Jerome Gambit: Another Day at Work

Sometimes a Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game moves right along to a solid conclusion, just like a day at work.

Etus11 - perrypawnpusher

Jerome Classic #1, Chess.com, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.d4 exd4 

5...Bxd4 was seen in eliadr - perrypawnpusher, Jerome Classic #1, Chess.com, 2024 (0-1, 18) and  FurkanFexsv - perrypawnpusher, Jerome Classic #1, Chess.com, 2024 (0-1, 9). 

6.Bg5 

Instead, 6.c3 was consistent. Then, 6...dxc3 would be met by 7.Qd5+. The best response would be 6...Bb6, when 7.cxd4 would bring about a position that shows up in The Database 6 times, with White winning 5 times.

I have also faced 6.Qd3 in Temmo - perrypawnpusher, Jerome Gambit 3, ChessWorld.net 2008 (0-1, 32). 

6...Qe8 7.Qe2 

Simpler and stronger was 7.O-O. 

7...d5 

8.Nh4 Qxe4 9. Qxe4 dxe4 10.O-O Nf6 

Black leads in material and development and has a powerful pawn center.

White can fight back, to some extent.

11.Nd2 Bd7 

Giving back a pawn to continue development. Better was 11...Re8. 

12.Bxf6 gxf6 13.Nxe4 Bb6 14.Rad1 

14...Rad8 15.Rd3 Rhe8 16.Ng3 Ne5 17.Rd2 c5 

Black slowly builds.

18.f4 Nc4 19.Rd3 Nxb2 20. Rdf3 c4 21.f5 

Black's advanced pawns are ready to take over.

21...d3+ 22.Kh1 d2 23.h3 d1=Q 24.Rxd1 Nxd1 

The Black d-pawn cost White a Rook.

But the c-pawn remains.

25.c3 Re1+ 26.Rf1 Rxf1+ 27.Nxf1 Nxc3 

Freeing the c-pawn.

28.Kh2 Nxa2 29.Nd2 c3 30.Nb3 c2 31.Kg3 c1=Q 

 This Queen will not last, either, but, again, it will cost White a piece.

32.Nxc1 Nxc1 33.Kf3 Bc6+ 34.Kf4 

34...Rg8 

I wish that I had found 34...Ne2+ 35.Kg4 Rd4+ 36.Kh5 Ng3+ 37.Kh6 Rxh4 checkmate.

It didn't matter.

35.Ng6 hxg6 36.fxg6+ Rxg6 37.g4 Ne2+ 38.Kf5 Rg5 checkmate 

I suspect that one reason my opponent fought to the bitter end is that he is in a battle for third place in our group in the tournament, and only three players from a group will advance to the next round. Every point and half point counts.

Jerome Gambit: Just When Things Started to Become Interesting... (Part 2)

The following recent game had barely gotten going before it ended.

Again, not everyone has time for everything, every day.

 

cool64chess - perrypawnpusher

Jerome Classic #1, Chess.com, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.O-O 

A "modern" approach to the Jerome Gambit, as opposed to the "classical" 5.Nxe5+ that Alonzo Wheeler Jerome played.

5...Nf6 6.d3 

White followed the plan of 6.c3 and then 7.d4 in Philidor1792 - perrypawnpusher, Chess.com, 2015 (1-0, 36) and carzair -perrypawnpusher, Jerome Classic #1, Chess.com, 2024 (0-1, 28). 

I was shocked to discover that there were 766 games with 6.Ng5+ in The Database, with White scoring 35%. My recent game continued 6...Kg8 7.d3 h6 8.Nf3 d5 9.Nc3 dxe4 10.Nd2 Bg4 11.Qe1 exd3 12.cxd3 Qxd3 13.Nd1 Be2 14.Ne3 Bxe3 15.fxe3 Bxf1 16.Nxf1 Kh7 17.Ng3 Rad8 18.b3 Qc2 19.Nf5 Rd1 White resigned, 123456789qeeed - perrypawnpusher, Jerome Classic #1, Chess.com, 2024. 

Instead, 6.d4 exd4 7.Ng5+ was seen in 27 games in The Database (White scored 48%) including yoyokskr - perrypawnpusher, Jerome Classic #1, Chess.com, 2024 (0-1, 27).

Alternately, 6.Nc3 Rf8 7.Ng5+ was seen in leobrazer - perrypawnpusher, 3 0 blitz, FICS, 2009  (0-1, 48). 

Finally, 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 transposed to familiar lines in perrypawnpusher - Freddy1201, Play The Italian Game III Chess.com 2023 (0-1, 23) and perrypawnpusher - vityas81, Chess.com 2023 (1-0, 16). 

6...Rf8 

Black hopes to castle-by-hand.

7.c3

Instead, one more check from g5: 7.Ng5+ Kg8 8.Nf3 d5 White resigned, Capt.Mandrake - perrypawnpusher, Jerome Gambit 3 thematic, ChessWorld.net, 2008.

7...Bb6 

My King did get to scurry to safety with 7...Kg8 in ecimsa - perrypawnpusher, blitz, FICS, 2009 (0-1, 32). 

8.Qb3+ 

Halting the Black King, at least for a moment.

There was also 8.Bg5 in xulian - perrypawnpusher, Jerome Classic #1, Chess.com, 2024. 

8...d5 

Here, Black won on time. 

Jerome Gambit: Help Arrives in Time

The Jerome Gambit can complicate a game to the point where the clock can be a factor - even in a game where the time control was 1 day per move.

This time, once again, the clock became an ally.

perrypawnpusher - cool64chess

Jerome Classic #1, Chess.com, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5. Nxe5+ Nxe5 6. Qh5+ Ke6 

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Qh4+ 9.g3 Qf6 

Stockfish 15.1 (35 ply) sees little difference between this check-and-retreat maneuver by Black's Queen and the simple 8.Qf6 - 2/100th of a pawn.

The Database shows the direct 8.Qf6 to be more popular than 8.Qh4+ g3 9.Qf6 - 441 games vs 62 games - but both score 57%.

10.fxe5+ 

The diversion 10.Qh5 did not work out well for me in perrypawnpusher - 1zscha2014, GameKnot.com, 2014 (0-1, 32) 

10...Qxe5 11.Qxe5+ 

Stockfish 15.1 frowns on 11.Qf3, and I have had mixed success with it:  perrypawnpusher - jeffgazet, blitz, FICS, San Jose, California US 2010}(1-0, 31)  perrypawnpusher - Buddy_Thompson, Chess.com, 2014 (0-1, 27)  perrypawnpusher - Coach Mae, Chess.com, 2023 (1-0, 30).

The Database has similar results: 31 games, White scores 66%.  

11...Kxe5 12.b4 Bd4 

I have faced 12...Bf8 in perrypawnpusher - Kevin the fruitbat, Jerome Gambit 3 thematic, Chessworld.net, 2008 (1-0, 38)

13.c3 Bb6 

14.d4+ Ke6 15.Bb2 d6 16.Nd2 Nf6 17.O-O Bd7 

With an extra piece for a pawn, Black is still better, even with his uneasy King.

Once again, the "Jerome Pawns" will have to step up fpr White.

18.Rae1 Raf8 19.c4 c6 20.Kg2 Ke7 21.Nf3 Kd8 

Black's response has been to retreat his King to safety.

22.c5 

A little sharper was 22.e5. 

22...dxc5 23.dxc5 Bc7 24.e5 Nd5 25.e6 Rxf3 

26.Rxf3 

The computer prefers 26.Kxf3 but I am not quite sure why.

26...Re8 27.Bxg7 Bxe6 28.a3 

Unfortunately for my opponent - perhaps the outside world intruded - here White won on time. 

Jerome Gambit: Tournament Outcomes

 

The Italian Game tournament at Chess.com has finished.

The winner, Seal_Island_Puffin, was also the top-rated player, of eight.

I managed to finish second in the tournament, despite scoring only one draw against two losses, with the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+).

The Jerome Gambit Classic #1, at Chess.com, continues. I will move on to the third round, having gone 22 - 0 in the second round, that is, 11 wins with the Jerome, and 11 wins against. 

Some of my games from Classic #1 have been posted, but I have about 8 more which will soon appear. 

I will also try to collect the games played by others in the Classic #1, but there are 224 players in all, so that may take a while. 

Because of exciting play among the others in the tournament, I will finish first in the second round of the Giuoco Fun tournament at Chess.com, scoring three wins (1, 2, & 3 ) and one draw with the Jerome Gambit. On to the third round!

Jerome Gambit: Happiness and Sadness

 

The Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) and its relatives can produce very pretty games - and very ugly ones.

It can produce a lot of happiness - and a lot of sadness.

Take the following position, from the aforementioned game Habitus - amaudsylvain, lightning game, FICS, 1999 (0-1, 38), which started out as a Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 4.Bxf7+).

White has an overwhelming position; in fact, he has a mate-in-one, and it is his move.

Alas, before he could play 39.Qg6#, his flag fell, and White lost on time.

Sic transit gloria eius mundi

Jerome Gambit: Just When Things Started to Become Interesting... (Part 1)

The clock intervenes, again...

perrypawnpusher - Borislav007

Giuoco Fun, Chess.com, 2024

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 

We have reached a standard Jerome Gambit position. In The Database are 906 games with this position. White score 64%.

10.O-O Qe7 11.d3 

Usually, I have played 11.Nc3 as in  perrypawnpusher - MRBarupal, FICS, 2010 (0-1, 31); perrypawnpusher - mikelars, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 50); perrypawnpusher - Unimat, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 25); perrypawnpusher - Solaar, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 33); perrypawnpusher - parlance, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 22); perrypawnpusher - chingching, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1/2 - 1/2, 36); perrypawnpusher - tuffnut, blitz, FICS, 2012 (1-0, 62); and perrypawnpusher - johnde, blitz, FICS, 2012 (1-0, 55).

11...d5 

Or 11...Be6 as in perrypawnpusher - Edvardinho, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 57). 

12.f3 

White won on time

The earliest example of White's pawn "triangle" in a Jerome Gambit game that I can find is Lowe - Parker, corr, 1879 (1-0, 37). 

The earliest example of the pawn "triangle" in a Jerome Gambit game being properly challenged by ...d5 is Habitus - amaudsylvain, lightning game, FICS, 1999 (0-1, 38)

Jerome Gambit: Pins Galore

Recently, I ran across a short, entertaining, YouTube video, highlighting a Jerome Gambit game, Jerome Pioneer vs Angered Toddler.

SkillerEP - Estergidio

Chess.com iPhone, 2024

SkillerEP has 366 games in The Database.

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

From the video:

The Jerome Gambit gets sheer decimation power because who's studying two pieces getting sacked in the opening? No, its more like "I'll handle that when it happens." The problem is they handle it like a toddler, like you're clearly winning because you just played a bad opening and they just didn't know how to face it and they just anger themselves by playing on, right?

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 

The best defensive choice, according to The Database. In 3,128 games, Black scores 52%.

Less successful for Black are 6...Ng6 (9,137 games, scoring 44%); 6...Ke6 (4,357 games, scoring 37%); and 6...g6 (2,768 games, scoring 29%).

By comparison, Stockfish 15.1, at 40 ply, sees 6...Ke6 as best for Black (a bit more than 3 pawns advantage), followed by 6...Kf8 (about 2 3/4 pawns advantage), 6...g6 (about 2 1/4 pawns advantage) and 6...Ng6 (a bit more than 1 3/4 pawns advantage).

7.Qxe5 Qe7 8.Qf5+ 

If White is not going to exchange Queens, does it matter which square he checks on? If so, why?

Stockfish 15.1, at 37 ply, sees 8.Qf4+ as about 1 1/2 pawns better than the text - likely because of the possible impact of ...d5 by Black, uncovering an attack on the White Queen.

The Database concurs: in 498 games, White scored 51% with 8.Qf4+; while in 121 games, White scored 35% with 8.Qf5+.

Does that mean that White, who played 8.Qf5+ in this game, is going to lose? No, of course not, but it could mean that the next time White reaches this position he might choose 8.Qf4+.

8...Ke8 9.O-O Nf6 

10.e5 

Black used his 8th move to prevent this pawn advance from happening while his Knight was pinned to his King.

That tempo, however, allowed White to castle, freeing his pawn from its pin to its King.

10...Nd5 

Safer might have been 10...Ng8, but retreating did not feel right. 

11.c4 

Kicking the Knight. 

At first glance, it did not appear that 11.d4 was playable, but after 11...Bxd4 White has the move 12.Qe4, attacking both enemy pieces. After 12...Qxe5 13.Qxe5+ Bxe5 White wins his piece back with 14.Re1 and, if necessary, 15.f4. 

11...Rf8 12.Qxh7 Nf4 13.d4 

Offering the d-pawn.

13...Bxd4 14.Bxf4 Rxf4 15.Nc3 c6 

16.Rad1 Bxe5 17.Rfe1 d6 

The danger to Black along the e-file could now be shown by 18.c5!?

18.g3 Rf8 19.f4 Bf5 20.Qh5+ g6 21.Qf3 

White's pressure along the e-file, with Black's Queen and King on it, keeps the position balanced - but I suspect that most club players would prefer White here.

21...Qh7 

Getting out of one pin (on the Queen), but leaving another (on the Bishop). White's pressure brings results.

The better 21...Be6 could again be met by 22.c5!? keeping the balance.

22.fxe5 dxe5 23.Rxe5+ Kf7 24.Rd7+ Kg8 25.Rxh7 Kxh7 26.Re7+ Kg8 

With a Queen and a pawn for a Rook, White has the game under control.

27.Qe3 Rad8 28.Qh6 Rf7 29.Rxf7 Kxf7 30.Qc1 

Safety first.

30...Bg4 31.Kf2 Rd3 32.Qf4+ Bf5 33.g4 Black resigned