Jerome Gambit: In Four Diagrams

My latest Jerome Gambit game against a Chess.com bot was a draw that ran 95 moves. I don't think I am going to bore you with the details.

Except, I did say that I would share all of my Jeromes, didn't I?

Oh well, okay, I will put the naked game at the foot of this post.

But the whole story can be told in 4 diagrams.

perrypawnpusher - Isabel bot

Chess.com, 2023

White to move

After 22 moves, I was better, being up a pawn and having a better pawn structure. An atypical Jerome Gambit position, but you can't have everything.

Black to move

39 moves in, however, I have mangled my chances with the White pieces, and am clearly lost.

Can you see my one possible saving factor?

White to move

After 44 moves it is clear that I know something that Isabel bot does not - the effect of Bishops-of-opposite-colors on a pawn endgame.

The position is drawn.

Instead of making my 95th move, I claimed a draw. 

Sort of.

It turns out that in my game vs a bot, there was no option to do that. No button to push.

Nor did the bot acknowledge that the position was drawn.

We could still be playing, as far as it was concerned.

But, really: drawn.

I probably should feel bad about weasling out of a loss against a poor, innocent bot - but I don't. I've relied on opposite-colored Bishops before to escape my just desserts.

Readers might want to do the same, some day.

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Nc4 9.Qd5+ Ke7 10.Qxc5+ Nd6 11.e5 Qf8 12.O-O Kf7 13.exd6 Qxd6 14.Qxd6 cxd6 15.Nc3 Nf6 16.d4 Re8 17.Bd2 Ne4 18.Nxe4 Rxe4 19.c3 Re2 20.Rf2 Rxf2 21.Kxf2 h5 22.d5 Kf6 23.c4 b5 24.b3 bxc4 25.bxc4 Kf5 26.Kf3 Ba6 27.Rc1 Rc8 28.g3 Bxc4 29.Kf2 Rc5 30.h3 Bxa2 31.Rxc5 dxc5 32.Bc3 g6 33.Ke3 Bxd5 34.Kd3 h4 35.gxh4 Kxf4 36.Bf6 Kf5 37.Bg5 a5 38.Kc3 Be4 39.Kc4 d6 40.Kb5 Ke6 41.Kxa5 d5 42.Ka4 c4 43.Kb4 Bf5 44.Kc3 Ke5 45.Bh6 Ke4 46.Bg7 Ke3 47.Bd4+ Ke4 48.Bf6 Bc8 49.Bd4 Bxh3 50.Bf6 Bg4 51.Bd4 Bd1 52.Bf6 Bh5 53.Bd4 g5 54.hxg5 Bg6 55.Bf6 Bf5 56.Bd4 Be6 57.Bf6 Bf7 58.Bd4 Be6 59.Bf6 Bf7 60.Bd4 Bh5 61.Bf6 Ke3 62.Bd4+ Ke4 63.Bf6 Bg4 64.Bd4 Bh3 65.Bf6 Be6 66.Bd4 Kf5 67.Bf6 Kg6 68.Bd8 Bf7 69.Kd4 Kf5 70.Bf6 Be6 71.Bd8 Bf7 72.Bf6 c3 73.Kxc3 Ke4 74.Bd4 Kf4 75.Bf6 Be6 76.Bd4 Bf5 77.Bf6 Ke4 78.Bd4 Bg6 79.Bf6 Kf3 80.Kd4 Kg4 81.Bd8 Be8 82.Bf6 Bf7 83.Bd8 Kh5 84.Bf6 Be8 85.Bd8 Bf7 86.Bf6 Bg6 87.Kxd5 Bc2 88.Ke6 Bb3+ 89.Ke7 Bd1 90.Kf8 Bf3 91.Kg7 Bd5 92.Kh7 Be6 93.g6 Bf5 94.Kg7 Bxg6 95.Be7 Bh7 draw

Jerome Gambit: A Relative

                                                     

Time for another visit to an opening that is Jerome-ish, but not quite the Jerome gambit.

angelcamina - Otschin_Karascho

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nc3 Nc6 4.Bc4 Nxe4 5.Bxf7+ 

angelcamina is familiar with the Noa or Monck Gambit, a relative of the Jerome Gambit. See the recent "Against the Knights"

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe4 d5 7.Neg5+ Kg8 8.d4 e4 

To upset the delicate balancing act of the White Knights.

9.Ne5 Nxe5 10.dxe5 h6 

The better way to "kick" the Knight was 10...Be7, forcing a retreat.

The text overlooks the pin on Black's d-pawn, something that can easily occur in a 1-minute game that features an unusual opening.

11.Nxe4 Bb4+ 12.c3 Be7 13.Ng3 c6 

14.O-O Be6 

Oh dear. The equivalent of saying "Hit me!"

15.f4 Kh7 16.f5 Black resigned

The final position is complicated, but it is clear that White has a strong attack; and it would be a good exercise to figure out the way that play might have continued. Perhaps 16...Bg7 17.Qg4!? Rg8 18.Be3 to start. 

The clock may have figured into Black's resignation as well.

Jerome Gambit: Come And Get Me

The following Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game might be lightly described as the exchange:

Black: Come and get me

White: Okay, I will

Wall, Bill - Dasasary

internet, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 

This move goes back to Alonzo Wheeler Jerome's analysis of the Third Variation of  "Jerome's Double Opening" in the July 1874 issue of the Dubuque Chess Journal.

7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qf4+ Qf6 

Instead, 8...Nf6 was the move that Jerome considered. 

Interesting, from Wall, Bill - Aristarch engine, Palm Bay, FL, 2015, was 8...Ke8 9.Nc3 Nh6 10.O-O Rf8 11.Qg3 Ng4 12.Nd1 Qe7 13.c3 Qe5 14.Qh4 Qf6 15.Qg3 Bb6 16.d4 Qg6 17.Re1 Rf7 18.e5 Re7 19.Ne3 Qe6 20.Nf1 d5 21.h3 Nh6 22.Bg5 Nf5 23.Qh2 Rf7 24.g4 Ne7 25.Ne3 c5 26.Bxe7 Kxe7 27.f4 cxd4 28.f5 Qc6 29.cxd4 Bxd4 30.e6 Qb6 31.Qf2 Bxe3 32.Rxe3 Rf6 33.Rae1 h5 34.g5 Rf8 35.Qf4 d4 36.Rd3 Qa5 37.Re5 Qb4 38.Rxd4 Qb6 39.b4 Ke8 40.Red5 Bxe6 41.Rd6 Rxf5 42.Qe4 Rxg5+ 43.Kh1 Kf8 44.Rxb6 Black resigned

I don't think that I have shared that game, before.

9.Qg3 

Should White allow the exchange of Queens here, or not?

Stockfish 15.1 takes the affirmative (35 ply), and in the past Bill has gone along: 9.d3 Qxf4 10.Bxf4 Nf6 11.f3 (11.Nc3 a6 12.f3 Be6 13.Bg3 g5 14.e5 dxe5 15.Bxe5 Kf7 16.Bxf6 Kxf6 17.Ne4+ Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest2651667, playchess.com, 2015) 11...Bd7 12.Nc3 h6 13.Kd2 Re8 14.Be3 Bxe3+ 15.Kxe3 g6 16.d4 Kg7 17.h4 Rhf8 18.Ne2 Bb5 19.Nf4 Bc6 20.Nd3 Nxe4 21.fxe4 Rxe4+ 22.Kd2 Rxd4 23.Rh2 Rg4 24.Rg1 Rg3 25.b3 b5 26.a3 a5 27.Kc3 a4 28.b4 Be4 29.Re1 Bxg2 30.Re2 Bd5 31.Kd4 c6 32.Re7+ Rf7 33.Re8 Rd7 34.Rc8 Rg1 35.Kc3 Ra1 36.Nf4 Bc4 37.Nd3 Rxa3+ 38.Kb2 Ra2+ 39.Kb1 Rf7 40.Rh1 Bxd3 41.Kxa2 Bxc2 42.Re1 Bb3+ 43.Kb2 Bd5 44.Kc3 Rf3+ 45.Kd2 Rf4 46.Re7+ Kf6 47.Rf8+ Kxe7 48.Rxf4 g5 49.hxg5 hxg5 50.Rf5 g4 51.Rg5 Be6 52.Rh5 Kf6 53.Rh1 Bd5 54.Rg1 Kg5 55.Rg3 Kf4 White resigned, Wall,B - BlackMamba engine, Palm Bay, FL 2015 

9...Ne7 

10.c3 

A different approach was seen in Wall,B - Insurgent, internet, 2023: 10.Nc3 a6 11.d3 Bb4 12.0–0 Bxc3 13.bxc3 Qxc3 14.Rb1 Qxc2 15.Bb2 Rg8 16.Rfc1 Qa4 17.Rxc7 Qxa2 18.Qf3+ 18.Qxd6 Ke8 19.Qd1 Nc6 20.Qc2 Nd4 21.Rxc8+ Rxc8 22.Qxc8+ Ke7 23.Qxb7+ Kd8 24.Bxd4 Black resigned

9...Ne7 10.c3 h6 11.d4 Bb6 12.O-O Kg8 

White's pawn center looks formidable. 

Nonetheless, Black has managed to castle-by-hand and has avoided inflicting weaknesses upon himself.

13.Be3 Kh7 14.f4 Rf8 15.f5 Bd7 16.Nd2 a6 

For now, Black adopts a come-and-get-me attitude.

17.h4 Bc6 18.Rae1 Rae8 19.b3 Bb5 20.Rf3 c5

Black judges it is time to strike at the center.

Stockfish 15.1, in turn, recommends that White lock things up now with 21.d5. 

Bill declines, preferring more active play.

21.e5 dxe5 22.dxe5 Qf7 23.e6 

23...Qf6 

Bill was intending to meet 23...Qh5 with 24.f6 but that would have been preferrable for Black, rather than the text move.

24.Ne4 Qxf5 

A sad necessity, the Queen is trapped. He will get a Bishop and a Rook for the Queen, but that will not be enough.

25.Rxf5 Nxf5 26.Qf2 Nxe3 27.Qxe3 Rxe6 

28.Ng5+ 

A final insult.

28...hxg5 29.Qxe6 Black resigned

Black's Bishop pair looks scary, but not as scary as White's Queen.

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