Jerome Gambit: Poor Knights

The following game shows the difficult lives of the two Knights on defense against the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+). It illustrates for White the availability of tempos, if the attack includes actions against those Knights. 

Wall, Bill - Manavalan

internet, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 N8e7  9.O-O Nf4 

 

I am not sure what this move is about - perhaps the first part of re-positioning the Knight.

10.d4 b6 11.Qe5 Ne6

Black centralizes his extra Knight to protect his pawn on g7.

White's response is to activate his extra pawns.

12.d5 d6 13.Qg3 Nd4 

The poor Knight continues to wander. Better would have been 13...Nc5 14.Qxg7 Ng6 when the other Knight would take up the post at g6.

14.Qxg7 

White focuses on the enemy Kingside. He also had the embarassing-for-Black 14.Qd3.

14...Rg8

This move springs immediately to mind.

The computer suspects that White will have to go for a draw after 14...Nf3+, i.e. 15.Kh1 Rg8 16.Qxh7 Ba6 17.Qh5+ (17.Rd1 Be2 18.Qh5+ Kd7 19.Qh3+ Ke8 20.Qh5+) 17...Ng6 18.Qh7 Ne7 19.Qh5+ Ng6 20.Qxf3 Bxf1 21.Nd2.

15.Qxd4 Bh3 

This was Black's idea. White can afford to give up the exchange.

16.g3 Bxf1 17.Kxf1 Ng6 

White has 3 pawns for the exchange.

Soon, he will have another Knight to harass.

18.Nc3 Ne5 19.f4 Nf3 20.Qf2 Ne5 

The Knight is safe, as 21.fxe5 would now be met with 21...Rf8 winning the Queen.

21.Kg2 Nc4 

Finally, White uses the Knight's placement to jump start his final assault.

22.Qe2 Na5 23.Qh5+ Kd7 24.Qf5+ Ke8 25.Qxh7 Rf8 26.Qg6+ Rf7 27.e5 

27...dxe5 28.fxe5 Qe7 29.Bg5 Qxe5 30.Rf1 Black resigned

White has a forced checkmate, after gathering in more material.