Say, what...?

While playing against an opponent who has a sense of what is going on in the Jerome Gambit is one thing (see, for example, "La la la la la..."), playing against an opponent who seems to be bamboozled can be quite another, as axykk demonstrates...


axykk - bromby
blitz, FICS, 2011

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

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

When Black makes this move it usually means that either he is new to the Jerome Gambit, and wants to hang on to the second piece, or that he has studied the Jerome Gambit and this is the defensive system that he is most comfortable with.

The Database indicates that bromby faced and defeated a "modern" Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.d3) in 2006; and drew and won against Petasluk in 2009 in a couple of 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 games. So: not necessarily "new" to the Jerome Gambit, but is he prepared ?

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Qf6

A solid defense, as we know from analysis dating back to Alonzo Wheeler Jerome and the April 1874 issue of the Dubuque Chess Journal. Over the years, Shinkman, Jaeger, Colburn and Charles beat the opening's "inventor" with it.

9.fxe5+ Qxe5 10.Qxe5+

This is a relatively new idea, as opposed to retreating the Queen to f3. The Database has games with this move by Louis Morin in each of 2001, 2002, and 2003, all wins.

I don't think that bromby was quite prepared for it.

10...Kxe5 11.b4

" 'Freedom' 's just another word for 'nothing left to lose' " as the song goes. Axykk can play freely with the White pieces, as he's already had a "lost" game since move 4. What is the worst thing that can happen now?

11...Bb6

Suspicious of White's motives, Black retreats.

It seems silly to point out that 11...Bd4 12.c3 Bb6 13.d4+ Kxe4 was better – not everyone wants to know what happens after 14.Nd2+ Kf5 15.0-0+, especially against a higher-rated player at blitz speed.

12.Bb2+ Kxe4

Befuddled. At a distance we can recommend the same notion as above, with 12...Bd4 13.c3 Bb6 14.d4+ and even after 14...Kxe4 Black will be better.

13.Bxg7

Black resigned

It might have been worth hanging around to try (wait for it...) 13...Bd4, as White would have to find 14.Nc3+ to keep his edge, i.e. 14...Bxc3 (nothing else comes close to working) 15.dxc3 Ne7 16.Bxh8 when White would be a solid exchange ahead, and his Kingside pawn majority would spell future trouble for Black.

La la la la la...

I have presented some of the "don't worry, be happy" Jerome Gambit games of Bill Wall, where he seems to be unconcernedly worse – until he is suddenly unarguably better.

Now I've run across some 2011 games by axykk at FICS with the same attitude; and I'd like to share a few.

axykk - gasparegg
blitz, FICS, 2011

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

There is enough of a difference in ratings between axykk and his opponent to believe that White is giving "Jerome Gambit odds."

Unlike many "odds" situations, however, here gasparegg knows a thing or two about the Jerome.

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Qh4+

Oh, yeah! Black heads right toward one of the more complicated – if not well-known – refutations, the "Nibs" line.

The Database has 7, 664 Jerome Gambit games with 4...Bxf7+, 3,103 games with 5.Nxe5, and 263 games with 7.Qf5+. Only 43 games have the position in the diagram, and White has scored 52%.

This is about where I begin to get nervous in my games against the Nibs. (After a bad start of losing 3 out of 4 games, I've won the next dozen.) Somehow, I don't think that axykk was worrying yet.

9.g3 Nf3+

As the kids say in their game, "Getting warmer..."

10.Kf1 Nxh2+

Tempting, but not completely thought out. The move delivers a check, but the Knight pins itself to the Queen. Black can escape to an even game (see the note to the next move), but that's hardly the win that he had a move ago.

Like I said, the refutation is tricky.

11.Kg2 Qh6

Black resigned

Whoa, that was fast. (My opponent JTIV took more than 20 more moves to resign from the same position. On the other hand, intssed tried 11...Qe7 which received 12.Qd5#)

It is clear that in this position White will play 12.Qd5+ Ke7 13.Qxc5+ winning one piece back; and he still has Rxh2, winning the other piece back, in reserve. For example, 13...Qd6 14.Qxd6+ Kxd6 15.Rxh2 and White is a pawn up, with the better center (it is not clear if Black's King is "insecure" or "developed).

Black's escape hatch was 11...Qg4, unpinning his Queen and offering his Knight escape in case White wants to exchange Queens. Best play would seem to be 12.Qd5+ Ke7 13.Qxc5 d6 14.Qf2 (not 14.Qxc7+ Bd7 15.Rxh2 Qd2+) Nf6 15.Rxh2 Nxe4 when 16.Qe3 Qe6 looks even.

Don't drive like my brother

Tom and Ray Magliozzi host the "Car Talk" program at NPR radio. They dole out auto advice in a humorous style, and they close each time with the exchange

"Don't drive like my brother."
"Don't drive like my brother."

That about sums up my opinion of the following funny game, as platel and I can each say

"Don't play like my opponent."
"Don't play like my opponent."

perrypawnpusher - platel
blitz, FICS, 2011

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8

Declining the second piece is an acceptable strategy, but going back to e8 (where a follow-up Queen check by White is possible) has not been recommended.

6.Qh5+

At the time that I played this move, I knew that the "right" choice was 6.Nxc6, since either 6...dxc6 or 6...bxc6 would allow White to play 7.Qh5+ followed by capturing the Bishop; for example, as in perrypawnpusher - rodrigojalpa, blitz, FICS, 2008 (1-0, 25) and Wall,B - Qwerty, chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 9).

Looking at 6.Nxc6 now, I still think that it is best for White, but I wanted to point out two untested responses that might surprise the first player.

a) 6...Bxf2+ (as long as Black is going to lose this piece, he decides to get a pawn for it) 7.Kxf2 Qf6+ 8.Qf3 Qxc6 (avoiding doubled c-pawns) when White is a bit better. He has to be careful because of the loose pawn on c2 and the King and Queen being on the same file (vulnerable to ...Ne7 and ...Rf8).

analysis diagram








Black also has the untried counter-attacking

b) 6...Qh4, (which I mentioned about 3 years ago in this blog) may be better than the capture of the Knight at c6, as well. White's best response is 7.d4, and after 7...Qxe4+ 8.Qe2 Qxe2+ 9.Kxe2 Bb6 material is even, i.e. 10.Nb4 Bxd4.

analysis diagram









I think that White may have a tiny edge after 11.Nd5, and he may have better chances with his Kingside pawn majority as opposed to Black's Queenside pawn majority; but, in reality, Black's two Bishops probably balance all that out.

6...Kf8

In light of my two 6th move recommendations for Black, I have to say that this was the move that got Black into hot water, not 5...Ke8.

After the recommended 6...g6, White has the thematic 7.Nxg6, but, again, things are far from rosy for him – unless he is faced with 7...hxg6, when White plays 8.Qxh8 with advantage, as in Petasluk - Trasimene, FICS, 2007 (1-0, 18).

Black takes a step forward by interjecting 7...Nf6, so that after 6...g6 7.Nxg6 Nf6 8.Qxc5 he can then grab the Knight at g6 with 8...hxg6. White has three pawns for his sacrificed piece, but Fritz 8 is pretty stubborn about giving Black a slight edge.

The biggest challenge to White's 7th move Knight sac at g6, however, is 7...Bxf2+ – followed, in due course, by ...Nf6 and then the capture of the White Knight, e.g. 8.Kxf2 Nf6 (much better than the 8...Qf6+ of  Hultgren,R - Harrow, Campbell, CA 1960 and Blackstone - Dommeyer, skittles game, California, USA 1960 [1-0, 13] ) 9.Qh4 Rg8. White's Knight cannot retreat and will be lost (10.Nf4 Nxe4+).

It may be that White should refrain from sacrificing his Knight, and meet 6...g6 with 7.Nxc6 (anyhow), although after 7...gxh5 8.Nxd8 Kxd8 he has to hope that he can gather in one (or both) of the h-pawns in order to reach equality.

Which is a long way of saying that while 6.Nxc6 leads to "only" an even game, that's still  a better outcome than can be expected after 6.Qh5+.


By the way, the silly 6...Ke7 (in response to 6.Qh5+) got a workout in my games against a weak computer several years ago – see "One (or both) of us needs help" Part I and Part II.

7.Qf7 checkmate

I won the game, but I thought it would be fair to let my opponent "win" the analysis.

Distant Cousin, Twice Removed

I don't spend every waking minute on the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+). For example, the other day I was playing through some games in the very interesting, educational and entertaining The Alterman Gambit Guide by GM. Boris Alterman (whom I've mentioned before).

What especially caught my eye was the chapter on the Cochrane Gambit in the Petroff Defense: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nxf7!? – not surprisingly, a line where White sacrifices a piece for two pawns and an attack on Black's displaced King. (Where have we seen that idea before??)

You might think that such an attack would be perfect for a Jerome Gambit player*, and you would be right – at least as far as Jerome Gambit Gemeinde member Louis Morin is concerned (he has shown up on this blog numerous times as "mrjoker").

The Alterman Gambit Guide includes an exciting Cochrane Gambit game played by Louis. You can see the game, without most of the notes, at GM Alterman's site. (I've mentioned it before, but now it has made it from the website into the book in expanded form.)

Nice work, mrjoker!

(* At least one who didn't want to try to transpose to the Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit with 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nc3 Nc6 4.Bc4 Bc5 5.Bxf7+, etc.)

Take the Draw??

In the following position (from a Semi-Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit), White is ahead the exchange and a pawn. Black, to move, could choose to force a draw by repeatedly checking White's King. On the other hand, Black is rated 350 points higher than White, so that might give him second thoughts...

neni - radup, blitz, FICS, 2011

26...Qe4+

Going for the draw?

27.Kg1 Bxf6

No, winning the pawn.

Unfortunately, this leads to a sparkling finish for White.

28.Qc8+ Ke7 29.Bg5+ Kf7 30.Rxf5+ Kg6

31.Qe6+

A wry move, causing Black to resign.

Playing it out 31...Qxe6 32.dxe6 Kxf5 (What else??) 33.e7 Rh8 34.Rf1+ Kxg5 (might as well) 35.Rf8 and the e-pawn will Queen, whether or not Black exchanges Rooks.

It Takes More Than Just One Move

I have to take my openings more seriously. That's funny coming from someone who has been blogging here daily for almost three years, but what it means is: I need to be more prepared for opponents who, more and more, are more prepared... suprise alone won't work.


perrypawnpusher  - wred
blitz, FICS, 2011

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Na5

I have called this "A Line of Play Everyone Should Know About". In response, White doesn't have to sacrifice his Bishop: 4.Nxe5 is good for a small advantage.

4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke7

As I've suggested,

Black's best chance for advantage... – if only for confusion's sake – is 5...Ke7.

After a lot of thought, Rybka thinks that the game should continue 6.Nc3 Qe8 7.d4 Kd8 8.0-0 Nc6 9.Bf4 d6 10.Nf3 Bd7, which looks about even

6.Qh5

Looking at The Database, I see that about 1/4 of those faced with 5...Ke7 chose the reply 6.Qh5. More popular was 6.d4, played by about 1/2 of those who faced 5...Ke7.

Only 8 players (3%) played the "best" move, 6.Nc3.

As an aside, my opponent faced and defeated 6.b3 in FabricioF - wred, FICS, 2010 (0-1,29); while he has lost twice to 6.d3, in brokenSpoke - wred, FICS 2011 (1-0, 22) and Kuehner - wred, FICS 2011 (1-0, 32).

6...Qe8

The only move, and an improvement over 6...d6 7.Qf7 checkmate, Longandsons - wred, FICS, 2011.

7.Qg5+ Nf6

8.Ng4

After the game Rybka 3 suggested 8.0-0 d6 9.Nc3, when Black had a small advantage.

Lucky for me (see "Another Refutation, Another Win"), it takes more than just one move to completely finish off my game.

8...Nc6 9.e5

A straight-forward idea that has a hole in it, although both wred and I missed it.

9...Qg6

This leads to an even game.

Instead, Black's 9...Kd8 would have uncovered his Queen, attacked White's e-pawn, and made the first player's game difficult, e.g. 10.0-0 h6 11.Nxf6 hxg5 12.Nxe8 Kxe8.

10.exf6+ gxf6 11.Qe3+ Ne5

Black had 11...Kf7 keeping a roughly even game.

12.Nxe5 fxe5 13.Qxe5+ Qe6 14.d4 d6 15.Qxe6+ Bxe6

I have stumbled into a much better game.

16.Bg5+ Kd7 17.Nd2 Re8 18.0-0-0 Bg7 19.Nf3 Bxa2

An error: Black's Bishop will not get out alive. Even worse, he will wind up sending in a Rook on a rescue mission, and that will get stuck, too.

20.b3 Re2 21.Rd2 Rhe8 22.Kb2 Bxb3 23.cxb3 Rxd2+ 24.Bxd2 Re2 25.Kc3 Rxf2 26.Rg1 b5

Black needed to play 26...c5 to free his Rook. Now Black will have to give it up for a  piece, falling further behind in material.

27.Kd3 a5 28.Ke3 Rxd2 29.Kxd2 a4 30.bxa4 bxa4 31.Ra1 Bh6+ 32.Kd3 c5 33.dxc5 dxc5 34.Rxa4 Bf4

A final slip.

35.Rxf4 Black resigned

Clarifying

While Bill Wall has done a good job of naming the different lines of play in the Jerome Gambit (see "Jerome Gambit Nomenclature"), I wanted to take a post to do the same for the various "Jerome Gambits".

At the center of it all is the Jerome Gambit itself, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+. As mentioned in a recent post, Alonzo Wheeler Jerome published analysis of the opening in the April 1874 issue of the Dubuque Chess Journal, played it over-the-board and in correspondence games for about 30 years, and was still defending it in 1900 (two years before his death) in the pages of the Literary Digest.

After 4...Kxf7 Jerome followed with 5.Nxe5+. I call this main line the "classical Jerome Gambit" to differentiate it from other 5th move choices for White (5.0-0, 5.Nc3, 5.c3, 5.d4, etc.) which are popular with modern (mostly internet) chess players. This class of "not-5.Nxe5+" lines are referred to as comprising the "modern Jerome Gambit".

I have not found any examples of A.W. Jerome analyzing or playing "modern" variations. The Dubuque Chess Journal, however, in its November 1874 issue, referred to 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.d4 exd4 5.Bxf7+ as "an unsound variation of Jerome's double opening", which anticipated the "modern" Jerome Gambit, by transposition.

After establishing the "modern" Jerome Gambit, is then easy to understand the Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.0-0 Bc5 5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 to simply be a transposition into a "modern" line, i.e. 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.0-0 h6.

Likewise, the Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+ Kxf7, and the Semi-Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.0-0 Nf6 5.Nc3 Bc5 6.Bxf7+ Kxf7, are transpositions to the "modern" as well, i.e. 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nc3 Nf6 and 5.0-0 h6 6.Nf3 Nc6.

That leaves the Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 4.Bxf7+ whose name is a double pleasantry. While the Shilling Gambit has been named after Blackburne, and the title seems to have stuck well, no game or analysis has (yet) been discovered to link the British master with the line. Likewise, Alonzo Wheeler Jerome (as far as I know) never met the Blackburne Shilling Gambit with 4.Bxf7+, either. I've attached the BSJG name because of its similarities to the Jerome Gambit.

In his The Chess Mind (1951) and again in The Pan Book of Chess (1965), Gerald Abrahams referred to the line 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Bxf7+ as the Jerome Gambit (see "Abrahams Jerome Gambit" Part I and Part II). I have not found any examples of Jerome analyzing or playing the Bxf7+ sacrifice out of the Bishop's Opening, as opposed to the Giuoco Piano. Abrahams could have been a better researcher than I am; or he could simply have been in error. A third possibility is that he focused his understanding of the Jerome Gambit on the Bishop-sacrifice-in-the-double-e-pawn-openings, to the neglect of the other supporting moves (i.e. Nf3 and Nc6).
This focus on Bxf7+ seems to have been the case when a reader at Chess.com explained that the Salvio Gambit was also known as the Jerome Gambit. I believe that he was in error, but the discussion is worth reviewing (see "Salvio Gambit??" and "Salvio Gambit?? [more]").

Too, there is the case of Joseph Henry Blackburne referring to the Jerome Gambit, in his Mr. Blackburne's Games at Chess, as "the Kentucky Opening." I believe that I have solved this "mystery" – see "The Kentucky Opening" Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4 and "The Kentucky / Danvers Opening" – in this case, Blackburne was focusing on the move Qh5 for White, which was used in both the Jerome Gambit and in 1.e4 e5 2.Qh5, which was known in the 1870s and 1880s as the Kentucky Opening.