Jerome Gambit: A Mess, But A Good Mess

Success with the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) often requires the ability to make one's way through the mess on the board.

When the mess favors you, it is time to embrace it.

 

pablosko - Jean-neige

3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 d6 

Black has to return a piece. This is how he chooses to do so.

7.dxe5 

Better was to grab the often annoying Bishop with 7.dxc5. 

7...Bxf2+ 

Black give up the Bishop to complicate things and make a mess. 

There was nothing wrong with the straightforward 7...Qh4 8.O-O Qxe4 keeping him better.

8.Kxf2 Qh4+ 9.Ke3 

The King is bold.

pablosko later played the stronger 9.g3 but the game did not go well. Qxe4 10.exd6 Bg4 11.Qd3 Qxh1 12.Qc4+ Be6 13.Qf4+ Nf6 14.Nc3 Qxh2+ 15.Kf3 Bg4+ 16.Ke3 Rhe8+ 17.Kd3 Rad8 18.Qc4+ Be6 19.Qxc7+ Rd7 20.Qc5 Red8 21.Bf4 h6 22.Ne4 Nxe4 23.Kxe4 Qe2+ 24.Kd4 Qf2+ 25.Be3 Qf6+ 26.Kd3 Rxd6+ 27.Ke2 Bg4+ 28.Ke1 Rd1+ 29.Rxd1 Rxd1 checkmate, pablosko - Jean-neige, lichess.org, 2023. 

9...Bg4 10.Qd5+ Ke7 

In a 3-minute blitz game, it might not be clear that advancing with 10...Kg6 was stronger.

Now things shift violently in White's favor. 

11.exd6+ cxd6 12.Qxb7+ Ke6 13.Qxa8 Qg5+ 14.Kd3 Qb5+ 15.c4 Qh5 16.Bf4 Be2+ 17.Ke3 Nf6 

Developing another piece costs another piece.

18.Qxh8 Nxe4 19.Qc8+ Kf6 20.Qd8+ Kg6 21.Qe8+ Black resigned

The Knight at e4 will fall.

The position is a mess, but it is a mess that White can win with.