Jerome Gambit: Running With Scissors

Adults know that it is not safe to run while holding scissors. You might fall and hurt yourself.

Yet, some of us, in a hurry, still do that.

That was my first thought when looking over the following Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game. Every Russian school boy knows that you don't capture the h8 Rook when playing against Whistler's Defense. 

But, still...

Carllll - Pova_Vutin

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 Qe7

Whistler's defense, referring to Alonzo Wheeler Jerome's correspondence match with Lt. G. N. Whistler, secretary of the Lexington, Kentucky Chess Club, was seen in Jerome - Whistler, correspondence, 1876 (0-1, 15).

8.Qxh8 

As I recently wrote in "Jerome Gambit: Still, Advancing... (Part 1)"

Capturing the Rook is objectively dangerous (because of the counter-attack 8...Qxe4+) but the play can be complicated.

The complications complicate the problem: according to The Database, in 637 games with this capture of the Rook, White scored a surprising 62%. 

Materially, White is up the exchange and a pawn, but Stockfish 15 evaluates him as almost a Queen down.

Is it wise to go into a "bad" variation, if you believe you can benefit from the complications?

The same question, of course, can be applied to the Jerome Gambit itself.

More sedate is the alternative 8.Qf4+. 

8...Qxe4+ 

The Database points out that in 75% of the games, Black makes this powerful move.

If you are playing White and hoping that Black does not play 8...Qxe4+, your odds are better than drawing to an inside straight in poker - but still not good.

In the games that I have found played by Alonzo Wheeler Jerome against the defense, he has a draw and two losses. There is an indication that he lost more games to Whistler, that have not yet been discovered.

9.Kf1 Nf6 10.Nc3 Qxc2 11.g3 Qd3+ 12.Kg2 b6 

The danger to both White's King and Queen is paramount.

White will have to either give up his Queen or be checkmated.

13.Rf1 Bb7+ 14.Kg1 Rxh8 White resigned