Jerome Gambit: Analysis or Game?

Following up on the previous post, I want to take another dive into the Jerome Gambit archives.

Cheltenham Examiner

Wednesday February 21, 1906 page 6 

[Chess notation changed to algebraic] 

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

This gambit is an American invention (though the actual moves may have been tried before America was discovered, or soon after. But the first-known analysis of their effects was American). It is unsound, but a suitable opening for the better of two players - having the attack - if he wants amusement, or to handicap himself slightly. After ...Kxf7 White could reply 5.d4, to bring his Bishop into action, but this is not as good as  

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 

Black can play ...Ke6 or ...Kf8. The latter gives him a safe game, but ...Ke6 should win also, though it often loses when Black is a weak player. That is, often in proportion to the number of games played at this opening, which number is small. Black won the following 

6.Qh5+ Ke6 

6...Ng6 can be safely played instead, with care. 

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.d4 Bxd4 9.Na3 c6 10.c3 Qf6 11.cxd4 Qxf5 12.exf5 Nf7 13.Bf4+ Ke7

It is always interesting to note under which conditions the Jerome Gambit is considered "playable".

The suggestion, above, of 5...Kf8, is as old as Alonzo Wheeler Jerome's analysis in the March 1874 issue of the Dubuque Chess Journal; and first played in Jerome - Brownson, Iowa, 1875 (1/2 - 1/2, 29).

However, the Cheltenham Examiner article has the first - and only, so far as I have found - recommendation that I have seen for 5...Ke6. The writer's assessment that the move "should win" is a bit optimistic, if White finds 6.Qg4+ Kxe5 7.d4+ Bxd4 8.Bf4+ Kf6 9.Bg5+ Kf7 10.Bxd8, when Black has 3 pieces for a Queen and a pawn, in a complicated position - see  Wall,Bill - Guest4105968, PlayChess.com, 2018 (1/2 - 1/2, 50).

Also, the note that "Black won the following" suggests that the line is from a game, not mere analysis (see "Jerome Gambit: Poetry or Prose?"). To date, I haven't found such a game. More research ahead!

Jerome Gambit: Poetry or Prose?

I recently ran across a copy of  Chess: Its Poetry and Its Prose A Practical and Theoretical Treatise on the Arts of Composing and Solving Chess Problems, with Numerous Illus., Diagrams, Containing Essays on the Principles of Porblem Composition, Practical Composition, the Art of Solving, with Solutions and Critical and Explanatory Notes, Also Elementary Instructions for Beginners by Arthur Ford Mackenzie (1887).

In a short section titled "Glimpses of the Openings" I found 10 openings mentioned, and was pleased to see that the Jerome Gambit was one of them. I have changed the notation from descriptive to algebraic.

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

This move constitutes the gambit. It is the invention of an American, whose name it bears. The sacrifice of the Bishop is unsound if Black play properly, but, to an inexperienced player, defeat follows in most cases very rapidly.

4...Kxf7 

Of course it is correct to capture the Bishop, and the game will probably proceed thus:

5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

Best.

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.d4 Bxd4 9.Na3 c6 10.c3 Qf6 11.cxd4 Qxf5 12.exf5 Nf7 13.Bf4+ Ke7 

and Black is now out of all immediate danger, and is numerically much stronger than White.

It is relevant to mention that MacKenzie notes

Valuable works are Cook's Synopsis of the Chess Openings, and Horowitz' Chess Studies and End-games.

Indeed, the line of analysis above comes directly from Cook's Synopsis (1882, 1884) - which, in turn, was taken from S.A. Sorensen's seminal Jerome Gambit article in the May 1877 issue of Nordisk Skaktidende.

I, for one, would like to think of the Jerome Gambit as poetry, rather than prose, although, in all fairness, it is more likely doggerel than sonnet.

Jerome Gambit: Ready

If Black is unfamiliar with the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) he may deploy a whole variety of defenses that have quick refutations. It is useful for the Gambiteer to know how to meet them, and be ready to finish the game powerfully.

The following game is one such example.

Wall, Bill - Guest1850067

PlayChess.com, 2020

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

7.f4 Bd6 

Hoping to protect the Knight, but that only leads to greater difficulties. He needed to play 7...Qf6 or 7...d6.

8.Qf5+ Ke7 9.fxe5 Bc5 

Bill has also seen:

9...Nh6 10.exd6+ Kxd6 11.Qd5+ Ke7 12.0–0 c6 13.Qe5 checkmate, Wall,Bill - Christopher, FICS, 2010; and

9...Bb4 10.c3 Ba5 11.Qg5+ Ke8 12.Qxg7 Black resigned, Wall,Bill - Guest3669889, PlayChess.com, 2013.

10.d4 Bxd4 11.Bg5+ Black resigned

Black will lose his Queen.

Hoping to lose only his Knight leads to greater problems: 11...Nf6 12.Bxf6+ gxf6 (otherwise the Queen will be lost) 13.Qxf6+ Ke8 14.Qxh8+ Ke7 15.Qxh7+ Ke6 16.Rf1 and Black will not be able to escape checkmate.

Jerome Gambit: Uneven (Part 2)

 

[continued from previous post]

perrypawnpusher - dmarkg

"Piano Piano" tournament, Chess.com, 2020

It is time to attack, before Black's King escapes to one of the wings.

18.Rae1 Kd8 19.g4 

Tentative. It was okay to proceed with 19.Re6.

19...Kc7 

After the game Stockfish 11 suggested 19...Ned5 with the idea of exchanging off one of the attacking pieces. That would not solve Black's major problem the weakness of the pawn at d6 (and the King next to it).

20.Re6 g6 

To undermine the pawn supporting White's Rook, but accidentally undermining his own Rook. After 20...Nc8 to protect the d-pawn there could go 21.Ne4 Nxe4 22.Qxe4 a6 23.c4 Kb8 24.Bf4 Ka7 unpinning the d-pawn, when White would have to put his Queenside pawns in motion starting with 25.b4. 

21.Rxf6 g5 22.Ne4 h5 

Looking to open a file to attack the King.

23.h3 

Not wrong, but tentative. The move was 23.Rxd6.

23...hxg4 24.hxg4 Rh4 25.Bxg5 Rh7 26.Qg3 Rah8 

Hope springs eternal.

27.Rxd6 Qe8 

To save the Queen, but all moves allow checkmate. This one, rather quickly.

28.Rxc6+ Kxc6 29.Qd6+ Kb5 30.Nc3+ Kc4 31.Qc5 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: Uneven (Part 1)

The following Jerome Gambit game (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) is an uneven affair, showing White gaining more from his opponent's play rather than his own strength. It is redeemed, in small part, by the checkmate combination at the end.

I have added a number of links to related games, for those would like to read more about the early lines of play.

perrypawnpusher - dmarkg

"Piano Piano" tournament, 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 Be6 

10.O-O 

 Years ago, I got away with the alternative 10.f4, in perrypawnpusher - Kingsmeal, blitz, FICS, 2010 (0-1, 25) and perrypawnpusher - GabrielChime, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 33), but Black's more enterprising 10...Qh4, as in perrypawnpusher - udofink, blitz FICS, 2010 (1-0, 29) was persuasive enough to move me to the text, as in perrypawnpusher - nmuffjgp, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 22),  perrypawnpusher - OverwiseMan, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 24), perrypawnpusher - dirceu, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 16)  perrypawnpusher - magza, blitz, FICS, 2011  (0-1, 40) and perrypawnpusher - Papst, 10 0 blitz, FICS, 2017 (1-0, 61).

(Amazing. Is that last game one I neglected to post on this blog? I will have to remedy that quickly.)

10...Nf6 

Solid development. A bit more active was 10...Qh4. Black still has to deal with the threat of f2-f4-f5.

11.f4 Ne7 

The Knight on g6 or the Bishop had to move. The text is probably best.

12.d4 

Here we have the "Jerome pawns" versus Black's pieces.

12...Ng6

A slip. Perhaps he was anticipating 13.d5 or 13.e5. He winds up returning the sacrificed piece for a pawn.

Stronger was 12...d5, as in perrypawnpusher - nmuffjgp, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 22).

I have also seen 12...Kd7, as in  perrypawnpusher -Krisstianes_017, Chess.com,  2018 (1/2 - 1/2, 43) 

13.f5 Bxf5 

After the game, Stockfish 11 suggested that Black could wrigle with 13...Bc4 14.Re1 Ne7 15.b3 Bf7 16.Bb2 Kd7 but it still preferred White's position.

14.exf5+ Ne7 15.Nc3 Qd7 

16.Qf3 h6 

Rightly deciding that capturing the b-pawn would be a waste of time for White, he prevents Bg5.

17.Bd2 c6 

Black's King is still in the center, and White has the e-file to work with, assisted by his pawn at f5. It is time to apply some pressure.

[to be continued]

Jerome Gambit: You Wouldn't Like Me When I'm Angry

In the following Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game, White's Queen goes on a rampage, single-handedly destroying the defense. As Dr. Banner, The Hulk's alter ego, said, "You wouldn't like me when I'm angry".

fungeg - Starkiller619

5 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2021

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

 4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 

7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qd5+ 

An interesting idea (there are only 4 other games in The Database with this move), posing the question: Can Black get away with 8...Be6, giving up the b-pawn? Black decides to move his King, instead. 

8...Ke7 9.d4 Bb4+ 

Too hopeful. Safer was 9...Bb6. Even better was 9...Nf6 10.Qc4 Be6 11.Qd3, when the dark square Bishop can either check or retreat, each with a small advantage - a piece for two pawns, and the Bishop pair.

10.c3 Bc5 

It wasn't too late for 10...Nf6, this or the next move, although after 11.Bg5 Bxc3+ 12.Nxc3 h6 13.Bxf6+ Kxf6 14.0-0 White would be up a pawn, with a safer King.

11.dxc5 dxc5 12.Qxc5+ 

The Queen takes over the attack. Hulk smash!

12...Kd7 13.Qd5+ Ke8 14.Qb5+ Qd7 15.Qe5+ Qe6 Black resigned

White's Queen is going to capture the Rook at h8, and her counterpart cannot do equal damage, e.g. 16.Qxh8 Qxe4+ 17.Be3 Qxg2 18.Qxg8+ Kd7 19.Qxh7+ Kc6 20.Rf1. White's King's position would be a little messy, but he would have an extra Rook, Knight and pawn to comfort him.

Jerome Gambit: Attention Please

In the following Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game, Black is so focused on his counter-attack that he overlooks the safety of his own King - and Queen.

Wall, Bill - VKMH

FICS, 2020

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bb6 

Simpler (and stronger) was 6...Bxd4, but Black already has his counter-attack in mind.

7.dxe5 Qh4

Simply threatening checkmate, but he has to be careful.

8.Qf3+ Ke6 

Careful would have been 8...Ke8 with the routine advantage of a piece for two pawns.

9.Qf5+ Ke7 10.Bg5+ Black resigned

The adventurous Black Queen is lost.