An International Master Refutes the Jerome Gambit

International Master Gary Lane's latest book, The Greatest Ever Chess Tricks and Traps (Everyman Chess, 2008) is a very entertaining and educational collection addressing the notion that "There is no easier way to win a game of chess than by luring your opponent into a devious trap."

Lane covers the Jerome Gambit of course, and annotates the game Banks - Karmark, internet, 2007, (although he mistakenly labels it a blitz game).

His main analysis of the Jerome:

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 d6!

I think this is the best way to defend: allowing one of the extra pieces to be taken, and in return obtaining a solid position with extra material.

8.fxe5 dxe5 9.Nc3
This is the right time for White to offer a draw, but if the offer is declined you should remember that it is frowned upon to cry at the board.

9...Nf6 10.Qh4 Rf8 11.d3 Kf7 12.Bg5 Kg8
Black has artificially castled and now has a big advantage, thanks to his extra piece for just one pawn.

I was pleased to see that 9.Nc3 was not in my Jerome Gambit database – but if that is the move IM Lane sees as best for White, I will add it to my repertoire!

graphic by Jeff Bucchino, the Wizard of Draws

Whistling by the graveyard...

The following Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game against tmarkst brought to mind the lament expressed earlier in "Jerome Gambit for Dummies (3)". Against such refutations as Whistler's Defense, What's a Jerome Gambit Gemeinde to do??

perrypawnpusher - tmarkst
blitz , FICS, 2009

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

This was my 70th Jerome or Jerome-ized game. That I've scored 88% with the lines is a tribute to the general level of chaos in the chess world. Or sheer luck.

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

Now: Blackburne or Whistler?

7.Qxe5 Qe7
Whistler, it is – my favorite anti-Jerome Gambit. I once used it myself to win a nice game against one of the top players in the Jerome Gambit Gemeinde (see "Jerome Gambit Tournament: Chapter VIII").

Well, there was not much to do here but to take some inspiration from my buddy abhailey, who faced down the Whistler and wondered what all the fuss was about (see "Beware: Mad Dog!")...

8.Qf4+

This move looks like it took my opponent by surprise. C'mon, Mr. Pawnpusher, you're a piece down and I was offering you a Rook...

8...Kg7 9.d3 d6 10.Nc3 Bd4

Black has an idea on how to proceed, but I'm guessing that 10...Nf6 followed by ...Rf8 would have taken him further.

11.0-0 Qf6 12.Qd2
Cowering. A much better idea was 12.Nd5 Qd8 13.c3 Be5 14.Qg5 which should lead to a relatively even position.

12...Be6 13.Kh1 Rf8 14.f3
Adopting the "come and get me" approach. At this point Black's only problem is over-confidence.

14...c6 15.Ne2 Be5
Black now has a massive preponderance of pieces on the Kingside, so it was hard for him to see that the text move was an error.

16.d4 Bxh2
Forced, but still scary-looking.

17.Kxh2 Qh4+ 18.Kg1 h5



19.Qg5 Qxg5 20.Bxg5 h4 21.Nf4 Re8 22.Nxe6+ Rxe6

Exchanging pieces has calmed things down a bit.

23.Kf2 h3 24.gxh3 Rxh3 25.Ke3

The storm is over, and I was looking to see what I could make out of my pawn advantage.

25...Ne7 26.Bxe7 Rxe7 27.Rh1 Rg3 28.Rag1 Rxg1 29.Rxg1 d5

I can work with this. In the meantime, I think my opponent's disappointment (Where did my attack go??) hobbled his play.

30.e5 Kf7 31.f4 Re8 32.Rh1 Ke6 33.Rh6 Kf5 34.Rh7 Rb8



35.Rf7+ Ke6 36.Rf6+ Ke7 37.Rxg6



37...Kf7 38.f5 Rf8 39.Rf6+ Ke7 40.Rxf8 Kxf8 41.Kf4 Kf7 42.Kg5 b5 43.e6+ Black resigned


Looks like I won't have to give up the Jerome Gambit - at least for another week!

Psychology... and the Jerome Gambit?

The title of a very interesting article at Chessville is "Do Not Overestimate the Role of Psychology in Chess" by FM Amatzia Avni.

While I don't agree with everything the author says, he certainly has the background to say it (check out "Inside Avni's Mind" and my reviews of his books Practical Chess Psychology, The Grandmaster's Mind, and Devious Chess; as well as Chessville editor David Surratt's review of Chess Tips for the Improving Player ) and he doesn't mince words, for example

Yet a new psychological jargon appears to delude people to think that they act cleverly, while this is not the case.

By the way, many players have made comments about playing against my Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) but none have actually suggested that they thought I was being clever...

Alonzo Wheeler Jerome, Inventor

Always New

Introducing others to the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), either over-the-board, online, or via this blog, always seems to bring out players' creativity; so that an old, hackneyed opening is constantly experiencing new and interesting re-creations.

perrypawnpusher - nicholasjanssen blitz 10 0, FICS, 2009 

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 From here Black can defend with either Blackburne's or Whistler's defense.

7.Qxe5 d6 

Blackburne it is. (7...Qe7 is Whistler) 

8.Qxh8 Qf6 

This innovation (8...Qh4 is "book") is new to me. Black threatens havoc at f2.

9.Qxf6+ 

Or 9...Qxh7+ before exchanging Queens. 

9...Nxf6 10.d3 Be6 11.Nc3 Re8 12.0-0 d5 This all seems pretty natural to me, but I'm not sure that my opponent was happy with the amount of counter-attack that his Rook purchased. White is the exchange and a couple of pawns to the better. 

13.exd5 Nxd5 14.Bd2 Bb4 15.a3 Bd6 16.Nxd5 Bxd5 17.Rae1 White doesn't need excitment; he only needs to exchange pieces.

17...b6 18.Rxe8 Kxe8 19.Re1+ Kf7 20.Bc3 a5 21.Be5 Mindlessness masquerading as technique. 

21...Ba2 

Not a safe place to hide. 

22.Bxd6 cxd6 23.b3 a4 24.bxa4 d5 Having freed the Bishop, Black slams the door on it again. It took me a move to notice. 

25.f3 h5 26.Ra1 b5 27.Rxa2 Faster is 27.axb5, but it doesn't matter. 

27...bxa4 28.Rb2 Ke6 29.Kf2 Ke5 30.Ke3 d4+ 31.Kf2 Kf4 32.Rb4 Ke5 33.Rxa4 h4 34.Rb4 g5 35.a4 g4 36.fxg4 h3 Black resigned

Long Lost Cousins & Perfect Strangers

Sometimes, when I'm in a Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) mood, especially when I'm in the position to give "Jerome Gambit odds," I tend to see many openings – some only distantly related to the Italian Game – as Jerome-izeable.

perrypawnpusher - dabbling
blitz 10 0 FICS, 2009


1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 a6

This move was news to me, but I just checked ChessBase's online games database and it has almost 360 examples, played by people like Bogoljubow, Reshevsky, and Steiner, so maybe it's just out of fashion.
4.0-0 Bb4
Ok, this is a bit odd. It reminds me of Alapin's defense to the Ruy Lopez: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Bb4. If I can kick the Bishop back to the 5th rank, though...

5.c3 Ba5 6.Bxf7+


Now, Perry, you know you had a good game with 6.d4...

But, Doctor, I can't help myself!

6...Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ Nxe5 8.Qh5+ g6

Instead, 8...Kf8 9.Qxe5 Bb6 led to a Black advantage.

9.Qxe5 Bb6 10.Qxh8
White is up the exchange and two pawns, but what is equally important is that Black feels like he's slipped and missed a step somewhere.
10...d6 11.Qxh7+ Kf8 12.d4 Qf6 13.Bh6+ Ke8

Rapidly going from bad to worse...

14.Qxg8+ Kd7 15.e5 dxe5 16.dxe5 Qxe5 17.Rd1+ Kc6

18.Qxg6+ Kb5 19.a4+ Ka5 20.b4 checkmate

Italian Game in Master Practice

The German language website Schachfeld has discussion and analysis on many openings, including the Italian game.

It even includes the infamous Amateur - Blackburne, London 1885, Jerome Gambit game, including side posts mentioning 7...Qe7, Whistler's Defense, and the improvement 10.Qd8.

My German skills are not good, but I think the Jerome Gambit is referred to as the "most impudent" attack in the Italian game.

Sounds about right to me.