The Jerome Gambit: Jerome Gambit Odds Again

Friday, December 8, 2023

Jerome Gambit Odds Again

Grandmaster Aman Hambleton is familiar with the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+). He has played it at least a couple dozen times under his handle KNVB.

He has also played it several times, with a blitz time control of 3 1, in online Titled Tuesday events at Chess.com. See "Jerome Gambit: Titled Tuesday".

Here is another.

At +250 rating points (Chess.com rating), you might suspect that the Grandmaster was giving "Jerome Gambit odds" to his opponent, but can you really do that to someone who is rated 2445 and expect to win?

Hambleton, Aman - Jiang, Andrew

3 1 blitz Titled Tuesday,Chess.com, 2023

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6

I don't know how familiar Andrew Jiang is with the Jerome Gambit (he does not appear in The Database) but this move is practical: there is no need to explore what might happen after 6...Ke6, and 6...Kf8 might block a Rook that would eventually want to come to the center. So, 6...Ng6 it is.

7.Qd5+

Grandmaster Hambleton is familiar with the "nudge", sending the enemy King to the back rank after all.

7...Kf8

I suppose that 7...Ke8 could be a tiny bit better, as the capture of the Bishop would not come with check, so Black could find another move to play. If he were later to play ...d5, he would have saved a tempo.

8.Qxc5+ d6 9.Qe3 Nf6 10.Nc3 Kf7

Persistent.

11.d3 Re8 12.O-O d5 13.Qg3 Be6

This move does not appear in The Database, and White quickly shows why.

It is quite possible that Black, with an extra piece and better development, simply felt he had sailed through the rough waters of the turbulent opening, and was now ready to develop regularly. Quite possible in a 3-minute game.

14.f4 dxe4 15.f5 Bxf5 16.Rxf5 exd3

Black has returned some of the sacrificed material and is probably equal now after White finds the thoughtful 17.Qf2.

17.cxd3

White may have missed Black's next move, or he may simply have seen it and assessed the resulting position as playable. With an even game, he can grind his opponent in search of the full point.

17...Qd4+ 18.Kh1

Possible was 18.Kf1, but White plans to put his Queen's Rook on that square.

18...h6

Preventing the thematic 19.Bg5. He could probably pressurize his opponent, himself, after 18...Qg4 19.Rf1 Qxg3 20.hxg3 Rad8.

Now Grandmaster Hambleton finds a nice shot.

19.Bxh6 gxh6

Natural. Stockfish 15.1, however, suggests Black had better chances than with the text, with 19...Re5 20.Rf3 Qh4 21.Bf4 Qxg3 22.Bxg3 Rc5, although the Rook would be awkwardly placed and he would be down a pawn.

20.Raf1

Putting pressure on the Knight, the immediate byproduct of the piece sacrifice.

20...Re6 21.Ne4 Rae8 22.Nxf6 R8e7