The Jerome Gambit: For Fun

The following game got me thinking about the title of Willy Hendriks' book, Move First, Think Later: Sense and Nonsense in Improving Your Chess. It's a silly affair (the game, not the book, which is quite serious) that has a couple of howlers when it comes to moves, but it's the kind of thing that happens sometimes in 3-minute blitz games, and I hope it gives you a chuckle or two.

Bingoman - noorinut
3 0 blitz, FICS, 2017

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6

The Semi-Italian Opening. For some background, see here and here.

4.Bxf7+

In a hurry to go all-Jerome all over his opponent. I prefer 4.0-0, and after 4...Bc5, then 5.Bxf7+; but everyone has their own ideas about excitement.

4...Kxf7 5.d4 Nxd4

The enjoyable thing about playing chess "for fun" is that it often doesn't make demands upon you - no heavy cognition, just think of a move and play it. Here Black plays a "sure, why not?" move (instead of 5...exd4) and then has fewer than 10 more moves to regret it.

To go from a "won" game at move 4 to a "lost" game at move 5 is not unheard of in a 3 0 blitz game - but before the end of the game he will have a chance to get that "won"game back again, if he keeps his wits about himself...

6. Nxe5+ Ke8

Alarm bells should be going off in the heads of Jerome Gambiteers everywhere!

Black should have given up the Rook with 6...Ke7 7.Ng6+ Ke8 8.Nxh8 (White's cornered Knight will escape), remaining an exchange and a couple of pawns down. Instead, he faces checkmate*.

7.Qh5+ g6 8.Qxg6+ Ke7 9.Qf7+ Kd6 10.Nc4+ Kc6 11.Qe6+

It's good to remember White's plan of Queen checks followed by the shepherding Knight check, followed by the Queen check - but not this Queen check.

11...d6

Overwhelmed by the shock and awe of the attack? Distracted by the clock? Guessing that his opponent made a mouse-slip and giving him a second chance? I dunno.

12.Qd5+ Kd7 13.Ne5+ Ke8 14.Qf7 checkmate

White's Queen and Knight "undo" their last moves and finish the game.


*There's always an asterisk in 3 0 games.