I was playing over the following Abrahams Jerome Gambit game with Stockfish looking over my shoulder, when the computer made a comment that I didn't understand. It turns out that both players had overlooked something along with me and that only one of them was able to recover, and take advantage of the particular situation...
Korpav - Dagestan
standard, FICS, 2015
1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Bxf7+
3...Kxf7 4.Qh5+ Kf8 5.Qxe5 d6 6.Qc3 Qg5 7.Qf3+ Nf6
8.Ne2 Nc6
To my eyes, Black was doing a good job of dealing with the gambit, and his last move seemed solid and useful. However, Stockfish didn't like 8...Nc6 and suggested, instead, 8...Bg4 9.Qf4 Qxf4 10.Nxf4 Nc6.
Hmmm... First exchange Queens, then bring out the Knight. Okay... Why?
9.c3
The first thing both players (and the annotator) overlooked was 9.d4!, which allows White, after a bit of exercise, to win back his sacrificed piece with 9...Bb4+ 10.c3 Qg6 11.Nf4 Qxe4+ 12.Qxe4 Nxe4 13.cxb4 Nxb4 when
analysis diagram
Black's active pieces would give him only an edge.
Having missed the opportunity to take advantage of his opponent's Queen's danger, White Queen now experiences her own troubles at the hands of the enemy Knights.
9...Ne5 10.Qg3 Bxf2+ 11.Kxf2 Nxe4+ White resigned
I just received the latest Jerome Gambit (delayed) game from Bill Wall. Before - or after - checking it out, you might want to visit "Bill Wall's Chess Page" which has been updated to have even more interesting chess stuff.
The graphic at the top of this post is from the animated series featuring "Scooby-Doo" and his human pals, who got into all sorts of mischief as they solved mysteries. Often the captured villain, at the end of the episode, would lament, "And I would have gotten away with it too, if it weren't for you meddling kids!"
Some players who defend against the Jerome Gambit have the same feeling about White's "Jerome pawns".
Wall,B - Lee,S
PlayChess.com, 2015
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+
5...Kxf7 6.0-0
Bill has played this kind of delayed Jerome Gambit a little differently, before, for example: 6.Be3 Bb4+ 7.c3 Ba5 8.b4 Bb6 9.b5 Na5 10.Nxe5+ Kf8 11.0-0 d6 12.Nf3 Ke7 13.Qc2 Re8 14.d4 Kf8 15.e5 Nd5 16.Qxh7 Nxe3 17.fxe3 Nc4 18.Ng5+ Ke7 19.Qxg7 checkmate, Wall,B - Westender, Chess.com, 2010.
6...h6
An alternative that shows up in different Jerome Gambit game collections is 6...Re8 7.Bg5 d5 8.Nbd2 Bg4 9.c3 Qd6 10.Qb3 Rab8 11.Bxf6 gxf6 12.exd5 Na5 13.Qa4 Bxf3 14.Nxf3 Qb6 15.b4 Bxf2+ 16.Rxf2 e4 17.dxe4 Nc4 18.Qd7+ Kg6 19.Qf5+ Kg7 20.a4 Qe3 21.Nd4 Qxc3 22.Qxf6+ Kg8 23.Raf1 Qxb4 24.Ne6 Qe7 25.Qd4 Nb6 26.Rf3 Nd7 27.Rg3+ Black resigned, Brookshire,T - Cunningham,D, IECC ,1999 (1-0, 27); alternately, 6...Kg8 would allow transposition to Wall,B - KRM, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 25).
7.Nxe5+
Bill has also played this position without the second piece sacrifice:
7.Be3 would lead to Wall,B-Mukak, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 24); while 7.Nc3 was seen in Wall,B - Guest2622844, PlayChess.com, 2013: 7...Rf8 8.Nd5 Kg8 9.Be3 Bb6 10.c4 d6 11.Qb3 Na5 12.Qc3 Nxd5 13.cxd5 c5 14.Nd2 Bc7 15.a3 b5 16.b4 Nb7 17.Nb3 c4 18.dxc4 bxc4 19.Nd2 a5 20.Nxc4 axb4 21.axb4 Rxa1 22.Rxa1 Qh4 23.f3 Bd7? 24.Nxe5 dxe5 25.Qxc7 Bc8 26.Qxe5 Qf6 27.Qxf6 Rxf6 28.b5 Rf8 29.b6 Kf7 30.Rc1 Na5 31.Rc7+ Kg6 32.Bd4 Rg8 33.Kf2 Nb3 34.Bc3 Ba6 35.b7 Rb8 36.Rxg7+ Kh5 37.g4+ Kh4 38.Bf6+ Kh3 39.Rh7 Black resigned
7...Nxe5 8.d4
Bill has played a similar game, achieving d2-d4 in one move instead of two: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.0-0 h6 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 Nf6 8.dxe5 Nh7 9.Qd5+ Kf8 10.Qxc5+ d6 11.Rd1 Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest2170955, PlayChess.com, 2012.
8...d6 9.dxc5 dxc5 10.Qe1 Re8
Black has a piece for a pawn as well as better development. He is better, but he needs a plan.
In the mean time, White will develop and unleash his "Jerome pawns".
11.Nc3 Ng6 12.f3 Qd4+ 13.Be3 Qe5 14.f4 Qe7 15.e5 Nd7
Black's Queenside looks dangerously congested.
Bill points out that 15...Bf5 was possible, as 16.exf6? simply loses a piece to 16...Qxe3+ 17.Qxe3 Rxe3
16.Nd5 Qh4
Black's move feints at an attack on the Kingside, threatens to exchange Queens - and ignores the problems of his Queenside.
One fascinating possibility in this position is 16...Qd8 17.Rd1 c6 18.e6+ Kg8 when White simply snags the Knight on d7, with at least equality after 19.exd7 Bxd7 20.Nc3. The point is that Black cannot take the obnoxious White e-pawn with 18...Rxe6, as White can activate his other advanced "Jerome pawn" with 19.f5 Re5 20.fxg6+ Kg8 and the tactics, as Stockfish shows, are in the attacker's favor: 21.Nc7!? Qxc7 22.Qg3 Qa5 23.Rxd7 Bxd7 24.Qxe5 Re8 25.Bxc5 Qd8 26.Qf4 with an advantage to White.
17.f5 Qxe1 18.e6+ Kg8 19.Raxe1 Rf8 20.fxg6 Rxf1+ 21.Rxf1 Ne5
Perhaps Black breathed a sigh of relief here. True, he has had to return his extra piece, but he has traded Queens and one pair of Rooks, and he can look forward to the possibility of a Bishops-of-opposite-colors endgame where White's extra pawn may make no difference.
22.Ne7+
Or not.
Here Black resigned, as 22...Kh8 23.Rf8 would be checkmate.
I have been going through (again) my issues of the very creative German chess magazine Randspringer, which has received mention on this blog in the past (see "Randspringer!" and "Unorthodox Chess Openings Magazines").
In fact, the magazine has two short articles on the Jerome Gambit, the first being "Meet Jerome" by Jack Young in Randspringer #6 1990-1991, referred to in "Repairing a Variation (Part 3)".
The second is in the pamphlet Eroffnungspraktikum 1. e4 & 'TROSSINGER PARTIE' 2. Lc4! auf alles (Randspringer #78, 2005), in the small "Lc4:f7+ (!; !?; ?!; ?) (von Kiew bis Kentucky)", with the famous Amateur - Blackburne game, and one by the editor/publisher of the magazine, himself.
A number of years ago I included the Schlenker game in a note to a blog post (see "Jerome Gambit: Drilling Down (12)") but I thought I would bring it out for some individual attention.
Schlenker, R. - Sfrd (DWZ 1850+)
May 24, 2002
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qxc5
d6 8.Qe3 Nf6
There are about 330 games with this position in The Database - the vast majority of them played after this game.
9.O-O Re8 10.d3 Ng4
A common theme: Harass White's Queen!
11.Qe2
Later, players would show a preference for 11.Qf3+. The current retreat is enough to embolden Black further, but his "attack" is brushed off.
11...Qh4 12. h3 N4e5
The rejected Knight says "Kick me!"
13. f4 Nd7
Instead, Schlenker suggests 13...Nf6, to be met by 14.c3.
The adventurous 13...Bxh3?! was successful in UNPREDICTABLE-Plafond, FICS, 2009, but should not have been: 14.fxe5+ Kg8 15.gxh3 Nxe5 16.Qg2 Rf8 17. Bg5? (17. Be3) 17...Rxf1+ 18.Qxf1?! (18.Kxf1) 18...Qg3+ 19.Qg2 Nf3+ 20.Kh1 Qe1+ 21.Qg1 Qxg1# Once again, fortune favors the bold!
14. Nc3 c6 15. f5 Nge5
Instead, 15...Ngf8!, Schlenker.
It is amazing how many opponents think that once you have played the Jerome Gambit, you have no more good moves left to play. Time to "kick" the other Knight.
16.d4 Nf6 17.dxe5 Black resigned
Schlenker points out if 17...dxe5 White has 18.Qc4+ Kf8 19.b3, and if 17...Rxe5 there is 18.Bf4. In both cases White is better.
Recently having the opportunity to play another Jerome Gambit in one of my Chess.com Giuoco Piano tournaments, I fired off my 4.Bxf7+ as soon as I could.
When the 3 days for my opponent's move had elapsed, and I had neither received his move in reply nor heard that he had overstepped the time limit, I checked in on the game at the website.
There was still 79 minutes left on his clock. There was also this notice
Your opponent is currently on vacation! They have 3 months of vacation time left, but may be back sooner.
I'm hoping for "sooner".
There is an old, not-so-funny joke, that goes
If someone who speaks three languages is called trilingual, and someone who speaks two languages is called bilingual, what do we call someone who speaks one language?
An American.
Well, maybe that is more true of my generation - my ASL is rusty, and I speak French like a Spanish cow - than the younger generation (both my sons speak English and Spanish, while the younger also speaks Haitian Kreyòl and reads French); but I often find that my online searches for Jerome Gambit material land me in places where my language skills leave me at a disadvantage.
The other day, for example, I visited Baidu Tieba, the largest Chinese online community, with a chance to examine a chess game on the Chess Forum. In Chinese.
The presenter shared a game - I did not get the names of the players - and he (or she) was clearly excited by the play of the Jerome Gambit.
I am adding some lines and diagrams to show some of my excitement as well.
NN - NN
tieba.baidu.com Chess Forum
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
The presenter gave this move a "!?", which warmed my heart.
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bb6
Black is intimidated by White's play, which is good for the attacker.
7.dxe5 d5
Striking out, while the more common responses (from The Database) are 7...Qe7 and 7...Ne7. (I can find only one example of 7...d5, in jfhumphrey - JelloOz, blitz, FICS, 2010 [1-0, 34] ).
8.exd5 Bf5
The presenter gives this move a "??" saying that Black is unaware of White's upcoming offensive, but the move actually is playable. Of course, the standard developing move 8...Ne7 is also good.
9.Qf3 Ne7 10.g4
10...g6
Here is where Black actually goes astray, by defending mechanically. Instead, with 10...Qxd5 there can be the exchange of Queens as well as a return the sacrificed piece, e.g. 11.Qxd5+ Nxd5 12.gxf5 Rae8 Very important for the defense. White's "Jerome pawns" are surprisingly vulnerable here. 13.f4 g5 14.Rf1 gxf4 15.e6+ Kf6 16.Bxf4 Nxf4 17.Rxf4 Kg5 18.Rf3 Rhf8 19.Nc3 Rxf5 20.Rg3+ Kh6 21.0-0-0 Rxe6
analysis diagram
with an even game, according to Stockfish 6. That would be a lot to expect from a defender who might well be seeing the Jerome Gambit for the first time, however.
11.gxf5 gxf5
Again, 11...Qxd5 is the more accurate defense, although White now has 12.fxg6+ when after 12...Ke8 13.Qxd5 Nxd5 14.Bg5 White is able to do better with the "Jerome pawns" i.e. 14...hxg6 15.Nd2 Bd4 16.0-0-0 Bxf2 17.Ne4 Be3+ 18.Bxe3 Nxe3 19.Rd3 Nf5 20.Rhd1 When Stockfish 6 shows a possible ending 20...Rh4 21.Nc5 Rxh2 22.Rd7 Ne3 23.Ne4 Rxc2+ 24.Kb1 Rxb2+ 25.Kxb2 Nxd1+ 26.Rxd1 Rd8 27.Rxd8+ Kxd8
analysis diagram
Black has the two pawns for the extra piece, but White is "objectively" better.
12.Nc3 Rg8 13.Qh5+
13...Kf8 14.Bh6+ Rg7 15.Qg5 Nxd5
The presenter gives this move a "?", but the only defense to put off checkmate, 15...Ng6, still leaves Black worse.
16.Qxg7+ Ke8 17.e6 Nxc3 18.Qf7 checkmate
The other day I received a friendly and supportive email from NM Michael Stewart, relating to my efforts with this Jerome Gambit blog.
Mr. Steward also mentioned an internet site that he is developing, "Chess Hustlers & Other Heroes".
I stopped by the site, and it already looks like a lot of fun. I have added it to this blog's links, and I encourage Readers to give it a look, as well.
Here are some additions to the previous post, which focused upon a line in the Abrahams Jerome Gambit, the game ndizvoh - stevebrown, blitz, FICS, 2015.
After 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Bxf7+ Kxf7 4.Qh5+ g6 5.Qxe5 Bxf2+
6.Ke2
the move 6...Nf6 was suggested as an alternative to 6...Qf6,
He also had the move 6...Nf6, which does the same thing, as 7.Kxf2 would then be met with 7...Ng4+, winning White's Queen.
Examples from The Database:
Rattymouse - bobbybo
blitz, FICS, 2007
1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Bxf7+ Kxf7 4.Qh5+ g6 5.Qxe5 Bxf2+ 6.Ke2 Nf6 7.Kxf2 Ng4+ White resigned
lksharma - oeyvind
blitz, FICS, 2008
1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Bxf7+ Kxf7 4.Qh5+ g6 5.Qxe5 Bxf2+ 6.Ke2 Nf6 7.Kxf2 Ng4+ 8.Ke1 Nxe5 9.d3 Rf8 10.Nh3 Kg8 11.Bg5 Qe8 12.Nd2 d5 13.Ke2 Bxh3 14.gxh3 dxe4 15.Nxe4 Nc4 16.Raf1 Rxf1 17.Rxf1 Nc6 18.Kd1 Nxb2+ 19.Kc1 Qe5 20.Nf6+ Kg7 21.Nd7 Qd6 22.Bf6+ Kh6 23.Bxb2 Qxd7 24.Bc3 Re8 25.Bd2+ g5 26.h4 Kh5 27.Bxg5 Re2 28.Bf6 Qg4 29.Kb2 Qb4+ 30.Kc1 Qa3+ 31.Kd1 Rxh2 32.Rf5+ Kg6 33.Rf4 Rg2 34.Bb2 Rg1+ 35.Ke2 Qe7+ White forfeited on time
xreal - jgknight
blitz, FICS, 2010
1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Bxf7+ Kxf7 4.Qh5+ g6 5.Qxe5 Bxf2+ 6.Ke2 Nf6 7.Kxf2 Ng4+ 8.Ke2 Nxe5 9.Nf3 Nxf3 10.gxf3 d5 11.d3 dxe4 12.fxe4 Bg4+ 13.Kd2 Qg5+ 14.Kc3 Qe5+ 15.Kb3 Be6+ 16.c4 Nc6 17.Rf1+ Ke8 18.Bf4 Nd4+ 19.Kc3 Ne2+ 20.Kd2 Nxf4 21.Nc3 Rf8 22.Ke3 Ng2+ 23.Kd2 Rxf1 24.Rxf1 Qg5+ 25.Kc2 Ne3+ 26.Kb3 Nxf1 White resigned
marciprevi - chesssuperstar
blitz, FICS, 2014
1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Bxf7+ Kxf7 4.Qh5+ g6 5.Qxe5 Bxf2+ 6.Kf1 Nf6 7.Kxf2 Ng4+ 8.Ke2 Nxe5 9.d4 Nc4 10.b3 d5 11.bxc4 Bg4+ 12.Ke3 Qg5+ 13.Kd3 dxc4+ 14.Kxc4 Qxc1 15.Kc3 Bd1 16.Ne2 Qxc2+ 17.Kb4 a6 18.Rf1+ Kg7 19.Na3 Nc6 checkmate
A little further along in the game's notes, I recommended that
White probably should have settled for 7.Qxf6+ Nxf6 8.Kxf2 Nxe4+ and a roughly equal game.
However, a quick look at The Database showed that in 23 games my suggestion scored 72% for Black!?
A consultation with Houdini 3 and Stockfish 6 gave me a clue as to what was going on. While both computer programs agreed that the responses 9.Ke1 and 9.Kf1 led to a balanced game, the move 9.Ke2 (3 games) led to an edge for Black, and the move 9.Ke3 (15 games) led to an advantage for Black. (Both moves are well met by 9...Re8.)
It can be helpful to know what has been played previously, if only to know what moves to avoid!
Finally, it can be noted that after the game continuation, 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Bxf7+ Kxf7 4.Qh5+ g6 5.Qxe5 Bxf2+ 6.Ke2 Qf6 7.Qd5+ Kg7
The Database contains 7 games with this position: 6 losses for White (one of them ndizvoh - stevebrown, blitz, FICS, 2015) and 1 draw.
