The "Nibs" variation of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) is a dangerous line - for White - based on an imaginary game presented in the June 1899 issue of the American Chess Magazine. It involves a complicated Queen sacrifice by Black, and although nowadays both Stockfish 11 and Komodo 11 prefer a slightly different line (see below) it still is necessary for the first player to keeps his wits about himself in order to survive.
John_Koss - obrigachka
5 3 blitz, lichess.org, 2020
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
Instead of hitting the enemy Knight with f2-f4, White first develops a piece - and Black takes immediate steps to keep it out of b5, where it could check the King.
9.f4 Qh4+ 10.g3 Nf3+
Wow. What's going on here?
The His Nibs variation arises after 8.f4 Qh4+ 9.g3 Nf3+, and has been seen as recently as Wall - Guest1692544, PlayChess.com, 2020 (which continued 10.Kd1 Qe7?? 11.Qd5#) and SanitationEngineer - GM_dmitrij, 3 0 blitz, Chess.com, 28.08.2020 (1-0, 28) & SanitationEngineer - GM_dmitrij, 3 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2020 (1-0, 19). Its continuation, with some analysis, can be seen in "Sailing Off the Edge of the World" - but the title of that post gives you some indication of the risks involved, e.g. 10.Kd1 Ne7 11.e5+ Kc6 12.Qe4+ d5 13.exd6+ Nd5 and it goes on...
To be honest, The Database has 57 games with the position after 9...Nf3+, and White wins 59% of the time, which goes to show that players who know the Jerome Gambit benefit from that knowledge, even in dangerous lines. But: be careful!
Meanwhile: in the current game, how are things changed by the insertion of 8.Nc3 and 8...a6 ? Because of White's pressure (with the Knight) on d5, Black's tactics surrounding ...d5 no longer work, so his Queen sacrifice on h4 no longer works, so he has to find a decent retreat for Her Majesty...
11.Kd1 Qf6
Stockfish 11 (34 ply) prefers 11...Qh6, and even suggests that Black's King can scamper to safety after 12.Qe5+ Ke7 13.Qxc5+ d6 14.Qxc7+ Bd7 with a seriously unclear position.
There are many times when ...Qf6 is part of a solid defense, but, in this case, it is a blunder.
12.Qd5+
White decides to win the Bishop, instead of the Knight (which gives up a couple of pawns), but stronger was 12.e5+ Nxe5 13.fxe5+ Qxe5 because of 14.Ne4+!? which he must have overlooked. Black's best is then to get something for his Queen with 14...Qxe4 15.Qxe4. My guess is that White saw 14...Kd5 as a way out for Black, and it takes a bit of work to show that White still wins - 15.c4+ Kd4 (to keep protecting the Queen) 16.Qf3 Kxc4 (other moves lead to checkmates) 17.Qb3+ Kd4 18.Qc3+ Kd5 19.Qxc5+ Ke6 20.Ng5+ Qxg5 21.Qxg5 and Black has dropped his Queen, anyhow.
It is important to remember 2 things:
1) this is a blitz game, and such analysis is more fitting of play at classical time controls; and
2) White's move leads to advantage, as well.
12...Ke7 13.Qxc5+ d6
A mistake. White's Queen excapes the attack on her, Black's does not. Instead, 14...Kf8 15.Qxc7 Qd4 16.Qxd6+ Kf7 17.Qc7+ Ke8 18.Ne3 Qd7 would have allowed him to play on.
15.Qxc7+ Black resigned
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