Jerome Gambit: Pawns Take Their Place

In fast time controls the focus can be on pieces - their development, the tactics that they are involved in.

Only when things become quiet do the pawns take their place on the stage.

However, in the following Jeorme Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game, the pawns lead the way to checkmate. 

xb8 - muriungik

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

The lichess.org computer gives this move as an "inaccuracy", seeing 6...Ke6 as "best".

Of the 4 top moves, Stockfish 15.1 (31 ply) rates 6...Ke6 as about 1/4 of a pawn better as 6...Kf8, which Stockfish sees as about 3/4 of a pawn better than 6...g6, which is seen as about a pawn better than 6...Ng6.

The move appears to be the "people's choice", however, according to The Database: 6...Ng6  is played 45% of the time; 6...Ke6 is played 24% of the time; 6...Kf8 is played 16% of the time; and 6...g6 is played 13% of the time.

7.Qd5+ Kf8 8.Qxc5+ N8e7 9.O-O b6 10.Qc3 Bb7 

Here we have a typical Jerome Gambit position. Black is ahead in development, but will need to use some of that time to safeguard his King. White's King is already castled. The placement of White's Queen may or may not be favorable.

11.d3 Kf7 

Intending to castle-by-hand.

12.f4 Rf8 13.f5 

The "Jerome pawn" races forward to complicate things.

The computer now suggests the consistent 13...Kg8 14.fxg6 Rxf1+ 15.Kxf1 Nxg6 when White would have a small material advantage (one pawn) but his King would be the one more at risk, and his development would still lag.

13...Nh4 

Black does not want to put his Knight away with 13...Nh8, but the text puts it at risk.

14.Qe1 

This move makes perfect sense: attack the hapless enemy Knight. Yet that could more efficiently be accomplished by 14.Bg5.

Remember: this is a bullet game, each player has only 60 seconds to complete play.

14...g5 

To protect the Knight. Again, the clock affects play.

An idea of how complicated this position has gotten is in Stockfish 15.1's suggestion: 14...Nexf5 15.g4 d5 16.Nc3 dxe4 17.dxe4 Re8 18.gxf5 Bxe4 19.Qg3 Bb7 20.Rf4 Qe7 21.Rxh4 Qc5+ 22.Kf1 Ba6+ 23.Kg2 Bb7+ 24.Kf1 equal.

15.Bxg5 Nxg2 16. Kxg2 Rg8 

Threats are a large part of moves in bullet games, but in this case White has answers.

17.Qh4 h6 18.Qh5+ Kf8 19.Qxh6+ Ke8 

20.h4 Nc6 21.Kh3 Rxg5

Unfortunately necessary.

22.Qxg5 Qxg5 23.hxg5 Kf7 

White's material advantage will tell as soon as it arrives on the battlefield. In the meantime, the "Jerome pawns" are active.

24.g6+ Kf6 25.Kg4 Ne5+ 26.Kf4 d6 27.Nd2 Rg8 28.Nf3 Nc6 29.Rf2 a5 30.Rh1 Nb4 31.Rh7 Bc6 32.Rf7 checkmate