As a serious fan of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) I like to think about what would happen if the best chess players ever faced the opening - or, even more improbably, if the "best" ever played against the "worst".
Of course, I am realistic about the objective value of the Jerome Gambit, and am comfortable referring to it as "the worst." I have even written a cautionary 2-part article about the opening for Chess Life for Kids, about a decade ago (see " 'The Worst Chess Opening Ever' - Warning or Menace??").
One of my first blog posts on this site was an introduction to the bashing that the British powerhouse Joseph Henry Blackburne gave the Jerome Gambit (see "Nobody expects the Jerome Gambit!") - even if we eventually had to show that the Blackburne Defense probably leads to a draw...
Over the years, there have been various "sightings".
There was the gathering in "No Way A GM Plays the Jerome Gambit" Parts 1, 2, & 3" which has a reference to "A GM plays the Jerome Gambit??"
I went chasing after a game supposedly played by Alekhine ("The Jerome Gambit is Going to Drive Me..." Parts 1 & 2) only to lead to disappointment (see "Much Ado About... Nothing").
Then there was the columnist, writing in 1914, that suggested that Steinitz had lost to the Jerome Gambit the first time he had faced it. No game example was given, however, nor any specifics, like location and year played. You can read about it in an aptly titled post "Jerome Gambit: Balderdash".
Likewise, there is a 1906 newspaper chess column talking about Emanuel Lasker defeating a Jerome Gambit in a simultaneous exhibition - and, while no game is given, the name of the player (and others who challenged Lasker), the location, and the date can be assessed, making the claim a bit more authentic.
I have done a bit more researching lately. I have also been reflecting on the question: What is the Jerome Gambit? The answer to the latter may help inform the former.
[to be continued]
What can you say about a one minute, no increment, chess game?
Maybe yes, maybe no, maybe rain, maybe snow.
Unless the opening is the Jerome Gambit. Then, put your bets on angelcamina, playing White, whether he is better or worse off, "objectively".
angelcamina - KPDGE
1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2019
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6
The Semi-Italian Opening.
4.Nc3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+
The Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit.
4...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.Qh5+ Ng6 8.Qd5+ Kf8 9.Qxc5+ d6 10.Qe3 Qf6
Sometimes in Jerome lines, it is useful for the defender to have his Queen on f6. In this case - with the King on the same file? Probably not. But, remember, this is a 1-minute game, and it will not be decided by nuances.
11.O-O Ne5
Reminds me of the Joker, in "The Dark Knight", saying he wants Batman to hit him.
12.f4
Hitting with the right. It might have been stronger to hit with the left, 12.d4.
12...Nc4 13.Qe2 Nb6 14.e5
14...Qe6 15.d4 Ne7 16.f5 Qc4 17.Qg4
Instead, 17.f6 works, but it allows Black to exchange Queens. Instead, White is going after the King.
17...Bxf5 18.Rxf5+ Nxf5 19.Qxf5+
19...Ke8
Freeing the f-file for his h-Rook. Stronger was 19...Kg8, freeing the file for his a-Rook. Who has time to figure this all out?
20.e6
Easy to understand (Attack! Attack!) but it leaves Black a way out.
20...Qxd4+ 21.Kh1 Rf8 22.Qg6+ Ke7 23.Bxh6
Nice. White is objectively in trouble, but this offer of a sacrifice - a bluff? - intimidates Black, and turns the game around. (The Bishop must be taken.)
23...Qf6 24.Bg5
Ow. Certainly the clock must have been a factor at this point.
24...Rae8 25.Bxf6+ Rxf6 26.Qxg7+ Kxe6 27.Re1+ Kf5 28.Rxe8 Kf4 29.Qg3+ Kf5 30.Qf3+ Black resigned
In the following online blitz game, Black "surprises" White with the Blackburne Shilling Gambit - only to be surprised, in turn, by receiving the Jerome Gambit treatment. Things go steadily in White's direction, until he makes a slip, and that is Black's chance; but he misses it.
angelcamina - felix_paton
3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2019
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 4.Bxf7+
Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke8 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Nxg6 Qf6
Interesting, but 7...hxg6 had to be played.
8.Nxh8+ Ke7 9.e5 Nxc2+ 10.Kd1 Qxf2 11.Qf7+
With fast time controls, this kind of thing can happen. The safe path was to snap up the advanced Knight with 11.Kxc2.
Okay, Black has his chance. Can he exit the highway to oblivion?
11...Kd8
Inertia. Instead, 11...Qxf7 12.Nxf7 Nxa1 would give him the advantage.
12.Qxf2 Black resigned.
And so it goes. angelcamina doesn't give many chances.
The latest internet game from Vlasta Fejfar shows that the Jerome Gambit is not just a one-time-surprise opening. Having fallen to the Jerome, his opponent reassesses his chances and his line of play, and tries something new. Alas, for the defender, White still triumphs.
vlastous - ADELAZIZ
internet, 2019
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8
The Jerome Defense, courtesy Alonzo Wheeler Jerome, who also brings you the Jerome Gambit.
7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qf4+ Nf6
ADELAZIZ varies from the 8...Qf6 that he played when the two contested a game earlier. Then, vlastous was willing to exchange Queens and make his extra "Jerome pawns" count.
9.O-O Bd4 10.c3 Be5
Reminding me of perrypawnpusher - warwar, "Italian Battleground", Chess.com, 2019 - but in current game, things turn out better for White.
11.Qh4 g5
A smart move. Taking the pawn would expose White to dangers along the g-file.
12.Qh6+ Kf7 13.d4 Bf4 14.Bxf4 gxf4 15.e5 dxe5 16.dxe5 Nd5 17.Re1 Be6
Black still has a piece for two pawns, but the uneasy position of his King suggests that if anyone has an edge, it is White.
18.c4 Nb4 19.Nc3 Rg8 20.Ne4 Nd3
The Knight attacks White's Rook and pawns, while protecting his advanced pawn. However, a pin along the d-file will cause trouble. Better was 20...Qe7, Which could also be answered by 21.Rad1.
21.Rad1 b6
Now the roof falls in.
22.Rxd3 Qxd3 23.Qf6+ Ke8 Black resigned
Black will lose his Queen (and more) or be checkmated.
The following bullet (one minute, no increment, time control) online game starts off in regular Jerome Gambit fashion, but things then turn bad for Black, who keeps rolling down the hill, faster and faster. The King hunt at the end is brutal.
angelcamina - Kvngmicky
1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2019
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qd5+ Kf8 8.Qxc5+ d6 9.Qe3 Nf6
The players have reached a regular Jerome Gambit position - at breakneck speed.
10.O-O Ng4 11.Qf3+
A new move, according to The Database.
11...Nf6 12.d4 Ke7 13.Bg5 Kd7 14. Nc3 c6 15.Rad1 h6 16.Bc1 Qe7 17.Rfe1 Kc7
White is ready to go.
18.e5 dxe5 19.dxe5 Nxe5
The pawn is poisoned.
20.Bf4
This works, but so does 20.Rxe5 Qxe5 21.Bf4.
21...Nfd7 21.Qg3
Again, a solid move. With more time, angelcamina would have found 21.Rxd7.
21...Kd8
Black's position now collapses like a house of cards.
22.Bxe5 Ke8 23.Qg6+ Qf7 24.Bxg7+ Kd8 25.Qxf7 Kc7 26.Bxh8 Kb6
There is no place safe for Black's King.
27. Bd4+ c5 28.Nd5+ Ka6 29.Bc3 b5 30.Qe6+ Kb7 31.Nb4 Kb8 32.Rxd7 Bb7 33.Qe8+ Bc8 34.Rd8 Kb7 35.Re7+ Kb6 36.Qc6+ Ka5 37.Nd5+ b4 38.Bxb4+ Black resigned
All of White's pieces participate in the checkmate attack, while Black's remain, unfortunately, at home.
!!!!!
Wandering the internet the other day, I ran across a Russian language chess site that teased
Previously, in the precomputer era, often against obviously weaker rivals, we played like this: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7 +?
My computer offered to translate the site to English, and I found it lots of fun.
(There is a link to this web site, as well as lichess.org.)
There is also some cogent advice
...Indeed, the dynamic capabilities of the position are a lot of trouble for Black.Therefore, it is useful to play this beginning against the engine both for whites and blacks - this will definitely contribute to the growth of tactical skill.
The author has done his homework. The infamous game NN - Blackburne, of course, is given, but there is also with Jerome - Brownson, Iowa, 1875; Lowe - Cudmore, corr, 1881; Keeble - Cubitt, Norwich, 1886; Sorensen - X, Denmark, 1888; and even Wall - Bison engine, 2015.
It is well worth a visit.
While I'm on the topic of the Jerome Gambit Declined, I thought I would dig a little deeper...
MrJoker - david2play
2 12 blitz, Internet Chess Club, 2011
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kf8
The Jerome Gambit Declined.
Certainly, strongest for Black was 4...Kxf7, but on rare occasions the defender decides If you want me to take the Bishop, I won't take the Bishop. That being the case in this game, the Black King is probably better off on f8 as opposed to e7.
5.Bxg8
The typical argument can otherwise ensue, where best to retreat the Bishop, d5, c4 or b3?
MrJoker's solution, of course, is playable. I will leave the discussion of 5.b3, 5.c3, 5.Nc3, 5.d3, 5.d4, 5.Nxe5, 5.Qe2, 5.0-0, 5.Ng5 and 5.Bh5 (all are in The Database) for later posts.
5... Kxg8 6.O-O
A reasonable move, played by HauntedKnight, Petasluk, shugart, Superpippo, Wall, and others, as well.
6...d6
For 6...Qf6 see Wall, Bill - Guest558953, PlayChess.com, 2017 (1-0, 15).
Looking at the diagram, you can ask yourself What does Black have for his gambitted pawn? Not very much - but he is playing his own game.
7.c3 h6 8.d4 exd4 9.cxd4 Bb4
Better to have retreated the Bishop, as White shows.
10.Qb3+ Kh7 11.d5 Ba5 12.dxc6 bxc6 13.Nc3 Re8 14.Bd2 Bb6 15.Rad1 Ba6
Black is developing, but White, as a Jerome Gambit player, must enjoy being the player with the extra piece.
16.Rfe1 Qf6 17.Be3 Ba518.Bd4 Black forfeited on time
Black's future was not bright, anyhow.
