The Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) has a lot of "annoying" about it. It is annoying for the defender to have to deal with a "new" 4th move. It is annoying for him to have to figure out a defense to the annoying attack. It is particularly annoying to lose to the Jerome Gambit.
So, I was a bit disappointed in the ending of the following game, as White had a final chance to be extra annoying: Black had abandoned his extra piece because he was sure that his "faster" passed pawn would win for him. Yet, the resulting position became drawn. ramoasis - Irzo blitz, FICS, 2013
After fifty-eight moves, Black is up a Queen for a pawn, but the special nature of the advanced f-pawn makes a draw possible. For Black to win, his King needs to be inside the area delineated by the red line. 59.Kf8 Kg4 60.Kg7
White threatens to Queen his pawn, while keeping his King on the same side as Black's and covering the critical g6 square. 60...Qd4+ 61.Kg8 Qd5 62.Kg7 Qd7
Now White can take advantage of the stalemate theme with 63.Kh8, as 63...Qxf7 would cement the draw. Other tries for Black allow White to Queen his pawn, or continue to resist in a similar manner. 63.Kg8 Qe6
This was a blitz game, and both players slipped.
Black could have taken advantage of White's inaccuracy by advancing his King and forcing mate, 63...Kg5 64.Kh8 Qe7 65.Kg7 Kh5 66.Kg8 Kg6 67.f8=N!?+ Kg5 68.Kh8 Kh6 69.Ng6 Qg7 checkmate. 64.Kg7
Now we are back to drawable territory. 64...Qe7 65.Kg8 Qe6 66.Kg7 Qe7 67.Kg8 Qg5+
Black avoids the draw by threefold repetition and tries something different. 68.Kf8
Instead 68.Kh8! would allow the draw. 68...Kf5 69.Ke8
Black's King is now inside the critical area, and can get to a square where he can help with checkmate. 69...Qg6 70.Ke7 Qg7 71.Ke8 Qg6 72.Ke7 Qe6+ 73.Kf8 Kf6 74.Kg8 Qxf7+ 75.Kh8 Qg7 checkmate
So - White had a possible draw, but missed it. That's annoying!
(Assistance in this column was provided by Houdini 3 and Fundamental Chess Endings by Müller and Lamprecht.)
Black can be his own worst enemy when he does not take the Jerome Gambit seriously: one bad move (or idea) and White can do him in. The following game shows how to finish off one such "oops". zuzveshtok - deadmanwalk blitz, FICS, 2013 1.e4 Nc6 2.Nf3 e5 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Nc3 White hesitates before committing to the Jerome Gambit... 4...Na5 ...And is immediately rewarded. 5.Bxf7+
As with the line 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.Nc3 Na5 in the Semi-Italian Opening, which we last saw in"Final Nail in the Coffin", Black dreams of exchanging off White's "Italian Bishop" with 5.Bb3?! Nxb3, but gets a rude, Jerome Gambit-ish shock. Although the line is not frequently seen (only 15 games in The Database, White scores 77%), those who play the Jerome Gambit should remember how to deal with it. Black's defense crumbles quickly. 5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Ke8 7.Qh5+ g6 8.Nxg6 Nf6 A bit less painful was 8...hxg6 9.Qxh8. 9.Qe5+ Kf7 10.Nxh8+ Kg7 Black resigned
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In a final Jerome Gambit-inspired blitz game, we see Philidor 1792 taking on the Philidor Defense. White starts out by gathering material, and then starts to work with his "Jerome pawns", undeterred by a Queen exchange. When White needs an "extra" piece, he simply enlists his King. As ever, there is a whole lot of battle in the game, and quick decisions to make as the clock ticks down. Philidor 1792 - guest24 3 0 blitz, www.bereg.ru, 2014 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 d6 4.Bxf7+
Here we have another collection of blitz games by Philidor 1792, fuelled by ideas from the Jerome Gambit, but launched in some Two Knights Defenses... Beware the attack! And - if you successfully defend - ask not for whom the time clock ticks, it ticks for thee!
