Jerome Gambit: Balance

Bullet chess requires players to constantly balance different factors against each other very quickly. In the following Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game we see both sides calculating to balance time, material and King safety.

angelcamina - Nieto01

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2022

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 Qf6

This placement of Black's Queen is seen in defenses to the Jerome Gambit, so I was surprised to find only 8 games with this position in The Database.

White scores 94%, which suggests that the move is weak; indeed, Stockfish 15 indicates that the move decreases the evaluation of Black's position 2 pawns' worth. 

9.O-O Nh4 

This year angelcamina also faced 9...N8e7 10.Qxc7 d6 11.Nc3 b6 12.f4 Be6 13.Qb7 Bc8 14.Qxa8 Kf7 15.f5 Nf4 16.d4 Black resigned, angelcamina - aNKansEn, lichess.org, 2022.

10.f4 Qg6 11.g3 

A split second decision, to keep his Queen active, instead of defending with 11.Qf2. 

11...d6 12.Qb5+ Bd7 

In a bullet game, which is more important, not wasting time or grabbing material? Black offers the b-pawn, White takes it. Otherwise, 12...c6. 

13.Qxb7 Rd8 14.f5 Qf6 

Black offers the Knight, which could have been protected by 14...Qg4.

White could take the piece, but he prefers to develop.

15.Nc3 g6 16.fxg6 

Overlooking Black's response. What was needed was the reinforcing 16.d3. 

16...Qd4+ 

17.Kh1 Nxg6 18.d3 Bh3 

The position is more complicated than it appears at first glance. With Black's King stuck in the center, development with 18...N8e7 would have safer than moving an already placed piece. 

19.Bg5 

You attack my Rook, I will attack your Rook.

With 1 minute for the whole game, it probably wasn't possible - or even necessary - to fully examine the offer of a piece with 19.Be3!?. If 19...Qxe3 then 20.Nd5, with threats at c7, is overwhelming. A Queen retreat like 19...Qg7 is still not enough against 20.Nb5, e.g. 20...Rd7 21.Bg5 N8e7 22.Rf6 with threats such as 22...Rf8 23.Qb8+ Rd8 24.Nxc7+ Kd7 25.Rxd6+!?

Black's game now crumbles.

19...Bxf1 20.Rxf1 Rd7 21.Qc8+ Rd8 22.Qxd8 checkmate