Jerome Gambit: Attack? Counter-Attack?

Here is another game from the Jerome Gambit Classic #1 tournament at Chess.com.

perrypawnpusher - eliadr

Jerome Gambit Classic #1 Chess.com, 2024

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

4...Kf8 

According to The Database, in the 846 games where Black did not take the Bishop, he scored 37%. Stockfish 16 assesses White as about 2 pawns better.

Black has another way to decline, as I have seen: 4...Ke7 5.Bb3 (or 5.Bc4 perrypawnpusher - walkinthespirit, 12 0 blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 34) 5...Nf6 6.Nc3 d6 (6...Na5 perrypawnpusher - walkinthespirit, 12 0 blitz, FICS, 2009 (1-0, 24) 7.h3 Re8 8.d3 Kf8 9.O-O Be6 10.Bg5 White won on time, perrypawnpusher - PrestonRFD, Italian Game Classic, Chess.com, 2019 (1-0, 10). 

5.Bb3 Nf6 

Or 5...h6 as in perrypawnpusher - ibeje, blitz, FICS, 2010 (0-1, 46)

6.Nc3 

Or 6.d3 White won on time, perrypawnpusher - LithuaniaS, Jerome Gambit Classic #1, Chess.com 2024/ 

6... d6 7.d3 Bg4 

Not quite as strong is 7...Nd4 as in perrypawnpusher - grammers123, Giuoco Piano Game, Chess.com, 2022 (1-0, 51).

8.h3 Bxf3 9.Qxf3 a6 10.Bg5 

Putting pressure on the familiar target, the Knight at f6.

After the game, the computer had a preference for 10.Be3 or 10.Ne2.

10...Nd4 11.Qd1 h6 12.Bxf6 Qxf6 13.Nd5 Qh4 

Black has attacking intentions, himself.

14.O-O Nxb3 15.axb3 g5 

This is over-playing his hand, however. White, too, can attack. (Counter-attack?)

16.Qf3+ Ke8 

You know things are bad when, after the game, the best that Stockfish could come up with was 16...Qf4, offering the Queen.

17.Qf6 Kd7 

Black has no interest in seeing the enemy Queen out-duel his two Rooks: 17...Rh7 18.Qg6+ Rf7 19.Qg8+ Rf8 20.Qe6+ Kd8 21.Qe7+ Kc8 22.Qxf8+ Kd7 23.Qxa8. 

However, now checkmate follows.

18.Qe7+ Kc6 19.Qxc7+ Kb5 20.c4 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: Tactical Trouble

The Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) opening is known for its tactical nature. It inspires exciting play.

However, not every plan works out.

Here is another of my games from the "Jerome Gambit Classic #1" tournament at chess.com.

FurkanFexsv - perrypawnpusher

Jerome Gambit Classic #1, Chess.com, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.d4 

Opening other lines of attack, at the cost of a pawn.

4...Bxd4 

A bit stronger than 5...exd4 as seen in brain50 - perrypawnpusher, Jerome Gambit 3 thematic tournament, ChessWorld.net 2008 (0-1, 25) and Temmo - perrypawnpusher, Jerome Gambit 3 thematic tournament, ChessWorld.net, 2008 (0-1, 32). 

5...Nxd4 6.Nxe5+ Kf8 7. Nc3 d6 is good for Black, as well, as in brain50 - Kevin the fruitbat, "Jerome Gambit3 thematic tournament, ChessWorld.net  (0-1, 16).

6.Bg5 Nf6 

Black has an extra piece and is better.

White now has some tactical ideas that don't quite work.

7.Nxe5+ 

Stockfish 16 (32 ply) prefers 7.Nxd4.

Also 7.O-O  Bxb2 8.Bxf6 Qxf6 9.Qd5+ Ke7 10.Qc5+ d6 11.Qd5 Bxa1 12.c3 Bg4 13.h3 Bxf3 14.gxf3 Qxf3 15.Nd2 Qxh3 16.Rxa1 Rhf8 17.Rf1 Rf6 18.f3 Qg3+ White resigned, eliadr - perrypawnpusher, "Jerome Gambit Classic #1", Chess.com, 2024. 

7... Bxe5 8.f4 Bxb2 9.Qh5+ 

Depending upon a pin that is not an effective pin.

9...Nxh5 White resigns

White can capture Black's Queen, but it will cost him his Bishop, and his Rook is still en prise.

Jerome Gambit: Time's Up

 

Since the previous post (see "A Whole Lotta Jeromes Going On") on the "Jerome Gambit Classic #1" tournament at Chess.com, I have won an additional 18 games - 15 of them by time forfeits.

I am not sure what went wrong for my opponents.

The current time control of one day per move seems a bit "fast" to me these days, but that is only because recently I have been playing at the leisurely rate of two or three days per move in other tournaments.

In any event, the 12-person group seems to have largely devolved to a 4-player race. The top 3 will advance to the next round.

Stay tuned.

A Whole Lotta Jeromes Going On

With the advent of the "Jerome Gambit Classic #1" tournament at Chess.com I found myself playing 11 Jeromes and defending against 11 Jeromes.

That's a whole lotta Jeromes!

Of course, all of my opponents found themselves in the same situation, which might explain the following short encounter.

Too many games to keep track of?

I do sympathize.

perrypawnpusher - Hyakkimaruru

Jerome Gambit Classic #1, Chess.com, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

7.Qd5+ 

This "nudge" is designed to move the enemy King to the back rank, with the chance that it will interfere with the development of the Rook on h8.

7...Kf6 

This is walking into danger. Retreating to the 8th rank was preferrable.

8.d4 

I knew when I played this move that the computer preferred 8.f4.

It turns out that according to The Database, in 24 games with 8.f4, White scores 69%. Pretty good.

However, in 13 games with 8.d4, White scores 92%.

I was 4 - 0 with 8.d4, before this game; hence my choice.

8...d6 

I have also seen 

8... Bb4+ in perrypawnpusher - whitepandora, 3 10 blitz, FICS, 2008 (1-0, 41);

8... h6 in perrypawnpusher - tjaksi, blitz, FICS, 2013 (1 - 0,16); and

8...Bxd4 in perrypawnpusher - alvarzr, 2 12 blitz, FICS, 2014 (1-0, 21). 

 9.Bg5 checkmate

 This mate was anticipated in mrjoker - Taj, Internet Chess Club, 2009.

Jerome Gambit Classic #1 Begins

The "Jerome Gambit Classic #1" at Chess.com has started - with 228 players!

My group has a dozen brave chessers willing to play - and face - 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+.

The roll call: Toilaai20000, Vsyal, Hyakkimaruru, eliadr, FurkanFexsy, Erickvis93, mazakoten, LithuaniaS, slalalal789, domspog and chess01_2.

Three from each group will advance to the next round.

The time control is 1 move in 24 hours.

I wish good chess to all of my opponents.

Jerome Gambit: Further Discussion

In the email where Yury V. Bukayev pointed me this material by the St. Louis Chess Club, he reminds my post of December 12, 2023, which adds to the line of play by Grandmaster Elshan Moradiabadi.

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

5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Nc6 

Black's last move was Grandmaster Moradiabadi's considered response.

It was also seen in "Jerome Gambit: Deadlost" where I noted

Stronger was 8...Qf6, or 8...Qh4+ or 8...Kc6, the sillycon defense, with the King moving, instead of the Knight, as I faced in perrypawnpusher - jonmather, Giuoco Piano tournament, Chess.com, 2021 (1-0, 33) and perrypawnpusher - alfil_7, Piano Piano, Chess.com, 2021 (0-1, 13).

9.Qd5+

This is GM Moradiabadi's only idea and my move against the chess program Deadlost.

From that post of December, 12, 2023

Yury V. Bukayev has invented the following and comments: "More interesting is my 9.Nc3!? N because it is a trap. For example, after the 'natural' 9...Bb6? White gets the advantage by 10.Qf7!!"

Jerome Gambit: Beat Offbeat Chess Lines!

 

Yury V. Bukayev pointed me to a very interesting and enjoyable online video, "BEAT OFFBEAT CHESS LINES! | PREPARE LIKE A PRO - GM ELSHAN MORADIABADI" by the St. Louis Chess Club, earlier this year.

The description:

Grandmaster Elshan Moradiabadi demonstrates how to stymie wacky openings like the Stafford and Elephant gambits.

There is a short section in the video on the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+).

Here are a few excerpts from the grandmaster's comments

Someone wants Jerome Gambit. I don't which one is that Jerome Gambit... 

Okay so you want me to refute this opening...

[Grandmaster Moradiabadi consults a chess program on his phone] Gives minus five...

So I was wondering if it is possible enough, plausible enough, for me to imagine that, for example, Alpha Zero or Stockfish can beat me in this point but I think minus five means that they cannot...

The opening does not really impress the grandmaster.

You just have to make a couple of moves and you are up a piece.

But he assesses that the Jerome is not something that falls on its own.

Okay, but it's not easy, actually, how do you win this. People have to know this, people can get a bit cocky here...

The amiable grandmaster's advice? He looks at the line 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 and comments

The best to do is just give it [the piece] away [8...Kc6], give one piece away, it doesn't matter, and get the king to safety.

So, at first glance, Grandmaster Moradiabadi recommends the "Sillycon Defense" to the Jerome Gambit!

For a couple of recent games with that line, see the posts "To Counter Jerome Gambit" and "Jerome Gambit: Cat-Astrophe". There is also analysis in the post "Jerome Gambit: "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short" (Part 1)"

I recommend Readers watch the entire video. It is less than an hour in length, and is entertaining and educational.