Jerome Gambit: Attack!

The Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) is about many things, from surprise to psychology to humor - but, most of all, it is about attack, as the following game shows.

Anonymous - Anonymous

2020

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+  Ke7 

A quick move that completely reverses the nature of the game: objectively, after 5 moves, Black is winning, but after 6 moves, White is winning.

7.Qxe5+ Kf7 8.Qd5+ 

White could simply capture the Bishop with 8.Qxc5, but this check makes Black think again - and make a further mistake.

8...Kg6 

Also seen recently was the stronger 8...Kf8:

9.Qxc5+ Qe7 10.Qxc7 Nf6 11.Qf4 b6 12.e5 Ke8 13.d3 Qb4+ 14.Bd2 Qb5 15.exf6 gxf6 16.Qxf6 Rf8 17.Qc3 Bb7 18.O-O Qc6 19.Re1+ Kd8 20.Bg5+ Kc8 21.Qxc6+ Bxc6 22.Nc3 Rg8 23.h4 h6 24.Bxh6 Rxg2+ 25.Kf1 Rg6 26.Re8+ Kb7 27.Rxa8 Kxa8 28.Bg5 b5 29.a4 b4 30.Nb5 Bxb5 31.axb5 Kb7 32.c3 bxc3 33.bxc3 Kb6 34.c4 d6 35.Ke2 Black resigned, Anonymous - Anonymous, 10 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2020; and

9.Qxc5+ d6 10.Qc3 Be6 11.d4 c6 12.d5 cxd5 13.exd5 Bd7 14.Bf4 Qb6 15.Nd2 Re8+ 16.Ne4 Rxe4+ 17.Be3 Re6 18.O-O Rxe3 19.fxe3+ Nf6 20.Rae1 Kf7 21.Kh1 Re8 22.e4 Kg8 23.e5 dxe5 24.Rf3 e4 25.Rh3 e3 26.Rexe3 Bxh3 27.Rxh3 Qe6 28.g3 h6 29.g4 Qe1+ 30.Kg2 Re7 31.Rf3 Qxc3 32.Rxc3 Ne4 33.Rc8+ Kf7 34.Rb8 Nf6 35.Ra8 Nxd5 36.Rxa7 Nf6 37.Rxb7 White won on time, JeromeOP - mdu, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2020 

9.Qf5+ 

The enemy King is a bigger prize than the hanging Bishop at c5.

9...Kh6 10.d3+ g5 11.h4 

This is the kind of position that draws players to the Jerome Gambit.

11...Bb4+ 12.Nc3 

Stronger is 12.c3, but White figures that the issue is development. 

12...Bxc3+ 13.bxc3 Kg7 14.Bb2 d6 

Uncovering an attack on the enemy Queen. There is a bit of psychology in play, too, as the strongest reply for White is now 15.Qxg5+ Qxg5 16.hxg5, but who wants to exchange Queens when you're building an attack against the enemy King?

15.c4+ 

Opening that brutal diagonal for the Bishop, but the attack fizzles a bit. 

15...Nf6 16.Qxg5+ Kf7 17.O-O-O 

White has 3 pawns for the sacrificed piece. He is still a bit better, but Black is able to activate pieces.

17...Be6 18.Rde1 Rg8 19.Qf4 Rxg2 20.e5 

Of course. 

20...Rg4 

To relieve some of the pressure on the Knight at f6 (and the King behind it). 

21.Qf3 dxe5 22.Rxe5 h5 

What's this? More active would have been 22...Qd6 followed by developing the Rook on a8.

White now finishes things.

23.Rhe1 Qd6 24.Rxe6 Qf4+ 25.Qxf4 Rxf4 26.Re7+ Kg6 27.Rxc7 b6 28.Ree7 Rg8 29.Be5 Rxf2 30.Rxa7 Rf5 31.d4 Black resigned