Jerome Gambit: Slower But Still Fast

Here is the second game recently shared by shugart. It is "slower" than the previous one, being a 3-minute blitz game. The kind of quick thinking that sugart shows is pretty impressive: the name of the game is tactics.

shugart - mijac
3 0 blitz, FICS, 2017

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8

The Jerome Defense to the Jerome Gambit, played successfully by Alonzo Wheeler Jerome in two correspondence games against Daniel Jaeger in 1880.

7 Qxe5 Qe7 8.Qf4+

shugart has also tried 8.Qd5, e.g. 8...d6 9.O-O Nf6 10.Qc4 Be6 11.Qe2 Re8 12.c3 Kg8 13.d4 Bb6 14.f3 c5 15.d5 Bd7 16.c4 a5 17.Bf4 Ba7 18.Nc3 h6 19.Bg3 Kh7 20.Rae1 Rhf8 21.Qc2 Qf7?! 22.e5+ Kh8 23.exf6 Qxf6 24.Ne4 Qf5 25.Nxd6? Qxc2 26.Nxe8 Rxe8 27.Rxe8+ Bxe8 28.h3 Qxc4 29.Re1 Qc3 30.Rxe8+ Black forfeited on time, shugart - orakel, lightning, FICS, 2014.

He has also played 8.Qg3, which looks like a mouse slip: 8...Qxe4+ 9.Kd1 d5 10.Qxc7 Bxf2 11.Rf1 Bg4 checkmate, shugart - bakugan, lightning, FICS, 2014.

8...Nf6

Of about similar strength was 8...Qf6, e.g. 9.Qg3 Bd6 10.Qe3 b6 11.c3 Bb7 12.O-O Re8 13.f3 Ke7 14.d4 Kd8 15.e5 Bxe5 16.dxe5 Rxe5 17.Qd4 Ne7 18.Nd2 Nc6 19.Qd3 Rhe8 20.Ne4 Qe7 21.Bg5 Black resigned, shugart - eggert, blitz, FICS, 2013.

9.d3 d5 10.e5 Bd6

Black was doing well, with an extra piece (for two pawns) and better development, despite his more exposed King. His plan to win the e-pawn is proably a blitz oversight.

mijac would have done better with 10...Ke8. He was apparently not thinking in that direction as he observed his pinned Knight being attacked by White's pinned pawn.

11.d4 Kg8 12.O-O Nh5 

13.exd6 cxd6 14.Qf3 Nf6

The position has calmed down, but Black has all the weaknesses.

15.Bg5 Kf7 16.Bxf6 gxf6 17.Qxd5+ Kg7 18.Nc3 Be6 19.Rae1 Kf7

Protecting for a second time the twice-attacked Bishop - but there is a tactical continuation for White, the kind that wins blitz games.

20.Qh5+ Kf8 21.d5 Bf7

Not a saving move, but a good try in a desperate situation.

22.Qh6+ Ke8 23.Rxe7+ Kxe7 

24.Re1+ Kd7 25.Qh3+ Kc7 26.Re7+ Kb6 27.Qe3+ Black resigned

Black's Bishop is hanging - but, even worse, his King is in a mating net.