Jerome Gambit: Educational (Part 4)

 

As I have mentioned

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 another Jerome Gambit game that did not appear in the video. Again, it can be a challenge to defeat a strong opponent with a so-called "refuted" opening.

 

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

For the third time, the FIDE Master chooses Jerome's defense to the Jerome Gambit.

7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qg3 Nf6 9.d3 Kf7 10.Nc3 Rf8 11.Bd2 

Varying from putting the Bishop on e3, as in the two earlier games.

11...Kg8

Completing the castling-by-hand.

12.Na4

Another way to deal with that annoying Bishop on c5. This is risky, as the f2 square is vulnerable, as Black immediately shows.

12...Nh5 13.Qg5 Bxf2+ 14.Kd1 Qxg5 15.Bxg5 Bg4+ 16.Kd2 h6 17.Be3 

After all.

17...Bxe3+ 18.Kxe3 Nf4

White's active King and extra pawn do not balance Black's extra piece.

19.Rhg1 c5 20.Nc3 Rae8 21.Raf1 g5 22.Kd2 

22...Rd8 23.a4 a6 24.a5 Kg7 25.b3 d5 26.exd5 Nxd5 27.Ne4 Rc8 28.h3 Bh5 29.Rxf8 Kxf8 30.Rf1+ Ke7 31.Re1 Kf8 32.Rf1+ Kg7

The grandmaster works to extract what he can from his position. 

 33.Nd6 Rc7 34.g4 Bg6 35.Re1 Rd7 36.Nc4 Nf4 37.Re5 Nxh3 38.Rxc5 Nf2 39.Ne5 

Attacking the enemy Rook, protecting the g-pawn - but missing something.

39...Ne4+ 40.Ke3 Nxc5 41.Nxd7 Nxd7 42.c4 h5 43.d4 h4 White resigned

As we have seen in an earlier game, White's pawns will be stopped, but Black's h-pawn will not.