Jerome Gambit: A Positive Influence

I had a nice exchange of emails with a Reader a while back, wrapped around a couple of interesting Jerome Gambit-ish games. It is nice to see the Jerome have a positive influence on players' games. I have added diagrams, and my responses are in Blue - Rick

As an ex England youth player who recently got back into chess, I was very happy to recently find and start trying the Jerome.

I played a game against a friend online, whilst not quite a traditional Jerome, I feel many of the tactical ideas are traditional and highlights the sharpness of such lines. We see similar positions arising if black does not play Nxe5 in the traditional line. Feel free of course to use it in any blog posts you wish if it is of interest to you.

Having been bested by jerome-esque ideas, my friend also took up the line and played a solid game himself 

ashwin2305 - Chipmonk8

1 0 bullet, Chess.com, 2020

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Bc5 

3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nxe5 Bxf2+ 

5.Kxf2 Nxe4+ 6.Ke1 Qf6 7.Nxf7 Qf2 checkmate

ashwin2305 - GlobalWarmingOP

3 0 blitz, 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+ Ke6

9.c4 Nb4 10.d5+ Kxe5 11.O-O Bc5 12.Re1+ Kd6 13.Bf4+ Nxf4 14.Qxf4 checkmate

It seems fair to say that Jerome-style tactics left opponents kerfuzzled...

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Bc5 is known as the Busch-Gass Gambit, although it resembles a reversed Jerome Gambit, especially after 4...Bxf2+. I suppose that the bishop sacrifice in a 1-minute game was comparable to being awakened from a deep sleep by a fire alarm: What? Where? Why? Many opponents can "solve" the Jerome Gambit and its relatives, given enough time. In fast chess, there is often not enough time.

Nice checkmate in 9, by the way.

I think it was great that your friend was willing to give it a try in his own game. I have begun to call 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Bxf7+ a sort of "impatient Jerome Gambit", as White doesn't wait for ...Bc4 before sacrificing his bishop. [Black] was probably just settling into a comfortable and familiar Two Knights Defense when he was shaken by the sac. I had to smile when Black played 8...Ke6, avoiding the calamity 8...Kg8 9.Qd5#. Still, a checkmate in 14 is pretty nice, too.

Jerome Gambit: Which Tier? Unbreakable?

 

In a previous post, I mentioned that in a light-hearted YouTube video, GM Hikaru Nakamura and IM Levy Rozman assessed different chess openings and assigned them to different levels in a tier.

Oh, and GM Nakamura, in assembling an "Intermediate Opening Tier List", bypassed "Legendary", "Solid", "Legit", and "Maybe Not", to place the Jerome Gambit in "Tricks Only" - above "Garbage" because, as he said, "I don't think it loses by force".

It should not be surprising that their "Chess Opening Tier List for the Grandmaster Level" places the Jerome Gambit at the very bottom of the "Garbage" tier. Despite GM Nakamura's blitz win with the Jerome, against another grandmaster, the opening is too sketchy for top level play.

However, the "Beginners Chess Opening Tier List" (thank you for the tip, Yury Bukayev) is a whole different thing - as is the play of beginners, of course. Where to place the Jerome Gambit, amont "Legendary", "Unbreakable", "Legit", "Really, Bro", "Tricks Only" and "Garbage"?

As IM Rozman opined

This was not very good when grandmasters were involved, but at the beginner level... obviously there's Only Tricks if Black plays the right way, but, man... it might be a bottom tier "Legit" opening... I mean, it could be "Really, Bro", it could be because I feel like soon everybody is going to know about it.

GM Nakamura responded 

This is true. Once everybody knows about it, it won't be as good... as it has been. Like, I don't know, I really don't know where it goes... 'Cause for now it's really something not not not known. I think once people... actually get a chance to look at it and study it they will realize it loses by force. I think I'm going to put it... It's going to go fairly high. I think I am going to put it right near the top of Unbreakable for now. It's pretty good. Actually, it can't go below the Fried Liver. I put it in second in the Unbreakable tier. I think it ranks pretty highly, I do... Oh, you disagree, Levy?... I don't know. I don't think I can put it in Legendary. Um I think it has to go right near the top of Unbreakable though.

This discussion reminds me of an early blog post, "But - Is this stuff playable??", (where I reframed the question  as "Under what conditions might the Jerome Gambit be playable?") and "Yes, The Jerome Gambit is Playable".

Of course, every Jerome Gambit game these days is a debate about the playability of the opening, and many Readers have demonstrated that the answer is often, "Yes, indeed." 

Jerome Gambit: Carelessness

The Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) is a chess opening with a list of refutations. Yet, it is growing in popularity among club players who not only like the exciting play it produces - they like the wins the Jerome brings as well.

How does someone lose to a refuted opening? There are many ways, but a major one is carelessness.

The following game is a good example of the defender's position being better, right up to the point where he is checkmated.

It is also a good example of White being constantly alert, making threats, and taking advantage of his opportunities.

oussamaakar - pradon

2 1 blitz, lichess.org, 

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 

6...Bb6 7.dxe5 Qh4 

Also seen recently was 7...Qe7 8.Qd5+ Ke8 9.Nc3 c6 10.Qd1 Qxe5 11.O-O Kd8 12.g3 Nf6 13.Bf4 Qe8 14.Re1 Bc7 15.e5 Nh5 16.Bg5+ Nf6 17.exf6 Black resigned, Monsieur_TRICATEL - Dynamo6, 3 2 blitz, Chess.com, 2020. 

8.Qf3+ Ke8 9.O-O Ne7 

Black is doing well. He needs to pay attention to his development and King safety. His game will not win itself.

10.g3 Qh3 11.Bg5 

Why is White playing this move?

11...Rf8 12.Qa3 Qg4 

Oooooh...

13.Qxe7 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: 2020 Championship

I just discovered that Chess.com will be having a 2020 Jerome Gambit Championship! The details are below. I note that the TD, E4fortheL, is expecting up to 250 players (!) so there should be room for as many Readers of this blog who would like to join in.

I have already signed up.

2020 Jerome Gambit 

Championship

TD: E4fortheL

Time Control

1 dayNo Vacation

Players

4/250

Games Rated

Yes

Avg Rating

1561

Rating Range

Open

Points Available

402

Max Group Size

5

Complete

0%

# Advance

1

Round

0

Simultaneous Games

8

Completed Games

0

Tie Breaks

Yes

Remaining Games

0

Max Avg. Time/Move

∞

Max Timeout %

10%

This is a "No Vacation" tournament!

Jerome Gambit: The Proper Medicine

After an interesting opening, White outplays his opponent in the following game. Solid strategy and effective tactics can cure even the most "refuted" of openings.

Emit79 - dimbenes1

10 0 blitz, Chess.com

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 

The Semi-Italian Opening.

4.Bxf7+ 

This is one of what I call the "impatient Jerome Gambit", lines where White does not wait for ...Bc5 before sacrificing his Bishop. It gains in immediacy of surprise, but lacks a target on c5 that sometimes allows White to recover some material.

Both 4.0-0 Bc5 5.Bxf7+ and 4.Nc3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+ are referred to at the Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit.

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 

Black survived the odd 5...Ke7 with 6.O-O (6.Ng6+) Nf6 (6...Nxe5) 7.d4 (7.Nxg6+) Nxe5 8.dxe5 Nxe4 9.Qg4 d5 10.exd6+ Qxd6 (10...Nxd6) 11.Qxe4+ Be6 12.Bf4 Qb6 13.b3 Rd8 14.Nc3 Kd7 15.Rad1+ Kc8 16.Rxd8+ Kxd8 17.Rd1+ Kc8 18.a4 Bc5 19.Nb5 Bxf2+ 20.Kh1 Re8 21.c4 (21.Nxc7) a6 (21...Bd7) 22.a5 (22.Nxc7) Qc5 (22...Qc6) 23.Nxc7 Rf8 24.Nxe6 Re8 Black won on time, MrBizkit - erkhestheasswhooper, 3 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2020.

6.Qh5+ Ke7 

Also seen recently was 6...g6 7.Qxe5 Nf6 8.Nc3 d6 9.Qf4 Bg7 10.b3 Qe7 11.Bb2 Kg8 12.f3 Ng4 13.O-O Ne5 14.Nd5 Qd7 15.Nf6+ Bxf6 16.Qxf6 Qb5 17.Bxe5 Qc5+ 18.Kh1 dxe519.Qxg6+ Kf8 20.Qf6+ Kg8 21.f4 Qd4 22.fxe5 Qxe4 23.Qf7 checkmate, Taymur - NarvalAlbatre, 5 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020. 

Black did better with 6...Ng6 (there is no Bishop to capture on c5, see the note to move 4) 7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.O-O N8e7 9.Qh5 d6 10.Nc3 Be6 11.d3 c6 12.Be3 d5 13.exd5 Nxd5 14.Qxg6+ Kd7 15.Nxd5 cxd5 16.c3 Qf6 17.Qg3 g5 18.c4 dxc4 19.dxc4 Bd6 20.Rfd1 Ke7 21.Qxd6+ Kf7 22.Qc7+ Qe7 23.Rd7 Bxd7 24.Bc5 Qd8 25.Qd6 Qe7 26.Qd5+ Be6 27.Qf3+ Qf6 28.Qxb7+ Kg6 29.Re1 Rab8 30.Qe4+ Bf5 31.Qd4 Rhe8 32.Qxf6+ Kxf6 33.Rxe8 Rxe8 34.Bxa7 Re1 checkmate, vrajeshpadiyar - petrochemicals, Chess.com, 2020) 

7.Qxe5+ Kf7 

Now "objectively" best is 8.Qf5+ Ke7 9.Qe5+ Kf7 10.Qf5+, etc., with a draw by repetition.

8.d4 d6 9.Qh5+ Ke7 10.Nc3 Nf6 11.Nd5+ Nxd5 12.exd5 Qe8

13.Qh4+ Kd7+ 14.Be3 Be7 15.Qg4+ Kd8 16.Qe2 Bf5 17.O-O a6 

White has two pawns for the sacrificed piece, and his King is a bit safer than Black's. Whose attack will succeed?

18.Qc4 Kd7 19.Qa4+ Kc8 20.Qb4 Kb8 21.c4 Ka7 22.c5 Rb8 23.Rfe1 Ka8 24.a4 Qg6 

25.Bf4 Rhf8 

This looks like a mouse-slip.

26.Rxe7 Be4 27.Bg3 Rf5 28.Re6 Qg5 29.Rxe4 Rbf8 

Black has his heavy pieces in place, but White's attack arrives first.

30.a5 h5 31.c6 bxc6 32.dxc6 Rb5 33.Qc4 

A slip that his opponent doesn't notice. Better was 33.Qc3. Now Black has 33...d5.

33...Rh8 34.Rae1 h4 

35.Bf4 Qg4 36.Qf7 h3 37.Re8+ Rxe8 38.Rxe8+ Ka7 39.Qxc7+ Rb7 40.Qxb7 checkmate

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