In the previous post (see "Jerome Gambit: His Trap Was Part of My Trap") I noted that I had stumbled over another one of my blitz games that I had not yet posted on this blog. (With over 600 of my games in The Database, that seems quite possible.)
Playing over the game, it is hard to figure out why it did not appear: it is not an embarassing loss - or an interesting win, either. Play simply continues until Black errs, wherupon he resigns.
perrypawnpusher - lixuanxuan
blitz, FICS, 2014
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 Bd6
In the main line Jerome Gambit, retreating the Bishop this way can lead to trouble, but, in the Four Knights variation, Black has protected against annoying Queen checks from d5.
8.dxe5
Back in 2011 - 2013, Philidor1792 experimented with the extravagant 8.f4!? in blitz play, scoring 7 - 2 - 1.
8...Bxe5 9.Bg5
Often the Bishop goes to g5 in the Jerome Gambit, to put pressure on the enemy Knight, possibly in conjunction with Nc3-d5. Previously, I had played 9.f4 in perrypawnpusher - joseluizlopez, blitz, FICS, 2012 (0-1, 55), and, just recently, I had played 9.Ne2 in perrypawnpusher - AndrewLLL, Italian Game Battlefield, Chess.com, 2020 (1-0, 18).
8...h6 10.Bh4 Qe7
11.Nd5 Qd6 12.Bxf6 Bxf6 13.O-O c6 14.Nxf6 Qxf6 15.c3 d5
16.exd5 cxd5 17.Qxd5+ Kg6 18.Rad1 Be6 19.Qe4+ Bf5
White has 2 pawns for his sacrificed piece, but they are on either side of the board, and whatever passers they promise to produce are a long way into the future - if ever.
20.Qe3 h5 21.Qg3+ Bg4
A strange slip - given that the time control was 14 minutes, no increment, and he had 9 minutes left on the clock - as it allows his Bishop and Queen to be pinned to his King. I chose the Queen
22.Rd6 Black resigned
The following game again brings up a topic of concern
I have previously mentioned FIDE Master Dennis Monokroussos' thoughtful website, The Chess Mind, and his down-to-earth query, Is there even a single trap for Black to fall into in the Jerome Gambit?
My response has been
With due respect to Dennis, at the club level the entire Jerome Gambit can be considered a "trap" - especially if we consider psychological aspects. Black must pay attention, even as he treasures his advantages, or they will evaporate.
My recently-completed game against AndrewLLL, in the third round of the "Italian Game Battlefield" tournament at Chess.com, is an example of the defender setting a nefarious trap, only to discover that his trap was part of my trap...
perrypawnpusher - andrewLLL
Italian Game Battlefield, Chess.com, 2020
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+
The Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit. The Database does not contain any games by Alonzo Wheeler Jerome with this line. I have played the line 60 times, scoring 74%.
5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 Bd6
8.dxe5 Bxe5
There is definitely something strange about this opening line of play - at least as far as I am concerned.
I recently posted a game where I now played 9.f4 - perrypawnpusher - joseluizlopez, blitz, FICS, 2012 (0-1, 55) - that I had somehow overlooked posting 8 years ago.
In preparing for this post, I noticed that I had also not posted perrypawnpusher - lixuanxuan, blitz, FICS, 2014 (1-0, 22), where I explored 9.Bg5. I will fix that oversight soon. (The Database has 12 games with the move with White scoring 42%)
9.Ne2
After the suffering at the hands of joseluizlopez (see "Jerome Gambit: Another Historical 'Oversight' "), I made a note to try something that would keep my pawn structure intact. Little did I realize how odd the pawns would become.
9...c6 10.f4 Bc7 11.e5 Nd5 12.O-O Re8
Black begins to castle-by-hand and is better, having a piece for a pawn.
White focuses on Blacks backward d-pawn, that blocks the light-squared Bishop, which, in turn, hems in the Rook. It is not enough compensation, but it is something to work on.
13.c4 Ne7 14.c5 b6 15.b4 a5
My pawns are trying to gang up on the enemy d-pawn. If I only had an extra move, I could put my Bishop on b2, and then play a2-a3, with the ability to keep my pawn chain intact. Of course, I can't play 16.a3 directly, as it would fall to the simple 16...axb4. I decided to develop my Bishop and hope for the best.
16.Bb2 axb4 17.Qd4
The attacking battery along the a1-h8 diagonal has potential. It will take a little cooperation to become dangerous, but it's not chopped liver.
In the meantime, the Queen threatens to capture the pawn at b4.
She also threatens to blunder, which Black notices quickly.
17...bxc5
Guarding the pawn at b5, and offering the one at c5, instead. Of course, 18.Qxc5? would now be punished by 18...Bb6, pinning and winning the Queen.
Black had stronger defensive ideas available - after the game, Komodo 10 recommended the consistent 17...Kg8, completing castling and maintaining the advantage - but I suspect that the "Negative halo effect" took hold of AndrewLLL at this point, and he figured, "If this guy is dumb enough to play the Jerome Gambit, he's probably dumb enough to hang his Queen". So he set his trap.
18.e6+
Black resigned
I had not worked out the attack completely, but it is clear that Black must now play 18...Kxe6, when, after 19.f5+ Nxf5 20.Qe4+ Kd6 21.Rad1+, the end would be near. After 21...Nd4, the exchange sacrifice is easy to find (the time limit for this game was 3 days per move), and, with 22.Rxd4+ cxd4 23.Qxd4+ Ke6 Black's King will not be long for the world.
If you are going to play bullet chess, you have to be prepared for just about anything. The story of the following game is that Black was not prepared - for the Jerome Gambit.
angelcamina - ShadowKnight314
1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2020
1. e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 h6 5.O-O Bc5 6.Bxf7+
The Semi-Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.
6...Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ Nxe5 8.d4 Bxd4 9.Qxd4
9...Qe7 10.f4 c5
Sometimes this pawn "kick" works, sometimes it doesn't. It is best to work it out beforehand, as there is not a lot of time to figure it out as the play develops in bullet.
11.Qxe5 Qxe5 12.fxe5 Black resigned
Black will be down a piece, with no compensation.
angelcamina, playing online at lichess.org, likes to play the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) and other Jerome variants in bullet games with a time control of one minute, no increment. (Kind of like heavyweight boxers, wearing roller skates, on ice.) He beats his opponents when he has the advantage, and he beats them when they have the advantage. Both ways, quickly.
angelcamina - regullele
1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2020
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 6.Qh5
I have already pointed out
White's strongest move here is 6.c3, but any Queen move has to be scary for Black, and takes up thinking time to figure out how to deal with it.
6...Qf6
A little bit stronger was 6...Nf6, as in angelcamina - rabirabi, lichess.org, 2019 (1-0, 13) and angelcamina - shahramkhoshseffat, lichess.org, 2019 (1-0, 13).
7.Ng4
A small improvement over 7.Qe8+ in angelcamina -Skhokho1507, lichess.org, 2019 (1-0, 12).
7...Nxc2+
This fork is always tempting when it appears in the BSJG, but it would have been wiser to settle things down with 7...Qg6 8.Qd5+ Ke7 9.Qxd4 Qxg4 10.O-O Kd8, with Black for choice.
8.Kd1 Qg6 9.Qd5+ Ke7 10.Ne5 Qe6
11.Qxe6+
The Queens probably have to be exchanged, but 11.Kxc2 Qxd5 12.exd5 was the way to do it, with a roughly balanced game. With the text, White sheds his advantage - which only means he has to work a little bit harder.
11...Kxe6 12.Kxc2 Kxe5 13.d3 d5 14.f4+ Kd4
Inexplicably headed for trouble. angelcamina obliges.
15.Re1 Be6 16.Be3 checkmate
?!?
Now that you have what you want, do you really want what you have?
The above question appears twice in the first six moves of the following game. The game turns on the answer to each of the questions.
Wall, Bill - Guest1573554
PlayChess.com, 2020.
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5
"The Italian Game", perhaps Black muses. "I wish I had a few more defenders to play against it."
4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5
"Wow! An extra Knight and an extra Bishop!" celebrates Black.
"I would like to get a return on my investment," thinks White. "As in my earlier games."
6.Qh5+ Kf6
"This will do," smiles White.
7.Qf5+ Ke7 8.Qxe5+
Black resigned here in Wall,B - Guest2892618, PlayChess.com, 2015.
8...Kf8
Or 8...Kf7 as in Wall,B - Guest1468523, PlayChess.com, 2013 (1-0, 14).
9.Qxc5+ d6
Bill has also seen 9...Ne7, as in Wall,B - SMNN, FICS, 2013 (1-0, 27).
White has regained his two sacrificed pieces, and remains two pawns up. There is still more work to do, but this is a decent start.
In the meantime, too, Black has to figure out what he is going to do.
10.Qb5 Nf6
Or 10...c6 as in Wall,B - Guest733407, PlayChess.com 2014 (1-0, 21).
11.O-O
White could have protected his e-pawn - e.g. 11.d3 as in Wall,B - KSPF, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 23) - but he would happily respond to 11...Nxe4 now with 12.Re1.
11...h5
Black considers activating his Rook, to attack White's King. He is not finished fighting - but what to do?. Perhaps White's Queen is misplaced?
12.d3 Ng4 13.Nc3 c6 14.Qb3 Qe7
Where to put the Queen? Can the Bishop move without giving up a pawn? Must the King Rook stay at home? Things to figure out.
15.f4 h4 16.h3 Nf6 17.f5 Black resigned
I think Black decided that his game was just too uncomfortable, and that there were better opportunites, elsewhere.
The Four Knights Opening has a reputation for being somewhat drawish, so Black, in the following game, might have relaxed a bit when his offer of an Alekhine's Defense turned into a Four Knghts.
Of course, White's plans were anything but peaceful.
angelcamina - marcldk
1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2020
1.e4 Nf6 2.Nc3 e5 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.Bc4 Bc5 5.Bxf7+
The Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.
5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4
Neg4
The Knight escapes danger, while thinking of aggression.
Best was probably 7...Bd6, which, in the regular Jerome Gambit line (minus Nc3 and ...Nf6), would be an error. With enough time, all this can be worked out; but, in a one minute game, who has enough time?
8.dxc5 c6
This creates a bit of a hole at d6 in Black's position, which White will eventually exploit.
9.O-O Re8 10.Bg5 Ne5
The Knight seems to have lost its sense of direction. It will eventually sacrifice itself for a couple of pawns, as a "scientific" response to the gambit, but things never work out quite right.
11.f4 Ng6 12.e5 Nxe5 13.fxe5 Rxe5 14.Bxf6 gxf6
Material is even, and the pawn at c5 looks about ready to fall, but the first player's lead in development is what really matters.
15.Qd3 Qg8
Protecting the h-pawn, but there is not time for that. Best was 15...Qe7, although the game would quickly slide downhill, anyhow: 16.Qxh7+ Ke8 17.Qg8+ Qf8 18.Qg6+ Kd8 19.Ne4!? another classic case of retarded development, Black's d-pawn blocking his light-squared Bishop, which, in turn, blocks in his Rook.
16.Rae1
This is a solid move, and White trades off his opponent's defender. With more time to calculate, he would have found (but didn't need) 16.Rxf6+ Kxf6 17.Re1+ and he would quickly recover his sacrificed Rook.
16...Rxe1 17.Rxe1 b6
Struggling to free the Queenside - too late.
18.Qd6 bxc5 19.Re7+ Kg6 20.Qg3+ Kh6 21.Qxg8 Bb7 22.Rxh7 checkmate
My game against AndrewLLL in the third round of the "Italian Game Battlegrounds" tournament at Chess.com (see the previous post) has already progressed enough that I can now correct a historical "oversight": despite my commitment to share all of my Jerome Games, regardless of outcome, on this blog, I sort of "overlooked" the game perrypawnpusher - joseluislopez, blitz, FICS, 2012 (0-1, 55).
You might notice that I lost that game against joseluislopez, and that maybe I was too embarassed to share it. That is not quite right: I did post an endgame position from our game that featured a double blunder, before my eventual loss by checkmate.
Yet, fair is fair, so here is the game - with a couple of lessons to learn.
perrypawnpusher - joseluislopez
blitz, FICS, 2012
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 Bd6 8.dxe5 Bxe5
9.f4
Starting the advance of the "Jerome pawns".
9...Bxc3+ 10.bxc3 d6
I willingly traded my Queenside pawn structure for some time - Black's Bishop moved 4 times before leaving the board, while my Knight moved once. This was probably a mistake. A master would find active play to compensate, but I am not a master. Well on into the endgame, you will still be able to see the effect of the different Queenside pawn structures.
11.O-O Bg4 12.Qd3 Re8 13.h3 Bh5 14.g4 Bg6
So far, White is playing aggressively, in true blitz style. Black probably should have returned material with 14...Bxg4!? which would have led to some danger to White's King.
15.f5 Nxe4
This is a mis-reading of the position, as it allows White to open the f-file. Instead, Komodo 10 suggests the bizarre 15...Bh5!?, and has Black holding on to a small advantage.
16.fxg6+
This move leads to White's advantage, but the alternative, 16.Qd5+, would have led to checkmate: 16...Kf8 17.fxg6+ Qf6 18.Rxf6+ Ke7 19.Rf7+ Kd8 20.Qxb7 Re7 21.Rxe7 Kxe7 22.Qxc7+ Ke8 23.gxh7 Nf6 24.h8/Q+ Ng8 25.Qxg8 checkmate..
16...Kxg6 17.Qf3
Looking to put more pressure on the enemy King, but overlooking Black's response, which is an effective remedy. More accurate would have been 17.Qd5, when 17...Nf6 (the only move to prevent checkmate) 18.Qf5+ Kf7 19.g5 would have led to a clear advantage.
17...Qf6
White's dynamic compensation for his structural defects has been wasted. Black now grinds his opponent down - and a significant part of his plan is to take advantage of White's isolated Queenside pawns.
18.Qxf6+ Nxf6 19.Bd2 Re4 20.Rab1 b6 21.Rb4 Rae8 22.Rxe4 Rxe4 23.Kg2 Re2+ 24.Rf2 Rxf2+ 25.Kxf2 Ne4+ 26.Ke3 Nxd2 27.Kxd2 Kg5 28.Ke3 h5 29.gxh5 Kxh5 30.Kf3 Kh4 31.Kg2 g5 32.c4 c6 33.c3 b5 34.cxb5 cxb5 35.Kh2 a5 36.Kg2 b4 37.cxb4 axb4 38.Kh2 d5 39.Kg2 d4 40.Kf3 Kxh3 41.Ke4 g4 42.Kxd4 g3 43.Kc4 g2 44.Kxb4 g1=Q 45.a4 Qb6+ 46.Ka3 Kg4 47.Ka2 Kf4 48.Ka3 Ke4 49.Ka2
I do not remember why I was playing on, a Queen down; most likely, my opponent was short of time. Only a miracle would save me - and I was not ready, when it came.
49...Qb5?? 50.Ka3??
Capturing the Queen would have led to a draw, even a pawn up. Probably I was short of time, too.
50...Qa5 51.Kb3 Kd4 52.Ka3 Qc3+ 53.Ka2 Qb4 54.Ka1 Kc3 55.a5 Qb2 checkmate
(My personal notes to this game suggested that I avoid 9.f4, and try something like 9.Ne2 - which I did, against AndrewLLL. We shall see how that works out.)
