Another Jerome Gambit Practice Tournament (Part 8)

The following game contains a well-told tale. The Jerome Gambit starts with a lot of bluster, often with the game ending quickly. If the defender defends well, then White must yield ground begrudgingly in worse positions, constantly looking for a tactical shot to even things - or bring home the full point.

 

Duckfest - KevinOSh

Jerome Gambit Practice Tournament, Chess.com, 2023

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 

7.Qxe5 d6 8.Qg3 Qf6 9.Nc3

With Black's Queen on f6, it is logical to develop the Knight and threaten Nd5.

9...Ne7 10.O-O h5 

Interestingly, this is Stockfish 15.1's suggestion, as is White's response.

11.h4 Bg4 12.d3 c6 

Black hopes to keep the White Knight out of d5 for good, but he could also have moved his King off the a3-f8 diagonal with 12...Kg8. 

13.Be3

There was also the chance to gain the "minor exchange" with 13.Na4 followed by exchanging. This would give White a slight edge.

13...Bd4 14.Bf4 

Targeting the weakened d6 pawn. Now, either 14...Be5 followed by exchanges, or 14...Ng6 15.Bxe6+ Kg8 16.Kh1 Rd8 (Stockfish's line) would be good for Black.

14...Rd8 

Good as well: Black shores up his pawn.

15.Nd1 

Hoping for enough time to play c2-c3 and blunt Black's battery of Bishop and Queen.

Black should now ignore the White b-pawn (which he does) and play 15...Be2 or 15...Bxd1 or even 15...Bc8; or anticipate things and move the other Bishop to e5.

Instead, unfortunately for him, he swats at White's Bishop with his own exchange-Knight-for-Bishop idea.

15...Ng6 16.Bg5 Black resigned

This skewer will cost Black his Rook.

The try 16...Nf4, hoping to answer 17.Bxf6 with the Knight escapade 17...Nxe2+ 18.Kh2 Nxg3 19.Bxd4 Nxf1+ 20.Kg1 Nd2 21.Be3 Nxe4 22.dxe4 Bxd1 23.Rxd1 b6, going up the exchange for a pawn, falls at the start to 17.Bxf4, losing a piece.