Jerome Gambit: Free Tempos

I think there is a tiny debate in the chess world as to whether the plural of "tempo" is either "tempos" or "tempi", but there is little debate as to whether surrendering them - allowing the opponent extra moves, as it were - is a risky strategy.

In the following game, Bill Wall takes advantage of his opponent's generosity.

Wall, Bill - Yomate

internet, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 

This move was covered by Alonzo Wheeler Jerome in his article in the July 1874 issue of the Dubuque Chess Journal.

7.Qxe5 Bd6 

Actually, this move is not as bad as it looks, given that it moves an already developed piece and blocks the d-pawn (which blocks the Bishop, which hems in the Rook).

There are 176 games in The Database with this move. White scores 51%. Stockfish 15.1 rates the position as about 2 1/2 pawns better for Black.

8.Qc3 Qf6 9.d4 Qe7 10.Nd2 Bb4 

There goes the Bishop again.

11.Qd3 Bxd2+ 

And again.

12.Bxd2 

Black retains his advantage of a piece for two pawns, but he has allowed White a better pawn center, greater development and the option of castling either Kingside or Queenside.

12...Nf6 

Played with the reassurance that White's e-pawn is pinned. Still, 12...d5, striking in the center and opening up the Bishop's diagonal, would have done more good work. 

13.e5 Nd5 

A Jerome Gambit player will look at this position and immediately begin thinking about when to play c2-c4 and f2-f4.

14.O-O h6

Another tempo donation.

15.f4 d6 16.c4 Nb6 17.f5 dxe5 18.dxe5 Qxe5

 There is too much going on to stop to grab a pawn, as Bill shows.

19.f6 gxf6 20.Qg6 Nd7 21.Rae1 Qxb2 22.Re8 checkmate

Jerome Pawns to the Rescue

In the full Jerome Gambit, White sacrifices two pieces for two pawns. Sometimes, though, he sacrifices one piece for one pawn.

Regardless, the extra pawns ("Jerome pawns") often play a pivotal role in the game.

Consider the following.

Phillychampion - cancanika

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.O-O 

A couple of years ago, in  "Jerome Gambit: King Safety" I wrote

This is one of the "modern" - as opposed to "classical" - variations of the Jerome Gambit, so-called because Alonzo Wheeler Jerome and those back in the time when the gambit was first being sorted out all played the main alternative, 5.Nxe5.

Some modern chess computer programs suggest that White does best to sacrifice only one piece. (Stockfish 13 goes back and forth between 5.Nxe5 and 5.0-0 before settling at 30 ply upon 5.Nxe5) 

By the way, a quick look at the position after 4 moves, considering games in The Database shows

5.Nxe5 is the most popular move, with White scoring 57%; the next two most popular moves are 5.d4 and 5.c3 - followed by 5.0-0 which scores 39 %.

To keep statistics in perspective, it must be noted that the highest scoring move is 5.a4, with 100% in 4 games. More interestingly, 5.b4 was played in 13 games and scored 54%. Not surprisingly, 5.Nh4, 5.g4, 5.Nd4 and 5.Rg1 were each only played in 1 game, and each scored 0%.

According to The Database, Phillychampion has played this line in 56 games, scoring 54%.

5...Nf6 6.c3 Rf8 7.d4 exd4 8.cxd4 Bb6 9.e5 

9...Ne8 

With only a minute of thinking time for the whole game, Black chooses what seems to be the safest move, the retreat. Instead, 9...Nd5 was fine, and kept the advantage.

10.Qb3+ 

Gambling.

The punishment of Black's last move was 10.Bg5. Phillychamp actually found the move against Spock1995 a couple of weeks earlier, in another bullet game (although he lost). It is not clear if he remembered.

10...d5 11.exd6+ Be6 

Black needed to move his King out to g6 - not the kind of move that would come to mind in a bullet game. Unfortunately, everything else gives White a better position.

12.d5 

"Jerome pawns" to the rescue.

12...Nd4 13.Nxd4 Bxd4 14.dxe6+ Black resigned 

Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit: Strange Is Not Always Good

One of the attractions of the family of Jerome Gambit openings is that the game quickly moves to strange positions which benefit those familiar with them, and burdens those who are not. 

Players must be careful, however - some good positions are strange, but not all strange positions are good.

NasufRexhepi - Scorpion_Negro

10 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2023

1.e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4

The Blackburne Shilling Gambit. 

4.Bxf7+ 

The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke7 6.c3 d6 7.cxd4 dxe5 8.dxe5 Qd3 

This curious position is considered equal by Stockfish 15.1 at 42 ply depth of evaluation. Nonetheless, White scored only 1 - 4 in previous games according to The Database.

9.Nc3 

Recommended is 9.Qe2 Qxe2+ 10.Kxe2 c5 (10...Be6 11.d4 c6 12.f4 Rd8 13.Ke3 Ke8 14.Nc3 Bb4 15.f5 Bc4 16.Bd2 c5 17.d5 Nh6 18.Kf4 g5+ 19.Kxg5 Nf7+ 20.Kf4 Bxd5 21.exd5 Bxc3 22.Bxc3 Rxd5 23.e6 Rf8 24.exf7+ Rxf7 25.Rhe1+ Kd7 26.g4 h5 27.h3 Rd3 28.Rad1 Black resigned, Kuskus - omarrafi, FICS, 2009) 11.d3 Kf7 12.Be3 Ne7 (12...b6 13.f4 g6 14.a4  Ne7 15.a5 Rb8 16.axb6 axb6 17.Nc3 Nc6 18.Nd5 Bg4+ 19.Kd2 Bg7 20.b4 Rhd8 21.b5 Ne7 22.Ra7 Rd7 23.Rha1 Rbb7 24.Rxb7 Rxb7 25.Ra6 Nc8 26.Bf2 Be6 27.Ra8 Ne7 28.Ne3 Bh6 29.g3 Rd7 30.Ke2 Rb7 31.Be1 Bd7 32.Nc4 Nc8 33.Kf3 Be6 34.g4 Rd7 35.Ke3 Rc7 36.h3 Bxc4 37.dxc4 Ra7 38.Rxc8 Ra3+ 39.Ke2 Bxf4 40.Rc6 Bxe5 41.Rxb6 Rxh3 42.Rb7+ Ke6 43.Rg7 Bxg7 White resigned, ElSrEdwardHyde - Zloy_Grisha2006goda, lichess.org, 2021) 13.Bxc5 Ng6 14. Rc1 Nf4+ 15.Kd2 Bxc5 16.Rxc5 =

9...b6 

Or 9...Be6 10.b3 (10.Qh5 Nh6 11.Qg5+ Kd7 12.f3 Rg8 13.Ne2 Nf7 14.Qg3 Re8 15.Nf4 Qc2 16.Nxe6 Rxe6 17.d4 Bb4+ 18.Bd2 Qxd2+ 19.Kf1 Qxb2 20.Rd1 Qc2 21.Ra1 Qd3+ 22.Kf2 Qxd4+ 23.Kf1 Qxa1+ White resigned, wera - ubagas, FICS, 2017; 10.f4 g6 11.g4 Kd8 12.Rf1 Be7 13.g5 Bc5 14.Rf3 Qd4 15.Re3 h6 16.Qc2 Qb4 17.a3 Qb3 18.Rd3+ Kc8 19.Qxb3 Bxb3 20.Rh3 Be6 21.Rh4 Kd7 22.b4 Bb6 23.Bb2 Ne7 24.gxh6 g5 25.Rh5 gxf4 26.h7 f3 27.d4 f2+ 28.Kf1 Bc4+ 29.Kxf2 Bxd4+ 30.Ke1 Raf8 31.Rd1 Nc6 32.Rf5 Rxf5 33.exf5 Kc8 34.b5 Nxe5 35.Rxd4 Nf3+ 36.Kf2 Nxd4 37.Ne4 Rxh7 38.Bxd4 Rxh2+ 39.Kf3 Rh3+ 40.Kf4 Rxa3 41.f6 b6 42.Nd2 Bd5 43.Ke5 Bf7 44.Ne4 Ra5 White resigned, Wall,B - Guest653285, PlayChess.com, 2017) 10...Ke8 11.Qh5+ g6 12.Qh4 Be7 13.Qf4 Bb4 14.Qe3 Qxe3+ 15.fxe3 Bxc3 16.dxc3 Bd7 17.O-O Bc6 18.Bb2 Ne7 19.Rf4 g5 20.Rg4 h6 21.c4 Rf8 22.h4 Rg8 23.Rf1 Rg6 24.Rf6 Rd8 25.Bd4 b6 26.h5 Rxf6 27.exf6 Nc8 28.e5 Kf7 29.b4 Bd7 30.Rg3 c6 31.Rf3 Be6 32.c5 Bxa2 33.Rf2 Bc4 34.Rc2 Bd5 35.Rc1 Rd7 36.Kf2 Rb7 37.cxb6 axb6 38.Ra1 Ra7 39.Rxa7+ Nxa7 40.Bxb6 Nb5 41.g3 Nc3 42.Bc7 Ne4+ 43.Kg1 Ke6 44.Kh2 Kf5 45.Kh3 Nf2+ 46.Kh2 Kg4 47.Kg1 Nd3 48.Bd6 Kxh5 49.e4 Be6 50.Kg2 Kg4 51.Bf8 h5 52.Bd6 h4 53.gxh4 gxh4 54.Kh2 h3 55.Be7 Nxe5 56.Bd6 Nf3+ 57.Kh1 Kg5 58.Bc7 Kxf6 59.Bd6 Bc4 White resigned, leikeze18 - game_1_06, GameKnot.com, 2014 

10.b3 Kf7 11.Bb2 Ne7 12.Qh5+ 

White reminds his opponent that his King is at risk, too.

12...g6 13.Qg5 

Apologies to Stockfish, but White was not going to follow its suggestion of exchanging Queens with 13.Qe2 Ba6 14.Qxd3 Bxd3, even if he liked the wily 15.e6+.

13...Bg7 14.O-O-O Re8 15.f4  

It looks like White has his attack on the King rolling, but this move actually overlooks something. It is not easy to see that he needed to play 15.Rhe1, preparing the sacrifice of the exchange after 15...Nf5, i.e. 16.Re3 Nxe3 17.dxe3, although Black would still be better.

15...Nf5 

A nifty move, given that capturing the Knight with 16.exf5 would lead to 16...Bxf5 and Black's checkmate threats could only be bought off with the surrender of material. (It is telling that Stockfish sees 16.exf6 as White's "best" line.)

White's game begins to crumble.

16.Nd5 h6 17.Nb4 Qxe4 18.Qg4 Qxb4 19.h4 Nd4 20.Qg3 Ne2+

White resigned

Jerome Gambit: Routine-Looking

Sometimes Bill Wall makes his Jerome Gambit games look like routine wins.

Here is an example.

Wall, Bill - Pachuco

internet, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 

6...Qe7 7.dxc5 Qxc5 8.O-O Nf6 9.Nc3 Rf8 10.Be3 Qc4  11.f4 Nc6 12.e5

Black is moving along, a step away from castling-by-hand, with only the minor convenience that he will now have to retreat his Knight.

Instead, he decides that the Knight should advance.

12...Ne4 13.Nd5 Kg8

How can this move be a mistake?

14.b3

Well, that's rude.

14...Nc3 15.bxc4 Nxd1 16.Raxd1 

With the exchange of Queens, and the win of a piece, White is better, due to his "Jerome pawns".

16...d6 17.Nxc7 Rb8 18.e6 b6 19.f5 Black resigned

Although there is no imminent checkmate, Black's game holds no promise for him.

Jerome Gambit: Frank Sinatra?

What do you think about when you play a game, or play over a game, or annotate a game?

My mind tends to wander, at times far afield...

Hipernight - rival8

Chess.com iPhone, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nc6 3.Nf3 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5. Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

7.Qd5+ Kf8 8.Qxc5+ d6 9.Qe3 Nf6 10.O-O Ng4 

When I saw this move, I suddenly thought of a lyric from one of Frank Sinatra's songs

And then I go and spoil it all by saying something stupid like "I love you"

The Knight was doing fine where it was, next to its wingman. But - no, it had to approach the enemy Queen. Always tempting, but frequently not best.

11.Qb3 

Allowing her rival to proceed. More prudent was 11.Qg3.

11...Qh4 12.h3 

12...N4e5 

Black might have missed the stronger 12...Nf4 because he saw that White had 13.Qf3, with a pin, as a response. However, then 13...N4e5 would have continued the deadly attack, as there is too much firepower (some of it sacrificial) focused on the pawn at h3. 

Or, maybe he just missed it.

13.f4 Nxf4 

Still tempting, but now White has a response. The humble alternative, leading to an even game, was 13...Nc6.

14.d4 Neg6 

15.Nc3 

Working to catch up in development. Yet, there was a piece to be had with 15.Bxf4 Nxf4 16.g3, due to the pin on the f-file. Still, it is a bit harsh to criticize the Knight that will win the game.

15...Ke8 16.Nb5 Kd8 17.Qf7 

White's pieces are swarming. His opponent overlooks the threat.

17...Rf8 18.Qxc7+ Ke8 19.Nxd6 checkmate

Frankly, the Knight at g6 laments its fate

And if we go some place to dance
I know that there's a chance
You won't be leaving with me

Jerome Gambit: How How Do You REALLY Feel?

 

I just watched an enjoyable TikTok video that is perfectly clear about the value of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), warning viewers

Watch out, because the Jerome Gambit is trash...This is a terrible opening, never play it.

The Jerome Gambit in Chess! #chess #chesstok #chessgame #chessmaster | TikTok

I don't think that those who already play the Jerome will be turned away by this argument. Besides, we all know that "the Jerome Gambit is trash" - that we win with, nonetheless.

Possibly the best impact of the video is that there will be a whole new cadre of defenders who will relax against the Jerome and produce second and third rate responses, because, after all, "the Jerome Gambit is trash". Expect the result to be more "1 - 0"s. 

Jerome Gambit: An Acceptable Result

 

It is a bit early to be certain, but it looks like the fifth and final round of the "Giuoco Piano Game" tournament at Chess.com will see DouglasEngle taking first place, ahead of auswebby - followed by either xyz7 or me (perrypawnpusher), depending upon the the outcome of xyz7's final game.

Finishing in fourth place, out of 100 players, and with a record of  21 - 5 with the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) is an acceptable result for me.

Coming up is the "Italian Tournament 2023" at Chess.com, which I have also joined. To date, only about half of the intended 64 players have signed up, so I have a bit of a wait ahead of me.