Jerome Gambit: Solid Work

Not every Jerome Gambit features White blowing away his opponent. Sometimes the defense is solid, and the gambiteer has to use his advantages, little by little, to achieve the win.

The following game is a good example of solid work.

Wall, Bill - Benjamin

internet, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.O-O d6 

Solid play in the "modern" variation: with 5.O-O White asks What is your plan? and Black responds Nothing wild or risky. 

6.c3 Nf6 7. d4 exd4 8. cxd4 Bb6 

9.Nc3 Bg4 10.Qb3+ Kf8 

We have seen the kind of slip 10...Be6 11.Ng5+. 

11.d5 Na5 12.Qd1 Nh5 

Black's Knights seem restless. Their placement gives White an edge.

13.h3 Bxf3 14.Qxf3+ Nf6 15.Be3 Nc4 16.Bxb6 axb6 

Things are about equal, thanks to White's "Jerome pawns" which are about to become more mobile.

17.Qe2 Ne5 18.f4 Ng6 19.e5 Nd7 20.g4 Qh4 

Black is not ready to surrender.

21.Qe3 Ne7 22.Rf3 Nc5 23.Raf1 Ke8 24.exd6 cxd6 

Opening a line to the King.

25.b4 Nd7 26.g5 Kd8 27.Qe6 

27...g6 

Helping the defense would have been 27...Rf8. The text might have been aimed against a possible f4-f5, or as an outpost for a Knight, but the lost tempo fuels White's attack.

28.Ne4 

Stockfish 15 rates White's position as almost a Queen better.

28...Nf5 29.Nf6 Nxf6 30.Qxf6+ Ne7 31.Qxh8+ Black resigned