Jerome Gambit: Site Birthday

 

Chessfriend Yury Bukayev reminded me that this blog recently celebrated its 13th birthday!

Yes, "Welcome!" was posted on June 10, 2008.

Tomorrow's post will be #3,335.

I am very thankful for the many, many Readers who have supported this blog by sending games, analysis, comments and encouragement.

It is my pleasure to continue to bring news - and history - about the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) & Jerome-related openings.

Again, thank you all.

Rick

Jerome Gambit: What Happens If...?

 

When I review games to post on this blog I try to ask the question "What happens if" someone plays - or neglects to play - a particular move? This is especially true when one move is pivotal for the outcome of the game.

I also like to build upon previous posts. For example, if you have read "Jerome Gambit: Blackburne's Ghost" you know that the game reached a certain point where I recommended a particular saving line of play for White. Without the necessary move, White stumbled and fell.

With that in mind, let's take a look at the following 3-minute, 2-second increment blitz game.

SensGuy - osnola2

3 2 blitz, lichess.org, 2020

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

 4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 d6 

We have reached Blackburne's defense, with the offer of a Rook, the acceptanceof which would lead to a complicated (but advantageous for the first player) game for White and Black.

Whistler's defense would offer the Rook a different way, 7...Qe7. 

8.Qxh8 Qh4 9.O-O 

As mentioned most recently in the notes to TePart0 - Vencedor96, 3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020 (0-1, 13), stronger is 9.d4. It is worth looking at "Jerome Gambit: It Helps to Be Prepared"

9...Nf6 10.Qd8 Bb6 

Black has worked to trap White's Queen, hoping to either attack it with his remaining Rook, or, if necessary, sacrifice the Rook. White's plan for escape was to play Qxc7, so Black's most recent move was designed to stop that eventuality.

Now 11.e5 dxe5 12.Qd3 is the way out. But, what happens if White misses that move?

11.d3 

Instead of sacrificing his e-pawn, however, White protects it.

Now Black can play the winning move 11...Bh3!, When White has only bad and worse choices. It is clear that 12.Qxa8 Qg4 will lead to checkmate, while 12.gxh3 - to stop the mate - simply loses the Queen to 12...Rxd8. "Best" is 12.Qxf6+ Kxf6 13.gxh3 Qxh3 when White would have a Rook, a Knight and a pawn for his Queen, but Black's strongly placed Queen and better development would clearly make him better.

However, as Savielly Tartakower argued, "No one ever won a game by resigning", so there is always hope.

11...Bxf2+ 

Somewhere, somehow, Black must have mixed up variations here, but it is difficult to see in what way.

12.Rxf2 Be6 13.Qxa8 Black resigned

Jerome Gambit: Errant Knights

The following Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game shows the difficulties Black can get into if his Knights do not know their proper responses for defense. Sometimes it is necessary to return material to ward off the attack.

DutchLiLi - DoctorChess333

3 0 blitz, 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 Ng6

This makes sense at a superficial level. The best move, however, was 8...Kc6, walking away from protecting the Knight.

9.Qd5+ Ke7 10.Qxc5+ d6 11.Qf2 Nh6 

 

The Knights are standing guard, but they do not prove effective in their work.

12.d4 Rf8 13.f5 Nh8 

The correct line of play again requires sacrifice, as Stockfish 13 shows: 13...Ke8 14.Bxh6 gxh6 15.0–0 Qh4 16.Qxh4 Nxh4 17.Nc3 Bxf5 18.exf5 Rxf5 19.Rxf5 Nxf5 and White has a small edge.

14.Bg5+ Black resigned

Jerome Gambit: Whistler's Ghost

The following Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game features a defense played successfully (twice) by Alonzo Wheeler Jerome against his own opening.

White starts off fine, but a defensive slip allows Black's counter-attack to achieve proportions usually seen in Whistler's defense.  

Intercrosse - laura_2701sibate

3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2021

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

 4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 

7.Qxe5 Qh4  

A very energetic move that can be easily met. Intercrosse has faced other ideas

7...Bd6 8.Qf5+ Qf6  White resigned, Intercrosse - zugzwwwang,blitz, lichess.org, 2020 9.Qg4 Nh6 10.Qe2 b6 11.O-O Bb7 12.d4 Bxh2+?! 13.Kxh2 Qh4+ 14.Kg1 Ng4 15.Bf4 g5 16.Bg3 Qh5 17.f3 Nf6 18.Nc3 Re8 19.Qd3 d6 20.Rae1 Qg6 21.Qc4 Re7 22.Nd5 Nxd5 23.exd5 Rxe1 24.Rxe1 Qf7 25.Re6 Kg7 26.Qe2 Qf5 27.Re7+ Kg6 28.Rxc7 Ba6 29.Qe7 White won on time, Intercrosse - ccrado, blitz, lichess.org, 2021; 

7...d6 8.Qc3 (8.Qf4+ 9.d4 Bxd4 10. O-O Be5 11.Qf3 Bg4 12.Qb3 Rb8 13.Bg5 h6 14.Bh4 g5 15.Bg3 Kg7 16.Nc3 Bxc3 17.Qxc3 Qe7 18.Rae1 Rbe8 19.f3 Be6 20.f4 gxf4?! 21.Bh4 Rhf8 22.Rxf4 Kg6 23.Re3 Qg7? 24.Rg3+ Ng4 25.Rfxg4+ Bxg4 26.Rxg4+ Kf7 27.Qxg7+ Ke6 28.Rg6+ Rf6 29.Qxf6+ [29.Bxf6 h5 30.Be5#] 29...Kd7 30.Rg7+ Re7 31.Qxe7+ Kc6 32.Qxc7+ Kb5 33.b4 Kxb4 34.Qxb7+  Kc3 35.Rc7+ Kd2 36.Qd5+ Ke3 37.g4 Kf4 38.e5 Kxg4 39.exd6 Kxh4 40.Rg7 Kh3 41.Qh5 checkmate, Intercrosse - Drunkpad, blitz, lichess.org, 2020) 8...Nf6 9.O-O Qe8 10.d4 Bb6 11.e5 Nd5 12.Qf3+ Qf7 13.Qe4 Bf5 14.Qh4 dxe5 15.dxe5 Re8 16.Be3 Rxe5 White resigned, Intercrosse - AAASHIRBAD, blitz,  lichess.org, 2021; and

7...Qe7 8.Qf5+ Nf6 9.O-O d6 10.Qf3 Ke8 11.c3 Rf8 12.d4 Bb6 13.Bg5 Qxe4?! 14.Qd1 (14.Qxe4+ Nxe4 15.Re1 d5 16.f3 h6 17.Bh4 g5 18.Bg3 c5 19.fxe4 cxd4 20.exd5+ Kd8 21.Kh1) 14...Qg6 15.Re1+ Kf7 16.Qb3+ d5 17.Bxf6 Bh3 18.Qxd5+ Black resigned, Intercrosse - pedroberto, blitz, lichess.org, 2021.

8.Qxc5+ d6 

Also, the classic 8...Ke8 9.d3 Nf6 10.Bg5 Qh5 11.O-O Qxg5 12.Qxg5 Kf7 13.Nc3 d6 14.f4 Rf8 15.Nd5 Kg8 16.f5 Nxd5 17 Rf3 Nf6 18.Rg3 h6 19.Qxh6 (19.Qxg7#) 19...Kf7 20.Rxg7+ Ke8 21.Re1 Bd7 22.e5 Black resigned, blackburne - brain50, JG3 thematic, ChessWorld.net, 2008.

9.Qxc7 

This pawn grab is playable, but safer and more solid was 9.Qe3.

9...Qxe4+ 

This was Black's idea. It shouldn't work.

Earlier, Intercrosse faced 9...Nf6 10.O-O Qxe4 11.d3 Qg6 12.Nd2 Bh3 13.Qxb7 Rb8 14.Qxb8+ Kf7 15.Qb7+ Kf8 16.Nf3 Nd7 17.Ne1 Nc5 18.Qd5  Ne6 19.Qxd6+ Kf7 20.c4 Rd8 21.Qc6 Nd4 22.Qc7+ Kg8 23.Qxd8+ Kf7 24.Qxd4 a5 25.c5 Bc8 26.c6 a4 27.Qd5+ Ke7 28.b3 axb3 29.Ba3+ Ke8 30.c7 h5 31.Qd8+ Kf7 32.Qxc8 Black resigned, Intercrosse - kaizerss, blitz, lichess.org, 2020. 

10.Kd1 

Probably played on reflex, but it changes the game from winning for White to winning for Black. Instead, 10.Kf1 helps blunt the attack, and Stockfish 13 suggests a further castle-by-hand for White, giving this line: 10...Bg4 11.Nc3 Qxc2 12.h3 Qd3+ 13.Kg1 Nf6 14.Kh2 Re8 15.b3 Bd7 16.Ba3 Kf7 17.Rhc1 Rc8 18.Qxd6 Qxd6+ 19.Bxd6 Rhe8 20.d3 Bc6 White has to work a bit, but he winds up ahead a couple of pawns.

Compare with a line arising from Whistler's defense: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Qe7 8.Qxh8 Qxe4+ 9.Kd1.

10...Qxg2 

This is strong enough, but there was already a checkmate with 10...Bg4+ 11.f3 Bxf3+ 12.gxf3 Qxf3+ 13.Ke1 Re8+ 14.Qe7+ Rxe7#  

11.Re1 Bg4+ 12.Re2 Qf1 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: Tactical Awareness

When playing the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) it is important to always be aware of tactics that might present themselves. In the following game, Black believes he has drained the game of danger, and he relaxes too early - and thus falls to a tactical shot.

TePart0 - sharmamohit

3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2021

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Bxf2+ 

Reader Alejandro Lizardi  calls this the "Counter-Jerome Defense". 

Black is willing to return his material advantage to get the Queens off of the board, winding up a pawn down.

White must be careful not to become distressed at the disappearance of his smashing, crashing attack. He has a solid pawn advantage to work with.

Black, in turn, must be careful not to become lax and inattentive.

8.Kxf2 Qf6+ 9.Qxf6+ Nxf6 

The Queens are gone.

10.d3 Rf8 11.Rf1 Kg7 12.Kg1 d6 

Both Black and White have castled-by-hand.

13.Nc3 c6 

Creating a weakness that White immediately pounces upon.

14.Bf4 Ne8 

Protecting the d-pawn, but overlooking something.

15.Bh6+ Black resigned

White will now be up a pawn and the exchange, making even easier for him to grind out a win.

Jerome Gambit: Blackburne's Ghost

 

We have looked at Blackburne's defense to the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) recently - see "Jerome Gambit: Distant Psychological Effects" and "Jerome Gambit: Not So Easy" - and the caution has been that play for both sides has is complicated, although not as powerful for Black as Blackburne's crush of the Jerome might have led you to believe.

Solving the challenges for each side while playing a 3-minute blitz game can be hazardous, and it is most likely that the players will see most deeply into the game - after it has been completed.

TePart0 - Vencedor96

3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 d6 

Blackburne's defense, which features the offer of a Rook. White's Queen can become trapped, and further attacking ideas can involve more sacrifice by Black.

8.Qxh8 Qh4 9.O-O

This move is sound, although the alternative, 9.d4, is stronger, as Stockfish 13 illustrates in one of its lines: 9...Bb4+ 10.c3 Bh3 (a typical Blackburnish move) 11.gxh3 Re8 12.O-O Nf6 13.Qxe8+ Kxe8 14.cxb4 Nxe4 15.Nc3 Nxc3 16.bxc3 Qxh3 17.Bf4 Kd7 18.Rae1 Qg4+ 19.Bg3 h5 20.f3 Qg5 21.f4 Qg4 22.f5 h4 23.f6 hxg3 24.f7 and White is clearly better. 

Check out "Jerome Gambit: It Helps to Be Prepared" for 9.d4 games and ideas.

9...Nf6 10.Qd8 

White's Queen seeks an exit from the back rank. Black can now impede that for a move by protecting the c-pawn with 10...Bb6, but after 11.e5 dxe5 12.Qd3 Her Majesty has escaped.

10...Bh3  

Great fun! Black offers a second Rook.

11.Qxc7+ 

White is not tempted. If 11.Qxa8 then 11...Qg4 would lead to checkmate, e.g. 12.g3 Qxe4 13.Qe8+ Nxe8 14.a3 Qg2#.

Of course, if 11.gxh3 then 11...Rxd8. 

The move in the game is enough to draw - with correct play on both sides - which is why the earlier option of 9.d4 might be preferred (with proper preparation).

11...Kg8

It makes a big difference which square Black's King retreats to. He will need an effective block to White's Queen check, and this move does not allow it.

Compare with 11...Kf8. White's plan at this point is to find a draw, and he has several paths

 

12.Qxb7 Bxg2! 13.Qxa8+ Ne8 (not 13...Kg7? because 14.Qb7+ Kh6 15.d3+ Kh5 16.Qg7 and Black is busted, e.g. 16...Bxf1 17.Qh6+ Kg4 18.Qh4+ Kxh3 19.Kxf1 when White is a Rook and three pawns ahead ) 14.Kxg2 and White is ahead so much material that Black must force the draw with 14...Qg4+ 15.Kh1 Qf3+ 16.Qg4+ etc.

12.gxh3 Qxh3 13.d3 and again, as in the note to the line above, Black is forced to find the draw 13...Qg4+ 14.Kh1 Qf3+ 15.Kg1 etc.

12.e5 Ne4 does not change things after 13.gxh3, when Black again has to pursue 13...Qxh3 14.d3 Qg4+ 15.Kh1 Qf3, etc.

Now White has two possible lines to pursue. Which should he take?

12.gxh3 

This move looks reasonable enough, but it should only lead to a draw.

Because Black does not have an effective block to White's coming Queen check (see note after two diagrams above), 12.Qxb7 is now strong, for example 12...Bxg2 13.Qxa8+ Kg7 (the King must flee as in the losing line after 11...Kf8, above, because he has no way of blocking the check) 14.Qb7+ Kh6 15.d3+ Kh5 16.Qg7 Bxf1 17.Qh6+ Kg4 18.Qxh4+ Kxh4 19.Kxf1 and White is better. 

If Black moves the Rook in response to 12.Qxb7, say with 12...Re8, White can count up material, see that he is the exchange and 4 pawns ahead, and go for 13.Qb3+ Be6 14.Qg3 putting an end to Black's attack on his King. 

12...Qxh3 13.Qxb7 

It is time for Black to split the point with 13...Qg4+ etc, but he has one more try, instead.

13...Ng4 

Now, White can still play for 3 results.

He can go after the draw with 14.Qxa8+ Kg7 15.Qb7+ Kf8 16.Qb8+ Ke7 17.Qc8+ Kd8, etc.

He can find the win by exchanging Queens 14.Qb3+ Qxb3 15.axb3 remaining a Rook and several pawns ahead.

He can show exhaustion at all of the variations that have been analyzed up to this point, and, even with about a minute left on his clock, turn over his King. 

The Jerome Gambit. A 3-minute game. A complicated variation.

White resigned

Jerome Gambit: Distant Psychological Effects

The following Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game illustrates one of the benefits of the opening: psychological impact, beyond the direct cognitive challenge of having to solve tactical and defensive challenges when prepared for only the "quiet game" (Giuoco Piano).

gabrielebattaglia - Rumle

5 2 blitz, lichess.org, 2021

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6

7.Qxe5 d6 

Blackburne's defense. It leads to a complicated game, where White should at least draw, but where Black has occasionally won brilliantly.

8.Qxh8 Qh4 

A quick peek at The Database shows 293 games with this position, with White scoring 56%. If White now plays the recommended 9.d4, there are 80 games with that position, and White's scoring has increased to 80%. It is worth checking out "Updating the Blackburne Defense" (Part 1 and Part 2).

9.O-O

We have seen this move recently, in "Jerome Gambit: Not So Easy". It is still quite playable. The Database shows 84 games with White scoring 68%.

9...Qxe4 

The pawn was there for the taking, but in doing so Black gives up a major plan in the Blackburne: lock in and threaten to win White's Queen.

Instead, 9...Nf6 was best, although then White has 10.Qd8 Bb6 (protecting the escape pawn at c7) 11.e5 dxe5 12.Qd3 and the Queen has escaped. 

10.Qxh7+ Kf8 11.Nc3  Nf6 

This doesn't work, because... 

It reminds me of a reflection by Vladimir Tukmakov in his Risk & Bluff in Chess, after looking at the game Shakhriyar Mamedyarov - Alexander Khuzman, Warsaw 2005

In this case, White's attempt to sharply change the position with a piece sacrifice was met poorly. But the decisive factor was the distant psychological effects of the action. The psychological stress undoubtedly has an influence on Black's condition. In addition, maintaining the status quo on the board required a great deal of time and strength.

Therefore it is not surprising that, having solved some serious problems, Alexander was eventually unable to cope with some relatively simple ones. The bluff used by Mamedyarov, as a lever with which to unbalance the position, proved an effective weapon. It did not lead to immediate success, but it nevertheless determined the final result.

12.Qh8+ Ng8 13.Nxe4 Black resigned