Jerome Gambit: A Step Not Far Enough

The following game does not last long: Black offers a Rook, White takes it, the attack that follows ends things quickly.

Closer inspection, however, suggests that when Black opened the diagonal for his killer Bishop, he chose a pawn move that was a step too short. It turns out, that could have made a difference.

Lucky for Black, it didn't. 

SunbaeFM - Konvekta2004

3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2021

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

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

This is Whistler's defense, a complicated but strong offer of the Rook at h8. White should not accept the piece.

In the game White does grab the material, and is on the edge of the abyss when he is afforded one more chance...

8.Qxh8 Qxe4+ 9.Kd1 Qxg2 10.Qxh7+ Kf8 11.Re1 Qf3+ 

12.Re2 d6 

Black plans to develop his Bishop at g4 and bring the game to a close. This is a strong plan - but it has a fatal flaw, as played: the d-pawn should have taken two steps, i.e. 12...d5.

13.Qxg6 

In a 3-minute game it is hard to see the way out that White has been offered: 13.d3 Bg4 14.Bh6+ Nxh6 15.Qxh6+ Kf7 16.Qh7+ Kf8 17.Qh6+ Kf7 18.Qh7+ draw by repetition.

If Black's King moves forward, instead, to avoid the enemy Queen's checks, White can set off a series of moves designed to exchange down to a better endgame: 13.d3 Bg4 14.Bh6+ Nxh6 15.Qxh6+ Kf7 16.Qh7+ Kf6 17.Qe7+ Kf5 18.Nc3 Bxf2 19.Qf7+ Kg5 20.Qxf3 Bxf3 21.Ne4+ Kh6 22.Nxf2 Re8 23.Ne4 Bxe2+ 24.Kxe2 d5 25.Ke3 dxe4 26.dxe4

analysis diagram

But now

13...Bg4 White resigned

What if Black had played 12...d5 instead of 12...d6? Then White's drawing escape line mentioned in the note to move 13 would not have been available, as after 13.d3 Bg4 14.Bh6+ Nxh6 15.Qxh6+ Kf7 16.Qh7+ Kf6 then 17.Qe7+ would not have been possible because the e7 square would have been protected by Black's Bishop.