Moving on to the second round of the online "Play The Italian Game III" tournament at Chess.com (see "Jerome Gambit: Moving On"), I am already playing 2 Jerome Gambit games, and by the time you read this I may be playing a 3rd.
Add this to a friendly challenge game (outside of the tournament), that adds up to a lot of sudden excitement.
You can be sure that I will share the games when they are completed: win, lose, or draw; good, bad, or ugly.
For an absolutely mind-blowing Jerome Gambit game, check out the YouTube video "Stockfish 16 plays the Jerome vs Magnus Carlsen (Age 29) | THE NEW UNBEATABLE GAMBIT" by Chess Games @educationalchessgames.
I will probably post the game, once I make sense out of it, but in the meantime, the game - and, afterwards, the analysis - is both entertaining and educational.
The following game touches on topics we have recently covered in this blog - coincidentally, as it took place 7 months ago.
silva69 - Batuhankzk
15 10 standard, lichess.org, 2023
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Nxe5
.png)
Recently I took another, brief, look at what I have called the Overlook Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Nxe5 (see "Jerome Gambit: Wandering [Part 1]) - because it looks like White overlooked the fact that Black's e5 pawn was protected.
In that, the Overlook is similar to the Chicago or Irish Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nxe5 and the Halloween Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nxe5 although the presence of the Bishops makes a difference.
I might as well have called the opening the Ooops Variation of the Jerome Gambit - if playing the Jerome Gambit is what White was intending - only he accidentally played his 5th move before his 4th move (Ooops), in the sequence 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+.
4...Nxe5 5.Bxf7+ Kxf7
Black transposes to the Jerome Gambit. The alternative, 5...Nxf7, preserving the right to castle, was stronger.
6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Qf8
.png)
8.Qxh8 Bb6 9.Qxh7+ Ke8 10.Qxg6+ Kd8 11.d3
.png)
11...Qc5
It is a bit fatalistic to bypass 11...Qxf2+ 12.Kd1 Ne7, even if it does not lead to anything promising.
12.Bg5+ Ne7
It is either this or give up his Queen.
13.Qg8 checkmate
.png)
The following game is a good example.
Neffets23 - Evgeny2306
5 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2022
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6
.png)
7.Qd5+
Giving the enemy King a "nudge". See " 'A Push for "a Nudge' ".
Why? To drive the monarch to the back rank, to interfere with the development of his Rook. And - to give him a chance for a mis-step.
7...Kf6
Black is still better, but this carries more risk than 7...Kf8 or 7...Ke8.
8.f4
Giving the defender something to think about: Why didn't White just grab the Bishop?
As Yury V. Bukayev points out, the move is a trap which provokes 8...Be7?? 9.Qf5#, 8...Qe7?? 9.Qf5#, 8...N8e7?! 9.e5+ Kf5 10.g4+! (10.Qf7+!? Kg4 11.h3+!? or 11.Qb3 with attack) ...Kxg4 11.Qg2+ with a very strong attack.
8...d6
Black protects the Bishop.
It is interesting that Stockfish 15.1 (at 37 ply) suggests as it's top move that Black ignore that piece and instead take care of his other developed piece, 8...N6e7, even at the cost of 9.Qxc5.
Other moves that still give Black the edge are 8...Qf8 (although 9.Qf5+ Ke7 10.Qxc5+ still drops a piece) and 8...Bf2+ (likewise).
9.Qg5+
.png)
Black resigned
Was that too soon? Four months later we saw: DrunkenNickMKunz - RRR_777, 3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2022: 9...Kf7 10.Qxd8 Nxf4 11.Rf1 Nf6 12.Qxh8? Nxg2+ 13.Kd1 Bg4+ 14.Rf3 Bxf3 checkmate
.png)
Some Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) games are fun to play over - quickly.
The following line of play has been examined in "Don't drive like my brother", "Jerome Gambit: Chess Is An Easy Game, After All", and "Jerome Gambit: Update -> Unplayed" but still deserves another look.
Another example of why people love the Jerome Gambit.
Anti-Duhring - rondoll
1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2023
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8
Black does not want to go along with White's plan and play 5...Nxe5.
6.Qh5+ Kf8
Again, Black avoids the stronger - and expected - 6...g6.
The lichess.org database has 375 games with this position, with White scoring 93%.
Think about that. White's next move is?
7.Qf7 checkmate
.png)
Recently I took another, brief, look at what I have called the Overlook Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Nxe5 (see "Jerome Gambit: Wandering [Part 1]) - because it looks like White overlooked the fact that Black's e5 pawn was protected.
In that, the Overlook is similar to the Chicago or Irish Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nxe5 and the Halloween Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nxe5 although the presence of the Bishops makes a difference.
I might as well have called the opening the Ooops Variation of the Jerome Gambit - if playing the Jerome Gambit is what White was intending - only he accidentally played his 5th move before his 4th move (Ooops), in the sequence 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+.
The Overlook is not very strong. A check with the lichess.org database shows 247,034 games, with White scoring 39.5%.
Still, it can be played for fun, and even as a surprise weapon (preferrably in games with a fast time control).
I checked The Database and found that Bill Wall has both played and faced the Overlook.
Guest4931371 - Wall, Bill
internet, 2017
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Nxe5
.png)
4...Nxe5
Or
4...Nh6 5.Qh5 O-O 6.Nxc6 Bxf2+ 7.Kxf2 dxc6 8.d3 Bg4 9.Qc5 Qh4+ 10.Kf1 Kh8 11.Bg5 Qh5 12.Be7 Rfe8 13.Qxh5 Bxh5 14.Bg5 Ng8 15.Nd2 b5 16.Bb3 h6 17.Bf4 Re7 18.h3 g5 19.Be3 a5 20.g4 Bg6 21.a4 Kh7 22.h4 Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest2075193, playchess.com, 2012; or
4...Bxf2+ 5.Kxf2 Nxe5 6.Be2 Qf6+ 7.Kg1 Ne7 8.d4 N5g6 9.Nc3 c6 10.e5 Qh4 11.g3 Qh3 12.Bg4 Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest2095477, playchess.com, 2012
5.d4
Or 5.Bd5 Qg5 6.O-O Qg6 7.d4 Bxd4 8.Qxd4 Nf3+ 9.Kh1 Nxd4 White resigned, Ortiz - Wall,B, internet, 2011
5...Bb4+ 6.c3 Nxc4 7.cxb4 d5
.png)
8.b3 Nb6 9.Qe2 dxe4 10.Qxe4+ Qe7 11.Qxe7+ Nxe7
.png)
12.O-O Nc6 13.Re1+ Be6 14.b5 Nxd4 15.Nc3 Nc2 White resigned
.png)
White has had enough.
(By the way, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+, the Jerome Gambit itself, scores 49.5% on 63,4802 games at lichess.org)
Bobby Fischer said that he did not believe in psychology, he believed in good moves.
That said, good moves often have a psychological impact.
Given a very limited time to calculate and play moves, the definition of "good" tends to expand. The following game is a good example.
angelcamina - pepe16
1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2023
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6
.png)
angelcamina likes the Jerome Gambit.
4.d3
Oh, well.
4...Bc5 5.Bxf7+
You didn't think that you were going to get off that easily, did you?
The Database had 46 of angelcamina's games with this position. He scores 50%.
5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4
.png)
How can White get away with this? He is a veteran at playing bullet games - a time control that often allows such audacity - and he is very familiar with the Jerome Gambit.
7...Nc6 8.dxc5 Nxe4
.png)
Is this a slip, or a trap?
9.Qd5+ Kf6 10.O-O
.png)
How easy it would be in a 1-minute game to grab the Knight with 10.Qxe4 and immediately regret it after 10...Re8.
Now Black has to rescue his Knight.
10...Ng5
Black's best was to walk into a pin along the e-file, himself, with 10...Qe8, when 11.Re1 (echo) Qe5 12.Qxe5+ Nxe5 13.Rxe4 would leave him only a pawn down.
11.Bxg5+ Black resigned
.png)
