Jerome Gambit: The Advantage of the Attack

One advantage of attacking in chess is that if you make an inaccurate move or two, you might lose your attack. However, when defending in chess, if you make an inaccurate move or two, you might lose your King. This is one of the many attractions of the Jerome Gambit. The following imperfect bullet game is a fun example.

lilbisgod - gdhug

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2020

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

7.Qxc5 Nf6 8.e5 

An interesting idea, both kicking the enemy Knight and pointing at d6. But: Beware the e-File! Even in bullet chess.

8...Re8

Recently seen was 8...Ne8 9. Qd5+ Kf8 10.e6 dxe6 11.Qxd8 Black resigned, ouwafhusadkgj - NN, no clock, Chess.com, 2020. 

9.O-O Rxe5 

10.Qc4+ d5 11.Qb3 Be6 12.Qxb7 

Courting danger. Can Black respond?

12...a5 13.Qc6 a4 14.d4 Re4 15.c3 Bf5 16.Nd2 Re6 17.Qc5 Qb8 18.Nf3 Qb6 

Yes, yes, when you are ahead in material, it is often a good idea to exchange Queens. But it is so easy to overlook things in 1-minute games!

19.Qxb6 

Missing the fork with 19...Ng5+.

19...cxb6 20.Bf4 

See the note, above.

20...Nxf4 21.g3 Nd3 22.Rad1 Nxb2 23.Rd2 Nc4 24.Rc2 Bxc2 

White will fight on. Perhaps the clock was on his side?

25.Ng5+ Kg6 26.Nxe6 Nd2 27.Nf4+ Kf5 28.Re1 

Is it possible that lilbisgod has been reading GM David Smerdon's The Complete Chess Swindler ? Excellent!

 28...Nde4 29.f3 Nd2 30.Re5 checkmate

Brilliant.

Years ago, I had a chess pal who would regularly complain, "I was beating you, right up to the point where you checkmated me!" Indeed.