Jerome Gambit: Hunker Down

 

The following Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game has an interesting theme: After the initial sacrifices, White regains material - and then hunkers down as Black counter-attacks.

The extra pawns (and, in the end, exchange) provide sufficient protection for White.

chessriddler - TiaanSprinkaan1

3 2 blitz, lichess.org, 2023

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke7 

This unusual line shows up 26 times in The Database, and has occasionally been mentioned on this blog.

As I noted in the game ZahariSokolov - mmamaju

standard, FICS, 2015 (0-1, 44) - See"Jerome Gambit: Chaos Rules")

Here we have the "Jerome Gambit, Paulsen Variation", otherwise known as "An Odd Line in an Odd Line". It is more of a psychological ploy than a solid defense...

It is a rare line... but it is worth knowing the best response, if only, like in the current game, you want to finish quickly.

6.Qh5 Nf6 

The best response, 6...Bxf2+, given in "An Odd Line in an Odd Line", has yet to be played

It is rare that counter-sacrificing the Bishop at f2 is a good move for the second player (see "Jerome Gambit Strikes in Denmark!"), but here it was his best choice: 6...Bxf2+ 7.Kxf2 Qf8+ 8.Nf3 Nf6 with advantage to White, according to Rybka.

7.Nxc6+ 

Yury V. Bukayev smartly notes

Probably, chessriddler has seen 7.Qf7+ Kd6 8.Nc4# in time, but he has solved to continue the fight intentionally for unknown reason.

7...bxc6 8.Qxc5+ Ke8 

White is better. It is time to consolidate.

9.O-O Qe7 10.Qe3 Rb8 11.Nc3 Rf8 

Black's efforts make the game interesting, but White has sufficient resources to deal with them.

12.b3 Ba6 13.Re1 Ng4 14.Qg3 Qf7 15.f3 Nh6 16.d3 Qf6 17.Bb2

17...Qg6 18.Qxg6+ hxg6 19.Ne2 Rb5 

A slip.

20.Bxg7 Black resigned