Jerome Gambit: Educational (Part 3)

As I mentioned last post ("Jerome Gambit: Educational (Part 2)")

In a couple of previous posts ("Jerome Gambit: Unbeatable Gambit!?" and "Jerome Gambit: Educational (Part 1)") I mentioned a YouTube video (again, thanks for the information, Mikka Eckkinen) featuring Canadian Grandmaster Aman Hambleton playing a couple of Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) games.

It turns out that the grandmaster played three Jeromes against his opponent, a FIDE master (although very close in Chess.com rating).

Here is a game that did not appear in the video. It is a 3-minute blitz game, and the time control alters plans a bit.

I mean no disrespect to the grandmaster by showing a loss with the Jerome Gambit - it can happen when you play a "disreputable" opening at high speed; and the game is still educational, especially the endgame.

 

KNVB - TampaChess

3 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2022

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 

The Jerome Defense to the Jerome Gambit, introduced by Alonzo Wheeler Jerome in 1874, which TampaChess played in the previous game as well. 

7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qg3 Nf6 9.Nc3 Kf7 10.d3 Rf8 11.Be3 Bxe3 12.Qxe3 Kg8 13.0-0 d5

Except for a few changes in move order, this game follows the path of the previous one, up to this point. It looks like TampaChess has reflected upon his previous 13...a6 (by transposition) and decided more actively to strike at White's pawn center.

White is not interested now in 14.exd5, but the threat to fork two pieces means he has to move one of them - giving Black the opportunity to exchange.

14.Qg3 dxe4 15.dxe4 Qe7 16.Rfe1 c6 17.a3 Be6 18.Rad1 Rad8 19.f3 

White relents and protects the e-pawn with the f-pawn.

19...Rxd1 20.Rxd1 Rd8 21.Rxd8+ Qxd8 22.Qe5 

White is counting on his Queen's activity to help even things despite the material imbalance (two pawns vs a Bishop).

Black would like an active Queen - to pursue checkmate.

22...Bc4 23.b3 Qb6+ 24.Kh1 Qf2 25.h3 Bf1 26.Qh2 Qxc2 27.Na4 b6 28.Qb8+ Kf7 29.Qc7+ Ke8 30.Qc8+ Ke7 31.Qc7+ Nd7 32.Qg3

Defending and attacking.

 

32...Qxg2+ 

Instead, 32...Qxb3 looked safe enough, despite 33.Qxg7+, but I am not the one facing a grandmaster with my clock ticking down.

33.Qxg2 Bxg2+ 34.Kxg2 Ne5

The idea: the better placed Knight, a more centralized King, the Queenside pawn majority. It may not be enough to win, but it should not lose.

35.b4

Against 35...c5. Repositioning the Knight (to b2, to keep the enemy Knight off of c4) might have been better.

35...Nc4 36.Nc3 Nxa3 37.Kf2 Nc2 38.b5 Nd4 39.bxc6 Nxc6 

Things look difficult here for White, but there is a reason that Grandmaster Hambleton plays 3-minute blitz (besides the fun and excitement) - he is very good at it.

40.Ke3 Ne5 41.Nd5+ Kd6 42.f4 Nf7 43.Kd4 Nd8 44.e5+ Kc6 

Should the Black King protect his pawns and help them to advance, or stay in front of White's pawns and hinder them?

Stockfish 15.1 suggests 44...Ke6, instead, looking at 45.Nc7+ Kd7 46.Nb5 Ne6+ 47.Ke4 a6 48.Nd6 g6 49.f5 gxf5+ 50.Kxf5 Ng7+ 51.Kf4 Kc6 52.Ke4 b5 53.h4 Ne6 54.Kf5 Nc7 55.Ke4 a5 56.Kd4 Ne6+ 57.Kc3 Nf4 58.Ne4 a4 59.Ng5 Nd5+ 60.Kb2 when Black would be winning.

45.Ke4

The split-second decisions can cut against you. The computer likes 45.f5 a5 46.e6 Kd6 47.Nxb6 Nxe6+ and the game will be strangely even and likely drawn, i.e. 48.Ke3 Ke7 49.fxe6 g5 50.Ke4 Kxe6 51.Na4 Kf6 52.Nb6 Kg6 53.Kf3 Kf5 54.Kg3 h5 55.Kf3 Kf6 56.Kg3 Kf7 57.Na4 Ke6 58.Nb6 Kf6 59.Kf2 g4 60.hxg4 hxg4. Wow.

45...g6 

Arrrggghhh.

46.f5 gxf5+ 47.Kd4 Ne6+ 48.Kc4 b5+ White resigned

White's pawns are not going anywhere; Black's are.