Tuesday, March 1, 2022

Jerome Gambit: Speed


Things happen fast in a bullet game, especially a Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game. Tactics rule, and sometimes if one is missed the first time, it can come up again successfully.

The following game is a good example.


NJ-Avrel - Butempel

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2022


1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nc6 3.Nf3 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.O-O 

White is happy to sacrifice only one piece and having displaced Black's King, goes on to move his own monarch to safety.

The Database has 1,836 games with this position in which White scores 40%.

5...Qf6 

Black's Queen often finds itself on f6 (in other Jerome lines). Here it works to stop d2-d4 by his opponent. I was surprised that The Database has 100 games, with White still scoring 40%.

6.c3 d6 7.d4 exd4 8.cxd4 Bb6 

9.Qb3+ 

Trying to stir things up.

9...Qe6 

A natural response: protect the King and offer the exchange of Queens to blunt any attack.

However, there is a flaw.

10.d5 

Is there something better than this fork here? There is the other fork 10.Ng5+. 

10...Qd7 


Ducking out of the way of the fork, but opening himself to a disclosed check.

11.dxc6+ Qe6 

The Queen returns.

12.Ng5+ 

This time he finds the fork.

Even more brutal was 12.cxb7. Check it out.

12...Kf6 13.Nxe6 Black resigned




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