Jerome Gambit: A Complicated Affair (Part 1)

 

The following Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) is one of my recent games from the "Piano Piano" tournament at Chess.com. It is a complicated affair, and I have included links to earlier games to provide some perspective.

My opponent played well. It was unclear to me at the end if my connected passed pawns were signs of hope or merely targets, and so I pursued the draw.

perrypawnpusher - PasayDefence

"Piano Piano" tournament, Chess.com, 2020

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Kf8 

Jerome's defense to the Jerome Gambit. Much of its history was recently presented in the post "Jerome Gambit: A Trip Down Memory Lane".

6.Nxc6 

This is the best continuation. I once delayed it a move: 6.O-O d6 7.Nxc6 bxc6 etc.,  perrypawnpusher - hdig, blitz, FICS, 2007 (1-0, 17)

6...dxc6 

This is the principled capture, as it prevents d2-d4 by White. Otherwise: perrypawnpusher - badhorsey, blitz, FICS, 2011, (1-0, 26)

7.O-O

I have also played 7.d3, which usually was followed by castling

perrypawnpusher - fortytwooz, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 29); perrypawnpusher - Jore, blitz, FICS, 2011 (0-1, 16); perrypawnpusher - Conspicuous, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 13); perrypawnpusher -Lark, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 12); and perrypawnpusher - pitrisko, blitz, FICS, 2011, (0-1, 30) 

I tried 7.Nc3  in perrypawnpusher - Ykcir, blitz, FICS, 2009, (1/2 - 1/2, 11). 

7...Be6 

Solid, already placing the Bishop in position to blockade White's e-pawn, if need be.

I have also seen 7...Ne7, in perrypawnpusher - smarlny, blitz, FICS, 2011,(1-0, 25), and the aggressive 7...Qh4 in perrypawnpusher - pitrisko, blitz, FICS, 2011 (0-1, 30) and perrypawnpusher - Al-der,"Italian Game Classic", Chess.com, 2019 (1-0, 26) 

8.d3 

After the game Stockfish 12 recommended the novelty 8.Qe2, which I hadn't even considered, i.e. 8...Nf6 9.c3 Kg8 10.d4 Bb6 11.Re1 Qe7 12.Nd2 h6 13.Nf3 to reduce Black's advantage.

I had played 8.Qf3+ in a long and difficult battle that I eventually lost, perrypawnpusher - CorH, blitz, FICS, 2009 (0-1, 74), 

8...Qh4 

Aggressively played.

I decided to move my Knight over to help protect the Kingside.

9.Nd2 Nf6 10.Nf3 Qh5 11.Bf4 Bg4 

Black's extra piece and better development counts more than a pawn that I might grab.

12.Bxc7 Rc8 13.Bg3

Given Black's upcoming plan to capture on f3, the Bishop might remain more relevant after 13.Bf4. 

13...Bxf3 14.Qxf3 Qxf3 15.gxf3 Kf7 

16.f4 

Reducing my Bishop to the status of a large pawn. My plan should have been to play f4-f5 as soon as possible, followed by f2-f4 - of course, that second move would have to come after I had been able to enforce d3-d4, or moved my King to unpin the f-pawn.

16...Rhe8 17.c3 Rcd8 18.Rad1 

I was not surprised, after the game, to see that Stockfish 12 rated Black - with the extra piece and powerful development - about 2 pawns better. There was still a lot of work to do.

[to be continued]