The Bishop's Evans Jerome Gambit

In 1877 in Australia, H. Charlick played a correspondence game combining the Evans Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4) with the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+): see "The Evans Jerome Gambit". A similar idea has appeared in the Bishop's Opening, 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5.

Delanoy - KameneckiCannes, France (2), 2000
1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.b4

According to Bishop's Opening expert Michael Goeller,

This move is a good method of transposing to the Evans Gambit since it allows for some independent possibilities, some of which are quite favorable for White. If you like to play the Evans Gambit, this seems the most flexible way to do so..

3...Bxb4

Accepting the gambit by 3....Bxb4 challenges White to prove compensation. The resulting positions are very similar to the Evans Gambit and White probably does best to transpose to the Evans in most lines. There is one significant advantage for White, however, in offering the gambit pawn before developing the Knight to f3. In the line 4.c3 Ba5, which has proven one of the more thorny in Evans Gambit theory, White can play 5.f4!? instead of 4.Nf3 Nc6. - Goeller

4.c3

Instead, 4.f4 exf4 is the McDonnell Double Gambit, about which there is an interesting article by IM Nikolai Minev. 5.Nf3 Ne7 6.Ng5 Ng6 7.Qh5 Qf6 8.c3 h6 9.Bxf7+ Ke7 10.Bxg6 Qxg5 11.Qxg5+ hxg5 12.cxb4 d6 13.Nc3 c6 14.d4 Kf6 15.Bf5 Bxf5 16.exf5 Kxf5 17.0-0 Kg6 18.g3 fxg3 19.hxg3 d5 20.Bd2 Nd7 21.Rae1 Rh3 22.Kg2 g4 23.Ne2 Rhh8 24.Nf4+ Kh7 25.Re7 Nf6 26.Ne6 Nh5 27.Rff7 Rhe8 28.Nf4 Nxf4+ 29.gxf4 Rxe7 30.Rxe7 a5 31.a3 axb4 32.Bxb4 b5 33.Kg3 Kg6 34.Kxg4 Black resigned, was Brownson - Jerome, Iowa 1875.

4...Bc5 5.d4 exd4 6.Bxf7+ Kxf7

Or 6...Kf8 7.Bxg8 Kxg8 8.cxd4 Bb4+ 9.Nd2 Qe7 10.Qb3+ Kf8 11.Qf3+ Ke8 12.Ne2 Rf8 13.Qe3 d5 14.e5 c5 15.a3 cxd4 16.Nxd4 Bc5 17.N2b3 Bb6 18.0-0 Nc6 19.Bb2 Bf5 20.Qc3 Nxd4 21.Nxd4 Rc8 22.Qb3 Rc4 23.Nb5 Bc2 24.Nd6+ Qxd6 25.Qxc4 dxc4 26.exd6 Bd3 27.Bxg7 Rf7 28.Rae1+ Kd7 29.Be5 Bxf1 30.Rxf1 Bc5 31.a4 a6 32.a5 Kc6 33.Rd1 Bxf2+ 34.Kh1 Rd7 35.g4 Bc5 36.h4 Bxd6 37.Bc3 Be7 38.Rxd7 Kxd7 39.h5 Ke6 40.Kg2 Bf6 41.Bb4 c3 42.g5 c2 43.Bd2 Bb2 White resigned, Schuermans - Verwimp, Belgium 2003

7.Qh5+ g6 8.Qxc5 Qe7


Goeller gives 8...Nf6 as equal.

9.Qd5+ Qe6 10.Qxe6+ dxe6 11.cxd4 Nf6 12.Nc3 Rd8 13.Nf3 Nc6


From here on, White consistently outplays Black in an interesting Queenless middlegame, and an instructive endgame.

14.Be3 a6 15.0-0 Kg7 16.Rac1 h6 17.Rfd1 Ne7 18.h3 c6

White has more space and better development, while Black plans his defensive formation.

19.Ne5 g5 20.f3 Ng6 21.Na4 Nxe5 22.dxe5 Rxd1+ 23.Rxd1 Nd7 24.Nb6 Nxb6 25.Bxb6

By allowing Black to double his pawns on the e-file, White has found time to put a serious cramp into his opponent's game.

25...a5 26.Rd8 a4 27.Kf2 Ra6 28.Bc5 Ra8 29.Kg3 b5

A bid for breathing space, as Black is being strangled on the Queenside.

30.Kg4 Kg6 31.Rg8+ Kf7 32.Rf8+ Kg7 33.Kh5 Bb7

Finally!

Of course, White has no interest in exchanging Rooks.

Black's next move quickens the end, but 34...Re8 would only postpone the loss, not evade it.

34.Rf6 Rd8 35.Rxe6 Bc8 36.Rxc6 Bd7 37.Rc7 Kf7 38.Kxh6 Ke6 Black resigned