A Jerome Gambit Declined

Just say "No!"

"No Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+)!"

You have a right to decline the Jerome Gambit.

Maybe not in the way my opponent did, though...


perrypawnpusher - santor
blitz 2 12, FICS, 2009
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 f6

That's one way to keep me from playing Bxf7! (I've also seen 3...Nh6, as in perrypawnpusher - Xasquete, blitz FICS 2009, 1-0, 47.)
I was admiring my opponent's boldness and creativity – especially after his next move.

4.d4 Na5

Or 4...Nge7 5.0-0 d5 6.exd5 Nxd5 7.dxe5 Be6 8.exf6 gxf6 9.Re1 Bb4 10.Rxe6+ Kf7 11.Bxd5 Kg7 12.Nh4 Re8 13.Rxe8 Qxe8 14.g3 Rd8 15.c4 Ne5 16.Bf4 Qe7 17.Qh5 c6 18.Nf5+ Black resigned, Sirotinin - Oleshko, Moscow 1999; or 4...d6 5.c3 Na5 6.Be2 exd4 7.cxd4 Nc6 8.Nc3 Nge7 9.0-0 Bd7 10.Nh4 g6 11.f4 Bh6 12.f5 g5 13.Bh5+ Kf8 14.Nf3 Black resigned, Srinivasan - Mueller, DESC email 2001.

5.Nxe5

The move was simply irresistible: since my opponent had transposed into an unusual Damiano Defense (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f6) I thought it appropriate to offer the traditional Knight sacrifice. Plus – he was harassing my Jerome Bishop!
5...Nxc4

According to plan (?) or simply not wanting to taste the craziness of 5...fxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5+ when White can afford to capture the Rook on h8 since Black has no effective counterattack, even if he tries 7...Qe7 8.Qxh8 Qxe4+ 9.Be2 Qxg2 10.Rf1.

Black could try 5...Qe7 directly, although after 6.Bf7+ Kd8 7.h4 or 7.Bxg8 Rxg8 8.Qh5 the complications favor White.

By avoiding unclear positions, santor chooses one that is clearly better for White. Perhaps that is, ultimately, wisest: what's a pawn among friends?
6.Nxc4 Qe7 7.Nc3 Qb4
I felt like the Black Queen was scolding my Knight: How dare you try to play the Jerome Gambit against me? And where is your Bishop now – not around to protect you, is it??

I'm sure it was just my imagination.

8.Ne3 d6 9.Ned5

I'm a peaceable guy, but it seemed about time to deliver my own lecture on "Queens that wander too far from home."

9...Qa5

Thematic was 9...Qc4 10.Nb5 for starters.

10.b4


I certainly don't have time to debate this with you, I imagined the Queen replied.
And it was true, for at that point Black forfeited on time.