Jerome Gambit: GM vs WGM

Yury V. Bukayev recently pointed out a very interesting Jerome Gambit game between a grandmaster and a women's grandmaster.

It was an online 3-minute blitz game, and the difference in the players' ratings was about 250 points - suggestive that White was giving "Jerome Gambit odds" - but it showed both players to be familiar with the opening, which is worth some pondering...

Hambleton, Aman - Cervantes Landeiro, Thalia

3 1 blitz, Titled Tuesday, Chess.com, 2022

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

GM Hambleton is familiar with the Jerome Gambit. See "Jerome Gambit: All in Good Fun" for a link to his immensely popular YouTube video, as well as "Jerome Gambit: Chess Adventures of GM Hambleton (Parts 1 and 2)"

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qd5+ Kf8 8.Qxc5+ d6 9.Qe3 Nf6 

The players have quickly arrived at a "normal" Jerome Gambit position that appears in over 300 games in The Database, starting with Vazquez - Carrington, 2nd match, Mexico, 1876 (1-0, 34)

10.Nc3 Kf7 

Very interesting. Black prepares to castle-by-hand, a standard defensive strategy in the Jerome. 

11.O-O Re8 12.d3 Kg8 

13.Qg3 Be6 

I was going to write that WGM Cervantes Landeiro had come to the end of her opening preparation here - but what player at her level of skill prepares to face the Jerome Gambit?

It looks at first as if e6 is not the proper place for the Bishop, when there is a Knight on g6, as it calls forward White's f-pawn; but she has seen further, as the Bishop will be part of the King's defense.

14.f4 Bf7 15.f5 

Computers are notoriously unsympathetic to the Jerome Gambit; in this case both Stockfish 15 and Komodo 13.02 suggest White put his Bishop on b2 first.

15...Ne5 16.Bg5 

This direct placement of the Bishop, pressuring the Knight at f6, is a very common move.

16...Kh8 

Black prepares her defense.

17.Rae1 c5 18.Qh4 Qe7 19.Re3 Bg8 20.Ne2 h6 21.Rg3 Bh7 22.Bc1 Qf7 

White patiently develops his attack. Black responds. The game is in balance.

23.Nf4 d5 24.Ne6 Rg8 

I am impressed with the controlled (vs the typical Bashi-Bazouk style of the Jerome) attack and defense - in a 3-minute game.

25.Nxg7 

GM Hambleton probably has won scores of games with this kind of attack, offering a piece for a couple of defensive pawns. It is an echo of the opening sacrifice.

The computers suggest the slower b3, Bb2, c3 for White, putting the Bishop on the a1-h8 diagonal. 

25...Rxg7 26.Rxg7 Qxg7 27.Bxh6 

Does White have enough for his sacrifice? He has 4 extra pawns, but they are not going to be part of the following play.

27...Qf7 28.Bf4 Re8 29.Bg5 Ned7 30.Re1 dxe4 31.dxe4 Nxe4 

Returning some material to help with exchanges. She then consolidates her advantage. Forcing the exchange of Queens ends the game.

32.Bf4 Nef6 33.Rxe8+ Qxe8 34. Bg5 Qe5 35.Qf2 Qxf5 36.Qh4 Qe5 37.h3 Qd4+ White resigned