Jerome Gambit: Drawn?!

I remember an over-the-board tournament game from at least a couple decades ago. At one point I repeated positions, claiming a draw, but my higher-rated opponent said I didn't make the claim properly, and when my flag fell, he claimed a win on time. A player committee was assembled, however, and pronounced the game drawn.

The following game is what brought back that memory.

Ghibytzu - AL-Alien

10 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2020

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Bxf7+ 

I have called this the Abrahams Jerome Gambit, because Gerald Abrahams referred to this line as a Jerome Gambit in his books The Chess Mind (1951) and The Pan Book of Chess (1965). As far as I know, Alonzo Wheeler Jerome never played his gambit this way.

The Database has about 17, 600 games with the moves 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Bxf7+, but the coverage is nowhere near as comprehensive as with the main line Jerome Gambit.

3...Kxf7 4.Nf3 

Fascinating. White sacrifices his Bishop to keep Black from castling, then goes about working on his development. I was surprised to see that The Database had 2,955 games with this position; White scores 50%.

A recent game featured the alternative, 4.Qh5+, which is a bit more Jerome-ish: 4...g6 5.Qxe5 Bd6 6.Qxh8 Nc6 7.Qxh7+ Kf6 8.Qh4+ g5 9.Qh8+ Kf7 10.Nf3 g4 11.Qh5+ Kf8 12.Qxg4 Qf6 13.Qf5 Be5 14.Qxf6+ Bxf6 15.c3 d6 16.d3 Bg4 17.Nbd2 Re8 18.O-O d5 19.Re1 Bxf3 20.Nxf3 b5 21.Bd2 a5 22.exd5 Ne5 23.Nxe5 Bxe5 24.Re4 Nf6 25.Rh4 Nd7 26.Bf4 Bf6 27.Rh7 Nc5 28.Bxc7 Kg8 29.Rh3 Na4 30.Rg3+ Kf7 31.Rb1 Re7 32.Bxa5 Rd7 33.c4 bxc4 34.dxc4 Nxb2 35.Rg4 Nd3 36.f3 Ra7 37.Rb5 Re7 38.Kf1 Bd4 39.Rxd4 White won on time, Huge_Chessticles22 - potatofarmer, Chess.com, iPhone, 2018. 

4...d6 5.c3 Qf6 6.O-O Bg4 

7.Nxe5+ 

A tactical shot that appears to win a pawn. Black, however, is able to claw it back. There was more heat in 7.Qb3+ Ke7 8.Qxb7 when Black might do best to force a draw with 8...Bxf3 9.gxf3 Nd7 10.Qxa8 Qxf3 11.d4 Qg4+ 12.Kh1 Qf3+, etc.

7...Qxe5 8.Qxg4 Nf6 9.Qf3 Qxe4 10.d4 Qxf3 11.gxf3 Bb6 

Black's extra piece outweighs White's extra, isolated, doubled pawn. It will take some work to get things back on track for Ghibytzu.

12.Nd2 d5 13.f4 Ng4 14.h3 Nf6 15.Nf3 h6 16.b3 c6 17.Re1 Bc7 18.Ne5+ Bxe5 19.fxe5 Ne4 

The doubled pawns have been "cured" and White puts his hopes in his passer.

20.f3 Nxc3 21.e6+ Ke7 22.Ba3+ Kf6 23.Re3 Nb5 24.Bc5 Nc7 25.Rae1 Nba6 

26.f4 b6 27.Ba3 c5 28.dxc5 bxc5 29.e7 d4 30.Re5 d3 31.Bxc5 Nxc5 32.Rxc5 Rac8 

The board has duelling passed pawns. White tries a tricky tactic that doesn't quite work.

33.e8=N+ Rhxe8 34.Rxe8 Rxe8 35.Rxc7 Re1+ 

White has won a piece and material is even, but Black's passed pawn has yet to speak.

36.Kf2 Re2+ 

Making things more difficult for himself. Best: 36...d2.

37.Kf3 Re1 38.Rd7 Rf1+ 

What is Black's plan, now? He can snatch pawns, but the Rook and pawns vs Rook and pawns endgame is a difficult one.

39.Ke3 d2 40.Rxd2 Rh1 41.Rd6+ Kf5 42.Rd5+ Kf6 43.Ke4 Ke6 

44.Re5+ Kd6 45.Rd5+ Ke6 46.f5+ Kf6 47.Rd7 Rxh3 48.Rxa7 Rh5 

49.Ra6+ Kf7 50.b4 

Stockfish 11 prefers 50.a4, with White eventually exchanging his a-pawn for Black's h-pawn and counting on the advance of his b-pawn - but it's complicated; and it is important to point out that in the game, the clock is still ticking...

Something similar happens, but the game becomes even.

50...Rh4+ 51.Ke5 Rxb4 52.Ra7+ Kg8 53.a4 Rc4 54.a5 Rc5+ 55.Kf4 h5 56.Kg5 Kh7 57.Kxh5 Rxf5+ 

58.Kh4 Kh6 59.a6 g5+ 60.Kg4 Rf4+ 61.Kg3 Kh5 62.Rh7+ Kg6 63.Rh8 

63...Kg7 

A slip. White can now play 64.a7, and after 64...Kxh8 65.a8/Q he would be better, but the Queen vs Rook endgame, while winnable, is quite tricky - doubly so in a blitz game.

White's plan is to repeat the position and find a draw.

64.Rb8 Ra4 65.Rb7+ Kf6 66.a7 g4 67.Rb6+ Kf5 68.Rb5+ Kg6 69.Rb6+ Kg5 70.Rb5+ Kg6 71.Rb6+ Kg5 72.Rb5+ Kg6 73.Rb6+ Kg5 74.Rb5+ Kg6 75.Rb6+ Kg5 76.Rb5+ Kg6 77.Rb6+ Kg5 78.Rb5+ Kg6 79.Rb6+ Kg5 80.Rb5+ Kg6 81.Rb6+ Kg5 82.Rb5+ Kg6 

At this point, Black won on time. Unfortunately, while White repeated the position more than 3 times, but he did not know how to claim the draw at the website.

Jerome Gambit: What Else Can You Ask For?

In the following game, White takes his advantage from the opening and turns it into a dynamic middlegame and a winning attack, ending in checkmate. What else can you ask for from the Jerome Gambit?

TuxSandro - Kilestbo

10 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6 

Black decides he only needs one of the sacrificed pieces, and hopes to take White out of his preparation. He is successful, but only up to a point.

6.Nxc6

Also seen recently: 6.Qh5 Nxe5 Transposing to regular lines 7.f4 Nf7 8.Qf5+ Ke7 9.Qxc5+ d6 10.Qe3 Be6 11.0–0 Nfh6 12.d4 Kd7 13.f5 Bf7 14.e5 d5 15.e6+ Bxe6 16.Qxe6 checkmate, angelcamina - Eman33200, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2020.

Probably the sharpest is: 6.Qg4+ Kxe5 7.d4+! Bxd4 8.Bf4+! Kf6 9.Bg5+! Kf7 10.Bxd8 Nxd8.  See "Jerome Gambit: He Should Have Read This Blog".

6...bxc6 

Capture toward the center is the usual advice, but in this particular position 6...dxc6 would have been stronger, to prevent 7.d4. 

However, the greatest value of 6...dxc6 is that it would open the c8-h3 diagonal for Black's Bishop. White immediately takes advantage of this defensive lapse.

7.Qg4+ Kf7 8.Qf5+ 

Instead, 8.Qh5+ was slightly stronger, because the text allows Black to develop a piece. In both cases, however, White is better. 

8...Nf6 9.Qxc5 d6

Giving up a pawn instead of grabbing one with 9...Nxe4.

10.Qg5 h6 11.Qh4 Re8

Black has the right idea - there is danger for White along the e-file - but misses a chance to take advantage directly with 11...Nxe4, since 12.Qxe4 would lose the Queen to 12...Re8.

12.O-O 13.d3 c5 

14.Nc3 Be6 15.Be3 Qd7 

Removing the protection of the Knight allows 16.Bxh6 gxh6 17.Qxf6.

16.Rad1 a5 17.d4

Consistent, although, for the record, 17.Bxh6 was still on. 

17... cxd4 18.Bxd4 a4 

19.Qg3 

Pinning the g-pawn and threatening to take the Knight. He could also have captured right away, breaking up the enemy King's shelter.

19...c5 20.Bxf6 Kh7 21.Bh4 Rg8 22.f4 

White's attack will bring home the full point. The "Jerome pawns" help.

22...Rab8 23.f5 Bf7 24.Rxd6 Qc7 25.e5 

Of course. (There was also 25.Rxh6+, but, no need to be flashy.)

25...Rxb2 

What else?

26.e6 

26...Be8 27.Nd5

One more piece enters the fray. That is enough.

Black's hope of promoting his a-pawn will come to naught.

27...Rxa2 28.Nxc7 Bb5 29.Rb1 Rxc2 30.Rxb5 a3 31.Qg6+ Kh8 32.Rd8 Rxd8 33.Bxd8 a2 34.Bf6 Rc1+ 35.Kf2 Rc2+ 36.Kg3 Rc3+ 37.Kg4 Rc2 38.Qxg7 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: Always Beware

In the following Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game Black castles-by-hand on the Queenside, but his King does not find safety. Worse, his Queen also comes under fire.

hellron - alrupa123

10 0 blitz, Chess.com, 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 Qe7 10.d4 Nf6 11.Nc3 Be6 

Black quickly develops a piece, but the Bishop on e6 and the Knight on g6 encourage White's f2-f4, with a forking threat.

12.O-O Kd7 

Not as risky as it looks.

13.f4 Bc4 14.Re1 Rae8 15.e5 dxe5 16.dxe5 Ba6 

Black avoids the fork that would come with Qd4+, winning a piece, but 16...Kc8 would have been safer.

17.Rd1+ Kc8 18.Qxa7 

18...c6 

Returning the sacrificed piece, but this does not stop White. There was nothing wrong with 18...Nd7.

19.exf6 gxf6 20.Bd2 

White is a solid 2 pawns up.

20...Qb4 

This is a very risky move, as it is vulnerable to 21.Nd5!?

21.Qa8+ 

White will make the suggested move soon enough.

21...Kc7 22.Qxe8 Rxe8 23.Nd5+ cxd5 24.Bxb4 

White is up the exchange.

24...Nxf4 25.c4 dxc4

A final slip.

26.Bd6+ Black resigned

Jerome Gambit: Read Up on Hikaru Nakamura

                                 

Regular readers of this blog know that Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura, United States champion and top blitz chess player in the world, has had fun playing the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) in 3-minute games against grandmaster opposition - see

"Jerome Gambit: GM vs GM!?"

"Jerome Gambit: Oops, He Did It Again?!"

"Jerome Gambit: GM vs GM, Upset"

"Jerome Gambit: GM vs GM, Upset Again"

"Jerome Gambit: The Jerome Gambit is Over Powered Actually"

 

Chessfriend, inventor and blog contributor Yury Bukayev recently pointed out that there is a substantial article at Wikipedia on GM Nakamura and that under the section "Internet activity" it is mentioned that 

Nakamura often plays games using "joke openings" while on stream, including the Bongcloud Attack and Jerome Gambit.

As they say, there's nothing like a good joke among friends. The Jerome gambit isn't a joke opening, but when your psychological move 4.Bxf7+ works almost ideally against your opponent, like in Nakamura - Kollars first game, then you'll reminisce your game with the best joke. ...😊 

Jerome Gambit: Split Second Thinking

The following Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game is another 1/2 minute bullet game that defies understanding - at least mine. Players need to rely on past experience and intuition. The split-second thinking that went into the win is very impressive.

penguingim1 - sutcunuri

1/2 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.Qf5+ Kd6 

If you know your Jerome Gambit, you can probably pre-move each move up to here. 

8.Nc3 Qf6 

Black places his Queen in a typical Jerome Gambit defense position.

9.d4 Qxf5 10.dxc5+ Kxc5 11.Be3+ Kc6 12.exf5 d5 

This move is usually helpful against the Jerome - but not in this particular position. There is an underlying tactic that allows White to even the game.

13.Bd4 

The Bishop attacks the Knight, the pawn behind it, and the Rook behind the pawn. The strongest response is probably 13...Ne7.

13...Nf6 14.Bxe5 Bxf5 15.O-O-O Rad8 16.f3 Rhe8 

17.Rhe1 Bg6 18.a4 a6 19.b3 Re7 

Advancing the wrong Rook. 19...Rd7 would be about equal. Again, a tactic decides.

20.Bxf6 Rxe1 21.Bxd8 Rxd1+ 22.Nxd1 Black resigned

The extra piece will allow White to stop Black's pawn majority, and advance his own.

The Writer Could Well Have Been Thinking of the Jerome Gambit

 

The following excerpt is from the June 11, 2017 Los Angeles Times. The writer could well have been thinking of the Jerome Gambit...

Over the centuries, many practice drills and exercises have been devised to help players increase their skills.

No matter how talented at chess we may be, there will be games where our foes will have simply outplayed us. That’s when we will need to put up the tough defense, find hidden resources, or just struggle on in hopes of a miraculous salvation. Why not prepare for these inevitable times by drilling with a handicap? On the Internet Chess Club, I have seen games in which a player just gives away a piece to intentionally practice being materially down. A audaciously amusing example is: 1.Nf3 c5 2. Ne5 d6 3.Nxf7?!. For his donated piece, White partly exposes Black’s King and becomes unable to castle.

Another common one is: 1.e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nxe5?! This opening even sports some names: the Razzle Dazzle Gambit, Irish Gambit and Chicago Gambit. By sacrificing a knight for a pawn, White does get a full pawn center and a tempo or two. He is forced, though, to attack at all costs before Black’s extra man makes a fatal difference. An amusing story is told that the gambit was created by a player who confessed before dying that he simply did not see that the e5 pawn was defended.

A scarier version of this idea is appropriately called the Halloween Gambit. Starting off as a tame 4Knight’s Opening, White sacrifices his knight right away. Take a look at this short spectacular example, finishing with a queen give-away and a minor piece mate: [Brause-N.N., 1997] 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nxe5 Nxe5 5.d4 Ng6 6.e5 Ng8 7.Bc4 c6 8.Qf3 f6 9.0–0 d5 10.exd6 Bxd6 11.Ne4 N8e7 12.Qxf6 gxf6 13.Nxf6+ Kf8 14.Bh6 mate.

Jerome Gambit: Terminal Oversight

In the following game, White - Andrew Tang, a very strong blitz and bullet player - plays the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) quickly and aggressively, stays in the game, and punishes his opponent when the opportunity presents itself. The whole thing took less than a minute.

 

penguingim1 - sutcunuri

1/2 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 d6

Black adopts the "annoying" or "silicon" defense. Silicon - because it is a favorite of computer chess engines. Annoying - because giving back a piece in this way takes a lot of the energy out of White's attack, while Black's King chuckles at him from e6.

To see this line in human vs human play is strongly suggestive that Black is familiar with the Jerome Gambit. Good for him - but the time control in this game is 1/2 minute, no increment, so it will take more than a good defense to win the game.

8.Nc3

The computers like 8.fxe5, but I suspect that White played the text move instantly. This is bullet chess. Develop quickly. Attack quickly. Win quickly. Write your annotations slowly.

8...Nf6 9.Qg5 Kf7 

10.fxe5 dxe5 11.Qxe5 Bd4 12.Qf4 Bxc3 13.dxc3 Re8 

14.O-O Kg8 15.e5 Nd5 16.Qf7+ Kh8 

White has castled. Black has castled-by-hand. Black has an extra piece, White has two extra pawns.

Who will blink first?

17.Bg5 Qd7 

Terminal oversight.

18.Qf8+ Black resigned

It is checkmate the next move.