Jerome Gambit Declined: Stay Aware

The Jerome Gambit declined can become extra quiet, especially compared to the accepted lines, but it is still necessary for both sides to be aware of opportunities and dangers as they arise.

The following blitz game is a good example.

Oufc1893 - RMahesh94

5 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2022

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kf8 

The Jerome Gambit declined. Black says No, thank you, I don't want to play your wild game.

5.Bd5

I don't see this very often, as White usually retreats his Bishop to either c4 or b3, or plays something wild like 5.Ne5. In this game, however, White will exchange his Bishop for the Knight that protects Black's e-pawn.

5...Nf6

Also possible is 5...d6, protecting the e-pawn. 5...Qf6 is equally as good.

6.Bxc6 

The Database has only 5 previous games with this move, but they are all wins for White. 

6...dxc6 

7.Nxe5

 According to plan, and observing the suggestion in blitz games that if there is material available to grab, without any immediate apparent danger, one should grab it.

My preference is 7.d3 to solidify White's position. I admit that some of this choice is psychological, as facing the Jerome Gambit declined gives me a sense of relief (some days I wonder why I play the Jerome) and I want to cling to the extra pawn and seek safety.

After 7.d3, White would have that extra pawn, plus 1 pawn island to Black's 3 (one, an isolated pawn). It is amusing to look at Stockfish 14.1 also strive to keep White's pawn structure intact: 7...Bg4 8.Qe2 Ke8 9.Be3 Bxe3 10.Qxe3 Bxf3 11.Qxf3 Qd4 12.Nc3 Rf8. 

7...Qd4

Showing that there was at least a little danger in the pawn grab.

8.Nd3 Qxe4+ 9.Kf1 Bb6 

Things have gotten messy.

White still has his extra pawn, but he is behind in development and is facing the two Bishops.

10.Nc3 Qg6 11.Nf4

Trying to untangle his pieces. I do not suspect that many humans would take the computer's advice and play 11.h3, instead.

11...Qf5 12.d3 g5

Trying to prove that his opponent's King is the one that needs to worry.

13.Nfe2

A blitz slip.

He needed to play 13.Nh3.

The funny thing is that White can then answer ...g4 with Nf4, blocking the enemy Queen's attack on f2. If Black plays the quiet 13...Rg8, White can play 14.Ne2 with the plan of bringing the Knight to g3, if needed, again holding out against the attack. 

The game would stay in balance.  

13...Qxf2 checkmate

Ouch.

Jerome Gambit: Ideas From Bullet

While I look over Jerome Gambit games played at bullet speed (1-minute or 2-minute games) for entertainment purposes, I often find interesting ideas in the play, and sometimes uncover questions that beg to be answered.

The following game is a good example. The story is more in the notes than in all of the moves. 

Falador07 -Jboy86

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2022

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 

7.Qxe5 d6  

Blackburne's defense. Now capturing the Rook leads to a complicated game.

8.Qxh8 Bg4 

When I saw this move, I was puzzled. Then I reminded myself: this is a bullet game. Many moves are "playable" if they are played quickly.

I checked with The Database, and it actually had 13 earlier games with this move. Not surpringly, White has scored 88%. 

How should White respond?

9.e5 

This move retains White's advantage.

Since a major danger for the first player in the Blackburne defense is his Queen getting into trouble on the 8th rank, something to remember is the direct and stronger 9.Qxh7+, which The Database shows had led to 10 wins and 1 draw. As Stockfish 14.1 points out: 9...Ke6 10.Qxg6+ Nf6 11.f3 Qg8 12.Qxg8+ Rxg8 13.fxg4 Rxg4. 

9...Qh4 

Another plus for the alternative 9.Qxh7+ is that it can prevent this move.

Now White needs a plan to protect his Kingside. One idea is 10.g3, although then 10...Qh3 looks ominous, and the best response, 11.d4, does not immediately come to mind, and leaves Black slightly better.

White's best response to 9...Qh4 is that quirky move 10.d4!? Of course, now if Black plays 10...Bxd4, White first nudges away the Bishop's protection with 11.g3 and then has 12.e6+, which uncovers an attack on, and thus wins, the Bishop.

Stockfish 14.1 recommends 9...Qh4 10.d4 Re8 (scary for White, but it still sees the first player as better) 11.Be3 when Black can win the enemy Queen with 11...dxe5 12.dxc5 Nf6 but after 13.Qxe8+ Kxe8 White still is better, with two Rooks and a pawn for that Queen.

10.Qf6+ 

An unfortunate slip, but these things happen in bullet play.

10...Nxf6 11.exf6 Qxf2 checkmate

So, here we have another example of when one player wins the game, but the other one wins the analysis.

White has no reason to fear the surprise 8...Bg4. 

Jerome Gambit: Pop Quiz Analysis

Here is a second look at the "Pop Quiz" from yesterday's post.

This point was that the game's outcome was a draw arising from a winning position. 

Please note that this is a blitz game. It is not clear that shortage of time was an issue in convincing Black to force a draw - but it might have been.

It is also quite possible that Black was uncomfortable with how the game had gone, starting with a wild sacrificial opening, and he ended it most expeditiously.

eskimo_king - saimutku

10 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2022

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+  

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Qe7

Whistler's Defense.

8.Qxh8 

Taking the Rook leads to complications and is risky for White, as the continuation shows.

8...Qxe4+ 9.Kd1 Qxg2 10.Re1 

With White's Queen temporarily out of play, Black can focus his attack on the enemy King. Here 10...d5 looks strong, as ...Bg4+ is threatened. White can try to distract with 11.Qxh7+ (this is why 10...Nf6 would also have been good) but after 11...Kf8 White still has to find some breathing room for his King.

After 12.c4 Qf3+ 13.Re2 Qh1+ 14.Kc2 Bf5+ White can hold off checkmate with 15.d3, while answering 15...dxc4 with more distraction, 16.Bh6+ Nxh6 17.Qxh6+ but again Black's King can sidestep mischief with 17...Kg8.

Black's extra piece, White's poor development and at-risk King give the second player a winning advantage.

11...Qf3+ 11.Re2 Qh1+ 12.Re1 Qf3+ 13.Re2 

Now 13...d5 would be strong, similar to the note above.

13...Qh1+ 14.Re1 Qf3+ 

There was still 14...Qxh2 15.f3 Qh3 16.Qc3 d5 when Black is better, for example 17.b3 Bg4 18.Bb2 Qxf3+ 19.Kc1 Qxc3 20.Nxc3 Ne7 21.Rf1+ Kg8.

15.Re2 draw

Jerome Gambit: Pop Quiz

The following game is a sort of a Jerome Gambit pop quiz. Play over the game. What is your reaction?

eskimo_king - saimutku

10 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2022

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+  

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Qe7 8.Qxh8 Qxe4+ 9.Kd1 Qxg2 10.Re1 

11...Qf3+ 11.Re2 Qh1+ 12.Re1 Qf3+ 13.Re2 Qh1+ 14.Re1 Qf3+ 15.Re2 draw

Jerome Gambit: No Hurry

My overall impression of the following Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Bc5 3.Bc4 Nc6 4.Bxf7+) game is that White, after recovering his sacrificed material (with interest) was in no hurry, and played on calmly, scoring the win.

The irony is that the game was played at a 1-minute time control, and Black lost on time.

chess_hunter7 - Maick77

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2022

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

7.f4 g6 

Always interesting. The move appears in 76 games in The Database, with White scoring 75%. This has to be the time control at work: Who has time to analyse deeply? Just kick the enemy Queen. After all, it is just the Jerome Gambit...

8.Qxe5+ Kf7 9.Qxh8 Qe7 

White is ahead the exhange and two pawns.

10.Qxh7+ Kf6 11.Qh8+ 

Taking a moment to gather his thoughts. With more time, he might have explored 11.e5+ Ke6 12.Qxg6+ etc. 

11...Kf7 12.Qh7+ Kf8 13.Qxe7+ Nxe7 

There is not a lot of danger to either Kings right now.

On the other hand, White can simply "make moves".

14.c3 d6 15.d4 Bb6 16.O-O Bd7 17.Be3 Kg7 18.Nd2 Rh8 19.Nc4 a5 20.Nxb6 cxb6 21.d5 b5 

The game is not very exciting, but from White's point of view, that is fine. (Speaking of "fine", I remember one of my earliest chess books, by Ruben Fine, Chess the Easy Way, and one of the lessons I learned - rightly or wrongly - from it was Win a pawn & Then exchange down to a won endgame.)

22.a4 b4 23.cxb4 axb4 24.b3 Nc8

A slip which would end the game under other circumstances. 

25.Bd4+ White won on time

Jerome Gambit: Roller Skating on Ice

In the following Jerome Gambit game, White is confronted by an opponent who is equally interested in aggressive play. Side-stepping some interesting lines (mentioned in the notes), the players battle - but in the end Black's attack is more successful than White's defense.

The Jerome Gambit: roller skating on ice.

rohanazad - Akshaj14

10 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2021

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5. Nxe5+ Ke6 

A past comment, from "Jerome Gambit: Surprising Chances (Part 1)"

This is an odd defense. I have written about it a number of times, most recently in "Jerome Gambit: More Concrete" and "Jerome Gambit: Over the Rainbow (Part 1)"

6.Nxc6 

This move is very reasonable and consistent with the position.

However, if you want to remember a sharp and winning line, you might consider

Best is the forcing 6.Qg4+, which has scored 81% in 8 games. The line is discussed in Wall, Bill - Skandervitch, Internet, 2021 (1-0, 11); Wall, Bill - Guest4105968, PlayChess.com, 2018 (1/2 - 1/2, 50); and Wall, Bill - Guest13762608, PlayChess.com, 2019 (1-0 8).

A check at The Database allows me to update these statistics: in 11 games White has scored 77%.

6...Qh4 

I have suggested this move in the past, but this is the first time that I have seen it played.

7.O-O 

If you consult Stockfish 14.1, it will wrestle over the benefits of 7.Qe2 Bxf2+ 8.Kf1 vs 7.Qe2 Bxf2 Qxf2 when it comes to getting an edge; it all gets tedious quite quickly.

The move played in the game is good and resonable. In a blitz game, it is probably the one to first come to mind.

7...bxc6 

"Capturing toward the center," as our teachers have encouraged.

Instead, 7...dxc6 would leave Black with two pawn islands, instead of three.

Both are about the same.

8.Nc3 

Instead, 8.d4 would both strengthen his center and help with later development.

8...Bd6 

Planning: Checkmate!

9.g3 Qh3 10.d3 Nf6 11.Re1 

Overlooking Black's threat 11...Ng4. 

11...Kf7 

Overlooking his own possible threat - and White's current threat.

What can I say? In blitz games, anything can happen - and in Jerome Gambit blitz games, even moreo.

12.e5 Ng4 

Better late than never.

13.exd6 

He should have taken the precaution of 13.Qf3+, protecting the f2 square.

13...Qxh2+ 14.Kf1 Qxf2 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: Complications Galore

The Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ ) produces complications easily. This can appeal to the tactical maniacs of the world - even to grandmasters who want to enter the chaos in a blitz game against a weaker opponent.

It can also be frustrating to a commentator who looks at the moves of a game and thinks "That is just fine", only to be schooled by a computer that sometimes argues the opposite.

As always, it is important to keep in mind that the following game is played at blitz speed, and this affects how deeply a player can examine any position or move.

abyputera - JIUYAN

6 5 blitz, lichess.org, 2021

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Kc6 

Ah, yes, the "sillycon defense", introduced by a computer chess program. It is stronger than it looks. 

9.Qxe5  d5 

To open lines and help development. He is not afraid of 10.Qxg7, as that pawn grab can be well met by 10...Nf6 or 10...Qh4+ or 10...Qe7.

10.d4 Bb6

Also seen: 10...Bf8 11.c4 Nf6 12.cxd5+ Kb6 13.Nc3 a6 14.Qg5 Ka7 15.O-O c6 16.e5 Nxd5 17.Qxd8 Nxc3 18.bxc3 Rb8 19.Rb1 Ka8 20.Be3 Bb4 21.Qb6 Bxc3 22.d5 c5 23.Bxc5 Black resigned, penguingim1 - sutcunuri, lichess.org, 2020. 

Stockfish 14.1 sees the text move as leading to an even game, and instead recommends 10...Nf6!? which appeared (by transposition) in Jinakubwa - jhondrak, 10 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2021 (0-1, 17):1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Kc6 9.Qxe5 Nf6 10.d4 d5 11.dxc5 Re8 12.Qc3 Nxe4 13.Qxg7 Qh4+ 14.Kd1 Nf2+ 15.Kd2 Qxf4+ 16.Kc3 Qc4+ 17.Kd2 Re2 checkmate

11.Nc3 

This move develops a piece and hits the center. I was shocked to see that the computer recommended, instead, 11.c4!? to keep the balance. With all those pawns, it almost looks like Stockfish understands the Jerome Gambit - for a moment, at least.

11...Ba5 

Pinning the Knight, taking pressure off of the center.

Also missing the more powerful 11...Nf6 which threatens to bring a Rook to e8, with problems for White along the e-file. 

12.exd5+ Kb6 13.Bd2 

There was also the sharp 13.b4 Bxb4 14.Rb1 a5 15.a3 etc.

13...Bxc3 14.bxc3 Qe7 

Black feels uneasy about his King, and offers a Queen exchange.

15.Rb1+ Ka6 16.O-O Qxe5 17.dxe5 

White straightens out some of his pawns. The computer prefers 17.fxe5, perhaps because it opens the f-file for his Rook. In any event, after 17...Ne7 18.c4 Nf5 19.c3 Re8 White's pawns make a formidible block.

17...Ne7 18.c4 b6 19.Bb4 Nf5 20.c5 bxc5 21.Bxc5 Bb7 

White's center pawns look healthy.

Black's development has improved.

Do White's 3 extra pawns outweigh Black's extra piece?

Don't let me distract you: White now has a checkmate in 4.

(But you saw that, didn't you?)

22.c4 

More attention to his pawns. Instead: 22.Rf3 Ne3 23.Rxe3 Bc6 24.dxc6 g6 25.Ra3 checkmate. 

It takes a few moves, but White soon "gets" it.

22...Bc8 23.Rb3 Bd7 24.e6 Be8 25.Rfb1 Bg6 26.Ra3 checkmate