Brilliant, but Not Sound

The title of this post was pronounced in the November, 1874 Dubuque Chess Journal about a move that transposed a game into a Jerome Gambit. It applies to Black's 7th move in the following game – which we have seen before, but should examine again.

MrJoker - Melbourne
blitz, 2 12, Internet Chess Club, 2011


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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 Nd3+

Ahhh... The joys of being two pieces ahead! There are so many ways for Black to return material.

Jerome Gambiteers should pay attention, as this admittedly unpopular move, nonetheless, leaves Black better.

8.cxd3

Take the Knight. Luke Warm - eddie43, Jerome Gambit Thematic Tournament, ChessWorld, 2010 continued instead 8.Kd1 Nf2+ 9.Ke2 Nxh1 10.Qe5+ Kf7 11.Qd5+ Ke8 12.Qxc5 d6 13.Qd4 Nf6 14.d3 Qd7 15.f5 Qf7 16.Nc3 Qh5+ 17.Kf1 Qxh2 18.Qg1 Ng3+ 19.Kf2 Ng4+ 20.Kf3 Qxg1 21.Kxg3 h5 22.Ne2 Qf2+ 23.Kh3 Qxe2 24.Bg5 Ne3 White resigned

8...Bd4 9.Qd5+ Black disconnected and forfeited

As you might guess, that is not the complete story.

Three days later the two opponents met again, and this time Black wisely retreated the Bishop. In the end, though, White prevailed in MrJoker - Melbourne, blitz, 2 12, Internet Chess Club, 2011: 8...Bb6 9.b3 Qf6 10.Qe8+ Qe7 11.f5+ Kf6 12.Bb2+ Kg5 13.Qxe7+ Nxe7 14.Bxg7 Rg8 15.f6 Ng6 16.h4+ Kh5 17.g4+ Kxg4 18.h5 Bd4 19.hxg6 hxg6 20.f7 Bxa1 21.fxg8Q Bxg7 22.Qxg7 d6 23.Qxg6+ Black disconnected and forfeited.

A couple of months later, White again benefitted from the hanging Bishop, in MrJoker - wikidguru, blitz, 2 12, Internet Chess Club, 2011: 8...Bd4 9.Qd5+ Ke7 10.Qxd4 Nf6 11.b3 d6 12.Ba3 Bg4 13.e5 Ne8 14.Nc3 Kf7 15.0-0 h5 16.Ne4 dxe5 17.fxe5+ Kg8 18.Qc4+ Kh7 19.Qf7 Qd7 20.h3 Qd4+ 21.Kh1 Qxe5 22.hxg4 hxg4 23.g3 Rd8 24.Kg2 Qf6 25.Nxf6+ Nxf6 26.Rh1+ Black resigned

Another Jerome Gambit Gemeinde member, Petasluk, had already handled the situation when Black supported the Bishop, rather than retreat or abandon it, in Petasluk - lowmiles, blitz, FICS, 2010: 8...d6 9.Nc3 c6 10.Ne2 g6 11.Qf3 Qh4+ 12.g3 Qh3 13.d4 Bb4 14.a3 Ba5 15.b4 Bb6 16.Bb2 Nf6 17.0-0-0 a5 18.d5+ cxd5 19.exd5+ Kf7 20.Bxf6 Kxf6 21.Qc3+ Kf7 22.Qxh8 axb4 23.axb4 Qg2 24.Nc3 Qf3 25.Qxh7+ Ke8 26.Rde1+ Kd8 27.Qe7 checkmate