Here, have another...

The second game passed along to me by Dr. Goeller (see "A GM Plays the Jerome Gambit??" and "Here, have a Bishop...") was closer to a "pure" Jerome Gambit game. Again, we see how an experienced, aggressive Grandmaster, American Larry Christiansen, can give something similar to "Jerome Gambit odds" and win the game with ease.

LarryC (2559) - wetvader (1250)
45 15, ICC (1), 2007

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Be7

4.d4 Nxd4

This capture is not seen very often, and is not correct. Even Fritz8 sees the next move as best.

5.Bxf7+

Adding a little Jerome to the quiet Hungarian Defense. In this case it is the Knight on d4 that is hanging.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Kf8 7.Qxd4

7...Bf6 8.Qb4+ d6

As sometimes happens, the weaker player misses an "opportunity" against the Grandmaster. Instead of the text, the "anti-positional" 8...c5 bids to win a piece, i.e. 9.Qc3 (if 9.Qxc5, then 9...d6) d6 10.f4 although things are actually quite complex: 10...Nh6 11.0-0 Ke8 (getting off of the hot f-file) 12.Nd2 Qe7 13.Ndc4 Nf7 14.Nxf7 Bxc3 15.Nfxd6+ Kf8 16.bxc3 b5 17.Nxc8 Rxc8 18.Ne5 and Rybka 3 sees the position as about equal, even though White has only two pieces and two pawns for his Queen...

analysis diagram






Does the Grandmaster worry? He does not. He knows that every player makes mistakes with a certain frequency,  like a metaphorical "bomb" that goes off again and again (infrequently for GMs, regularly for club players). He just has to light the fuse, playing solidly, holding tight, and waiting for the next "boom!"

9.Nf3 h6 10.0-0 a5 11.Qc4 b6 12.Qe2 Ba6 13.c4 d5 14.exd5 Qe7

Black backs away from his original idea of 14...Qxd5, which would have been best.

15.Qc2 Qd6 16.Nbd2 Ne7 17.Ne4 Qd7 18.Nxf6 gxf6 19.Re1 Re8 20.Bf4 Qg4

21.Bg3 Qxc4 22.Qxc4 Bxc4 23.d6 cxd6 24.Bxd6

White did not mind returning a pawn to exchange Queens, as there is every likelihood that he can play the pawn-up endgame with half his brain tied behind his back.

Black can hope: can he reach the Bishop-of-opposite-colors endgame? In the meantime, there is the issue of the pinned Knight. 

24...Rh7 25.Nd4 Kf7 26.Rac1 Ba6 27.Bxe7 Rxe7 28.Rxe7+ Black resigned

After 28...Kxe7 29.Rc7+ will win his Rook.