The Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) started out as a club player's opening.
On occasion, however, stronger players have given the Jerome Gambit a try at different time controls. As I wrote in the previous post
Recently, Yury V. Bukayev sent me a couple of bullet games played betwen top GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave ("LyonBeast") and top GM Hikaru Nakamura (" Hikaru "), with the intriguing theory that they might explain Nakamura's interest in the Jerome.
As we have seen ("Jerome Gambit: Origins (Part 1)"), the first game was played in 2016, and was a 1 1 bullet game featuring the Vienna opening, particularly the Hamppe-Muzio variation. Play was highlighted by a Jerome-like Bishop sacrifice at f7 on move 7 - and Black resigned 5 moves later.
Time passed. Four years later, GM Nakamura's interest in the Jerome Gambit, albeit casual and lighthearted, was clear. When he ranked chess openings for his viewers (see "Jerome Gambit: Which Tier? Unbreakable?"), he gave it some serious thought. He played the opening on Twitch (see "Jerome Gambit: GMHikaruOnTwitch") and in various "speedruns" (see "Jerome Gambit: Speedrunning Tricks").
GM Nakamura seemed to have concluded that, with the right time control, at the right time, a Bxf7+ sacrifice could deliver some serious pain to an unsuspecting opponent - especially if that opponent were a club player, and even if the opening in question was the questionable Jerome Gambit.
All of which brings us to the second grandmaster vs grandmaster game, played in 2020. Again, it was a bullet game, 1 minute with a 1 second increment. Again it was a Vienna game, Hamppe-Muzio variation
LyonBeast - Hikaru
1 1 bullet, SCC_Final, Chess.com, 2020
1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. f4 exf4 4. Nf3 g5 5. Bc4 g4 6. O-O gxf3
The players repeat the first game.
7.Bxf7+ Kxf7 8.Qxf3
This time, however, GM Nakamura was ready.
8...Qh4
Four years ago, 8...Bh6 was played, and much of Black's advantage slipped away.
It is interesting that GM Nakamura's move this time - strong and winning - is, nonetheless, the 5th best response, according to Stockfish 14. Clearly, the American grandmaster was not taken by surprise. His response will be familiar to anyone who has played a number of Jerome Gambits, however...
9.d4 Nxd4
This works, this time.
10.Qd3 Ne6 11.Bxf4 Nxf4 12.Nd5 Bd6 13. Nxf4 Bxf4 14.g3 Qg5 15.Rxf4+ Ke7
The battle of f4 is over. White has a pawn for two pieces - reminiscent of the Jerome Gambit, by the way.
Things are not simple, however. The computer sees the game as about even.
16.Qd4 Nf6 17.Rf5 Qxf5
Giving back some material to ease the position.
18.exf5 d5 19.Qe5+ Kf7 20.Re1 Re8
21.Qxc7+ Bd7 22.Rxe8 Rxe8 23.Qxb7 Re2
Active pieces: Black should not let his 3 pieces be tied down by White's Queen. He might want even more: to attack the enemy King.
24.Qxa7 Rxc2 25.Qd4
Probably GM Vachier-Lagrave should have considered the consolidating 25.g4.
25...Bxf5 26.a4 Be4 27.h3 Nh5
28.Qe5
At this point Stockfish 14 recommends 28.g4 Nf4 when White goes for a draw by repetition with 29.Qa7+ Ke6 30.Qb6+ Ke7 31.Qa7+ Kf6, etc.
28...Rg2+ 29.Kf1 Nxg3+ 30.Ke1 Re2+ White resigned
After his King moves, White will lose his Queen to a discovered check.
So, there you have it. The first bullet game, with the Bishop sacrifice and a brutal attack. Then, the grandmaster who lost starts playing with the Jerome Gambit in fun blitz matches. Finally, the opening is repeated in another bullet game, and a Jerome-ish novelty leads the defense toward triumph.
Interesting conjecture.
As Rod Serling once put it
You unlock this door with the key of imagination. Beyond it is another dimension—a dimension of sound, a dimension of sight, a dimension of mind. You're moving into a land of both shadow and substance, of things and ideas. You've just crossed over into the Twilight Zone.
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