Jerome Gambit: A Trip Down Memory Lane (Part 1)

The following Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game is a nice win for White, with an interesting opening, some tactical shots in the middle game, and the success of "Jerome pawns" in the endgame.

It also gave me the opportunity to recall earlier games and players. 

Gamophobe - shatrunj646

15 10 blitz, lichess.org, 2021

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

 4... Kxf7 5. Nxe5+ Kf8 

Seven years ago I touched on this solid move in this blog

As early as his first article with analysis (Dubuque Chess Journal 4/1874), Alonzo Wheeler Jerome considered the possibility that Black might refuse to capture the second piece, and play for King safety instead with 5...Kf8.  

This was, in fact, the defense that Jerome, himself, credited to G. J. Dougherty, ("a strong amateur, against whom I first played the opening") of Mineola, New York, in a yet unfound game; that O.A. Brownson, editor of the Dubuque Chess Journal, played against Jerome in an 1875 game (Dubuque Chess Journal3/1875); that magazine editor William Hallock used against D.P. Norton in an 1876 correspondence game played “by special request” to test the gambit (American Chess Journal 2/1877); that William Carrington tried in his 1876 match vs Mexican Champion Andres Clemente Vazquez (Algunas Partidas de Ajedrez Jugadas en Mexico, 1879); and which Lt. Soren Anton Sorensen recommended as “more solid and easier to manage” in his seminal Jerome Gambit essay (Nordisk Skaktidende 5/1877). 

It is interesting that early in Jerome's Gambit's life, there were players willing to accept one "gift" but who were skeptical of accepting two "gifts".

White can now continue with 6.Nxc6 and after 6...dxc6 (opening the file for his Queen, to prevent White's d2-d4) he can play 7.d3 and 8.0-0 or 7.0-0 and 8.d3. Black will still have his piece-for-a-pawn advantage as well as the two Bishops (and a somewhat unsafe King), while one of White's "Jerome pawns" will already be a passer.

6.Qh5

White continues his attack as planned. If Black now captures the Knight, the Queen will recapture and the game will have transposed to regular Jerome Gambit lines.

There is more history in this move, as I have noted

White also has the option of playing 6.Qh5, the Banks Variation, as in Banks - Rees, Halesowen, 2003, when Black can transpose with 6…Nxe5  as recommended by the American Chess Journal, (3/1877) - "The continuation adopted by Jerome, Qh5 looks promising."

Pete Banks ("blackburne" online), a stalwart member of the Jerome Gambit Gemeinde (and still the strongest player I know who has played the Jerome regularly over-the-board in rated contests*), brought international attention to Alonzo Wheeler Jerome's invention by writing to International Master Gary Lane, who commented at length on the opening, and on a couple of Banks' games, in his March ("The Good Old Days") and April ("Chess Made Easy") 2008 "Opening Lanes" columns at ChessCafe.com. IM Lane also mentioned one of Banks' games in his The Greatest Ever chess tricks and traps (2008), which reprised some of the earlier material.

It is humorous to note that in his "Opening Lanes" column Lane wrote, after 5.Nxe5+, "I think anyone with good manners playing Black would now kindly ask their opponent if they wanted to take their move back" while in his book he changed this to "I think anyone with good manners playing Black would now go to another room to carry on laughing."

IM Lane was supportive of the Jerome Gambit in all of its goofiness, but that did not stop him from suggesting an improvement for Black.

Apropos the Banks Variation itself (i.e. playing 6.Qh5 in response to 5...Kf8), IM Lane noted in "The Good Old Days" that "6...Qe7 is a good alternative [to 6...Qf6 of Banks - Rees], because it stops the checkmate and protects the bishop on c5."

A few months later, 6...Qe7 was tested successfully in a GameKnot.com game, splott - mika76, 2008: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Kf8 6.Qh5 Qe7 7.Ng6+ hxg6 8.Qxh8 Qxe4+ 9.Kf1 Qd4 10.Ke1 Qxf2+ 11.Kd1 d6 12.h3 Qxg2 13.Re1 Qf3+ 14.Re2 Bf2 15.d3 Nd4 16.Nc3 Qh1+ 17.Kd2 Nf3 checkmate. Clearly White, the very-slightly-higher rated player, was taken aback by the move. I asked mika76 if he had been influenced by IM Lane's recommendation, but he said he had come up with the move himself.

6...Qf6 

This allows a combination that evens the game.

7.Nxd7+ Bxd7 8.Qxc5+ Qd6 

9.Qe3

The earlier game continued: 9.Qxd6+ cxd6 10.c3 Nf6 11.f3 Kf7 12.O-O Rhe8 13.d4 Kg8 14.Bf4 d5 15.e5 Nh5 16.Bg5 Nxe5 17.dxe5 Rxe5 18.Bc1 Bb5 19.Rd1 Rae8 20.Bd2 Re2 21.Na3 Bd3 22.Re1 Nf4 23.Rxe2 Nxe2+ 24.Kf2 Rf8 25.b4 Nf4 26.Bxf4 Rxf4 27.Ke3 Rh4 28.Kxd3 Rxh2 29.Rg1 Kf7 30.Nb5 Rh6 31.Re1 a6 32.Nd4 g6 33.a4 Rh2 34.g4 Ra2 35.a5 Ra3 36.Re5 Ra2 37.Rxd5 Rh2 38.Rd7+ Kf6 39.Rxb7 h5 40.gxh5 gxh5 41.Rb6+ Kg5 42.Rxa6 h4 43.Ne6+ Kf5 44.Ke3 Rc2 45.Nd4+ Black resigned, Banks,P - Rees,M, Halesowen v Lucas BS, 2003 

(* This title may now be held by Louis Morin or "Cliff Hardy" - good company, indeed.)

[to be continued]

The Honourable Jerome Gambit

Last year Andrew Smith, ThePawnSlayer at Chess.com asked those at that site 

"What is your favorite chess gambit opening?" 

He received 377 votes, and after counting up the votes he revealed 

"The Top 10 Most Popular Chess Gambits!"

 Now, I was not expecting the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) to score in the Top 10, especially given that

 Number 1 was the Queen's Gambit 

(I suspect Beth Harmon had a hand in that)

but I have to point out that the first "Honourable mention" mentioned was the Jerome Gambit - with a shocking 7 votes.

Smith gave credit to Canadian GM Aman Hambleton's video on the Jerome saying

"The video is truly hilarious"

(I agree) 

He also presented the game NN - Joseph H. Blackburne, casual game, London [1884]  to illustrate "this funny looking gambit".

To borrow from P.T. Barnum, George M. Cohan, W. C. Fields, Will Rogers,  Harry S Truman, Mark Twain, Mae West, Oscar Wilde, and likely a cast of others,   

I don't care what they print about the Jerome Gambit, as long as they spell its name right. 

Jerome would have wanted it that way. 

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.