Jerome Gambit: Appearances Can Be Deceiving

The following game requires some attention to accurately assess the positions that arise. That is easy for us to do, as readers, but a bit more difficult for the players who were moving at a very rapid rate.

angelcamina - BubbleBabble

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 

7.Qd5+ Kf8 8.Qxc5+ d6 9.Qc4 Qf6 

Did Black overlook the loss of the c-pawn, or was he gambitting it? In bullet chess, sometimes it can be hard to tell.

Angelcamina's response shows his assessment.

10.O-O 

Seriously. With 60 seconds thinking time for the game, why even wander into 10.Qxc7 Nh4 11.Rg1 etc.

10...Be6 11.Qxc7  

But now the pawn is worth it? Well, White's King is protected, and Black's d-pawn is not.

By the way, a couple of years ago angelcamina declined the gift: 11.Qb4 b6 12.Nc3 N8e7 13.f4 Kf7 14.f5 Ke8 15.fxe6 Qxe6 16.d3 Ne5 17.Qb5+ c6 18.Qa6 Nc8 19.Qb7 Nd7 20.Qxa8 Ke7 21.Qxc6 a5 White now has a forced checkmate 22.Nd5+ Ke8 23.Nc7+ Ke7 24.Nxe6 Kxe6 25.Qd5+ Ke7 26.Bg5+ Nf6 27.e5 dxe5 28.Qxe5+ Kf7 29.Bxf6 Kg6 30.Bxg7 Re8 31.Qf6+ Kh5 32.Rf5+ White won on time, angelcamina - hosein_1374, lichess.org, 2021.

11...Rc8 12.Qxd6+ N8e7 

An interesting position. 

White has 4 pawns for his sacrificed piece.

Black is far ahead in development, but except for his Rook his pieces don't seem to be attacking anything.

White now buys himself a little trouble by neglecting his c-pawn.

13.f4 

After the game he probably figured 13.Nc3 was better. Or - maybe that he took a risk and it paid off.

13...Rc6 14.Qa3 Bc4 

Instead, 14...Rxc2 led to an equal position.

15.d3 Kf7 16.e5 Qh4 17.dxc4 Nf5 

Again, Black looks like he is doing okay, despite his pawn shortage. Stockfish 15, however, assesses him as being down about a Rook and a piece.

18.Qxa7 Rhc8 19.Qxb7+ R8c7 20.Qb3 Rxc4 21.Nd2 Ne3 

Finally, the White Queen gets some help.

22.Nxc4 Nxf1 23.Nd6+ Ke7 24.Qf7+ Kd8 25.Qe8 checkmate