Friday, August 19, 2022

Jerome Gambit: In the Weeds Again

 


There are plenty of complications in the Jerome Gambit. They tend to favor the player more familiar with the opening, more comfortable with the time control, and more effective in calculating tactics.

The following game shows the weeds of complications popping up, surrounding the players. 


bot_ulric - Anderstood

5 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2020


1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

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


Whistler's defense. Black offers a Rook, but in turn plans to go after the enemy King with ...Qxe4+.

8.Qxh8 

Risky.

This is a blitz game and the clock and complications can shift a game one way or another.

8...h5 

Very interesting - and new, according to The Database. White's Queen can still go to h7, but not capture a pawn. 

Main line is 8...Qxe4+ with attack.

9.Qh7+ Kf6 10.Qxg8 Qxe4+ 


This is the core move in Whistler's defense.

Played now, in this game, it is not the killer move it would have been two moves earlier. 

11.Kd1 

The King jumps. 

Had he jumped in the other direction with 11.Kf1, it would have been difficult for Black to continue his attack, although the complications would grow like weeds. Here a a few ideas: 

11.Kf1 Qh4 

or 11...b6 12.Qh8+ Kf5 13.Qg7 Bb7 14.Qf7+ Ke5 15.f4+ Kd6 16.Qf6+ Qe6 17.Qxe6+ Kxe6

or 11...Qf4 12.f3 b6 13.Nc3 Ba6+ 14.d3 Qxc1+ 15.Rxc1 Rxg8 16.Ne4+

or 11...Qxc2 12.Nc3 Qd3+ 13.Kg1 b6 14.Nd5+ Ke5 15.Nxc7 Bxf2+ 16.Kxf2 Qd4+ 17.Ke1 Qe4+ 18.Kd1 Ba6 19.Re1 Rxg8 20.Rxe4+ Kxe4 21.Nxa6 

12.Qd8+ Be7 13.Qh8+ Kf5 14.Qg8

11...Qg4+

Black has a draw, if he wants it (and can find it). 

12.f3 Qxg2 13.Qh8+ Kf5 14.Re1 


Now 14...Qxf3+ 15.Re2 Qf1+ 16.Re1 Qf3+ 17.Re2 would bring a draw by repetition as we have seen in similar games, before.

14...Bf2 

Now, if the Rook reflexively moves out of the line of fire with 15.Re2 Black would checkmate with 15...Qf1+ 16.Re1 Qxe1+.

But White has something better.

15.Qe5 checkmate




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