Jerome Gambit: The f-File Again

When White castles Kingside in the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), he creates the possibility that his Rook will join in the attack on the enemy King.

The following is a fast example.

 

angelcamina - tummybos

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 Qe7

I was surprised to see that Stockfish 15.1, at 35 ply, slightly preferred the alternative, 8...b6.

The earliest example of 8...b6 in The Database was Charlick - Cooke, Adelaide Chess Club, Australia, 1884 (1-0, 25).

angelcamina has faced 8...b6 4 times, winning 3 times.

9.Qc4 d6 10.O-O Be6 

11.Qb5+ 

angelcamina has tried other moves, as well:

11.Qb4 b6 (11...Nf4 12.d4 Qg5 13.Bxf4 Qxf4 14.Qxb7 Rc8 15.Nc3 Bf5 16.exf5 Black resigned, angelcamina - jpvalley, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2023; 11...Rb8 12.f4 d5 13.f5 Qxb4 White resigned, angelcamina - suertes, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2023) 12.f4 Bd7 13.Nc3 Nf6 14.d3 a5 15.Qb3 Bc6 16.Bd2 Kd7 17.Rae1 Rhe8 18.e5 dxe5 19.fxe5 Nxe5 20.d4 Qb4 21.dxe5 Qxb3 22.axb3 Nd5 23.Nxd5 Bxd5 24.c4 Be6 25.Bg5 h6 26.Bh4 g5 27.Bg3 Rad8 28.Rd1+ Kc6 29.Kf2 Rxd1 30.Rxd1 Re7 31.Ke2 Rd7 32.Rxd7 Kxd7 33.Ke3 c5 34.Kd3 Kc6 35.Ke3 Bf5 36.Bf2 Kd7 37.Kd2 Ke6 38.Kc3 Kxe5 39.h3 Be4 40.g4 Bg2 41.h4 gxh4 White resigned, angelcamina - Hamiltonkingone, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2023; and

11.Qa4+ Bd7 12.Qb3 Be6 13.Qxb7 Rc8 14.Qxa7 Nf6 15.Nc3 Kf7 16.f4 Ra8 17.Qe3 Bc4 18.d3 Bb5 19.Nxb5 Black resigned, angelcamina - FPK-ural, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2022.

11...Kf7 

It is not immediately obvious - in a bullet game - that this is a dangerous response. Instead, the block 11...c6 was called for.

12.f4 

This moves comes with the threat of a pawn fork.

Also played: 12.Qxb7 Nf6 13.Nc3 Rhb8 14.Qc6 Qd7 15.Qa6 Rb6 16.Qe2 Bg4 17.f3 Be6 18.d4 Kg8 19.f4 Bg4 20.Qf2 Be6 21.f5 Bc4 22.fxg6 Bxf1 23.gxh7+ Nxh7 24.Qxf1 Rf8 25.Qe2 Qf7 26.Be3 Rxb2 27.Nd5 Ng5 28.Bxg5 Rxa2 29.Rxa2 Qf1+ 30.Qxf1 Rxf1+ 31.Kxf1 Black resigned, angelcamina - keijozz, 1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2023.

12...Nf6 13.f5 

13...Nxe4 

The cold-blooded 13...Rhf8 14.fxe6+ Kg8, castling-by-hand, was probably best.

14.fxe6+ Kxe6 15.Qf5 checkmate

Very nice.