Wednesday, August 12, 2020

Jerome Gambit: Keep Your Head


While I have no reason to believe that writer Rudyard Kipling ever played the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.Bxf7+), I am reminded of his advice to his son, referencing "If you can keep your head when All around you are losing theirs and blaming it on you..."

In the following game, SurgeonOfDeath27 keeps his head amidst swirling tactics, and is rewarded with a win.

SurgeonOfDeath27 - ajirin
15 10 blitz, Chess.com, 2020

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.Bxf7+ 




4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Qf6 

9.fxe5+ Qxe5 10.Qf8+ 

A line looked at by Michael Dunagan, although 
SurgeonOfDeath27 played this game before my blog posted "Jerome Gambit Refuted by A 1140 Player".

10...Kc6 11.Qf3 d6 


Black has a piece for a pawn, but his King is a bit awkwardly placed. 

12.c3 Bb6 13.d4 Qe7 14.O-O 


14...Nf6 

Overlooking the discovered check, or believing that he has prepared for it.

15.e5+ Nd5 16.Re1

Protecting the e-pawn, because the d-pawn is pinned by Black's Bishop. If White takes advantage of his pin with 16.c4, then 16...Qxe5 17.cxd5+ Qxd5 and Black has an edge, with an extra pawn and a not-quite-at-risk King. White can duck out of the pin with 16.Kh1, but complications ensue: 16...Be6 17.c4 Rhf8 18.Bf4 dxe5 19.Nc3 Rxf4 20.cxd5+ Kd7 21.dxe6+ Qxe6 22.Qxb7 Qc6 23.Qxc6+ Kxc6 24.dxe5 Rxf1+ 25.Rxf1 Re8 devolving into an even game. (Thank you, Komodo 10)

The position is messy, and both players get part of the above analysis - White gets the larger.

16...h5 

17.Kh1 Bg4 18.Qe4 dxe5 19.c4 Rad8 20.cxd5+ Rxd5 


Rushing into another pin.

21.Nc3 Bxd4 22.Qxd5+ Black resigned


It is checkmate the next move.

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