Jerome Gambit: A Recent Silicon Defense

There is something silly about the following game, not at all unusual for a Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+).

ILUVSACS - djh2075

2 1 bullet, lichess.org, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 d6 

I have called this line the "Silicon Defense" or "Annoying Defense"- a relative of the "Sillycon Defense" - as it has been played by many computer programs, going back to Knight Stalker (an early version of Fritz) in 1993, and including Alaric, Alfil, Andscacs, AnMon,  Bison, Comet, Fritz, Hiarcs, Junior, Komodo, Shredder, Stockfish, and Talking LCD. The earliest human game that I have in The Database is D'Aumiller, A.D - A.P., Livorno, 1878 (1-0, 19).  

8.fxe5 dxe5 9.Qh3+ 

Main line play for White requires a lot of exercise by the Queen.

9...Kd6 10.Qd3+ Ke7 11.Qg3 Qd4 

Black does not appear to be amused.

12.d3 g6  

However, this is a slip, as the game shows. Accurate was 12...Ke8. 

13.c3 Qd6 14.b4 Bb6 15.Na3 Be6 

Stockfish 15.1 evaluates this position as even.

16.Nb5  

A little bit better was 16.Nc4 Bxc4 17.dxc4 c5, although the related 16.Bg5+ Ke8 17.Nc4 Bxc4 18.dxc4 c5 would also be interesting. 

16...Qd7 

Hoping to eject the Knight.

17.Bg5+ Ke8 18.Qxe5 

18...a6 

Missing something.

19.Nd4 Bxd4 20.cxd4 Qd6 21.Qxh8 

The end has a hurried feel.

21...Kd7 22.O-O Ne7 23.Qxa8 Black resigned

Jerome Gambit: Highest Rated

Quite possibly the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game with the highest rated players is the following bullet game played on the lichess.org online site. Black's Knight wreaks destruction.

Chess_Lions (2952) - OCChess (2985)

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

7.f4 Qf6 8.d4 

Offering a pawn to open lines. This is bold, but dangerous.

8...Bxd4 9.c3 Nd3+ 10.Kd2 Nxf4 

11.Qe8+ Ne7 12.Qxh8 Bb6 

Stronger was 12...Qg6. 

13.Kc2 Qg6 

To block in the enemy Queen.

14.Re1 

In a bullet game it is possible to miss things like 14.Bxf4. 

14...Nxg2 15.Re2 d6 16.Na3 Qg4 17.Rd2 Ne3+ 18.Kb3 Qxe4 19.Qxg7 a5 

Black won on time. It was also checkmate in 14

The New World Champion Was Beaten By Yury Bukayev's Old Attack

Readers of this blog are familiar with Yury V. Bukayev very well from his analysis, games etc. posted here. Yury's recent  email provides with a very interesting material! 

Here are interesting news! The new World Champion has been beaten by Top GM A.Giri in C53-C54 by my old attack, in fact!

https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=2498745

Anish Giri vs Ding Liren (2023) Viewable chess game Anish Giri vs Ding Liren, 2023, with

discussion forum and chess analysis features. www.chessgames.com

Thus, 7.c3! is Mr. Giri's transposition into my old attack (Part 2 of my old work on C53-C54, its summary was published on "Bruno's Chess Problem of the Day")...

Approximately 20 years ago the famous Soviet and Russian grandmaster, maestro of an opening analysis Igor A. Zaitsev said: "These Yury Bukayev's analyses are strong. They should be published..." I'm congratulating dear grandmaster with his 85th birthday very warmly!

Also, if it is interesting, one of commentators (S. Simpson) says about her Jerome-ish idea for this game:

 "Ding playing 14...Bxf2+ The idea being 15.Kxf2 or 15 Qxf2 then 15...Nxe4 (when the Knight was on d2 it prevented this idea.) and Black can play Qxg5. <...>

I fished about 14...Bxf2+ for a while before deciding 14...Bxf2+ 15.Ke2 and after the f1 Knight moves Rf1 is coming."

Jerome Gambit: Assessment

When preparing to play a particular line of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) or assess a particular position, I usually consult (as is apparent to any regular Reader of this blog) a few sources.

First, I look at The Database, which is my 85,000+ game collection of Jerome and Jerome-ish examples.

Although it contains results of my historical research, the backbone of The Database is drawn from the online playing site FICS, from its beginning through March 2023. This makes it pretty representative of club play.

Of late, I have been adding games drawn from the online site lichess.org, which provides additional information. For example, their database currently has 581,944 games (!!) starting 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+, of which 48% are wins for White, 49% are wins for Black, and 3% are draws.

Then I can look at my own games (657 with 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+, scoring 82%) and see how successful - or lucky - I have been in the relevant lines.

I also will consult a chess engine - currently Stockfish 15.1 - for its assessment. Of course, I cannot rely upon computer evaluation completely, as it would try mightily to dissuade me from playing the Jerome at all, evaluating the opening as about 3 3/4 pawns better for Black.

 

Jerome Gambit: Compensation

What does White get for his two sacrificed pieces in the Jerome Gambit?

He gets a couple of pawns.

He gets an attack.

He gets to play a strange opening that his opponent most likely is unfamiliar with - and at club level that is often worth a few pawns, or even a piece. 

Wall, Bill - Andar

SparkChess.com, 2023

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf6 

Attempting to save the Knight in this way will not succeed. (6...Ke6 is correct.)

The Database has 259 games with this move. White scores 80%. Stockfish 15.1 evaluates the position as more than a Rook better for White.  

7.Qf5+ Ke7 8.Qxe5+ Kf8 9.Qxc5+ d6 10.Qb4 

Bill likes to experiment. There is nothing wrong with the routine 10.Qe3.

10...a5 

Sometimes attacking the White Queen can be irresistable. 

Black should have gone for broke with 10...Qg5, since then White would have needed to be careful and play 11.Kf1 - 11.O-O? Bh3 12.g3 Qh5 13.Qa3 Qe2 14.Qd3 Bxf1 15.Qxe2 Bxe2 and Black is winning.

After the suggested 11.Kf1, however, White would still be safe and two pawns up.

11.Qc4 c6 12.O-O b5 

 Sometimes attacking the White Queen can be irresistable. 

13.Qd3 Ba6 

Giving White the chance to stumble with 14.Nc3 b4.

14.Qg3 Qf6 15.d3 h6 16.Bf4 Rd8 17.e5 dxe5 18.Bxe5 Qf7 

19.Nd2 Nf6 20.Rfe1 Kg8 21.Bxf6 Qxf6 22.Re5 Kh7 23.Ne4 Qg6 

The difficulty for Black is that even if he were to exhange off all of the pieces, he would still be two pawns behind. I do not know what the time control for the game was, but I don't think he could have counted on his opponent flagging.

24.Qxg6+ Kxg6 25.Re6+ Kf5 26.Rxc6 Bb7 

Final oversight.

27.Nd6+ Black resigned

 

Jerome Gambit: Free Tempos

I think there is a tiny debate in the chess world as to whether the plural of "tempo" is either "tempos" or "tempi", but there is little debate as to whether surrendering them - allowing the opponent extra moves, as it were - is a risky strategy.

In the following game, Bill Wall takes advantage of his opponent's generosity.

Wall, Bill - Yomate

internet, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 

This move was covered by Alonzo Wheeler Jerome in his article in the July 1874 issue of the Dubuque Chess Journal.

7.Qxe5 Bd6 

Actually, this move is not as bad as it looks, given that it moves an already developed piece and blocks the d-pawn (which blocks the Bishop, which hems in the Rook).

There are 176 games in The Database with this move. White scores 51%. Stockfish 15.1 rates the position as about 2 1/2 pawns better for Black.

8.Qc3 Qf6 9.d4 Qe7 10.Nd2 Bb4 

There goes the Bishop again.

11.Qd3 Bxd2+ 

And again.

12.Bxd2 

Black retains his advantage of a piece for two pawns, but he has allowed White a better pawn center, greater development and the option of castling either Kingside or Queenside.

12...Nf6 

Played with the reassurance that White's e-pawn is pinned. Still, 12...d5, striking in the center and opening up the Bishop's diagonal, would have done more good work. 

13.e5 Nd5 

A Jerome Gambit player will look at this position and immediately begin thinking about when to play c2-c4 and f2-f4.

14.O-O h6

Another tempo donation.

15.f4 d6 16.c4 Nb6 17.f5 dxe5 18.dxe5 Qxe5

 There is too much going on to stop to grab a pawn, as Bill shows.

19.f6 gxf6 20.Qg6 Nd7 21.Rae1 Qxb2 22.Re8 checkmate

Jerome Pawns to the Rescue

In the full Jerome Gambit, White sacrifices two pieces for two pawns. Sometimes, though, he sacrifices one piece for one pawn.

Regardless, the extra pawns ("Jerome pawns") often play a pivotal role in the game.

Consider the following.

Phillychampion - cancanika

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.O-O 

A couple of years ago, in  "Jerome Gambit: King Safety" I wrote

This is one of the "modern" - as opposed to "classical" - variations of the Jerome Gambit, so-called because Alonzo Wheeler Jerome and those back in the time when the gambit was first being sorted out all played the main alternative, 5.Nxe5.

Some modern chess computer programs suggest that White does best to sacrifice only one piece. (Stockfish 13 goes back and forth between 5.Nxe5 and 5.0-0 before settling at 30 ply upon 5.Nxe5) 

By the way, a quick look at the position after 4 moves, considering games in The Database shows

5.Nxe5 is the most popular move, with White scoring 57%; the next two most popular moves are 5.d4 and 5.c3 - followed by 5.0-0 which scores 39 %.

To keep statistics in perspective, it must be noted that the highest scoring move is 5.a4, with 100% in 4 games. More interestingly, 5.b4 was played in 13 games and scored 54%. Not surprisingly, 5.Nh4, 5.g4, 5.Nd4 and 5.Rg1 were each only played in 1 game, and each scored 0%.

According to The Database, Phillychampion has played this line in 56 games, scoring 54%.

5...Nf6 6.c3 Rf8 7.d4 exd4 8.cxd4 Bb6 9.e5 

9...Ne8 

With only a minute of thinking time for the whole game, Black chooses what seems to be the safest move, the retreat. Instead, 9...Nd5 was fine, and kept the advantage.

10.Qb3+ 

Gambling.

The punishment of Black's last move was 10.Bg5. Phillychamp actually found the move against Spock1995 a couple of weeks earlier, in another bullet game (although he lost). It is not clear if he remembered.

10...d5 11.exd6+ Be6 

Black needed to move his King out to g6 - not the kind of move that would come to mind in a bullet game. Unfortunately, everything else gives White a better position.

12.d5 

"Jerome pawns" to the rescue.

12...Nd4 13.Nxd4 Bxd4 14.dxe6+ Black resigned