Those Who Remember the Past Are Pleased to Repeat It

White has an obligation to punish opening mistakes, again and again. And again.

Wall,B - Guest1305432
PlayChess.com, 2014

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 Nf6 

Oh, yes, this is what we in the Jerome Gambit Gemeinde call "A Gimme". Remember it.

8.Qxe5+ Kf7 9.Qxc5 Nxe4 

Better, but not successful, was 9...Qe8: 10.Nc3 Nxe4 11.Qh5+ g6 12.Qd5+ Kf8 13.Nxe4 Qe7 14.0-0 c6 15.Qd4 Rg8 16.f5 c5 17.fxg6+ Ke8 18.gxh7 cxd4 19.hxg8Q+ Black resigned, Wall,B - IanJoshua, Chess.com, 2010.

10.Qd5+ 

Here Black resigned in Wall, Bill - Meinherr, Chess.com, 2010. 

10...Kf8 11.Qxe4 Qh4+

Also seen: 11...d5 12.Qd4 Qe7+ 13.Kf2 Bg4 14.Qxd5 Qe2+ 15.Kg3 h5 16.h4 Re8 17.Nc3 Qa6 18.d3 Qg6 19.Bd2 Be6+ 20.Qg5 Black resigned, Wall,B - Dani, Chess.com, 2010.

12.g3 Qg4 13.b3 c6 14.Ba3+ Kf7 15.Qe7+ Kg6 16.Qd6+ Kf7 17.Nc3 Re8+ 18.Kf2 b5 19.Rae1 Re6 20.Rxe6 Qxe6 21.Qf8+ Kg6 22.g4 Qf6 23.Qe8+ Qf7 24.f5+ Black resigned

April Fever

April 2015 is headed toward a record number of visitors to this blog, jeromegambit.blogspot.com -- over 1,000 more visitors than any month previously!

Did we draw a lot of interest from the recent student tournament?

Many thanks to readers all around the world. We have come a long way since June 10, 2008.

Play Against the Weak King

The Jerome Gambit is more than a tricky opening involving the sacrifice of a piece or two. The goal of all that giving is to get the enemy King, as Philidor 1792 shows in the game below.

Philidor 1792 - guest826
5 0 blitz, www.peshka.me, 2015

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

4...Kxf7 5.0-0 Nf6 6.c3 Nxe4 7.d4

Alternately: 7.b4 Bb6 8.b5 Na5 9.Nxe5+ Kg8 10.d3 Nf6 11.Re1 d6 12.Nf3 Bg4 13.h3 Bh5 14.Nbd2 h6 15.c4 Bd4 16.Rb1 Bc3 17.Qc2 Bxd2 18.Bxd2 b6 19.Nd4 Qd7 20.Bxa5 bxa5 21.Qa4 Kh7 22.Qxa5 Rhe8 23.Nc6 Bg6 24.Qc3 a6 25.a4 axb5 26.axb5 Qf5 27.d4 Ne4 28.Qc2 Rf8 29.f3 Ng3 30.Qf2 Nh5 31.Ne7 Qg5 32.Rbd1 Nf4 33.Kf1 Nd3 White resigned, Philidor 1792- guest826, ww.peshka.me, 2015. 

7...exd4 8.cxd4 Bb6 9.d5 Nb8 

Or 9...Na5 10.Qc2 Re8 11.Bg5 Nf6 12.b4 Kg8 13.bxa5 Bxa5 14.Nbd2 b5 15.a4 Bb7 16.axb5 Bb4 17.Qb3 Bd6 18.Rfe1 h6 19.Rxe8+ Qxe8 20.Bxf6 gxf6 21.Qd3 Qh5 22.Ne4 Kg7 23.Nxd6 cxd6 24.Qd4 Kf7 25.Qe4 Bxd5 26.Qh7+ Kf8 27.Re1 Qg4 28.Qxh6+ Qg7 29.Qh5 Be6 30.Nd4 Rc8 31.g3 Bg8 32.Qf3 Qf7 33.Qf4 Bh7 34.Qxd6+ Kg8 35.Re7 Qf8 36.Qxd7 Rc1+ 37.Kg2 Bg6 38.Ne6 Be4+ 39.f3 Rc2+ 40.Kg1 Rc1+ 41.Kf2 Bf5 42.Re8 Bxe6 43.Qxe6+ Kg7 44.Qg4+ Kf7 45.Qh5+ Kg7 46.Qg4+ Kf7 47.Qh5+ Kg7 48.Rxf8 Rc2+ 49.Ke3 Kxf8 50.Qh8+ Kf7 51.Qh7+ Ke6 52.Qxc2 Kd7 53.Qh7+ Kd6 54.Qxa7 f5 55.b6 Kd5 56.b7 Ke6 57.b8Q f4+ 58.Kxf4 Kd5 59.Qb5+ Kd6 60.Qad7 checkmate, Deep Shredder 10 UCI - Rybka 2.3.1 32-bit, jeromegambit computer tournament, 2008. 

10.Nbd2 Nf6 

Or 10...Nxd2 11.Bxd2 d6 12.Ng5+ Kg8 13.Qh5 Qf8 14.Rae1 Bd7 15.Re4 h6 16.Rf4 Qe7 17.Re4 Qf8 18.Rf4 Qe7 19.Re4 hxg5 20.Qxh8+ Kxh8 21.Rxe7 Bb5 22.Ra1 Na6 23.a4 Bc4 24.Bc3 Rg8 25.Ra3 Bxd5 26.a5 Bc5 27.b4 Nxb4 28.Bxb4 Bxb4 29.Rh3 checkmate, Philidor 1792 - guest826, www.peshka.me. 2015. 

11.d6 cxd6 12.Nc4 d5 13.Nd6+ Kg8 14.Bg5 Qf8 15.Bxf6 Qxd6 16.Be5 Qe6 17.Re1 Qf7 18.Ng5 Qg6 19.Qxd5+ Kf8 20.Bd6+ Qxd6 21.Qxd6+ Kg8 22.Re8 checkmate

Victory From the Jaws of Defeat

The following game gave me a good laugh. I've included a lot of sidelines, and some decent earlier games (available from The Database). Black (rated almost 400 points higher) plays just fine - until he takes his eye off the ball for one second. That is enough for White to grasp victory from the jaws of defeat.

Philidor1792 - abarmard765
lichess.org, 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 9.d3 Be6 

Or 9...Nh5 10.Qf3+ Qf6 11.Nd2 a)11.Qxh5? Qxf2+ 12.Kd1 Qxg2 13.Re1 (a)13.Qh4 Qxh1+ 14.Kd2 Qg2+ 15.Kc3 Qg1 16.Qf4+ Ke8 17.Nd2 Qd4+ 18.Kb3 Qb4 checkmate, chessmanjeff - Gardenz, FICS, 2012) 13...Bg4+ 14.Qxg4 Qxg4+ 15.Kd2 Qf4+ 16.Kc3 Qxh2 17.Bd2 Qe5+ 18.Kb3 a5 19.a4 Bd4 20.Nc3 g6 21.Rf1+ Kg7 22.Rf3 Rhf8 23.Raf1 Rxf3 24.Rxf3 Bxc3 25.Bxc3 Qxc3+ 26.Kxc3 Rf8 27.Rg3 h5 28.b3 Kh6 29.Kd2 g5 30.Ke3 h4 31.Rg1 h3 32.d4 Kh5 33.e5 dxe5 34.dxe5 g4 35.Ke4 h2 36.Rg2 h1B 37.Kd4 Kg5 38.Rg3 b6 39.c4 Rf4+ 40.Ke3 Rf3+ 41.Rxf3 Bxf3 42.e6 Bc6 43.e7 g3 44.e8Q Bxe8 45.Kf3 Kh4 White resigned ZahariSokolov - Jiracek, FICS, 2014; b)11.Qxf6+ Nxf6 12.h3 (b)12.Nc3 c6 13.Na4 Bb4+ 14.Bd2 Bxd2+ 15.Kxd2 Be6 16.f4 b5 17.Nc3 Ke7 18.Rhe1 b4 19.Ne2 c5 20.c4 a5 21.h3 Rhf8 22.a3 b3 23.Rf1 g6 24.Rae1 Nd7 25.g4 Bg8 26.g5 Bf7 27.Kc3 Rab8 28.h4 Nb6 29.Kd2 Kd7 30.Rf2 Be6 31.Ng3 Na4 32.f5 Bxc4 33.dxc4 Nxb2 34.Kc3 Na4+ 35.Kd2 b2 36.Kc2 Nb6 37.Kxb2 Nxc4+ 38.Ka2 a4 39.Rc2 Nxa3 40.Kxa3 Rb3+ 41.Ka2 Rxg3 42.f6 Re8 43.e5 dxe5 44.Rxc5 Kd6 45.Rc4 Rg2+ 46.Ka1 a3 47.Ra4 Rf2 48.Rd1+ Kc5 49.Ra7 h5 50.Re7 Ra8 51.Rxe5+ Kc6 52.Red5 Ra4 53.Rd6+ Kb7 54.R6d4 Rxd4 55.Rxd4 Kc6 56.Rd3 a2 57.Rd8 Kc5 58.Rb8 Kd5 59.Rb6 Ke5 60.Ra6 Kd5 61.Rxa2 Rf1+ 62.Kb2 Rf2+ 63.Kb3 Rf3+ 64.Kb4 Rf4+ 65.Kb5 Kd6 66.Ra6+ Kd7 67.Kc5 Rxh4 68.Ra7+ Ke8 69.Rg7 Rg4 70.Rxg6 Rg1 71.Rg8+ Kf7 72.Rg7+ Ke8 73.g6 Kf8 74.Kd5 h4 75.Ra7 Rxg6 76.Ke6 Kg8 77.Ke7 Kh7 78.f7 Rg7 79.Kf6 Rg6+ 80.Kf5 Black resigned,  destinyx - belgje, GameKnot.com, 2004) 12...d5 13.e5 Nd7 14.f4 Kf7 15.Nc3 Nb6 16.a4 a5 17.Nb5 c6 18.Nc3 Bb4 19.Bd2 Rf8 20.g4 Kg8 21.f5 Nd7 22.e6 Nf6 23.0-0-0 d4 24.Ne4 Nxe4 25.dxe4 Bd6 26.Rde1 Be5 27.g5 b6 28.Rhf1 Ba6 29.Rf3 Bc4 30.c3 c5 31.e7 Rf7 32.f6 gxf6 33.Rg1 Rg7 34.Rg4 fxg5 35.Rf5 Bd6 36.Bxg5 dxc3 37.bxc3 Re8 38.e5 Be6 39.Rf6 Bxe7 40.Rg3 Bxf6 41.exf6 Rg6 42.h4 h6 43.Bf4 Rxg3 44.Bxg3 h5 45.Bc7 c4 46.Bxb6 Ra8 47.Kd2 Kf7 48.Bd4 Bd7 49.Ke3 Bxa4 White resigned, raes - belgje, GameKnot.com, 2004; c)11.Be3?! Qxf3 12.gxf3 Be6 13.Bxc5 dxc5 14.Nc3 Nf4 15.Ne2 Nxe2 16.Kxe2 Ke7 17.f4 g6 18.h4 Rad8 19.h5 Bg4+ White resigned, obviously - belgje, GameKnot.com, 2004; 11...g6 (11...Be6? 12.Qxh5 Qxf2+ 13.Kd1 Qxg2 14.Qf3+ Qxf3+ 15.Nxf3 Bg4 16.Ke2 Ke7 17.Bg5+ Kd7 18.Raf1 Bxf3+ 19.Rxf3 Rhf8 20.Rhf1 Rxf3 21.Rxf3 Rg8 22.c3 h6 23.Bh4 g5 24.Bg3 a6 25.Rf7+ Kc8 26.d4 Ba7 27.Rh7 h5 28.Rxh5 g4 29.Ke3 Black resigned, lamacuk -tomwhufc, GameKnot.com, 2007) 12.0-0 Kg7 13.Qxf6+ Nxf6 14.c3 Bg4 15.d4 Bb6 16.f3 Bd7 17.Nc4 h6 18.Re1 Rhe8 19.Kf2 d5 20.Nxb6 axb6 21.e5 Nh7 22.Be3 Nf8 23.g4 Ne6 24.Kg3 g5 25.h4 Rf8 26.Rh1 Bb5 27.Rh2 Rf7 28.Rah1 Raf8 29.Rf2 Bd3 30.hxg5 Nxg5 31.Bxg5 hxg5 32.Re1 Re8 33.Rh2 Bg6 34.a3 Rf4 35.e6 Re7 36.Re5 Kf6 37.Rhe2 c6 38.a4 Re8 39.Re1 Rh8 40.e7 Re8 41.b4 Bc2 42.a5 bxa5 43.bxa5 Bd3 44.Rd1 Bc2 45.Rc1 Ba4 46.Rce1 Bb5 47.Re6+ Kf7 48.R6e5 Kf6 drawn, Philidor1792 - Dayana2006, Chess.com 2015. 

10.c3 Bb6 

Or 10...Qd7 11.Be3 Kf7 12.0-0 Rhf8 13.f4 Bg4 14.Nd2 Bh5 15.d4 Bb6 16.e5 Nd5 17.Ne4 Bg6 18.Ng5+ Kg8 19.Bd2 a6 20.Rae1 dxe5 21.fxe5 c5 22.e6 Qe7 23.Nf3 Bf5 24.Bg5 Qc7 25.e7 Qxg3 26.hxg3 Rfe8 27.Nh4 Bd3 28.Rf3 Black forfeited on time. naffets - pckong, FICS, 2008. 

11.Be3 Bxe3 12.Qxe3 Qd7 13.0-0 Ke7 14.f4 Rhf8 15.f5 Bf7 16.Nd2 Bh5 17.Rae1 Kf7 18.d4 Rae8

19.e5 dxe5 20.dxe5 Qc6 

White has temporarily equalized, as 21.Qg3 would show.

21.Qg5 Qc5+ 22.Kh1 Rxe5 23.Nb3 Qe7 24.Rxe5 Qxe5 25.Nd4 Re8 26.Ne6 Kg8 27.Qxg7 checkmate

Anybody want a (couple of) piece(s) of me?

In the previous post I bemoaned the fact that all of my games with White in first round of the most recent ongoing Chess.com Italian Game tournament were against opponents who did not want to allow the Jerome Gambit.

Now the third round of the earlier Chess.com Italian Game tournament has started, and I am in an interesting group along with Rebecca_Wiebe , who still has 200 rating points on me, but who, last round, against me chose the Hungarian Defense (3...Be7) - and gave up her only half-point (she is 13-0-1 so far in the tournament) - and djdave28 (who is 10-4-0) who lost a Jerome Gambit to me in round one.

djdave28 (I've got 100 points on him - how did that happen?) has already signaled that he is ready for a rematch by playing 3...Bc5. We will see about Rebecca_Wiebe. (No. Another Hungarian Defense.)

Anybody want a couple of pieces?

I guess not.

All of my games with White in first round of the ongoing Chess.com Italian Game tournament found opponents who did not want to allow the Jerome Gambit.

Four were Two Knights Defenses 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 that refused to turn into Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambits (4.Nc3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+) but stayed by the book with 4.Nc3 Nxe5 5.Nxe5 d5 6.Bd3 dxe4 7.Bxe4 Bd6.

The fifth game was a Semi-Italian game 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 that refused to go Jerome (with 4.0-0 Bc5 5.Bxf7+).

(The sixth game didn't happen, as the player lost on time in both games without a piece moved.)

Maybe next round.

I guess I will console myself with the knowledge that the readership of blog posts this month is likely to set a new record for jeromegambit.blogspot.com. Thanks for stopping by!

Hybrid

Chessfriend Philidor 1792 has sent another collection of Jerome Gambit, reversed Jerome Gambit, and Jerome Gambit-inspired games.

The game below is an interesting mix of opening systems. White combines the "Abrahams Jerome Gambit" - 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Bxf7+ - with the "Scholar's Mate" - 1.e4 e5. 2.Qh5 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Qxf7+ - and plays it all in a 3-minute game. Black holds on for a while, but, in the end, either nerves or shortage of time lead to his downfall.


Philidor 1792 - guest1433
3 0 blitz, www.bereg.ru, 2015

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Qh5

We have seen this hybrid before. See "A Scholarly Abrahams Jerome Gambit".

3...Qf6 4.Bxf7+ Qxf7 5.Qxe5+

5...Qe7 6.Qxe7+ Nxe7 7.c3 d5 8.d4 Bb6 9.e5 c5 10.Be3 

An earlier game continued: 10.dxc5 Bxc5 11.f4 Nbc6 12.Nf3 Be6 13.Na3 Bxa3 14.bxa3 0-0-0 15.Be3 Rhf8 16.Ng5 Bf5 17.Kf2 h6 18.Nf3 Be4 19.h4 Nf5 20.Rad1 b6 21.h5 Na5 22.Bc1 Nc4 23.Rh3 Kb7 24.g4 Ne7 25.e6 Bxf3 26.Rxf3 Rd6 27.f5 Rfd8 28.Re1 d4 29.cxd4 Rxd4 30.f6 gxf6 31.Rxf6 Nd6 32.Rf4 Rd3 33.Rf7 Re8 34.Bxh6 Kc6 35.Rf8 Rxa3 36.Rxe8 Nxe8 37.Bf8 Rxa2+ 38.Kg3 Nd5 39.h6 Ra3+ 40.Bxa3 Black resigned,  Philidor 1792 -guest124, www.bereg.ru, 2014. 

10...Nf5 11.Na3 cxd4 12.cxd4 Bxd4 13.Bxd4 Nxd4 14.0-0-0

Blitz games are often about development and King safety. If White loses this game, it won't be because of the extra pawn he invested.

14...Ndc6 15.Nb5 Na6 16.Rxd5 Be6 17.Rd6 Ke7 18.Nf3 Rad8 19.Ng5 Rxd6 20.exd6+ Kd7 21.a3 Rf8 22.Ne4 Bc4 23.Nbc3 Nab8 24.Rd1 Na6 

White's advanced "Jerome pawn" is not enough compensation for the sacrificed piece, but his knowledge of this kind of play, and advantage on the clock may well be.

25.b4 b5 26.f3 Ne5 27.Rd4 Nd3+ 28.Kd2 Nb2 29.Nf2 Rf6 30.Nce4 Rg6 31.Ng4 Re6 32.f4 Kd8 33.Ne5 Rh6

White's pieces have come together, while Black's are scattered.

34.d7 Be6 35.Nc6+ Kc7 36.d8Q+ Kxc6 37.Rd6+ Kb7 38.Rxa6 Kxa6 39.Nc5 checkmate