Jerome Gambit: Two Outstanding Marks of the Jerome Gambit

There are two outstanding marks of the Jerome Gambit - the active Queen that often comes to h5 with check, and the sacrifice of the light square Bishop on f7.

I have not done as much exploring the Queen move - although, see "The Kentucky Opening" Parts 1, 2, 3 and 4 for some insights. 

There is more to be seen with the Bishop sacrifice. 

For starters, you could look at an early post to this blog,"King of Bxf7+", concerning the Veijoasquerosos of Mexico, who had played over 1,100 games at the online site RedHotPawn, and who liked to play Bxf7+ as soon and as often in possible, in just about every opening. Perhaps he was inspired by Andres Clemente Vazquez, Mexican chess champion in the last quarter of the 19th century, who had some notable Jerome Gambit wins. 

In any event, today we will look at a recent game that begins as a Petroff Defense, but quickly develops Jerome Gambit overtones.

As always, it is important to acknowledge that this is an online club level blitz game, where audacious opening play is often rewarded (and sometimes cruelly punished). 

Anonymous - Anonymous

5 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2021

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bc4  

Here we have the Russian Game: Italian Variation.

3...Nxe4 4.Bxf7+

I cautiously discussed this line in "Jerome Gambit: First Steps (Part 1)" noting

For example, if in the Petroff Defense, the game continues 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bc4 Nxe4 4.Bxf7+, the sacrifice at f7 can upset the defender, drag him out of his preparation, and give White some kind of psychological compensation; but recovering material will be difficult beyond 4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+, and if Black finds the unintuitive 5...Kg8, his King will actually be safe from attack - as long as he avoids catastrophies like 6.0-0 d6 7.Qe2 dxe5 8.Qc4+ Tg Z - Lai, W, Kuala Lumpur, 1992.

The earliest example I have found is from the December 1874 issue of the chess magazine Schachzeitung: R.W. - H., Leipzig, 1874,  1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nxe4 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Kg8 6.Qe2 d6 7.Qxe4 dxe5 8.Qc4+ and White will checkmate.

Recall that it was only eight months earlier, in the April 1974 issue of the  Dubuque Chess Journal, that Alonzo Wheeler Jerome's "New Chess Opening" was presented. Coincidence? 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Kg8 

6.Qf3 Nf6 7.O-O d6 8.Ng4 

Pressuring Black's Knight at f5 is a Jerome Gambit theme. The alternate, computer-approved move, is 8.Qb3+, although after 8...d5 White has to work hard to make something of his position.

8...Nxg4

Fascinating. Black seems to have gone as far as thinking "I am ahead in material, therefore I should exchange pieces". Even so, developing a piece while exchanging - 8...Bxg4 - was the winning way to go.

9.Qd5+ Be6 10.Qxe6 checkmate

This checkmating theme shows up in different openings (see "Jerome Gambit: Inspiration Is All Around" for examples) and you would do well to keep it in mind when you have the enemy King locked in at g8, facing and openin a2-g8 diagonal.