Jerome Gambit: Positional Cues

Sometimes, while playing the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), we can take a cue from our opponent as to which move to make or which plan to follow. See the following game.

SuperChinese - Zakir292
5 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020

1. e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6

7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Nf6 10.O-O Be6

Cue #1: With a Knight on g6, this Bishop move should prompt a standard response from White.

11.f4 Bc4 12.d3 Qe7 

Black's idea reminds me of the Calvin and Hobbes book, Scientific Progress Goes "Boink" - Black follows the "scientific" idea of returning sacrificed material in order to break White's attack. However, he overlooks cue #2: his King and Queen will soon be on an opened file.

13.dxc4 Nxe4 

He could have tried 13...Kf7, to limit the damage.

14.Re1 Nc5

This might have been the move that Black had been counting on. In a 5-minute game, sometimes analysis does not go deep enough.

15.Qf2 Ne4 16.Qf3 

16...Ne5 17.Qxe4 Rf8 18.fxe5 Qf7 19.exd6+ 

White is a couple of pieces and a couple of pawns ahead. All he has to do is make sure he doesn't get checkmated, and he has the win.

19...Kd8 20.Qe7+ 

The simplest. Now 20...Qxe7 21.dxe7+ Kd7 22.exf8/Q+ Rxf8 would be quite enough. Instead, Black allows checkmate directly.

20...Kc8 21.d7+ Kb8 22.Qxf8+ Qxf8 23.Re8+ Black resigned 

Black takes his cue. The finish would be 23...Qxe8 24.dxe8 checkmate. Ouch!

Jerome Gambit: Amusement

From the pages of the Cincinnati Commercial Gazette, June 18, 1881

A letter received from Mr. A. W. Jerome calls attention to the fact that he does not claim the Jerome Gambit to be analytically sound, but only that over the board it is sound enough to afforda vast amount of amusement.

Sometimes, White is amused. Sometimes, Black is.

There is a lesson there, somewhere.


DeathStroke97 - lunareclipse777
15 10 blitz, Chess.com, 2020

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

Black's move is strong - if he knows some of the refutations of the Jerome.

Black's move is weak - if he is merely trying to hold onto all of the sacrificed material.

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Qh4+ 

Often Black plays 8...Qf6. Is the text move, instead, just an annoying check before the Queen moves to f6? Or - is there something more?

9.g3 Nf3+

Wow.

This move goes back to a fictional game presented in the American Chess Magazine, June, 1899, which lampooned the recent introduction of chess-by-telephone.

Such a move is also a strong indication the Black knows something about the Jerome Gambit, and has decided to launch a strong counter-attack. The line is complicated - The Database shows White winning 29 games, losing 21, and drawing 3 - but "objectively" dangerous for the first player.

10.Ke2 

White needed to play 10.Kf1, or at least 10.Kd1. It is not enough to rely upon his first impression that the Queens will be exchanged.

10...Nd4+

White resigned


After 11.Kd1 Nxf5 12.gxh4 Nxh4 it is true that the Queens have come off of the board - but Black remains 2 pieces ahead.

Jerome Gambit: A Good Idea

The Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) can affect defenders differently. Some will think "Somehow I never learned about this crushing attack, I am doomed" while others will think "I now have a won game that will play itself". Both mind sets can lead to disaster over-the-board, and another thought, that there are other games to play... 

chagnusmarlson - oslang
10 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 b6 9.Qd5 

9.Qe3 Ba6 (9...Bb7 10.d4 Nf6 11.Nc3 Qe7 12.O-O Ng4 13.Nxe4 Bxe4 14.c4 13.Qg3 Nf6 14.Bg5 d6 15.e5 dxe5 16.dxe5 Nxe5 17.Rfe1 Qf7 18.Rxe5+ Kf8 19.Rae1 Qg6 20.Nb5 Rd8 21.Nxc7 Kf7 22.Qb3+ Nd5 23.Nxd5 Bxd5 24.Rxd5 Rxd5 25.Qxd5+ Kf8 Black resigned, Charlick,H - Cooke,W, Adelaide Chess Club, 1884) 10.d3 N8e7 11.O-O c6 12.f4 Rf8 13.Nc3 Rc8 14.Bd2 d6 15.Rae1 Bb7 16.e5 dxe5 17.fxe5 Rxf1+ 18.Rxf1 c5 19.Ne4 Nd5 20.Qf3 21.Nd6+ Kd8  22.Bg5 Qxg5 23.Nf7+ Kd7 24.Nxg5 Nxe5 25.Qf5+ Kd6 26.Qe6+ Kc7 27.Qxe5+ Kc6 28.Nf7 Kb5 29.Nd6+ Ka6 30.Nxc8 Bxc8 31.Qxd5 Bg4 32.Qg5 Be2 33.Rf2 Bxd3 34.cxd3 b5 35.Qxg7 Ka5 36.Rf5 b4 37.Rxc5+ Kb6 38.Qc7+ Ka6 39.Qa5+ Kb7 40.Rc7+ Kb8 41.Qxa7 checkmate, Lumix - ItsEricxm, 10 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020.

9...Ba6 10.d3 Nf6 11.Qb3 d5

Often a good move for Black, it is not well-timed here, as he has overlooked something.

12.Qa4+ Black resigned

Clearly, Black was discouraged after his slip. The game could have continued 12...Qd7 13.Qxa6 dxe4 14.0-0 exd3 15.Rd1 Qe6 16.Qxd3 Kf7, when Black would have simply been down a pawn.

The Jerome Gambit has a way of making opponents think that moving on to the next game might be a good idea...

Jerome Gambit: Checkmates

hipernight - hamid313, 3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020

I have received many Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) games over the last month, many of them ending with fun - or funny - checkmates. Take a look.

CasualGames4ever - Alanvarela10, 3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020

Valenmou - SincereThing, 10 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2020

FrancOn - aymenbenchaaben, 10 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2020

a-jerome-gambit-fan - Johnjohn, 10 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020

Adaniketbhaved -  LaReinaLoca, 10 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2020

Ghigi, NN, 5 1 blitz, 2020

DEUSEXMACHIN4 - marsplanet, 15 10 rapid, lichess.org, 2020

TCNB - Kawllie, 3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020

CasualGames4ever - Alanvarela10, 3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020

UnitedN51 - Usern4me, 3 2 blitz, Chess.com, 2020

CasualGames4ever - Alanvarela10, 3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020

aniketbhave - Radoslav14, 10 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2020

dzhong32 - kbrown9, 10 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2020

gerodes - crappycovers4charity, 3 2 blitz, lichess.org, 2020

campani - rahulkonapur, 3 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2020

GraysonTheHoff - tengodosperras, 3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020

Max - NN, 3 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2020

Freitag - NN, 3 2 blitz, Chess.com, 2020

tomkoolen1996 - ThomasBovenkerk, 10 5 blitz, lichess.org, 2020

Wall - Guest190971, PlayChess.com, 2020

spicyindianswag - AyujVerma, 3 2 blitz, Chess.com, 2020

gerodes - kletunov, 3 2 blitz, lichess.org, 2020

Rawnessman - chepea2019, 1 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2020

JabbaKappa - Zauberer, 5 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2020

jamezad - loganwrites, 3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020

lambda_phi - rupper, 10 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020

ibloodyuser - daughtdaught, 10 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2020

graphic by Jeff Bucchino, "The Wizard of Draws"

Jerome Gambit: The Ever-Present Ally

Some Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) lines have been quite popular, of late. Defenders have opted for 6...Kf8,
the Jerome variation, first played in a couple of correspondence games between Daniel Jaeger and Alonzo Wheeler Jerome in 1880.

The games in the notes to the main game, below, are worth playing over, too, to get a better understanding of White's and Black's play.

It must be pointed out that the Jerome Gambit player's ever-present ally - the chess clock - also had a hand in some of the games presented, as well. Most show White winning while having only 1 or 2 seconds of thinking time per move!

Raiderduck - xavierjerome
5 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2020

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+Kf8 

7.Qxe5

An interesting idea from a recent game is 7.Qf5+, which played out 7...Nf6 8.Qxe5 d6 9.Qf4 Qe7 10.Nc3 Qe5 11.Qh4 Qh5 12.Qf4 Qg4 13.Qxg4 Nxg4 14.f3 Nf615.Ne2 Kf7 16.d4 Bb6 17.Bf4 Bd7 18.O-O-O Rhe8 19.Ng3 g6 20.c3 Be6 21.Kb1 Rad8 22.Rhe1 Kg7 23.b3 h6 24.c4 g5 25.Bc1 Kg6 26.Bb2 Nh5 27.Ne2 c6 28.d5 cxd5 29.exd5 Bf5+ 30.Ka1 Re3 31.g4 Rxf3 32.gxh5+ Kxh5 33.Ng3+ Kg6 34.Nxf5 Rxf5 35.Re6+ Kh5 36.a3 Rf2 37.h4 gxh4 38.Rh1 Rf4 39.Bc1 Re4 40.Rxh6+ Kg4 41.R1xh4+ Kf3 42.Rxe4 Kxe4 43.Re6+ Kd3 44.Kb2 Bd4+ 45.Ka2 Be5 46.Bb2 Ke4 47.Bxe5 dxe5 48.Re7 Rg8 49.b4 Rg2+ 50.Kb3 Kd4 51.Rxb7 e4 52.Re7 Rg3+ 53.Ka4 e3 54.d6 Kd3 55.d7 Rg8 56.Re8 Black resigned, BoomBoomTNT-YT -  chess_is_a_great_art, Chess.com, 2020. 

7...Qe7 

About equal in strength is 7...d6, which was also seen in a number of recent games: 8.Qg3 (or 8.Qc3 Nf6 9.d3 Qe8 10.O-O Qh5 11.b4 Ng4 12.h3 Bxf2+ 13.Rxf2+ Nxf2 14.Kxf2 Ke7 15.Qxg7+ Ke6 16.Qxh8 Ke7 17.Qg7+ Kd8 18.Bg5+ Black resigned, cowcium - Vince25, 5 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020; or 8.Qf4+ Qf6 9.d3 Qxf4 10.Bxf4 Ne7 11.Nc3 Bd4 12.Be3 Bxe3 13.fxe3 c6 14.Kd2 g6 15.Rhf1+ Kg7 16.a4 a5 17.Rab1 Rf8 18.Rxf8 Kxf8 19.b3 Kg7 20.h4 Ng8 21.b4 axb4 22.Rxb4 Nf6 23.Rd4 Ne8 24.Ke2 Ra5 25.Rc4 Nc7 26.Kf3 d5 27.Nxd5 Nxd5 28.exd5 Rxd5 29.e4 Ra5 30.d4 h5 31.Ke3 Kf6 32.Rb4 Ke6 33.c4 Kd6 34.c5+ Kc7 35.Kf4 Bd7 36.e5 Ra8 37.Kg5 Bf5 38.Kf6 Rd8 39.e6 Rf8+ 40.Ke7 Rd8 41.Kf7 Rh8 42.e7 Bd7 43.Rb2 Be8+ 44.Kg7 Black resigned, Mizter_gm - Cgei, 5 0 blitz, Chess24, 2020) 8...Nf6 9.Nc3 c6 (9...Be6 10.O-O Qd7 11.d3 Qf7 12.Be3 Bb6 13.d4 Bc4 14.Rfe1 Re8 15.e5 dxe5 16.dxe5 Bxe3 17.Rxe3 Qg6 18.Qxg6 hxg6 19.exf6 Rxe3 20.fxe3 gxf6 21.Ne4 Ke7 22.b3 Bb5 23.c4 Bc6 24.Nc3 Rd8 25.Rd1 Rxd1+ 26.Nxd1 Ke6 27.Kf2 Ke5 28.Nc3 a6 29.h3 Bd7 30.h4 Bf5 31.Kf3 Bd3 32.g4 c6 33.c5 Bc2 34.b4 Bd3 35.a3 Bc4 36.h5 gxh5 37.gxh5 Bg8 38.h6 Bh7 39.Na4 Be4+ 40.Kg4 Bh7 41.Kf3 Be4+ 42.Kf2 Bh7 43.Nb6 Kf5 44.Nd7 Kg6 45.Kf3 f5 46.Kf4 Kxh6 47.Nf6 Bg6 48.Nd7 Kg7 49.Ne5 Bh7 50.Nc4 Kf6 51.Na5 Ke7 52.Nxb7 Kd7 53.Nd6 Kc7 54.Nxf5 Kb7 55.e4 a5 56.e5 Bg8 57.Ne7 axb4 58.axb4 White won on time, h3h6 - Labourdeaunet, 3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020) 10.O-O h5 11.d3 h4 12.Qf4 h3 13.g3 Kg8 14.Be3 Bxe3 15.Qxe3 Rh5 16.f4 Ng4 17.Qd4 Qf6 18.Ne2 Qxd4+ 19.Nxd4 Ne3 20.Rf2 c5 21.Nb5 d5 22.Re1 d4 23.c3 Bd7 24.Nd6 Ng4 25.Rc2 dxc3 26.bxc3 Bc6 27.d4 cxd4 28.cxd4 Rd8 29.e5 Rh6 30.Rc5 Bg2 31.Rc7 b6 32.Rxa7 Re6 33.Rd1 Ne3 34.Rd2 Bd5 35.Re2 Nc4 36.f5 Rexd6 37.exd6 Nxd6 38.g4 b5 39.Ree7 Bf7 40.g5 g6 41.fxg6 Bd5 42.Rg7+ Kh8 43.Rh7+ Kg8 44.Rag7+ Kf8 45.Rh8+ Kxg7 46.Rxd8 Bxa2 47.Rxd6 Bc4 48.d5 b4 49.Rc6 Bxd5 50.Rb6 White won on time, CasualGames4ever - Alanvarela10, 3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020 

Also seen was 7...Be7 8.O-O Nf6 9.Nc3 d6 10.Qg3 b6 11.d4 Bb7 12.f3 Nh5 13.Qf2 Bh4 14.g3 Be7 15.Bd2 g6 16.Bh6+ Kf7 17.f4 Nf6 18.f5 gxf5 19.Qxf5 Bc8 20.Qh5+ Ke6 21.d5+ Kd7 22.Qf7 Ng4 23.Bg5 Rf8 24.Qe6+ Ke8 25.Rxf8+ Kxf8 26.Rf1+ Ke8 27.Qg8+ Kd7 28.Qxh7 Ba6 29.Rf7 Ne5 30.Rxe7+ Kc8 31.Rg7 Black resigned, OrcaTec - jappleyardm, 7 2 blitz, lichess.org, 2020; 

as well as 7...Bd6 8.Qf5+ Qf6 9.Qh3 Bc5 10.O-O d5 11.Qh5 Bd4 12.Qxd5 Bxb2 13.Bxb2 Qxb2 14.Nc3 Ne7 15.Qd8+ Kf7 16.Qxh8 h6 17.Qd8 Qxc2 18.Rac1 Qb2 19.Nd5 Nxd5 20.Qxd5+ Kg6 21.Rxc7 Qf6 22.e5 Qg5 23.h4 Qf5 24.Rf7 Qxf7 25.h5+ Kxh5 26.Qxf7+ g6 27.Kh2 Bf5 28.Kg3 Rd8 29.Rh1+ Kg5 30.f4 checkmate, a-jerome-gambit-fan - Johnjohn, 10 0 blitz, lichess.org 2020) 

8.Qf4+ 

Or 8.Qf5+ Qf6 9.Qxc5+ d6 10.Qxc7 Ne7 11.O-O g6 12.d3 Kg7 13.Qc3 Qxc3 14.Nxc3 a6 15.Be3 Nc6 16.f4 Nb4 17.Rfc1 Bd7 18.a3 Nc6 19.Nd5 Rae8 20.Nc3 Be6 21.Ne2 d5 22.e5 Rhf8 23.g3 Rc8 24.Nd4 Nxd4 25.Bxd4 Kf7 26.Be3 Ke7 27.c4 dxc4 28.dxc4 Bxc4 29.Rc3 Be6 30.Rac1 Rxc3 31.Rxc3 Rd8 32.Kf2 Rd7 33.Rc2 Bb3 34.Rd2 Rc7 35.Bb6 Rc6 36.Ba5 Rc5 37.Bb4 Black resigned, milomallaby - ElBreg, 3 0 blitz, Chess.com 2020. 

8...Qf7 

About equal is 8...Nf6, for example 9.Nc3 Bd4 10.d3 d5 11.O-O Bxc3 12.bxc3 dxe4 13.Re1 Qd6 14.Qh4 Kf7 15.dxe4 Re8 16.Bf4 Qc6  17.e5 Nd5 18.Bg3 Kg8 19.c4 Nb6 20.h3 Qxc4 21.Re4 Qxc2 22.Rae1 Bf5 23.R4e2 Qc4 24.Qg5 Qe6 25.Bh2 Nd5 26.g4 Bd3 27.Rd2 h6 28.Qh4 Bb5 29.f4 Qb6+ 30.Qf2 Rad8 31.f5 Nb4 32.Rxd8 Rxd8 33.Qxb6 axb6 34.e6 Nd5 35.Rd1 c6 36.Bc7 Ra8 37.Bd6 Rxa2 38.Re1 Be2 39.e7 Kf7 40.Kf2 Bc4+ 41.Kg3 Ke8 42.Re6 Nf6 43.Re3 Bd5 44.Kf4 Rf2+ 45.Ke5 Rf3 46.Re1 Nd7+ 47.Kd4 Nf6 48.Be5 c5 checkmate, KNVB - Maxterlopezm Chess.com, 2020) and 8...Qf6: 9.Qxc7 Qxf2+ 10.Kd1 Bb6 11.Qd6+ Ne7 12.Nc3 Bc5 13.Qd3 Qxg2 14.Rf1+ Ke8 15.Nb5 Qg4+ 16.Ke1 Kd8 17.b4 Bb6 18.Bb2 a6 19.Nd6 Rg8 20.Qc4 Qh4+ 21.Ke2 Qg4+ 22.Kd3 Qh3+ 23.Ke2 Qg4+ 24.Rf3 Qg2+ 25.Ke1 Qg1+ 26.Rf1 Bf2+ 27.Ke2 Qg4+ 28.Kxf2 Qf4+ 29.Kg1 Qg4+ 30.Kh1 Qe6 31.Nf7+ Ke8 32.Nd6+ White won on time, Lucia243 - emandr, 3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020) 

9.d3 

White agrees to the exchange of Queens.

Again, a recent game where that did not happen immediately: 9.Qg3 Nf6 10.d3 d5 11.Nc3 dxe4 12.dxe4 Ng4 13.O-O Bxf2+ 14.Rxf2 Qxf2+ 15.Qxf2+ Nxf2 16.Kxf2 c6 17.Be3 Be6 18.Bd4 Kf7 19.Ke3 Rhd8 20.Ne2 b6 21.Bc3 Rd7 22.Nd4 c5 23.Rf1+ Ke7 24.Nc6+ Ke8 25.Ne5 Rc7 26.a3 Rd8 27.h3 Bc8 28.Rf3 Bb7 29.Nd3 Re7 30.Nf2 Rd6 31.Rg3 Rde6 32.Rg4 g6 33.h4 h5 34.Rf4 Kd7 35.g3 Kd8 36.Bf6 Kd7 37.Bxe7 Kxe7 38.Nd3 a5 39.c3 a4 40.Nf2 Ba6 41.g4 Rd6 42.gxh5 gxh5 43.Rf5 Rg6 44.Rg5 Rxg5 45.hxg5 Bf1 46.Kf4 Ke6 47.Nd1 h4 48.Ne3 Be2 49.Ng4 h3 50.Nh2 Kf7 51.Kg3 Kg6 52.Nf3 Bxf3 53.Kxf3 Kxg5 54.Kg3 h2 55.Kxh2 Kf4 56.e5 Kxe5 57.Kg2 Kd5 58.Kf2 Kc4 59.Ke2 Kb3 60.Kd3 Kxb2 61.c4 Kxa3 62.Kc3 Ka2 63.Kc2 Ka3 64.Kc3 Ka2 65.Kc2 a3 66.Kd3 Ka1 67.Kc3 a2 68.Kd2 Kb1 69.Kd3 Black resigned, KNVB - PsychoPato, 3 0 blitz, Chess.com 2020.

9...Qxf4 10.Bxf4 d6 11.c3 Ne7 12.a4 Ng6 13.Bg3 a5 14.d4 Bb6

15.Nd2 Kf7 16.Nc4 Rd8 17.O-O Be6 18.Ne3 c6 19.f4 Bc8 20.f5 Ne7 21.Nc4 Bc7 22.Rae1 Kg8 

The game looks balanced. Komodo 10 thinks White should noodle around with 23.Bh4 and 24.Bg3, but this is a 5-minute game, and the first player opens things up - not necessarily to his advantage.

23.f6 gxf6 24.Rxf6 Ng6 25.e5 dxe5 26.Nxe5 Bxe5 27.dxe5 Rf8 28.Rd6 Bf5 29.Rd2 Rad8 

For the moment, at least, Black's pieces look more impresive than White's extra pawns.

30.Rde2 Be6 31.Bf2 Rf5 32.Bd4 Nf4 33.Re4 Bd5 34.Bb6 Re8 35.R4e3 Nxg2 36.Rg3+ Kf7 37.Rxg2 Bxg2 38.Kxg2 Rexe5 39.Rxe5 Rxe5 

Black has consolidated his advantage, up the exchange.

40.Kf3 Ke6 41.Bc7 Rh5 42.Ke4 Kd7 43.Bg3 b5 44.axb5 cxb5 45.Kd4 Kc6 46.c4 b4 47.Kd3 a4 48.Kc2 Kc5 49.b3 a3 50.Bf4 Rh3 51.Bg3 h5 52.Kb1 

Things look dire for White, but, what have I been saying the last couple of weeks?

Black can sometimes "solve" the Jerome Gambit, if he is given enough time. The thing is, in bullet and blitz chess, he often does not have enough time.

And, so here, not surprisingly...   Black lost on time

graphic by Jeff Bucchino, "The Wizard of Draws"