Jerome Gambit: Hyperactive Knight

 

In the following game I pressed an attack against my opponent, only to constantly face defensive actions by his Knight. 

Alas, for his sake, despite the heroics, I was able to prevail.

 

perrypawnpusher - 123456789qeeed

Jerome Gambit Classic #1, Chess.com, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5. Nxe5+ Nxe5 6. Qh5+ Kf8 

7.Qxe5 Be7 8.d4 

Other, related games

perrypawnpusher - Cibola, blitz, FICS, 2010 (0-1, 27);

chessmusings - Dumble Door, Internet, 2016 (1-0, 17); and

joca552000 - Mabbpah, 8 0 blitz, lichess.org, 2023 (1/2-1/2, 15).

8...d6 

Or 8...Bf6 as in perrypawnpusher - Cibola, blitz, FICS, 2010 (0-1, 27) 

9.Qg3 Nf6 10.Nc3 h6 

Sometimes the move of the h-pawn helps in defense, including finding a place for the King at h7; sometimes it weakens the e8-h5 diagonal.

11.O-O Nh5 

This move has a tactical refutation which both of us overlooked.

12.Qd3 

It should have been easy to see 12.Qf3+ Nf6 13.e5 winning the Knight.

12...Nf6 

The loss of two tempos by the Knight gave me time to improve my position. 

13.f4 Nh7 14.Bd2 c6 15.Rae1

The position is close to even, thanks to the formidible "Jerome pawns".

15...Bh4 16. g3 Be7 17.f5 

17...Bg5 18.Ne2 Nf6 

That Knight! 

19.Nf4 Kf7 

Instead, after the game Stockfish 16.1 recommended safeguarding the King a different way: 19...Bxf4 20.Bxf4 Kg8 21.Qf3 Kh7.

20.h4 Bxf4 21. Rxf4 Nh5 

Obviously, the Knight takes the defense of it's King seriously.

22.Rff1 Rf8 23.Qf3 Nf6 24.e5 dxe5 25.dxe5 Qxd2 26.exf6 gxf6 

The exchange of White's passive Bishop for Black's hyperactive Knight is not an even trade. Black's King is now unsafe and at risk for checkmate.

27.Qh5+ Kg7 28.Re7+ Kh8 29.Qg6 Rg8 30.Rh7 checkmate