Jerome Gambit: Faux Defense

In the Jerome Gambit, White sacrifices a couple of pieces. Most of Black's defenses are based upon returning a piece. Sometimes Black just develops a piece, saying, in effect "You choose the piece that you want back, I'm too busy with my other pieces."

The following game follows that defensive scenario, although Black's choice at move 7 gives back 2 pieces - leaving White up a couple of pawns. There are some interesting tactics following, but the defender's overwhelming advantage at move 4 has become a significant advantage for the attacker, three moves later.

Bullet chess - and the Jerome Gambit - is like that.

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

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 Nf6 

At first glance - if only a glance - this move looks fine. In bullet chess you don't always get more than a glance. Still, this is not an effective defense, and The Database points out that in 62 games, White scores 72% against it.

8.Qxe5+ Kf7 9.Qxc5 d6 10.Qe3

A bullet chess game is truly an event that took less time than it takes to tell...

The next time angelcamina plays this line, though, he might try 10.Qb5 here, instead, as against the move in the game, Black can grab back a pawn with 10...Nxe4, since the lined-up White Queen and King on the e-file do not allow the first player to recapture.

It is no big deal that White did not see that tactic, playing at that speed - Jerome Gambit regulars such as blackburne, MrJoker, and Petasluk, among others, playing much more slowly, missed it, too; and none of the defenders found 10...Nxe4!?, any way. (Hmm... This should be added to my series of "Jerome Gambit Secrets".)    

10...Qe7 11.d3 Re8 12.O-O Ng4 

When in doubt, or at a loss for an idea, harass the enemy Queen.

13.Qg3 Qd7 14.h3 Nf6 15.e5 

Standard Jerome Gambit attacking motif. Black gets to snap off a pawn (more solid, but less incisive, was 15.b3 followed by 16.Bb2), but that takes thinking time to figure out, and time is precious.

15...dxe5 16.fxe5 Qd4+ 17.Kh1 Rxe5 

My preference is to capture with the Queen, but perhaps Black wanted to keep the piece on the board and not allow it to be exchanged.

18.Nc3 Be6 19.Bf4 Rf5 20.Bxc7 Rxf1+ 21.Rxf1 Rc8 

22. Be5 Qe3 

An oversight that ends the game. Time pressure?

23.Qxe3 Black resigned

Even without the slip, Black was in a bad way, faceing a 2-pawn deficit and very uncomfortable pressure on his Knight (and the King behind it). 
alpha