Jerome Gambit: Silicon Miniature (Part 2)

                                                      

Here is another game example from chess program Boris-Trapsky ("see Jerome Gambit: Boris Trapsky [Parts 1 & 2]").

Again, it is a miniature. It also shows a sharp opening "book". 

Boris-Trapsky - terijane

10 0 rapid lichess.org, 2025

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Bxf7+ 

Again, the Abrahams Jerome Gambit.

3...Kxf7 4.f4 

An interesting, aggressive move, most likely in Boris-Trapsky's opening "book".

The Database has 194 games with this line. White scores 59%.

4...Nf6 

Black immediately slips, with a move that appears normal.

His best line, if complicated, starts with 4...Bxg1.

5.fxe5 Nxe4 

Again, Black has a hard time finding his way. Boris-Trapsky's programmers have done a good job preparing an opening which challenges the defender.

Probably best for Black was 5...Re8 6.d4 d5 (6...Nxe4 7.dxc5 d5 equal) 7.dxc5 Nxe4 equal.

Still, having an equal position against a computer program can be ominous. 

6.Qf3+ Kg8 7.Qxe4 d6 

With 7...d5 8.exd6 Qxd6 Black would be able to fight, albeit a pawn down.

8.Qc4+ Kf8 9.Ne2 b5 

It is worth a pawn to get the White Queen off of the deadly a2-g8 file. The gambit does not work.

10.Rf1+ Ke8 11.Qf7 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: Silicon Miniature (Part 1)

                                   

Last year we took a look at the chess program Boris-Trapsky ("see Jerome Gambit: Boris-Trapsky [Parts 1 & 2]") and I thought it was time to see what it has been up to.

Here is a miniature that shows the silicon monster closing out a game in under a dozen moves.

Boris-Trapsky - supermanslim

Casual classical game, lichess.org, 2025

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Bxf7+ 

The Abrahams Jerome Gambit., a Jerome Gambit relative.

3...Kf8 

Declining the sacrifice, perhaps out of caution, perhaps not willing to cooperate with White's line of play.

This decision moves the  position evaluation (35 ply), according to Stockfish 16.1, from about 2 1/2 pawns better for Black, to 2 pawns for White.

4.Qh5 

Interesting. I do not know how deep Boris-Trapsky's "book" is, but that may be one reason that it avoids the simple retreat, 4.Bb3. 

4...Bxf2+

Trying to "upset" the program. The position is now equal.

5.Kxf2 Qf6+ 

This allows Black to win the Bishop at f7.

Safer was 5...Nf6 6.Qh4 Kxf7. 

6.Nf3 Qxf7 7.Qxf7+ Kxf7

Things have settled down, and, in a move, White will simply be a pawn ahead.

8.Nxe5+ Ke7 9.Nc3 Nf6 10.Nf3 d6 11.d3 Black resigned

The second player sees no future for his game.

Jerome Gambit: Grave Danger

The following game brings to mind the caution about the Jerome Gambit, The first to panic loses the game, which we looked at a few weeks ago.

In the end, Black's King wanders too far from home, and into grave danger.

sinca22 - Jeff_Starkmann

5 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2022

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6 

Black decides to not go along with White's plan, capturing on e5 with the Knight.

The Database has 173 games with this position, with White scoring 60%. In support of this practical advantage, Stockfish 16.1 assesses (28 ply) White's advantage to be a little over 1 pawn.

For comparison sake, the capture 5...Nxe5 appears in The Database in 31,128 games, when White scores 57%. 

So, the text move, from a practical point of view, is only slightly worse for Black than if he had stayed with regular lines.

The psychological benefit of surprise, or of forcing White out of a main line,  is also significant.

Also, see the posts "Jerome Gambit: Over the Rainbow (Part 1)" and "Jerome Gambit: You Can Pay Me Now or Pay Me Later".

6.f4 

Instead, 6.Qg4+ is the killer move that has to be found here. 

According to The Database, only 29 games (17%) have it. A recent example is Wall, Bill - Docteur, SparkChess, 2025: 6...Kxe5 7.d4+ Bxd4 8.Bf4+ Kxe4 (8...Kf6 9.Bg5+) 9.c4 Ne5 10.Nd2+ Kd3 11.Qf5 checkmate 

6...Nxe5 

7.fxe5 

In a later game, sinca22 found out that this pawn capture is not the best move, although good moves still lead him behind, for example 7.d4 Qh4+ 8.g3 Qg4 9.Qxg4+ Nxg4 10.dxc5; or 7.Nc3 Qh4+ 8.g3 Qg4 9.fxe5 Qxd1+ 10.Kxd1 Bd4 11.Ne2 Bxe5 12.d4 Bf6 13.e5 Bd8 14.c4 d5 15.b3 Ne7 16.Rf1 Kd7

7...Kxe5 

This move helps White, and further endangers Black's King.

One way the game could have gone is 7...Qh4+ 8.g3 (8.Ke2 Qxe4+ 9.Kf1) Qxe4+ 9.Qe2 Qxh1+ 10.Qf1 Qxh2 11.d3 Qxg3+ 12.Kd1 Qg4+ 13.Qe2 Qg1+ 14.Qe1 Qg2 15.Qe2 Bf2 16.Nc3 Qg1+ 17.Kd2 Ne7 White resigned, sinca22 - zakareya-omran, lichess.org, 2022 

8.c3 

Preparing d2-d4, which was possible to play directly 8.d4+ Bxd4 9.Bf4+ Ke6 10.Qxd4 d6 11.Nc3 Kf7 12.0–0 Nf6 13.Nd5 Re8 14.Bg5

8...Nf6 

Choosing development and safety over attack. Often in the Jerome Gambit, a Queen move is the best, as here: 8...Qh4+ 9.g3 Qxe4+ 10.Qe2 Qxe2+ 11.Kxe2 Kf6

Now, White collects the enemy King.

9.d4+ Bxd4 10.cxd4+ Kxe4 11.O-O Re8 

If 11...Kd5 the King still has not escaped mate, following 12. Qb3+. 

12.Nc3 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: Jerome Pawns on the March

In the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nc6 3.Nf3 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), the defender may not know quite what to do with his extra piece, but the attacker has a very good idea what to do with his extra pawns.

As in the following game.

MikeMikeMikeHUMPDAY - miancar

3 2 blitz, lichess.org, 2025

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nc6 3.Nf3 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

7.Qd5+ Kf8 8.Qxc5+ d6 9.Qe3 Qe7 

Black is looking good. He has a piece for two pawns. However, his King is not safe.

From a practical point of view, though, the Database has 118 games with this position, with White scoring 71%. 

10.O-O Nf6 11.Nc3 Be6 

This move always seems risky, leading to a loss of time, when paired with a Knight on g6. This is another one of those times when 11...d5 was more in tune with the position. 

12.d4 

The computer likes 12.f4 Bf7 13.d4 Kg8 14.f5 Nf8 15.e5 Re8 16.e6 Nxe6 17.fxe6 Qxe6 with an even position.

12...c6 

Protection for the center. More active was 12...Re8 13.f4 Bc4 14.Re1 Ng4 15.Qg3 Qh4 16.Qxh4 Nxh4 with an equal game. 

13.h3 

Keeping an enemy Knight off of the g4 square. 

13...Kf7 14.f4 Bd7 

15.e5 Nd5 16.Nxd5 cxd5 17.f5 

The "Jerome pawns" are on the march!

17...Nf8 

It might have been time to return material with 17...Nxe5 18.dxe5 Qxe5 but White would still be better. 

18.e6+ 

Black resigned

Grandmaster Simultaneous Exhibition

 

 

Yury V. Bukayev's new success!

Chessfriend and major contributor to this blog, Yury V. Bukayev, reports that famous coach GM Sergey N. Arkhipov held a 15-board simultaneous exhibition in Moscow. 

The Grandmaster's game against Yury was a draw.

Excellent!

For more photos from the exhibition, see  https://letochess.sport.mos.ru/#gallery-25

[Addition from August 03:

Yury shares the official publication on the website of the Moscow Chess Federation:  

https://moscowchess.org/news/18635 .]

Abrahams Jerome Gambit: Quick Game

The following game is another illustration of why people play the Abrahams Jerome Gambit. Even for a bullet game, it was fast. 

dziuba - JohannesFaller

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2025

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Bxf7+ 

The Database has 145 games with this position. White scores 62%.

3...Kxf7 4.Qh5+ Kf6 

There is really only one response that preserves Black's advantage - because of his extra material - and that is 4... Kf8 

5.Qf5+ Ke7 6.Qxe5+ Kf8 7.Qxc5+ Qe7 

8.Qxc7 Nc6 

There was not a lot in the alternative, 8...Qxe4+ 9.Ne2 Qxg2 10.Qxc8+ Kf7 11.Rg1. 

9.d3 Nf6 10.Nf3 Qd8 11.Qg3 

Exchanging Queens with 11.Qxd8+ was okay, too.

11...g6 12.Bh6+ Kf7 13.Ng5+ Ke7 Black resigned

Down three pawns, with an unsafe King, Black has little to play for.

Jerome Gambit: Blitz, It Happens

Blitz chess can be exciting, even more so when you add the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), but it can also be annoying if it limits how deep the players can analyze in complicated positions. 

Jakub2201 - kareol83

5 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2025

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 

7.Qxe5 

Now: Blackburne's 7...d6 or Whistler's 7...Qe7. 

7...d6 8.Qxh8 Qh4 9.O-O Nf6 

10.Nc3 

White goes for development, perhaps after realizing that only his Queen is in play. Still, he needed to continue 10.Qd8 Bh3 11.Qxc7+ as mentioned in the previous post (See "Jerome Gambit: Surprise Ending"). 

10...Qg5 

Missing his major threat, 10...Ng4, when White can wrigle, but he cannot escape e.g. 11.h3 Bxf2+ 12.Kh1 Bf5 13.Qxa8 Qg3 14.Qg8+ Kxg8 15.exf5 Qh2 checkmate 

Blitz, it happens.

11.Qd8 

Reaching the escape square one move too late, as Black demonstrates.

11...Bh3 12.Qxc7+ 

Gotta try...

12...Nd7 

The snarky computer points out 12...Kg8 13.g3 Qh5 14.Qxb7 Qf3 15.Qxa8+ Kg7 16.Qb7+ Nd7 17.Qxd7+ Bxd7 18.g4 Bxg4 19.d3 Bh3 20.Bh6+ Kxh6 21.a3 Qg2 checkmate. 

13.g3 

Would you agree with Stockfish 16.1 that White would get sufficient compensation for his Queen after 13.Qxd7+ Bxd7 14.d4 Qe7 15.dxc5 dxc5 16.Bf4  ? 

The game remains messy - and the clock is ticking.

13...Qg4 

The computer suggests that there is now a draw after 14.Qxb7 Qf3 15.Qd5+ Ke7 16.e5 Nxe5 17.d3 Bd4 18.Bg5+ Kd7 19.Rae1 Rf8 20.Bf4 Rxf4 21.gxf4 Bxc3 22.Rxe5 Qg4+ 23.Kh1 Bxe5 24.Qb7+

If it says so... 

14.Nd5 Qf3 15.Nf4 Bxf2+ 16.Rxf2 Qd1+ White resigned