The Jerome Gambit: Jerome Gambit: Even More Risk

Tuesday, October 20, 2020

Jerome Gambit: Even More Risk

Playing the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) - a refuted opening - involves some risk, although, against the right opponent, with the right time control, under the right conditions, this risk can be reduced.

However, the following game - White, the stronger player, gives "Jerome Gambit odds" - has a very luxurious time control, which would seem to negate the clock advantage of blitz or bullet for White.

Furthermore, White enters a line that is even riskier than usual.

All is well, in the end, however. These refuted openings can prove to be tricky. Plus, Jerome Gambiteers are a special kind of chess player.

Anonymous - Anonymous

1 move / 3 days, Chess.com, 2020

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6

7.f4 Qf6 8.fxe5

Courting serious danger. "Book" is 8.Rf1.

8...Qf2+ 9.Kd1 Qxg2 10.Re1

In a recent much quicker time control game, White made a weaker move, but achieved an acceptable result: 10.Qe8+ Be7 (10...Ne7 would be decisive) 11.Re1 Qg4+ 12.Re2 Qg1+ (12...b6 and 13...Bb7 would win the White Queen) 13.Re1 Qg4+ 14.Re2 Qg1+ 15.Re1 Qg4+ draw, AntiquatedTechniques - giorgosentropy, 3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2020

10...g6 11.Qe2 Qxe2+ 12.Kxe2 Kxe5

As Ollie said to Stan, in "Double Whoopie" (1929), "Well, here's another nice mess you've gotten me into."

13.c3 Nf6 14.d4+ Bxd4

Black returns material. Komodo 11's suggestion, 14...Kxe4 is not to everyone's taste.

15.cxd4+ Ke6

White's pawn center provides compensation for his pawn minus.

16.Nc3 c6 17.Bg5 h6 18.Bxf6 Kxf6 19.Rf1+

White goes after the f-file.

19...Kg7 20.e5 b5

Gerald Abrahams wrote in The Chess Mind (1951) that the smallest piece of a chess game was not a move, but an idea. Here, White's e-pawn restrains Black's d-pawn, which blocks in his Bishop, which restrains his Rook. So, Black finds a way to develop his Bishop.

21.Rf6 b4 22.Raf1