Jerome Pawns in Action

Petasluk is an early adopter of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+). The Database has 535 of his games, going back to 2004.

In the following 5-minutegame he shows a grasp of the power of the "Jerome pawns" as well as deadly pressure along the f-file.

He makes it look easy.

Petasluk - laspac

5 0 blitz, FICS, 2021.

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 

The Semi-Italian opening.

4.O-O

A useful waiting move. 

4...Bc5 5.Bxf7+ 

The Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.Qh5+ Kf8 

This move is a bit stronger than other moves that Petasluk has faced,

7...Ng6 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Nf6 10.d3 Re8 11.f4 Kg8 (11...Ng4 12.Qe2 Qh4 13.h3 Nf6 14.Nc3 Nxf4 15.Bxf4 Bxh3 16.gxh3 Qxh3 17.Bh2 Ke7 18.Rf3 Qh5 19.Raf1 Kd7 20.Qg2 Rg8 21.Nd5 Rae8 22.Nf4 Qc5+ 23.Qf2 Qb5 24.c3 b6 25.Qg2 g5 26.Nh3 g4 27.Rxf6 gxh3 28.Rf7+ Kc8 29.Qg3 Rxg3+ 30.Bxg3 Qxd3 31.e5 Qxg3+ White resigned, Petasluk - Blixxx, blitz, FICS, 2011) 12.Nc3 d5 13.e5 d4 14.Qg3 dxc3 15.Qxg6 Nd5 16.b3 c6 17.Ba3 Qb6+ 18.Kh1 Ne3 19.Rf3 Nxc2 20.Raf1 Nxa3 21.Rg3 Re7 22.f5 c5 23.f6 Rf7 24.Qxh6 Kf8 25.Qh8 checkmate Petasluk - Jonfern, blitz, FICS, 2016; and 

7...Ke6 8.Qf5+ Kd6 9.c3 g6 10.Qh3 Nf7 11.d4 Bb6 12.Bf4+ Ke7 13.Nd2 g5 14.Be3 Nf6 15.Qf3 d6 16.h3 Rg8 17.Rad1 Qf8 18.e5 dxe5 19.dxe5 Nxe5 20.Qe2 Nfd7 21.Bxb6 axb6 22.Nc4 Qf6 23.Rfe1 Kf7 24.Nxe5+ Nxe5 25.Qxe5 Qxe5 26.Rxe5 Black resigned, Petasluk - unana, blitz, FICS, 2014.

8.Qxe5 Be7 

Very interesting, in light of the crucial role that the f6 square (and the piece upon it) will play in the game. There is only one other game with this move in The Database. Komodo 10 sees the position as about equal.

9.c3 d6 10.Qg3 Nf6 11.d3 Be6 12.f4 

Often in the Jerome Gambit, Black's ...Be6 provokes White's f2-f4 with the idea of f4-f5.

12...Bf7 

Black's Bishop anticipates the pawn advance and steps aside, but it is now on the file with White's Rook and Black's King, and that gives White another idea.

13.e5 dxe5 14.fxe5 

Defenders often exchange off White's advancing e-pawn in the Jerome, almost as a reflex. In this case, a Knight retreat - as uncomfortable as it may be - was probably better.

14...Nd7 15.e6 

15...Nf6 16.exf7 Kxf7 

White is comfortably a pawn ahead. He now completes his development and makes use of the f-file.

17.Bf4 Bd6 18.Nd2 Bxf4 19.Rxf4 Qd6 

Allowing a further tempo for White's attack.

20.Ne4 Qe5 

Black's Queen wants to continue to provide support for the Knight.

Komodo 10 prefers 20...Qb3+, when 21.Kh1 Rhe8 22.Raf1 Re6 shows continued support for the pinned piece, but then 23.Rg4 g5 24.Rxg5! hxg5 25.Nxg5+ Kf8 26.Nxe6+ Qxe6 27.Qg6 Ke7 28.Qg7+ Kd8 29.Qxg6+ shows the ultimate success of the pressure on the f-file.

21.Raf1 Kg8 

Stepping out of the pin, but it is too late.

22.Nxf6+ Qxf6 23.Rxf6 Black resigned