If, occasionally, both my opponent and I get lost in the maze of the Jerome Gambit, I feel reassured that it is my maze, and that I will still be able to find my way out, safely.
perrypawnpusher - tjaksi
blitz, FICS, 2013
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6
7.Qd5+ Kf6
Alert! Possible trouble on the d8-h4 diagonal!
8.d4
Interestingly enough, Houdini shows about a half-pawn preference for 8.Qxc5 over the text. That is not immediately obvious, although both MrJoker and I have generally had success with that move - perrypawnpusher - zsilber, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 9); perrypawnpusher - useche, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 22); perrypawnpusher - wbrandl, blitz, FICS, 2011 (0-1, 28); MrJoker - ipon, Internet Chess Club, 2011 (1-0, 33); and MrJoker -vicwill, Internet Chess Club, 2011 (1-0, 12).
8...h6
My opponent responds to the perceived threat. The computer prefers 8...Bb4+ 9.c3 and then 9...Ke7, allowing for the Black Knight to intervene at f6, e.g. 10.Bg5+ Nf6 when White will recover one of his two sacrificed pieces, but Black will still have the advantage.
Instead, 8...Bb4+ 9.c3 c6 was seen in perrypawnpusher - whitepandora, blitz, FICS, 2008 (1-0, 41); while 8...d6 9.Bg5 checkmate, from mrjoker - Taj, Internet Chess Club, 2009 also has to be mentioned.
9.Qxc5 N8e7 10.e5+ Kf7 11.Qc4+ Kf8 12.0-0 b6
Black is preparing to take advantage of White's pieces on the a6-f1 diagonal. It was probably better to play the straight-forward 12...d5.
13.f4 a5 14.f5 Ba6
Much to my opponent's delight, I have fallen into his trap: the Black Bishop skewers my Queen. However, I've suggested in "BSJG: Don't Try To Out-Think Me", and here is another case of that. Instead, after the game Houdini recommended the related 14...Nxe5 15.dxe5 Ba6 when 16.Qe4 Bxf1 17.Kxf1 d5 18.exd6 cxd6 19.Nc3 d5 would be about equal, White having a pawn for the exchange.
While Black was planning his maneuver, I used my moves to allow a discovered check.
15.fxg6+ Ke8 16.Qf7 checkmate
After the previously posted game, my opponent challenged me to a game with White, and, after I introduced him to "the cheapo defense to the Scotch Opening", we went back at it again with the Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.
There are some howlers in the following game, but there are some points of interest, as well.
perrypawnpusher - michon
blitz, FICS, 2013
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4
The Blackburne Shilling Gambit.
4.Bxf7+
The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke7 6.c3
Again, Black's King ends up on e7 - but that is okay for this variation.
My move is more accurate than the 6.Qh5 in perrypawnpusher - vlas, blitz, FICS, 2009 (0-1, 26).
6...d6
In turn, this is an improvment over 6...Ne6 seen in perrypawnpusher - Macgregr, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 56).
7.cxd4 dxe5 8.dxe5
Here, the computers now like 8...Qd3 9.Qe2 Qxe2+ 10.Kxe2 c5 with and edge for Black. White has three "Jerome pawns" for his sacrificed piece.
8... Bg4 9.f3
Okay, okay, let's just move along here...
I think my opponent just overlooked the fact that his Bishop was unprotected. I've noticed that I have a tendency to respond to "impossible" moves (impossible in my deliberations) with knee-jerk, stereotypical moves (Bishop attack; block Bishop).
9...Bh5 10.d4 c5 11.Bg5+
The same kind of problem on the same diagonal as last game.
11...Nf6 12.exf6+ gxf6 13.Be3 Kf7
Black's two Bishops don't make up for his two (soon three) lost pawns.
14.Nc3 Bg7 15.dxc5 f5 16.0-0 Bxc3 17.bxc3 Qf6
Played too quickly. Now the a1-h8 dark diagonal joins the d8-h4 diagonal as a source of pain.
18.Bd4 Qb6 Black resigned
A mouse-slip on the final, fatal dark diagonal, a7-f2, is enough to turn over his King.
Instead of trying to find something "new" in the Jerome Gambit variations (in this case, the Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit) it is far simpler - and far more important - for Black to simply play the established lines and go for the win.
My opponent in the following game tries to get ahead of me in terms of thinking - this was wasted effort.
perrypawnpusher - michon
blitz, FICS, 2013
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 4.Bxf7+
The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.
4...Ke7
Black was hoping for 4.Nxe5?!, so that he could play the thematic 4...Qg5!?.
White White has a number of 4th moves that give him an advantage (e.g. 4.Nxd4, 4.0-0, 4.c3) I have always been partial to 4.Bxf7+, which, objectively leads to an even game, but which, subjectively, leads to a lot of fun play for White.
I have referred to Black's refusal of the piece on move 4 as some kind of "Jedi mind trick" but The Force is not strong in this one...
Black should try to out-play me, not try to out-think me.
5.Bxg8 d6
This not an improvement on the more reasonable 5...Rxg8, which was played by my opponent against me a month ago in perrypawnpusher - michon, blitz, FICS, 2013 (1-0, 41). Obviously, my 4.Bxf7+ at that time did not make an impression upon him.
6.d3 Be6
Way too casual. One problem is that there isn't even time to capture the Bishop with 6...Rxg8.
7.Bg5+ Kd7 8.Bxd8 Black resigned
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.
