Jerome Gambit: Sending Pieces to the Wilderness

In the following game, Bill Wall sends one piece, then another, far from the action - or so it seems. Each returns, only to be traded off - yet they are active in helping win the game. The final position is very interesting.

Wall, Bill - NN
lichess.org, 2016

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Qf6 

An unusual defense, but, according to The Database, one faced by other Jerome Gambiteers such as blackburne, chessmanjeff, drumme, HauntedKnight, jfhumphrey, stretto, Teterow, and yorgos. Black, having to lose a piece, decides not to move either, but develops a piece instead.

7. dxc5 Ne7 

Further development. Black also had 7...d6, e.g. 8.O-O dxc5 (8...Be6 9.cxd6 cxd6 10.f4 Ng4 11.f5 Qd4+ 12.Qxd4 Black resigned, Wall,B - Anonymous, lichess.com, 2016) 9.Qd5+ Be6 10.Qxb7 Ne7 11.Qxc7 Rac8 12.Qxa7 Qg6 13.f4 Bh3 14.fxe5+ Ke8 15.Qa4+ Rc6 16.Rf2 Rf8 17.Qa8+ Rc8 18.Qa3 Rxf2 19.Qxh3 Rxc2 20.Na3 Re2 21.Nb5 Kf8 22.Qf3+ Ke8 23.Qxe2 h5 24.Nd6+ Kd7 25.Nxc8 Nxc8 26.Qb5+ Kd8 27.Bg5+ Qxg5 28.Rd1+ Ke7 29.Qd7+ Kf8 30.e6 Qe3+ 31.Kh1 Ne7 32.Qd8 checkmate, Wall,B - NN, lichess.org, 2016 

8.O-O Rf8 9.Nc3 Kg8 

Black has castled-by-hand and has seen to his piece development. What will White do? A hint can be found in an earlier Bill Wall game, with a different defense: 9...c6 10.f4 N5g6 11.Be3 d5 12.cxd6 Ng8 13.d7 Rd8 14.dxc8=Q Raxc8 15.Qh5 Kf8 16.e5 Qf7 17.f5 Nxe5 18.Bc5+ Ne7 19.Qxh7 Qf6 20.Ne4 Qh6 21.Qxh6 gxh6 22.f6 Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest4060198, PlayChess.com, 2013. 

10.f4 N5c6 11.Nb5 a6 12.Nxc7 Rb8 13.c3 Qg6 

It looks like White has sent his one developed piece off on a risky pawn-hunt, but the Knight still has influence on the center, and the first player still has things under control - thanks, in part, to the "Jerome pawns". 

14.f5 Qf6 15.Bf4 Ne5 16.Nd5 Nxd5 17.Qxd5+ Nf7 18.Bxb8 Re8 

White has retrieved (and traded off) his far-flung Knight, and now has a Bishop off in the wilderness (admittedly, it captured a Rook). An interesting comparison can be made between the two Bishops left on the board, as one is actively involved, while the other is a passive observer.

19.Rae1 Kh8 20.e5 Qe7  21.Bd6 Nxd6 

The Bishop, too, is exchanged, but by now White has a powerful, checkmating attack.

 22.f6 gxf6 23.cxd6 Qe6 24.exf6 Black resigned

What a position!

Black can simply take White's Queen with 24...Qxd5, but it will be checkmate in a few moves after 25.Rxe8+ Qg8 26.f7! 

Black's best option is to win two Rooks for his Queen with 24...Qxe1 25.Rxe1 Rxe1+ 26.Kf2 but it is clear that he has no way of dealing with White's advanced pawn, for example 26...Re6 27.Qg5 or 26...Re8 27.f7.

Jerome Gambit: Theory and Practice (Part 4)

In the following game, White confidently and patiently makes his way through the opening and middlegame, indifferent to his opponent's attempts to simplify - and, later, to look for dynamic chances. The endgame win is there; he just has to keep strolling until he gets there.

Vlastous - Daboa 1799
ChessManiac.com, 2016

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 Qf6 

8.Rf1 g6 9.Qh3+ Ke7 10.fxe5 Qxe5 11.Qf3 Nf6 12.Nc3 c6 

White's play was inexact after 12...Bd4 in Gary_Seven - Kevin the fruitbat, JG3 thematic, ChessWorld.net, 2008:  13.d3 Bxc3+ 14. Bd2 Bxb2 15. Rb1 Bc3 16. Bxc3 Qxc3+ 17. Kd1 d6 18. h3 Bd7 19. g4 Rhf8 20. d4 Qxf3+ 21. Rxf3 Nxe4 22. Rxf8 Rxf8 23. Rxb7 Bb5 24. Rxc7+ Kd8 25. Rxa7 Rf1 checkmate.

What happens next in the text is that Queens are exchanged and the sacrificed piece is returned for a couple of pawns, giving Black a small advantage. The game is not over at all, however.

13.Ne2 Rf8 14.d4 Bxd4 15.Bf4 Qxe4 16.Qxe4+ Nxe4 17.Nxd4 d5 

18.O-O-O Bg4 19.Rde1 Kd7 20.h3 Bf5 21.Bh6 Rf7 22.Nf3 Re8 23.g4 b6 

An odd choice by Black. He will have two pawns for his piece, a typical Jerome Gambit situation for White. Perhaps it was a slip, perhaps he saw that situation as more dynamic that a possible Bishops-of-opposite-colors endgame.

24.gxf5 Rxf5 25.Nd2 Ng3 26.Rxe8 Kxe8 27.Rxf5 Nxf5 28.Bf4 h5 

Black's extra pawns are more targets than attacking units, as White begins to show.

29.Nf3 Ke7 30.Ne5 Kf6 31.Nxc6 g5 32.Bc7 g4 33.hxg4 hxg4 34.Nxa7 g3 35.Nb5 Kg5 36.Bxb6 Kg4 

37.a4 g2 38.Bg1 Kg3 39.a5 Nh4 40.Nd4 Kf4 41.a6 Nf3 42.Nxf3 Black resigned

Jerome Gambit: Theory and Practice (Part 3)

Chessfriend Vlastimil Fejfar sent a couple more of his games. They fit in well with the current "Theory and Practice" theme.

Here is the first, which illustrates an important, if infrequent line, where Black's carelessness (who needs to analyze against the Jerome Gambit?) needs to be addressed right away, with an immediate advantage to White. Suddenly, a "funny" opening isn't funny any more.

Vlastous - Orca
ChessManiac.com, 2016.

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

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

Despite developing a piece that attacks the enemy Queen, this move is an error. White needs to know the proper response and play it quickly, as it leads to a position where he is up a couple of pawns (not down a couple of pieces).

The Database has 56 games with this position, with White scoring 73%. (In club play, a 2-pawn advantage isn't always decisive. See "Blunder Table" for Geoff Chandler's interesting point of view.)

8.Qxe5+ Kf7 9.Qxc5 Nxe4 10.Qd5+ Kf6 11.b4 

I like this move, which is a TN.

Of course not 11.Qxe4 Re8. 

Petasluk twice tried 11.Qe5+ Kf7 followed by 12.O-O: 12...Nf6 (12...Re8 13.Qd5+ Kf8 14.d3 c6 15.Qh5 Qb6+ 16.Kh1 Nf2+ 17.Kg1 Nxd3+ 18.Kh1 Nf2+ 19.Kg1 Re1 20.Qf5+ Kg8 21.Nd2 Nd1+ 22.Kh1 Rxf1+ 23.Nxf1 Qf2 24.Qd3 d5 25.Be3 Nxe3 26.Nxe3 Be6 27.Rf1 Qh4 28.f5 Bd7 29.Nxd5 Rf8 30.g3 Qh3 31.f6 cxd5 32.Qxd5+ Be6 33.Qd3 Rxf6 34.Rxf6 gxf6 35.Qd8+ Kg7 36.Qe7+ Kg6 37.Qe8+ Bf7 38.Qe4+ Kg7 39.Kg1 Qd7 40.Qe2 Qd4+ 41.Qf2 Qd1+ 42.Qf1 Qxc2 43.Qf2 Qd1+ 44.Qf1 Qd4+ 45.Qf2 Qxf2+ 46.Kxf2 Bxa2 47.b4 Be6 48.Ke3 a6 49.Kd4 b5 50.Kc5 Bf5 51.Kb6 h5 52.Kxa6 h4 53.Kxb5 Black lost on time, Petasluk - tiranas, FICS,  2010) 13.d3 Re8 14.Qd4 Kg8 15.Nc3 d6 16.Bd2 c5 17.Qf2 Ng4 18.Qf3 h6 19.h3 Nf6 20.Rae1 Rb8 21.Ne4 b5 22.a3 Nxe4 23.dxe4 Bb7 24.Bc3 Qh4 25.f5 Bxe4 26.Qg4 Qxg4 27.hxg4 Bxc2 28.Rc1 Bd3 29.f6 Bxf1 30.Kxf1 gxf6 31.g3 Rf8 32.Kg2 f5 33.gxf5 Rxf5 34.Rd1 Rb6 35.Rh1 d5 36.Bd2 h5 37.Bf4 Rg6 38.Kf3 d4 39.Rc1 Kf7 40.Ke4 Kf6 41.b4 cxb4 42.axb4 Rg4 43.Rc6+ Ke7 44.Kxf5 Rg7 45.Ra6 h4 46.gxh4 Rf7+ 47.Kg4 d3 48.Rxa7+ Ke8 49.Rxf7 Kxf7 50.h5 Kf6 51.h6 Kg6 52.Bd2 Kh7 53.Kh5 Kh8 54.Kg6 Kg8 55.h7+ Kh8 56.Bc3 checkmate, Petasluk - DenisBarin, FICS, 2013.

Once he played 11.O-O directly: 11...Nd6 12.Qe5+ Kf7 13.d4 Re8 14.Qh5+ Kg8 15.Nc3 Qf6 16.f5 Qxd4+ 17.Kh1 Qc4 18.Bf4 Rf8 19.Bxd6 cxd6 20.f6 gxf6 21.Nd5 Qd4 22.Rf4 Qe5 23.Rf5 Qe6 24.Raf1 Kg7 25.Qg4+ Kh8 26.Nxf6 Rxf6 27.Qd4 Black forfeited on time, Petasluk - fabercastle, FICS, 2009. 

11...Re8 12.O-O h6 13.f5 Ng5 

Allowing checkmate.

14.Bb2+ Ke7 15.f6+ gxf6 16.Bxf6+ Black resigned

White does not even need to win Black's Queen, but that alone would be enough to force resignation.

Jerome Gambit: Theory and Practice (Part 2)

Another game from Vlastimil Fejfar. His opponent fearlessly offers a piece (matching the one Vlasta offered in the opening) for active counter-play, but the followup is marred by some inaccuracies, and once again the Jerome Gambit - and the gambiteer! - triumphs.  

Vlastous 2344 - Iva 1816
ChessManiac.com, 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.Nc3 

Varying from the previous game of Vlasta's that we took a look at, which saw 10.0-0 instead.

10...Rf8 

Alternately:

10...Kf7 11.f4 (11.d4 Re8 12.O-O Bd7 13.f4 Kg8 14.f5 Ne7 15.Qf3 Nc6 16.Be3 Qe7 17.Nd5 Nxd5 18.exd5 Qxe3+ 19.Qxe3 Rxe3 20.dxc6 Bxc6 21.c4 Rae8 22.d5 Bd7 23.b3 Re2 24.f6 gxf6 25.Rxf6 Rf8 26.Rff1 Rxf1+ 27.Kxf1 Rb2 28.Re1 Kf8 29.Re3 Rxa2 30.Rf3+ Ke8 31.Re3+ Kf8 32.Rf3+ Kg7 33.Re3 Kf6 34.Rf3+ Ke5 35.Rf7 Bf5 36.Rxc7 b6 37.Re7+ Kf6 38.Re3 a5 39.h3 h5 40.Rf3 Ke5 41.Rg3 a4 42.bxa4 Rxa4 43.Rb3 Rxc4 44.Rxb6 Kxd5 45.Rb5+ Ke4 46.Rb8 d5 47.Rh8 Bg6 48.Rg8 Kf5 49.Rf8+ Kg5 50.Rd8 d4 51.Rd5+ Kh6 52.g4 hxg4 53.hxg4 d3 54.g5+ Kh5 55.Ke1 Rg4 56.Kd2 Rxg5 57.Rd8 Rg2+ 58.Kd1 Kg5 59.Rd5+ Kf4 60.Rd8 Ke3 White resigned, mrjoker - serge57, Internet Chess Club, 2008) 11...Rf8 12.O-O Ng4 13.Qg3 Kg8 14.f5 N6e5 15.d4 Nf6 16.dxe5 Nxe4 17.Nxe4 dxe5 18.Bh6 Qe7 19.f6 Qf7 20.fxg7 Qxf1+ 21.Rxf1 Rxf1+ 22.Kxf1 Black resigned, shugart - Amanchous, FICS, 2013); or

10...Be6 11.d4 Qd7 (11...Qe7 12.O-O Kf7 13.f4 Bc4 14.Re1 Rhe8 15.e5 dxe5 16.fxe5 Nd5 17.Qf3+ Kg8 18.b3 Rf8 19.Qg3 Nxc3 20.Qxc3 Bd5 21.Qe3 c6 22.c4 Be6 23.Bd2 b6 24.Rf1 Rxf1+ 25.Rxf1 Rf8 26.Rxf8+ Qxf8 27.Qf3 Qxf3 28.gxf3 Nh4 29.Kf2 Nf5 30.Be3 Nxe3 31.Kxe3 Kf7 32.Ke4 Ke7 33.d5 cxd5+ 34.cxd5 Bh3 35.f4 g6 36.a3 Bf5+ 37.Kd4 h5 38.b4 Kd7 39.a4 a6 40.a5 bxa5 41.bxa5 Kc7 42.Kc5 Be4 43.e6 Bf5 44.d6+ Kd8 45.Kd5 Bh3 46.Ke5 Bg4 47.Kf6 Bf5 48.Kf7 Bxe6+ 49.Kxe6 Ke8 50.Kf6 Kd7 51.Kxg6 Kxd6 52.f5 Ke7 53.f6+ Kf8 54.f7 h4 55.h3 Ke7 56.Kg7 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - chesstraininglab, FICS, 2008) 12.f4 Bf7 13.f5 Ne7 14.O-O Bc4 15.Re1 Kf7 16.h3 Rhe8 17.Qf2 Nc6 18.b3 Ba6 19.Bb2 b5 20.Rad1 b4 21.e5 bxc3 22.e6+ Black resigned, MrJoker - DamjanBlazeka, Internet Chess Club, 2011; or

10...Qe7 11.O-O Kf7 12.Nd5 Nxd5 13.exd5 Qxe3 14.fxe3+ Ke7 15.d4 Bd7 16.g3 Bb5 17.Rf5 Rhf8 18.Rxf8 Rxf8 19.Bd2 Kd7 20.e4 c6 21.dxc6+ bxc6 22.d5 cxd5 23.exd5 Bc4 24.Bc3 Ne5 25.Rd1 g6 26.b3 Be2 27.Rb1 Nf3+ 28.Kg2 Ng5 29.Re1 Bf3+ 30.Kg1 Bxd5 31.Rf1 Rxf1+ 32.Kxf1 Be4 33.Bd4 a6 34.c4 Bb1 35.a3 Ba2 36.b4 Bxc4+ 37.Kf2 d5 38.Ke3 Kc6 39.a4 Ne6 40.Be5 Bb3 41.a5 Kb5 42.Bd6 d4+ 43.Ke4 Bc2+ 44.Kd5 d3 Black resigned, Haroldlee123 - Knight32, ChessWorld JG6, 2011. 

11.d4 Ng4 12.Qg3 Qf6 

Black builds his pressure on f2. Perhaps he avoided the reasonable 12...Nxf2 because of 13.O-O!? 

13.f3 h5 

Bold! Daring White to open up his King by taking the piece. (The "objective" Stockfish 7 prefers the Knight retreat 13...Nh6.)

After White chases the enemy Queen away from her attack on the pawn at d4, he accepts the piece. 

14.Nd5 Qf7 15.fxg4 Bxg4 16.Be3 Rc8 

Both Kings will remain in the center, but White's will be safer, and the first player has an extra pawn.

17.Kd2 Qd7 

This is a tactical oversight, as it un-protects his Knight, making his Bishop loathe to move.

Vlasta is quick to respond.  

18.h3 h4 19.Qxg4 Qxg4 20.hxg4 c6 21.Nc3 b6

White is clearly better.

22.Raf1 Rc7 23.Rf5 Rh8 24.Rg5 Nf8 25.d5 c5 26.Nb5 Rd7 27.Bf4 Rh6 28.Rf5 Rf6 29.g5 Rxf5 30.exf5 

30...g6

Allowing checkmate, but Black's position was untenable. White's material advantage is too great; Black's King is too vulnerable.

31.Nxd6+ Kd8 32.Rxh4 gxf5 33.Rh8 Ke7 34.Be5 Ng6 35.Re8 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: Theory and Practice (Part 1)

I recently received a couple more games from Vlastimil Fejfar (see "Correspondence Play" Parts 1, 2, 3 for an introduction) - both quite complicated.

The following game makes its way through early Jerome Gambit theory and practice, as indicated by the links to games in the notes. There is a lot to understand from the first 12 moves - and that isn't even half of the game!

The game gets more and more complicated, but Vlasta crashes through for the win. 

Vlastous 2131 - AmetovB 2074
ChessManiac.com, 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 Rf8 

10...Kf7 was seen in perrypawnpusher - whitepandora, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 64). 

Also: 10...Ng4 11.Qc3 N6e5 12.d4 Nxh2 13.Kxh2 Qh4+ 14.Kg1 Ng4 15.Bf4 Rf8 16.Bg3 Qh5 17.f3 Nf6 18.Qxc7 Bd7 19.Bxd6 Rc8 20.Qxb7 Rf7 21.Nc3 Qg5 22.Rae1 Ng4 23.Qd5 Qxd5 24.Nxd5 Nf6 25.Ne3 Rc6 26.e5 Nh5 27.d5 Ra6 28.e6 Bxe6 29.Nc4 Rxd6 30.Nxd6+ Kd7 31.dxe6+ Kxd6 32.exf7 Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest1660564, PlayChess.com, 2013. 

11.f4 

A couple of other pawn ideas:

11.f3 as in mrjoker - PhlebasP, Internet Chess Club, 2009 (1-0, 35); and 11.d4 as in De Bouver,G - Verstappen, Mechelen, 2015 (1/2-1/2, 19) 

11...Kf7 

Or 11...Qe7 as in perrypawnpusher - parlance, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 20), perrypawnpusher - obturator, blitz, FICS, 2012 (1-0, 31), and perrypawnpusher - fogab, blitz, FICS, 2014, (1-0, 27); or 

11...Ng4 as in perrypawnpusher - jgknight, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1/2-1/2, 58),  perrypawnpusher - lorecai, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 47) and perrypawnpusher - dkahnd, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 24); or

11...Rf7 as in mrjoker - Mandragora, Internet Chess Club, 2008 (1-0, 49) and perrypawnpusher - dkahnd, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 30). 

12.f5 Ne7 

More frequently see is 12...Ne5 as in 13.d4 Neg4 14.Qd3 (or 14.Qf4 in perrypawnpusher - Jore, blitz, FICS, 2010 [1-0, 32] ; or 14.Qb3+ in perrypawnpusher - avgur, blitz, FICS, 2013 [0-1, 27]) 14...Kg8 15.h3 Bxf5 (or 15...Nh6 in perrypawnpusher - kenkenaditya, blitz, FICS, 2014 [1-0, 33]) 16.Rxf5 d5 17.hxg4 dxe4 18.Qxe4 Nxe4 White resigned,  perrypawnpusher - scarsetto, blitz, FICS, 2014.

Vlasta is on his own now. The first thing he does is provoke Black, allowing his own "Jerome pawns" to advance. An interesting skirmish against the Black Knights follows.

13.Qb3+ d5 14.e5 Ng4 15.Qg3 Nh6 16.f6 Ng6 17.d4 Nf5 18.Qd3

18...gxf6 19.g4 Rg8 20.Kh1 Nfh4 

The position grows more complex. Black should have kept a balanced position with 20...Nfe7 21.Rxf6+ Ke8.

21.Bg5 Bf5 

This can't be right; but look at the position.

22.gxf5 Nxe5 23.dxe5 Rxg5 24.e6+ Ke7 

Black has returned the gambit piece, and employs his King to blockade the enemy passed pawn.

Look closely, however, as his game quickly falls apart.  

25.Nc3 d4 26.Qe4 Qd6 27.Nd5+ Ke8 28.Nxf6+ Ke7 29.Qxh4 Qc6+ 30.Ne4 h6 31.Rae1 Rh8 32.Rf3 Black resigned

Complicated to the end. Look at the pins!

(This is blog post number 2,300.)

Tournament Update

The second round of the RedHotPawn Jerome Gambit thematic tournament has started. SeinfeldFan91 (2171),  procyk (1865),  kristjan (1673), rigidwithfear (1481) and junnujannu (1397) are battling it out for top honors!

I will share first round games, with analysis, when such attention does not interfere with the ongoing games. At the completion of the tournament, I will add second round games.

Good chess, all!