Jerome Gambit: Good vs Bad

In the following Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game Black reaches an even, and safe position, but he soon has to deal with a "bad" Bishop vs a "good" Knight, and untangling that situation costs pawns - and the game.

Wall, Bill - NN

lichess.org, 2020

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 

6...Bxd4 7.Qxd4 d6 8.O-O Nf6 

9.f4 

Also recently played by Bill:

9.Nc3 a6 10.Bg5 h6 11.Bxf6 Qxf6 12.Rad1 Re8 13.f4 Nc6 14.Qc4+ Kf8 15.f5 Ne5 16.Qxc7 b5 17.Nd5 Qg5? 18.Nb6 Re7 19.Qd8+ Re8 20.Qxg5 hxg5 21.Nxa8 Black resigned, Wall,Bill - Guest498574, playchess.com; and

9.Re1 Be6 10.Nc3 Rf8 11.b3 Kg8 12.f4 Nc6 13.Qd2 a6 14.Bb2 Nh5 15.Nd5 Bxd5 16.Qxd5+ Kh8 17.Qxh5 Rxf4 18.Rf1 Rxf1+ 19.Rxf1 Ne5 20.Bxe5 dxe5 21.Qxe5 Qd7 22.Qc5 h6 23.Rf8+ Rxf8 24.Qxf8+ Kh7 25.Qf5+ Qxf5 26.exf5 h5 27.Kf2 Kh6 28.h4 Kh7 29.c4 Kg8 30.Ke3 Kf7 31.Kf4 Kf6 32.a4 b6 33.b4 c6 34.b5 axb5 35.cxb5 c5 36.a5 bxa5 37.b6 c4 38.b7 c3 39.b8Q c2 40.Qf8 checkmate, Wall,Bill - Anonymous, lichess.org,2020.

9...Nc6 10.Qd3 Bd7 11.e5 dxe5 12.fxe5 Nxe5 13.Qd5+ Be6 14.Qxe5 Qd6 

Black has returned the sacrificed material to reach an even game - which, he believes, will even be safer after an exchange of Queens.

15.Qxd6 cxd6 16.Nc3 d5 17.Bg5 Rac8 18.Rf2 h6 19.Bxf6 gxf6 20.Raf1 f5 

White's pawns look healthier, and his Knight has more potential than his opponent's Bishop.

21.Nb5 Ke7 22.Nd4 Kd7 23.Re2 

It would be a mistake to win the f-pawn with 23.Nxf5, as Black would be able to exchange off his stifled Bishop with 23...Bxf5, etc. and then get back the "lost" pawn.

23...Rhe8 24.Re5 Kd6 25.Rfe1 Bd7 

Now the situation has changed, however, and White's Knight can capture, with check. 26...Bxf5 would lose the exchange, but the move that Black chooses surrenders some pawns.

26.Nxf5+ Kc5 27.Ne7 Rcd8 28.Rxd5+ Kb6 29.Rd6+ Kc5 30.Rxh6 Black resigned

Black's Bishop is free - but White's 3 extra pawns give a winning advantage.