Jerome Gambit: Hard Working Queen

Along with the Bishop sacrifice at f7, the active play of White's Queen typifies the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+). In the following game it looks at one point that the Queen is trying to win the game all by herself. She finally relents and allows some assistance - but that only means that White wins even faster.

Wall, Bill - Terenure

PlayChess.com, 2021 

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5. Nxe5+ Nxe5 6. d4 Bd6 

At first glance this looks like a reasonable response, planning to return a Knight for a pawn. Yet, there has to be some mistake in that thinking, if only because of the 160 games in The Database with this position, White has scored 72%.

Furthermore, before this game Bill was 25 - 0 with White.

As we shall see, the simpler 6...Bxd4 was also safer. 

7.dxe5 Bxe5 

For an even game, the Bishop needed to go to e7, either directly or after 7...Bb4+. "An even game" does not sound all that bad, until you consider that only a couple of moves ago, Black was two pieces up.

8.Qd5+ Kf6 

Not wanting to give up any more material, but this only makes matters worse.

9.f4 Ne7 10.Qxe5+ Kf7 11.O-O

Thoughtful. White's Queen has done well to recover the sacrificed material, but she will need help as the game goes on. White safeguards his King and puts his Rook on the same file as Black's King.

11...Ng6 12.Qd5+ Ke8 13.f5 Ne7 14.Qd4 d6 15.Qxg7 

Okay, I admit, the Queen continues the attack on her own.

15...Rg8 16.Qxh7 Bd7 17.Nc3 

Aha!

17...Rf8 18.Bg5 

Aha!

18...Rf7 19.Qh8+ Rf8 20.Qh5+ Rf7 21.Nd5 c6 22.Nf6+ Kf8 23.Qh8+ Black resigned

Jerome Gambit: Well-Traveled King

The following lengthy Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game is a bit much to wrap your head around. It was played at bullet speed - 1 minute, plus 1 second increment - and features a well-traveled enemy King who makes over 1/3 of the moves played in the game.

(For the record, the longest Jerome Gambit game that I have in The Database is 158 moves. Of course it was played by 2 computer programs. But there is also a 157-move game played by 2 humans.)

boltonbailey - Jonathan_Nobleman

1 1 bullet, Chess.com, 2021

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.Nc3 Qf6 9.Qxf6+ Nxf6 

Okay, so far it looks like Black is winning (he is), but at this time control anything can happen. Soon, it does.

10.d3 Bd4 

Looking to break up White's Queenside, but this is too much of a static approach.

11.Nb5+ Kc5 12.a4 a6 13.b4+ Kxb4 

It is possible to get careless, even (especially) when up a couple of pieces. White is probably a little bit better now.

14.Nxd4 

Very reasonable, and the idea behind White's pawn sacrifice. (If he had more time to reflect, he might have found 14.Rb1+ Kc5 15.Ba3+ Kb6 16.a5+ Kxa5 17.Nxd4 d6 18.Bb4+ Kb6 19.Bxd6+ Ka7 20.Bxe5 which would have left him a Rook ahead.)  

14...Kc3 15.Ne2+ Kb4 

Like it or not, Black had to move further into danger and play 15...Kxc2, because White's Rook can now come to b1 with check, to be followed in due course by mate

16.Bd2+ Kc5 17.Bc3 Kc6 18.Bxe5 d6 19.Nd4+ Kd7 20.Bxf6 gxf6

The Black King has returned home, with his position somewhat worse for wear.

21.O-O c5 22.Nf5 Ke6 23.d4 cxd4 24.Nxd4+ Kf7 25.Nf5 Bxf5 26.exf5

With the clock ticking rapidly and always possible to take a friendly turn, neither player is looking at a draw. Even when the balance of the game shifts, there is no practical reason to resign before being checkmated.

26...h5 27.h3 h4 28.Rfe1 Rad8 29.Re4 Rh5 30.Rf4 d5 31.Rd1 d4 32.Rdxd4 Rxd4 33.Rxd4 Rxf5 34.Rxh4 Ke6 35.Rd4 b5 36.axb5 axb5 

White's Kingside pawn majority gives him a clear advantage.

37.f3 Rc5 38.Rd2 Kf5 39.Kf2 b4 40.g3 Kg6 41.Ke3 Re5+ 42.Kf4 Rf5+ 43.Kg4 Rg5+ 44.Kf4 Rf5+ 45.Ke3 Re5+ 46.Kf2 

No wish to allow the draw by repetition. (Translation: not feeling the time pressure.)

46...Kf5 47.Rd4 Rb5 48.g4+ Kg6 49.Ke3 f5 50.Kd3 fxg4 51.hxg4 Kg5 

52.Kc4 Rb8 53.Kb3 Rc8 54.Rd2 Rb8 55.Rd4 Rc8 56.Rxb4 Re8 57.Rc4 Re3+ 58.Rc3 Re5 59.Rd3 Re8 60.Kc3 Rc8+ 61.Kd2 Re8

The winning plan is clear.

62.c3 Kf4 63.c4 Rc8 64.Rc3 Rd8+ 65.Kc2 Kg3 66.c5 Kf2 67.c6 Ke2 68.c7 Rd2+ 69.Kb3 Rd1 70.Rc2+ Kxf3 71.c8=Q 

See the note to White's 25th move.

71...Rb1+ 72.Kc3 Rb6 73.Qf5+ Kg3 74.Qe5+ Kh4 75.Qe1+ Kg5 76.Rg2 Rc6+ 77.Kd3 Rd6+ 78.Kc4 Rc6+ 79.Kd5 Rc8 80.Qe7+ Kg6 81.Qe6+ Kg7 82.Qxc8 Kg6 83.Qf5+ Kg7 84.Rh2 Kg8 85.Rh5 Kg7 86.Rg5+ Kh6 87.Qg6 checkmate

Amazing.

Another Paulsen

The following game - in Hans Renette's Louis Paulson A Chess Biography with 719 Games (2019) - features a variation of the Scotch Gambit which should look familiar to Jerome Gambit players.

Fischer played blindfold. Black was played by Louis Paulsen's brother Wilfried.

Fischer, E. - Paulsen, W.

blindfold exhibition, Detmold, 1855

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Bc4 Bc5 5.Ng5 Nh6 6.Nxf7 Nxf7 7.Bxf7+ Kxf7

The Sarratt or Vitzthum Attack, a possible fore-runner to the Jerome Gambit. See "A Bridge To... Somewhere?", "Another Distant Relative?", "The Sarratt Attack", "Another look at the Sarratt Attack" and "Sarrat Attack: No Way A World Champion...".

8.Qh5+ g6 9.Qxc5 

The "nudge" 9.Qd5+ followed by the capture of the Bishop (e.g. Steinkhuler - Blackburne, Manchester, 1861) is probably not as good here.

9...d6 10.Qb5 Re8 11.Qd3 d5 

12.f3

White needed to castle here, even though that would allow 12...dxe5, with advantage to Black.

12...dxe4 13.fxe4 Qh4+ 

14.g3 Rxe4+ 15.Kf2 Qe7 

He could have played 15...Qf6+ 16.Bf4 Re3 with clear advantage.

Possibly both players overlooked the fact that the text could be met by 16.Bg5, winning the exchange, although Black would still be better. 

16.Nd2 Re3 17.Qf1 

17...Bh3 18.Qc4+ 

Capturing the Bishop would lead to checkmate - but so does the text.

18...Kg7 19.Nf3 Rxf3+ 20.Kxf3 Rf8+ 21.Bf4 Qe3 checkmate

An Early Lewis Gambit

I have been making my way through Louis Paulson A Chess Biography with 719 Games (2019) by  Hans Renette and discovered an early example of the Lewis Gambit - one of the openings that may have been an inspiration to Alonzo Wheeler Jerome to develop his gambit.

Paulsen, Louis - King, J. S.

offhand game, Pittsburgh, 1858

 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.d4 exd4 

The Lewis Gambit. The position can also arise from the Van der Lasa Gambit 1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.Bc4 Bc5

The earliest example I have found of the Lewis Gambit was played by Cochrane against Staunton in two of their match games in 1841. Both times Staunton responded with the stronger 3...Bxd4.

4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Qh5+ g6 6.Qxc5 

Instead, 6.Qd5+ was seen in Blackburne - Evelyn, blindfold exhibition, London, 1862 (1-0, 32). I always find this move humourous, as Jerome later incorporated his own "nudge" into the Jerome Gambit.

6...Nf6 7.Nf3 Re8 8.O-O Nxe4 

9.Ne5+ Kg7 10.Qxd4 Qf6 

11.Bh6+ Kg8 

If 11...Kxh6, 12.Ng4+ will win the Queen.

12. f3 Qxe5 13. Qxe5 Rxe5 14. fxe4 Re8 

Material equality has been reached, but White's superior development gives him a significant advantage.

15.Nc3 c6 16.Rf6 d5 17.Raf1 Nd7 18.Rf7 d4 

19.Rg7+

There was time to rescue the Knight with 19.Ne2, which was even stronger than the text, but White has things figured out.

19...Kh8 20.Rff7

Again, the Knight feels neglected, but White has the game firmly in hand.

20...Nf8 

21.Bg5 Re6 22.Ne2 c5 23.e5 b6 24.Nf4 Rc6 25.Nd5 Bf5 26.Nf6

The Knight is the final piece in the attack.

26...Rxf6 27.Bxf6 Ne6 

and White checkmated in 3 moves, 28.Rxg6+ Ng7 29.Rgxg7 any 30.Rxh7# 

Jerome Gambit: Simplicity Can Be Enough

One defensive idea for facing the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) is exchanging Queens - sometimes even at the cost of returning the sacrificed material.

In the following game, Bill's opponent simplifies things - he thinks. The resulting Queenless middlegame / endgame still has many dangers, including, in the end, checkmate.

Wall, Bill - Guest380145

PlayChess.com, 2021

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

 4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bb4+  7.c3 Nc6 

This move has been faced by Jerome Gambit regulars such as chessmanjeff, frizerkaHR, HauntedKnight, jfhumphrey, PasChat, snthor and teterow but it appears that it is the first time Bill has seen it.

Black's method of returning some of the sacrificed material leads to a game where he has a slight edge.

8.cxb4 Nxb4

Quickly returning more.

9. Qb3+ Ke8 10.Qxb4 Qe7 

Holding things together, but Bill is willing to enter a Queenless middlegame a pawn up.

11.Qxe7+ Nxe7 12.Nc3 c6 13.O-O h6 

Black has arranged to avoid the cut-and-slash lines of the Jerome Gambit. He has given White an easy game to play, however - and, again, there is that extra pawn.

14.f4 Rf8 15.Bd2 d6 16.f5 b5 

To fianchetto the Bishop at b7, and possibly undermine the protection of White's center with b5-b4, but there will not be time for that.

17.g4 Bb7 18.e5 dxe5 19.dxe5 Rd8 20.Ne4 Nc8 

An awkward necessity to keep White's Knight out of d6. Possibly Black had anticipated the Knight fork of King and Bishop, and had planned to capture White's Bishop at d2 in return - but, say 20...c5 (an otherwise useful move) 21.Nd6+ and Black's King would be forced to d7, blocking the action of his Rook.

21.f6 g5 

If 21...gxf6 then 22.Bxh6.

22.Bc3 Rf7 23.Rad1 Rd5 24.e6 

Those pesky "Jerome pawns"!

24...Rxd1 25.exf7+ Kxf7 26.Rxd1 Black resigned

White is Rook up, and Komodo 10 says that he has a checkmate in 10 as well.

Bxf7+ Leads to Execution

The main idea behind 4.Bxf7+ in the Jerome Gambit and related openings is to checkmate the enemy King. Tactics are the key that lead to execution, as in the following game.

Guest5673273290 - Guest2514575685

10 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2021

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 

The Two Knights Defense.

4.Bxf7+ 

Anyway.

The move seems to be growing in popularity. This game will help.

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Nc6 7.e5 Qe8

According to The Database - which is somewhat incomplete on this line - this is a new move, although 7...Qe7 was seen at least as early as Philidor 1792 - guest1334, 3 0 blitz, 2014 (1-0, 20).

We have recently seen 7...Ne4.

8.O-O Nd5 

This is a reasonable move, although Stockfish 13 prefers 8...Nxe5, returning some material directly. It then further recommends 9.Re1 d6 10.dxe5 dxe5 11.Bf4 Bg4 12.Qd2 Rd8 13.Qc3 Qc6 14.Qxc6 Bxc6 15.Bxe5 Bd6 where White has a pawn and better pawn structure as (insufficient) compensation for his sacrificed piece.

9.Qf3+ Ke7 

It is hard to believe, with Black two pieces ahead, but this move, as opposed to the saving 9...Kg8, signals "Game Over".

It is time for White to hunt the enemy King.

10.Bg5+ Ke6 

The alternative 10...Nf6 allows White to grab material with 11.exf6+ Kf7 12.fxg7+ Kxg7 13.Bf6+ Kg8 14.Qg3+ Qg6 15.Qb3+  (with the idea of moving Black's King away from protecting his Rook) Qf7 16.Qxg7+ Kxf7 17.Bxh8 when White would be up the exchange and a couple of pawns. The Bishop will escape.

11.c4 Nxd4 

This leads to checkmate.

Black's best was to give back a piece with 11...Nce7 12.cxd5 Nxd5. Then Stockfish 13 has an interesting Queen maneuver for White: 13.Qh3+ Kf7 14.Qh5+ g6 15.Qf3+ Kg8 16.Qxd5+ when the first player has recovered his sacrificed material.

The point of the Queen's efforts can be seen by comparing them to 13.Nc3 c6 14.Nxd5 cxd5 when White has an edge, despite being behind in material, because of the unsafe enemy King. Once the point f6 has been weakened - 14.Qh5+ g6 - then it becomes extra dangerous for Black to move his King to f6 - e.g. 15.Qf3+ Ke6 16.Nc3 when the Knight exchange is forced 16...Nxc3 17.bxc3 and the only move to prevent checkmate would then be 17...d5, although lines of attack would open after 18.exd6 e.p.

That seems like a lot to look at, but it is helpful to have a good understanding of the attacking position.

12.cxd5+ Kxe5 13.Re1+ Ne2+

Or 13...Kd6 14.Bf4+ Kc5 15.Qc3+ Kxd5 16.Qa5+ b5 17.Nc3+ Kc4 18.b3+ Kc5 19.Rxe8 Bb7 20.Na4+ Kd5 21.Re5+ Kd6 22.Qb4+ Kc6 23.Qc3+ Kd6 24.Qc5# 

14.Rxe2+ Kd6 15.Qa3+ 

Brutal. White doesn't even bother to win the Queen.

15...Kxd5 16.Nc3+ Kc6 17.Qa4+ b5 18.Qxb5+ Kd6 19.Rd1 checkmate