Jerome Gambit: Casual and Safe, Not Enough

My opponent in the following game does not do anything traumatic to his game. Instead, he just kind of drifts into trouble.

Jerome Gambit players do not necessarily win by force, but they often can take advantage of positions that appear quiet and un-exciting on the surface. Then, force helps a lot.

perrypawnpusher - poorplayer63

Italian Game tournament, Chess.com, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qc3 

I thought that I would give this move (instead of 9.Qe3) a try.

Bill Wall is 7 - 0 with 9.Qc3; but Bill wins with a lot of interesting moves in the Jerome Gambit.

According to The Database, Littleplayerparis has scored 70% with 9.Qc3 in 121 games.

9...Nf6 10.O-O 

For historical purposes: 10.d3 c6 11.O-O Kd7 12.f4 Qb6+ 13.Kh1 Kc7 14.Qe1 Re8 15.b3 Nd5 16.Qg3 Nb4 17.Na3 Bd7 18.c3 Nxa2 19.f5 Ne5 20.d4 Qxb3 21.dxe5 dxe5 22.Rb1 Qxc3 23.Be3 a6 24.Qxg7 b5 25.Rf3 Kc8 26.Rd1 Rd8 27.Bb6 Kb7 28.Bxd8 and wins Jerome - Brownson, Iowa 1875.

10...Be6 

A casual move. Instead, after the game Stockfish 16 recommended the following, odd line, leading to what it evaluated as Black's 2 1/2 pawn advantage: 10...Nf4 11.Kh1 Rf8 12.f3 N6h5 13.d3 Ne2 14.Qe1 Nxc1 15.Qxc1 Qh4 16.Kg1 Rf7 17.Nc3 Kf8 18.Qd2 Bd7 19.a4 Kg8 20.Ne2 h6 21.Qb4 Bc6 22.a5 Nf4 23.Nxf4 Qxf4 24.Qc3 d5 25.a6 dxe4 26.fxe4.

Sometimes I have complained that Stockfish does not "understand" the Jerome Gambit, and this is a good example.

11.d4 

Equally un-dynamic. I am always debating, "f2-f4 or d2-d4?" and it is remarkable how often I choose the opposite of the computer, as is again the case here.

11...Nxe4 

I admit that I was hoping for this move, but it hardly can be considered falling into a trap. Instead, there was 11...d5, and whether White meets that with 12.e5 or 12.f3, Black would still be better.

12.Qe3 d5 13.f3 Qd7 14.fxe4 dxe4 15.Qxe4 c6 

This "safe" move later got a thumbs down from the computer, which suggestsed that the position should be reduced to one in which White simply has an edge: 15...Rf8 16.Nd2 Rxf1+ 17.Nxf1 Kf7 18.Bd2 c6 19.Qd3 Rd8 20.Be3 Kg8 21.Re1 c5 22.Bf2 cxd4 23.Qxd4 Qxd4 24.Bxd4 Bxa2 25.Bxa7 Bf7 26.g3 h6 

16.Nc3 Kd8 17.Bg5+ Kc8 18.Rae1 Re8

At this point I was pretty sure that I had something... 

19.d5 cxd5 20.Nxd5 Bf7 

21.Ne7+Nxe7 22.Rxf7 Kc7 23.Rxe7 Rxe7 24.Qxe7 Qxe7 25.Rxe7+

I can always be "tricked" out of my attack on the King by being given enough material; I routinely head for the endgame. Rightly or wrongly, I attribute this to a very early chess book of mine, Reuben Fine's Chess the Easy Way.

25...Kc6 26.Rxg7 Re8 27.Rxh7 Re1+ 28.Kf2 Rc1 

A slip in a lost position.

29.Bxc1 

Black resigned

Jerome Gambit: No Longer Missing (Again)

As long as I am presenting games that I have somehow missed posting on this blog, let me present the following affair - from the same tournament as the previous game, as it turns out.

perrypawnpusher - BunnyWarrior

Giuoco Piano Thematic tournament, Chess.com, 2016

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

7.Qd5+ 

A "nudge" to move the King to the back rank, to interfere with the development of his Rook.

7...Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Nf6 

I have reached this position in 62 games, scoring 76%. 

The computers assess this as over-performing.

10.O-O 

If Black could now castle, which seems natural at first glance (if you have not been following the game), Stockfish 15.1 would assess his position as about a Rook better. But - Black cannot castle. He has to settle for the typical Jerome Gambit advantage of a piece for two pawns.

10...Kf7 11.f4 Re8 

Does Black even need to castle, now?

This position appeared as early as Vazquez,A - Carrington,W, Mexico, 2nd match (1), 1876 (1-0, 34).

12.f5 Ne5 13.d4 Neg4 

Kick the Queen!

Stronger was to retreat the Knight to d7.

14.Qb3+ Kf8 15.h3 

Kick the Knight!

15...Nh6 

The above-mentioned Vazquez - Carrington game saw the interesting alternative 15...Rxe4, giving back a piece, i.e. 16.hxg4. Actually, Stockfish 15.1 prefers that White offer a pawn, instead, with 16.Nc3 Rxd4 17.hxg4 Rxg4 and assesses that position as minimally favoring Black.

Sometimes I do not understand computers; frequently they do not understand the Jerome Gambit. 

16.Bxh6 gxh6 17.Nd2 

My development is looking better.

17...Nxe4 18.f6 

I remember being pleased with this move. In fact, I used it in 3 subsequent games - perrypawnpusher - TobiasBrunner, Let's Play the Italian Game tournament, Chess.com, 2018 (1-0, 32); perrypawnpusher - warwar, The Italian Battleground tournament, Chess.com, 2018 (1-0, 39); and perrypawnpusher - Kugich, Piano Piano tournament, Chess.com, 2021 (1-0, 38).

But it was not my move. Bill Wall played it 6 years earlier, in Wall, B. - Vijay, V., Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 22.)

18...Nxd2 

Unsuspecting.

19.Qg3 Nxf1 

Cooperative to the end.

20.Qg7 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: Forked...

The game presented in the previous two posts, perrypawnpusher - Claire bot, Spark Chess, 2023 (1-0, 23), got me thinking and thinking...

Hadn't I overlooked a similar game?

A little research showed that the following game should have been posted on this blog over 7 years ago.

perrypawnpusher - IlToscano

Giuoco Piano Thematic tournament, Chess.com, 2016

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Qh4+ 9.g3 Nf3+ 10.Kf1 Nxh2+ 

This is another one of those complicated Jerome Gambit positions where theory and practice differ markedly.

Stockfish 15.1 (32 ply) sees Black as about a pawn better.

Yet The Datbase has 19 games with this position, with White scoring 84%. (I am 9 - 0.)

11.Kg2 Qf6 

Out of the frying pan, into the fire. 

12.Qd5+ 

This is embarassing.

What was the time control on this game? How many days per move?

Yes, indeed, I missed the pawn fork 12.e5+, winning Black's Queen.  

12...Ke7 13.Qxc5+ d6

14.Qxc7+ Bd7 15.Rxh2 Rc8 16.Qxb7 Rxc2 

White has a two pawn advantage, although he has to untangle his Queenside.

Fortunately, the position of Black's advanced Rook suggests a move for White - and, quite possibly, critically distracts Black.

17.Nc3 Nh6 

Overlooking something.

18.Nd5+ Black resigns

A fork, winning the Queen, after all.

Jerome Gambit: Moves Can Fly

In a bullet game, opening moves can fly, and opponents can "debate" where they will end up - until they get there. Then the excitment begins.

In the following 1-minute game, angelcamina winds his way to a Jerome Gambit (the game could have gone 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bx7+ Kxf7 5.Nc3 Nf6).

Once on familiar ground (see the games in the notes) he takes command, attacking both the enemy Queen and the enemy King.

angelcamina - dylanddk

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 

Petroff?

3.Nc3 

The classical variation of the Petroff?

3...Bc5 

Busch-Gass Gambit?

4.Bc4 

I'd rather not.

4...Nc6

Very well, then.

5.Bxf7+ 

How about an Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit?

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 

7...Bb4 

Black decides to save the Bishop, and initiates a plan that has a flaw in it. Remember, this is a 1-minute game and this kind of thing happens.

8.dxe5 Bxc3+ 9.bxc3 

Removing the defender of the pawn at e4.

9...Nxe4 

Overlooking something, not the first time that this has happened. The Database has 31 games with this capture, with White scoring 79%.

10.Qd5+

angelcamina is 7 - 2 - 0 from this position. 

He has also tried: 10.Qf3+ Nf6 11.exf6 gxf6 12.O-O d6 13.Qh5+ Kf8 14.Bh6+ Kg8 15.Rfe1 Bf5 16.Qxf5 Kf7 17.Qh5+ Kg8 18.Re2 Rc8 19.Qg4+ Kf7 20.Qg7 checkmate, angelcamina - puffy04, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2019. 

10...Ke7 

Black has retreated other ways:

10...Kf8 11.Qxe4 d6 (11...d5 12.exd6 Qxd6 13.O-O Bd7 14.a4 Re8 15.Qf3+ Kg8 16.Ba3 Qg6 17.Rfe1 Rxe1+ 18.Rxe1 h5 19.Qf8+ Kh7 20.Qf3 Rf8 21.Bxf8 Be6 22.Bb4 Bg4 23.Qg3 Qxc2 24.h3 White won on time, angelcamina - amda, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2020; 11...Kf7 12.Qd5+ Kf8 13.O-O Qe7 14.a4 c6 15.Qf3+ Qf7 16.Qe3 Ke7 17.Ba3+ Kd8 18.Rad1 Kc7 19.Bd6+ Kd8 20.e6 dxe6 21.Bb4+ Kc7 22.Qe5+ Kb6 23.Qa5 checkmate, angelcamina - Keithman3, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2019; and 11...Qe7 12.a4 d6 13.Ba3 Qxe5 14.Qxe5 c5 15.Qxd6+ Kg8 16.Qd5+ Kf8 17.Bxc5+ Ke8 18.O-O-O Be6 19.Qxe6 checkmate, angelcamina - Yaroslav_Syzran, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2020) 12.Ba3 Qg5 (12...Be6 13.O-O-O Bf7 14.exd6 cxd6 15.Bxd6+ Kg8 16.Rhe1 Qg5+ 17.Bf4 Qa5 18.Rd7 Qxc3 19.Rxf7 Kxf7 20.Qe6+ Kf8 21.Bd6 checkmate, angelcamina - apropes, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2019) 13.exd6 cxd6 14.Bxd6+ Kg8 15.O-O Bf5 16.Qd5+ Be6 17.Qxe6 checkmate, angelcamina - Master1615, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2019; as well as

10...Ke8 11.Qxe4 Qe7 (11...Rf8 12.O-O Qh4 13.Ba3 Rf4 14.Qe3 c6 15.Rad1 Qg4 16.Bd6 Re4 17.Qg3 Qxg3 18.hxg3 b5 19.Rd4 Rxd4 20.cxd4 Bb7 21.f4 Kf7 22.g4 Ke6 23.Kf2 a5 24.Ke3 a4 25.Ke4 g6 26.f5+ gxf5+ 27.gxf5+ Kf7 28.Ke3 Re8 29.Rh1 Ba6 30.Rxh7+ Kg8 31.Rxd7 b4 32.Ra7 Bb5 33.f6 Kh8 Black won on time, angelcamina - ottobitunbyte, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2020) 12.O-O d6 13.Ba3 Rf8 14.Rfe1 Bf5 15.Qe3 Kd7 16.exd6 Qxe3 17.Rxe3 Rae8 18.dxc7 Rxe3 19.fxe3 Rc8 20.Rd1+ Kxc7 21.Rd2 Kb8 22.Bd6+ Ka8 23.Be5 Be6 24.a3 g6 25.Bf6 Rf8 26.Rd8+ Rxd8 27.Bxd8 a6 28.Bb6 Bf5 29.c4 Bxc2 30.Kf2 Bb3 31.c5 Kb8 32.Kf3 Kc8 33.Kf4 Kd7 34.g4 Kc6 35.h4 Kb5 36.e4 Ka4 37.e5 Kxa3 38.Kg5 a5 39.Kf6 a4 40.e6 Bxe6 41.Kxe6 Kb4 42.Bd8 a3 43.Bf6 a2 Black won on time, angelcamina - outis, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2019. 

11.Qxe4 Rf8 

The text move does not save Black, but at least it temporarily saves his Queen - not like 11...d6 12.Bg5+ Kd7 13.Bxd8 Kxd8 14.exd6 Re8 15.O-O-O Rxe4 16.dxc7+ Kxc717.f3 Re2 18.Rhe1 Rxg2 19.Re7+ Kb6 20.Rd6+ Kc5 21.Rd4 Bf5 22.Re5+ Kc6 23.Rxf5 Rxh2 24.Rg4 Rh1+ 25.Kb2 Rd8 26.Rxg7 Rd7 27.Rf6+ Rd6 28.Rxd6+ Kxd6 29.Rxb7 Rh5 30.Rxa7 h6 31.Rh7 Rb5+ 32.Kc1 h5 33.c4 Ke6 34.cxb5 Kd6 35.Rxh5 Kc7 36.a4 Kb6 37.a5+ Kxa5 38.c4 Kb6 39.Rh6+ Ka5 40.b6 Ka6 41.c5 Kb7 42.Rh7+ Kb8 43.c6 Ka8 44.Rh8 checkmate, angelcamina - adriannez, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2019.

12.Bg5+ Rf6 

White now has a checkmate attack.

13.exf6+ 

Ouch.

13...Kf7 14.Qd5+ Kf8 15.fxg7+ Kxg7 16.Bxd8 Black resigned

Jerome Gambit: One Last Bot (Part 2)

 

[continued from the previous post]

perrypawnpusher - Claire bot

SparkChess, 2023

11...Qh6 

The less exact retreat 11...Qd8 was seen in Some Loser - NN, 2005 (1-0, 37); and perrypawnpusher - Chess Titans, level 5/casual game, 2019 (1-0, 42).

That earlier game appeared in the games collection Unorthodox Chess (2005), under that author's pseudonym, Some Loser. 

There are alterative 11th moves for Black:

11...Qe7 12.Qd5 checkmate, the "Buyer's Regret" variation, perrypawnpusher - intssed, blitz, FICS, 2010;

11...Qg4 in perrypawnpusher - jgknight, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 68) 

11...Nf6 12.gxh4 Black resigned, in perrypawnpusher - mikelars, blitz, FICS 2011; 

11...Ne7 in perrypawnpusher - constipatedguru, blitz, FICS, 2017 (1-0, 20); and 

11...Qf6 in Kennedy - Chess Titans, casual game, 2022 (1-0, 48) and perrypawnpusher - IlToscano, Chess.com, 2016 (1-0, 18). (Hmm, don't think I have posted that last one, yet - Rick) 

12.Rxh2 

Played too quickly and giving up the advantage.

There were two better alternatives:

Capturing two pieces quickly with 12.Qd5+ Ke7 13.Qxc5+ Kf7 14.Rxh2 ; and

Harassing the enemy King, while eventually capturing two pieces: 12.Qe5+ Kc6 13.Qd5+ Kb6 14.Qb3+ Kc6 15.Nc3 a6 16.d4 Bxd4 17.Qd5+ Kb6 18.Qxd4+ c5 19.Nd5+ Ka7 20.Qxc5+ b6 21.Qd4 Qc6 22.Rxh2. 

12...Qe6 

Removing the Queen from danger and offering an exchange, which would be beneficial for Black.

An attempt to kick-the-queen with 12...g6 fell to 13.Qe5+ Kc6 14.Rxh6 in perrypawnpusher - JTIV, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 32), but I could simply have played 13.Rxh6, as the Black g-pawn would have  been pinned. 

13.e5+ Kc6 14.Qe4+ 

14...Kb6 

A lucky break for me. Instead, blocking the check with 14...d5 or 14...Qd5 was in order.

By the way, responding to 14...d5 with the cool en passant capture 15.exd6+ would have ended the game quickly with 15...Qxe4+ 16.Kf1 Bh3+ 17.Rxh3 Qf3+ 18.Ke1 Re8 checkmate. 

Fortunately, nobody has ever called me "cool".

15.d4 Be7 

The "Jerome pawns" are ready to be disruptive, and 15...Bxd4 16. Qxd4+ c5 17.Qd3 d5 would have been the proper response.

16.d5 Qg4 17.Nc3 c5 18.d6 Bd8 

19.Nd5+ Kb5 

There is no escape: 19...Kc7 20.Nc7+ Kb6 21.Nxa8+ Ka5 22.Bd2+ Kb5 23.a4+ Ka6 24.Qc4+ b5 25.Qxb5 checkmate.

20.a4+ Ka5 21.b4+ cxb4 22.Qxb4+ Ka6 23.Qb5 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: One Last Bot (Part 1)

One more Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game against a bot, this time played online at SparkChess.com.

The line features a go-for-the-throat response by Black.

perrypawnpusher - Claire bot

Spark Chess, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Qh4+ 

Black counter-attacks.

As I mentioned in the post "Jerome Gambit Tournament: Chapter II", what we have here is

An interesting line that I refer to as "His Nib's Defense," which made its first appearance in the American Chess Magazine of June 1899 in a comical article lampooning a new pastime, chess by phone. 

9.g3 Nf3+ 

This move surprised me, especially played by a bot. There is no way that it could be in Claire bot's opening book, is there?

Stockfish 15.1 likes the Knight check, assessing that (at 31 ply) Black is almost 3 pawns better.

Practical results, however, show a different story.

There are 206 games with this position in The Database, with White scoring 57%.

For that matter, The Database has 25 of my games with this position, and I have scored 88%.

Verdict: It's complicated, and familiarity helps.

10.Kf1 

Stockfish 16, at 46 ply, prefers 10.Kd1 over 10.Kf1 by .17 of a pawn: not much. 

Consulting The Database again, there are 128 games with 10.Kd1, with White scoring 63%.

This compares with 43 games with 10.Kf1, with White scoring 71%.

So, despite the computer's assessment of winning for Black, in practical online club level play, White does well with either 10.Kd1 or 10.Kf1; a bit better with 10.Kf1.

I have played 7 games with 10.Kd1 and won them all, including 3 games with the "Buyer's Regret variation", 10...Qe7 11.Qd5# ; while playing 18 games with 10.Kf1, scoring 83%. 

Again: It's complicated, and familiarity helps.

10...Nxh2+

Another surprise.

I had expected 10...Qf6, as in perrypawnpusher - james042665, Chess.com, 2008 (0-1, 18); perrypawnpusher - HarlemKnight, 6 13 blitz, FICS, 2014 (0-1, 24); and perrypawnpusher - vasbur, Chess.com, 2018 (1-0, 34). 

I wouldn't have been totally put off to see 10...Qh6 as in perrypawnpusher - Temmo, Jerome Gambit 3 thematic tournament, ChessWorld.net, 2008 (0-1, 43). 

11.Kg2 

Despite all the attention that it has attracted, White's King is the safer one.

In the meantime, Black stands to lose his advanced Knight or his developed Bishop, and his King is sitting uneasy.  

Still, at 35 ply, Stockfish 15.1 still sees Black as about 9/10 of a pawn better.

[to be continued]

Jerome Gambit: Bots Fall Down

It has been fun playing the Jerome Gambit against various online bots, but I think I have gotten into a bad habit: hang in there, even in worse positions, until the bot makes an error, and then take (winning) advantage of that slip.

So, for the record, I am going to present 3 games, again, all wins, all bare scores.

And then I am going to take a break from bots - after the next post, that is.

perrypawnpusher - xQc bot

Chess.com, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 Qe7 9.Qe3 a6 10.d4 Nf6 11.Nc3 h6 12.O-O Rh7 13.f4 c6 14.f5 Nf8 15.e5 Nd5 16.Qf3 Nxc3 17.bxc3 Kf7 18.f6 Qe8 19.fxg7+ Kxg7 20.Qf6+ Kg8 21.Bxh6 Rxh6 22.Qxh6 Ng6 23.Rf6 Nf8 24.Qg5+ Ng6 25.Rxg6+ Kf8 26.Rf1+ Qf7 27.Rg8 checkmate

perrypawnpusher - Ludwig bot

Chess.com, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Qf6 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 d5 10.exd5 Bd7 11.O-O Ne7 12.Nc3 Bf5 13.d3 Nxd5 14.Nxd5 Qd8 15.Qf3 b5 16.Re1 c6 17.Nc3 Qh4 18.Qxc6 Rae8 19.Be3 Rxe3 20.fxe3 Rf8 21.Qxb5 a6 22.Qd5+ Kg7 23.e4 Bg4 24.Rf1 Qe7 25.Rxf8 Qxf8 26.Rf1 Qe7 27.Qd4+ Kg8 28.e5 Be6 29.Qd6 Qe8 30.d4 Bc4 31.Rf6 Qa8 32.Qe7 Qc8 33.e6 Bxe6 34.Rxe6 Qf8 35.Qxf8+ Kxf8 36.d5 Kf7 37.Ne4 a5 38.Ng5+ Kg7 39.c4 h5 40.d6 a4 41.d7 Kh6 42.h4 a3 43.d8=Q Kg7 44.Qe7+ Kg8 45.Qf7+ Kh8 46.Qh7 checkmate

perrypawnpusher - Sven bot

Chess.com iPhone, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 7.Qxe5 Nf6 8.Qxc5+ d6 9.Qe3 a6 10.d4 Kg8 11.O-O Qd7 12.f4 g6 13.e5 Nd5 14.Qd3 Qg4 15.c4 Ne7 16.Nc3 c5 17.dxc5 Bf5 18.Qxd6 Bd3 19.Qxd3 Rc8 20.b4 Qe6 21.Bb2 Nf5 22.Qd5 Qxd5 23.cxd5 Rb8 24.e6 g5 25.d6 g4 26.e7 Nxd6 27.cxd6 Kf7 28.Ne4 Rhc8 29.Rac1 Rxc1 30.Rxc1 h6 31.d7 Kxe7 32.Rc8 Kxd7 33.Rxb8 b5 34.f5 Ke7 35.f6+ Kd7 36.f7 g3 37.f8=Q gxh2+ 38.Kxh2 Ke6 39.Qf6+ Kd5 40.Rc8 Kxe4 41.Re8+ Kd3 42.Qc3 checkmate