Monday, August 23, 2021

Jerome Gambit: Alien


The Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) often presents Black with challenges that are alien to his expectations and experience. That affects the defender, in that he has to construct a defense, instead of just remembering one.

Sometimes those constructions fail, as in the following game.  


Sekci - Jobert19

3 2 blitz, lichess.org, 2021

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

7.f4 Qf6 8.Rf1 Nf7 


Black decides to save his Knight. There are some risks with this move, however, and he would have done better with the 
8...g6.

Why? Well, if White then wants to continue with his plan to regain a piece, he does so only in a less persuasive way.

There is 8...g6 9.Qxe5+ Qxe5 10.fxe5 Bd4!? (if 10...Kxd4 11.b4!?) followed by 11...Bxe5.

White might be happier with 8...g6 9.Qh3+ Ng4 (the simplest, as he has to give back material) 10.Qxg4+ Kf7, although ...d6 will further inconvenience the Queen.

9.Qxc5 Ne7 

Apparently not paying close attention, but it was a blitz game. The problem is that he has boxed in his King.

10.f5+ Nxf5 11.exf5+ Qxf5 Black resigned

The Queen and then the Knight will fall.


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