Monday, August 16, 2021

Jerome Gambit: Hard-Working Neurons


Bullet chess games - often 1 minute, no increment - can put a strain on the brain, even those that do not involve the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+).

The following game is a good example of that kind of quick chess, with an interesting question at the end. Were the hard-working neurons over-worked?


girlinthemoonxxxxxxx - LeClaire802

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2021


1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.d4 Bxd4 

9.Nc3 

The alternative, 9.c3, was seen as long ago as Andres Clemente Vazquez - Giraudy, 1876 (1-0, 18) and as recent as radoslove - GMHikaruOnTwitch, 3 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2021 (0-1, 24). 

9...Qf6 10.Nb5+ Ke7 

For the record, 10...Kc5 was the continuation in Jerome,A - Norton,D, corr, 1877 (0-1, 41) - although White's Knight reached b5 via a3.

11.Bg5 Black resigned


It is often a serious blow to one's chances to lose a Queen, but here the loss has to be seen in context. Black is already 2 pieces ahead, and after, say, 11...d6 12.Bxf6 Nxf6 13.Qg5 Bb6 14.0-0-0 Nf7, he has 3 pieces for a Queen and a pawn. The game would look about even.


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