Jerome Gambit: Pins Galore

Recently, I ran across a short, entertaining, YouTube video, highlighting a Jerome Gambit game, Jerome Pioneer vs Angered Toddler.

SkillerEP - Estergidio

Chess.com iPhone, 2024

SkillerEP has 366 games in The Database.

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

From the video:

The Jerome Gambit gets sheer decimation power because who's studying two pieces getting sacked in the opening? No, its more like "I'll handle that when it happens." The problem is they handle it like a toddler, like you're clearly winning because you just played a bad opening and they just didn't know how to face it and they just anger themselves by playing on, right?

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf8 

The best defensive choice, according to The Database. In 3,128 games, Black scores 52%.

Less successful for Black are 6...Ng6 (9,137 games, scoring 44%); 6...Ke6 (4,357 games, scoring 37%); and 6...g6 (2,768 games, scoring 29%).

By comparison, Stockfish 15.1, at 40 ply, sees 6...Ke6 as best for Black (a bit more than 3 pawns advantage), followed by 6...Kf8 (about 2 3/4 pawns advantage), 6...g6 (about 2 1/4 pawns advantage) and 6...Ng6 (a bit more than 1 3/4 pawns advantage).

7.Qxe5 Qe7 8.Qf5+ 

If White is not going to exchange Queens, does it matter which square he checks on? If so, why?

Stockfish 15.1, at 37 ply, sees 8.Qf4+ as about 1 1/2 pawns better than the text - likely because of the possible impact of ...d5 by Black, uncovering an attack on the White Queen.

The Database concurs: in 498 games, White scored 51% with 8.Qf4+; while in 121 games, White scored 35% with 8.Qf5+.

Does that mean that White, who played 8.Qf5+ in this game, is going to lose? No, of course not, but it could mean that the next time White reaches this position he might choose 8.Qf4+.

8...Ke8 9.O-O Nf6 

10.e5 

Black used his 8th move to prevent this pawn advance from happening while his Knight was pinned to his King.

That tempo, however, allowed White to castle, freeing his pawn from its pin to its King.

10...Nd5 

Safer might have been 10...Ng8, but retreating did not feel right. 

11.c4 

Kicking the Knight. 

At first glance, it did not appear that 11.d4 was playable, but after 11...Bxd4 White has the move 12.Qe4, attacking both enemy pieces. After 12...Qxe5 13.Qxe5+ Bxe5 White wins his piece back with 14.Re1 and, if necessary, 15.f4. 

11...Rf8 12.Qxh7 Nf4 13.d4 

Offering the d-pawn.

13...Bxd4 14.Bxf4 Rxf4 15.Nc3 c6 

16.Rad1 Bxe5 17.Rfe1 d6 

The danger to Black along the e-file could now be shown by 18.c5!?

18.g3 Rf8 19.f4 Bf5 20.Qh5+ g6 21.Qf3 

White's pressure along the e-file, with Black's Queen and King on it, keeps the position balanced - but I suspect that most club players would prefer White here.

21...Qh7 

Getting out of one pin (on the Queen), but leaving another (on the Bishop). White's pressure brings results.

The better 21...Be6 could again be met by 22.c5!? keeping the balance.

22.fxe5 dxe5 23.Rxe5+ Kf7 24.Rd7+ Kg8 25.Rxh7 Kxh7 26.Re7+ Kg8 

With a Queen and a pawn for a Rook, White has the game under control.

27.Qe3 Rad8 28.Qh6 Rf7 29.Rxf7 Kxf7 30.Qc1 

Safety first.

30...Bg4 31.Kf2 Rd3 32.Qf4+ Bf5 33.g4 Black resigned