Jerome Gambit: Countering the Counter

The following games walk in the footsteps of an almost 2500 rated player as he deals with a blunt attempt to disarm the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+). 

Arman-Avdalyan - Tal_y_Fischer

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 Bxf2+ 

The Counter-Jerome Gambit, last looked at in "Jerome Gambit: How Bad Has It Gotten?". Black quickly returns material to be able to exchange Queens and blunt White's attacking chances.

8.Kxf2 Qf6+ 

The Database has 1,015 games with this line; White scores 61%.

9.Qxf6+ Nxf6 

White is a pawn up, but the kind of game he will need to play in order to win will be different than the usual wild attack.

10.d3 Kg7 

Or 10...d6 11.Rf1 Kg7 12.Kg1 Bd7 13.Bd2 Rhf8 14.Bc3 Rae8 15.Nd2 Bc6 16.h3 Re6 17.Nf3 Kg8 18.Nd4 Black resigned, Arman-Avdalyan - Jack_234, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2022. 

11.Rf1 Nh5 

Also 11...Rf8 12.Kg1 d6 13.Bd2 (13.Nc3 Be6 14.Be3 Rae8 15.Bd4 Rf7 16.Rxf6 Rxf6 17.Rf1 Ref8 18.Rxf6 Rxf6 19.h3 Kf7 20.Bxf6 Kxf6 21.b3 c6 22.Kf2 d5 23.exd5 cxd5 24.d4 a6 25.Ke3 Bf5 26.Kd2 g5 27.Nd1 Be4 28.g3 Bg2 29.h4 gxh4 30.gxh4 Be4 31.Ne3 Kg6 32.c4 dxc4 33.Nxc4 Kh5 34.Ke3 Bc6 35.Ne5 Kxh4 36.Kf4 h5 37.Ng6+ Kh3 38.Kg5 Kg3 39.Kxh5 Kf3 40.Ne5+ Ke4 41.Nxc6 bxc6 42.Kg5 Kxd4 43.Kf5 Kc3 44.Ke5 Kb2 45.Kd6 Kxa2 46.b4 Ka3 47.Kc5 Ka4 48.Kc4 a5 49.bxa5 Kxa5 50.Kc5 Ka6 51.Kxc6 drawn, Arman-Avdalyan - Chess_legend_rus, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2022) 13...Be6 14.Bc3 Rf7 15.Nd2 Raf8 16.h3 Kg8 17.Bxf6 Rxf6 18.Rxf6 Rxf6 19.Rf1 Rxf1+ 20.Kxf1 d5 21.exd5 Bxd5 22.g3 Kf7 23.Kf2 Ke6 24.Ke3 h5 25.c4 Bc6 26.h4 Kf5 27.Nb3 Kg4 28.Ke2 Kxg3 29.d4 Kxh4 30.d5 Bd7 31.Nc5 Bc8 32.Ne4 Kg4 33.c5 h4 34.d6 cxd6 35.Nxd6 Bd7 36.Nxb7 Bc6 37.Nd8 Bb5+ 38.Kf2 h3 39.Ne6 Bc6 40.Nd4 h2 41.Nxc6 h1=Q 42.Ne5+ Kf5 43.Nd3 Qh4+ 44.Ke3 Qe4+ 45.Kd2 Qd5 46.b3 g5 47.Kc3 g4 48.b4 g3 49.Nb2 Qf3+ 50.Kc2 g2 51.Nc4 g1=Q 52.Nd6+ Ke6 53.Nb5 Qff2+ 54.Kb3 Qgg3+ 55.Ka4 Qxa2+ 56.Na3 Qaxa3+ 57.Kb5 a6+ 58.Kc6 Qgf3+ 59.Kb6 Qa8 60.b5 Qb4 61.Kc7 Qxb5 62.c6 Qa7+ 63.Kd8 Qbb6+ 64.c7 Qc6 65.c8=Q+ Black lost on time, Arman-Avdalyan - DE11, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2022

12.Kg1 d6 

13.Bd2 Rf8 14.Bc3+ Kg8 15.Rxf8+ Kxf8 16.Nd2 Be6 

17.Rf1+ Kg8 18.Nf3 Rf8 19.g3 Bh3 20.Rf2 Nf6 21.Ng5 Black resigned