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Here is a Reversed Jerome Gambit game from the highly creative and always aggressive Philidor 1792. For those who believe that the Jerome is "not playable" - what will they think now?

AmirKenchenbayev  - Philidor 1792

Russia Central Federal District vs Team Kazakhstan

3 d/move, Chess.com team match, 2015

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Bc5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bc4 Bxf2+

Reversed Jerome Gambit!

5.Kxf2 Nxe4+ 6.Nxe4 d5 7.Bxd5

An improvement over 7.Nxe5 dxc4 8.d4  from another reversed Jerome Gambit, guest88 - Philidor 1792, Peshka.me, 2014 (0-1, 37).

7...Qxd5 8.d3 0-0 

9.Rf1 Nc6 10.Kg1 Bg4 11.h3 Bh5 12.Qe1 f5 13.Nc3 Qd6

14.a3 Rae8 15.Qh4 Bxf3 16.Rxf3 Nd4 17.Rf2 Qb6 18.Kh1 f4

White is still better, but all of Black's pieces are in play, while White's Bishop and Queen's Rook are still at home.

It is not a good time for White to relax. Imperceptibly, he does.

19.b4 Nf5

Suddenly Black is winning! His most blatant threat (besides attacking the Queen) is ...Ng3+, cutting support off for White's Rook.

White can try the counter-attack 20.Nd5, but after 20...Qd4 both of White's Rooks are vulnerable, and after 21.c3 Ng3+ 22.Kg1 Qxd5 White is up material, with better development and more threats.

20.Qg4 Qxf2 21.Nd5 Qd4 White resigned

Black wins the Knight and remains with the better position and continued threats.

RHP JG Tourney Round 1 Games (2)

In the ongoing RedHotPawn.com Jerome Gambit thematic tournament previously mentioned, a couple of kinds of players need to be mentioned: those who join because the opening looks new and interesting or challenging or fun; and those who join because they have some knowledge of the opening, and want to test their understanding against others.

The following two games feature at least one player who has Jerome Gambit experience, and, as a result, theory gets a boost..

We have seen rigidwithfear's games before (#1 and #2)

rigidwithfear - SeinfeldFan91

Giuoco Piano Jerome Gambit, RedHotPawn.com, 2014
Round 1

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5 Nxe5 6.d4 Qh4 7.dxc5 (7.0-0 is better, but Black still would have the advantage) Qxe4 8.Be3 Qxg2 9.Kd2 (a TN; 9.Qh5+ has been played before, but White is still worse) Nf6 10.Kc1 d5 11.Nd2 Re8 12.Rg1 Qxh2 13.b3 Bg4 14.Rxg4 Ne5xg4 15.Bd4 Qf4 16.Bxf6 Qxf6 17.Rab1 Nxf2 18.Qf1 Re3 White resigned

Swiss Toni - bikingviking

Giuoco Piano Jerome Gambit, RedHotPawn.com, 2014
Round 1

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5 Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 Bd6 (recently seen in Philidor 1792 - Guest839182, 3 0 blitz, PlayChess.com, 2014 [1-0, 16] ) 8.fxe5 (good, but 8.Qf5+, as in Wall - xChristopher, FICS, 2010, [1-0, 13] was even stronger) Bxe5 9.Qf5 Kd6 10.d4 Qh4+ 11.Ke2 Bxd4 12.Qd5+ Ke7 13.Bg5 (an improvement over 13.Qxd4 of mrjoker - russiamacedo, 2 12 blitz, ICC, 2009, [0-1, 33]) Black resigned

Swiss Toni advances to the next round.

RHP JG Tourney Round 1 Games (1)

In the ongoing RedHotPawn.com Jerome Gambit thematic tournament previously mentioned, a couple of kinds of players need to be mentioned: those who join because the opening looks new and interesting or challenging or fun; and those who join because they have some knowledge of the opening, and want to test their understanding against others.

The first kind can quickly come undone, as sacrificing a piece or two is very risky, if it only leads to an "unclear" position. The second kind can stretch the knowledge of the opening - especially if they are paired against each other.

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

We have seen earlier games by Red House in a RHP Jerome Gambit tournament (1,  2).

Red House - jecidi

Giuoco Piano Jerome Gambit, RedHotPawn.com, 2014
Round 1

4...Kxf7 5.d3 h6 6.O-O a6 7.Nc3 Nf6 8.Na4 Ba7 9.c3 Rf8 10.Re1 d6 11.b4 Kg8 12.Be3 Bd7 13.d4 exd4 14.Nxd4 Nxd4 15.Bxd4 Bxd4 16.cxd4 Re8 17.Nc3 c6 18.e5 dxe5 19.dxe5 Nh7 20.f4 Bf5 21.Qf3 Qd4 22.Kh1 Qxb4 23.a3 Qe7 24.Ne4 Bxe4 25.Rxe4 Nf8 26.a4 Rad8 27.h3 Ne6 28.f5 Ng5 29.Qe2 Nxe4 30.Qxe4 Qxe5 31.Qc4 Qd5 32.Qf4 Qe5 33.Qg4 Qxa1 White resigned

bikingviking - Swiss Toni

Giuoco Piano Jerome Gambit, RedHotPawn.com, 2014
Round 1
4...Kxf7 5.d3 Nf6 6.O-O Kg8 7.Nc3 Be7 8.Nh4 d6 9.f4 Bg4 10.Qe1 Nd4 11.Qf2 Nxe4 12.Nxe4 Bxh4 13.g3 Bf6 14.Be3 Nf3 15.Kh1 exf4 White resigned

Marko Krale - katella

Giuoco Piano Jerome Gambit, RedHotPawn.com, 2014
Round 1

4...Kxf7 5.c3 Nf6 6.d3 Ng4 7.O-O Nxf2 8.Rxf2 Re8 9.Bg5 Ne7 10.d4 Bb6 11.Nxe5 Kg8 12.Nf7 Rf8 13.Nxd8 Rxf2 14.Kxf2 Ng6 15.Qf3 c5 16.Qf7 Kh8 17.Qe8 Nf8 18.Qxf8 checkmate


katella - Marko Krale

Giuoco Piano Jerome Gambit, RedHotPawn.com, 2014
Round 1

4...Kxf7 5.d3 Nf6 6.h3 h6 7.a3 Rf8 8.O-O Kg8 9.b4 Bb6 10.c4 Bd4 11.Ra2 a6 12.Nxd4 Nxd4 13.Bb2 Ne6 14.Bxe5 d6 15.Bxf6 Qxf6 16.c5 dxc5 17.bxc5 Nxc5 18.Nc3 Qxc3 19.a4 Qxd3 20.Qxd3 Nxd3 21.Rd2 Nb4 22.e5 Be6 23.g4 Nd5 24.Rd4 Rf3 25.Kg2 Ra3 26.f4 Nb6 27.f5 Bd5 28.Kh2 Rxa4 29.Rxa4 Nxa4 30.e6 Kf8 31.Re1 Ke7 32.h4 c6 33.g5 hxg5 34.hxg5 Ra8f8 35.Re5 b5 36.Kg3 b4 37.Kg4 b3 38.Kh5 b2 39.Re1 Be4 40.Kg6 b1=Q 41.Rxb1 Bxb1 42.Kxg7 Bxf5 43.g6 Bxe6 44.Kh6 Rf2 White resigned

Marko Krale (whose games we have seen before) advances to the next round.

RHP Jerome Gambit Tournament - Again!

Last year I reported on a couple of Jerome Gambit tournaments (#1 and #2) at the RedHotPawn.com web site. They were a mix of players apparently new to the opening with some who had a measurable knowledge of the main lines.

The first round of a new tournament is coming to a close, with names familiar and new. I think it will be fun, again, to share the games and choose a few for individual attention.

Stay tuned.

Sometimes it only takes a little bit...

The following game shows that sometimes it takes only a little bit of wandering off the path for Black's game in the Jerome Gambit to suddenly to bad. Philidor 1792 wraps up quickly thereafter.

Philidor 1792 - Guest388983
3 0 blitz, PlayChess.com, 2014

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

7.Qd5+ Kf8 8.Qxc5+ Qe7 9.Qe3 Nf6 10.Nc3 d6 11.0-0 Kf7

12.f4 Re8 13.f5 Ne5 14.d3 Bd7 15.Qg3 Kg8

Black has done well, castling-by-hand and hanging onto his piece for two pawns advantage. Suddenly, his game turns sour.

16.Bg5 Qf7

It is not automatically apparent that this move is wrong, but Black's game suddenly grinds to a halt.

17.Bxf6 Qxf6 18.Nd5 Qd8 19.f6

 Black's King is in danger, and his pieces are curiously ineffective here, as Houdini showed me. Probably he should try 19...g6, and when White threatens to bring his Queen to g7 for mate, he can answer 20.Qh4 with 20...h5. The continuation 21.Qg5 Kh7 follows the same idea, when White can then win the exchange with 22.Ne7 Rxe7 23.fxe7 Qg8 

analysis diagram



White can now put a full cramp in Black's position with 24.Rf4 Qg7 25.Raf1 Be8 26.Rf8 when it will take a lot of work to untangle Black, for example 26..Rb8 27.Qf6 Qxf6 28.R1xf6 Nc6 29.d4 a6 30.d5 Ne5 and White's bind still holds. 

19...Ng6 20.f7+ Black resigned

Black will be down only the exchange and a  pawn (after 21...Kf8 22.fxe8+/Q Kxe8), but his King will be at risk, and White will have the initiative.

A Second Chance to Decline

Here is a recent game played by Philidor 1792, from a cache of games he sent not long ago. His opponent declines the offer of a second piece with an inaccuracy that is worth knowing - and punishing. 

Philidor 1792 - Guest834593
3 0 blitz, PlayChess.com, 02.11.2014

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8

While declining the second piece is as old as Jerome - Brownson, Iowa, 1875 (1/2-1/2, 29), the safest place for Black's King to retreat to is f8, not e8.

6.Qh5+

It's possible that 6.Nxc6 is stronger, but who can resist checking the King?

On the other hand, White's Knight capture is tricky, as 6...bxc6? is not the correct response - see perrypawnpusher - rodrigojalpa, blitz, FICS, 2008 (1-0, 25); perrypawnpusher - zsilber, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1/2-1/2, 42); Wall,B - Qwerty, Chess.com 2010 (1-0, 9); and Wall,B - LFTN, FICS, 2012 (1-0, 20).

Neither is 6...dxc6? the right move - see Wall,B - Gebba, Chess.com 2010 (1-0, 11).

Although I have suggested the untried 6...Bf2+ in "Don't Drive Like My Brother", the best response for Black, still untried as far as The Database is concerned is 6...Qh4!?, as after 7.d4 Qxe4+ 8.Qe2 Qxe2+ 9.Kxe2 Bb6 10.Nb4 Bxd4 11.Nd5 Kd8 Black has an equal game. (Of course, he turned down a second piece to get there.)

6...g6

Silly alternatives: 6...Kf8 7.Qf7 checkmate,  perrypawnpusher - platel, blitz, FICS, 2011  and 6...Ke7 7.Qf7+ Kd6 8.Qd5+ Ke7 9.Nxc6+ Kf6 10.Qf5 checkmate, Kennedy - WeakDelphi, 2 12 blitz, 2008.

7.Nxg6 Bxf2+

Instead, 7...Qf6 was no solution in perrypawnpusher - schachix, blitz, FICS, 2013 (1-0, 10).

8.Kxf2 Qf6+

Black goes astray: 8...Nf6  was the way to keep an edge.

9.Nf4+ Kd8 10.d3 Nge7

Or 10...d6 11.Rf1 Qd4+ 12.Be3 Qf6 13.c3 Black resigned, Hultgren,R - Harrow, Campbell, CA 1960. 

11.Nc3 d6 12.Rf1 Ng6 13.Kg1

Usually it is Black who has to castle-by-hand. White is two pawns ahead, with a safer King.

13...Qd4+ 14.Kh1 Nge5 15.Nfd5 Be6 16.Be3 Black resigned

Black's Queen is trapped in the middle of the board!

A Jerome Addiction

Bill Wall sent me his first Jerome Gambit of 2015 with the following note.

I just can't help myself.  As soon as I see 3...Bc5 I just have to play 4.Bxf7.  I told myself not to play it and work on other Italian variations.  But oh no.  I see 3...Bc5, I have to play 4...Bxf7+.  It must be a Jerome addiction.
Anyway, I played a nice Jerome on FICS, my first Jerome of the year.  He got his knight trapped, forgetting to make an exit for himself, and I later mated him.  He had a good game up to 16...c6, blocking a pawn I might have taken, but overlooking his knight can't move anywhere safe after 17.h3.

Wall,B - CMSK
FICS, 2015

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 7.Qxe5 Qe7 

The Jerome Gambit, Jerome variation, first outlined in the Dubuque Chess Journal, July 1874.

Three of Bill's games continued 7...d6: Wall,B -GoldCoinCollector, Chess.com 2010 (1-0, 17); Wall,B - GuestZCLK, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 15); and Wall,B - Schichua,S, FICS, 2013 (1-0, 22).

8.Qf4+ Nf6 

Instead, Black continued with 8...Qf6 in Wall,B - Guest340293, PlayChess.com, 2012, (1-0, 41),  Wall,B - Josti, PlayChess.com, 2013, (1-0, 26),  and Wall,B - Guest4644930, PlayChess.com, 2014 (1-0, 26).

9.d3 d6 10.Nc3 Be6 11.0-0 h6

12.Be3 g5

Black is feeling aggressive!

13.Qf3 Kg7 14.e5 

Bill notes better may be 14.Bxc5 dxc5 15.e5 Nd7 16.Qxb7. 

14...Ng4 15.Bxc5 

Not 15.Qxb7? Nxe3. 

15...dxc5 16.Rae1

 Still, Bill cautions,16.Qxb7?! Rab8 17.Qxa7 Rxb2.

16...c6? 

As Bill mentioned in the note above, this strands the Black Knight. Better: 16...Rhf8 17.Qe2 (17.Qxb7 Rab8 18.Qxa7 Rxb2) 17...h5; 
16...h5 17.Qxb7 Rab8 18.Qxa7 Rxb2 19.Re2. 

17.h3 Raf8 18.Qg3

Or 18.Qd1 Nxf2 19.Rxf2 Rxf2 20.Kxf2 Rf8+ 21.Kg1. 

18...h5

If 18...Nxf2 19.Rxf2 Rxf2 20.Qxf2 Rf8 21.Qe3. 

19.hxg4 h4 

Black's attack looks dangerous, but it will become clear that White is in control.

20.Qh3 Qd7 21.Ne4 Bxg4 22.Qe3 Rh5 

Admitting his Kingside pawn structure needs reinforcing, but this allows a fork.

23.Nf6 Rxf6 24.exf6+ Kxf6 25.Qxc5

25...h3 26.Qf8+ Kg6 27.Re7 hxg2 28.Qf7+ Kh6 29.Qg7 checkmate