Jerome Gambit: Scared Silly

Questions. When it comes to the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), I get questions. I also get a lot of games. I love it.

Sometimes, I get both a game and some questions.

I was recently inspired to try out the now famous Jerome Gambit in a recent game. My opponent played g6, and after capturing the Knight on e5 my opponent played ...Qe7. My question is that if I capture the rook what is the best defence against ...Qxe4+? My opponent got a perpetual and settled for a draw but I think he could have won quite easily. Is it a blunder to capture the rook in this position as it seems a waste of the gambit not to capture. I've attached the pgn of the game if you would like to see it.

I was very happy to answer.

Have you ever scared someone silly? Got them so frightened that they were not thinking right at all?

Well, looking at the Jerome Gambit game that you sent me, I know that you have.

First, a bit of chess history.

Alonzo Wheeler Jerome published his first gambit analysis in 1874. He tested some of his lines in correspondence play, and in 1876 he played a correspondence match against Lt. G.N. Whistler, USA, Secretary, Lexington Kentucky Chess Club. I have found only 1 of their games, but it appears that Whistler did very well.

Whistler played 7...Qe7, like in your game, and Jerome took the rook with 8.Qxh8 - very risky.

Your opponent had the right idea, with 8...Qxe4+ through 12...Qxf3+. Then he decided to go for the draw.

It is hard to blame him. He had decided that you knew a powerful gambit that he did not. It had to be powerful, because nobody would sacrifice two pieces for "nothing", right? A draw would be an honorable outcome, under the circumstances.

What your opponent missed was 13...d5!, opening the diagonal for his bishop to come to g4 to threaten checkmate.

You could protect the rook a second time with 14.Nc3, but, now 14...Qf1+ 15.Re1 Bg4+ 16.Ne2 Bxe2+ would be mate.

"Best" for White after 13...d5! would have been 14.h3, keeping the enemy bishop off of g4 - but, then 14...Qh1+ 15.Re1 Bg4+ anyway 16.hxg4 Qxh7 wins the queen for him. Awkward.

So, a couple of lessons from your game.  First, Black can often "solve" the Jerome Gambit if he has enough time, but in blitz he usually does not have enough time, as you saw. Second, taking the rook is dangerous for White. Even though he scores better than 50% in the games in my database after taking the rook (complications in blitz), he would do better to play something like 8.Qf4+. 

Thanks for sharing your game.

LegendOfThin - MaxFalke

5 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2020

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

The Jerome Gambit can be quite a nasty surprise for a player looking for a "quiet game".

4...Kxf7 5. Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Qe7 

8.Qxh8 

Risky, as noted above.

8...Qxe4+ 9.Kd1 Qg4+ 10.f3 Qxg2 

In the Blackburne Defense, 7...d6 8.Qxh8 the major danger for White is that his Queen will get trapped. In Whistler's Defense - this game - White makes sure that Her Majesty is not locked in; but it is His Majesty who is at risk.

11.Qxh7+ Kf8 12.Re1 Qxf3+  

13.Re2 Qf1+ 

Black can recover from this move, which means that it is not "bad", but this is the first indication that he may have misjudged the position. 13...d5 was/is the move.

14.Re1 Qf3+ 15.Re2 Qf1+  

It was not too late for 15...d5! Perhaps the clock was an issue??

16.Re1 Qf3+ drawn by repetition

I hope Black spent time going over the game, afterward.