Who Plays The Jerome Gambit Often?

 

I have asked the question before - Who plays the Jerome Gambit?

Back in May of 2010, I could ask who was "King of the Hill", and noted that while kingmaple had 619 games in The Database, he was outpaced significantly by DragonTail, with 1,213 games.

(It turns out that was not the whole story.)

Five years later, in "Who Plays the Jerome Gambit?", I pointed out that DragonTail continued to lead, with 1,445 games in The Database.

That last number was an error - in 2015 DragonTail actually had 1,529 games in The Database, his last ones being played in 2012.

That increase is significant, as a player who I had overlooked - suzana - actually had 1,499 games in The Database at that time, barely being relegated to second place.

In fact, the neglected suzana had the same number of games in The Database as of May of 2010, which would have taken the top of the list back then.

Today, while I am pleased with my own 692 games in The Database, that hardly approaches mwafakalhaswa's 1,046 games, or Bill Wall's 1,185 games.

We all continue to lag behind suzana and DragonTail.

Jerome Gambit: Very Nice

Jheius Cris Montojo Costo, playing at chess.com as MrMudkip69, has 3 YouTube.com videos that illustrate Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) games.

"Get Jerome-Mated | Jerome Gambit"

"Get Jeromed | Jerome Gambit"

"Jerome's Gambit"

Very nice.

Jerome Gambit: Not Everyone Loves It

Ah, yes, the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+): Not everyone loves it. I do. You might. But not everyone.

If you check out the YouTube.com site of ChessKnowledgewithH1, you will find - literally - hundreds and hundreds of chess videos, including, of course "What is the Jerome Gambit in chess?"

After introducing the moves leading to the "silicon" or "annoying" defense, the presenter opines

This is a horrible gambit. Don't play the Jerome Gambit.

Do take a look at the other videos, as well, though. There is a lot of educational material, given in a pleasant and congenial style. 

Jerome Gambit: Fast, Not Deep

Blitz play balances thinking time with thinking depth. Choose moves quickly enough to avoid a time forfeit, while delving deep enough into the position to make the right move.

This is one of the reasons that the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) is a good opening for blitz, especially for an attacker familiar with main lines. 

thunder_84 - Spankyrobot

3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bd6 

There are almost 300 games with this position in The Database.

The idea behind Black's move is clear, but it is not his best choice (which would be the straightforward 6...Bxd4).

In this case, in particular, it is useful to note that thunder_84 (900+ games in The Database) has a record of 45 - 5 - 3 (88%) against it.

7.dxe5 Bxe5 

Fast, not deep.

8.Qd5+ Kf6 9.f4 Bxb2 

The Bishop grabs a pawn, even as it perishes. Alas, it activates White's Bishop along the same diagonal.

10.Bxb2+ Ke7 11.Bxg7 Black resigned

Black will lose the exchange, and his King will remain in danger.

Jerome Gambit: Poor Knights

The following game shows the difficult lives of the two Knights on defense against the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+). It illustrates for White the availability of tempos, if the attack includes actions against those Knights. 

Wall, Bill - Manavalan

internet, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 N8e7  9.O-O Nf4 

 

I am not sure what this move is about - perhaps the first part of re-positioning the Knight.

10.d4 b6 11.Qe5 Ne6

Black centralizes his extra Knight to protect his pawn on g7.

White's response is to activate his extra pawns.

12.d5 d6 13.Qg3 Nd4 

The poor Knight continues to wander. Better would have been 13...Nc5 14.Qxg7 Ng6 when the other Knight would take up the post at g6.

14.Qxg7 

White focuses on the enemy Kingside. He also had the embarassing-for-Black 14.Qd3.

14...Rg8

This move springs immediately to mind.

The computer suspects that White will have to go for a draw after 14...Nf3+, i.e. 15.Kh1 Rg8 16.Qxh7 Ba6 17.Qh5+ (17.Rd1 Be2 18.Qh5+ Kd7 19.Qh3+ Ke8 20.Qh5+) 17...Ng6 18.Qh7 Ne7 19.Qh5+ Ng6 20.Qxf3 Bxf1 21.Nd2.

15.Qxd4 Bh3 

This was Black's idea. White can afford to give up the exchange.

16.g3 Bxf1 17.Kxf1 Ng6 

White has 3 pawns for the exchange.

Soon, he will have another Knight to harass.

18.Nc3 Ne5 19.f4 Nf3 20.Qf2 Ne5 

The Knight is safe, as 21.fxe5 would now be met with 21...Rf8 winning the Queen.

21.Kg2 Nc4 

Finally, White uses the Knight's placement to jump start his final assault.

22.Qe2 Na5 23.Qh5+ Kd7 24.Qf5+ Ke8 25.Qxh7 Rf8 26.Qg6+ Rf7 27.e5 

27...dxe5 28.fxe5 Qe7 29.Bg5 Qxe5 30.Rf1 Black resigned

White has a forced checkmate, after gathering in more material.

Jerome Gambit: Comparing

Sometimes you can get a sense of which player is doing better in a chess game by comparing respective pieces. The most dramatic comparison is King safety - often one side's King is in grave danger, and it is clear that the other side stands better.

The following game illustrates another comparison.

Wall, Bill - Faust

internet, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 

7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qg3 Qf6 9.Nc3 Be6 

I was surprised to see that there are only 7 games in The Database with this position. White scores 5 - 2, although Stockfish 15 evaluates Black as about 2 1/2 pawns better.

10.d3 a6 11.O-O Ne7 12.Be3 Ba7

I have seen this kind of retreat in different (non-Jerome) Giuoco Piano games, but it feels a bit artificial here.

13.f4 Qg6 14.Qf3 Bf7 15.Bxa7 Rxa7 

Awkward.

16.Rae1

The position is even. Compare the active placement of White's Rooks versus the uninvolved placement of Black's Rooks. 

16...c6

Bill recommends 16...Qh5 instead.

17.f5 Qf6 18.e5 

A nice clearance sacrifice.

18...dxe5 19.Ne4 Qh6 20.f6 

20...gxf6 21.Nxf6 Qg7  

The fire power of the Rooks is deadly.

Black could try to clog things with 21...Qf4, but White is not going to fall for 22.Qxf4 exf4 23.Rxf4 b5!? when one Rook returns to battle and Black's King eyes escape to g7. 

Instead, 21...Qf4 22.Qh3 keeps White in charge, e.g. 22...Qd4+ 23. Kh1 Ng6 24.Qh6+ Ke7 25.Qg7 Raa8 26.c3 Qd8 27.Ne4 Qf8 28.Qf6+ Ke8 29.Nd6+ Kd7 30.Nxf7 Rg8 31.Nxe5+ Nxe5 32.Qxe5 Re8 33.Rxf8 Rxe5. 

22.Rxe5 

Again, compare the Rooks.

22...Nd5 23.Nxd5 cxd5 24.Qxd5 Black resigned

And again.

Jerome Gambit: Nothing Is Happening - Until It Is

The following Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game starts off rather quietly, despite the opening. Then White plays an apparent "nothing" move. Black's response, however, turns the move into "something".

Wall, Bill - Mamun

internet, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 

6...Bb6 7.dxe5 Ne7 8.O-O Rf8 9.Nc3 Kg8 

Black has castled-by-hand, has a lead in development and in material. He has little cause for concern.

He does have to continue playing the game.

10.b3 Ng6 11.Nd5 Nxe5 12.a4 Bc5 13.b4 Bd6 14.f4 Nf7 15.Qd4 

White centralizes his Queen. His pawns look like they might eventually become a problem but for the moment they are not the real issue.

15...c6

Time to eject White's advanced piece.

An error.

16.Bb2 

Simply threatening checkmate.

16...Ne5

Blocking that a1-h8 diagonal, even at the cost of a piece.

It will soon be clear that the Bishop should have done the job, instead: 16...Be5 17.fxe5 cxd5 18.e6 Qb6 19.Rxf7 Qxd4+ 20.Bxd4 Rxf7 21.exf7+ Kxf7 22.Rf1+ Kg8 23.exd5 d6. White is a pawn up, but the opposite color Bishops give Black drawing chances.

17.fxe5 Rxf1+ 18.Rxf1 Bf8 19.Qf2 d6 20.Qf7+ Kh8 21.Qxf8+ Qxf8 22.Rxf8 checkmate

White finds a different way to deliver mate.