Jerome Gambit: The Way It Is

Okay, so on this blog I show you - every day, almost - the best, winning, lines for the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), and most of you are going to disbelieve them, ignore them, or forget them. You are going to play something else.

The fun thing is, you are probably going to win your games, anyhow. 

That is the way it is with the Jerome Gambit. 

Take a look.

Wolfpack1051 - aliozbek

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2021

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

First off, I hope you noticed that this is a 1-minute (no increment) bullet game. That means you could shift your King back and forth for the whole game, and if you did it quickly enough - and avoided an annoying checkmate - you would win on time.

Some players - like Wolfpack1051 - enjoy  playing a wild opening like the Jerome Gambit. Maybe they win on time. Maybe they checkmate you first.

I'm just saying.

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6 

Here is what drew me to this game: Black decides that accepting one piece is enough - for now.

White can withdraw his Knight with 6.Nf3 (there are no game examples in The Database), but that would be kind of silly.

He can protect his Kight with 6.d4 (2 - 2 in The Database) or 6.f4 (2 - 2 in The Database), but  Black can simply capture on e5, and his King placement would be helpful. Advantage: Black.

White can ignore the whole situation and play 6.0-0 (also a novelty) but Black still has 6...Nxe5 or even 6...Bd4, again with  the better game.

Luckily, not even a month ago (see "Jerome Gambit: More Concrete") I covered what to do in this situation - with links to earlier play and analysis, as well. White has the forcing 6.Qg4+!? Kxe5 7.d4+ Bxd4 8.Bf4+ Kf6 9.Bg5+ Kf7 10.Bxd8 Nxd8 11.Qg3 d6 12. Nc3 Nf6 13. O-O-O Nc6 and White's extra Queen and pawn is better than Black's extra 3 pieces.

6.Qh5 

Other than 4.Bxf7+, this is the Jeromest of Jerome moves, so it is really no surprise to see it here. I have played it, shugart has played it, angelcamina has played it. Overall, The Database says it has scored 4 - 1.

But the "objective" fusspot, Stockfish 14, rates Black as now being more than 4 1/2 pawns better - that is almost a Rook's worth.

Still, this is a bullet game, and anything can happen.

6...Nxe5 7.f4

Stockfish 14, annotating this game in "blunder check" mode, labels this as the "last book move". I find it interesting that Stockfish has a Jerome Gambit "book" at least 7 moves deep.

7...Ng6 

Black quickly (tick, tock) selects a move that makes sense - save one piece (he is ahead 2 of them), risk another. (See "Jerome Gambit: A Plan")

With more time to consider - the whole point of playing the Jerome Gambit in a bullet game is that Black does not have much time to consider - Black would have found the less sensible (but stronger) 7...d6, 7...Nd3, 7...Qf6 or 7...d5.

8.f5+ 

Another Jerome Gambit lesson.

If White plays the simple 8.Qxc5, he would have an even game, maybe a slight edge. Things would probably calm down, though.

Instead, he plays a move that has one okay response - otherwise, the best Black gets is an even game, the worst, a losing one.

Like Clint Eastwood said in the "Dirty Harry" movie, "...You've got to ask yourself, 'Do I feel lucky?' " 

8...Ke5 

Not today.

Instead, 8...Ke7 9.fxg6 d6 10.e5 Qe8 11.d4 Bb6 settles things down a bit, and Black can claim an advantage, but it is a shaky one. 

9.fxg6+ Kxe4 

Black has to return a piece. He figures it will be his Bishop. 

It will be his King.

10.Qxc5 

Final lesson. Yes, I know, he had 10.Nc3+ Kd4 11.Qd5#.

He also had figured out his own way to play for a win. The unsfe enemy King will not last long, regardless

Chocolate or vanilla? It's a matter of taste. 

10...d6 11.d3 checkmate

Nice.