Friday, November 20, 2020

Jerome Gambit: Both Entertaining and Educational



The following Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4  4.Bxf7+ ) game is both entertaining and educational. That is a lot to get out of a game that did not last 2 minutes. As usual, I am quite impressed with the level of play.


Anonymous - Anonymous

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2020

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4  4.Bxf7+ 


4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 


7.Qd5+ Kf8 8.Qxc5+ Qe7 9.Qe3 d5 


This move is the choice of Stockfish 11 and Komodo 11.

Interestingly enough, the only other game in The Database with this move is another 1 0 bullet game, shugart - javierrivas, FICS, 2017 (0-1, 27).

That is good enough to add 9...d5 as "Jerome Gambit Secrets #15".

10.exd5 

White is not afraid (intuition?) to exchange Queens, the exact idea that would come - quickly - to Black's mind; after all, he is ahead in material and would like to blunt his opponent's attack.

10...Qxe3+ 

With more time, Black might have stumbled upon 10...Nf4 or 10...Bf5, either of which would have maintained his advantage. The text move leads to an even game.

11.fxe3 Nf6 12.O-O Ke7 


Black steps out of the pin on his Knight at f6, so it can attack the pawn at d5. In doing so, he blocks the e-file, where his Rook might otherwise have gone to pressure the advancing e-pawn. All in all, a bit odd.

13.Nc3 Rf8 14.b3 

14...e4 was playable, instead, but White spies the enemy King and Rook on the same dark squared diagonal.

14...Bd7

A slip.

15.Ba3+ Kf7 16.Bxf8 Rxf8 17.e4 Kg8 


White has a Rook and 3 pawns for a Bishop and Knight. He has the advantage.

18.e5 

With a focus on activity and development. He might have considered reversing this move and the next one, however.

18...Nxe5 19.Rae1 Nf7 20.Ne4 Nxe4 21.Rxe4 Nd6 


22.Re7 Rxf1+ 

Somewhat surprisingly, Black's game begins to fall apart after this move. White's remaining Rook, unopposed, is too strong.

23.Kxf1 Bb5+ 24.c4 Ba6 25.Rxc7 h6 


26.d3 Kh7 27.Kf2 Kg6 28.c5 Nf5 29.d6 Kf6 30.g4 Nd4 31.h4 Nc6 


The Knight has been trying so hard to restrain the pawns.

32.g5+ Ke6 

The King has to help stop the passer: 32...hxg5 33.hxg5+ Kxg5 would be a mistake because of 34.Rxc6 bxc6 35.d7, etc.

33.Rxg7 Bxd3 34.gxh6 Black resigned




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