Jerome Gambit: 600 Italian Miniatures

 

The latest title in Bill Wall's Miniature Series is 600 Italian Miniatures.

(You have seen many of Bill's Jerome Gambit games here on this blog.)

A miniature game is short game (less than 25 moves) that provides a slice of "crime and punishment", where a player makes a mistake, and receives immediate consequences. It is a good (and enjoyable) way to learn about an opening and its underpinnings.

If you play 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 Bc4 - to reach the Jerome Gambit, or other openings in the Italian repertoire, including the Two Knights Defense, Hungarian Defense, Evans Gambit, and the Blackburne Shilling Gambit - you might consider picking the book up. (Yes, it contains Jeromes.)

600 Italian Miniatures has an extensive and helpful table of contents as well as a players' index. 

Bill has written a lot of affordable, entertaining chess books. He has written on standard openings like the Ruy Lopez, the Sicilian Defense, the French Defense, the Queen's Gambit, the King's Gambit and the English Opening. There are also books on more unusual openings, such as the Blackmar Diemer Gambit, the Orangutan Opening, Grob's Attack, Owen's Defense and Larsen's Opening. You can also find Oddities in Chess, 700 Opening Traps, and Chess Opening Blunders. 

Here is a quick look at a list at Amazon.com.

Have fun!

  

Jerome Gambit: Struggling (Part 2)

 

[continued from previous post]

perrypawnpusher - acasimon1987

3 d/move, "Piano Piano" tournament, Chess.com, 2021

16.Nc3 

Anticipating d6-d5.

Taking the Knight on h4 would be disastrous, as after 16.gxh4 Qxh4 Black's mate threat costs White too much material. For example, 17.Rf2 Rb7!? (distract the Queen so she cannot continue to protect the Rook at f2) 18.Qd4 Rb4!? will give you the idea.

Still, White could have played 16.f5 Kg8 17.fxe6 when the game would be about even.

16... Kg8 17.Qa6 

Looking for a way to bring the Queen home.

After the game the computer preferred 17.h3, which looks loosening to White's position, but it creates an interesting balance between winning material and exposing the King. After 17...Ne5 (17...Nf6 18.f5 Nxe4 19.Nxe4 Nxg5 is about even, due to Black's initiative) 18.fxe5 Bxh3 19.Rf2 Rf8 20.Qe3 Rxf2 21.Qxf2 Qd7 22.gxh4 (White can grab material, but he quickly has to sue for peace, or let Black do the same) Rf8 23.Qg3 Qf7 24.Qxh3 Qf2+ 25.Kh1 Rf4 26.Qe6+ Kf8 27.Qc8+ Kf7 28.Qh3 Qe1+ 29.Kh2 Qf2+30.Kh1 Qe1+, etc.

Weird.

17...Qf6 

It takes Black a couple of moves to decide on the strong ...d5.

18.Qe2 

Not quite enough. Stockfish 14 has its typical "White should run for a draw" prejudice in its recommendation 18.Qd3 d5 19.gxh4 dxe4 20.Nxe4 Qxh4 21.Qg3 Qd8 22.Qd3, etc.

18...Qd4+ 19.Kh1 d5 

White has four pawns for his sacrificed piece.

Black plans to blow open the game.

I decided that it was time to take that impudent Knight, but then immediately bludered.

20.gxh4 dxe4 

21.Nxe4 

Based on a tactical oversight. Stockfish's remedy was beyond my abilities, but suggested that White had just enough 21.f5 Bc4 22.Qxg4 Bxf1 23.d3 Bh3!? 24.Qxh3 exd3 25.Bg5 (to guard the first rank) d2 26.Qg3 Rxb2 27.f6 Rxc2 28.Bxd2 Qxf6 29.Qd3 Qg6 30.Qd7 Qf7 31.Qd3 with a draw coming.

I don't think that's the best that either Black or White can do, but I don't have an alternative.

21...Bd5 22.d3 Rxe4 

This is what I overlooked. If, instead, the Bishop captures, White can hold on (and has the advantage) after 23.dxe4.

23.dxe4 Bxe4+ 24.Rf3 Re8 25.c3 

A bit better is 25.Bd2 but it doesn't matter.

25...Bxf3+ 26.Qxf3 Re1+ 27.Kg2 Rg1+ 28.Kh3 Nf2+ White resigned

A brutal finish.

I wonder if I could convince acasimon1987 to start playing the Jerome Gambit?

Jerome Gambit: Struggling (Part 1)

So far, I have not been very successful with the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) in the second round of the "Piano Piano" tournament at Chess.com. I just recorded my second loss, against one win - and the latter wasn't much to get excited about, as it was 1-0, in 4 moves, on time.

I can not fully blame the Jerome, however. I had my chances, but was simply outplayed by my opponent in a complicated game. 

acasimon1987's finish to the game was masterful and crushing. He scored a well-deserved win.

perrypawnpusher - acasimon1987

3 d/move, "Piano Piano" tournament, Chess.com, 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 Nf6 

10.O-O Kf7 

In this ordinary Jerome Gambit position (almost 200 games with it, in The Database) Black prepares to castle-by-hand.

I have faced this position before, and scored 19 - 9 - 1. Not my best variation, but okay.

In the first round of the tournament, I faced 10...Qe7 and was also outplayed in perrypawnpusher - ZlikoM, 3d/move "Piano Piano" Chess.com, 2020 (0-1, 37). Still, my record against the move is 8 - 2 - 1.

 11.f4 Re8 12.Qb3+ 

This is a move that I mentioned in "Jerome Gambit: Enthusiast", and I shared my curiosity about it in "Jerome Gambit: Mixed Feelings (Part 1)". The goal is simply to disrupt the castling-by-hand.

Earlier in the tournament, I had tried 12.f5 in perrypawnpusher - sincondrosis, 3d/move "Piano Piano" tournament, Chess.com, 2020, (1-0, 31).

Also possible is 12.d3, although after White meets 12...d5 with 13.e5, if he eventually wants his pawn on d4 it will take a second move to get it there.

12...Be6 

Black is not impressed. He offers his b-pawn. He is thinking of a Kingside attack and is happy to have the enemy Queen offside.

13.Qxb7 

This capture is risky, but, after the game Stockfish 14 ranked it as its top choice.

13...Ng4 

I do not think that this move was a bluff, and it worked quite well, but it should not have. The placement of his Bishop and Knight should have encouraged me to play f4-f5 as soon as possible.

14.g3 

This is to keep Black's Queen off of h4.

In the post mortem, Stockfish 14 recommended 14.h3 Qh4 15.f5 Kg8 16.hxg4 Qxg4 17.Nc3 (the best chance for advantage) Nf4 18.Rxf4 (sacrificing the exchange is necessary) Qxf4 19.d3 (taking the Bishop would allow 19...Rf8 and a draw) Qg3 20.Bd2 (allowing the Rook to protect the first rank, to avoid Queen checks toward a repetition and a draw) Bf7 21.Qxc7 Qe5 when the attack would be over, and White would be better.

That's complicated.

14...Rb8 15.Qxa7 Nh4 

Wow.

My opponent and I have exchanged roles. He is attacking my King, and offering the sacrifice of a piece to do so. I have been pawn-grabbing, taking my Queen out of play.

On the other hand, when analyzing afterward, Stockfish 14 gave a small advantage here to me.

What I should have been worried about was if the following line actually was better for Black: 15...Ra8 16.Qd4 c5 17.Qc3 Bc8 (aha) 18.d3 d5 (thematic) 19.Nd2 Kg8 20.Nb3 dxe4 21.dxe4 Rxe4 22.Nxc5 Qb6 23.Qb3+ Qxb3 24.axb3 Rxa1 25.Nxe4 Bf5 26.Nf2 Nxf2 27.Kxf2 Bxc2 28.Be3 Rxf1+ 29.Kxf1 Bxb3. Stockfish thinks so, but I think White would have practical chances.

[to be continued]

Jerome Gambit: Alien

The Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) often presents Black with challenges that are alien to his expectations and experience. That affects the defender, in that he has to construct a defense, instead of just remembering one.

Sometimes those constructions fail, as in the following game.  

Sekci - Jobert19

3 2 blitz, lichess.org, 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 Nf7 

Black decides to save his Knight. There are some risks with this move, however, and he would have done better with the 8...g6.

Why? Well, if White then wants to continue with his plan to regain a piece, he does so only in a less persuasive way.

There is 8...g6 9.Qxe5+ Qxe5 10.fxe5 Bd4!? (if 10...Kxd4 11.b4!?) followed by 11...Bxe5.

White might be happier with 8...g6 9.Qh3+ Ng4 (the simplest, as he has to give back material) 10.Qxg4+ Kf7, although ...d6 will further inconvenience the Queen.

9.Qxc5 Ne7 

Apparently not paying close attention, but it was a blitz game. The problem is that he has boxed in his King.

10.f5+ Nxf5 11.exf5+ Qxf5 Black resigned

The Queen and then the Knight will fall.

Jerome Gambit: Be Careful, Look Both Ways

Be careful. Look both ways before crossing the street. Look left, look right, look left. Or, depending upon the direction of traffic, look right, look left, look right.

Innes1203, playing at lichess.org, kindly sends the following Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game as a reminder to keep your eyes open - even if you are playing a familiar, non-dangerous line.

yahaia - Innes1203

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+ 

This line (172 examples in The Database) is becoming known as the Counter-Jerome Gambit. Black returns material, displaces White's King, and exchanges Queens, settling for a calm, pawn-down game.

Usually...

8.Kxf2 Qh4+ 

This move is rare - including this game, there are a couple dozen examples in The Database. Usually Black plays 8...Qf6+, expecting the Queen exchange. He can even retreat the Queen to f6 on the next move.

9.Kg1 Qe1 checkmate

Oh.

This is the first time that I have seen this checkmate.

Previously, primarily 9.g3 - and once, 9.Kf1 and once 9.Ke3 - had a combined record of 21 - 1 - 1 in this line.

Be careful.

Jerome Gambit: Chess Adventures of GM Hambleton (Part 2)

 

[continued from the previous post]

Grandmaster Aman Hambleton's recent Jerome Gambit game, with notes.

KNVB (2713) - CzechmVIII (2265)

3 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2021

6...Kf8 

Also frequently seen is 6...Ng6, e.g. ChessBrah - samuelwillwin, 3 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2020.

7.Qxe5 d6 

7...Qe7 was seen in KNVB - Maxterlopez, 3 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2020 (0-1, 48) and KNVB - PsychoPato, 3 0 blitz, Chess.com,  2020 (1-0, 69) 

8.Qg3 Nf6 9.Nc3 Qe7 10.d3 Bb4 

A new idea for this position. White's response shows he is not troubled. The game is about even.

11.Bd2 Be6 12.a3 Bxc3 13.Bxc3 d5 14.O-O-O c5 

This sets the stage for what follows: Black attacks the enemy King on the Queenside, while White attacks his enemy in the center.

15.f4 d4 16.Bd2 Bf7 17.f5 a5 18.Rde1 b5

Black persists, but White's attack will do more damage.

19.e5 Nh5 20.Qf3 Rc8 21.e6 Be8 22.g4 c4 

23.Bxa5 Kg8 24.gxh5 c3 25.Rhg1 cxb2+ 26.Kxb2 Qc5 

It looks scary for White's King, but actually the grandmaster has a forced checkmate!

27.Re2 

Safety first. He could have played 27.f6 g6 28.h6 Bf7 29.Bb4, but as the game goes, he gets those moves in, anyhow!

27...b4 28.Bxb4 Qb5 29.h6 g6 30.f6 Bc6 31.f7 checkmate

Oh, those "Jerome pawns"!

A very fine game.

Jerome Gambit: Chess Adventures of GM Hambleton (Part 1)

Reader Jordan Taylor recently let me know that Grandmaster Aman Hambleton has played another Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+)!

Visitors to this blog site are probably familiar with the Canadian GM, in large part because of his hilarious video (see "Jerome Gambit: All In Good Fun") concerning the Jerome - and this blog, and me. In it, he tries to make sense out of the opening, and of someone who would actually spend so much time on it - and then blog about it.

The video was responsible for a massive spike in visitors to this site, and continues to introduce players to the Jerome Gambit. I much appreciate it.

(I hope it would not surprise the GM too much to learn that chess, in general, and writing, in particular, are my main hobbies, not just the Jerome Gambit. In 1988, along with Riley Sheffield, I wrote the book The Marshall Gambit in the French and Sicilian Defenses. My stories have appeared in Chess Life, Chess Life Kids and School Mates. Anyone looking really hard would find my profile of Russ Chauvenet in Deaf Life magzine; I also edited and published "The Silent Knight", the newsletter of the United States Chess Association of the Deaf, for 14 years. It would probably take The Wayback Machine, but it should also be possible to find my book reviews and stories - over 100, each - at the now defunct Chessville.com website.)

I thought it would be fun to share GM Hambleton's most recent Jerome Gambit game, as well as earlier ones that he he has played.

KNVB (2713) - CzechmVIII (2265)

3 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2021

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 

It is necessary to take a detour, already, to include a couple of games that started out with the Two Knights Defense: 3...Nf6 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 

6...Bd6?! (6...Nc6 was stronger, but Black caved quickly in another game 7.e5 Nd5?! 8.Qf3+ Kg8? 9.Qxd5 checkmate, ChessBrah - kevvvvvvv, 5 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2020) 7.dxe5 Bxe5 8.f4 Re8?! 

Giving back the second sacrificed piece and setting up pressure along the dangerous e-file, but it turns the advantage over to White.

9.fxe5 Rxe5 10.O-O Rxe4 11.Nc3 Re6 12.Bg5 

White has compensation for his pawn.

12...Qe8? (breaking one of two pins) 13.Nd5 Qd8 (back again) 14.Qh5+ Kg8 15.Bxf6 gxf6 16.Nxf6+ Rxf6 17.Qg5+ Kf7 18.Rxf6+

Up the exchange, it looks like White is trading down to a better endgame - but there is more in the position.

 18...Qxf6 19.Rf1 Qxf1+ 20.Kxf1 d6 Black resigned, KNVB - boringhard, 3 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2020 

4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 

We have to side-step again, for a Jerome Gambit declined,  4...Kf8: dontcallmelab - ChessBrah, 3 0 blitz, Chess.com 2021 (0-1, 30) 

5.Nxe5 Nxe5 6.Qh5+

[to be continued]