Kerfuzzled!

Sometimes the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+)seems to just add to the confusion (for example, among others, "Sac a pawn, or a piece, or a...") of the world at large...


Take the following example.


Danivarl - Carpediem
Internet, 2007

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

The "classical" Jerome Gambit, as opposed to "modern" treatments that avoid the second piece sacrifice.

5...Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qd5+
Alonzo Wheeler Jerome preferred this intermediary check, instead of the immediate piece capture.

7...Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qc3 Ne5

This move seems to be asking for trouble, but Black is confident that he has the proper reply. In this he is only half right.

10.f4 Nf3+


Oh, how I have suffered in facing this Knight move, in various positions: see "Jerome Gambit Tournament: Chapter III," "Jerome Gambit: Fools walk in..." and "Jerome Gambit Tournament: Chapter XVI"

In those games, however, the Knight sac was well-coordinated with ...Qh4+

11.Qxf3

Black: Oh, dear, what was I thinking??

11...Be6 12.f5 Bf7 13.d4 Nf6 14.e5

Here come those Jerome pawns!

14...Nd7 15.e6

This can be annoying enough when White is down a piece, but here he is ahead in material.

15...Qh4+ 16.g3 Qxd4 17.Qxb7 Qe5+

A sudden discomfort for the White King, but it is a minor thing if well-managed: 18.Kf2 Qxf5+ 19.Kg1 Bxe6 20.Qxa8+ Kf7 21.Qg2 (not 21.Qxh8, which allows a draw by repetition with 21...Qc5+, etc.).

18.Kd1 Rb8

Black does not see that he now has the winning attack on the King that leads to an advantage in material: 18...Bh5+ 19.g4 Bxg4+ 20.Kd2 Qe2+ 21.Kc3 Bf3 22.Qxc7 Nf6 23.Qf7+ Kd8 24.e7+ Kc8 25.Qc4+ Qxc4+ 26.Kxc4 Bxh1

19.Qxc7

Chess is a complicated game – and this game has become complicated. The stable 19.Qf3 is enough for White to settle things down, with advantage.

19...Bh5+


This time Black sees it.
20.Kd2 Qd5+ 21.Ke3 Qf3+


But what does he see??

He had a draw with the likes of 21...Qe5+ 22.Kf2 Qe2+ 23.Kg1 Qe1+ 24.Kg2 Qe4+ 25.Kg1 Qe1+ etc.

Instead, he gives White a gutsy way to escape to the center of the board: 22.Kd4 Rb4+ 23.c4 Nf6 (of course 23...Qxh1 leads to mate: 24.exd7+ Kf8 25.d8/Q+ Be8 26.Qde7+ Kg8 27.Qxe8#) 24.Nc3 Qf2+ (24...Qxh1 is answered with 25.Qc8+ and White's capture of a Rook offsets Black's) 25.Be3 Qxf5 26.Bf4 and White has the advantage.

analysis diagram

But, what does White see??

White Resigns