If not a Jerome Gambit...

Sometimes, when I cannot achieve a Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) in the opening, I am happy to move on into a Boden-Kieseritzky Gambit, and I am usually able to find a Jerome-ish theme or two there, as well...


perrypawnpusher - TheMagicTorch
blitz FICS, 2009
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6

4.0-0 Nxe4 5.Nc3 f5

An unusual and risky continuation, as in my game vs jayshanker. The regular B-K continues after 5...Nxc3 6.dxc3

6.Re1

The suggested move in "Boden-Kieseritzky-Jerome Gambit?"

6...Bc5

More prudent seems to be 6...d6.

7.Nxe4

I was having Jerome dreams dancing in my head, but, really, 7.d4 was better, as with 7...d5 8.Bxd5 Nxc3 9.Bxc6+ bxc6 10.Rxe5+ Be7 11.bxc3 0-0 and White has the advantage.

7...fxe4 8.Nxe5 Nxe5

Black would have had less of a problem if he had thought Jerome-ish-ly, too: 8...Bxf2+ 9.Kxf2 Qh4+ 10.Kg1 Nxe5 11.g3 Qf6 12.Rxe4 Kd8 when White's advantage is small.

9.Qh5+ g6 10.Qxe5+ Qe7

11.Qxh8+ Qf8 12.Rxe4+ Be7 13.Qxh7

A Rook ahead, I let my brain relax. Readers who enjoy tactics propably are asking themselves, "What about trying 13.Rxe7+ instead?" and they are right: 13...Kxe7 14.Qe5+ Kd8 15.d4 d6 16.Bg5+ Kd7 17.Be6+ Ke8 ( 17...Kc6 18.Qd5+ Kb6 19.Qb3+ Ka5 20.Bd2+ Ka6 21.Bc4+ b5 22.Qxb5#) 18.Qe2 Qg7 19.Re1 Bd7 20.Bxd7+ Kf8 21.Be6 Qf6 22.Bxf6 Re8 23.Qf3 Rxe6 24.Rxe6 Kg8 25.Bh8 h6 26.Re8+ Kh7 27.Qf7 checkmate. Good work!

13...c6 14.Qxg6+ Kd8

Timid Brain said: Watch out for that coming fork at d5!

Courageous Brain says: Bring it! Try: 15.d4 d5 16.Rxe7 Kxe7 17.Bg5+ Kd7 18.Qh7+ Kd6 19.Bh4 dxc4 20.Re1 Bf5 21.Bg3+ Kd5 22.Re5+ Kd6 23.Rxf5+ Ke6 24.Re5+ Kd6 25.Re7+ Qf4 26.Bxf4+ Kd5 27.Qe4 checkmate.

15.Re1 d5 16.Bb3 Bd7 17.d4

Now Black makes a slip, and his game folds up like an accordion.

17...Bh4 18.Bg5+ Kc7 19.Bxh4 Rc8 20.Bg3+ Kd8 21.Qg5+ Qe7 22.Qxe7 checkmate