h4 when Black resigned.
I sometimes learn while I am playing the Jerome Gambit, but I usually learn a lot afterward, when I review the game.
My latest set-to shows why strong tactical players might enjoy the opportunities that the Jerome can provide - choosing moves that I don't even dream of, until I am tutored in tactics by Houdini.
perrypawnpusher - tcs
blitz, FICS, 2013
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6
The Semi-Italian Opening.
4.0-0 Nf6 5.Nc3 Bc5 6.Bxf7+
The Semi-Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.
6...Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ Nxe5 8.d4
According to The Database, I've had this position 53 times, scoring 80%. Should be familiar.
8...Be7
But this is new.
9.dxe5 Nh7 10.Qf3+ Kg8 11.Be3 Ng5
The Knight returns to battle. After the game, Houdini suggested the more modest castling-by-hand: 11...Nf8 12.Qe2 Ng6 13.f4 Kh7 14.Rad1.
12.Qe2 Kh7 13.f4 Ne6 14.f5 Ng5
15.Rad1
Putting pressure on the d-file (where the Black Queen is) and discouraging a d-pawn move, which would free Black's Bishop and Rook.
After the game, Houdini recommended 15.f6 gxf6 16.Nd5!? with the initiative and an attack based on the White Rook's access to the f-file, White's Queen's infiltration along the d1-h5 diagonal, and the kick h2-h4. If you found 16.Nd5, good for you!
15...Rf8 16.Bd4
Here, again, Houdini preferred 16.Qg4 Qe8 17.h4 Ne6 18.Nd5!? as a way to start a promising attack. I've got no argument with that, now that I see it.
16...Qe8 17.f6 gxf6 18.exf6 Bb4 19.Nd5
Better late than never, I guess.
White's attack is beginning to look menacing, not only because of the advancing "Jerome pawns", but because of the first player's development, contrasted with Black's two Queenside pieces "still in the garage."
Now it's time for Black to cut his losses with 19...Qxe4 20.Qxe4+ Nxe4 21.Nxb4 remaining only a pawn down, albeit with the worse position.
19...Ba5
20.e5
This is a good move, after which White has a decent edge.
However...
After the clearance sacrifice, 20.f7! Houdini argued (with a little help from me after the game) that White had an attack leading to mate:
a) 20...Rxf7 Qd8 21.Nf6+ Kg7 22.Nh5+ Kh7 (22...Kg6 23.Nf4+ Kxf7 24.Qh5+ Ke7 25.Ng6+ Ke6 26.Qg4+ Kd6 27.Bf2+ Kc6 28.Ne5+ Kb5 29.Qe2+ Ka4 30.b3+ Ka3 31.Nc4+ Kb4 32.a3+ Kb5 33.Ne5#) 23.Qd3 Nh3+ 24.Kh1 Qg5 25.Nf6+ Kg6 26.e5+ Kxf7 27.e6+ Ke7 28.Qh7+ Kd6 29.exd7 Rd8 30.Be3+ Bd2 31.Qd3+ Ke6 32.Qc4+ Ke7 33.Qe4+ Kd6 34.Rxd2+ Qd5 35.Rxd5+ Kc6 36.Qc4#;
b) 20...Qxf7 21.Rxf7+ Rxf7 (21...Qxf7 22.Rf1 Qe6 [22...Bb6 23.Rxf7+ Nxf7 24.Nxb6 Ne5 25.Nxa8 d6 26.Bxe5 dxe5 27.Qc4 Kg7 28.Qxc7+ Kf6 29.Qxc8 h5 30.Nc7 b6 31.Qf8+ Kg5 32.Ne6+ Kg4 33.Qf3+ Kh4 34.Qg3#; 22...d6 23.Rxf7+ Nxf7 24.Qf3 Ne5 25.Bxe5 Bb6+ 26.Kh1 Be6 27.Qf6 dxe5 28.Qe7+ Kg6 29.Qxe6+ Kg7 30.Qf6+ Kh7 31.Qf7+ Kh8 32.Ne7 Re8 33.Ng6#; 22...Bc3 23.Rxf7+ Nxf7 24.Bxc3 d6 25.Qh5 Be6 26.Nxc7 Ne5 27.Nxe6 Rg8 28.Qf5+ Kh8 29.Qf6+ Kh7 30.Qe7+ Kh8 31.Qxd6 Rg6 32.Bxe5+ Kh7 33.Nf8+ Kg8 34.Qxg6+ Kxf8 35.Bd6#] 23.Nf6+ Kg7 24.Nxd7+ Kg8 25.Rf8+ Kh7 26.Rh8+ Kg6 27.Nf8+ Kf7 28.Nxe6 Bxe6 29.Qf1+ Ke7 30.Bc5+ Kd7 31.Qb5+ c6 32.Qxb7+ Bc7 33.Rxa8 Nf3+ 34.gxf3 Bxa2 35.Qc8#) 22.Qh5 d6 23.Rf1 Rxf1+ 24.Kxf1 Be6 25.Nf6+ Kg7 26.Ng4+ Kf8 27.Qxh6+ Ke8 28.Nf6+ Kf7 29.Qh5+ Ke7 30.Qxg5 Rf8 31.Kg1 Bb6 32.Nd5+ Kd7 33.Qe7+ Kc6 34.Bxb6 Bxd5 35.Qxc7+ Kb5 36.Bxa7 Rc8 37.Qxc8 Bc6 38.Qc7 Be8 39.Qxd6 Ka5 40.Qc5+ Bb5 41.c4 b6 42.Qxb5#;
That kind of analysis is completely insane, of course, but a strong tactical player would have jumped on 20.f7! on principal, trusting his skill to bring things to the proper conclusion.
How many readers saw 20.f7! ?
20...Bb6
Overlooking something.
21.Bxb6 cxb6 22.Nc7 Black resigned
White's Knight will win the Rook, and then, because of Black's doubled b-pawns and White's pressure on the d-file, there will be time for it to escape!
