Jerome Gambit: The "Jerome pawns" Carry the Load

White does not always win by direct attack in the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+). Sometimes the pawns that he has in exchange for the sacrificed piece - the "Jerome pawns" - are a middle game and endgame factor that help bring home the full point.

The following game is a good example.

Wall, Bill - Guest1144561

Internet, 2021 

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5. Nxe5+ Nxe5 6. Qh5+ Ng6 

7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Qe7 

The Queens face off on the e-file. Black has a plan.

Black has the usual piece-for-two-pawns advantage that you see in the Jerome Gambit.

10.d3 

Bill has also played 10.Nc3 Nf6 11.O-O Be6 12.f4 Ng4 13.Qg3 Bc4 14.d3 Qh4 15.Qxh4 Nxh4 16.dxc4 Kd7 17.f5 Ne5 18.Bg5 Nxc4 19.Bxh4 Nxb2 20.f6 g6 21.Rab1 Nc4 22.Rxb7 Ne3 23.Rfb1 Nxc2 24.Nd5 Nd4 25.Rxc7+ Ke6 26. Re7 checkmate, Wall,B - Guest3312852, PlayChess.com, 2012. 

10...Nf6 11.Nc3 

Also 11.O-O Ng4 12.Qe2 Nh4 13.Nc3 Be6 14.f4 g6 15.h3 Nh6 16.f5 N6xf5 17.exf5 gxf5 18.Re1 Kf7 19.Nd5 Qd7 20.Nxc7 Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest701131, PlayChess.com, 2019 

11...d5 12.exd5 

White does not mind exchanging Queens.

12...Qxe3+ 13.fxe3 Kf7 

Black has a piece for a pawn. He plans to castle-by-hand.

White is comfortable with his pawns.

The game is about even.

14.O-O Re8 15.Nb5 Re7 16.e4 Kg8 

This is a different kind of game from the usual smash and crash Jerome Gambit attack on the enemy King. It is useful to see how Bill continues.

17.Bg5 c6 

Black attacks the pawn chain, while kicking the Knight - which will move, all in good time.

18.Bxf6 gxf6 19.d6 Rf7 20.Nc7 Rb8 

The Knight always seems to be misplaced, but, somehow, always in the right place.

21.d4 Kg7  

This is a tactical slip. Black could make plans to deal with the advanced enemy Knight with 21...Nf8 22.Rf2 Bd7 23.Raf1 Ne6 24.Nxe6 Bxe6 25.Rxf6 when White is at least comfortable and may have an edge.

22.Ne8+ Kf8 23.Nxf6 Kg7 

The "Jerome pawns" are beginning to look ominous. Black's defense will include blockading the pawns, and, at the right time, returning the piece for 2 or 3 of them.

24.Nh5+ Kg8 25 e5 Rxf1+ 26.Rxf1 

26...Bg4 

A tactical slip that ends the game.

Stockfish 13 looks at the game this way: 26...Be6 27.b3 Rd8 28.c4 Bc8 29.Rf6 Nf8 30.d5 cxd5 31.cxd5 Re8 32.e6 Bxe6 33.dxe6 Rxe6 34.Rxe6 Nxe6 35.Nf6+ Kf7 36.Ne4 Nd8 37.Kf2 Ke6 38.g4 Nf7 39.Kf3 Nxd6 40.Ng5+ Ke5 41.Nxh7 White's central pawns have all disappeared, but his connected passed pawns on the Kingside will win the game.

27.Nf6+ Black resigned

Jerome Gambit: The Impact of Overlooking

Sometimes a surprise tactic in an opening, especially the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) can be enough for the defender to lose interest in a game. It does not need to produce a great advantage, only the psychological sting of the impact of overlooking a move.

Lavanya_Balu - kseniyazhyr

30 0 classical, lichess.org, 2021

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.O-O 

A "modern" Jerome Gambit variation, i.e. one without the traditional 5.Nxe5. According to The Database, White scores 40%, vs 57% with the pawn capture.

5...Nf6 6.d3 d6 7.c3 Bg4 8.Qb3+ Be6 

Better to move the King.

9.Ng5+ Black resigned

Black will lose a piece. After 9...Kg6 10.Nxe6 Qd7 11.Nxc5 dxc5 his game would not be "lost" - he would be only a pawn down - but things would definitely not be going as he planned.

JG: The New in Its Opening Theory, in Its Psychology (Part 7)

 JG: The New in Its Opening Theory, in Its Psychology 

(Part 7)

  

(by Yury V. Bukayev) 

 

 

In the Part 2 and in the Part 6 it was fixed that after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Qh3+! Kf7 8.Qh5+! Black can play not only 8…Ke6, but also its alternatives, although the explanation why a player’s psychology can prevent to do it here was given. Now we’ll consider my new invented way for White how it is possible to play after 8…g6 9.Qxe5 Qe7 10.Qd5+!? Ke8!? in a blitz game against the above cautious opponent. 

Let’s forget temporally about the sequence 6…Ke6 7.Qh3+! Kf7 8.Qh5+! g6, and we’ll consider the general sequence of moves: 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Qe7 (the Whistler’s defence) 8.Qd5+!? Ke8!?. Thus, in this blitz game White can try the following trap: 9.d4?!. (I suggest to call it ‘the Centre variation’. I found that here Black can get a won game after 9…Bb4+! 10.c3 Nf6! with 11.Qe5! Bd6! N 12.Qxe7+ Bxe7 or with 11.Qc4 N Qxe4+ 12.Kd1 Be7.) Your very fast play as White will cause his thought that your preparation is very good, and your cautious opponent will play 9…Bb6!? probably. And after 10.0-0! N Nf6 11.Qc4 (11.Qb3!? is another interesting attacking way) Black has a temptation to capture White’s pawn - 11…Qxe4?, because Black’s material advantage immediately grows further here, because a vertical pin is impossible now and because Black will be able to play …d7-d5 or …Qe4xd4. You’ll play 12.Nc3! immediately, and your opponent will start to consider different variations. They are here: 

1) 12…Qxd4 13.Re1+ Kd8 (13...Kf8 14.Bh6#) 14.Bg5!? with a strong attack, e.g.: 14...Re8? 15.Rxe8+ Kxe8 16.Re1+ with a win; 14...Rf8! 15.Qe2!? Qxf2+ 16.Qxf2 Bxf2+ 17.Kxf2 h6! 18.Bxf6+ Rxf6+ 19.Kg3, and White's attack continues; 

2) 12...d5 13.Nxe4 dxc4 14.Nxf6+ Kf7 15.Nd5! with the advantage; 

3) 12...Qf5 13.Re1+ Kd8 14.Re5!? with the advantage; 

4) 12...Qe6! 13.d5!? 

4a) 13...Qf7 14.Re1+ Kd8 15.Bg5 h6 16.d6! Qf8 17.Nd5! with a win; 

4b) 13...Qf5 14.Re1+ with enough strong attack. After 14...Kd8 White has good attacking ways: 15.Bf4, 15.Be3, 15.Qh4. 

4c) 13...Qg4 14.Re1+ Kf8 (14...Kd8? 15.Qxg4 Nxg4 16.Bg5+ with a mate). White can make a draw, if White wants: 15.Bh6+ Kf7 16.d6+!? Qxc4 17.Re7+ Kg8 18.Rg7+ Kf8 19.Re7+ etc. (1/2  - 1/2). But White can play much stronger: 16.Ne4! with a very strong attack. 

I think, Black has no chance against you in this blitz game. Moreover, after 12.Nc3! you will be able to fight for a win in a classical game too. 

 

Jerome Gambit: Surviving Scary

Scary movies are - scary.

Scary chess games are, too.

I still root for the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), even when it gets very scary.

Take a look - if you dare.

Thomas, Able - West, James

2021

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 

This can lead to either Blackburne's or Whistler's defense (or a handful of ineffective ones), both of which are complicated.

Both also involve the sacrifice of a Rook. See "Jerome Gambit: What About the Rook?"

Blackburne's defense is the more notorious of the two, because of the beautiful counter-attack and sacrificial checkmate that The Black Death dealt the Jerome Gambit in 1884. The main theme is that of trapping the White Queen while pursuing the checkmate of the White King - sacrificing if necessary.

With best play White's Queen can escape, or at least deliver repeated checks that lead to a draw. In practice, according to The Database, White scores 71% - a testimony to the skills of the first player.

Whistler's defense is less well known, but can be quite dangerous if White takes the offered Rook - otherwise, it can be somewhat tedious. (For an example see "Jerome Gambit: Overthinking [Parts 1 & 2") The Database shows that White scores 63% against the Whistler, and 65% if he makes the capture - again, a testimony to the skills of the first player.

7.Qxe5 Qe7 

Whistler's it is.

"Is this a trick or is he bluffing?" GM Hikaru Nakamura asked himself when he found himself in a similar situation, in a recent Jerome Gambit. He concluded "I don't think he's bluffing".

8.Qxh8 

White shows that he is brave and confident in his ability to escape from risky situations.

Less courageous people like myself play 8.Qf4+. I have also tried 8.Qd5+, although the full story on that line will appear in an upcoming analysis by Yury V. Bukayev.

8...Qxe4+ 

This is the problem for White when he plays 8.Qxh8.

9.Kd1 Qg4+ 10.Ke1 Nf6 

This is a new move, according to The Database. More usual is 10...Qxg2, but Black first wants to keep White's Queen trapped.  

11.d3 Qxg2 12.Rf1 d5 13.Nd2 

White's Knight hurries to help on the defense.

White's Queen can move to escape with 13.Qd8, but 13...Bh3 14.Qxc7+ (not 14.Qxa8 as that leads to checkmate in a few moves after 14...Bb4+) Nd7 does not look good.

Also, active is 13.Bh6, but Black has 13...Qxf1+ 14.Kxf1 Bh3+ 15.Kg1 Rxh8. 

13...d4 

The opening variation is complicated, and it is not fair to expect Black to know the ins and outs of it.

The text move is fine, but he could have pursued his opponent's resignation with 13...Bf8 and 14...Bg7, winning the Queen. There are other lines of play, equally brutal.

14.Ne4 Nxe4 15.Qxh7+ Kf6 16.Qh8+ Kf5 17.Qh4 Nf6 

White's Queen has escaped and will soon put an end to Black's attack.

18.Qg3 Qxg3 19.fxg3+ Ke5

 

White has a Rook and a pawn for two pieces, a satisfactory outcome to all his excitement. Computers and chess masters will probably assess Black as better, but it's still a fight for club players.

It is not clear what the time control of the game was.

20.Bg5 Nd5 21.a3 b6 22.Kd2 Bg4 23.Rae1+ Ne3

 The Knight looks powerful, but it soon leaves its outpost.

24.Rf4 Kd5 25.c4+ dxc3+ 26.bxc3 Ng2 27.Rxg4 Nxe1 28.Kxe1 Bxa3 

Black's protected passed a-pawn looks dangerous, but the position remains balanced.

29.Bf4 Re8+ 30.Kd2 Re6 31.Bxc7 a5 32.Bf4 a4 

Many Jerome Gambit games are saved in the endgame. A word to the wise Reader...

33.c4+ Kd4 

Yeow! There are tactics in the endgame, as White now shows.

34.Bd6+ Re4 35.Rxe4 checkmate

A very entertaining game.