Jerome Gambit: Picking Up A Part That Doesn't Quite Fit

Ideally, the parts of a chess attack or defense should fit together well. Some games follow a path that seems well illuminated, and choosing moves for either side can be a reasonable task.

Sometimes, though, the play of the game is murky, and it is possible to pick up a spare part for an attack or a defense that doesn't quite fit. Problems can follow. 

The following game is a good example, from both sides of the board.

LucaGrendene - AakashVishwadinu

10 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2022

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Qe7 

As I posted recently, this is

Whistler's defense, a strong defense that threatens the exchange of Queens and dares White to capture the Rook on h8, promising an attack on his King in return. See "Jerome Gambit: Boogyman (Parts 1, 2 & 3)".

This is in contrast to Blackburne's defense, 7...d6, where the Rook is still on offer, and White's King may still come under fire, but there is also the ever-present risk that White's Queen may become trapped and/or won..

8.Qxh8 

Choosing to face the Boogyman. Safer was 8.Qf4+.

8...Nf6 

What is the problem with 8.Qxh8? Good question.

As a general rule of thumb, facing Blackburne's defense, 7...d6, White has to be careful about Black's Queen dashing to h4 for an attack on the King, while also threatening ...Nf6, trapping White's Queen on the back rank and exposing her, at some point, to the attack of the remaining Rook.

On the other hand, Whistler's defense enjoys the enemy Queen being out of the way, so Black can attack directly with 8...Qxe4+. This is a better plan than going after White's Queen.

In effect, the text move adds a part from the Blackburne defense that doesn't quite fit in the Whistler. The Database shows 26 games with this position, with White scoring 75%.

9.Kf1 

White now plays a move that would fit decently into place against the Whistler defense - if things hadn't suddenly changed after 8...Nf6.

That is because White's Queen is now at great risk.

Instead, rescue oprations could have been started with 9.d3, e.g. 9...b6 10.Bh6 Ke6 11.Qg7 Qxg7 12.Bxg7 Bb7 13.Nc3 c6 14.Ne2 d5 15.Bxf6 Kxf6 16.d4 Be7 17.e5+ Ke6 and Black's two Bishops are not enough comensation for the exchange plus two pawns.

To be fair, it is important to point out that the game was played under a blitz time control, and at least according to The Database niether player had been involved with the Jerome Gambit previously.

9...b6 10.Nc3 Ba6+ 11.d3 Rxh8 White resigned