The Jerome Gambit: Jerome Gambit: Hard Working Queen

Tuesday, April 13, 2021

Jerome Gambit: Hard Working Queen

Along with the Bishop sacrifice at f7, the active play of White's Queen typifies the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+). In the following game it looks at one point that the Queen is trying to win the game all by herself. She finally relents and allows some assistance - but that only means that White wins even faster.

Wall, Bill - Terenure

PlayChess.com, 2021

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+

4...Kxf7 5. Nxe5+ Nxe5 6. d4 Bd6

At first glance this looks like a reasonable response, planning to return a Knight for a pawn. Yet, there has to be some mistake in that thinking, if only because of the 160 games in The Database with this position, White has scored 72%.

Furthermore, before this game Bill was 25 - 0 with White.

As we shall see, the simpler 6...Bxd4 was also safer.

7.dxe5 Bxe5

For an even game, the Bishop needed to go to e7, either directly or after 7...Bb4+. "An even game" does not sound all that bad, until you consider that only a couple of moves ago, Black was two pieces up.

8.Qd5+ Kf6

Not wanting to give up any more material, but this only makes matters worse.

9.f4 Ne7 10.Qxe5+ Kf7 11.O-O

Thoughtful. White's Queen has done well to recover the sacrificed material, but she will need help as the game goes on. White safeguards his King and puts his Rook on the same file as Black's King.

11...Ng6 12.Qd5+ Ke8 13.f5 Ne7 14.Qd4 d6 15.Qxg7