Jerome Gambit-Inspired Play (Part 8)

You might think that there are a whole lot of notes attached to this 3-minute game, but they're all a lot of fun, in another fun opening outing from Philidor 1792.

Philidor 1792 - guest564
3 0 blitz, www.bereg.ru, 2013

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nxe4 

This move was mentioned in a note to the game Philidor 1792 - guest1063 - see "Jerome Gambit-Inspired Play (Part 4)".

4.Bxf7+

Instead, 4.Nc3 would lead to the Boden-Kieseritsky Gambit (suggested by Lionel Kieseritzky in 1848, analyzed by Samuel Boden in his Popular Introduction to Chess in 1851).

I have managed to scrape up a few games and posts with this line, starting with "Wasn't Me!" and " 'I nearly smacked him on the back of the head!' ".

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ 

White made a feint towards the Boden-Kieseritsky Gambit in the entertaining Jirotka,S - Super Expert, 1990:  5.Nc3 Nxc3 6.Nxe5+ Ke6 7.Qf3 Kxe5 8.O-O Nd5 9.c4 Nf6 (now mate follows) 10.Re1+ Kd4 11.a4 Bb4 12.Qe3+ Kxc4 13.d3+ Kb3 14.Qe2 Bxe1 15.Qxe1 Ne4 16.Bd2 Nxd2 17.Qxd2 a6 18. Ra3 checkmate.

Alternately, Black raced to destruction after 5.d3 in Wall,B - 3xp7s, Chess.com, 2010: 5...Ke8 6.dxe4 Bb4+ 7.c3 Ba5 8.Bg5 Black resigned. 

5... Kg8 

Black's King is most secure here.

Instead, 5... Ke8 6. Qh5+ g6  (equal game) 7.Nxg6 Nf6 (7... hxg6 8.Qxh8 Qf6 9.Qxf6 Nxf6 was equal in  Slimani, A. - Nouali, N., ALG-ch U12, 2000 [1/2-1/2, 32]) 8. Qe5+ Kf7 (8...Be7? 9.Nxh8 Nc6 10.Qg3 d5 11.O-O Bd6 12.Qg7 Bf5 13.Qf7 checkmate,  frankenstein - Bayartulga Batjargal, blitz, InstantChess.com, 2011) 9.Nxh8+ Kg8 10.O-O Kxh8 11.d4 Bg7 12.Nc3 d6 13.Qg3 Nh5 14.Qf3 Bxd4? (14...Nf6) 15.Qxh5 Bxc3 16.bxc3 Qf6 17.Qe8+ Kg7 18.Rb1 Bf5 19.Bb2 Bxc2 20.c4 Qxb2 21.Rxb2 Black resigned, frankenstein - Dadang Kartika, blitz, InstantChess.com, 2012 

6.Qf3 

There is a lot of study material here:

6.O-O d6 (6...Qh4 7.c3 Bd6? 8.Qb3+ Kf8 9.Qf7# frankenstein - Rob Mackey, blitz, InstantChess.com, 2010; 6...d5 7.d3 Nf6
8.Bg5 Be7 9.Re1 Nc6 10.Nc3 Bf5 11.Nb5 a6 12.Nxc6 bxc6 13.Nd4 Bd7 14.Qf3 Kf7 White resigned, Valderrama,L - Perrine,G, corr, ICCA 1948;  6...Nf6 7.d4 d5 8.Bg5 Nbd7 9.Re1 Be7 10.Nc3 Nf8 11.Qf3 c6 12.b3 N8d7 13.Bxf6 Bxf6 14.Nxd5 Nxe5 15.Nxf6+ Qxf6 16.Qh5 Ng6 17.Re8+ Nf8 18.Rae1 Qg6 19.Qc5 Qf7 20.R1e7 Qf4? [20...Qd5] 21.Qc4+ Qf7 Black resigned, Excessive_Force - Mrchess, PlayChess.d, 2002; 6...Nc6 7.d4 [7.Qf3 Nf6 8.Nc4 d5 9.Ne3 d4 10.Nd1 Qd5 11.Qb3 Bf5 12.c4 Qe6 13.d3 Nd7 14.Nd2 Nc5 15.Qb5 a6 Potter,M - Signes,S, LSS 2006 {0-1, 25}] 7...d5 8.Qf3 Qe8 9.Be3 Nxe5 10.dxe5 Qxe5 11.Bf4 Qxb2 12.Nd2 Qc3 13.Nxe4 Qxf3 14.gxf3 dxe4 15.fxe4 c6 Bauermeister,J - Harper,R, IECC 2004 {0-1, 33}) 7.Qe2 (7.Qf3 dxe5 [7...Qf6 8.Qxe4 dxe5 9.Qd5+ Qe6 10.Qe4 Nc6 11.Nc3 Qf5 12.Qc4+ Be6 13.Qb5 Rb8 14.d3 Nd4 15.Qa4 Bc5 16.Ne4 Bb6 17.Ng3 Qg4 18.c4 h5 19.Qd1 Qg6 20.Be3 Rf8 21.b4 c5 22.b5 h4 23.Ne4 h3 24.g3 Bg4 25.f3 Rxf3 26.Rxf3 Nxf3+ 27.Kh1 Nd4 28.Qb1 Bf3+ 29.Kg1 Bxe4 30.dxe4 Kh7 31.Bxd4 cxd4 32.Qd3 Rf8 33.Rf1 Rxf1+ 34.Kxf1 Qf6+ 35.Ke2 Qg5 36.Kf1 Qc1+ 37.Ke2 Qb2+ 38.Ke1 Qxh2 39.Qf3 Qg1+  White resigned, Gonzalez, Yaribeth -  Matoussi, Amina, Chess Olympiad (Women) Turkey, 2012; 7...Ng5 8.Qb3+ Be6 9.Qxb7 dxe5 10.Qxa8 Bd5 11.Qxa7 Nf3+ 12.Kh1 Qh4 White resigned,  Dave_evans - Yakimesha, PlayChess.de, 2002] 8.Qb3+ Black resigned, Robinson, G - Davie, C, 1916; 7.Nc4 Nc6 8.d3 Nf6 9.Bg5 d5 10.Ne3 d4 11.Nc4 Qd5 12.Bxf6 gxf6 13.Nbd2 Kg7 14.Ne4 Bf5 15.Re1 Bb4 16.c3 Rhe8 17.cxb4 Bxe4 18.Qg4+ Bg6 19.Qg3 Rxe1+ 20.Rxe1 Rc8 21.a3 Qf5 22.Re4 Qg5 White resigned, ABE - Harijs, PlayChess.de, 2005) 7...dxe5? 8.Qc4+ Black resigned, Zulkifli, Tg - Lai, Wendy, Kuala Lumpur open 1992. 

6. c3 Qf6 7.Qb3+ Qe6 8.Qxe6+ dxe6 9.f3 Nf6 10.d4 Bd6 11.Nc4 Kf7 12.Bg5 Nc6 13.Nbd2 b5 14.Nxd6+ cxd6 15.O-O Bb7 16.Rfe1 Rhe8 17.Nb3 Rac8 18.Rad1 Ne7 19.Bxf6 Kxf6 20.Rd2 Ng6 21.Rde2 Bd5 22.Nd2 a5 23.Re3 a4 24.a3 Re7 25.g3 Rce8 26.f4 Kf7 27.Kf2 h5 28.Rc1 h4 29.c4 hxg3+ 30.Rxg3 Bxc4 31.Rcg1 Bd3 32.Rxd3 Nxf4 33.Rdg3 Kg8 34.Ne4 Rf8 35.Ke3 e5 36.dxe5 dxe5 37.Nd6 Rd7 38.Nxb5 Rb8 39.Nc3 Rxb2 40.Nxa4 Rb3+ 41.Ke4 Rxg3 42.hxg3 Nh3 43.Rb1 Rd4+ 44.Kxe5 Rxa4 45.Rb3 Ng5 46.Kf5 Ra5+ 47.Kg6 Ne6 48.Rb8+ Nf8+ 49.Rxf8+ Kxf8 Caro Garcia, Jose Luis - Ruiz Lacalle, Antonio, Malaga-ch, 2005 (0-1, 66)

6.Nc3 Nxc3 7.dxc3 Qe7 8.Qe2 d6 9.Nd3 Qxe2+ 10.Kxe2 Be7 11.h4 Kf7 12.Bg5 Re8 13.Kd2 Nc6 14.Nf4 h6 15.Bxe7 Rxe7 16.Nd5 Rd7 17.f4 b6 18.Rhf1 Bb7 19.g4 Ne7 20.Ne3 Nd5 21.Nf5 Re8 22.g5 Ba6 23.Rf2 hxg5 24.fxg5 Kg8 25.h5 Rf7 26.h6 g6 27.h7+ Kh8 28.c4 Bxc4 29.b3 Ba6 30.c4 Rxf5 31.Rxf5 gxf5 32.g6 Nf6 White resigned, Ozbek vs. Okus, Izmir 2006 . 

6.Qe2 d5 7.d3 Nf6 8.Bg5 Nc6 9.Nc3 Nd4 10.Qd2 c6 11.O-O Bd6 12.f4 Ne6 13.Bh4 Qc7 14.Bxf6 gxf6 15.Ng4 Qg7 16.Rf3
h5 17.Nf2 Kf7 18.Ne2 Qh6 19.Nh3 Ke7 20.Re1 Kd8 21.Ng3 Nd4 22.Rfe3 Bd7 23.c3 Bxh3 24.gxh3 White resigned, Romano,Claudio - Colabrese,C, 1st Int Open, Perugia ITA, 2009. 

6.Qh5 Qe7 (6...g6 7.Nxg6 Nf6 8.Qg5 hxg6 9.Qxg6+ Bg7 10.d3 Qe7+ 11.Be3 Nc6 12.Nc3 d6 13.O-O-O Ne5 14.Qg3 Nfg4 15.h3 Nxe3 16.fxe3 Be6 17.Rdf1 Rf8 18.d4 Rxf1+ 19.Rxf1 Nf7 20.Ne4 Rh6 21.a3 d5 22.Nf2 Rf6 23.Kd2 Nd6 24.Ke2 Qf7 25.Ng4 Bxg4+ 26.Qxg4 Rxf1 White resigned, Pantakrator -JMD PlayChess.de, 2003) 7.O-O Nf6 8.Qf5 Nc6 9.Nxc6 dxc6 10.Qf3 Qe5 11.d4 Qxd4 12.Rd1 Qg4 13.Rd8 Qxf3 14.gxf3 Kf7 15.Bf4 Ba3 16.Rxh8 Bxb2 17.Be5 Bxe5 18.c3 g5 19.a4 Nd5 White resigned, Harrell,B - Helm,S, WCCF Email, 2000;  

6... Nf6 

Not 6...Qe7? 7.Qxe4 as in Karlsson,R - Mottershead,R, IECC 2000 (1/2-1/2, 29)

Also playable: 6...Ng5 7.Qb3+ d5 [7...Ne6 8.f4 c6 9.f5 Qf6 10.O-O Qxe5 11.d3 Bd6 12.fxe6 Qxh2+ 13.Kf2 Qg3+ 14.Kg1 Bc5+ 15.Kh1 White resigned, Anewcreation -BanzayFish, PlayChess.de 2002] 8.Nc3 Be6 9.O-O d4 10.Qxb7 Nd7 11.Nxd7 Bxd7 12.d3 dxc3 13. Bxg5 Qb8?14.Qd5+ Black resigned, Cosmo - Peter_Richard, PlayChess.de 2001;  

and 6...Nd6 7.Qb3+ (7.Qd5+ Nf7 8.Qxf7#) 7...Nc4 8.Nxc4 Qe7+ 9.Ne5+ d5 10.Qxd5+ Qe6 11.Qxe6+ Bxe6 12.d4 Bd6 13.Nd2 c5 14.Ne4 Bxe5 15.dxe5 Bd5 16.Nd6 Nd7 17.c4 Bc6 18.e6 Black resigned,  Lopez Suarez,O - Rodriguez Correa,A, FECAP 2002. 

7. g4 

7.O-O d6 (7...Nc6 White resigned, Van Bargen, Holger - Reichenberg, Thomas, Recklinghausen op, 1999; 7...Qe7 8.d4 d6 9.Nd3 Na6 10.Bg5 Qf7 11.Nc3 c6 12.Rfe1 Bg4 13.Qg3 Bf5 14.Bxf6 Qxf6 15.Ne4 Bxe4 16.Rxe4 Nc7 17.Rf4 Qg6 18.Rg4 Qf5 19.Rf4 Qg6 20.Rg4 Qf5 draw, PhilipKaveny - RUDI, PlayChess.de) 8.Qb3+ d5 9.d4 c6 (9...c5 10.dxc5 Bxc5 11.Bg5 Qb6 12.Qxb6 Bxb6 13.Nc3 Nc6 14.Rfe1 Nxe5 15. Rxe5 Bxf2+ 16.Kf1 Bd4 17.Bxf6 Bxe5 18.Bxe5 Be6 19.Rd1 Kf7 20.Nb5 Rhf8 21.Kg1 Kg8 22.Nc7 Bg4 23.Rd2 Rad8 24.Nxd5 Be6 25.c4 Bxd5 26.Rxd5 Rxd5 27.cxd5 Rf5 28.Bc3 Rxd5 29.Kf2 Kf7 30.Ke3 Rd6 31.g3 g6 32.Kf3 Ke6 33.Ke4 Ra6 34.a3 Ra4+ 35.Kd3 Kf5 36.h3 h5 37.Bb4 a5 38.Bc5 b5 39.b3 Re4 40.b4 axb4 41.Bxb4 h4 42.Bd6 hxg3 43.Bxg3 Ra4 44.Bd6 Rh4 45.Kc3 Ke6 46.Bf8 Kd5 White resigned, Winkler - Tippmann, 1990) 10.c4 dxc4 11.Qxc4+ Qd5 12.Qd3 c5 13.Be3 cxd4 14.Bxd4 Nc6 15.Nxc6 Qxc6 16.Nc3 Be6 17.Rfe1 Bf7 18.Rac1 Bg6 19.Qh3 Qd7 20.Qh4 Be7 21.Bxf6 Bxf6 22.Qb4 Bxc3 23.Qxc3 h6 24.Qg3 Kh7 25.Rc7 Qd2 26.Qe5 Rhg8 27.Re2 Rae8 28.Rxd2 Rxe5 29.f4 Rb5 30.b3 Be4 31.Kf2 Bc6 32.g4 Re8 33.h4 Rb4 34.g5 Rxf4+ 35.Kg3 Rf3+ 36.Kh2 Re4 37.gxh6 Rxh4+ 38.Kg1 Rg3+ 39.Kf1 Rf4+ 40.Ke2 Rg2+ 41.Kd3 Rf3+ 42.Kc2 Be4+ 43.Kc1 Rf1+44.Rd1 Rxd1+ 45.Kxd1 Kxh6 White resigned, Kornblum, Dittmar - Gruenberg, Marc Landesliga2 West 9900, 2000. 

7.d4 Qe8 8.O-O d6 9.Nd3 Nc6 10.d5 Nd4 11.Qd1 Nxd5 12.Re1 Be7 13.Nf4 Nxf4 14.Bxf4 Nc6 15.Qd5+ Qf7 16.Nc3 Kf8 17.Bg5 Qxd5 18.Nxd5 Bxg5 19.Nxc7 Bf5 20.Nxa8 Bd8 21.Re3 Kf7 22.Rf3 Ke6 23.Re1+ Ne5 24.b4 g6 25.Rc3 Kd7 26.Ra3 Nc6 27.b5 Na5 28.c4 b6 29.Rd1 Be7 30.Nxb6+ axb6 31.c5 Kc7 32.Re3 Bf6 33.Rxd6 Rd8 34. Rc6+ Nxc6 35.h3 Nd4 36.Rc3 Ne2+ White resigned,  Excessive_Force - Yioryos, PlayChess.de 2004. 

7...d6 

7...Qe8 8.Qb3+ d5 9.g5 Qxe5+ 10.Qe3 Qxe3+ 11.dxe3 Ne4 12.h4 Nc6 13.a3 Bd6 14.b4 Ne5 15.f4 Nc4 16.Rh2 Bf5 17.c3 Kf7 18.Nd2 Nexd2 19.Bxd2 Rae8 20.Kf2 Nxd2 21.Rd1 Ne4+ 22.Kf3 Nxc3 23.Rc1 d4 24.exd4 Nd5 White resigned, Rumagoso - Godzillainchains, PlayChess.de, 2003.

8.Qb3+ d5 9.g5 Ne4 10.Nc3 Nc5 11.Qxd5+ Qxd5 12.Nxd5 Nba6 13.d4 Ne6 14.Be3 c6 15.Nc3 Bd6 16.Nc4 Bc7

17.d5 cxd5 18.Nxd5 Bd7 19.O-O-O Bc6 20.Rhe1 Bxd5 21.Rxd5 Bf4 22.Bxf4 Nxf4 23.Rd7 b6

There is more involved here than the future of Black's b-pawn. To that end, he needed to look at 23...Nc5, with the idea that 24.Rc7 could be met with 24...Nce6, so that Black can answer 25.Rxb7 with 25...h5!? and then 26...Kh7, if allowed. If White tries 26.g6!?, Black will have 26...Rh6 and eventually he will gather in the pawn.

That's a whole lot of thinking in a 3-minute game, so it is best not to be too judgmental about Black's play.

24.Ree7 Nh5 25.Nd6 Nc5 26.Rc7 Kf8 27.Rf7+ Kg8 28.Nf5 Ne6 29.Rce7 Nc5 

He probably should have tried 29...Nxg5, with an even game. 

30.Nxg7 Nxg7 31.Rxg7+ Kf8 32.f4 a5 33.f5 Rd8 34.h4 Ne4 35.f6 Ng3 36.Rgf7+ Kg8 37.Rg7+ Kf8 38.Rgf7+ Kg8 39.Rd7 Rxd7 40.Rxd7 Kf8 

41.Kd2 

Instead 41.Rd8+ would finish up, but I am sure that time was short. 

41...Ke8 42.Rb7 Rf8 43.Rxh7 Rf7 44.Rh8+ Rf8 45.Rh7 Rf7 46.Rh8+ Kd7 47.Ke3 Ke6 48.Kf4 Ne2+ 49.Kg4 Nd4

50.h5 Nxc2 51.g6 Rxf6 52.g7 Ne3+ 53.Kg5 Rf5+ 54.Kg6 Rf6+ 55.Kh7 Rf7 56.Rf8 Black resigned

Quite a battle!

Another Delayed Declined Evans Jerome Gambit!?

For a 3-minute game, the following contest appears a bit "positional" but Philidor 1792 uses the strengths of his side more effectively than his opponent uses his strengths. 

Philidor 1792 - guest343
3 0 blitz, www.bereg.ru,  2013

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 

The venerable Evans Gambit.

4...Bb6 

Declined.

5.b5 Na5 6.Bxf7+ 

An Evans-Jerome Gambit hybrid that Philidor 1792 has played before.

6...Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ Kf8 8.Qf3+ 

An improvement over 8.d3 of Philidor 1792 - guest2019, 3 0 blitz, www.bereg.ru, 2013 (1-0, 33) and 8.0-0 of Thomas, H - Steve, H, Jackson, MI, prison m, 1992 (1-0, 44);

Best might be 8.Bb2!?. 

8...Qf6 9.Bb2 

Or 9.Qxf6+ Nxf6 10.d3 as in Castled - perrypawnpusher, 3 0 bliz, FICS, 2008 (0-1, 42). 

9...Qxf3 10.Nxf3 Nc4 11.Bc1 d6 12.d3 Ne5 13.Nbd2 Nf6 14.Nxe5 dxe5 15.Nc4 Bd4 16.Rb1 Bd7

17.Be3 Bc3+ 18.Bd2 Bd4 19.Be3 Kf7 20.Bxd4 exd4 21.Ne5+ Ke6 22.Nxd7 Nxd7 23.f4 Rhf8 24.g3 Nc5

25.Rb4 Rad8 26.Kf2 g5 27.Kf3 b6 28.h4 gxf4 29.gxf4 Rg8 30.Rc4 Rd6 31.a4 c6 

Up to this point, White's two extra pawns have held their own against Black's extra piece. Now, with some inexact moves, the second player lets the "Jerome pawns" break through.

32.Ra1 Kf7 33.e5 Rh6 34.Rxd4 Rxh4 35.bxc6 Rh3+ 36.Kf2 Ke6 37.c7 Rc8 38.Rd6+ Kf5 39.Rf6+ Kg4 40.Rf7 Ne6 41.Rg1+ Black resigned

On top of the raging pawns, White also threatens checkmate.

Playing Cat and Mouse

It is always a good idea to keep track of who is the predator, and who is the prey. Witness the following game.

Wall, Bill - Guest249301
PlayChess.com, 2013

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qxc5

Passing on playing his usual 7.Qd5+, the "nudge". 

7...d6 8.Qd5+ Be6 9.Qxb7 Ne5

With 8...Be6, Black showed his skepticism about White's Queen moves, investing a pawn to back up his belief that the first player shouldn't be wasting time moving Her Majesty. Now he plans to play cat-and-mouse with his Knight, as the text move is the start of a plan to evict White's Queen from Black's position. I am reminded for the umpteenth time of the comment, Don't try to out-think me, just play the refutation.

Better was 9...Nh4, as in Wall, Bill - CheckMe, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 23).

10.f4

10.d4 was also playable, e.g. 10...Ng6 11.f4 with a balanced game. 

10...Nd7 11.O-O Nc5 12.Qb4

Bill notes that 12.Qc6? Bc4 13.Rf3 Ne7 would trap the Queen.

12...a5 13.Qd4 Nf6 14.f5

Or 14.e5 dxe5 15.Qxc5.

14...Bd7 15.e5 Nfe4 16.e6+

Instead, 16.d3 traps the knight.

16...Ke8 17. exd7+ Qxd7 18.d3 Nf6

White has won his piece back, and has a couple extra pawns - plus lines of attack to Black's King.

19.Nc3 Kd8 20.Bg5 Kc8 21.Rae1 Re8 22.Bxf6 gxf6 23.Rxe8+ Qxe8 24.Qxf6 

Black's King will get to safety, but the cost in material is too much.

24...Qe3+ 25.Kh1 Kb7 26.Nd5 Qe2 27.Kg1 Qxc2 28.Qe7 Nxd3 29.Qe4

No 29.Qxh7? Qc5+!  and Black will mate! Instead, White has a nice tactic to share with his opponent.

29...Qc5+ 30.Ne3+ Black resigned.

The Knight is lost.

Happy New Year! (A Hysterical/Historical Jerome Gambit, Part 2)

                               [Continued from Christmas.] 

So far, the close look at my recent Jerome Gambit game has progressed a half-dozen moves. See "Merry Christmas! A Hysterical/Historical Jerome Gambit, Part 1".

Again, I have historical information from my never-published article submitted to Stefan Bucker for his magazine Kaissiber (and revised, and revised, and revised, and revised, and reassessed).

blitz, FICS, 2013
perrypawnpusher - spince

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Kf8 6.Nxc6 dxc6 

This position was reached in his first article with analysis of the Jerome Gambit (Dubuque Chess Journal 4/1874) by Alonzo Wheeler Jerome. 

As early as July 1874 it was clear that Alonzo Wheeler Jerome had no illusions about his gambit, as the Dubuque Chess Journal noted

It should be understood that Mr. Jerome claims in this New Opening "only a pleasant variation of the Giuoco Piano, which may win or lose according to the skill of the players, but which is capable of affording many new positions and opportunities for heavy blows unexpectedly.

This modesty did not prevent Jerome from debating for months with William Hallock, who produced the American Chess Journal in the years following the demise of the Dubuque Chess Journal. While testing his invention in over-the-board and correspondence play, Jerome claimed

…that the opening has a “reasonable chance of winning,” which is sufficient to constitute a “sound opening.” It is not required that an Opening shall be sure to win. There is no such opening contained in chess; at least none that I know of.

In the exchanges of games and analysis that appeared in the American Chess Journal in 1876 and 1877, Hallock progressed from referring to “Jerome’s Double Opening” to “Jerome’s Gambit” to “Jerome’s Absurdity.”

                       

This light-hearted approach found full form in the May 1877 issue of the Danish chess magazine Nordisk Skaktidende, where Lieutenant Sorensen, analyzed the Jerome Gambit in his “Chess Theory for Beginners” column:

With this answering move of the Bishop [1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5] we have the fundamental position for that good old game which the Italians, hundreds of years ago, when they were masters of the Chessboard, called "Giuoco Piano," even game, but the later age, for generality of explanation, the "Italian game." On this basis the usual continuation is 4.c3, whereby the QP at the next move threatens to advance, and the White middle Pawns to occupy the centre. In the next articles we will make mention of that regular fight for the maintenance or destruction of the center, which is the essential point of the Italian game; in this, on the contrary, we will occupy ourselves with a Bashi-Bazouk attack, over which the learned Italians would have crossed themselves had they known it came under the idea of piano, but which is in reality of very recent date - 1874, and takes it origin from an American, A.W. Jerome. It consists in the sacrifice of a piece by 4.Bxf7+. Naturally we immediately remark that it is unsound, and that Black must obtain the advantage; but the attack is pretty sharp, and Black must take exact care, if he does not wish to go quickly to the dogs. A little analysis of it will, therefore, be highly instructive, not to say necessary, for less practiced players, and will be in its right place in our Theory, especially since it is not found in any handbook. The Americans call the game "Jerome's double opening," an allusion, probably, to the fresh sacrifice of a piece which follows at the next move, but we shall prefer to use the short and sufficiently clear designation, Jerome Gambit.

The August 1877 issue of the British Chess Player’s Chronicle and the December 1877 issue of the Italian Nuova Rivista Degli Scacci, reprinted Sorensen’s article (in English and Italian, respectively), introducing the Jerome Gambit to an even wider audience. Almost every Jerome Gambit analyst since has leaned heavily on Sorensen.

Interest in the Jerome Gambit did not remain just among beginning chess players. A couple of years later, Andres Clemente Vazquez included three wins with the Gambit, from his 1876 match against     Carrington, in his Algunas Partidas de Ajedrez Jugadas in Mexico por Andres Clemente Vazquez.

G. H. D. Gossip’s 1879 book, Theory of the Chess Openings, included an analysis of the Jerome Gambit, “substantially the same” as that which appeared in the Chess Player’s Chronicle, as the latter noted in a review of the work. At about the same time, the American daily newspaper, the Cincinnati Commercial Gazette, in its chess column, struck the right tone in its review of Theory, noting gleefully

...the Jerome Gambit, which high-toned players sometimes affect to despise because it is radically unsound, finds a place, and to this it is certainly entitled.

The next year, in 1880, when the 6^th edition of the illustrious Handbuch des Schachspiels was published, the Commercial Gazette’s chess columnist was again ready to “complain” about the state of affairs

…that the "Jerome Gambit" should be utterly (even if

deservedly) ignored.

The Cincinnati connection is an important one in the story of the development of the Jerome Gambit. In the 1870 and 1880s, the chess column of the Commercial Gazette, conducted by J. W. Miller, was considered to be one of the best in the United States. It occasionally ran opening analysis presented by S. A. Charles, a member of the local chess club. By January 1881, Charles had switched to sending his analyses to the Pittsburgh Telegraph (later, the Chronicle-Telegraph).

In October 1881, the Jerome Gambit broke onto the international scene again, in Brentano's Chess Monthly, (edited by H.C. Allen & J.N. Babson), with a letter and analysis from S. A. Charles.

The November 2, 1881 chess column in the Pittsburgh Telegraph ran Charles’ corrected and slightly updated version of his analysis from Brentano's Chess Monthly.

The year 1882 brought yet more attention, from respectable sources, to the Jerome Gambit. William Cook, with the assistance of E. Freeborough and C. E. Ranken, brought out the third edition of his Modern Chess Openings-style Cook's Synopsis of the Chess Openings A Tabulated Analysis. 


7.0-0

Like in the "annoying defense" against the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5+ 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 d6 8.fxe5 dxe5, etc.), Black has returned a piece to achieve a static position that limits White's attacking chances.

Here, though, White has the long-term plan of developing and deliberately advancing his "Jerome pawns". If Black is watchful during this process, he can probably return a second piece for two pawns and sue for peace.

Also played (often transposing) has been 7.d3, as in perrypawnpusher - Jore, blitz, FICS, 2011 (0-1, 16); perrypawnpusher - Conspicuous, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 13); perrypawnpusher - fortytwooz, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 29); perrypawnpusher - Lark, blitz, FICS,  2011 (1-0, 12); perrypawnpusher - pitrisko, blitz, FICS, 2011 (0-1, 30); and Wall,B - WMXW, FICS, 2012 (1-0, 31).

7.Nc3 (followed by 8.d3 and 9.0-0 ) was seen in perrypawnpusher - Ykcir, FICS, 14 0 blitz, 2009 (½-½, 11).

7.c3 was seen in Vazquez,A - Carrington,Wm, Mexico, 2nd match 1876 (1-0, 43).

7...Be6 

7...Nf6 was popular in the early games of this line, as in Jerome,A - Brownson,O, Iowa 1875 (½-½, 29); Norton,D - Hallock,A, correspondence, 1877 (0-1,18), Lowe,E - Parker,J, correspondence, 1879,  (0-1, 25);  and Lowe,E - Parker,J, correspondence, 1879 (1-0, 37).

Subsequent analysis has generally followed Jerome - Brownson, Iowa, 1875, with 7.O-O Nf6 8.Qf3 (Sorensen said 8.e5 would be met by 8…Bg4 9.Qe1 Kf7! which was how Norton – Hallock had continued ) Qd4 9.d3 Bg4 10.Qg3. At this point, Brownson played 10…Bb6. Jerome responded with 11.e5, and drew the game, with help from his opponent, in 29 moves. Brownson, in the Dubuque Chess Journal (3/1875), suggested 11.Kh1 and 12.f4 as an improvement for White.

Sorensen, Nordisk Skaktidende, (5/1877) gave the alternative line 10…Bd6, attacking White’s Queen, and followed this up with 11.Bf4 g5 12.Bxd6+ cd 13.h3 Be6 14.Qxg5 Rg8 15.Qh6+ Ke7 16.Nc3 Rg6 17.Qh4 Rag8 with a better game for Black. However, Charles later in the Pittsburg Telegraph (4/27/81) offered 11.c3 as an improvement, suggested to him by Jerome, which they believed reversed the valuation of the line.

As an historical aside, later sources, relying on - read: copying - Sorensen’s analysis, miss 11.c3; those that follow - read: copy - Charles’ work, based on his Brentano article or on the American Supplement, include it.

8.d3 

Better than my goofball 8.Qf3+ from perrypawnpusher - CorH, blitz, FICS, 2009 (0-1, 74). 

8...Qf6 9.Nc3 Ne7 10.Be3 Bd6

[To Be Continued on my birthday January 13, 2014.] 

[Comments and Emails are Welcomed and Encouraged.]

Jerome Gambit-Inspired Play (Part 7)

Turn-around is fair play, they say, and the following game is a fun example. Philidor 1792 is off to a solid 3-minute game, when, suddenly... 


Philidor 1792 - guest1416
3 0 blitz, www.bereg.ru, 2013

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.a3

Here we have Gunsberg's Variation of the Four Knights Game, explored (among other places), along with other double e-pawn openings, in Hugh Myers' 1977 Reversed King Pawns, Mengarini's Opening.

White prepares to take the "black" side of the positions that
develop, hoping to be helped by his "extra" pawn move. Black prepares to play...

4...Bc5

...a reversed Italian game, and, after...

5.Bc4 Bxf2+ 

...he uncorks a Reversed Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit!

The only "reversed" Jerome Gambit that I can find in The Database at this point are lixuanxuan - Polone, blitz, FICS, 2012 (0-1, 27), which began 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Bc5 4.Bc4 Bxf2+ ; and Diophantos - khangaza, blitz, FICS, 2007 (0-1, 34), which began 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Bc5 4.Bc4 Nf6 5.d3 Bxf2+.

Of course, that is not to overlook games like Krejcik, Josef - Baumgartner, Troppau, 1914 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Bc5 3.Nxe5 Bxf2+ 4.Kxf2 Qh4+ 5.g3 Qxe4 6.Qe2 Qxh1 7.Bg2 Black resigns. For a discussion of the Busch - Gass Gambit, see "Worth A Second Look" Parts 1, 2 and 3.

6.Kxf2 Nxe4+ 7.Nxe4 d5 8.d4

Following along the lines of ideas for Black in the regular Jerome Gambit, White could play 8.Bd3 dxe4 9.Bxe4 or 8.Bxd5 Qxd5 9.d3, but, instead he plays the blow-it-up variation - see perrypawnpusher - Marcym, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 20) and perrypawnpusher - NimbusReign, blitz, FICS, 2010 (0-0, 26).  Why not, he's ahead a couple of pieces, right?

8...exd4

A better idea, according to Houdini, was 8...dxe4 9.Nxe5 Qf6+ 10.Ke1 Be6 11.Bxe6 Qxe6 12.Nxc6 Qxc6, although, despite White's King's central residence, the first player's extra piece still outweigh's Black's extra pawn.

9.Ng3

Solid, but missing 9.Bg5!? when 9...f6 allows a brutal attack 10.Nxf6+ gxf6 11.Re1+ Kf8 12.Bh6+ Kg8 13.Bxd5+ Qxd5 14.Re8+ Kf7 15.Rxh8, according to the computer. That would be a lot for a person to see in a 3-minute game.

9...dxc4 10.Re1+ Be6 11.Kg1 0-0

White has castled-by-hand and might actually believe that his extra piece is worth more than Black's extra three "Jerome pawns". The psychological reversal might have been difficult, with the Jerome-player facing the Jerome.

12.Ng5 Bd5 13.Nf5 Qf6 14.Qg4 Ne5

Instead, 14...Rad8 or 14...Rae8 would have probably kept the game even.

15.Qh3

White presses his counter-attack against the (reversed) Jerome. In a slower game, he might have risked 15.Rxe5!? Qxe5 16.Bf4 h5 (16...Qf6 17.Nxh7 Kxh7 18.Bg5 Qe6 19.Qh5+ Kg8 {19...Qh6 20.Bxh6 g6 21.Qh4 gxf5 22.Bg5+ Kg7 23.Qh6+ Kg8 24.Bf6 Bc6 25.Qg7#} 20.Ne7+ Qxe7) 17.Bxe5 hxg4 18.Ne7+ Kh8 19.Nxd5 with advantage. 

15...h6 16.Ne4 Qe6 17.Kh1 

Safety first - and an even game. Again, with time to burn, Philidor 1792 would certainly have found 17.Bxh6!? Ng6 (17...gxh6 18.Nxh6+ Kg7 19.Nf5+ Kg8 20.Ng5) 18.Neg3, etc. 

17...Ng6 18.Nxd4 Qxh3 19.gxh3 Rae8

Black is now clearly better.

20.Kg1 Rxe4 21.Rxe4 Bxe4 22.Nb5 c6 23.Nd6 Bxc2 24.Nxc4 Rd8 25.Be3 b6 White lost on time

Another Jerome victory!

(Another Random Note: May, 2011, had been the month, so far, with the most page views for this blog since it started in June, 2008 . However, last month November, 2013, overtook it, becoming the month with the most views - until December 2013, which has surpassed both to become Number 1! My "Welcome!" and "Thank You! to everyone stopping by. - Rick) 

Jerome Gambit-Inspired Play (Part 6)

The Bishop sacrifice at f7, the Queen checks followed by the capture of Black's Knight - if the following game wasn't inspired by the Jerome Gambit, it should have been. (Of course, Philidor 1792 plays the Jerome Gambit!)

The tactical mayhem at the end is as entertaining as it is bewildering.

Philidor 1792 -guest343
3 0 blitz, www.bereg.ru, 2013

1.e4 Nf6 2.Bc4 

Philidor 1792 returns to the Krejcik Gambit in Alekhine's Defense (see an earlier example). As I've mentioned, it's Jerome-ish enough to have been touched on a couple of times earlier in this blog, in "I want my Jerome Gambit!" and "Another Krejcik".

The Krejcik might be a bit unorthodox, but in 3-minute games it can be deadly.

2...Nxe4 3.Bxf7+ Kxf7 4.Qh5+ g6 5.Qd5+ e6 6.Qxe4 Bg7

The position may or may not be balanced - but how much time did each player take to get here?

7.Qf4+ Qf6 8.Qxc7 Nc6 9.Nf3 Rf8

Black prepares to castle-by-hand, an idea always in vogue in Bxf7+ openings, but in doing so he misses the tactical shot 9...Qxf3!?, when 10.gxf3 Be5 would force 11.Qxe5 Nxe5. Either the idea did not appeal to the second player, or he overlooked it. In any event, the opportunity is available for the next 4 moves, as well.

10.O-O Kg8 11.Nc3 d5 12.d3 Qf5 13.Bd2 Ne5 

14.Nd4 Qg4 15.f4 Nxd3 16.Nxe6 Bxe6 17.cxd3 Bd4+ 18.Kh1 Rf5

Black adds a Rook to the aggressive actions of his Queen and two Bishops, so his intentions are clear. He is even willing to let White snipe another  pawn, in order to get the other Rook into play.

19.Qxb7 Raf8 20.Rae1

Houdini prefers 20.Qb4, as the start of a difficult defense that eventually sees White trade off a lot of the attacking pieces, keeping a pawn advantage. Philidor 1792's move is more "human" and keeps the game in balance.

20...Rh5 

21.Rf3

Houdini also suggests 21.Qe7, "forcing" Black (i.e. the best response it sees) to sacrifice a Rook to obtain a draw, with 21...Rxh7+ 22.Kxh7 Qh5+ 23.Kg3 Qg4+, etc. - but who plays chess like that? Neither player is thinking "draw" at this point.

21...Qh4

Of course, the draw is still there with 21...Rxh2+ 22.Kxh2 Qh4+ 23.Rh3 Bxh3 24.gxh3 Qf2+ 25.Kh1 Qf3+, etc.

22.h3

The only move, says Houdini, to avoid checkmate in 32. How annoying!

22...Rhf5

Black cannot find the best continuation - no doubt, time was short and getting shorter - lets slip a piece, and with it the game. What was there was 22...Bg4!?, although White can afford to give up the exchange with 23.Ref1, when 23...Bxf3 24.Rxf3 still leaves Black searching for a way to break through.

23.Rxe6 g5 24.Nxd5 g4 25. Ne7+ Kh8 26.Nxf5 gxf3 27.Nxh4 f2 28.Re1 

Fun!

28...Rxf4 

Fighting to the end!

29.Qb8+ Black resigned, as mate is unavoidable.

Well played, gentlemen!

Jerome Gambit-Inspired Play (Part 5)

Actually, it is a bit of a stretch to call the following blitz game some sort of a Jerome Gambit - but the swash-buckling nature of it (and the ornery center pawns) may well have been inspired by that wild opening. Let's give it a chance...

Philidor 1792 - guest1063
3 0 blitz, www.bereg.ru, 2013

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nc6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Bb3 Be7 

Similar to Philidor 1792's play against guest1063 - see "Jerome Gambit-Inspired Play (Part 4)" - but this time looking more like a Hungarian Defense than a Two Knights Defense. 

Does that make a difference? Philidor 1792 now bypasses the Jerome-ish Bxf7+ and tries a tactic similar to that in the Chicago Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nxe5, etc. and the Halloween (Müller - Schulze) Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nxe5, etc.

5.Nxe5 Nxe5 6.d4 Ng6 7.e5 Ng8 

8.Qf3 

With all of the subltety of the Scholar's Mate.

8...f6 

And, just like that, White has full compensation for his piece ("Who dares, wins"), according to Houdini, who prefers 8...d5 9.exd6 Bf6 10.Qe2+ Kf8 11.dxc7 Qxc7 with advantage to Black. 

9.Qd5 Nh6 

And here Black turns over the game to his opponent. Wily Houdini suggests, instead, 9...d6 10.Qf7+ Kd7 11.exd6 cxd6 12.h4 Nh6 13.Bxh6 gxh6 14.h5 Nf4 15.g3 Rf8 16.Ba4+ Kc7 17.Qc4+ Kb8 18.gxf4 d5 leading to an unclear mess which may be balanced. 

10.Bxh6 Rf8 11.Bxg7 c6 12. Qc4 d5 13. exd6 Qxd6
14. Bxf8 Black resigned 

After Black captures the Bishop on f8 he will be down the exchange and two pawns.