Jerome Gambit: An Overlooked Defense

One of the great excitements of playing the disreputable Jerome Gambit is that, beyond the historical "refutations" that are out there - and I have presented as many as I am aware of in this blog, out of a simple sense of honesty and for historical accuracy - you will sometimes have the opportunity to face new or little-played "refutations".

Sometimes they will appear as impediments.

Sometimes they will appear more as mere defenses.

You have to get past them all, anyhow. Like in the following game. 

Wall, Bill - Guest532296
flyordie.com, 2017

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 d5 

Fascinating. And why not? Isn't the proper counter in a King's pawn game the full advance of the Queen's pawn?

So, why are there only four other games with this move in my 55,650 game Database?

Oh, and condolences to Guest532296, but two of them are by his opponent in this game, Bill Wall.

7.dxe5 

Or 7.dxc5 Nf6 (7...Be6 8.Nc3 d4 9.Ne2 Bc4 10.O-O Qf6 11.b3 Be6 12.Nxd4 Qg6 13.Nxe6 Kxe6 14.f4 Ng4 15.f5+ Black resigned, stretto - JAVAWO, FICS, 2008) 8. O-O Nxe4 9. Bf4 Ng6 10. Bxc7 Qh4 11. Qxd5+ Be6 12. Qd4 Rac8 13. Bg3 Qf6 14. Qxe4 Qxb2 15. Nd2 Rhe8 16. Nc4 Bxc4 17. Qxc4+ Kf8 18. Bd6+ Ne7 19. Rae1 b5 20. Qg4 Rcd8 21. Be5 g6 22.Bxb2 Black resigned, Wall,B - PassCapture, lichess.org 2017. 

7...d4 

Also seen was the if-it-works-for-you-maybe-it-will-work-for-me line 7...Bxf2+ 8.Kxf2 Qh4+ 9.g3 Qxe4 10.Re1 Qf5+ 11.Kg1 Ke6 12.Nc3 Ne7 13.Nb5 Rb8 14.Nd4+ Black resigned, Wall,B - PassCapture, lichess.org, 2017; and the reasonable

7...Qh4 8.O-O Be6 9.exd5 Bg4 10.h3 Bxd1 11.e6+ Ke7 12.Rxd1 Nf6 13.Be3 Bd6 14.Nc3 g5 15.Ne2 g4 16.Nf4 gxh3 17.Nxh3 Ne4 18.Rd4 c5 19.Rc4 b5 20.Bg5+ Qxg5 21.Nxg5 Nxg5 22.Rg4 h6 23.f4 Black forfeited on time, yorgos - Balderboys, FICS, 2009.

Stockfish 8 prefers 7...Ne7 8.Qf3+ Kg8 9.O-O Be6 10.Nc3 Qd7 with an advantage to the second player.

8.O-O Nh6 

Development, and planning to castle-by-hand if allowed.

White has to consider the exchange of his Bishop for the Knight - whose King will the resulting open lines trouble more? 

9.Qf3+ 

White probably has a draw by repetition after 9.Qh5+ Kf8 10.Bxh6 gxh6 11.Qxh6+ Ke8, with more Queen checks to follow, but there is also the wacky 12.b4!? Bxb4 13.c3!? dxc3 14.a3!? c2!? 15.axb4 cxb1/Q 16.Qh5+ which should also lead to a draw. (Hat tip to Kenneth Mark Colby, who wrote Secrets of a Grandpatzer - that second line would be a clear "Grandpatzer draw".)

9...Kg8 10.Bxh6 gxh6 11.Nd2 Qg5 

Having chased Black's King back to g8, blocking the Rook on h8, White feels comfortable with the piece exchange. On the other hand, Black still believes that there is a possible attack on the White King - hence the Queen move.

12.Qb3+ Kg7 13.f4 Qe7 

White has hopes for his "Jerome pawns".

14.Nc4 Be6 15.f5 Bxc4 

Black was aware that putting his Bishop on e6 would make it a target, and he relied on the text move, attacking the enemy Queen, to counter any pawn push by White.

Since White's attack on Black's King will feature a Queen check from g3, Black's best defense might be 15...d3+!?, closing off the third rank. The game would remain quite complicated, although the first player still would have the advantage. 

16.f6+ 

An awkward move to meet. White's Queen will be able to escape the attack she faces (e.g. 16...Kg6 17.Qg3+ or 16...Kg8 17.Qg3+, in both cases followed by winning Black's Queen); Black's will not.

16...Kf7 17.fxe7+ Black resigned

The discovered check allows White's Queen to escape.

The Jerome Gambit: For Fun

The following game got me thinking about the title of Willy Hendriks' book, Move First, Think Later: Sense and Nonsense in Improving Your Chess. It's a silly affair (the game, not the book, which is quite serious) that has a couple of howlers when it comes to moves, but it's the kind of thing that happens sometimes in 3-minute blitz games, and I hope it gives you a chuckle or two.

Bingoman - noorinut
3 0 blitz, FICS, 2017

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6

The Semi-Italian Opening. For some background, see here and here.

4.Bxf7+

In a hurry to go all-Jerome all over his opponent. I prefer 4.0-0, and after 4...Bc5, then 5.Bxf7+; but everyone has their own ideas about excitement.

4...Kxf7 5.d4 Nxd4

The enjoyable thing about playing chess "for fun" is that it often doesn't make demands upon you - no heavy cognition, just think of a move and play it. Here Black plays a "sure, why not?" move (instead of 5...exd4) and then has fewer than 10 more moves to regret it.

To go from a "won" game at move 4 to a "lost" game at move 5 is not unheard of in a 3 0 blitz game - but before the end of the game he will have a chance to get that "won"game back again, if he keeps his wits about himself...

6. Nxe5+ Ke8

Alarm bells should be going off in the heads of Jerome Gambiteers everywhere!

Black should have given up the Rook with 6...Ke7 7.Ng6+ Ke8 8.Nxh8 (White's cornered Knight will escape), remaining an exchange and a couple of pawns down. Instead, he faces checkmate*.

7.Qh5+ g6 8.Qxg6+ Ke7 9.Qf7+ Kd6 10.Nc4+ Kc6 11.Qe6+

It's good to remember White's plan of Queen checks followed by the shepherding Knight check, followed by the Queen check - but not this Queen check.

11...d6

Overwhelmed by the shock and awe of the attack? Distracted by the clock? Guessing that his opponent made a mouse-slip and giving him a second chance? I dunno.

12.Qd5+ Kd7 13.Ne5+ Ke8 14.Qf7 checkmate

White's Queen and Knight "undo" their last moves and finish the game.


*There's always an asterisk in 3 0 games.

Jerome Gambit: Advance in the Center, Attack on the Kingside, Checkmate on the Queenside

Chris Torres (see "Always Be Ready to Deliver Checkmate", "The Most Violent Chess Game Ever Played!", "Another Lesson in the Jerome Gambit", "More Musings" and "More Useful Junk") of the blog site Chess Musings, always sends exciting Jerome Gambit games.

His game below clearly illustrates why many club players still find a way to play the "refuted" opening.

chessmusings - snoopy2
Internet, 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 

Here we have a fairly representative position from the "classical" Jerome Gambit (5.Nxe5+), 6...Ng6 variation, including the "nudge" 7.Qd5+ (giving Black something more to think about).

10.O-O Kf7 11.f4 Re8 12.Nc3 Qe7 

White has castled and begun to move his central pawns forward. Black is near castling-by-hand and has chosen the e-pawn as a target.

13.d3 Ng4 

Was it Oscar Wilde who said "I can resist anything except temptation"?

Black suddenly decides that harassing the White Queen is a good idea.

14.Qf3 Kg8 

Safe and sound.

15.f5 N6e5 16.Qg3 h6 

A risky waste of time, creating a weakness - all disguised as defensive preparation against Bg5. 

17.d4 Nxh2 

Things are becoming complicated, and Black decides that, since he has an extra piece, the simplest path would be to return one, grabbing a pawn in the process. However, even if more pieces on the board means more things to calculate, 17...Nf6 was the proper move.

It is ironic that the Knight sac lures White's King to an exposed square where, in a few moves, Black will be able to check and win back a piece - thereby sealing his fate.

18.Kxh2 Nc6 19.f6 

Oh, those "Jerome pawns"!

19...Qf7 20.Bxh6 

See the note to move 16.

20...Qh5+ 

Black is in a very difficult position, as even the boring 20...Nxd4 21.Qxg7+ Qxg7 22.Bxf7 shows - White's extra, passed pawns will give the win.

Black is happy to win the Bishop at h6, but in the process he overlooks White's f-pawn. Time problems? Over-confidence? Despair?

 21.Kg1 Qxh6 22.f7+

22...Kf8 23.fxe8/Q+ Kxe8 24.Nd5 Nxd4

Black can afford to allow the Knight fork at c7, attacking a Rook, because he has his own Knight fork at e2, attacking a Queen.

25. Nc7+ Kd7 26.Rf7+ 

But, here is the thing: the game is no longer just about material advantage (as 26...Kd8 27.Qd3 would show) but also about King safety - and checkmate. 

26...Kc6 27.Qc3+ Kb6 28.Nd5+ Ka6 29.Nb4+ Kb5 30.a4+ Kb6 31.Qc7 checkmate

Very nice.

BSJG: Uncharted Territory

If you are a chess player who enjoys mixing it up in unclear positions - at blitz speed - then the Jerome Gambit is just what you are looking for.

And - if your opponent tries the Blackburne Shilling Gambit? Try the Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit, of course!

sahistonline - PlatinumKnight
5 0 blitz, FICS, 2017

What makes this game particularly interesting is that both players have over 100 games in The Database - playing both Black and White.

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nc6 3.Nf3 Nd4

The Blackburne Shilling Gambit.

4.Bxf7+ 

The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.

Of course, White has other alternatives, such as 4.Nxd4, 4.0-0, 4.c3 or 4.d3, but the text, in my opinion, is the most fun. Not recommended is 4.Nxe5?! which is bodaciously met with 4...Qg5!?

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6 6.c3 Kxe5 7.cxd4+ 

Here we see the major theme of the following play: Black is a piece up, but his King is in the center, in danger, facing White's extra pawns. Gobbling pawns will be dangerous; retreating the King to safety should be Black's plan.

7...Kxd4

Maybe just one, Black decides.

Safer was to start the journey home with 7...Ke6. As we shall see, neither player is commited to anything as boring as "safer".

8.Qa4+

There are 71 games in The Database with this move. White scores  43%. Black can be a bit comfortable if he remembers that he has faced this line before. Not too comfortable, though: he lost that game.

Instead, Stockfish 8 recommends 8.Qb3 followed by 9.Nc3. It should be noted that there are exactly 0 games in The Database with these moves. Largely uncharted territory.

8...Ke5 9.f4+ 

White has also offered the e-pawn with 9.d4+ Kxe4 10.Qc2+ Kd5 11.Nc3+ Kd6 12.O-O Nf6 13.Nb5+ Ke6 14.Nxc7+ Kf7 15.Nxa8 Bd6 16.d5 Re8 17.Bg5 Kg8 18.Bxf6 Qxf6 19.Nc7 Bxc7 20.Qxc7 d6 21.Rac1 Qg6 22.Rc3 Bf5 23.Rg3 Qe6 24.Qxb7 Qf7 25.Qb5 h6 26.a4 Kh7 27.Qc6 Bd7 28.Qxd6 Bxa4 29.Qb4 Bc2 30.d6 Bf5 31.Rc3 Bd7 32.Rc7 a6 33.Qa5 Ra8 34.Qb6 Qe6 35.Qb7 Rd8 36.Qxa6 Qd5 37.Qa7 Qxd6 38.Rc3 Bc6 39.Qa5 Qg6 40.Rg3 Qf7 41.Qxd8 Black resigned, yogasanjay - PlatinumKnight, FICS, 2014.

For a few ideas in this wilderness, playable alternatives include 9.Nc3!?, 9.O-O!? and 9.Qb3!?. 

9...Ke6 

Prudent. The pawn is poisoned: 9...Kxf4 10.d4+ Kg4 11.Qd1+ Kh4 12.Qf3 Bb4+ 13.Kd1 d6 14.g3+ Kh3 15.g4+ Kh4 16.Qg3 checkmate. 

10.f5+ Ke5 

Goading White? Surely 10...Kf7 was safer. But, see the note to Black's 7th move. We have a full-fledged battle, here.

11.Nc3

First of all, development.

Stockfish 8 recommends wilder play, starting with pawn checks: 11.d4+ Kf6 12.e5+ Kf7 (of course not 12...Kxf5, i.e. 13.O-O+ Ke6 14.d5+ Ke7 15.Qb4+ d6 16.Qh4+ Ke8 17.Rxf8+ Kxf8 18.Qxd8+ Kf7 19.e6+ Bxe6 20.dxe6+ Kxe6 21.Qxa8) 13.O-O Be7 14.Qc4+ Kf8 15.Nc3 b5 16.Qxb5 c6 17.Qd3 d5 18.Ne2 Nf6 (it is helpful, but not saving, to give a piece back)19.exf6 Bxf6 20.Nf4 Qb6 21.Ne6+ Kg8 22.Nc5 h6 23.Qe3 Kh7 24.b3 Qb4 25.Bb2 Bg5 26.Qd3 Qd2 - and White is better. 

11...d5 

Black's idea: strike back at White's pawn center.  

12.d4+

Also to be considered was the dual-purposed 12.O-O!?

12...Kf6 13.Nxd5+ Kf7 14.Qc4 g6 

Cold-bloodedly looking to make a safe square for Black's King, while trying to undermine the White pawns. The computer suggests 14...b5!? 15.Qb3 Qh4+ 16.Kf1 Qxe4 17.Nc3+ Be6 18.Nxe4 Bxb3 19.axb3 Ne7 although White would still be better.

Hardly an easy position to play with the clock ticking.

15.Nxc7+ Kg7 16.Ne6+ 

Either seeing something, or not seeing something. This settles the game down a bit, although still being better for the first player. In a slower game, 16.Bf4!?, continuing to build tension, could have been explored.

16...Bxe6 17.Qxe6 Qxd4 

Both Kings are at risk, and neither army is developed, except for the Queens!

18.f6+

This looks a lot like a time slip. Now Black can do more than cover up. The protective 18.Bd2 followed by 19.O-O-O might lead to an edge for the second player.

18...Nxf6 19.Rf1 Bb4+ 20. Ke2 Rae8

White resigned

BSJG: All Along the Long Diagonal

The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit is a combination of two outrageous forms of play - one for Black, one for White - that can lead to odd, often outrageous, play, often along the a1-h8 diagonal. The following 15 minute game is a good example.

DVYate - borodin
FICS, 2017

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 

Blackburne Shilling Gambit.

4.Bxf7+ 

Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Nxg6 hxg6 8.Qxh8 

Discussed a long time ago, blog-wise.

8...Nxc2+ 

Always a temptation, often an error - but just fine in this position.

9.Kd1 Nxa1 10.b3 Nf6 11.Bb2 

So far, so good for Black, but he has to let the Knight at a1 go. Instead, he decides to get a pawn for it, and...

11...Nxb3 12.Bxf6 Black resigned

Jerome Gambit: Luck Helps

If you can't win with the Jerome Gambit, you can always be lucky, especially in a blitz game:

lonewolfejoe - Mayte, blitz, FICS, 2017

Black lost on time

Jerome Gambit: Made for Blitz

The attacking mayhem of the Jerome Gambit was made for blitz play. Often the defender who is unaware of best play will first slip, and then slide, and then take a fall.

ndrwgen, with White in the following miniature, is familiar with the Jerome Gambit - in fact, he has 165 games in The Database.

ndrwgn - abogatyrev
5 0 blitz, FICS, 2017

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.O-O 

A move in the Two Knights that has "more going for it than is generally realized" as I have noted elsewhere in this blog.

4...Bc5 5.Bxf7+ 

When Black captures the Bishop, the game will transpose into a "modern" Jerome Gambit variation, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.0-0 Nf6.

The Database contains 1072 games with this position, with White scoring 41%.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 

ndrwgn has a good bit of experience with this move. The Database shows he has a record of 23-22-1. 

7...Nxe4

Black realizes he will lose a piece, and decides not to worry
about it - he will grab a pawn, instead. A slightly stronger move move here, 7...d5, is based on similar reasoning - let White choose what piece he wants, while Black plans to grab a pawn with a subsequent ...dxe4.

8.dxc5

Also: 8.dxe5 d6 9.Qd5+ Be6 10.Qxe4 dxe5 11.Qxe5 Bd6 12.Qh5+ g6 13.Qf3+ Kg7 14.Bd2 Re8 15.Bc3+ Kg8 16.Qf6 Qxf6 17.Bxf6 Kf7 18.Bg5 h6 19.Bd2 Rad8 Black resigned, ndrwgn - Vuquoclong, FICS, 2013.

8...Qf6

ndrwgn also faced: 8...Nxc5 9.Qd5+ Kf6 10.Qxc5 d6 11.Qc3 Re8 12.f4 Bf5 13.fxe5+ dxe5 14.Nd2 Qd4+ 15.Qxd4 exd4 16.Nf3 Bxc2 17.Nxd4+ Ke5 18.Nxc2 Rad8 19.Bf4+ Kd5 20.Bxc7 Re2 21.Bxd8 Rxc2 22.Rfd1+ Ke4 23.b3 Re2 24.Re1 Kd3 25.Rxe2 Kxe2 26.a4 Ke3 27.b4 h5 28.Ra3+ Ke4 29.Be7 g6 30.Rg3 Kf5 31.Bc5 b6 32.Bd6 g5 33.Be7 g4 34.h3 a5 35.bxa5 bxa5 36.hxg4+ hxg4 37.Bd8 Ke4 38.Bxa5 Kf4 39.Rc3 Ke4 40.Rc4+ Kf5 41.g3 Kg5 Black resigned, ndrwgn - LochChessMonster, FICS, 2013.

Probably best was 8...d5.

9.Qd5+ Ke7 

White will collect the Knight at e4, with advantage. (That was quick.)

10.Qxe4 Re8 11.f4 d5 

Very often Black's last move is part of a good counter-attack for Black in the Jerome Gambit (see the note to move 8 for example) but in this case - a blitz game - the defender has overlooked something.

12.cxd6+

The capture with check makes all the difference in the world.

12...cxd6 13.fxe5 Qxe5 14.Bg5+ Kd7 15.Rf7+ Re7 

A visual (the Rook is actually attacked 3 times and only defended 2) or clock error. After 15...Ke6 16.Qxe5+ dxe5 17. Rxg7 Black would still be lost.

16.Rxe7+ Qxe7 17.Qxe7+ Kc6 18.Nc3 Black resigned