Not Just An Option

When playing the Italian Game, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5, the Jerome Gambit - 4.Bxf7+ - is one option, among several, for White.

When facing the Blackburne Shilling Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4, the Jerome approach - 4.Bxf7+ - is, again, one option among others.

However, as we see in the game below, when facing the Semi-Italian Opening, if Black goes overboard with 4...Na5 (hoping to exchange his Knight for White's "Italian Bishop"), then 4.Bxf7+ is not just an option, it is probably the best way for White to respond.

This post is another "public service announcement" for Black's own protection.

jlsdr - WMozartA
standard, FICS, 2013

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 

The Semi-Italian Opening. Some authors give Black's last move a "?", although, "objectively" it is probably more deserving of a "?!" - I have seen grandmaster games where Black has won with the defense; but the move sometimes is played by an overly-timid club player (instead of 3...Nf6 or 3...Bc4), and perhaps that is why it gets full condemnation 

4.0-0 Na5 

As we have seen in "Too Much of A Bad Thing" and "Final Nail In The Coffin" this is not correct. It must be punished, Jerome-style.


5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Ke8 7.Qh5+ g6 8.Qxg6+ Black resigned

If Black defends well, he will still end up down the exchange and three pawns, with no compensation.

Meeting A Threat With A Threat

In analyzing tactics for a position, players are encouraged to not just find a defensive solution, but to look for a possible counter-threat that would grab the initiative and force their opponents to defend their threats.

This idea of "meeting a threat with a threat" is clearly on the mind of Bill Wall's opponent in the following game. It is interesting to watch Bill meet the new threat with another one of his own - with telling effect.


Wall,B - Guest1561957 
PlayChess.com, 2014

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5 Nxe5 6.d4 Bxd4 7.Qxd4 d6 8.0-0

Previously, Bill has played 8.Qd5+ as in Wall,B - Guest344942, PlayChess.com, 2013 (1-0,20).

8...Nf6 9.Nc3

Instead, 9.f4 was seen in Jerome,A - Shinkman,W, Iowa, 1876  (½-½, 42).

Earlier, Bill had played 9.f3, i.e. Wall,B - Guest903719, PlayChess.com, 2013 (1-0, 47).

9...Re8 10.Bg5 h6 

Black continued without this "kick", with 10...Nc6, in perrypawnpusher - JoseSoza, Chess.com, 2012 (0-1, 34). 

11.Bh4

Bill notes, as an alternative, 11.Bxf6 Qxf6 12.Rad1 Nc6 13.Qc4+ Be6, which may be less strong than the text. 

11...Be6

Black could also have castled-by-hand with 11...Kg8.

12.f4 c5

Black decides to "meet a threat with a counter-threat", but the straight-forward 12...Nc6 was better. 

13.Qa4 Ng6

Black retreats with a threat, but he has missed one of those by White.

14.Bxf6 gxf6 15.f5 b5

Again, Black conters a threat with a threat, but simpler would have been 15...Kg7 16.fxe6 Rxe6 17.Qb3, although White would be better. 

16.Qxb5 Bd7 17.fxg6+ Kxg6 18.Qd3 Kg7

The smoke has cleared, and White has an extra pawn.

19.Qxd6 Rc8 20.Rad1 Rc7 21.Qg3+

Equally 21.Rxf6 Qxf6 22.Qxc7. 

21...Kh7 22.Nd5 Rc6 

23.Nxf6+ Rxf6 24.Rxf6 Qxf6 25.Rxd7+ Black resigned.

White is ahead three pawns, and Black has no counterplay.

[Readers of this blog in the month of September, 2014 set a new record for visits, the highest - by far (24% above the previous high) - since the blog began in June, 2008.
I noticed a lot of referrals from reddit.com. Many thanks, and please do come back - Rick]

Jerome Gambit OTB

I have the ChessBase online app for my smart phone, giving me access to a large games database. Every once in a while, I can find a new Jerome Gambit or Jerome-ish game.

The following over-the-board clash was initiated by a 15-year old Lithuanian player.

Jelisejevas, Rokas - Diciunas,Vladas
2nd Mikenas Memorial, Taujenai , 06.08.2014

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.0-0 

White opts for a "modern" Jerome Gambit variation, one without 5.Nxe5+. He figures he has done enough sacrificing by drawing Black's King out, and so protects his own. He will take his chances as they come.

The Database has 1128 such games, in which White scores 38%. 

5...d6 6.d3 Bg4 7.h3 Bxf3 8.Qxf3+ Nf6

9.Nc3 Nd4 10.Qd1 Rf8 11.Be3 Ne6 12.Bxc5 Nxc5 13.Ne2 Kg8 14.f4 Qe7 

White has played his thematic f2-f4, but Black has gotten his King to safety by castling-by-hand, and there is little to show, beyond an extra pawn, for White's piece sacrifice.

The gambiteer is going to need some cooperation from his opponent, and in this game it is not forthcoming.

15.f5 Rad8 16.c4 c6 17.b4 Ncd7 18.a4 Nb8 19.Qb3 Kh8

20.Rae1 d5 21.Nc3 dxc4 22.dxc4 Rd4 23.c5 Re8 24.Qb1 h6 25.Rd1 b6 White resigned

A salute to young Rokas for risking it all, over-the-board, in a rated tournament - and better fortune next time!

One Game, Several Positions

I have chosen the following Jerome Gambit game to be illustrated by a series of diagrams. The first shows an opening oversight by both players - where White's Queen could have been won before move 10.

The remaining diagrams show the game after it has reached a pawns endgame. The computers say the first player has the advantage - but how does he win?

Black's drawing method is worth remembering.

ainafets - cmdeats
blitz, FICS, 2007

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bxd4 7.Qxd4 Qf6 8.0-0 

White slips, as covered in "Something To Watch Out For" and "Why Did He Play That Move?" - although Black overlooked his opportunity on the next move.

A game played 10 minutes after this one, on the same date, continued with the same tactical theme, only this time Black caught on: 8.f4 Nf3+ White resigned, ainafets - Papaflesas, FICS, 2007. 

Later on, the players reached the following position. White has recovered nicely, and reached a winnable endgame.

23.Kf2 Ke6 24.Kf3 Ke5 25.c3 a6 26.h4 h6 27.h3 g6 28.b3 c6

White is in no hurry, and slowly advances his pawns, avoiding anything drastic.

29.b4 c5 30.a3 h5 31.a4 d5 32.exd5 cxb4 33.cxb4 Kxd5 34.e4+ Kc4 35.b5 axb5 36.axb5 Kxb5 

The Queenside pawns have been exchanged off - maybe not the most efficient solution, but leaving much less for White to worry about. He still has a won game.

Houdini actually evaluates the position as a "checkmate in 18 moves" for White, but average players don't have to calculate that far to see a winning plan. The only "trick" is that the first player must realize that it needs to be his e-pawn that gets promoted.

37.Kf4 Kc5 38.Kg5 Kd4 39.Kxg6 Kxe4 40.Kxh5 Kf5

White has a 2-0 pawn advantage, but, due to the nature of those pawns - both Rook pawns - he now has only a draw. Instead, 38.Ke5, followed by shepherding the e-pawn to the 8th rank, was the way to go.

But - don't go away yet.

41.Kh6 Kf6 42.Kh5 Kf5 43.Kh6 Kf6 44.h5 Kf5

Having shown his opponent that he understands how to hold the draw - by keeping White's King trapped on the h-file in front of his pawns - Black suddenly has his King give way.

White now wins by springing his King with 45.Kg7.

45.h4 

Or, not.

45...Kf6 46.Kh7 Kf7 47.h6 Kf6 

Again, Black falters. (It was, after all, a blitz game.) Holding the draw was 47...Kf8.

48.h5 

And White, too, misses another chance to free his monarch. So the point gets split.

48...Kf7 49.Kh8 Kf8 50.Kh7 Kf7 51.Kh8 Kf8 52.h7 Kf7 53.h6 Kf8 Game drawn by stalemate

Amen.

Not long ago, in "Complicate, complicate, complicate" I pointed out the truism

The Jerome Gambit player knows that there may be few - maybe one - chances to steer the game out of its "pre-ordained" path to "0-1" and so must be ready for opportunities as they arise.

In the following game, an opportunity comes before a dozen moves have been played, and White gets to finish off a miniature.

Disquis  - Koryakin
standard, FICS, 2012

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bc4 Bc5 5.Bxf7+

The Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit, so-called because it can be reached after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nc3 Nf6.

4...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 d6 

Suggested not long ago in "Okay With the Delay".

8.f4 

This pawns vs pieces setup was discussed in "Overrun". While my heart is with the "Jerome pawns", I would wager on behalf of the pieces.

8...Bg4 9.Qd2 Bb4 10.fxe5 Nxe4 

In a better (many would say "winning") position, Black becomes greedy, when the simple 10...dxe5 would suffice.

11.0-0+ Ke8 12.Qf4 Nxc3

Panic.

13.Qf7 checkmate

Playable, if Black figures out the proper continuation...

Creativity in chess has its place, even in the following game, as long as it doesn't overstep its boundaries.

Fandral - LuigiBot
standard, FICS, 2013

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bb4+ 7.c3 Bd6

The computer software LuigiBot (rated in the 1500s at FICS) comes up with an interesting maneuver that has also been seen in the past by Jerome Gambiteers Darrenshome, jfhumphrey, stretto, Sir Osis of the Liver, and HauntedKnight. It is playable, if Black figures out the proper continuation.

8.dxe5 Bxe5 

Missing the proper 8...Be7.

9.Qd5+ Kf6 10.f4 Qe7 

Black should bite the bullet, instead, and play 10...Bxc3+ 11.Nxc3 Ne7, when material would be even, and White would be a bit better due to more central control by the "Jerome pawns" and a safer King.

11.fxe5+ Kg6 12.0-0 Nh6 13.Rf3 Rf8 

Hoping to hold off the attack, but allowing mate.

14.Rg3+ Kh5 15.Qd1+ Rf3 16.Qxf3+ Kh4 17.Rh3 checkmate

Don't, Here, Either

As a parallel to the previous post, I thought I would take another look at the Jerome Gambit Declined, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ and now 4...Kf8 or 4...Ke7. It seems overly generous for Black to decline a piece (and a possible offer of a second one), but sometimes defenders do not want to play a line - whatever its value - that the attackers want them to.

There are 245 games in The Database where Black declines the Jerome Gambit with 4...Kf8, with White scoring 56%. To break that down,  after the retreat 5.Bb3 (Houdini's choice), White scores 61%. The piece exchange, 5.Bxg8, has White score 57%. The complicating 5.Nxe5 scores 50% for White.

By comparison, there are 40 games in The Database where Black declines the Jerome Gambit with 4...Ke7, with White scoring a more encouraging 71%. Again, breaking that down, after the retreat 5.Bb3 (Houdini prefers the three retreats of 5.Bd5, 5.Bc4 and 5.Bb3), White scores 100%, as he does after the exchange 5.Bxg8. The complicating 5.Nxe5 scores 0%.

In summary, if Black does not take the Bishop in the Jerome Gambit, both computer analysis and game play suggest that White should either retreat it or exchange it, with good-to-very-good prospects.