Jerome Gambit: Too Many Decisions Too Quickly

In a chess game played at bullet speed - a time control of one minute, no increment - there are many decisions to be made quickly.

Sometimes, too many. Sometimes, too quickly.

The following game is an example.  

Anti-Duhring - GodSaveKing

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2023

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

4...Kf8

The Jerome Gambit Declined. 

If you want me to take the piece, then I don't want to take it.

Of course, if the move comes as a surprise to White, the thinking time it takes to respond could be significant in a 1-minute game.

The non-human computer program Stockfish 15.1 is not impressed, evaluating (32 ply) the position as almost 2 pawns better for White. This is why the Jerome Gambit player should have a plan, devised ahead of schedule, for facing Declined variations.  

5.Nxe5

White could simply retreat the Bishop with 5.Bc4 or 5.Bb3, or exchange it with 5.Bxg8. Perhaps that is what Black expected.

Instead, he decides to complicate things further. It's all part of the plan.

Although this line makes up only about 2% of the games in The Database, it has held a fascination for me, as I have posted on it a number of times, including "Jerome Gambit: First Steps (Part 5)", "Jerome Gambit: Keep It Simple", "JeromeGambit: It Is Supposed To Be Uncomplicated" and "Jerome Gambit: Ignore Me, Stay Aware".

5...Nxe5 

I suppose that you could be asking yourself, What if Black tried the wild 5...Qh4 instead? 

Yury V. Bukayev is way ahead of you, having considered that in his post "Anatoly Karpov & Jerome Gambit (Part 1)".

6.Bd5 

I suspect that the retreat was played quickly, saving the time for future tactics.

6...Qf6 

Black is on the attack.

7.f4 

Kick that Knight!

7...Ng6 

Stockfish recommends 7...c6 8.Rf1 Nd3+ 9.cxd3 cxd5 but it is easy to see why Black chose otherwise. 

8.c3 Qxf4 

Yikes! Moving too quickly.

9.Rf1 Black resigned

The Queen is lost.

Black's extra Rook and Knight do not make up for White's extra Queen and pawn - and there are still too many decisions to make in too little time.

The Jerome Gambit Shows Up In The Most Interesting Places

The Jerome Gambit shows up in the most interesting places.

Today I found myself examining the online "Palm Valley Capital Fund Second Quarter 2022 Commentary". After a Summary, and information on Investment Performance, I noticed an amusing quote

The Jerome Gambit

“I’m playing chess while everyone else is playing checkers. That’s why I always lose.”

-Josh Stern, Author

There then is a reference to Netflix's "The Queen’s Gambit" and a diagram of the Queen's Gambit opening, 1.d4 d5 2.c4. The site gives an interesting comparison/contrast

Luck plays no part in chess. The better player almost always wins. After four moves apiece for white and black, there are over 288 billion different potential positions on a chess board. Experienced players quickly find the best moves when the possibilities seem endless. Investing, on the other hand, can involve a great deal of luck, particularly in the short run. After four rounds of QE [Quantitative Easing] and its glorious afterglow, investors have seen one reliable move—buy the dip—because the Fed has had their backs. If the game was checkers, it’s been an effortless quadruple jump capture—jump diagonally and take, jump again and take, and take, and take again. Easy-peasy.

After three serious paragraphs and an illustrative, multi-color line graph, the site returns to a less weighty topic.

Believe it or not, there is a Jerome Gambit in chess, which has been dubbed “unsound,” “extremely aggressive,” and according to the popular YouTube channel ChessVibes, it’s one of the 7 worst openings*. Commented Chess Vibes founder Nelson Lopez, who is a chess master, “I do not recommend the Jerome Gambit, although to be completely honest with you guys, I have played this myself from time to time, and it is kind of fun.” The Jerome Gambit: it’s all fun and games until someone loses control of an economy.

Lose control of an economy? The Jerome Gambit is not that bad, is it?

*See the blog post "The 7 WORST Chess Openings (According To Stockfish)"

Jerome Gambit: You Lose Some, You Win One (Part 3)

 

[continued from the previous post]

perrypawpusher - xyz7

"Giuoco Piano Game" tournament, Chess.com, 2023

27.Re1 

Taking the e-file. My opponent decided not to contest this immediately (27... Bd7 28.Nd1 Bxf5 29.c4 Re8) but did so a few moves later.

27...Rd8 28.h3 Bd7 29.g4 Re8 30.Rxe8 Bxe8 

I was comfortable with the position, although it seemed likely that the advanced d-pawn would fall. Surely, the remaining "Jerome pawns" would deliver at least a draw.

31.Kf2 Kd6 32.Ke3 Nxd5+ 33.Nxd5 Kxd5 34.b3 b5 35.c3 a4 

36.Kd3 b4 37.c4+ Kd6 38.Ke4 

It is educational to see that Stockfish 15.1 evaluates this as a big mistake. It takes a few steps to see why.

First, Black can move his a-pawn closer to the Queening square with 38...a3. The pawn's threat to advance changes how the play goes. 

Then, after 39.Kd3 Ba4 of course the Bishop can not be taken, but 40.Kc2 Bc6 shows another theme, that of the Bishop infiltrating White's position.

There is a stop in 41.d5, but after 41...Be8 42.Kd2 Ke5 43.Kd3 Bd7 44.Kd2 h5 45.Kd3 h4 the other Rook pawn is placed to be freed by a Bishop sacrifice.

Black will play ...Be8 and ...g6 and open a line to take the Bishop behind the White pawns, which will have then changed from walls that stop it to targets that it can conquer. 

At the time, however, I was unaware of any of this, being in a state which my dad used to call "fat, dumb, and happy"...

38...Bf7 39.d5 axb3 

White's King has advanced enough that he will be able to escort a pawn to a promotion. Things are still very complicated - and over my head at the time - but the Bishop-behind-enemy-lines theme no longer works for Black.

40.axb3 Kc5

At this point things looked good for me.

41.Ke5 Bg8 42.f6 

Unaware that I was throwing it all away.

The win was with 42.h4 Bf7 43.g5 h5 44.g6 Be8 45.f6 Bxg6 46.fxg7 Bf7 47.Kf6 Bg8 48. Ke7 Kd4 (What else?) 49.d6 Kc3 50.c5 Bxb3 51.c6 Bg8 52.c7 b3 53.d7 b2 54.c8/Q+ and the check makes all the difference.

42...g6 

After the game I was horrified to see that if the pawn had taken one step further, the game would likely have been drawn: 42...g5 43.f7 Bxf7 44.Kf6 Bxd5 45.cxd5 Kxd5 46.Kg7 Kd4 47.Kxh6 Kc3 48.Kxg5 Kxb3 49.Kh6 Kc3 50.g5 b3 51.g6 b2 52.g7 b1=Q 53.g8=Q and White's extra pawn means nothing. 

43.f7 Bxf7 44.Kf6 Be8 45.Ke7 Ba4 46.d6

One finish might be 46...Bxb3 47.d7 Bxc4 48.d8/Q b3 49.Qd2 and the passer would be stopped.

Black resigned

Jerome Gambit: You Lose Some, You Win One (Part 2)

 

[continued from the previous post]

perrypawpusher - xyz7

"Giuoco Piano Game" tournament, Chess.com, 2023

13.f5 

This advance is thematic. The alternative was 13.d4, likely with e4-e5 to follow.

13...Ne5 14.d4 Nc6 15.Qd3 

With the idea of advancing the e-pawn at some point, without having to exchange Queens.

15...Re8 

Black plans on resisting that pawn advance.

16.Bg5 16.h6 17.Bh4 Kc8 

Having left the dangerous e-file, the King now gets off of the d8-h4 diagonal.

18.Rae1 

The castled-on-opposite-wings kind of position appealed to me, as did the eventual chance for a center pawn break - but not now.

18...Nb4 

To attack the Queen is tempting. Often when the Queen is on e3, Black plays ...Ng4 with the same idea in mind.

19.Qc4 

After the game, I was surprised that Stockfish 15.1 recommended the retreat 19.Qd1, and even more so with its choice of the response 19...Nc6. Given the computer's apparent disdain for the Jerome Gambit in earlier game evaluations, it would have been funny to see a further recommendation of 20.Qd3, indicating that White would be happy with a draw. Instead, it suggested 20.Bg3. (The computer had earlier suggested 16.Bf4 instead of 16.Bg5).

19...d5 

A miscalculation. It is possible that Black only considered in response 20.Nxe5 Nbxd5 21.exd5 Qd5 22.Rxe8+ Bxe8 23.Re1 Bd7, when he would have an edge.

20.exd5 Qd6 

21.Bg3 

This move seemed sensible to me. There is no way that I would have figured out 21.Bxf6 Rxe1 22.Rxe1 gxf6 23.Ne4 Qf8 24.Nc5 b6 25.Nxd7 Kxd7 26.a3 winning the Knight. 

21...Qb6 22.Bxc7 

To win a pawn. After the game Stockfish recommended 22.Rxe8+ Nxe8 23.Be5, but, again, that escaped me.

22...Qxc7 23.Qxb4 a5 24.Rxe8+ Bxe8 

25.Qc5 b6 26.Qxc7+ Kxc7 

With four pawns for the Bishop, I was content with my position. 

However, after the game, the computer evaluated Black as about 1 3/4 pawn better.

Shows what I know.

[to be continued]

Jerome Gambit: You Lose Some, You Win One (Part 1)

The fifth round of the "Giuoco Piano Game" tournament at Chess.com did not go well for me. One of the 4 finalists, I lost 4 games, drew one, and won one. Perhaps I will come in third place.

Admittedly, two of those losses (see "Jerome Gambit: Not the Way to Attack" and "Jerome Gambit: A Bit Awkward") were Jerome Gambits that I played with White, but the final game was a win.

Things were complicated right up to the end. Luckily, I did not know that.

perrypawpusher - xyz7

"Giuoco Piano Game" tournament, Chess.com, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

The good old Jerome Gambit. 

The Database informs me that in the 377 games that I have played White with this opening, I have scored 82%.

In the 14 games that I have played Black, defending against the Jerome Gambit, I have scored 86%.

I guess knowledge and experience count for something.

The Database contains a bit of a mystery, an uncompleted game of mine bloodlet - perrypawnpusher, 3 12 blitz FICS, 2007 : 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Bc5 3.Bc4 Nc6 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf6 7.Qf5+ Ke7 8.Qxe5+ Kf7 9.Qxc5 d6 10.Qe3 Nf6 11.O-O Rf8 12.d4 Kg8 13.Nc3 Qe7. White is clearly better.

I do not remember how the game against bloodlet continued. I checked the 2007 version of The Database (it was much smaller back then), which showed the game with those same 13 moves.

On top of it, a search of the FICS online games database  did not turn up the game at all. 

According to the FICS playing site, the last time bloodlet was there was December 2007, so - no chance to contact and verify through there.

Back to the game.

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6

7.Qd5+ 

This "nudge" is designed to move the enemy King to the back line to interfere with castling-by-hand. Stockfish 15.1 at 32 ply sees it as about a pawn better than the direct 7.Qxc5.

7...Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Nf6 10.O-O Bd7

This position has occurred in The Database a couple dozen of times, the first two time being in the games perrypawnpusher - peroneal, 10 0 blitz FICS, 2009 (1/2 - 1/2, 56) and perrypawnpusher - charlyeliot, 140 blitz, FICS, 2013 (1-0, 60)

11.f4 Qe7 

11...Bb5 was seen in the aforementioned perrypawnpusher - charlyeliot, FICS freechess.org 2013. 

12.Nc3 Kd8 

This move is new in The Database.

The alternative 12...Bc6 was seen in perrypawnpusher - peroneal, 10 0 blitz, FICS, 2009. 

The game is about in balance. Black is better developed and has the extra piece; White has two extra pawns. Black's King is uneasily placed, but getting off of the same file as his Queen was a good idea. White's King is safely castled 

[to be continued]

Jerome Gambit: Focus on the Enemy King

While it can be fun to toss pieces here and there in the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) it is always good to remember that the focus is most often on the enemy King, as Bill Wall resolutely demonstrates in the following game. 

Wall, Bill - MasterVBG

Internet, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

As I recently mentioned in the post "Jerome Gambit: Pawns Take Their Place"

The move appears to be the "people's choice", however, according to The Database: 6...Ng6  is played 45% of the time; 6...Ke6 is played 24% of the time; 6...Kf8 is played 16% of the time; and 6...g6 is played 13% of the time...

Of the 4 top moves, Stockfish 15.1 (31 ply) rates 6...Ke6 as about 1/4 of a pawn better as 6...Kf8, which Stockfish sees as about 3/4 of a pawn better than 6...g6, which is seen as about a pawn better than 6...Ng6.

So, top choice but 4th place in strength. This helps the Jerome Gambit player.

7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Qe7 

Black applies pressure to the e-pawn (although he always has to be mindful that the Queen and King are on the same file).

White has a number of responses that are of about equal strength.

10.O-O 

Bill has also played the related

10.Nc3 Nf6 11.O-O in Wall,B - Guest3312852, PlayChess.com, 2012 (1-0, 26); and 

10.d3 Nf6 11.O-O in Wall,B - Guest701131, PlayChess.com, 2019 (1-0, 20) and Wall,B - Guest1144561, Internet, 2021 (1-0, 27).

10...Be6 

Black always has to be careful about this move when it is paired with having a Knight on g6, because of the threat of a pawn fork.

11.f4 c5 

An oversight, or the defender's plan to return material?

12.f5 Bxf5 13.Rxf5 Ne5 14.Qe1 Nf6 15.d3 h6 16.Nc3 Rf8 

Black is down only a pawn and he is ahead in development, but his King is still at risk.

White now opens the center. 

17.Be3 Kd7 18.d4 cxd4 19.Bxd4 Neg4

It is not clear what Black's plan is here. The move costs time, which White takes advantage of. In fact, Bill gives the move a "??" and then proceeds to show why.

20.h3 Ne5 21.Bxe5 dxe5 22.Rd1+ Ke8 23.Qg3 Qc5+ 24.Kh2 Nxe4 

This looks like a tactical shot, attacking the White Queen while uncovering an attack on the Rook. White can now try 25.Qf3 Rxf5 26.Qxf5 Nf6, but he has something better. 

25.Qg6+ Ke7 26.Qxg7+ Ke6 27.Qd7 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: Ultimate Guide

I suspect that some Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bf7+) players occasionally choose quieter lines of play, and to that end it is interesting that 365chess.com presents the helpful "Ultimate Guide to Winning with the Italian Game".

The Jerome is mentioned, and the focus is appropriately skeptical, of course

The Jerome Gambit is just wild.... 

Only mad people or romantics can play this chess opening. 

Fair enough. I would opt for "romantic".

The clock is also an issue

It is especially effective in bullet or blitz time controls.

However, it’s not that good in classical because if Black plays correctly, then it can maintain a steady advantage throughout the game.

There are practical factors, however

But… it’s not that simple to play against the Jerome Gambit.  

Let’s see the correct way to do it and the incorrect way of playing it.

This is the correct way: 

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Qh4 7.O-O Qxe4 8.dxc5 Nf6

It is at this point that I became confused with the Ultimate Guide. Of the above position, there is this misplaced assessment

The game is not over, but White has managed to capture the opponent’s queen and now has a more favorable game ahead. 

Of course, Black's Queen remains on the board, and the second player has a piece for a pawn. Stockfish 15.1 (33 ply) evaluates Black as almost a Rook better.

Curiously, The Database shows White scoring a whopping 83% in 101 games with this position. However, this is in large part due to 62 games that the computer program Rybka 2.3.1 32-bit, as Black, played against the computer program Deep Shredder 10 UCI and against the computer program HIARCS 11.1 UCI, where White scored 62 - 0. Ouch.

The most reecent coverage of the line on this blog was of the game Stockfish 15.1 - Maximo, Chess.com, 2023 (1-0, 59).