Jerome Gambit: Needing More Than A Parasol

If it's raining outside, you can put on a hat, rain coat, and boots, and carry an umbrella. That will help. If you only take out a little parasol from the last cocktail you had - it won't provide much shelter.

So it is, when you are facing the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+). You may not need the most exacting defense - say, Whistler's, or the "annoying defense", or even Jerome's defense - but you will need to have some kind of defense prepared. Otherwise, you will just get soaked.

Witness the following game. It shows how White can wrap things up early.

Wall, Bill - Dippoldi
PlayChess.com, 2019

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 

6...Bb4+ 

This can work, if it is followed up correctly.

7.c3 Bd6

According to The Database, Black has won every time he has played the alternative, 7...Qh4!? - 13 times - except for the 2 times that it was played against Bill Wall.

8.dxe5 Bxe5

Bill points out that 8...Bf8 and 8...Be7 were the way to go. White would have only a small advantage, if any.

9.Qd5+

Also successful was 9.Qh5+  - 9...Ke6 10.Qf5+ Kd6 11.Na3 Ne7 12.Nc4+ Kc6 13.Qxe5 d6 14.Na5+ Kd7 15.Qg5 c6 16.Nc4 b6 17.Bf4 Ng6 18.Qf5+ Kc7 19.Qf7+ Qd7 20.Bxd6+ Kb7 21.Qf3 b5 22.Ne5 Nxe5 23.Bxe5 Ka6 24.g3 Bb7 25.a4 c5 26.axb5+ Kxb5 27.O-O Rhe8 28.c4+ Kc6 29.Rad1 Rxe5 30.Rxd7 Kxd7 31.Qf7+ Kc8 32.Qf8+ Kc7 33.Qxg7+ Kd6 34.Qxb7 Ree8 35.Rd1+ Ke6 36.Qd7+ Kf6 37.Rd6+ Ke5 38.Rd5+ Kf6 39.Rf5+ Kg6 40.Qf7+ Kh6 41.Rh5 checkmate, Sir Osis of the Liver - Crusader Rabbit, Jerome Gambit Tournament 4, ChessWorld, 2009. 

9...Kf6

Just about as effective as 9...Kf8, seen in Wall, - Holzkopp, PlayChess.com, 2017 (1-0, 27).

10.f4

Deadly enough was 10.h4 - 10...Ne7 11.Bg5+ Kg6 12.Qxe5 d6 13.Qxe7 Qxe7 14.Bxe7 Re8 15.h5+ Kf7 16.Bg5 Rxe4+ 17.Be3 Bf5 18.Nd2 Re6 19.O-O-O a5 20.Rde1 Rae8 21.Nb3 Re5 22.Nd4 Bg4 23.Kd2 c5 24.Nb5 Rd5+ 25.Kc1 c4 26.Nc7 Black resigned, HauntedKnight - anaribusm, FICS, 2012.

10...Qe7

Also coming to no good end: 10...Kg6, as in Wall,B - Guest6953174, PlayChess.com 2016 (1-0, 15) and 10...c6 11.fxe5+ Kg6 12.Qd6+ Kf7 13.O-O+ Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest11386950, PlayChess.com, 2019.

11.fxe5+ Qxe5

Even LuigiBot could not escape, trying 11...Kg6 - 12.O-O Nh6 13.Rf3 Rf8 14.Rg3+ Kh5 15.Qd1+ Rf3 16.Qxf3+ Kh4 17.Rh3 checkmate, Fandral - LuigiBot, FICS, 2013. 

12.O-O+ Black resigned

Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit: Threat After Threat

In the following bullet game - one minute, no increment time control - White throws threat after threat against Black, knowing that they all can not be stopped.

This is a game that reminds me of a friend's complaint: I was winning, right up until the time you checkmated me. Ouch.

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

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 

The Blackburne Shilling Gambit.

4.Bxf7+ 

The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6 

angelcamina has also seen the alternative 5...Ke8:  angelcamina - umutkaraca09, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2019 (1-0, 9); angelcamina - felix_paton, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2019 (1-0, 12); angelcamina - Skhokho1507, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2019 (1-0, 19).

6.Qh5 

This move is scary, but not if you think about it. Of course, in a 1-minute game, who can do that?

6...Nf6

The weaker (but still okay) alternative, 6...Qf6, did not work for long in angelcamina - Skhokho1507, lichess.org, 2019 (1-0, 12)

7.Qf7+ 

Another scary Queen move. Black had to be thinking: Can he really do that? Sitting poolside with a cold drink, we can all answer that question, but - with the clock ticking? Anyhow, Black grabs another offered piece.

7...Kxe5 8.f4+ 

8...Kxe4 9.Nc3+ Kf5

Wisely avoiding 9...Kxf4? 10.0-0+! as 10...Ke5 (others lead to checkmate) 11.Rxf6! will lead to the recovery of the sacrificed material (or checkmate).

10.h3

This almost looks like a gotta-make-a-quick-move bullet style move, and it encourages Black to go after a poisoned Rook. Instead, the second player should initiate the exchange of Queens with 10...Qe7+, pretty much safe-guarding his game.

10...Nxc2+

White now has a checkmate in 14 moves, starting with 11.Kf2.

11.Kd1

This gives White the advantage, too.

11...Ne3+ 

Deciding that the Rook is not worth it, but it is too late.

12.dxe3 d5  13.g4 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: "Too Good" (Part 2)

[continued from previous post]

perrypawnpusher - Jackcchow
Chess.com, 2019

14.Nc3

This very reasonable move appears to be a novelty, according to The Database.

14...Qe7 15.Qd3 Re8

Clearly, White wants to play e4-e5, while Black would like to prevent that. The post mortem "discussion" was interesting. Chess.com analysis saw Black's move as an "inaccuracy", labeling 15...Nb4 as "best". Stockfish 10, however, evaluated both 15...Re8 and 15...Nb4 as completely equal to each other.

16.Bg5 

Standard Jerome Gambit development.

16...Qf7 17.Rae1 

More of the same.

17...Nb4 18.Qd2

How many times in the Jerome Gambit has Black played ...Nb4, threatening the White Queen? More than a few. I was happy to see the move, as I mis-evaluated it as a waste of time. I was shocked, afterwards, to see that the Chess.com analysis saw it as "best".

 18...Nxa2

What do you think?

The Chess.com analysis called this move an "inaccuracy", preferring 18...h6. Stockfish 10 preferred 18...h6, but, after 19.Bf4, evaluated 19...Nxa2 the same as 19...Kg8, both leading to an equal game. Complicated.

During the game, I hadn't even considered the Knight move, focusing on 18...h6 19.Bh4 Qh5 20.Qf2 Ng4, which seems kind of irrelevant as I now look at it. I think that is enough proof that I was losing the thread of the game.

19.e5 

This move is okay, but, of course, 19.Nxa2 was best.

I think my mistake confused my opponent. After all, I was supposed to know what I was doing. Of course, he was welcome to borrow as much confusion as possible.

19...h6 

This is not correct. The consistent 19...Nxc3 was the way to keep White's edge small.  

20.Bh4 

From a distance, this move doesn't make much sense, especially since Black's Queen has moved out of the pin on the Knight.

The proper move was, of course, 20.e6, attacking the Bishop and the Queen, while cutting off the support of the Knight. My attacked Bishop on g5 was irrelevant.

The Chess.com analysis clearly marked my move as "a missed win". 

20...Nxc3 21.Qxc3 dxe5 

In a chaotic position, it was my opponent's turn to err. Instead of this "normal" move, he had 21...Bb5, when 22.e6 would have lost much of its bite after 22...Qe7. After a bit of scrambling, White would only have a small edge, because of that blockaded advanced "Jerome pawn".

Now, the game plays out to my advantage.

22.dxe5 Nd5 23.Qc5+ Kg8 24.e6 Bxe6

Giving the piece back makes the most sense.

25.fxe6 Qh5 

At first glance, the position looks balanced (except for Black's unfortunate Rook) but White is due to win a piece, one way or another - at least, that's what Stockfish 10 suggested afterward. I just wanted to get my Bishop to safety.

26.Bg3 b6 27.Qc6 Re7 28.Re5 Black resigned

Okay, now Black will lose a piece.

Pretty scrappy play by Jackcchow.

Me? Lost in the woods, or at least the tree of variations. Luckily, I had company.

Jerome Gambit: "Too Good" (Part 1)

I have spent a lot of time uncovering refutations of the Jerome Gambit, and sometimes I get the incredibly foolish notion that I am "too good" for the opening. It only takes a game like the following one to readjust my perspective: too often, the Jerome Gambit is "too good" for me. (But, still, I persist).

Yes, Jackcchow, at Chess.com, worked hard to put me back in my place. Pretty impressive, given it was only the second time he had faced the Jerome Gambit.

After the game, I asked my old "friends" The Database (60,700 Jerome Gambit and Jerome-related games, representative of online club play) and Stockfish 10 to help make sense of it all. I also referred to Chess.com's post-game analysis, which made some interesting points.

perrypawnpusher - Jackcchow
Chess.com, 2019

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

I am usually happy to see this move, not so much because it is "bad" (it isn't) but because the game that White gets is comfortable. According to The Database, I have reached this position 132 times, scoring 80%.

After the game was over, I asked the Chess.com website for a report on the game, and was surprised when it awarded the move a "?!" and the label "inaccuracy" (preferring 6...Ke6, and the annoying or silicon defense, 7.f4 d6 8.fxe5 dxe5, a line that computers often love). That seemed a bit harsh to me.

7.Qd5+

I call this move "the nudge", and it is at least as old as Jerome - Brownson, Iowa, 1875 (1-0, 28). In blitz games, it can give Black pause, as he spends precious seconds wondering What is this move all about?

Is the move worth playing? That is a good question. On one hand, it chases Black's King to the 8th rank, where it can be further exposed to attack, and where it might impede the development of his Rook. Also, if Black chooses to castle-by-hand, he will later need to spend a move on ...Kf7. Still, White has spent 2 moves to capture the Bishop, so it balances out: 7.Qd5+ Kf8/e8 8.Qxc5 Kf7 would lead to the same position as the direct 7.Qxc5.

Examining The Database is enlightening, however. There are 711 games with "the nudge", with White scoring 68%. On the other hand, there are 1,285 games with 7.Qxc5, and White scores only  46%. Make of that what you will. YMMV. (I suspect that one factor may be that those who know about playing "the nudge" know more about the main line play of the Jerome Gambit, in general.)

I chuckled at the Chess.com post-game assessment, seeing 7.Qd5+ as the "best" move.

7...Kf8

In response to "the nudge," Black's King usually goes to f8 or e8. Which square is better? Stockfish 10 assesses them as nearly identical, varying in mere hundreths of a pawn. The Database has 213 examples of 7...Kf8, with White scoring 65%; it has 467 examples of 7...Ke8, with White scoring 68%.

8.Qxc5+ d6 9.Qe3 Nf6 

Black has a piece for two pawns, with a somewhat exposed King.

White, the gambiteer, is behind in development.

By the way, Chess.com's assessment is that 9...Nf6 is "good," but 9...d5 is "best". The Database has no examples of the latter move.

10.O-O Be6 

I can't let pass Chess.com's assessment of this move as an "inaccuracy". The Database has 6 games with the move, but White scores a rather ordinary 3 - 2 - 1. The knock on 10...Be6 is that it gives some boost to White's next move, with a threatened pawn fork. Curiously, until now, The Database had only 2 games with 11.f4 - a draw and a loss for White! 

11.f4 Bd7 12.f5 Ne5 13.d4 Nc6 

At this point, after the game the Chess.com analysis saw the position as equal, while Stockfish 10 gave White a slight edge. White's 2 "Jerome pawns" give him sufficient compensation for the sacrificed piece - but the position is going to get more complicated. 

[to be continued]

Jerome Gambit: Rerun

The Jerome Gambit opening variation in the following bullet game is a repeat of the previous game preseted by angelcamina. Moving on familiar territory only speeds up White's play, and intensifies his attack when Black falters.

angelcamina - samchess20
1 0 bullet, lichess.org

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Be7 

Most recently seen in the post "Jerome Gambit: Home-Made Defense", this defense doesn't really work.

 8.Qxh8 Bf6 9.Qxh7+ Bg7 10.O-O d6 11.d3 

A slight improvement over 11.f4, played in angelcamina - medved29 , 1 0 bullet, lichess.org.

11...Qf6 12.f4 Bg4 13.h3 Bd7 14.f5 Ne7 

Pretty much ending the game, except for chances on time.

15.fxg6+ Nxg6 16.Rxf6+ Kxf6 17.Bh6 Bxh6 18.Qxh6 Rg8 19.Nc3 Kf7 20.Rf1+ Ke7 21.Nd5+ Kd8 22.Rf6 Ne5 23.Rf8+ Rxf8 24.Qxf8+ Black resigned

Checkmate is coming.

Jerome Gambit: First Time's A Charm

I recently received an email and Jerome Gambit game from Jackcchow, who plays at Chess.com.

I was surprised as black to have been involved in the Jerome gambit. I had never had it played against me and had to play this with a lot of thought and improvisation.  After the game I had to look this up...

Later, he shared his strategy

It was an entertaining experience to play this out. At key points of the game I saw a variety of lines that could have played out with chances for either black or white. Not knowing the standard variations during play, I relied on key principles and classical objectives such as seizing whatever files, ranks and diagonals as I could (or denying those to white) and trying to exchange material to accentuate the lead I was conferred by the gambit itself.  I tried to maintain tempo and use sharp lines of counterattack during white's pawn advance.

Let's take a look.

AlexBuranov - Jackcchow
Chess.com, 2019

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Ng6 

This is not an often-played move - The Database has 31 examples. White scores 58%, but if you subtract Bill Wall's 5 wins (and no losses) - he is successful in every line in the Jerome Gambit - that drops to 50%. Solid, for Black.

7.dxc5 Qe7 8.Qd5+ Qe6 9.O-O Qxd5 10.exd5 Nf6 11.c4 c6 12.d6 

Allowing the exchange of Queens was probably not White's strongest idea, but he has clearly latched upon a truism in the Jerome Gambit: Black loses many games by leaving his light-squared Bishop at home, where it blocks the development of his Rook. So: White locks it all down.

Almost.

12...b6 13.Be3 Rb8 14.cxb6 axb6 15.Nc3 Ba6 

The Bishop emerges.

16.b3 b5 17.c5 

If only he could now get in b3-b4, but Black moves first.

17...b4 18.Na4 Bxf1 19.Kxf1 Ng4 20.Bd4 Nxh2+ 21.Ke2 Rhe8+ 22.Kd3 Ng4 

White is down a Rook for a pawn; pretty grim. Black continues his steady play,

23.Nb6 N4e5+ 24.Kc2 Rb7 25.Re1 Ra7 26.Kb1 Ng4 27.Rf1 Re2 

28.Na4 Rd2 29.Bb2 Rxf2 30.Rh1 Nf6 31.Bxf6 Kxf6 32.Rxh7 Rxg2

33.Rh3 Ke5 34.Rd3 Nf4 35.Re3+ Kd4 36.Rf3 Nd3 37.Rf1 Ra8 38.Rd1 Rf8 White resigned

Black's extra Rook will enter the fray and finish things off. Pretty good result for being surprised by the Jerome Gambit.