Jerome Gambit: Unravelling A Mystery

 

I receive many Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) games from generous readers of this blog, mostly via email.

Sometimes the email contains a link to the chess website where the game was played, so I can go there and obtain a pgn file of it. Sometimes the email contains the pgn file itself.

Occasionally, the reader includes the raw moves of the games. A few times, I have received videos of the game - and I have been able to watch them, and write down the moves myself.

All of these contributions help build The Database, my collection of over 62,700 Jerome Gambit and related games. (For example, there are almost 15,500 games with the original move order; over 2,700 games with the Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit; about 6,450 games with the Blackburn Shilling Jerome Gambit; and that's just a sample.)

A while back I received an email with a game's moves and the names of the players. One move was ambiguous, and I wrote the reader a couple of times for clarification, as the game was quite interesting, either way. Alas, I have not heard back. I would like to present the game, anyhow. 

Anonymous - Anonymous

2020

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 

Here is the confusion, already. The move, as sent, was "3...b5". 

I am not sure what to make of the game, if that is not a transcription error. On the one hand, White can simply play 4.Bxb5, winning a pawn in an odd Ruy Lopez. I actually found 15 games with 3...b5, and White scored 13 - 1 - 1 - not exactly a result that calls for an improvement  in the line.

On the other hand, the Jerome Gambit has a way of upsetting everything, so it's not impossible that the reader played a novelty, 4.Bxf7+, and saw the game continue 4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Qe8 

Here, White can capture a Rook, with advantage - 8.Qd5+ followed by 9.Qxa8.

However, the game continued with the capture of the other Rook, 8.Qxh8 - and Black resigned, unaware that he had the brutal 8...Qxe4+, similar to the counter in Whistler's Defense. One line would be 9.Kf1 Bg7 10.Qxh7 Qxc3 11.Nc3 b4 and White is going to lose more material.

That is interesting, in and of itself, but what if Black had actually played 3...Bc5 ?

4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Qe8 

The Database has only one example of 7...Qe8. See Role Reversal.

Moving Black's Queen to the e-file is similar to the idea behind Whistler's Defense, although in that line, 7...Qe7, the Bishop is defended.

White should now pick up the Bishop, with an edge, after 8.Qxc5 Qxd4+ 9.Kf1. Instead, he went after the Knight.

8.Qxh8 Black resigned

Instead, with 8...Qxe4+, Black could have transposed into Whistler's Defense, with a clear advantage. Once recent example can be seen in "Jerome Gambit: Scared Silly"

So, whichever way the game actually went, Black wound up with a significant advantage, but he resigned, anyway. How very Jerome!

Jerome Gambit: In the End, A Win

The following Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game is a hard-fought battle, as both players work to make something out of a relatively balanced position. At first, White makes progress, but the clock seems to undo that. Then, Black's chances slip by. Finally, in a drawn position, the defender makes one last play - and then must surrender the full point. 

yeetcannon8 - bvkat1

5 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2020

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Bxf2+ 

Along with several Readers, I have begun to think of this line as a "double Jerome Gambit". It is often used as a psychological counter gambit by Black, with a return of material leading to a forced exchange of Queens, blunting White's attack.

In this game, however, Black prefers to keep the Queens on the board, so perhaps his move choice was based on "You sacrificed a Bishop to keep me from castling, so I will do the same to you".

8.Kxf2 Nf6 

Seen recently: 8...Qf6+ 9.Qxf6+ Nxf6 10.Rf1 Nxe4+ (10...Kg7 11.e5 Ne4+ 12.Kg1 Nc5 13.d4 Ne6 14.d5 Nd4 15.Na3 Re8 16.Bg5 h6 17.Bf6+ Kh7 18.e6 dxe6 19.Bxd4 exd5 20.Rae1 Bd7 21.Rxe8 Rxe8 22.Rf7+ Black resigned, lorro96 - SlimyJellyFish, 3 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2020) 11.Ke3+ Nf6 12.Nc3 (12.d3 Re8+ 13.Kd4 Kg7 14.Bg5 Rf8 15.Nd2 h6 16.Bxf6+ Rxf6 17.Ne4 Rxf1 18.Rxf1 b6 19.c4 Bb7 20.b4 Rd8 21.a4 d6 22.g3 c5+ 23.bxc5 dxc5+ 24.Ke3 Bc6 25.Ra1 a5 26.h3 Re8 27.g4 g5 28.Rb1 Rb8 29.Ra1 Kg6 30.Nd6 Bg2 31.Kd2 Bxh3 32.Rg1 Rf8 33.Rg3 Bf1 34.Ne4 h5 35.gxh5+ Kxh5 36.Rxg5+ Kh4 37.Rg7 Kh3 38.Rg3+ Kh2 39.Rg6 Bg2 40.Rxb6 Bxe4 41.dxe4 Kg2 42.Rc6 Rd8+ 43.Ke3 Rf8 44.Rxc5 Rf3+ 45.Kd4 Kf2 46.Rxa5 Ke2 47.Rf5 Rd3+ 48.Ke5 Ke3 49.c5 Rd4 50.Rf4 Rxa4 51.Kd5 Kxf4 52.c6 Rxe4 53.c7 Re8 54.Kd6 Kf5 55.Kd7 Rh8 56.c8=Q Rxc8 57.Kxc8 draw, soraneptune - vikronik100m, 3 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2020) 12...Kg7 13.d4 c6 14.Kd3 d5 15.Bg5 Bf5+ 16.Ke3 Ng4+ 17.Kd2 Nxh2 18.Rf2 Rhf8 19.g4 Nxg4 20.Rf4 Rae8 21.Re1 Rxe1 22.Kxe1 Bxc2 23.Rxf8 Kxf8 24.Kd2 Bf5 25.Ne2 a5 26.Ng3 a4 27.Nxf5 gxf5 28.a3 Kf7 29.Ke2 Kg6 30.Be7 f4 31.Kf3 Kf5 32.Bd6 Nf6 33.Bxf4 Ne4 34.Bc7 h5 35.Kg2 Kg4 36.Kg1 h4 37.Kh1 h3 38.Kh2 Ng5 39.Kg1 Nf3+ 40.Kh1 Ne1 41.Kh2 Nd3 42.Bd6 Nxb2 43.Bb4 Nd1 44.Be1 b5 45.Kh1 Ne3 46.Bf2 Nc2 47.Bg1 Nxa3 48.Bh2 Nc4 49.Kg1 a3 50.Kf2 a2 51.Ke2 a1=Q 52.Kd3 Nb2+ 53.Ke3 Nd1+ 54.Kd2 Nf2 55.Ke3 Qe1 checkmate, Joxty-Fabiao5, 10 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2020. 

9.Rf1 d6 10.Qd4 c5 11.Qc3 Kg7 12.Kg1 Rf8 

The position is not an exciting one, but White has an extra pawn to work with.

13.d3 b5 14.Bg5 b4 15.Qd2 Nxe4 

A tactical slip.

16.Bxd8 Nxd2 17.Rxf8 Kxf8 18.Nxd2 Bf5 19.Bc7 d5 20.Bd6+ Kf7 21.Bxc5 Rc8 22.Nb3 Ke6 23.Re1+ Kf6 

White is a piece and a pawn ahead. He just has to find a plan to make it all work.

24.h3 Kg5 25.g4 Bd7 26.Re5+ Kh4 27.Re7 Bc6  28.Rxh7+ Kg3 29.Bd6+ Kf3 30.Nd4+ 

Missing 30.Re7, and then 31.Nd4#.

30...Ke3 31.Nxc6 Rxc6 32.Bxb4 Rxc2

Black now manages a bit of counter play, but it is nothing that White can not handle.

33.Rxa7 Rxb2 34.Bc5+ Kxd3 35.Rd7 Ke4 36.Bf8 Rxa2 37.Rg7 Ra1+ 38.Kf2 d4 

39.Rxg6 d3 40.Rd6 Ra2+ 41.Ke1 Ra1+ 42.Kd2 Ra2+ 43.Ke1 Rh2 

Black adds threatening the enemy pawns to his plan to advance his passed pawn. White's Bishop should help hold things together, however.

44.Rh6 Kf3 45.g5 d2+ 46.Kd1 Ke3 47.Bc5+ Kd3 48.Rd6+ Kc3 49.Rxd2  

This looks like a time error. Instead, 49.Bd4+ Kb4 50.g6 Rxh3 51.g7 Rg3 52.Kxd2 is how to use his advantages and advance to the win.

49...Rxd2+ 50.Kc1 Rg2 51.Be7 Kd4 

Black pursues the draw, instead of the win with 51...Rg1#. This has got to be due to a shortage of time.

52.h4 Ke5 53.h5 Ke6 54.Bf6 Kf7 55.h6 Kg6 56.Kd1 Ra2 57.Kc1 Rh2 58.Kd1 Rh3 59.Ke2 Rh5 60.Kf3 Rh4 61.Kg3 Ra4 62.Kf3 Kh7 

Black has effectively blockaded the pawns and kept the enemy King at bay. A draw would be an honorable result.

63.Ke3 Rc4 64.Kd3 Rh4 65.Ke3 Rg4 66.Kf3 Ra4 67.Ke3 Ra6 68.Kf4 Rxf6+ 

A miscalculation. White's King is one step too close to the pawns.

69.gxf6 Kg6 70.Ke5 Kxh6 71.Ke6 Kg6 72.Ke7 Kh7 73.f7 Black resigned

Jerome Gambit: More Research

More research from Dan Watson on the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+). His source is The Earth (Burlington Vt)  January 7, 1899, page 8. 

I have added diagrams. My notes are in blue - Rick.

Barnett - Gingras

Vermont, 1899

The game between Barnett of Burlington and Gingras of Winoski resulted in a win for the latter, showing that the Jerome gambit is too hazardous when the opponent is a strong player, as Mr. Gingras is, and the loss of the bishop and knight at the outset, can not be compensated for by the advantages of position. Following is the game.

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 

The usual continuation here is 6.Qh5+ and is probably better than 6.d4. 

6...Qh4 

Well played, leading to a strong defense.

I have only one earlier example of this line in The Database, Sorensen - X,  Denmark, 1888 (1-0, 27). - Rick

7.O-O d6 8.dxe5 

In this complicated line, White would have done better to capture the Bishop. - Rick

8...Qxe4 9.Nd2 Qd5 10.exd6 Bxd6

11.c4 Qd3 12.Qh5+ Qg6 13.Qh4 

This was ill considered, and led to the exchange of queens, which White was anxious to avoid. 

13...Qh6 14.Nf3 Qxh4 15.Nxh4 Nf6 16.Be3 b6 17.Nf3 h6 

It is difficult to see any compensation for the sacrificed piece, beyond the extra pawn. - Rick

18.Rac1 c5 19.Rfe1 Bb7 20.Nh4 Rad8 21.h3 Ng8

The beginning of a well devised and strong attack.

22.Rc3 Ne7 23.g3 Rhe8 24.Ra3 a5 25.Rb3 Bc7 26.Bxc5

Well planned, but premature, not having well considered Black's next move, which was the closing tour of the Kt in his ferocious perigrinations. Mr. Gingras is, undoubtedly, one of the strongest players in the state, and this game demonstrates his superior ability.

26...Nf5 27.Be3 Nd4 28.Rd3 Ne2+ 29.Kh2 Rxd3 30.Rxe2 Rd1 

31.f3 Rd3 32.Ng2 Bxf3 White resigned

I would have enjoyed seeing a rematch, where the winner of this game played White - with the Jerome Gambit. - Rick

Jerome Gambit: Startling Discovery

Dan Watson continues to do research on the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) and its inventor (see "Alonzo Wheeler Jerome Update"). He has recently shared some historical news stories, and an over-the-board game that I never seen before.

Most interesting, he has a correction to the year that a particular Jerome Gambit game was played - instead of about 25 years after Jerome's analysis in the Dubuque Chess Journal, it appeared about a decade before Alonzo Wheeler Jerome debuted his opening.

His source is The New York Clipper,  vol. 38 no. 27, Saturday September 13, 1890, which I quote, below, while adding diagrams. My notes are in blue - Rick.

Tonetti - Ruggieri

Rome, 1863

Up until I received this article, I had dated this game 1890. - Rick

The following dashing skirmish is historically interesting as a commentary on the propensity to multiply the nomenclature of the gambits. It was played at Rome in September 1863 - Nuova Riviste.

The Chess columnist in the Clipper is referring to Nuovoa rivista degli scacchi, Genn. - Febb. - Marzo, 1890, Anno XVI, p.34. - Rick

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

But we never heard that the brilliant Italian master ever demanded that it be dubbed the "Tonetti gambit;" in fact, we suppose that the variation has been known ever since there was a "Giuoco Piano".

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.d4 Bxd4

To this point the game may be found in Miller's Cook's Synopsis. White's 9.. [sic] seems a strong and important variation.

In 1884, J.W. Miller, of Cincinnati, published Cook's Synopsis of Chess Openings A Tabular Analysis by William Cook, With American Inventions in the Openings and Fresh Analysis since 1882 - Rick

9.Bg5 Nf6 10.c3 Bc5 11.b4 Bb6 12.O-O Re8 

13.Rd1+ Kc6 14.b5+ Kxb5 15.Na3+ Ka5 16.Nc4+ Kb5 17.Nxe5 d6

18.Rab1+ Ka6 19.Qf3 c6 20.Qd3+ Ka5 21.Nc4+ Ka6 22.Nxb6+ Ka5 23.c4 Black resigned

Dan also sent an English translation of Italian commentary on the game

This game played in Rome in September 1863 proves how the originate attack, of modern origin, put into vogue in 1874 by A. W. Jerome, an American player, practiced much earlier in the Roman academy. Unfortunately, Italians often leave the glory and the name of their discoveries to foreigners.

This game is the earliest Jerome Gambit that I have in The Database. I have focused my research on 1874 (the date of Alonzo Wheeler Jerome's first published article on the gambit) and later. Clearly, I need to return to the Morphy era to search some more.

By the way, in 1877 Nuovoa rivista degli scacchi published a game by Alonzo Jerome playing his gambit, as well as Sorensen's analysis of the Jerome Gambit, and in both cases, did not mention the Tonetti - Ruggieri game. 

Any Reader who has more information on this game, Tonetti - Ruggieri, Rome, 1863, is encouraged to share.

Jerome Gambit: Stockfish vs Stockfish

The final game from Boris shows that Stockfish 11 cannot give itself "Jerome Gambit odds". Go figure.

I don't have suggestions on how to improve White's chances, except "Don't play the Jerome Gambit against computers".

Stockfish 11 - Stockfish 11

computer vs computer, 2020

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

7.f4 d6 

The "silicon" or "annoying" defense, so called because it is the choice of different computer programs, and can be quite annoying to face. White can have a hard time getting something started against the centralized King.

8.fxe5 dxe5 9.Qh3+ Ke7 10.Qg3 Kf7 

11.Rf1+ Nf6 12.Qxe5 

White has 2 pawns for the sacrificed piece, and in a club level human vs human game, might have some chances. 

12...Bd4 13.Qh5+ Kg8 14.Qe2 Be6 

15.h3 c5 16.c3 Be5 17.d3 Qd6 18.Be3 Rd8 19.Nd2 Bg3+ 20.Kd1 Qxd3 21.Qxd3 Rxd3 

22.Rf3 Be5 23.Kc2 Rd8 24.a4 h6 25.a5 Kh7 26.g4 Nd7 27.Rg1 g5 28.Rf2 Kg6 29.Rfg2 Rhf8 

Black's Rooks occupy the 2 open files. White's Rooks over-protect a pawn.

30.b3 Bd6 31.Rf1 Rxf1 32.Nxf1 Rf8 33.Nd2 Bc7 34.Rg1 Bxa5 35.Ra1 Bb6 36.b4 cxb4 37.Bxb6 axb6 38.cxb4 

White's passed pawn is not sufficient compensation.

Black makes use of his extra piece.

38...Rc8+ 39.Kd3 Ne5+ 40.Kd4 Nc6+ 41.Kc3 b5 42.e5 Bd5 43.e6 Bxe6 44.Re1 Bd5 45.Nb3 Nd8+ 46.Nc5 Ne6 47.Rd1 Nf4 48.Kb2 Re8 49.Nd7 Re3 50.Nc5 Rxh3 White resigned

I suppose I'm going to have to ask Stockfish 11 to spend a bit more time trying to solve the "silicon" defense.

By the way, The Database has 214 games with the "silicon" defense, and White scores 55%. Again, go figure.

Jerome Gambit: Odds Are It's A Win

In the following game, Boris gives his opponent "Jerome Gambit odds" and finishes the game quickly against an insufficient defense.

Boris - NN

2020

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 g6

A mistake. Not well thought through. When in doubt, attack the Queen.

9.Qxe5+ Kc6 10.d4 

Yes, yes, Boris knows that the Rook at h8 is en prise. Black's 8th move suggested that it was time to focus on checkmate. 

10...Bb4+ 

Black stumbles upon his best chance, when he makes his next move. He had some crazy chances right now with 10...Qh4+ 11.g3 Qh5. What follows (according to Stockfish 11) is funny: 12.f5 (threatening mate; 15.Qxh5 gxh5 16.dxc5 works, too) Bd6 13.d5+ Kb6 when 14.Qxh8?! would allow Black to hunt the White King after 14...Bxg3+ 15.Kd2 Bf4+ 16.Kd3 Qf3+ 17.Kc4 Ka6 18.Bxf4 b5+ 19.Kd4 Qxf4 20.Rd1 c5+. White would still objectively be better, but why seek out that pain? Instead, 14.Qc3 Ka6 15.Qd3+ followed by developing the Queenside and pressing the attack against the enemy King.

11.c3 Qh4+ 12.g3 Bxc3+ 13.Nxc3 Qh5 14.f5 b5 15.Qd5+ Kb6 16.Qxb5 checkmate