Jerome Gambit: Sillycon Defense?!

One criticism that has been leveled against some who favor a particular opening or defense is that they, in their fervor, tend to overlook sharing effective responses.

I have not heard this charge leveled at this blog, and for a good reason. If there is a refutation to the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), you will find it here.

In the following game, I was pretty much destroyed by my opponent. 

Part of this comes, no doubt, from my choice to play the Jerome in a game with a very generous time limit of 1 move / 3 days, instead of blitz. 

The main reason, though is that Alfil_7 was well-prepared and willing to pursue his counter-attack with gusto.

Obviously, I have some repair work to do.

perrypawnpusher - Alfil_7

3 d/move, "Piano Piano", 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.f4 Kc6 

Nine years ago, I presented Philidor1792 - NN, casual game, 2012 (0-1, 17), and commented

A new move, as far as I can tell. When you are two pieces up, as Black is, you can simply give one back, and remain with the advantage.

The anonymous NN was not soon alone: VMACforever - Sillycon, standard, FICS, 2013 (0-1, 23) was played a year later. Since Black in that game was a 2369-rated computer program, it is tempting to label 8...Kc6 the "Sillycon defense".☺

Six years ago, when I posted "A Surprising New Defense Against the Jerome Gambit", I asked

Can Black's King simply walk away from his Knight like that??
The remainder of the game suggests that he can.

One year ago, when I presented the game Lc0 - Stockfish 11, 2020 (0-1, 43), I warned "Jerome Gambit: The Future Is Here".

In all, The Database shows 11 games with 9...Nc6, played before mine, with White scoring 4 - 7 (36%). By comparison, the basic 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ scores 48%

9.Qxe5 Nf6 10.d3 

Although I did not know it at the time of this game, this move seems to have been introduced in Jagulep - jitendrabhand, 10 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2018 (0-1, 38).

My reason for playing 10.d3, as opposed to 10.d4, was given in my notes to the Lc0 - Stockfish 11, 2020 game

This [10.d4] is a typically aggressive Jerome Gambit move, that, superficially, blocks Black's dark-square Bishop, which is essential for White to castle. However, Komodo 10 was suspicious, preferring 10.d3, realizing that castling will not be possible, and resisting what danger might come down the e-file.

10...d5 11.Qc3 Re8 12. b4 

It seemed like a good idea at the time.

12...Nxe4 13.dxe4 Rxe4+ White resigned

Wow. 

There is nothing but pain and sorrow ahead.

Very fine game, Alfil_7!

Jerome Gambit: "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short" (Part 1)

  

Thomas Hobbes, in his Leviathan, (1651), wrote about life in the "natural state of mankind" before the establishment of a central government as being "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short".

A Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game features an attack that often delivers that "natural state" to the defender.

It is important to remember, however, that in certain Jerome Gambit variations, effective (sometimes protective) central pawns are necessary for White, without which there can be dire consequences - as I learned quickly in my game four months ago, perrypawnpusher - Alfil_7, 3d/move, Piano Piano, Chess.com, 2021 (0-1, 13).

Of course, it was only a matter of time before I faced the same defense / counterattack again. It was not an easy matter.

perrypawnpusher - jonmather

3d/move, "Giuoco Piano" tournament, 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. f4 Kc6 

I call this the "Sillycon Defense", as can partly be explained by earlier posts

Nine years ago, I presented Philidor1792 - NN, casual game, 2012 (0-1, 17), and commented

A new move, as far as I can tell. When you are two pieces up, as Black is, you can simply give one back, and remain with the advantage.

The anonymous NN was not soon alone: VMACforever - Sillycon, standard, FICS, 2013 [1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Kc6 9.Qxe5 Nf6 10.d4 d6 11.d5+ Kb6 12.Qc3 a5 13.a3 Nxe4 14.Qb3+ Ka6 15.Be3 Qh4+ 16.g3 Nxg3 17.Qd3+ b5 18.a4 Re8 19.Qxb5+ Ka7 20.Qxe8 Ne4+ 21.Kd1 Bg4+ 22.Kc1 Bxe3+ 23.d2 White resigned] was played a year later. Since Black in that game was a 2369-rated computer program, it is tempting to label 8...Kc6 the "Sillycon defense".☺

Six years ago, when I posted "A Surprising New Defense Against the Jerome Gambit", I asked

Can Black's King simply walk away from his Knight like that??
The remainder of the game suggests that he can.

One year ago, when I presented the game Lc0 - Stockfish 11, 2020 (0-1, 43), I warned "Jerome Gambit: The Future Is Here".

Then came the crushing  perrypawnpusher - Alfil_7, 3d/move, Piano Piano, Chess.com, 2021.

I would like to point out that Black's King's abandonment of his Knight looks silly at first glance (White thinks "Well, then I will just take the piece"), but the move is part of a deeper "con" - to get someone to believe something by use of trickery - that includes danger down the e-file, which will often contain White's Queen and King.

9.Qxe5 Nf6 10.d3 

There are 18 games in The Database with the aggressive alternative, 10.d4. The main idea behind the move is that if 10...d6 then 11.d5+, pushing Black's King toward the Queenside where an attack on it might prove fatal. Results show this hope to be overly optimistic, however, as White scores 22% in the line. 

I chose the text move because I wanted as much support for my e-pawn as possible.

10...Re8 

Another piece targets White's center. The Database has only one other example, but it certainly looks like the right idea. Also effective is 10...d5.

11.Qg5 

The attacking idea behind this move was a bit misplaced - as was Black's King. There is nobody home on the Kingside to attack.

The defending idea behind this move was more motivated - to exchange Queens in the event that Black tries to break through the center with a piece sacrifice.

I need to rethink this variation. Some tentative new ideas follow.

[to be continued]

Jerome Gambit: Piano Piano Update Update Update

 

Although there are still games to be completed in Round 1 of the Chess.com "Piano Piano" tournament, it is possible to identify almost all of the players from each group that will move on to Round 2.

As the starting position will again be 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5, I will continue to have my opportunities to play the Jerome Gambit.

  

Group 1

TheSadKnight1, jan-por, YellowRam

Group 2

Crazyswimmerman, Kyleriz, Black_Bull

Group 3

thejamch, Alfil_7, Escaqueitor

Group 4

jjdd57, acasimon1987

     Either vs33 or uhuru

Group 5

schoollibrarian, Kugich, MickeyDelaware

Group 6

perrypawnpusher, ZlikoM1, PasayDefence

Jerome Gambit: Deadlost (Part 1)

 

The online website Chess.com has a bevy of computer-based characters you can  play against.

I have shared my adventures against a couple of dog characters, buddybuckets-dog and Wishboy. Nice boys...

Recently, I tried my hand against Deadlost, Chess.com's warped interpretation of Marvel comics' "merc with a mouth", Deadpool.

The site warns "Don't be distracted when he breaks the 4th wall", and believe me, he does yammer a lot. Well, he produces text commentary regularly. I quote some below, in red.

The biggest distraction, however, was the constant appearance of the "Page Unresponsive" warning from my own computer, which meant I was battling even more to stay focused on my moves and those of my opponent.

Of course, the perfect weapon for me to brandish was the Jerome Gambit.

perrypawnpusher - DeadlostBot

Chess.com, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

Impressive bishop capture! But how does a chess bot know the exact move you just made? Do I know too much? Do I transcend virtual and physical planes with my omnipotence? Help, I'm scared.

Deadlost can keep that chatter up, but I will edit (or cut) some of the future comments - Rick

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 

I'm going to "retcon" your piece from being on the board to not being on the board (you like that lingo, comic book nerds?)

6.Qh5+

Ouch! It literally, physically hurts when you put me in check. Ouch it still hurts! Please have mercy on me!

The Jerome Gambit can have that effect on some people.

6...Ke6 

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4

Threatening my piece, huh? In comic books, we call that an "inciting incident" for a "villian arc."

8...Nc6

Stronger was 8...Qf6, or 8...Qh4+ or 8...Kc6, the sillycon defense, with the King moving, instead of the Knight, as I faced in perrypawnpusher - jonmather, Giuoco Piano tournament, Chess.com, 2021 (1-0, 33) and perrypawnpusher - alfil_7, Piano Piano, Chess.com, 2021 (0-1, 13).

9.Qd5+ 

Yury V. Bukayev has invented the following and comments: "More interesting is my 9.Nc3!? N because it is a trap. For example, after the 'natural' 9...Bb6? White gets the advantage by 10.Qf7!!"

9...Ke7

The engine says our midgame is equal. But you really shouldn't trust computers...

Deadlost is onto something. Stockfish 15.1 (30 ply) sees Black as being about 1 1/2 pawns ahead.

10.Qxc5+ d6

I'm here to chew bubblegum and capture your queen. And I'm all out of bubblegum.

11.Qe3 Qf8 

I knew that move was a mistake, but I made it anyway to be edgy and cool.

Instead, 11...Nf6 12.O-O Rf8 was seen in perrypawnpusher - trombose, 2 19 blitz, FICS, 2013  (1-0, 31).

I was pleased that the Jerome Gambit had set some problems for my opponent, but there was much more work to do.

[to be continued]

Jerome Gambit: Cat-Astrophe

 Continuing my Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) play against chess bots at Chess.com (see my games against DeadLost, Grandpa Gambit, and Antonio), I decided to take on Mittens.

A kitty cat. What could possibly go wrong?

A whole lot, actually, as it turned out.

After the game, I learned that Mittens was rated 3300.

perrypawnpusher - MittensBot

Chess.com, 2023

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Kc6

This is the sillycon defense, with the King moving, instead of the Knight, to the c6 square.

I faced it in a couple of games, a couple of years ago, in perrypawnpusher - jonmather, Giuoco Piano tournament, Chess.com, 2021 (1-0, 33) and perrypawnpusher - alfil_7, Piano Piano, Chess.com, 2021 (0-1, 13).

The Database has 44 games with the defense, with White scoring 34%.

9.fxe5 

This was something new, according to The Database.

I played 9.Qxe5 in the above-mentioned games.

Stockfish 15.1 (30 ply) prefers the Queen capture by 1/50th of a pawn.

9...b6 10.c3 Nh6 11.Qh5 Ba6 12.d4 Be7 

Black is ahead in development. Still, I figured that if I could castle Queenside, I might have something. 

13.Bxh6 

Planning to grab a pawn.

Looking at the computer's recommendation after the game - 13.b3 Qe8 14.Qxe8 Raxe8 15.Bxh6 gxh6 16.c4 Kb7 17.Rf1 d6 18.exd6 Bxd6 - it is easy to see how scary the lead in development might play out. Especially after 19.e5 Rxe5!? Those Bishops!

13...gxh6 14.Qxh6+ Kb7 15.Nd2 Bg5 

Time to make a reference to "cat scratch fever"?

16.Qh3 Qg8 17.O-O-O 

The escape is an illusion.

17...Qxa2 18.Kc2 Qa4+ 19.Kb1 Raf8 

20.Nf3 

This development un-defends the King. The result is immediate.

20...Rxf3 21.gxf3 Bc4 22.Rdg1 Bd3 checkmate

Whew! What a catastrophe.

Jerome Gambit: Susan Polgar Tweets (Part 2)

 [continued from the previous post]

In the previous post we looked at a tweet by Grandmaster Susan Polgar about the value of opening study for novice chess players, and the ensuing discussion.

Admittedly, things got a bit crass, fast.

I would like to share some thoughts.

I agree with Grandmaster Polgar, that for novice players (and a lot of us who are beyond novice) to focus a lot on openings is not the right use of one's valuable time; it is better to focus on sound opening principles, improving tactics, learning basic endgames, and developing understanding of strategies, etc.

That might seem a bit odd, coming from someone who maintains a blog focused on a chess opening (and which is approaching its' 4,000th post), but I have always believed that the early sacrifices in the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) are an expressway out of a quiet opening and into the tactical complications of the middle game. In fact, many defenders are barely settled in their seats before their brain sends the message What in the world is happening to me??

That said, I think that Grandmaster Polgar made a minor misstep by supporting her argument by pointing out that if a Grandmaster opened a game with various unorthodox moves, would that mean that the novice opponent could beat the GM? (Of course not!)

In fact, if the novice player rattled off the first dozen "best" moves in the Najdorf Sicililan (or any other top level line), the Grandmaster would still win - perhaps not as quickly, but just as inevitably.

Grandmaster vs novice equals crush.

More to Grandmaster Polgar's point, a novice player facing a novice player (or a club player facing a club player) would do best to polish those sound opening principles, middlegame tactics and basic endgames. That is the highway to success.

By the way, I will continue my exploration of the Jerome Gambit, but always with the following tactical debacle in mind: perrypawnpusher - alfil_7, "Piano Piano" tournament, Chess.com, 2021 (0-1, 35). Tactics. Ouch.

Jerome Gambit: Further Discussion

In the email where Yury V. Bukayev pointed me this material by the St. Louis Chess Club, he reminds my post of December 12, 2023, which adds to the line of play by Grandmaster Elshan Moradiabadi.

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

5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Nc6 

Black's last move was Grandmaster Moradiabadi's considered response.

It was also seen in "Jerome Gambit: Deadlost" where I noted

Stronger was 8...Qf6, or 8...Qh4+ or 8...Kc6, the sillycon defense, with the King moving, instead of the Knight, as I faced in perrypawnpusher - jonmather, Giuoco Piano tournament, Chess.com, 2021 (1-0, 33) and perrypawnpusher - alfil_7, Piano Piano, Chess.com, 2021 (0-1, 13).

9.Qd5+

This is GM Moradiabadi's only idea and my move against the chess program Deadlost.

From that post of December, 12, 2023

Yury V. Bukayev has invented the following and comments: "More interesting is my 9.Nc3!? N because it is a trap. For example, after the 'natural' 9...Bb6? White gets the advantage by 10.Qf7!!"

Jerome Gambit: Piano Piano, Round 2

 

Round 2, of the Chess.com tournament "Piano Piano" has started.

I am in Group 2, along with jjdd57, Kugich, Alfil_7, PasayDefence, acasimon1987, Escaqueitor, vs33, and YellowRam.

I can count on playing 8 more Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) games this round. I will post them all.

Currently I am playing the Jerome in 4 games.

To my opponents, as ever, I wish good chess!