Jerome Gambit: Too Soon to Celebrate?

It may well be a bit too early to predict - with two of my games still unfinished - but it looks like I may have gathered enough points in the first round of the "Play The Italian Game III" tournament at Chess.com (see "Jerome Gambit: New Tournament") to place at least second in my group, and move on to Round 2.

If so, I would have another chance to address the one minor "shortcoming" of the tournament, concerning Round 1

Since the starting moves are 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 it is possible for my opponents to deny me the chance to play a Jerome Gambit by avoiding playing 3...Bc5. So far, all three have done so.

(Ah, but what will I do if I have another opportunity to play the Monck Gambit? Have I suffered enough?)

Enjoying the Jerome Gambit

Many club players adopt the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) because it is a lot of fun.

A recent video by Jonathan Schrantz (vampirechicken on Twitch, also on YouTube ) "It's Time to Bring Back the JEROME GAMBIT" shows him playing a 5-minute blitz game, and really enjoying it.

And winning with the Jerome, of course - against a 2200 rated player.

Jerome Gambit: For Progressive Players

 

It seems it is hard to avoid running into the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) wherever I go.

I bumped into Chess Openings for Progressive Players by M. Graham Brash (Methuen & Co Ltd, London, 1949) online the other day.

From the Introduction

Once the rudiments of the game have been mastered, the most important study is that of the openings. The average moderate player, who perhaps meets the same two or three chess players fairly regularly, is apt to rely on one or two favourite openings, and may be overtaken by disaster on playing against a stranger who springs an unknown opening on him...

This blog is devoted to just that kind of "unknown opening" and any "stranger" who plays it.

The book's advice ushers the reader toward us

The young player, however, should not try to absorb too many openings at an early stage, for this is bound to result in some confusion, Let him start with the Giuoco PIANO, the old Italian opening which is still found to conform most faithfully to the ideas of orderly development.

Well, we focus on a particular line in the Giuoco no-so-Piano.

Even in the middle of his take on a different opening, Brash can not resist the temptation

Instead of the Evans Gambit, White can offer the Jerome Gambit, a very risky proceeding, but requiring an accurate defence; thus: 4. BxP ch, KxB, 5. KtxPch, KtxKt. 6. Q-R5ch, K-B1 (safest ) 7. QxKt, Q-K2. 8. Q-B5 ch, K—K1

In algebraic notation, that is 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 7.Qxe5 Qe7 8.Qf5+ Ke8; interesting, as I have pointed out in the post "I Need to Keep Learning About the Jerome Gambit"

Here we have the Jerome Defense to the Jerome Gambit, dating back to a couple of correspondence games, Daniel Jaeger - Alonzo Wheeler Jerome, 1880 (Black won both).

Indeed. Referring to the Jerome by quoting Jerome's own defense to Jerome's own gambit. How brash.

(By the way, the book is not referring to progressive chess, which, according to Wikipedia, is 

a chess variant in which players, rather than just making one move per turn, play progressively longer series of moves. The game starts with White making one move, then Black makes two consecutive moves, White replies with three, Black makes four and so on.

Just so you know.)

Jerome Gambit: Success Is Just Around the Corner... (Part 2)

 

[continued from the previous post]

perrypawnpusher - vityas81

"Play The Italian Game III" tournament, Chess.com, 2023

Sometimes things can be made more complicated by worry.

Here I was worried about the Knight at b4 and its threats to the c2 square. Also, there was the Bishop on e6 that, at any moment, would attack my Queen after a well-timed ...d4.

After the game Stockfish 15.1 tried to reassure me that I could have turned a corner and gotten a bit closer to success with 14.Ng5+, which doesn't immediately do anything, but which controls the enemy Bishop. After 14...Kg8 15.O-O things would have remained balanced. 

14.Bxb4 axb4 15.O-O Rhf8 16.Qd3 Kg8 

Now, if I can only get around that next corner...

17.Nd4 Bd7 18.b3 

This weakening of the a1-h8 diagonal (with the Rook still on it) rightly led to trouble.

I should have tried to get rid of a Bishop with 18.Nb5, although my opponent was in the position to give up a pawn with 18...Be5 19.Qxd5+ Rf7 and still be better. 

18...Be5 19.Nge2 

Making things worse. Necessary was 19.Rad1, even if it led to the loss of the a-pawn. 

19...Qh6 

My opponent momentarily abandoned the win of a piece with 19...c5 for a mate-in-1 threat - which worked.

20.Ng3 c5 21.Ndf5 Bxf5 22.Nxf5 Qxh2 checkmate

Ouch.

Well, Mr. Monck and Mr. Noa, I may have to re-evaluate my relationship with your gambit...

Jerome Gambit: Success Is Just Around the Corner... (Part 1)

Sometimes during a chess game I will give myself encouragement by suggesting that success lies ahead, just around the corner. 

Sometimes it is - but in the following game it felt like those corners were missing.

In truth, I had my chances but did not take advantage of them.

In the meantime, my opponent out-played me and deservedly won.

perrypawnpusher - vityas81

"Play The Italian Game III" tournament, Chess.com, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 

Oh, well. I had been hoping for 3...Bc5 and then 4.Bxf7+, the Jerome Gambit.

 4.Nc3 

A "beginner's error", because of Black's next move.

4...Nxe4 5.Bxf7+

Here we have the Monck or Noa Gambit.

Recommended, instead, is 5.Nxe4, when Black can use a pawn fork to recover material, 5...d5 6.Bd3 dxe4 with an even game. I remember that from Reuben Fine's Chess The Easy Way (1942), my very first chess book.

My perspective is that

at the club level, the Noa Gambit - "objectively" assessed as losing for White - can cause difficulties for Black if he is not prepared.

Also see "Jerome Gambit: Chaos in a Two Knights (Part 1)"

This is enough of an issue that it has been discussed a number of times on this blog. For ideas, you could try "Jerome Gambit vs Two Knights Defense" Parts 1, 2, 3, and 4. Follow that up with "Further Explorations" (Parts 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5).

That is certainly enough coverage of the line that I should have done a better job in the current game.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe4 d5 7.Ng3

Black's pawn center is something of concern.

The earliest game with the gambit that I have in The Database continued 7.Nfg5+, Pollock,W - Amateur, Dublin ,1895, (1-0, 19). 

7...e4 8.Ng1 Qf6 

8... g6 was seen in perrypawnpusher - RemoveKubab1, Italian Game Battlegrounds tournament, Chess.com, 2019 (1-0, 30) - an uncomfortable game, which makes me wonder why I was willing to experience that again.

Instead, 8...h5 is a recommendation of Stockfish, also seen in the early game Noa, J - Makovetz, G, Dresden, 1892 (0-1, 27). 

9.d3 exd3 10.Qxd3 

Black maintains the initiative. In addition, there is an annoying weakness in White's position - the c2 square.

10...Nb4 

A corner? 

During the game I figured this was another one of those "Let's attack the Queen" efforts that are commonly seen in the Jerome Gambit.

After the game I was surprised to see that this was Stockish 15.1's first choice.

11.Qb3 

As a measure of some of White's difficulties, consider that Stockfish preferred blocking White's Bishop with 11.Qd2. On top of that, in response to Black's expected 11...Bc5, it recommended 12.N1e2, which would, of course, allow 12...Qxf2+. Instead, it suggested 12...h5.

As Oliver Hardy used to say to Stan Laurel, "Well, here's another nice mess you've gotten me into."

11...Be6 

"Danger, Will Robinson!" said Robbie the Robot on "Lost in Space". That certainly applies here.

12.Nf3 Bd6 

Things certainly look dire for White, here.

This was one of my 3-days-per-move games, so I should have been able to find the routine 13.0-0, which keeps the game level, or even the unexpected 13.Ng5+!?, which the computer later came up with.

Instead I focused on the bothersome Knight.

13.Bd2 a5 

It was time to play the dangerous 13...d4, instead, uncovering the Bishop's attack on the Queen. An interesting line then would be 14.c4 dxc3 15.Qxc3 Qxc3 16.Bxc3 Bc4 17.Bxb4 Bxb4+18. Kd1 Rhd8+ 19.Kc2 Kg8 when Black's two Bishops would outshine White's two Knights.

analysis diagram 

[to be continued]

Jerome Gambit: Well Over

Sometimes a game is over, long before it is over.

Only a blunder would change the outcome.

However, in 1-minute chess games between club players, blunders sometimes occur, so playing on often occurs.

angelcamina - gazorpazorpfield161

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2023

1. e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kf8 

Declining the Bishop, perhaps for psychological reasons ("If you want me to take the piece, then I don't want it"), but causing a swing in computer evaluations from Black being ahead by about 3 1/2 pawns to being behind by about 2 1/2 pawns.

Perhaps gazorpazorpfield161 was hoping to surprise or upset his opponent, but The Database shows that angelcamina is a Jerome Gambit veteran with 260 games, scoring 86%.

The moral of the story: Take the piece.

5.Nxe5 

As I pointed out in the earlier post, "Jerome Gambit: Too Many Decisions Too Quickly"

White could simply retreat the Bishop with 5.Bc4 or 5.Bb3, or exchange it with 5.Bxg8. Perhaps that is what Black expected.

Instead, [White] decides to complicate things further. It's all part of the plan.

Although this line makes up only about 2% of the games in The Database, it has held a fascination for me, as I have posted on it a number of times, including "Jerome Gambit: First Steps (Part 5)", "Jerome Gambit: Keep It Simple", "JeromeGambit: It Is Supposed To Be Uncomplicated" and "Jerome Gambit: Ignore Me, Stay Aware".

5...Nxe5 6.Bxg8 Bxf2+ 

I checked at lichess.org and found other games where gazorpazorpfield161 faced the Jerome Gambit - 15 times, scoring 47% - but this move appears to be an inspiration for just this game.

Angelcamina also faced 6...Rxg8 7.Qh5 Qf6 8.O-O d6 9.c3 Bg4 10.Qxh7 Nf3+ 11.gxf3 Bxf3 12.d4 Qg5+ 13.Bxg5 Bxd4 14.cxd4 Re8 15.Nc3 Bg4 16.f4 Re6 17.f5 Re8 18.f6 Be2  19.fxg7 checkmate, angelcamina - chessgenius71, lichess.org, 2022.

7.Kxf2 Qf6+ 8.Ke2 Rxg8 

If the King had captured the Bishop, the game would have been strange, but roughly even.

The Rook capture pretty much ends things, as Black will lose his Queen - and a Knight in the process.

That said, it is perfectly reasonable to play the game out, given the time control. Accidents can happen.

9.Rf1 Nf3 10.Rxf3 Qxf3+ 11.gxf3 d6 12.d4 Ke7 13.Bg5+ Kd7 14.c4 h6 15.Be3 g5 16.Nc3 Kd8 17.e5 dxe5 18.dxe5+ Ke7 19.Nd5+ Ke8 20.Nf6+ Kf7 21.Qd5+ Be6 22.Qxb7 Rab8 23.Qxc7+ Kg6 24.Nxg8 Rxb2+ 25.Kd3 Bf5+ 26.Kd4 Kh5 27.Nf6+ Kh4 28.e6 Bxe6 29.Qg3 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: From Mirage to Reality

In the following game you can almost hear the defender starting out with "You don't have anything!", progressing to "You don't have enough!", and then on to "You might have something" before arriving at "I have nothing!"

angelcamina - chess9656

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 

7.Qxe5 Qe7 8.Qf4+ 

Or 8.Qg3 Nf6 9.d3 d6 10.O-O Kf7 11.Nc3 Rf8 12.Be3 Kg8 13.Bxc5 dxc5 14.f4 Nh5 15.Qf3 Nxf4 16.Qxf4 Rxf4 17.Rxf4 Be6 18.Raf1 Re8 19.h3 c6 20.g4 b6 21.Kg2 Qh4 22.Ne2 a6 23.Ng3 b5 24.Nh5 c4 25.d4 c5 26.d5 Bc8 27.c3 b4 28.Ng3 bxc3 29.bxc3 Bb7 30.a3 Bc8 31.Rf7 Qg5 32.Nh5 Qd2+ 33.R1f2 Qd3 34.Rxg7+ Kh8 35.Rff7 Bf5 36.gxf5 White won on time, angelcamina - Trajche1980, lichess.org, 2022. 

8...Nf6 

Or 8...Ke8 9.Qxc7 Bxf2+ 10.Kxf2 Nf6 11.d3 Ng4+ 12.Kg3 h5 13.h4 Rf8 14.Bg5 Nf6 15.Nc3 d6 16.Qxe7+ Kxe7 17.Nd5+ Ke8 18.Nc7+ Kd7 19.Nxa8 Nxe4+ 20.dxe4 b6 21.Nxb6+ axb6 22.Rhf1 Bb7 23.Rxf8 Black resigned, angelcamina - mistrustful, lichess.org, 2021. 

9.e5 

Also:

9.d3 d5 10.e5 Kg8 11.O-O Nd7 12.d4 Bb6 13.Nc3 h6 14.Nxd5 Black resigned, angelcamina - plutonia, lichess.org, 2019; and

9.Nc3 Bd6 10.Qe3 Kf7 11.O-O Rf8 12.f4 Kg8 13.e5 Bc5 14.d4 Ng4 15.Qg3 Bxd4+ 16.Kh1 Nh6 17.Nd5 Qd8 18.Nf6+ Rxf6 19.exf6 Bxf6 20.f5 d6 21.Bxh6 c5 22.Rae1 Bd7 23.Re2 Qa5 24.Bxg7 Bxg7 25.Re7 White won on time, angelcamina - MysteryMate, lichess.org, 2019

9...d6 

Black is not troubled by the pawn attack on the pinned Knight, because the pawn, itself, is pinned. But this is a bullet game, and things can quickly change from mirage to reality.

10.d4 Bb6 

More accurate - and more humorous - would have been 10...dxe5 11.dxe5 Bd6, when the pinned e-pawn would then have been faux attacking two of Black's pieces, to no avail.

In a 1-minute game, reflexes kick in, and the text move looks safe enough to the defender.

11.O-O dxe5 12.dxe5 g6 

The idea behind this error is unclear. Black could have castled-by-hand instead with 12...Kf7 and 13...Re8.

13.exf6 Qf7 14.Qe5 Qe6 15.Bh6+ Kf7 16.Qf4 c6 17.Nc3 Bd8

Black targets the annoying pawn at f6. If he can capture it, he would be down only a pawn, which would be somewhat mitigated by having the two Bishops.

White, in turn, will protect the pawn. 

Stunning is the opportunity, instead, to play 18.Ne4!? with thoughts of a fork with 19.Ng5+. White would be crushing, Black could not save his Queen.

18.Bg5 Qf5 

Swapping Queens would solve a lot of Black's problems.

19.Qc4+ Be6 20.Qb4 Qxg5 21.Qxb7+ Ke8 22.Qxa8

Suddenly the game has become one of King safety - or the lack of it for Black. In doing so, White has grabbed the exchange. Next he will grab the enemy King.

22...Kd7 23.Qb7+ Kd6 24.Rad1+ Kc5 25.Ne4+ Kc4 26.Qb3 checkmate