Wednesday, January 15, 2020

More Jerome Gambit Fun

Image result for free clip art chess players

I have followed the games of different players online, for years. One is chessmanjeff, who enjoys the Jerome Gambit, and has battled in many of its variations.

I thought I'd share a recent game of his, as it touches on the Jerome Gambit Declined - a relatively rare variation, true, but one that has nagged me over the years, for some odd reason (see "Jerome Gambit Declined: Grumping,Yet", check out the links, check out the links on the linked pages...)

The pieces in the following game fly over the board in odd ways, like a group of acrobats who have a whole lot of energy to burn.

chessmanjeff - fabttt
5 0 blitz, FICS, 2019


1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.Bxf7+ Ke7 



The Jerome Gambit Declined. Seen more often is 4...Kf8, which does not block the action of Black's Queen.

5.d4

Every computer suggests that White retreat the Queen with 5.Bd5, 5.Bc4, or 5.Bb3, but chessmanjeff wants to complicate things and open lines - which makes for a livelier 5-minute game.

5...Nxd4 6.Nxe5 Nf6 7.c3 Nb5



Certainly returning to c6 was stronger, but Komodo 10 follows that suggestion up with some spirited play, leading to a draw by repetition: 7...Nc6 8.f4 d6 9.Nxc6+ bxc6 10.Bh5 Nxe4 11.Qe2 Kf8 12.Bf3 Nf2 13.b4 Bb6 14.Rf1 Kf7 15.Bxc6 Bg4 16.Qc4+ Be6 17.Qb5 a6 18.Qe2 Bg4 19.Qc4+ Be6 20.Qe2 etc. Computers, fairly often, see White as willing to grab any chance it can get for a draw in the Jerome Gambit.

8.Bb3 d6 9.Nf7 Qe8 10.Nxh8 Nxe4 11.O-O Qxh8 



White's Bishop and Knight have had fun together. Soon it will be Black's Bishop's and Knight's turn.

12.Re1 Bf5 13.Qd5 Bxf2+ 14.Kh1 Bxe1 15.Qxf5 Nf2+ 



16.Kg1 Rf8

The Rook wants to join in the fun (are all of Black's pieces developed?) but it overlooks impending danger.

17.Bg5+ Ke8 18.Qe6 checkmate


Oh.

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