Nobody expects the Jerome Gambit! (Part 4)

[This is the continuation of an article from the "Unorthodox Openings Newsletter" (UON-21, May - August 2008), mentioned in an earlier blog post.]

    7.Qxc5 

A bit more accurate might be 7.Qd5+ followed by 8.Qxc5, first forcing Black's King back and delaying the emergence of his King's Rook. This is a nuance, and nuances are hard to find in a Jerome Gambit Tournament!

By the way, with the text move White scored 6 wins and suffered 13 losses. 

    7…d6 

This was the most popular response, although one game saw 7…Ng8e7 and another 7…Qe7. In either case (Black won both games), White's plan should be to develop and get his pawns moving against Black's King.

Bullit52 - savage13

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qxc5 N8e7 8.0–0 Rf8 9.d3 Kg8 10.Bg5 d6 11.Qc4+ Kh8 12.Nc3 c6 13.Ne2 b5 14.Qc3 Be6 15.Nf4 Bg8 16.Nxg6+ hxg6 0–1 

    8.Qe3 

Queen checks from d5 (two wins for Black) or c4 (one win for White) were also played as was a retreat to c3 (two wins for Black and one win for White). In each case, the goal is the same: to make something out of White's 2 pawns vs Black's piece – before the Black King gets to safety.

Nestor250168 - NMTIGER

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qxc5 d6 8.Qc3 Nf6 9.d3 Re8 10.0–0 b6 11.Bg5 Ne5 12.f4 Neg4 13.h3 Ne3 14.Rf3 Nd1 15.Qb3+ Be6 16.c4 Nxb2 17.Qxb2 h6 18.Bxf6 Qxf6 19.e5 Qh4 20.Nd2 a5 21.f5 Bd7 22.e6+ Bxe6 23.fxe6+ Kxe6 24.Qxg7 Rg8 25.Qf7+ Ke5 26.Qd5# 

    8…Nf6 9.0-0 

Black's move is the most consistent – to focus an attack on the pawn at e4. White does best to move his King out of the line of fire. 

Bullit52 - SIRMO

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qxc5 d6 8.Qe3 Nf6 9.Nc3 Re8 10.0–0 d5 11.Nxd5 Nxd5 12.Qb3 Rxe4 0–1 

blackburne - savage13

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qxc5 d6 8.Qe3 Nf6 9.Nc3 Re8 10.d3 Kg8 11.0–0 Bd7 12.Qg3 a6 13.Bg5 Qc8 14.Bxf6 gxf6 15.Nd5 Kf7 16.f4 Bc6 17.Ne3 Rg8 18.f5 Ne5 19.Qh4 Rg7 20.Qh5+ Kg8 21.Rf4 Qd7 22.Rh4 Rg5 23.Qh6 Nf3+ 24.Kf2 Nxh4 25.Qxh4 d5 26.Ng4 Rg7?? 27.Nxf6+ Kh8 28.Nxd7 Bxd7 29.Qf6 dxe4 30.dxe4 Bc6 31.Kf3 Re8 32.Re1 Kg8 33.Qd4 Rf7 34.Kf4 h5 35.Re3 h4 36.g3 Rfe7 37.e5 h3 38.g4 Bg2 39.g5 1–0 

    9…Re8 10.f3 [Or 10.d3, with the same idea.] 10…d5 11.d3 

Black has defended well, and now White will need a little help from his friend to succeed – which in this case, he does. 

Nestor250168 - plummy

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qxc5 d6 8.Qe3 Nf6 9.0–0 Re8 10.f3 d5 11.d3 dxe4 12.dxe4 Bd7 13.Qb3+ Be6 14.Qxb7 Re7 15.Be3 h5 16.Nc3 a5 17.Bc5 Rb8 18.Bxe7 Nxe7 19.Qa6 Qd2 20.Rf2 Qe3 21.Qxa5 Rxb2 22.Nd1 Qd4 23.Nxb2 Qxb2 24.Rd1 Qxc2 25.Rxc2 1–0

There you have it: a modern look (and 156 games is a pretty big look [a game database was attached to the UON issue]) at an ancient gambit. I hope it brings you a few chuckles, either at or with the Jerome.

Rest assured, the editors at Gambit or Everyman Chess or Batsford will not come calling looking for a book from me on the Jerome Gambit. (However, some time this year – I still have hope – the German chess magazine Kaissiber may run a historical article based on my research. [This article never came to pass.])

[to be continued]