Evans-ish Abrahams Jerome Gambit

In the previous post (see "Jerome Gambit: Move That Knight!") I shared a couple of outrageous ways (other than sacrificing it at e5) for White to move his King's Knight out of the way in the Jerome Gambit so that his Queen can enter the fray.

Of course, one "solution" is not to put the Knight there in the first place. Consider the Abrahams Jerome Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Bxf7+!?

I consulted The Database, and learned that it has one 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Bxf7+ game by Bill Wall - always a good openings experimenter to check out - played on the internet in 2001. (Even that far back, he played a couple of games with 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+.)

It turns out that at the same time Bill was extending his experiments a bit, as the following game shows.

Wall, Bill - Quianna
Internet, 2001

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.b4

This move is at least as old as the MacDonnell - La Bourdonnais, London match,1834.

3...Bxb4 4.c3 Bc5 5.d4 exd4 6.Bxf7+

Here we have what might be called the "Evans-ish Abrahams Jerome Gambit", as it is not quite an Evans Gambit without Nf3/Nc6. The game follows MacDonnell - Boden, London, 1869, for 5 moves, but the first game example that I have of the move 6 Bishop sacrifice is from 2000. (Light analysis of the sacrifice is at least as old as Jaenisch's Analyse Nouvelle des ouvertures in the 1840s.)

6...Kxf7 7.Qh5+ g6 8.Qxc5

NM Eric Schiller, in notes to a game (Denker - Shayne, Rochester, New York, 1945) at Chessgames.com, said this position "looks very good for White". (It's probably about even - but for White to reach equality in 8 moves in any kind of Jerome Gambit has got to be very good, right?)

8...dxc3

The kind of pawn-grabbing that is usually punished.

Instead, Stockfish 9 suggests 8...Qe7 - as seen in Delanoy - Kamenecki, Cannes, France, 2000 (1-0, 38) - with an even game. However, Michael Goeller, a Bishop's Opening expert, gives that move a "?!" and prefers 8...Nf6 - no games in The Database - which he gives a "!", with an even game. There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with 8...Nc6 or 8...d6, either.

9.Nxc3 d6 

10.Qd5+

Psychological warfare. Bill has used a similar Queen check in the Jerome Gambit proper to question Black: Do you want to play ...Be6 and give up the b-pawn? 

10...Kf8

Black replies Not quite, and keeps his King off of the a1-h8 diagonal, where one of his Rooks lives, and where White's remaining Bishop might take up residence. Yet, 10...Kg7 might have been a better move.

11.Nf3 c6

Kicking the Queen, instead of focusing on development.

White has ample compensation for his sacrificed pawn (development, Black's unsafe King), and his opponent's next move, a nervous oversight, ends the game.

12.Qd4 c5 13.Qxh8 Black resigned

Jerome Gambit: Move That Knight!

While looking for "secrets" in the Jerome Gambit - moves or lines of play that have been discovered or recommended, but rarely, if ever, used - I occasionally run across some ideas that deserve to remain secret, because they're not really all that good.

Let me share a couple, to show you what I mean.

What do you make of this line from weenar - Quixote, blitz, FICS, 2000 (0-1, 8)?

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Ng1

Wow.

White sacrifices his Bishop at f7 to disturb Black's King, and then decides that that is enough generosity for one day. Ah, but his King's Knight is in the way of his rampaging Queen - one of the benefits, he begrudgingly admits, of 5.Nxe5+ is that it opens the d1-h5 diagonal, admittedly at the cost of another piece. 

So, the solution presents itself - move the Knight home!

A similar idea (admittedly, not after a piece sacrifice) comes to mind in such lines as 1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Ng8!?, the Brooklyn variation of Alekhine's Defense; 1.d4 Nc6 2.d5 Nb8!?; and Stefan Bucker's 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f5 3.exf5 e4 4.Ng1!? against the Latvian Gambit.

Not surprisingly, the 1 win that White has out of the 5 games with the position in The Database - is a time forfeit, when Black had a winning position. One plan for Black is 5...Qh4!? 6.Qe2 Nd4 7.Nf3!? Nxe2 8.Nxh4 Nxc1, and the Queens will be off the board as White tries to find compensation for his sacrificed piece (no worry, Black's Knight at c1 will fall, but White will still only have a doubled pawn as compensation).

But, let us not laugh too loudly. What do you think of the following line?

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Ng5+

Move that Knight!

This time: not so funny. There are 515 games in The Database with 5.Ng5+. Is it surprising, or not surprising, that White scores 24%?

One "idea" behind this un-blocking Knight move is that White simply didn't notice that his piece would hang - on the average, White's rating is about 100 points below his opponent. On the other hand, there are a significant number of games where Black does not take the Knight - an indication that we are probing the depths of club and blitz play, not grandmaster praxis.

Another idea is the pair of threats - should Black capture the Knight with 5...Qxg5 - embodied in 6.d4!?, attacking both the Queen and the Bishop at c5. It is a hallucination, however, as Black has the crushing 6...Qxg2 and White is in great misery, e.g. 7.Rf1 Qxe4+  8.Be3 Nxd4 - two pieces down, behind in development, King in danger...

Why do Jerome Gambiteers play this kind of stuff? Because it's fun, I guess.

Jerome Gambit Secrets #9

As a reminder about this series:

If you play the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) you know that the best source of information on the opening is this blog. 

If you face the Jerome Gambit, however, the best source of information on defending against the opening is - this blog. 

Across the 10 years that I have shared history, games and analysis, I have done my best to give the lines that give White the greatest opportunities to snatch victory from the jaws of this defeated - er, "refuted" - opening. 

I have also not shied away from presenting the various refutations, as well. 

Sometimes players have used my suggestions. Sometimes they have not. The "Jerome Gambit Secrets" posts will re-visit suggestions that appear to remain unplayed. Occasionally, they will introduce new suggestions. 

About a decade ago I played a somewhat embarassing Jerome Gambit blitz game, perrypawnpusher - whitepandora, blitz, FICS, 2008 (1-0, 41), that started off normally, but quickly saw a quirky defense by Black.

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qd5+ Kf6 

Certainly a King retreat is stronger plan.

I think my opponent was not taking my opening seriously, which seemed to be the case with other defenders in the next 11 games with the position, according to The Database. White scores a hefty 92%, even though the computer rates Black as clearly better.

Now, White can play the simple 8.Qxc5, which has a 6-1 record, and which has been chosen by MrJoker, Bill Wall and me (4 times).

White can also advance his d-pawn, which I will get to in a moment.

When I first posted my game on this blog, I pointed out that 8.f4!? was probably a better move - the old Jerome Gambit "d4 or f4 dilemma" again. According to Stockfish 9, Black has only an edge after 8...Qf8!? 9.Qf5+ Ke7 10.Qxc5+ Kd8 11.Qxf8+ Nxf8 12.d3.

Of course, in that case the Queens are off the board, and White's attack has disappeared. The chances to worry Black have been reduced, too.

Perhaps that is why there are still no game examples with 8.f4 in The Database. In a blitz game, especially, 8.d4 will be the choice of many Jerome Gambiteers.

8.d4 Bb4+

This is Black's best move, but it is hard not to share the alternative 8...Bxd4?? 9.Bg5#, if only because I missed the checkmate in perrypawnpusher - alvarzr, blitz, FICS, 2014 (1-0, 21).

Of course, another bad move for Black is 8...d6??, which chessfriend MrJoker did find the proper response to, 9.Bg5 checkmate.

Why was everyone having a case of nerves? I think because White's 8th move both threatens a piece and promises destruction at g5.

9.c3 c6??

I also love the automatic 9...Ba5?? 10.Bg5 checkmate, Katsampes,T - Maloney,M, St. Agnes School, St. Paul, Minnesota, 2017.

10.Qg5+ 

Missing, of course, 10.Bg5 checkmate, in a hurry to simply win Black's Queen.

Going back to move 9, Black needed to find 9...Ke7 (no game examples in The Database) Then, after 10.cxb4 Nf6 11.Qg5 Kf7 12.O-O d6 13.Nc3 Re8 would have the piece-for-two-pawns advantage that White often has to work against in the Jerome Gambit.

So - 8.f4 remains a "secret", even if it is "objectively best", and perhaps now you know why.

Also, the attractions of 8.d4 - a quick mate or win of the enemy Queen - are hardly a secret at all.

Jerome Gambit Secrets #8

?!?!?

I'll admit that sometimes when I examine "secrets" in the Jerome Gambit - recommended moves that have not, or have barely, seen the light of day, or lines that are obscure - it can seem as if things remain concealed, even after my work. Consider the following.

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Kf8 

Black messes with White's plans by bringing his King to safety, instead of taking a second piece. The Database has 212 games with this position, and White scores 54%. Stockfish 9 sees Black as less than a pawn ahead (depth of search 32 ply).

6.Nxc6 dxc6 7.O-O Bd6 

Black clearly has aggressive intentions, as he points his dark-squared Bishop toward the enemy Kingside.

I was surprised to find only 2 games in The Database with this move, one being perrypawnpusher - Lark, blitz, FICS, 2009 (1-0, 18).

By the way, Stockfish 9's suggested line of play, after a long "thought", instead of the text, is 7...g6 8.d3 Kg7. Recommending simply castling-by-hand in such a fluid position is not a lot of guidance for Black, and certainly should be encouraging for White. 

8.f4

One finesse in the Jerome Gambit that can often test the first player is which pawn to move first, the f-pawn or the d-pawn?

I am pleased to see that jfhumphrey chose the more accurate 8.d4 in his FICS blitz game again kirtz in 2012: 8.d4 Be6 9.e5 Be7 10.f4 Ke8?! 11.f5 Bd5 12.Qh5+ Bf7 13.Qg4 h5 14.Qxg7 Rh6? 15.Bxh6 Black resigned

Of course, I chose the text.

It is maddening to see that if you give Stockfish 9 a lot of time to think - 49 ply! - it suggests 8.d4 for White, and then 8...g6 (blah) for Black.

Certainly a human player is more likely to answer 8.d4 with 8...Qh5!? White should continue with 9.f4, taking advantage of the chance to form a "Jerome pawn" center. He can then counter 9...c5 with 10.c3 and then answer 10...c6 with 11.Qd3. After that, the computer likes 11...Bc7 12.Nd2 Nf6 13.e5 Nd5 14.f5 cxd4 15.cxd4

analysis diagram




White's "Jerome pawns" are on the march and are holding Black's two Bishops in check, at least for now. When White plays Nf3, it will challenge the placement of Black's Queen, after all. The position is dynamically equal.

So, of course, the computer recommends 15...Nb4 16.Qc4 Nd5 17.Qd3 Nb4, etc. with a draw by repetition of position. 

By the way, my game continued

8...g6

Okay, maybe there is something to that move.

9.d4 Bd7

Stockfish 9 prefers 9...Kg7 10.Nc3 Qh4 11.Qd3 Nh6 12.h3 Bd7 with an even game. Much of that should look familiar by now.

10.Nc3

Also playable are 10.e5 and 10.Be3, although I kind of like 10.c4!? - although it might be too much of a good thing.

The game finished up with: 10...Nh6 11.f5 Qh4 12.e5 Nxf5 13.exd6 cxd6 14.g4 Re8 15.gxf5 Bxf5 16.Qf3 Qxd4+ 17.Kh1 Kg7 18.Qf2 Black resigned

Jerome Gambit Secrets #7

Here is another Jerome Gambit line that is worth looking at, even if it is rare, if only to have a sense of how play has gone - or how it should go, if it ever appears again in a game. 

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Nc4 

Black is 2 pieces ahead, and if he wants to return some material, he has a number of choices. The text is rare method (only 3 game examples in The Database), but both players need to know a bit about what they are committed to.

7.Qh5+

This is probably White's best choice. It is a common Jerome Gambit tactic, and the resulting position is rated as equal by Stockfish 9, at an analysis level of  46 ply. We shall see, however, that in this case the computer's "opinion" is of marginal value.

The game remains complicated after the alternative 7.dxc5, which gets rid of Black's troublesome Bishop and allows White pressure along the d-file, with his advanced c-pawn ready to trouble Black's advancing d-pawn. One game by an experienced Jerome Gambiteer continued: 7...Nf6 8.e5?! (8.b3!? Ne5 9.Nc3 (9.O-O d5 10.cxd6 Qxd6 11.Nc3 -/+) 9...Re8 10.Bb2 -/+) 8...Nxe5 (8...Qe7!?) 9.Bg5 Re8 10.O-O d6 11.cxd6 cxd6 12.Nc3 Bg4 13.f3 Bh5 14.Bxf6 gxf6 15.Qd5+ Kf8 16.Qxb7 Re7 17.Qe4 (17.Qb4) 17...Bg6 (17...Nxf3+!?) 18.Qh4 Rg7 19.Nd5 Rf7?! 20.c3?! (20.f4) 20...a5 21.Rae1 a4?! 22.f4 Nc4? 23.f5 Ne5 24.fxg6 Nxg6 25.Qd4 Ra5 26.b4 (26.Re6!?) 26...Rb5 27.a3 Ne5 28.Rf4 Ng6 29.Rxf6 Rxf6 30.Nxf6 Rf5 31.Re8+ Qxe8 32.Nxe8 Kxe8 33.Qxd6 Ne7 34.b5 Rd5 35.Qb8+ Rd8 36.Qe5 Rd5 37.Qh8+ Kd7 38.b6 Rb5 39.Qd4+ Rd5 40.Qxa4+ Nc6 41.h4 Ra5 42.Qg4+ Kd6 43.a4 Ne5 44.Qb4+ Rc5 45.b7 Nc6 46.b8=Q+ Nxb8 47.Qxb8+ Kd5 48.g4 Kc4 49.Qb4+ Kd5 50.a5 Rc4 51.Qb7+ Rc6 52.a6 Kd6 53.a7 Rxc3 54.Qb8+ Kd5 55.a8=Q+ Kd4 56.Qd8+ Ke3 57.Qe7+ Kd2 58.Qg2+ Kd3 59.Qd6+ Kc4 60.Qgc6+ Kb3 61.Qb5+ Kc2 62.Qh2+ Kd1 63.Qb1+ Rc1 64.Qd6+ Ke2+ 65.Qxc1 Kf3 66.Qd3+ Kxg4 67.Qg5 checkmate, HauntedKnight - jthurman, FICS, 2014.

7... g6

Black can also try 7...Kf8, although it isn't really an improvment - and is equally complicated. One game continued 8.Qxc5+ Nd6 9.e5 b5? (9...Qe7!? is a better try 10.O-O (or 10.Qxc7 Nf5 11.Qc3 d6 12.O-O dxe5 13.dxe5 transposing) 10...Nf5 11.Qxc7 d6 12.Qc3 dxe5 13.dxe5 Bd7 14.Qf3 Qxe5 15.g4 Bb5 16.Nc3 Bxf1 17.Kxf1 Nf6 18.gxf5 Qxh2 19.Bf4 Qh5 (19...Qh4 20.Re1) 20.Qxb7 Re8 21.Qb4+ Re7 22.Kg2 Qg4+ 23.Kf1 Qh3+ 24.Kg1 Qg4+ drawn) 10.exd6 c6 11.Be3 Qa5+ 12.Nd2 Nf6 13.O-O a6 14.b4 Qd8 15.Bg5 h6 16.Bxf6 gxf6 17.Ne4 f5 18.Qxf5+ Kg7 19.Qg4+ Kh7 20.g3 a5 21.Rae1 axb4 22.Qf5+ Kg7 23.Nc5 Rxa2 24.Re7+ Kg8 25.Qf7 checkmate, HauntedKnight - Dpouchy, FICS, 2014.

While computer analysis can sometimes tease out tactical ideas, in this case Stockfish 8 & 9 frustratingly throw in the towel, suggesting 7...Kf8 8.Qf5+ Ke8 9.Qh5+ Kf8 and a draw by repetition. After all, White is two pieces down, so he should be happy with the half point.

8.Qxc5 

This capture allows White to grab the Bishop, as well, without disrupting his pawn center. The move appeared in a recent Bill Wall game, and I am a tiny bit surprised (Bill's games are full of surprises) that he didn't try the "nudge" 8.Qd5+, instead - the kind of twist that shows up in many of his games.

Looking at 8.Qd5+ Kg7, we can see that Black already has to be careful:

8...Kf8? 9.dxc5 Na5 10.Bg5 Nf6 11.Qd4 Kf7 12.e5 Nc6 13.Qc4+ d5 14.cxd6+ Be6 15.Qf4 Nxe5 16.dxc7 Qe7 17.Qxe5; or

8... Kf6? 9.Bg5+; or

8... Ke7? 9.Qxc5+ Kf7 10. Qxc4+; or

8...Ke8? 9.dxc5 Nf6 10.Qxc4. 

The game can continue in a complicated manner toward an advantage for White: 9.dxc5 Na5 10.b4 Nf6 (or 10...Nc6 11.Bb2+ Nf6, transposing) 11.Bb2 Nc6 12.b5 Re8 (or 12...Ne7 13.Qd4 Rf8 14.g4 Kg8 15.Qc4+d5 16.cxd6+ Ned5 17.Nc3 Be6 18.exd5 Bxg4 19.dxc7 Qd6 +/-) 13.bxc6 dxc6 14.Qd3 Qxd3 15.cxd3 b6 16.Nd2 Ba6 17.Rc1 Bb5 18.Nc4 Rad8 19.Ke2 Kf7 20.Bxf6 Kxf6 21.f4 Bxc4 22.Rxc4 b5 23.Rcc1 g5 +/- 

8...d5 9.Nc3 Nf6 10.e5 

Here, Black's game blew up with 10...Ne4? in Wall - Guest6959655, PlayChess.com, 2018 (1-0, 21). The defender could have maintained an even game by giving back material with 10...c6 11.exf6 Re8+ 12.Be3 Nxe3 13.fxe3 Rxe3+ 14.Kd2 Re6 15.Rae1 Rxe1 16.Rxe1 Qxf6.

So - if Black plays the almost "secret" 6...Nc4, smile, but do not celebrate yet. Go for the Queen check at h5, consider the "nudge" at d5, and prepare for complex play where you can hope for an advantage (with a draw in hand, per Stockfish). 

Jerome Gambit: Her Majesty, As She Will

As if sacrificing two pieces was not enough to mark the Jerome Gambit as a seriously suspect opening, White often follows up with early moves of his Queen, prompting many opponents to reflect "Certainly, this cannot be good".

The following game is an enjoyable example. Follow White's Queen, asn she goes where she will...  

Wall, Bill - Guest10755845
PlayChess.com, 2018

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bxd4 7.Qxd4 Nc6 8.Qd2 

8...Nf6 9.Nc3 d6 10.O-O Bg4 11.b3 Re8 12.Bb2 Kg8 

13.Rae1 Nb4 14.a3 Nc6 15. Nd5 Nxd5 16.exd5 Rxe1 17.Qxe1

17...Ne5 18.f4 Ng6 19.f5 Nh4 20.Qe6+ 

20...Kh8 21.Qh6 

21...Nxf5 22.Rxf5 Bxf5 23.Qxg7 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: King of the Hill

Experienced Jerome Gambit players may well tell themselves "I have seen everything" when it comes to our favorite opening. The following game, however, recently played by "Cliff Hardy" may test that point of view.

I mean, have you ever used the Jerome in a blitz speed "King of the Hill" game? Enjoy. But maybe after a cup of coffee.

Notes are (mostly) by Cliff.

This Jerome Gambit game was played in a Lichess "King of the Hill" tournament ("King of the Hill" is a chess variant where a player wins either with checkmate or by getting their king to one of the 4 central squares - e4, d4, d5 or e5).

Cliff Hardy - NN

King of the Hill, 3 0, Lichess.org, 2018

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

Unfortunately, Stockfish dislikes this move more in "King of the Hill" than in a normal game as it helps Black to get his king towards the centre and it rates this as -3.7 pawn advantage for Black. (Lichess has a function where Stockfish can actually annotate the game, even though it is a "King of the Hill" game)!

4...Kxf7 5.Nxf7+ Nxf7+ 6.Qh5+ g6!

A good defence, though 6...Ke6!, getting the king towards the centre squares, is also strong. Both moves give Black around a -6 advantage, so 6.d4 (avoiding this) was a technically better move.

7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qxh8?

In a normal chess game, White would have a winning advantage in this particular position. Conversely though, this line is actually very strong for Black in King of the Hill (-11) as Black has good chances of getting his king to the centre, so retreating the queen with 8.Qg3 was a much better attempt for White.

8...Qf6

OK (-3.5), but the Blackburnesque 8...Qh4! (-11) was much stronger.

9.Qxh7+??

In a normal chess game, this move would be fine in this position but actually Black has a forced win in 5 moves in "King of the Hill".

9...Ke6!

Black now threatens to win the game on the spot by getting his king to one of the central squares with 10..Ke5!

10.d4 Bxd4??

Black had a forced win in 3 moves, using a brilliant "King of the Hill" tactic here with 10...Qxf2+!! 11.Kxf2 (11.Kd1 Qxd4+! 12. any Ke5 0-1!, as black's king has reached one of the 4 central squares) 11...Bxd4+ 12. any Ke5 0-1!

11.f4

To stop black winning immediately with ...Ke5.

11...d5??

Black should have thought of normal chess and just saved his knight with 11...Ne7 +-.

12.Qxg8+ Kd6 13.Nd2??

We keep being confused by this variant and missing simple moves that work just as well as in a normal chess game - 13.Qxd5+ kept a winning advantage for white here.

13...Qxf4??

14.Nc4+! dxc4 15.Bxf4+ Kc5 16.Qd5+ Kb4 17.a3+ Ka4 18.b3+ cxb3 19.cxb3 mate

(Wow. The game reminds me of a heavyweight boxing match, where one pugilist is behing on points and has only one chance for success - a knockout. In this case - a checkmate. Like I have said before, you can't take "Uncle Jerome" anywhere - even a King of the Hill game - without him causing a disturbance. - Rick)