Friday, September 27, 2019

Jerome Gambit: Just. Don't.

Black has many defenses to the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), some focused on returning one of the two gambitted pieces. In the following game, Bill Wall faces one that he has encountered - and defeated - 20 times previously. I suspect his advice to his opponent would be: Just. Don't.

Wall, Bill - NN
Florida, 2019

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 



4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bd6 



Not the best defense: the game is already even, according to Stockfish 10, even though Black is two pieces ahead.

7.dxe5 Bxe5

This move is a troublesome companion to the previous one, shifting the evaluation of the game to White's favor. According to The Database, out of 160 games, Black played this move 139 times.

8.Qd5+

The proper response.

8...Kf6

He is not going to be able to save the Bishop, but retreating the King is not much better.

9.f4 c6 

10.fxe5+

An improvement over 10.Qxe5+, which still won for White in Wall,B - Neilson,C, Melbourne, FL 2016, (1-0, 24). 

10... Ke7 11.Qd3 Qa5+ 12.Nc3 Qxe5 



Material is even, but development and King safety are not. 

13.O-O h6 

Keeping White's Bishop off of g5, but hastening the end.

14.Bf4 Qc5+ 15.Be3 Qh5 16.e5 Ke8 17.Ne4 Ne7 18.Nd6+
Kd8 19.Nf7+ Black resigned


Nice.

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