Jerome Gambit: A Lot of Excitement

Here we have another Jerome Gambit game where White keeps his mind on attacking the enemy King, even at the cost of more material. He takes risks in positions where either he or his opponent can escape into a draw - but neither of them want to. White pushes onward - as Canadian GM Aman Hambleton says in his Jerome Gambit video, that's what Jerome would have wanted.

There is a lot of exctement in this 10 minute game!

LetsJeromeGambit - existanz

10 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2020

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Qe7 9.b4 

LetsJeromeGambit has reached this position before. See LetsJeromeGambit - kochikegabil, 10 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2020 (1-0, 15). This time, his opponent takes the offered pawn.

9...Bxb4 10.fxe5+ 

For 10.Bb2 see  "Jerome Gambit: Article".

10...Kc6 11.c3 Ba5 12.O-O b6 

Black provides for some safety for his King. This is a good idea, as he proceeds to grab a handful of pawns - putting his monarch in danger along the way.

13.Ba3 Qe6 14.Qf8 Qxe5 15.d4 Qxe4 16.Nd2 Qe3+ 17.Rf2 Bxc3 18.Nf1 Qxd4 

Wow. White's "Jerome pawns" are gone. Black is ahead a piece and 3 pawns. This is a blitz game, however, and, as we shall see, White is just getting warmed up.

19.Qf3+ d5 20.Rc1 Kb7 21.Rxc3 Nf6 22.Bb2 Qb4 

Black has returned a piece, and castled-by-hand on the Queenside - both very reasonable ideas.

White's development is looking threatening, however, and Komodo 10 rates Black only about a pawn ahead. Time to stir things up.

23.Rfc2 c5 24.Rxc5 bxc5 25.Bxf6 

25...gxf6  

This move is perfectly natural, but Black should have asked himself why his opponent was willing to sacrifice his Rook. The safe move, was 25...Qe4 with an advantage. 

26.Qxd5+ 

White is down a Rook and a pawn, but Komodo 10 rates the position equal. Can you see why? With a draw in hand, White continues his aggression.

26...Kb6 27.Qd6+ Kb5 

Brave, but he might have taken the practical course 27...Kb7 28.Qd5+ Ka6 29.Qxa8 Qb7 30.Qxb7+ Bxb7 31.Rxc5 with an even endgame. 

28.a4+ 

The only move, but it proves to be a saving one.

28...Kxa4 

Black avoids 2 nasty alternatives:

28...Ka5 29.Rxc5+ and Black will lose his Queen; and

28...Qxa4 29.Rxc5+ Kb4 30.Qd4+ Ka3 31.Qa1+ Kb3 32.Nd2+ Kb4 33.Qc3 checkmate.

29.Rxc5 Rb8  

Treating the position like it was a normal one, where he is happily a Rook and a pawn ahead. He probably should have played the surprising 29...Rd8, when White should then take the draw by repetition starting with 30.Qc6+ instead of swapping Rooks, i.e. 30.Qxd8 Qxc5+. 

30.Qd1+ Ka3 31.Qc1+ Ka4 32.Rc4 a5  33.Rxb4+ axb4 

With a Queen and a pawn against two Rooks, White has established material balance. Komodo 10 rates White a little better, perhaps because the Queen will be able to snatch a pawn or two.

The position remains quite complicated, however.

34.Qc6+ Ka3 35.Qxf6 Bb7 36.Qa1+ Kb3 37.Nd2+ Kc2 

Black trusts in his b-pawn and is happy to have his King around to escort it to the Queening square.

From a practical point of view, White probably can win the pawn, but the complications should be enough to force one player or the other to look for a draw - unless the clock intervenes, first.

38.Nc4 Ra8

Instead, Komodo 10 recommends 38...Rhd8 39.Qb2+ Kd3 40.Ne5+ Ke3 41.Ng4+ Kd3 42.Qb3+ Kd2 43.Qxb4+ Kc2 44.Qa4+ Kb2 45.Qb4+ Kc2 and a resolution is still a long way off.

39.Qb2+ Black resigned

Why did Black resign? 

After 39...Kd3 (39...Kd2 40.Qd2#) 40.Qb3+ Kd4 (40...Ke2 41.Qc2+ Ke1 42.Qd2#) 41.Qxb4 and White's threats of discovered check or Knight forks will win him an exchange.