JG: The New in Its Opening Theory, in Its Psychology (Part 14)

 JG: The New in Its Opening Theory, in Its Psychology (Part 14)   

  

(by Yury V. Bukayev) 

 

 

As a further development of my recent Part 13 and my Part 11 (the post of August 16, 2022 on Rick Kennedy’s blog), this continuation of my theoretical research on the standard line of the Jerome gambit (JG) is about position after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Qh3+! Ke7 8.Qc3 Bd6!?.  

 

At first let’s consider my new systems where White attacks without making of an early f2-f4. Thus, after 9.d4! Nc6! 10.0-0! Ke8!? White can avoid 11.f4 effectively: 

 

I) 11.e5 AN Bb4!? 12.Qg3!? (12.Qc4? d5 13.exd6 Bxd6!?, and Black has a winning advantage) with the attack. For example: 12…Bf8 13.d5 Nb8 (we’ll name it as ‘Go-home-from-Jerome first variation’ due to a beautiful Black’s position) 14.d6! (with the threat 15.Bg5) etc. 

 

II) 11.d5 AN Be5!? (11…Qf6 12.Qb3!? is also possible, although Black has some problems here. After 12…Ne5 13.f4!? Qe7 14.fxe5 Bxe5! 15.Qf3!? White can attack too.) 12.Qc4 (We’ll consider some other opportunities further.) 12…Nce7!? 13.f4! Ng6! 14.fxe5 Nxe5 15.Qe2 d6!, and here White can attack, but Black’s problems are less than in the variation 11.f4 Bf8. 

 

 

And what happens when Black defends after 11.f4 actively? 

 

III) 11.f4 Bb4!? AN  

 

A)12.Qc4?! Qe7 13.c3 Qxe4!, and Black has a winning advantage. 

 

B)12.Qd3 d5 13.e5 (13.c3 dxe4 14.Qxe4+ Be7, and Black wins) 13…g6 14.c3, and the fight continues, although Black’s problems are much less than after 11…Bf8. 

 

C)12.Qe3! with the attack. 

 

 

Finally, let’s return to our familiar variation 11.f4 Bf8. Thus, after 12.e5!? (the best move is 12.d5! – Part 13) 12…Qe7!? 13.Be3!? (it isn’t the strongest move) 13…Qb4 14.Qd3! Qxb2 AN 15.Nd2 Nb4 16.Qe2 Nxc2?! (we’ll consider 16…Qxc2, 16…Nd5 etc. further) 17.Nc4! (17.Ne4 Qa3!, and Black wins), and White attacks. 

 

 

 Of course, ‘the Fantastic Star Jerome Gambit Deferred’ and ‘the Triumphant Jerome Gambit Deferred’ (these are my most strong deferred lines of JG, real parts of JG, they were invented and published in 2022 in my analytical research ‘Lose Never with a Strong Deferred Jerome Gambit (Part 2)’) will be much more attractive for a lot of experts of the modern chess opening theory than the standard line of JG.  

 

 

 

Jerome Gambit: That Was Quick

Even considering that it was played at bullet speed, the following game seems to have been over quickly.

angelcamina specializes in speedy Jerome Gambits.

angelcamina - DenBlood

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2022

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+  

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8

6.Qh5+ 

White charges ahead. 

The recommended 6.Nxc6 Qh4!? remains largely unexplored.

6...g6 

A quick ending: 6...Ke7 7.Qf7+ Kd6 8.Nc4 checkmate, angelcamina - SammmDBest, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2021. 

7.Nxg6 Qf6 

Many times the defender does well by placing his Queen here - but not this time.

Recommended by Stockfish 15 is 7...Bxf2+ (the Bishop is lost; this way it gains a pawn in return) 8.Kxf2 Nf6 9.Qh4 Rg8 10.Rf1 Rxg6 11.Kg1 d5 and Black is better.

A couple of alternatives:

7...hxg6 8.Qxh8 Kf8 9.O-O d6 10.c3 Be6 11.d4 Bb6 12.d5 Bf7 13.dxc6 bxc6 14.Bh6+ Ke7 15.Bg5+ Nf6 16.Bxf6+ Ke6 17.Bxd8 Rxd8 18.Qxd8 Bxf2+ 19.Rxf2 d5 20.exd5+ cxd5 21.Rf6+ Ke5 22.Nd2 c5 23.Qe7+ Be6 24.Qxe6 checkmate, angelcamina - MegaBane, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2019; and 

7...Nf6 8.Qh4 Nxe4 9.Qxe4+ Ne7 10.Nxh8 d6 11.Qxh7 Be6 12.O-O Qd7 13.Ng6 Nxg6 14.Qxg6+ Bf7 15.Re1+ Kf8 16.Qh6+ Kg8 17.c3 Qf5 18.d4 Bb6 19.Bg5 d5 20.Bf6 Qh7 21.Qg5+ Qg6 22.Qh4 Qh7 23.Qg3+ Qg6 24.Qxg6+ Bxg6 25.Nd2 c6 26.Re7 Bc7 27.Rae1 Bd6 28.Rd7 Bf8 29.Nf3 Rb8 30.Be7 b5 31.Bxf8 Kxf8 32.Ree7 Be8 33.Rxa7 White won on time, angelcamina - stockfishdanirealno1, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2021. 

8.Nxh8+ Kd8 9.Qxc5 Qxh8 

Moving quickly, overlooking something that 9...d6 would have prevented.

10.Qf8 checkmate

That was quick.

Merry Christmas 2022

 

Merry Christmas!

Jerome Gambit: In Weakness There Is Strength

One of the strengths of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) and its relatives is their weakness - opponents routinely underestimate White's chances, play routine moves, and get into trouble.

The following game is a good example.

TheOldgit - wopa

2 12 blitz, FICS, 2022

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nc6 3.Nf3 Na5 

It looks like Black would like to win "the minor exchange" - 4.Bb3 Nxb3 5.axb3.

White can accomodate him now, and bag a pawn, with 4.Nxe5 Nxc4 5.Nxc4.

Instead, White prefers to follow the path of Jerome.

4.Bxf7+ 

This sacrifice is legitimate.

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6 

White also is a bit better after 5...Ke7 6.d4 d6 7.Nd3 Qe8 8.O-O Kd8.

6.d4 Bd6 

My daughter-in-law has a t-shirt that reads "Go ahead, underestimate me. That will be fun".

The words might as well refer to the Jerome Gambit.

Not to be too harsh on wopa. The Database shows a couple dozen games with the optimistic 6...Bd6. Of course, it scores 0 - 24. 

Better was 6...Nf6. 

7.Qg4+ Kf6 8.Bg5 checkmate

Ouch.

Jerome Gambit: Suspicion Helps

pablosko - pradipdb

3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2021

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Qf6 

Interesting move. What is Black up to?

7.O-O Bxd4 8.Bg5 

A fun move, but playing into his opponent's hands.

Blitz. Things happen.

8...Qxg5 9.Qxd4 Nf3+ White resigned

That's got to hurt.

Jerome Gambit: Chess for Students

Pleased to be mentioned, along with the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), on Jon Bain's Chess for Students page on Facebook.

Not quite sure whose picture accompanies the text, however. Jim Edmond of the Footscray Not Western Bulldogs?