Jerome Gambit: Too Fast, Too Furious (Part 1)

I was playing my last game in the first round of the "Let's Play The Italian Game" tournament at Chess.com when, suddenly, two opponents made their moves against me in new games. Apparently, the computer scheduler had decided that I would progress to the second round of play, even if I lost the first round game (I didn't; I won it) - so, there I was, with two second round games.

Somewhat disconcerting, each of my opponents was playing quickly - in fact, one of my games ended after a day of play, rather fast given that the time control was one move per day.

Still, I was willing to move with speed, too, as we were contesting a Jerome Gambit - in a line that I had visited several times before. (Alas, I lost the other 3 games, so no more "next" round for more Jeromes.)

perrypawnpusher - TobiasBrunner
"Let's Play The Italian Game" tournament
Chess.com, 2018 

 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

7.Qd5+ 

Years ago, I labeled this finesse "a nudge". It is as old as Jerome - Brownson, Iowa, US, 1875 (1-0, 28). In a blitz game, it can get Black wondering what White is up to - using up precious time.

7...Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 

After the game, I put Stockfish 9 in "blunder check" mode to look at the game. Initially, it liked 9.Qc3 Qg5 10.Qg3 Qxg3 11.hxg3, with Black's advantage less than a pawn. That seems a bit silly to me, White moving his Queen 5 times, only to let it be exchanged.

According to The Database, I have reached the diagrammed position 83 times in my games. I must have learned something about the line.

9...Nf6 10.O-O Kf7 

Black sensibly prepares to mobilize his Rook, and possibly castle-by-hand.

A major alternative is 10...Ng4.The proper response is 11.Qg3!,and this is reminiscent of the series of posts I did a while back on "Jerome Gambit Secrets". A strong and experienced Jerome Gambiteer tried 11.Qe2, instead, and perished quickly: mrjoker - weiran, ICC, 2008 (0-1, 14). Another played 11.Qc3 and needed all of his Houdini-like powers to escape and turn the tables: Wall,B - Guest1660564, PlayChess.com, 2013 (1-0, 32). 

I have played 11.Qg3 with mixed results: perrypawnpusher - lorecai, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 14), perrypawnpusher - jgknight, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1/2-1/2, 49), perrypawnpusher - FiNLiP, blitz, FICS, 2011 (0-1, 59). For a couple of more modern examples, from stronger players, see Sheldrick,K - Bhat,V, Australian Open, 2017 (1-0, 20) and Morin,L - Weston,P, Quebec Open, 2018 (1-0, 54)

11.f4 Re8 12.f5 

I have been pretty successful with this thematic move (10 - 4 - 1), chasing the Knight, so I was surprised to see, after the game, that Stockfish 9 recommended 12.Qb3+!? instead. The Database has only one game with that move, a win by Black in 25 moves.

12...Ne5 13.d4 

Here, again, the computer prefers 13.Qb3+, followed by 14.d3, which seems to lock the Queen on the Queenside. (There are no game examples in The Database.) As we will see, Stockfish's preference is based on disliking Black's next move.

13...Neg4 

[to be continued]

Jerome Gambit: The Madness Continues

So, the latest game I received from Cliff Hardy, who has been specializing in tortured Jerome Gambit games, is a 1-minute (no increment) bullet game on the website lichess.org - against an International Master.

Of course.

In a game where each player had about one second per move to think, things quickly became exciting. 

Notes by Cliff. [A few by me - Rick] Diagrams by me.

Cliff Hardy - IM Pavel Sevostianov

1 0 bullet, Lichess, 2018 

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4....Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ 

In another bullet game recently on Lichess, I forgot this was the move to play, got confused and played 5.Ng5+?? here instead but got justifiably destroyed in short order. I'm glad I didn't make that mistake in this rare chance to play the Jerome against an IM, where I was at least hoping to put up a half-decent game and not waste the opportunity.

5...Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

[Interesting - is the IM unfamiliar with the various Jerome Gambit refutations, or does he figure that this will be good enough? It turns out that his "second best" moves are still pretty good. - Rick ]

7.Qd5+ Kf8 8.Qxc5+ Qe7 9.Qe3 Nf6 10.Nc3 c6 

10...d5! -+ would have been the best move here, according to Stockfish, as Black should eventually be able to get the pawn back on d5 (if White were to take it), though it may then take Black a few moves of development first before he could get into a position to win it back.

11.f4? 

Which pawn to push? 11.d4 =+ would have been much better, it turns out.

11...d6? =+ 

Pushing the d-pawn further again with 11...d5! -++ would have been more aggressive.

12.O-O Kf7

13.d3?! -+ 

13.f5 Ne5 14.d4 =+ would have been a better and feistier way to play it for White. 

13...Re8 14.f5 Ne5 15.h3 Kg8 16.Bd2 d5 17.Rae1 dxe4?

Surprisingly, quite an error - 17...Qd6 -+ would have been a better move. 

18.dxe4??

18.Nxe4! +- would have been stronger, when White's threat of Nxf6+ and then attacking the pinned knight on e5 with d4 or Bc3 would have been surprisingly difficult to diffuse e.g. 18...Bd7 19.Nxf6+ Qxf6 (19...gxf6 20. d4 ++-) 20.Bc3 +-.

18...Nc4 19.Qd3 Nxd2 -++ 

19...Nxb2 -++ would also have been good.

20.Qxd2 Bd7 

21.Qf4 Qc5+ 22.Kh1 Qe5 23.Qf3 Re7 -++ 

OK, I'm getting crushed like a bug - but I've still got my Jerome pawns... [And then, there's that clock thingy - Rick]

24.g4 Rae8?? 25.Re2?? 

All right, not the best move - 25.g5! += and the black knight would have been trapped. 

25...h6 26.h4 Nh7 27.Qg2 b6 28.g5 hxg5 29.hxg5 Bc8?

Black appears to be struggling for ideas, despite his material advantage - 29...g6! -++ (intending 30.fxg6 Nxg5) was a brilliant defence to White's pawn onslaught that the computer found. 

30.f6 Rc7 31.f7+

OK, now I'm back in the game, though Stockfish found another surprising resource here in 31.Rf5!?, since 31...Bxf5?? (31...Qd4 32.f7+ = would have been similar to the game) would walk into trouble on the e-file after 32.exf5 +-. 

31...Rxf7 32.Rxf7 Kxf7 33.g6+ Kg8 34. gxh7+ Kh8! 

Black can probably take the h-pawn any time he wants and, by playing this way, keeps more options open by not allowing White to play the queen swap with 34...Kxh7 35.Qh2+.

35.Qh2 Bg4? 

...Though he allows the queen swap now anyway... - keeping the queens on with 35...Qg5 -+ would have been more attacking.

36.Rg2?? 

The last straw for White - 36.Qxe5 Rxe5 37.Re3 would have been about equal.

[White still can win if he stays alive - regardless of the material disadvantage - long enough for Black's flag to fall. He almost makes it. - Rick]

36...Bf3 37.Kg1 Bxg2 38.Qxg2 Re6 39.Kf2 Rf6+ 40.Ke2 Rh6 41.a3 Rh2 42.Kf3 Rxg2 43.Kxg2 Qg5+ 44.Kf3 Qf6+ 45.Ke2 Qg6 46.Ke3 Qh5 47.Ne2 Kxh7 48.Nf4 Qh6 49.Kf3 Qh4 50.Ke3 Qg5 

Not that it matters, but better would have been 50...Qg3+! 

51.c3 Qf6 52.Kf3 Qe5 53.Ke3 g5 54.Nh3 Qh2 

Again, better would have been 54...Qg3+! 

55.Nf2 Qg3+ 56.Ke2 g4 and Black won on time. 

(White had 1.6 seconds left on his clock when Black lost on time).

Jerome Gambit: Odd Turns (Part 2)

[continued from previous post]

perrypawnpusher - Sarantes

"Let's Play The Italian Game" tournament
Chess.com, 2018

25.d4 Kf7 26.d5 Bd7 27.e5 dxe5 

Often pawn exchanges such as these are played automatically, but there is an argument to be made for 27...Bf5, instead. Either way, a white pawn is going to advance to e6.

28.fxe5 Ke7 29.e6 Bb5 

Not as bad as it looks, but it doesn't look good.

It takes a little patience, but Black had 29...Bc8 30.Re5 (to protect the d-pawn and forestall the entrance of Black's h-rook) b5 31.c4 bxc4 32.bxc4 Kd6 33.Rg5 Re7 34.a4 b6 35.a5 bxa5 36.Ra1 Ba6 37.Rg4 Ra8 38.Rxa5 Bb7 39.Rxa8 Bxa8 40.Rxh4 c6 and the Bishop will be liberated.

analysis diagram



30.c4 Ba6 31.a4 

Locking up the Bishop while I can. It can still break out with 31...c6, but my opponent's next move is either a mouse slip (shouldn't happen when the time control is a day per move, but, even then, it does) or a slip in assessment - taking a pawn e.p. is not forced.

31...c5 

Now the game definitely swings over into White's favor, as the Bishop is out of play. Capturing the c-pawn would have been a blunder.

My plan is to move the Rooks to the f-file, threaten to enter at f7, and therefore exchange them off. White's King will then easily capture the Kingside pawns as Black dare not leave the control of the "Jerome pawns".

32.Rf1 Ref8 33.Ref3 Rxf3 34. Rxf3 Rf8 35.Rxf8 Kxf8 

36.Kf2 Kf7 37.Kf3 g5 Black resigned

The Bishop is trapped. Black's Kingside pawns will fall. One or more White pawn will Queen.

Jerome Gambit: Odd Turns (Part 1)

I just finished a Jerome Gambit game in an Italian Game tournament at Chess.com. It took a couple of odd turns - played as well as unplayed.

Then, again, that's the Jerome Gambit for you.

perrypawnpusher - Sarantes

"Let's Play The Italian Game" tournament
Chess.com, 2018

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 

Jerome's Defense, appearing in his analysis of "Jerome's Double Opening" in the July 1874 issue of the Dubuque Chess Journal, and seen, initially, in Jaeger - Jerome, correspondence, 1880 (1-0, 40).

7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qg3 Nf6 9.d3 Be6 10.O-O Nh5 

Black has a number of choices, as can be seen from some earlier games:

10...Qd7 11.Be3 Bb6 12.Nd2 Ng4 13.Bxb6 axb6 14.h3 Nf6 15.a3 h6 16.f4 Rg8 17.f5 Bf7 18.Qe3 Re8 19.g4 Nd5 20.Qd4 c5 21.Qf2 Nf6 22.b3 b5 23.Qf4 Qc7 24.a4 bxa4 25.Rxa4 b5 26.Ra6 Rd8 27.Rfa1 Ke7 28.Ra7 Black resigned, mrjoker - PhlebasP, Internet Chess Club, 2009;

10...Qe8 11.Be3 Bxe3 12.fxe3 Qg6 13.Qe1 c5 14.Nc3 Ke7 15.Nb5 Bd7 16.Nc3 Bc6 17.Rf3 Raf8 18.Rg3 Qf7 19.Rf3 g6 20.Qh4 Qg7 21.Raf1 g5 22.Qg3 Nd7 23.Rf5 h6 24.Qf2 Rf6 25.d4 b6 26.d5 Bb7 27.e5 dxe5 28.d6+ Ke6 29.Rxf6+ Qxf6 30.Qe2 Qg6 31.Qg4+ Kxd6 32.Rd1+ Kc7 33.Qxd7+ Kb8 34.e4 Qe8 35.Qd6+ Ka8 36.Nd5 Bxd5 37.Rxd5 Qb8 38.Qc6+ Qb7 39.Qf6 Qb8 40.Rd7 Qc8 41.Qg7 Rd8 42.Rxa7+ Kb8 43.Rf7 Rd1+ 44.Kf2 Rd2+ 45.Kg3 h5 46.Qxe5+ Ka8 47.Qxg5 Qg4+ 48.Qxg4 hxg4 49.Rf2 Rxf2 50.Kxf2 Black resigned, Wall,B - Milsrilion, Chess.com, 2010; 

10...Bf7 11.Be3 Bb6 12.Nd2 Qd7 13.h3 Qb5 14.b3 Re8 15.a4 Qe5 16.Qxe5 Rxe5 17.Bxb6 axb6 18.f4 Re8 19.g4 h6 20.Kg2 Ke7 21.Kg3 Kd7 22.Rae1 Re7 23.c4 Rhe8 24.h4 Nh7 25.Nf3 Kc6 26.Nd4+ Kc5 27.Nf5 Rd7 28.Nxg7 Rg8 29.Nf5 Rg6 30.h5 Rf6 31.d4+ Kb4 32.Rf3 Be6 33.e5 dxe5 34.dxe5 Rxf5 35.gxf5 Bxf5 36.e6 Re7 37.Rfe3 Nf6 38.Re5 Nxh5+ 39.Kh4 Ng7 40.Rxf5 Nxf5+ 41.Kg4 Ng7 42.f5 Ne8 43.Kh5 Kxb3 44.Kxh6 Kxc4 45.Kg6 Kd5 46.Rd1+ Kc6 47.Rc1+ Kd6 48.Rd1+ Kc6 49.Rd8 Nd6 50.Kf6 Rh7 51.e7 Rf7+ 52.Ke6 Rxe7+ 53.Kxe7 Nxf5+ 54.Ke6 Nd6 55.Rd7 Nc4 56.Rh7 Nb2 57.Rh4 b5 58.axb5+ Kxb5 59.Kd7 c5 60.Kc7 b6 61.Rh6 Nc4 62.Rh1 Ka4 63.Ra1+ Kb3 64.Rb1+ Kc2 65.Rb5 Kc3 66.Kc6 Kd4 67.Rb1 Kc3 68.Rxb6 Nxb6 69.Kxc5 Game drawn because neither player has mating material, MrJoker - horatius, Internet Chess Club, 2011; 

10...Kf7 11.Be3 Bb6 12.Nc3 Rf8 13.f4 Kg8 14.f5 Bxe3+ 15.Qxe3 Bd7 16.h3 a6 17.g4 c6 18.Rae1 b5 19.Kg2 b4 20.Ne2 a5 21.Qf4 Bc8 22.Ng3 Bb7 23.g5 Ne8 24.d4 c5 25.d5 Nc7 26.h4 Ba6 27.Rf2 Nb5 28.Ne2 a4 29.c4 bxc3 30.bxc3 Na3 31.Qc1 Bxe2 32.Rfxe2 Nc4 33.Qf4 Ne5 34.Rb1 Rb8 35.Reb2 Rxb2+ 36.Rxb2 White resigned, MrJoker - rgiblon, Internet Chess Club 2012; 

11.Qf3+ Nf6 

The placement of White's Queen is problematic. On g3 it is vulnerable to attention by Black's Knight. On f3 it can be harassed by Black's Bishop. It tends to keep Black's King on f8, but that is not, necessarily, a bad thing.

12.Be3 Bb6

Another issue in this kind of position: to exchange Bishops or not. It's probably safe to comment on any exchange with "shouldn't have" and on any non-exchange with "should have exchanged".

13.Nc3 

The Knight has a good "present" here, but I wonder if it would have a better "future" at d2.

13...Kg8 14.Qe2 Qd7 15.f4 Bf7 16.Rae1 Re8 

Black has the extra piece (vs 2 pawns) and the two Bishops. He is not even worried about his Rook at h8. 

White has developed his pieces, and has to find a way to use his "Jerome pawns".

17.Qf3 

I have played over many Jerome Gambits by those much stronger than myself. Sometimes patience is the key. 

17...Qg4 18.Qf2 h5 19.Bxb6 axb6 20.b3 

I admit that this is an odd-looking move. I wanted to be able to play d4 without being bothered by ...Bc4. It just didn't seem to be the time for 21.e5 yet.

20...h4 21.Qf3

I did not like Black's developing action along the h-file, and reluctantly agreed that it was time to swap the Queens.

21...Qxf3 22.Rxf3 Nd5 23.Nxd5 Bxd5 24.Rfe3 Bc6 

Looking at the position, it is clear that White will play d4, and maybe even c4 and g4. He is going to need some help, however.

Black has a solid, attacking Bishop on c6, and both Rooks are in good position. Clearly, he is better.

[to be continued]

Jerome Gambit: Artificial Piffle

Okay, I admit it, I was bored. I certainly was not up for a complex, multi-layered intellectual exercise. So, seeing a chessplaying program on my computer, I thought I would while away some time with it - and the Jerome Gambit.

It turns out that I did this once before, 7 years ago - see "Contempt?!" The game does not seem to be in The Database, however. Odd.

I think Microsoft created the Chess Titans program to introduce people to chess. In a world where the world champion would have little chance of defeating top silicon challengers, it turns out that my opponent the other day was not so strong. 

perrypawnpusher - Chess Titans
casual game, 2018

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Qf5+
Kd6 8.f4 

I was pretty sure that my opponent was not seriously booked up on the Jerome Gambit, and that the killer move 8...Qh4+!? was not going to show up now.

For the record, 8.Nc3 was played by my son against the program years ago, in jon - Chess Titans, 2011 (1-0, 14). That game does not appear in The Database, either. (I will remedy.)

8...g6

I suppose that this was part of the computer's programming, to keep it "weak" - occasionally producing stunners like this.

9.Qxe5+ Kc6 10.Qxh8 

Taking the Rook is best. I got a great game soon after 10.Qd5+, however, frittering it all away and barely surviving to draw in perrypawnpusher - spontex, 8 8 blitz, FICS, 2009 (1/2-1/2, 59). 

10...Qf8 

I also faced 10...d6, leading to an interesting battle, in perrypawnpusher - vermifugo, blitz, FICS, 2014 (1-0, 38)

11.d4 Bxd4 12.Qxd4 h6 

Okay, if it can be said that there was any kind of thread running through this game, it is clear that by now, CT has lost it.

13.Qd5+ Kb6 14.Be3+ c5 15.b4 Qxf4 

I suppose if Chess Titans were my client, I would diagnose clinical depression. Still, there was nothing for Black to be excited about in the computer-recommended 15...Kc7 16.Nc3 Qg7 17.Qxc5+ Kd8 18.Bd4 Qe7 19.Qa5+ Ke8 20.O-O-O. 

16.Qxc5+ Ka6 17.Qa5 checkmate