Jerome Gambit: Stockfish 12 Defeats Magnus Carlsen's Jerome Gambit?!

It has happened before.

Very early in the life of this blog I was taken in by a reference to the book "All or Nothing! The Jerome Gambit" by Chiam Schmendrick. I searched, but of course could not find the text, as neither it nor its author existed. 

Years later, I tried to track down a game that Alexander Alehine supposedly played, defending against the Jerome Gambit. Nothing.

Early last year I was trying to find the truth of the allegation in a newspaper chess column that Wilhelm Steinitz had lost to the Jerome Gambit the first time that he had faced it. Again, nothing.

Of course, I once did find a newspaper report of Emanuel Lasker's simultanous exhibition, where it was reasonably reported that he defeated a club player's Jerome Gambit, even if the game score was absent.

So, I was a bit unsure when I received the following email

Found this game from today before it was deleted off of Carlsen's page. Found it very instructional and interesting that stockfish 12 decided to go with the Jerome Gambit. Was wondering if you could write about it on your blog.

Well...

Let's suspend disbelief for a moment or two, and check out the game. Couldn't hurt, right?

The idea of the computer program being given "Jerome Gambit" odds by the World Champion is quite intriguing. 

Carlsen vs Stockfish 12
Chess.com, 2021

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

 

I am shocked to find the Jerome Gambit in Carlsen's opening repertoire, but he does like to explore unusual openings...

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 

Solid and sensible. You don't have to know much about the Jerome to make this choice. It might even be in Stockfish 12's book.

7.Qxe5 Qe7 

Alonzo Wheeler Jerome used this line to win two correspondence games from Daniel Jaeger in 1880. 

8.Qf4+ Nf6 9.d3 

A bit odd. I gave the game to my Stockfish 12, and with a minute per move in "blunder check" mode, it chose 9.Nc3. In fact, when given the position after move 8 and set to "infinite analysis" it immediately chose 9.Nc3 and did not waver.

I don't know what time control the game was played at but it had to be quite fast for Carlsen to "overlook" the best move.

9...Kf7

Practical and cautious. White's best move is not taking the pawn at c7, so this might be another reason for Black's choice.  

10.Qxc7

For the record, according to The Database this is a novelty, if not a particularly good one. Definitely not world class.

10...a6 11.f4 

This is the kind of Jerome-ish move that I would make, but it's a blunder. My version of Stockfish 12 again finds 11.Nc3 instantaneously. Strange. 

Is this the "Play Magnus" software, set to an early age?

11...Ng4 

My skepticism rises. Stockfish 12 overlooks 11...Nxe4!? ?

12.f5 Qh4+ 13.g3 Qe7 14.h3 Nf2 

15.O-O 

Cute - and foolish, what they call "castling into it". Perhaps he could hold on with 15.Rh2.This is beginning to look like a "banter blitz" game where White is wandering off topic to discuss his suggestions for the Fornyings- og administrasjonsdepartementet.

15...Nxd3+ 

Stronger was 15...Nxe4+, but it doesn't matter, as White steps into a forced checkmate.

16.Kg2 Qxe4+ 17.Kh2 Qe2+ 18.Kh1 Qxf1+ 19.Kh2 Qg1 checkmate

I'm always interested in seeing Jerome Gambit games, but I'm still a bit suspicious about the provenance of this one. More evidence, please.

Jerome Gambit: Crazyhouse

Thanks to this Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) blog, every day I learn something new.

Recently I received an email from Hüseyn Əkbərov, who has tried out playing a Jerome-inspired opening in the "crazyhouse" chess variant at lichess.org.

Here is some starting information about Crazyhouse that I found at Wikipedia:

All the rules and conventions of standard chess apply, with the addition of drops, as explained below.

A captured piece reverses color and goes to the capturing player's reserve, pocket or bank. At any time, instead of making a move with a piece on the board, a player can drop a piece from their reserve (a piece in there is considered “held” or “in hand”) onto an empty square on the board.

Let's look at short game.

Nyes - aylinal

10 0 crazyhouse, lichess.org, 2021

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 

The Semi-Italian opening.

4.Bxf7+ 

One of the variations I have referred to as an "impatient Jerome Gambit" as White sacrifices the Bishop before Black plays ...Bc5.

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

7.P@f5+  

Instead of moving a piece, White drops a captured pawn - that has changed sides - onto the f5 square.

7...Kd6  8.P@c5+  

Again, instead of moving a piece, White drops a captured pawn - that has changed sides - onto the c5 square.

8...Kxc5  9.f6  Qxf6 10.d4 Kxd4  

11.Be3+  Kxe4  12.Nc3 checkmate

Very interesting!

(By the way, Stockfish 12 has been modified at lichess.org in order to analyze crazyhouse. I haven't added its annotations to this game, but I have to mention that its recommendation for Black on move 6 was to drop a Knight - captured from White, changing colors - onto g6.)

 

Jerome Gambit: Interesting Checkmates

It is fun to play over exciting Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) and Jerome-inspired games. It can be even more fun to look at the interesting checkmates they produce. Here are a few recent ones.

This one took only 17 moves

ReflectionOfPower - Jonfern, lichess.org, 2021

Here is another that seems almost peaceful. RIP.

jbrokenleg - ariz1915, Chess.com, 2021

There's a bit of humor and conciseness in the next one.

Zlaati - Carlohln, Chess.com, 2021

This one is a bit odd for a Jerome Gambit - can you see why?

karlconroy - norfolk and good, DailyChess, 2020

Jerome Gambit: A Trip Down Memory Lane (Part 2)

 [continued from previous post]

Gamophobe - shatrunj646

15 10 blitz, lichess.org, 2021

9...Nd4 

Black threatens the brutal Knight fork of King, Queen and Rook, forcing White's Knight to go to a3, instead of being able to support his e-pawn with Nc3. As we will see, there are some tactical tricks involved, but probably 9...Nf6 was better in the long run.

10.Na3 Re8 

Pressuring the e-pawn. The problem with 10...Qxa3, removing the defender and planning to fork the Queen and King, is that White's recapture is with check, 11.Qxa3+ (stronger than 11.Qxd4).

11.d3 Nf6 

Now White could answer 11...Qxa3 with 12.Qf4+ (again, stronger than 12.Qxd4), disrupting the planned fork.

12.f3 

Some times in the Jerome Gambit White's pawns race forward to spearhead an attack. Other times, they patiently build a fortress, and challenge Black: You are better developed, why don't you attack?

There is not a lot of attack available for the second player right now, however. He might as well try 12...Qxa3 13.Qxd4 Qd6 where each player has let go of an ineffective piece.

12...b5 

Targeting the wayward Knight, but the plan does not work.

13.O-O b4 14.Nc4 Nxc2 

This is the fork that he has been threatening, but it involves a miscalculation.

15.Nxd6 Nxe3 16.Nxe8 Nxf1 17.Nxf6 gxf6 18.Kxf1 

White has a 2 pawn advantage. The Bishops-of-opposite-colors endgame - once the Rooks leave the board - would be a challenge to draw.

18...Bb5 19.Ke2 Kf7 20.a4 Ba6 21.Be3 Rd8 22.Rd1 Rd7 23.Bxa7 c6 24.Bc5 b3 25.Ke3 Ke6 26.d4 f5 

Black has to keep playing; perhaps the clock will be his friend?

27.g4 fxg4 28.fxg4 Rg7 29.d5+ cxd5 30.exd5+ Kd7 31.h3 h5 

Following the advice: When you are ahead, exchange pieces; when you are behind, exchange pawns - but White will soon have 3 passed pawns, and winning slowly is still winning.

32.Rg1 Bc4 33.Kd4 Be2 34.g5 Rg6 35.h4 Ra6 

Black can grab both Rook pawns, but it would not stop a third pawn from promoting.

36.g6 Rxa4+ 37.Ke5 Bg4 

Shielding the g-pawn from the protection of its Rook.

38.g7 Ra8 39.Bf8 

Cute: the Bishop shields the pawn from the enemy Rook's attack, allowing it to Queen.

39...Re8+ 40.Kf4 Black resigned 

Nice, solid work bringing home the full point.

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