Jerome Gambit Tournament: Chapter XIII

They all laughed when I sat down at the chessboard...


Well, maybe nobody laughed, but I had the White pieces this round, which meant that I was again in the position of defending the "honor" of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf2 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7) – an honor which might best be described as "pure as the driven slush"...


perrypawnpusher - Kevin the fruitbat
JG3 thematic www.chessworld.net, 2008

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Qh4+

After my 10-move disaster against drewbear (see "Jerome Gambit Tournament: Chapter II") I was sure that other players would try this line against me. It is one of the handful of Jerome Gambit refutations available to the second player.

9.g3 Qf6

Wise. The Queen causes the most problems when posted at f6.

10.fxe5+ Qxe5 11.Qxe5+ Kxe5 12.b4
This line was mentioned at the ChessExchange forum a number of years ago, and Kapil Gain gave a game where it had been played successfully against him: 12.b4 Bb6 13.Bb2+ Bd4 14.c3 Bb6 15.Rf1 Kxe4 16.c4 Nf6 17.Ke2 Bd4 18.Rf4+ Ke5 19.Bxd4+ Kd6 20.Nc3 Kc6 21.b5+ Kd6 22.Bxf6 gxf6 23.Rxf6+ Ke7 24.Raf1 c6 25.d4 h5 26.d5 Re8 27.Kd3 Kd8 28.R1f5 cxb5 29.Nxb5 b6 30.Rxh5 Ke7 31.Rf4 Kd8 32.d6 Ba6 33.Nc7 Rg8 34.Nxa8 Kc8 35.Rhf5 Kb7 36.Nc7 Rg6 37.Nxa6 Kxa6 38.Rf6 Rxf6 39.Rxf6 Kb7 40.h4 b5 41.h5 b4 42.h6 a5 43.h7 b3 44.h8Q bxa2 45.Qd8 a1Q 46.Qc7+ Ka6 47.Qc8+ Kb6 48.Qd8+ Kc5 49.Rf5+ Kxd6 50.Rd5+ Ke6 51.Qe8+ Kf6 52.Rd6+ Kg7 53.Rg6+ Kh7 54.Qf7+ Kh8 55.Rh6# NN - Gain, K, internet, 2004

On principle I don't think it's a good idea in the Jerome Gambit for White to exchange Queens (unless he's achieved a won endgame) but I thought this line was odd enough to be worth exploring.

12...Bf8 TN

Kevin wasn't taking any chances, and being up a piece for a pawn, why should he?

13.0-0 Nf6 14.Bb2+ Ke6

Taking the e-pawn was not worth the headache: 14...Kxe4 15.Nc3+ Ke5 16.Nb5+ Kd5 17.Nxc7+ Kc6 18.Nxa8 b6 19.Bxf6 gxf6 20.Rxf6+ Kb7 21.Nxb6 axb6 and White would have a Rook and three pawns to balance Black's two Bishops.

15.b5 a6 16.a4 axb5 17.axb5 Rxa1 18.Bxa1 b6

Taking the e-pawn instead was probably ok here, but even with the text, Black is much better.

19.e5 Nd5 20.c4 Nb4 21.d4 c6 22.Bc3 g5


"Stumbles just before the finish line" is the ascerbic comment of the computer.

"An unfortunate slip in a well-played game" is the evaluation of this commentator.

23.Rf6+ Ke7 24.Bxb4+ Ke8 25.Rxf8+ Rxf8 26.Bxf8 Kxf8

"Good luck is better than a license to steal."

27.Nc3 Kf7 28.Kf2 Ke6 29.Ke3


Centralizing the King is a good idea, but 29.Na4, going after the Black b-pawn, was probably stronger.

29...Kf5

Wandering away from the action.

30.Ne4 d5 31.exd6

White would wrap things up with 31.cxd5 cxd5 32.Nd6+ Ke6 33.Nxc8 followed by 34.Nxb6.

The rest of the play is not accurate, but it all rolls in the same direction.

31...Bd7 32.bxc6 Bxc6 33.d5 Bd7 34.g4+ Kg6 35.h3 h6 36.c5 bxc5 37.Nxc5 Bb5 38.d7 Bxd7 Black resigns