Correspondence Play (Part 3)

Recently, I received an email from Vlastimil Fejfar, of the Czech Republic, who shared three of his Jerome Gambit correspondence games.

Fejfar, Vlastimil - Vins
corr Czech Republic, 2015

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 Qf6

 

A line seen as early as in a note in G.H.D. Gossip's 1891 The Chess Player's Vade Mecum and Pocket Guide to the Openings with all the latest theoretical discoveries and traps in the openings revealed, and more recently supported by FM Eric Schiller in his books on unorthodox openings. (It is fun to read MrJoker's comments about some of Schiller's analysis - see "Joker's Wild" 1, 2 and Conclusion.) 

8.Rf1 Nc6

This move is cold-blooded, but playable. Black simply returns a piece.

9.Qxc5 d6 10.Qh5 Bd7 11.Nc3 Be8 12.Qh3+ Kf7 13.d3 Nge7 14.Be3 h6 15.O-O-O Rf8 16.g4 Kg8

Black castles-by-hand just in time.

White's attack (and two extra pawns) is good compensation for his sacrificed piece.

17.g5 hxg5

Stronger for the defense was 17...Qf7.

18.fxg5 Qg6 19.Rxf8+ Kxf8 20.Qh8+ Ng8 21.Rf1+ Bf7 22.Nd5 Nce7 

Black covers up as much as possible, but he overlooks something. His best chance was 22...Qe6.

23.Nf4 Black resigned

It is Black's Queen, not his King, who is checkmated!