Of course, given a selection of Jerome Gambit games, it is always fun to find a short win for White. Often the game is a good lesson in "crime and punishment".
Wall, Bill - Guest2614882
PlayChess.com, 2017
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bxd4 7.Qxd4
d6
8.O-O Ne7 9.f4 N7c6
You attack my Knight, I will attack your Queen.
Sometimes this strategy works, but here things are about to become difficult for Black.
10.fxe5+ Ke7
As will quickly become clear, 10...Ke8 was necessary.
11.exd6+ Ke6
Finding the short way to the end of the game. There was only suffering after 11...Qxd6, e.g. 12.Qxg7+ Ke8 13.Qxh8+ Kd7 14.Be3 b6
15.Nc3 Nd4 16.Bxd4 h6 17.Rf7+ Kc6 18.Rf6 Qxf6 19.Qxf6+ etc.
12.Qd5+ Kd7 13.Qf5+ Kxd6 14.Qd5+ Ke7 15.Bg5+ Ke8 16.Qf7 checkmate
Working through the latest selection of Bill Wall's Jerome Gambits, I think the next criterion I use for chosing games is when Black invents his own defensive ideas to counter White's attack. I could have chosen "short games" as a criterion, although in the case of the following game, both would apply.
Wall, Bill - Guest2613563
PlayChess.com, 2017
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bb6
7.dxe5 Bxf2+
As covered in the previous post, 7...Qh4 was the sharpest response.
Instead, Black decides that if White's sacrifice of his Bishop was strong, then maybe Black should do the same thing.
8.Kxf2 Qh4+ 9.g3 Qxe4
Previously seen was 9...Qe7 10.Rf1 Qxe5 11.Kg1+ Nf6 12.Nc3 d6 13.Nd5 c6 14.Nxf6 gxf6 15.Bf4 Qc5+ 16.Kg2 Be6 17.Qxd6 Qxd6 18.Bxd6 Rad8 19.e5 Bd5+ 20.Kg1 Ke6 21.Rxf6+ Black resigned, HauntedKnight - Wxbas, FICS, 2014.
10.Re1
Instead, 10.Qh5+ g6 11.Qf3+ Qxf3+ 12.Kxf3 was okay, although White was eventually out-played: 12...Ne7 13.Rf1 Kg7 14.Bg5 Nf5 15.Bf6+ Kg8 16.Bxh8 Kxh8 17.Nc3 Nd4+ 18.Kg2 Nxc2 19.Rf8+ Kg7 20.Rc1 Ne3+ 21.Kf3 Kxf8 22.Kxe3 d6 23.exd6 cxd6 24.Nd5 Be6 25.Nf6 Kg7 26.Ne4 Bxa2 27.Nxd6 b6 28.Rc7+ Kh6 29.h4 Rd8 30.Nf7+ Bxf7 31.Rxf7 a5 32.Rb7 Rd6 33.g4 g5 34.h5 Re6+ 35.Kf3 Rf6+ 36.Kg3 Rd6 37.Ra7 Rd3+ 38.Kf2 Rd2+ 39.Ke3 Rxb2 40.Ra6 Kg7 41.Ra7+ Kg8 42.h6 Rc2 43.Rg7+ Kh8 44.Rxg5 a4 45.Rf5 Kg8 46.Rb5 Rc6 47.g5 Kf7 48.Rf5+ Kg6 49.Kf4 Rc4+ 50.Ke5 Rc5+ White resigned, HauntedKnight - ravenga, FICS, 2014.
10...Qf5+
This move looks like it accomplishes two things at once, removing Her Majesty from the attack by the Rook, and attacking the endmy King. Still, the open f-file is full of danger, and putting both the Queen and King on it is asking for trouble. Safer was 10...Qc6.
11.Kg2
Or 11.Kg1 Ne7 12.Rf1 Qxf1+ 13.Qxf1+ Ke8 14.Bg5 Rf8 15.Qc4 c6 16.Bxe7 Kxe7 17.Nc3 b5 18.Qc5+ Ke8 19.e6 dxe6 20.Qxc6+ Black resigned, bemillsy - Dubnobase, FICS, 2012.
11...b6
Planning to put the Bishop on the long diagonal and harass the enemy King. Black is caught up in his counter-attack. A little disrespect is involved, as well.
12.Rf1 Bb7+ 13.Kg1 Black resigned
So far, in this and the previous post, we have yet to consider a tense, theoretical battle over the Jerome Gambit - but that is an important point. Black is often so underwhelmed by his opponent's opening that he fails to bring his A Game, or his B Game, or sometimes even his C Game... And White must and can take advantage of that.
I just received 10 new Jerome Gambit games from Bill Wall, certainly one of the strongest players to routinely use the Jerome.
Which games to share? Which one to share first?
Those are funny questions.
I often start with a game that shows a defender who does not give the Jerome Gambit the "proper" amount of respect. Sometimes that shows up in overly casual play - because, as we all know, the Jerome is a refuted opening and therefore is hardly worth any attention at all...
In the following game the defender starts out with gusto, but loses focus before a dozen moves are played. That's okay, right? I mean, a garbage opening can be defeated with half your brain tied behind your back, right?
Wall, Bill - Guest2293428
PlayChess.com, 2017
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bb6
A reasonable line. This is a good start.
7.dxe5 Qh4
This is properly aggressive, even if Bill has seen it before.
8.Qf3+ Ke7 9.O-O Nh6
Development, that's the key.
10.Nc3 Rf8 11.Nd5+ Kd8
Uh, what was the question...?
12.Qxf8 checkmate
If you play the Jerome Gambit, you have to grab these opportunities when they occur - and they will occur surprisingly often.
Years ago, after playing over a number of Akiba Rubinstein's (1880 – 1961) games, I was inclined to think that he had reduced chess to a few easy steps: play 1.d4, win a pawn, exchange all the pieces, win the endgame. (Actually, it was a lot more complicated than that.)
With a chuckle, I was reminded of Rubinstein when playing over the following online blitz game by shugart. He offers a piece, Jerome Gambit style, but his opponent declines it. Like water rolling down hill, the game then progresses. It doesn't seem that there is a lot of need for tactical calculation - just look ahead and move!
Actually, it is a lot more complicated than that, as the notes show... A very eduational endgame!
shugart - snob
3 0 blitz, FICS, 2017
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4
The Blackburne Shilling Gambit.
4.Bxf7+
The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.
4...Ke7
Black declines the gift of a piece. If you want me to take the Bishop, then I won't take the Bishop.
5.Bxg8 Rxg8 6.Nxd4 exd4
Comfortable with an extra pawn - plus a safer King and a better pawn structure - White is comfortable letting the game unfold.
7.d3 h6 8.Qh5 d6 9.O-O Be6 10.f4 Bf7
Black has the two Bishops. He is not in a hurry, either.
11.Qh4+ Kd7 12.Qh3+ Be6 13.f5 Bf7 14.Bf4 Kc8 15.Nd2 b6 16.Nb3 c5
Black has secured his advanced d-pawn.
17.Qg3 Kc7 18.e5 Bxb3 19.exd6+ Bxd6 20.Bxd6+ Qxd6 21.Qxd6+ Kxd6 22.axb3
In a 3 0 game, such exchanges happen quickly and help with the clock.
Will White's kingside pawn majority be enough?
22...Rgf8 23.g4 a5 24.Rae1 Rae8 25.Rxe8 Rxe8 26.Kf2 Rf8
It was time, instead, for Black's Rook to invade via 26...Re3, with his King to advance behind it, keeping the game balanced. White now shows how it's done.
27.Re1 Rf7 28.Re6+ Kc7 29.Kf3 b5 30.Ra6 Re7
The issue here is not Black's a-pawn. It is the fact that when Rooks come off the board White will have a straight-forward win.
31.Ra7+ Kd6 32.Rxe7 Kxe7
Okay, how fast can you move your pieces? The game is barely half over.
33.h4 Kd6 34.Ke4 b4
Now the inhuman Stockfish 8 declares a checkmate in 26, but the ticking clock will inject a few inaccuracies before White grasps the full point.
35.g5 h5 36.Kf3 Ke5 37.f6 gxf6 38.gxf6
The more accurate 38.g6!? was the way to win, with many hassles: 38...Ke6 39.Kf4 Ke7 40.Kf5 c4 41.bxc4 a4 42.c5 a3 43.bxa3 bxa3 44.g7 Kf7 45.c6 Kxf7 46.c7 a2 47.c8/Q a1/Q 48.Qd7+
38...Kxf6
39.Kf4 Ke6 40.Kg5
White should admit that he has only a draw, and mark the enemy King with 40.Ke4, keeping it out of mischief. He also should keep his King closer to home, as Black can now cause pawn mischief similar to the note above: 40...c4 41.bxc4 a4 42.c5 a3 43.c6 Ke6 and it is Black who will have a checkmate in 26!
40...Ke5 41.Kxh5 Kf4
Black's King advances aggressively, but it needed, instead, to mark White's King with 41...Kf5 and let his pawns do the work, e.g. 42...c4.
The advantage agains shifts to White.
42.Kg6 Ke3 43.h5 Kd2 44.h6 Kxc2 45.h7 Kxb3 46.h8=Q Kxb2
This is a pretty crazy position, but quite won for White - with enough time to think. Amazingly, there is.
47.Qe5 Kc3 48.Qxc5+ Kxd3 49.Qxa5 Kc3 50.Kf5 d3 51.Ke4 d2 52.Qc5+ Kb3 53.Qd4 Ka3 54.Qxd2 b3
If only the pawn were on the a-file or the c-file, Black might have drawing chances.
55.Qc3 Ka2 56.Qc4 Ka3 57.Qc5+ Ka2 58.Qa5+ Kb1 59.Kd3 b2 60.Kc3 Kc1 61.Qg5+ Kb1 62.Qb5 Kc1 63.Qf1 checkmate
An amazing game for 3 0!
The following game is another lightning affair from shugart at FICS. Both sides play relatively calmly - after White starts with the Jerome Gambit, of course - and then at one point Black slips. Punishment strikes light a lightning bolt.
shugart - kisa
1 2 lightning, FICS, 2017
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.O-O Qe7
11.d3 Kf7 12.f4 Re8 13.Nc3 c6 14.b3
Kg8
15.Ba3 c5 16.Rae1 b6 17.Qg3 Bb7 18.Bb2
18...Nh5 19.Qg4 Qh4 20.Qf3
Continuing with the theme of trapped knights that we have seen in recent posts (see "Jerome Gambit: Quirky" and "Jerome Gambit: Beware the Calm After the Storm"), White had 20.Qxh4 Nxh4 21.f5 d5 22.g3 Nf6
23.gxh4 dxe4 24.dxe4 Nxe4 with an equal game.
20...Nf6
21.g3 Qh5 22.Qg2 Qg4 23.Nd1 h5 24.Ne3 Qd7
25.f5 Ne5 26.Qe2 g6
Oops.
27.fxg6 Nxg6 28.Rxf6 Black resigned
I recently received a couple of games from chessfriend shugart, who plays at the online site FICS. The time control for each game is 1 minute, with a 2 second increment per move.
That kind of speed melts my brain, so the whole field of lightning - or bullet - chess always amazes me. Especially when it involves the Jerome Gambit.
Years ago I reviewed Bullet Chess One Minute to Mate by Hikaru Nakamura and Bruce Harper. A quote from that book is worth sharing
It is important to realize that bullet chess is not really about "truth," to the extent that some chess players use the term to refer to the objectively best moves, but rather whatever works. Bullet chess won't often help you in your search for "chess truth," although it will certainly help you learn how to play chess more quickly! But bullet chess will teach you a lot about chess psychology, as there is always a reason that any particular move is played it may not be a good reason, and it may not have much to do with the actual position, but there is always a reason. In this book, we explore the reasons why players do what they do when they are short of time, especially when it comes to making mistakes.
Clearly, the largely unknown and often unappreciated Jerome Gambit is going to cause the defender many "huh?" moments - deadly, in and of itself, when time is of the essence.
The final position brings a smile to the face.
shugart - kisa
1 2 lightning, FICS, 2017
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bxd4 7.Qxd4
Qf6
Okay, commenting on moves in this game would be something like watching someone juggling chainsaws, and saying "That one over there doesn't look so sharp". But, I do have to point out that White's Queen is unprotected and at risk of being lost after ...Nf3+.
8.O-O Ne7 9.f4 N5c6 10.Qc4+ Qe6 11.Qe2 Rf8 12.Nc3 Kg8
Black has castled-by-hand. White has to give him something to worry about.
13.Be3 a6
A good sign. I remember that whenever my Chess Challenger 7 computer felt its position was fine, or it could not come up with a move that improved its position, it would begin to move its Rook pawns. That often allowed me to slowly improve my own position without disruption.
14.Rae1 d6 15.f5 Qe5 16.Bf4 Qc5+ 17.Be3 Qe5
Will there be a draw?
18.Kh1
White does not repeat the position. We can guess who is ahead on time.
18...Bd7 19.Bf4 Qa5 20.Bg5 Nd4
21.Qc4+
Tactics prevail.
21...Kh8 22.Qxd4 Nc6 23.Qc4 Rae8 24.f6 g6 25.f7 Re5 26.Bf6 checkmate
Very nice!
The following game starts out with the wild Jerome Gambit, which is met by one of the wildest defenses available.
White does not deliver checkmate.
Black does not deliver checkmate.
The game becomes balanced and calm.
Then White checkmates.
Wall, Bill - Guest699499
PlayChess.com, 2017
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Qh4
This is Black's sharpest response to 6.d4. I have often called it a "pie-in-the-face variation".
7.O-O Ng4 8.h3 Bb6
Probably Black's best move. Bill has faced
8...N8f6 9.dxc5 Nxe4 10.Qd5+ Kf6 11.Qxe4 d5 12.cxd6 cxd6 13.f3 h5 14.fxg4+ Black resigned, Wall,B - PassCapture, lichess.org, 2016;
8...Bd6 9.e5 Nxe5 10.dxe5 Bxe5 11.Qd5+ Kf6 12.Re1 d6 13.Rxe5 dxe5 14.Qd8+ Ne7 15.Qxh8 (15...Qe4 16.Qf8+ Ke6 17.Bg5 Qb4 18.Qxg7 Bd7 19.Qf6+ Kd5 20.Nc3+ Kc4 21.b3+ Kxc3 22.Qxe5+ Qd4 23.Bd2+ Kxd2 24.Qxd4+ Kxc2 25.Rd1 Black resigned,Wall,B - Anonymous, lichess.org, 2016) Kf7 16.Nd2 Ng6 17.Nf3 Qxf2+ 18.Kxf2 Nxh8 19.Nxe5+ Kf6 20.Nf3 Bf5 21.Be3 Ng6 22.g4 Be4 23.Bd4+ Ke6 24.Re1 Rf8 25.Rxe4+ Kd5 26.Ke3 c5 27.Bxg7 Rf7 28.c4+ Kd6 29.Be5+ Nxe5 30.Nxe5 Rf1 31.Nd3 Rh1 32.Nf4 Rh2 33.Re6+ Kc7 34.Re7+ Kb6 35.Rxh7 Rxb2 36.g5 Rxa2 37.g6 Black resigned, Wall,B - NN, lichess.org, 2016;
and 8...d6 9.dxc5 N4f6 10.cxd6 cxd6 11.Nd2 Nxe4 12.Nf3 Qh5 13.Ng5+ Qxg5 14.Bxg5 Nxg5 15.Qh5+ Kf6 16.f4 Ne4 17.Qe8 d5 18.Qe5+ Kf7 19.Qxd5+ Black resigned, Wall,B - NN, lichess.org, 2016.
9.hxg4 Nf6
Black is not too upset at having lost his Knight, as he plans to move the other one into the attack.
Two other ideas:
9...h5 10.Qf3+ Ke8 11.g5 Bxd4 12.Qd3 Bb6 13.Nc3 Ne7 14.Na4 Ba5 15.a3 c6 16.f4 d6 17.Be3 Bc7 18.Bd4 b5 19.Nc3 Rf8 20.Ne2 Bg4 21.Nc3 Bd7 22.Ne2 Rf7 23.Rf3 c5 24.Bf2 Qg4 25.Rg3 Qe6 26.Re1 Ba5 27.b4 cxb4 28.axb4 Bxb4 29.c3 Bc5 30.Bxc5 dxc5 31.f5 Qe5 32.Qd2 b4 33.cxb4 Qxe4 34.g6 Rxf5 35.Re3 Qxb4 36.Qxb4 cxb4 37.Ng3 Rg5 38.Rxe7+ Kf8 39.Rf7+ Kg8 40.Nxh5 Rxh5 41.Rxd7 drawn, Wall,B - NN, lichess.org, 2016; and
9...d6 10.f3 Be6 11.Be3 Bc4 12.Re1 Ne7 13.f4 Rhe8 14.Nd2 Ba6 15.Nf3 Qg3 16.a4 Ba5 17.c3 Kf8 18.b4 Ng6 19.f5 Nf4 20.Bxf4 Qxf4 21.Qc2 c5 22.bxa5 Qxg4 23.Rad1 cxd4 24.Rxd4 Qg3 25.Qb3 Qf4 26.Qb1 Qg3 27.e5 g6 28.Rxd6 Re7 29.f6 Ree8 30.Qb4 Bb5 31.Rd8+ Kf7 32.e6+ Kxf6 33.Qd4+ Black resigned, Wall,B - Rajiv, Chess.com, 2010.
10.g5 Ng4 11.Qf3+ Ke8 12.Qh3 Qxh3
Leading to a situation similar to what we recently saw in Wall, Bill - Guest709079, PlayChess.com, 2017 (1-0, 30) - Queens are exchanged, and Black's Knight is trapped. Quirky.
13.gxh3 Nxf2 14.Kxf2 Bxd4+ 15.Kg2 d6
The game has reached a balance. Should either player be pleased with this? Black started out after a few moves with a "won" position, so he may not be happy. White threw a whole lot into a wild attack, so he may wish for more than a split point.
16.c3 Be5 17.Nd2 Bd7 18.Nf3 Bc6 19.Bd2 Bxe4 20.Rae1 Bc6 21.Bf4 Rf8 22.Bxe5 dxe5 23.Rxe5+ Kf7
24.Kg3 Kg8 25.c4
Stockfish 8 slightly prefers 25.Rf2, keeping the game level. The Rook eventually gets there.
25...Rad8 26.Re3 Rf5 27.h4 Rdf8 28.Rf2 Rf4 29.b3 Bd7
30.Rfe2 Rg4+ 31.Kh2 Bc6 32.Ne5
Looking to squeeze something more out of the position.
32...Rxh4+ 33.Kg3 Rff4 34.Rd2 Re4
Looking to swap Rooks, and enjoy a guaranteed draw, while hoping to make something out of his extra Kingside pawn?
Black has overlooked something.
35.Rd8+ Black resigned
