Jerome Gambit: Not So Fast

 

Bullet games are fast. With a minute for either player to win the game, they have to be.

The following game shows both players speeding past chances that come into and out of focus - until White pulls things together and finds the win.

angelcamina - XI888IX

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2022

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Qh4 

In this position, Black usually sacrifices his Rook with either 7...d6, Blackburne's defense, or 7...Qe7, Whistler's defense.

Here, however, Black offers a finesse: after 8.Qxh8, then 8...Qxe4+ would transpose to the strong attack that comes out of  Whistler's defense, without having offered or allowed the exchange of Queens that could happen in the ordinary Whistler, i.e. 8.Qxe7+.

I am tempted to call this the "DodgyGong defense", based on the early game perrypawnpusher - DodgyGong, blitz, FICS, 2008 (1-0, 34).

8.Qxc5

White wisely focuses on capturing the Bishop, leading to a small advantage.

8...Qxe4+ 9.Kd1 

White's King must now be displaced. A little bit better was 9.Kf1 giving some protection to the g-pawn.

9...d6 

10.Qe3 

This move looks so reasonable at first glance, it can be hard to see right away that it gives Black a large advantage. 

Can you see how?

10...Qxg2 

White's King is in grave danger.

11.Re1 Qxh2

Rule of thumb in bullet: When in doubt, grab material.

Instead, Black would crush with 11...Bg4+.

12.Qe8+ Kg7 13.b3 

Hurrying to put his Bishop on b2.

Stockfish 15 has a suggestion that only a computer would find in the available time: 13.Re7+ Kh6 14.d3+ Kh5 15.Re2 Qg1+ 16.Kd2 Bg4 17.Qxa8 Bxe2 18.Kxe2 Qxc1 19.Qc8 Qg5 20.Kf1 Qf5 21.Qxb7 Nf6 22.Nd2 Qh3+ 23.Qg2 Qxg2+ 24.Kxg2 Kg4  with a small advantage to Black.

13...Nf6

Again, the killer move was 13...Bg4+.

14.Qe7+ 

White takes over, for good.

14...Kh6 15.d3+ Kh5 16.Qxf6 Bg4+ 17.f3 Raf8 18.Qg5 checkmate