Jerome Gambit: "Jerome Pawns" Doing Work

 

Following the previous two blog posts, I would like to again mention a TikTok video "Jerome gambit against li" by  uisloth, where another Jerome Gambit game can be found.

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

7.f4 Qf6 8. Rf1 g6 9. Qh3+ Ng4 10. Qxg4+ Kf7

 11.f5 d6 12.Nc3 gxf5 13.exf5 Nh6 

Hitting the White f-pawn for a third time, while it is only defended twice. Overlooking something, though.

14.Qh5+ Kg7 15.Ne4 Qe5 

Now the "Jerome pawns" begin to have their way.

16.f6+ Kg8 17.f7+ Kg7 18.Qxh6+ 

Nice

18...Kxh6 19.d4+ Kg7 20.dxe5 Rf8 21.Rf6 Rxf7 22.Bh6+ Kg8 

23.e6 

Here comes another one.

23...Bxe6 24.Rxe6 Bg1 

The action has slowed. White is up a piece.

25.O-O-O Bxh2 26.g3 

Keeping the enemy Bishop contained.

26...d5 27.Rxd5 Rf1+ 28.Kd2 Rf7 29.Rde5 Rf1 

White now has a checkmate in no more than 10 moves. Black does not last that long.

30.Re7 Rd8+ 31.Ke2 Rdf8 32.Rg5+ Kh8 33.Bg7+ Kg8 34.Be5 checkmate

I did not have this game in The Database, but I do, now.

Bad Jerome Gambit

I mentioned in the previous post that in visitng the online video site TikTok, I discovered some videos by uisloth featuring the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+).

Here is the game from  "Bad jerome gambit".

Bad for who? is the question.

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

7.Qd5+ Kf8 8.Qxc5+ d6 9.Qe3 Nf6 

10.f4 Ng4 11.Qg3 Qe7 12.Nc3 Ke8 13.d4 Rf8 

Here we have the "Jerome pawns" vs Black's extra piece on g4. White needs to get his King to safety before proceeding.

14.f5 Bxf5 15.0–0 

Better late than never.

15...Bxe4 

Hanging the Knight.

16.Rxf8+ Kxf8 17.Qxg4 Bxc2 

White probably has enough activity to compensate for his lost pawn.

18.Bg5 Qe8 19.Rf1+ Kg8 20.Nd5 Qc6 

Missing 21.Ne7+ Nxe7 22.Bh6! Nf5 (22...g6 23.Qe6+ Kh8 24.Qf6+ Kg8 25.Qg7#) 23.Rxf5 Qd7 24.Rf8+ Rxf8 25.Qxd7 when White would win Black's Queen.

21.Qe6+ 

Missing 21.Ne7+, too.

21...Kh8 22.Rf6 Re8 

Of course, the Rook can not be taken.

23.Qf7 Bd3 

Hmmm... I thought 22.Rf6 might have been a mouse slip for the stronger 22.Rf7, and here, likewise, 23...Bd3 does not make as much sense as 23...Be4. If this is a real game, the clock may be the villain.

24.Nb4 

Yikes! Going for the fork of Rook and Queen, of course, but he needed to advance his h-pawn a step or two.

24...Qe4 

Missing 24...Re1+, when 25.Kf2 would lead to mate (25...Re2+ 26.Kg1 Qxg2#) while the stronger 24.Rf1 would still lead to 24...Bxf1 25.Nxc6 Bc4+ 26.Kf2 Rf1+ 27.Kg3 Rxf7 28.Nxa7 Bxa2 and Black would have an extra Rook.

Now White finishes up.

25.Nxd3 Qxd3 26.Qxe8+ Nf8 27.Rxf8 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: One of A Million Traps

Wandering around the online video site TikTok, I discovered some videos by uisloth, including a few featuring the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+)

The shortest line given in a video - "One of a million traps in the jerome gambit" - was 

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Qh5+ Ng6 

6.Qd5+ Kf6 7.d4 Bb6 8.Bg5 checkmate.

Well, well, well...

I was quite surprised to find only one game example in The Database.

Jerome Gambit: Not A Bad Move, But

In the following Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game the defender's move choices - not "bad" by themselves - add up to a quickly losing position and checkmate. 

angel_camina - Dino777mmm

1 1 bullet, Chess.com, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 

Presented in the July 1874 Dubuque Chess Journal as "Jerome's Double Opening", likely referring to White's two piece sacrifices. 

7.Qxe5 Bd6 

Attacking White's Queen, which has to move again. It is not a bad move, but it does block the development of his other bishop. He would have done better moving his d-pawn one or two squares forward.

8.Qd4 Ne7 

Willy Hendriks wrote Move First, Think Later (2012), but I don't think this is what he had in mind.

Alas, in bullet chess it can sometimes look like move fast, think later.

9.e5 Nc6 10.Qf4+ Kg8 11.exd6 cxd6 12.O-O 

White has recovered his sacrificed material, with interest, and has the safer King. Black's d-pawns clog up his development.

12...h6 13.Nc3 Ne5 

Blocking the Queen's attack on the forward d-pawn, but this is easily dealt with.

14.d4 Ng6 15.Qxd6 Kh7 

Black has castled-by-hand.

16.f4 b6 17.f5 Ne7 18.f6

To open lines around the enemy King.

18...gxf6 

Better was 18...Ng6, but it would not save the game.

19.Rxf6 Rg8 20.Rxh6+ Kg7 21.Qf6 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: Like Sand Through An Hourglass

I suspect that many Jerome Gambit players dream of powerful attacks leading to checkmate. 

I am not quite sure how they feel about a draw. Is it an escape from a wild and reckless "refuted" sacrifical opening, or is it a lowly half-point-instead-of-a-win?

In the following game, the fortunes of war first favor White, who reaches a much better position - only to feel it slip through his fingers, like sand through an hourglass...

msc87 - kylethepug

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Bxf7+ 

I have called this the Abrahams Jerome Gambit, as in his books The Chess Mind (1951) and The Pan Book of Chess (1965), Gerald Abrahams referred to it as the Jerome Gambit.

 However, I have not been able to find any analysis or games of this variation actually played by Alonzo Wheeler Jerome.

3...Kxf7 4.Qh5+ g6 

A natural reflex in a bullet game. It can't be a bad move, as it results in an even game, but 4...Kf8 would please the computer more. 

5.Qxe5 d6 

If Black has faced the Jerome Gambit proper, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+, this move might seem a proper part of defense, here.

However, msc87 has experience with a line that leads - or should lead - to an even game: 5...Bxf2+!? 6.Kxf2 Nf6 7.Qf4 (7.Nf3? Nc6? [7... Re8? 8.Ng5+?! {8.Qf4} 8...Kg7 9.Qd4 Nc6 10.Qc3 d5 11.Re1 d4 12.Qc4 Ng4+ 13.Kg1 Qxg5 14.d3 Qh4 15.h3 Qxe1 checkmate, msc87 - namhor, lichess.org, 2022] [7...Ng4+ 8.Ng5+? {8.Qf4} 8...Kg7 9.Qf4? Rf8 10.Qh4 Nxe4+ 11.Ke1 Nxg5 12.d3 Ne5 13.Bxg5 Nf3+ 14.gxf3 Qe8+ 15.Kd2 Rxf3 16.Bh6+ Kh8 17.Qd4+ Kg8 18.Qd5+ Kh8 19.Qxf3 d5 20.Qf6+ Kg8 21.Qg7 checkmate, msc87 -mstrozzi, lichess.org, 2022]) 

I admit my evaluation of a number of the moves in the above note is kind of harsh; after all, this was a 1-minute game.

6.Qxh8 

White is now comfortably ahead in material, with a safer King.

6...Qf6 7.Qxh7+ 

Exchanging Queens would have been fine, too, but White wants more.

7...Kf8 8.Nf3 Nc6 9.Nc3 Bg4 

10.Nd5 Qe5 

The rapidly ticking clock takes its toll.

11.Nxc7 

Or does it?

Black's Queen was there for the taking, but White had his eye on the enemy c-pawn.

11...Qxe4+ 

Too many (for White) Jerome Gambit games have turned out poorly after a ...Qxe4+. This one is no exception.

12.Kd1 Bxf3+ 13.gxf3 Qxf3+ 14.Ke1 Qxh1+ 15.Ke2 

15...Qg2 

Giving White one more chance.

Instead, there were pretty checkmates to be found: 15...Re8+ 16.Nxe8 (16.Qe7+ Rxe7+ 17.Ne6+ Rxe6+ 18.Kd3 Qd5+ 19.Kc3 Bb4#;  or 16.Ne6+ Rxe6+ 17.Kd3 Qd5+ 18.Kc3 Bb4#) 16...Nd4+ 17.Kd3 Qf3+ 18.Kc4 b5 checkmate. 

16.Nxa8 

Missed it. 

(I am completely intimidated by bullet chess. If I gave it a try, I think I would be flagged before my 10th move.)

Anyhow, 16.Ne6+ Ke8 17.Nc7+ Kd8 18.Ne6+ Ke8 etc. would claim the draw.

16...Qxf2+ 17.Kd3 Qd4+ 18.Ke2 Qf2+ 19.Kd3 Ne5+ 20.Ke4 Qd4 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: Wile E Coyote vs Roadrunner

The following Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game reminds me of Wile E Coyote chasing the roadrunner so furiously that he overlooks the fact that he has just run off a cliff...

TePart0 - Metrogates

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6

 7.Qxe5 d6 

The sound Blackburne's defense, trading a Rook for an attack on either the enemy King or the enemy Queen.

8.Qxh8 Qh4 9.O-O 

It is a natural reflex to protect the King when an attack is looming. Still, the correct move - to obtain an advantage - is 9.d4.

As I mentioned in "*Traps and Zaps*" 15 1/2 years ago, 9.d4 is

An improvement suggested by Munoz and Munoz in the August 1885 Brooklyn Chess Chronicle, repeated by Fletcher in Gambits Accepted (1954) and Druke in the November 1987 Gambit Revue, to give some early citations. (Actually, the move is rarely mentioned, but see "A Closer Look (Part V)".)

9...Nf6 

Slam! 

The White Queen must do something about the upcoming move of Black's light square Bishop, uncovering an attack, e.g. 10.d3 (protecting the e-pawn) Bh3 and Black is winning.

10.Qd8 

The Queen finds the escape hatch.

Now White can draw after 10...Bh3 11.Qxc7+ Kf8 12.Qxb7 Qg4 (12...Bxg2 13.Qxa8+ Ne8 14.d4 Qg4 15.Bh6+ Ke7 16.Qb7+ Kd8 17.Qb8+ Ke7 18.Qb7+ Kd8 19.Qb8+ etc.) 13.Qxa8+ Kf7 14.Qb7+ Kf8 15.Qa8+ Kf7 16.Qb7+ etc. 

10...Ng4 

Whoa! Black is so excited about his overwhelming attack that he overlooks something crucial.

11.Qxh4

Ouch.

Black resigned

Jerome Gambit: Black Tries

Being surprised by the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) can lead the defender to create a defense that may - or may not - hold off the attack.

In the following game, Black tries, but it is not enough.

Matthew_Slater - lorenz_ricc

3 0 blitz, 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 8.Qxh8 Qh4 

Black has aggressive plans, but he is apparently not familiar with the Jerome Gambit. His 7...Qe7, Whistler's defense, is based upon the idea of 8...Qxe4+, if White grabs the Rook. The checkmate threat at f2, instead, is easily dealt with, and as the game goes, Black is a move down compared to more mainline Jerome Gambit variations, and White is better.

Somewhat surprisingly, The Database has 6 games with this position, where White scored 3- 3. 

9.0–0 

Following up on the previous note, it can be pointed out that after 9.d4 Qxe4+ the game would transpose to Whistler's defense, a move down, when 10.Be3 Qxg2 11.Qxh7+ Ke6 12.Qxg8+ Kd6 13.Bf4+ Kc6 14.Rf1 Qe4+ 15.Be3 Bxd4 16.Qc4+ Kd6 17.Nc3 Bxc3+ 18.Qxc3 b6 19.0–0–0+ Ke6 20.Rfe1 Black resigned, PedrosF1 – samgib996, lichess.org, 2021. That extra move changes the evaluation of the position from "good for Black" to "good for White".

9...d6 

More direct was 9...Nf6, closing in the enemy Queen, forcing White to take moves to extract her; but 10.Qd8 would be good enough of a response, and 10.d4 would keep White's advantage.

10.Nc3 

Better 10.d4. 

10...Qg5 

Careless.

The players could split the point after 10...Nf6 11.Qd8 Bd7 12.Qxc7 Rc8 13.Qxb7 Rb8 14.Qc7 Rc8 15.Qb7 Rb8 16.Qc7, etc.

11.d4

White's move attacks both Queen and Bishop, while maintaining pressure on the King.

Black resigned