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 


A serious oversight. Simpler and better was 22.Ne4.

22...Ba6+ 23.Ke3 Bxf1 24.Ne4 


Pushing ahead, White will have to work with what he has.

24...Bc4 25.b3 Bg8 26. h4 g5 27.h5 Bf7 28.Ng3 Be6 


Under normal circumstances, White might be inclined to resign, being a Rook down. But - the Jerome Gambit is anything but normal. Things happen.

29.Rg6+ Kh7 30.Ne4 Bf5 31.Nf6 checkmate


See?


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