What if Black refuses to play the Jerome Gambit, even a move down? Philidor 1792 has faced a few of those contrarians (above), who declined a winning position and instead chose a balanced one - and still found a way to play interesting chess.
Philidor 1792 - guest88
3 0 blitz, www.bereg.ru, 2014
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bc4 Nc6 4.Bb3 Nxe4
Of course, 4...Bc5 5.Bxf7+ is the Delayed Jerome Gambit. While its theory is still developing, we can be sure that it is as refuted as the Jerome Gambit itself.
5.Qe2 d5 6.d3 Nf6
Or 6...Nc5 7.Nxe5 Be7 8.0-0 0-0 9.Re1 Be6 10.Nc3 Nxb3 11.axb3 Nxe5 12.Qxe5 Bd6 13.Qh5 c6 14.Bg5 f6 15.Rxe6 fxg5 16.Rae1 h6 17.Nb1 Qc7 18.Nd2 Bc5 19.Nf3 Qf7 20.Qxf7+ Rxf7 21.d4 Bb6 22.Re7 Raf8 23.c3 g4 24.Rxf7 Rxf7 25.Ne5 Re7 26.f4 h5 27.Kf2 c5 28.dxc5 Bxc5+ 29.Kg3 Kh7 30.Rd1 d4 31.cxd4 Bb6 32.d5 g5 33.d6 Re8 34.d7 Rd8 35.fxg5 Bc7 36.Kf4 Bxe5+ 37.Kxe5 Kg6 38.Ke6 Black resigned, Philidor1792 - Sasha63, Chess-Samara.ru, 2014.
7.Nxe5 Nxe5 8.Qxe5+ Qe7 9.Bf4 Qxe5+ 10.Bxe5 c6 11.0-0
Or 11.c4 Be7 12.Nc3 dxc4 13.dxc4 0-0 14.0-0-0 Re8 15.Rhe1 Bg4 16.f3 Bf5 17.Bc2 Bxc2 18.Kxc2 Rad8 19.Bc7 Rxd1 20.Rxd1 Kf8 21.g4 h6 22.a3 Bc5 23.Bd6+ Bxd6 24.Rxd6 Ke7 25.c5 Rd8 26.Rxd8 Kxd8 27.Kd3 Ke7 28.Kd4 Ke6 29.b4 a6 30.h4 g6 31.g5 hxg5 32.hxg5 Ne8 33.Ke4 f5+ 34.Kd4 Ng7 35.Na4 Nh5 36.Nb6 Nf4 37.Nc4 Nh3 38.Nd6 Nxg5 39.f4 Nh3 40.Ke3 Kd5 41.Nxb7 g5 42.Nd6 gxf4+ 43.Kf3 Ke6 44.Nc4 Kd5 45.Nd6 Ke5 46.Nf7+ Kf6 47.Nd6 Ke6 48.Nc4 Kd5 49.Nd6 Ke5 50.Nf7+ Ke6 51.Nd6 Kf6 52.a4 Kg5 53.Nf7+ Kg6 54.Ne5+ Kg5 55.Nxc6 Ng1+ 56.Kg2 Ne2 57.Nb8 Nd4 58.c6 Kg4 59.c7 f3+ 60.Kf2 Ne6 61.c8Q Ng5 62.Qg8 Kf4 63.Qxg5+ Kxg5 64.Nxa6 Kf6 65.Nc5 Ke5 66.Kxf3 Kd6 67.Kf4 Kc6 68.Kxf5 Kb6 69.Ke5 Kc6 70.Kd4 Kb6 71.Kd5 Ka7 72.b5 Kb6 73.Nb3 Ka7 74.Kc6 Kb8 75.a5 Ka7 76.a6 Kb8 77.b6 Ka8 78.Na5 Black resigned, Philidor1792 - vlad2201, Chess-Samara.ru, 2014.
11...Be6 12.c4 dxc4 13.dxc4 0-0-0 14.Nc3 Ng4 15.Bf4 Bd6 16.Bxd6 Rxd6 17.Rad1 Rhd8 18.Ne4 Rxd1 19.Rxd1 Rxd1+ 20.Bxd1 Ne5
The game remains balanced. Phlidor 1792 remains content, perhaps remembering the wry adage from the Jerome Gambit: When the game is even, White is better.
21.Be2 f5 22.Nd2 Kc7 23.f4 Nd7 24.Kf2 a5 25.Ke3 Kd6 26.Nf3 h6 27.Nd4 Nc5 28.b3 Bd7 29.Bh5
29...Ne4
Lulled by the play, Black's Knight routinely grabs the outpost at e4, instead of preparing to post his King at f6 with 29...Ke7.
30.Bg6 Nc3 31.a4
In turn, White neglects to make Black work harder: 31.a3 Nb1 32.a4 Nc3 33.Nxf5+, winning a pawn.
Perhaps time was a factor for both players.
31...Nd1+
Black overlooks his escape: 31...Kc5 32.Nxf5 Bxf5 33.Bxf5 Kb4 34.Bc2 b5 35.cxb5 cxb5 36.axb5 Nxb5 now both sides will Queen a pawn 37.g4 Kc3 38.Bd1 Nd4 39.g5 hxg5 40.fxg5 Nxb3 41.h4 a4 42.h5 a3 43.Bxb3 Kxb3 44.h6 gxh6 45.g6 a2 46.g7 a1Q 47.g8Q+ Kb4 48.Qb8+ and Black's extra pawn will not be enough to win.
32.Kd2 Nf2 33.Bxf5
I am not sure if Black resigned here, or if he lost on time. He had the consistent 33...Kc5 available, when he had good drawing chances against either 34.Bxd7 (34...Kxd4) or 34.Ke3 (34...Nd1+ 35.Ke4 Nf2+ etc.) White's winning move was to capture with the Knight, i.e. 33.Nxf5+ Bxf5 34.Bxf5.
Once again we see the "secret weapon" of the Jerome Gambit - it takes clock time for Black to solve its mysteries - come to the aid of the inventive Philidor 1792.
Philidor 1792 - guest24
3 0 blitz, www.bereg.ru, 2014
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bc4 Nc6 4.Bb3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+
A delayed Jerome Gambit. We have seen several from Philidor 1792.
In this game, Black is skeptical: how can a refuted opening be playable, a move down?
5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 Bxd4 8.Qxd4 Nc6 9.Qc4+ d5 10.exd5 Qxd5
11.Qb3 Re8+ 12.Be3 Qxb3 13.axb3 Nd5 14.0-0
Following the old card-playing advice: play 'em like you have 'em.
14...Nxe3 15.fxe3+ Kg8
16.Rf3 a6 17.Nc3 Be6 18.Ra4 Ne5 19.Rg3 Nf7 20.Rb4 b5 21.Ne4 Bd5
The first sign of either nerves or time pressure.
22.Nf6+ Kf8 23.Nxd5 Re5 24.Nc3 c5 25.Re4 Rae8 26.Rxe5 Rxe5 27.Kf2 Nd6 28.Rf3+ Ke7 29.Ke2 Nf5 30.Rh3
White has a small advantage, but here Black lost on time.
Even when Philidor 1792 does not play a "true" Jerome Gambit, he finds ways to add its flavor to his blitz play. In the following game he experiments, too, with the Evans Gambit. The result, as in many 3-minute games: aggression, persistence, creativity and win.
Philidor 1792 - guest433
3 0 blitz, www.bereg.ru 2014
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bxb4 5.a3
A bit of a twist - usual for the Evans Gambit is 5.c3. Philidor 1792, as we know, likes to experiment.
5...Ba5
Or 5...Be7, which took a non-Jerome path: 6.Ba2 Nf6 7.Nxe5 Nxe5 8.d4 Nc6 9.d5 Ne5 10.f4 Ng6 11.e5 Ng8 12.d6 cxd6 13.Qd5 Nh6 14.exd6 Bf6 15.f5 0-0 16.fxg6 Bxa1 17.Bxh6 Qh4+ 18.Kd1 Qxh6 19.gxf7+ Kh8 20.Re1 Qg6 21.Nd2 Bc3 22.Re8 Rxe8 23.Qg5 Qe6 24.Bxe6 Black resigned, Philidor 1792 - guest55, 3 0 blitz, www.bereg.ru, 03.02.2014
6.Bxf7+
Giving the Evans-ish opening a Jerome-ish spin.
6...Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ Nxe5 8.Qh5+ Ng6 9.Qd5+ Ke8 10.Qxa5 Nf6 11.Nc3 b6 12.Qg5 Qe7 13.0-0 Bb7
14.d3 Qe5 15.Qxe5+ Nxe5 16.f4 Nf7 17.Nb5 Kd8 18.c4 d6 19.Nd4 c5 20.Nf5 g6 21.Ne3 Re8
22.Bb2 Nd7 23.a4 a5 24.g4 Kc7 25.Kf2 Rf8 26.Kg3 g5 27.Nf5 gxf4+ 28.Kxf4 Nde5 29.Rad1 Rg8
30.Rg1 Rg6 31.h4 Rag8 32.g5 h6 33.Ne7 hxg5+ 34.hxg5 Rxg5 35.Nxg8 Nxd3+ 36.Rxd3 Rxg1 37.Ne7 Rf1+ 38.Ke3 Ne5
39.Bxe5 dxe5 40.Nd5+ Kc6 41.Rb3 Re1+ 42.Kd3 Rd1+ 43.Ke2 Rd4 44.Rxb6+ Kd7 45.Rxb7+ Black resigned
In the following game we see one of Philidor 1792's ongoing experiments with the Evans Gambit - of course, with a Jerome twist!
Philidor 1792 - guest13
3 0 blitz, www.bereg.ru, 2014
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4
The Evans Gambit.
4...Bxb4 5.c3 Be7
6.O-O Nf6 7.Bxf7+
A delayed Jerome treatment of the Evans Gambit.
7...Kxf7 8.Nxe5+ Nxe5 9.d4 Ng6 10.e5 Nd5
Or 10...Ng8 11.f4 d5 12.f5 Nh4 13.Qh5+ Kf8 14.f6 gxf6 15.Qxh4 Ke8 16.Qh5+ Kd7 17.Qg4+ Kc6 18.Qg7 fxe5 19.Qxh8 e4 20.Qxh7 Be6 21.Be3 b6 22.a4 Nf6 23.Qh6 Qd6 24.Rxf6 Black resigned, Philidor 1792 - guest36, 3 0 blitz, www.bereg.ru 2014.
11.Qf3+ Ke6 12.Qh3+ Kf7 13.Qf3+ Ke6 14.Qh3+ Kf7 15.Qf3+ Drawn
Sometimes the Jerome Gambit just doesn't seem aggressive enough - yes, I know, that can be hard to believe. In those cases, it might be appropriate to reach back further in time, and put together a hybrid gambit - something that Philidor 1792 is an expert in.
Philidor 1792 - guest133
3 0 blitz, www.bereg.ru, 2014
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4
The venerable Evans Gambit.
4...Bxb4 5.c3 Bc5 6.Bxf7+
The Evans-Jerome Gambit. This blog featured a number of Philidor 1792's games toward the end of last year, starting with "The Evans-Jerome Gambit Returns (Part 1)".
6...Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ Nxe5 8.Qh5+ Ng6
Or 8...Ke6 9.Qf5+ Kd6 10.d4 Qe8 (10...Qe7 11.Bg5 Qe6 12.Qf8+ Black resigned, Philidor 1792 - guest133, 3 0 blitz, www.bereg.ru, 2014) 11.Bf4 Kc6 12.Qxe5 Qxe5 13.Bxe5 Bf8 14.d5+ Kb6 15.Na3 Nf6 16.Rb1+ Ka6 17.Nb5 Ne8 18.Bxc7 b6 19.Bf4 d6 20.c4 Bd7 21.O-O Be7 22.Be3 Bxb5 23.cxb5+ Kb7 24.Rfc1 Nf6 25.Bd4 Rhg8 26.Rc6 Nd7 27.f4 g5 28.f5 Rac8 29.g3 Nc5 30.f6 Bxf6 31.Bxf6 Nxe4 32.Bb2 Rxc6 33.dxc6+ Kc7 34.Rf1 d5 35.Rf7+ Kd6 36.Rd7+ Kc5 37.c7 Rc8 38.Be5 Black resigned, Philidor 1792 - guest133, 3 0 blitz, www.bereg.ru, 2014.
9.Qd5+ Kf8 10.Qxc5+ Qe7
Or 10...d6 11.Qe3 Nf6 12.O-O Kf7 13.d3 Re8 14.f4 Kg8 15.Na3 Bd7 16. Rb1 b6 17.Qg3 Qe7 18.Nb5 Bxb5 19.Rxb5 c5 20.c4 Qd7 21.Bb2 Qg4 22.a4 Qxg3 23.hxg3 Ne7 24.Bc3 Nd7 25.a5 Nc6 26.Ra1 Kf7 27.g4 Reb8 28.axb6 axb6 29.Rbb1 g6 30.Kf2 Ke7 31.g5 Nd4 32.Rh1 Rh8 33.Rxh7+ Rxh7 34.Rxa8 Rf7 35.Ke3 Nc2+
36.Kd2 Nd4 37.Ke3 Nc2+ 38.Kd2 Nd4 Drawn, Philidor 1792 - guest892, 3 0 blitz, www.bereg.ru, 2014.
11.Qxe7+ N8xe7 12.Na3 c6 13.Nc4 d5 14.Nd6 dxe4 15.O-O Ne5 16.Ba3 b6 17.Rfe1 c5
18.d4 Nd3 19.Rxe4 Bf5 20.Nxf5 Nxf5 21.Rd1 Nd6 22.Re3 Nf4 23.Rf3 Nc4 24.Rxf4+ Black resigned
Here is another "pawns vs piece" blitz game that stretches out, then ends with a humorous "bang".
Philidor 1792 - guest2498
3 0 blitz, www.bereg.ru, 2014
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qg3 Nf6
White has two pawns for his sacrificed piece. Black's King is a bit exposed.
9.d3 Kf7 10.Bg5 Re8 11.O-O Kg8 12.Nc3 c6
Black has castled-by-hand while white works on his development.
13.Na4 Bd4 14.c3 Bb6 15.Nxb6 axb6 16.f4 Qe7 17.Rae1 Qf7 18.a3 Bd7
Now Black's play becomes a bit unfocused, and White's Queen grabs a couple of pawns.
19.Qf2 Rf8 20.Qxb6 Rab8 21.Qd4 Ne8 22.f5 Nf6 23.Qxd6 Rbd8 24.Qb4 b5
25.Qc5 Rde8 26.Bxf6 gxf6 27.d4 Qe7 28.Qxe7 Rxe7 29.Rf3 Rfe8 30.Rg3+ Kf7 31.Rh3 Kg7 32.Rg3+ Kh8
White is comfortable with his chances in the pawns vs piece endgame. He has fought this fight before.
33.e5 fxe5 34.f6 Rf7 35.dxe5 Be6 36.Rd3 Bd5 37.Kf2 Kg8 38.g4 h6 39.h4 Kh7 40. g5 Re6 41.Ree3 Kg6 42.gxh6 Kxh6
43.Kg3 Kh5 44.Rd4 Rf8 45.Rf4 Rg8+ 46.Kh3 Rf8 47.Rf5+ Kh6 48.Kg4 Rg8+ 49.Rg5 Rxg5+ 50.hxg5+ Kg6
Black does his best to keep the "Jerome pawns" blockaded.
51.Kf4 Re8 52.Rh3 Bg8 53.Rh6+ Kf7 54.Kf5 Re6 55.g6+ Ke8 56.Rh8 Kf8
Now a tactical shot wins.
57.Rxg8+ Kxg8 58.Kxe6 c5 59.Kd6 Kf8 60.Kxc5 b4 61.Kb5 Ke8 62.Kxb4 Kd7 63.g7 Ke6 64.g8=Q+ Kf5 65.f7 Ke4 66.f8=Q
Kd3 67.e6 Ke4 68.e7 Kd3 69.e8=Q Kc2 70.b3 Kd3 71.Qg3+ Kc2 72.Qee1 Kb2 73.Qff2 checkmate
In the following game White chooses to play with the pawns vs Black's extra piece in a Queenless middle game. The second player cannot figure out how to break through, and eventually settles for returning the extra material, ending up in a drawn Bishops-of-opposite-colors endgame.
Philidor 1792 - guest2498
3 0 blitz, www.bereg.ru, 2014
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qf4+ Qf6 9.d3 Qxf4 10.Bxf4 Nf6
White has two pawns for his sacrificed piece. He plans to patiently test his opponent. That is a bit of a feat in a 3-minute game.
11.c3 Bb6
Black continued 11...h6 12.Nd2 g5 in Philidor1792 - guest2052, Internet online game, 2012, (1-0,40).
12.Nd2 Bd7 13.Nc4 Kf7 14.Nxb6 axb6 15.f3 Rhe8 16.Kf2 b5 17.a3 Be6
18.Ke3 Rad8 19.d4 Bb3 20.Kd2 h6 21.Rae1 g5 22.Be3 Nh5 23.g3 Kg6 24.Re2 Rf8 25.Rf2 Rf7
26.f4 gxf4 27.gxf4 Rdf8 28.Rg1+ Kh7 29.f5 Rg8 30.Rxg8 Kxg8 31.Bxh6 Nf6 32.Rf4 Rh7 33.Bg5 Rxh2+ 34.Ke3 Kf7 35.Rh4 Rxh4 36.Bxh4 c6
Black's chances have come and gone, and his last attempt is to return his extra piece, arriving at a drawn endgame.
37.Kf4 Bc2 38.e5 Nd5+ 39.Kg5 dxe5 40.dxe5 Nc7 41.Bg3 Bd3 42.e6+ Nxe6+ 43.fxe6+ Kxe6 44.Kf4 Kd5 45.Ke3 Bf1 46.Kd2 Kc4 47.Kc1 Kb3 48.Bf2 Draw
