Wednesday, June 12, 2024

Jerome Gambit: A Cautionary Lesson



I was pleased to see CM Miguel Bestard Borras recently take up the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) in a recent Titled Tuesday event, online at Chess.com. 

In the following game, he either got carried away by the aggression of the opening, or he trusted in the time control to give him opportunities that would otherwise not be there.

Either way, despite his courage, the game turned into a cautionary lesson.


Bestard Borras, Miguel - Martinez Reyes, Pedro Ram

3 1 blitz, Titled Tuesday, Chess.com, 2024

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 

7.Qxe5 Qe7 8.Qxh8 

This capture is taking a big risk, as White's Queen becomes side-tracked while Black's Queen becomes more active.

This assessment is more a matter of familiarity, rather than numbers from The Database. In the latter, there are 320 games, in which White scores 48%. Comparing that result to the stronger move, 8.Qd5+, The Database has 59 games, and White scores only slightly better, at 51%. 

As Yoda would never have said, "The chaos is strong with that one."

8...Qxe4+ 9.Kf1 Nf6 10.Nc3 


White starts to rally his pieces, but sometimes the only way to flee chaos is through more chaos: 10.d3 Qd4 11.Be3 Qxb2 12.Bh6 b6 13.Qg7+ Ke6 14.Ke2 Bb7 15.Re1 Rg8 16.Kd1+ Kf5 17.Bc1 Qxc1+ 18.Kxc1 Rxg7  - and White is still suffering. 

10...Qf5 11.Nd1 b6 12.d3 Bb7 


White's Queen is a goner.

13.Qxa8 Bxa8 14.Be3 Qg4 15.Rg1 

A reflection on the state of affairs for White.

15...Nd5 16.h3 Qf5 17.Bxc5 bxc5 18.Ke2 Nf4+ 

19.Kd2 Nxg2 20.e3 Qxf2+ 21.Kc3 Qxe3 22.Raf1+ Kg7 White resigned





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