Jerome Gambit: Borrowed

Readers of this blog continue to share games that they have played where they have "borrowed" the Jerome Gambit's idea of Bxf7+ and had success in the attack on the enemy King that followed. Who am I to object??

marcopuc91 - danielhenriqueslopes

3 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2021

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Bc5 

Interesting. Knowingly or otherwise, Black offers the Bush-Gass Gambit.  See "Worth A Second Look..." Part 1, 2 and 3.

3.Bc4 Nf6 

Now we have the Petroff Defense, Italian Variation. Check out the early "Not Quite the Jerome Gambit"

4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5. Nxe5+ Ke8 6.d4 Bb4+ 7.c3 Bd6 

It was a better idea to retreat the Bishop to e7, but Black is thinking aggressively.

8.O-O Bxe5 9.Bg5 

Very tricky. Is it unsound? Many "unsound" ideas are sound in a 3-minute game.

9...Bd6 

The messy way out for Black was 9... h6 10.Bh4 Bf4 11.e5 g5 12.Bg3 Ng8 13.c4 Kf7 14.Qf3 d6 15.Bxf4 gxf4 16.Qxf4+ Kg7 17.Nc3 Qg5 when his 2 extra pieces - and a possible Queen exchange - would help.

10.e5 Bxe5 

Stockfish 13 suggests that Black "allow" White to force the draw with 10...Be7 11.exf6 Bxf6 12.Re1+ Kf8 13.Bxf6 gxf6 14.Qh5 Nc6 15.Re3 Rg8 16.Qxh7 d6 17.Qh6+ Kf7 18.Qh5+ Rg6 19.Qh7+ Rg7 20.Qh5+ Kf8 21.Qh8+ Rg8 etc. I don't think either player would go along with that.

11.dxe5 Rf8 

Black is right, the pressure on his Knight is difficult, but there is no way out at this point. 

12.Re1 Nc6 13.exf6+ Ne7 

Black's pieces are trying to help, but it's really all over. 

14.Qh5+ g6 15.Qxh7 d6 16.fxe7 Qd7 17.exf8=Q+ Kxf8 18.Bh6+ Black resigned