Jerome Gambit: Strange Enough

 

Sometimes the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ ) is new enough, strange enough, different enough, dangerous enough, scary enough, surprising enough, Jerome enough to make the game look like a simple thing, after all.

Jacobmir - robviz

3 2 blitz, Chess.com, 2020

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4....Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Qe7  10.Nc3 c6 11.d4 Nh6

This move is okay, but there was nothing wrong with putting the Knight on f6: 11...Nf6 12.0-0 Kf7 13.f4 Re8, when the King will go to g8 to complete castling-by-hand.

12.O-O Rf8 13.f4 Ng4 

Attacking the enemy Queen - with a plan.

14.Qg3 Qh4 15. Qxh4 Nxh4 

16.f5 g6 

Attacking the advanced "Jerome pawn" is a good idea, in principle, but in this particular case, it helps strand one of the Knights.

17.Bg5 Nxg2 18.Kxg2 gxf5 19.exf5 Bxf5 

I suspect that Black was happy here, with a position that is materially equal, with even the promise of a Bishops-of-opposite-colors endgame and a draw. That is a mis-reading of the position, as 20.h3 now would win a piece.

White plays an even stronger move. Black cannot keep up.

20.Rae1+ Kd7 21.Re7+ Kc8 22.Rfe1 h6 23.Bf4 d5 24.Re8+ Kd7 25.R1e7 checkmate