Jerome Gambit: GM vs GM, Upset

The good news (for those who play the Jerome Gambit) is: I found a couple more 3 0 Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) games played by the world's highest rated blitz player, Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura, at Chess.com.

The bad news (for fans of the Jerome Gambit and of Hikaru Nakamura) is: GM Nakamura was defeated both games by Grandmaster Peter Michalik of the Czech Republic.

It is not every day that a grandmaster is given "Jerome Gambit odds"!

SanitationEngineer - Lunaticx

3 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2020

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8  

The Jerome Defense to the Jerome Gambit, played at least as early as Jaeger, D - Jerome, A.W., correspondence, 1880, but already suggested in Jerome's 1874 analysis in the Dubuque Chess Journal. 

This is not the first time that we have seen a GM play this defense - see "A GM Faces the Jerome Gambit (Part 2)"

By the way, I just had to know if GM Michalik's choice of 6...Kf8 was over-the-board inspiration or preparation, so I asked him in a message. He very generously, and humorously, responded promptly that it was not preparation. I find that reassuring.

7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qg3 Nf6 9.d3 Kf7 

Black takes the time to castle-by-hand.

10.Be3 Bxe3 11.fxe3 

Certainly the most frequent capture. The Database has only 2 examples, blitz games by MrJoker, of 11.Qxe3.

11...Rf8 12.Nc3 Kg8 

13.O-O Be6 14.Nb5 Bd7 15.Nd4 Qe7 16.Nf5 Bxf5 17.Rxf5 g6 18.Rf3 Nd7 19.Raf1 Ne5 

20.Rf4 Nd7 21.h4 Kh8 

22.h5  

For the first time in the game, Komodo 10, in blunder check move, has a suggestion. Instead of continuing the attack on Black's King, it prefers that White use his greater Queen mobility to eventually force an exchange of Queens, and then focus on the extra "Jerome pawn": 22.Qe1 Qg7 23.Qa5 Rxf4 24.Rxf4 b6 25.Qb5 Rf8 26.Rxf8+ Nxf8 27.Qc4 c5 28.Qd5 Qf6 29.Qa8 Qe7 30.Qd5 Nd7 31.Qa8+ Qf8 32.Qxf8+ Nxf8 33.Kf2 Kg7 34.Kf3 Kf6 35.c3 Nd7 36.d4 Ke6 37.b3, with Black evaluated as about a pawn and a half ahead. The irony here is that a club player is likely to make the same decision, while the grandmaster, in the game, aims at the enemy monarch.  

22...gxh5 23.Qh3 Rxf4 24.Rxf4 

Choosing the open line for the Rook, not straightening out his pawns with 24.exf4. A lesson, here.

24...Rg8 25.Qxh5 Ne5 

26.Qh3 Qg7 27.b3 Ng4 

28.Rf1 

Suddenly, Komodo 10 rates Black almost a Queen better!

What is going on? A clue is that the computer prefers 28.Kf1, which actually protects the pawn at e3, while giving White's King some breathing room.

Black notices the difference immediately.

28...Nxe3 

The Knight makes threats, while the pressure along the g-file and on g3 is enormous. Compare this to 28.Kf1 Nxe3?! 29.Qxe3 Qxg2+ 30.Ke1 Qg1+ 31.Qxg1 Rxg1+ 32.Kd2, with an even game.

29.Rf2 Ng4 

White resigned

The Rook is lost. If it moves, Black has 30...Qa1+ with checkmate coming quickly.