One guiding principle in choosing a Jerome Gambit game to share is when it contains a dash of strangeness. The game below again shows the computer's interest in draws-by-repetition - and Bill Wall's interest in wins-by-checkmate.
Wall, Bill - Guest2616286
PlayChess.com, 2017
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bb6
We have recently seen examples of this reasonable line.
7.dxe5 Qh4
7...Qe7 was seen in Wall,B - NN, lichess.org, 2016 (1-0, 35).
8.Qf3+ Ke8
Better than 8...Ke7 as seen in Wall,B - Guest2293428, PlayChess.com, 2017 (1-0, 12) and Wall,B - Guest6766281, PlayChess.com, 2017 (1-0, 14).
9.O-O
Or 9.Nc3 as in Wall,B - Itboss, lichess.org 2016, (1-0, 31)
9...Ne7
10.Nc3 Rf8 11.Qe2 g5
Black sees opportunity on the Kingside. The risk is that old Jerome Gambit story: Black's light-squared Bishop is at home, blocking the development of a Rook.
12.Be3 Ng6 13.Nd5 Kd8 14.Qd2 h6
15.Bxb6 axb6 16.Nxc7
White shows a sense of humor. First he sacrifices a Bishop on f7, then he sacrifices a Knight on c7. Of course, in the latter case, he has a tactic to allow the recovery of the piece.
16...Kxc7 17.Qd6+ Kd8 18.Qxg6 Re8
Before this move, Stockfish 8 was not so comfortable with White's position, recommending as best 18...Ra6 (to provide help along the 6th rank after ...b5) 19.g3 Qh3 20.Rfd1 Re8 21.Qf6+ Kc7 22.Qd6+ Kd8 23.Qf6+ and a draw by repetition. Again, I do not think that dropping a half point was in Bill's plans.
After the text, the issue of extra pawns vs extra piece becomes immaterial.
19.Qxb6+ Ke7 20.Qf6 checkmate
Of course, when it comes to selecting Jerome Gambit games, it is always pleasant to find one that shows a powerful attack. In the following game, Black is quite willing to mix it up with his opponent. White, however, has more sacrifices in store, and the board quickly erupts in flames. Certainly this battle bids for Jerome Gambit game of the year!
Wall, Bill - Bojovic, Dejan
PlayChess.com, 2017
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bxd4 7.Qxd4 Qe7
Protecting the Knight, while establishing a veiled threat against the e-pawn and the King behind it.
8.O-O Nf6
An improvement over 8...c5 9.Qd5+ Qe6 10.Qxc5 Ne7 11.f4 d6 12.fxe5+ Black resigned, Wall,B - Anonymous, lichess.org, 2016.
9.Nc3 Nc6
Probably better than 9...c6 10.f4 Ng6 11.e5 Ng4 12.h3 Nh6 13.f5 Nh4 14.f6 gxf6 15.exf6 Nf3+ 16.Rxf3 Qe6 17.Bxh6 Rg8 18.Qd3 d5 19.Qxh7+ Ke8 20.f7+ Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest2327120, PlayChess.com, 2014.
10.Qd3 Nb4 11.Qc4+ Kf8
Black would have done better to complicate things with 11...d5 12.exd5 Nxc2.
12.e5 Nh5
Black's Knights do not impress.
Stockfish 8, which always seems to keep an eye out for the draw, recommends 12...Ne8 13.Qf4+ Kg8 14.Qc4+ Kf8 and repetition. I can't see Bill wanting to wrap things up so quickly - at the cost of surrendering a half point.
13.f4
Protecting the e-pawn and considering possible pawn advances. Also available was the fork of the two Knights, 13.Qg4.
13...Nxc2
The Rook on a1 looks like a good target, but this adventure will not turn out well.
14.Nd5 Qe6 15.Qxc7
It is not easy to see that 15.f5 is playable, as after 15...Qc6 16.Qe4 Black would have 16...Nxa1. However, White would have complex but strong play after either 17.Bg5!? or 17.f6.
White's choice in the game is practical, and still offers the Rook sacrifice. Black would now do better to decline it with 15...Qxd5 16.Qxc2 d6 17.Be3 Qf7 18.Rad1 Bf5 although White would be at least even in a complicated position.
15...Nxa1 16.f5
Bill's idea - offer more material!
16...Qxd5
The only move that avoids checkmate. Wow.
17.Qd8+ Kf7 18.e6+ dxe6 19.fxe6+ Kxe6
20.Re1+ Qe5 21.Rxe5+ Kxe5 22.Qxh8 Nc2 23.Qe8+ Black resigned
For the moment Black has two Knights and a Rook for his Queen, but he is going to drop the piece on h5 right away. The placement of his King, and the agility of the enemy Queen guarantee that another piece, as well as a few pawns, will also disappear soon after.
Of course, given a selection of Jerome Gambit games, it is always fun to find a short win for White. Often the game is a good lesson in "crime and punishment".
Wall, Bill - Guest2614882
PlayChess.com, 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 Ne7 9.f4 N7c6
You attack my Knight, I will attack your Queen.
Sometimes this strategy works, but here things are about to become difficult for Black.
10.fxe5+ Ke7
As will quickly become clear, 10...Ke8 was necessary.
11.exd6+ Ke6
Finding the short way to the end of the game. There was only suffering after 11...Qxd6, e.g. 12.Qxg7+ Ke8 13.Qxh8+ Kd7 14.Be3 b6
15.Nc3 Nd4 16.Bxd4 h6 17.Rf7+ Kc6 18.Rf6 Qxf6 19.Qxf6+ etc.
12.Qd5+ Kd7 13.Qf5+ Kxd6 14.Qd5+ Ke7 15.Bg5+ Ke8 16.Qf7 checkmate
Working through the latest selection of Bill Wall's Jerome Gambits, I think the next criterion I use for chosing games is when Black invents his own defensive ideas to counter White's attack. I could have chosen "short games" as a criterion, although in the case of the following game, both would apply.
Wall, Bill - Guest2613563
PlayChess.com, 2017
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bb6
7.dxe5 Bxf2+
As covered in the previous post, 7...Qh4 was the sharpest response.
Instead, Black decides that if White's sacrifice of his Bishop was strong, then maybe Black should do the same thing.
8.Kxf2 Qh4+ 9.g3 Qxe4
Previously seen was 9...Qe7 10.Rf1 Qxe5 11.Kg1+ Nf6 12.Nc3 d6 13.Nd5 c6 14.Nxf6 gxf6 15.Bf4 Qc5+ 16.Kg2 Be6 17.Qxd6 Qxd6 18.Bxd6 Rad8 19.e5 Bd5+ 20.Kg1 Ke6 21.Rxf6+ Black resigned, HauntedKnight - Wxbas, FICS, 2014.
10.Re1
Instead, 10.Qh5+ g6 11.Qf3+ Qxf3+ 12.Kxf3 was okay, although White was eventually out-played: 12...Ne7 13.Rf1 Kg7 14.Bg5 Nf5 15.Bf6+ Kg8 16.Bxh8 Kxh8 17.Nc3 Nd4+ 18.Kg2 Nxc2 19.Rf8+ Kg7 20.Rc1 Ne3+ 21.Kf3 Kxf8 22.Kxe3 d6 23.exd6 cxd6 24.Nd5 Be6 25.Nf6 Kg7 26.Ne4 Bxa2 27.Nxd6 b6 28.Rc7+ Kh6 29.h4 Rd8 30.Nf7+ Bxf7 31.Rxf7 a5 32.Rb7 Rd6 33.g4 g5 34.h5 Re6+ 35.Kf3 Rf6+ 36.Kg3 Rd6 37.Ra7 Rd3+ 38.Kf2 Rd2+ 39.Ke3 Rxb2 40.Ra6 Kg7 41.Ra7+ Kg8 42.h6 Rc2 43.Rg7+ Kh8 44.Rxg5 a4 45.Rf5 Kg8 46.Rb5 Rc6 47.g5 Kf7 48.Rf5+ Kg6 49.Kf4 Rc4+ 50.Ke5 Rc5+ White resigned, HauntedKnight - ravenga, FICS, 2014.
10...Qf5+
This move looks like it accomplishes two things at once, removing Her Majesty from the attack by the Rook, and attacking the endmy King. Still, the open f-file is full of danger, and putting both the Queen and King on it is asking for trouble. Safer was 10...Qc6.
11.Kg2
Or 11.Kg1 Ne7 12.Rf1 Qxf1+ 13.Qxf1+ Ke8 14.Bg5 Rf8 15.Qc4 c6 16.Bxe7 Kxe7 17.Nc3 b5 18.Qc5+ Ke8 19.e6 dxe6 20.Qxc6+ Black resigned, bemillsy - Dubnobase, FICS, 2012.
11...b6
Planning to put the Bishop on the long diagonal and harass the enemy King. Black is caught up in his counter-attack. A little disrespect is involved, as well.
12.Rf1 Bb7+ 13.Kg1 Black resigned
So far, in this and the previous post, we have yet to consider a tense, theoretical battle over the Jerome Gambit - but that is an important point. Black is often so underwhelmed by his opponent's opening that he fails to bring his A Game, or his B Game, or sometimes even his C Game... And White must and can take advantage of that.
I just received 10 new Jerome Gambit games from Bill Wall, certainly one of the strongest players to routinely use the Jerome.
Which games to share? Which one to share first?
Those are funny questions.
I often start with a game that shows a defender who does not give the Jerome Gambit the "proper" amount of respect. Sometimes that shows up in overly casual play - because, as we all know, the Jerome is a refuted opening and therefore is hardly worth any attention at all...
In the following game the defender starts out with gusto, but loses focus before a dozen moves are played. That's okay, right? I mean, a garbage opening can be defeated with half your brain tied behind your back, right?
Wall, Bill - Guest2293428
PlayChess.com, 2017
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bb6
A reasonable line. This is a good start.
7.dxe5 Qh4
This is properly aggressive, even if Bill has seen it before.
8.Qf3+ Ke7 9.O-O Nh6
Development, that's the key.
10.Nc3 Rf8 11.Nd5+ Kd8
Uh, what was the question...?
12.Qxf8 checkmate
If you play the Jerome Gambit, you have to grab these opportunities when they occur - and they will occur surprisingly often.
Years ago, after playing over a number of Akiba Rubinstein's (1880 – 1961) games, I was inclined to think that he had reduced chess to a few easy steps: play 1.d4, win a pawn, exchange all the pieces, win the endgame. (Actually, it was a lot more complicated than that.)
With a chuckle, I was reminded of Rubinstein when playing over the following online blitz game by shugart. He offers a piece, Jerome Gambit style, but his opponent declines it. Like water rolling down hill, the game then progresses. It doesn't seem that there is a lot of need for tactical calculation - just look ahead and move!
Actually, it is a lot more complicated than that, as the notes show... A very eduational endgame!
shugart - snob
3 0 blitz, FICS, 2017
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4
The Blackburne Shilling Gambit.
4.Bxf7+
The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.
4...Ke7
Black declines the gift of a piece. If you want me to take the Bishop, then I won't take the Bishop.
5.Bxg8 Rxg8 6.Nxd4 exd4
Comfortable with an extra pawn - plus a safer King and a better pawn structure - White is comfortable letting the game unfold.
7.d3 h6 8.Qh5 d6 9.O-O Be6 10.f4 Bf7
Black has the two Bishops. He is not in a hurry, either.
11.Qh4+ Kd7 12.Qh3+ Be6 13.f5 Bf7 14.Bf4 Kc8 15.Nd2 b6 16.Nb3 c5
Black has secured his advanced d-pawn.
17.Qg3 Kc7 18.e5 Bxb3 19.exd6+ Bxd6 20.Bxd6+ Qxd6 21.Qxd6+ Kxd6 22.axb3
In a 3 0 game, such exchanges happen quickly and help with the clock.
Will White's kingside pawn majority be enough?
22...Rgf8 23.g4 a5 24.Rae1 Rae8 25.Rxe8 Rxe8 26.Kf2 Rf8
It was time, instead, for Black's Rook to invade via 26...Re3, with his King to advance behind it, keeping the game balanced. White now shows how it's done.
27.Re1 Rf7 28.Re6+ Kc7 29.Kf3 b5 30.Ra6 Re7
The issue here is not Black's a-pawn. It is the fact that when Rooks come off the board White will have a straight-forward win.
31.Ra7+ Kd6 32.Rxe7 Kxe7
Okay, how fast can you move your pieces? The game is barely half over.
33.h4 Kd6 34.Ke4 b4
Now the inhuman Stockfish 8 declares a checkmate in 26, but the ticking clock will inject a few inaccuracies before White grasps the full point.
35.g5 h5 36.Kf3 Ke5 37.f6 gxf6 38.gxf6
The more accurate 38.g6!? was the way to win, with many hassles: 38...Ke6 39.Kf4 Ke7 40.Kf5 c4 41.bxc4 a4 42.c5 a3 43.bxa3 bxa3 44.g7 Kf7 45.c6 Kxf7 46.c7 a2 47.c8/Q a1/Q 48.Qd7+
38...Kxf6
39.Kf4 Ke6 40.Kg5
White should admit that he has only a draw, and mark the enemy King with 40.Ke4, keeping it out of mischief. He also should keep his King closer to home, as Black can now cause pawn mischief similar to the note above: 40...c4 41.bxc4 a4 42.c5 a3 43.c6 Ke6 and it is Black who will have a checkmate in 26!
40...Ke5 41.Kxh5 Kf4
Black's King advances aggressively, but it needed, instead, to mark White's King with 41...Kf5 and let his pawns do the work, e.g. 42...c4.
The advantage agains shifts to White.
42.Kg6 Ke3 43.h5 Kd2 44.h6 Kxc2 45.h7 Kxb3 46.h8=Q Kxb2
This is a pretty crazy position, but quite won for White - with enough time to think. Amazingly, there is.
47.Qe5 Kc3 48.Qxc5+ Kxd3 49.Qxa5 Kc3 50.Kf5 d3 51.Ke4 d2 52.Qc5+ Kb3 53.Qd4 Ka3 54.Qxd2 b3
If only the pawn were on the a-file or the c-file, Black might have drawing chances.
55.Qc3 Ka2 56.Qc4 Ka3 57.Qc5+ Ka2 58.Qa5+ Kb1 59.Kd3 b2 60.Kc3 Kc1 61.Qg5+ Kb1 62.Qb5 Kc1 63.Qf1 checkmate
An amazing game for 3 0!
The following game is another lightning affair from shugart at FICS. Both sides play relatively calmly - after White starts with the Jerome Gambit, of course - and then at one point Black slips. Punishment strikes light a lightning bolt.
shugart - kisa
1 2 lightning, FICS, 2017
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 Qe7
11.d3 Kf7 12.f4 Re8 13.Nc3 c6 14.b3
Kg8
15.Ba3 c5 16.Rae1 b6 17.Qg3 Bb7 18.Bb2
18...Nh5 19.Qg4 Qh4 20.Qf3
Continuing with the theme of trapped knights that we have seen in recent posts (see "Jerome Gambit: Quirky" and "Jerome Gambit: Beware the Calm After the Storm"), White had 20.Qxh4 Nxh4 21.f5 d5 22.g3 Nf6
23.gxh4 dxe4 24.dxe4 Nxe4 with an equal game.
20...Nf6
21.g3 Qh5 22.Qg2 Qg4 23.Nd1 h5 24.Ne3 Qd7
25.f5 Ne5 26.Qe2 g6
Oops.
27.fxg6 Nxg6 28.Rxf6 Black resigned
