Jerome Gambit: Once Again, Be Careful, Look Both Ways

 

One risk of the "annoying defense" to the Jerome Gambit can be a touch of boredom for White. Black's King can look to be at risk, but he is not, and White has a number of ideas, all of which seem to lead nowhere...

Still, this is another case where White needs to be careful and look both ways - lest troubles befall him.

Sekci - wintoo1

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 d6 

Black willingly returns a piece, as he is 2 ahead. It can be annoying to see his King sitting out near the middle of the board, but have no established easy way to attack him.

8.fxe5 dxe5 9.Qf5+ Kd6 10.Qf7 

This is a 3 2 blitz game, but White figures he has time enough to box in Black's King and then look for checkmate.

It turns out that his own time - how long his King will last - is running short. (10.Qf3 was a better choice.)

10...Qh4+ 11.g3 Qxe4+ 12.Kf1 Bh3 checkmate

Annoying, right?

Jerome Gambit: Nightmares

I like to think that some of the victims of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) have nightmares about being over-run by "Jerome pawns". (Perhaps in the guise of "Killer Shrews"?) Certainly the following bullet game - where pieces come at you quickly - had a scary feeling about it that might linger after the final move.

linganno - mirolim

2 1 bullet, lichess.org, 2021

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nc6 3.Nf3 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 Nf6 

If you are playing quickly and your opponent is unfamiliar with the Jerome Gambit, you might very well encounter this strike-back-at-the-Queen-quickly-oops move. There are 110 examples in The Database.

8.Qxe5+ Kf7 9.Qxc5 

And, just like that, White has his sacrficed material back, with interest.

9...d6 10.Qe3 Re8 11.d3 d5 12.e5 Ng4 13.Qg3 d4 14.h3 

The beginning...

14...Nh6 15.O-O Nf5 16.Qf2 Be6 17.Nd2 Bd5 18.b3 Nh4 19.g3 Ng2

This move is a bit of a surprise, but surprises in bullet can cause the opponent to invest time in thought - seconds that are not available, later on in the game. White deals with it easily, though.

20.Ne4 Ne3 21.Bxe3 dxe3 22.Qxe3 c6 23.c4 Be6 24.Ng5+ Ke7 25.Nxe6 Kxe6 

Black's King takes the lead in defending against the pawns, but perhaps he should not. It could give His Majesty some dangerous ideas...

26.d4  g6 27.Rad1 Qc7 28.d5+ cxd5 29.cxd5+ Kf5 30.g4 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: Another Reason

There are many reasons to play the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+). Under the right circumstances, with the right opponent, it can be the right opening to play.

Take, for example, the following game.

Guest6355147650 - Guest0996239299

10 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 Bf2+ 

Here we have Black considering that if it was good for White to sacrifice a piece to prevent his opponent from castling, perhaps it is good for Black to do the same - even without capturing a pawn. He figures he is going to have to surrender a piece, anyhow.

It is a creative, if not usually successful idea. White scores 70% in 10 games in The Database.

8.Kxf2 Ng6 

Black should give his own idea more respect. Retreating the Knight to f7 or c6 would give him an edge in the position.

9.f5+ Ke5 

This is a blitz game, and there is not always a lot of time for deep analysis, but this move seems a bit too cooperative.

10.fxg6+ Kxe4 

As does this.

The game harkens back to the time of Alonzo Wheeler Jerome (1834 - 1902), inventor of the gambit, when it was still considered sporting to take all the material on offer, regardless of risk.

11.Nc3+ Kd4 12.Qd5 checkmate

And that is another reason, dear Readers, that club players will continue to be drawn to the Jerome Gambit.

Jerome Gambit: A Back-Alley Beatdown

Recently I received an interesting Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game from Devin Brown, along with some comments about the play. I thought I would present the game, add some diagrams (and a comment or two, in blue), but let Devin's play - and his words - mostly speak for themselves.

Hello again Rick,

I bring to you the antithesis of the previous game I submitted (A game of desperation and opportunity). 

Dattrollz vs TitoBabel

3 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2021,

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7

5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qd5+ 

We start off with Aman Hambleton's Jerome Gambit with the 7.Qd5+...

[In his YouTube video on the Jerome Gambit, Grandmaster Aman Hambleton re-discovered this "nudge", first played by Alonzo Wheeler Jerome against O.A. Brownson, in their 1875 game in Iowa (1-0, 28)]

7...Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Be6 10.O-O Qe7 

11.f4 Bc4 12.d3 Ba6 13.f5 Ne5 14.Nc3 Nc6 

leading into 

15.Nd5

where I have smothered the bishop into the a-column and have tempo on the queen. After Black's

15...Qd7

I knew I had a game and sought to seize it with the only tried and true method of the Jerome, attacking with no time for the opponent to even realize what's going on. So I being my seige with 

16.Qg5 

setting up f5-f6, but my opponent left his back to me in the form of

16...Nge7 

so I gobbled up a free g-pawn.

17.Qxg7

Afterwards he moves

17...Re8

to prevent my knight fork, but that was never my plan. I don't intend to trade my best attacking piece for a rook that just got his morning coffee. Thus I gobbled another free pawn 

18.Qxh7 Ne5

and proceeded to play

19.Qh5+ 

At this point I know I have an attack but I need a weakness (and a little time) to figure out what exactly I have going and I see it on blacks 3rd worst blunder, 

19...Kd8 20.Qh6 Rg8

At this point I go for the fork and he attempts to BAMNOOZLE me with the desperate 

21...Nxf5

but alas I remain calm cool and collected and simply take back leaving my knight still lined up for the kill. 

 

22.exf5

After his 

22...Qg7 

I finally realize it's time to let go of my trusty steed and force a queen trade to either lead my pawn to glory or to see all his pieces in the shadow realm (He took the latter). 

23.Nxg8 Qxg8 

24.f6 Nf7 25.Qg7 Qe8 26.Bh6 c6 27.Rae1 Qd7 28.Qf8+ Kc7 29.Qe7 Qxe7 30.Rxe7+ Kb6 31.Rxf7 Rg8 

32.Rg7 Re8 33.f7 Rf8 34.Rg8 Rxf7 35.Rxf7 Bb5 36.Rgg7 Ba6 37.c4 c5 38.Bf4

after his 

38...d5 

I landed the final blow 

39.cxd5

before the sands of time decided that his time had come.

White won on time

Earlier I mentioned that 20...Rg8 was his 3rd worst blunder, the second was the scandalous 21...Nxf5, and his 1st was 3...Bc5.

[Thank you for sharing your game and analysis, Devin]

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]