In the following game it is likely that White was expecting an exciting, quick blitz game with a dangerous attack; but he probably didn't expect to be on the receiving end of the aggression.
Philidor1792 again shows that lessons from the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) can be applied elsewhere, even on defense.
guest211 - Philidor1792
blitz 3 0, www.bereg.ru, 2016
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bb6 5.a4 Nf6
Varying from 5...f5 in guest443 - Philidor1792, blitz 3 0, www.bereg.ru, 2016.
6.a5 Bxf2+
Philidor1792 faced this last year: Philidor 1792 - guest234blitz, 3 0, www.bereg.ru, 2015 (0-1, 19)
7.Kxf2 Nxe4+ 8.Kg1 d5 9.Bb3 Qd6
10.d3 Nf6 11.Bg5 Qxb4 12.Bxf6 gxf6 13.Nbd2 Rg8
14.h3 Be6 15.Kh2 Qf4+ 16.Kg1 O-O-O
17.Qe2 f5 18.a6 b6 19.Ba4 Nd4 20.Qxe5 Nxf3+ 21.Nxf3 Qxf3 22.Rh2 f4 23.Kh1 Qf2 24.Bc6 Bxh3 25.gxh3 Qf3+ 26.Rg2 Qxg2 checkmate
In earlier posts we have seen Philidor1792 take some ideas from the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) and stir things up with Bxf2+ in other openings on several occasions. The connection between the Jerome and the Evans Gambit has been made - but in the following game we see Black using Jerome ideas for the defense...
guest443 - Philidor1792
blitz 3 0, www.bereg.ru, 2016
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bb6
The Evans Gambit Declined.
5.a4 f5
6.a5
There is only one good response to Black's pawn strike, and it is the solid 6.d3 but White is not thinking about "solid".
6...Bxf2+
Stockfish 7's first choice, and the only move that leads to Black's advantage. This has to come as a shock to White - and in a 3-minute game!
7.Kxf2 fxe4 8.Ne1
White's best choice was to borrow a defensive idea from Black in the Jerome Gambit - castling-by-hand - and try 8.Rf1 exf3 9.Kg1 fxg2 10.Bf7+ but the second player would still have the advantage.
8...Qh4+
The "Jerome Queen"!
9.Kg1 e3 10.Qe2 Qd4 11.c3 exd2+ 12.cxd4 dxc1=Q 13.dxe5 Nxb4
14.Qh5+
Now it is White's Queen's turn, but nothing comes of it.
14...g6 15.Qe2 Nc2 16.Qxc2 Qxe1+ 17.Bf1 Qxe5 18.Ra4 Nf6 19.Nc3 Qc5+ 20.Qf2 Qxc3 White resigned
The title of this post is from a quote by the American baseball player Yogi Berra, who packed a lot of insight into his verbal quips. Makes me wonder if he ever played the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+). Probably not. Too bad.
Playing through the following game, however, and paying attention to the notes, will teach you a lot about a particular line in the Jerome Gambit.
Wall, Bill - Guest3625961
PlayChess.com, 2015
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6
The Semi-Italian opening.
4.Nc3 Nf6 5.O-O Bc5
The Semi-Italian Four Knights.
6. Bxf7+
The Semi-Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.
The Database has 125 examples, with White scoring 67%. However, Bill is 15-0, including this game.
6...Kxf7 7.Nxe5+
For a change, in this line and others, Bill has tried 7.Qe2, which led to some interesting play, too: 7...d6 8.d3 Rf8 (8...a6 9.h3 Ba7 10.Be3 Be6 11.a4 Rf8 12.a5 Kg8 13.Bxa7 Rxa7 14.Rfe1 b5 15.axb6 cxb6 16.Qd2 Ra8 17.d4 exd4 18.Nxd4 Nxd4 19.Qxd4 Qc7 20.Red1 Rfd8 21.Rd2 b5 22.f3 Bc4 23.b3 Bf7 24.Qe3 Re8 25.Qd4 Nh5 26.Nd5 Bxd5 27.Qxd5+ Qf7 28.Qxd6 Red8 29.Qxd8+ Rxd8 30.Rxd8+ Kh7 31.Rxa6 Qc7 32.Rd5 Nf4 33.Rd2 Qe7 34.c4 bxc4 35.bxc4 Qg5 36.Kh2 Nxh3 $2 37.Rd5 Qf4+ 38.Kxh3 Qc7 39.Ra4 Qc8+ 40.Kg3 Qc6 41.Ra7 Black resigned, Wall,B - Doris, PlayChess.com, 2012) 9.Be3 Bxe3 10.fxe3 Kg8 11.h3 Qe8 12.Nb5 Qd7 13.c4 a6 14.Nc3 Qe8 15.Nd5 Nxd5 16.cxd5 Ne7 17.Rae1 Qh5 18.Qc2 c6 19.dxc6 bxc6 20.Qb3+ Kh8 21.Nh2 Bd7 22.Qb7 Rad8 $2 23.Rxf8+ Rxf8 24.Qxd7 Rf7 25.Qxd6 Qg5 26.Ng4 h5 27.Nxe5 Rf6 28.Qxe7 Rf1+ 29.Rxf1 Qxe7 30.Ng6+ Black resigned, Wall,B - Suave, PlayChess.com, 2013.
There is also the calm 7.d3: 7...Re8 8.Be3 Nd4 9.Na4 Nxf3+ 10.Qxf3 Be7 11.c4 Kg8 12.Nc3 c6 13.Qf5 Bb4 14.Qg6 d5 15.Bxh6 Qc7 16.f4 Bxc3 17.bxc3 dxc4 18.fxe5 Rxe5 19.Rxf6 Re7 20.Raf1 Bd7 21.Rf7 Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest907068, PlayChess.com 2012.
7...Nxe5 8.d4 Bxd4
The text is probably best, but Bill has faced alternatives which are worth playing out:
8...Re8 9.dxc5 Kg8 $6 10.f4 Nc4 11.e5 Nh7 12.Qd5+ Kh8 13.Qxc4 b6 14.Nd5 bxc5 15.Qxc5 c6 16.Nb4 a5 17.Nd3 Nf8 18.f5 Ba6 19.c4 Rb8 20.b3 d5 21.exd6 Nd7 22.Qxc6 Bb7 23.Qc7 Qf6 24.Qxd7 Qxa1 25.Bb2 Qxf1+ 26.Kxf1 Rg8 27.Qe6 Rbe8 28.Qxh6 checkmate, Wall,B - Santiago,D, FICS, 2010);
8...Bd6 9.dxe5 (9.f4 Rf8 10.fxe5 Kg8 11.exf6 Rxf6 12.Rxf6 Qxf6 13.e5 Qg6 14.exd6 Black resigned, Wall,B - Dato, Chess.com, 2010) 9...Bxe5 10.Nd5 Nxd5 (10...h5 11.f4 Bd4+ 12.Qxd4 c5 13.Qxc5 d6 14.Qb5 Nxe4 15.Qc4 Nf6 16.Nxf6+ Kxf6 17.Be3 d5 18.Bd4+ Kf7 19.Qd3 Re8 20.Qh7 Rg8 21.Qxh5+ Kf8 22.Bc5+ Black resigned, Wall,B - Mol,E, Chess.com, 2010; or 10...c6 11.f4 Bb8 12.Nxf6 Qxf6 13.e5 Qe6 14.Be3 d5 15.Qh5+ g6 16.Qh4 Bc7 17.Rae1 Bd8 18.Qg3 Qg4 19.e6+ Bxe6 20.f5 Bxf5 21.Qxg4 Black resigned, Wall,B - Maas,D, Chess.com, 2011) 11.Qxd5+ Kf6 $2 12.f4 Kg6 13.fxe5 Kh7 14.Rf7 Qh4 15.Be3 Re8 16.e6 dxe6 17.Qe5 Rg8 18.Bd4 Qg4 19.Rxc7 b6 20.Rf1 Ba6 21.Rff7 Qd1+ 22.Kf2 Qd2+ 23.Kf3 Be2+ 24.Kg3 Qg5+ 25.Kf2 Qxe5 26.Bxe5 Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest215111, PlayChess.com, 2012);
8...Qe7 9.dxc5 Qxc5 10.Be3 Qc6 11.Bd4 Nc4 12.e5 Nd5 13.Qf3+ Kg8 $2 14.Nxd5 Nd2 15.Ne7+ Kh7 16.Qf5+ Black resigned, Wall,B - Rami, FICS. 2012;
8...d6 9.dxc5 dxc5 10.Qe2 Re8 (10...b6 11.Bf4 Ng6 12.Bg3 a5 13.Rfd1 Qe7 14.e5 Ng4 15.Qf3+ Kg8 16.Qxa8 Kh7 17.f4 Bf5 18.Qf3 c6 19.h3 N6xe5 20.fxe5 Nxe5 21.Qxf5+ Black resigned, Wall,B - Gual,T, Chess.com, 2010; or 10...Bg4 11.f3 Bh5 12.g4 Bg6 13.f4 Nc6 14.e5 Nd5 15.Qc4 Re8 16.Nxd5 b5 17.Qxc5 Nxe5 18.fxe5+ Kg8 19.Bxh6 Rxe5 20.Rad1 Bf7 21.Qc3 Qd6 22.Nf6+ Black resigned, Wall,B - Snoopy, Chess.com 2010) 11.f4 Neg4 12.Rd1 Bd7 13.h3 Nf2 14.Kxf2 Nh5 15.Qxh5+ Kg8 16.Qd5+ Kh8 17.Qxd7 Qh4+ 18.g3 Qh5 19.Be3 Black resigned, Wall,B - Defensive, Chess.com, 2010;
and 8...Ng6 9.dxc5 Re8 10.Qd4 Qe7 11.f3 Kg8 12.Nb5 c6 13.Nc7 Rb8 14.Nxe8 Qxe8 15.Qd6 Ra8 16.Bxh6 gxh6 17.Qxf6 d5 18.exd5 cxd5 19.Rad1 Nf4 20.Qxf4 Black resigned, Wall,B - Jazza, Chess.com, 2010.
9.Qxd4 d6 10.f4 Nc6 11.Qd3
11...Be6
Avoiding an "Optical Illusion" variation with 11...Nb4?.
There was also: 11...Re8 12.b4 Be6 13.a3 Nd7 14.f5 Kg8 15.fxe6 Rxe6 16.Qc4 Qe7 17.Nd5 Qh4 18.Nxc7 Qxe4 19.Qxe6+ Qxe6 20.Nxe6 Re8 21.Nc7 Black resigned, Wall,B - Neelesh, PlayChess.com, 2014).
12.f5 Nb4
Ah, but the temptation is still there...
13.fxe6+ Ke7 14.Qc4 Nc6 15.Nd5+ Ke8 16.Qc3 Ne5
Huh?
17.Nxc7+ Ke7 18.Nxa8 Qxa8 19.Bf4 Rc8 20.Qg3 Nh5 21.Qh4+ g5 22.Qxh5 gxf4 23.Rxf4 Black resigned
Checkmate is inescapable.
The Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) has any number of unusual positions arising from White's attack and Black's defense/counterattack. The following game continues exploration of an odd one in particular, along with some very instructive tactical play.
Wall, Bill - Guest3742987
PlayChess.com 2015
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bb4+ 7.c3
This is an interesting position. Check out "LPDO Revisited", "Gloom and Doom", "Here... No, there... No, Here... No, There..." and "Never Send A Pawn To Do A Job..." for some of the earlier looks at it.
Black's response with his Queen in this game is relatively rare. (Wildest is 7...Qh4!?)
7...Qe7 8.dxe5
Some other ideas:
8.Qh5+ g6 9.Qxe5 Qxe5 10.dxe5 Bc5 11.O-O d6 12.exd6 Bxd6 13.Be3 Nf6 14.f3 Re8 15.Nd2 Be6 16.a3 Nh5 17.Rad1 Nf4 18.g3 Nd3 19.Rb1 Bc5 20.Bxc5 Nxc5 21.Rfd1 Rad8 22.Kf2 Rd7 23.Ke2 Red8 24.f4 Bg4+ 25.Ke1 Bxd1 26.Rxd1 Nb3 27.Nxb3 Rxd1+ 28.Ke2 Rh1 29.Kf3 Rxh2 30.Nd4 c5 31.Nb5 a6 32.Nc7
Rd3+ 33.Kg4 h6, White forfeited on time, iranstone - Mucke, FICS, 2013; or
8.Qb3+ d5 9.cxb4 Nc6 10.O-O Nf6 11.exd5 Nxd4 12.Qc4 Nf5 13.Bg5 Nd6 14.Qb3 Bf5 15.Nc3 Rhf8 16.Rfe1 Qd7 17.a4 Kg6 18.h4 h6 19.Bxf6 Rxf6 20.Ne2 Raf8 21.Nf4+ Kh7 22.h5 Be4 23.Ng6 Rxf2 24.Nxf8+ Rxf8 25.Rf1 Qg4 26.Qh3 Rxf1+ 27.Rxf1 Qe2 28.Rf2 Qd1+ 29.Kh2 Qxd5 30.Qh4 Nf5 31.Qf4 Nd6 32.Rd2 Qxh5+ 33.Kg1 Bg6 34.b3 Qg5 35.Rd4 Qxf4 36.Rxf4 Bc2 37.Rf3 Ne4 38.Kh2 c5 39.bxc5 Nxc5 40.Rc3 Bxb3 41.Rxc5 Bxa4 42.Rc7 a5 43.Rxb7 Bb3 44.Ra7 a4 45.Ra5 Kg6 46.Kg3 Kf6 47.Kf2 g5 48.Ke3 h5 49.Kd4 Kg6 50.Kc3 h4 51.Kb4 Kh5 52.Kc3 Kg4 53.Kd2 h3 54.Ke1 hxg2 55.Kf2 Kh3 56.Rxg5 Kh2 57.Rxg2+, Black forfeited on time, Nusiance - scaccopazzoo, FICS, 2009 ; or
8.O-O Bxc3 9.bxc3 Nc6 10.Qb3+ Ke8 11.Bd2 d6 12.Na3 a6 13.e5 Qf7 14.c4 Nxd4 15.Qd3 Nc6 16.exd6 Bf5 17.Rfe1+ Kd7 18.dxc7+ Kxc7 19.Bf4+ Kc8 20.Qb3 Na5 21.Qb6 Nf6 22.Qxa5 Nh5 23.Bd6, Black forfeited on time, stretto - Conga, FICS, 2007.
8... Bc5
8...Qxe5 9.Qf3+ Nf6 10.Nd2 d5 11.cxb4 dxe4 12.Nxe4
Qxe4+ 13.Qxe4 Nxe4 14.O-O Re8 15.Be3 Kg8 16.Rac1 c6 17.Rc4 b5 Black resigned, EvanJunior - seanwickham, FICS, 2008.
9. Qd5+
Alternately 9.Qf3+ Ke8 10.O-O Qxe5 11.Bf4 Qf6 12.e5 Qf5 13.Nd2 d6 14.exd6 Bxd6 15.Rfe1+ Kd7 16.Nc4 Qxf4 17.Qh3+ Kd8 18.g3 Qxc4 19.Qh5 Nf6 20.Qg5 Qf7 21.Rad1 h6 22.Qe3 Re8 23.Qd2 Rxe1+ 24.Rxe1 Bf5 25.b4 Kd7 26.c4 Qxc4 27.a3 Re8 28.Rc1 Qd5 29.Qc3 Bh3 30.f3 Re2 31.a4 Rg2+ 32.Kh1 Rf2 33.Qe3 Qxf3+ 34.Qxf3 Rxf3 White resigned, jfhumphrey - kenzie, FICS 2010.
9...Ke8 10.O-O c6 11.Qd1 d6
There was nothing wrong with 11...Qxe5.
12.b4 Bb6 13.exd6 Qe5 14.Bb2 Nf6 15.Nd2 Be6 16.Nf3 Qf4
If 16...Qxe4 then 17.Re1, as Bill points out; yet the central "Jerome pawns" are beginning to look like trouble. The game is about equal.
17.Bc1 Qg4 18.Re1 Nxe4 19.Be3 Rf8
Black probably should have gone in for the complications after 19...Nxc3 20.Qc2 Nd5 21.h3 Qf5 22.Qxf5 Bxf5 23.Bxb6+.
20.Bxb6 axb6
Now the tactics build around the Knight at e4.
21.Qd4 Rf4 22.h3 Qg6 23.Ne5 Qf5 24.Nd3 Rh4 25.Qxg7
White grabs a pawn before returing to the pressure on e4.
25...Qf7 26. Qd4 Rd8 27. Rxe4 Rxe4 28.Qxe4 Rxd6
White is up a couple of pawns, but the tactical thrust-and-parry continues.
29.Re1 Kf8 30.Ne5 Qf5 31.Qe3 Bxa2 32.Qxb6 Rd2 33.Qe3 Rd6 34.Qc5 Qe6 35.Re3 Qh6
36.Nd7+ Kg8 37.Qe5 Rd1+ 38.Kh2 Rxd7 39.Qe8+ Qf8 40.Qxd7
The advantage has grown to the exchange and some pawns, and Bill is willing to simplify into a stone cold won pawn ending.
40...Bf7 41.Qxb7 Qd6+ 42.g3 Kf8 43.Rf3 Qe6 44.Qxf7+ Qxf7 45.Rxf7+ Kxf7 46.c4 Ke6 47.b5 Kd7 48.f4 Kd6 49.b6 c5 50.f5
Black resigned
There are so many ways to defeat the Jerome Gambit, it's not surprising to see Black, in the following game, attempt several of them. I suppose that any one of them could work - on a different day, in a different game, against a different player...
Wall, Bill - Guest3967134
PlayChess.com, 2015
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bxd4 7.Qxd4 Qf6
Black has given back one of the sacrificed pieces, and then developed his Queen to where it protects his King, controls the center and threatens an exchange. Surely, this is enough?
8.Qc5
A couple of notable alternatives:
8.Qe3 as in Wall,B - Tsyalex, PlayChess.com, 2015 (1-0, 20); and
8.Qd1 as seen in an unfinished correspondence game Jerome,A - Norton, D.P., 1876, and the later Jerome,A - Jaeger,D, correspondence, 1879, (1-0, 35).
Don't overlook "Why Did He Play That Move?"
8...Qd6 9.Qc3
The positional 9.Qxd6!? was seen in Wall,B - berserkergang, FICS, 2011: 9...cxd6 10. O-O Nf6 11. Nc3 a6 12. Rd1 Ke7 13. b3 b5 14. Ba3 Nf7 15. e5 Ne8 16. exd6+ Nexd6 17. Ne4 Bb7 18. Nxd6 Nxd6 19. Rxd6 Kd8 20. Rad1 Bc6 21.Rxc6 Black resigned
9...Nf6 10.Bf4 Nxe4
Giving back the other sacrificed piece. Surely, this at least draws?
11.Qxe5 Qxe5 12.Bxe5 d6
13.f3 Re8 14.fxe4 Rxe5 15.Nc3 c6
Black has play against White's isolated e-pawn - plus a Bishop for a Knight. Winning in the endgame is no shame.
16.Rf1+ Kg8 17.O-O-O d5 18.exd5 Bd7 19.dxc6 Bxc6
Black has sacrificed a pawn for dynamic piece play. Look at that Bishop!
20.g3 Rae8 21.Rd4 h6 22.Kd2 a6 23.a3 Bb5 24.Nxb5 axb5 25.Rf2 b6
Okay, maybe things are going a bit awry for Black...
26.Rd6 Kh7 27.Rxb6 Rd5+ 28.Kc3 Re3+ 29.Kb4 Re4+ 30.Kb3 Re3+ 31.c3 Rde5 32.Rb7 Re7 33.Rxb5 Re2 34.Rxe2 Rxe2 35.a4
35...Rxh2 36.a5 Rg2 37.a6 Rxg3 38.a7 Black resigned
I just noticed that chessfriend Guido de Bouver of Flanders, Belgium, has a post on his Blackmar Diemer Gambit website (1.d4 d5 2.e4!? dxe4 3.Nc3; I have a link to it from this blog) which is titled "A Nice Jerome Gambit".
In the past we have exchanged ideas on the Jerome Gambit, although Guido's first love is the BDG, about which he has written a fine book, Attack With the Blackmar Diemer (see my review here).
About the following game, Guido notes "Friday evening, as a surprise act, I played a nice little Jerome gambit in our local chess club. My opponent, who had prepared himself for a fierce Blackmar Diemer, could not believe his eyes."
De Bouver, Guido - Verstappen
Mechelen, 2015
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Nf6
10.O-O Rf8 11.d4 b6
We are already in unexplored territory, according to The Database.
12.f4
"Jerome pawns on the move!" Guido remarks.
12...Bb7 13.Nc3 Qe7
14.f5 Nh8 15.e5 dxe5 16.dxe5 Nd5 17.Nxd5 Bxd5 18.b3 Nf7 19.Bb2
Drawn
Guido's assessment: "A very complicated position - white has two strong pawns for the piece and has the safer king. If black however can exchange a few pieces, black should have the better endgame."
