A Day in the Life of the Jerome Gambit

Some Jerome Gambit games are instructive, from beginning to end, showing what a player must face and accomplish in order to be successful.

Wall,B - Guest903719 
playchess.com, 2013

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 

6...Bxd4 7.Qxd4 d6 8.0-0 Nf6 9.f3 

This is an interesting Theoretical Novelty. Previous play has centered around White working quickly for e5 or f5, while Black counters with pressure from his Rook along the e- or f-file.

9.f4 is a continuation going back to Jerome,A - Shinkman,W, Iowa, 1876 (½-½, 42).

9...Rf8 10.Nc3 Kg8 11.b3 Bd7 12.Bb2 Qe8 13.Nd5 Nxd5 14.Qxd5+ Qf7 

White is planning another episode of "You can't play like that!"

15.Qxb7 Bc6 16.Qa6 

Threatening 17.Bxe5. 

16...Qd7 17.Rfd1 

Threatening 18.Bxe5 

17...Bb5 18.Qb7 Ng6 

White has grabbed a second pawn to compensate for his sacrificed piece, he has a strong Bishop at b2, and there are weaknesses on the light squares in Black's position.

A computer would still like Black, but this is a human vs human contest.

19.e5 Nf4?! 

Bill recommends, instead, 19...Bc6 20.Qb4 d5.

20.exd6 cxd6 21.Qxd7 Bxd7 22.Rxd6 

All Jerome Gambit players should become familiar with playing this kind of position for White. With three pawns for a piece, White has gained material equality, but his "Jerome pawns" give him "means, motive and opportunity" to try for more.

22...Bf5 23.Re1 Bxc2 24.Re7 Rf7 25.Rxf7 Kxf7 26.Rd7+ Ke6 27.Rd2 Rc8 28.Bxg7 Bg6 

29.g3 Nd3 30.Kg2 Rc1 31.g4 Re1 32.Bd4 a6 33.h4 Kd5 34.Bf2 Ra1? 

Black misses the opportunity to exchange down to a drawn Bishops-of-opposite-colors endgame with 34...Re2 35.Rxe2 Nf4+ 36.Kf1 Bd3 37.Ke1 Bxe2 38.Be3 Bxf3 39.Bxf4 Bxg4.

This blog has presented many examples of the resources and pitfalls of such endings.

35.h5 Be4 36.fxe4+ Kxe4 37.Kg3 Nc1 

This may have been what Black had in mind when he gave up his Bishop for a pawn (the White Queenside pawns fall), but White has seen further.

38.Rd4+ Ke5 39.Rd7 Rxa2 40.Rxh7 Nxb3 41.Re7+ Kf6 

42.h6! Kxe7 43.h7 Kf6 44.h8Q+ Ke7 45.Qe5+ Kd7 46.Qd5+ Ke7 47.Qxb3 Black resigned