Jerome Gambit: King Safety

White's Bishop sacrifice in the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nc6 3.Nf3 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) is designed to undermine Black's King's safety. One of Black's counters is to castle-by-hand. Another is to escape to a safe part of the board.

All of this plays out in the following blitz game, where the path away from danger is more difficult than the second player realizes.

alxaraya - sirpicha

3 0 blitz, FICS, 2021

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nc6 3.Nf3 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7  5.O-O 

This is one of the "modern" - as opposed to "classical" - variations of the Jerome Gambit, so-called because Alonzo Wheeler Jerome and those back in the time when the gambit was first being sorted out all played the main alternative, 5.Nxe5.

Some modern chess computer programs suggest that White does best to sacrifice only one piece. (Stockfish 13 goes back and forth between 5.Nxe5 and 5.0-0 before settling at 30 ply upon 5.Nxe5) 

By the way, a quick look at the position after 4 moves, considering games in The Database shows

5.Nxe5 is the most popular move, with White scoring 57%; the next two most popular moves are 5.d4 and 5.c3 - followed by 5.0-0 which scores 39 %.

To keep statistics in perspective, it must be noted that the highest scoring move is 5.a4, with 100% in 4 games. More interestingly, 5.b4 was played in 13 games and scored 54%. Not surprisingly, 5.Nh4, 5.g4, 5.Nd4 and 5.Rg1 were each only played in 1 game, and each scored 0%.

5...Nf6 6.c3 Rf8 

Black hopes to castle-by-hand, but he never gets the chance.

7.d4 exd4 8.cxd4 Bb6 9.e5 Ne8 

If you remember yesterday's post, I suggested that Black could have improved his defense by retreating his Knight. Here, I am going to suggest that the retreat is a bad idea. Different positions. In both cases, ...Nd5 is the best idea.

10.Qb3+ 

To interfere with Black's castling plans.

An interesting - and stronger - alternative is 10.Bg5, when Black returns a piece with 10...Nf6 or gets into a dangerously blocked up position after 10...Ne7 11.Qb3+ Kg6 12.Qd3+ Kf7 13.Qxh7 when White's center pawns can advance, White's Knight might find its way to e5, or his Rook to e1.     

10...d5 11.exd6+ Be6 

A logical move that suggests itself, especially in a 3-minute game.

However, it leads to White's advantage.

It is not immediately apparent that Black must save his King with 11...Kg6 when he needs to sacrifice the exchange after 12.d5 with 12...Rxf3 13.Qxf3 Nd4 maintaining the advantage.

12.d5 Qxd6 13.dxe6+ Qxe6 

A game-ending slip.

14.Ng5+ Black resigned