In the following Jerome Gambit game Black is holding his own, having smartly returned the sacrificed piece to build his attack. In the meantime, White surprisingly suffers from a malady that usually pains Black: an undeveloped Queenside. The roles have been reversed: inexplicable.
Then Black decides to return another piece - for what reason, it is not clear. The decision eventually costs him another piece, and the game.
Again, inexplicable.
Wall, Bill - Guest637090
PlayChess.com, 2017
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bxd4 7.Qxd4 Qf6
Black's Queen often comes to f6 when defending against the Jerome. The not-so-subtle threat is ...Nf6+, winning White's Queen.
8.Qe3 Nh6 9.O-O
There are only 3 other games in The Database that have the position after 8...Nh6, all games played by stretto. One of them:
9.Nc3 Rf8 10.Nd5 Qd8 11.O-O c6 12.Nf4 Kg8 13.Nh5 d6 14.Nxg7 Kxg7 15.Qxh6+ Kg8 16.f4 Nf7 17.Qh5 Qf6 18.f5 Kh8 19.Rf3 Rg8 20.Rh3 Rg7 21.Bf4 Bd7 22.Rd1 Rag8 23.g3 Be8 24.Qf3 Rg4 25.Be3 Ne5 26.Qf2 a6 27.c4 R4g7 28.b3 Ng4 29.Bd4 Nxf2 30.Bxf6 Nxh3+ 31.Kg2 Ng5 32.Bxg7+ Rxg7 33.Rxd6 Nxe4 34.Rd8 Rg8 35.Kf3 Bh5+ 36.Kxe4 Rxd8 37.f6 Kg8 38.Ke5 Kf7 39.h3 Bd1 40.g4 Bc2 41.g5 Bb1 42.a4 Ba2 43.b4 Bxc4 44.h4 Bb3 45.h5 Bxa4 46.g6+ hxg6 47.hxg6+ Kxg6 48.Ke6 Bb3+ 49.Ke7 Rg8 50.f7 b6 51.fxg8=Q+ Black forfeited on time, stretto - Tollens, FICS, 2008.
9...Nhg4
It is always tempting to harass the White Queen.
Also seen: 9...Rf8 10.Qb3+ Qe6 11.Qxe6+ dxe6 12.Bxh6 gxh6 13.Nc3 a6 14.Rad1 b6 15.f4 Ng4 16.Rde1 Bb7 17.h3 Nf6 18.e5 Nd5 19.Nxd5 Bxd5 20.b3 Rg8 21.c4 Rxg2+ 22.Kh1 Bb7 23.Rd1 Rxa2+ 24.Kg1 Rg2+ 25.Kh1 Rd2+ 26.Kg1 Rxd1 27.Rxd1 Ke7 28.Kf2 Rd8 29.Rg1 Kf7 30.Kg3 Rg8+ 31.Kh4 Rxg1 White resigned, stretto - Tollens, FICS, 2008.
10.Qg3
Or: 10.Qb3+ Ke8 11.f4 Nc6 12.e5 Qg6 13.Nd2 Nd4 14.Qd5 Ne2+ 15.Kh1 Nxh2 16.f5 Ng3+ 17.Kxh2 Nxf1+ 18.Nxf1 Qxf5 19.Ng3 Qxc2 20.Bg5 h6 21.Rf1 hxg5+ 22.Kg1 Qg6 23.Rf5 Qb6+ 24.Kf1 Qa6+ 25.Ke1 Qe6 26.Qe4 Qxa2 27.Ne2 Rh1+ 28.Kf2 Qxb2 29.Qd5 Qb6+ 30.Kf3 Qe6 31.Qe4 Rf1+ 32.Kg3 Rxf5 33.Qxf5 Game drawn as both players ran out of time, stretto - sLAVmi, FICS, 2008.
10...h5 11. h3 h4
Black's plan is simple, to drive off the enemy Queen and attack the enemy King. His Rook is well-placed for attack, and his King is not in danger, at least for now. He is willing to return the sacrificed piece in order to heat things up.
12.Qb3+ Kf8 13.f4 Nc6 14.hxg4 Nd4 15.Qe3 h3
16.gxh3 Qh4 17.Rf2 d5 18.f5
A messy position, but White may be a little bit better.
18...Bxf5
I am not sure what Black is up to, but it does not turn out well. Perhaps a time issue?
Stockfish 8 suggests that Black can keep the deficit to a pawn and a half with the line 18...Qxh3 19.Qxh3 Rxh3 20.Kg2 Rh4 21.Kg3 Rh1 22.Be3 Rg1+ 23.Kh3 Nb5 24.Rd2 Re1 25.Bf2 Rc1 26.Na3!? (returning an exchange) 26...Rxa1 27.Nxb5 Bd7 28.Nxc7 Rc8 29.Nxd5 Rxa2 30.Nc3 Rxb2 31.Nd1 Rcxc2 32.Rxd7 Rxf2 33.Nxf2 Rxf2 34.Rxb7.
19.Qxd4
The Black Bishop is not going anywhere.
19...Qg3+ 20.Kf1 Qxh3+ 21.Ke1 Qh1+ 22.Rf1 Qh4+ 23.Qf2 Qh3
White's Queenside pieces all are at home, yet he has a won game.
24.Qxf5+ Ke7 25.Bg5+ Kd6 26.Qxd5 checkmate
Black's slip on move 13 in the following Jerome Gambit does not look very significant, but it shows that the defender does not have as good a grasp of the position as the attacker does. A few more slips, and Black's game comes crashing down.
Wall, Bill - Guest100198
PlayChess, 2017
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bxd4 7.Qxd4 d6
8.O-O Nc6 9.Qd5+ Be6 10.Qh5+ g6 11.Qe2 Kg7
If Black were not convinced that he is winning - the extra piece! - he can now smile happily to himself as White's Queen is driven from pillar to post.
12.Nc3 a6 13.f4 Nge7
I was flabbergasted to see that Stockfish 8 gave White a slight edge after this move, preferring 13...Qf6.
How can that be? It turns out that the position has hidden complications, and Black should have restrained White's f-pawn.
14.f5 gxf5 15.exf5
Exposing Black's Bishop to attack, encouraging his response.
15...Bxf5 16.Rxf5 Nxf5 17.Qg4+ Kf7
Now it looks like White will be down the exchange after 18.Qxf5+, but Bill has seen further.
18.Bg5 Qd7 19.Rf1 Ncd4
This looks like an oversight due to shortage of time.
The Knight at f5 needs further protection, but the defender should have gone to e7. The play would then continue to be complicated, with White for choice, i.e. 19...Nce7 20.Bxe7 Kxe7 21.Qg5+ Ke8 22.Nd5 Qg7 23.Re1+ Kd7 24.Qxf5+ Kd8 25.Re7 Qxe7 26.Nxe7 Kxe7 . Black's uneasy King gives White's Queen chances to pick up materaial against the two Rooks.
20.Qxd4 Rhf8
Recruiting support for the Knight.
21.Qg4 Ke8
Relieving the double pin on the Knight, but there is nothing but misery ahead. The position is too complicated and too deadly to survive.
22.Qe4+
22...Ne7
The action moves over to the e-file. If Black's King tried to slip out with 22...Kf7, instead, White could collect a piece with 23.Rxf5+ and after 23...Kg8 play the threatening 24.Bf6, which will net him a further exchange.
23.Re1 Rf7 24.Nd5 Kf8 25.Nxe7 Re8
Black tries a pin of his own, but the game is over.
26.Bh6+ Rg7 27.Rf1+ Black resigned
It is checkmate the next move.
I have a great idea: the next time you have the white pieces against Bill Wall, why not play the Jerome Gambit? I mean, he wins overwhelmingly with it, so wouldn't it give you an advantage? And he hardly could be expecting to opening, right?
What could possibly go wrong?
Guest687197 - Wall, Bill
PlayChess.com, 2017
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.d4
A popular line: there are 2,219 games with this in The Database.
On the other hand, White scores only 38%, which is poor, even for the Jerome Gambit.
Perhaps the plan is to fool White...
5...Bxd4
Of course, 5...exd4 is also playable, as in 6.c3 d6 7.cxd4 Bb4+ 8.Bd2 Bxd2+ 9.Nbxd2 Nf6 10.Qb3+ Ke7 11.O-O Rf8 12.Rfe1 Na5 13.Qa3 Nc6 14.d5 Nb8 15.e5 Kf7 16.exf6 Qxf6 17.Ne4 Qf4 18.Rac1 Na6 19.b4 Bg4
20.b5 Nc5 21.Nxc5 dxc5 22.Re4 Qxe4 23.Ng5+ Black resigned, Wall,B - Anonymous, lichess.com, 2016.
6.Nxd4
White might have considered 6.c3, e.g. 6...Bb6 (6...Bc5 7.Qd5+
Ke8 8.Qxc5 Qe7 9.Qc4 Nf6 10.O-O d6 11.Be3 Be6 12.Qb5 Qd7 13.Ng5 a6 14.Qxb7 Rb8 15.Qxa6 Ke7 16.Nxe6 Kxe6 17.Qc4+ Ke7 18.a4 Rxb2 19.a5 Ra8 20.a6
Ng4 21.Bg5+ Nf6 22.Nd2 h6 23.Bxf6+ gxf6 24.Nf3 Rb6 25.Nh4 Qe6 26.Nf5+ Kd7
27.Qd3 h5 28.Ne3 Qb3 29.Nd5 Qb5 30.Qh3+ Kd8 31.Qe6 Rbb8 32.Qg8+ Kd7 33.Qf7+ Kd8 34.Qf8+ Kd7 35.Qg7+ Kd8 36.Nxf6 Ne7 37.Qf8+ Qe8 38.Qxe8 checkmate, Wall,B - Guest1366999, Playchess.com, 2011) 7.Qb3+ Kf8 8.Bg5 Qe8 9.O-O
Nf6 10.Nbd2 d6 11.a4 Qe6 12.Qc2 h6 13.Bxf6 Qxf6 14.Nc4 Be6 15.Qe2 a6 16.Nxb6 cxb6 17.Rfd1 Rd8 18.Qe3 Bg4 19.Qxb6 Bxf3 20.gxf3 Qxf3 21.Qxb7 Ne7 22.Re1 Nf5 23.Qb6 Qg4+ 24.Kh1 Qf3+ 25.Kg1 Qg4+ 26.Kh1 Qf3+ drawn, Wall,B - Guest2627909, Playchess.com, 2012
6...exd4 7.O-O Nf6
8.e5
Nxe5 9.Bg5
He could also have considered 9.Qxd4.
9...c5
10.Nd2 d5 11.c4 Nxc4 12.Rc1 Nxb2 White resigned
White could have continued with his idea 13.Qc2 Nc4 14.Nxc4 dxc4 15.Qxc4+ Qd5 16.Qxc5+ Qxc5 17.Rxc5, destroying much of Black's pawn center; but he would still be down a piece and a pawn.
Alas, no chess opening, even the Jerome Gambit, is a guarantee of victory.
Cliff Hardy returns with his latest Jerome Gambit game, featuring issues of Queen, King and Knight safety. The notes are his, with a couple of exceptions.
Hardy, Cliff - NN
3 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2017
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6
7.Qd5+ Kf8 8.Qxc5+
What other opening allows you to do 5 consecutive checks in the
first 8 moves?
8...d6 9.Qe3 Nf6 10.O-O Ng4
Amazing how popular this move is...
11.Qg3 Qh4 12.Qxh4 Nxh4 13.f4 Ke7?
13...Ng6 leaves black with a slight advantage.
(13... Kg8 was played in the only other game with 13.f4 in The Database: Hutyra - zutphie, blitz, FICS, 2008. Although White missed 14.f5, he still went on to win in 55 moves. In the current game, Cliff's opponent seems pleased to have gotten the Queens off of the board - apparently making his King safe - and now plans to activate his Rook - Rick)
14.f5
Equal, according to Stockfish. I am, naturally, trying to trap the horsey on h4 and win it with g3 or Bg5 at some point.
14...d5?
14...g6! is the only move that maintains equality.
15.d3 dxe4 16.dxe4 Kd6?
16...Re8 will provide a discovered attack on white's e-pawn when his king moves, though white still maintains a clear advantage.
17.Bg5 Nxf5 18.exf5 Re8 19.Nc3
I'm only up a pawn so I've no idea why Stockfish evaluates this position as winning advantage for white but clearly my opponent must have understood as he now resigned!
(If Stockfish could imitate Al Capone, it would say to your opponent "You got nothing!" Black's King's exposure and his Knight's uneasy placement suggest that White's lead in development will soon lead to the win of another pawn on the Kingside. That's a lot to face - with your clock ticking. Good solid chess, Cliff! - Rick )
The following game presents a life lesson well worth learning - in fact, it is probably one of the reasons that some chess players stick with the Jerome Gambit. It is simply this: things don't often go the way they "should" go, and being able to deal with that is incredibly important.
Black, below, receives the "gift" of the Jerome Gambit - a "won" game in 4 moves. He follows this up by playing an unpopular, but strong - by objective analysis, by practical experience - move that solidifies his advantage.
He winds up resigning 20 moves later.
Wall, Bill - Guest649850
PlayChess.com, 2017
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Nc6
A simple, but strong, move, saving one of the two attacked pieces.
Surprisingly enough, there are fewer than 10 examples in The Database, and White scores only 22%.
Somewhat relevant, however, is that both wins are by Bill Wall.
7.Qh5+ Kf8
Or 7...g6 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qc4+ Kf8 10.O-O Qe7 11.Nc3 Be6 12.d5 Ne5 13.Qd4 Bd7 14.f4 Nf7 15.Be3 Ke8 16.e5 dxe5 17.fxe5 Qxe5 18.Qd2 Kd8 19.Rxf7 Nf6 20.Rxf6 Qxf6 21.Bg5 Black resigned, Wall,B - Lamjung, lichess.org, 2017.
8.Qxc5+ d6 9.Qc4 Nf6 10.Nc3 Qe7 11.O-O
Long ago we talked on this blog about the negative "halo effect"
When people notice a good trait in a person, they often assume other positives. With the Jerome Gambit often a negative "halo effect" occurs – if the early moves are bad, many of the other ones must be bad, too.
So here Black suspects that his opponent has continued to play bad chess, and decides to grab a "free" pawn.
11...Nxe4 12.Re1 Bf5 13.Nxe4 Bxe4 14.f3
Okay, so the pawn wasn't exactly free, but Black still has a tactical shot that keeps the game even.
14...d5
Black had the tricky 14...Bd5!?, unpinning his Bishop and attacking the enemy Queen while threatening a back rank checkmate. Very nice! after 15.Rxe7 Bxc4 16.Rxc7 d5 17.Bf4 White probably has enough compensation for his sacrificed piece.
By the way, the cute 14...Bd3 doesn't accomplish the same thing, as White has 15.Qc3, and after 15...Qh4 16.cxd3 Qxd4+ 17.Qxd4 Nxd4 18.Re4 White might even have a slim edge.
15.Qc3 Qb4 16.fxe4 Qxc3
Black could have grabbed a pawn with 16...Qxd4+ 17.Qxd4 Nxd4, but he seems to have learned his lesson, as 18.Bd2 Nxc2 19.Rf1+ Kg8 20.Rac1 is more than sufficient to keep White's advantage.
17.bxc3
17...dxe4 18.Rxe4 Re8
Often in the Jerome Gambit Black's downfall comes because of an undeveloped Queenside. Here, it looks like the Rook on h8 is the major problem for him.
White has no intention of easing his defensive load by exchanging Rooks.
19.Ba3+
19...Kf7 20.Rf1+ Kg6
This looks dangerous, but of course if 20...Kg8 then 21.Rxe8 checkmate.
21.Rg4+ Kh5 22.Rxg7
Not just the win of a pawn, and a threat to win another, as White still has checkmate on his mind.
22...Re2 23.Bc1 h6 24.Rf5+ Kh4 25.g3+ Kh3 26.Rh5 checkmate
In the following game Bill Wall faces further (see "Jerome Gambit: Creativity Abounds") defensive creativity. Coming up with such an aha! move often feels like it must be the right reply. Once again, however, it creates an interesting position, but not quite enough to refute the attack.
I found it interesting to see what Stockfish 8 had to say about several lines of play. It is interesting to follow the inhuman logic.
It is also interesting to follow the scintillating human play.
Wall, Bill - Guest3235842
PlayChess.com, 2017
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bxd4 7.Qxd4
7...Qf6 8.Qc5 Nf3+
This move - returning the sacrificed piece for a pawn, equalizing material - is a novelty according to The Database.
Of course, had White's Queen remained unprotected on the d4 square, Black's move would have been winning (like 4...Kxf7). Stronger was 8...Nc6 (or 8...d6).
9.gxf3 Qxf3
10.Qc4+
The position is tricky, if somewhat in White's favor. Stockfish 8 recommends the following line, where White gets sufficient compensation for a sacrificed pawn, but best play seems to drain a lot out of the position: 10.Rg1 Qxe4+ 11.Be3 Nf6 12.Nd2 Qd5 13.Qxc7 Re8 14.O-O-O Qe5 15.Qxe5 Rxe5 16.Bd4 Rd5 17.Bxf6 gxf6 18.Nc4 Rxd1+ 19.Rxd1 d5 20.Nd6+ Ke7 21.Nxc8+ Rxc8 22.Rxd5 Rc7 23.Rh5 Ke6 24.Kd2 b6 25.Kd3 Rd7+
analysis diagram
10...Ke8
Again, the silicon advice tends toward the drawish: 10...d5 11.Qxc7+ Ne7 12.Rg1 Re8 13.Nc3 Bg4 14.Qf4+ Qxf4 15.Bxf4 Bf3 16.Nb5 Nf5 17.e5 Rac8 18.Rg5 Ke6 19.Bg3 Rf8 20.c3 h6 21.Rxf5 Kxf5 22.Nd6+ Ke6 23.Nxc8 Rxc8 24.Kd2 g5 25.Ke3 Rf8 26.h4
analysis diagram
The computer logic would appear to be impeccable - shouldn't somone who wildly sacrifices two pieces be happy with a draw; shouldn't someone surprised by a bizarre, manic attack be happy splitting the point - but it all seems somewhat beside the point.
11.Rg1 Qf6
So there! smirks Stockfish 8, Black would have been less worse off with the messy 11...d5 12.Qxc7 Bg4 13.Nc3 Nf6 14.Bg5 Rf8 15.Qe5+ Kd7 16.Bf4 Rf7 17.Rd1 Re7 18.Rxd5+ Ke8 19.Rd3 Rxe5 20.Rxf3 Bxf3 21.Bxe5 Nxe4. At least that play looks more human-like.
analysis diagram
12.Qxc7 Ne7 13.Nc3 Rf8
This looks scary, but White's King can escape the heat.
Black's King only thinks it can.
14.Be3 Kf7 15.O-O-O Kg8
Now White shows, with a simple but crushing move, that he has a winning attack.
16.Bd4 Qf7
Protecting the King, instead, with 16...Qh6+ 17.Kb1 g6 was necessary, but the attack can proceed along the diagonals as well: 18.Qc4+ Rf7 19.Nd5!? Nxd5 20.Qxd5 d6 21.Qxd6 Bh3 22.Qe5 Rg7 23.Rg3 Bd7 24.Qxg7+ Qxg7 25.Bxg7 Bc6 26.Bf6 Bxe4 and White is a Rook up.
Now checkmate is forced.
17.Rxg7+ Qxg7 18.Bxg7 Kxg7 19.Qe5+ Kf7
20.Nd5 Nxd5 21.exd5 Re8 22.Qf5+ Ke7 23.d6+ Kd8 24.Qf6+ Re7 25.Qxe7 checkmate
It is fun to see the creativity that attackers bring to the already unusual Jerome Gambit.
Overlooked sometimes is the creativity that defenders provide, as well. There is risk involved, for sure, but imagination can sometimes bring success as well as danger.
Wall, Bill - Guest700210
PlayChess.com, 2017
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4
Alonzo Wheeler Jerome's original choice in his gambit, although he later preferred 6.Qh5+. I think the Queen move is more forceful, but also moves Black into lines that are playable, if uncomfortable. The center pawn thrust provides less guidance to the defender.
6...Bxd4 7.Qxd4 Nf3+
A very interesting way of returning the second sacrificed piece, breaking up the pawns on White's Kingside in the process. That said, it was probably not necessary to be so clever; 7...d6 was a strong alternative.
There is only one other example in The Database - a computer vs computer game.
8.gxf3 Nf6
Also: 8...Qf6 9.Qc4+ Ke7 10.Qc5+ Ke8 11.Nd2 Qd6 12.Qxd6 cxd6 13.Rg1 g6 14.b3 Nh6 15.Nc4 Nf7 16.Bb2 Rf8 17.O-O-O b5 18.Na3 b4 19.Nb5 Ba6 20.Nc7+ Ke7 21.Nxa6 Ne5 22.Nxb4 Nxf3 23.Rg2 Nh4 24.Rg4 Nf3 25.Bg7 Rfb8 26.Nd5+ Kf7 27.Bd4 Nxh2 28.Rh4 Nf3 29.Rf4+ Kg8 30.Ne7 checkmate, Delphi - WeakDelphi, Sherbrooke, 2008.
9.Nc3 Kf8 10.Bg5 Qe7
Black is in no hurry to develop his pieces, and apparently sees his King as safe. No need to create weakenesses by moving pawns!
This strategy is not going to work against a skilled Jerome Gambiteer like Bill Wall.
11.Nd5
Hitting the Queen at e7 as well as the pinned Knight at f6. If you are familiar with the Jerome Gambit you likely could find this thematic move in your sleep.
11...Qd6 12.Bf4 c5
Striking out, but overlooking that White will capture with check.
13.Bxd6+ Black resigned
