Here is another "day in the life of the Jerome Gambit" that turns into a long grind - and a win for White. The "Jerome pawns" prove strong - or at least easier to play.
ZahariSokolov - emranhamid
FICS, 2014
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Qf5+ Kd6 8. f4 Nc6
Another solution for Black to the "Ups and Downs".
9.Qd5+
For the record, 9.e5+ shouldn't work, but did in Superpippo - MattMeister, FICS, 2002 (1-0, 60) and Ghandybh - ishahir, Chess.com 2009, (1-0, 17).
9...Ke7 10.Qxc5+ d6 11.Qg5+
Or 11.Qe3 as in perrypawnpusher - trombose, blitz, FICS, 20013, (1-0, 31).
11...Kf8 12.Qxd8+ Nxd8 13.f5 Nf6 14.d3 h6 15.Nc3 a6 16.Be3 Nc6 17.O-O-O Kf7 18.h3 Re8 19.g4 Ne5 20.g5 hxg5 21.Bxg5 Nh7 22.h4 Bd7 23.Nd5 c6
Black has been lulled into passivity - and error.
24.Nc7 Rac8 25.Nxe8 Rxe8 26.Bf4 Kf6 27.Rdg1 Kf7 28.Bxe5 dxe5 29.Rg6 Nf6 30.Rhg1 Rg8 31.Kd2 Nh5 32.R1g5 Nf4 33.Rd6 Ke7 34.Rxd7+
It was not necessary to return the exchange at this time.
34...Kxd7 35.f6 g6 36.Rxe5 Rf8 37.Re7+ Kd6 38.e5+ Kd5 39.c4+ Kd4 40.Rd7+ Kxe5 41.f7 Ke6 42.Rxb7 Rxf7 43.Rb6 Rd7 44.Rxc6+ Rd6 45.Rxd6+ Kxd6 46.d4 Kc6
White has played his advantage into a position where he is worse - but that assessment is based upon Black's ability to show that his Knight is more than equal to three pawns. (The Black Knight should attack and win the h-pawn.)
47.b3 a5 48.a3 Ne6 49.Ke3 Kd6 50.Ke4 Nf8 51.b4 axb4 52.axb4 Nd7 53.b5 Nf6+ 54.Kf4 Ke6 55.Kg5 Kf7 56.b6 Ne4+ 57.Kf4 Nd6 58.c5 Nc8 59.b7 Black resigned
The following game illustrates the Number One "winning strategy" for the Jerome Gambiteer, what I like to call "Lose Slowly"; to which my son Jon, no stranger to the Jerome added, "Give your opponent time to make a mistake."
perrypawnpusher - trombose
blitz, FICS, 2013
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Nc6
This is one of a number of ways for Black to return a piece (see "Chances", "Follow Your Friends", "No Need to Get a Big Head" and "Charlatan" for others), that, while not "best", still leaves him with an advantage.
9.Qd5+
This move is an improvement over 9.e5+, which was seen in Superpippo - MattMeister, FICS, 2002 (1-0, 60) and Ghandybh - ishahir, Chess.com, 2009 (1-0, 17), the only precedents for 8...Nc6 in The Database.
9...Ke7 10.Qxc5+ d6 11.Qe3
After the game, Houdini 3 suggested 11.Qf2 as another way of retreating the Queen.
11...Nf6 12.O-O Rf8 13.e5
Probably premature.
13...Ng4 14.exd6+ Kxd6
15.Qa3+ Kd7 16.Nc3
I tend to get lost in these nebulous positions. After the game, Houdini 3 suggested 16.h3 Nf6 17.Rf3!? with the kind of attacking ideas your can find in Bill Wall's games.
16...Qe7
A Queen exchange will blunt White's "attack", and there is little that I can do - so I try to ignore it. Curiously, for a while, so does my opponent.
17.Qa4 Qb4 18.h3 Nf6 19.b3 Qd4+ 20.Kh1
As will be seen, 20.Kh2 was more prudent.
20...a6 21.Bb2 Qxa4 22.Nxa4 Nb4
23.c4
More to the point was the tactical skirmish, 23.Ba3 a5 24.c3 Ne4 25.Rfe1 Rxf4 26.cxb4 axb4 27.Bxb4 Nf2+ 28.Kg1 Nxh3+ 29.gxh3
Rxb4, when Black would have a slight edge.
23...b6 24 d4 Nd3 25.Bc3 Nh5 26.Bd2
Focusing on trapping Black's Knight, I overlooked the loss of the exchange.
26...Ng3+ 27.Kg1 Nxf1 28.Rxf1 c5
Instead, 28...Bb7, which must have been on Black's mind (perhaps he was spending too much time wondering what I was up to, or how he was going to retrieve his Knight), would have steadied his winning game - a Rook up.
29.Rf3
Correct was 29.Nxb6+, as White actually needs his Bishop to help his own Knight escape, when Black's edge would be minimal.
Both my opponent and I were suffering from "nerves" at this point.
29...Nb4 30.Bxb4
Same criticism as above: 30.Nxb6+ was a better move, and winning.
30...cxb4 31.Nxb6+ Black resigned
Black must have been discouraged, seeing himself drop the exchange, as I had, earlier. The fact is, after 31...Kc6 32.Nxa8 Kb7 (or 32...Bf5) Black will gather in White's Knight, and, with a piece for three pawns, the game would be dynamically equal.
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