Jerome Gambit: Overthinking? (Part 1)

A while back, I posted about giving "Jerome Gambit odds" in one of my games, to a player rated lower than me. I predicted that the material that I sacrificed would offset the difference in strength, and that the game would end up a draw. And, so it did.

However, I have received a lot of games where "Jerome Gambit odds" have resulted in smashing wins for White - as well as games where White was the lower-rated player, and still won.

So, maybe I was just overthinking about my game. 

In any event, my opponent played quite well, and, if anything, he would be the one disappointed at "losing a half point". The Chess.com computer analysis after the game put it this way "One player was winning, but then blundered it away". I think that is a bit harsh, especially since its evaluation of Tacotopia's "Accuracy" was 97.3%, vs my own 95.5%.

perrypawnpusher - Tacotopia

1 day / move, Chess.com, 2020

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5. Nxe5+ Nxe5 6. Qh5+ g6 

According to The Database, I have been in this position 48 times, and have scored 89%.

7.Qxe5 Qe7 

Whistler's Defense. Prior to this game, I had a couple of wins and a draw against it, scoring 83%. (For the record, I have had 11 wins and 2 losses against the Blackburne Defense, 7...d6, scoring 85%.)

Capturing the Rook, now, is now a big problem for White - or, it should be. The Database has 498 games where White does so, and he scores an amazing 66%. Even in the 375 games where Black properly responds with 8...Qxe4+!, White scores a surprising 62%. 

Okay, okay, the position is complicated, but here are a couple of lines after 8.Qxh8 Qxe4+: 9.Kd1 Qg4+ 10.Ke1 Qxg2 11.Qxh7+ Kf8 12.Rf1 d5 13.d4 Bh3 14.Bh6+ Nxh6 15.Qxh6+ Kg8 16.Nd2 Re8+ 17.Kd1 Qg4+ 18.f3 Qe6 19.Ne4 Bf1 20.Qh7+ Kxh7 21.Ng5+ Kg8 22.Nxe6 Bd6; 9.Kf1 Qh4 10.g3 Qh3+ 11.Ke1 Qe6 12.Kf1 Nf6 13.d3 Qd5 14.Bh6 Qxh1+ 15.Ke2 Qxh2 16.Qg7+ Ke6 17.Be3 Bxe3 18.Kxe3 Qg1. Complicated, but Black is clearly better.

8.Qf4+ Qf6 

Black moved to g7 immediately in perrypawnpusher - tmarkst, blitz, FICS, 2009 (1-0, 43).

9.Qg3 Kg7 

I faced 9...d6 previously, in perrypawnpusher - alvarzr, blitz, FICS, 2014 (1-0, 49) and 9...Ne7 in perrypawnpusher - Yaku, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1/2 - 1/2, 26). 

10.Nc3 c6 11.e5 

My plan was to hold back Black's d-pawn, which would hem in his Bishop, which would block his Rook - a typical Jerome Gambit strategy. It did not work, however, and my opponent developed a more open position for his two Bishops. The simple 11.0-0 was a bit better. The Chess.com computer's post mortem suggestion was 11.d3.

11...Qf5 12.d3 d5 

13.exd6 Nf6 14.O-O Re8 15.Be3 Bd7 

16.Rae1 Nh5 17.Qh4 Bxd6 

Okay. Sometimes the Jerome Gambit leads to crashing victories for White. That's nice. Sometimes, however, Black defends well, and White has to move on to Strategy #2.

Here, the Chess.com computer evaluated Black as having a 1 2/3 pawn advantage here. That's not too much of a problem, but my attack had faded. My pawn majority on each side was only going to pay off in the endgame - if at all. It was clearly time to play solid defense, and see what my opponent could make of his advantage. Often this strategy pays off for the Jerome Gambiteer, if he is patient and alert.

18.f3 Bc5 19.Ne4 

The Chess.com computer suggested, instead, 19.Bd4+, with the idea, I guess, of 19...Nf6 20.Qf2 Bxd4 21.Qxd4. Komodo 10 had the follow-up, instead, 20.b4!?, with an idea that probably would have worked in blitz, 20...Bxb4 21.Rxe8 Rxe8 22.Bxf6+ Qxf6 23.Qxb4 - but not with a time control of one day per move. Besides, it recommended answering 20.b4 with 20...g5, and back White's Queen would go to f2, anyhow.

19...Bxe3+ 20.Rxe3 Nf6 

The Black Knight, having bumped the White Queen from her protection on the pawn on d6 - which was subsequently captured - returned to its proper post. While calling it a "good" move, the Chess.com computer preferred 20...Qf4, with an exchange of Queens. I suspect my opponent wanted to leave my Queen offside.

21.Ree1 

This is simply a mistake, although a small one (an "inaccuracy" according to the Chess.com computer). Instead, White could have won the exchange for a pawn with 21.Nd6 Qc5 22.Nxe8+ Rxe8 23.d4 Qxc2 24.Rxe8 Bxe8 25.Qc2. White would have a Rook and a pawn for two pieces, a slight disadvantage in the middle game, but maybe an edge in the endgame.

21... Nxe4 22.fxe4 Qc5+ 23.Qf2 Qxf2+ 24.Kxf2 c5 

Black had a piece for two pawns. He has played well, and held on to his advantage for a couple dozen moves. White had hopes for his protected, passed pawn, but he still looked mostly toward a draw - unless he received some help.

[to be continued]

Jerome Gambit: Surprise Opening

Sometimes the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) comes as a surprise to the defender, and it takes only a few inaccurate moves for White's attack to take over and produce a victory. This is especially true in blitz chess, as the following game illustrates

Lasonialadiablo - Starrgirl

3 3 blitz, lichess.org, 2020

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 

7.Qxe5 Nf6 

The Jerome Gambit can be a good "surprise" weapon. Here, Black protects his Rook, which only became vulnerable because of 6...g6 - which seemed like a good move at the time. Best was to offer the piece with either 7...d6 or 7...Qe7, with complications to follow.

8.Qxc5 b6 

Also recently seen:

8...d6 9.Qc4+ Be6 10.Qc3 Qd7 11.e5 dxe5 12.Qxe5 Qd5 13.Qxc7+ Qd7 14.Qxd7+ Bxd7 15.O-O Ne4 16.d3 Nc5 17.Be3 Bf5 18.Bxc5 Black resigned, Toby - Mouad, 45 20, lichess.org, 2020; 

8...Nxe4 9.Qc4+ d5 10.Qd4 Ng5 11.O-O Bf5 12.d3 c5 13.Qxc5 Rc8 14.Qxa7 Ne6 15.Na3 Rc7 16.Nb5 Rc5 17.Qxb7+ Kf6 18.b4 Rc8 19.c4 Rf8 20.cxd5 Rc2 21.dxe6 Bxe6 22.Bh6 Rg8 23.Rae1 Bc8 24.Qf3+ Bf5 25.Re3 Rc8 26.Rfe1 Qd7 27.Qf4 g5 28.Re6+ Qxe6 29.Bxg5+ Rxg5 30.Rxe6+ Kf7 31.Qxg5 Kxe6 32.Nd4+ Kd5 33.Qxf5+ Kxd4 34.Qxc8 h6 35.b5 h5 36.b6 h4 37.b7 Ke5 38.b8=Q+ Kf6 39.Qb5 h3 40.Qbf5+ Kg7 41.Qcf8 checkmate, carlopatti - Computer Level 6, Chess.com, 2020; and

8...Re8 9.d3 d5 10.f3 dxe4 11.fxe4 Bg4 12.O-O b6 13.Qg5 Qd4+ 14.Be3 Qe5 15.Qxe5 Rxe5 16.Bd4 Re6 17.Nd2 c5 18.Bc3 Be2 19.Rf2 Bg4 20.h3 Bh5 21.g4 Kg7 22.Bxf6+ Rxf6 23.Rxf6 Kxf6 24.gxh5 gxh5 25.Rf1+ Kg5 26.Kh2 c4 27.Nxc4 Rc8 28.c3 b5 29.Ne5 Rd8 30.Nf7+ Kg6 31.Nxd8 Black resigned, angelcamina - merhad, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2020. 

9.Qe3 Bb7 10.d4 d5 11.e5 Nh5 12.Qf3+ Kg7 

White has 2 extra pawns, one of them passed and protected. He is not yet thinking about the endgame, however, he is thinking about attack.

13.g4 Rf8 14.Qh3 Nf4 15.Bxf4 Rxf4 

16.Nd2 Qf8 17.O-O-O Qb4 

White offers a pawn, Black decines, White offers, Black declines. In a 3 3 blitz game, time is of the essence, not necessarily material.

18.Nf3 Bc8 

19.Ng5 Bxg4 

A slip. He needed to play the defensive 19...h6, driving the Knight back. Now his attack rolls on to victory.

20.Qxh7+ Kf8 21.Rdg1 Bf3 22.Ne6+ 

22...Ke8 23.Rxg6 Rf7 24.Rg8+ Qf8 25.Nxc7+ Rxc7 26.Rxf8+ Kxf8 27.Qxc7 Re8 28.Rg1 Bh5 29.Qg7 checkmate

Ouch!

Jerome Gambit: Beware the e-File

Again, we have a recent Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game that emphasizes the dangers that can arrive along the opened e-file - for White, as well as Black. Both often do well to find their own versions of castling.

fcristian - rrw23

5 3 blitz, BLM tournament, lichess.org, 2020

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 Nf6 

10.f4 Kf7 11.e5 

This should cost a pawn. Beware the e-file.

11...Re8 12.O-O Kg8 

Choosing to castle-by-hand, allowing White to reinforce his e-pawn.

13.d4 dxe5 14.dxe5 Nd5 

15.Qe4 Rf8 16.f5 Nge7 17.Bg5 Bxf5 18.Qc4 Be6 19.Nc3 c6 20.Rxf8+ Qxf8 21.Rf1 Qe8 

Black has reinforced his position, and remains better.

22.Ne4 Qd7 23.Nc5 Qc8 24.Qh4

White's threat is clear. Unfortunately, a couple of oversights now end the game quickly. Time issues?

24...Bf7 25.Bxe7 Nxe7 26.Qxe7 b6 27.Qxf7+ Kh8 28.Ne6 Qd8 29.Qxg7 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: Not Enough Time

Taking or not taking White's e-pawn is the theme of the following Jerome Gambit bullet game. The problem for the defender is that there just isn't enough time to work things through.

angelcamina - Angoolir

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2020

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

7.f4 Nf6 

There are different ways for Black to give back material. He might have tried 7...d6 or 7...Qf6, which give back only one piece. In a 1-minute game, these snap decisions can be difficult.

8.Qxe5+ Kf7 9.Qxc5 d6 

A mistake is 9...Nxe4, quickly shown 10.Qd5+ Kg6 11.Qxe4+ Kh5 12.g4+ Kxg4 13.Rg1+ Kh3 14.Qf3+ Kxh2 15.Qh1 checkmate, spidershadow33 - spinatkaaim, 3 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2020.

A little more adventurous is 9...Re8, when Black can then take the e-pawn, but, recently, he decided to castle-by-hand instead: 10.O-O Kg8 11.d3 d6 12.Qg5 h6 13.Qg3 b5 14.f5 Bb7 15.Bxh6 Re7 16.Bg5 Rf7 17.Nc3 a6 18.Ne2 c5 19.Nf4 Qe8 20.Ng6 Nh7 21.Qh4 Qd7 22.Rf3 c4 23.Qxh7+ Kxh7 24.Rh3+ Kg8 25.Rh8 checkmate, Wall,B - Harnza,S, FICS, 2020. 

10.Qe3 Re8 

10...Nxe4 worked, too, because White cannot recapture 11.Qxe4 Re8, winning the Queen.

11.d3 Ng4 

Black changes the focus of his attack to the Kingside.

12.Qf3 Qh4+ 13.g3 Qh3 14.Nc3 Nf6 15.Bd2 

15...Bg4 16.Qe3 

White hopes for more than 16.Qf1 and an exchange of Queens.

16...Rad8 17.Ne2 d5 

Surprisingly, it was possible to take the e-pawn: 17...Nxe4 18.dxe4 Qg2 19.0-0-0 Bxe2 is even.

18.e5 

18...d4 19.Nxd4 

Black was probably wondering, I thought he couldn't do that... He would be right - now 19...Rxd4 is fine, because 20.Qxd4 Qg2!? would be bad for White.

19...Nd5 20.Qf2 c5 21.Nf3 c4 

A slip.

22.Ng5+ Kg8 23.Nxh3 Bxh3 24.O-O-O cxd3 25.cxd3 Rc8+ 26.Kb1 Bf5 27.Bc3 Nxc3+ 28.bxc3 Rxc3 29.Qd4 Rec8 30.e6 White won on time.

The clock decides. On top of that, White has a material advantage, and his oft-threatened e-pawn is advancing as well.

Jerome Gambit: Until He Falls

In a Jerome Gambit game played at bullet speed - 1 minute, no increment - it is necessary to focus on the tactical basics, and continue to push your opponent until he falls. Even in complicated positions, even with not-perfect moves: push, push, push!

angelcamina - Destroyu

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2020

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

 4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 

7.Qxe5 Qf6 

This saves the Rook but surrenders the Bishop. That might have been Black's plan - especially in bullet - but it immediately gives White better prospects.

8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 

Also seen recently:

9.Qd5+ Be6 10.Qxb7 Black resigned, s34nuk - Carborundissimo, 2 1 blitz, Chess.com, 2020; and

9.Qc4+ Be6 10.Qc3 Qh4 11.Qxh8 Qxe4+ 12.Kf1 Bc4+ 13.d3 Bxd3+ 14.cxd3 Qxd3+ 15.Ke1 Re8+ 16.Be3 Rxe3+ 17.fxe3 Qxe3+ 18.Kf1 Qc1+ 19.Kf2 Qxh1 20.Qxh7+ Kf8 21.Qxg6 Qc1 22.Nc3 Qxa1 23.Qf5+ Ke8 24.Qg6+ Kd7 25.Qxg8 Qxb2+ 26.Kg3 Qxc3+ 27.Kh4 Qd4+ 28.g4 Qf2+ 29.Kh5 Qc5+ 30.g5 d5 31.Qg7+ Kc6 32.g6 d4+ Black won on time, ianfencer - thepaperboy, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2020.

9...Be6 10.O-O Ne7 11.Nc3 Nc6 

12.d4 

Could be a small oversight, but, in a bullet game, it's only the big ones that count.

12...Nxd4 13.f4 Nxc2 14.Qe2 Nxa1 

Okay, but will the Knight return to play, or will his inactivity make it as if he had only won the exchange, not an uncompensated Rook.

15.Be3 Nb3 

Give me liberty, or give me death!

But there is more to the picture.

16.axb3 

The position is devilishly complicated, and the alternative, 16.f5, was the strongest move. Then 16...gf5 17.exf5 Bd7 18.Qc4+ Kf8 19.Nd5!? Qe5 20.Qxb3 leads to a position where the danger to Black's King seriously outweighs the sacrificed exchange.

16...Bxb3 17.e5 

With more time, White would have discovered, to his delight, that Black's Bishop is a lost soul, and that after 17.Qb5!? Be6 18.f5 gxf5 19.exf5 it still struggles to find safety, e.g. 19...Ba2 20.Qa4.

17...Qe6 18.f5 

Open lines!

18...gxf5 19.Qh5+ Qg6 20.Rxf5+ Kg7 

Things do downhill after this.

21.Rg5 Bf7 22.Rxg6+ Bxg6 23.Bh6+ Kf7 24.Qf3+ Ke6 25.Qf6+ Kd7 26.e6+ Kc6 27.Qf3+ Kb6 28.Be3+ c5 29.Qd5 Rhe8 30.Qxd6+ Ka5 31.Qxc5+ Ka6 32.Qb5 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: Keep Your Head

While I have no reason to believe that writer Rudyard Kipling ever played the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.Bxf7+), I am reminded of his advice to his son, referencing "If you can keep your head when All around you are losing theirs and blaming it on you..."

In the following game, SurgeonOfDeath27 keeps his head amidst swirling tactics, and is rewarded with a win.

SurgeonOfDeath27 - ajirin
15 10 blitz, Chess.com, 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 Qf6 

9.fxe5+ Qxe5 10.Qf8+ 

A line looked at by Michael Dunagan, although SurgeonOfDeath27 played this game before my blog posted "Jerome Gambit Refuted by A 1140 Player".

10...Kc6 11.Qf3 d6 

Black has a piece for a pawn, but his King is a bit awkwardly placed. 

12.c3 Bb6 13.d4 Qe7 14.O-O 

14...Nf6 

Overlooking the discovered check, or believing that he has prepared for it.

15.e5+ Nd5 16.Re1

Protecting the e-pawn, because the d-pawn is pinned by Black's Bishop. If White takes advantage of his pin with 16.c4, then 16...Qxe5 17.cxd5+ Qxd5 and Black has an edge, with an extra pawn and a not-quite-at-risk King. White can duck out of the pin with 16.Kh1, but complications ensue: 16...Be6 17.c4 Rhf8 18.Bf4 dxe5 19.Nc3 Rxf4 20.cxd5+ Kd7 21.dxe6+ Qxe6 22.Qxb7 Qc6 23.Qxc6+ Kxc6 24.dxe5 Rxf1+ 25.Rxf1 Re8 devolving into an even game. (Thank you, Komodo 10)

The position is messy, and both players get part of the above analysis - White gets the larger.

16...h5 

17.Kh1 Bg4 18.Qe4 dxe5 19.c4 Rad8 20.cxd5+ Rxd5 

Rushing into another pin.

21.Nc3 Bxd4 22.Qxd5+ Black resigned

It is checkmate the next move.