Jerome Gambit: One Mistake

Club players - and even masters - know that the game isn't over, just because you made one mistake. There is usually time to fix things.

The following Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game is an excellent example.

RaenKid - dtz90

5 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2021

 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4... Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Qe7 

The annotation from Chess.com correctly labels this a 
"Critical move". This is Whistler's defense, as opposed to Blackburne's defense, 7...d6.

The players have a complicated game ahead of them. It is recommended that White not capture the Rook.

8.Qxh8

The difficulty with this move is that now 8...Qxe4+ is very dangerous.

8...Nf6 

dtz90 does not get any support from the notes. This move is described as "From winning to losing." 

9.d3

RaenKid recovers quickly.

Both players now make plans to attack the enemy King.

9...Qe5 10.Bh6 Qd4 

This looks scary, but White has everything under control.

11.Qg7+ Ke6 12.Be3 Qxb2 13.Bxc5 Qxa1 

Just has he has planned, Black has almost drawn even with his opponent when it comes to material. However, that is largely irrelevant.

 

14.Qe7 checkmate

The end of the game is a bit ironic: White's capture of a Rook should have put his King in great danger; Black's capture of a Rook finished the game, due to checkmate.