Exploring

The regular Jerome Gambiteer has an interesting dilemma: play the "book" lines of the gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), all of which lead to established "refutations", hoping that his opponents will fall apart along the way; or go exploring in the side-lines of the opening – which, supposedly if they were any good, would be the main lines, after all, wouldn't they...?

DREWBEAR 63 - Haroldlee123

JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.c3

A relatively new idea, first played in 2006 as far as I can tell. White looks to support a d2-d4 thrust.

8...Bb6

DREWBEAR 63 has experience on both sides of these lines, especially in the current tournament: 8...Qf6 9.d4 ( 9.Qxf6+ Nxf6 10.d4 Nxe4 11.dxc5+ Nxc5 12.0-0 Ned3 13.Nd2 Ne5 14.f4 Ned3 15.Nc4+ Kc6 16.Ne5+ Nxe5 17.fxe5 Nd3 18.Rf7 Nxe5 19.Rxg7 Nd3 20.b4 Nxc1 21.Rxc1 d6 22.a4 b5 23.axb5+ Kxb5 24.Rxc7 Ba6 25.Rd7 Kc6 26.Rf7 Kb6 27.Rb1 Raf8 28.Rxf8 Rxf8 29.Rc1 Bc4 30.h3 Rg8 31.Kh2 Bd5 32.Rc2 Be4 33.Re2 d5 34.c4 Rxg2+ 35.Rxg2 Bxg2 36.Kxg2 dxc4 37.Kf2 Kb5 White resigned, mediax - drewbear, JG4 thematic Chessworld, 2008) 9...Nd3+ 10.Kd2 Qxf5 11.exf5 Nxc1 ( 11...Nxf2 12.dxc5+ Kxc5 13.Re1 Ng4 14.h3 N4f6 15.b4+ Kc6 16.c4 b6 17.Na3 Nh6 18.g4 Nf7 19.Re7 Rf8 20.Bb2 Ne8 21.Rae1 Nfd6 22.Bxg7 Rg8 23.f6 Bb7 24.b5+ Kc5 25.R7e5+ Kb4 26.Nc2+ Ka5 27.Kc3 Nxg7 28.fxg7 Bg2 29.Rb1 c6 30.Rb3 Ka4 31.Ra3 checkmate, DREWBEAR 63 - GladtoMateYou, JGTourney4 Chessworld 2009) 12.dxc5+ Kxc5 13.Rxc1 d6 14.b4+ Kc6 15.Na3 Bxf5 16.b5+ Kc5 17.f3 Nf6 18.g4 Bd7 19.c4 a6 20.Rab1 axb5 21.cxb5+ Kd5 22.Rxc7 Bc8 23.Rxg7 Nd7 24.Re1 Rxa3 25.Ree7 Rxa2+ 26.Kc1 Rd8 27.Rg5+ Kc4 28.Kb1 Rxh2 29.Re4+ Kb3 30.Kc1 Nc5 31.Re3+ Kb4 32.b6 Rh8 33.Rf5 Bxf5 White resigned, DREWBEAR 63 - metalwarrior1969,JGTourney4 Chessworld 2009;

And 8...g6 9.Qf4 Nf6 10.d4 Ke6 11.Qxe5+ Kf7 12.Qxc5 d6 13.Qc4+ d5 14.exd5 Nxd5 15.0-0 Re8 16.Na3 Be6 17.Qd3 Bf5 18.Qf3 Kg7 19.Nc4 c6 20.g4 Be4 21.Qh3 g5 22.Qh5 h6 23.Ne5 Nf6 24.Qf7+ Kh8 25.Ng6+ Bxg6 26.Qxg6 Ng8 27.h4 Re7 28.hxg5 Rg7 29.Qh5 Qd6 30.gxh6 Rh7 31.g5 Qd5 32.Qe2 Ne7 33.Qe5+ Qxe5 34.dxe5 Rg8 35.f4 Nf5 36.b4 Rg6 37.Bb2 Ne3 38.Rf2 Kg8 39.Rd2 Nc4 40.Rd8+ Kf7 41.Rd7+ Kg8 42.Rxh7 Kxh7 43.Bc1 b6 44.f5 Rg8 45.g6+ Kh8 46.Bg5 Re8 47.Bf6+ Kg8 48.h7+ Kf8 49.h8Q checkmate, DREWBEAR 63 - gwyn1, JGTourney4 Chessworld 2009;

Or 8...Nh6 9.Qf4 Rf8 10.Qxe5+ Kxe5 11.d4+ Bxd4 12.cxd4+ Kxe4 13.Nc3+ Kxd4 14.Be3+ Ke5 15.0-0 Nf5 16.Rfe1 Kf6 17.Nd5+ Kf7 18.Rad1 d6 19.Nf4 Nxe3 20.Rxe3 Qf6 21.Nd5 Qd8 22.Re7+ Kg8 23.Rxc7 Qh4 24.g3 Qe4 25.Ne7+ Kh8 26.Rxd6 Bh3 White resigned, mediax - eddie43, Chessworld 2008

9.d4 Nd3+

An interesting and novel way to return one of the extra pieces.

10.Kd2 Qf6

10...Nxc1 would preserve the material status quo and would be a good choice – if it didn't lead to a mate-in-two.

11.Qd5+ Ke7 12.Kxd3 h6 13.f4

You have to wonder, if Wilhelm Steinitz ("the Austrian Morphy") ever played the Jerome Gambit (giving "Jerome Gambit odds," of course, to a much weaker player) if he might one day have reached this kind of position. The King is a strong piece!

13...Qd6

The position has gotten strange enough that Haroldlee123 would prefer an exchange of Queens. DREWBEAR 63, on the other hand, would prefer not.

14.Qh5 g6 15.Qh4+ Qf6 16.Qf2 c5

Hitting the center at its apparently weakest point, although 16...d5 was probably better. Now White can get an interesting and relatively equal game with 17.dxc5, but he wants to hold onto his pawn center. It turns out that this goal is unreachable, however.

17.e5 Qf5+ 18.Ke2 cxd4 19.cxd4 Qe4+ 20.Kf1

Or 20.Be3 Bxd4 21.Nc3 Qc2+ 22.Kf3 Qxf2+ 23.Kxf2 Bxc3 24.bxc3 h5 when White has one pawn for his piece, and Black's positional cramp and delay in development are not adequate compensation.

20...Qd3+ 21.Kg1

White played this move – and then resigned. He can lose his Queen to 21...Bxd4, or his King to 21...Qd1+ 22.Qf1 Bxg4+ 23.Be3 Bxe3 checkmate

How do you catch a pirate?

With 15 points out of 18 games, Piratepaul has become a player to be reckoned with (see "Aarrgghhh!") in the ongoing Chessworld Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+)Thematic Tournament. So - how do you catch a pirate?

Well, you can always cross your fingers and hopes he makes an oversight, like in his game (move 25) against eddie43. It's not very likely, but it could happen.

Piratepaul - eddie43
JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.c3 d6 6.d3 h6 7.a4 a6 8.0-0 Nf6 9.b4 Ba7 10.Kh1 Bg4 11.Nbd2 d5 12.Qb3 Be6 13.Qc2 Ng4 14.d4 exd4 15.cxd4 Nxd4 16.Nxd4 Bxd4 17.Nf3 dxe4 18.Nxd4 Qxd4 19.Qxc7+ Kg6 20.Be3 Nxf2+ 21.Bxf2 e3 22.Qg3+ Kh7 23.Bxe3 Qxb4 24.Rab1 Qe4 25.Rxb7 Qxb7 26.a5 Rhf8 27.Re1 Qb5 28.Bb6 Rf1+ 29.Rxf1 Qxf1+ 30.Bg1 Bc4 31.Qc3 Kg8 32.h3 Re8 33.Kh2 Qf4+ 34.Kh1 Bb5 35.Qb3+ Bc4 36.Qc3 Bd5 37.Qc2 Qg3 38.Qd2 Qxh3+ 39.Bh2 Re1+ 40.Qxe1 Qxg2 checkmate

You could also take the "extra" piece you have as Black, and whip up an attack on his King, like blackburne did.

Piratepaul - blackburne
JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.c3 h6 6.d3 Nf6 7.0-0 d6 8.a4 a6 9.b4 Ba7 10.Qb3+ Be6 11.c4 Nd4 12.Qd1 Rf8 13.Nc3 Kg8 14.Kh1 Bg4 15.Be3 Bxf3 16.gxf3 Nh5 17.Rg1 Nxf3 18.Rg2 Qh4 19.Ne2 Rf7 20.Bxa7 Rxa7 21.b5 Ra8 22.a5 Raf8 23.Qb3 Nd2 24.Qc2 Rxf2 25.Qxd2 Rxg2 26.Rg1 Rxh2 checkmate

Or you could simply hang in there, fight every step of the way, and look for a good Frank Marshall-style swindle to get you out of trouble.

In this position from Sir Osis of the Liver - Piratepaul, JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009, White is a piece and a couple of pawns down, and if the position weren't complicated, he could resign the game in good faith.

Instead, White gave it one more try.

30.Qxe5 Nf4 31.Rxf6 Nxd3

Threatening the annoying Queen, but reaching a bit too far. Simply good enough was 31...gxf6 32.Qxf6+ Kh7 33.Qxf4

32.Rxh6 checkmate

Aarrgghhhh!

With over two-thirds (144 out of 210) of the games in the 15-player, double-round robin Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) Thematic Tournament at ChessWorld completed, White has scored 34%.

It looks like a change in leadership is immenent.

DREWBEAR 63 is the leader, with 16 points out of 26 games completed, but he is followed closely by the surging Piratepaul (15 points out of 18 games completed) and Sir Osis of the Liver (15 points out of 24 games completed).

Fourth place is held by eddie43 (12.5 points out of 24 games), followed closely by GladtoMateU (12 points out of 22 games,) blackburne (11.5 points out of 22 games) and Black Puma (11 points out of 25 games).

Those players with with the best winning percentages are stampyshortlegs (a blistering 9 points out of 10 games) and Piratepaul.

Quickies

Here are a few more games from the current Chessworld Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) Thematic Tournament – don't blink or they'll be over before you know it.

stampyshortlegs - GladtoMateYou

JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.d4 TN 7...Bxd4 8.c3 Bc5 9.Qf5+ Kd6 10.f4 Qe7 11.fxe5+ Qxe5 [ 11...Kc6 12.b4 d6 -+ ] 12.Bf4 Black resigned

GladtoMateYou - Haroldlee123

JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Qe2 Qf6 6.Qc4+ TN 6...Ke8 7.Qxc5 d6 +/= 8.Qa3 Bg4 9.Nc3 Bxf3 10.gxf3 Qxf3 11.Rg1 Nd4 12.Rg3 Qh1+ White resigned

Luke Warm - stampyshortlegs

JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nc3 Nf6 6.d3 Rf8 7.Bg5 Kg8 8.h4 TN 8...d6 9.Qd2 Bg4 10.Nd5 Bxf3 11.gxf3 Nd4 12.Rg1 [ 12.0-0-0 -+ ] 12...Nxf3+ 13.Ke2 Nxd2 14.Bxd2 Nxd5 15.exd5 Qxh4 16.Be3 Bxe3 White resigned

TWODOGS - Crusader Rabbit

JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.d4 Bxd4 6.0-0 TN 6...Ke8 7.Ng5 Bxb2 8.Qf3 Qf6 9.Bxb2 Qxg5 10.Na3 Nh6 11.Nc4 Rf8 12.Qc3 Nd4 13.Bc1 Qxc1 14.Qxd4 Qg5 15.Qc5 Kd8 [ 15...Rf4 -+ ] 16.Qxf8 checkmate

Speechless

I really didn't know what to say about the following Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game, so I turned it over to my computer. The analysis is by Rybka 3, inside the Fritz program; so the comments come from Fritz 8. I made the diagrams, though.

Warning: the machine is rather cold-hearted in its evaluations.

Crusader Rabbit - blackburne
JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009
[Rybka 3 Human 32-bit (600s)]
C50: Hungarian Defence and Giuoco Pianissimo


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


4...Kxf7 5.0-0 Nf6

6.c3 Rf8 7.d4 exd4 8.Qb3+?

Better was: 8.e5!? Nd5 9.b4 -/+

8...Ke8

8...d5 might be the shorter path: 9.Bg5 Bb6 10.Nbd2 -+

9.Re1

9.e5 Ng4 10.Bg5 Be7 11.Bxe7 Qxe7 -+ ( 11...Nxe7?! 12.Re1 -/+; 11...Kxe7?! 12.cxd4 Rf5 13.Qd5 =/+)

9...d6

9...Qe7 10.h3 -+

10.cxd4

Better was: 10.Bg5 -+

10...Bb6??

Forfeits the advantage. Better was 10...Bxd4, the advantage is on the side of Black, 11.Bg5 h6 12.Nxd4 Nxd4 ( 12...hxg5?! 13.Nxc6 bxc6 14.e5 -+) 13.Qa4+ Nc6 -+

11.e5 -/+ dxe5 12.dxe5??

Better was: 12.Nxe5 the rescuing straw 12...Ne7 13.Nc3 =/+

12...Ng4 -+ 13.Bg5

13.Be3 Nxe3 14.fxe3 Bg4 -+

13...Qd7

13...Nd4 seems even better: 14.Bxd8 Nxb3 15.axb3 Bxf2+ 16.Kh1 Bxe1 17.Bxc7 Nf2+ 18.Kg1 Nh3+ 19.Kf1 -+

14.e6

14.Bh4 g5! the final blow 15.e6 -+

14...Qd6 15.e7 Rf7

Better was: 15...Bxf2+ and Black takes home the point 16.Kf1 Bxe1 17.exf8N Kxf8-+ ( 17...Qxf8?! 18.Kxe1 h6 19.Bh4 -/+)

16.Nc3

16.Qxf7+! Kxf7 17.e8Q#

16...Bxf2+

16...Bd7!? 17.Ne4 Bxf2+ 18.Kf1 -+

17.Kh1 Rxf3??

Makes life more difficult. Better was 17...Bxe1 Black had this great chance 18.Nb5 Bg3 19.Nxd6+ Bxd6 -+

18.Qg8+ Rf8 19.exf8Q+

19.Qxf8+ Kd7 20.e8Q#

19...Kd7 20.Qf5+ Black resigned

20.Qf5+ Qe6 21.Qgxe6#; 20.Qe8#

Sole Survivor

Although my involvement in a Chessworld welcoming Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) Thematic Tournament was quickly reduced to one game, (see "Busy!" and "*Poof!*"), it turned out to be an interesting one, worth sharing.

perrypawnpusher - jamtaylo

ChessWorld Welcome JG Tournament, 2009

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6

7.Qd5+ Kf8 8.Qxc5+ d6

I've also seen 8...Qe7 9.Qe3 Nf6 10.d3 d5 11.f3 dxe4 12.fxe4 Ng4 13.0-0+ Ke8 14.Qg3 Qc5+ 15.Kh1 Be6 16.Nc3 Kd7 17.h3 N4e5 18.d4 Qxd4 19.Rd1 Qxd1+ 20.Nxd1 Rad8 21.Bf4 Kc8 22.Bxe5 Nxe5 23.Qxe5 Bd7 24.Nc3 Rhe8 25.Qg3 g6 26.Nd5 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - marbleschess, FICS, 2009

9.Qe3 Be6

Or 9...Nf6 10.0-0 Kf7 (10...Bd7 11.f4 Qe7 12.d3 Kf7 13.Nc3 Rhf8 14.h3 Kg8 15.g4 Bxg4 16.hxg4 Nxg4 17.Qg3 Nf6 18.f5 Ne5 19.Bg5 Qd7 20.d4 Nc4 21.b3 Nb6 22.e5 dxe5 23.dxe5 Qd4+ 24.Qe3 Qg4 25.Kh2 Nfd5 26.Nxd5 Nxd5 27.Qg3 Qh5+ 28.Kg2 Qe2+ 29.Rf2 Qe4+ 30.Kh3 Rxf5 31.Rxf5 Qxf5+ 32.Kh4 Qg6 33.c4 Nb4 34.a3 Nc2 35.Rf1 Nd4 36.Qf4 Ne6 37.Qe3 h6 38.Be7 Black forfeited on time, perrypawnpusher - Mences, FICS, 2009; 10...b6 11.f4 Bb7 12.d3 Qe7 13.Nc3 Re8 14.Bd2 h6 15.h3 Qd7 16.Qg3 Ne7 17.e5 Nfg8 18.Rae1 Nf5 19.Qf2 Nge7 20.g4 g6 21.gxf5 gxf5 22.Re3 Rg8+ 23.Rg3 Kf7 24.Ne2 h5 25.Kh2 Rg6 26.Rfg1 Reg8 27.Nd4 dxe5 28.Rxg6 exd4 29.Rxg8 Nxg8 30.Qg3 Ne7 31.Qg7+ Ke6 32.Re1+ Kd6 33.Qe5+ Kc6 34.Qxe7 Qxe7 35.Rxe7 Kd6 36.Re5 Bc8 37.Kg3 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - hogmaster, JG3 thematic, Chessworld 2008) 11.f4 Re8 12.f5 Ne5 13.Nc3 Nc4 14.Qd4 Ne5 15.d3 Kg8 16.Bg5 h6 17.Bxf6 gxf6 18.Qd5+ Be6 19.fxe6 c6 20.e7+ Kg7 21.exd8Q Raxd8 22.Qd4 c5 23.Qf2 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - DysonLin, FICS, 2009.

10.f4 Bf7 TN

Also played: 10...N6e7 11.0-0 Nf6 ( 11...d5 12.d3 dxe4 13.dxe4 Nf6 14.Nc3 Ng4 15.Qd3 Qxd3 16.cxd3 Rd8 17.Rd1 c5 18.h3 Nf6 19.Be3 b6 20.g4 Nc6 21.Rac1 Ke7 22.a3 Bb3 23.Rd2 Rhf8 24.Kf2 Rd7 25.e5 Nxe5 26.fxe5 Ne4+ 27.Ke2 Ng3+ 28.Ke1 Rf1 checkmate, RevvedUp - Hiarcs 8, 2 12 2006) 12.f5 Bf7 13.b3 Nc6 14.Bb2 Ke7 15.d4 Re8 16.e5 dxe5 17.dxe5 Nd5 18.Qc5+ Kd7 19.e6+ Bxe6 20.fxe6+ Kxe6 21.Nc3 Nxc3 22.Bxc3 Qh4 23.Qf5+ Ke7 24.Rfe1+ Kd6 25.Rad1+ Nd4 26.Bb4+ Kc6 27.Qc5+ Kd7 28.Rxd4+ Black resigned, Hiarcs 8-RevvedUp, 2 12 2006.

11.f5 Ne5 12.d4 Nc6 13.0-0 Bc4

The Bishop is intent on being involved in play.

By transposition, is 13...Nge7 14.Nc3 Ke8 15.Bd2 Kd7 16.Rad1 Kc8 17.e5 Nd5 18.Nxd5 Bxd5 19.b3 Re8 20.c4 Bg8 21.Bc3 Qe7 22.e6 b6 23.d5 Nd8 24.f6 gxf6 25.Bxf6 Qf8 26.Bxd8 Qxf1+ 27.Rxf1 Kxd8 28.Qg5+ Kc8 29.Rf6 Kb7 30.Qg7 a5 31.a4 Rac8 32.g4 Ka6 33.g5 b5 34.cxb5+ Kb6 35.Qd7 Ka7 36.h4 Red8 37.Qc6 Re8 38.Qa6+ Kb8 39.Qxa5 Black resigned, guest673 - guest767, ICC 2 12 2003]

14.Rd1

Oddly enough, after the game Rybka 3 suggested instead 14.Rf4.

14...Nf6 15.Nc3 Ng4 16.Qg3 h5

17.b3 Ba6

After this, the Bishop is on the sidelines. It probably should have returned to f7 with about an equal game.

18.h3 Nf6 19.e5


The "Jerome Gambit pawns" are beginning to assert themselves.


19...dxe5


Too cooperative. Rybka 3 recommends: 19...h4 20.Qf2 Nd7 21.e6 Nf6 22.Bg5 Ne7 23.Bxh4 Qe8 24.Bxf6 gxf6 25.Ne4 Qh5 26.Nxf6 Qxf5 27.Qxf5 Nxf5 28.Nd5 c6 29.Nc7 Ke7 30.Nxa8 Rxa8 31.Rd2 d5 32.Re1 Rh8 which is about even.


20.dxe5 Qxd1+


A critical oversight.


21.Nxd1 Ne4


The Knight is not safe here.
22.Ba3+ Kg8 23.Qe3 Nd2 24.Qxd2 Rd8


25.Qg5 Rh6 26.f6 Rd7 27.e6 Black resigned

Louverture Cleary

When our son Jon goes off to Haiti in August (see "NOT the Jerome Gambit"), he will be working at Louverture Cleary, teaching English literature and history to high school students. He is also going to be teaching chess to those who want to play.

Of course, the brightest students will learn about the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+)!

I would like to play some postal games with Jon's students; but we will have to wait to see if that is possible.