Jerome Gambit: Don't Lose Focus

"All" you have to do to defeat the Jerome Gambit is: pay attention, then pay some more attention, and then continue to pay attention... Don't lose focus, though, especially in a bullet game.

angelcamina - ELVerdugo
1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2019

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+ 

The Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.

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

9.Qc4+ d5 10.exd5 Ne5 11.Qf4 Qd6 12.O-O Re8 13.Be3 Kg8

Okay. Black has a piece for two pawns, and he has castled-by-hand.

14.Bd4 Nxd5 15.Nxd5 Qxd5 16.Bxe5 Rxe5 

Black's game is rock solid. What could go wrong? Ah, but, remember, the time control is one minute, no increment. Anything can happen.

17.Rad1 Qe6 

Careless, and therefore, painful. Focused play was 17...Qb5.

18.Rd8+ Qe8 19.Rxe8+ Rxe8 20.Qxc7 Be6 

Now the advantage is to White, if he can bring it home.

21.b3 Bd5 22.c4 Bc6 23.f3 Rac8 24.Qa5 Rcd8 25.Re1 Rf8 26.Re7 Rd6 27.Qc3 Rff6 28.Qe3 Rd1+ 29.Kf2 Rdd6 30.h4 Be8 31.g4 Bg6 32.Kg3 Rf8 33.h5
Black resigned

Jerome Gambit: At the Speed of Thought

I remember a trend, years ago, in some of the science fiction that I was reading. Travel by space ship "at the speed of light" became so routine that something faster was needed. I then began to read about travelling "at the speed of thought". That seemed really fast.

So many Jerome Gambit bullet games (one minute time limit, no increment) seem to travel at that speed of thought. Players have to think fast - or else.

angelcamina - puffy04
1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2019

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nc3 Nc6 4.Bc4 Bc5 5.Bxf7+ 

Black started out with the Petroff Defense, and then moved along to the Four Knights opening, hoping to keep things solid and calm. However, this transition to the Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit quickly upset his equilibrium.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 Bb4

This kind of move you would think should work: Black's Bishop escapes danger and pins White's only developed piece; while the second player remains two pieces up. The only problem is that it surrenders most of Black's advantage. Better was 7...Bd6.

8.dxe5 Bxc3+ 9.bxc3 

9...Nxe4

The kind of move that comes to mind when there are "free pawns" on the board, but angelcamina shows that nothing is free. After 9...Re8 10.exf6 Rxe4+ 11.Be3 Qxf6 12.0-0 d6 Black would still have an edge.

10.Qf3+ 

Even stronger was 10.Qd5+, followed by picking up the Knight. This double attack shows up in a number of Jerome Gambit lines.

10...Nf6 11.exf6 gxf6 12.O-O d6 

A glance at this position, a moment's thought, would suggest that Black has bought peace and equality with his return of material. (Look at White's pawn structure.) However, White quickly shows that this is not true. (Always remember the warning: When White has equalized in the Jerome Gambit, he has the avantage.)

13.Qh5+ Kf8 14.Bh6+ Kg8 15.Rfe1 Bf5 

It looks like Black wants to put this Bishop on g6, to guard against the threatened check by White's Rook, on g3 - but he overlooks that the piece is unprotected.

16.Qxf5 Kf7 17.Qh5+ Kg8 18.Re2 

This looks like a mouse slip - the Rook was heading to e3, and then on to g3, ending the game. No matter. (White also had 18.Qd5#, but he can checkmate as he pleases.)

18...Rc8 19.Qg4+ Kf7 20.Qg7 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: Underestimated Again

One of the reasons that many of us play the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) is that it is so outrageous, our opponents can't help but underestimate its dangers - and, too often, they quickly tumble into the abyss.

Check out this recent game by Bill Wall.

Wall, Bill - Guest9006209
PlayChess.com, 2019

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bd6 

Black is up 2 pieces, and generously decides to give one back, pocketing a pawn for himself in the process.

I think Bill is 14 - 0 in games from this position. It's not a guaranteed win for White, but Black is going to have to do some serious analysis to survive.

7.dxe5 Bxe5 

And, there you have it, figures Black. He would have done better to put the Bishop on e7.

8.Qd5+ 

Also, 8.Qh5+ works, and Bill has a couple of wins to show it.

8...Kf6 

Hang onto the Bishop. Bring the Knight to e7 to chase away the Queen. I got this...

9.f4 Bxf4 

All right, take the Bishop. I'm still even in material.

10.Bxf4 d6 11.Bg5+ Black resigned

Yikes.

Jerome Gambit: If You Stop and Think About It

If you stop and think about it, the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) is a pretty weak opening.

But - what if you didn't have time to stop and think about it?

Or, even better, what if your opponent didn't have time?

Well, then, you might find yourself playing the Jerome in a bullet game, 1 minute / no increment time control.

And, if you were "Cliff Hardy", playing online, you might find yourself defeating an IM.

Just saying.

[Notes by Cliff; diagrams and occasional comments by me - Rick] 

This was a bullet game (1 minute each, no increment) I played against IM Nichita Morozov from Moldova on Lichess. He held a strong position for quite a while but my Jerome pawns maintained great potential and eventually Nichita's desire to eliminate them proved to be a little too strong to resist, leading to his downfall.

Cliff Hardy (2205) - IM Nichita Morozov (2456), Lichess, 2019

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6?! -+

The same inferior defence that IM Rosen played against me long ago - 6...Kf8 -++ or 6...Ke6!? -++ were better choices.

7.Qd5+ 

I had a recent ten minute each game on Lichess where my opponent, rated in the 1700's, resigned at this point as black, for whatever reason!

7...Kf8 8.Qxc5+ Qe7 

 It helps that Cliff has already seen this position, in Hardy - Sevostianov, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2018 (0-1, 56) and Hardy - NN, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2018 (1-0, 20 ) - Rick

9.Qe3 Nf6 10.Nc3 d5!

This liberating move is Stockfish's top choice (though only after it has a long think!) I'm not sure what the stats are on how often this excellent sacrifice is found by players in this position, but I would imagine the overwhelming majority would play the much simpler 10...d6 here.

(The Database has 12 games with the position after White's 10th move; 3 of them, including this one, continue with 10...d5. Three games continue with 10...d6; five continue with 10...c6; one continues with 10...Kf7. - Rick)

11.exd5 Qxe3+?

Here Stockfish likes the deep 11...Kf7!, with the idea of eventually getting the pawn back on d5 e.g. 12.0-0 Rd8 13.Qf3 (or 13.Qd4 c6) 13...Qe5 -+, when White's doomed d5-pawn is surrounded.

12.dxe3?

After 12.fxe3! Bf5 13.d3 +=, White could then have defended his pawn on d5 with the push e3-e4, if found to be necessary.

12...Bf5 

13.Bd2

White couldn't have defended his c-pawn as 13.Kd1? Rd8 would have been too dangerous.

13...Rd8 14.f3 Bxc2 15.Rc1 Bd3 16.e4 Kf7

17.Bg5? -+

17.Na4 =+, threatening Rxc7 or Nc5, would have reduced black's advantage to a minimum.

17...Rhe8 18.Kf2 c6 19.dxc6 bxc6 20.Rhe1 Rd7?!

20...Ne5 -+ would have been better.

21.g4? 

21.Na4, threatening Nc5 again, would have equalised.

21...Rb8? 

21...h6 -++

22.b3?

22.e5!, threatening exf6 or the fork e6+, would have led to a slight advantage for White. Over the next few moves, both players kept missing that this e-pawn push was advantageous for White.

22...c5? 23.h4? 

23.e5! +-

23...c4? 24. bxc4? 

24.e5! =

24...Rb2+?

Simply recapturing with 24...Bxc4 would have been good, since if 24...Bxc4 25.e5 =+, Black's bishop would have prevented White from safely playing the fork e5-e6+.

25.Kg3 Ne5 26.Bxf6? -+

Retaining the bishop with 26.Bf4 += would have been much better, when the passed e-pawn would have created good chances for White.

26...gxf6 27.f4 Nxc4 28.Nd5 Rxa2 29.g5 Ra3 30.Kg4 

30...fxg5? -++

Fine, but 30...f5! would have been a nice sacrifice, when 30.Kh5 (30. Kxf5? Rxd5! -++) 30...fxe4 -++ would have been overwhelming for Black.

31.hxg5 Bxe4??

Black's patience for restraining the potential energy of White's passed Jerome e-pawn ran out and so he eliminated it, but attacking it instead with 31...Nd6 or 31...Nd2, would have retained Black's winning advantage.

32.Rxe4 ++-

Presumably, when Black played 31...Bxe4??, he missed the fact that 32...Rxd5 would be met by a rook capturing on c4. Despite the fact that material was now equal, White's greater central presence and passed Jerome f-pawn surprisingly yielded a winning advantage.

32...Nd6 33.Re5 Rb7 34.Rc6 Ne8 35.Rce6 Ng7 36.Rf6+ Kg8 37.Ne7+

White's advantage now becomes obvious, since 37...Kh8 would have allowed 38.Rf8 checkmate.

37...Rxe7 38.Rxe7 h5+ 39.Kh4?!

39.gxh6 would have been even better.

39...Ra4 40.Rd7 Rb4 41.g6?!

41.Rd8+ Kh7 42.Rh6 mate would have finished off the win neatly.

41...Rb8 42.Rff7 Rf8??

Blundering into a mate, though Black was clearly lost anyway.

43.Rxg7+ Kh8 44.Rh7+

and Black lost on time, before 44...Kg8 45.Rdg7 mate were to happen.

Bye.

Cliff Hardy

P.S. Too bad there are no known examples of world champions playing the Jerome Gambit, as far as I know. I do have copies of games in my records where Magnus Carlsen has beaten high rated opponents on Lichess with the Fred Opening (1.e4 f5) and the Tranvestite Opening (1..c6, 2...Qa5, 3...f6, 4...Qh5, 5...Kd8 and 6...Qe8) so there is some hope that one day he will play the Jerome Gambit against high class opposition.

Jerome Gambit: Worst vs Best (Part 4)

So far: no confirmation of a Steinitz loss to the Jerome Gambit; very likely a win by Lasker against the Jerome, but the game is unfindable - and, what about Alekhine facing the Jerome Gambit?

I turned to my trusty Big Database, did a position search with a White pawn on e4, a Black King on e8, and a White Bishop on f7. This turned up a number of games, only one of which comes near to what we are looking for.

Alekhine, Alexander
NN2 - Alekhine, Alezander, Kislovodsk, 1907

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Bc4 Bc5 5.Ng5 Ne5 6.Bxf7+ Nxf7 7.Nxf7 Kxf7 8.Qh5+ g6 9.Qxc5 d6 10.Qxd4 Nf6 11.Nc3 h6 12.Nb5 Nxe4 13.Bxh6 Rxh6 14.Qxe4 Qg5 15.Qc4+ Be6 16.Qxc7+ Kg8 17.Qxd6 Bc4 18.Nc7 Rd8 19.Ne6 Qa5+ 20.b4 Rxd6 21.bxa5 Rxe6+ White resigned

Alas, this is an example of  the Sarratt Attack or the Vitzthum Attack, which has a lot of action going on at f7, and whichI have looked into in this blog as a possible precursor or inspriation to the Jerome Gambit.

Of course, The Database does have a couple dozen Jerome Gambit games by "AAlekhine", but those are from 2007 and 2008, by an online player playing in Jerome Gambit thematic tournaments at ChessWorld.net.