Jerome Gambit: Winning is Not Annoying

Chessfriend Vlasta Fejfar of the Czech Republic has faced the "annoying defense" to the Jerome Gambit a number of times. In the following game, his most recent, he comes away with the whole point.

Vlastous - Idalgit
Internet, 2017

 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 d6 

This is also called the "silicon defense" because it is the choice of many computer chess programs. Black returns a piece and takes a lot of the action out of the position.

8.fxe5 dxe5 9.Qh3+ Kf7 

The text is about equal to 9...Ke7 which was seen in Fejfar,V -Goc,P, 2015 (1/2 - 1/2, 70),  Fejfar,V - Chvojka, correspondence, 2016 (0-1, 32) and Vlastous - irinat, Chessmaniac, 2016 (0-1, 38). 

10.Qh5+ Ke6 11.Qe2 

Stockfish 8 gives the practical suggestion 11.Qh3+ hoping for a draw by repetition. 

11...Qd6

Instead, 11...Ke7 was successful for Black in Wall,B - Alfil engine, Palm Bay, FL 2015 (0-1, 23); while 11...Nf6 was seen in Shredder 8 - RevvedUp, blitz 2 12, 2006 (1-0, 25) and RevvedUp - Yace Paderborn, blitz2 12, 2006 (0-1, 14).

12.Nc3 c6 13.Na4 Nf6 

A tactical slip that drops a piece. Black may have unconsciously decided that his opponent has finished moving his Queen.

14.Qc4+ Ke7 15.Nxc5 b6 16.Nd3 a5 17.Qc3 Ke6 

 

18.Qb3+ Black resigned

Perhaps a bit soon, but Black sees he will lose the b-pawn, and White's Queen will escape any danger, so the game may have lost its interest.