Jerome Gambit: Who Is The Strongest?

Who is the strongest player to use the Jerome Gambit regularly?

If we define "regularly" as having played 10 games or more, and if we exclude computer programs - Stockfish, Lc0, Shredder, Yace Paderborn, Houdini, Fritz, Hiarcs, and Crafty - we have to acknowledge Grandmasters Hikaru Nakamura and Aman Hambleton.

There is also Grandmaster Andrew Tang, playing as penguinGIM1, who has scored 14-2.

Many of their games can be seen as casual, sometimes played against those who visit their chess sites, it is important to realize that they could have chosen any number of openings, but decided, for whatever reason (amusement comes to mind), to essay Alonzo Wheeler Jerome's creation.

Jerome Gambit: Flag Down

Things happen quickly in a bullet game, especially a Jerome Gambit bullet game.

The following game shows quick play, where White gains the advantage, slips, and then keeps things level until analyzing the tactical nature of positions leads to his opponent flagging. 

feritTurkey - RussellFrege

2 1 bullet, lichess.org

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Bxf7+ 

See the posts "The Abrahams Jerome Gambit (Part I and II)".

3...Kxf7 4.Qh5+ g6 5.Qxe5 Qe7 

There are 30 games with this position in The Database, with White scoring 75%. 

It turns out that Black placing his Queen on e7, very strong in the Jerome Gambit proper (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Qe7) is not as effective here - in fact, White has the advantage.

6.Qxh8 Qxe4+ 7.Ne2 Qxg2 8.Qxh7+ Kf8 

Or 8...Kf6 9.Rf1 Bxf2+ 10.Rxf2+ Black resigned, feritTurkey - Gonzalo-06, lichess.org, 2022. 

9.Rf1 

This move is best, although we have also seen

9.Rg1 Qxf2+ 10.Kd1 d6 11.c3 (11.d4 Black resigned, feritTurkey - dhaoui, lichess.org, 2023) 11...Be6 12.Rxg6 Qf1+ 13.Kc2 Bf5+ 14.d3 Qxe2+ 15.Bd2 Bxg6 16.Qxg6 Nc6 17.Qf5+ Ke7 18.Qe4+ Qxe4 19.dxe4 Nf6 20.Bg5 Bg1 21.Bxf6+ Kxf6 22.Nd2 Bxh2 23.Rf1+ Ke5 24.Nc4+ Kxe4 25.Re1+ Kd5 26.b3 b5 27.Ne3+ Ke4 28.Ng4+ Kf3 29.Nxh2+ Kg2 30.Ng4 Black resigned feritTurkey - Pisaevic, lichess.org, 2022; and

9.d4 Qxh1+ 10.Kd2 Qd5 11.Ke1 Qh1+ 12.Kd2 Qd5 13.Ke1 Be7 14.Bh6+ Ke8 15.Qxg6+ Qf7 16.Qe4 d6 17.Nbc3 Bf5 18.Qxb7 Nxh6 19.Qxa8 Kd7 20.Qxb8 Bxc2 21.Qb5+ c6 22.Qb7+ Ke6 23.d5+ cxd5 24.Nd4+ Ke5 25.Nxc2 Bh4 26.Qxa7 Qxa7 27.Ne2 Qxf2+ 28.Kd2 Nf5 29.Kc3 Qxe2 30.Re1 d4+ 31.Kb3 Bxe1 32.Nxe1 Qxe1 33.a3 Qh4 Whiter resigned, feritTurkey - Ivanchik86, lichess.org, 2022 

9...d6 10.d4 Bh3 

This attack looks scary for White's King, but he will survive.

Retreating the Bishop did not help Black: 10... Bb6 11. Bh6+ Nxh6 12.Qxh6+ Kf7 13.Qh8 Bg4 14.Qh7+ Kf6 15.Qh8+ Kf7 16.Qh7+ Kf6 17.Rg1 Qf3 18.Qh4+ Kf5 19.Ng3+ Ke6 20.d5+ Kxd5 21.Nc3+ Kc6 22.Nge2 Bxf2+ 23.Qxf2 Qxf2+ 24.Kxf2 Bxe2 25.Nxe2 Nd7 26.Rxg6 Ne5 27.Nd4+ Kc5 28.Rg7 c6 29.Rd1 Rf8+ 30.Ke3 Nc4+ 31.Kd3 Black resigned, feritTurkey - Lotfii, lichess.org, 2024. 

11.dxc5 

A slip, but, remember that this is a bullet game. Instead, White stays on top with 11.Rg1 Qd5 12.Bh6+ Nxh6 13.Qxh6+ Ke8 14.Qxh3. 

11...Qxf1+ 12.Kd2 

12...Qxf2 

Pinning the Knight, which he hopes to win after 13...Bg4, but overlooking something.

13.Qxc7 

White misses 13.Qxh3 as well. 

13...Bg4 

Too late. Necessary was more development, 13...Nc6 14.Nbc3 Nf6.

Now White lets the air out of the position.

14.Qxd6+ Ne7 15.Qf4+ Qxf4+ 16.Nxf4 

Here, in a position where White has an edge, Black lost on time.

One Way to Defend Against the Jerome Gambit

How to defend against the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+)?

There are several "refutations" - and I have published all of them that I know of, on this blog - but they are not all readily apparent to Black.

In the following game, Black returns some of the sacrificed material, one of the recommendations for coping with the Jerome, and then retreats a piece; but then finds that he has gotten into more danger.

TePart0 - piuslilanda

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

7.f4 Nf3+ 

Black has to decide how to deal with the direct threat to his Knight, and the indirect threat to his Bishop. He decides to give up the Knight this way, breaking up White's Kingside.

8.gxf3 

Or 8.Qxf3 Qh4+ 9.g3 Qe7 10.f5+ Kf7 11.Qb3+ Ke8 12.d3 Nf6 13.Bg5 h6 14.Bxf6 Qxf6 15.Nc3 c6 16.O-O-O Qd4 {17.Ne2 Qe3+ 18.Rd2 a5 19.Re1 a4 20.Qc3 Bd4 21.Qxd4 Qxd4 22.Nxd4 a3 23.Nf3 axb2+ 24.Kxb2 d6 25.c4 White won on time, Ekrem34 - Hassan313. lichess.org, 2022. 

7...Be7 

Taking the Bishop out of danger, although 8...Bb6 and the novelty 8...d5 were better moves.

Also seen

8...d6 9.f5+ Ke7 10.Qg5+ Kf8 11.Qxd8+ Kf7 Black resigned in Fixxxxxer - Killuminati6933, lichess.org, 2022; and

8...Bf8 9.Qf5+ Ke7 10.Nc3 Nf6 11.e5 Ng8 12.Qg5+ Ke8 13.Rg1 Qxg5 14.Rxg5 h6 15.Rg2 b6 16.d4 Bb7 17.Rf2 Bb4 18.Bd2 Ne7 19.O-O-O Bxc3 20.Bxc3 Nd5 21.Bd2 a5 22.c4 Ne7 23.d5 Nf5 24.e6 dxe6 25.dxe6 Ke7 26.Bc3 Rad8 27.Bxg7 Nxg7 28.Rg2 Rxd1+ 29.Kxd1 Nf5 30.Rg6 Rd8+ 31.Ke2 Rf8 32.Rg2 Kxe6 33.Rf2 Ke7 34.Rf1 Re8 35.Kf2 Kf7 36.Kg1 Rf8 37.Rf2 Ne3 38.Rg2 Nf5 39.Rf2 Ne3 40.Rg2 Nf5 41.Rg3 Rg8 42.Rg7+ Rxg7+ 43.Kf2 Ne3 44.Kxe3 Kf8 45.Ke2 White won on time. Wolfpack1051 - DragonBen, lichess.org, 2022. 

The text move ends the game quickly

9.Qf5+ Kd6 10.Qd5 checkmate

Is the Non-Bxf7 Jerome Bukayev Gambit More Useful Than the Standard Jerome Gambit? (Part 1)

 

Is the Non-Bxf7 Jerome Bukayev Gambit 

More Useful Than the Standard Jerome Gambit? (Part 1)

                                                              (by Yury V. Bukayev)

Dear readers, you have seen the series of my analytical chess investigations ' Was H.Nakamura Right? Is JG ‘Unbreakable’, Is EG ‘Legendary’ For Beginners’ Games? ', it has four published parts today. You can see that my invented Jerome gambit variations in these parts can work against beginners well, so the standard system of JG (4.Bxf7+) is really 'unbreakable' against beginners. But these variations are dangerous for White mostly, if White's opponent plays stronger. In other words, White chooses one of these variations with an additional risk for himself, when he plays against a more strong player than a beginner.

Seven years ago Rick Kennedy's blog published (March 27, 2017) my following words: 

" Here is my new gambit. It is very risky, like the Jerome Gambit. It is a non-Bxf7 relative of the JG. Here it is. 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nge7 4.0-0 Nd4 5.Nxe5? Nxb5 6.Nxf7! Kxf7 7.Qh5+ with the idea Qxb5. I suggest to play it to everyone who likes the Jerome Gambit. "

The following two questions arise now. Here is the first one: is this Bukayev gambit 'unbreakable' against beginners? And here is the second one: if no, does it have any large advantage when we compare it with 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ ?

Fortunately, we can find answers. Thus, we can see that after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nge7 4.0-0 Nd4 5.Nxe5 Nxb5 6.Nxf7 Kxf7 7.Qh5+ a very large part of beginners will play 7...Kg8!?. After 8.Qxb5! a very large part of beginners will want to develop minor pieces. The 1st part of them will play 8...Nc6??. The 2nd part of them will play 8...Ng6??. The 3rd part of them will see the checkmate 9.Qd5# after their silent touch to his Knight on e7, so White will require Black's Knight move here and will checkmate him then. Let's see also that some part of beginners will play 7...Ng6 8.f4!? Kg8?? (the threat 9.f5, 10.fxg6+ can be seen by each beginner), so White will checkmate with 9.Qd5# too. Nevertheless, it isn't enough for the high appraisal 'unbreakable against beginners', it is the first answer. 

We can see the following clear advantage of this Bukayev gambit in that comparison. If Black plays stronger, then White captures Black's Knight on b5, and the game goes on, like in main lines of the standard Jerome gambit. In other words, White has no additional risk for himself, because his main - strongest - line creates these traps, in contrast to 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ . It's one of large advantages of this gambit. It is the second answer.

Contact the author:  istinayubukayev@yandex.ru

Jerome Gambit: Black and His Bishop

The following Jerome Gambit game is a short story about Black and his Bishop.

rahaf2018 - sudarshil

5 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nc6 3.Bxf7+ Kxf7 4.Nf3 Bc5 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 

The game has transposed into mainstream Jerome Gambit lines.

6.d4 Bb4+

This move is playable for Black, although more often seen are 6...Qh4 and 6...Bxd4.

For related earlier posts, see "Jerome Gambit: What Is Black Up To?" and "Jerome Gambit for Dummies 2.0 (Part 6)"

7.c3 Bd6

Black worries about the Bishop. He could have simply preserved it, with 7...Be7 or abandoned it with 7...Ng6 8.cxb4 d5, both ways with advantage. 

8.dxe5 Bxe5 

Again, 8...Be7 was simpler. 

9.Qd5+ Kf6 

Hanging on to the prelate.

10.f4 Bd6 

Black should have just surrendered the Bishop with 10...Ne7 11.Qxe5+, although White would be better.

11.e5+

Sure, this will do, but so would 11.Qg5+ winning the enemy Queen. 

11...Bxe5 

Still, the story is not all about the Bishop, and 11...Ke7 12.exd6+ cxd6 was the way to go, although White would still be better.

12.fxe5+ Kg6 13.O-O d6 

Black then resigned, as his move allows immediate checkmate

 

3 years ago for 7...Bxc3 8.bxc3 Jerome Gambit: The Little Things Add Up Wall, Bill - Yapwx

internet, 2021(1-0, 17)

Jerome Gambit: Assistance

As is often the case, the Jerome Gambit benefits from any assistance given by the defender. 

So do lines related to the Jerome, as in the following game.

ZeKnightRider - skvoretc

5 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Na5 

First looked at on this blog in "Offside!", 16 years ago.

White can now simply play 4.Nxe5, or simply 4.Be2, but he want to apply the Jerome treatment.  

4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke7 

Or 5...Ke6 6.d4 d6 7.Qg4+ Ke7 8.Qg5+ Nf6 9.Nf3 Nc6 and White is a bit better.

And 5...Ke8 can be met by the thematic 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Nxg6.

6.Qf3 

Somewhat stronger is 6.d4, but White is thinking about a knockout blow.  

6...Nf6 7.Nc3 

7...d6 8.Nd5+ 

It is interesting that 8.d4!? was a good move here, as 8...dxe5 (9...Ke8 or 9...Qe8 could be tried) 9.dxe5 9...N-moves is met by 10.Bg5+. Better is 9...Rg8!? when White can grab the Knight with 10.exf6 or build the pressure with 10.Bg5.  

8...Ke6 

Of course, dodging 8...Nxd5 9.Qf7 checkmate, but missing White's next move, nonetheless. 

Instead, 8...Ke8 would leave White searching for a followup. There is nothing in 9.Nd3 Nxd5 10.exd5 Qe7+, 9.Nxf6+ Qxf6, or  9.d4 dxe5 10.dxe5 Nxd5. 

9.Qf5 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: Not So Quick

Not all Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) games end quickly - either by a crashing attack by White, or a devastating counter-attack by Black. 

The following interesting four end-of-the-game positions are from blitz games that lasted over 100 moves. 

donkeykong8991 - NarekO31, blitz, 2022

This position looks like a routine checkmate, but getting there was illuminating.

At move 60, there was a draw offer made by White, which accurately assessed the King + Rook vs King + Rook position. Black declined, perhaps due to the clock - they were playing 3 2 blitz.

Unfortunately, at move 91 there was a losing error by Black, who, still, at move 97 offered a draw in a King + Rook vs King endgame. 

White checkmated at move 119.

ryuugu-rena - tqd0306, blitz, 2022

This 10-minute game was drawn in 113 moves.  Fair enough, but the players had reached the Bishop vs Pawn situation at move 61, and Black could have captured the pawn on move 61. It is not clear if the 50-move was invoked.

krickold - maia1, blitz, 2023

This rowdy 119 move draw was accomplished through stalemate in a 3 2 blitz game. 

From the United States Chess Federation website on the topic of stalemate

Although the concept of stalemate had long been recognized as a different result to checkmate, there was no universally accepted rule on its significance before the 19th century. Through different regions and times, the stalemate rule evolved through one of the following: 1) stalemate was an illegal position, 2) stalemate was a win -- or half-win -- for the player delivering the position, 3) stalemate was a loss for the player delivering the position, or 4) stalemate was a draw.  

In his book The Famous Game of Chesse-Play in 1614, Arthur Saul wrote a chapter titled "The diversity of Mates, and which are worthy of praise, or disspraise," and the section was pertinent to both his attitude and the influence on the stalemate rule... 

He concludes by saying that players who give stalemate "purchase unto themselves such shame, which will not after be put away without much blushing."  

(Readers may have noted that White has all of his pieces, which means at the very least he must have promoted a pawn to another light square Bishop. In fact, he also promoted a pawn to a dark square Bishop, another pawn to a Knight, and a third pawn to a Queen. White was having fun against the maia1 computer program  )

DrMarlonsky - djh2075, blitz, 2022

In this 113 move 5 2 blitz game, White gave up his last piece on move 91. After all, who knows how to checkmate with Knight and Bishop these days, especially with the clock ticking? Apparently, djh2075.