Jerome Gambit: HauntedKnight and DrMarlonsky

One reason that I chose the following game to share can be found in the notes - a game by HauntedKnight at FICS.

The Database shows that HauntedKnight has 839 Jerome and Jerome-ish games (scoring 55%), the earliest being from 2003 (which was a year earlier than I started playing the Jerome Gambit).

My first mention of HauntedKnight on this blog was the post Serious About Silliness from a dozen years ago.

But - back to the game at hand. DrMarlonsky has a lot of games in The Database, as well.

DrMarlonsky - ourleo

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 

The Two Knights Defense.

4.O-O Bc5 5.Bxf7+ 

After the Bishop is captured, this will be a transposition from the ordinary Jerome Gambit move order: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.O-O Nf6

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 Bd6 

On the surface, Black's Bishop retreat looks correct, as it will return a piece (Black has 2 extra) and get a pawn for it.

A closer look would suggest the straight-forward 7...Bxd4 and the practical 7...d5 are stronger. 

The advantage now goes to White.

With all of this it is important to remember that this is as 1-minute game, and thinking time is at a premium. Also, experience is significant: DrMarlonsky has over 1,200 games in The Database (scoring 57%); ourleo has 1.

8.dxe5 Bxe5 9.f4 Bxb2 

This time, instead of returning the piece for a pawn, the retreat 9...Bd6 was correct. 

10.Bxb2 Re8 

Black would like to castle-by-hand, but he never gets to.

An alternative: 10...d6 11.Bxf6 Qxf6 12.Nd2 (12.e5) 12...Qd4+ 13.Kh1 Rf8 14.Qh5+ Kg8 15.Nf3? (15.Rad1) 15...Qxe4 16.Ng5 Qg6 17.Qe2 b6 18.Qc4+ Kh8 19.Qxc7 Ba6 20.Rf2 Rac8?! 21.Qxd6? Qxd6 White resigned, HauntedKnight - castleden, 6 0 blitz, FICS 2010.

11.e5 Ng8 

Stockfish 15.1 suggests that Black might as well castle and forfeit his Knight - a sad state of affairs.

Also seen: 11...Nd5 12.Qxd5+ Kf8 13.Nc3 d6 14.Rae1 Be6 15.Qxb7 Rb8 16.Qxa7 Rxb2 17.exd6 (17.Rf2) 17...Qxd6 18.Ne4 (18.f5) 18...Qd4+? 19.Kh1? Qxa7 20.f5 Bd5 21.f6 Bxe4 22.fxg7+ Kxg7 23.Re3 Bxg2+ 24.Kxg2 Qxe3 25.Rf3 Rxc2+ White resigned, jdpz - afowlkes, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2019) 

12.f5 

The "Jerome pawns" stare down the enemy King. 

Now all they need is a little help from their Queen.

12...d6 13.Qh5+ g6 14.Qxh7+ Kf8 15.e6 Qe7 16.Qxg6 Nf6 17.Bxf6 Qxf6 18.Qxf6+ Black resigned

A Brief Time-Out

 

NN - perrypawnpusher

The above position from a recent 5-minute game of mine at FICS is one of those Good News / Bad News things that reflects the interesting nature of chess.

The Good News: I had the Black pieces, and checkmate of White is inescapable. Resignation by my opponent would be understandable.

The Bad News: However, at this point in the game I ran out of time. So - Black won on time?

Actually, not. 

A look at the FIDE competition rules (the United States Chess Federation and FICS website rules are similar) - Article 6: The chessclock - shows 

6.9 [I]f a player does not complete the prescribed number of moves in the allotted time, the game is lost by that player. However, the game is drawn if the position is such that the opponent cannot checkmate the player’s king by any possible series of legal moves. 

Since White has a lone King, he does not have sufficient material to deliver checkmate. Therefore, the game was drawn. 

Jerome Gambit: Time Flies (Part 2)

 

[continued from the previous post]

perrypawnpusher - klask

2 12 blitz, FICS, 2023

21...h6 22.Bh4 Rd7 23.Rad1 

Many years ago, Grandmaster Andy Soltis, in his "Chess to Enjoy" column for Chess Life, suggested, tongue-in-cheek, that it was always safe in such situations to comment "Wrong Rook".

In this particular situation, Stockfish 15.1 (35 ply) suggests 23.Bxf6 gxf6 24.Rfd1.

23...Nh5 24.d4 Nf4 25.Rfe1 exd4 26.cxd4 g5 27.Bg3 

Both players think and move quickly according to basic principles. White's Rooks back up his central pawns. Black has an outpost Knight supported by a pawn and a Rook.

27...Nh5 

Black hopes to win the "minor exchange" (Bishop for Knight) but he would have done better to double his Rooks on the d-file.

28.Be5 Rdf7 29.Rf1 

29.Rd2 would have avoided some odd pins on White's Knight.

29...Nf4 30.Rfe1 

Overlooking a tactical shot. Better 30.Rd2.

30...Kh7 

Here Black had 30...Nxg2, uncovering the Rooks' attack on the Knight. After 31.Re2 the Black Knight would withdraw with 31...Nh4.

31.g3 Ng6 32.Rf1 Nxe5 33.dxe5

Again, the computer evaluates the position as balanced. Apparently White's doubled, isolated (passed) e-pawns help compensate for not having the Bishop.

33...Rd7 

Looking for an exchange of Rooks, and he gets his way.

Things would not have been so comfortable if White now replied with 34.Rd6!?, forcing 34...Rxd6 exd6 and elevating his central pawns to a real threat.

34.Rxd7+ Bxd7 35.Rd1 Rf7 36.Kg2 Re7 

37.Nd3 

Instead, 37.Rd6 would apply more pressure.

37...Bg4 38.Rf1 

A blunder, allowing a Bishop fork. I could easily have resigned here.

Despite White's central passed pawn, his Knight is out-played by Black's Rook.

38...Be2 39.Rf3 Bxf3+ 40.Kxf3 c5 41.h4 Kg6 42.hxg5 Kxg5 43.Nf2 Rxe5 44.Nh3+ Kf6 45.Nf4 Re8 46.Nd3 Kg5 47.a4 Rd8

White resigned

One bit of good news, I can't blame this loss on the Jerome Gambit.

Jerome Gambit: Time Flies (Part 1)

The Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) seems designed for blitz and bullet games, posing tactical problems for the defender that eat up his clock.

Unfortunately, as the years go by, I seem less designed for faster games. I look back fondly on my two-minute games from 20 years ago. Things change; I am more comfortable with a time control of two days per move.

So I am not sure how I wound up challenging my opponent in the following game, played at what felt like breakneck speed. I kept up - for a while.

perrypawnpusher - klask

2 12 blitz, FICS, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 

This move appeared in Alonzo Wheeler Jerome's analysis of "Jerome's Double Opening" in the July 1874 issue of the Dubuque Chess Journal.

There are 2,554 games in The Database with the above position, with White scoring 48%. I have been more fortunate in my 44 games, scoring 72%

7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qg3 Nf6 9.d3 Kf7 10.Bg5 

10...Rf8 11. Nc3 c6 12. O-O Kg8 

Black has castled-by-hand and holds a material advantage of a piece for two pawns. 

White would like to make something of his pin on the Knight at f6, but in order to do that he will need to advance his f-pawn, which in turn would require dealing with Black's dark square Bishop.

13.Na4 Bd4 14.c3 Be5 

This is as good a time as any to mention that this is a 2 minute, 12 second increment, blitz game. Oversights are bound to happen.

15.f4 

This does not have to lead to a win of a piece for White. After 15...Nh5!? 16.Bxd8 Nxg3 17.hxg3 Rxd8 18.fxe5 b5 19.exd6 bxa4 the game would still be messy, but in balance.

Both players missed that line.

15...Qa5 16.fxe5 Qxe5 17.Qxe5 

Nerves. 17.Bf4 was clearly better.

17...dxe5 

White is a pawn up. He has to deal with his offside Knight, but it is not currently in danger, e.g. ...b5 can be met by Nc5 - something I overlooked at the time.

For now White should double his Rooks on the f-file.

18.b3 b6 19.Nb2 Be6 20.Nd1 Rad8 21.Nf2 

White's Knight seems to stumble around the board. It would be better placed back at b2 to protect the d-pawn, instead of getting in the way of developments on the f-file.

Stockfish 15.1 evaluates White as not quite a pawn better, likely acknowledging Black's development.

[to be continued]

Jerome Gambit: Return of the Jerome-Botez Gambit

We have addressed the Jerome-Botez Gambit before.

First, the Botez Gambit

According to a "Chess Terms" post on Chess.com, 

The Botez Gambit is a chess meme evoked when someone playing chess accidentally blunders their queen. Despite being called a "gambit," the loss of the queen comes with no compensation and is not intentional...

The term "Botez Gambit" was created by viewers of the BotezLive channel. They came up with the meme after WFM Alexandra Botez, the channel's founder, repeatedly blundered her queen across multiple streams...

With the sisters' colossal success and viewership, the meme spilled over to other Twitch channels. Prominently featured in all major amateur online tournaments like PogChamps, the meme has taken off and become part of chess streamers' vernacular...

Even grandmasters are not immune to an occasional Botez Gambit.

Now, the Jerome-Botez Gambit 

It should come as no surprise that someone (in the AnarchyChess subReddit, of course) has identified the "Jerome-Botez Gambit": 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qf3+.

At the time of the post, I reported that The Database had one example of the Jerome-Botez Gambit.

Currently, The Database has 26 games with the JBG, with White scoring 17% - which is oddly quite impressive, if you think about it, winning after blundering your Queen on move 6.

Supporting this is the online lichess.org, which has 434 JBG games, with White scoring 15%.

Of course, before the Queen offer The Database shows that White scores 57% in games; while lichess.org shows White scoring 51%.

So, you see, it is possible to make the Jerome Gambit even more hazardout for White, but let's not, okay?

Jerome Gambit: Experience Helps

Tactical skill is important for success in the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), especially at faster time limits. Experience helps, too, in guiding move choices and the making of plans.

The following game shows an experienced Jerome Gambiteer making his way to a win, quickly

angelcamina - Binnche

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

A familiar position. It appears about 7,450 times in The Database. More importantly, it appears in over 400 of angelcamina's games.

7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 Nf6 9.Nc3 d6 10.Qb5+ Bd7 11.Qxb7 Rb8 12.Qxa7 Rf8 

White has 4 pawns for his sacrificed piece. His Queen has been very active, to the detriment of the development of his other pieces.

In the meantime, Black addresses his major concern by castling-by-hand.

13.O-O Kf7 14.f4 Kg8 

The game is in balance.

White's "Jerome pawns" have targets to advance against. If he can get his Queen back into play, he can press on against the enemy King.

15.f5 Ne5 16.d4 Nc6 17.Qa3 

Awakward. White plans 18.Bg5 and so protects his b-pawn with the Queen. With only seconds per move to think, White makes it work.

More cirsumspect would have been 17.Qa6. 

17...Qe7 

Missing 17...Nxd4 with advantage.

18.Bg5 

In turn, White had 18.e5 Nh5 19.f6 to pursue his goals more actively.

18...h6 19.Nd5 Qe8 20.Bxf6 Rxf6 

It is not clear why Black bypassed 20...gxf6. Likely the clock.

21.Rae1

White turns down or misses the offer to win the exchange.

21...Rf8 22.c3 Qh5 

Maybe the threat will amount to something? The clock is running.

Black is running out of options. The defensive 22...Qd8 would be met by 23.f6.  

23.Nxc7 Rb7 24.Qxd6 Rd8 25.Ne6 Bxe6 26.Qxe6+ Kh8 27.Qxc6 Rbd7 28.e5 Black resigned

Plus ça change

 

Before we return to the strangeness that is the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), as in the previous post I would like to share an opening line in which the players - temporarily - lose their way...

Sukandar, Irine Kharisma - Yanjindulan, Dolgorsuren

26th Women's Olympiad, Shenzhen, 2011

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nb8 

This looks like a pre-arranged pleasantrie - now after 4.Nxe5 Stockfish 15.1 ranks White as a piece better.

4.Bf1 

Fair enough.

4...Nc6 5.Bc4 

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

5...Bc5 

Back to business. 

And White proceeded to out-play her opponent for the win:

6.c3 Nf6 7.d3 O-O 8.Bg5 Be7 9.Nbd2 d6 10.Bb3 h6 11.Bxf6 Bxf6 12.Nf1 Ne7 13.Ne3 Ng6 14.O-O c6 15.d4 Qc7 16.Re1 Re8 17.d5 c5 18.g3 Ne7 19.h4 Qd7 20.Bc2 g6 21.Nh2 Bg7 22.a4 Rf8 23.h5 Qh3 24.Nc4 Qd7 25.a5 f5 26.hxg6 f4 27.Qh5 Rf6 28.gxf4 Rxf4 29.Re3 Rf6 30.Rg3 Qe8 31.Nf3 Bd7 32.Nh4 Qf8 33.Ne3 Rxf2 34.Nhf5 Nxf5 35.exf5 Rf4 36.Ng2 Bxf5 37.Nxf4 exf4 38.Bxf5 fxg3 39.Be6+ Kh8 40.Rf1 Qe7 41.Rf7 Qg5 42.Qxg5 hxg5 43.Rxb7 Rf8 44.Rxa7 Rf6 45.a6 Rxg6 46.Ra8+ Black resigned

I am surprised that I have not (yet) found a Jerome Gambit game that started in the same way.