Jerome Gambit: Calculated Risk

Playing the Jerome Gambit is always a calculated risk. How much does your opponent know? How much can he figure out? How quickly can he think his way through the complications?

The following game features bold play by angelcamina, who enters the most dangerous variation of one of the most dangerous defenses to the Jerome Gambit - and lives to tell of it. He knows what he is doing; his opponent, less so. With only 1 minute on the clock, knowledge and experience beat improvisation.

angelcamina - ssez222
1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2018

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Qe7

As in the better-known Blackburne Defense, 7...d6!?, Black offers a Rook. The Queen move, apparently the invention of Lt. G. N. Whistler, who played in a correspondence match against Alonzo Wheeler Jerome, is even stronger.

8.Qxh8

Wow! White takes the Rook and hurls a challenge: can you make me pay?

Analytically, the move leads to a crushing position - for Black. (Komodo 9 says he is almost 6 pawns ahead.) Of course, the defender has to find the follow-up. (Here is a discussion from a previous post.)

Also, as a reflection of the complexity of the position, I have to mention that in the 494 games with the capture of the Rook in The Database, White scores 66%!

8...Qxe4+

This is, of course, Black's point. He should be able to combine attacks on the White King and Queen to wrap things up quickly.

9.Kf1 Bd4

This is an inspired idea, and probably cost Black important seconds of thinking time. It still leads to advantage, but the brutal 9...Qh4!? was the way to seek quick victory.

Maybe. Even after that move, The Database give 4 games: two wins by Black, but two checkmates by White.

10.Qxh7+

Possibly overlooked by Black.

10...Bg7 11.d3 Qg4 12.Nc3 

White is the exchange and a couple of pawns ahead. More importantly, his King and Queen are safe and he can begin to seek aggressive play, himself.

12...d5 

Possibly not best, but the computer recommendation is discouraging: 12...Nf6 13.f3 Qxf3+ 14.gxf3 Nxh7.

13.Qh3 Qb4 

Black, too, has aggressive thoughts, and so retains his Queen - but he would have done better to exchange it, to mess up White's pawns.

Now White moves in for the knockout.

14.Qf3+ Bf5 15.Qxd5+ Kf6 16.g4 Bxg4 17.Bg5 checkmate.