The Jerome Gambit: Jerome Gambit: First Time's A Charm

Friday, August 2, 2019

Jerome Gambit: First Time's A Charm

I recently received an email and Jerome Gambit game from Jackcchow, who plays at Chess.com.

I was surprised as black to have been involved in the Jerome gambit. I had never had it played against me and had to play this with a lot of thought and improvisation. After the game I had to look this up...

Later, he shared his strategy

It was an entertaining experience to play this out. At key points of the game I saw a variety of lines that could have played out with chances for either black or white. Not knowing the standard variations during play, I relied on key principles and classical objectives such as seizing whatever files, ranks and diagonals as I could (or denying those to white) and trying to exchange material to accentuate the lead I was conferred by the gambit itself. I tried to maintain tempo and use sharp lines of counterattack during white's pawn advance.

Let's take a look.

AlexBuranov - Jackcchow
Chess.com, 2019

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Ng6

This is not an often-played move - The Database has 31 examples. White scores 58%, but if you subtract Bill Wall's 5 wins (and no losses) - he is successful in every line in the Jerome Gambit - that drops to 50%. Solid, for Black.

7.dxc5 Qe7 8.Qd5+ Qe6 9.O-O Qxd5 10.exd5 Nf6 11.c4 c6 12.d6

Allowing the exchange of Queens was probably not White's strongest idea, but he has clearly latched upon a truism in the Jerome Gambit: Black loses many games by leaving his light-squared Bishop at home, where it blocks the development of his Rook. So: White locks it all down.

Almost.

12...b6 13.Be3 Rb8 14.cxb6 axb6 15.Nc3 Ba6

The Bishop emerges.

16.b3 b5 17.c5

If only he could now get in b3-b4, but Black moves first.

17...b4 18.Na4 Bxf1 19.Kxf1 Ng4 20.Bd4 Nxh2+ 21.Ke2 Rhe8+ 22.Kd3 Ng4