Jerome Gambit: Developing (Part 2)

 

The Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) can be fun and exciting at any level of play.

In fact, while I struggle to understand the nuances of master and grandmaster play, I can better understand the efforts of club players like myself.

Here is the second game of an informal match. The players have swapped colors.

drewski02 - dperez22

3 2 blitz, Chess.com, 2021

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Ng5+ 

I think I betray my skepticism of this move in calling it the "face palm variation". See "Jerome Gambit: The Face Palm Variation" and "Jerome Gambit: Return of the Face Palm Variation".

White has a plan, and he carries it out successfully in this game. That's the problem. Again, the blitz time control and a developing familiarity with the Jerome Gambit may be the culprits.

There is a bit of history to the move. The Database has 590 games with this position, with White scoring 23%. If we look only at the 431 games where Black played the strong and correct 5...Qxg5, White scores only 16%.

This game is a good example of the humorist's "You offer material; if you win, it's a sacrifice, if you lose, it's a blunder".

Yes, this time 5.Ng5+ worked, but I would not rely on it in the future.

5...Qxg5 6.d4 Bxd4 7.Bxg5 

White has a Queen for two pieces, and would still be better after 7...Bxb2 8.Nd2 Bxa1 9.Qxa1.

The problem with the line for White is if Black does not capture the d-pawn with the Bishop, but, instead, plays 6...Qxg2.

 

analysis diagram

After 7.Rf1 Qxe4+ 8.Be3 Nxd4 White is down two pieces, and facing a deadly attack. 9.Nc3 can be met by 9...Bb4, and White's King will find no rest.

Back to the game. 

7...Bxb2 8.Qd5+ 

White's Rook is in danger? Bah! The Jerome Gambit Queen always wants to attack!

8...Kf8 9.O-O 

Very well done. The Rook on the soon-to-be-opened f-file is more important than the soon-to-disappear Rook on the a-file.

9...Bxa1 10.f4 Nge7 

Black's best chance was to block the f-file with 10...Nf6 11.Bxf6 gxf6 when 12.c3 d6 would signal a much slower game.

 

Now White finishes up, concluding the game with a nice Queen sacrifice.

11.fxe5+ Ke8 12.Qf7+ Kd8 13.Qf8+ Rxf8 14.Rxf8 checkmate

Very nice.