Jerome Gambit: The SMH Variation

 

I have previously identified the "face palm variation" in the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Ng5+ see "Jerome Gambit: The Face Palm Variation" and "Jerome Gambit: Return of the Face Palm Variation") as something to be avoided.

Today, in wandering through The Database, I ran into what could only be called the "smack my head" variation. I share it with readers for the same reason we encourage people not to run with scissors:  scissors, themselves, are not bad; but, please, it is not safe to run with them.

Likewise, please, do play the Jerome Gambit, but not this way... 

NN - NN

2 1 bullet, lichess.org, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

7.f4 d6 8.c3 

Preparing to play d2-d4.

There are 13 games in The Database with this position, all blitz or bullet.

For the record, 10 of the players with the White pieces are rated higher than I am.

8...Nd3+ 

This annoying move shows up in 6 games in The Database.

It is not a coincidence that White won 2 of the remaining 7 games.

9.Ke2 

See, now the White Rook can protect the Bishop, and the King can chase the enemy Knight away.

9...Nxf4+

Oh, never mind.

White resigned.

My Jerome Gambit Game as Black without My Rook on a8

 

My Jerome Gambit Game as Black without My Rook on a8

(by Yury V. Bukayev)

Michael Schwarz from Moscow (born in GDR) is my new acquaintance, an ordinary chess amateur. Recently he suggested me to play a handicap game against him, without my Rook 'a' or 'h'. 

I said him that it would be too brave for me for our first game, so I suggested him the following: I'll play as Black without my Rook on a8, but he'll play the standard system of the Jerome gambit. He wasn't acquainted with it, so I explained him that it is Giuoco Piano with 4.Bxf7+, where after 4...Kxf7 White can make the good move 5.Nxe5+ or its alternatives. Moreover, I suggested him 3 0 blitz time control, and he agreed. Here is our yesterday's game.

            Schwarz Michael  -  Bukayev Yury

thematic Jerome gambit game, without Rook on a8,

                    3 0 blitz, Moscow, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5

                    

White stands better because of the absence of Black's Rook. Unfortunately for Michael, he has touched his King with a silence after my Knight's capture, so he has chosen among King's moves after it.

6.0-0 Qf6 7.d4 Bxd4 

               

8.c3 Bb6 9.Kh1 d6 10.f4 Ng4 11.Qe2 Qh4 12.h3 Qg3. 

White resigned.

                     

We can see, my opponent made several large mistakes in this game (although the majority of them were "enough natural"), he saw my idea 6...Qf6 7.d4? Bxd4 8.Qxd4?? Nf3+ after my move 7...Bxd4 only. 

My defence 6...Qf6 AN was very strong, it was even better than 6...Bb6 AN, and I have solved to suggest the name for 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.0-0 Qf6 both here and in non-handicap chess (with Black's Rook on a8). Thus, I suggest to name it as ' L+S Golden Union defence ', where 'L' is a symbol of a Bishop in German chess notation , 'S' is a symbol of a Knight there, the union of Black's Bishop on c5 and Knight on e5 was really golden in this game, while, in contrast with it, an ordinary sum of these two Black's chess pieces is a usual case in Jerome gambit positions.

Dear Michael, thank you for the game! This game is enough important for theory.

Contact the author: istinayubukayev@yandex.ru 

Jerome Gambit: One More Thing...

In the following game we see angelcamina and his opponent battling over the board in another example of how the defender can "solve" the opening - at the cost of too much time on his clock.

Who is better? Who is worse? Who just ran ot of time?

One minute games are like that.

angelcamina - Gio777777777777

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2023

1. e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 

angelcamina has 1,005 games in The Database with this move order. He scores 62%.

 3...h6 

The Semi-Italian Opening, an interesting choice for Black.

Clearly he wants to keep an enemy piece off of the g5 square, even at the risk of slightly weakening his Kingside (especially the light squares), should he choose to castle there.

Stockfish 15.1 sees this as a better protection (about a pawn better) against the following sacrifice than 3...Bc5. 

4.Bxf7+

The Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit. 

angelcamina has only one game with this line in The Database.

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qf5 

There are 11 games with this position in The Database.the first 5 games are by computers; over all record 6 - 5.

Where will the attacked Knight go? It turns out it never moves.

8...N8e7 9.Qf3 c6 10.O-O Qc7 11 d4 d5 12.e5 Be6 

Black  has defended well, although there is usually something that White can focus on, even in that case. Here, the pieces on e6 and g6 give an idea.

13.Qd3 Bf5 14.Qd1 Be4 15.f3 Bf5 16.g4 Be6 17.f4 Bd7 18.f5 

Stockfish assesses the Black position as more than 4 pawns ahead.

However, in the real world, where each player has 60 seconds to win the game or be defaulted, the problem of the advancing "Jerome pawns" is not insignificant.

18...h5 

Fair enough: it is time to return some of the sacrificed material. (Another way was 18...Nh4 19.e6.)

19.fxg6 Nxg6 20.gxh5 Nh4 21.Qe1 Be7 

22.Qg3 Nf5 23.Qg6+ Kd8 24.Nc3 Be8 

Black hopes to eject the enemy Queen, the one piece that is giving him any trouble. However, this slip (tick, tick, tick) unprotects his Knight, and he surrenders his advantage.

25.Qxf5 Rxh5 26.Qf3 Qd7 27.Bf4 Rh3 28.Bg3 

In this position, White is a bit better - he is up a pawn - but it doesn't really matter, as he now won on time.

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]