Surprise!

Games are already being won and lost in the ChessWorld Jerome Gambit Thematic Tournament, including the following game between two Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) veterans.

If this game is any indication of the creativity that players are putting into their preparation, the tournament should provide many new insights into the Jerome Gambit!


blackburne - DREWBEAR 63
JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6

Usual here is 5...Nxe5 or 5...Kf8.

DREWBEAR 63's move comes as quite a shock – certainly it must have been played before, perhaps in the earliest days of the Jerome Gambit; but there are no games in my database with the move, no analysis, and not even a mention of it.

Now 5...Ke6 throws the game into a whirlwind. Rybka 3 suggests that best play involves White winning Black's Queen for three pieces, and that the resulting position is about even: 6.Qg4+ Kxe5 7.d4+ Bxd4 8.Bf4+ Kf6 9.Bg5+ Kf7 10.Bxd8 Nxd8 11.Nc3 Bxc3+ 12.bxc3 Nf6.

analysis diagram

Also in need of investigation are 6.Nxc6 and 6.d4. It is not at all surprising that blackburne missed Rybka's line.

6.f4 6...Nxe5 7.fxe5

The danger mounts. Best, but not without difficulties, was 7.d4, hoping to transition into a more Jerome-like position.

7...Qh4+


8.Ke2 Qxe4+ 9.Kf1 Nh6 10.Nc3 Rf8+ White resigned


An exciting debut for the "DREWBEAR 63 variation"!