The Jerome Gambit: Jerome Gambit Declined: It Is Useful to Have A Prepared Response

Wednesday, August 17, 2022

Jerome Gambit Declined: It Is Useful to Have A Prepared Response

deathgoddess - Ymrchess

10 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2022

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+

4...Ke7

The Jerome Gambit Declined. It is a rare line, but it is useful to have a prepared response. Three resources: "Jerome Gambit: An Exchange of Emails", "Jerome Gambit for Dummies 2.0 (Part 3)" and "Jerome Gambit: Ignore Me, Stay Aware".

5.Nxe5

Stepping up the possible complications. Simply retreating the Bishop with 5.Bd5, 5.Bc4 or 5.Bb3 leaves White with the advantage of a pawn and a safer King.

5...Nxe5 6.Bxg8 Rxg8

It was not clear, but capturing by the Queen was a better choice.

An interesting alternative: 6...Bxf2+ 7.Kxf2 Rxg8 8.g3?! c6?! (8...d5) 9.Qh5 (9.d4) 9...Rf8+ (9...Qb6+ 10.Kg2 d6 11.Qg5+ Ke8 12.Rf1 h6 13.Qh5+ Ke7 14.Qh4+ Ke8 15.Qh5+ draw) 10.Kg2 Ng6 (10... d6) 11.d3 Qb6 12.Bg5+ Ke8 13.Qxh7? (13. Rc1 Rf2+ 14. Kh1) 13...Qf2+ 14.Kh3 Rh8 (14...d5+ 15.g4 Rf3#) 15.Qxh8+ Nxh8 16.Nc3 d5+ 17.g4 Qf3+ 18.Kh4 Qxg4 checkmate, Atti0130 - TheCasualCow, blitz, lichess.org, 2022.

7.d4

Over-reaching is 7.Qh5, although it proved successful after 7...Ng6? (7...Bd4) 8.Qxc5+ d6 9.Qb4 Nf4 10.O-O Ke8 11.d4 Ne2+ 12.Kh1 Nxc1 13.Rxc1 Rb8 14.Qc4 Rf8 15.Nc3 Qf6 16.f3 h5 17.Qxc7 Ra8 18.Nd5 Qf7 19.Qxd6 Qd7 20.Nc7+ Kd8 21.Qxd7+ Kxd7 22.Nxa8 b6 23.c4 Bb7 24.Nxb6+ axb6 25.c5 bxc5 26.Rxc5 h4 27.Rac1 Rc8 28.Rxc8 Bxc8 29.Kg1 Ba6 30.Kf2 g5 31.Ke3 Kd6 32.g3 hxg3 33.hxg3 Bb7 34.f4 gxf4+ 35.gxf4 Ke6 36.a3 Kd6 37.b4 Ba6 38.Rc5 Bb7 39.e5+ Ke6 40.Rc7 Bd5 41.b5 Bb3 42.b6 Ba4 43.b7 Kf5 44.b8=Q Kg4 45.Rg7+ Kf5 46.Qf8+ Ke6 47.Re7+ Kd5 48.Qd8+ Kc4 49.Rc7+ Kb3 50.Qd5+ Kb2 51.f5 Bc2 52.f6 Bf5 53.f7 Be6 54.Qb5+ Ka2 55.f8=Q Bb3 56.a4 Bxa4 57.Qxa4+ Kb2 58.Qfa3+ Kb1 59.Rc1 checkmate, Capi_Capitan - hassan-khoda, lichess.org, 2021.

7...Bxd4

This is a slip, something that happens in blitz games.

Other ideas:

7...Bb4+ 8.c3 Nd3+ 9.Qxd3 Ba5 10.Bg5+ Kd6 11.Bxd8 Rxd8 12.Qg3+ Kc6 13.b4 Bb6 14.a4 a5 15.b5 checkmate, Littleplayerparis - Tillu7, lichess.org, 2020;

7...Qf8 8.dxc5 b6 9.O-O bxc5 10.Qd5 d6 11.Qxa8 Qf4? 12.Bxf4 Black resigned, ilhanGuler - popsulin, lichess.org, 2022; and

7...Bb6 8.dxe5 (8.Bg5+) 8...Rf8 9.Qh5 Bxf2+ 10.Ke2 d6 11.Bg5+ Kd7 12.Bxd8 Kxd8 13.Rf1 g6 14.Qxh7 Bg4+ 15.Kd2 Be6 16.Qxg6 Kd7 17.Rxf2 Rxf2+ 18.Kd3 Rff8 19.Nc3 Rae8 20.exd6 cxd6 21.Nd5 Bxd5 22.exd5 Kc7 23.Kc4 Rf4+ 24.Kb5 a6+ 25.Ka5 Re5 26.Qg7+ Kd8 27.Qh6 Rxd5+ 28.Kb6 White won on time, giorgossddddd - Boki77, lichess.org, 2022

8.Bg5+