The Jerome Gambit: Jerome Gambit: It's the Little Things

Tuesday, January 10, 2023

Jerome Gambit: It's the Little Things

In the following game it is fun to watch Bill's Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ ) advance bit-by-bit, as he takes advantage of the little things that add up to a win.

Wall, Bill - Orion

internet, 2022

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6

The Database has 5,504 games with this position. White scores 56%.

For comparison sake, Stockfish 15 at 30 ply assesses the best responses for Black to be, in order of strength 6...Ke6, 6...Kf8, 6...g6, and then 6...Ng6. All lead to advantage for Black.

One reason for 6...Ng6 lagging behind in the rankings is that it allows White to capture Black's Bishop at c5 - a piece that can cause trouble, starting with a pin on White's f-pawn.

7.Qd5+ Kf8 8. Qxc5+ N8e7

9.O-O d6 10.Qe3

Bill has also tried 10.Qc4. See Wall,B - Guesty1960624, PlayChess.com, 2013 (1-0, 30).

10...Be6

Black pursues development. The difficulty with this move is that it encourages White to play a move he already wants to play and plans on playing - but one which forces Black to reconsider the placement of this Bishop (because of a possible pawn fork).

11.f4 Bf7 12. d4 Qd7

Black looks ready to answer an f-pawn advance by giving a Knight back. He might have tried returning a pawn, instead, with 12...c5 13.dxc5 dxc5 14.Qxc5 Rc8 15.Qf2 Kg8 and White's advantage would be small.

13.f5 Nh4

A Knight on the rim is dim.

14.Nc3 h6 15.h3 b6 16.Qf2 g5

17.g3 Nhxf5 18.exf5 Bc4 19.Ne2

19...Kg7

Okay, this is no longer a little thing. It is a big thing.

A better continuation: 19...Re8 20.b3 Bxe2 21.Qxe2 Rh7 22.Bd2 Ng8 23.Qf3 Rhe7 24.Rfe1 Rxe1+ 25.Rxe1 Nf6 26.g4 Rxe1+ 27.Bxe1 Qe8 and White's advantage has been kept in check.

20.f6+ Kh7 21.fxe7

Reasonable follow through.

Stockfish 15 surprised me with the suggestion 21.b3, with things playing out 21...Bd5 22.c4 when Black has too much material hanging.

21...Qxe7 22.Re1 Rhf8