The Jerome Gambit: Quite Ill

Readers should not take the wrong lesson from the following game. My opponent declined the Bishop sacrifice in the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) and later won the game.

Following the recent three straight losses to MRBarupal (see "Nemesis") and relieved only by a he-blundered-more-than-me rematch (see "Recovering A Measure of, er, Self-Respect"), an "optical illusion" win against Jeffgazet (see Comment to "Disdainful Defender Defense") and a pathetic draw against SkypeFro (see "Tactics Galore"), I have to say that this left me quite ill.

Of course, my opponent's opening strategy actually left White with a much better position after 4 moves, the exact opposite of what usually happens in the Jerome Gambit. Only later, tactical errors, gave Black the win.

perrypawnpusher - ibeje
blitz, FICS, 2010

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

4...Kf8 5.Bb3 h6

This looks like a time-waster and a position-weakener, but my opponent was actually preparing a surprise for me.

6.Nxe5 Nxe5 7.d4 Qh4

This position resembles one from a Jerome Gambit accepted: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Qh4 something that I have referred to as a "pie-in-the-face variation".

analysis diagram

Of course, in the current game, I still have my light-squared Bishop.

8.dxc5

Note that 8.0-0, a good response to the above line with 6...Qh4, is also fine here.

8...Qxe4+ 9.Qe2

Playing this game over, this move leaves me feeling quite ill. It has all of the markings of the psychological errors that I am prone to in my chess games, starting with: I'm a pawn up, time to exchange everything...

The text move is an error that gives Black the edge. The fact that my opponent overlooked the best response (9...Qxg2 10.Qf1 Nf3+) doesn't let me off the hook.

With 9.Kf1 White would have that edge.

9...Qxe2+ 10.Kxe2

10...b6 11.cxb6 Ba6+ 12.Ke1 Re8 13.Be3

13...cxb6 14.Nc3 Nc4 15.Bxc4 Bxc4 16.Rd1 Nf6

White is a comfortable pawn ahead.

17.b3 Ba6 18.Nd5 Ng4

Black should have exchanged Knights.

19.Nc7 Nxe3 20.Nxe8

A tactical error. With 20.fxe3 Rxe3+ White would come out better: 21.Kf2 Re2+ 22.Kf3 Rxc2 23.Nxa6 Rxa2 24.Rxd7 Kg8 25.Nc7.

20...Nxd1

Black errs as well. With 20...Nxg2+ he would have been better.

21.Kxd1

After this move I looked up and saw that I was going to be a piece down after my opponent's next move. What happened? After 21.Nc7 Bb7 22.Kxd1 Bxg2 the game would have been even.

21...Kxe8

Tactics, tactics, tactics. Black gave this game to White on a silver platter, and White dropped it in the mud...

Twenty-five more moves don't erase this fact.

22.Re1+ Kd8 23.c4 Rf8 24.f3 b5 25.cxb5 Bxb5