Jerome Gambit: Not the Way to Attack (Part 1)

I just conceded a Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game to my number one tormentor in that line, auswebby at Chess.com.

He made short work of my favorite opening, the battle lasting just a bit over a couple dozen moves. I am now 0 - 3 against him.

I have some new ideas, as a result, but first it is worth looking at where the old ideas took me.

perrypawnpusher - auswebby

3d/move, Giuoco Piano Game, Chess.com, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 

This move usually leads to either Blackburne's defense (7.Qxe5 d6) or Whistler's defense (7.Qxe5 Qe7). In both cases Black offers a Rook that should not be taken without knowledge of the complications that follow; actually, against Whistler's Defense, it should not be taken at all.

A few years ago, I faced 6...Kf8 in perrypawnpusher - auswebby, Giuoco Piano Tournament, Chess.com, 2015 (0-1, 37). That loss against the Jerome Defense, (first suggested by Alonzo Wheeler Jerome in his analysis in an article in the Dubuque Chess Journal of July, 1874) was painful, as I had been 30 - 7 - 3 (79%) in the line. 

7.Qxe5 Qe7 

Whistler's defense it is. The line is named after Lt. G. N. Whistler, secretary of the Lexington, Kentucky Chess Club, who played it in a correspondence match against Alonzo Wheeler Jerome in 1876.

By the way, the alternative, 7...d6, Blackburne's defense, refers to the early game Amateur - Blackburne, London, 1884 (0-1, 14). 

8.Qd5+ 

More often played is 8.Qf4+, which I tried in perrypawnpusher - auswebby, Chess.com, 2022 (0-1, 46); in light of that loss, I figured it was time for a change.

Since I had played 8.Qd5+ successfully earlier in perrypawnpusher - moush54, chess.com, 2021 (1-0, 23), I thought I would give the move another try.

8...Kg7 9.b4 

Suggested by Yury V. Bukayev in his "JG: The New in Its Opening Theory, in Its Psychology (Part 15)" who points out that accepting the pawn 

leads to a very complicated fight where Black’s material advantage isn’t very large and where White gets an attack.

I believe that Yury is right about "a very complicated fight", although I suspect he will be disappointed to see my inability to make his words  - "where White gets an attack" - come true in this game.

9...Bxb4 

Stockfish 15.1 (40 ply) sees only 1/100th of a pawn difference between this capture and declining.

The Database has one 1-minute bullet game with Black declining: Anti-Duhring - Nadynoseer, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2021, 9...Bb6 10.Bb2+ Nf6 11.e5 Re8 12.Qf3 Kf8 13.O-O d6 14.exf6 Qxf6 15.Bxf6 Bf5 16.g4 Re6 17.gxf5 Rxf6 18.Qxb7 Re8 19.Qd5 Re5 20.Qf3 Rexf5 21.Qg3 Rxf2 22.Rxf2 Bxf2+ 23.Qxf2 Rxf2 24.Kxf2 Ke7 25.Nc3 Ke6 26.Re1+ Kf5 27.Rg1 c6 28.b5 cxb5 29.Nxb5 d5 30.Nxa7 d4 31.Nc6 Ke4 32.Nxd4 Kd5 33.Rxg6 Kxd4 34.Rg7 h6 35.Rh7 h5 36.Rxh5 Kc4 37.Rg5 Kd4 38.Rg3 Ke4 39.Re3+ Kf4 40.h4 Kg4 41.a4 Kxh4 42.a5 Kg4 43.a6 Kf4 44.a7 Kf5 45.a8=Q Kf4 46.Qe4+ Kg5 47.Rg3+ Black resigned

10.Bb2+ Nf6 

White's Bishop is powerful along the a1-h8 diagonal. It will need additional support to make the attack successful.

[to be continued]