Jerome Gambit: Puzzle Pieces (Part 1)

 

The following game (and its notes) puts together several different Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) topics covered recently on this blog.

DutchLiLi - gureye

3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2021

Dan Middlemiss, a Jerome and Stafford Gambit afficonado, recently sent me a collection of over 100 Jerome Gambit games played at lichess.org by DutchLiLi.

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.b4 

This move had not received any analysis until Yury V. Bukayev considered it in "Jerome Gambit: Article". It is quite likely that a number of players were influenced by his work, as shown in the games below.

8...Ne7 

This is an interesting take on the "three-pieces-vs-the-Queen defense" that suffers from not having been worked out deep enough - not unusual for a 3-minute game.

At least three other moves deserve attention.

First there is 8...Bd4, apparently as yet unplayed, but rightly given attention by Bukayev, who points out that after 9.Nc3 (9.c3? Nd3+! 10.Kd1 Nxf2+ 11.Ke2 Nxh1 with the idea ...Ke7, Black wins, Bukayev;  or 9.Ba3 Bxa1 10.b5+ c5 Black wins, Bukayev) 9...Bxc3 10.dxc3 Qf6 Black wins.

Then there is 8...Bb6, which has been seen in several games - 

 9.c4 

Or 9.b5 c6 10.Ba3+ c5 11.d4 Qf6 12.dxe5+ Qxe5 13.Qxe5+ Kxe5 14.Bb2+ Kxe4 15.Bxg7 Ne7 16.Bxh8 d5 17.Nd2+ Kf5 18.O-O Be6 19.Bb2 d4 20.Rae1 Nd5 21.f4 Bc7 22.g3 Rg8 23.Kh1 Ne3 24.Rf2 Bd5+ 25.Kg1 h5 26.c3 h4 27.cxd4 hxg3 28.Rxe3 gxf2+ 29.Kxf2 Rg2+ 30.Ke1 cxd4 31.Bxd4 Bxf4 32.Re2 Rxe2+ 33.Kxe2 Bxa2 34.Bxa7 Bd5 35.Bg1 Kg4 36.Kd3 Bg2 37.Kc4 Kh3 38.Nb3 Bxh2 39.Bxh2 Kxh2 40.Nc5 Kg3 41.Nd7 Kf4 42.Kc5 kf5 43.Kb6 Ke6 44.Nc5+ Kd6 45.Nxb7+ Bxb7 46.Kxb7 Kd7 47.b6 Kd8 48.Kb8 Kd7 49.b7 Kc6 50.Kc8 Black resigned, DutchLiLi - El_7awy, lichess.org, 2021; 

or 9.f4 Ng6 10.Bb2 N8e7 11.e5+ Kd5 12.c4+ Kxc4 13.Na3+ Kxb4 14.Qe4+ Ka5 15.Bc3+ Ka6 16.Qa4+ Black resigned, konrad149 - jeantomasia, lichess.org, 2020; 

or 9.d4 Qe7 10.dxe5+ Qxe5 11.Bf4 (11.Qf8+ Qe7 12.Qf4+ Kc6 13.a3 d6 14.Nc3 Be6 15.Bb2 Rf8 16.Qd2 Bxf2+ 17.Ke2 Bb6 18.Raf1 Nf6 19.Kd1 Bc4 20.Nd5 Nxd5 21.exd5+ Kd7 22.Re1 Qh4 23.g3 Qg4+ 24.Kc1 Re8 25.Kb1 a5 26.Qc3 axb4 27.Qxg7+ Qxg7 28.axb4 Rhg8 29.Rxe8 Qg4 30.Bg7 Rxe8 31.Be5 Qe4 32.Bf4 Qxd5 33.Rc1 Qb5 34.c3 Qa4 35.Kb2 Qa2 checkmate, Go_Move-NagmusGarlsen, lichess.org, 2020) 11... Ne7 Black resigned, BenoneG - chessfan1, lichess.org, 2018 - a transposition from an Evans Gambit declined!; 

or 9.Ba3 Qf6 10.b5+ Bc5 11.Bxc5+ Kxc5 12.d4+ Kxd4 13.Qh3 Kc5 14.Qa3+ Kb6 15.Nc3 c6 16.bxc6 dxc6 17.Rb1+ Kc7 18.Nb5+ cxb5 19.Qc5+ Nc6 Black won on time, francopobbio - Penjafil, lichess.org, 2021; 

9...c5? 

better 9...Nd3+ 10. Ke2 Nxc1+ 11. Rxc1 Qf6 12.c5+ Ke7 13.Qxf6+ Nxf6 14.cxb6 cxb6 15.Nc3 d6 16.d4 Bd7 17.e5 dxe5 18.dxe5 Ne8 19.Nd5+ Ke6 20.Nc7+ Nxc7 21.Rxc7 Rhg8 22.f4 Bc6 23.Rd1 Rad8 24.Rxd8 Rxd8 25.Rxg7 Rd7 26.Rg5 Kd5 27.Ke3 Rc7 28.a3 Kc4 29.f5 Kd5 30.e6 Ke5 31.g4 Be8 32.Rg8 Bb5 33.h4 h5 34.gxh5 Kxf5 35.h6 Kxe6 36.Rg7 Rxg7 37.hxg7 Kf7 38.Kd4 Kxg7 39.Kd5 Bc6+ 40.Kd6 b5 41.Kc7 a6 42.Kb6 Kh6 43.Kc5 Kh5 44.Kb6 Kxh4 45.Kc7 Kg4 46.Kb6 Kf4 47.Kc5 Ke4 48.Kb6 Kd3 49.Kc5 Kc3 50.Kb6 Kb3 Black won on time, NklsLnnrt - MarceloIgnacio, lichess.org, 2020; 

or 9...Bd4!? 

10.Bb2 Qf6 11.Qh3 Nf3+ 12.Qxf3 Qxb2 13.O-O Qxa1 $2 14.Nc3 Qb2 15.Qf8+ (15.Qf7 $5 a6 16.Qxg7 Qxb4 17.Nd5 Qxd2 18.Qxh8 Ba5 19.Qxh7 Qd4 20.Qxg8 Qxe4 $15) 15...Kc7 16.Qxg7 cxb4 17.Nd5+ Kd6 18.Qxb2 Ne7 19.Qxh8 Nxd5 20.exd5 Kc5 21.d4+ Kxc4 22.Rc1+ Kxd5 23.Rxc8 Rxc8 24.Qxc8 Bxd4 25.Qxb7+ Kc4 26.Qxd7 a5 27.Qxh7 Bc3 28.Qc2 a4 29.Qxa4 Kd3 30.Qb3 Ke2 31.h4 Kd3 32.g4 Ke4 33.g5 Kf5 34.Qd5+ Kg4 35.g6 Kxh4 36.Qe4+ Kh5 37.f4 Kh6 38.f5 Kg7 39.Kg2 Kf6 40. Qe6+ Kg5 41.Kf3  Kh6 42.Qf7 Kg5 43.f6  Bxf6 Black won on time, DutchLiLi - edeangelis, lichess.org, 2021

Finally there is 8...Bxb4 9.O-O 

Or 9.f4 Ng6 (9...Ke7 10.fxe5 d6 11.Qf4 Ke8 12.Bb2 Qe7 13.O-O dxe5 14.Bxe5, Bukayev; or 9...Qf6?? 10.fxe5+ Qxe5 11.Qxe5+ Kxe5 12.Bb2+, Bukayev) 10 c3 (10.Qd5+ Ke7 11.f5 Nf6 12.Qc4 c5 13.fxg6 hxg6 14.O-O d6 15.c3 Ba5 16.d4 Bb6 17.e5 dxe5 18.dxe5 Nd5 19.Bg5+ Nf6 20.exf6+ gxf6 21.Bxf6+ Kd7 22.Bxd8 Rxd8 23.Rd1+ Kc6 24.Rxd8 Bxd8 25.Nd2 Bf6 26.Ne4 b6 27.Nxf6 Bf5 28.Qd5+ Black resigned, DutchLiLi - chessgenius71, lichess.org, 2019; or 10.Bb2, Bukayev) 10...N8e7 11.e5+ Kc6 12.Qe4+ d5 13.exd6+ Kxd6 14.cxb4 Bf5 15.Qxb7 Qb8 16.Qa6+ Qb6 17.Qa3 Rhe8 18.b5+ Kd7 19.Nc3 Nd5+ 20.Kd1 Ndxf4 21.Rf1 Bd3 22.Rf3 Qg1+ White resigned, DutchLiLi - Robmy, lichess.org, 2020;

or 9.c3? Nd3+! (9...Ba5 10.Ba3+ c5 11.Bxc5+ Kxc5 12.Qxe5+ Kb6 13.Qd6+ Kb5 14.a4+ Kc4 15.Qd4+ Black resigned, D Y Mills - NN, casual game, Edinburg, 1899) 10.Kd1 Qf6!? 11.Qd5+ Ke7 12.Qxd3 Bc5 Black wins, Bukayev) 

9...Qf6 10.Qh3 Ke7 11.c3 d5 12.Qe3 Ng4 13.Qe1 Bc5 14.exd5+ Kd8 15.d4 Bxd4 16.cxd4 Qxd4 17.Bg5+ N8f6 18.Nd2 h6 19.Nf3 Qb6 20.Bxf6+ Nxf6 21.Ne5 Rf8 22.Rb1 Qd6 23.Nc4 Qf4 24.Qc3 Ng4 25.g3 Qf6 {26.Qxf6+ Nxf6 27.Ne3 b6 28.Rbc1 Bb7 29.d6 cxd6 30.Nf5 Kd7 31.Nxg7 Ng4 32.f4 Ne3 33.Rfe1 Rae8 34.f5 Re7 35.Ne6 Rxf5 36.Rc7+ Kxe6 37.Rxe3+ Re5 38.Rxe7+ Kxe7 39.Rc3 Rc5 40.Re3+ Re5 41.Rd3 Rd5 42.Rxd5 Bxd5 43.a3 Be6 44.Kf2 Bd7 45.Ke3 Bc6 46.Kd4 Kf6 47.Kc4 Ke6 48.Kd4 Kf6 49.Ke3 Ke6 50.h4 Kf6 51.Kf4 Ke6 52.g4 Kf6 53.Kg3 Kg6 54.Kf4 Kf6 55.Kg3 Kg6 56.Kf2 Kf6 57.Ke3 Kg7 58.Kd3 Kf7 59.g5 Kg6 60.gxh6 a6 61.h7 Kh6 62.h8=Q+ Kg6 63.Qc8 Kf6 64.Qc7 Ke6 Black won on time, DutchLiLi - mclukito, lichess.org, 2020 

The problem with the text in the game is that there are too many pieces hanging, while White's Queen is active and Black's King is in danger.

9.bxc5+ Kc6 10.Qxe5 

10...d6 11.cxd6 cxd6 12.Qc3+ Kd7 13.Qxg7 Black resigned

White is ahead three pawns, and Black has no compensation for the material. 

Jerome Gambit: It Is Best to Go All In

 

In the following Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game, Black enters into the complicated and dangerous attacking  "Nibs" variation, only to decide to then retreat his Queen for safety reasons.

The result is as might be expected.

 

SensGuy - vosloo_choppist

2 1 bullet, lichess.org, 2021

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+  

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Qh4+ 9.g3 Nf3+ 10.Kd1 

This is a complicated position - The Database has 33 games, with White scoring 59% - although the computer clearly prefers Black. Generally you don't get here on a whim.

However, Black now has second thoughts - about the way I feel when a roller coaster reaches the top of the first hill...

10...Qe7 11.Qd5 checkmate

BSJG: Reaching Too Far

 

The following Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit is a good example of the defender over-reaching. 

First, rather than play a regular Italian Game, he tries the Blackburne Shilling Gambit.

Then, he underestimates the Jerome Gambit version of the BSG.

Finally, he makes a grab for a "free" Rook that turns out to be anything but free.

It cannot be much of a surprise that he lasts an unlucky 13 moves.

JefferyLu1 - Andymurray2811

3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2021

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 

The Blackburne Shilling Gambit. White has a number of reasonable replies, including 4.Nxd4, 4.d3, 4.c3 and 4.0-0.

What Black is really hoping is that White will play 4.Nxe5, so he can respond with 4...Qg5 and complications. In a 3-minute game, that just might work.

4.Bxf7+ 

Applying the Jerome remedy, however: the Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Nxg6 hxg6 8.Qxg6+ 

Declining the Rook - he could have tried entering the wild position after 8.Qxh8 Nxc2+ 9.Kc1 Nxa8 10.Qxg8 Qg5.

White must have something planned. Black should be wary.

8...Ke7 9.d3 Nxc2+ 

A free Rook!

Black is much more interested in being a Rook and two pieces up than in exploring the more reasonable 9...Ne6 10.Bg5+ Nxg5 11.Qxg5+ Nf6 12.e5 Kf7 13.exf6 d5  when White would wind up with 3 or 4 pawns for his sacrificed piece.

10.Kd1 Nxa1 

It is interesting that Stockfish 13, which has little appreciation for the Jerome Gambit, suggests that instead of the text, Black "allow" White to reach a draw by repetition, 10...Bh6 11.Kxc2 Qf8 12.Bxh6 Nxh6 13.Qg5+ Ke8 14.Qe5+ Kd8 15.Qg5+ etc.

I don't know that White would be interested in a draw. I have seen in many club games that the extra pawns are at least equal to the enemy's extra piece, despite what computers tend to say. 

11.Bg5+ Nf6 12.Qxf6+ Ke8 13.Qg6 checkmate

Pretty.

Jerome Gambit: Box Load of Fun

Dan Middlemiss sent me over 100 Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) games played on lichess.org by DutchLiLi, someone who really seems to enjoy the opening.

This has provided me an opportunity to see what lines DutchLiLi likes, and what success they have brought. The following game is a good illustration.

DutchLiLi - winielicaballero

3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

7.Qxc5 d6 8.Qb5 

This move - which poses the question, Can Black develop his light square Bishop at the cost of the b-pawn? - is a favorite of DutchLiLi's. He has scored 25 - 13 - 4 (64%) with it, which is pretty convincing.

8...Nf6 9.d3 Re8 10.Qb3+ Be6 11.Qxb7 Bd5 

Black has a sharp retort to the pawn capture, and has to have been a bit scary considering the time control - 3-minute blitz - but White keeps his compusure.

12.Qb4 Nxe4 

Nice.

13.O-O Rb8 14.Qa3 

White's Queen's excursion seems to have been a bit costly, but there are still too factors that are on the first player's side.

14...Nxf2 

Here is the first: the position remains complicated, something which favors the player more familiar and comfortable with the opening. 

Instead of the text, Stockfish 13 recommends the not-so-exciting repositioning of the Knight with 14...Ng5.

15.Nc3 

Strong enough to give White a slight advantage.

15...Qh4 

How can this not be a win for Black? At least that must have been what Black was thinking, even if the clock limited the depth of his analysis.

The computer's suggestion is interesting: 15...Bxg2!? 16.Kxg2 Re1!? (planning to draw after 17.Rxe1 Nh4+ 18.Kxf2 Qf5+) 17.Qa5 (hoping to get the Queen back into play, but Black brings about an even endgame ) Rxf1 18.Kxf1 Ng4 19.Qd5+ Kf8 20.Qf5+ Qf6 21.Qxf6+ Nxf6.  

16.Qxa7 

Brash, but he can get away with it.

16...Qg4 

Might as well. The mundane 16...Bb7 would allow 17.Qxf2+ clarifying things. But the text is a slip.

17.Nxd5 

And here White's second advantage played out: he won on time

Jerome Gambit: It Helps to Be Scary

When it comes to chess openings, it helps to be good.

When it comes to the Jerome Gambit and its relatives, if you can't be good, it helps to be scary.

Witness the following game.

Robepersky - JoeCee

3 5 blitz, FICS, 2021

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 

The Semi-Italian opening.

4.O-O Nf6 5.Bxf7+ 

One of the variations I call "impatient Jerome Gambits" because White cannot wait for ...Bc5 before sacrificing. The value of having that piece developed - say, after 5.Nc3 Bc5 - is that it often becomes a target for attack or capture.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 

In this blitz game, Black has two extra pieces, while White has two extra pawns.

Way back in "But – Is this stuff playable?? (Part I)" I shared some of Grandmaster Nigel Davies' wisdom from his book Gambiteer I (2007)

Having examined literally thousands of club players’ games over the years, I have noticed several things:

1) The player with the more active pieces tends to win.
2) A pawn or even several pawns is rarely a decisive advantage.
3) Nobody knows much theory.
4) When  faced with aggressive play, the usual reaction is to cower.

7...Ng6 8.e5 Nh7 9.Qf3+ Kg8 10.Qd5 checkmate

We have seen different forms of this "Queen checkmates the cowering King" before. 

Risk & Bluff in Chess

 

I have been reading GM Vladimir Tukmakov's Risk & Bluff in Chess The Art of Taking Calculated Risks. Like GM David Smerdon's The Complete Chess Swindler: How to Save Points from Lost Positions and IM Cyrus Lakdawala's Winning Ugly in Chess Playing Badly is No Excuse for Losing it is not an easy book but it has some interesting insights that can be applied to games with the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+).

In the Conclusion of Chapter 2 - Bluff in the Opening, he writes

What is meant by opening bluff in today's chess? Most often, it is when, in preparing for a concrete game with a concrete opponent, the player decides on an extremely risky continuation, in full awareness of the possible consequences... One is reminded of Anna Akhmatova's lines: 'If only you knew what trash gives rise / To verse, without a tinge of shame.'*

...[O]pportunities for computer preparation are now available not just to the world's top players, but to any amateur who is not afraid of technological progress. As a result, it is much more difficult now to surprise an opponent. On the other hand, if you do manage to catch someone out, the effect of the surprise is all the greater. After all, the opponent has the same information sources and databases available to you,** so he can see the same moves and the same computer assessments of the resulting positions. Consequently, the first reaction to a surprise in the opening is usually the standard one: 'I have probably looked at this, but have forgotten it'. However, once it proves impossible to drag anything up from the memory, the panic starts. No doubt the opponent has penetrated the secrets of the position omore deeply than you, and he is armed to the teeth against every possible continuation and remembers every variation perfectly. Meanwhile, you are forced, like a blind man, to grope around for the correct continuation, which the opponent already knows...   

*I Have No Use For Odic Legions

I have no use for odic legions,
Or for the charm of elegiac play
For me, all verse should be off kilter
Not the usual way.

If only you knew what trash gives rise
To verse, without a tinge of shame,
Like bright dandelions by a fence,
Like burdock and like cocklebur.

An angry shout, the bracing smell of tar,
Mysterious mildew on the wall…
And out comes a poem, light-hearted, tender,

To your delight and mine. 

** Of course, you do have access to this blog, and The Database, and likely your opponent does not.

The Jerome Gambit but 100% more dubious

A recent post by CheseyCh3ss to Chess.com shares the dramatic setting that led to the creation of what he calls the "C- Variation" of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+). He also presents some personal analysis of the interesting line: "The Jerome Gambit but 100% more dubious"

Of course, Cricket7890 had to respond with his own creation, the "Bongcloud Attack" in the Jerome Gambit.

Which was met by Yigor's countergambit to the "Bongcloud Attack".

Which was met by Cricket7890's "Jerome Gambit: Bongcloud, Yigor, King Attack"

CheseyCh3ss was looking at 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.b4!?

Which is all very interesting, as long as Readers remember the blog post "Jerome Gambit: Article" by Yury V. Bukayev, which we published 9 months ago, in August, 2020.