Jerome Gambit: Easy for You, Difficult for Me

The following game is an interesting example of how complicated a Jerome Gambit attack can become. White wins a miniature, while the computer grumps in the notes. The checkmate is very nicely executed.

Wall, Bill - Guest1352598

PlayChess.com, 2021

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5. Nxe5+ Nxe5 6. Qh5+ Ng6 

7.Qxc5 d6 8.Qd5+ 

This move poses the question to Black: Is developing the Bishop worth the b-pawn? (After all, the Bishop will have to move again after f2-f4.)

According to The Database, ZahariSokolov at FICS has played this move 80 times. 

8...Be6 9.Qxb7 N8e7 

Better was 9...Nh4 as seen in Wall, Bill - CheckMe, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 23).  

Bill has also seen 9...Ne5 in Wall,B - Guest249301, PlayChess.com 2013 (1-0, 30).

10.O-O Re8 

Preparing to castle-by-hand. Stockfish 12 prefers the move subtle 10...Nf4 11.d3 Ne2+ 12.Kh1 Nxc1, winning the Bishop for the Knight. 

11.f4 Bd7 

Here the computer suggests 11...Qd7 12.Qa6 Kg8 13.f5 Nxf5 14.exf5 Bxf5 with an even game. It rejects 12.f5 because of 12...Bc4 13.fxg6+ Kxg6 14.d3 Reb8 winning the White Queen, with a small advantage for Black e.g. 15.Qxa8 Rxa8 16.dxc4 Qc6.

12.Qb3+ Kf8 13.f5 Ne5 14.d4 Nf7 

Black safeguards his Knight from those aggressive "Jerome pawns". 

Instead, he could have complicated things with 14...Rb8, and White could have responded with the equally complex 15.f6. Stockfish 12 sorts it all out as being kind of equal, but that's a computer for you - in real life, somebody would have tumbled into a bad position.

15.f6 gxf6 16.Rxf6 d5 

Black wants to block the Queen's deadly attack on f7. Sadly, this doesn't work.

The computer suggests more complications: 16...Nd5 17.Bh6+ Ke7 18.Rxf7+ Kxf7 19.Qxd5+ Kg6 20.Be3 Qe7 21.Nc3 c6 22.Qc4 Rf8 when White would have 3 pawns for the exchange, and the advantage.

17.Bh6+ 

You saw this, right?

17...Kg8 18.Qg3+ Ng6 19.Rxg6+ Kh8 20.Bg7+ Kg8 21.Bf6+ Black resigned

Jerome Gambit: Secret Attacking Idea

The popularity of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) among new and improving chess players has been growing, in large part because, I suspect, it provides a lot of tactical play swirled into a chaotic setting that is not familiar to the defender, and is definitely not "book".

Strong players can look on and mutter "tut-tut" but they can't escape the fact that the players are having a lot of fun.

Anonymous - Anonymous

3 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2020

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

Black was feeling comfortable, having reeled off three moves of "theory", but now what is this?? Nobody has mentioned this before. Is this some secret attacking idea that he has overlooked?

A thousand gained rating points later, he would grab the Bishop and smile, saying "Show me!" - but first he has to get through this game. After all, White wouldn't give up a piece for nothing, would he?

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ 

This makes no sense, sacrificing a second piece, but it feels... dangerous.

5...Nxe5 6.Qh5+ 

I knew he had something up his sleeve!

But, wait, can't I just punch his Queen in the nose?

6...g6 

There!

7.Qxe5 

One piece gone, but I can protect the other!

7...Qe7 

8.Qxh8 

Rats! I was afraid he would see that...

(Black has unknowingly stumbled upon Whistler's Defense, which offers a Rook for a violent, if somewhat complicated, counter-attack, starting with 8...Qxe4+! Today, however, White is unaware of the danger and is pleased to recover some more material.)

8...Ke6 

Yipes!

The enemy Queen has invaded my back rank! Escape! Escape!

9.Qxg8+ Kd6 10.Qd5 checkmate

What do you call that opening? It's brutal!

Jerome Gambit: A Distraction

Last year I received a game with an unusual defense to the Italian Game. I thought, at the time, that it had to be a one-off, but I discovered a handful of similar games in The Database, and another dozen or so related ones online.

I thought I would share some games, not because the defense is strong - or, as it turns out, something that stops a Jerome-ish reaction - but because it could be a distraction that could eat up thinking time in a blitz game.

JackChessplayer - NN

3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 b5 

Here we go. I have not found a name for this line. It seems dubious - if a Jerome Gambit player can call any line "dubious".

I am not sure what the idea is, after the logical 4.Bxb5. I have seen continuations such as 4...a6, leading to an odd-style main line Ruy Lopez, and 4...Nd4, leading to an unusual Bird variation of the Ruy Lopez.

In any event, Readers can guess the response by White that I am interested in.

4.Bxf7+ 

Meeting a surprise move with a surprise move. Black does not have a vulnerable Bishop sitting at c5, but White's Queen can still add pressure.

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ 

The Knight sacrifice is thematic and probably strongest, but also seen has been

5.d4 d5 (5...exd4 6.e5 Ba6 7.Ng5+ Ke8 8.Ne4 b4 9.Qh5+ g6 10.Qf3 d5 11.Ng5 Nh6 12.e6 Be7 [12...d3] 13.Nf7 Nxf7 [13...Ne5] 14.Qxf7 checkmate, Oldfishbones - Grojzek, FICS, 2006) 6.dxe5 dxe4 7.Ng5+ Ke8 8.Qh5+ g6 9.Qe2 Nxe5 [9...Nd4] 10.Qxe4 Qd6 11.Qxa8 Be7 12.Qxc8+ Bd8 13.O-O Ne7 14.Nc3 Rf8 15.Nce4 Ng4 16.Nxd6+ Black resigned, yorgos -Docdhc, FICS, 2008; and

5.d3 Nd4 (5...h6 6.Nc3 Nd4 7.Nxd4 exd4 8.Nxb5 d5 9.Qf3+ Nf6 10.exd5 [10.e5] 10...Qe8+ 11.Kd2 Qxb5 12.d6 Bxd6 13.Qxa8 Qg5+ 14.Kd1 Bg4+ 15.f3 Rxa8 16.Bxg5 hxg5 17.fxg4 Nxg4 18.Rf1+ Kg6 19.h3 Nh2 20.Re1 Rf8 21.Kd2 Rf2+ 22.Re2 Bf4+ 23.Kd1 Rf1+ 24.Re1 Rxe1+ 25.Kxe1 Bg3+ 26.Ke2 c5 27.Rf1 Nxf1 28.Kxf1 Kh5 29.Ke2 g6 30.Kf3 Be5 31.Ke4 Bh2 32.Kd5 g4 33.hxg4+ Kxg4 34.Kxc5 g5 35.Kxd4 Kf4 36.c4 g4 37.c5 Kg3 38.c6 Kxg2 39.c7 Bxc7 40.Kc4 g3 41.d4 Kf2 42.d5 g2 43.Kc5 g1=Q 44.Kc6 Bf4 45.d6 Qc1+ 46.Kd5 Qd2+ White resigned, alipio - makkarakolme, FICS, 2008; 5...Be7 6.d4 d6 7.dxe5 dxe5 8.Qxd8 Nxd8 9.O-O Nf6 10.Nxe5+ Ke6 11.f4 g5 12.Nc3 gxf4 13.Bxf4 Bd6 14.Nd3 Nf7 15.Bxd6 [15.e5] 15...Rd8 16.Bxc7 Rd7 17.Bg3 Bb7 18.Nf4+ Ke7 19.e5 Nxe5 20.Rfe1 Nfg4 21.Nh5 Rf8 22.Bxe5 Nxe5 23.Rxe5+ Kd8 24.Rd1 Rxd1+ 25.Nxd1 Re8 26.Rxe8+ Kxe8 27.Ne3 Bc6 28.g4 Bd7 29.h3 Kf7 30.Nf5 Ke8 31.a3 Bxf5 32.gxf5 a6 33.Kg2 h6 34.Kg3 Kd8 White lost on time in a winning position, BurtForFun - pscarpi, FICS, 2008) 6.Ng5+ Qxg5 $2 7.Bxg5 h6 8.Be3 Ne6 9.Qf3+ Ke7 10.O-O Ng5 11.Qg3 Ke8 12.Qxe5+ Be7 13.Qxg7 Nf7 14.Nc3 Bf8 15.Qd4 c5 16.Qd5 Nf6 17.Qxa8 Nd6 18.e5 Ke7 19.exd6+ Kxd6 20.Nxb5+ Ke7 21.Bxc5+Ke8 22.Qxc8+ Kf7 23.Bxf8 Rxf8 24.Qc4+ Ke8 25.Nd6+ Kd8 26.Qc8+ Ke7 27.Rfe1+ Kxd6 28.Qxf8+ Kc6 29.Qxf6+ Black resigned, qhdo - EBARE, FICS, 2008. 

5...Nxe5 

Recently Black tried 5...Ke8 but the game ended quickly 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Nxg6 hxg6 8.Qxg6+ Ke7 9.Qf5 Qe8 10.d3 Nh6 11.Bg5+ Kd6 12.Qd5 checkmate, Ramadan_seagull - eyezacker, Chess.com, 2021) 

6.Qh5+ g6 

Instead, 6...Ng6 allows White to win the other Rook, but he still has to be careful 7.Qd5+Ke8 8.Qxa8 Bc5 9.Qd5 [9.0-0] d6 10.Nc3 [10.Qb3] Nf4 White resigned, exatico - VietLion, FICS, 2006. 

7.Qxe5 Qe8 8.Qxh8 Black resigned

White admitted that he did not know why his opponent resigned here, and I have to agree with him: despite the lost Rook (he is down the exchange for two pawns), Black has a won game after 8...Qxe4+.

So, does that mean that 3...b5 is viable against 4.Bxf7+ ? Well, no. For starters, White went after the wrong Rook on move 8. He should have played 8.Qd5+ and then 9.Qxa8, with advantage.

If Black were to play 7...Nf6, White would have 8.Qxb5. The computers would still like Black, but White would have 3 pawns for his sacrificed piece, instead of the usual 2 pawns.

Likewise, White probably should answer 7...d6 with 8.Qxb5, as 8.Qxh8 would be risky as the Queen could be trapped and won, e.g. 8...Nf6 9.d3 Qe7 10.Nc3 Bb7 11.Bg5 Bg7 12.Qxh7 Rh8 13.Qxh8 Bxh8.

Jerome Gambit: The Greatest Invention in the Last Century

I stopped by the chessentials website the other day, and read a lot of interesting items. In particular, I enjoyed the thoughtful essay,

In Defence Of Elitism In Chess: 7 Reasons Why Elitism Accusations In Chess Are Vastly Exaggerated

I totally cracked up, however, when I got to the following - with its footnote.

I also believe they are not nearly as prevalent in any of the given fields, as it is sometimes presented. I think a large part of the blame for this eschewed perception goes to the greatest invention in the last century.

The Internet. 12

I checked out the footnote at the bottom of the article

12.Bonus points if you thought “The Jerome Gambit” was the answer. 

Awesome. 

Jerome Gambit: Bishop Opening Trap

I stopped by the Chess Only website the other day. It has a lot of interesting chess content, including instruction about the game, as well as a variety of Openings and Opening Traps. There are also games of the top chess masters.

What caught my eye was the post on the "Bishop Opening Trap (Don't Touch My Bishop!)", featuring 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nc6 3.d3 Na5 Bxf7+. There are six game examples given, and the themes in the game should be familiar to Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) players.

I have looked at the line in the early blog posts "Eric Schiller Doesn't Play the Jerome Gambit" and "Not Playing the Jerome Gambit Either". They are worth checking out for some background on the opening.

Here is short, violent affair presented at Chess Only.

Boros, Laszlo - Saller, Imre

Hajduboszormeny op, 1995

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nc6 3.d3 Na5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Qh5+ Ke6 

6.Qf5+ Kd6 7.d4 Qf6 8.dxe5+ Qxe5 9.Bf4 Black resigned

Ouch.

Jerome Gambit: Everywhere

The Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ ) seems to be everywhere these days. Check out the game recently presented at TikTok. It features a very nice and deadly attack on the enemy King. The notes are by the winner. I have added the diagrams.

iamtheteacher - Maxgorlv1

3 0 blitz, DailyChess.com, 2020

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

The Jerome Gambit is a highly dubious line that involves sacrificing a piece for center control.

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

7.f4 Nc6 8.Qxc5 Nf6 9.Nc3 

White's strategy is very simple, push the pawns and throw pieces at the king.

9...d6 10.Qc4+ Ke7 11.d4 a6 12.O-O Bd7 13.e5 Ne8 

White can exploit the fact that Black's king is stuck in the centre of the board.

14.f5 dxe5 15.dxe5 Nxe5 16.Re1 Kf6 

Eventually I sacrificed the exchange for a king hunt that led to mate.

17.Rxe5 Kxe5 18.Qd5+ Kf6 19.Ne4+ Ke7 20.Bg5+ Nf6 21.Nxf6 gxf6 22.Re1+ Kf8 23.Bh6 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: Quite Something

There is an old phrase, "to damn with faint praise", which means to evaluate something, not as "fantastic" or "terrific" or "amazing", but, say, as "that's... uh... nice".

A while back I visited the online site of Australian Grandmaster David Smerdon, and commented on both his latest book, and my current fascination.

GM Smerdon was kind enough to respond.

Rick Kennedy says:

June 30, 2020 at 12:42 am

GM Smerdon,

I am working my way through your fascinating The Complete Chess Swindler, a topic that greatly appeals to me, from both a psychological perspective and as a matter of survival: I have been researching and playing the worst chess opening ever, the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), for a couple of decades, and have come to realize that any success whatsoever has been due to swindles. (I immediately apologize to the ghost of Frank Marshall and other masters, living and dead.)
Many thanks for your hard work.

David Smerdon says:

September 24, 2020 at 1:33 pm

Hi Rick. I recently came across the Jerome Gambit on YouTube. It’s….quite something!