Jerome Gambit: Roller Coaster

A blitz game between club level players can be quite a roller coaster, as the following game shows, but there are things to learn from the play, anyhow. 

Matthew_Slater - Sparrowchakse

3 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2024

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Kf8 

As I noted in "Jerome Gambit and Vlad Tepes"

This is a reasonable defense, first mentioned by Alonzo Wheeler Jerome in his premier analysis in the March 1874 issue of the Dubuque Chess Journal.

It was first played by O.A. Brownson, against Jerome, in 1875.

6.Nxc6 dxc6 

This pawn capture, vs 6...bxc6, puts pressure down the d-file.

7.Nc3 Nf6 8.d4

White gets away with this, although 8.Qe2 Bd4 9.d3 Kf7 10.Be3 Rf8 11.f4 was more likely the way to go. 

8...Bb4 

Black prefers to threaten the e-pawn, rather than capture the d-pawn with 8...Bxd4. Possibly he was afraid of 8...Bxd4 9.Ne2, but, as Yury V. Bukayev pointed out, he then had 9...Bxf2+!? 10.Kxf2 Nxe4+ with a strong attack.

9.Bd2 

The two are playing quickly. Or, perhaps they are playing casually. In any event, with the text, White un-pins his Knight; although, instead, a capture on c3 would put the enemy e-pawn at risk. Better 9.Qd3. 

9...Bg4 

Development with a threat. 

10.f3 Bh5 11.Qe2 

Suggestion: 11.Ne2 Bxd2+ 12.Qxd2 and White's strong pawn center is almost the equal of Black's extra piece.

11...Qxd4 12.O-O-O Qe5 

13.Qc4 c5 14.Nb5 

The Knight is not really doing anything, but it does attract a lot of attention.

14...Bxd2+ 15.Rxd2 a6 16.Nc3 b5 

17.Qe2 Kf7 18.Nd5 Nxd5 19.Rxd5 Qe7

Missing the tactical trick 19...Qf4+ 20.Kb1 Bg6, saving the Bishop.

20.Rxh5 

White is a pawn ahead, his King is a bit safer, but Stockfish 16.1 rates him about a piece better.

20...Rhd8 21.Rd1 Rxd1+ 22.Qxd1 h6 

Overlooking something.

23.Qd5+ 

Fork 

23...Kf8 24.Qxa8+ Black resigned

Jerome Gambit: Sleepwalking

There's really not much to say about the following game, except to note that Black's 13th move appears to be a novelty (not in The Database) - one that led to immediate success, as I sleepwalked into it.

Not one of my better games, to say the least, but one of my shortest.

perrypawnusher - MarcoManiago

internet, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

7.f4 Qf6 8.Rf1 g6 9.Qh3+ Ke7 10.fxe5

The only other time I followed this line, I played 10.Nc3, in perrypawnpusher - Nivaethan2000, blitz, FICS, 2016 (1-0, 17). 

10...Qxe5 11.d3 d5 

Black's pressure builds on White's pawn center.

12.Qh4+ Ke8 13.Nc3 Bb4 

I hardly paid attention to this very logical move - much to my distress. 

14.Bf4 

Clueless. Better was something like 14.Bd2 d4 15.Nd5 Bxd2+ 16.Kxd2 Be6 with Black better. 

14...Bxc3+ White resigned

Jerome Gambit: Not Fully Realized

In the following Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game, the players are rated about as far below me as I am rated below a master. Yet they create an interesting game, and likely an enjoyable one.

Matthew_Slater - GengisKhanXIV

correspondence, Chess.com, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Qe8 

As I wrote in "Jerome Gambit: Odds"

This is an interesting idea, not fully realized. Black is willing to sacrifice his Rook - see "Jerome Gambit: What About the Rook?" - counting on a strong counter-attack starting with ...Qxe4+.

This is similar to Whistler's defense, where Black plays 7...Qe7, which is more prudent, as it protects his Bishop.

8.Qxh8

Diving into danger, as Black could now play 8...Qxe4+, transposing to Whistler's defense, with advantage.

Best was 8.Qxc5 something not possible against Whistler's defense.

8...Qxe4+ 9.Kf1 

9...Qc4+

It feels good to command side-by-side diagonals, but much stronger was to slide over to the e1-h4 diagonal, with 9...Qh4. At that point the major danger for White would shift to having his Queen trapped - say, 10.g3 Qh3+ 11.Ke2 Qe6+ 12.Kf1 Nf6.

10.d3 Qxc2 11.Qxh7+ Kf8 12.Bh6+

12...Nxh6 13.Qxh6+ Kf7 14.Qd2 

White is up the exchange and a pawn. If you check Geoff Chandler's "blunder table", that is not likely enough for a win, but a "safety first" approach is very reasonable here.

14..Qxd2 15.Nxd2 d5 

Development, of course.

16.Nf3 Bf5 17.d4 

17...Bd3+ 18.Kg1 Re8 

"Counter a threat with a threat" - but this is not any kind of threat.

19.dxc5 Re2 20.b4 b5 21.g3 a5 22.a3

Once White's Rook at h1 gets into the game (after Kg2) everything would be uphill for the second player.

Black resigned

Jerome Gambit: Not Poisoned, But Tasty

                                        

I have been taking a look, again, at a specious defense line in the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), focusing upon the recent games of the online player EsHi71.

My first look at the line was in the blog post "Parts is parts", and the game perrypawnpusher - Kapppy, blitz 2 12, FICS, 2009 from 15 1/2 years ago.

Play the game through, consider the notes.

EsHi71 - Aldiserg

3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Bd6 

Okay, one idea in playing blitz, is to make threats - hopefully ones that will make the opponent think hard, and use up time. 

As you will see, though, EsHi71 has been in this position before, and knows that the Rook is not poisoned, but tasty.

8.Qxh8 Qe7

A recent gimme was 8...Nf6 9.Qxd8 Black resigned, EsHi71 - Brandogenna9, lichess.org, 2023. Certainly not 9.d3 Qxh8, as in EsHi71 - deepakrud, lichess.org, 2022 (0-1, 33);

8...b6 9.Qxh7+, and White's Queen will not be trapped, and will attack, as in EsHi71-Sa_22, lichess.org, 2023 (0-1, 28);

8...Qg5 9.Qxh7+ Kf8 10.O-O worked in EsHi71 - osamaop13, lichess.org, 2023 (1-0, 12);

8...Qf6 9.Qxh7+ as seen in EsHi71 - arashmohseni7311, lichess.org, 2022 and EsHi71 - zacharbell, lichess.org, 2023 (1-0, 48);

8...Qh4 9.d3 Nf6 as in EsHi71-Damarovic, lichess.org, 2024 (1-0, 36), when 10.Nd2 would have helped him more.

9.Qxh7+ Kf6

Or 9...Kf8 10.Qxg6 as in EsHi71 - abhishek7777777, lichess.org, 2024 (1-0, 54). 

10.Qxg8 

White can afford this material grab, as his King is relatively safe. 

10...Qxe4+ 11.Kf1 Qxc2 

Or 11...Bc5 12.Qh8+ Kg5 and Black is facing a forced checkmate, as in EsHi71 - azcamm, lichess.org, 2023(1-0, 16) 

Now White has a Knight move to safeguard his King from apparent danger.

12.Na3 

Attacking the Queen instead of protecting the Knight.

12...Qd1 checkmate

Ouch. 

Bummer.

Such things happen in blitz.

Jerome Gambit: Tactics Galore Redux

It is best to have your tactics sharpened when you play the Jerome Gambit. The following game is  a good example.

Witzelsucht - Paul_Chert_Chess_3

5 0 blitz, 2021 Spring Marathon, 2021

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

7.Qd5+ 

Once again, the "nudge", at least in practice, a bit stronger than the immediate capture of the Bishop.

7...Kf8 8.Qxc5+ d6 9.Qe3 Nf6 10.f4 Kf7 

This is an ordinary Jerome Gambit position.

White should White be thinking about? Well, with both King and Queen on the e-file, one of them should move, as Black is threatening ...Nxe4 and if Qxe4 then ...Re8, winning the Queen. (Technically, Black wins a Queen and a pawn for a Knight and a Rook.)

So 11.O-O would be a reasonable choice.

11.f5

Chasing a familiar Jerome Gambit series of moves.

Well, this is a blitz game, so even players rated almost 2400 can be given a bit of leeway.

11...Ne5 

Black, rated about 1950, takes his oppoent at his word.

Afterward, they both probably found 11...Bxf5 12.O-O (12.exf5 Re8) 12...Be6. 

12.d4 Neg4 

Instead, 12...Nc4 was full of tricks. White would be foolish to be distracted by 13.Qb3 b5 14.Qxb5, as 14...Re8 would be a reminder as to where the action was going to take place: the center. Instead, 13.Qd3 would be met by 13...Re8 (13...b5 would be okay, too, but the pawn would no longer draw the enemy Queen away), when White should castle. The Knight on c4 would then best be supported with 14...b5, and after 15.Nc3 Bb7 15.Bg5 Black would still have the advantage. 

13.Qb3+ 

It is interesting that this check is more effective with Black's advanced Knight out of the way.

I wasn't as direct in my own game against SkypeFro (see "Tactics Galore"), when I played 13.Qf3, 14 years ago (1/2 - 1/2, 39).

13...d5 

Good, although it allows White's e-pawn to slip by.

A wild alternative was 13...Kf8 14.h3 Qe7!? 15.O-O!? Qxe4 16.hxg4 Qxg4, when 17.Rf4 Qd1+ 18.Rf1 Qg4 19.Rf4 etc. would lead to a draw, while 17.Be3 Bxf5 18.Nc3 Re8 would probably leave White with an equal game.

14.e5 Ne4 

Those Knights...

15.e6+ Bxe6 

Returning the extra piece for two pawns.

There were more tactics after 15...Ke8 16.O-O Rf8 17.Nc3 Qh4!? when 18.h3 Ngf2 19.Nxe4 Nxe4 would at least solve the "problem" of Black's two Knights.

16.fxe6+ Kxe6 

Black's King is at risk.

17.Nd2 Nxd2 

There was also the wild 17...Qh4+ 18.g3 Nxg3 19.Nf3 Qh5 20.Ng5+!? Kf6 21.Qxg3 Rae1+ 22.Kf1 when the computer evaluates White as more than a piece better, but who can tell, especially in a 5-minute game.

18.Bxd2 b6 19.O-O-O Nf6 

Material is even, but White's King is much safer, and he has better development. Black works to shore up his position.

20.Rde1+ Kf7 21.Bg5 Re8 22.Rhf1 Rxe1+ 23.Rxe1 c6 

24.Qh3 h6 25.Qe6+ Kf8 

Intuitively - this is a blitz game, thinking time is limited - the King should be safer on his home rank, but it would actually be better on g6.

26.Bf4 Ne4 27.Rxe4 Black resigned

White's Bishop wants to reach d6 with check, and the exchange sacrifice, removing an essential defender, does the job.

Now, after 27...dxe4, Black will have to give up his Queen after 28.Bd6+.

Black resigned

Jerome Gambit: Shorter, Yet

In a recent blog post I made the offhand comment about short games

Probably my favorite line comes from one of my own games, in "Accelerated Jerome Gambit Declined"

perrypawnpusher - NN

blitz, FICS, 2013

1.e4 Black resigned

I just discovered that another one of my recent games was over before it began, before either my opponent or I had made a move.

By way of explanation, I found on the game site

On chess.com, a game is aborted when a player cancels the game before either player has made their first move... When a game is aborted, it is canceled and neither player is credited with a win or loss. Aborted games are also not recorded in the player's game history. However, some players may also abort games intentionally, especially when theyare losing or when playing against a higher ranked opponent. 

Heh. "Higher ranked opponent." I kind of like the sound of that.

 

Jerome Gambit: A Good Example

The goal of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) is to attack the enemy King.

The following game is a good example.

Witzelsucht - Dencoln

3 2 blitz, 2023 Autumn Marathon, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Nf6 10.Nc3 Qe7 11.O-O Kf7 

White's King has castled. Black's King is halfway there.

Black has the standard piece-for-two-pawns material advantage that the defender has in the Jerome Gambit; but he has to be ready for the advance of the "Jerome pawns" and the following attack. 

12.f4 Re8 13.f5 Ne5 14.d4 Nc6 15.Bd2 

15...Bxf5 

Black makes an interesting mistake, the kind that can happen in blitz games. He sees that White's e-pawn is pinned (16.exf5 Qxe3+ 17.Bxe3 Rxe3) but overlooks the protection of the f-pawn by the Rook.

16.Rxf5 g6 17.Rxf6+ 

“When you come to a fork in the road, take it” said baseball player Yogi Berra.

17...Kxf6 18.Rf1+ Kg7 19.Qh6+ Kg8 20.Nd5 

White's pieces continue to swarm.

20...Qe6 21.Nf6+ Kh8 22.Qxh7 checkmate