Thursday, December 12, 2019

Jerome Gambit: Familiar, Unfamiliar

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Part of the humor of the following game is that it starts out in a line that White has plenty of experience with, but, in an eyeblink (at move 8) it moves into uncharted territory. The player who is more familiar with the opening is the one who survives. 

Wall, Bill - Guevad
ChessTempo.com, 2019

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 



4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4  Bd6 


Bill is 23 - 0 from this position. This reflects his experience, of course, but also suggests that the game move is not best. The simple 6...Bxd4 was fine.

7.dxe5 Be7 8.Qf3+ 

Despite Bill's familiarity with this Jerome Gambit variation, the text is a novelty. Creativity, even in routine situations.

8...Ke8 9.O-O Bg5 

Black wants to swap off his troubled Bishop, activating his Queen in the recapture. What could be wrong with that? What typical Jerome Gambit tactic has the defender overlooked?

10.Qh5+ g6 11.Qxg5 Qxg5 12.Bxg5 h6 13.Be3 b6 14.c4 Bb7 15.Nc3 Ne7 16.f4 Nc6 

White has recovered his sacrificed piece, and is ahead 2 pawns. He is in no hurry, but eventually his "Jerome pawns" will become restless, after his pieces have moved into position. 

17.b3 Nb4 18.Rf2 c5 19.Rd1 Rf8 20.Nb5 Kd8 21.f5 Bxe4 22.f6 
g5 23.e6 Black resigned


Oh, dear. Stockfish 10 suggests here that the only move to avoid falling into checkmate would be 23...d5, which would, of course, lead to 24.cxd5, and White's 3, connected, passed "Jerome pawns" would be a nightmare. (As if the alternative, 24.e7+, would not be enough to cause Black to turn over his King.)

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