Jerome Gambit: That Is Not Possible

Years ago - perhaps as many as 90 - my mom, as a little girl, was walking with a friend when an airplane passed overhead. The friend pointed to the sky and said with all sincerity, "That is not possible".

I sympathize. Every day I play over wins with the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), and say the same thing.

Yet, those wins exist - and in enjoyable numbers.

mbokhari - elbardo

lichess.org, 2021

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nc6 3.Nf3 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Nf6 

I do not know a name for this defense, but the earliest player to try it who is listed in The Database is Whiskey, from Ireland.

All-in-all, the Database has 122 game examples, and White scores a shocking 53%.

"Shocking" because Black's great lead in development and extra piece should count for something. Indeed, Stockfish 15, at 35 ply, evaluates him as almost two pawns better.

7.dxe5 Nxe4 

Black grabs a pawn and doubly attacks f2.

This seems reasonable, but the consistently "inattentive" - the 6th move ignores White's pawn's attack on the Bishop and Knight, the 7th move should ignore the pawn's attack on the other Knight - would be 7...Qe7!? Grabbing material with 8.exf6 would be met with 8.Qxe4+ and Black would clearly be better.

The Database shows one win for White in four games, after 7...Qe7. 

Now White has the standard Queen fork.

8.Qd5+ Kf8 9.Qxe4 Qe7 10.O-O Qh4 

A game-ending mistake.

11.Qxh4 Black resigned

If you are going to play the 6.d4 line for White, it is a good idea to be familiar with the play that develops. I can suggest some games by Bill Wall -

Wall, Bill - TenAndOnly10m lichess.org, 2016 (1-0, 21)

Wall,Bill - MyDrunkAccount, lichess.org, 2016 (1-0, 20)

Wall,Bill - NN, lichess.org, 2016 (1-0, 16)

Wall, Bill - Szachowski, playok.com, 2017 (1-0, 20) 

Wall, Bill - Guest902091, PlayChess.com, 2017 (1-0, 17)

Wall, Bill - Guest371494, PlayChess.com, 2018 (1-0, 21)

Wall, Bill - Guest4660121, PlayChess.com, 2018 (1-0, 15)

Wall,Bill - Guest7889049, PlayChess.com, 2018 (1-0, 12)

Unfortunately, Bill has never encountered 7.dxe5 Qe7!?. Similarly, today's post is the first on this blog (over 3,800 posts) to take a look at that line in the defense.