Jerome Gambit: Geoff Chandler, Indeed!

Geoff Chandler - creative chessplayer, humorous writer, learned chess coach, and occasional friend of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) recently posted "The Jerome Gambit" on his "The Planet Greenpawn" blog on the Daily Chess website.

He starts off with "This is my yacht, ‘The Jerome Gambit’ (St Jerome* is the patron saint of lost causes.)" and eventually gets around to presenting the game zapiroimihai - DeltaSquare RedHotPawn.com, 2022 (1-0, 21).

We will get to that game later.

I have mentioned Goeff's work a number of times on this blog.

His humor is well illustrated in "Mars Attacks!" where he "annotates" a Jerome Gambit game with pictures from

the infamous 1962 bubble-gum card set, from Bubbles, Inc. -- "Mars Attacks!"

His insight into chess and how it is played at different levels is reflected in his "Blunder Table" - which accidentally and unintentually justifies the sacrifices in the Jerome Gambit, at least for club players.

Geoff and Dimitrov Todor are responsible for the "drawn" assessment of the Blackburne defense in the Jerome Gambit - although play is complicated enough that it can be difficult for either player to reach the split point. See "Tidying Up - Or Messing Up?"

It is time to present the aforementioned game, and although White wins, it must be labelled

zapiroimihai - DeltaSquare

RedHotPawn.com, 2022

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.Nc3 Qf6 9.Qh5 Qxf2+ 10.Kd1 Nf6 11.Qg5 g6 12.Ne2 h6 13.Qg3 Nxe4 14.Qb3 Rf8 15.c3 Nd3 16.c4 Qxg2 17.Qxd3+ Kc6 18.Qd5+ Kb6 19.Nd4 Qxh1+ 20.Kc2 Bxd4 21.Qb5 checkmate

(*"No; the Jerome gambit is not named after St. Jerome. His penances, if he did any, were in atonement of rather minor transgressions compared with the gambit" – Emanuel Lasker, Lasker’s Chess Magazine, March 1906)

Jerome Gambit: Returns

When Black returns some, or all, of the sacrificed material given to him in the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) White is often faced with the task of carrying on without his planned blistering attack.

Still, after he adjusts his goals White can continue to press toward victory.

capostrophic - gemy201

10 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2022

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5. Nxe5+ Nxe5  6.Qh5+  Kf6 

With the hope that he can protect the Knight. Safer was 6...Kf8.

7.Qf5+ Ke7 8.Qxe5+ Kf7 9.Qd5+ Kf6 

10.e5+ 

Adding some complications based upon Black's King's risky placement.

10...Ke7 11.Qxc5+ d6 12.exd6+ Qxd6 13.Qxd6+  cxd6 

And just like that, White is up 2 pawns in a calm Queenless middlegame - better than before 1.e4.

14.O-O Nf6 15.Re1+ Kd7 16.Nc3 Kc7 

17.Re7+ Bd7 18.Rxg7 Rae8 19.Kf1 Kb8 

Castling-by-hand and unpinning the Bishop.

20.d3 Rhf8 21.Bf4 Nh5 

A slip.

22.Bxd6+ Kc8 

Black resigned

After 23.Bxf8 Nxg7 24.Bxg7 the position would be quiet, but White's material advantage would be enough to patiently win.

Jerome Gambit: Wild Ride

The Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) often leads to a wild ride of a game.

Add to that excitement the racing speed of a bullet game, and things can quickly get out of hand for the defender.

stolar2972 - yingzchess

2 1 bullet, lichess.org, 2021

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Kf8 

As old as the article "New Chess Opening" Dubuque Chess Journal April 1874" and the game Jerome - Brownson, Iowa, 1875 (1/2 - 1/2, ). For some thoughts, see "Critical Line: 5...Kf8"

6.Qh5 

The "Banks Variation," after Jerome Gambiteer Pete Banks.

Also possible was 6.Nxc6.

6...Qf6 7.Ng4 

According to the Database, introduced in erik - jiml, 4 0 blitz, FICS, 2001 (0-1, 38) and then not seen again for 20 years, when DutchLiLi played it in 4 bullet games at lichess.org. 

7...Qd6 

Not as strong as 7...Qe7, which also protects the Bishop on c5, but which does not block the d-pawn, which would then not block the light square Bishop, which would then not hem in the Rook.

8.O-O Nf6 

It is not immediately clear that this move is an error, but the computer thinks so. It would have been better to un-block the d-pawn.

9.Nxf6 gxf6 

This is an interesting position. Stockfish 15, at 30 ply, sees it as equal. Yet, it is a good example of the old aphorism, If the attacker slips up, he loses his attack; if the defnder slips up, he loses his King.

10.d3 Ne5 

Right square, wrong piece. 10...Qd5 would hold.

As always, it is important to remember that this is a bullet game, and analysis can not always run deep.

11.Bh6+ Ke7 12.Nc3 Bd4 

Too slow. The knee jerk reaction 12...c6 would be best.

13.Nd5+ Kd8 14.Bg7 Re8 15.Bxf6+ Black resigned

Jerome Gambit: Conjured

The following game shows what can happen when a higher rated player (+400) gives "Jerome Gambit odds" to a lower rated player. 

Play is complicated for the defender when he conjures up some unfortunate moves.

Schaakmaatje - maro

"Dare to Jerome" tournament, SchemingMind.com, 2009

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. White can take the Rook, with advantage, but the game is complicated.

8.Qxh8 Bxf2+ 

Superficially resembling the Counter-Jerome Gambit, last covered in the post "Jerome Gambit: Almost Home" which took a look at BahatiTheGrandmaster - weedtea, 10 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2021 (0-1, 10) - with one big, bad difference: White has grabbed a Rook.

9.Kxf2 Be6 

Forcing the exchange of Queens with 9...Qf6+, like in the Counter-Jerome, would make no sense here.

Going for a "scary" Queen check with 9...Qh4+ 10.g3 Qe4 would be met with 11.Qxh7+, and again Black would have nothing.

10.Qxh7+ Kf8 11.Rf1 Qf6+ 

I don't know the time control, but this move almost sounds like "tick, tick".

12.Kg1 Qxf1+ 13.Kxf1 Black resigned

White's material advantage is overpowering.

Jerome Gambit: Fireworks

The following game is selected from the recently uncovered 2009 "Dare to Jerome" tournament at the online SchemingMind.com.

It is a good example of how Black needs to properly play his chosen "refutation" of the Jerome Gambit - or face self-ignited fireworks.

Schaakmaatje - Clive Everill

"Dare to Jerome" tournament, SchemingMind.com, 2009

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 Qf6 

As far as I can tell, this thematic Queen move was first suggested by master Eric Schiller in his Unorthodox Chess Openings (1998).

8.Rf1 g6 

Kicking the Queen.

9.Qh3+ Kf7 

This slip ends the game. The f-file, with White's Rook on it, is a dangerous place for Black's Queen and King.

10.fxe5 Qxf1+ 11.Kxf1 d6 

Black has a Bishop and a Rook for his Queen (and a couple of pawns), but he cannot counter that Queen's threats fast enough.

12.Qc3 Be6 13.d4 Bb6 14.d5 Bg4 15.e6+ 

The "Jerome pawn" adds to the attack. Both the Rook at h8 and the enemy King are in danger.

15...Ke7 16.Qg7+ Black resigned

Checkmate looms.

Jerome Gambit: SchemingMind

I just ran across a 2009 thematic Jerome Gambit tournament, "Dare to Jerome: Standard Chess" at the SchemingMind.com website.

This 90-game double round robin affair featured 10 players.

The winner was matizccc, with 14.5 out of 18 points.

He was followed by Schaakmaatje with 13 points, lemmie with 12.5 points, and Archon with 12 points.

A little further search uncovered another 2009 tournament,"Jerommeke - knockout: Standard" a 16-player Jerome Gambit event won by XTC ahead of MOIMOI.

Over 100 interesting games to add to The Database. White scores 44%, which is about as expected in such a tournament.

Jerome Gambit: Long, But Not Longest

Very recently posted is the YouTube.com video "Jerome Gambit Xiphos (White) vs Koivisto (Black) - Computer Chess" which shows a 113 move loss by White with the Jerome Gambit.

That is a long game, but the longest Jerome Gambit in The Database is stockfish_20060616_x64_modern - fruit_2.1, 2020 (1-0, 158).

Although computer vs computer games tend to be longer than human vs human games because the machines often play on in "lost" positions up until checkmate, it is significant that the second longest Jerome Gambit game in The Database is the human vs human latemate - fadaro, 5 0 blitz, FICS, 2015 (1-0, 157). It must be noted that Black lost on time - each player having less than, on average, 2 seconds per move.