Jerome Gambit: Hot Mess

The Jerome Gambit is a strange opening.

Sometimes the lines assessed as "better" do not do as well as those assessed as "worse". 

It is not familar ground for many defenders, and that can lead to errors. Threats arise and complications abound. The mistakes are all there, ready to be made.

Play the Jerome Gambit at bullet speed, and it all adds up to a hot mess.

The following game illustrates.

SastoJugad - Bhulakand

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2023

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf6 

This is a naive attempt to hold onto the Knight at e5. Black is probably not familiar with the Jerome Gambit, and in a 1-minute game he does not have time to analyze deeply.

The Database has 345 games with this position, with White scoring 77%. 

7.d4

This move is good - it has two threats, one direct and one promised - but there is something better.

7.Qf5+ Ke7 8.Qxe5+ Kf8 9.Qxc5+ scoops up a couple of pieces and leaves White a couple of pawns ahead. Stockfish 15.1 sees White as the equivalent of 3 1/2 pawns ahead.

The Database has 137 games with the 7.Qf5+ line, with White scoring 77%.

The text move appears 23 times in The Database, with White scoring 87%, even though Stockfish 15.1 assesses Black to be 1 1/2 pawns better. 

Yes, White scores better with the weaker move. Probably because of the game continuation.

7...Bxd4 

Black sees the direct threat: What to do, what to do, what to do with the Bishop?

Not this.

The defender had 7...Bb4+ 8.Nc3 Bxc3+ 9.bxc3 Nf7, keeping his advantage. 

Now the game is won for White.

8.Bg5+ 

Ah, yes, the other threat.

8...Ke6 9.Bxd8 Black resigned