Jerome Gambit: Battle to the End

Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7) games can be a battle - in fact, that is why many players (including occasional masters and grandmasters when they are in a fun mood) - enjoy playing it.

The following game is a recent such battle. White does not have an easy win, he had to fight for it.

And he does.

Minecraftado - ORIONfull

10 5 blitz, lichess.org, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7

4...Kxf7 5.d4 

There are 2,734 games in The Database with this move. White scores 38%. (By comparison, with 5.Nxe5+ White scores 57%).

It is interesting to note that the average rating for White in those games is 80 points less than that of Black: he is spoiling for a fight.

5...Bb6 

Maybe Black was taken by surprise by 5.d4. Any of the three ways of capturing the d-pawn would be stronger.

...Bb6 is a relatively rare move, with only 22 games in The Database. White scores 45%. This is not a doom-and-gloom situation for the defender, yet, but it boosts White's practical chances.  

(For a short discussion of how the games in The Database are representative of club chess play in the wider world, see "Jerome Gambit: More Crunchy Numbers".)

6.dxe5 

This move wins a pawn and temporarily keeps an enemy piece off of f6, but White might have tried 6.d5 Nce7 (or 6...Nb8) followed by capturing the pawn a different way, with 7.Nxe5+.

6...d6 7.O-O Bg4 

8.e6+

Perhaps hoping for 8...Kxe6 9.Ng5+ Ke7 10.Qxg4, winning a piece, but 9...Qxg5! would have spoiled things. 

8...Kf8 

This is a blitz game, and Black takes his opponent at his word.

9.h3 Bh5 10.g4 Bg6 

11.Bg5 Nge7 12.Nc3 Qe8 13.Nd5 Nxd5 14.exd5 Ne5 

Black is better, with a piece for two pawns, and his two Bishops look scary.

However, White's "Jerome pawns" have some ideas of their own.

15.Nxe5 dxe5 16.d6

Open lines against the enemy King. 

16...Qxe6 

Possibly wary of 16...cxd6 17.Qxd6+, and hoping after the text for something like 17.dxc7 Bxc7.

17.d7 

White's passed pawn equalizes the game.

17...Kf7  

Black's King temporarily un-block's the Rook on h8. His response needed to be more local, 17...c6 18.d8=Q+ Bxd8 19.Bxd8 and things would still be in balance. 

18.Qf3+ Kg8 19.Qxb7 

Not afraid of the "gutter", because the Rook at a8 is unprotected.

19...Rf8 20.Qc8 

Readers know what White was thinking.

I know what White was thinking.

Black knows what White was thinking.

With a continued appreciation of the gorgeous diagonals that Black's two Bishops control, it is easy (tick, tick, tick) to overlook the runty diagonal that Black's Queen controls.

20...Kf7 

This will do, as would 20...Rxc8 21.dxc8/Q+ Qxc8.

21.Qb7 Qxd7 

Black: Deep sigh of relief.

Still, it is always a good idea to remember the words of baseball legend Yogi Berra, that  It ain't over 'til it's over.

White is not finished fighting.

22.Rad1 Qb5 23.a4 

An excellent try.

23...Qxa4

A fateful distraction.

24.Qd5+ Ke8 25.Qe6 checkmate

White battles to the end - and wins!