Jerome Gambit: One Way Out

 

The following Jerome Gambit is interesting in that it shows the defender, under pressure, sacrificing a piece for a position that keeps a draw in hand, while producing all sorts of difficulties for his opponent - unless his opponent finds the one move that allows him to escape and go on to win.

The Database shows 627 games with 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ played by Bill Wall, and he scores 91%. 

Wall, Bill - NN

lichess.org, 2020

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 

As I have mentioned in an earlier post (see "Jerome Gambit: What About the Rook?") when Black plays this move he commits himself to sacrificing a Rook - it is the main idea behind both the Blackburne and Whistler defenses.

Serious defense requires knowledge of this, as an alternative strategy - Kick the enemy Queen with a pawn, and figure the rest out later - tends not to work too well.

7.Qxe5 Nf6 

Black protects the Rook, giving up the Bishop, instead. It is worth referring back to "Jerome Gambit: e-File, Friend or Foe?"

By the way, there are 879 games in The Database with 7...Nf6; White scores 63%.

8.Qxc5 

Here Black resigned in Wall - Guest3151819, PlayChess.com, 2014. He might have tried the trap 8...Nxe4 9.Qd5+ Kg7 hoping for 10.Qxe4 Re8, winning White's Queen. Years ago, Bill side-stepped this with 10.f3 Nf6 11.Qd4 b5 12.d3 Bb7 13.Nc3 c6 14.Bf4 Qe8+ 15.Kd1 d6 16.Ne4 Rf8 17.Bxd6 Qe6 18.Bxf8+ Rxf8 19.Qxa7 Nxe4 20.Qxb7+ Rf7 21.Qb6 Nf6 22.Re1 Qc8 23.a4 Qa8 24.b3 Nd5 25.Qd4+ Nf6 26.axb5 Qb7 27.bxc6 Qxc6 28.Ra7 Rxa7 29.Qxa7+ Kh6 30.Qe3+ g5 31.Qe7 Kg6 32.Re6 Black resigned, Wall,B - Sigmon,A, lichess.org, 2012) 

8...Qe8 

9.d3 

Sensible. Possible was 9.e5 Qd6 10.0-0 Nd5 11.Nc3 Nxc3 12.Qxc3 Re8 13.d4, but Bill is content to keep things simple: he is up two pawns.

9...d6 10.Qxc7+ Bd7 11.Qxd6 

11...Nxe4 

Hoping to stir up some trouble. At first I thought that 8...Qe8 might have been a mouse slip, intending, instead, 8...Qe7, but this might have been Black's plan all along.

12.dxe4 Qxe4+ 

After a long think, Stockfish 11 suggests that now 13.Kd2 would lead to a draw by repetion, initiated by Black, while all other moves -except one - would lead to a lot of pain and suffering for White, ending in checkmate.

Leave it to Bill to find that one exception.

13.Be3 

You found the move right away, right?

13...Rhd8 14.Nc3 Qxg2 15.O-O-O Black resigned

White is up a pawn and a piece, and, just as important, his King is safe.