Jerome Gambit: Highest Scoring?

Wandering through this blog the other day, I re-visited the post "Jerome Pawns to the Rescue", where I had looked at 5th move alternatives (to 5.Nxe5+) in the Jerome Gambit.

I found this interesting note

To keep statistics in perspective, it must be noted that the highest scoring move is 5.a4, with 100% in 4 games.

Not surprisingly, given the relative non-aggression of the move, things have changed. A visit to lichess.org shows 32 games with 5.a4, with White scoring 42%.

The following 3-minute game is a caution.

monif_thabata - jagr135

3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.a4 

 Check out "Jerome Gambit: Can He Do That? (Part 2)"

5...d6 6.c3 Bg4 

7.Qb3+ 

Both Black and White overlook that 7.b4 here would win a piece (although Black would still be a little better).

7...Kf8 8.O-O Bxf3 9.gxf3 Qg5+ 

Black's Queen is more effective than White's and has a larger supporting staff.

10.Kh1 Bb6 11.Qc2 Nge7 12.b4 Ng6 13.a5 

The Black Bishop is trapped, but it is too late.

Or is it?

13...Nf4 14.Rg1 Qh4 

The Queen needed to retreat with 14...Qh5 - it makes a difference. Then 15.Qd1 Nd3 16.Rg2 Nxf2+ 17.Rxf2 Bxf2 would win for Black.

Now White has a way out: 15.axb6 Qxf2 16.Qd1 Nd3 17.bxc7 Ne7 18.Qf1 and 18...Qxf1 19.Rxf1 Rxc7 is equal.

Instead, Black wraps things up.

15.Rg4 Qxf2 16.axb6 Qxf3+ 17.Kg1 Nh3 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: Dodgy Gambit Opening

If you visit National Master Deniz Tasdelen's very enjoyable chessdoctrine.com site, in particular the information on the Jerome Gambit (1.e4e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), you will see an intelligent look at this opening - and many others - starting with the down-to-earth assessment  

The Jerome Gambit is a dodgy gambit opening

That's a fair assessment.

The Jerome Gambit is also a fun opening for club players to use to surprise their opponents and open up tactical opportunities.

Checking The Database, I find my own handle, perrypawnpusher, in 666 games, scoring 81%.

That pales in comparison to the successes of Bill Wall, who shows up in 1,149 games and scores 94%.

Of course, Your mileage may vary, but I have provided 4,129 posts on this blog, to help you toward success.

Jerome Gambit: I Tried

The following game features a move in the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) - a passive sacrifice of a Knight - that I have been railing against on this blog for over a dozen years.

"Death of a Variation" was not the first time, but it was a not-so-subtle hint. That was followed by "Public Service Announcement" and "A Mention is Not an Endorsement". You might think that "Re-Inventing the Flat Tire" might do it. 

Even coming up with a specific name for the variation - "Jerome Gambit: The Face Palm Variation" didn't stamp it out.

I even had to take on something similar in "The Jaw Drop Variation".

Jerome Gambit players go their own way...

And, despite my fussing, White won the game!

username12374 - vesela_flamburari

3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Bc5 3.Bc4 Nc6 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Ng5+ 

People get excited. I know. Let's get on with the attack!

People get creative. For sure. Watch me get my piece back!

According to The Database, this move has been played 711 times, with White scoring a meager 26%. (Versus 57% for 5.Nxe5+)

5...Kg6 

vesela_flamburari is not taken in by the offer of a piece.

In the games of The Database, 70% of the time Black played 5...Qxg5 (498 games, White scores 19%) but in only 244 games did White then reply 6.d4, with the thematic attack on both the Queen and the Bishop yielding him 24%. (Alas, 6...Qxg2 is a very strong response: in 186 games White scored only 14%.)

The numbers appear a bit murky, but the conclusion is pretty clear for White: don't offer the Knight with 5.Ng5, choose 5.Nxd5+.

6.d4 Bxd4 7.h4 

Black's King might feel nervous, but his forces are still better.

7...Qf6

How unfortunate! In so many variations in the defense against the Jerome Gambit, Black's Queen does good work at f6.

Not in this one. The game flips.

8.h5+ Kh6 9.Nf7 checkmate

Double (and discovered) check wins the day!

BSJG: No Shelter

The following game sees Black defending well in his Blackburne Shilling Gambit, until suddenly the Kingside opens up and his King can find no shelter.

I blame Jerome.

klfoerster - zakiabdelli

3 2 blitz, lichess.org, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 

The Blackburne Shilling Gambit. White can now play 4.Nxe4 or 4.d3 or 4.O-O, but he also has a Jerome response. 

4.Bxf7+ 

The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8 6.c3 

This is one of White's two main responses, the other being the Jerome-ish immediate Qh5+.

6...Nc6 7.Qh5+ g6 8.Nxg6 Nf6 9.Qh4 Rg8 10.Nxf8 Rxf8 

Up to this point klfoerster and zakiabdelli have been playing like they were both familiar with the Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit - indeed, according to The Database, klfoerster played a couple of games with that opening in 2022. I have not found any earlier efforts by zakiabdelli. (I guess players rated 2200 and 2100 look like they know what they are doing.)

Here, though, the routine 10...Kxf8 or the interesting 10...Qe7 might have changed things from an edge for Black to an edge for White.

11.O-O d6

Black keeps an eye on the enemy e-pawn and hopes to imede its advance. He might have done a little better with 11...Ne7. 

12.d4 Ng4 

So far we have seen moves that Stockfish 15.1 might improve upon, slightly.

This move allows too much pressure on f6. Better would have been 12...Ne7. 

13.Qh5+ Rf7 14.Bg5 Qd7 15.f3 

Things have gotten messy for Black. Not only is his Knight in danger, his Queen blocks his Bishop which hems in his Rook - a problem for defense that we have seen a number of times before.

15...Nxh2 16.Qxh2 Rg7 17.Qh5+ 

On revient toujours a sa premier amour.

17...Rg6 18.f4 Kf8 19.f5 Rg8 20.Bh6+ Ke7 21.f6+ Ke6 22.Qd5 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: Those Who Forget

Readers of this blog are very familiar with Yury  V. Bukayev, for his many thoughtful, creative and researched contributions.

The following game - not a Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) this time, but with Jerome qualities - is a successful second battle with Bxf7+ for Yury.

Yury_V_Bukayev - WaleraG

30 0, lichess.org, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d4 exd4 

Here we have a Two Knights Defense.

5.e5 Ng4 6.O-O Na5 

It is possible that the Russian chess author Valery P. Golshev had forgotten the lessons of the earlier  Yury_V_Bukayev - WaleraG 30 0, Chess.com, 2021 (1-0, 24). Different opening, after all. Same dangerous theme: Bishop sacrifice at f7. But in contrast with that game, now the blow Bxf7+ isn't a handicap, it is the best move, it leads to White's advantage.

7.Bxf7+ Kxf7 8.Ng5+ Kg8 

There is no safety to be found.

9.Qf3 Nf6 10.exf6 d5 11.f7 checkmate

Delightful! Pawn power!

Jerome Gambit: Does Not Require A Serious Defense

One reason that club players like playing the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) is that their opponents can draw the wrong conclusions about the opening.

What is this? the defender might think. I have never seen this attack before. It must be wrong.

All that is good and right, as far as it goes: the Jerome is a "refuted" opening. But then the thinking often goes one step further.

Since this is not a serious attack, it does not require a serious defense.

And this is how we wind up with games like the following.

Of course, we also have to make allowances for the fact that it was a 1-minute game, something that does not always allow deep analysis.

angelcamina - LeBuchs

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf6 

By protecting my Knight, I can remain up two pieces. Silly attack!

This position shows up in 289 games in The Database, with White scoring 79%. 

7.Qf5+ Ke7 8.Qxe5+ Kf7 9.Qxc5 d6 10.Qc4+ Black resigned

White is ahead two pawns. His King is safer.

Jerome Gambit: papachess

I visited the  papachess site online the other day, with its focus "Make real chess progress." As they say, 

Papachess is a chess service that has only one goal: to find smart ways to make chess progress automatic and fun.

Of course, part of that "fun" is touched upon in "Unleash Aggression with Italian Game: Jerome Gambit"

Jerome Gambit may be a tricky opening to master, but it is a fantastic choice for players looking for an aggressive game that can lead to early advantage.