Jerome Gambit: The f-File Again

When White castles Kingside in the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), he creates the possibility that his Rook will join in the attack on the enemy King.

The following is a fast example.

 

angelcamina - tummybos

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 Qe7

I was surprised to see that Stockfish 15.1, at 35 ply, slightly preferred the alternative, 8...b6.

The earliest example of 8...b6 in The Database was Charlick - Cooke, Adelaide Chess Club, Australia, 1884 (1-0, 25).

angelcamina has faced 8...b6 4 times, winning 3 times.

9.Qc4 d6 10.O-O Be6 

11.Qb5+ 

angelcamina has tried other moves, as well:

11.Qb4 b6 (11...Nf4 12.d4 Qg5 13.Bxf4 Qxf4 14.Qxb7 Rc8 15.Nc3 Bf5 16.exf5 Black resigned, angelcamina - jpvalley, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2023; 11...Rb8 12.f4 d5 13.f5 Qxb4 White resigned, angelcamina - suertes, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2023) 12.f4 Bd7 13.Nc3 Nf6 14.d3 a5 15.Qb3 Bc6 16.Bd2 Kd7 17.Rae1 Rhe8 18.e5 dxe5 19.fxe5 Nxe5 20.d4 Qb4 21.dxe5 Qxb3 22.axb3 Nd5 23.Nxd5 Bxd5 24.c4 Be6 25.Bg5 h6 26.Bh4 g5 27.Bg3 Rad8 28.Rd1+ Kc6 29.Kf2 Rxd1 30.Rxd1 Re7 31.Ke2 Rd7 32.Rxd7 Kxd7 33.Ke3 c5 34.Kd3 Kc6 35.Ke3 Bf5 36.Bf2 Kd7 37.Kd2 Ke6 38.Kc3 Kxe5 39.h3 Be4 40.g4 Bg2 41.h4 gxh4 White resigned, angelcamina - Hamiltonkingone, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2023; and

11.Qa4+ Bd7 12.Qb3 Be6 13.Qxb7 Rc8 14.Qxa7 Nf6 15.Nc3 Kf7 16.f4 Ra8 17.Qe3 Bc4 18.d3 Bb5 19.Nxb5 Black resigned, angelcamina - FPK-ural, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2022.

11...Kf7 

It is not immediately obvious - in a bullet game - that this is a dangerous response. Instead, the block 11...c6 was called for.

12.f4 

This moves comes with the threat of a pawn fork.

Also played: 12.Qxb7 Nf6 13.Nc3 Rhb8 14.Qc6 Qd7 15.Qa6 Rb6 16.Qe2 Bg4 17.f3 Be6 18.d4 Kg8 19.f4 Bg4 20.Qf2 Be6 21.f5 Bc4 22.fxg6 Bxf1 23.gxh7+ Nxh7 24.Qxf1 Rf8 25.Qe2 Qf7 26.Be3 Rxb2 27.Nd5 Ng5 28.Bxg5 Rxa2 29.Rxa2 Qf1+ 30.Qxf1 Rxf1+ 31.Kxf1 Black resigned, angelcamina - keijozz, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2023.

12...Nf6 13.f5 

13...Nxe4 

The cold-blooded 13...Rhf8 14.fxe6+ Kg8, castling-by-hand, was probably best.

14.fxe6+ Kxe6 15.Qf5 checkmate

Very nice.

Jerome Gambit: To Exchange or Not Exchange?

In 1-minute bullet chess, decisions have to be made quickly, and ordinary choices can become critical.

In the following game, the defender can either exchange pawns or move an attacked piece away. His choice clearly impacts upon the outcome.

angelcamina - ArZion

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 h6 5.O-O Bc5 6.Bxf7+ 

The Semi-Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit - a little bit stronger than the Four Knights Jerome Gambit, but not quite as strong as the Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit. Just in case you were wondering.

6...Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ Nxe5 8.d4 Bxd4 9.Qxd4 d6 

The Database has 61 games with this position, with White scoring 75%.

Stockfish 15.1 is not impressed. 

Just another example of how familiarity with an opening, at the club level, can lead to advantage.

10.f4 Nc6 11.Qc4+ Be6 12.Qb5 Rb8 13.e5 

The game has reached a critical point: to exchange pawns on e5 or not? In a 1-minute bullet game, there is not a lot of time to ponder the possibilities.

13...Nd7 

Unfortunately, Black makes the wrong choice.

Instead, 13...dxe5 14.Be3 (14.dxe5 Qd4+ 15.Rf2 Nxe5) a6 15.Qe2 Kg8 would have kept him firmly ahead.

Critical is White's Rook on the f-file.

14.f5 Nd4

An attack on the Queen has to be attended to in most cases. 

Here, however, Black would hold on by returning material, 14...Ndxe5 15.fxe6+ Kxe6 

15.fxe6+ 

15...Kxe6 

The retreat 15...Kg8 was safer, but 16.Qd5 Kh7 17.Qe4+ Kg8 18.exd7 dxe5 19.Qd5+ Kh7 20.Be3 Rf8 21.Qe4+ Kh8 22.Bxd4 exd4 23.Qxd4 would leave Black, a piece down, with few prospects.

16.Qd5+ Ke7 17.Qf7 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: The Battles Continue

 

In the two Chess.com tournaments that I have been participating in, "Giuoco Fun" (3 - 0 - 1 with the Jerome Gambit) and "Italian Game" (1 - 1 - 0 with the Jerome Gambit, plus one resignation before I could play 4.Bxf7+), I have won enough to move on to the next round of play.

More games means more chances to play Jerome Gambits (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) - which will show up here, as they are completed.

Jerome Gambit: Hobbesian

Most of the time, I enjoy playing the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+).

Every once in a while, however, I am reminded that it is, after all, a refuted opening.

Usually those games are a very Hobbesian (not Calvin's pal), that is nasty, brutish and short.

This time the reminder was Klewnom. 

It looks like I am going to have to win the rest of my games in order to advance to the next round of this tournament. Fortunately, at least one of the games is also a Jerome.

perrypawnpusher - Klewnom

Italian Game tournament, Chess.com, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.Na3 

I thought I would try something different.

There are 71 other games with this move in The Database, with White scoring 48%.

Stockfish 15.1 (30 ply) rates Black about 4 pawns better.

The earliest mention I have seen of the move is in "Chess Theory for Beginners" by Lieut. Sorensen, in the May 1877 issue of Nordisk Skaktidende.

As I wrote in my post "The Jerome Gambit Article (Part 7)" 

Sorensen also suggested the direct 8.Na3 which “appears to offer favorable chances for White” according to Gossip (Theory, 1879), although it is hard to see anything but misery for White after the straightforward 8…Bxa3.

The most recent coverage of the move was in Yury V. Bukayev's post "Anatoly Karpov & Jerome Gambit (Part 4)"

8...c6 9.d4 

Yury Bukayev has invented the attack 9.f4 and recommends it to play here: 

I) 9...Ng6 10.Nc4+!

II) 9...Qe7 10.fe+!

III) 9...Qh4+! 10.g3! Qe7 [10...Nf3+! 11.Kd1 (or 11.Kf1 Qe7!) 11...Qe7! - the best defence, Black has a serious advantage, but White has some practical chance to fight] 11.fe+!
 

IV) 9...Nd3+ 10.cd!
 

V) 9...Nf3+ 10.gf!

9...Bxd4 10.c3 

This was my idea - to give up a pawn for open lines - but it doesn't seem to go anywhere.

After the game, Stockfish 15.1 suggested 10.Bf4, but 10...Qa5+ 11.c3 Bxc3+ 12.bxc3 Qxc3+ 13.Ke2 Qb2+ 14.Nc2 Qxc2+ 15.Kf1 has its own kind of misery.

10...g6 

This is a new move, according to The Database, but it works just fine.

11.Qf4 Ke6 12.Qg3 

Sadly, White can not capture the Bishop with 12.cxd4 because that would allow the brutal fork 12...Nd3+.

12...Bc5 

Black is up two pieces, for which White has an extra pawn compensation.

As Carly Simon sang, "This isn't exactly what we had planned".

I tried something that might have worked in blitz, but I could easily have resigned here, as I think the time control was 2 days per move.

13.f4 Nf7 14.f5+ gxf5 15.exf5+ Ke7 

Prudent. I had hoped for the greedy 15...Kxf5, when 16.Rf1+ would have been deadly.

16.Be3 Bxe3 17.Qxe3+ Kf8 18.O-O-O d5 

19.g4 Qg5 

An exchange of Queens seals it.

20.Rhe1 Qxe3+ 21.Rxe3 Nf6 22.h3 h5 White resigned

Jerome Gambit: Chess.com Awards Awarded

A couple of weeks ago, in the Chess.com Awards post on this blog, I mentioned that Chess.com was asking their readers to vote for

Player of the Year

Woman Player of the Year

Creator of the Year

Game of the Year

Move of the Year

Rising Star of the year

ChessKid of the Year

Commentator of the  Year

Event of the Year

Member of the Year

Book of the Year

Chessable Course of the Year

In a manner both pluckish and puckish, I suggested that Readers of this blog write in the name of this blog for Creator of the Year.

The results?

To quote from the Chess.com website

If the third time is a charm, [Levy] Rozman is definitely looking charming. For the third consecutive year, the man behind YouTube's biggest chess channel has won the Creator of the Year award. Spearheading chess content creation, Rozman has also found the time to write a book, commentate on major events, and make it to Forbes' 30 under 30 list.

The finalists were given as

1st: IM Levy Rozman

2nd: WFM Anna Cramling

3rd: GM Hikaru Nakamura

Very strong competition.

I tip over my King.

Many thanks to Readers who took up this blog's cause. 

• 
  

Jerome Gambit: Sidelined?

The following game is an interesting example of a Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ ) where White's Queen appears to wander off and then be cut off from the scene of the action - without any negative consequences, as a defender's error empowers the attacker.

Wall, Bill - Victorius

internet, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

7.Qxc5 d6 8.Qa3 

Bill likes to experiment. More usual is 8.Qe3.

I was surprised to see that The Database has 208 games with 8.Qa3, with White scoring 43%. Of late, Carlos_Ricardo at the lichess.org site has played the line the most - 164 times.

8...N8e7 

An interesting development choice. Had he played 8...Nf6, instead, White would probably have had to play 9.d3, possibly stranding the Queen on her side of the board.

9.O-O Re8 10.Nc3 Kg8 

Black has castled-by-hand and has the advantage. What will he do with it?

11.f4 Nxf4

Incomprehensible. White is now better.

12.Rxf4 Rf8 13.Qb3+ d5 14.d3 Be6 

15.Rxf8+ Qxf8 16.Qxb7 

I was impressed to see that White could afford this pawn grab.

16...dxe4 17.Qxe4 

No longer in exile!

17...Nf5 

A slip.

18.Qxe6+ Black resigned

Jerome Gambit: And Yet Another Recovered Game

I have tried to post every one of my Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) games; win, lose, or draw; good, bad or ugly.

Still, sometimes, something slips through.

Earlier this year (see "Jerome Gambit: A Bit Awkward") I noticed that I had missed a game from 16 years ago - from before I started this blog.

So - time to fix that oversight. 

perrypawnpusher - gtomlinson

5 2 blitz, FICS, 2007

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Qf6 9.fxe5+ Qxe5 10.Qf3 

This position is as old as Jerome's analysis in the April 1874 edition of the Dubuque Chess Journal and his game against Shinkman (0-1, 21) the same year.

10...Ke7 

The King anticipates a future Bishop pin along the b8-h2 diagonal.

11.Nc3 d6 

Both Rybka and Stockfish prefer 11...Nf6.

12.Nd5+ Kd8 

13.d3 

In this messy position I learned after the game that I could have played 13.d4!? Bxd4 (13...Qxd4 14.Qf8+ Kd7 15.Qf7+ Kc6 16.Qxc7+ Kb5 17.Be3) 14.Bf4 Qe6 (14...Qe8 15.O-O-O c6 16.Rxd4 cxd5 17.Rxd5 Qf7 18.Rxd6+ Ke8 19.Rhd1 Be6 20.Kb1 Nf6 21.e5 Nd5 22.Rxe6+ Qxe6 23.Rxd5) 15.O-O-O Bc5 (15...Bb6 16.Bxd6 cxd6 17.Qf8+ Qe8 18.Qxg7 Ne7 19.Nf6 Qf8 20.Rxd6+ Kc7 21.Qg3) 16.b4 Bb6 17.Bxd6 cxd6 18.Qf8+ Kd7 19.Qxg7+ Ne7 20.Qxh8 Nxd5 21.exd5 Qg6) 

13...Ne7 14.Nxe7 

Missing my chance for 14.d4 and advantage. The game shifts towards Black.

14...Kxe7 15.Rf1 Be6 16.c3 Raf8 17.Qe2 Rxf1+ 18.Kxf1 Rf8+ 19.Ke1 

White has no compensation for his sacrificed material.

19...Qf6 

This move preserves Black's advantage. The computers suggest that there is even time to go pawn-grabbing with 19...Qxh2. 

20. d4 Bb6 21.Be3 Qh4+ 22. g3 Qxe4 

Uh-oh. Bad things can suddenly happen in blitz. Black munches on another pawn (threatening Qh1+ and winning the Rook) - and it does not agree with him.

23.Bg5+ 

Of course.

23...Kd7 24.Qxe4 h6 25.Be3 c5 

Black lashes out, but opening lines to your King when you have only a Bishop for a Queen is quite risky.

26.dxc5 dxc5 27. Rd1+ Kc8 28.Qxe6+ 

Black resigned

A happy escape, most likely aided by the clock.

Good luck, as they say, is better than a license to steal.