Jerome Gambit: I Needed A Different Plan

In the following game Black introduces a new defensive scheme against the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+).

My game, in response, feels a bit like water running down the drain.

As T.S. Elliot wrote in his poem, "The Hollow Men" 

This is the way the world ends This is the way the world ends This is the way the world ends Not with a bang but a whimper.

 

perrypawnpusher - GuestGCSC

5 5 blitz, FICS, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 

7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qg3 Be6 9.d3 Ke8 

This is a clever - and new - idea.

10.Qxg7 Qf6 11.Qxf6 Nxf6 

Black has given up a pawn to exchange Queens. Stockfish 15 still rates Black about a pawn and a half better, and in light of his lead in development the computer suggests White play the solid and unexciting 12.f3.

12.O-O h6 13.Nc3 a6 

Black is in no hurry.

14.Be3 Bxe3 15.fxe3 Ke7 16.Rf2 Ng4 17.Rf3 Ne5 18.Rf4 c6 19.Raf1 Rhf8 

White has 3 pawns for Black's Bishop. Is it enough?

There is nothing in my play the rest of the game that suggests that it is.

I needed a different plan.

20.b3 Ng6 21.Rxf8 Rxf8 22.h3 Rxf1+ 23.Kxf1 b5 24.d4 Bf7 

White's pawn structure is probably okay if it stays where it is and gets defended.

25.Kf2 Nf8 26.Ne2 Nh7 27.c3 

After the game Stockfish 15.1 chuckled and now evaluated Black a more than a piece better.

27...Ng5 28.Ng3 Bg6 29.c4 Nxe4+ 30. Nxe4 Bxe4 31.cxb5 cxb5 

32.a3 h5 33.b4 Ke6 34.g4 h4 

Black dominates. His King can invade the Queenside while his Bishop controls White's pawns. The rest of the moves in the game were unnecessary.

35.Ke2 Kd5 36.g5 Kc4 37.g6 Bxg6 38.Kf3 Kb3 39.Kg4 Kxa3 40.Kxh4 Kxb4 41.Kg5 Bc2 42.h4 Kc4 43.h5 Kd3 44.h6 Kxe3 45.d5 Kd4 46.Kf6 Kxd5 47.Kg7 b4 48.h7 Bxh7 49.Kxh7 b3 

White resigned