It's time for another "Cliff Hardy" adventure!
I think Readers will admit that it takes a certain amount of courage to play the Jerome Gambit.
Playing the Jerome in a 10 minute game takes nerves of steel.
But - Playing a 10 0 Jerome Gambit game, blindfold??
I recently received three new Hardy Jerome Gambits. Like in any good private eye story, at first the hero takes it on the chin...
Notes are by Cliff. I have added diagrams and an occasional comment in blue.
Hardy, Cliff - Pomo12
10 0, white playing blindfold
lichess.org, 2018
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6
7.Qd5+ Kf8 8.Qxc5+ d6 9.Qe3 Nf6
10.O-O Ng4
"Amazing how popular this move is" was Cliff's comment in an earlier game. - Rick
11.Qg3 Qh4
Exchanging queens would seem to make the blindfold player's calculation task easier, but perhaps black chose the line simply because he saw it as best. - Rick.
12.Qxh4 Nxh4 13.f4 Ng6
Leaves black with a slight advantage.
An improvement over 13...Ke7?!, seen in Hardy,C - NN, FICS, 2017 (1-0, 19), with a roughly even game. - Rick
14.d4 h5 15.Nc3 c6 16.f5 Ne7 17.Bf4 d5
18.h3 Nf6 19.e5 Ne4 20.Nxe4 dxe4 21.e6
The "Jerome pawn" at e6 blocks the light-squared bishop, which in turn blocks the rook. White seems to have compensation for his sacrificed piece. - Rick
21...Nd5 22.Bd6+ Ke8 23.Rae1 Nf6 24.Be5?!
White has some good pressure, and after 24.c4 white has a slight edge, Stockfish, but I chose (incorrectly) to capture on f6, in order to win the pawn on e4.
24...Ke7 25.Bxf6+? gxf6 26.Rxe4
26...b6 27.c4 a5 28.Rc1 Bb7 29.b3 Rac8 30.a3 Rcg8
Black's bishop and queenside rook have taken up more aggressive positions. - Rick
31.Rc3 Rg5 32.d5
For better or for worse, white needed to try 32.g4. - Rick
32...Rxf5 33.d6+ Kxd6 34.Rd3+ Kc7 35.Rd7+ Kc8 36.Rf7 c5
37.e7 Re8 38.Re6 Re5 39.Rfxf6 Rxe6 40.Rxe6 Kc7
41.Kf2 Bc6 42.Kg3 Kd7 43.Rg6 Rxe7 44.Kh4 Rh7 45.Rg5 Kc7 46.g3 Be8
White's best chance now rests with his opponent's ticking clock, and he hangs in, battling all the way - but this time the opposition is going to get away. - Rick
47.Re5 Kd7 48.Kg5 Rg7+ 49.Kf4 Rf7+ 50.Ke3 Re7 51.Kf4 Rxe5 52.Kxe5 Ke7 53.Kd5 Kd7 54.g4 hxg4 55.hxg4 Bg6
56.b4 cxb4 57.axb4 a4 58.c5 a3 59.c6+ Kc7 60.Ke6 a2 61.Kf6 Be4 62.Ke5 Bxc6 63.g5 a1=Q+ 64.Kf4 Qg7 65.Ke3 Kd6 66.Kf2 Ke5 67.Kg3 Qxg5+ Black won on time
A major theme in the Jerome Gambit, and related openings, is the play White gets with the pawns he has in exchange for the piece(s) he sacrificed. In lines of the Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit, this can be an interesting 4 pawns vs a piece. Will White attack with the pawns, or wait for the endgame? Will Black try to pick the pawns off as they come into range?
The following game answers none of these questions - although I suspect they rattled around in Black's head, nonetheless. In fact, that might explain how White was able to successfully hold back, let his opponent try to figure out what was going to happen - and then take advantage of the resulting tactical oversight.
Wall, Bill - Guest748831
PlayChess.com, 2017
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4
The Blackburne Shilling Gambit.
4.Bxf7+
The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit. It often comes as a surprise for Black, and there are tactical opportunities that can be taken - or avoided.
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Nxg6 hxg6
The right idea.
Bill has faced lesser alternatives:
7...Nxc2+ 8.Kd1 Nxa1 (8...Nf6 9.Qe5+ Be7 10.Nxe7 Qxe7 11.Qxe7+ Kxe7 12.Kxc2 Nxe4 13.Re1 d5 14.d3 Bf5 15.f3 Black resigned, Wall,B - Schlier,A, Chess.com, 2010) 9.Nxh8+ Ke7 10.Qe5 checkmate, Wall,B - Apple69, Chess.com, 2010;
7...Nf6 8.Qe5+ Ne6 9.Nxh8 Bg7 10.O-O Qe7 11.f4 Ng4 12.Qh5+ Black resigned, Wall,B - DSLC, FICS, 2013; and
7...Qf6 8.Nxh8+ Kd8 9.Nf7+ Ke7 10.d3 Nxc2+ 11.Kd1 Qxf2 12.Bg5+ Nf6 13.Nd2 Nxa1 14.e5 Bg7 15.Bxf6+ Bxf6 16.exf6+ Qxf6 17.Re1+ Kf8 18.Ng5 d6 19.Re8+ Black resigned, Wall,B - Sharkia,A, Chess.com, 2010.
8.Qxg6+
Not 8.Qxh8 Nxc2+ 9.Kd1 Nxa1 10.Qxg8 Qg5 and Black is better.
8...Ke7 9.Qg5+ Ke8
A bit better than the text is 9...Nf6, as in 10.Qc5+ d6 (10...Kf7 11.Qxd4 Qe8 12.Nc3 c5 13.Qe3 Qe5 14.h3 Bh6 15.Qf3 Qf4 16.Qe2 d6 17.d4 Qh4 18.Bxh6 Qxh6 19.dxc5 dxc5 20.e5 Nh5 21.Qc4+ Be6 22.Qxc5 Black resigned,Wall,B - NN, lichess.org, 2016) 11.Qxd4 d5 12.e5 Ne4 13.d3 b6 14.dxe4 c6 15.Bg5+ Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest5170841, PlayChess.com, 2015.
10.Qe5+ Qe7
Black stays on course, avoiding:
10...Ne6 11.Qxh8 Qg5 12.O-O Nf4 13.g3 d6 (13...Ne2+ 14.Kg2 Nf4+ 15.Kh1 Qg4 16.f3 Black resigned, Wall,B - Creel,A, Chess.com, 2010) 14.Nc3 Nh6 15.d3 Ne2+ 16.Nxe2 Black resigned, Wall,B - Amoex, PlayChess.com, 2013; and
10...Be7 11.Qxh8 Black resigned, Wall,B - Takra, lichess.org, 2016.
11.Qxd4
Not the embarassing 11.Qxh8? Qxe4+ 12.Kf1 Qe2+ 13.Kg1 Qe1 checkmate.
Now, what will White do with his extra 4 (connected, 3 passed) pawns? He has other things to do, first.
11...Bg7 12.Qe3 d6 13.O-O Bd7 14.Nc3 Bc6 15.d4 b6
The game is about even. White has 4 pawns for the sacrificed piece, as well as a more secure King (although he needs to be careful that Black does not develop an attack along the open lines on the Kingside.)
16.d5 Bb7 17.Bd2 Qe5 18.h3 Kd7 19.Nb5 a6 20.Bc3 Qe7 21.Nd4 Rd8
Black intends to castle-by-hand on the Queenside, but never gets the chance. Instead of bringing the Rook to the center (perhaps he anticipates f2-f4 followed by e4-e5) he would have done better to remove the White Knight with 21...Bxd4. The exchange would have also prevented the following tactical oversight. (Too many things on his mind?)
22.Nf5 Qf8 23.Bxg7 Black resigned
Black dropped a piece, and will lose a Rook to the Bishop fork.
Creating complicated positions increase the likelihood of our opponent making an error.
There is an interesting article on the 1918 Rye Beach Masters' Tournament at the eclectic, educational and entertaining Tartajubow on Chess II website. I am always pleased to find "Danvers Opening", "Kentucky Opening" and "Jerome Gambit" on the same page.
Check it out.
When I am trying to make sense out of different lines of play of the Jerome Gambit - to post on this blog, or to prepare for a game - I generally use 3 tools.
It is often helpful to know what a computer chess engine "thinks" of a line or position. I currently use Stockfish 8 & 9, but have also used Houdini, Rybka, Fritz and Crafty. Computers are very good at pointing out tactical shots, and have been getting better and better at understanding positional nuances. (I have not tried Komodo, but it is supposed to be advanced in positional assessment.)
Of course, "objective" evaluation of the Jerome Gambit can be meaningless by itself. If machines could talk (I'm looking at you, Talking Fritz), after move 4 they would say "White, you are busted, why not stop wasting your time and just start another game?"
I leaven the serious look at Jerome lines with a peek at games drawn from The Database, currently 56,000+ Jerome Gambit and Jerome-related games that generally reflect online club play. Some players are very successful with my favorite "refuted" chess opening!
While I would not, ever, compare the Jerome Gambit to the Najdorf variation of the Sicilian defense, nor compare myself to Bobby Fischer, I was always impressed when Bobby would play Black with the Najdorf and win - and then turn around and take White and beat the Najdorf. Bobby was an awesome player, but he also showed the benefit of really knowing, down deep, the opening you play.
Finally, I always appreciate the wisdom of Geoff Chandler's humorous, but intuitively correct, "blunder table". In master and grandmaster games, the advantage of a pawn is frequently enough for a win. As we move down to the play of less-developed players, however, it can sometimes take a Knight or a Rook before one side has a "winning" advantage.
So, while the top players would hardly play an opening that involves the sacrifice of two pieces, it is not at all surprising (despite computer carping) to find that in club games - especially fast ones - that the Jerome Gambit can find its place - especially in lines where Black returns a piece, leaving him with a piece for two pawns (essentially a pawn ahead). That is hardly enough to guarantee a win for the second player!
The following Jerome Gambit game is not an exemplar, but it has an appearance of strangeness that makes it fun to play over.
Wall, Bill - Faave, Al
PlayChess.com, 2017
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4
Nf6
This is not the way to return the sacrificed material - Black gets little for it.
Just as the game was not "over" after White's 4th move, it it not yet over after Black's 7th. (Although White is up a couple of pawns.)
8.Qxe5+ Kf7 9.Qxc5 d6 10.Qa5 b6 11.Qg5 h6 12.Qb5 a6 13.Qb3+ Be6 14.Qe3
White exaggerates the errors of his opening - more than half of his moves are with his Queen! She has bounced around, encouraging Black to loosen the positions of his pawns.
14...Ng4
Harassing the enemy Queen further.
15.Qg3 Nf6 16.Nc3 Rf8 17.f5 Bd7 18.d3 Bc6 19.Qg6+ Ke7
It is understandable tht Black did not want to castle-by-hand with 19...Kg8, as White can respond with 20.Bxh6, but the King will not be safe in the center of the board.
20.Qxg7+ Rf7 21.Qxh6 Qg8 22.g3 Qg4
Black has an advantage in development, and wants to put it to use by pressuring White's King and Queen. (I am not ready to refer to this line of play as "the four pawns defense".)
23.Bg5 Rg8 24.Bh4 Rgg7
I was surprised to see that Stockfish 8 assesses this position to be vastly favorable for White - "+13", which is equivalent to the 4 extra pawns White has, plus and extra Queen. Clearly White is about to win back some material, but still...
25.h3 Qf3 26.Rf1 Qg2
27. Bxf6+ Kd7 28. Bxg7 Qxg3+
29. Ke2 Rxg7
Eventually White's extra Rook - and pawns - will mean something, but for now his King still has to be careful.
30.f6 Rf7 31.Qh5 Rf8 32.Qh7+ Kc8 33.Qg7 Black resigned
Here is the latest Jerome Gambit from Vlasta Fejfar, featuring two wandering Queens. White's Queen successfully attacks, while Black's Queen is a few steps slow in defending. In a surprise twist, the player who loses his Queen, wins the game!
vlastous - Marwan 86
internet, 2018
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4
This move is at least as old as D'Aumiller - AP, Livorno, 1878 (1-0, 19), appeared in 2 of the Jerome - Charles correspondence games in their 1881 match (both games incomplete), and appeared in 6 of the games in the legendary (to Jerome Gambit players, anyhow) Fisher-Kirshner - KnightStalker match of 1993.
4...Qf6 8. Rf1 g6
We have seen a couple of Vlasta's opponents try other ideas:
8...Nd3+ "creatively returning a piece" in Vlastous - Kombe, internet, 2017, (1-0, 22); and
8...Nc6 "cold-blooded, but playable" in Fejfar,V - Vins, corr Czech Republic, 2015, (1-0, 23).
9.Qh3+ Ke7 10.fxe5 Qxe5 11.Qf3 Qf6
A common criticism of the Jerome Gambit is that White moves his Queen too early and too often. So far in this game, however, Black has kept pace with White.
Vlastous 2344 -Daboa 1799, Chessmaniac.com, 2016, (1-0, 42) saw the alternative, 11...Nf6.
12.Qe2 Qa6
You can almost hear Black sigh "Enough, already!". The threat to exchange Queens is easily parried, though, and Her Majesty soon finds that she needs to get back in the fray.
13.d3 Ke8 14.Nc3 Ne7 15.Nd5 Qc6
To protect against the threatened Knight fork at c7.
Black's best defense was 15...Kd8, when a typical messy game can continue with 16.Bg5 c6 17.b4 cxd5 18.bxc5 dxe4 19.Rf7 Re8 20.Qxe4 Qe6 21.Qxe6 dxe6 22.Rxh7 when White clearly has compensation for his sacrificed material, although the game is about even. (Who is more comfortable, though?)
16.Qf3 Nxd5
Opening the e-file with the enemy Queen facing the King is pretty risky, but the best move, 16...Nf5, still loses. (And it turns out that White doesn't need the e-file after all.)
17.Qf7+ Kd8 18.Bg5+ Be7
Black does not want to give up his Queen with 18...Qf6.
White decides to give up his.
19.Qf8+ Rxf8 20.Rxf8 checkmate
Very nice.
With one game left - with the white pieces - in the first round of the "Italian Battleground" tournament at Chess.com, I have scored 7 wins, 1 loss and 1 draw. This includes a win and a draw with the Jerome Gambit.
This result is probably good enough for me to (eventually) move on to the next round, with more possible chances to play the Jerome.
In the meantime, I am waiting for my opponent in the final game to move - will I get to play one more example of the "worst chess opening ever"?*
Be sure, good, bad or indifferent, if it's a Jerome, I will share the game here.
(*Yes! It's a Jerome Gambit. Now all I have to do is win the darn thing... - Rick)
