Jerome Gambit: Not In On The Joke

GM Hikaru Nakamura is known to indulge in unusual and entertaining openings, especially when he is playing blitz, and when he has an attentive audience. We have seen a number of his Jerome Gambits (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) as White.

The following game is the grandmaster's reaction when his opponent goes a little bit too far in his creativity. Was it an attempt at a joke? If so, it is clear that White bombed.

30second-guy - GMHikaruOnTwitch

3 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2021

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5  6.Ke2 

Oh, my.

This looks like a Bongcloud variation of the Jerome Gambit, something mentioned in a Chess.com forum (although the focus was on 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Ke2) and referred to here in this blog in the post "The Jerome Gambit but 100% more dubious".

The Bongcloud Opening is the name usually applied to 1.e4 e5 2.Ke2, after Andrew Fabbro's satirical booklet, Winning With the Bongcloud. 

A more serious name would be the "Vidmar joke opening" - see Yury V. Bukayev's post on this blog, "GM#1 vs you: Wing gambit bombs, BC & history: 1".

The opening received broad attention (not all of it positive) after the online game Carlsen - Nakamura, Magnus Carlsen Invitational, 2021: 1.e4 e5 2.Ke2 Ke7 3.Ke1 Ke8 4.Ke2 Ke7 4.Ke1 Ke8 5.Ke2 Ke7 draw. Clearly, both grandmasters were in the mood for a draw, and the World Champion chose a line that his opponent had used in online blitz games; Nakamura had a good laugh, and then quickly helped split the point.

It is not clear in the current game if 30second-guy was offering a draw to GM Nakamura, or if he was just trying to be funny, but the response he received was quite serious.

6...Qh4 

(For the record, Black would still be better after 6...Ke7?!)

7.Qf1 Qxe4+ 8.Kd1 d5 

9.Nc3 Qg6 10.h3 Nf6 11.d3 Bf5 12.Bd2 

12...Nxd3 13.cxd3 Bxd3 14.Qg1 Rhe8 15.h4 Ng4 16.Nb1 Bxf2  White resigned

Ouch.

Jerome Gambit: Theory Helps

 

One thing that attracts players to the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) is that it quickly side-steps Italian Game theory and allows for (requires) creativity in play.

That having been said, the theory of the Jerome Gambit continues to develop and there is some value in being aware of it, if only to be able to avoid problems like those that occur in the following 3-minute blitz game.

 

sandyrosechessfan - GMHikaruOnTwitch

3 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2021

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bxd4 

Now White can capture the Bishop, and prevent the freeing ...d5.

7.f4

According to The Database, this is a new move.

According to Stockfish 13, Black is now more than a Queen better. 

How does Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura demonstrate this?

7...Qh4+ 8.g3 Qg4 

Give the position a long look. 

White can quote Joe Jacobs "I should of stood in bed".

9.fxe5

The troublsome thing is that after, say, 9.Nd2, Black can swap Queens with 9...Qxd1+ 10. Kxd1 and then 10...Ng4 leaves him up two pieces with little danger facing him.

9...Qxe4+ 10.Qe2 Qxh1+ 11.Kd2 Qd5 

12.c4 Qxe5 13.Qf3+ Nf6 14.a3 d5 

15.b3 Bg4 16.Nc3 Bxf3 17.Bb2 White resigned

There is a checkmate in 5 moves.

Jerome Gambit: Maniac Alert

If the defender in the following Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game is indeed a "bullet maniac", then he adopted the correct strategy in his 3-minute blitz game against Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura - attack, attack, attack.

That he was ultimately not successful was neither the fault of his plan, nor the vindication of the Jerome Gambit, but, rather, the fact that he was playing such a strong opponent.

GMHikaruOnTwitch - BulletManiac30sec

3 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2021

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Qe7 

Black plays Whistler's defense, offering the Rook for a brutal counter-attack after 8.Qxh8?! Qxe4+.

It was interesting to watch GM Nakamura consider his next move, while asking himself "Is this a trick or is he bluffing?"

8.Qf4+ 

"I don't think he's bluffing," Nakamura decided, rightly. "I think this is some kind of weird prep."

8...Qf6 9.Qg3 Bd6 

Pure aggression. Its is a rare move, appearing only in Wall,B - Guest3289310, PlayChess.com, 2012 (1-0, 38) and Wall,B - Guest744598, PlayChess.com, 2020 (1-0, 22).

GM Nakamura also faced 9...d6 10.c3 h5 11.d4 h4 12.Qd3 Bb6 13.Nd2 h3 14.g3 Ne7 15.f4 Bg4 16.O-O Kg7 17.Nc4 d5 18.Ne3 dxe4 19.Qxe4 Qe6 20.Qxe6 Bxe6 21.b4 c6 22.Bb2 Rhe8 23.c4 Rad8 24.g4 Bc8 25.Kf2 Ng8 26.c5 Bc7 27.d5+ Kf7 28.Rad1 Bxf4 29.Nc4 Bxg4 30.Kg1 g5 31.Rd4 Rxd5 32.Nd6+ Kf8 33.Rdxf4+ gxf4 34.Rxf4+ Bf5 35.Nxf5 Rd1+ 36.Kf2 Rd2+ 37.Kf3 Rxb2 38.Nd6+ Ke7 39.Re4+ Kd7 40.Rxe8 Ne7 41.Rb8 Rxh2 42.Rxb7+ Ke6 43.Ne4 Rxa2 44.Ng5+ Kf6 45.Nxh3 Nd5 46.Nf4 Ra3+ 47.Ke4 Nxf4 48.Kxf4 Ke6 49.Ke4 Ra4 50.Kd3 a5 51.bxa5 Rxa5 52.Kc4 Ra4+ 53.Kb3 Rh4 54.Rg7 Kd5 55.Rg5+ Kd4 56.Kb4 Rh1 57.Rg4+ Kd5 58.Rg5+ Kd4 59.Ka5 Rb1 60.Ka6 Rb5 61.Rh5 Rxc5 62.Rh4+ Kd5 63.Kb6 Rb5+ 64.Kc7 Rb3 65.Rh5+ Kc4 66.Kxc6 Rc3 67.Rh4+ Kb3+ 68.Kb5 Kb2 69.Ka4 Rb3 (hurrying to avoid a time forfeit, Black falls into checkmate) 70.Rh2+ Ka1 71.Kxb3 Black resigned, GMHikaruOnTwitch - 30second-guy, 3 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2021

10.Qe3 Bf4 11.Qe2 Nh6 12.O-O Re8 

Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, "When you strike at a king, you must kill him." BulletManiac30sec must keep up the pressure, or risk the grandmaster's ire.

13.g3 Bd6 14.d4 Nf5 15.c3 Kg7 16.Qd3 b6

Black returns a piece to continue his development. His two Bishops, especially the one headed for the a8-h1 diagonal, look powerful.

17.exf5 Bb7 18.Nd2 gxf5 19.f3 Kh8 20.Nc4 h5 

Still more aggression. White now removes one of the dangerous Bishops.

21.Nxd6 cxd6 

Necessary, as the Queen capture would lose the pawn on f5. However, the shaky nature of Black's pawn structure will eventually become significant.

22.Bf4 h4 23.Rae1 h3 24.Kf2 Kh7 25.g4 Qh4+ 26.Bg3 Qg5 

27.Qxf5+ Qxf5 28.gxf5 Ba6 29.Rg1 Kg8 

Stepping into danger. 

30.Be5+ Kf7 31.Rg7+ Kf8 32.f6 

White's Bishop can afford to pretend that it's a "Jerome pawn".

32...dxe5 33.dxe5 Bc4 34.f4 

Opening the way for White's Rook to travel to the h-file.

34...d6 35.Re3 dxe5 36.Rxh3 Bxa2 37.Rh8+ Bg8 38.Rhxg8 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: Annoying GMHikaruOnTwitch

Some variations in the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) can benefit from whatever light a Grandmaster can shine upon them. Below, GM Hikaru Nakamura shares his experiences.

GMHikaruOnTwitch - GM_xAhmedx

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 d6

The silicon or annoying defense, so-called because computer programs like it - and it can be particularly annoying for White. While returning a piece, Black's King is allowed to hang out in his advanced position, while forcing him back does not seem to do much damage to the defender. In the meantime, White has to take steps to be able to castle Kingside, while Black's two Bishops can cause problems.

8.fxe5 dxe5 9.Nc3 

The best move, according to Stockfish 13, is the uncomfortable 9.Qh3+. Even if White manages to subsequently capture the enemy e-pawn, it doesn't help much.

White has also tried 

9.d3 Nf6 10.Qh4 h6 11.Nd2 g5 12.Qg3 Bd7 13.Nf3 Rg8 14.Qxe5+ Kf7 15.Qxc5 b6 16.Qc4+ Kg7 17.O-O c5 18.Nxg5 hxg5 19.Bxg5 Rf8 20.e5 Black resigned, GMHikaruOnTwitch - Romanov205, 3 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2021; and 

9.b4 Nf6 10.Qg5 Bf2+ 11.Kf1 Bb6 12.Bb2 Rf8 13.Qxe5+ Kf7 14.d4 Kg8 15.Ke1 Re8 16.Qg3 Nxe4 17.Kd1 Nxg3 White resigned, MVM2008 - GMHikaruOnTwitch, 3 0 blitz, Chess.com,  2021.

9...Nf6 10.Qf5+ Kf7 11.Qxe5 Bf2+ 

Like I said: annoying.

12.Kf1 Bd4 13.Qf4 Kg6 

A bit of a tease. If need be, Black can soon castle-by-hand.

14.Ke1 

White could be a bit more aggressive with 14.Qh4, but after 14...Rf8 15.Ke1 h6 16.d3 Kh7 his own King is the one that is uncomfortable.

14...Re8 

The "Jerome pawns", often a dynamic factor on White's behalf, are now stifled.

The following moves, however, show that Black is not quite sure how to take advantage of his advantage.

15.d3 Ng4 16.Rf1 Be6 17.Qg3 c6 18.h3 Qa5 19.Bd2 Qe5 

 20.Rf4

White's best, according to Stockfish 13, was to enter the wild complications after 20.Bf4 Bxc3+ 21.Ke2 Bxb2 22.Bxe5 Bxe5 23.Qe1 Bxa1 24.Qxa1 Nf6 when he would have a Queen and a pawn against a Rook, Bishop and Knight; but he would have play against the Black King, e.g. 25.e5 Nd7 26.Qd4 Nxe5 27.Qe4+ Kh6 28.Kd2 Nd7 29.Qh4+ Kg6 30.Qe4+ with a draw by repetition.

20...Bf2+ 21.Qxf2 Nxf2 22.Kxf2 Rf8 23.g3 Bxh3 24.Ne2 Qxb2 25.Bc3 Qxc2 26.Ke3 Rad8 White resigned

Jerome Gambit: Fearless.

In the following 3-minute blitz Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game, Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura fearlessly enters a dangerous line of play and skillfully manages a balance of attack and defense to take the full point. 

GMHikaruOnTwitch - 30second-guy

3 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2021

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Qh4 

I don't have an official name for this line of play, first seen, according to The Database, in Sorensen - X, Denmark, 1888 (1-0, 27), but I have referred to it as a "pie-in-the-face variation" for obvious reasons. If White is expecting either enemy piece to retreat from the center and save itself, he has to find the Queen excursion - usually the territory of White in the Jerome Gambit - to be somewhat of a humorous, if dangerous, surprise. 

7.O-O Qxe4 8.dxc5 Nf6 9.Nc3 Qf5 

You can already imagine which Black Knight is planning to move to g4 to help deliver checkmate by the Queen at h2.

10.Nb5 

If a student played this move, his teacher would no doubt consider him insolent. While the move does not "save" the game, it is considered best by Stockfish 13, and it packs a lot of psychological impact - White is not going to cower in response to the impending counter-attack.

10...b6 11.Nxc7 Bb7 12.f4 

Encouraging the Knight along its way, but dangerous, nonetheless, as Black now has 12...Nf3+! 13.gxf3 Qxc5+ 14.Be3 Qxc7 winning a pawn, breaking up White's Kingside and getting rid of that pesky Knight. However, this is a 3-minute game, and not every tactic is visible.

12...Neg4 

13.b4 

Sangfroid.

13...Rac8 14.Nb5 Qh5 

White's position might look resignable, but he now actually has the advantage!

As F. Scott Fitzgerald did not say, "Grandmasters, they are different from you and me."

To which Ernest Hemmingway did not respond "Yes, they have more Jerome pawns."  

15.Nd6+ Kf8 16.h3 bxc5 17.Nxb7 

Black was expecting - or hoping for - 17.bxc5 Qxc5+ 18.Kh1 Nf2+ 19.Rxf2 Qxf2. 

17... cxb4 18.hxg4 Nxg4 

White has gone ahead in material, but his King still is under great pressure. There is a solution: Attack!

19.Qd6+ Kg8 20.f5 

Uncovering the Queen's protection of the h2 square.

20...Rc6 21.Qd5+ Kf8 22.Bf4 Rh6 

Attacking until the end, and offering the opportunity for the unfortunate blunder 23.Bxh6? Qh2#. However, White has things well in hand.

23.Bd6+ Ke8 24.Rae1+ Re6 25.Rxe6+ Kf7 26.Rh6+ Ke8 27.Re1+ Ne5 28.Rxe5 checkmate

Beautiful.

Jerome Gambit: Keep Calm

 

In 1939 the British Government created a steadying poster, encouraging citizens, in light of the upcoming war, to avoid panic and keep about their necessary activities.

Fair enough.

I have just learned of a modern variation

Available on sticker, poster, T-shirt, or many other items.

Many other openings are available.

(I am not sure how to tell my friend Dan that there does not appear to be a Stafford Gambit poster. 😢)

Jerome Gambit: GMHikaruOnTwitch; Well, of course...

Grandmasters do not always choose the "best" move in every position in their games, but they consistently find "very good" moves, and that is usually plenty enough for them to win their games against weaker opponents.

The following Jerome Gambit is a good example. It is not so much a smash/bang game as it is a business-like one where, when Black resigns, one likely thinks, Well, of course.

GMHikaruOnTwitch - FM Susal_de_Silva

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.Qg3 Nf6 

Or 8...Qf6 9.c3 Qg6 10.f3 Ne7 11.d4 Bb6 12.Bf4 Qxg3+ 13.hxg3 Be6 14.Nd2 Kf7 15.g4 Rad8 16.Rh5 h6 17.Kf2 d5 18.Kg3 c5 19.dxc5 Bxc5 20.Re1 Ng6 21.Be3 Bxe3 22.Rxe3 d4 23.cxd4 Rxd4 24.Nb3 Bxb3 25.Rxb3 b6 26.Rc3 Rhd8 27.a4 Rxa4 28.Rc7+ Kg8 29.Rf5 Rf8 30.Rd5 Rf7 31.Rd8+ Nf8 32.Rcc8 g5 33.e5 Raf4 34.e6 Re7 35.Re8 Rxe8 36.Rxe8 Kg7 37.e7 Ng6 38.Rg8+ Black resigned, GMHikaruOnTwitch - Fischerev7, 3 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2021. 

9.d3 

Or 9.Nc3 Qe7 10.d3 Be6 11.O-O Ke8 12.Be3 Bxe3 13.Qxe3 Kd7 14.f4 Ng4 15.Qe2 Qh4 16.h3 h5 17.Rf3 Rae8 18.d4 Kc8 19.d5 Bd7 20.a4 g5 21.Nb5 a6 22.Rc3 axb5 23.axb5 Kd8 24.e5 Qf2+ 25.Qxf2 Nxf2 26.Kxf2 Bxb5? 27.Ra8+ Kd7 28.e6+ Ke7 29.Rxc7+ Kf6 30.Rf7+ Kg6 31.f5+ Kh6 32.Ra7 Ba6 33.Rf6+ Kg7 34.Rf7+ Kh6 35.b4 g4 36.b5 Bxb5 37.Raxb7 gxh3 38.gxh3 Bc4 39.h4 Ref8 40.Ke3 Bxd5 41.Rbd7 Rxf7 42.Rxf7 Re8 43.Kd4 Bxe6 44.Rf6+ Kg7 45.Rxe6 Rxe6 46.fxe6 Kf6 47.Kd5 Ke7 48.c4 Black resigned, GMHikaruOnTwitch - MikeSailer, 3 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2021. 

9... Bb6 10.Nc3 Be6 11. Ne2 Qd7 12. Be3 Bf7 13. h3 Bxe3 14. fxe3 Re8 15. O-O d5

It is intersting that here, and for several subsequent moves, Stockfish 13 (which often does not appear to have a "feel" for the Jerome Gambit) prefers 15...h5, followed by a Rook lift ...Rh8-h6-g6.

The text allows White to create a protected passed pawn which factors into his winning chances thereafter.

16.e5 Nh5 17.Qh2 g6 18.Rf2 Kg8 19.Raf1 Be6

20.g4 Ng7 21.Rf6 c5 

Better 21...h5. 

22.d4 b6 23.Nf4 g5 24.Nxe6 Nxe6 

25.c3 

With a glance at the endgame.

He could also have tripled on the f-file with 25.Qf2. I recall watching GM Nakamura comment during one of his 3 0 blitz games when he made a comment to the effect that tripling heavy pieces on a file always won. A bit of hyperbole, but solid wisdom. 

25...Kg7 26.h4 h6 27.Qc2 Nf8 28.R1f5 

The triple was still there with 28.Qf2, but White had other ideas. 

28...gxh4 29.Qf2 Re7

White applies pressure until the position cracks.

 30.Qxh4 Ng6 31.Qh5 Qe8 32.Rd6 Rf8 

Here we go.

33.Rxg6+ Qxg6 34.Qxg6+ Kxg6 35.Rxf8 Kg5 

36.Rg8+ Kh4 37.Kf2 Rf7+ 38.Kg2 h5 39.gxh5 Kxh5 40.e4 dxe4 41.e6 Re7 42.d5 e3 Black resigned

White's "Jerome pawns" are too much to deal with.