Jerome Gambit: More Than Meets the Eye

The following position is worth some attention. It has something to say about the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) and its prospects. It also illustrates the complications that can lie beneath the surface of positions. 

 

iammahgoat - Ncg987

10 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2021

At this point, one of the players resigned.

I looked at Black's lead in material and his better development. I noticed that White had yet to castle, and that his King was staring at the enemy Queen and Rook along the dangerous e-file. 

So, I wasn't too surprised that it was White who resigned here.

I was in for a surprise, however, when I asked Stockfish 13 for its opinion. It assessed the situation as being a good time for Black to resign, as the computer evaluated White as being more than a Rook ahead.

Wow.

Things were a lot more complicated than I realized.

So, what really was going on here?

First, I checked the times used, as sometimes a player will resign just before his flag fell. No, it looks like he still had about 5 minutes left on his clock.

What should have happened next in the game? The key for Stockfish's optimism was 

19.Nd5 

Black has a couple of responses, one seemingly more reasonable than the other.

If 19...Qd8, he guards against the deadly Knight fork on c7, but White's idea can unfold quickly: 20.Rg1 Ne6 21.Qg6+ Kg8 22.Bh6 Re7 23.Nxe7+ Qxe7 24.Bxg7 Qxg7 25.Qxg7+ Nxg7 26.h6 Be8 27.Rxg7+ Kh8 28.0-0-0. 

analysis diagram

The direct attack on Black's King has led to a position where White's pieces are more active, and his extra pawns are more deadly.

Black could also try 19...Qd8  20.Rg1 Re7, although after 21.Nxe7 Qxe7 22.Qxg7+ Ke8 23.Qxe7+ Kxe7 24.Be3 cxd4 25.Rg7+ Ke6 26.Bxd4 Bc6 27.h6 

analysis diagram

White's Rook dominates the position and his pawns will bring eventual victory.

Black might do a bit better with the pardoxical 

19...Qe6 

allowing the Knight fork of 2 Rooks and a Queen. The play would be wild after 20.Nc7 Qf6 21.Nxa8 Ne6 22.Qg6+ Kg8 23.Qxf6 Nxf6 24.d5 Nd4 25.Nc7 Rc8 26.Bf4 Nxc2+ 27.Kd2 Nxa1 28.Bxd6

analysis diagram

White has a pawn advantage.

Instead of harassing the enemy Queen, White would do better with

20.Rg1 g6 21.Be3 

Stockfish 13 prefers this to 21.Nc7 as it sees that 21...Qf6 22.Nxa8 Rxa8 is not quite as strong - although still good for White.

21...Bc6 22.Qf4+ 

An intermezzo.

22...Nf6 23.Nc7 

Finally the best, as White can now grab material and reduce the position

23...Qe7 24.Nxa8 cxd4 25.Bxd4 Ne6 26.Qxf6+ Qxf6 27.Bxf6 

27...gxh5

The h-pawn could prove dangerous, otherwise.

28.Bh4 Rxa8 29.0–0–0

White is the exchange and a pawn (soon to be two pawns) ahead, and the "Jerome pawns" will eventually make their presence known.

All of this is easy for me to do, sitting at my computer, with an unlimited amount of time (and Stockfish 13) to assess the situation. iammahgoat, playing White, did not have such luxuries, and I hope I have shown the difficulties that faced him in evaluating his situation.