Jerome Gambit: Opening and Closing

The following Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game again shows the necessity for middlegame and endgame skills, once the opening stage has passed. Sometimes the Jerome Gambit delivers the full point (either way) right out of the opening, but we can't always expect such generosity (or difficulty).

 

cmickle -Toshic21

lichess.org, 2020

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

7.Qxc5 d6 8.Qe3 Nf6 9.d4 Re8 10.f3 Kg8 

White has two pawns for his sacrificed piece, and they form a solid center - which is most dangerous when it is moving forward.

For his part, Black has castled-by-hand and has avoided weaknesses.

11.b3 c5 12.Bb2 b6 13.d5 Bf5 14.Nd2 

White has delayed castling to focus on piece development. He should feel a bit uncomfortable with his King and Queen on the same file as Black's Rook - his Knight probably should have gone to c3, even at the cost of blocking his fianchettoed Bishop, because 14...Nxd5 was a threat.

Black is aware of the e-file, but appears to mis-calculate.

14...Nxe4 15.fxe4 Bxe4 16.Nxe4 Qh4+ 17.g3 Qxe4 

The Rook should capture.

18.Qxe4 Rxe4+ 

Things look pretty even. White's Bishop might give him a slight edge, although Black's development probably compensates.

19.Kd2 Rae8 20.Rae1 Rd4+ 

A slip. Exchanging Rooks was probably enough to split the point.

21.Bxd4 Rxe1 22.Rxe1 cxd4 23.Kd3 Ne5+ 24.Ke4 Kf7 25.Rf1+ Kg6 26.Kxd4 Kg5 

What follows is a decent lesson on the endgame advantage of the exchange.

27.Rf4 h5 28.h4+ Kg6 29.c4 Kh6 30.b4 a6 31.c5 Ng6 32.cxd6 Nxf4 33.gxf4 Black resigned