Ooooops...

It can be a lot of fun showing off my Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) games – even the losses – or, as in the case below, my Jerome-ized games, but it's a little embarassing to find in the middle of a "good" win a really bad move...


perrypawnpusher - Cibola
blitz FICS, 2009

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6

The Semi-Italian Game, not necessarily safer than 3...Bc5.

4.0-0 Bc5 5.Bxf7+ 5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.Qh5+ Ng6

8.Qd5+ Ke8

Or 8... Kf8 as in perrypawnpusher - pascalwilliams, blitz 3 0, FICS, 2007 (1/2-1/2, 32) and abhailey - cumelin, net-chess.com, 2008 (1-0, 21).

9.Qxc5 Qe7 10.Qe3 Nf6 11.Nc3 c6 12.f4 b6


Up to here we have a pretty normal Jerome Gambit-style scenario: White hopes he can use his two extra pawns to create mischief before Black can get his extra piece to settle things.

13.f5

Fritz 8's suggestion is interesting, suggesting play across the whole board, and a balanced game after: 13.Qg3 Nf8 14.e5 Nh5 15.Qf3 g6 16.d4 Ba6 17.Rd1 Ng7 18.Ne4 Kd8 19.d5 Kc8 20.a4

13...Ne5 14.d4 Ba6


If you can counter a tactical threat with a stronger one of your own, that is a good thing: so Black threatens my Rook while I "merely" threaten his Knight – well, not exactly, but that was what my opponent was thinking. Instead, the Knight should retreat to f7.

15.dxe5 Qxe5



If 15...Bxf1 then 16.exf6 Qxf6 17.Kxf1. Now I have my piece back, and am up a pawn.

16.Re1 Kf7 17.Qf3 Rhe8 18.Bf4 Qc5+ 19.Be3 Qb5


Clearly a case, Jerome Gambit Gemeinde member Pete Banks ("blackburne") would say, of serious shock and awe.

20.Bd4

Clearly a case of "short attention span chess". When I looked closer at the board after my move (most experts recommend looking at the board before you move) I was appalled at my oversight. Oooops...

20...Qxb2



Well, I suppose it would be too much to expect him to let me have a second chance to capture his Queen... I do have a lot of pawns and pieces pointed at his King, however.

21.e5 Nd5

This falls in with White's plans. Better was 21...Qb4, attacking the Bishop on d4. White's attack can then proceed, but slower: 22.Rad1 Kg8 23.Qg3 Nd5 24.Ne4 Qf8 25.Nd6 followed in a few moves with the pawn break f5-f6.

22.e6+



22...Kg8 23.Qg4 Nxc3

Ending the game, but 23...Re7 24.Nxd5 lead to only misery as well after 24...Qxd4+ 25.Qxd4
cxd5 26.Qxd5 Bb7 (what else??) 27.Qd6

24.Qxg7 checkmate