The Jerome Gambit is A Mess

 

In club play, the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) is a lot like bumping the chess board, watching pieces fall over, then deciding to play on, anyway.

In blitz games the knowledgeable player can take advantage of his opponent's unfortunate need to take thinking time to figure things out in a messy position. This is the value of learning some specifics about the opening beforehand.

When both players are discovering the finer points of an opening as they play it, things can become a bit of a mess - as in the following game.  

Selrah - tc2303

5 3 blitz, lichess.org, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5. Nxe5+ Nxe5 6. Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Qe7 

This is Whistler's defense, which Alonzo Wheeler Jerome faced in the games of his correspondence match with Lt. G. N. Whistler, secretary of the Lexington, Kentucky Chess Club, in 1876.

If White now accepts the offer of a Rook with 8.Qxh8, he enters into difficult complications.

"Objectively" - if we can trust Stockfish 15 to be objective - the position is then rated as only a pawn shy of Black being a Queen better.

However, The Database has 649 games with 8.Qxh8, and White scores 62%. This is despite the fact that the average rating for White and for Black in those games is almost identical.

The conclusion has to be that White often navigates the confusion of the Jerome Gambit better.

8.Qxh8 

It is far safer for White (even if it still leads to Black's advantage) for his Queen to back away with 8.Qf4+. 

8...Kf8 

Black defends (his Knight) first before attacking (with 8...Qxe4+) - in fact, this suggests that he was defending his Bishop on the previous move, rather than knowingly playing one of the strongest anti-Jerome lines.

White's King can now escape danger with 9.0-0, 9.d3 or 9.Nc3.

9.Na3 

This move is a bit of a puzzler. I am not sure what is going on. Perhaps it is a mouse slip for 9.Nc3.

9...Qxe4+ 

This time Black sees the move.

The irony is that Stockfish 15 now sees White as a piece better after 10.Kf1. What has happened to dilute the power of Black's Queen's capture (with check) on e4?

The answer is that in some of White's defensive lines he now can produce a useful check because Black's King has moved to f8 - for example, 10.Kf1 Qh4 11.d4 Bxd4 12.Bh6+ Qxh6 13.Qxd4 and White is up the exchange.

Complicated? Like I said, the Jerome Gambit is a mess. Plus, remember, this is a blitz game.

10.Kd1 

Thinking about the earlier suggested line starting with 8.Qxe4+, it did not much matter if White responded by moving his King to f1 or d1 - he was going to be in grave danger either way (although d1 was a little bit less weak).

Here, however, White needs to protect his g-pawn with 10.Kf1. The text leads to great difficulties. 

 10...Qxg2 

The alternative 10...Qg4+ is more than sufficient, e.g. 11.Ke1 Bd4 12.Qxh7 Qxg2 13.Qh4 (13.Rf1 leads to being checkmated in 30 moves) Qxh1+ 14.Ke2 Bf6 15.Qg3 and Black's extra piece (and the two Bishops) gives him a clear advantage.

11.Re1 

11...Qxf2 

Following the blitz rule of thumb: when in doubt, grab material.

Black is on unfamiliar ground and so does not yet focus on how the light squares affect the fate of White's King - otherwise, he would have liberated his Bishop immediately with 11...d5 with threats of ...Bg4+. But second chances do come.

Now Stockfish 15 suggests that White play 12.d4, threatening Bh6+ and strongly encouraging Black to seek a draw with 12...Qf3+ 13.Re2 Qf1+ 14.Re1 Qf3+, etc.

12.Qe5 

White is happy to get his Queen back in play and team up with the Rook. Unfortunately, it is not enough.

12...d6 13.Qe8+ Kg7 14.d4 Bxd4 15.Re7+Nxe7 16.Qxe7+ Kg8 

Alas, it does not work both ways: White does not have a way to a draw by multiple Queen checks.

17.c3 Bg4+ 18.Qe2 Qxe2 checkmate

Someone who glanced at the final position might have erroniously concluded "White should have castled to safety, as Black's King did".