The Jerome Gambit: All the Time in the World

The slogan In the Jerome Gambit, Black wins by force, White wins by farce reflects the fact that the gambiteer will always need some kind of help from the defender in order to take (or even split) the point.

In the following game my opponent was careful to a fault, giving me time to get my opening up and running – much to his discomfort, and later, distress.

perrypawnpusher - Macgregr
blitz, FICS, 2010

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

The Semi-Italian Opening. It is often a sign of caution by Black: no enemy Knight will come to g5. It can also signal that the second player is planning on taking his time in putting together his defense – something that should please White.

4.0-0 Bc5 5.Bxf7+

The Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit.

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

8.Qd5+ Ke8 9.Qxc5 d6 10.Qe3 Qe7

11.Nc3 Be6 12.f4 Nf8

A bit better was 12...Bf7.

My opponent was being very careful – often a good idea, but here he risks falling behind in development. (Castling-by-hand on the Kingside, for example, is a long way off.)

Maybe he believed that he had all the time in the world against an opening as derelict as the Jerome Gambit?

13.f5 Bc4 14.d3 Bb5

A slip – connected directly, I suspect, to his dismissal of the Jerome as something unworthy of his full attention.

Black could minimize his disadvantage by identifying White's threats and playing to meet them: 14...Bf7 15.d4 Kd7 16.e5 Re8 17.e6 Bxe6 19.fxe6 Qxe6 20.Qd3.