Tuesday, December 14, 2021

Jerome Gambit: Why Would He Play That?


Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) players are familiar with the puzzlement our opening sometimes creates in the minds of defenders - Why did he play that?

Often, that is a good question to ask ourselves, as well. If we can understand Why? someone played a move we can better evaluate and deal with that move.

The following game shows what I mean.


rohanazad - Amarnath_Mishra

10 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2021


1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 


4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6. d4 

6...Bxd4 7.Qxd4 Qf6 

Black places his Queen on f6 in a number of different variations in the Jerome Gambit.

Alonzo Wheeler Jerome faced this move in two of his games, Jerome - Norton, correspondence, 1876 (unfinished) and Jerome - Jaeger, correspondence, 1878 (1-0, 35). Both times he responded with 8.Qd1.

Stockfish 14.1 and Komodo 12.1.1 agree with AWJ.

Why?

(About a decade ago I posted a similar precaution in "Something To Watch Out For".)

8.O-O Nf3+ 9.gxf3 Qxd4 White resigned


Of course, 8.Be3, 8.Qe3, 8.Qd5+ and 8.Qc3 (as well as other prudent moves) work, too.



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