Role Reversal

Sometimes in a Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game, the players' roles can be reversed, and Black can become the attacker. In those cases, the second player must use everything he has, or risk seeing the game slip away.

Valverde,M (2136) - Krause,V (1683)

CiF-4er/0114 Remoteschach.de, 2008

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5

7...Qe8

This is new. Blackburne's defense is 7...d6. Whistler's defense is 7...Qe7. The text looks like a finger-slip, but it is an interesting counter-gambit that almost works.

8.Qxc5

Taking the Rook leads to a painful death after 8.Qxe4+, as in the Whistler see – "Whistling by the graveyard..."

8...Qxe4+ 9.Kf1 Nf6

Instead of this natural move, Rybka 3.0 suggests 9...b6. The idea is the pawn sacrifice 10.Qxc7, which would allow Black to whip up a scary attack with 10...Ba6+ 11.d3 Nf6. Black's threat of ...Bxd3+ and then ...Qxd3+ is annoying. White can try 12.Qd6, and then face 12...Rhe8 when things are quite unclear.

Passing on the pawn doesn't avoid all the danger, for example 10.Qc3 Bb7 11.f3 Qe6 12.Kf2 (White could trade a Queen for two Rooks with 12.Qxh8 Nf6 13.Qxa8 Bxa8) 12...Re8 13.Rf1 Nf6 14.d3 Qd6 15.Kg1 Re2 and even though White has castled-by-hand, the game is still unclear.

10.d3 Qe6 11.Nc3 Re8 12.Bg5 b6

The pawn offer isn't as strong here (although it may lead to a drawish Bishops-of-opposite-color ending), and White isn't thinking "material," anyhow, he's thinking "safety."

13.Qd4 b5

This is a tactical oversight that allows White to wrap up the game. More energetic was the thematic 13...Bb7, when Black still has some pressure for his pawn.

14.Qxf6+ Qxf6 15.Bxf6 Kxf6 16.Nd5+ Black resigned