JG: The New in Its Opening Theory, in Its Psychology (Part 11)

JG: The New in Its Opening Theory, in Its Psychology (Part 11) 

  

(by Yury V. Bukayev) 

 

 

As a further development of my Part 9 (the post of October, 12, 2021 on Rick Kennedy’s blog), this continuation of my theoretical research on the standard line of the Jerome gambit (JG) is about position after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Qh3+! Ke7 8.Qc3 Bd6!?. 

 

After 9.f4 Ke8 it isn’t clear, what of possible White’s ways is the strongest here, but the following White’s attack is very serious: 10.d4! N (This my new move-invention has the same general idea as my Part 9 shows, White’s sequence of moves plays a role.) 10…Nc6 11.0-0! Bf8 12.e5!. It’s enough rare case in theory of JG, where on this opening stage White regains no pieces and lets opponent’s King retreat back from the centre, but creates very large difficulties for the opponent! White’s practical chances are very large here, although all Black’s moves are very strong or enough strong! It maybe, 12…Qe7!? is the most active answer here, but it can require a lot of time and large efforts to find it. 13.Be3 (13.a3 Nxd4! is normal for Black) 13…Qb4 14.Qd3!, and White’s serious attack continues.  

 

These theoretical difficulties for Black can be mortal for him in your game, even without very large difficulties of other kinds, which are present always at games. So I recommend you to play this line, if you are lover of the Jerome gambit with 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+. You can get it also by my other sequences of moves: 9.d4 Nc6 10.0-0 Ke8 11.f4 (11.e5!?) 11…Bf8; 9.0-0 Ke8 etc.; 9.f4 Ke8 10.0-0! Nc6 11.d4 (please, look at my Part 9) 11…Bf8.   

 

 Of course, the Natural star Jerome gambit deferred (the strong deferred line of JG - the post of September, 17, 2021 on Rick Kennedy’s blog) will be much more attractive for a lot of experts of the modern chess opening theory than the standard line of JG, but the defence 6…Ke6 after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ requires their new attention and large revision already now, we can understand finally.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jerome Gambit: Questionable Innovation

In the following game, Black plays - or starts to play - a reliable defense to the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), only to switch to attacking, wherupon his game falls apart.

Idusha2010 - Egor_Shtanko

30 0, lichess.org, 2022

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

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

7.f4 d6 

The "silicon" or "annoying" defense which calmly returns one of the two sacrificed pieces and leaves the Black King in his advanced post, often untouchable.

The Database has 362 games, with Black scoring 53%.

8.fxe5 Qf8

Black decides he can switch plans and pursue an attack on White's King. The Database has only one other game with this line - played about a month earlier.

9.Rf1 

Defending and attacking.

9...Qe7 

Responding too quickly.

Sadly, perhaps the best move was 9...Ne7 which gives up the Queen with 10.Rxf8.

10.Qf5 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: Refutation

I just finished going through "Refute Jerome's Gambit (Lifetime Repertoire) One shot Kill!" at lichess.org, and I recommend it to Readers of this blog.

You might say "But, Rick, it's a refutation, you should bury it or at least ignore it, not point it out".

No need.

The Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) has been "refuted" almost from the day it was introduced by Alonzo Wheeler Jerome in the pages of the Dubuque Chess Journal, April 1874.

Oh, well.

Besides, it is good to know what your opponent has prepared for you.

I have addressed this issue many times on this blog of some 3,760 posts. You can start with the early "But - Is this stuff playable??" (Parts 1 & 2).

I like the earlier discussion, in "It's hard to explain...", 
"More to the Point...", "And yet..." and "Still".

Check out "What Makes A Gambit Playable?"

I summed things up more recently in "Jerome Gambit: This 'Refuted' Thing (Part 1, A Basic Truth)" and "Jerome Gambit: This "Refuted" Thing (Part 2, What to Do?)"

While it is primarily an opening for club players - at blitz or bullet speed - you can try it out at your favorite time control and see how it goes. (I have scored around 80% in games ranging from 1 day per move to 3 days per move. YMMV.)

So - play the Jerome Gambit, have fun, don't worry about it's reputation.

Then, send me your games, so I can add them to the 77,000 Jerome and Jerome-ish ones in The Database.