Jerome Gambit: Slack-Jawed

Recently I was challenged to a friendly Jerome Gambit game at Chess.com. My opponent took the White pieces.

His 12th move left me slack-jawed. 

I just stared at the move. I had never seen anything like it - which is really saying something, given that I am supposed to be some kind of "expert" on the Jerome Gambit.

I eventually prevailed in the game, but it was all pretty unsettling.

I have added notes to distract you from my play.

REustace - perrypawnpusher

1 day/move, Chess.com, 2022

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, named after Lt. G.N. Whistler, Secretary of the Lexington Kentucky Chess Club, who played the defense against Alonzo Wheeler Jerome in a series of correspondence games.

Although this is my favorite defense to the Jerome Gambit, I feel bad about playing it in this game. I should have played 6...Ke6 and let my opponent hammer me. 

8.Qxh8 

This is a dangerous grab of material, similar to touching a hot stove, as I once wrote.

It is true that in a game played at blitz speed, the complications tend to favor White. The Database shows 628 games, with White scoring 62%.

However, against an opponent who is familiar with the Jerome Gambit, and who has time to recover from its surprises, it is not as likely to be successful. 

8...Qxe4+ 

This is the right idea for Black. 

Sobering is the game Wall,B - Sepoli, Chess.com, 2010, which continued 8...Qf6? 9.Qxh7+ Kf8 10.O-O Black resigned, . 

9.Kd1 

The alternative, 9.Kf1, as old as Jerome - Norton, correspondence, 1876, (1/2 - 1/2, 20) is about as strong.

9...Qxg2 

Black should not get fancy here. A cautionary tale: 9...Bxf2 10.Qxh7+ Kf8 11.Qh3 d5 12.Qf3+!? Qxf3+ 13.gxf3 Bf5?! 14.d3 Nf6 15.Bf4 Nh5 16.Bxc7 Rc8 17.Bd6+ Kf7 18.Nd2 Bd4 19.Ba3 Nf4 20.Re1 Ng2 21.Re7+ Kf6 22.c3 Bb6 23.Kc2 Ne3+ 24.Kb3 Bxd3 25.Re1? Bc2+ 26.Kb4 Bc5+? 27.Kb5 a6+ 28.Ka5 b6+ 29.Kxa6 Bd3+? 30.Kb7 Kxe7 31.Bxc5+ Rxc5 32.Rxe3+ Black resigned, Hanesman - glupysh, lichess.org, 2022. 

10.Qxh7+ 

The move 10.Re1 should be reserved for when you see your opponent's knees shaking, as in 10...Qf3+ 11.Re2 Qh1+ 12.Re1 Qf3+ 13.Re2 Qh1+ 14.Re1 Qf3+ draw (in a winning position for Black), Wall,B - Mathieubuntu, FICS 40 0 2011. 

10...Kf8 

Another case of "nerves" (the clock may have been a factor) continued, instead, 10...Kf6 11.Qh4+ Kg7 12.Re1 Qf3+ 13.Re2 Qh1+ 14.Re1 Qf3+ 15.Re2 draw (Black's position is better), Reent - activepieces, lichess.org, 2020. 

11.Re1 d5 

Strong. A couple of alternatives

11...Qf3+ 12.Re2 d6?! (12...d5!?) 13.Qxg6? (13.d3!? Bg4 14.Bh6+ Nxh6 15.Qxh6+ Kf7 16.Qh7+ Kf8 17.Qh8+ draw) 13...Bg4 White resigned, SunbaeFM - Konvekta2004, lichess.org, 2021; and

11...d6 12.Nc3 (12.c3 Qxf2 13.Qxg6 Qf3+ 14.Re2 Bg4 15.Qe4 Qxe4 White resigned, TePart0 - ttoorr, lichess.org, 2021) 12...Bg4+ 13.Ne2 Re8 14.d3 Bxe2+ 15.Rxe2 Qf1+ 16.Kd2 Qxe2+ (16...Bb4+ 13.c3 Qxe2#)17.Kc3 Qe5+ 18.Kb3 Qd5+ 19.Kc3 Bb4+ 20.Kxb4 a5+ 21.Kc3 Qc5+ 22.Kd2 Qxf2+ 23.Kc3 Qe1+ 24.Bd2 Qxa1 25.Bh6+ Nxh6 26.Qxh6+ Ke7 27.Qg5+ Kd7 28.Qg4+ Kd8 29.Qg5+ Kc8 30.Qxg6  Re5 31.Qg8+ Kd7 32.Qf7+ Kc6 33.Qf3+ Kb6 34.Qf2+ Ka6 35.Qd4 Qe1+ 36.Kb3 Qb4+ 37.Qxb4 axb4 38.Kxb4 Rh5 39.c4 Rxh2 40.a4 Kb6 41.b3 c5+ 42.Kc3 Ka5 43.d4 Rh3+ 44.Kc2 Kb4 45.dxc5 dxc5 46. Kb2 Rh2+ 47.Kb1 Kxb3 48.Ka1 Rh1 checkmate, Konevlad_2004 - F2freestyle, lichess.org, 2021. 

12.Re8+ 

What?? Really? This exchange sacrifice would have thrown me in a blitz game.

I had faced 12.d4 in  blackburne - perrypawnpusher, Jerome Gambit 3 thematic tournament, ChessWorld.net, 2008 (0-1, 17) and 12.Qh4 in F0nix - perrypawnpusher, Chess.com, 2021, (0-1, 13). 

12...Kxe8 13.Qxg8+ Bf8 14.d3 Qf1+ 

I could not find the checkmate, and so decided on winning White's Queen. 

After the game Stockfish 15 pointed out 14...Bg4+ 15.Ke1 Qg1+ 16.Kd2 Qxf2+ 17.Kc3 Qf6+ 18.d4 Qf3+ 19.Kd2 Qe2+ 20.Kc3 Qc4+ 21.Kd2 Qxd4+ 22.Ke1 Qg1+ 23.Kd2 Qxh2+ 24.Kc3 Qg3+ 25.Kd2 Qf2+ 26.Kc3 Qe1+ 27.Bd2 Qg3+ 28.Kd4 c5+ 29.Kxd5 Rd8+ 30.Ke4 checkmate.

Yeah, uh, sure, okay, if you say so...

15.Kd2 Qxf2+ 16.Kc3 d4+ 

There is a checkmate in 14 after 16...Qf6+ but I won't be offended if you don't bother looking for it.

17.Kb3 Qf6 18.c4 dxc3 19.Nxc3 Be6+ 20.Qxe6+ Qxe6+ White resigned

A very interesting game.