Jerome Gambit: Keep It Simple

 

Sometimes, when your plan is to play the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), if your opponent declines, it is okay to settle for a small advantage.

In the following game White looks for a more complicated game, and quickly becomes disappointed when Black doesn't play along like he should.

Intercrosse - mf_kazemi

3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2021

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kf8

The Jerome Gambit Declined. If you play the Jerome often enough, you will meet it.

White does best to simply retreat his Bishop to b3 (or c4 or d5) or exchange it for the Knight at g8. He has a pawn advantage, and Black's King can not castle.

White's smash and crash attack will have to wait for another day. 

 5.Nxe5 

White continues, with the hope that the game will somehow transpose into regular Jerome Gambit lines - in which case, he will be a tempo ahead, as Black will have taken two moves to capture the Bishop.

5...Nxe5 6.d4 Nxf7 White resigned

This isn't exactly what White had planned. After 7.dxc5 he will have 2 pawns for his sacrificed piece, as in the regular Jerome Gambit, and play can continue 7...Nf6 8.Nc3 Qe7 9.Qd4 b6 10.cxb6 axb6 11.Bf4 d6 12.0-0-0, but perhaps White was comparing that to the position after 5.Bb3...

The Database: The Long And The Short Of It (Part 3)

 

After looking at long and short Jerome Gambit games - see the previous posts, Part 1 and Part 2 - I got to wondering about how my own games from The Database fit in.

After all, I am supposed to be somewhat knowledgeable about the Jerome, right?

It turns out that my longest game was

perrypawnpusher - alsuarezdi

9 3 blitz, FICS, 2010

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.O-O Nf6 5.Nc3 Bc5 6.Bxf7+ Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ Nxe5 8.d4 Bxd4 9.Qxd4 d6 10.f4 Nc6 11.Qd3 Re8 12.Bd2 Qe7 13.Rae1 Kg8 14.Nd5 Qd8 15.Bc3 Nxd5 16.exd5 Rxe1 17.Rxe1 Bd7 18.dxc6 Bxc6 19.Qg6 Qf8 20.Re3 Be8 21.Qg4 c5 22.Rg3 Bb5 23.Qxg7+ Qxg7 24.Rxg7+ Kf8 25.Rxb7 a6 26.Bg7+ Kg8 27.Bxh6 Re8 28.f5 Re1+ 29.Kf2 Re2+ 30.Kg3 Rxc2 31.f6 Be8 32.Rg7+ Kh8 33.Rb7 Kg8 34.Rb8 Kf7 35.Bg7 Re2 36.h4 Bc6 37.Rf8+ Kg6 38.h5+ Kxh5 39.Rh8+ Kg6 40.Rh2 Rxb2 41.Kh4 Rxg2 42.Rxg2+ Bxg2 43.Bf8 d5 44.Bxc5 Kxf6 45.Kg4 a5 46.Kf4 a4 47.a3 Ke6 48.Ke3 Ke5 49.Bd4+ Kd6 50.Kd2 Kc6 51.Kc3 Kb5 52.Be5 Bf1 53.Bd4 Bc4 54.Be3 Bb3 55.Bd4 Kc6 56.Kb4 Kd6 57.Kc3 Ke6 58.Kb4 Kf5 59.Kc3 Ke4 60.Bc5 Kf3 61.Bd4 Ke2 62.Bc5 Kd1 63.Bd4 Kc1 64.Bc5 Kb1 65.Bd4 Ka1 66.Bc5 Ka2 67.Bb4 Bc4 68.Bc5 Kb1 69.Bb4 Ka2 70.Bc5 Kb1 71.Bb4 Ka2 72.Kd4 Kb3 73.Bc5 Kb2 74.Bb4 Kb3 75.Bd6 Kb2 76.Bb4 Kb3 77.Be7 Kb2 78.Bb4 Kb3 79.Ke3 Kb2 80.Kd4 Kb3 81.Ke3 Kb2 82.Kd4 Kb3 83.Bf8 Kb2 84.Bb4 Kb3 85.Bf8 Kb2 86.Bb4 Kb3 87.Bf8 Kb2 88.Bb4 Kb3 draw

My shortest game was, of course

perrypawnpusher - Roland_Bollinger

3d/move, "Piano Piano" tournament, Chess.com, 2020

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Black lost on time

My quickest checkmate was

perrypawnpusher - platel

10 3 blitz, FICS, 2011

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8 6.Qh5+ Kf8 7.Qf7 checkmate

The Database: The Long And The Short Of It (Part 2)

 

Yesterday's post, "The Database: The Long And The Short Of It" got me wondering, What is the shortest checkmate in The Database?

Again, if you consider the "Abrahams Jerome Gambit", it is hard to beat this example (there are a dozen identical games)

Eveque - thhZ

blitz, FICS, 2005

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Bxf7+ Kxf7 4.Qh5+ Ke6 5.Nf3 d6 6.Ng5+ Ke7 7.Qf7 checkmate

Still, coming from the regular Jerome Gambit move order, there are a number of 7-move checkmates, as well, for example

BahatiTheGrandmaster - Mammaen-din

10 5 blitz, lichess.org, 2021

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8 6.Qh5+ Kf8 7.Qf7 checkmate

AndreK - STEPHENSHICHUA

blitz, FICS, 2013

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.h4 Qf6 6.Ng5+ Kf8 7.Nc3 Qxf2 checkmate

The Database: The Long And The Short Of It (Part 1)

The Database currently contains over 66,350 games - Jerome Gambits and openings related to or inspired by the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+).

The shortest game - there are a few just like it - is

junnujannu- rkmmax, 

"Giuoco Piano Jerome Gambit Tournament", redhotpawn, 2016

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Black lost on time

The only way to beat that shortness is to consider the "Abrahams Jerome Gambit", when we have 2 examples (among many)

Shonobie - wileyone

lightning, FICS, 2009

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Bxf7+ Black resigned

THECELLDWELLER - callipygian

blitz, FICS, 2009

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Bxf7+ Kxf7 White forfeited by disconnection

The longest game, however - by one move - is

stockfish_20060616_x64_modern - fruit_2.1

2020

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.O-O Nf6 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 Bxd4 8.Qxd4 Nc6 9.Qa4 Qe7 10.Nc3 Qb4 11.Qb5 d6 12.Qd3 Be6 13.b3 Rhf8 14.Bd2 Qd4 15.Rae1 Rae8 16.Be3 Qxd3 17.cxd3 Nb4 18.Rd1 Ng4 19.Bc1 a5 20.d4 Nf6 21.d5 Bd7 22.f3 h6 23.Rf2 b6 24.a3 Na6 25.Rc2 g5 26.h3 Re7 27.Ne2 Nc5 28.Rc3 Rfe8 29.b4 Ba4 30.Rf1 Nb3 31.Ng3 Kg6 32.Bb2 Rf7 33.Rd3 Nd7 34.Nf5 b5 35.g4 Nb6 36.h4 Nc4 37.h5+ Kh7 38.Rf2 Ra8 39.Kh2 Ra7 40.Kg3 Ra6 41.Kg2 Rf8 42.Rc3 Raa8 43.Kg3 Rfe8 44.Rg2 Ra7 45.Rd3 Rf8 46.Rf2 Rf7 47.Kh2 Ra8 48.Kg3 Re8 49.Re2 Ref8 50.Rf2 Rb8 51.Kh2 Rff8 52.Kg3 Rbe8 53.Rg2 Ra8 54.Rh2 Rad8 55.Rf2 Rb8 56.Re2 Rf7 57.Rh2 Rg8 58.Rg2 Rd8 59.Re2 Re8 60.Rg2 Rff8 61.Re2 Rg8 62.Rf2 Ra8 63.Rg2 Ra6 64.Re2 Rga8 65.Rg2 Rf8 66.Re2 Rf7 67.Rg2 Rb6 68.Rf2 Rf8 69.Rh2 Rb7 70.Rf2 Ra7 71.Rg2 axb4 72.axb4 Raa8 73.Re2 Ra6 74.Rg2 Rf7 75.Re2 Ra8 76.Rg2 Re8 77.Re2 Ref8 78.Rf2 Rb8 79.Rh2 Rg8 80.Re2 Re8 81.Rg2 Ra8 82.Rh2 Rd8 83.Rf2 Rdf8 84.Re2 Rg8 85.Kh3 Ra8 86.Kg3 Rff8 87.Rg2 Rae8 88.Rf2 Rb8 89.Rh2 Rbc8 90.Rf2 Rcd8 91.Rh2 Rb8 92.Rc3 Rb7 93.Rd3 Rb6 94.Rf2 Rg8 95.Ne7 Re8 96.Nf5 Rf8 97.Re2 Rg8 98.Rh2 Ra6 99.Rf2 Raa8 100.Re2 Rgd8 101.Rf2 Rd7 102.Rg2 Ra6 103.Bf6 Rf7 104.Bb2 Ra7 105.Rh2 Rb7 106.Rg2 Rb6 107.Re2 Rd7 108.Rf2 Rb8 109.Rh2 Re8 110.Rg2 Ra8 111.Rh2 Rf8 112.Rf2 Rg8 113.Rh2 Rdd8 114.Rf2 Rb8 115.Rh2 Rb6 116.Rf2 Rb7 117.Rh2 Rbb8 118.Ne7 Rge8 119.Nc6 Rb6 120.Rg2 Kg8 121.Rf2 Rxc6 122.dxc6 Ra8 123.Rd5 Ra7 124.e5 Ne3 125.Rxd6 cxd6 126.exd6 Nd5 127.Re2 Ra8 128.Re5 Nxb4 129.c7 Na6 130.c8=Q+ Rxc8 131.d7 Rd8 132.Re8+ Kf7 133.Rxd8 Ke7 134.Ra8 Nb8 135.Rxb8 Kxd7 136.Rh8 Na5 137.Rxh6 Nc4 138.Rg6 Bc2 139.Rxg5 Nxb2 140.Rxb5 Na4 141.Rb7+ Kc6 142.Rb4 Nc5 143.Rc4 Bd3 144.Rxc5+ Kxc5 145.f4 Kd6 146.f5 Ke7 147.Kf4 Bc4 148.g5 Bg8 149.g6 Be6 150.fxe6 Kxe6 151.h6 Kf6 152.g7 Kf7 153.Ke5 Kg8 154.Kf6 Kh7 155.Kf7 Kxh6 156.g8=Q Kh5 157.Qg3 Kh6 158.Qh4 checkmate

The second logest game - by two humans - was pretty impressive for a 5-minute game

latemate - fadaro

5 0 blitz, FICS, 2015

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8 6.c3 Nc6 7.Nf3 d6 8.h3 Be6 9.d4 d5 10.e5 Be7 11.O-O Qd7 12.Bg5 Bxg5 13.Nxg5 h6 14.Qh5+ Bf7 15.Nxf7 Qxf7 16.Qe2 g5 17.Nd2 h5 18.f4 g4 19.f5 gxh3 20.e6 Qf6 21.gxh3 Nge7 22.Qb5 Rg8+ 23.Kh2 Qh4 24.Rg1 Qf2+ 25.Kh1 Qxd2 26.Rxg8+ Nxg8 27.Qxb7 Nb8 28.Qxa8 Qxb2 29.Rg1 Nf6 30.Qxa7 Nc6 31.Qxc7 Qxc3 32.Qf7+ Kd8 33.Qxf6+ Kc7 34.Rg7+ Kb6 35.e7 Qf3+ 36.Rg2 Qxh3+ 37.Kg1 Qe3+ 38.Rf2 Qg3+ 39.Kf1 Qh3+ 40.Ke2 Qg4+ 41.Rf3 Qg2+ 42.Ke3 Qg8 43.Qf8 Qg5+ 44.Kd3 Nb4+ 45.Kc3 Nxa2+ 46.Kb3 Nc1+ 47.Kb2 Qd2+ 48.Kb1 Nd3 49.Rxd3 Qxd3+ 50.Kb2 Qxd4+ 51.Kc2 Qe4+ 52.Kc3 Qe5+ 53.Kb4 Qd4+ 54.Ka3 Qc3+ 55.Ka2 Qc2+ 56.Ka3 Qc3+ 57.Ka2 Qc2+ 58.Ka1 Qc3+ 59.Kb1 Qb3+ 60.Kc1 Qc3+ 61.Kd1 Qd3+ 62.Ke1 Qe3+ 63.Kf1 Qf3+ 64.Kg1 Qg3+ 65.Kf1 Qf3+ 66.Kg1 Qg3+ 67.Kh1 Qh3+ 68.Kg1 Qg3+ 69.Kf1 Qf3+ 70.Ke1 Qe3+ 71.Kd1 Qd3+ 72.Kc1 Qc3+ 73.Kb1 Qb3+ 74.Kc1 Qc3+ 75.Kd1 Qd3+ 76.Ke1 Qe3+ 77.Kf1 Qf3+ 78.Kg1 Qg3+ 79.Kh1 Qh3+ 80.Kg1 Qg3+ 81.Kf1 Qf3+ 82.Ke1 Qe3+ 83.Kd1 Qd3+ 84.Kc1 Qc3+ 85.Kb1 Qb3+ 86.Ka1 Qa3+ 87.Kb1 Qb3+ 88.Kc1 Qc3+ 89.Kd1 Qd3+ 90.Ke1 Qe3+ 91.Kf1 Qf3+ 92.Kg1 Qg3+ 93.Kf1 Qf3+ 94.Ke1 Qe3+ 95.Kd1 Qd3+ 96.Kc1 Qc3+ 97.Kb1 Qb3+ 98.Ka1 Qa3+ 99.Kb1 Qb3+ 100.Kc1 Qc3+ 101.Kd1 Qd3+ 102.Ke1 Qe3+ 103.Kf1 Qf3+ 104.Kg1 Qg3+ 105.Kh1 Qh3+ 106.Kg1 Qg3+ 107.Kf1 Qf3+ 108.Ke1 Qe3+ 109.Kd1 Qd3+ 110.Kc1 Qc3+ 111.Kb1 Qb3+ 112.Kc1 Qc3+ 113.Kd1 Qd3+ 114.Ke1 Qe3+ 115.Kf1 Qf3+ 116.Kg1 Qg3+ 117.Kh1 Qh3+ 118.Kg1 Qg3+ 119.Kf1 Qf3+ 120.Ke1 Qe3+ 121.Kd1 Qd3+ 122.Kc1 Qc3+ 123.Kb1 Qb3+ 124.Ka1 Qa3+ 125.Kb1 Qb3+ 126.Kc1 Qc3+ 127.Kd1 Qd3+ 128.Ke1 Qe3+ 129.Kf1 Qf3+ 130.Kg1 Qg3+ 131.Kh1 Qh3+ 132.Kg1 Qg3+ 133.Kf1 Qf3+ 134.Ke1 Qe3+ 135.Kd1 Qd3+ 136.Kc1 Qc3+ 137.Kb1 Qb3+ 138.Kc1 Qc3+ 139.Kd1 Qd3+ 140.Ke1 Qe3+ 141.Kf1 Qf3+ 142.Kg1 Qg3+ 143.Kh1 Qh3+ 144.Kg1 Qg3+ 145.Kf1 Qf3+ 146.Ke1 Qe3+ 147.Kd1 Qd3+ 148.Kc1 Qc3+ 149.Kb1 Qb3+ 150.Ka1 Qa3+ 151.Kb1 Qb3+ 152.Kc1 Qc3+ 153.Kd1 Qd3+ 154.Ke1 Qe3+ 155.Kf1 Qf3+ 156.Kg1 Qg3+ 157.Kf1 Black forfeited on time

Jerome Gambit: Another Tool For The Box

A few years ago I posted about a "Jerome Gambit Toolbox", ideas or tactics that are part of  effective play in the opening.

After I played over another recent game by Lavanya_Balu, I realized that I had stumbled over another addition to the box.

The tool gives White the advantage, and, along with it, the win.

Lavanya_Balu - olja1978

30 0 classical, lichess.org, 2021

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.O-O 

White decides that one sacrificed piece is enough.

5...Nf6 6.d3 d6 7.c3 Bg4 8.Nbd2 Re8 

Compensation for the piece: a pawn. Plus a move comfortable King.

9.Qb3+ Be6 

Played too quickly.

10.Ng5+ 

We have seen this tactic before, as recently as in Lavanya_Balu - kseniyazhyr, 30 0 classical, lichess.org, 2021 (1-0, 9).

In fact, searching The Database for the following  - White Queen on b3, Black Bishop on e6, Black King on f7, White Knight on g5 - uncovers over 500 Jerome Gambit games with this pattern.

FICS player ecimsa, as White, has 63 games, while as Black he has 4 more. 

Bill Wall posted on this in a Chess.com forum, a decade ago, referring to his game Wall, Bill - DDRM, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 11).

10...Kg8 11.Nxe6 d5 

Black is rattled. What he wants to play is 11...Na5 12.Nxd8 Nxb3 13.axb3 Rxd8, when he is only down a pawn.

12.Nxd8 Black resigned

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.