Jerome Gambit: More GMHikaruOnTwitch

In the following 3 0 blitz Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game, it is interesting to see Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura (see "Jerome Gambit: GM Hikaru Nakamura Again") take on a complicated line (that I really don't have a fix for, yet). That's the way it goes with the Jerome - sometimes you don't always need a "fix", you just need to outplay your opponent in a line that you are more familiar with - while the clocks are ticking.

GMHikaruOnTwitch - Mrkooshaj

3 0 blitz, Chess.com, 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 Qf6 9.fxe5+ Qxe5 10.Qxe5+ Kxe5 

11.b4 

The most dynamic try. It is always useful to visit the post "Jerome Gambit: Article" (this analytical article by Yury V. Bukayev was published before the blitz game Nakamura - Kollars, 3 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2020 was played) for related ideas. 

Also seen in the arena was the more sedate 11.d3, i.e. 11...d5 12.c3 Bb6 13.exd5 (13.d4+ Kxe4? 14.Rf1 +/=) 13...Kxd5 14.d4 c5 15.dxc5 Bxc5 16.Nd2 Bg4 17.h3 Re8+ 18.Kf1 Be2+ 19.Ke1 Bh5+ 20.Kf1 Nh6 21.g4 Rhf8+ 22.Kg2 Re2+ 23.Kg3 Bf2+ 24.Kg2 Bh4+ 25.Kg1 Re1+ 26.Kh2 Rf2 checkmate, Damwon - GMHikaruOnTwitch, 3 0 blitz, Chess.com 2021. 

11...Bd4 

Taking the pawn is not a good idea, 11...Bxb4 12.Bb2+ Kxe4 13.Bxg7 Ne7 14.Bxh8 d6 15.O-O Kd5 16.a3 Bc5+ 17.d4 Kc6 18.dxc5 Kxc5 19.Nc3 Kc6 20.Rf7 Nd5 21.Nxd5 Kxd5 22.Rf8 b6 23.Re1 Bb7 24.Rxa8 Bxa8 25.Re7 Kc6 26.Rxh7 Bb7 27.Rh4 Kd7 28.Rh7+ Kc6 29.h4 d5 30.h5 Kd6 31.h6 c5 32.Rxb7 Black resigned, GMHikaruOnTwitch - Thechesskid2021, 3 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2021. 

The alternative 11...Bb6 can go two ways after 12.Bb2+. As we have seen above, 12...Kxe4 is a mistake thst would be met by 13.Bxg7, while12...Bd4 13.c3 Bb6 leaves White two tempii up on the 11...Bb6 line, although it is not clear that placing his Bishop on b2 is helpful.  

The relaxed 11...Bf8 only appears once in The Database, but is certainly playable, as in BoomBoomTNT - YT-123456789010chess, Chess.com, 2020 (1-0, 21). 

12.c3 Bb6 13.d4+ 

Instead, 13.d3 was the choice in a couple of older computer vs computer games - Zarkov 4.70 - DrunkenMaster 1.2/PC Intel Pentium 4 630 3000 1, 2009 (1/2 - 1/2, 94) and Matacz CCT7 - Imp 0.74b, CCT7, 2005, (0-1, 55). 

13...Kxe4 

The capture is playable, although retreating the King is the safest strategy, eg. 13...Ke6 14.0-0 d6 15.Nd2 Bd7 16.Nf3 h6 17.Bd2 Nf6 18.Rae1 Bb5 19.Rf2 Ng4 20.e5 Nxf2 21.exd6+ Kxd6 22.Bf4+ Kd5 23.Re5+ Kc4 24.Kxf2 Rae8 25.Nd2+ Kxc3 26.Rxb5 Rhf8 27.Kg3 Rxf4 28.Kxf4 Kxd2 29.Re5 Rf8+ 30.Ke4 Rf2 31.g3 Rxh2 32.Re6 Re2+ 33.Kd5 Rxe6 34.Kxe6 Bxd4 White resigned, simonsah2004 - GMHikaruOnTwitch, 3 0 blitz, Chess.com 2021.

14.Nd2+ 

Going after the King right away.

Interestigly enough, the grandmaster's opponent, in another game, tried the somewhat stronger 14.O-O Nf6 15.Bg5 d6 16.Nd2+ Kd3 17.Rf3+ Kc2 18.Nc4 Black resigned, Mrkooshaj - GMHikaruOnTwitch, 3 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2021. That was Nakamura's only loss against the Jerome. 

14... Kf5 15.O-O+ Kg6 16.Nf3 d6 

Black's King has escaped homeward, but he needs to continue to be careful.

17.Nh4+ Kh5 

Black is not intimidated.

18.Rf7 Kxh4 19.Rxg7 h6 20.Be3 Nf6 21.Rf1 Ng4 

22.Bd2 Be6 23.Rf4 Rhf8 24.Re4 Bf5

Precisely the blunder he had been expecting.

25.Be1+ Kh5 26.h3 Nf6 

Black refuses to admit that the game has evened up, as 26...Rae8 27.hxg4+ Bxg4 28.Rgxg4 would show.

In doing so, he overlooks White's reply.

27.Rh4 checkmate

Against the Jerome Gambit: GMHikaruOnTwitch

As interested as I was in seeing how GM Hikaru Nakamura would play the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) I was also interested in how he would react to it. (See "Jerome Gambit: GM Hikaru Nakamura Again")

The following 3 0 blitz game is his shortest encounter as a "defender". Watch as one of the world's best blitz player takes on an opponent rated about 1,000 points below him...💀

lc6O-1 - GMHikaruOnTwitch

3 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2021 

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6 Qh5+ Kf8 

7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qf4+ Qf6 9.Qg3 Qg6 

The Grandmaster has two ideas here. He offers to exchange Queens, which will only improve his material advantage - while reducing what is left of White's attack. He also targets White's Kingside.

10.Qf4+ 

Perhaps he should have played 10.Nc3 directly.

10...Nf6 11.Nc3 

Possibly overlooking the fact that Black can attack, too. He could have tried 11.O-O instead. 

Things are about to get ugly.

11...Qxg2 12.Rf1 

Only a computer would recommend 12.d3 Qxh1+ instead of this move, or  Resigns.

12... Bh3 13. Ke2 Qxf1+ 14.Kf3 Qxf2 checkmate

Ow.

Jerome Gambit: GMHikaruOnTwitch

A couple of months ago I mentioned (see "Jerome Gambit: GM Hikaru Nakamura Again") a YouTube video of GM Nakamura playing - and playing against - the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) in 3 0 blitz games, online. I have taken a closer look at those battles, and found a number of them to be quite interesing.

It is clear that the grandmaster was playing the games for the entertainment of his viewers. Still, it is useful to have an insight into how a top player makes his way through the encounters. Especially since Nakamura scored 17 - 1 with the white pieces, and 17 - 1 with the black pieces.

Although GM Nakamura is a top blitz player, it is useful to note that he was playing against some relatively strong opposition.

While playing the Jerome Gambit with white, his opposition averaged 2149 (high 2718, low 1583).

While playing against the Jerome Gambit, his opposition averaged 2225 (high 2716, low 1918)

His own rating averaged 2997 with white and 2993 with Black.

(Does this mean that the GM actually underperformed and maybe should have only yielded a couple of draws? For interesting reading, check out "The Elo rating system - correcting the expectancy tables")

Curiously, the average length of a game when GM Nakamura played as White was 33 moves, as Black only 23 moves.

We can start off by looking at the shortest game that Nakamura played as White, uncharacteristically decided by a couple of blitz errors.

GMHikaruOnTwitch - 1c6O-1

3 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2021

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

7.f4 Qf6 8.Rf1 Ne7 

This move does not, as Fritz says, "get the bull off the ice". Probably best is 8...d6, but that move is not easy to find (or appreciate). Two other games

8...g6 9.Qh3+ Ng4 10.Qxg4+ Kf7 11.Nc3 d6 12.Qg3 Ne7 13.d3 Bb4 14.Bd2 Bd7 15.O-O-O a5 16.Kb1 a4 17.e5 Qf5 18.Ne4 Bxd2 19.Rxd2 d5 20.Nc5 (20.e6!?) b6 21.Nxd7 Qxd7 22.Qg5 Qf5 23.Qh4 h5 24.h3 a3 25.b3 c5 26.Re2 Ke6 27.Rfe1 Nc6 28.Qf6+? Kd7 29.Qd6+ Ke8 30.Qxc6+ Qd7 31.Qxa8+ Qd8 32.Qxa3 c4 33.dxc4 dxc4 34.Qd6 Qxd6 35.exd6+ Kd7 36.Re7+ Kxd6 37.R1e6+ Kc5 38.Re8 cxb3 39.axb3 Black resigned, GMHikaruOnTwitch - Kgn1111, 3 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2021; and 

8...Nh6 9.Nc3 c6 10.d3 d6 11.fxe5 Qxe5 (11...Qg6) 12.Qh4 (12.Bg5) Bb4 (12...Kd7) 13.Bd2 Kd7 14.O-O-O Kc7 15.Bf4 (15.a3) Qe6 16.d4 Bd7 17.d5 Qg6 (17...Qg4) 18.dxc6 bxc6 19.Qe7 (19.a3) Rae8 20.Qh4 Ng4 21.Qg3 Ne5 22.Bxe5 Rxe5 23.Qd3 Ra5 24.a3 Qg5+ 25.Kb1 Bxa3 26.bxa3 Rb8+ 27.Ka2 Rxa3+ 28.Kxa3 Qc5+ White resigned, Kgn1111 - GMHikaruONTwitch, 3 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2021.

9.fxe5 Qxe5 10.Qg4+ Kd6 11.d4 Bxd4 

Ooops. Probably a reflex - 11...Qxd4 was better - but not the kind of thing you can do against a GM and hope to survive.

12.Bf4 Bxb2 13.Nd2 Kc6 14.Bxe5 Bxe5 15.O-O-O d5 

Striking the center and uncovering an attack on the enemy Queen. Less weakening would have been 15...d6, but the situation - with only two pieces and a pawn for his Queen - would still be dire for Black.  

16.exd5+ Kd6 17.Ne4 checkmate

Nifty.

Jerome Gambit: What to Do?

 

I recently received three Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) games from Andrey. The first game reached the following interesting position.

My first thought was that White could continue aggressively. I looked at 26.f6, but it soon became clear that 26...Qh4+ 27.Kg1 Qxf6 28.Qxf6 gxf6 would reach a Bishops-of-opposite colors endgame which would be drawn, despite Black's extra pawn.

Andrey's try was even more aggressive, but had a weakness.

26.Bh6 Qxc2+ 

Showing that White did not have time for his attack.

27.Ke3 Qe4+ 28. Kf2 Qc2+ 29.Ke1 Qxg2 

Black could have tossed in 29...Qb1+ 30.Kf2 Qxb2+ and picked up another pawn.

There is no hope for White in exchanging Queens here, as his pawn on f5 would soon fall, leaving Black up 3 pawns in a Bishops-of-opposite-colors endgame that would be very hard to draw.

30.Qe8+ Kh7 31.Bd2 32.Ke2 Qxh2+ 33.Kd3 Qh3+ 34.Ke2 Qxf5 35.Kd1 Bb3+ 36.Kc1 Qc2 checkmate

Is that it? Is this a fair outcome for all of Andrey's hard work?

No, there is more. 

He could have tried 26.c3.

What does the move do?

For starters, it takes away the check (and the gain of a pawn) associated with a possible 26...Qc2. Of course, that move is possible, but White then takes advantage of the fact that the square e8 is no longer protected to play 27.Qe8+ Kh7 28.Qh5+ etc. drawing.

Black can try another Queen move with check, 26...Qh4+ but 27.Qg3, offering to move into a drawn endgame, is a good response.

In fact, it is now difficult to find any move that leads to an advantage for Black.

Interesting is 26...Bf7, but White's 27.Qg5 suddenly makes f5-f6 a real threat, so Black has to respond 27...Qb5. Then there is the hope to hit the g7 pawn another way with 28.h4, but Black has a counter: 28...Be8 29.h5 Bd7 30.g4 Qb6+ and 31.Qe3 Qxb2 32.h6 gxh6 33.Qxh6 Qb6 seems to give Black too many checks to allow White to advance his passed pawns.

So that's it? Andrey's muscle-bound Jerome Gambit fizzes out to a draw?

Actually, not yet. Take a look at the following position from the game, after Black's 20th move.

Now his 21.Bh6! would be winning. Then 21...Rxf1+ (the only move putting off checkmate) 22.Rxf1 Rg8 (ditto) 23.Re1 leaves Black gasping for a defense. White has Qg6+ coming, followed by f5-f6 and Black's King's shelter will collapse, leading White to a position where he is the exchange and a pawn or two better.

Time Bombs and Tactics

Analyzing positions and play from recent Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) games has gotten me thinking again about my theories of club chess play and improvement.

Time Bombs

As reflected in the blog post "Jerome Gambit: Boom!"

I have long subscribed to the "time bomb" notion in club chess: that players are apt to play reasonable chess until, suddenly, a cognitive "time bomb" goes off, and they make a blunder. The frequency of these "explosions"/blunders depends upon the level of skill of the player: strong players may slip only once a game (or even less often) while more "average" club players can have their "time bombs" go off much more often, even every other move.

Players improve as they catch their blunders before they play them, and as they begin to notice and punish their opponents' blunders. Hanging a piece (or overlooking an opponent's hanging piece) and missing an easy checkmate (falling into or delivering) are two of the biggest failings.

Improving your tactical skills can help you combat "time bombs". Fortunately, there are many sources for problems to work on and practice with, either in software for your computer or in book form. A "golden oldie" is Fred Reinfeld's 1001 Winning Chess Sacrifices and Combinations (yes, I know that there are problems with some of the problems), which many public libraries have, and which can be obtained as a used paperback for well under $10.

There are a number of free or low cost chess programs available that can be used to analyze your games after they are finished. (You should be going over all of your games, win or lose.) They can be very helpful in catching basic tactical oversights.

Increasing your understanding of the traps and dangers associated with the openings that you play is another way to begin to spread out your "time bombs". Following this blog, and playing over the games presented, should alert you to some of the Jerome Gambit's strengths and pitfalls. It also should help you understand various strategies behind the Jerome, and that will serve as a general guide to keep you out of some of the weeds.

It is useful to look at some of the quotes from a Chess.com article by penandpaper0089 titled "Amateur Chess is Mostly Tactics and That's Unfortunate For Me"

GM Magnus Carlsen when asked about what is important to breaking the 2000 barrier quotes:

"Studying tactics, I would say. Up to that level, most games are still decided by someone hanging a piece...or blundering a checkmate - haha"

But there's more:

"Until you are at least a high Class A player: Your first name is 'Tactics', your middle name is 'Tactics', and your last name is 'Tactics'." - FM Ken Smith

“Most class players are not triangulating each other to death”. - FM John Jacobs

The most striking however is this one:

"Thirty years ago, Teichmann said that chess is 99% tactics. And despite the enormous strides of chess theory since then, his percentage can only be reduced a few points

Many amateurs think that master games are usually decided by some deeply-laid plan covering all possibilities for at least ten moves.. That is what they conceive the grand strategy of tournaments to be. Actually, however, strategical considerations, while quite important, do not cover a range or depth at all comparable to the popular notion. Very often, in fact, sound strategy can dispense with seeing ahead at all, except in a negative or trivial sense. And it is still true that most games, even between the greatest of the great, are decided by tactics or combinations which have little or nothing to do with the fundamental structure of the game".     - GM Reuben Fine

Jerome Gambit: More Than Meets the Eye

The following position is worth some attention. It has something to say about the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) and its prospects. It also illustrates the complications that can lie beneath the surface of positions. 

 

iammahgoat - Ncg987

10 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2021

At this point, one of the players resigned.

I looked at Black's lead in material and his better development. I noticed that White had yet to castle, and that his King was staring at the enemy Queen and Rook along the dangerous e-file. 

So, I wasn't too surprised that it was White who resigned here.

I was in for a surprise, however, when I asked Stockfish 13 for its opinion. It assessed the situation as being a good time for Black to resign, as the computer evaluated White as being more than a Rook ahead.

Wow.

Things were a lot more complicated than I realized.

So, what really was going on here?

First, I checked the times used, as sometimes a player will resign just before his flag fell. No, it looks like he still had about 5 minutes left on his clock.

What should have happened next in the game? The key for Stockfish's optimism was 

19.Nd5 

Black has a couple of responses, one seemingly more reasonable than the other.

If 19...Qd8, he guards against the deadly Knight fork on c7, but White's idea can unfold quickly: 20.Rg1 Ne6 21.Qg6+ Kg8 22.Bh6 Re7 23.Nxe7+ Qxe7 24.Bxg7 Qxg7 25.Qxg7+ Nxg7 26.h6 Be8 27.Rxg7+ Kh8 28.0-0-0. 

analysis diagram

The direct attack on Black's King has led to a position where White's pieces are more active, and his extra pawns are more deadly.

Black could also try 19...Qd8  20.Rg1 Re7, although after 21.Nxe7 Qxe7 22.Qxg7+ Ke8 23.Qxe7+ Kxe7 24.Be3 cxd4 25.Rg7+ Ke6 26.Bxd4 Bc6 27.h6 

analysis diagram

White's Rook dominates the position and his pawns will bring eventual victory.

Black might do a bit better with the pardoxical 

19...Qe6 

allowing the Knight fork of 2 Rooks and a Queen. The play would be wild after 20.Nc7 Qf6 21.Nxa8 Ne6 22.Qg6+ Kg8 23.Qxf6 Nxf6 24.d5 Nd4 25.Nc7 Rc8 26.Bf4 Nxc2+ 27.Kd2 Nxa1 28.Bxd6

analysis diagram

White has a pawn advantage.

Instead of harassing the enemy Queen, White would do better with

20.Rg1 g6 21.Be3 

Stockfish 13 prefers this to 21.Nc7 as it sees that 21...Qf6 22.Nxa8 Rxa8 is not quite as strong - although still good for White.

21...Bc6 22.Qf4+ 

An intermezzo.

22...Nf6 23.Nc7 

Finally the best, as White can now grab material and reduce the position

23...Qe7 24.Nxa8 cxd4 25.Bxd4 Ne6 26.Qxf6+ Qxf6 27.Bxf6 

27...gxh5

The h-pawn could prove dangerous, otherwise.

28.Bh4 Rxa8 29.0–0–0

White is the exchange and a pawn (soon to be two pawns) ahead, and the "Jerome pawns" will eventually make their presence known.

All of this is easy for me to do, sitting at my computer, with an unlimited amount of time (and Stockfish 13) to assess the situation. iammahgoat, playing White, did not have such luxuries, and I hope I have shown the difficulties that faced him in evaluating his situation.

Jerome Gambit: "Automatic" Recaptures

Black does well in the following Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) until he falls prey to an automatic recapture he should have avoided. Sometimes even good positions have their dangers for the less careful player.

iammahgoat - AkaBiru1417

10 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 d6 8.Qg3 Qf6 9.d3 Be6 10.h3 11.Nc3 c6

As Black develops his pieces, his King grows safer. What should his game plan be? Exchanging Queens is a good idea.

12.Bg5 Qg6 13.f4 h6 

The enemy Bishop is in the way of the proposed exchange, so why not kick it away? There is an oversight lurking, however.

14.Bxe7+ 

Here is the problem. The Bishop moves - with check.

14...Kxe7 

This automatic recapture overlooks the fact that his Queen is unprotected. White is better after 14...Kf7 15.Qxg6+ Kxg6 16.f5+ Kf7 17.Bh4 Bd7 18.Bf2 Bb4 19.0–0–0 Rae8 20.a3 Ba5 21.g4 but after the text move, the game is over.

15.Qxg6 Black resigned