When facing a surprise or unusual attack - such as the Jerome Gambit - one defensive strategy is to turn the game into a "mess", and hope for the best. In the following game, Black tries this, and things become so mixed up that he has greater chances than if he had stayed along "peaceful" lines - but, eventually the game becomes less "dangerously messy" and White triumphs.
Wall, Bill -Guest3440
chesstempo.com, 2018
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bb4+
A clever alternative to 6...Bxd4.
7.c3
Bxc3+
Black also had the bold alternative 7...Qh4!?
8.Nxc3 Nc4
Black probably wanted to avoid the kick-the-Knight variation 8...Nc6 9.d5 Ne5 10.f4 Ng6 but should have opted for 8...Ng6 directly.
9.Qh5+ Kf8
Or 9...g6 10.Qd5+ Kf8 11.Qxc4 Ne7 12.Bh6+ Ke8 13.Nb5 c6 14.Nd6 checkmate, Wall,B - Minaevm, lichess.org, 2017.
10.Qc5+ Nd6 11.e5 b6 12.Qa3 Qe8
Black struggles with his pinned Knight. He probably should have surrendered it with 12...c5 13.exd6 Qe8+ 14.Ne2 Bb7 15.dxc5 Nf6 16.Be3 Bxg2 17.Rg1 Be4 18.O-O-O bxc5 and a very messy position.
13.Nb5 Qg6
This does not work.
14.Qf3+ Nf5
15.Qxa8 Nge7 16.Nxa7 Kf7 17.Qf3 Kg8
The position is a mess, but one that favors White, who is an exchange and a couple of pawns ahead.
18.Nxc8 Nxc8 19.Qd5+ Qe6 20.Qxe6+ dxe6 21.Be3 Black resigned
Things have settled down, which means Black's chances have been reduced.
According to the hypermodern player Gyula Breyer, after 1.e4 White's game is in its last throes.
Subsequently, many played 1.e4, and lost.
Of course, many played 1.e4, and won.
Chess is complicated like that. Even after you play the right, best move - you have to play another one, and another one, and then another one...
In the following Jerome Gambit game, Black plays a very promising 6th move, but his opponent does not oblige him by resigning. Instead, the game goes on, and before 20 more moves are played, it is Black who has to turn over his King.
Wall, Bill - Mecnieri
PlayChess.com, 2018
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4
The Database has 250 of Bill's games with this position. (White scored 91%.)
6...Qh4
Possibly Black's strongest reply - but only played against Bill 30 times. (White scored 85%.)
7.O-O Ng4 8.h3 Bd6
The position looks scary for White.
9.e5 Nxe5
"Scientifically" returning one of the sacrificed pieces for a couple of pawns. Bill pointed out the alternative 9...Be7 10.hxg4 d6 and Black is still better.
10.dxe5 Bxe5 11.Qd5+
11...Kf8
Black returns the second sacrificed piece, but could well have played 11...Kf6 12.Re1 Bd4.
12.Qxe5 d6 13.Qa5 Qe7
Material equality has been reestablished. White's King is safer, however. It is also good to remember the curious Jerome Gambit bromide: when White has equalized, he has the advantage.
14.Nc3 Nf6 15.Nb5 c6 16.Nd4 h6
Black moves to keep White's Bishop off of g5, but he doesn't have time for this.
17.Re1 b6 18.Qc3 Nd5
A tactical slip. He would have done better with 18...Qd7.
Now White puts on the pressure and wraps up the game.
19.Nxc6 Nxc3 20.Nxe7 Bb7 21.Ng6+ Kg8 22.Nxh8 Kxh8 23.bxc3 Black resigned
Everything looks pretty well balanced - until you notice that White is up a Rook.
The Jerome Gambit leads to some strange games. However, some games are stranger than others.
The following game is the strangest one that I have seen in a while.
Wall, Bill - Guest371494
PlayChess.com, 2018
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Nf6
So far, pretty "normal" - for a Jerome. Black's choice to keep developing and let White "waste" time recovering one of two sacrificed pieces is reasonable, if not best.
7.dxe5 Bxf2+
Black decides to return another piece, as well. Suddenly White's King is exposed.
8.Kxf2 Nxe4+ 9.Ke1
The position is kind of strange - but not unknown. In fact, it is difficult to find a line that is totally unfamiliar to Bill. For example, previously he has played:
9.Kg1 Rf8 (9...d5 10.Nc3 (10.Qf3+ Kg6 11.Nc3 Rf8 12.Qd3 Bf5 13.Nxd5 c6 14.Nf4+ Kf7 15.Qc4+ Ke8 16.Be3 g5 17.Nh5 Bg6 18.Qe6+ Qe7 19.Ng7+ Kd8 20.Rd1+ Black resigned, Wall,B - Szachowski, playok.com, 2017) 10...Nxc3 11.Qf3+ Ke8 12.Qxc3 Be6 13.Be3 c6 14.Rd1 Rf8 15.h3 Qh4 16.Rd4 Qg3 17.Rd3 Qg6 18.Kh2 Kd7 19.Qb4 b5 20.Qd6+ Black resigned, Wall,B - MyDrunkAccount, lichess.org, 2016) 10.Qd5+ Ke8 11.Qxe4 Qe7 (11...Rf7 12.Nc3 d6 13.exd6+ Kf8 14.Qxh7 Qxd6 15.Qh8+ Ke7 16.Bg5+ Kd7 17.Rd1 Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest902091, PlayChess.com, 2017) 12.Nc3 Black resigned,Wall,B - Guest7889049, PlayChess.com, 2018.
9...Qh4+
This is an interesting and consistent idea - not found elsewhere in The Database - but it doesn't work. The pedestrian 9...d5 was more likely to be of help.
10.g3 Nxg3 11.Qd5+
This is why Black's idea doesn't work, as White protects his Rook.
11...Ke7 12.hxg3 Qxg3+ 13.Ke2 Rf8 14.Be3 d6
The typical Jerome Gambit roles have been reversed: White has the extra piece, Black has two extra pawns.
15.exd6+ cxd6 16.Nc3 Rf5
Some things in the Jerome Gambit don't change, however. Once again, Black's Bishop is at home, blocking a Rook. White's active pieces are ready to make the difference.
17.Rag1 Qxg1 18.Rxg1 Rxd5 19.Nxd5+ Kf7 20.Rf1+ Ke6 21.Nc7+ Black resigned
After the upcoming Nxa8, even if Black recovers the cornered Knight (not likely, as the Bishop will help it escape) he will remain down a Rook.
Here is a third Cliff Hardy Jerome Gambit game, again a 10 minute game - and again, playing blindfold!
Notes are by Cliff. I have added diagrams and an occasional comment in blue.
Hardy, Cliff - ronin7887
10 0, white playing blindfold
lichess.org, 2018
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6
7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Nf6
Reaching this position for the third time in three games. There are 91 games in The Database with this position, going back to Vazquez - Carrington, 2nd match, Mexico, 1876. - Rick
10.f4 Qe7 11.Nc3 Kf7 12.O-O c6?!
+/= Stockfish doesn't like this move and gives12...Re8 with a clear advantage for black.
13.f5 Ne5 14.d4 Nc4?!
+/= This move is quite clumsy for black and the odd move 14...Ned7 would have actually much better, with an equal position
15.Qd3 Nb6 16.Bg5 h6?
+- An unnecessary weakening of the black king; 16...Re8 would have been more circumspect, with a clear advantage for white
17.Bh4 Re8 18.Rae1 Qc7?
18...Nbd7 may have held out longer, though white would still have had an overwhelming initiative
19.e5?! Nfd5?
Better would have been 19...dxe5 since after my planned 20.dxe5 Rxe5 21.Bg3 black would then have had the complicated 21...Bxf5! though then after 22.Qf3 his rook would still then have been lost on e5, so white would still have had a winning position in that circumstance anyway
20.Ne4 dxe5 21.dxe5 Rxe5 22.Bg3 Kg8 23.f6 g5?
Weakening the king's position, though black is lost in any case
24.Nxg5 hxg5??
The complicated 24...Bf5! was best, though white would still have been completely winning e.g. 25.Bxe5 Bxd3 26.f7+! Qxf7 27.Rxf7 hxg5 28.Rg7+ Kf8 29.cxd3
25.Qg6+ Kf8 26.Bxe5 Qf7 27.Bd6+ Black resigned
Nice. Checkmate will arrive in 4 moves. Readers will notice Black's light-squared bishop at home, blocking the rook - a telltale sign that all is not well with black's position; and clearly punished by Cliff in this game. - Rick
