Every Game An Exploration, Every Move A Discovery

While I was planning what I thought would be a routine Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) treatment of the semi-Italian Opening (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6), my opponent was working to achieve a defensive formation that he had found in the past to be successful against a handful of White piece setups. As a result, we created something new and interesting.

perrypawnpusher  - sarBear
blitz FICS, 2009

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

4.0-0

Although I am still not sure that this is the best "waiting" move (as opposed to 4.Nc3) I keep playing it.

4...Bc5 5.Bxf7+

For the record, after the game I asked Rybka to "blundercheck" (at 5 minutes per move) and this is what it suggested that I play, instead of the sacrifice: 5.c3 d6 6.d4 exd4 7.cxd4 Bb6 8.Nc3 Nf6 9.h3 0-0 10.Re1 a6 11.Bf4 Na5 12.Bf1 White has a slight advantage.

analysis diagram

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.Qh5+ Ng6

Here, again, there is a choice of moves, and I think that the one played is not best, as it allows me to capture the Black Bishop on c5, which in turn releases the pin on my f-pawn without me having to spend a move with my King to do so. 

8.Qd5+ Kf8 9.Qxc5+ N8e7

This is a new move (9...d6 is more usual), and part of  sarBear's defensive formation.

10.Nc3 b6 11.Qe3

After the game Rybka suggested 11.Qh5 as better, but I don't think it fits in with what I'm trying to do.

11...Bb7

The fianchetto of the Queenside Bishop for Black in Jerome Gambit and Jerome-ish games is relatively modern – examples that I have are 21st Century ones.

I have faced something similar in one of my games, but, as usual, one of the Jerome Gambit Gemeinde (in this case, Louis Morin) had earlier contact. 

perrypawnpusher - hogmaster, JG3 thematic chessworld, 2008: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qd5+ Kf8 8.Qxc5+ d6 9.Qe3 Nf6 10.0–0 b6 11.f4 Bb7

guest1730 - guest1656, ICC, 2001: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 N8e7 9.0–0 b6 10.Qe3 Bb7




12.f4 d5

This is Black's idea, to delay castling-by-hand (generally an early anti-Jerome strategy) and hit hard at the center.

13.f5

Of course, my idea was if 13...Ne5 then 14.d4 Nf7 15.e5 when White's "Jerome pawns" are advanced and Black's light-squared Bishop is misplaced. 

13...d4

I think that my opponent was excited about this move, which may explain his upcoming error. Whenever Black is pleased to have reached equality in a Jerome-style game, given that he started out with a couple of extra pieces, something strange is going on.

14.fxg6+ Kg8

Rybka prefers keeping the King in the center with 14...Ke8, something that at first glance seems counter-intuitive. The idea, of course, is to develop the imprisoned Rook from h8 to the deadly f-file, such as: 15.Qf3 dxc3 16.Qxc3 Rf8

15.Qf4

I admit that this was a gamble, that I was pretty sure that sarBear wanted his piece back. The correct continuation according to Rybka was 15.Qd3 Nxg6 16.Nd5 with advantage to White. Surely then there would be a lot of play left in the position.

15...dxc3

Black's one move to avoid disaster was 15...Nxg6. It was a move worth finding, as 16.Qg4 dxc3 17.Qxg6 cxd2 would force White to take the perpetual with 18.Qe6+ Kh7 19.Qf5+ Kg8 etc.

16.Qf7 checkmate