It feels somewhat strange to urge caution in a chess opening that is known to be refuted - if the "best" lines still lose, what can be said of the "lesser lines"? Much seems to turn on "psychology", where the "best" move might be the most obscure or unclear or unsettling move - regardless of its "objective" worth - one that gives the opponent the greatest chance to go wrong.
So many times, the opponent takes that chance.
It is worth examining the play of HauntedKnight's games (as we have done before; see "Familiar Territory"), below, for ideas on how to pursue the attack.
HauntedKnight - blocbloc
FICS, 2016
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4
This move was, at first, Alonzo Wheeler Jerome's favorite response, although he later turned to 6.Qh5+.
6...Qh4
This is Black's sharpest response.
7.dxc5
HauntedKnight has over 400 games in The Database, and he has scored 50%+ in them, so it feels a bit presumptious to suggest that he play the "better" move, 7.0-0, like he did previously:
7.O-O Ng4 8.h3 Bb6 9.hxg4 Nf6 10.g5 Ng4 11.Qf3+ Kg8 12.Qh3 Qxh3 13.gxh3 Bxd4 14.hxg4 d6 15.c3 Bb6 16.Kg2 Bxg4 17.f3 Bh5 18.Nd2 h6 19.Nc4 Bf7 20.Nxb6 axb6 21.gxh6 gxh6 22.Kf2 Kh7 23.Rh1 h5 24.Be3 Rhg8 25.b3 Rg7 26.Ke2 Rg2+ 27.Kd3 Raxa2 28.Rab1 Rh2 29.Rhg1 h4 30.Rg4 h3 31.Rh4+ Kg8 32.Bd4 Kf8 33.Rh8+ Ke7 34.Rh7 c5 35.Bh8 Ke8 36.Bf6 Rhd2+ 37.Ke3 h2 38.Rh1 Rg2 39.b4 cxb4 40.cxb4 Rae2+ 41.Kf4 d5 42.Rh8+ Kd7 43.exd5 Bxd5 44.Rh7+ Kc6 45.Bd4 Rd2 46.Rh6+ Kb5 47.Rxb6+ Kc4 48.Bc5 Rg1 49.Rxh2 Rxh2 50.Rxb7 Rh4+ 51.Ke5 Rh5+ 52.Kd6 Rg6+ 53.Kc7 Rh7+ 54.Kb8 Rxb7+ 55.Kc8 Rg8+ 56.Bf8 Rxf8 checkmate, HauntedKnight - scarlattibach, FICS, 2012.
7...Qxe4+ 8.Kf1
This is an improvement over two other lines for White:
8.Be3 Qb4+ (8...Qxg2 9.Rf1 [9.Qd5+ Qxd5 White resigned, HauntedKnight - homeopata, FICS, 2014] 9...d6 [9...Nf6 10.Nd2 Re8 11.b3 Neg4 12.Nc4 Nxe3 13.fxe3 Qxh2 14.Qd5+ Kf8 15.Kd1 Qh1 16.Rxh1 Black resigned, HauntedKnight -rustyllm, FICS, 2011] 10.Nd2 b6 11.Qh5+ g6 12.Qh4 Ba6 13.c4 Nd3+ 14.Ke2 Nxb2 15.Rac1 Re8 16.Rg1 Qc6 17.Rg3 Nf6 18.Kf1 Nd3 19.Bd4 dxc5 20.Bxf6 Nxc1 21.Bxh8 Rxh8 22.Rf3+ Ke8 23.Qe4+ Qxe4 24.Nxe4 Nxa2 25.Nd2 Nb4 26.Re3+, Black forfeited on time, HauntedKnight - Dpouchy, FICS, 2015; 8...Nf6 9.Nc3 Qb4 10.O-O Qxb2 11.Bd4 Nc6 12.Bxf6 gxf6 13.Qd5+ Kg7 14.Ne4 Qe5 15.Qd3 Re8 16.Ng3 Qd4 17.Qf3 Ne5 18.Nf5+ Kh8 19.Qh5 Qg4 20.Qxe8+ Qg8 21.Qh5 Ng6 22.Ng3 b6 23.Rfe1 Bb7 24.Rad1 Ne5 25.Rxe5 fxe5 26.Qxe5+ Qg7 27.Qxg7+Kxg7 28.Rxd7+ Kg6 29.Rxc7 Ba6 30.cxb6 axb6 31.h4 Rd8 32.h5+ Kf6 33.Rxh7 Rd1+ 34.Kh2 Rd2 35.Ne4+ Black resigned, HauntedKnight - rriberi, FICS, 2015) 9.Nd2 (9.Nc3 Qxb2 [9...Qxc5 10.Bxc5 Black resigned, HauntedKnight - avargasg, FICS, 2012] 10.Qd5+ Kg6 11.Qxe5 Qxa1+ 12.Ke2 Qxh1 13.Ne4 Qxg2 14.h4 Qg4+ 15.f3 Qe6 16.h5+ Kf7 17.Ng5+ Black resigned, HauntedKnight - kyrylo, FICS, 2013) 9...Qxb2 10.O-O Nf6 11.c4 Qc3 12.Rc1 Qd3 13.Qa4 Rf8 14.Rfd1 Kg8 15.Nb3 Qg6 16.g3 Nfg4 17.Bf4 Rxf4 18.gxf4 Ne3+ White resigned, HauntedKnight - mansalta, FICS, 2015; and
8.Qe2 Qxe2+ 9.Kxe2 Nf6 10.Re1 Re8 11.Kf1 Neg4 12.Rxe8 Kxe8 13.h3 Ne5 14.Bf4 d6 15.cxd6 cxd6 16.Nc3 a6 17.Rd1 Ke7 18.g4 h6 19.g5 hxg5 20.Bxg5 Bxh3+ 21.Ke2 Bg4+ 22.Kd2 Bxd1 23.Kxd1 Rh8 24.Nd5+ Ke6 25.Nc7+ Kf5 26.Bxf6 gxf6 27.b3 Ke4 28.Kd2 f5 29.Kc3 f4 30.Ne6 Rc8+ 31.Kb2 Nf3 32.c4 d5 33.Kc3 dxc4 34.bxc4 b5 35.c5 Ke5 36.Ng7 Rxc5+ 37.Kb4 Rc2 38.a4 bxa4 39.Kxa4 Rxf2 40.Ne8 Nd4 41.Nc7 Ra2+ 42.Kb4 a5+ 43.Kc3 a4 44.Na6 a3 45.Nb4 Ra1 46.Kd2 a2 47.Nd3+ Kf5 48.Nb4 f3 49.Nxa2 Rxa2+ 50.Ke3 Ra4 51.Kf2 Kf4 52.Kf1 Ra2 53.Ke1 f2+ 54.Kf1 Ke3 55.Kg2 Ke2 56.Kg3 f1=Q 57.Kh2 Kf3 checkmate, HauntedKnight - pzinga, FICS, 2014.
8...Nf6 9.Nc3 Qh4
Previously HauntedKnight had faced 9...Qc4+ 10.Kg1 Qxc5 11.Be3 Qe7 12.g3 d6 13.Kg2 Bg4 14.Qd2 Bf3+ 15.Kg1 Bc6 16.f4 Nf3+ White resigned, HauntedKnight - truuf, FICS, 2014
10.Be3 b6 11.Ne2 bxc5 12.Ng3 d6 13.c3 Ba6+
14.Kg1 Rhe8 15.Qb3+ c4 16.Qd1 g6 17.Kf1 Neg4 18.Bd4 Nxh2+
This is an odd idea, instead of continuing the attack with 18...Bb7. Perhaps Black miscalculated something. This is the kind of opportunity many Jerome Gambit players expect and enjoy.
19.Kg1 Nfg4 20.Qd2
White should have continued to recover the piece with 20.Nf1 Qg5 21.Nxh2 Nxh2 22.Rxh2
20...Bb7 21.Qf4+
Still available was 21.Nf1.
21...Kg8 22.Rxh2
A final oversight.
22...Qxh2+ White resigned
The following quick game shows the risks of playing "thematically" instead of "concretely" - as in, not what your opening suggests, but what is actually on the board.
Wall, Bill - Guest3846778
PlayChess.com, 2016
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4
The Blackburne Shilling Gambit.
4.Bxf7+
The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6 6.c3 Qg5
I can imagine Bill thinking: "I'm playing the Jerome Gambit. What are you playing??" His opponent makes the thematic attacking move in the BSG, but he should have stayed in the main lines with 6...Kxe5.
I was surprised to find 52 games in The Database with this position, with White scoring 61%. Only 39 games feature White's next move, which bumps the scoring up to 65%. Sadly, 37 games feature Black's terminal response - and White still scores only 64%.
This game shows the way to a full 100%.
7.cxd4 Qxg2
As intended, but allowing checkmate.
8.Qb3+ Kd6 9.Qd5+ Ke7 10.Qf7+ Kd6 11.Nc4+ Kc6 12.Qd5 checkmate
I have been away from the Jerome Gambit (see"Reliable") long enough that Bill Wall questioned if I had given it up. Not so, not so. That doesn't mean that all of my new games are gems - although the following one brought a smilt to my face.
perrypawnpusher - grosshirn
2 19 blitz, FICS, 2016
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 Kf7 11.f4 Re8 12.f5
This position appeared as early as Vazquez,A - Carrington,W, Mexico, 2nd match (1), 1876 (1-0, 34).
This is my 14th game with this position, having won 9, drawn 1, and lost 4 to date (68%).
From here, four times my opponents made it easy for me, as in this game - and, sadly, I only won 3 of those games.
12...Rxe4
I have previously mentioned FIDE Master Dennis Monokroussos' thoughtful website, The Chess Mind, and his down-to-earth query,
Is there even a single trap for Black to fall into in the Jerome Gambit?
If Black believes that White is making it up as he goes along, the defender is not likely to pay attention close enough to avoid stepping in a small trap.
13.fxg6+
Black resigned.
I think my opponent was unhappy at having slipped. His position isn't "objectively" all that bad after 13...Kg8 14.gxh7+ Kh8! (14...Kxh7 15.Qd3 will win the exchange) 15.Qf2!? (15.Qd3 Bd7! 16.Rxf6? Qxf6 17.Qxe4 Re8!) and White will have to be happy to be just a pawn up (the White pawn at h7 is doomed) while lagging in development.
In the following game, Black defends well against the initial gambit, and then a further couple of sacrifices. Things are not easy for him, but he is well on his way to a full point when he makes a small slip...
LeAlv96 - HydraxDev
3 2 blitz, lichess.org, 2016
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4
The Blackburne Shilling Gambit.
4.Bxf7+
The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6 6.Qg4+ Kxe5 7.f4+ Kd6
White's extra offer of a piece, 6.Qg4+, offers additional risk to both players. Black can take the Knight and live, but he must be careful. So far he is defending well in an uncomfortable position.
8.e5+ Ke7 9.f5 Nxc2+
Not as effective is 9...Nc6, which appeared in the up-and-down game JordanKwiatek - FrankBono, FICS, 2007: 10.d4 h6 11.O-O d6 12.Nc3 dxe5 13.Qh4+ Ke8 14.Bg5 Qxg5 15.Qxg5 hxg5 16.dxe5 Bc5+ White resigned.
10.Kd1 Nxa1 11.d4
White would improve with 11.Qh4+!? Nf6 12.exf6+ gxf6 13.Re1+ Kd6 although the position would still be better for Black.
11...Ke8
Black also struggled after 11...d5, i.e. 12.Bg5+ Nf6 13.exf6+ gxf6 14.Re1+ Kd6 15.Bf4+ Kc6 16.Re3 Bd6 17.Rc3+ Kd7 18.Bxd6 cxd6 19.Nd2 Qg8 20.Qh3 Qg5 21.Nf3 Qf4 22.Qh5 Qe4 23.Qf7+ Qe7 24.Rc7+ Kxc7 25.Qxe7+ Kb6 26.Qxd6+ Kb5 27.Qxd5+ Kb6 28.Qc5+ Ka6 29.b4 b6 30.b5+ Kb7 31.Qc6+ Kb8 32.d5 Bxf5 33.d6 Rc8 34.Qd5 Rc5 35.Qg8+ Kb7 36.Qxh7+ Kc8 37.Qg8+ Kb7 38.Qf7+ Kc8 39.Qe8+ Kb7 40.Qe7+ Kb8 41.Nd4 Bc2+ 42.Ke1 Bf5 43.Nc6+ Kc8 44.Qd8+ Kb7 45.Qc7 checkmate, GOH - boggus, FICS, 2004.
Black's best defense is 11...Kf7. The difference between the two retreat squares (i.e. at f7 the Black King can protect a pawn at g6) quickly becomes apparent.
12.Qh5+g6 13.fxg6 hxg6
14.Qxg6+ Ke7 15.Bg5+ Nf6 16.Qxf6+ Ke8 17.Qg6 checkmate
I found the following Jerome Gambit game on a Reddit sub, with a heading about playing drunk or stoned. Whether that would help White's play or not, I do not know; perhaps it would ease the pain of losing?
Readers can decide. The game certainly is exciting, regardless.
ohhiwrigley - anonymous
posted on reddit, 2016
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf6
Returning the two sacrificed pieces.
7.Qf5+ Ke7 8.Qxe5+ Kf8 9.Qxc5+ d6 10.Qd4
White continues to play creatively. This position is not in The Database.
10...Qg5 11.O-O
This offers Black the opportunity of 11...Bh3, which he overlooks, tossing away a pawn, instead. Was this a high-speed blitz game?
11...c5 12.Qxd6+ Ne7 13.d3 Qh5 14.Qf4+ Ke8 15.Qg3 Rf8
Unwittingly setting up a trap that White falls into.
16.Qxg7 Ng6
Instead, Black had 16...Rg8 which could be followed up by 17...Bh3, with an attack that wins material.
17.Bh6 Bg4 18.Qxb7 Be2 19.Qc6+
Certainly playable was 19.Qxa8+.
19...Kf7 20.Bxf8 Bxf1 21.Bxc5 Nf4 22.Qxa8 Bxg2
White can now win another piece with 23.Qf8+ followed by 24.Qxf4, but he makes the very prudent decision - given Black's pieces clustered around his King - to be happy to have an extra exchange (after 23...Qxc5) and 5 more pawns, and to focus on development.
23.Nc3 Nh3+
This looks scary at first glance, but is actually just a fancy way to lose more material. (Again, time trouble suggests itself.) Still, what choice does Black have, other than to complicate things and hope?
24.Kxg2 Qg4+ 25.Kf1 Qg1+ 26.Ke2 Nf4+ 27.Ke3 Qg5
Give Black credit, he keeps on fighting, looking for chances.
28.Qxa7+ Kg6 29.Bd4 Nd5+ 30.Ke2 Qg4+ 31.f3 Qg2+
32.Kd1 Qxf3+
33.Kc1 Ne3 34.Qg7+
The move that White has been angling for. Now it is all over for Black.
34...Kh5 35.Qxh7+ Kg4 36.h3+ Kg3 37.Be5+ Kf2
38.Qh4+ Kf1 39.Kd2+ Kg2 40.Qg5+ Kf2 41.Nd1+ Kf1 42.Nxe3+ Kf2 43.Rf1 checkmate
Nice.
We have been here before: see "'Tis A Puzzlement" and "The Blackmar-Jerome Gambit?!".
I was reading GM Boris Alterman's The Alterman Gambit Guide Black Gambits 2 - in particular, the chapter on The Traxler Counterattack - when I noticed
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 Bc5!?
Traxler gave the following comments about his invention "An original combination that is better than it looks. A small mistake by White can give Black a decisive attack. It is not easy to find the best defense against it in a practical game and it is probably theoretically correct."
He also stated that "it somewhat resembles the Blackmar-Jerome Gambit: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc3 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7?! Kxf7 5.Nxe5+?" although fortunately he was referring to its optical appearance rather than its correctness.
Clearly the author was quoting from Karel Traxler's chess column of October 11, 1892, in Golden Prague. But what else, if anything, did GM Alterman know about the "Blackmar-Jerome gambit"?
I emailed him, and quickly received a friendly response, including
I tried to find any info on the web and even in Russian sites, but not much info on Blackmar-Jerome Gambit has been found.
Too bad.
The American Supplement to the "Synopsis": Containing American Inventions in the Chess Openings; Together with Fresh Analyses in the Openings, Since 1882, edited by J.W. Miller (1884), gives two gambits by Blackmar (neither related to the Jerome)
Mr A E Blackmar, of New Orleans, sends to the editor the following analysis of winning positions in two interesting Gambits invented by him, and which he has been playing for four years. The second Gambit [1.d4 f5 2.e4 fxe4 3.f3] is not played much, because few make use of the Hollandish Defense, Black 1 P-KB4 [1...f5].
In the first Gambit [1.d4 d5 2.e4 dxe4 3.f3] the general opinion is that Black should not capture the second Pawn, but play 3 P-K3 [3...e6] or 3 P-K4 [3...e5], as suggested by Mr Chas. A. Maurian.
Mr Blackmar has a manuscript book of over 300 games played at the Gambits, and his conclusion is that both lead to most interesting positions, giving White an immense variety of brilliant attacks to repay for the Pawn sacrificed.
The second Gambit resembles From's Gambit at White's fourth move except that White is a move ahead.
Additionally, the Supplement has analysis of the Jerome Gambit.
This leaves me with my original possible explanation
My current hypothesis - complete speculation at this point - is that Traxler, writing in the October 11, 1892, chess column of Golden Prague, recalled the infamous Amateur - Blackburne, London, 1885 Jerome Gambit game and wanted to credit the successful master; but, in drawing up his note for Reinisch - Traxler, he erroniously attached "Blackmar" - instead of "Blackburne" - to "Jerome Gambit".
Readers who know anything more about the "Blackmar-Jerome Gambit" are asked to enlighten me.
[Readers: this is blog post #2,200. I will keep writing if you keep reading. - Rick]
