Jerome Gambit: Complex Back and Forth Between Attack and Defense

One reason the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) is gaining in popularity in club games is that it is often easier to attack than to defend. Some of this is psychological - we have grown up playing over splashy tactical endings to famous games, learning at some level that "attack wins". Also, it can be stressful to have to find the correct move, time after time, to prevent defeat or checkmate.

The following game shows a nice balance betwen attack and defense, until the pressure is too much, and the attack breaks through.

Chirila, Sergiu - NN

casual game, 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.Qd5+ Ke7 

Black prefers not to sacrifice the b-pawn with 8...Be6, but that move was also playable.

9.Nc3 Nf6 10.Qg5 Kf7 11.d3 Rf8 12.h4 Kg8 

Black has castled-by-hand, right into White's attack. He should be able to weather the danger, but he has to defend well - something not all those who face the Jerome Gambit do so successfully.

13.h5 Ne5 14.Bf4 Nf7 15.Qg3 Be6 

16.O-O-O Bg4 

Time to push back a bit.

17.h6 

White is ready, however. Black's Bishop is pinned in place, due to the checkmate threat at g7, so the Rook at d1 is safe.

17...g6 18.f3 Be6 19.d4 Kh8 

Black's last move looks like he is making room for ...Ng8, with a double attack on the pawn at h6, which is currently twice protected, but will not be so if White plays f3-f4 (after he moves his Bishop). This takes up valuable time, however, that is needed to protect against an advance in the center, so 19...Re8 seems more helpful. Also, the weakened dark squares in Black's King's fortress could spell danger.

20.d5 Bd7 21.Be3 Ne5 

Black seems to still be preparing for 22.f4, planning to answer with 22...Neg4, when after 23.Bd4 Kg8 he can answer 24.e5 with 24...Nh5. Komodo 11 then suggests that White sacrifice the exchange with 25.Rxh5, and then work to get it back with 25...gxh5 26.e6 Be8 27.Bg7, although it still sees Black as better.

White chooses a different plan, based on Black's King being on h8.

 22.Bd4 Nc4 

23.f4 Kg8 

The two tempi spent going back and forth is part of the reason the defense fails. The computer looks deep, but doesn't quite solve Black's woes: 23...c5 24.dxc6 bxc6 25.e5 c5 (again) 26.Bxc5 dxc5 27.exf6 Nb6 28.Ne4 Qc7 29.Nd6 Rxf6 30.f5 Kg8 (sigh) 31.Rhf1 Bxf5 32.Rxf5 Rxf5 33.Nxf5 Qxg3 34.Nxg3 Re8 and White is only a pawn ahead.

24.e5 dxe5 

A little bit better might be 24...c5, but there would still be problems.

25.fxe5 Ne8 26.e6 Bc8 

Now White finishes off with some fireworks.

27.Qxg6+ hxg6 28.h7 checkmate

Very nice.