Jerome Gambit: Choices

I suspect that one of the reasons that Bill Wall opts for a main line in the Jerome Gambit - 6.d4 - that gives Black a lot of choices is specifically because it gives Black a lot of choices. Choice can mean "taking up clock time to calculate". It also can mean "making the wrong choice". Why force Black to make the right choice?

Wall, Bill - Guest_5402
chesstempo.com, 2018

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bxd4 7.Qxd4 d6 

8.Qd5+ 

Black has too many choices. To block the check, or not? To move the King, or not? To protect the b-pawn or not? 

"Objectively", Black is fine after any choice, but it hasn't worked out that way in "real life". The Database has 13 games with this position. White scores 69%.

8...Ke8 

The Database has 5 games with this position. White scores 80%.

The alternative was to let go of the b-pawn: 8...Be6 9.Qxb7 Nf6. 

9.Nc3 Nf6 10.Qb3 b6 

11.O-O Bb7 12.f4 Nc6

13.e5 dxe5 14.fxe5 Qd4+ 15.Kh1 Nxe5 

Black's idea, but not a good one.

16.Qe6+ Kd8 

Not 16...Kf8 17.Rxf6+ gxf6 18.Bh6 checkmate 

17.Rd1 Qxd1+ 18.Nxd1 Re8 19.Qh3 

Black has a piece and a Rook for his Queen.

19...Neg4 20.Qg3 Nh5  

This slip ends the game.

21.Bg5+ Kc8 22.Qxg4+ Kb8 23.Nc3 Black resigned

White's material advantage is too great.

Jerome Gambit: Quick Lesson

The latest Jerome Gambit from Cliff Hardy is a 1 0 lightning wonder. Pay attention to his notes, below - look how much information can be packed in a game that averaged less than 2 seconds a move!

Amazing.

Cliff is pretty hard on himself and his opponent, given the time control, but it only shows how challenging the Jerome Gambit can be.

Hardy, Cliff - NN
1 0 bullet, Italian Game, lichess.org
(notes by Cliff)

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4

Forced starting position.

3...Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6?! 

6...Kf8 would have been better. 

7.Qd5+ Kf8 8.Qxc5+ d6 9.Qe3 Nf6 

10.O-O Ke7? =/+ 

10...Kf7 would have been a better way to artificially castle. 

11.f4 Rf8?  +/=

11...Re8 =/+ would have been a more consistent move to enable artificial castling after a later ...Kf8. 

12.d4?! =/+ 

Seizing space by pushing the kingside Jerome pawns immediately with 12.f5 Ne5 13.d4 +/= would have been better. 

12...Kf7 13.Nc3? -+

Again, seizing space by 13.f5 = would have been better. 

13...Kg8 14.f5 Ne7 15.Qg3? -+

White thereby curtailed his own ability to push the Jerome pawns since if White were to continue after this move to push the e-pawn to e5, Black may respond with the tricky intermezzo ...Nxf5!, attacking the queen on g3; 15.Qf3 -+ would have been better.

15...Kh8? =/+

Best would have been 15...d5! 16.e5 Nxf5 17.Rxf5 Bxf5 since then 18.exf6 Qxf6 -+ would have left Black a comfortable exchange ahead. 

16.Bg5 c6 17.e5?

Over zealous. 17.Rae1 =/+ would have been better.

17...dxe5 18.dxe5 Nfd5??  

18...Nxf5 19.Rxf5 Bxf5 20.exf6 Qd4+! -+ or 20...gxf6 -+ would have been much better. 

19.f6?? = 

As Black's knight on d5 defends the square f6, the best continuation here would have been to eliminate it with 19.Nxd5 cxd5 20.f6 +-
when Black couldn't have adequately saved his knight on e7 with ...Ng6 due to 21.fxg7+ Kxg7 22.Bxd8.

19...gxf6 20.Bxf6+? -+

After 20.exf6 = or 20.Nxd5 fxg5 21.Rxf8+ Qxf8 22.Nc7 $5 Rb8 23.e6 = White would have had compensation for the material deficit, due to his cramping advanced Jerome pawn. 

20...Nxf6 21.exf6 Ng6 22.Rad1 Qb6+ 23.Kh1 Be6 24.Rd6? 

24.b3 or 24.h4 would have been better tries. 

24...Bf7?! -+

24...Bc4 -+ would have been more attacking. 

25.Ne4 Rad8? =/+

The greedy 25...Qxb2 26.Ng5 Qe5! -+ would have been much better. 

26.Ng5?? -+ 

26.Qh3! Rxd6 27.Nxd6 would have put Black under a bit of pressure, with the threat of Qh3-h6-g7 mate, though ...Qc7! would then still have left Black with a slight advantage. 

26...Rxd6 27.Qxd6 Qxb2?? = 

27...Kg8! or 27...Qe3! in either case with a winning position for Black, were better.

28.h4?? -+ 

Stockfish found the interesting 28.Qxf8+! Nxf8 29.Nxf7+ Kg8 30.Nh6+ with a draw by perpetual check, but I decided to play for the win (mind you, I didn't find this line myself during the game anyway so couldn't have played even it if I'd wanted to?) 

28...Kg8! 29.h5 Nh4?? +- 

Black had 2 good moves here, the smart fork 29...Qb5! or the safe 29...Qe5! - in either case he'd have then had a winning position. 

30.Nxf7 Rxf7 31.Qd8+ Rf8 32.f7+ Kg7 33.Qg5+?? =/+

Surprisingly a blunder, as Black could now have restored material parity and gotten his king safe; 33.h6+ Kg6 34.Qxf8 or 33.Qxh4 both would have left white with an easily won position. 

33...Kh8?? 

The final blunder; instead, after 33...Ng6 34.hxg6 hxg6 =/+ White would have been fortunate enough if he went on to hang in for a draw.

34.Qxh4 Qg7 35.h6 Qg6? 

Though 35...Qe5 36.Re1 Qd6 37.Qg5 Qd4 38.Qe7 +- still would have won for White, or 35...Qc3 36.Qe7 +- 

36.Qd4+ Qg7 37.Qxg7 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: Bad Moves

Some commentators have suggested that Emanuel Lasker would purposely play "bad" moves in order to upset his opponents, making it easier for him to win a game. As someone who plays the Jerome Gambit, I guess I understand that argument.

It is also possible that Lasker won because he understood, better than his opponents, the positions that he played, both "bad" and "good".

The following game has several times when I can not understand what was going on - only that Bill understood the positions better than his opponent, and that was enough to fashion a win. 

Wall, Bill - Guest4919498
PlayChess.com, 2018

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bxd4 7.Qxd4 d6 8.Qd2 

Okay, I don't get it. I would suggest "mouse slip", but Bill has played the move before. Given that there's about a 500 rating point difference between him and me, I have to give him the benefit of the doubt and continue to try to figure it out.

8...Nf6  

Bill has also faced 8...Be6 9.O-O Nf6, in Wall,B - Guest477, ICC, 2017, (1-0, 25). 

9.Nc3 c6 10.f4 Ng6 11.O-O 

Bill has suggested that here, and the next few moves, he could have played Qd3. This re-positioning suggests that 8.Qd2 might have been a search for novelty, as he had seen the position after 7...d6 in over 70 games.

11...Re8 12.Re1 b5

When you have the advantage, you are obliged to attack, said Wilhelm Steinitz.

So, once again, the Jerome Gambiteer tests the attacking prowess of the defender.

13.a3 Qb6+ 14.Kh1 Ng4 15.h3 Nf2+ 

16.Kh2 d5 17.exd5 

17...Rxe1

Bill points out that 17...Bf5 was stronger.

18.Qxe1 Bd7 

Stockfish 8 gives a mind-numbing, attacking, alternative: 18...Bxh3!? 19.Kg3!? Nd3 (the piece was lost, any way) 20.cxd3 Bf5 21.Qe3 Qd8 22.Kh2!? cxd5 23.Nxb5 Bd7 24.f5 Kg8!? 25.Kg1!? Nh4 26.Nd4 Qf6 27.Bd2 Re8 28.Qf2 Nxf5 29.Bc3 Qg6 30.Nf3 Bb5 31.a4 Ba6 32.Ne5 Qb6 33.d4 Qf6 34.b4 with an even position. Um, sure.

19.Be3 Ng4+ 

Black has to give up his advanced Knight, but at least gets to dent White's pawn structure.

20.hxg4 Qc7 21.Kg3 

The King has to help out on defense.

21...Qd8 

Eyeing h4.

22.Qh1 Qe7 23.Re1 Qf6 

Now Black's game crashes. He had better chances of survival after 23...Kg8 24.dxc6 Bxc6 25.f5 Qe5+ 26.Kh3 Nf4+ 27.Bxf4 Qxf4 but White would still have the advantage.

24.Ne4 Qd8 25.Ng5+ Kf6 26.Bd4+ Black resigned

Black faces checkmate, the quickest of which is 26...Ne5 27.Rxe5 Bxg4 28.Re6+ Kf5 29.Qxh7+ g6 30.Qxg6 checkmate. Ouch!

Jerome Gambit: Know Your Refutation

The latest game from Vlasta Fejfar shows that even when Black plays one of the most dangerous defenses against the Jerome Gambit, he can lose - and lose quickly. A better and deeper understanding of the Jerome often outshines its "refutation", as the following crush shows.

vlastous - dogfish
internet, 2018

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Qe7

Whistler's defense. Although both lines are complicated, when White faces the Blackburne defense (7...d6) he can take the Rook at h8 and survive, while doing so against Whistler's defense runs a much greater risk.

8.Qf4+ Nf6

This is certainly a solid move, although it is already a step off of the "best" path. Black does best to play 8...Qf6, forcing White to again move his Queen. 

9.e5 Bd6

Following in the footsteps of  Jerome,A - Jaeger,D, correspondence,1879 (0-1, 45), but again not "best". Black should pressure the e-pawn, but more efficiently, i.e. 9...Re8. 

10.d4 Kg7

Stepping out of the pin on his Knight and accepting the loss of a piece with 11.Qxf6+ Qxf6 12.exf6+ Kxf6 which would leave his King safe - but a pawn down.

11.Qh6+ Kf7 12.O-O 

White is not in a hurry to win a piece, and, instead, safeguards his King (putting his Rook on the same file as the enemy King in the process).

12...Ng8

Black is nervous about the enemy Queen, but this retrograde move is not the solution. His best option was to return a piece for a couple of pawns with 12...Bxe5 13.dxe5 Qxe5, when White would have a slight edge.

13.Qf4+ Nf6

This can not have been comfortable for Black - repeating the position from move 10, but with White to move. Perhaps the best defense, instead, was 13...Kg7 14.exd6 Qxd6 15.Qxd6 cxd6, leaving him a pawn down, with a fractured pawn structure.

14.Nc3

Of course. Another piece to add to the action.

14...c6

Keeping the Knight off of d5 - but not out of the action!

15.Ne4 Rg8

Preparing to advance his g-pawn to kick out the Queen. After the expected 15...Bb8 16.Nxf6 White would be up a couple of pawns, and a Kingside attack would be on the agenda.

Now White crashes through.

16.Nxd6+ Kg7 17.exf6+ Qxf6 

Hoping for an exchange of Queens and a release of some of the pressure - in vain.

18.Qh6+ Kh8 19.Bf4 b6 20.Be5 Black resigned

White will win the Queen, with checkmate to follow. I particularly like 20...Qxe5 21.Nf7 checkmate.

Jerome Gambit: Creative Defensive Solutions

I have been presenting some Jerome Gambit games recently played by Bill Wall, and it has been surprising how they have been linked to one another.

The following game includes a creative defensive solution that Black appears to have come up with on the spot. Instead of solving problems, though, it creates some new ones.

One of the attractions of the Jerome Gambit for club play is that it seems so bad that any kind of response should win. There are many players who have discovered, however, that this is not so. 

Wall, Bill - Guest430769
PlayChess.com, 2018

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 

According to The Database, Bill has reached this  position over 250 times. He has encountered 14 different responses. He has scored 91%. It is not likely that he will be surprised.

6...Nf3+

An interesting and straight forward (if unsuccessful) way of dealing with the threat to two of his pieces. The Database has 5 previous games with this line; White scored 80%. In the one loss, White had a clear advantage until the ravages of time in a blitz game led to his downfall.

7.Qxf3+

I suspect that Black was hoping for 7.gxf3?!, counting on the fact that White would not want to capture with his Queen, as that would allow Black's Bishop to capture the pawn at d4. The glitch in this reasoning, of course, is that White's Queen arrives on f3 with check.

 7...Nf6 

Bill has also faced: 7...Qf6 8.dxc5 (8.Qb3+ d5 9.Qxd5+ Be6 10.Qxc5 Nh6 11.Qxc7+ Qe7 12.Qxe7+ Kxe7 13.Bxh6 gxh6 14.f4 Rhg8 15.g3 Rac8 16.Nc3 a5 17.d5 Bg4 18.e5 Bf3 19.Rf1 Bg2 20.Rf2 Bh1 21.O-O-O Black resigned, Wall,B - Gian, PlayChess.com, 2017) 8...Qxf3 9.gxf3 Nf6 10.Nc3 Re8 11.Nb5 Re7 12.Nxc7 Rb8 13.Bf4 b6 14.Nd5 Nxd5 15.Bxb8 bxc5 16.Bd6 Re8 17.Bxc5 Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest151963, PlayChess.com, 2011. 

8.dxc5 Re8 

White is two pawns up.

9.Nc3 Kg8 10.O-O d6

And Black has little compensation for his sacrificed pawns... Wait a minute, isn't this an opening where White sacrifices? Ten moves in, something has gone terribly wrong for Black.

The defender now succumbs to pressure on f6 that leads to a tactical slip.

11.Bg5 Rf8 12.Nd5 Bg4 13.Bxf6 gxf6 14.Qxg4+

14...Kf7 15.Rfd1 c6 16.Nb6 

A nice shot. He can afford it. (He also had the quiet 16.Ne3 and the diabolical 16.Nxf6, but the text works just as well.)

16...axb6 17.Rxd6 Qc7 18.Rd7+ Black resigned

White wins the Queen.

Jerome Gambit: A Refutation A Mile Wide and An Inch Deep

Sometimes a defender may appear ready to deal with the Jerome Gambit, and might even start off looking prepared - but if that preparation is "a mile wide and an inch deep", it won't be enough.

Consider the following game.


Wall, Bill - Guest5643953
PlayChess.com, 2018

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Qh4 

This "pie-in-the-face" variation is another example of an early ...Qh4 by Black, which immediately challenges White to find a way to survive.

7.O-O Nf3+

Okay, this is kind of strange...

Black's 6th move was one of the strongest ways to meet 6.d4, by ignoring possible material loss and, instead, initiating a counter-attack; but this move looks like the second player is suddenly upset at having two minor pieces attacked, and so he decides to give one up.

8.Qxf3+ Nf6 9.dxc5 Qxe4

What a difference a few moves can make! Instead of being down two pieces, White is up a pawn.

The game is not over, but certainly there is no talk of a refutation any more.

10.Qb3+ d5 11.cxd6+ Be6 12.Qa3 Qxc2 13.Nc3 cxd6 

Here we have a subtle position. Material is even. White's advantage is the weakness of Black's pawn on d6.

Black hurries to protect the pawn, but this makes his position worse.

14.Bg5 Ne8 15.Qb4 Bc8 

There was less danger in 15...b6. Black has un-developed two minor pieces and dis-connected his Rooks.

16.Rae1 h6 17.Re7+ Kg6 18.Be3 

After the game Stockfish 8 showed a preference for 18.Bxh6!? but there was no need to chase complications after 18...gxh6 19.Qd4 Rf8 20.g4!? The text move is fine.

18...Rf8 19.Qd4 Qf5 20.Nd5 

White's pieces cooperate and close in on the enemy King. In the mean time, it is again relevant to point out Black's Bishop at home, blocking his Rook, at home. Black now develops the Bishop, but it is too late.

20...Bd7 21.Re4

Threatening 22.Ne7+, forking the Queen and King. 

21...Qh5 22.g4 Qh4 23.Ne7+ Kh7 24.g5 

It is a tossup as to which is in more danger, Black's King or his Queen.

24...Qh3 25.Rh4 Qe6 26.g6+ Kh8 27.Rxh6 checkmate

Very nice!