The Jerome Gambit: Jerome Gambit: The Unsafe Enemy King

The unsafe enemy King is the theme of many Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) games.

It is true that in the following game there is a short interlude where White's Queen gathers in some pawns, but in the end there is checkmate.

Q.E.D.

Wall, Bill - Zulfikar

internet, 2023

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

4...Kxf7 5.h3

Bill has enough faith in his own ability (and the Jerome Gambit?) that he can experiment.

The Database has 7 games with this move (White scores 6 - 1), 4 of them by Bill.

The whole situation is a bit puzzling. White has started a sacrificial attack - one that Stockfish (the skeptic) sees as turning the advantage over to the defender. Still, the attacker, knowing that his opponents often take the opportunity to find a second-, third- or fourth-best move, gives them a chance.

5...h6

A defensive move (protecting the g5 square) that is not necessary; continued development would be the right idea.

Bill has also seen:

5...Nf6 6.Nc3 Rf8 7.Qe2 d6 8.Qc4+ Be6 9.Ng5+ Kg8 10.Nxe6 Bxf2+ 11.Kxf2 Nd5+ 12.Nxf8 Qxf8+ 13.Kg1 Black resigned, Wall,B - Stick,K, Chess.com 2010;

5...Bxf2+ 6.Kxf2 Nf6 7.Nc3 d6 8.d3 h6 9.Rf1 g5 10.Kg1 Rf8 11.h4 g4 12.Bxh6 Rh8 13.Bg5 gxf3 14.Qxf3 Bg4 15.Qxg4 Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest468009, PlayChess.com 2018; and

5...d6 6.O-O Nd4 7.d3 Nf6 8.Ng5+ Ke8 9.c3 Ne6 10.Nf3 h6 11.d4 exd4 12.cxd4 Bb6 13.Nc3 Ng5 14.Nxg5 hxg5 15.Bxg5 Bxh3 16.gxh3 Rxh3 17.Nd5 c6 18.Bxf6 gxf6 19.Qg4 Qd7 20.Qg8 checkmate, Wall,B - Guest604541, PlayChess.com 2018.

6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 Qh4

The two players contested a Jerome Gambit a couple of years ago, without moving their h-pawns: Wall, Bill - Zulfikar, internet, 2021: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bxd4 7.Qxd4 d6 8.O-O Be6 9.f4 Nc6 10.Qd3 Na5 11.Nd2 c6 12.b4 Qb6+ 13.Kh1 Qxb4 14.Ba3 Qa4 15.f5 Bc4 16.Qxd6 Nf6 17.Nxc4 Nxc4 18.Qe6 checkmate.

8.O-O Bxd4

As in the earlier game. Stronger was 8...Qxe4.

9.Qxd4 d6

White has a pawn for a piece. He needs to stir things up.

10.f4 Nc6 11.Qc4+ Be6 12.Qb5 Nge7 13.f5

13...Bd7 14.Qb3+ Ke8 15.Nc3 Nd4

This is an invitation to White's Queen to go pawn-hunting. White's King is safe enough (and Black's pieces far enough away, except for the Queen) that he can afford to do so.

16.Qxb7 Bc6 17.Qxc7 Rc8 18.Qxa7 Nxc2 19.Rb1 Nb4

Here we have a typical Jerome Gambit position: Black has an extra piece and he is better developed, but his unsafe King oveturns all of this, and his opponent is better.

20.Be3 Nc2 21.Bf2 Qg5 22.Rbc1 Nb4 23.Qd4 Na6 24.Qxd6 Rd8