Jerome Gambit: Destroyed (Part 2)

 

[continued from the previous post]

perrypawnpusher - TwoCatsOnTheCouch

Chess.com, 2025

The pawn center is in place. Now, some more development?

21.Na3 Bd3 

Hurrying things along.

22.e5 dxe5 23.fxe5 Rhf8 

Not quite what I had in mind when I started out. 

True, White has a protected, passed pawn, but it's not going anywhere.

24.Re3 Bf5 25.Nc4 c6 26.Nxb6 axb6 

27.c4 Be6 28.b3 Rd8 29.Bc3 

Putting the Bishop on the a1-h8 diagonal is a bit optimistic. Probably better is 19.Bb4 Rf7 20.Rd1.

29...g5 30.h3 

Opening things up on the Kingside will lead to more problems.

30...Ng7 31.g4 h5 32.Rg3 Rf4 33.Rf3 Rxf3 34.Kxf3 hxg4+ 35.hxg4 Rf8+ 

Black's extra piece continues to be worth a lot more than White's two extra pawns. This is often true in master play, but among club players, the pawns often have their say.

Not today.

36.Kg3 Rf4 37.Rd1 

Hope against hope. 

37...Bxg4 38.Rd3 Nf5+ 39.Kg2 Nh4+ 

I would not be offended if Readers had a good laugh at the predicament of my King.

40.Kg3 Be2

The final insult: White's Rook is trapped, and moving it to e3 allows the Knight fork from f5.

White resigned

Masterful play by my opponent. I congratulate him!

Jerome Gambit: Destroyed (Part 1)

When I started the following game, I was rated 500 points higher than my opponent. Clearly, it was time to give him "Jerome Gambit odds", balancing our difference in playing strength by playing a "refuted" opening.

Against expectation, however, I was destroyed - outplayed by my opponent, from beginning to end. Doing a post mortem with Stockfish 17.1, I learned that there was never a time after the 4th move that White was even equal: all moves, thereafter, one-by-one, showed Black as better.

Hats off to TwoCatsOnTheCouch!

perrypawnpusher - TwoCatsOnTheCouch

Chess.com, 2025

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 

The Database indicates that of the three main responses by Black - 6...g6, 6...Ke6 and 6...Kf8 - it is the last one that has given me the most trouble.

7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qg3 Nf6 

Or 8...Be6, as in perrypawnpusher - GuestGCSC, 5 5 blitz, FICS, 2023 (0-1, 49) 

9.d3 Be6 

Alternatives:

9...Nh5, as in perrypawnpusher - maxmi, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 42); 

9...h5, as in perrypawnpusher - ulisimbolon, Giuoco Piano Thematic Tournament, Chess.com, 2016 (0-1, 22); 

9...h6,  as in perrypawnpusher - caterwaul, blitz, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 39) 

9...Qd7, as in perrypawnpusher - aansmar, Italian Game tournament, Chess.com, 2024 (1/2 - 1/2, 22); and

9...Ng4, as in perrypawnpusher - salla, blitz, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 18) and perrypawnpusher - marianomocoroa, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 14). 

10.O-O Kg8

Or 10...Nh5, as in perrypawnpusher - Sarantes, Let's Play the Italian Game,  Chess.com 2018 (1-0, 37)

Or 10...Bg4, as in perrypawnpusher - GuestTYQD, 4 12 blitz, FICS, 2023 (1-0, 39). 

With the text move, Black gets his King off of the dangerous f-file. He hopes to castle-by-hand to h7, after a pawn move.

11.Bg5 h6 12.Bd2 Nh5 13.Qf3 Qh4 

Black's pieces are far more dangerous than White's.

14.g3 Qh3 15.c3 

Preparing d3-d4, but it was probably better to put either a Bishop or a Knight on this square.

15...Rf8 16.Qg2 Qxg2+ 17.Kxg2 Kh7 

Black has his usual piece for two pawns, and a lead in development. The exchange of Queens has helped him, defensively.

White will expand with his "Jerome pawns", but that, alone, will not be enough.

18.d4 Bb6 19.f4 

It was apparent to the computer, after the game, but not to me, during the game, that the pawn was better placed at f3.

19...Bc4 20.Re1 Re8 

Black's pieces (except for the Rook on h8) are working; half of White's pieces are still at home.

White needs to continue to build his position, and be open for tactical opportunities as they arise.

[to be continued]

Jerome Gambit: Crossroads (Part 2)

 

In the previous post, we looked at the Jerome Gambit game angelcamina - omer08can, 1 0 bullet, 2024, which ended like this 

In looking in The Database for games with this position, I discovered that it had not only been reached via the Jerome Gambit, but also via the Ruy Lopez, Nürnberg Variation!

(It should be noted that in the following games, the clock appears to have played a part.)

Examples: 

OuroPreto - Amifou

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2019

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 f6 

First seen in Tarrasch,S - Steinitz,W, Nuremberg, 1896 (1-0, 52)

4.O-O 

Or 4.Bxc6 bxc6 5.Nxe5 fxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5+ Qe7 8.Qxh8 Qxe4+ 9.Kd1 Ba6 10.Re1 Qe2+ 11.Rxe2+ Black resigned, fobbyfischer - NN, Chess.com, 2025. 

4...Bc5 5.Bxc6 bxc6 6.Nxe5 fxe5 7.Qh5+ Kf8 8.Qxe5 Qf6 9.Qxc5+ d6 10.Qe3

10...Ne7 11.d4 

Or 11.f4 Kf7 12.d4 Rf8 13.e5 dxe5 14.dxe5 Qg6 15.Nc3 Kg8 16.Ne4 Bf5 17.Nf2 Rad8 18.h3 Bxc2 19.b3 Nd5 20.Qf3 Bf5 21.g4 Bc8 22.Bb2 Nxf4 23.Qg3 Ne2+ 24.Kg2 Nxg3 25.Kxg3 Rd3+ 26.Nxd3 Qxd3+ 27.Rf3 Qxf3+ 28.Kh4 h6 29.Rg1 g5+ 30.Kh5 Qxh3+ 31.Kg6 Bxg4 32.e6 Bf5 checkmate, DaWhiteDeath - wrappedupinclouds, lichess.org, 2023;

Or 11.c3 a5 12.d4 Ba6 13.Re1 Qg6 14.Qf4+ Ke8 15.e5 Rf8 16.Qg5 dxe5 17.Rxe5 Kd7 18.Qxe7+ Kc8 19.Qe6+ Kb7 20.Qxg6 hxg6 21.Re6 Rae8 22.Rxe8 Rxe8 23.Be3 Bd3 24.Nd2 g5 25.Nf3 g4 26.Ne5 g3 27.Nxd3 gxf2+ 28.Kxf2 Rf8+ 29.Nf4 Kb6 30.Kg3 g5 31.Ne6 Re8 32.Nxg5 Rxe3+ 33.Kf4 Re2 34.h4 Rxg2 35.Kf3 Rh2 36.Kg3 Rxb2 37.h5 Kb5 38.h6 Kc4 Black won on time nodari53 - Palindromuz, lichess.org, 2023. 

11...Kf7 12.e5 dxe5 13.dxe5 Qe6 14.Qf4+ Qf5 15.Qc4+ Be6 16.Qa6 Rhb8 17.Nc3 Rb6 18.Qe2 Rb4 19.Be3 Rg4 20.h3 Rxg2+ 21.Kxg2 Qxh3+ 22.Kg1 Bg4 23.Qd3 Bf3 24.Qe4 Qg2 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: Crossroads (Part 1)

The following miniature Jerome Gambit game ends quickly - not just because it is played at bullet speed - when Black evaluates the position, and sees that he is two pawns behind, with an unsafe King, and no compensation.

angelcamina - omer08can

1 0 bullet, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8 

The earliest examples of the text move in The Database are the twin games Hultgren, R - Harrow, SVE cup Campbell, CA, 1960 (1-0, 13) and Blackstone, John - Dommeyer, Carl, skittles game, Campbell, CA, 1960 (1-0, 13) 

However, from "A Second Chance to Decline" 

While declining the second piece [with 5...Kf8] is as old as Jerome - Brownson, Iowa, 1875 (1/2-1/2, 29), the safest place for Black's King to retreat to is f8, not e8.

I remembered this in my recent game, see "Jerome Gambit: Giddyap! (Part 1)"

6.Nxc6 bxc6 

The alternative, 6...dxc6, is about the same strength. The strongest response, however is 6...Qh4, 

7.Qh5+ Kf8 

Also: 7...g6 8.Qxc5 Qe7 9.Qxe7+ Kxe7 10.O-O Bb7 11.d3 Nf6 12.f4 Nh5 13.Nc3 Raf8 14.Be3 a6 15.g4 Nf6 16.Bd4 Rhg8 17.h3 Ne8 18.Bc5+ d6 19.Ba3 c5 20.e5 Ng7 21.Rae1 Kd7 22.exd6 cxd6 23.Ne4 h5 24.Kg2 hxg4 25.hxg4 Ne6 26.Kg3 Nd4 27.Rf2 Ne6 28.Ng5 Nd4 29.c3 Nc6 30.b3 Rf6 31.Bb2 Rgf8 32.d4 Ne7 33.dxc5 dxc5 34.c4 Nc6 35.Bxf6 Rxf6 36.Rd2+ Nd4 37.Nf3 Kc6 38.Nxd4+ cxd4 39.Rxd4 Kb6 40.Re5 Black resigned, angelcamina - Afroto, lichess.org, 2023. 

8.Qxc5+ d6 9.Qe3 Qf6 10.O-O Black resigned

[It turns out that there is more to the story]

Jerome Gambit: A Win Is A Win

 

Checking out "Chess Game Analysis: Hosi Mageba Mavambe - Moh777, 1-0 (By ChessFriends.com)" with a fun Jerome Gambit. More of  his videos can 

be found here

Hosi Mageba Mavambe - Moh777

8 0 blitz, Chessfriends.com, 2025

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke7 6.d4 Bb6 7.c3 d6 8.Nf3 Re8 

9.O-O Kf8 10.Ng5 Kg8 11.Qb3+ Kh8 12.Nf7+ Kg8 

In this position, Hosi Mageba Mavambe captured the enemy Queen with 13.Nxd8, and Black resigned.

In an earlier game, superspeed - Domenix, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2021, play continued, instead, 13.Nh6+ Kf8 14.Qf7+.

Sharp Readers may also have found 13.Nh6+ Kh8 14.Qg8+! Rxg8 15.Nf7 a smothered checkmate.

Jerome Gambit: Both Opponents, Be Careful

Visiting the website dcinside/Chess Gallery, I read

I saw a gambit that looked fun in shorts, so I tried it ... (Jerome Gambit)

The game on that web page -  

himchan2da - PHUCSANS

10 0 Chess.com, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

7.Qxc5 Qe7 8.Qc4+ Ke8 9.OO Nf6 

10.Re1 d5 11.Qa4+ c6 12.Nc3 b5 13.Qd4 Bf5 14.d3 

14...dxe4 15.dxe4 Rd8 16.Qe3 Nxe4 17.Nxe4 Qxe4 18.Qxe4+ Bxe4 19.Rxe4+ 

19...Ne7 20.Bg5 Rd7 21.Rae1 h6 22.Rxe7+ Rxe7 23.Rxe7+ Kf8 24.Rxa7 hxg5 25.Ra8+ Kf7 26.Rxh8 Kg6 

27.f3 Kf7 28.g4 g6 29.Kf2 Kg7 30.Rc8 b4 31.Rxc6 Kf7 32.c3 bxc3 33.bxc3 Ke7 34.Rxg6 Kf7 35.Ra6 Black resigned

Jerome Gambit: Chessflare

At the Chessflare online site, "The best chess openings ?", you can find the following accurate assessment of the subject of this blog

The Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5) is an unsound gambit where White sacrifices two pieces for an initiative. Though it is fun to play in blitz or bullet games, it has been refuted in classical time controls.