Jerome Gambit: Success Is Not Around the Corner in A Circular Room (part 1)

My first loss in the Jerome Gambit Classic #1 tournament at Chess.com com had a straight-forward explanation: I got out-played by my opponent.

Still, the game has its interesting moments. Take a look.

perrypawnpusher - mconto

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+ Ng6 

7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 

A standard Jerome Gambit position. Black has an extra piece, White has two extra pawns.

9...N8e7 

The Knight more frequently goes to f6.

10.O-O Rf8 11.f4 Kf7 

Stockfish 16 frowns upon this move, because it leads to an even game. 

Black is castling-by-hand, which seems fine to me.

The computer recommends, instead, 11...d5. I can understand why a human might want to safeguard his King before opening the center.

Slower were 11...Bd7 as in perrypawnpusher - louarn, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 44) and 11...Nc6 as in perrypawnpusher - taman, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 35). In each case I was able to respond with 12.f5 Ne5 13.d4, forcing play. 

12.f5 

Inaccurate was 12.d4 as in perrypawnpusher - wbrandl, blitz, FICS, 2011 (0-1, 28), since Black's King could immediately find shelter. 

12...Ne5 13.d4 N5c6 

Instead, 13...Nc4 did not lead to much in perrypawnpusher - bnxr, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1/2 - 1/2, 32).

14.Qb3+ 

Hoping to keep Black's King in the center. Probably 14.c4 or 14.Nc3 were a bit better.

14...d5 15.c3

I was getting nervous about both my d- and e-pawns.

I looked at 15.Bg5 Nxd4 16.Qd3 dxe4 17.Qxe4 and it felt like things were slipping away from me. This pessimism was unwarranted - after the game the computer assesed Black to be only 1/2 pawn better in that line.

15...Kg8 16.g4 

To bolster my f-pawn.

16...Na5 17.Qc2 dxe4 18.Qxe4 Nac6 

White has two pawns for his sacrificed piece. His pawns control territory, expecially in parts of the center, but his development is lacking.

Black is better.

[to be continued]