Thursday, October 22, 2020

Jerome Gambit: The Problems of Safety



In the following Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game, Black seems uncomfortable defending the gambit, and seeks safety through several reasonable moves. That seems to allow him to relax - which, against the Jerome, can lead to very un-safe happenings.


f3_kf2 - Romanoe

5 3 blitz, lichess.org, 2020


1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 


4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 


7.Qxc5 Qe7 8.Qf5+

Also seen, recently: 8.Qxe7+ N8xe7 9.Nc3 d6 10.f4 Ke8 11.O-O Rf8 12.d4 Nc6 13.Be3 Bd7 14.Nd5 Kd8 15.f5 Nge7 16.Bg5 h6 17.Bh4 Rf7 18.c3 Kc8 19.Ne3 b6 20.g4 Kb7 21.Bg3 Re8 22.Rae1 Nc8 23.Ng2 a6 24.Nf4 N6e7 25.e5 d5 26.e6 Bxe6 27.Nxe6 Nd6 28.Bxd6 cxd6 29.Re2 g5 30.Rfe1 Rc8 31.Nxg5 hxg5 32.Rxe7+ Rxe7 33.Rxe7+ Kc6 34.Rg7 Kb5 35.Rxg5 Kc4 36.f6 Rf8 37.Rf5 Kd3 38.g5 Kc2 39.Rf2+ Kd3 40.g6 Ke3 41.g7 Rg8 42.Kf1 b5 43.f7 Rxg7 44.f8=Q Re7 45.Qf3 checkmate, SanitationEngineer - NN, 3 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2020. (Yes, White is the U.S. champion, GM Nakamura.)

8...Nf6 9.O-O d6  

So far, Black can be happy, with his piece for two pawns, and better development.

10.Qa5 Rf8 11.Nc3 Kg8 


Black has castled-by-hand. His next move, an offer to exchange Queens, is another safety move.

12.d3 Qe5  13.Qxc7 

White grabs a pawn, but this leaves him open to the strong attacking move, 13...Ng4.

13...Qc5 14.Qxc5 dxc5 


Black has found safety in a largely even game. Club players familiar with the Jerome Gambit would probably prefer to play as White.

15.f4 Be6 

In relative safety, he relaxes...

16.f5 Bd7 17.fxg6 hxg6 18.Be3 b6 19.h3 Bc6 20.Bg5 Rae8 


White is a couple of pawns ahead.

21.Rae1 Nd7 22.Rxf8+ Kxf8 23.Rf1+ Kg8 24.Rf3 Ne5 25.Re3 Nf7 26.Bf4 g5 27.Bg3 Ne5 28.Bxe5 Rxe5 


White has maintained his material advantage. Also, his position is easier to play - a factor in blitz games.

29.Kf2 Kf7 30.Rf3+ Ke6 31.g4 g6 32.Nd1 c4 


33.dxc4  

Giving Black a bit of what he wants. Simpler and stronger was 33.Nc3

33...Bxe4 34.Re3 Bxc2 

A tactical slip. Black attacks the Knight, but misses the fact that he is trapping his own Bishop.

35.Nc3 


Just so.

35...Rxe3 36.Kxe3 Ke5 37.Ne2  

With a little more time, White might have figured out that 37.Kc7 was strong. If 37...Be4, then 38.Nxe4 Kxe4 39.Kc3 would leave Black in a dilemma, as White has a dangerous Queenside pawn majority that will produce a passed pawn; and if Black seeks to create his own passer on the Kingside with 39...Kf3 40.Kd4 Kg3 41.Ke3 Kxh3 42.Kf3 he will find nothing. Perhaps Black's best chance was 37.Kc7 Bf5, when White would still be better, but the clock might be a factor in determining things.

37...Be4 38.Nd4 Bg2 39.Nf3+ Bxf3 

This exchange simplifies things - for White.

40.Kxf3 Kd4 


41.b3 Kc3 

This is Black's hope, to win White's Queenside pawns. The problem is that White can create a passed pawn - and, that time is running out.

42.Ke4 Kb2 43.b4 White won on time




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