Jerome Gambit: Developing (Part 3)

Here is the third game in an informal match between developing Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) players.

dperez22 - drewski02

3 2 blitz, Chess.com, 2021

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

7.Qf5+ Kd6

So far, "book" all the way.

8.d4 

Offering a pawn to open the c1-h6 diagonal. This could be a response to play in drewski02 - dperez22, 3 2 blitz, Chess.com, 2021 (1-0, 14), or just improvisation. The move has been seen in 73 games in The Database, with White scoring 51%.

Although Black now has 8...Bxd4, when 9.f4 Nc6 leaves him still 2 pieces ahead, we have seen in this match that aggressive moves - regardless of how "objectively" good they are - often yeild positive results.

8...Bb4+ 

Saving the Bishop from the pawn fork, with a plan to save the Knight.

9.c3 Nd3+ 

Stockfish 14 likes this move, because it allows the computer to engage in one of its favorite pastimes - helping White find a forced draw by repetition. Therefore: 10.Kd2 Nxc1 11.Qe5+ Kc6 12.Qd5+ Kb6 13.cxb4 d6 14.Qa5+ Kc6 15.Qa4+ Kb6 16.Qa5+, etc.

I don't think either one of the players was looking for a draw.

10.Ke2 Nh6

With 2 pieces en prise, Black threatens the enemy Queen, following the suggestion that you don't always have to withdraw an attacked piece if you can effectively attack a more important one. Also, in blitz play, moves that attack are often successful. 

In this case, however, White has three successful responses - and he only needs one. For starters, 11.Bxh6 would take care of the ornery Knight, and still leave two Black pieces in danger. He could also try 11.e5+, because that uncovers an attack by White's Queen on Black's forward Knight.

11.Qd5+ 

This move is attractive, too.

11...Ke7 12.Bg5+ Ke8 13.Bxd8 Kxd8 14.Kxd3 Bd6 

White has a Queen and a couple of pawns against two pieces. If he is careful and manages his clock properly, he has the win.

15.e5 Ng4 

Again, Black decides to counter a threat with a bigger threat. Again, this is often a very good idea. However, again in this game, it does not work - although he would have needed sharp eyes to see why.

16.Ke2 

This move is solid, disrupting the threatened Knight fork of King and Rook. White has built up enough of an advantage, however, that he could afford to ignore the threat: 16.exd6 Nxf2+ 17.Kd2 Nxh1 18.Qg5+ Ke8 19.Qe7 checkmate.

16....Rf8 17.f3 c6 

At this point, things just fall apart for Black.

18.Qxd6 Nf6 19.Qxf8+ Kc7 20.exf6 d6 

Perhaps at this point Black was asking himself "What else can go wrong?"

21.fxg7 b6 22.g8=Q Bb7 23.Qe7 checkmate