Jerome Gambit: Relax at Your Own Peril

By now, Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+)

players are familiar with the "Halo Effect" and the "Negative Halo Effect". If there is something positive about you, many people may figure that there are a lot of positive things about you. In the other direction, if there is something negative about you, many people may figure that there are a lot of negaative things about you.

So, if you start the game with a wild and wacky refuted opening, your opponent may well relax, because he figures the rest of your play will be equally sketchy.

The following game shows that this kind of relaxation is not good for one's chessic health.

PearsonHardman - BozGoord

2 1 blitz, lichess.org, 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 Qf6 9.fxe5+ Qxe5 10.Qf3 Nf6 

Also recently seen: 10...Qf6 11.Qg3+ Ke7 12.Nc3 c6 13.d4 Bb6 14.Bg5 Black resigned, Wall,B - RRGP, FICS, 2020.

11.d3 

This move protects the e-pawn - but, what else does it do?

11...b5 

Uh, it lets Black fianchetto his light-square Bishop??

12.Bf4 

Oh... yeah... that.

The Database shows 18 games with this pin & win of the Queen. 

12...Bb7 13.Bxe5+ Kxe5 

Black has two pieces for his Queen, but he will soon lose another. He plays on, perhaps rooting for the clock to take out his opponent.

14.Nc3 Raf8 15.O-O-O a6 16.Qf5+ Kd6 17.e5+ Kc6 18.exf6 Rxf6 19.Qd5+ Kb6 20.Qxd7 Black resigned

White's King is safe, Black's King is not. Defending a position where you are down a Queen and a pawn, with only a piece compensation, is not all relaxing.