Please Read

About a week-and-a-half ago, I started getting emails suggesting that I check out a certain online link. It led to a video of a program originally on Twitch that had taken up residence on YouTube.

In it, a grandmaster was having a humorous time with the Jerome Gambit, this blog, and me. That wasn't much of a surprise - except that most top players would not give the Jerome even a second glance, while the video was 17 minutes long.

So, everyone in the video, including those in the scrolling comments - and, later, those who commented in YouTube - had a good laugh at a chess opening that was probably refuted shortly after it was first played. The Jerome Gambit certainly had a great future behind it.

Okay. 

A video lampooning a blog running for 12 years, posted to every day or every-other-day on that bizarre opening? Are you kidding? Hilarious.

Okay.

The amusement grew. For real, a weird guy who has been researching the Jerome Gambit for a couple of decades, and keeping that blog up-to-date? I mean, come on, does he actually think that it's a good opening?

The grandmaster just had to play some Jerome games online, and then send one to me, borrowing a username and changing his rating. Would it wind up posted on the blog? It was! Untold amounts of  ROTFL!

Okay, too.

The guy was funny. He got into the Jerome Gambit with bravado, looking like its second-biggest fan. He had played fair with me, too - when he sent his game to me, it was in an email with his own name on it. I figured something was up.

Then, Pepe the Frog made an appearance in the video. Originally in Matt Furie's comic, "Boy's Club", the character was later adopted by far-right groups to espouse their causes, much to the creator's embarassment. Despite claims that the anthropomorphic amphibian has been white-washed back to decency, for a lot of people today, the meme still screams hatred and prejudice.

Not okay.

About that point in the video, things started getting awkward, as when the GM was trying to play a game online, and exclaimed  "Dammit, I'm black.... Maybe it works for black as well. I mean it is called the Jerome". Huh?

Then came a brilliant suggestion that Jerome might have originally blundered away a couple of pieces, and then just claimed that he had invented a new opening. Good stuff - if it hadn't been voiced in a stereotypically offensive imitation of a Black person's voice. Not much later, there was an energetic lampooning of the "privilege" that the Jerome, with the white pieces, was all about. The observers in the comments caught it all, and loved it, too.

It took me several runs-through, with CC, to catch much of it.

It was not okay.

Why spoil a surreal chess performance, with such racist offensiveness? What a sense of timing. With with what seems like an endless string of killings of Black people in this country - the most recent, of George Floyd - and the widespread protests of endless police violence being met with more police violence, was any of that necessary? Is it ever necessary?

No.

Even if our prejudices cling to us like a shadow we can't outrun - we can try.

Imagine my excitement at getting an invitation to join the grandmaster on his chess show this week, via Zoom, to further discuss the Jerome Gambit -  that passion of mine for 20 years.

Imagine my disappointment, too. 

Of course, I declined the offer.



    

Jerome Gambit: Everything Happens Quickly

White is new to the Jerome Gambit, but you would not be able to tell that from the way that he quickly finishes off his opponent. Of course, in a 1-minute game, everything happens quickly.

JuiceCisario - piolhorov
1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2020

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Nh6 

In bullet chess, what first comes to mind is often what gets played. Here, Black thinks Hit the Queen! and goes with it.

White calmly decides to Hit the King!

9.Qxe5+ Kc6 10.Nc3 Re8 

This was Black's last chance. He should have tried 10...d6, instead.

11.Qd5+ Kb6 12.Na4+ Kb5 13.Qxc5+ Kxa4 14.b3 chekmate

Very nice.

Jerome Gambit: Quick Finishes

I have received a number of Jerome Gambits that show clearly why players are drawn to it - the sacrifice shows up in a variety of lines, and the games feature quick finishes. Take a look.

In his first Jerome, Kylon tries what I have begun to call an "impatient Jerome Gambit" (White doesn't wait for ...Bc5) against the Hungarian Defense. In this case, impatience is rewarded, with a checkmate in 9 moves.

Kylon - PawnStar10111
3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Be7 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.d4 Nc4 8.Qf5+ Kd6 9.Qd5#

Rawnessman applies the Jerome treatment to the Two Knights Defense, in a 1-minute bullet game. His aim is true.

Rawnessman - chepea2019
1 0 bullet, Chess.com, 2020
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Ng6 7.e5 Nd5 8.Qf3+ Kg8 9.Qxd5#

The_Guccinator does not let his opponent hide in the Petroff Defense. A Jerome-inspired sacrificial attack brings mate in under 10 moves.

The_Guccinator - taks54321
15 10 blitz, Chess.com, 2020
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bc4 Nxe4 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Nxg6 Rg8 8.Nh8+ Ke7 9.Qe5#

Things did not go exactly as planned for Jean_Kn's opponent in the following game. At least the suffering was short.

Jean_Kn - teozuy
3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020
1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 Nf6 8.Qxe5+ Kf7 9.Qxc5 Black resigned

Changing sides of the board, Jean_Kn plays a reversed Jerome Gambit, also know as the Busch-Gass Gambit or Chiodini's Gambit.

Amess923 - Jean_Kn
3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020
1.Nf3 e5 2.e4 Bc5 3.Nxe5 Nc6 4.Nxc6 dxc6 5.d3 Nf6 6.Bg5 Bxf2+ 7.Kxf2 Nxe4+ 8.dxe4 Qxd1 White resigned

DropBearMKJ's first Jerome Gambit turned out better than he expected, and certainly better than his opponent had hoped.

DropBearMKJ - ximikmamaj
3 2 blitz, Chess.com, 2020
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Qf6 8.Qxc5 Black resigned

Here we have another Two Knights that gets ambushed by an impatient Jerome Gambit. I think we've seen this kind of ending position before.

ChessBrah - kevvvvvvv
5 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2020
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bc4 Nc6 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Nc6 7.e5 Nd5 8.Qf3+ Kg8 9.Qxd5#

Martynas-S is ready for a full fight after 8 moves in the Jerome Gambit. His opponent, however, is ready to turn over his King.

Martynas-S - OKKidA
5 2 blitz, lichess.org, 2020
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qxh8 Black resigned

Jerome Gambit: To b or Not To b

The fate of Black's b-pawn overshadows much of the following game. It never falls - but the defender's attention is distracted enough that White makes progress elsewhere and slowly overwhelms the position.

Wall, Bill - Guest173767
PlayChess.com, 2020

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qxc5 d6 8.Qd5+

8...Ke8 

Yes, Black can offer the b-pawn with 8...Be6. This was seen in Wall, Bill - CheckMe, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 23) and Wall,B - Guest249301, PlayChess.com 2013 (1-0, 30).

There are other ways to decline:

8...Ke7 as in Wall,B - Guest4395, Internet, 2001 (1-0, 18) and Wall,B - Guest3157671, PlayChess.com, 2014 (1-0, 28); and

8...Kf8, Wall,B - Chung,J., Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 25).

9.d3

Or 9.d4 as in Wall,B - Am53, PlayChess.com, 2013 (1-0, 14) and Wall,B - Guest7665109, PlayChess.com, 2019 (1-0, 22).

9...h6

Or 9...c6 in Wall,B - Seven11, Chess.com, 2008 (1-0, 51).

10.O-O c6 11.Qb3 Qf6 

12.Nc3 b5 

Still worrying about the b-pawn possibly falling to the enemy Queen.

13.a4 Rb8 14.axb5 cxb5 15.Rxa7 Be6 

Can you feel it? The weather is changing...

16.Qb4 Bd7 17.Nd5 Qf8 18.Nc7+ Ke7 19.f4
Black resigned

Black is feeling the Rook's pressure along the 7th rank, and will soon face more uncomfortable line-opening with e4-e5, plus the annoying f4-f5. It is all too much.

Jerome Gambit: Including Unknown Region

Please Note: I have recently received so many interesting Jerome Gambit games, many from those who have tried it for the first time, that I will begin posting on this blog daily, rather than every-other-day, so I can share more, more frequently. -Rick 

It has been a while since I have looked at the statistics that blogger.com collects about this blog about the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+). 

On May 23, 2020, it listed the top 10 audiences for the last month, in order, as

United States

Hong Kong

Turkmenistan

Romania

United Kingdom

Unknown Region

Germany

Canada

France

Russia

There were a few surprises in that list. For starters, I am not sure if everyone in 6th place all come from a particular region that is, for some reason, "unknown" - or if there was a measurable amount of error in reporting home countries, and these individuals were all scooped up and placed in "unknown"; perhaps they were using VPNs or blocking their location.

In any event: Welcome, Readers!

* * * *

For the lifetime of the Jerome Gambit blog, the audience looks like this

United States
Russia
Germany
France
Ukraine
United Kingdom
Poland
Brazil
Canada
Japan 

Again: Welcome Readers!

One More Thought

Musing over the earlier post, "Unasked Questions", which concerned itself with a sort of an "impatient Jerome Gambit" - 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 (the Two Knights Defense) 4.Bxf7+ (not waiting for Black to play ...Bc5) - I remembered a tangential question that I had asked about what impact further developing a Knight for each side - creating the Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+ - would have, compared to the regular Jerome Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+.

It turned out that Komodo 10 evaluated the Four Knights version as improving Black's position 3/4 of a pawn over Black's position in the regular Jerome. Furthermore, The Database showed that Black scored 61% in the Four Knights variation, versus 54% in the regular Jerome Gambit line.

So, I had one more thought: Might that mean, analagously, that the line that we looked at in the earlier post would be stronger for Black than if we stripped away a Knight from each side, i.e. if we had Komodo 10 look at 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.Bxf7+ ? (Would I dare to call it a sort of "accelerated impatient Jerome Gambit"? I hope not.)

It turns out that Komodo 10, at 30 ply, sees only about 3/100th of a pawn's difference between 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Bxf7+ and 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.Bxf7+. Not much at all, as far as computer evaluation goes.

However, checking The Database, I noted 479 games with 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Bxf7+ and 443 games with 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.Bxf7+. In the first case, Black scored 61%; in the second case, 52%. From a practical point of view, that may be significant - even if you take into account that The Database is not as statistically representative for these two lines, because my data collection has not been as rigorous.

In both cases, it seems that Black's practical chances are improved as his development increases, even though White increases his development equally.

Curious.

Should White abandon the Jerome Gambit for 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.Bxf7+? No, I wouldn't go that far.

But I would refer Readers to "Jerome-Knight Gambit" for a collection of those accelerated, impatient games.

Jerome Gambit: New Games Coming

GM Aman Hambleton, of CHESSBRAHS, over at chess.com, also at Twitch, has stirred up a good bit of interest in the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) in the last few days, due to his video (mentioned in the previous post) concerning the Jerome (it can be found on YouTube.com).

I also have to credit GM Eric Hansen, who I watched on the CHESSBRAHS site try for two hours to get a Jerome Gambit game going, but was frustrated in his attempts. 

As a result, I have received many emails and messages, as well as a good selection of new Jerome Gambit games - including one by the computer program Leela Chess Zero, rated over 3600!  

I plan to share those games, although it may take me a few days to get them posted on this blog. Please be patient - and keep an eye out.

In the meantime, it is always possible to use the "search this blog" function to explore this site further. I have also found that if I use an internet search engine (like Google, Bing, or DuckDuckGo) for a string of moves - say, "6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Qe7" it will turn up links to relevant posts on this blog.

Thank you - Rick