Jerome Gambit Tournament: Chapter X

Time to unleash another unpleasant surprise for White...



Sir Osis of the Liver - perrypawnpusher
JG3 thematic www.chessworld.net, 2008

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Qh4


At one point Alonzo Wheeler Jerome preferred 6.d4 over 6.Qh5+. It is not clear why he gave the move up and moved on to the Queen check. Perhaps he ran into the text (and forgot to mention it).

Black's sixth move was first seen (at least in my database) in Sorensen - Anonymous, Denmark 1888, and qualifies among the many refutations of the Jerome Gambit.

7.0-0 Ng4 8.h3 Bb6

Sorensen - Anonymous continued: 8...Bd6 9.e5 Bxe5 10.dxe5 Nxe5 11.Qd5+ Kf6 12.f4 Ng6 13.Nc3 d6 14.Be3 Ke7 15.Rae1 Kd8 16.Nb5 Nf6 17.Qc4 Ne8 18.Bf2 Qf6 19.Bd4 Qh4 20.Rxe8+ Kxe8 21.Nxc7+ Kf8 22.f5 Ne5 23.f6 gxf6 24.Qd5 Kg7 25.Qxd6 Rg8 26.Rxf6 Qxf6 27.Bxe5 and White won

9.Qf3+

Taking the Knight with 9.hxg4 was probably simpler.

9...N4f6 10.e5 Bxd4 11.exf6 Nxf6
My "attack" has been rebuffed, but by returning a piece for two pawns I've simply left Black with a piece advantage.

12.c3 Bb6 13.Nd2 Rf8 14.Ne4
An unfortunate oversight.

Now it is possible for Black to just grind things out by developing his pieces and exchanging them off. It is not spectacular chess, only winning chess.
14...Qxe4 15.Qd1 d5 16.Re1 Qf5 17.Be3 Bxe3 18.Rxe3 Bd7 19.Rf3 Qe5 20.Qd2 Rae8 21.Re3 Qd6 22.Rxe8 Rxe8 23.b3 Qe5 24.Rf1 Bc6 25.Kh1 Qe2 26.Qc1 d4 27.cxd4 Qe4 28.d5 Qxd5
Black has managed to scare up some threats on the King while he's at it.
29.f3 Kg8 30.Rd1 Qe6 31.Qf4 Nd5 32.Qd4 Ne3 33.Rc1 Bxf3 34.Kg1 Nxg2 35.Rxc7 Qe3+
According to plan, although 35...Qg6 was probably sharper.
36.Qxe3 Nxe3 37.Kf2 Bc6 38.b4 Nd5 0-1