Jerome Gambit: I Tried

The following game features a move in the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) - a passive sacrifice of a Knight - that I have been railing against on this blog for over a dozen years.

"Death of a Variation" was not the first time, but it was a not-so-subtle hint. That was followed by "Public Service Announcement" and "A Mention is Not an Endorsement". You might think that "Re-Inventing the Flat Tire" might do it. 

Even coming up with a specific name for the variation - "Jerome Gambit: The Face Palm Variation" didn't stamp it out.

I even had to take on something similar in "The Jaw Drop Variation".

Jerome Gambit players go their own way...

And, despite my fussing, White won the game!

username12374 - vesela_flamburari

3 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Bc5 3.Bc4 Nc6 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Ng5+ 

People get excited. I know. Let's get on with the attack!

People get creative. For sure. Watch me get my piece back!

According to The Database, this move has been played 711 times, with White scoring a meager 26%. (Versus 57% for 5.Nxe5+)

5...Kg6 

vesela_flamburari is not taken in by the offer of a piece.

In the games of The Database, 70% of the time Black played 5...Qxg5 (498 games, White scores 19%) but in only 244 games did White then reply 6.d4, with the thematic attack on both the Queen and the Bishop yielding him 24%. (Alas, 6...Qxg2 is a very strong response: in 186 games White scored only 14%.)

The numbers appear a bit murky, but the conclusion is pretty clear for White: don't offer the Knight with 5.Ng5, choose 5.Nxd5+.

6.d4 Bxd4 7.h4 

Black's King might feel nervous, but his forces are still better.

7...Qf6

How unfortunate! In so many variations in the defense against the Jerome Gambit, Black's Queen does good work at f6.

Not in this one. The game flips.

8.h5+ Kh6 9.Nf7 checkmate

Double (and discovered) check wins the day!