Wednesday, March 2, 2022

Jerome Gambit: Like Magic


I know that the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) is a "refuted" opening, but I love to see what a strong player can do with it. Sometimes the games that they produce are a bit like magic.

Like the following one.


Wall, Bill - Alta

internet, 2022 


1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bb4+ 

Simplest is 6...Bxd4, returning a piece, but the text can be useful, if it causes White to block the c3 square so that his Knight cannot develop there. 

7.c3 Bxc3+ 

Black is still a bit better after 7...Be7 8.dxe5.

Black also has the complicated 7...Qh4 which has scored 16 - 2 for the second player. Guess who has the two wins for White?

8.O-O Ng4 9.h3 Be7 (9...Bxc3 10.Nxc3 N4f6 11.e5 Ne4 12.Qf3+ Ke8 13.Nxe4 Nh6 14.Bg5 Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest11706903, PlayChess.com, 2018) 10.hxg4 d6 11.Qb3+ Ke8 12.f3 Nf6 13.Be3 b6 14.e5 dxe5 15.dxe5 Nxg4 16.fxg4 Qxg4 17.Qf7+ Kd7 18.Qd5+ Ke8 19.Qc6+ Bd7 20.Qxa8+ Bd8 21.Nd2 Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest436030, PlayChess.com, 2018

8.Nxc3 Ng6 9.O-O d6


White may have and edge here. He certainly has a standard Jerome Gambit plan to follow.

10.f4 N8e7

The Knights are already tripping over each other. Better was 10...N6e7, or even 10...Nf6

11.f5 Nf8 12.Qh5+ Kg8 

13.f6 g6 

Hoping to keep the position somewhat closed along the files, and taking a swipe at the enemy Queen.

There is no joy in 13...gxf6 14.Rxf6 Neg6 15.Nd5! when White's Bishop will go to h6 and his other Rook to f1, and Black's position will collapse.

The game will now end faster.

14.f7+ Kg7 15.Bh6 checkmate


Presto!


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