Jerome Gambit: No Slow Mo

The following Jerome Gambit game was played at a time control of one minute, no increment. Yet, it plays like one conducted at a much slower pace - absent the wild flying and dropped pieces. It appears to be a serious Jerome - if there is such  a thing.

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

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

7.Qd5+ Kf8 8.Qxc5+ d6 9.Qe3 Qf6 

Sometimes the Queen belongs here, sometimes it doesn't. Black builds a do-it-yourself defense.

10.O-O N8e7 11.f4 Kg8 

12.d4 h6 13.f5 Nf8 14.Nc3 Kh7 15.Bd2 Rg8 

Interesting. When the "Jerome pawns" start rolling, the game will become a fine battle.

16.Rae1 b6 17.Ne2 Ba6 18.b3 Re8 19.c4 Nd7 

20.Bc3 Qg5 21.Qd2 Qxd2 22.Bxd2 Nf6 23.Ng3 c5 24.e5 dxe5 25.dxe5 Ng4 26.h3 Nxe5 27.Rxe5 Bb7 

Black has returned the sacrificed piece, and does not appear concerned about being a pawn down - his King is well-placed for defense, and the Bishops-of-opposite-colors suggest a draw is possible.

Unfortunately, he has overlooked something, as White immediately shows. After recovering the piece, angelcamina shows that opposite colors Bishop middle games are often not drawn.

28.Rfe1 Bc6 29.Rxe7 Rxe7 30.Rxe7 Rf8 31.Bf4 Rf6 32.Be5 Rf8 33.Rxg7+ Kh8 34.Rxa7+ Kg8 35.Rg7+ Kh8 36.Rc7+ Kg8 37.Rxc6 Kf7 38.Rg6 Black resigned

Jerome Gambit: Top Speed

The following game is a good example of the excitement of the Jerome Gambit, played at top speed - 1 minute, no increment, time control.

angelcamina - shabba96jnr
1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2019

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5

angelcamina has reached this position previously, winning all 7 games.

8...Qe7 9.Qe3 

Stockfish 10 recommends, instead, 9.Qxe7+, although that is not angelcamina's style. The Database indicates the move was played in 9 games, and White was 8-0-1.

9...Nf6 10.Nc3 Rf8 

According to The Database, this is a novelty, but the game will ranspose to earlier lines after 11...d6. 

11.O-O d6 

12.f4 Ng4 13.Qf3 Nf6 14.d4 Bg4  

When in doubt, attack White's Queen. It is surprising how often this advice fails in the Jerome Gambit.

15.Qd3 Bd7 16.b3 Bc6 17.d5 Bd7 18.Ba3 Ng8 

Anticipating the advance of the "Jerome pawns".

19.Rae1 Kd8 20.e5 Kc8 21.e6 

21...Nf6 22.exd7+ Qxd7 23.f5 Ne5 

Allowing a nice, tactical finish.

24.Rxe5 dxe5 25.Bxf8
Black resigned

Black is down a piece and a pawn; he is behind in development; and his King is less safe.

Jerome Gambit: Often "Reasonable" Is Not Enough

In the following game, Black puts together a defense against the Jerome Gambit that appears, at first glance, to be quite reasonable. That is one of the problems in facing the Jerome - it appears to be so reckless that any "reasonable" response will be effective. Not so.

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

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bd6 

It seems reasonable to grab a pawn after returning one of the two gambitted pieces. The problem is the plan squanders most of Black's advantage.

7.dxe5 Bxe5 8.Qd5+ Kf8 

9.Qxe5 Qe7 

The exchange of Queens may cut down on White's attacking chances, but it gives the first player a simple game, a solid pawn up. We have seen a number of games where this strategy has failed against angelcamina.

10.Qxe7+ Kxe7 11.O-O Nf6 12.Nc3 d6 13.Bg5 Rf8 

14.f3 Kf7 15.Bxf6 gxf6 16.Nd5 c6 17.Nf4 Rg8 18.Rad1 d5 

All things being equal, going down a second pawn is not a good idea, even in bullet chess. It might only work if the player is moving faster than his opponent, and is ahead on the clock.

19.exd5 cxd5 20.Rxd5 b6 21.Rfd1 Bb7 

A mistake that ends the game.

22.Rd7+ Black resigned

Jerome Gambit: Against the Titans (Part 2)

[continued from the previous post]

perrypawnpusher - Chess Titans

Casual Game, 2019

Black's move seems to be the most natural in the world, but, after the game, Stockfish 10 preferred 13...Kf7. Can you see why? The reason is covered in the next note.

14.Qg5+ Ke8 15.Qxd8+ 

I made this move quickly, seeing an opportunity to simplify things by getting the Queens off of the board, leading to a position where I would be a pawn up.

Had I looked closer - or been less anxious - I would have found the alternative, 15.Qxg7, which would scoop up another pawn, and leads, after 15...Qf6 16.Qxf6 Nxf6, to an exchange of Queens, anyhow.

Playing against computers makes me nervous. (Against human beings, too.)

15...Kxd8 16.Rxh2

16...Be6 

Instead, 16...Nf6 17. d3 Ng4 18. Rh4 Nf6 19. Be3 Bg4 20. Bd4 Bd1 21. Na3 Be2 22. Kf2 Bxd3 23. cxd3 c5 24.Bxf6+ gxf6 25. Nc4 Ke7 26. Ne3 Kf7 27. Rah1 Kg6 28. Rh6+ Kg7 29. Nf5+ Kg8 30.Rxf6 d5 31. Nh6+ Kg7 32. Rf7+ Kg6 33. e5 Rhg8 34. Rf6+ Kg7 35. Nf5+ Kh8 36.Rxh7+ Kxh7 37. Rh6 checkmate, was Born Loser - NN, 2005.

17.Nc3 g6 18.d4 h5 

The rest of the game, starting with this move, has a bit of an odd tinge to it. Some of Black's moves are hard to fathom. Readers may also be frustrated by my sudden intense caution.

19.d5 Bf7 20.e5 dxe5 21.fxe5 

The central "Jerome pawns" give White a winning advantage.

21...c6 22.d6 

It was better to advance the other center pawn.

22...Bd5+ 23.Nxd5 cxd5 24.Be3 

Safe development, but 24.e6 was stronger.

24...Kc8 25.Rd1 a5 26.Rxd5 Nh6 27.Bxh6 Rxh6 28.Kf3 a4 29.Re2 h4 30.gxh4 Rxh4 

31.e6 Rh3+  32.Kg4 Rh4+ 

Black throws away the Rook, in order to push even a more dire position from appearing on its analysis "horizon". I have seen examples of computers tossing piece after piece, just to make an even-more-unfavorable future position "disappear", only to have it "reappear" after the opponent makes a capture. In the end, more material is lost than in the "dreaded" situation it is trying to avoid. (The similarity to human clinical depression is notable.)  

33.Kxh4 a3 34.d7+ Kc7 35.e7 Rh8+ 36.Kg4 Rh4+ 

See the previous note.

37.Kxh4 g5+ 38.Kxg5 b6 39.d8=Q+ Kb7 40.e8=Q axb2 41.Re7+ Ka6 42.Qa4 checkmate 

Jerome Gambit: Against the Titans (Part 1)

Sitting at the computer the other day, I suddenly decided to challenge one of the programs to game of chess. I played the Jerome Gambit, of course. I've done this before - see "Jerome Gambit: Artificial Piffle" and "Contempt?!" 

Quickly we raced toward one of the more deadly refutations, a trip down memory lane for me that was lined with past escapes - and non-escapes. Suddenly, my opponent came up with a novelty that undid all of its hard work. The rest of the game was a combination of me timidly moving forward, while the computer seemed to lose much sense of things. Come, see. 

perrypawnpusher - Chess Titans
casual game, 2019

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5. Nxe5+ Nxe5 6. Qh5+ Ke6 

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Qh4+ 

The first example that I have found of this move appeared in the American Chess Magazine of June 1899, in a satirical piece titled "A CHESS SCRAP" by "R.F.", which presented a supposed new-fangled thing - a chess game played over the telephone. The move is not a joke, however.

Interestingly enough, when I reported on last year's game against Chess Titans, I noted

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.

Back then, it played the insufficient 8...g6. This time, it appeared to be better prepared.

9.g3 Nf3+ 

Black can quietly remove his Queen to f6, but the text is more aggressive.

10.Kf1

I have also played 10.Kd1: perrypawnpusher - electrahan, blitz, FICS, 2009 (1-0, 35); perrypawnpusher - Banassi, blitz, FICS, 2009 (1-0, 28); perrypawnpusher - fortytwooz, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 11); perrypawnpusher - javistas, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 11); and perrypawnpusher - thinan, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 11).

The text is best, but, it still leaves Black better.

10...Nxh2+

As I have suggested, "Black can get away with this, but it is not best."

I actually met 10...Qh3+ (likely a mouse slip) twice, perrypawnpusher - rjbriggs, blitz, FICS, 2011(1-0, 10) and perrypawnpusher - inansoy, blitz, FICS, 2014 (1-0, 51).

I have had trouble in the past with 10...Qh6 -  perrypawnpusher - Temmo, Jerome Gambit thematic, ChessWorld.net, 2008 (0-1, 43) and 10...Qf6 -  perrypawnpusher - james042665, blitz, FICS, 2008, (0-1, 18); and perrypawnpusher - HarlemKnight, blitz, FICS, 2014}(0-1, 24).

I was familiar with the text move, having found it in the game Born Loser - NN, 2005 (1-0, 37) in White's unique book, Unorthodox Chess (2005).

11.Kg2

11...Qd8 

An odd move. I have faced a number of alternatives:

11...Qg4 (probably best) in perrypawnpusher - jgknight, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 68);

11...Nf6 12.gxh4 in perrypawnpusher - mikelars, blitz, FICS 2011 (1-0, 12);

11...Qe7 12.Qd5 checkmate, perrypawnpusher - intssed, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 12);

11...Qh6 in perrypawnpusher - JTIV, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 32); 

11...Qf6 in perrypawnpusher - IlToscano, Chess.com, 2016 (1-0, 18); and

11...Ne7 in perrypawnpusher - constipatedguru, blitz, FICS, 2017 (1-0, 20)

12.Qd5+ 

This move is good and easy to find. After the game, however, Stockfish 10 recommended that I ignore both the Bishop on c5 and the Knight on h2, at least at first, and play 12.Nc3!? The point is that neither Black piece can move to safety effectively - and a couple of possible Bishop moves would lead to checkmate in 2 or 3 moves.

The computer recommends 12...Nf6, which falls right away to the fork 13.e5+. The alternative, 12...Qe8, simply allows 13.Qd5+, and the Bishop will fall next move, and the Knight soon thereafter. White is better, in any event, but the computer is always looking for a "better better."

12...Ke7 13.Qxc5+ d6 

[to be continued]