Jerome Gambit: You Still Have to Find the Moves (Part 3)

                        

The following game is another "twin", following in the footsteps of three previous games - although, separated by a few years.

It ended abruptly, while my position was still, admittedly, worse.

Jerome Gambit.

perrypawnpusher - Seishiro_Chess

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+ Ke6 

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Qf6 

                                   

9.fxe5+ Qxe5 10.Qxe5+ Kxe5 

11.b4 Bd4 

Instead, 11...Bb6 was seen in perrypawnpusher - djdave28, Chess.com, Italian game tournament, 2014 (1-0, 22). 

12.c3 Bb6 13.d4+ Ke6 

Black can take the e-pawn (see perrypawnpusher - djdave28, Italian Game tourney, Chess.com, 2015 [1-0, 32] ) and survive, but why borrow trouble? The text preserves his advantage.

14.O-O 

A bit better was 14.Bb2. 

14...Nf6 15.Nd2 d6 16.Bb2 

Black resigned

This came as a bit of a surprise, especially since the game was still following perrypawnpusher - Altotemmi, Giuoco Piano Thematic Tournament, Chess.com, 2016 (0-1, 51).

A look at the crosstables showed that my opponent had resigned all of his games.

Jerome Gambit: You Still Have to Find the Moves (Part 2)

 

The following game is a twin of the previous on - a fraternal twin, not an identical one. Similar look, but not quite the same.

Check it out.

Seishiro_Chess - perrypawnpusher

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+ g6 

7.Qxe5 Qe7 

Whistler's defense.

8.Qxh8 

Same dangerous choice. 

8...Qxe4+ 9.Kf1 

9...Qh4 10.g3 Qh3+ 11.Ke1 

                                                       

11...Nf6 

Against wofwerner I played the weaker 11...Qg2.

Now, with the White Queen sidetracked, I could focus on the White King.

12.d3 Qg2 13.Rf1 d5 

This seems to be an exit for my opponent's Queen, but he misperceives.

14.Qd8 Qxf1+

Seeing 15.Kxg1 Bh3+ 16.K-moves Rxd8 similar to wolfwerner - perrypawnpusher, Jerome Gambit Classic #1, Chess.com, 2024   White resigned

Jerome Gambit: You Still Have to Find the Moves (Part 1)

One of the nice things about playing in a Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game is that sometimes, if things go well, you can feel like you are playing like the attackers or counter-attackers of old. 

The wild game gives you the chance. You still have to find the moves.

wolfwerner - perrypawnpusher

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+ g6 

7.Qxe5 Qe7 

Whistler's defense.

8.Qxh8 

A very dangerous capture. He should have bailed out with 8.Qf4+ Qf6 9.Qg3.

8...Qxe4+ 

9.Kf1

Not any stronger is 9.Kd1 as in Jerome, A - Whistler, G, correspondence, 1876 (0-1, 15 ) ; blackburne - perrypawnpusher, Jerome Gambit3 thematic, ChessWorld.net 2008 (0-1, 17);  F0nix - perrypawnpusher, Chess.com, 2021 (0-1, 13); and REustace - perrypawnpusher, Chess.com, 2022 (0-1, 20). 

9...Qh4 10.g3 Qh3+ 11.Ke1 

Or 11.Kg1 as in IndeedPerhapsYes - perrypawnpusher, Chess.com, 2021, continuing 11...Qe6 12.Kg2 Qe4+ 13.Kg1 Qe1+ 14.Kg2 Qxf2+ 15.Kh3 d5+ 16.g4 Qf3+ 17.Kh4 Qxg4 checkmate
. 

11...Qg2 

Thinking that I was pursuing the attack, this move throws away all of Black's advantage.

The same thematic idea could have been played after 11...Qe6+ 12.Kf1 Nf6 13.d3 -  and then 13...Qh3+ 14.Ke1 Qg2 15.Rf1, etc. 

12.Rf1 

White's escape was with 12.Qxh7+ Kf8 13.Rf1 when Black might just have to settle for 13...Qf3+ 14.Ke1 Qe4+ 15.Kf1 Qf3+, etc and a draw by repetition.

12...Nf6

Covering the pawn at h7. Things are back to how they were.

13.d3 d5 14.Bg5 

Threatening Black at f6, but it is too late.

14...Qxf1+ 

Not too hard to find, but pretty, nonetheless.

15.Kxf1 Bh3+ 16.Kg1 Rxh8 

Black is ahead a piece for a pawn. Time to wrap things up.

17.Nd2 Ng4 18.Be3 Nxe3 19.fxe3 Bxe3+ White resigned

White is down a piece, and soon it will be two.

Jerome Gambit: Success Is Not Around the Corner in A Circular Room (part 2)

 

[continued from the previous post]

perrypawnpusher - mconto

Jerome Gambit Classic #1, Chess.com, 2024

An optimist might look at White's position and muse

White has pawn majorities on each wing. In the future, I can see two passed pawns. Then if the Queens, Rooks, Bishops and one Knight each are exchanged, White will have an endgame where the enemy Knight will have to hop back and forth to stop the pawns. Sounds like a draw to me.

The funny thing is, that is what almost happened.

Almost, but not quite.

19.Bg5 Qd5 20.Qxd5+ 

It was probably better to let Black initiate the exchange, and develop a piece instead, say 20.Nd2 Qxe4 21.Nxe4.

Still, the Queens are off the board.

20...Nxd5 21.Nd2 h6 22.Bf4 Nxf4 23.Rxf4 Bd7 

So far, so good.

Black is still better, mind you, but the imaginary position (see above) is closer.

24.Re1 Rae8 25.Rfe4 Na5 26.h3 Rxe4 27.Rxe4 Re8 28. Rxe8+ Bxe8

29.Kf2 Bf7 30.b3 Nc6 31.Ke3 Bd5 32.Kf4 Kf7 

33.h4 Ne7 34.g5 

It turns out that Black does not have to exchange pawns on g5.

Stockfish 15.1 suggests, instead, 34.Nf1 Bc6 35.Ne3 g6 36.c4 Bd7 37.fxg6+ Nxg6+ 38.Kg3 Ne7 and White wouldn't be much worse than 20 moves earlier. 

34...b6 

Preparing to withdraw the Bishop in the event of c3-c4.

More direct was 34...Bc6 35.c4 Bd7 36.f6 Ng6+ 37.Kg3 hxg5 38.hxg5 gxf6 39.gxf6 Kxf6.

35.Ne4 

Too cooperative, but this endgame was a bit beyond me. After the game the computer suggested 35.Nf1 Bh1!? 36.Ne3 although 36...Nd5+ would force an exchange, 37.Nxd5 Bxd5, which would leave Black with a Bishop instead of a Knight.

35...Bxe4 36.Kxe4 h5 

37.d5 g6 38.fxg6+ Kxg6 White resigned

Black's Knight will come to f5 and then take the White h-pawn.

White's pawn majority on the Queenside is too slow to counter the advance of Black's h-pawn.

Well played,  mconto!

Jerome Gambit: Success Is Not Around the Corner in A Circular Room (part 1)

My first loss in the Jerome Gambit Classic #1 tournament at Chess.com com had a straight-forward explanation: I got out-played by my opponent.

Still, the game has its interesting moments. Take a look.

perrypawnpusher - mconto

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+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 

A standard Jerome Gambit position. Black has an extra piece, White has two extra pawns.

9...N8e7 

The Knight more frequently goes to f6.

10.O-O Rf8 11.f4 Kf7 

Stockfish 16 frowns upon this move, because it leads to an even game. 

Black is castling-by-hand, which seems fine to me.

The computer recommends, instead, 11...d5. I can understand why a human might want to safeguard his King before opening the center.

Slower were 11...Bd7 as in perrypawnpusher - louarn, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 44) and 11...Nc6 as in perrypawnpusher - taman, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 35). In each case I was able to respond with 12.f5 Ne5 13.d4, forcing play. 

12.f5 

Inaccurate was 12.d4 as in perrypawnpusher - wbrandl, blitz, FICS, 2011 (0-1, 28), since Black's King could immediately find shelter. 

12...Ne5 13.d4 N5c6 

Instead, 13...Nc4 did not lead to much in perrypawnpusher - bnxr, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1/2 - 1/2, 32).

14.Qb3+ 

Hoping to keep Black's King in the center. Probably 14.c4 or 14.Nc3 were a bit better.

14...d5 15.c3

I was getting nervous about both my d- and e-pawns.

I looked at 15.Bg5 Nxd4 16.Qd3 dxe4 17.Qxe4 and it felt like things were slipping away from me. This pessimism was unwarranted - after the game the computer assesed Black to be only 1/2 pawn better in that line.

15...Kg8 16.g4 

To bolster my f-pawn.

16...Na5 17.Qc2 dxe4 18.Qxe4 Nac6 

White has two pawns for his sacrificed piece. His pawns control territory, expecially in parts of the center, but his development is lacking.

Black is better.

[to be continued]

Jerome Gambit: The Center is Not Safe

Bill Wall demonstrates in the following game that the center of the board can be a dangerous place for the enemy King.

Wall, Bill - Basiq

internet, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

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

7.f4 Nd3+ 

I like this move. Black does not wait until a piece is taken away, he offers one to stifle White's development.

Is he successful? The Database has 36 games with this move, with White scoring 72%. Yet, Stockfish 15.1 (32 ply) sees Black as about 3 pawns better.

Jerome Gambit. QED. 

8.cxd3 

8...d6 

Black protects his Bishop. He could also have withdrawn it with 8...Bb6.

Best would have been 8...d5, shielding the Bishop, hitting White's pawn center, and opening a line for his other Bishop. The move appears in 8 games in The Database; White scores 1 - 7. 

9.b4 Nf6 

Wisely avoiding 9...Bxb4, which could be met with 10.Qf5+ Ke7 11.Qg5+ Kd7 12.Qb5+ c6 13.Qxb4. 

10.f5+ Ke5

Is Black's King safe?

No.

11.Bb2+ Bd4 12.Bxd4+ Kxd4 13.Qf3 

13...d5 

This move allows checkmate.

Black's best chance was to make a mess of things with 13...Nd5 14.exd5 Re8+ 15.Kd1 Qg5 16.Nc3 Bxf5 17.Kc2, although White would then be evaluated by the computer as 6 pawns better. 

14.Qf2+ Ke5 15.Qg3+ Kd4 16.Na3 dxe4 17.Qf2+ Ke5 18. Nc4+ Kd5 19.Qc5 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: Familiar Ground

In the following game I was helped by treading on familiar ground - as the links in the various game references show.

I also gained a few "extra" moves to improve my position, as my opponent used a few "extra" moves to place his pieces. It all added up.

perrypawnpusher - hamadkargarfard7

Jerome Classic #1, Chess.com, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Kf8 

The March 1875 issue of The Dubuque Chess Journal contained the game Jerome - Brownson, Iowa, 1875 (1/2 - 1/2, 29), in which this move first appeared.

6.Nxc6 dxc6 

Black captures with the d-pawn, to pressure the d4 square and prevent White from placing a pawn there.

7.O-O 

Instead, 7.Nc3 as in perrypawnpusher - Ykcir, blitz, FICS 2009 (1/2 - 1/2, 11) and 7.d3 as in perrypawnpusher - fortytwooz, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 29); perrypawnpusher - Jore, blitz, FICS, 2011 (0-1, 16); perrypawnpusher - Conspicuous, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 13); perrypawnpusher - Lark, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 12); and perrypawnpusher - pitrisko, blitz, FICS, 2011 (0-1, 30) were comparable alternatives.

7...Nf6 

Again, there were a number of other choices:

7...Qh4 as in perrypawnpusher - Al-der, Italian Game Classic, Chess.com, 2019 (1-0, 26); 

7...Ne7 as in perrypawnpusher - smarlny, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 25); 

7...Be6 as in perrypawnpusher - PasayDefence, Piano Piano tournament, Chess.com, 2020 (1/2 - 1/2, 57); perrypawnpusher - spince, blitz, FICS, 2013 (1-0, 29); and perrypawnpusher - CorH, blitz, FICS, 2009 (0-1, 74); 

7...Bd6 as in perrypawnpusher - Lark, blitz, FICS, 2009 (1-0, 18); 

7...h5 as in perrypawnpusher - jackedU711, Giuoco Piano Game, Chess.com, 2023 (1/2 - 1/2, 14); and 

7...Qf6 as in perrypawnpusher - DaniyarManat, Chess.com, 2021 (1-0, 19). 

8.d3 Bg4 9.Qe1 Qe7 

Instead, 9...Qe8 appeared in perrypawnpusher - MRBarupal, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 13). 

10.Kh1 Qe5 

The Queen will wander.

11.f3 Bh5 12.c3 Bd6 

Black eventually puts his Bishop on e7, so perhaps it should have gone there now. The expenditure of extra moves largely evens the game.

13.f4 Qb5 14.c4 Qb4 15.Nc3 Be7 

It took White's c-pawn two moves to get where it is now, and the f-pawn, likewise, arrived in two steps - a consequence of Black's play.

With two pawns for the sacrificed piece, but a strong broad pawn center and a safer King, White is better. 

16.a3 

It was time to get the center pawns going with 16.e5.

16...Qb6 

The Queen avoids the mischief that would have arrived after 16...Qxb2 (i.e. 17.Ra2 Qb3 18.Qa1 followed by Rb1) but at b6 it is out of action. Her Majesty would have been more helpful at d6.

17.e5 Nd7 18.f5 

The "Jerome pawns" bring serious trouble.

18...Ke8 

Hoping to step out of the line of fire, wishing to avoid something like what happens when central files open: 18...Qd4 19.f6 gxf6 20.exf6 Bxf6 21.Bh6+ Kf7 22.Ne4 Qxb2 23.Nxf6 Nxf6 24.Bg5  

19.f6 Nxf6 

Hoping to slow things by returning material.

20.exf6 gxf6 21.Rxf6 Kd7 

22.Nd5 

Cute, but so was 22.Qe6+ Kd8 23.Bg5.

22...Qc5 23.b4 Qd4 24.Qxe7+ Kc8 25.Qxc7 checkmate