Sunday, March 3, 2019

Jerome Gambit: A Complex, Violent Affair

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The latest Jerome Gambit game from Angel Camiña is a complex, violent affair - the kind of thing you
might expect if both players arrived at the board fully prepared for battle.

angelcamina - davidbrooklyn2
1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2019

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, a practical response that seeks to keep Black's King out of danger, while it returns one of the two sacrificed pieces. One downside is that the King may have to move to let the Rook out, something that often turns into castling-by-hand. 

7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qc3 Qh4 

Black is not intimidated, he is ready for a fight.

9.O-O Nf6 10.d4 Bb6 11.e5 



Attack!, the watchword of both the Jerome and bullet chess.

It is interesting, and somewhat amusing, to see the computer's recommendation, where Black eventually returns the second piece, and things wind down to an endgame where the defender is up a pawn (plus a Bishop for a Knight): 11.f3 Kf7 12.a4 a5 13.Be3 Be6 14.Nd2 Rhc8 15.f4 Kg8 16.f5 Bd7 17.Qd3 Qh5 18.h3 Kh8 19.Rf3 g6 20.g4 Nxg4 21.hxg4 Qxg4+ 22.Kf2 gxf5 23.d5 Bxe3+ 24.Qxe3 Rg8 25.Qc3+ Rg7 26.Rg3 Qxg3+ 27.Qxg3 Rxg3 28.Kxg3 fxe4 29.Nxe4.

11...dxe5 12.dxe5 Ng4 13.h3 



13...Nxf2 

Brutal, but Black has overlooked the fact that there is one response that turns the game around. He should have tried the other capture, 13...Bxf2+, and, after 14.Kh1 Be6 15.Nd2 Kg8 16.Nf3 Qg3 17.hxg4 h5!? the attack continues, for example 18.g5 Rf8 19.Rxf2 Qxf2 20.Be3 Qg3 21.Rf1 h4.

14.Be3 

Does the trick.

14...Bxe3 15.Qxe3 Bxh3 

This move would be unplayable at any normal time control, but at bullet, it is a stroke of psychological genius - or grim dispair.

16.Rxf2+ Ke7 17.Qxh3 Qd4 

Black does not wish to exchange Queens - but, soon, he goes in for mass exchanges, perhaps influenced by the clock..

18.Nc3 Raf8 19.Raf1 Rxf2 20.Rxf2 Rf8 21.Qg3 Rxf2 22.Qxf2 Qxe5 23.Qe2 Qxe2 24.Nxe2 Kf6 25.Kf2 Black resigned



Whew! Likely Black was behind on the clock, and figured that resistance was, therefore, futile.

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