Jerome Gambit Declined 4...Kf8

This blog has featured a lot of Jerome Gambits with Bill Wall playing the White pieces.

Occasionally we show him playing the Black pieces.

In those cases, which prevails, Wall or Jerome? 

Predictably, it is Wall.

Muralha - Wall, Bill

internet, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kf8 

According to The Database, Bill is 8 - 0 against the ...Kf8 declined Jerome Gambit. This is his only attempt to play the declined.

This is the only Jerome Gambit that The Database has for Muralha.

By the way, according to The Database White scores 60% against the Jerome Gambit declined with 4...Kf8, versus 51% against the Jerome Gambit accepted with 4...Kxf7. (Less often seen is 4...Ke7, where White scores 72%.)

5.Bxg8 

White settles for a position where he is a pawn ahead.

Stockfish 15.1 rates the withdrawal 5.Bb3 as about a half pawn better than the text. 

5...Kxg8 6.O-O d6 7. c3 Qf6 8.Qb3+ Qf7 9.c4 

A pawn ahead, he decides to clamp down on the d5 square.

9...Qg6 10.g3 

Anticipating Black's next move. With 10.Nc3 Bh3 11.Ne1 Rf8 12.Nd5 White could have retained a slight edge. 

10...Bh3 11.d4 Nxd4 12.Nxd4 Bxd4 13.c5+ 

Black has several ways to meet this discovered check.

13...Qf7 14.Be3 

Exchanging Queens with 14.Qxf7+ would then allow White to move his attacked Rook, but a lead in development and the two Bishops would still keep Black better.

14...Qxb3 15.axb3 Bxe3 16.fxe3 Bxf1 17.Kxf1 dxc5 

Up the exchange and a pawn, facing White's shattered pawn stucture, Black has a technical win - which he is happy to demonstrate.

18.Ke2 a5 19.Nc3 Kf7 20.Nd5 Rhc8 21.Rf1+ Ke6 22.g4 b6 23.Nc3 c6 24.Na4 Rf8 25.Rg1 Rab8 26.g5 Kd6

White resigned

Jerome Gambit: The Unsafe Enemy King

The unsafe enemy King is the theme of many Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) games.

It is true that in the following game there is a short interlude where White's Queen gathers in some pawns, but in the end there is checkmate.

Q.E.D.

Wall, Bill - Zulfikar

internet, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.h3 

Bill has enough faith in his own ability (and the Jerome Gambit?) that he can experiment.

The Database has 7 games with this move (White scores 6 - 1), 4 of them by Bill.

The whole situation is a bit puzzling. White has started a sacrificial attack - one that Stockfish (the skeptic) sees as turning the advantage over to the defender. Still, the attacker, knowing that his opponents often take the opportunity to find a second-, third- or fourth-best move, gives them a chance.

5...h6 

A defensive move (protecting the g5 square) that is not necessary; continued development would be the right idea.

Bill has also seen:

5...Nf6 6.Nc3 Rf8 7.Qe2 d6 8.Qc4+ Be6 9.Ng5+ Kg8 10.Nxe6 Bxf2+ 11.Kxf2 Nd5+ 12.Nxf8 Qxf8+ 13.Kg1 Black resigned, Wall,B - Stick,K, Chess.com  2010;

5...Bxf2+ 6.Kxf2 Nf6 7.Nc3 d6 8.d3 h6 9.Rf1 g5 10.Kg1 Rf8 11.h4 g4 12.Bxh6 Rh8 13.Bg5 gxf3 14.Qxf3 Bg4 15.Qxg4 Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest468009, PlayChess.com 2018; and

5...d6 6.O-O Nd4 7.d3 Nf6 8.Ng5+ Ke8 9.c3 Ne6 10.Nf3 h6 11.d4 exd4 12.cxd4 Bb6 13.Nc3 Ng5 14.Nxg5 hxg5 15.Bxg5 Bxh3 16.gxh3 Rxh3 17.Nd5 c6 18.Bxf6 gxf6 19.Qg4 Qd7 20.Qg8 checkmate, Wall,B - Guest604541, PlayChess.com 2018. 

6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 Qh4 

The two players contested a Jerome Gambit a couple of years ago, without moving their h-pawns: Wall, Bill - Zulfikar, internet, 2021: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bxd4 7.Qxd4 d6 8.O-O Be6 9.f4 Nc6 10.Qd3 Na5 11.Nd2 c6 12.b4 Qb6+ 13.Kh1 Qxb4 14.Ba3 Qa4 15.f5 Bc4 16.Qxd6 Nf6 17.Nxc4 Nxc4 18.Qe6 checkmate. 

8.O-O Bxd4 

As in the earlier game. Stronger was 8...Qxe4.

9.Qxd4 d6 

White has a pawn for a piece. He needs to stir things up. 

10.f4 Nc6 11.Qc4+ Be6 12.Qb5 Nge7 13.f5 

13...Bd7 14.Qb3+ Ke8 15.Nc3 Nd4

This is an invitation to White's Queen to go pawn-hunting. White's King is safe enough (and Black's pieces far enough away, except for the Queen) that he can afford to do so.

16.Qxb7 Bc6 17.Qxc7 Rc8 18.Qxa7 Nxc2 19.Rb1 Nb4 

Here we have a typical Jerome Gambit position: Black has an extra piece and he is better developed, but his unsafe King oveturns all of this, and his opponent is better.

20.Be3 Nc2 21.Bf2 Qg5 22.Rbc1 Nb4 23.Qd4 Na6 24.Qxd6 Rd8 

25.Qe5 Rd2 26.Nd5 Rxf2

A tactical slip. This would work if White now captured with his Rook.

27.Kxf2 Qd2+ 

Not quite a spite check, but the end is near.

28.Kg1 Bxd5 29.exd5 Rf8 30.Rc8+ Kf7 31.Qe6 checkmate

Make the Best Move! (Part 1)

 

Make the Best Move! (Part 1)

                               

       (by Yury V. Bukayev)

Every chess beginner should learn strong combinations before learning to make risky attempts to use psychological blows sometimes. Here is my first and a very short lesson on the first moves of such combinations - the best first moves - where each such move is a King's Bishop sacrifice (or a pseudosacrifice).

At first I should give not difficult tasks only. They are here.

Task 1.

( Blom K. - Jensen N., Ostende, 1934, https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1250718 ):

Find the best move.

Solution: 9.Bxh7+!

Task 2.

( Lalic P. - Baker C., London, 2023,  https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=2554048 ):

Find the best move.

Solution: 12.Bxc6!

Task 3.

( Bukayev Y. - Golshev V., Lichess.org, 2023, https://jeromegambit.blogspot.com/2023/08/jerome-gambit-those-who-forget.html )

Find the best move.

Solution: 7.Bxf7+!

Task 4.

( Lopez de Segura, R. - Leonardo di Bona, G., Rome, 1560, https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1251893 )

Find the best move.

Solution: 6.Bxf7+!

Note: Probably, it's one of the oldest known games with a "Jerome-ish" blow.

Task 5.

( Perez Perez, F. - Alekhine A., blitz, Madrid, 1943, https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1013534 )

Find the best move.

Solution: 8.Bxf7+!

Note: The first part of my analytical research on this extraordinary situation for the World Champion is here: https://jeromegambit.blogspot.com/2022/03/perez-alekhine-game-wccs-main-mistake.html .

Contact the author:  istinayubukayev@yandex.ru  .

Jerome Gambit: Willie Sutton Again

Here is a recent Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7) game by Bill Wall.

Why does Bill play the Jerome?

I have quoted Willie Sutton before: When he was asked why he robbed banks, he said, “Because that's where the money is.”

Why does Bill play the Jerome Gambit? 

Because that is where the points are. In over 1,150 Jerome Gambit games in The Database, he has scored 94%.

Wall, Bill - Kumar

internet, 2023

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

5.Nc3 

Delaying the second Jerome sacrifice.

5...h6 

Transposing to a Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit.

White gains more from his 5th move than Black gains from his.

Bill has also seen 5...d6 6.O-O (6.d3 h6 7.Na4 Bb4+ 8.c3 Ba5 9.O-O Nf6 10.h3 b5 11.Qb3+ d5 12.Qxb5 Qd6 13.exd5 Qxd5 14.Qxc6 Qxc6 15.Nxe5+ Ke6 16.Nxc6 Bb6 17.Bf4 Nd5 18.Rfe1+ Kf5 19.Re5+ Kxf4 20.g3+ Kf3 21.Nxb6 axb6 22.Nd4 checkmate, Wall,B - Guest190971, PlayChess.com 2020) 6...Bg4 7.d3 Nd4 8.Nxe5+ dxe5 9.Qxg4 Nf6 10.Qd1 c6 11.Na4 Bd6 12.Be3 Ne6 13.Qd2 Qc7 14.Nc3 Rad8 15.Ne2 Rhf8 16.Qc3 Kg8 17.Qb3 Rde8 18.Bxa7 Kh8 19.Be3 Ng4 20.Bb6 Qb8 21.h3 Nf6 22.Ng3 Nd4 23.Qc4 Nd7 24.Bxd4 exd4 25.Qxd4 c5 26.Qa4 Rd8 27.Nf5 Nb6 28.Qb5 Qc7 29.Ne3 Qc6 30.Qxc6 bxc6 31.a4 Ra8 32.a5 Nd7 33.Nc4 Be7 34.e5 Rfb8 35.b3 h6 36.f4 Bd8 37.a6 Nb6 38.Na5 Rxa6 39.Nxc6 Rxa1 40.Rxa1 Rc8 41.Nxd8 Rxd8 42.Ra5 Ra8 43.Rxc5 Ra2 44.c4 Rd2 45.e6 Rxd3 46.e7 Re3 47.Re5 Black resigned, Wall,B - Rahman,N, Chess.com 2010; or

5...Nf6 6.Qe2 (6.d3 Re8 7.Bg5 d6 8.O-O Nd4 9.Nxd4 Bxd4 10.Nd5 Be6 11.c3 Bxd5 12.cxd4 Bc6 13.d5 Bd7 14.f4 Kg8 15.Qb3 Qc8 16.fxe5 Rxe5 17.Bxf6 gxf6 18.Rxf6 b6 19.Raf1 Qb7 20.Rf7 Bg4 21.Qc2 Rc8 22.Qf2 Qb8 23.Qf6 Black resigned, Wall,B - Benjamin, internet, 2023) 6...Rf8 (6...d6 7.Na4 Nb4 8.Qc4+ Ke8 9.a3 b6 10.axb4 Bxb4 11.Qxb4 Bg4 12.Nc3 c6 13.d4 d5 14.Nxe5 Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest153817, PlayChess.com 2018) 7.Qc4+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qc4 Qe7 10.d4 exd4 11.Nxd4 Nxe4 12.Nxc6 Qh4 13.O-O Rxf2 14.Nxe4 Rxg2+ 15.Kxg2 Bh3+ 16.Kh1 Qg4 17.Qf7 checkmate, Wall,B - Roberts,C, Chess.com, 2010. 

6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.Qh5+ Ke6

Bill has also faced 7...Ng6 8.Qd5+ Kf8 (8...Ke8 9.Qxc5 d6 10.Qa3 N8e7 11.O-O Nh4 12.d4 Neg6 13.f4 Rf8 14.Be3 Bg4 15.Qb3 Rb8 16.f5 Ne7 17.Bf2 Nexf5 18.exf5 Nxf5 19.Rae1+ Kd7 20.Qe6+ Kc6 21.d5 checkmate, Wall,B - Mbgmx, Chess.com 2010) 9.Qxc5+ N8e7 10.f4 d6 11.Qf2 Nc6 12.d4 Qh4 13.g3 Qh3 14.f5 Nge7 15.f6 Nf5 16.exf5 Bxf5 17.fxg7+ Kxg7 18.Nd5 Rhf8 19.Nf4 Rae8+ 20.Be3 Qg4 21.h3 Qg5 22.O-O-O Nb4 23.Qd2 Qxg3 24.Nh5+ Black resigned, Wall,B - Jllib976, Chess.com 2010.

8.Qf5+ Kd6 9.b4 Bb6 

Or 9...Bxb4 10.Nb5+ Kc6 11.Nxd4+ Kd6 12.Nb5+ Kc6 13.Qxe5 d6 14.Nd4+ Kd7 15.Qe6 checkmate as in Wall,B - My10, 2017.

10.f4 Qf6 

Sometimes Black's Queen belongs on f6, sometimes not.

Today, not.

11.fxe5+ Qxe5 12.Nb5+ Black resigned

Black's Queen is about to be robbed of her support.

Jerome Gambit: King Safety for White?

King safety is a central issue in the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+). In fact, White sacrifices two pieces in order to render his opponent's King as unsafe as possible.

What about White's King?

It is clear that certain variations are focused upon a counter-attack by Black on White's King, for example 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Qh4!?

But, in general?

I recently had a short discussion about the Jerome Gambit with Stockfish 15 (a skeptic) and The Database (a supporter). 

After 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Stockfish rated Black as about 2 3/4 pawns better. On the other hand, The Database, with 31,564 games with that position, showed that White scored 52%.

What happens, though, if White first gives some thought to his own King's safety before sacrificing, say by castling or developing another piece?

It turns out that after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.0-0 Stockfish 15 (35 ply) rates Black as a little bit more than 3 pawns better after either 4...Nf6 5.Bxf7+ (1,749 games, White scores 42%) or 4...d6 5.Bxf7+ (39 games, White scores 33%).

In other words, if White castles before going "all in" on his Jerome attack, he reduces his position's evaluation and decreases his practical chances.

Likewise, if after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 he first plays 4.Nc3,then against 4...Nf6 (3,231 games, White scores 39%) and 4...d6 (0 games) he still does worse than going directly for the sacrifices. Stockfish rates 4.Nc3 Nf6 5.Bxf7+ as a bit less than 3 pawns better for Black, and 4.Nc3 d6 5.Bxf7+ as more than 3 1/2 pawns better for Black.

All of this is actually a bit of slight-of-hand. The focus should not be on White. What actually is happening is that, given an extra move himself, Black strengthens his position before the Jerome sacrifices.

It is therefore no wonder that White, in delaying his attack (i.e. for his own King's safety), gives Black a chance to shore up his defenses.

The moral for White: Sacrifice away!

Jerome Gambit: A Thoughtful Post

It is worth taking a look at a thoughful post by Tryfon Gavriel (FIDE Candidate Master; Kingscrusher) at Quora, addressing the question "What are some of the most outlandish chess gambits?" 

He can be clear and accurate

Well, the most outrageous and even documented as mostly losing is the Jerome Gambit.

He also has some kind words for the author of this blog, and includes

In fact, I will try and take up the challenge and produce some wins with this gambit on my bullet chess and Email him if I do manage to win!

Jerome Gambit: What Your Chess Opening Says About You

 

As a chess-playing retired therapist, I couldn't resist following the link to "What your chess opening says about you", in particular a post by Xyzlev on the online Starscape wiki.

Here are a couple of clearly tongue-in-cheek examples

Bishops opening-  You're an 800 elo noob who hasn't learnt any opening, and wants to test if your oppoent will fall for the scholar's mate 

Italian game- You're 900+ elo and you have finally stopped trying to scholar's mate people, and you're slightly more willing to study opening theory than london system players. 

So - what is to be said about the Jerome Gambit? 

Jerome gambit- Why, just why

'Nuff said.😊