Jerome Gambit: Not Too Boring

Talk about "psychology" in the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) usually focuses upon White's play, but the following game shows Black willing to go down a pawn in order to eliminate White's usual smash and crash attack.

Instead of losing interest in the game, White summons up his next line of attack - the "Jerome pawns" - and crashes through.

Wall, Bill - Guest380145

PlayChess.com, 2021

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 

6...Bb4+ 

Yesterday's post looked at 6...Bd6, and also noted

The simplest response is to give back a piece immediately with 6...Bxd4. A complicated, but promising response, is 6...Qh4!?

7.c3 Nc6 

Black has a plan: he has to give up a piece, so chooses the Bishop. White's capture with a pawn is away from the center, lessening its support. Also, the capturing pawn becomes a target.

8.cxb4 Nxb4 

This move, consistent with Black's plan, overlooks something. That kind of thing can happen when the defender is unimpressed with the Jerome Gambit, and decides that White's further play is also unrelaible - hence, pruducing an insufficiently deep assessment.

9.Qb3+ Ke8 

White's move comes as a surprise, Black responds reflexively. The defense would have been helped by 9...d5, instead.

10.Qxb4 Qe7 11.Qxe7+ Nxe7 

This position fits into the class of defensive strategies (such as the Counter-Jerome Gambit) where Black gives up a pawn to be able to exchange Queens and disrupt White's planned attack.

While it is true that Black is temporarily ahead in development, this is offset by White's pawn center and his ability to castle and protect his King, While Black's King remains at risk. It is worth giving the position a closer look: Stockfish 14 rates White as more than a piece better.

It is worth giving the position even a deeper look, as the possibility of reaching a Bishops-of-opposite-colors endgame gives Black hopes of a draw.

12.Nc3 c6 13.O-O h6

Stockfish 14 prefers 13...d5 14.exd5 Nxd5 15.Nxd5 cxd5 16.Bf4 which - at least for human club players - takes another step closer to a draw.

White's next move shows that he wants to use his pawns to get more than a draw.

14.f4 Rf8 15.Bd2 d6 

White may no longer have his rampaging Queen, but his "Jerome pawns" are ready to make a difference.

16.f5 b5 17.g4 Bb7

The attack from the wings on the enemy pawn center will not be enough.

18.e5 dxe5 19.dxe5 Rd8

Black mobilizes his last defender, but it is not enough. His King is too exposed.

20.Ne4 Nc8 21.f6 g5 22.Bc3 Rf7 23.Rad1 Rd5 24.e6 

24...Rxd1 25.exf7+ Kxf7 26.Rxd1 Black resigned