Jerome Gambit: Two Opponents

In the following game, Black faces two opponents, the Jerome Gambit and the ticking clock - definitely not a comfortable situation, given that angelcamina was playing White. 

angelcamina - Satishps

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2024

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

The Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 Bxd4 8.Qxd4 

8...Nc6 9.Qc4+ d5 10.exd5 Qe7+ 11.Be3 Ne5 12.Qb3

12...Ke8 

Black had a number of other options, including:

12...Rd8 13.O-O-O Kf8 14.Bg5 h6 15.Bh4 Ng6 16.Rhe1 Qd6 17.Bg3 Qb6 18.Qa3+ Kg8 19.Na4 Qa5 20.Qb3 Bd7 21.d6+ Kh8 22.Nc3 Qb6 23.dxc7 Rdc8 24.Qxb6 axb6 White lost on time, angelcamina - SouthAfricanShark, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2019; 

12...Rb8 13.O-O-O Rd8 14.f4 Neg4 15.Bd4 Kf8 16.Rhe1 Qf7 17.h3 Nh6 18.g4 Nfxg4 19.hxg4 Bxg4 20.Ne4 Bxd1 21.Rxd1 Qxf4+ 22.Kb1 Qxe4 23.Bc5+ Kg8 24.d6+ Nf7 25.Rf1 Qe8 26.dxc7 Rdc8 27.cxb8=Q Rxb8 28.Bd6 Rd8 29.Bb4 Kh8 30.Qxf7 Qxf7 31.Rc1 h6 32.Bc3 Qd5 33.a3 Qd1 34.Rxd1 Rd2 35.Ka2 Rxd1 36.Kb3 Rd6 37.a4 Rc6 38.Ka2 Kh7 39.Bd4 h5 40.Bxa7 g5 41.Bg1 g4 42.Bh2 Rf6 43.Bg3 Rf3 44.Bh4 Rh3 45.Bg5 Rh4 46.Bxh4 Kg6 47.Bg3 Kf5 48.Bh4 Ke4 49.Bg3 White won on time, angelcamina - Ccards, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2020; an

12...Re8 13.O-O-O Kf8 14.Na4 Neg4 15.Bc5 Nxf2 16.Bxe7+ Rxe7 17.d6 cxd6 18.Rhf1 Nxd1 19.Rxd1 d5 20.Nc5 Rb8 21.h3 b6 22.Nd3 Be6 23.Qa3 Ke8 24.Ne5 Rc8 25.Qa4+ Kf8 26.Re1 b5 27.Qh4 Bf5 28.g4 Bg6 29.Nxg6+ hxg6 30.Rxe7 Kxe7 31.g5 Rf8 32.gxf6+ Rxf6 33.Qe1+ Kf7 34.Kd2 Rf2+ 35.Qe2 Rf6 White lost on time, angelcamina - bjdefst, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2021.

Best was probably Stockfish's suggestion, 12...Neg4 13.O-O-O Nxe3 14.Rhe1 a6 15.Rxe3 Qd6.

13.O-O-O Rf8 14.f4 Neg4 15.Bd4 Qd6 16.Rhe1+ Kf7 

White's lead in development feed his attack on the enemy King.

17.Nb5 Qxf4+ 18.Kb1 Rd819.h3 Nf2 20.Rf1 a6 

21.d6+

The discovered check is tempting, but would have been more powerful after 21.Nxc7 Qxc7.

21...Kg6 

Black misses his chance to complicate things and possibly get the better of the game, with 21...Be6 22.Rxf2 Qxf2 23.Bxf2 Bxb3 24.Nxc7 Ba4 25.Nxa8 Rxa8. 

A flurry of moves now ends up with a time default.

22.Rxf2 Qxf2 23.Bxf2 axb5 24.Qd3+ Bf5 25. Qg3+ Kf7 26.Qb3+ Be6 27.Qxb5 Rxa2 28.b3 Ra6 29.Qxb7 White won on time

Jerome Gambit: Duelling Queens

With the following win, I can feel confident of moving on to the next round of play in the tournament.

perrypawnpusher - FurkanFexsv

Jerome 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+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Ne5 

It looks like Black wants to entice either d2-d4 or f2-f4.

10.d4 

Instead, 10.f4 was seen in perrypawnpusher - GabrielChime, 12 0 blitz, FICS, 2009 (1-0, 21); and also 

10.O-O Nf6 11.f4 was seen in perrypawnpusher - mikelars, 2 12 blitz, FICS, 2010, (1-0, 26) 

10...Nc4 11.Qd3 Be6 12.d5 

This is tempting, but Black's Knight can simply go back to e5.

12...Bf7 13.Qxc4 

After collecting the pesky Knight, White is better.

13...Qh4 

Both Queens are going on attack.

14.Qb5+ c6 15.Qxb7 Qxe4+ 

This looks scary for White, but I had it worked out.

16.Be3 Qxg2 17.Qxa8+ Ke7 18.Qxa7+ Kf8 19.Qb8+ Be8 20.Qxd6+ Ne7 21.Rf1 

 

21...cxd5 22.Nc3 

White can now castle out of danger.

22...Kf7 23.Bc5 Nf5 

White can now exhange Queens, with check, and put his extra material to good use.

24.Qxd5+ Kg6 

An unfortunate slip, given that FurkanFexsv is in competition for third place in the group, to be able to advance to the next round. Balancing 22 games at once, as he was doing, can lead to distractions.

25.Qxg2+ Black resigned

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.