The Jerome Gambit Treatment - Unbelieveable!

I stumbled over the following game while looking for a possible recent Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit game example. White faced a Philidor Defense variant and dispatched it quickly.

What I recalled in my notes to move 6 got me chuckling, but what I found in my notes to move 7 sent my mind reeling: The "Jerome treatment" leads to this - Unbelieveable!

Take a look and see.

todotranquilo - SrNoth
blitz, FICS, 2014

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.d4

Sometimes when I am expecting Black to reply with 3...Bc5, I am met with 3...h6, the Semi-Italian Opening, instead. I usually continue with my development with 4.0-0 and hope for Black to fall in with my wishes. Occasionally I see 4...Nf6 and have to try 5.Nc3 before I see 5...Bc5 (and am then able to play 6.Bxf7+).

The earlier series on this blog, "A Jerome Look At The Semi-Italian Opening (Parts 1, 2, 3, 4 5 and 6)", is well worth visiting for history, analysis and games.

I took a quick look at The Database, and noticed:

There are 1,569 games with (or transposing to) 4.d4, with White scoring 64%; there are 352 games with 4.0-0, with White scoring 70%; and there are 349 games with 4.Nc3, with White scoring 61%.

4...d6 

The Database showed only 153 games with this move (not the best), with White scoring 70%. The more popular (and stronger) alternative, 4...exd4, appeared in 1,062 games, where White scored 57%.

5.dxe5 dxe5 6.Bxf7+

Of course, the straight-forward 6.Qxd8+ Kxd8 (or 6...Nxd8 7.Nxe5) 7.Bxf7 would win a pawn for White, but todotranquilo prefers to play like Jerome.

(Due to sampling bias, The Database does not have any games with 6.Qxd8+, but a quick look at ChessBase's online database gives 63 games with that move; White scores 86%. The two databases are vastly different, making comparisons dicey, but this peek gives an indication of the validity of 6.Qxd8+.)

Interestingly enough, 6.Bxf7+ was embraced in Chess Master vs Chess Amateur (1963), by Max Euwe and Walter Meiden

White could act even more energetically [than 6.Qxd8+ etc.] by playing 6.Bxf7+ Kxf7 7.Nxe5+, and Black is in great trouble, for (a) 7...Nxe5? 8.Qxd8 or (b) 7...Ke7 8.Ng6+, or (c) 7...Ke8 8.Qh5+ Ke7 9.Ng6+. After (d) 7...Kf6, the continuation is less clear. This does not mean that the sacrifice would be incorrect, since after 8.Nd3, White has two Pawns for a piece and the Black King is badly placed. On the other hand, a safe win of a Pawn as in the other variations, might be preferable.

Stay with me, there is more.

For starters, due to the magic of transpositions, there are 2,025 games in The Database with this position (after 6.Bxf7+), and White scores 41% - a reason, from a practical point of view, that Readers might consider the mundane 6.Qxd8+ over the dashing 6.Bxf7+. (The online ChessBase database has only one game with the position, a win for White.)

Of course, "from a practical point of view" it might also be wise to avoid the Jerome Gambit altogether; but where is the fun in that??

6...Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ Ke8

As mentioned above, 7...Kf6 is probably Black's strongest reply. Surprisingly, after the suggested pragmatic 8.Nd3, Stockfish 6 recommends 8...Kg6 and 9...Kh7 for Black, maintaining that the defense holds, and that the second player would have the advantage!

To be fair, the authors of Chess Master vs Chess Amateur were tidying up an offhand line in an offhand variation, not preparing for a tournament or writing an opening manual. But, what is the best response to 7...Kf6 ?

The best move seems to be 8.Qf3+!?, sacrificing a piece in true Jerome Gambit style! It turns out that anything else other than taking the piece with 8...Kxe5 for Black leads to checkmate. White's best move then is keep-the-enemy-King-in-the-middle 9.Qf7!?

analysis diagram




I gave the crazy position - White has sacrificed two pieces, Black's King is in mortal danger - to Stockfish 6, and here is just a surface view of what it found (the game is even) 9...Nf6 (9...Bb4+ 10.Nc3 Bxc3+ 11.bxc3 Nf6 12.f4+ Kxe4 13.0–0 Qg8 14.Qg6+ Kd5 15.Rd1+ Nd4 16.Rxd4+ Kc6 17.Qd3 Be6 18.f5 Rd8 19.fxe6 Rxd4 20.cxd4 Qxe6 White has an edge) 10.f4+ Kd6 (10...Kxe4 11.Nd2+ Qxd2+ the only move to avoid mate 12.Bxd2) 11.e5+ Nxe5 (11...Kc5 12.Be3+ Nd4 13.Nc3 Bg4 14.h3 White is better) 12.fxe5+ Kc6 13.Qc4+ (13.exf6? Bc5 Black is better) 13...Bc5 14.Be3 b6 15.Bxc5 Qd5 16.Qxd5+ Nxd5 17.Bf2 Ba6 18.Na3 Rhe8 19.0–0–0 Rxe5=

Please. Even that is too much. Is there any wonder why I play 4.0-0 ?
  
8.Qh5+ g6

The line Euwe and Meiden mention, 8...Ke7 9.Ng6+ is clearly good for White, who wins a Rook. They can be forgiven for not having a computer program which would have told them that the alternative 9.Qf7+ would lead to checkmate in a dozen moves.

9.Qxg6+ Black resigned

Wrong Piece - Oh, Never Mind!

 I have looked at the move Ng5+ for White in the standard Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) - see "Recurring Theme",  "Ng5+" and "Counterplay!" as examples.

The following game features the move in the "Abrahams Jerome Gambit". Of note is that games by duordy appear 77 times in The Database - in 2014 and 2015, so he is clearly a developing Jerome Gambit Gemeinde member to keep an eye on.

duordy - thejaswi
standard, FICS, 2015

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Bxf7+ 

3...Kxf7 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.Qe2 d6 

duordy has also faced:

5...Nc6 6.Qc4+ d5 7.Qxc5 dxe4 8.Nxe5+ Nxe5 9.Qxe5 Re8 10.Qc3 Kg8 11.0-0 Bf5 12.d3 exd3 13.cxd3 Bxd3 14.Rd1 Qe7 15.Be3 Bg6 16.Nd2 b6 17.Nf3 c5 18.Ne5 Qxe5 19.Qxe5 Rxe5 20.Re1 Rae8 21.Bd2 Ne4 22.Bf4 R5e6 White forfeited by disconnection, duordy - vinceagius, FICS, 2014;

5...Re8 6.Qc4+ d5 7.Qxc5 b6 8.Qe3 Nxe4 9.0-0 Qf6 10.d4 Nc6 11.dxe5 Nxe5 12.Nxe5+ Rxe5 13.Nd2 Nxd2 14.Qxd2 Ba6 15.c4 Bxc4 16.Re1 Rae8 17.Rxe5 Rxe5 18.h3 Re2 19.Qf4 Re1+ 20.Kh2 Qxf4+ 21.Bxf4 Rxa1 22.Bxc7 Rxa2 White resigned, duordy - mopdop, FICS, 2014; and

5...Rf8 6.Qc4+ d5 7.Qxc5 Kg8 8.exd5 e4 9.Ng5 h6 10.Ne6 Bxe6 11.dxe6 Nc6 12.0-0 Re8 13.e7 Rxe7 14.Qc4+ Kh8 15.d3 exd3 16.cxd3 Black forfeited by disconnection, duordy - jodhaakbar, FICS, 2014.

6.0-0

Or 6.Qc4+ Ke7 7.0-0 b6 8.Nc3 Ba6 9.Nd5+ Kd7 10.Nxf6+ Qxf6 11.Qd5 c6 12.Qb3 Bxf1 13.d3 Bxg2 14.Kxg2 Qg6+ 15.Bg5 Rf8 16.Kh1 Rxf3 17.Rg1 Bxf2 18.Rg2 Na6 19.Be3 Qf6 20.Rxf2 Rxf2 21.Bxf2 Qxf2 22.h4 Qxh4+ 23.Kg2 Qg4+ 24.Kh2 Qf4+ 25.Kh3 Rf8 26.d4 Qf1+ 27.Kh4 Rf4+ 28.Kg5 Qg1+ 29.Kh5 Qg4 checkmate, duordy - haslopdw, FICS, 2014. 

6...Rf8 

Or 6...Bg4 7.Qc4+ Kf8 8.Nxe5 Nbd7 9.Qf7, checkmate, duordy - ArneLaugstol, FICS, 2014. 

7.Qc4+ Be6 8.Ng5+ 

Aha!

8...Kg6 9.Qxe6 

Playing over the game, here I thought to myself - wrong piece, the Knight capture allows a fork - and then I saw whatWhite was up to.

9...Kxg5 

The Knight was poisoned.

10.Qf5+ Kh6 11.d4+ g5 12.Qxg5 checkmate

Blackburne Has Arrived

I have already mentioned Tim Harding's new book, Joseph Henry Blackburne A Chess Biography, published by McFarland. It is now available.

My copy arrived yesterday, and this large, attractive and comprehensive book is likely to keep me very occupied - and even interfere with this blog, if I am not careful.

Since Blackburne's destruction of the Jerome Gambit is probably the the best-known Jerome game, I wondered if there might be other examples in the book. I had a good laugh when I read

To attempt a "complete games of Blackburne" is unrealistic. Such a book must be huge yet one could never have confidence that every published offhand and exhibition game had been found. It would also include hundreds of atrocious games against weak amateurs, decided by feeble opening play and gross blunders. Graham estimated that Blackburne had played (already by 1899) somewhere between 50,000 and 100,000 games, although the higher figure is probably an overestimate. Besides his blindfold and ordinary simuls, Blackburne must have played thousands of casual games at clubs and public chess resorts, perhaps for a shilling stake. The vast majority were never published or, probably, even recorded.

So, probably no more Jerome Gambits, and maybe no Blackburne Shilling Gambitc, either, to be found in the pages. I certainly will let readers know if I discover any!

In the meantime, I am content to enjoy playing over the games (more than 1,000) of a brilliant attacking player who crossed swords with the top players of his time.

On the Run

When the Jerome Gambit player has his opponent on the run, he should finish him off quickly. The following game is a good example.

sabreman - Lovebuzz
standard, FICS, 2014

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Qf5+
Kd6 8.f4 Nh6 

Attacking White's Queen might ge a good idea in other lines of the Jerome, but here it only drives Her Majesty into action that she was already contemplating.

After White's 8th move, the computer says he is "objectively" lost. After Black's 8th move, the computer says he is "objectively" lost. White must act quickly to take advantage of his advantage.

9.Qxe5+ Kc6 10.Qd5+ 

An improvement over 10.d4 which still turned out okay, thanks to a little help: 10..Ng4? 11.Qxc5 checkmate, UNPREDICTABLE - acuriel, FICS, 2009. 

10...Kb6 11.Nc3 

The text is an improvement over 11.d4, seen in perrypawnpusher - hotintheshade, blitz, FICS, 2009 (1-0, 46) and senseidea - Liosikne, FICS, 2012 (1-0, 15). 

Best according to Stockfish 6 is 11.Qb3+!?, which is worth exploring, e.g. 11...Ka6 (11...Kc6 12.Nc3 d5 13.Qb5+ Kd6 14.e5+ Ke6 15.Qxc5) 12.Qa4+ Kb6 13.b4 d6 (13...Bd4 14.Qa5+ Kc6 15.Qd5+ Kb6 16.a4 Bf2+ 17.Kxf2 Qh4+ 18.g3 Ng4+ 19.Kg1 Qxh2+ 20.Rxh2 a5 21.Qc5+ Ka6 22.Qxa5#; 13...Bf2+ 14.Kxf2 a6 15.Bb2; 13...a6 14.bxc5+ Ka7 15.Nc3; 13...Be7 14.Qa5+ Kc6 15.Nc3 a6 16.b5+ Kd6 17.Qb4+ c5 18.bxc6+ Kxc6 19.Qc4+ Kb6 20.Qd4+ Kc7 21.Qxg7 Nf5 22.Nd5+ Kb8 23.exf5) 14.bxc5+ dxc5 15.Bb2.

11...Qh4+

This distraction does not work.

Neither does 11...d6 12.Qb3+ (12.Na4+?! was perrypawnpusher - Ondras, blitz, FICS, 2012 [1-0, 31]) Bb4 13.Qxb4+ Ka6 14.Qb5 checkmate.

12.g3 Qf6 13.Na4+ Ka6 14.Nxc5+ Kb5 15.a4+ Kb6 16.a5+ Black resigned

Checkmate awaits.

Don't Try to Out-Think Me Redux

There is plenty of room in chess, at all levels, for a dash of "psychology", but it should only replace "good moves" in dire (or controlled) circumstances. Otherwise the outcome is likely to be something like the following.

(Here we have another example of the aphorism: in the Jerome Gambit, when White has equalized, he has the advantage.)

Wall,B - Igidius

PlayChess.com, 2015

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.Nc3 

This time Bill chooses to develop his Knight over castling in this "modern" Jerome Gambit - for alternatives, see "Winning With the Jerome Gambit: A Game Full of Lessons".

6...Bxf2+

There was nothing wrong with 6...d6.

In other games opponents have tried 6...Ng4 (Wall,B - Richard123, Chess.com, 2010 [1-0, 10]); and 6...Rf8 (Wall,B - BarAbbas, PlayChess.com, 2012 [1-0, 45]).

With the text Black returns the "favor" of a sacrificed piece to create a displaced (and possibly vulnerable) King. Of course, he also moves from an "objectively" won game to an even game, which is generous of him. Such "psychology" appears regularly in Jerome Gambit games, and White can always say "thank you".

As I have cautioned the defender before: Don't try to out-think me, just play the refutation. 

7.Kxf2 Ng4+ 8.Kf1

Black's attack goes nowhere, but it is fun to include a game to show how it might have gone - with a good bit of luck and cooperation - 8.Kg3 d6 9.Ng5+ Kg6 10.h3 h6 11.hxg4 hxg5 12.Rxh8 Qxh8 13.Nd5 Qh4+ 14.Kf3 Bxg4+ 15.Ke3 Bxd1 16.Bd2 Qg3 checkmate, RomanDurdis - varsa, FICS, 2005. 

8...Rf8 9.Bg5 Qe8

Bill suggests, instead, 9...Nf6 10.Nd5 Nxd5 11.exd5 Ne7 with a roughly equal game. 

10.h3 h6 11.hxg4 hxg5 12.Qd2 Kg8 

Black gives up a pawn, perhaps thinking that it leaves White only a doubled, isolated pawn ahead; and, in the meantime, he safeguards his King. He puts his faith in his counter-attacking Knight.

13.Qxg5 Nd4

The piece hits the Knight at f3 and the pawn at c2. Surely this is compensation?!

14.Nd5 Nxf3 15.gxf3 Rxf3+ 

See, Black now has his pawn back.

Alas, White now has checkmate.

How did this happen??

16.Kg2 Qf7 17.Ne7+ Black resigned

A New Day in the Life of the Jerome Gambit

It is always nice to come across a Jerome Gambit game with a player who is new to me, and who appears to be new to the gambit.

In the following game White achieves a significant advantage, and then follows a sedate course to the full point. While it may be fun to point out some slam-bang checkmates along the way (it is worth playing them all out), it is always important to remember that "a win is a win". The end is inexorable, either way.

filipokpok - djernigan
blitz, FICS, 2015

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qd5+

The "nudge", usually a sign that the player is at least a little bit familiar with Jerome Gambit theory.

7...Kf8 8.Qxc5+ d6 9.Qe3 Ne5 

This move is not so much "bad" as it is provocative. It is perhaps telling that there is only one other game in The Database with this move.

10.O-O Nf6 11.d4

An improvement over 11.f4 as in perrypawnpusher - mconst, blitz, FICS, 2010 (0-1, 25).

11...Neg4

"When in doubt, neglect your development and attack the enemy Queen."

12.Qe2 Qe8 13.Nc3 c6 14.f4 Bd7 

Here we have a typical Jerome Gambit dynamic: Black has a somewhat restricted development (especially on the Queenside) while White has a menacing pawn center. Both need plans. Perhaps Black could threaten to undermine the "Jerome pawns" with 14...b5!? instead. 

15. f5 Nh6

Falling in with White's plans. Perhaps, analagous to the previous note, Black could look at 15...c5!?

16.Bxh6 gxh6 17.e5 dxe5 18.dxe5 Nd5 19.e6 Nxc3 20.bxc3 Bc8

If you are a tactical maniac, then the game is already over.

If you would like a quiet, step-by-step game that leads to "1-0", you can find that here, too.

Let's continue.

21.Rae1

Solid. When the "Jerome pawns" advance, they will sweep everything before them.

Alternately, there is 21.Qe5 h5 22.Qxh8+ Ke7 23.Qg7+ Kd8
24.Rad1+ Bd7 25.Rxd7+ Kc8 26.Rc7+ Kd8 27.Rd1+ Qd7 28.Qxd7 checkmate. Check it out, the thematic moves are instructive.

21...Qe7

Black's strongest defense is 21...Rg8, but then comes 22.e7+ Kf7 23.Qh5+ Kf6 24.Qxh6+ Kf7 25.Re6 Bxe6 26.Qxe6+ Kg7 27.f6+ Kh6 28.f7+ Rg6 29.Qe3+ Kg7 30.Qe5+ Kh6 31.Rf5 Rxg2+ 32.Kxg2 Qg8+ 33.Kh3 c5 34.Qe6+ Qg6 35.f8=Q+ Rxf8 36.exf8=Q checkmate. Of course, the defender would probably turn over his King before the 36th move.

22.f6

Well, that certainly would be enough for me to quail on defense.

Black does not take the hint, so perhaps it is okay to mention 22.Qe5 Rg8 23.f6 Qxe6 24.Qc5+ Kf7 25.Rxe6 Bxe6 26.Qe7+ Kg6 27.Qxe6 Rgf8 28.Qf5+ Kf7 29.Qxh7+ Ke6 30.Qe7+ Kd5 31.Rf5+ Kc4 32.Rc5 checkmate 

22...Qc5+ 23.Kh1 Qd5 

24.c4 

Black's Queen has escaped from under the footsteps of White's pawns, and White will have none of that: it is time to get his sacrificed material back, followed by a solid Rook and pawn endgame.

Alternately, there was 24.e7+ Ke8 25.f7+ Qxf7 26.Rxf7 Kxf7 27.Rf1+ Ke8 28.Qe5 Bh3 29.gxh3 Kd7 30.e8=Q+ Rhxe8 31.Rf7+ Re7 32.Rxe7+ Kd8 33.Qc7 checkmate. Remember, you attack your way and I'll attack my way...

24...Qxe6 25.Qxe6

It is silly to even mention the alternative: 25.Qd2 Kf7 26.Qxh6 Ke8 27.f7+ Kd8 28.Rxe6 Bxe6 29.Qxe6 Rf8 30.c5 h6 31.Rd1+ Kc7 32.Rd7+ Kc8 33.Qe8+ Rxe8 34.fxe8=Q checkmate

25...Bxe6 26.Rxe6 Kf7 

As filipokpok planned.

27.Re7+ Kg6 28.Rxb7

The text is enough. Congratulations if you also saw 28.Rg7+ Kh5 29.g3 c5 30.Rf5 checkmate 

28...Rhf8 29.f7 

White has this all figured out. (He could have been distracted by 29.Rg7+ Kh5 30.Rf3 c5 31.Rh3 checkmate.) 

29...a5 30.Rc7 Ra6 31.c5 a4 32.Rd7 Ra5 33.Rd6+ Kg7 34.Rxc6 Rxf7 35.Rxf7+ Kxf7 

Often in blitz "simpler is better" and so White has been willing to give up his advanced f-pawn to swap Rooks. There are more passed pawns available!

36.Rxh6 Kg7 37.Rc6 Rb5 38.Kg1 Rb2 39.Ra6 Rxc2 40.Rxa4 Rxc5 41.g4 Kg6 42.h4 Black resigned

Splendid!

[This is post #2,100 for the blog. August 2015 was also the 4th most visited month for jeromegambit.blogspot.com. Many thanks for the support and encouragement of Readers everywhere - Rick]

Fast, Faster, Fastest

Here are 3 Jerome Gambit games I picked up from the site lichess.org. Since the time limits were, respectively, 5 0, 3 0 and 1 0, you can expect some inaccuracies - but never a lack of excitement! (Interesting: the shorter the time limit, the longer the game.)

praentitong - fortescxi
5 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2015
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.d3 d6 8.Bg5 Nf6 9.0-0 Nxh5 White resigned


We have seen White in the next game before, in an earlier Abrahams Jerome Gambit.

obamaGANDON - rpap
3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2015
1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Bxf7+ Kxf7 4.Qh5+ Kf8 5.Qxe5 Qe7 6.Qf4+ Nf6 7.d3 Ke8 8.Qxc7 Nc6 9.Bg5 Qe5 10.Qxe5+ Nxe5 11.Bxf6 gxf6 12.Nc3 Bb4 13.0-0-0 Bxc3 14.bxc3 d6 15.f4 Ng4 16.h3 Nf2 17.Nf3 Nxh1 18.Rxh1 Be6 19.g4 Bxa2 20.f5 Bf7 21.g5 fxg5 22.Nxg5 Rc8 23.c4 a6 24.Re1 b5 25.e5 dxe5 26.Rxe5+ Kf8 27.d4 Rxc4 28.d5 Rc5 29.Nxf7 Kxf7 30.Kd2 Rd8 31.Kd3 Rcxd5+ 32.Rxd5 Rxd5+ 33.Ke4 Rc5 34.h4 Rxc2 35.h5 Rc5 36.Kf4 b4
White resigned


bbyd - jposthuma 
1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2015
1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Bxf7+ Kxf7 4.Qh5+ g6 5.Qxe5 Bxf2+ 6.Kxf2 Qf6+ 7.Qxf6+ Nxf6 8.Nf3 Nxe4+ 9.Ke3 d5 10.Rf1 Re8 11.d3 Ng3+ 12.Kf2 Nxf1 13.Ng5+ Kf6 14.Kxf1 Bg4 15.Nc3 c6 16.Nxh7+ Kg7 17.Ng5 Nd7 18.Bf4 Nf6 19.Bc7 Bf5 20.Ba5 Re7 21.Bb4 Re3 22.Bc5 Rae8 23.Bxe3 Rxe3 24.Re1 Rxe1+ 25.Kxe1 Ng4 26.Nf3 Kf6 27.Ke2 Ne5 28.Nxe5 Kxe5 29.Nd1 Bg4+ 30.Ke1 Bxd1 31.Kxd1 Kf4 32.Ke2 d4 33.g3+ Kg4 34.Kf2 Kh3 35.Kg1 g5 36.Kh1 g4 37.Kg1 c5 38.Kh1 b6 39.a3 b5 40.b3 a6 41.b4 c4 42.dxc4 bxc4 43.a4 d3 44.cxd3 cxd3 45.b5 d2 46.b6 d1Q checkmate