Jerome Gambit: Ignore Me, Stay Aware

 

When it comes to the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), some Readers of this blog pay attention to my advice. Some ignore it. Both seem to do well, anyhow.

For example, looking at the variation of the Jerome Gambit Declined in the following game, in "Jerome Gambit for Dummies 2.0 (Part 3)" I wrote

Some players seeking greater complications have left the Bishop in place and tried 5.Nxe5, apparently hoping to continue along orthodox Jerome Gambit lines, gaining a tempo when Black finally plays ...Kxf7. White has been successful with 5.Nxe5 over-the-board (The Database has 68 games, White scores 60%) even though the computer frowns upon the move, seeing Black about 1 3/4 pawns better. (It must be noted that the tries 4...Kf8/4...Ke7 5.Nxe5 Nxe5 6.Qh5 d6 and 4...Kf8/4...Ke7 5.Nxe5 Nxe5 6.d4 Nxf7 are not very encouraging for White.)

I had already pointed out in "Jerome Gambit: It's A Blunderful Life"

The better choice for Black, instead of the text move, is the straight-forward 5...Nxe5. Let's not over-think the situation. Still, White can try 6.Bxg8, when 6...Qf6 (if 6...Rxg8 then 7.d4) is a good answer, e.g. 7.0-0 Kxg8 and White does not have 8.d4, because of 8...Bxd4 9.Qxd4 Nf3+, the trick we have seen earlier, e.g. "Jerome Gambit: Why Would He Play That?"

So, let's take a look. Maybe it is not the variation that is important as much as it is the fighting spirit of the Jerome Gambiteer.

Rubivision - ArkadiyTyulyush

3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2022

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kf8 

The Jerome Gambit declined. White generally gets a small advantage.

5.Nxe5 

To complicate the game. In a 3-minute blitz, it is a practical matter. 

5...Nxe5 6.d4 

White's idea.

Stockfish 14.1 recommends the wild 6.Bxg8 Qh4 7.d4 Qxe4+ 8.Be3 Qxg2 9.Kd2 Bxd4 10.Bxd4 Nf3+ 11.Kc3 Nxd4 12.Bc4 Nf5 where White's King is more at risk. Black has a small advantage.

6...Nxf7 7.dxc5 d6 

8.cxd6 Qxd6 9.b3 Qxd1+ 10.Kxd1 Nf6 

Black has a piece for two pawns. His King is safe. The position is not very dynamic, which means that the defense has done well.

White works to turn up the heat.

11.Ba3+ Kg8 12.Re1 Nd7 13.e5  

White simply threatens to fork the Knights with his pawn.

Black is not impressed, but his nonchalance - aided by the time control, which limits how deep a player can analyze - will cost him.

13...Ndxe5 14.f4 Nd7  

Black's Knight grabs the pawn and then returns home. 

However, he needed to throw in 14...Bg4+.

White notices.

15.Re8+ Nf8 16.Rxf8 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: Slip

Sometimes the defender in a Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game gets a good start on a counter-attack, only to slip and tumble.

Refuting the Jerome takes concentration and isn't automatic.

Budimansantos - Egoryan_22

10 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2022

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Qh4+ 9.g3 Nf3+ 10.Kd1 

The "Nibs" counter attack is in full swing. It is strong, one side or the other will lose a Queen - but it is complicated, and Black has many ways to slip up, as shown by The Database, which shows White scoring 64% from this position.

Black can continue with 10...Ne7, 10...Qh6 or 10...Qf6.

10...Qe7 

No...

11.Qd5 checkmate

For the 15th time, according to The Database.

(Three times for me.)

Jerome Gambit: GM Game

Recently Dan Middlemiss sent me a collection of Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) games, and pointed out one that was played by a grandmaster, Miroslav Miljkovic.

I looked at a number of the GM's games at lichess.org. In some bullet and ultra bullet games where he sacrificed his Bishop on f7 he seems to have had a lot of fun

MiroMiljkovic - Dostoyevsky99

1 0 bullet, lichess.org

1.e4 

In a game that shows "anything goes" when the time control is a fraction of a minute: 1.Nc3 b5 2.e4 b4 3.Bc4 bxc3 4.Bd5 cxb2 5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.Bxb2 e6 7.Qh5+ Ke7 8.Qf3 Ke8 9.Ne2 Qe7 10.Ba3 Qxa3 11.O-O Qc1 12.Nxc1 Black resigned, MiroMiljkovic - SimonHSV, lichess.org, 2020. 

1...e5 

Another example: 1...d6 2.c3 e5 3.Nf3 Be7 4.Bc4 Nf6 5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.Ng5+ Ke8 7.d4 Rf8 8.Qb3 h6 9.Ne6 Kd7 10.Qc4 Qe8 11.d5 c6 12.dxc6+ Nxc6 13.Nc7 Kxc7 14.Qb5 Be6 15.Qd3 Bc4 16.Qe2 Bd3 17.Qxd3 Nb4 18.Qe2 d5 19.cxb4 Ng4 20.Bd2 Ne3 21Qb5 Nxg2+ White resigned, MiroMiljkovic - Therafik, lichess.org, 2020. 

2.Nf3 

Or, even faster: 2.Bc4 Nc6 3.Bxf7+ Kxf7 4.Nf3 Ke8 5.O-O Qf6 6.d4 exd4 7.e5 Nxe5 8.Nxe5 Qxe5 9.Re1 Qxe1+ 10.Qxe1+ Kf7 11.Qe2 Nf6 12.Bg5 Bd6 13.Bxf6 gxf6 14.Qh5+ Kg7 15.Qh4 Re8 16.Qg4+ Kf7 17.Nd2 Re2 18.Ne4 Rd2 19.Nxd6+ cxd6 20.Qh5+ Ke7 21.Qg4 Rxc2 22.Qf4 Rxb2 23.Qe4+ Black resigned, MiroMiljkovic - Jhonortega123, lichess.org, 2020. 

2...Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.d4 

This is not a strong Jerome Gambit line, although it meets the requirements of a bullet game - open lines, please.

As I wrote to Dan

It is good to see a GM Jerome game, although Miljkovic made a real hash of it, early, I am afraid. The database has a hefty 2,600 games with 5.d4, with White scoring 38%. Even if you adjust for the fact that the average White was rated about 100 points below the average Black, that's still a bit anemic. 

Or is it? The Jerome - 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ - is scoring 50 % in The Database, with the average Whites and average Blacks rated about equal. If White's average were -100, as in the above example, would that be enough to drop the score to 38%? Actually, a quick look at the InterWeb suggests that -100 rating would give you only a 34% winning chance. Hmmmm.... 

GM Miljkovic is listed as a coach; perhaps he was playing a student - albeit, a highly rated one - and was giving "Jerome Gambit odds"? Bullet time control is madness, IMHO. 

5...Bxd4 

I suppose he would have answered 5...Nxd4 with 6.Nxe5+, and 5...exd4 with 6.c3.

6.O-O Nf6 7.c3 Bb6 8.Bg5 d6 9.Qb3+ Be6 10.Qc2 h6 11.Be3 Rf8 12.Nh4 Ng4 13.Nd2 Qxh4 14.Bxb6 Qxh2 checkmate

Ouch.

Jerome Gambit: Somnambulism

Sometimes the impact of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) on the defender is very interesting - it is as if Black is sleepwalking...

Sahuaripa - toshi8

3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2022

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

7.f4 Qf6 8.fxe5 

Usually White refrains from taking the Knight, because of the reply 8...Qf2. 

8...Qxe5 

Black is doing fine, even if he is playing passively.

This is a blitz game, however, and White now throws in a surprise to destabilize things.

9.Qe8+ Kf6 

It turns out that Black can afford to block the check with 9...Ne7, because White risks too much if he captures the Rook - 10.Qxh8 - Black has the Whistler-like 10...Qxe4+ with a crushing attack. 

In all fairness, The Database has no game examples of 9...Ne7.

10.Rf1+ Black resigned

Wow. The Rook chases the enemy King away from protecting the Queen. Checkmate is also coming, for example 10...Bf2+ (blocking the check for a moment) 11.Rxf2+ Kg5 12.Qxe5+ (there goes the Queen) Kg6 13.Qg3+ Kh5 14.Rf5+ Kh6 15.Qg5#

Jerome Gambit: Wandering Away (Part 2)

 

[continued from the previous post]

perrypawnpusher - Ryszak

3 d/move, Giuoco Piano Game tournament, Chess.com, 2022

12...d5 

Of course! Adventures on the wing can often be countered by play in the center.

13.g5 

A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse! 

Somehow, I don't think that William Shaespeare's King Richard the Third meant that it was wise to chase after a chess Knight, at the expense of one's own King.

However, I was commited to the wild line of play.

13...Nxe4 14.Qe5+ 

This is the kind of position that my 7-year old grandson would reach playing his No Stress Chess.

Sadly, the alternative 14.Qxg7+ is neatly met by 14...Nf7

14...Be6 

I overlooked this possibility in my analysis.

15.gxh6 

Well, I reached material equality, at least for a moment.

Just compare the activity of Black's minor pieces with my unedeveloped ones, however.

15...g6 

Sometimes chess is a horrible game.

I think my opponent avoided 15...gxh6 because of 16.Qg7+ and 17.Qxh6.

It turns out that he needed to add one more piece to his King's defense, and then he could think about counter-attacking: 15...Kd7 16.d3 Re8 17.Qxg7+ Re7. 

16.d3 Nf6 17.Bg5

Here Black resigned, seeing himself as about to lose a piece. (I thought so too.)

Things were still complicated, though, starting with the fact that Black can play ...Bf5 to shield his Knight against Rf1.

After the game Stockfish 14.1 gave 17...Kf7 18.Nc3 (White's Rook never goes to f1 in the top lines) Bf5 19.Kd2 (avoiding a Rook pin on his Queen) c6 20.Qd4 Qd6 21.Rae1 Rhe8 and although the computer rates White a piece better, I don't see it.

Which means I probably wouldn't have seen it in the game, either.

Jerome Gambit: Wandering Away (Part 1)

My latest Jerome Gambit, played in the second round of the ongoing "Giuoco Piano Game" tournament at Chess.com, wandered away from recommended play and stumbled into a wilderness of weirdness.

I won, but I am not sure that I want to repeat the adventure.

perrypawnpusher - Ryszak

3 d/move, Giuoco Piano Game tournament, Chess.com, 2022

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

5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Qh3+ 

Varying from my usual 7.Qf5+ and occasional 7.f4.

The earliest game in The Database with this move is Idealist - Bhima, 3 0 blitz, FICS, 2000 (0-1, 20).

Although about 30 players have played 7.Qh3+ (with White scoring 28%), the most significant contribution to the move has come from recent analyses and a game by Yury V. Bukayev, published on this blog

"JG: The New in Its Opening Theory, in Its Psychology (Parts 1, 2, 3, 5 6, 7, 8, 9 & 10)" 

"Jerome Gambit: Analysis Leads the Way (Parts 1 & 2)"  

7...Ke7 

A major alternative is 7...Kd6  

8.Qc3 

This is Bukayev's idea - the Queen attacks both of Black's minor pieces. 

For history: 8.d4 d6 9.dxc5 Bxh3 10.cxd6+ Qxd6 11.gxh3 Nf3+ 12.Ke2 Nd4+ 13.Kf1 Nf6 14.Na3 Nxe4 15.Be3 Rad8 16.Rd1 Qa6+ 17.c4 Nf5 18.Bc5+ Nxc5 19.Re1+ Ne6 20.Rg1 Rhf8 White resigned, Idealist - Bhima, FICS, 2000. 

8...Bxf2+

This move disturbed me. Black finds a way to deal with the double attack, starting with this sacrifice.

As far as I know, this blog is the only place where this return of material has been discussed. Has my opponent been reading up on the line? Always a concern. 😓

9.Kxf2

If you have followed the links above, you know that Yury has recommended the side-step 9.Ke2!?

The question in front of me was, Theory or Practice? There was an earlier game with the capture. I followed it, instead.

9...Ng4+ 

Moving the second piece out from the White Queen's attack.

An alternative was seen in Yury_V_Bukayev - WaleraG, Chess.com, 2021: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Qh3+ Kf7 8.Qh5+ Ke6 9.Qh3+ Ke7 10.Qc3 Bxf2+ 11.Kxf2 Qf8+ 12.Ke1 Qf4 13.Qc5+ Kd8 14.Nc3 d6 15.Qb5 Qg4 16.Rf1 Qh4+ 17.g3 Qe7 18.Nd5 c6 19.Qa5+ b6 20.Nxb6 Qc7 21.Rf8+ Ke7 22.Nd5+ cxd5 23.Qxc7+ Kxf8 24.Qxd6+ Black resigned

10.Ke2 

The King might be safer at g1 or e1.

At the time I was entranced by the idea that Black's King was blocking his Queen from travelling on the dark square diagonal to check on h4. So my King would be safer on e2, right? And the square was recommended right? This way, my King could capture a piece and then move on to where it should have gone? 

If this thinking seems a bit misty, please realize that it was just the beginning of the fog setting in.

10...N8f6 

Blocking White's Queen's access to g7.

11.h3 Nh6 12.g4 

At this point I probably should have apologized to my opponent. This is how you play the Jerome Gambit in a 3-minute game, not a game where the time control is 1 move every 3 days (although we usually move faster).

I still was focused on the clogged d8-h4 diagonal, with hopes for an eventual Qxg7+.

I take some solace in Stockfish 14.1's recommended line of play, which I discovered after the game: 12.e5 Nd5 13.Qf3 Qg8 14.d4 b5 15.Nc3 Bb7 16.Nxb5 a6 17.Bg5+ Ke8 18.Nxc7+ Nxc7 19.Qxb7 Qc4+ 20.Kd2 Qxd4+ 21.Kc1 Qc5 22.a4 Nf7 23.Bd2 Qc6 24.Qxc6 dxc6 25.Ba5 Ne6 26.Ra3 Very messy! White has 2 pawns for a piece, but the computer sees Black as a piece better.

[to be continued]

Again: Does Magnus Carlsen Read This Blog??

Yury V. Bukayev keeps his eyes open for Jerome Gambits and Jerome-ish games. Recently he emailed me

Earlier I have written here in my analytical publication 'Carlsen's Win & Handicap Gambits: The New Chess Opening Fashion' (December, 8, 2021): " I thank Mr. Carlsen for his very brave gambits on this World Championship. It maybe, he reads this blog sometimes ". And recently I have found else one argument for WCC top GM Magnus Carlsen's possible reading of this blog! Thus, I have found his Jerome-ish game of 2014 against top GM Fabiano Caruana - the game of two modern chess stars. Here it is: https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1772638

Here is the game.

Magnus Carlsen - Fabiano Caruana

Sinquefield Cup, 2014

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.d3 c6 4.Nf3 d5 5.Bb3 Bb4+ 6.c3 Bd6 

7.Bg5 dxe4 8.dxe4 h6 9.Bh4 Qe7 10.Nbd2 Nbd7 11.Bg3 Bc7 

12.O-O Nh5 13.h3 Nxg3 14.fxg3 Nc5 

15.Bxf7+ 

A surprise by the World Champion. Instead of allowing the exchange of his opponent's Knight for the Bishop, he sacrifices it.

15...Kxf7 

Capturing with the Queen is dangerous after the following move, anyhow.

16.Nxe5+ Kg8 17.Ng6 Qg5 18.Rf8+ Kh7 

19.Nxh8 

Stockfish 14.1 suggests, instead, winning only the exchange with  19.Rxh8+ Kxg6  but who am I to argue with the World Champion? 

19...Bg4 20.Qf1 Nd3 

Black has 3 pieces en prise. Typical Super Grandmaster play? 

21.Qxd3 Rxf8 22.hxg4 Qxg4 23.Nf3 Qxg3 24.e5+ Kxh8 

White's e-pawn is vulnerable, and his King is less safe. While Carlsen focuses on the first, Caruana focuses on the second.

25.e6 Bb6+ 26.Kh1 Qg4 27.Qd6 Rd8 28.Qe5 Rd5 29.Qb8+ Kh7 30.e7 Qh5+ 

31.Nh2 

A difficult decision. After 31.Qh2 Qe8 32.g4 Rd7 33.g5 Rxe7 34.gxh6 gxh6 Black would also be better.

However, Stockfish 14.1 notes that the text leads to checkmate in 22 moves. Neither player needs to see that far ahead to know that White is busted.

31...Rd1+ 32.Rxd1 Qxd1+ 33.Nf1 Qxf1+ 34.Kh2 Qg1+ 

White resigned