Jerome Gambit: Dismiss At Your Own Peril Addendum

We close this look at the recent games of NJ-Avrel and his attraction to Ng5 and Qb3+. This time his opponent takes the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) more seriously, and develops an advantage that grows, until...

To steal from Jurassic Park, "The Jerome Gambit will find a way".

NJ-Avrel - ThyPandanator

5 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2021

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.O-O Nf6 6.c3 Rf8 

Black is interested in castling-by-hand.

7.d4 exd4 8.cxd4 Bb6 9.Ng5+ 

Helping things along.

 9...Kg8 10.Qb3+ 

White loves the dynamic duo, his last 2 moves, and it is hard to argue with the success they have brought. See "Jerome Gambit: Dismiss At Your Own Peril" and "Jerome Gambit: Dismiss At Your Own Peril Redux". At a slower time control, he would probably have had to choose e4-e5 each time.

10...Kh8 

Ah, yes, when defending against the Jerome Gambit, just about any move will do. Not.

Better was 10...d5

11.Nf7+ Rxf7 12.Qxf7 Bxd4 

Instead of winning the enemy Queen or delivering a smothered checkmate, White has had to settle for winning the exchange. He still has a lot of work to do.

13.Nd2 d5 14.exd5 Qxd5 15.Qf8+ 

Of course, exchanging Queens was possible, but White prefers to keep Her Majesty active.

15...Qg8 16.Qa3 h6 

17.Rb1 

Hoping to unpin the b-pawn in order to play b2-b3.

17...Bf5 18.Ra1 Qf7 19.Nf3 Bb6 20.b3 Qg6 

Black's 2-pieces-for-a-Rook advantage is amplified by White's lack of development.

21.Bf4 Be4 22.Bg3 Bxf3 23.gxf3 Nh5 24.Qf8+ 

A slip, perhaps pushed by the ticking clock. 

24...Rxf8 25.Rae1 Black left the game

Well, that was unexpected.

Perhaps Black disconnected because his flag was about to fall.

Perhaps he was offended that White continued to play after dropping his Queen.

In any event: 1-0